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The purpose of this paper is to report a critical analysis of the plan recently launched by the Chinese Government for the development of the football industry in China. The analysis encompasses the impact exerted by the new policy instrument on the Eurocentric trend that configured the power relations in the football realm, as well as the challenges raised by barriers deeply rooted in culture that Chinese authorities should face in order to foster pervasive change and thus create the conditions for success.

The analysis of the policy document has been carried out under the light of the theory of innovation, namely, the contributions of Peter Drucker, who looks at innovation as a means to foster change in the social and economic environment, inducing new patterns of behaviour and creating new habits. This theoretical framework provides ground to the analytical endeavour because the Chinese plan for football development presents the overall goal of shifting the habits of sporting practice and consumption.

The first and most visible “innovative” effect of the policy took the form of a shock provoking an unprecedented change in the geopolitics of football and the inherent disturbance in the traditional Eurocentric structure of football power relations. At the domestic level, the Chinese Government is assuming the “educating” role in order to change behaviour and habits, that is, to ensure the transformative power necessary to overcome barriers deeply rooted in culture. Accordingly, rather than the availability of financial resources, the capacity to materialise this pervasive switch in behaviour and habits in terms of football practice and consumption is the major challenge, the one of a social innovation endeavour.

The research reported in this paper provides an original and innovative approach to the analysis of a sports relevant public policy document, namely, because of the theoretical framework wrapping up the analytical endeavour.

This paper aims to identify the scale efficiency of dry ports in Brazil and its main technological drivers.

This paper uses the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model in two stages. The first stage of the DEA was used to measure the efficiency of the dry ports. In the second stage, the Bootstrap Truncated Regression (BTR) was applied to explore the relationship between efficiency and the factors analyzed. The inputs, outputs and contextual variables for this analysis were extracted from the secondary database provided by Revista Tecnologística.

In the first analysis stage, a high level of idleness was verified in the operations. The contextual variables in the second stage were significant: Certification, Warehouse Management System (WMS), barcode and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Results corroborate the positive impact of Information Technology (IT) coordination processes on logistics performance.

Results show that dry ports operate below their technical and operational capacity and that the sector's lack of regulation in Brazil can facilitate and encourage the use of ports and marine terminals by importers and exporters.

Application of two-stage DEA measures efficiency as a sectoral benchmarking tool.

A literature review was conducted in order to establish a detailed definition of a knowledge-intensive process (KiP). Moreover, relevant theories from humanities – especially the fields of linguistics and philosophy – were thoroughly researched and adapted for establishing descriptive and analytical foundations for the phenomena involved. Finally, a cognitive business process management (BPM) theory was proposed in order to assess how sufficient are its respective explanatory and predictive powers. This study aims to discuss the aforementioned objective.

This study proposes a novel theory for KiPs that describe the process flow based on the participants' interactions and their beliefs, desires and intentions as the main drivers of the process enactment and execution.

The proposal puts forth a comprehensive definition of a KiP, depicting knowledge intensity, participant interaction and decision-making. The inner dynamics of each of these two elements (as well as other associated elements) are described as an information systems (IS) theory that enables the study of KiPs in detail, going beyond the typical techniques of the BPM field and common obstacles.

A theory proposal for KiP that applies concepts from speech act theory and intentional states as the main drivers for understanding the process dynamics are, to the best of the authors' knowledge, not present at the literature. Being an original proposal, the real-world scenario discussed brings up the explanatory and predictive powers of the theory as well as its innovative value for research in the field.

We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in the construction of hegemonies in SEA research in Brazil. In particular, we examine the role of hegemony in relation to the co-option of SEA literature and sustainability in the Brazilian context by the logic of development for economic growth in emerging economies. The methodological approach adopts a post-structural perspective that reflects Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. The study employs a hermeneutical, rhetorical approach to understand and classify 352 Brazilian research articles on SEA. We employ Brown and Fraser’s (2006) categorizations of SEA literature to help in our analysis: the business case, the stakeholder–accountability approach, and the critical case. We argue that the business case is prominent in Brazilian studies. Second-stage analysis suggests that the major themes under discussion include measurement, consulting, and descriptive approach. We argue that these themes illustrate the degree of influence of the hegemonic politics relevant to emerging economics, as these themes predominantly concern economic growth and a capitalist context. This paper discusses trends and practices in the Brazilian literature on SEA and argues that the focus means that SEA avoids critical debates of the role of capitalist logics in an emerging economy concerning sustainability. We urge the Brazilian academy to understand the implications of its reifying agenda and engage, counter-hegemonically, in a social and political agenda beyond the hegemonic support of a particular set of capitalist interests.

Higher education institutions, particularly in the case of public universities, face the challenge of creating more value in an environment of increasing requirements and limitations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relation of internal marketing (IM) with employees’ attitudinal outcomes, which aim to stimulate and retain motivated and customer-conscious contact employees.

Survey data of 94 customer-contact employees in a public higher education institution were analysed using partial least squares path modelling to explore and predict key target constructs.

The results demonstrate the relationship between customer-contact employees’ service empathy (SE), institutional IM initiatives and employees’ attitudinal outcomes in the public sector, specifically higher education institutions.

The current study relies on self-reported data and a small sample of customer-contact employees working only on enrolment-related areas. Further studies should be designed for theory confirmation and generalizability of the results.

Top managers in public higher education institutions must encourage organizational identification through IM initiatives, such as well-established internal communication procedures. Academic management should continuously train and retain customer-contact employees that have developed SE and a sense of belonging to the organization. SE must be incorporated in the job descriptions and training of customer-contact employees.

The study contributes to the limited literature on the use of IM and SE in the public sector, specifically higher education institutions.

Las instituciones de educación superior, en particular en el caso de las universidades públicas, se enfrentan al reto de crear más valor en un entorno de necesidades y limitaciones en aumento. El propósito de este estudio es explorar la relación entre el marketing interno y las resultantes actitudes laborales de los empleados. El objetivo del marketing interno es estimular y retener empleados de contacto que estén motivados y sean conscientes de la importancia de los clientes.

Se analizaron datos de 94 empleados de contacto de una institución pública de educación superior utilizando modelos de regresión de cuadrados mínimos parciales para explorar y predecir constructos claves.

Los resultados demuestran la relación entre los siguientes constructos: niveles de empatía de los empleados de contacto, iniciativas institucionales de marketing interno, y las resultantes actitudes de los empleados del sector público, en particular organizaciones en el sector de la educación superior.

El presente estudio se basa en los datos auto informados de una pequeña muestra de empleados de contacto que trabajan sólo en áreas relacionadas con matrícula. Nuevos estudios deberían ser diseñados para la confirmación de la teoría y la generalización de los resultados.

Los altos directivos de las instituciones públicas de educación superior deben fomentar la identificación con la organización a través de iniciativas de marketing interno, tales como procedimientos establecidos de comunicación interna. Los directivos académicos deben continuamente adiestrar y retener a los empleados de contacto que han desarrollado la capacidad de proveer servicios de manera empática y que tienen sentido de pertenencia a la organización. Proveer servicio de manera empática debe ser incorporado en las descripciones de empleo y formación de los empleados de contacto.

El estudio contribuye a la literatura limitada sobre el uso de marketing interno y empatía en los servicios en el sector público, específicamente en las instituciones de educación superior.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the process of new technology adoption, notably social networks (SN), relying on a specific model, the technology acceptance model (TAM).

The study applies a quantitative methodological approach by using a survey method. The data are collected from a sample of 150 university students. In order to test the proposed relationships, structural equation modelling was employed.

The results of this empirical study demonstrate that SN are relatively easy to use, as respondents quickly become skillful at using these technologies, finding them quite flexible to interact with. In terms of their attitudes, respondents find SN fun to use and enjoy using them. Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness impact on attitude towards SN. Attitude, in turn, impacts on behavioral intention to use SN. Thus, the authors confirm the explanatory power of TAM in the adoption of SN.

The study focuses on the parsimonious TAM model and its applicability to SN adoption. Another drawback pertains to the size of the sample.

A lot remains to be done to maximise the use of SN within a firm's context. For instance, a specific brand could target a specific group of users on Facebook and those potential customers who want to find detailed information about their products as services could be directed to the firm's official web site.

The relevance of this study is set against a lack of consistent, detailed research on the factors influencing the adoption of SNs.

This study aims to investigate whether organizational commitment in small and medium-sized family enterprises (FSMEs) is associated with their employees’ contextual performance.

A quantitative and exploratory research approach was adopted focusing on FSMEs based in an inland region of Portugal. These were considered family firms, being owned exclusively by one or a small number of families. The data-collecting instrument was based on a questionnaire, with the final sample being composed of 101 employees.

The results obtained allow the conclusion that in FSMEs, affective commitment has a positive influence on contextual performance, as employees in this firm segment have an emotional connection in the context in which they are situated.

The authors can point out the fact that the strong association between affective commitment and employees’ contextual performance has a relevant role in FSMEs. Therefore, these firms must be aware of this type of organizational commitment, as affective commitment increasingly influences their employees’ and teams’ performance.

The study contributes to advancing theory regarding the relationship between organizational commitment and contextual performance in small and medium-sized enterprises with a family structure. A new dimension of organizational commitment (Imperative) was considered in the family firm context.

The paper examines the effect of family transfers on child poverty in Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Family transfers are defined as to include non-contributory child benefits, contributory family allowances and tax credits or allowances. The drive to reduce child poverty is of particular interest in southern Europe, where public support to poor families with children is often meagre or not available at all. The paper uses the European cross-country microsimulation model, EUROMOD, to assess the distributional impact of existing family transfers and to explore the scope for policy reforms, before it concludes with a discussion of key findings and policy implications.

Research suggests that context matters for MNEs’ international business strategy. MNEs’ strategies vary when different intertwined contexts interact with each other. While International Business scholars understand well the influence of the institutional environments on firms’ international strategies and operations, some contextual differences are less understood as is the case involving African countries and firms. In this study we investigate how different institutional contexts and legitimacy challenges combine to impact ownership strategic choices of African firms in their cross-border acquisitions (CBAs). Specifically, we study the influence of the host country institutional development and two institutional dimension distances: administrative distance and knowledge distance. Methodologically, we use a sample of 314 CBAs made by acquirers from 24 African countries in 71 host countries worldwide to test a number of theoretically driven hypotheses. This study contributes to our understanding of how foreign investors from less institutionally developed countries that are more likely to face higher legitimacy barriers use ownership strategies to achieve legitimacy abroad.

The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast Internet marketing communication tools used to accomplish key marketing goals between European Union higher education institutions (HEIs) and non-EU HEIs, such as in the case of Poland and Ukraine.

In the article, the authors used the literature review method to justify the importance of implementing HEI marketing strategy based on marketing communications with Internet users, and thus to justify the relevance of the chosen research topic. Based on the literature review, the authors identified the goals of HEI advertising campaigns on the Internet (branding, recruitment of students, site traffic increase and subscription of Internet users to the university newsletter) and substantiated the analytical study of the two countries. The survey conducted by the authors allowed them to form their conclusions, the validity of which is based on the interpretation of the indicators calculated in the analytical section.

The hypothesis that the focus of HEI Internet marketing communications, recruitment of students, is universal regardless of the country of origin is proven. There is also no significant differences in Internet marketing communication tool use that is “simpler” and cheaper. University marketing managers widely use Internet advertising tools, but they have difficulty implementing public relations and sales promotion tools. Internet marketing communication is an important component of HEIs' marketing strategies, thus, comparing EU and non-EU HEIs informs future strategies.

The results of this research are of interest to HEIs that seek to improve the adaptation of their marketing communication strategy to meet the conditions of digitalisation and to strengthen their competitive foothold within the market. Also, the findings can help HEI marketing staff members to improve marketing communication tools used to build and maintain relationships with their online customers.

This study highlights the similarities and differences in approach to Internet marketing communications among EU (Poland) and non-EU HEIs (Ukraine). In conducting a thorough review of research, as well as a survey of 185 HEI marketing staff members, the paper offers insight into the approach HEIs of varying cultural backgrounds take to Internet marketing communications and online recruitment.