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1 – 10 of over 2000Markus Kantola, Hannele Seeck, Albert J. Mills and Jean Helms Mills
This paper aims to explore how historical context influences the content and selection of rhetorical legitimation strategies. Using case study method, this paper will focus on how…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how historical context influences the content and selection of rhetorical legitimation strategies. Using case study method, this paper will focus on how insurance companies and labor tried to defend their legitimacy in the context of enactment of Medicare in the USA. What factors influenced the strategic (rhetorical) decisions made by insurance companies and labor unions in their institutional work?
Design/methodology/approach
The study is empirically grounded in archival research, involving an analysis of over 9,000 pages of congressional hearings on Medicare covering the period 1958–1965.
Findings
The authors show that rhetorical legitimation strategies depend significantly on the specific historical circumstances in which those strategies are used. The historical context lent credibility to certain arguments and organizations are forced to decide either to challenge widely held assumptions or take advantage of them. The authors show that organizations face strong incentives to pursue the latter option. Here, both the insurance companies and labor unions tried to show that their positions were consistent with classical liberal ideology, because of high respect of classical liberal principles among different stakeholders (policymakers, voters, etc.).
Research limitations/implications
It is uncertain how much the results of the study could be generalized. More information about the organizations whose use of rhetorics the authors studied could have strengthened our conclusions.
Practical implications
The practical relevancy of the revised paper is that the authors should not expect hegemony challenging rhetorics from organizations, which try to influence legislators (and perhaps the larger public). Perhaps (based on the findings), this kind of rhetorics is not even very effective.
Social implications
The paper helps to understand better how organizations try to advance their interests and gain acceptance among the stakeholders.
Originality/value
In this paper, the authors show how historical context in practice influence rhetorical arguments organizations select in public debates when their goal is to influence the decision-making of their audience. In particular, the authors show how dominant ideology (or ideologies) limit the options organizations face when they are choosing their strategies and arguments. In terms of the selection of rhetorical justification strategies, the most pressing question is not the “real” broad based support of certain ideologies. Insurance company and labor union representatives clearly believed that they must emphasize liberal values (or liberal ideology) if they wanted to gain legitimacy for their positions. In existing literature, it is often assumed that historical context influence the selection of rhetorical strategies but how this in fact happens is not usually specified. The paper shows how interpretations of historical contexts (including the ideological context) in practice influence the rhetorical strategies organizations choose.
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Predicting effects of artificial intelligence on service occupations can be supported by a long historical perspective. Historical databases and archaeology help reconstructing…
Abstract
Purpose
Predicting effects of artificial intelligence on service occupations can be supported by a long historical perspective. Historical databases and archaeology help reconstructing the service sector in ancient societies. Here, the purpose of this paper is to analyse occupational specialization within services in cities of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, as well as how the service sector is reflected in architectural remains, to identify differences and similarities with today’s Europe.
Design/methodology/approach
Occupational titles are traced in epigraphical and literary sources, sorted according to ISCO-08. Secondary sources are used for the architectural evidence of service activities, as well as for the role of contests and entertainment in antiquity.
Findings
Compared to current European service employment, professionals were fewer in classical Athens and imperial Rome, which had a greater proportion of specialized salespersons. There were few office buildings and no civic hospitals, but heavy investment in facilities for entertainment and well-being. Quality assessments for goods were little developed; contests for cultural and sports activities assessed entertainment service quality.
Research limitations/implications
This study covers two periods in classical antiquity and is restricted to Mediterranean cultures, although findings may help understanding the service sector in poor countries with informal employment.
Originality/value
While particular services provided in ancient cities have been studied, there has been no broad comparative overview of their service occupations. Services in earlier societies with primitive information and communication technologies can provide clues for current developments.
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This paper offers a way of revivifying classical accounting research in the form of a pragmatist neoclassical programme with a sound epistemological underpinning.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper offers a way of revivifying classical accounting research in the form of a pragmatist neoclassical programme with a sound epistemological underpinning.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on a pragmatist perspective on financial accounting and accounting research springing from John Dewey's theory of inquiry.
Findings
Although a pragmatist underpinning does not entail specific methodological prescriptions, it can provide fruitful insights in research design. The paper discusses the structure and content of a research programme drawing on a pragmatist underpinning and sets out proposals for a practical research agenda. Although the agenda is shaped around the topic of identifiable intangibles, much of the paper has substantially wider relevance.
Research limitations/implications
The approach justifies a revival in scholarly research employing classical methods and directed at improving accounting methods and standards.
Practical implications
The approach would promote closer engagement between scholarly accounting and practitioners such as standard-setters, making some contribution to closing the widely acknowledged gap between research and practice.
Originality/value
The paper offers a neoclassical programme of research drawing considerably more extensively on pragmatist philosophy than did theorisation in the classical period.
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Sanaz Khalaj Rahimi and Donya Rahmani
The study aims to optimize truck routes by minimizing social and economic costs. It introduces a strategy involving diverse drones and their potential for reusing at DNs based on…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to optimize truck routes by minimizing social and economic costs. It introduces a strategy involving diverse drones and their potential for reusing at DNs based on flight range. In HTDRP-DC, trucks can select and transport various drones to LDs to reduce deprivation time. This study estimates the nonlinear deprivation cost function using a linear two-piece-wise function, leading to MILP formulations. A heuristic-based Benders Decomposition approach is implemented to address medium and large instances. Valid inequalities and a heuristic method enhance convergence boundaries, ensuring an efficient solution methodology.
Design/methodology/approach
Research has yet to address critical factors in disaster logistics: minimizing the social and economic costs simultaneously and using drones in relief distribution; deprivation as a social cost measures the human suffering from a shortage of relief supplies. The proposed hybrid truck-drone routing problem minimizing deprivation cost (HTDRP-DC) involves distributing relief supplies to dispersed demand nodes with undamaged (LDs) or damaged (DNs) access roads, utilizing multiple trucks and diverse drones. A Benders Decomposition approach is enhanced by accelerating techniques.
Findings
Incorporating deprivation and economic costs results in selecting optimal routes, effectively reducing the time required to assist affected areas. Additionally, employing various drone types and their reuse in damaged nodes reduces deprivation time and associated deprivation costs. The study employs valid inequalities and the heuristic method to solve the master problem, substantially reducing computational time and iterations compared to GAMS and classical Benders Decomposition Algorithm. The proposed heuristic-based Benders Decomposition approach is applied to a disaster in Tehran, demonstrating efficient solutions for the HTDRP-DC regarding computational time and convergence rate.
Originality/value
Current research introduces an HTDRP-DC problem that addresses minimizing deprivation costs considering the vehicle’s arrival time as the deprivation time, offering a unique solution to optimize route selection in relief distribution. Furthermore, integrating heuristic methods and valid inequalities into the Benders Decomposition approach enhances its effectiveness in solving complex routing challenges in disaster scenarios.
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Pragmatism is very relevant to workplace management and performance measurement, yet in the accounting literature, it is a term used loosely and in a colloquial manner. By drawing…
Abstract
Purpose
Pragmatism is very relevant to workplace management and performance measurement, yet in the accounting literature, it is a term used loosely and in a colloquial manner. By drawing on a framework based on classical pragmatism, this study aims to examine how a pragmatic perspective is discernible in the form and use of management control (MC) practices.
Design/methodology/approach
This study collects data using a case study of a firm in the green energy construction sector.
Findings
Building on the analytical framework, this study provides evidence that a pragmatic perspective is discernible in both form and use of MC practices, through a clear focus on targets rather than variance analysis, the presence of mutable local MC practices characterised by interaction and problem-solving and the absence of other common MC practices with no clear links to ends-in-view. This study also provides evidence of the potential limitations of a pragmatic perspective including myopia and an exacerbation of the inherent bias in organisations towards exploitation.
Originality/value
This research brings analytical clarity to the study of pragmatism in the accounting literature and insights into how a pragmatic perspective is discernible in the form and use of MC practices. Further, the study shows the potential limitations of a pragmatic perspective for management.
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Vânia Maria Jorge Nassif and Márcia Maria Garçon
This paper aims to understand resilience in entrepreneurial behavior and the major adversities faced by women entrepreneurs and identify theoretical and empirical bases that…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to understand resilience in entrepreneurial behavior and the major adversities faced by women entrepreneurs and identify theoretical and empirical bases that support the use of the integrative approach as appropriate to studies of resilience in women entrepreneurs.
Design/methodology/approach
In this exploratory-theoretical study, the authors adopted a narrative review of the literature on Female Entrepreneurship, Business and Resilience. The databases researched were: Web of Science, Social Citation Index and Scopus, of which 52 were submitted to analysis through techniques of comparison and contrast between theory, classical studies and applied research.
Findings
The study illuminates the concept of resilience aligned with entrepreneurship and the major adversities of female entrepreneurship. It also indicates the competence of the integrative approach in investigating and analyzing resilience as a complex, functional and emotional phenomenon between women entrepreneurs and their business environment.
Research limitations/implications
This study indicates that the integrative approach can offer an explanatory device about the relationships between affectivity and cognition in the resilient behavior of women when encountering difficulties in the entrepreneurial process. It also indicates paths for future research that can empirically prove the degree of these constructs in the resilient behavior of women entrepreneurs, having the difficulties related to the gender stereotype as a point of interest.
Practical implications
The contribution to the managerial field is to alert women entrepreneurs about the need to understand the role of affectivity and cognition in facing adversity to strengthen their resilient behavior.
Social implications
The contribution to the managerial field is to alert women entrepreneurs about the need to understand the role of affectivity and cognition in facing adversity to strengthen their resilient behavior.
Originality/value
This study provides original evidence that cognitive and affective aspects influence women’s entrepreneurial behavior with the same degree of importance. Therefore, they must be investigated jointly. This discovery brings relevance to theoretical and empirical studies on this topic.
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Organization studies in India has largely remained insular to the writings of Indian scholars in parent disciplines such as sociology. The lack of engagement with Indian…
Abstract
Purpose
Organization studies in India has largely remained insular to the writings of Indian scholars in parent disciplines such as sociology. The lack of engagement with Indian sociological works has promoted excessive dependence on Euro–American theory. It has further hindered the development of indigenous theories. This paper aims to argue that engagement with the writings of classical and contemporary Indian sociologists can resolve this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper delineates the contribution of Indian sociologists to organizational or sociological institutionalism. It focuses specifically on the contribution of these scholars concerning two subtopics: conceptualization of institutions and fields, and the dynamics of institutional change.
Findings
The paper draws upon the work of Indian sociologists to develop a concept of ecological field. It further delves into the dynamic interplay between ideas and institutional change. More precisely, it draws attention to the role of actors and mechanisms that produce ideas.
Originality/value
Future studies can leverage the contribution of Indian scholars to explicate, elaborate and develop creative theories of organizational institutionalism. Such cumulative efforts can help in building an Indian tradition of organizational institutionalism.
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Alexander Yulievich Chepurenko, Nadezhda Nikolaevna Butryumova, Marina Vyacheslavovna Chernysheva and Anastasia Yevgenyevna Sutormina
This paper deals with types and actors of entrepreneurship in and around academia in Russia, as well as with institutional settings of the entrepreneurial activity of academic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper deals with types and actors of entrepreneurship in and around academia in Russia, as well as with institutional settings of the entrepreneurial activity of academic faculty.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a series of semi-structured interviews using the purposive snowball method (2022–2023). The respondents are either engaged in different kinds of entrepreneurship in and outside universities in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod or experts in entrepreneurship in and around academia.
Findings
A double mixed embeddedness driven approach to the typology of diverse forms of entrepreneurship in and around academia are shown in the context of the temporality as well as of the micro-, meso- and macro-level institutions, such as the low demand in innovations in the economy; uncertainty of property rights; limited interest of university administration in academic entrepreneurs or its focus solely on students' entrepreneurship; and necessity entrepreneurship motives on the micro-level. The research limitations of the study are the small number of observations and the localisation of the panel in only one country.
Research limitations/implications
The research limitations of the study are the small number of observations and the localisation of the panel in only one country.
Practical implications
The “Special Military Operation” and its consequences would hinder bottom-up academic entrepreneurship in the country, while pushing universities to launch R&D with the big industry, and forcing many faculties to non-academic entrepreneurship.
Originality/value
For the first time, the broad variety of entrepreneurial activities of academic staff including the specifics of non-classical forms of entrepreneurship in and around academia and their embeddedness into different contexts are discussed.
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Azmeera Sudheer Kumar, Subodh Kumar, Prashant Kumar Choudhary, Ankit Gupta and Ashish Narayan
The purpose is to explore the free vibration behaviour of elastic foundation-supported porous functionally graded nanoplates using the Rayleigh-Ritz approach. The goal of this…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose is to explore the free vibration behaviour of elastic foundation-supported porous functionally graded nanoplates using the Rayleigh-Ritz approach. The goal of this study is to gain a better knowledge of the dynamic response of nanoscale structures made of functionally graded materials and porous features. The Rayleigh-Ritz approach is used in this study to generate realistic mathematical models that take elastic foundation support into account. This research can contribute to the design and optimization of advanced nanomaterials with potential applications in engineering and technology by providing insights into the influence of material composition, porosity and foundation support on the vibrational properties of nanoplates.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic methodology is proposed to evaluate the free vibration characteristics of elastic foundation-supported porous functionally graded nanoplates using the Rayleigh-Ritz approach. The study began by developing the mathematical model, adding material properties and establishing governing equations using the Rayleigh-Ritz approach. Numerical approaches to solve the problem are used, using finite element methods. The results are compared to current solutions or experimental data to validate the process. The results are also analysed, keeping the influence of factors on vibration characteristics in mind. The findings are summarized and avenues for future research are suggested, ensuring a robust investigation within the constraints.
Findings
The Rayleigh-Ritz technique is used to investigate the free vibration properties of elastic foundation-supported porous functionally graded nanoplates. The findings show that differences in material composition, porosity and foundation support have a significant impact on the vibrational behaviour of nanoplates. The Rayleigh-Ritz approach is good at modelling and predicting these properties. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the possibility of customizing nanoplate qualities to optimize certain vibrational responses, providing useful insights for engineering applications. These findings expand understanding of dynamic behaviours in nanoscale structures, making it easier to build innovative materials with specific features for a wide range of industrial applications.
Originality/value
The novel aspect of this research is the incorporation of elastic foundation support, porous structures and functionally graded materials into the setting of nanoplate free vibrations, utilizing the Rayleigh-Ritz technique. Few research have looked into this complex combo. By tackling complicated interactions, the research pushes boundaries, providing a unique insight into the dynamic behaviour of nanoscale objects. This novel approach allows for a better understanding of the interconnected effects of material composition, porosity and foundation support on free vibrations, paving the way for the development of tailored nanomaterials with specific vibrational properties for advanced engineering and technology applications.
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Georgios Pallaris, Panayiotis Zaphiris and Antigoni Parmaxi
The purpose of this study is to chart the development of Makerspaces in higher education (MIHE), by building a map of existing research work in the field. Based on a corpus of 183…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to chart the development of Makerspaces in higher education (MIHE), by building a map of existing research work in the field. Based on a corpus of 183 manuscripts, published between January 2014 and April 2021, it sets out to describe the range of topics covered under the umbrella of MIHE and provide a holistic view of the field.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach adopted in this research includes development of the 2014–2021 MIHE corpus; literature overview and initial coding scheme development; refinement of the initial coding scheme with the help of a focus group and construction of the MIHE map version 1.0; refinement of the MIHE map version 1.0 following a systematic approach of content analysis and development of the MIHE map version 2.0; evaluation of the proposed structure and inclusiveness of all categories in the MIHE map version 2.0 using card-sorting technique; and, finally, development of the MIHE map version 3.0.
Findings
The research trends in the categories of the MIHE map are discussed, as well as possible future directions in the field.
Originality/value
This paper provides a holistic view of the field of MIHE guiding both junior MIHE researchers to place themselves in the field, and policymakers and decision-makers who attempt to evaluate the current and future scholar activity in the field. Finally, it caters for more experienced researchers to focus on certain underinvestigated domains.
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