Aurélie Brunie, Diana Rutherford, Emily B. Keyes and Samuel Field
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of savings and loan groups (SGs), alone and combined with a rotating labor scheme (Ajuda Mútua), on the economic conditions of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of savings and loan groups (SGs), alone and combined with a rotating labor scheme (Ajuda Mútua), on the economic conditions of the rural poor in Nampula province in Mozambique.
Design/methodology/approach
Three pairs of districts were randomized into receiving SG, SG and AM, or no intervention. The study used a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. Data from a longitudinal survey of 1,276 households were analyzed using difference-in-difference estimation to assess the impact of SGs on income and asset ownership. Thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 72 program participants explored specific contributions of SGs to economic outcomes.
Findings
Survey results show that program participation had a significant, positive impact on income and asset ownership. Qualitative results indicate that SGs allowed households to bridge seasonal food consumption gaps and meet cash needs during crises. Accumulated savings supported asset purchases. Program activities supported agricultural activity, but enterprise development had limited scope. Challenges to economic development included cultural aversion to risk, inadequate agricultural inputs, low market integration, and limited business opportunities.
Practical implications
SGs helped reduce vulnerability to stress events. Programs should analyze the wider structural context to foster a positive enabling environment, and combine SGs with relevant enterprise development services for additional benefits.
Originality/value
The importance of savings is increasingly acknowledged, but the contributions and limitations of SGs are not fully understood. This paper also highlights the role of structural context, which remains undervalued in the literature.
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Samuels always saw the history of economics as intellectual history (Samuels, 1974). The history of economics could not be confined to a record of doctrines economists have…
Abstract
Samuels always saw the history of economics as intellectual history (Samuels, 1974). The history of economics could not be confined to a record of doctrines economists have advanced, particularly as found in a handful of key written texts, since these doctrines had to be understood in their historical context along with many other types of historical evidence and materials. That is, economic doctrines do not stand on their own, however plausible and well-argued they may appear to be, but have their meaning and credibility according to how well they along with many other historical materials speak to the issues of their time. While this seems an obvious and correct point to make about how to understand the history of economics, Samuels argued that it turns out to be more far-reaching than it initially appears when one considers the character of the world which economic doctrines must somehow explain together with the problem of representation.First, social reality is itself heterogeneous and ambiguous … [which] permits a complex and heterogeneous body of knowledge thereof. Second, our modes of intellectualizing and interpreting social reality are complex and heterogeneous: there are diverse epistemological credentials, diverse modes of thought, and diverse systems of rationality. (Samuels, 1974, p. 306)
Mieke Jans, Banu Aysolmaz, Maarten Corten, Anant Joshi and Mathijs van Peteghem
The Accounting Information Systems (AIS) research field emerged around 30 years ago as a subfield of accounting but is at risk to develop further as an isolated discipline…
Abstract
Purpose
The Accounting Information Systems (AIS) research field emerged around 30 years ago as a subfield of accounting but is at risk to develop further as an isolated discipline. However, given the importance of digitalization and its relevance for accounting, an amalgamation of the parent research field of accounting and the subfield of accounting information systems is pivotal for continuing relevant research that is of high quality. This study empirically investigates the distance between AIS research that is included in accounting literature and AIS research that prevails in dedicated AIS research outlets.
Design/methodology/approach
To understand which topics define AIS research, all articles published in the two leading AIS journals since 2000 were analyzed. Based on this topical inventory, all AIS studies that were published in the top 16 accounting journals, also since 2000, are identified and categorized in terms of topic, subtopic and research methodology. Next, AIS studies published in the general accounting field and AIS studies published in the AIS field were compared in terms of topics and research methodology to gain insights into the distance between the two fields.
Findings
The coverage of AIS topics in accounting journals is, to no small extent, concentrated around the topics “information disclosure”, “network technologies” and “audit and control”. Other AIS topics remain underrepresented. A possible explanation might be the focus on archival studies in accounting outlets, but other elements might play a role. The findings suggest that there is only a partial overlap between the parent accounting research field and the AIS subfield, in terms of both topic and research methodology diversity. These findings suggest a considerable distance between both fields, which might hold detrimental consequences in the long run, if no corrective actions are taken.
Originality/value
This is the first in-depth investigation of the distance between the AIS research field and its parent field of accounting. This study helped develop an AIS classification scheme, which can be used in other research endeavors. This study creates awareness of the divergence between the general accounting research field and the AIS subfield. Given the latter's relevance to the accounting profession, isolation or deterioration of the AIS research must be avoided. Some actionable suggestions are provided in the paper.
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Harold Samuel, music librarian and professor of music at Yale University, provides an excellent overview of the growth and development of musicology and the implications for…
Abstract
Harold Samuel, music librarian and professor of music at Yale University, provides an excellent overview of the growth and development of musicology and the implications for library music collections in his recent article “Music and the Music Library” (Library Trends, April, 1977, pp. 833–845.). He notes that the musicologist's narrow emphasis on the “serious music” of Western Europe has broadened to include serious study of ethnomusicology, popular music, “serious” music of the United States, and musical performance. While my survey does not cover popular music, the growing importance of the other three areas is reflected in the best reference books of the past year.
Vesna Holubek and Henna Juusola
Our chapter explores the benefits of informal academic communities by focusing on the Finland-based early career higher education researchers' network (ECRN). Established two…
Abstract
Our chapter explores the benefits of informal academic communities by focusing on the Finland-based early career higher education researchers' network (ECRN). Established two years ago, the ECRN primarily operates through monthly online coffee meetings. Via dialogical reflections by the authors and a qualitative inquiry into the ECRN, we explore the ECRN's role in its members' professional growth and well-being. We provide a narrative vignette of an imagined online coffee meeting to illustrate the significant peer-learning conversations in the ECRN. Based on our dialogical approach, we conclude that the ECRN is beneficial for its members' professional growth and well-being as it provides peer support, information sharing, scholarly support and higher education research-related support. Hence, we call for academia to better recognise and support informal academic communities as they have the potential to nourish a more collaborative working culture in academia.
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This paper describes how qualitative research methods, particularly action research case studies, can contribute to further advance and develop logistics research. The paper also…
Abstract
This paper describes how qualitative research methods, particularly action research case studies, can contribute to further advance and develop logistics research. The paper also describes limitations with the current dominance of quantitative (especially survey) research in logistics. However, the paper is not a pure criticism of the use of quantitative research methods in general or in logistics in specific. Rather, the argument is that it is necessary to use both quantitative and qualitative methods if we really want to develop and advance logistics research. Logistics problems are often ill‐structured, even messy, real‐world problems. Modern logistics is based on holistic and systemic thinking and uses multi‐disciplinary and cross‐functional approaches. Thus action research case studies are especially suited for an applied field such as logistics since they strive to advance both science and practice. This should also be reflected in published logistics research, which it is not. In order to change this situation, we first have to understand paradigms and their influence on how we approach and evaluate research. Second, we have to define what case studies in journal articles mean. Third, we need to develop criteria for evaluating action research case studies.
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This study aims to provide a bibliometric analysis of 1,104 journal articles to explore the multifaceted research field of Islamic finance and banking, explicitly emphasising the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide a bibliometric analysis of 1,104 journal articles to explore the multifaceted research field of Islamic finance and banking, explicitly emphasising the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
Insights into the evolving trends and dynamics within the academic discourse are presented.
Findings
The research highlights different patterns and collaborative networks through co-authorship, co-occurrence and thematic map analyses. Prior to the pandemic, research focused primarily on customer satisfaction and compliance with Shariah principles. However, the pandemic heralded an increased discourse on sustainability, fintech and the financial crisis.
Research limitations/implications
This review describes the prevailing academic terrain and identifies potential avenues for future research, particularly those that examine the socio-economic impact of the pandemic within the context of Islamic finance and banking.
Originality/value
Prominent author such as M. Kabir Hassan, leading institution such as the International Islamic University Malaysia and esteemed journal such as the International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management have been instrumental in shaping academic discussions and creating synergies in research. Moreover, Malaysia’s strong commitment to spatial research, evidenced by its robust global collaborations, underscores its pioneering role in the academic world of Islamic finance and banking.
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The purpose of this paper is to identify the originality value of the lean manufacturing (LM) studies carried out worldwide so far.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the originality value of the lean manufacturing (LM) studies carried out worldwide so far.
Design/methodology/approach
Four major publishers, namely, Emerald Online, Science Direct, Springer Link and Taylor and Francis provided the databases for a systematic literature review (SLR) of peer-reviewed journal articles in LM. In total, 211 articles published in 52 journals during 2005-2016 were collected. The affinity diagram was applied to group the originality value statements identified into logical themes.
Findings
The plethora of originality value statements identified in the literature are analytically presented. Furthermore, meaningful themes of the originality value of the LM studies are formulated.
Research limitations/implications
Some publishers might have been missed out in this SLR, given that it is based on only four academic publishers.
Practical implications
Identifying the originality value of the existing LM studies and presenting respective meaningful themes can help researchers and practitioners design their future research and implementation plans, respectively.
Originality value
The originality value of the LM studies is a subject which has not been reviewed in the literature previously.