Xifang Ma, Wan Jiang, Linlin Wang and Jing Xiong
This study examined a curvilinear and moderated relationship between transformational leadership and employee creative performance in a real-world setting by drawing from the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examined a curvilinear and moderated relationship between transformational leadership and employee creative performance in a real-world setting by drawing from the too-much-of-a-good-thing effect and the substitutes for leadership perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
We used multisource data collected from 232 employees and their immediate supervisors to test all hypotheses.
Findings
We found empirical support for an inverted U-shaped relationship between transformational leadership and employee creative performance. Moreover, job factor (i.e. job formalization) and individual differences (i.e. power distance) moderated the curvilinear relationship, such that the curvilinear relationship was more pronounced with lower job formalization or higher power distance of employees.
Originality/value
Our findings shed light on the inconsistent reports of transformational leadership's effects on employee creativity in previous studies. We extended substitutes for leadership perspective by providing a more systematic view for future research on how leadership and its substitutes jointly influence employee outcomes.
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Xifang Ma, Zhengyun Rui and Genyuan Zhong
This study aims to provide a better understanding into how large-scale companies overcome their rigidity and bureaucracy, and transform entrepreneurial orientation (EO) into…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide a better understanding into how large-scale companies overcome their rigidity and bureaucracy, and transform entrepreneurial orientation (EO) into organizational responsiveness (e.g. interdepartmental collaboration [IDC]). It also clarifies the double-edged role of organizational culture in shaping IDC, specifically within the Chinese economy that is deeply influenced by Confucianism.
Design/methodology/approach
Datas were randomly collected from companies that reside in the Yangtze River Delta region. With a sample of 115 large-scale EO Chinese firms, consisting of 402 department managers and 115 executives. The study aggregates the scores to create an overall measurement for EO, collectivism, power distance and IDC in the analysis. Further, confirmatory factor analyses were used to measure the structural model fitness, and multiple regression analysis was used to assess the hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that in competitive environments, IDC, as a strategic response to EO and a risk aversion of inertia and bureaucracy, fully mediates the positive relationship between EO and organizational creativity. Furthermore, the positive association is more pronounced under high cultural collectivism or low power distance in large-scale firms.
Research limitations/implications
This paper contributes to the understanding of EO approach at the organizational level. The results posit that when large companies adopt EO, they are proactive rather than passive and would exhibit IDC as an important strategic responsiveness. Moreover, different organizational cultural orientations (i.e. high collectivism and low power distance) help to build IDC before cultivating innovation.
Practical implications
The results in this study suggest that large companies should focus on developing IDC to overcome knowledge fragmentation, bureaucracy and inertia. Also, large firms should develop Human Resource Management practices, such as creating job rotation and workflow, as well as cultural trust and common beliefs. In contrast, they should be on guard against status differences and workplace hierarchy’s cultural context.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that considers the roles of IDC and organizational culture and examines how large-scale entrepreneurial-oriented companies breed innovation.
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Wan Jiang, Linlin Wang, Zhaofang Chu and Xifang Ma
The purpose of this paper is to examine how analyst recommendation change is associated with a firm’s magnitude of strategic change.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how analyst recommendation change is associated with a firm’s magnitude of strategic change.
Design/methodology/approach
This study argues that unfavorable analyst recommendation change serves as a powerful external assessment that current strategies are inappropriate and that changes are needed. This study also incorporates the moderating roles of CEO power and board’s informal hierarchy in the relationship between analyst recommendation change and firm’s magnitude of strategic change. Results from a sample of 824 observations generally support our predictions.
Findings
The findings of this study show that the greater the analysts downgrade for the company’s stock, the larger the magnitude of strategic change will be made. This study also considers the moderating roles of CEO power and the clarity of board’s informal hierarchy. In particular, the higher the CEO power, the weaker the relationship between analyst recommendation change and the magnitude of strategic change will be. The higher the clarity of board’s informal hierarchy, the more positive the relationship between analyst recommendation change and the magnitude of strategic change will be.
Originality/value
It extends research on the external predictors of strategic change by incorporating the role of unfavorable analyst recommendation change. In addition, it contributes to institutional theory by showing how external legitimacy pressure and internal corporate governance tool complement each other.
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Local brands in emerging markets suffer from fierce competition and chronic disadvantages. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if outbreaks of animosity against the West…
Abstract
Purpose
Local brands in emerging markets suffer from fierce competition and chronic disadvantages. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if outbreaks of animosity against the West (AAW) might benefit local brands by raising consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to buy (WTB).
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed 2 methods: structural equation modeling (n=244 Chinese students); and experiment, multiple regression (n=676 Chinese students, different sample than those included in study 1).
Findings
AAW is different from ethnocentrism and the measurement has good validity and reliability. After an outbreak of animosity, AAW increases Chinese consumers’ WTB local products. The WTP is also enhanced by AAW in such a situation. Under “normal” circumstances, there is no effect of AAW on the WTP. This might be due to the cost of substituting western goods for local ones (e.g. inferior perceived quality and other-signaling value). An outbreak of animosity presents a risk to consumers and thus lowers their overall WTP.
Originality/value
The study introduces the construct “AAW,” which stretches the animosity construct to an inter-regional level. On such a level, it is possible to find consequences of animosity on local brand consumption, which have not been the focus of previous studies. Additionally, this research introduces the concept of WTP to animosity research. The measurement is built on a real economic exchange and better represents the cost aspects of substituting one brand for another.
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Xifang Sun and Liyu Liu
Branching is one of the crucial strategic non-price actions for banks. Previous studies on the impact of state ownership upon banks focus on bank lending behavior. This paper aims…
Abstract
Purpose
Branching is one of the crucial strategic non-price actions for banks. Previous studies on the impact of state ownership upon banks focus on bank lending behavior. This paper aims to offer a novel investigation of how state ownership affects bank branching behavior by examining state-controlled commercial banks (SCCBs) in the context of the largest developing and transitional country China.
Design/methodology/approach
The two-part model (TPM) is applied to analyze the branching decision process. In the first stage, the dependent variable is the choice of bank branching dynamics and in the second stage the dependent variable is the number of new branches or the number of closed branches. For robustness check, the ordered probit selection model allowing for interdependence of the two stage decisions is also employed.
Findings
Using a unique dataset of bank branches in China, this paper finds that the branching decisions of Chinese SCCBs are driven by both profit motivated factors including population size, population density, income level, financial development and banking competition and politically motivated factors as represented with the proportion of SOEs. As a comparison, branching decisions of joint-stock banks in China are fully determined by profit motivated factors.
Originality/value
First, this study is the first to explore the effect of state ownership on bank branching decisions, providing a new insight on the literature regarding to the impact of state ownership on bank decisions. Second, this study explores the potential effect of politically motivated factors on bank branching decisions, filling the gap in bank branching literature. Third, this study can contribute to bank branching literature by enriching the limited understanding of how SCCBs make branching decisions. Lastly, this study applies novel empirical strategies to analyze bank branching decisions, including the TPM and the ordered probit selection model.
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Sanjay Mishra, Surendra N. Singh, Xiang Fang and Bingqing Yin
Co-branding is popular with partnerships between well-known and new brands. In a laboratory study, this paper aims to examine the effects of a single ally and multiple allies on…
Abstract
Purpose
Co-branding is popular with partnerships between well-known and new brands. In a laboratory study, this paper aims to examine the effects of a single ally and multiple allies on quality perception of a brand. The results suggest that the quality perception of the new brand depends on the co-branding strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
For dual-brand alliances, a single-factor design was used, with secondary brand quality level (high, medium and low) as the independent variable. Three advertisements were created by manipulating quality levels of the single partner. For multiple-brand alliances, a 2 × 3 between-subjects factorial design was used in the experiment. The two factors were diversification (homogeneous vs heterogeneous) and quality levels of the alliance (high-end, mixed and low-end).
Findings
The results suggest that the number of brand partners significantly affected the perceived quality of the primary brand. For both dual- and multi-brand alliances, the quality level of the secondary brand positively influenced the perceived quality of the primary brand. For multiple-brand alliances, even though the highest quality perceptions of the primary brand are in the heterogeneous conditions, the heterogeneity of partners (partners across different product categories) did not affect the quality perception of the primary brand.
Research limitations/implications
One limitation of the current study is that it only addresses one type of brand alliance: co-promotion. The generalization of these findings to other forms of brand alliances (e.g. ingredient branding: Intel with IBM, Dell and HP) merits further investigation. Also, in this study, respondents processed the information in a relatively low-involvement condition (note that the target ad was presented along with filler ads). They were more likely to use brand names as heuristic cues to form their judgments. Because an alliance partner also assumes risks, future research should consider the effect of the alliances on the secondary brand.
Practical implications
Understanding brand alliances (especially multiple-brand alliances) is critical for new product managers and marketers. Introducing a new brand has higher risk and failure rates. Companies may lower these risks by co-branding with established brands. However, they should carefully consider the diversification and quality level of the partners. If brand managers position their product as “high quality (luxury)” or “low quality (budget)”, they should choose high- (or low-) quality partners from different product categories (heterogeneous high-end or low-end alliances) because diversification strengthens the primary brand. For a single-partner alliance, the secondary brand should be of high quality.
Originality/value
This paper extends the brand alliance literature beyond single-partner to multiple-partner alliances. With multiple partners, one can explore several critical aspects of an alliance, e.g. quality variance and product class diversity across the partners.
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D. Todd Donavan, Xiang Fang, Neeli Bendapudi and Surendra N. Singh
Modern interactionism asserts that both the P (person) and the E (environment or situation) should be considered simultaneously in predicting attitudes and behaviors. In this…
Abstract
Modern interactionism asserts that both the P (person) and the E (environment or situation) should be considered simultaneously in predicting attitudes and behaviors. In this paper, we apply the interactionist view to salesforce research. Specifically, we use salesforce socialization as an example to illustrate how interactionist concepts from psychology can be effectively applied in salesforce research. The role of qualitative research in this context is explored.
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This paper aims to explore various tensions related to the diffusion and reception of the New Qing History (NQH) in China, and more specifically, it aims at underlying a recurrent…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore various tensions related to the diffusion and reception of the New Qing History (NQH) in China, and more specifically, it aims at underlying a recurrent tension within the core of this debate, between a Global and a Nationalist historical narrative.
Design/methodology/approach
The author’s focus is to analyze various texts published in China between 2006 and 2018.
Findings
The author argues that the intensity of the current debate is partly related on the one hand, to the fact that NQH undermines various aspects of China’s Nationalist teleology and territorial claims and, on the other hand, to the basic difficulty of accepting the coexistence of various historical representations that are risking to weaken contemporary’s justifications of its rising schemes.
Originality/value
The text presents an original reading of some important issues raised by the NQH debate.
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Andrew Kimwolo and Thomas Cheruiyot
This paper aims to determine the effect of intrinsically motivating idiosyncratic deals (I-deals) on innovative work behaviour (IWB) among tied life insurance agents in Kenya.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to determine the effect of intrinsically motivating idiosyncratic deals (I-deals) on innovative work behaviour (IWB) among tied life insurance agents in Kenya.
Design/methodology/approach
Standard multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses from data collected from a field study from 498 employees and 48 managers.
Findings
The study findings showed a positive relationship between both flexibility I-deals and IWB (ß = 0.461, p < 0.00) and between task and responsibilities I-deals and IWB (ß = 0.171, p < 0.01).
Research/limitations/implications
The cross-sectional collection of data weakens the author’s claim of causality between the variables in focus. The study extends literature on the effects of flexibility as well as tasks and responsibilities I-deals on IWB.
Practical implications
Organizations must grant their employees with intrinsically motivating I-deals in order for display of IWB.
Social implications
These I-deals provided intrinsic motivation of the employees in displaying IWB in the organizations. The exchange relationship with the employers got enhanced through their granting motivating employees to look for new ways of doing their work.
Originality/value
This is the first study to investigate a linear relationship between intrinsically motivating I-deals and IWB.
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Hai-xi Jiang and Nan-ping Jiang
A more accurate comprehension of data elements and the exploration of new laws governing contemporary data in both theoretical and practical domains…
Abstract
Purpose
A more accurate comprehension of data elements and the exploration of new laws governing contemporary data in both theoretical and practical domains constitute a significant research topic.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the perspective of evolutionary economics, this paper re-examines economic history and existing literature to study the following: changes in the “connotation of production factors” in economics caused by the evolution of production factors; the economic paradoxes formed by data in the context of social production processes and business models, which traditional theoretical frameworks fail to solve; the disruptive innovation of classical theory of value by multiple theories of value determination and the conflicts between the data market monopoly as well as the resulting distribution of value and the real economic society. The research indicates that contemporary advancements in data have catalyzed transformative innovation within the field of economics.
Findings
The research indicates that contemporary advancements in data have catalyzed disruptive innovation in the field of economics.
Originality/value
This paper, grounded in academic research, identifies four novel issues arising from contemporary data that cannot be adequately addressed within the confines of the classical economic theoretical framework.