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1 – 10 of 28Nikola Vuksanović, Dunja Demirović Bajrami, Marko D. Petrović and Elena M. Grigorieva
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the use of Quick Response (QR) code application among the tourists on their satisfaction at a destination regarding…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the use of Quick Response (QR) code application among the tourists on their satisfaction at a destination regarding information about restaurants’ offer.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative method was implemented in this study. The field study was conducted in 2019 in the two most visited urban destinations in Serbia. The proposed model was examined using partial least squares, and the model fits, composite reliability and convergent validity were assessed. The direction and significance of the relationships were determined by testing all of the hypotheses.
Findings
The results showed that there was a positive effect of using QR codes. However, the study showed that a QR code cannot completely affect the overall satisfaction at a destination. The analysis of the control variables (age and economic status) showed that individual, demographic and economic factors must be taken into consideration to predict individuals’ behaviour.
Research limitations/implications
To enable the generalization of the results, it is advised to conduct research on cross-cultural levels. Future studies related to the topic could be conveyed in other forms of tourism, as well as in other industries, which would provide a better insight into the application of this technology in the future.
Originality/value
The study enables managers of tourism businesses, especially in hospitality, to better understand the importance of the use of a QR code at a destination as an important marketing tool for getting information, and thus to satisfy guests’ expectations.
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Elena M. Gimenez-Fernandez, Alberto Ferraris, Ciro Troise and Francesco Domenico Sandulli
External knowledge is a key resource for the success and the survival of born global firms; however, existing models provide minimal evidence on how these firms should source this…
Abstract
Purpose
External knowledge is a key resource for the success and the survival of born global firms; however, existing models provide minimal evidence on how these firms should source this knowledge resource. Thus, the purpose of this research is to increase understanding on the impact of diverse knowledge search and knowledge formal protection in international new ventures (INVs).
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a quantitative methodology based on a sample of start-ups from the Spanish Community Innovation Survey data. Using ordinary least squares regressions on a 10-year period panel data, this research tests the moderator role of a heterogeneous base of international partners and formal knowledge appropriation strategy on the relationship between start-ups and their export performance.
Findings
The results show that compared to non-born global start-ups, born global firms benefit more from establishing relationships with a set of heterogeneous international partners. By contrast, all start-ups benefit from an extensive appropriation strategy if they establish such alliances with diverse international partners.
Originality/value
The study extends current theory on international entrepreneurship by providing a new theoretical framework for INVs of both the extensive use of formal mechanisms of knowledge protection and the access to heterogeneous and distant knowledge. This study has also several implications for knowledge management domain.
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Lakia M. Scott and Elena M. Venegas
The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues of contemporary language conflict in educational contexts.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues of contemporary language conflict in educational contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a conceptual paper which examines current educational practices and policies through the lens of linguistic hegemony.
Findings
The authors identify three primary areas in which linguistic hegemony persists at present, including English-only policies, varied perspectives on language difference and harsh graduation mandates.
Originality/value
The authors extend upon Antonio Gramsci’s notion of hegemonic culture as well as Robert Phillipson’s concept of linguistic imperialism in identifying current instances of linguistic hegemony in educational policies and practices throughout the USA.
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Craig M. Reddock, Elena M. Auer and Richard N. Landers
Branched situational judgment tests (BSJTs) are an increasingly common employee selection method, yet there is no theory and very little empirical work explaining the designs and…
Abstract
Purpose
Branched situational judgment tests (BSJTs) are an increasingly common employee selection method, yet there is no theory and very little empirical work explaining the designs and impacts of branching. To encourage additional research on BSJTs, and to provide practitioners with a common language to describe their current and future practices, we sought to develop a theory of BSTJs.
Design/methodology/approach
Given the absence of theory on branching, we utilized a ground theory qualitative research design, conducting interviews with 25 BSJT practitioner subject matter experts.
Findings
Our final theory consists of three components: (1) a taxonomy of BSJT branching features (contingency, parallelism, convergence, and looping) and options within those features (which vary), (2) a causal theoretical model describing impacts of branching in general on applicant reactions via proximal effects on face validity, and (3) a causal theoretical model describing impacts on applicant reactions among branching designs via proximal effects on consistency of administration and opportunity to perform.
Originality/value
Our work provides the first theoretical foundation on which future confirmatory research in the BSJT domain can be built. It also gives both researchers and practitioners a common language for describing branching features and their options. Finally, it reveals BSJTs as the results of a complex set of interrelated design features, discouraging the oversimplified contrasting of “branching” vs “not branching.”
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Natalia N. Skiter, Nataliya V. Ketko, Aleksey F. Rogachev, Elena G. Gushchina and Elena M. Vitalyeva
The article considers the causes of such a fundamental problem like poverty.
Abstract
Purpose
The article considers the causes of such a fundamental problem like poverty.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyzed the interdependence of poverty and the development of the digital economy, and also examined possible ways to develop measures to reduce the spread of poverty.
Findings
An algorithm is proposed for diagnosing the level of poverty development, and a mechanism has been developed to reduce it due to the development of self-employment of the population.
Originality/value
The main scientific task to be solved by the study is to improve the quality of life of the population of the regions of Russia by reducing poverty and increasing employment in the form of self-employment.
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Richard N. Landers, Elena M. Auer and Joseph D. Abraham
Assessment gamification, which refers to the addition of game elements to existing assessments, is commonly implemented to improved applicant reactions to existing psychometric…
Abstract
Purpose
Assessment gamification, which refers to the addition of game elements to existing assessments, is commonly implemented to improved applicant reactions to existing psychometric measures. This study aims to understand the effects of gamification on applicant reactions to and measurement quality of situational judgment tests.
Design/methodology/approach
In a 2 × 4 between-subjects experiment, this study randomly assigned 315 people to experience different versions of a gamified situational judgment test, crossing immersive game elements (text, audio, still pictures, video) with control game elements (high and low), measuring applicant reactions and assessing differences in convergent validity between conditions.
Findings
The use of immersive game elements improved perceptions of organizational technological sophistication, but no other reactions outcomes (test attitudes, procedural justice, organizational attractiveness). Convergent validity with cognitive ability was not affected by gamification.
Originality/value
This is the first study to experimentally examine applicant reactions and measurement quality to SJTs based upon the implementation of specific game elements. It demonstrates that small-scale efforts to gamify assessments are likely to lead to only small-scale gains. However, it also demonstrates that such modifications can be done without harming the measurement qualities of the test, making gamification a potentially useful marketing tool for assessment specialists. Thus, this study concludes that utility should be considered carefully and explicitly for any attempt to gamify assessment.
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William A. Lucas, Sarah Y. Cooper and Elena M. Rodriguez-Falcon
This chapter seeks to understand the psychological mechanisms that support entrepreneurial opportunity recognition. That recognition is treated here from the perspective of…
Abstract
This chapter seeks to understand the psychological mechanisms that support entrepreneurial opportunity recognition. That recognition is treated here from the perspective of Kirzner's (1979) entrepreneurial alertness, a perspective that calls attention to the unconscious processes of discovery. It begins with the proposition that a substantial fraction of opportunities recognised by nascent entrepreneurs are not conscious in the sense that they are not found through a process that is driven by rational search or even by the conscious focusing of one's attention. A cognitive theory of unconscious recognition and discovery is considered that might then explain this phenomenon, based on the proposition that individuals develop a directed attention through interest and experience to quite specific domains.
Patricia Molinero-Díez, Virginia Blanco-Mazagatos, Inigo Garcia-Rodriguez and M. Elena Romero-Merino
This study aims to evaluate changes in the presence of women on Spanish boards after the Unified Good Governance Code of Listed Companies (2006) and the Organic Law 3/2007 on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate changes in the presence of women on Spanish boards after the Unified Good Governance Code of Listed Companies (2006) and the Organic Law 3/2007 on Gender Equality, and this study compares the educational background of women and men directors. Also, this study analyses the influence of gender diversity and educational background of women directors on economic performance, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and, ultimately, firm value. In addition, this study explores the differences in board gender composition and its effect on firm value during the crisis and post-crisis periods. Finally, this study analyses the different influence of women directors depending on their typology.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a system of structural equations and a sample of 4,101 directors of 30 Spanish companies listed on IBEX-35 over 2008–2017.
Findings
The results show that women’s presence on boards has grown since 2008, and they have higher educational background than men. This study finds that women directors improve economic performance and CSR, though results are non-significant for firm value. Women directors with a bachelor’s or master’s degree increase economic and social performance but reduce firm value. Women directors with business or industry-related studies positively influence CSR but business specialisation negatively affects economic performance and firm value.
Originality/value
This study analyses the direct and indirect effect of women directors on firm value, the influence of their educational background and the potential differences arising from the economic situation (crisis) and the type of board position they hold.
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An evaluation of libraries and their overall quality should consider the quality of the services they provide. Satisfaction in terms of the service provided is indicative of the…
Abstract
Purpose
An evaluation of libraries and their overall quality should consider the quality of the services they provide. Satisfaction in terms of the service provided is indicative of the quality of reference services and since these services are expensive, evaluation is therefore essential. This paper aims to outline the development of a structural equations model to evaluate service quality and user satisfaction with regard to the electronic reference service provided by Francisco Xavier Clavigero Library belongs to the Iberoamericana University, located in Mexico City.
Design/methodology/approach
This model suggests that service quality can be explained by way of the five dimensions of the SERVQUAL methodology, (reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness) and in turn, quality explains both user satisfaction and the value of the service to its patrons. Finally, this model suggests that a positive increase in user satisfaction leads to a lineal and positive increase in user loyalty. The evaluation considered 297 users who made at least one electronic reference request during 2014.
Findings
The adjustment of the structural model reveals that the latent variables that explain quality are reliability and responsiveness, and that quality explains satisfaction, which in turn explains user loyalty.
Originality
The generation of an indicator to evaluate the reference services enables identification of its strengths and weaknesses to offer a more efficient service, considering that it represents a significant percentage of the library’s financial and human resources.
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David Blanco-Alcántara, José María Díez-Esteban and M. Elena Romero-Merino
The purpose of this paper is to use the dynamic capabilities framework to explain the effect of board networks, as a source of intellectual capital, on firm performance. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to use the dynamic capabilities framework to explain the effect of board networks, as a source of intellectual capital, on firm performance. The authors propose that the influence of board interlocks depends on their ability to contribute to strategic decision making. As a result, their effect is subject to the business context in which they occur and the different role of the interconnected directors involved.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use social network analysis to make board connections and to calculate centrality measures. The authors also identify busy boards to analyze whether their effect differs from centrality. The authors estimate the theoretical model using the Generalized Method of Moments in order to take advantage of the panel database.
Findings
For a sample of Spanish firms from 1999 to 2015, the results show there is no direct significant effect of directors’ networks on firm performance. However, the authors find a positive and significant influence of intra-industry board connections, particularly when they are established among outsiders.
Research limitations/implications
The Spanish context of the study can limit the generalization of the papers’ results.
Practical implications
The results can be useful both for practitioners – since they can serve as a guide for companies to reformulate their boards in search of the optimal structure-, and when implementing good governance codes – establishing limits for director interlocking.
Originality/value
This study helps to offer a better understanding of how directors’ networks can add value to the firm depending on the kind of resources they provide (context) and the role of the director who is connected.
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