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1 – 10 of 150Hanieh Javadi Khasraghi, Isaac Vaghefi and Rudy Hirschheim
The research study intends to gain a better understanding of members' behaviors in the context of crowdsourcing contests. The authors examined the key factors that can motivate or…
Abstract
Purpose
The research study intends to gain a better understanding of members' behaviors in the context of crowdsourcing contests. The authors examined the key factors that can motivate or discourage contributing to a team and within the community.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with Kaggle.com members and analyzed the data to capture individual members' contributions and emerging determinants that play a role during this process. The authors adopted a qualitative approach and used standard thematic coding techniques to analyze the data.
Findings
The analysis revealed two processes underlying contribution to the team and community and the decision-making involved in each. Accordingly, a set of key factors affecting each process were identified. Using Holbrook's (2006) typology of value creation, these factors were classified into four types, namely extrinsic and self-oriented (economic value), extrinsic and other-oriented (social value), intrinsic and self-oriented (hedonic value), and intrinsic and other-oriented (altruistic value). Three propositions were developed, which can be tested in future research.
Research limitations/implications
The study has a few limitations, which point to areas for future research on this topic. First, the authors only assessed the behaviors of individuals who use the Kaggle platform. Second, the findings of this study may not be generalizable to other crowdsourcing platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk, where there is no competition, and participants cannot meaningfully contribute to the community. Third, the authors collected data from a limited (yet knowledgeable) number of interviewees. It would be useful to use bigger sample sizes to assess other possible factors that did not emerge from our analysis. Finally, the authors presented a set of propositions for individuals' contributory behavior in crowdsourcing contest platforms but did not empirically test them. Future research is necessary to validate these hypotheses, for instance, by using quantitative methods (e.g. surveys or experiments).
Practical implications
The authors offer recommendations for implementing appropriate mechanisms for contribution to crowdsourcing contests and platforms. Practitioners should design architectures to minimize the effect of factors that reduce the likelihood of contributions and maximize the factors that increase contribution in order to manage the tension of simultaneously encouraging contribution and competition.
Social implications
The research study makes key theoretical contributions to research. First, the results of this study help explain the individuals' contributory behavior in crowdsourcing contests from two aspects: joining and selecting a team and content contribution to the community. Second, the findings of this study suggest a revised and extended model of value co-creation, one that integrates this study’s findings with those of Nov et al. (2009), Lakhani and Wolf (2005), Wasko and Faraj (2000), Chen et al. (2018), Hahn et al. (2008), Dholakia et al. (2004) and Teichmann et al. (2015). Third, using direct accounts collected through first-hand interviews with crowdsourcing contest members, this study provides an in-depth understanding of individuals' contributory behavior. Methodologically, this authors’ approach was distinct from common approaches used in this research domain that used secondary datasets (e.g. the content of forum discussions, survey data) (e.g. see Lakhani and Wolf, 2005; Nov et al., 2009) and quantitative techniques for analyzing collaboration and contribution behavior.
Originality/value
The authors advance the broad field of crowdsourcing by extending the literature on value creation in the online community, particularly as it relates to the individual participants. The study advances the theoretical understanding of contribution in crowdsourcing contests by focusing on the members' point of view, which reveals both the determinants and the process for joining teams during crowdsourcing contests as well as the determinants of contribution to the content distributed in the community.
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Jan Mei Soon-Sinclair, Rounaq Nayak and Louise Manning
The 2008 Chinese melamine milk scandal resulted in six reported fatalities and affected around 300,000 children, of whom 54,000 were hospitalised. Previous studies have used…
Abstract
Purpose
The 2008 Chinese melamine milk scandal resulted in six reported fatalities and affected around 300,000 children, of whom 54,000 were hospitalised. Previous studies have used linear approaches to examine the root causes of the melamine milk scandal.
Design/methodology/approach
In the present study, we applied a systems approach to the melamine milk scandal to identify the complex systems-level failures across the supply chain leading to the incident and why food fraud incidents such as this occurred in the dairy sector. Additionally, systemic failures associated with food fraud vulnerability factors were considered (i.e. opportunities, motivation and control measures).
Findings
48 contributory factors of influence were identified and grouped across six sociotechnical levels across the Chinese dairy system, from government to equipment and surroundings. Lack of vertical integration (processes and communication) contributed to the failure. When viewed from a broader perspective, the melamine milk scandal can be linked to a series of human errors and organisational issues associated with government bodies, the dairy supply chain, individual organisations and management decisions and individual actions of staff or processes.
Practical implications
This approach is of value to policymakers and the industry as it supports public health investigations of food fraud incidents and proactive food safety management.
Originality/value
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse a food safety or fraud incident using the AcciMap approach and the food fraud vulnerability assessment (FFVA) technique. AcciMap analysis is applied to both unintentional and intentional aspects of the incident.
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Niall McTernan, Eve Griffin, Grace Cully, Enda Kelly, Sarah Hume and Paul Corcoran
Internationally, rates of suicide and lifetime self-harm are higher in prisoners compared to the general population. This study aims to identify specific characteristics of…
Abstract
Purpose
Internationally, rates of suicide and lifetime self-harm are higher in prisoners compared to the general population. This study aims to identify specific characteristics of self-harming behaviour and to establish a profile of prisoners who engage in self-harm.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from the Self-Harm Assessment and Data Analysis Project (SADA) on self-harm episodes in prisons in the Republic of Ireland during 2017–2019 was used. Annual rates per 1,000 were calculated by age and gender.
Findings
The rate of self-harm between 2017 and 2019 was 31 per 1,000 prisoners for men and six times higher at 184 per 1,000 prisoners for women. The rate of self-harm was twice as high among prisoners on remand than sentenced prisoners (60.5 versus 31.3 per 1,000). The highest rates of self-harm among sentenced prisoners were observed among 18–29-year-old men (45 per 1,000) and women (125 per 1,000). The rate of self-harm was higher among women prisoners in all age groups. Contributory factors associated with self-harm were mainly related to mental health but also linked to a prisoner’s environment and relationships.
Practical implications
There is a need to ensure access to timely and suitable mental health services, including both appropriate referral and provision of evidence-based mental health interventions to address the needs of these cohorts.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first national study to systematically examine incidence and patterns of self-harm among the prison population in Ireland. The recording of severity/intent of each episode is novel when assessing self-harm among the prison population.
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Song Thanh Quynh Le and Van Nam Huynh
Task complexity is one of the significant factors that influences and is used for forecasting employee performance and determining labor cost. However, the complexity level of…
Abstract
Purpose
Task complexity is one of the significant factors that influences and is used for forecasting employee performance and determining labor cost. However, the complexity level of tasks is unstructured, dynamic and complicated to perform. This paper develops a new method for evaluating the complexity level of tasks in the production process to support production managers to control their manufacturing systems in terms of flexibility, reliability to production planning and labor cost.
Design/methodology/approach
The complexity level of tasks will be analyzed based on the structuralist concept. Using the structure of task, the factors that significantly affect the task complexity in an assembly line will be defined, and the complexity level of the task will be evaluated by measuring the number of task components. Using the proportional 2-tuples linguistic values, the difference between the complexity levels of tasks can be compared and described clearly.
Findings
Based on the structure of the task, three contributory factors including input factors, process-operation factors and output factors that significantly affect the task complexity in an assembly line are identified in the present study. The complexity level of the task is quantified through analyzing the details of the three factors according to two criteria and six sub-criteria within the textile case study.
Originality/value
The proposed approach provides a new insight about the factors that have an effect on the complexity of tasks in production and remedies some of limitations of previous methods. The combination of experts' experience and scientific knowledge will improve the accuracy in determining the complexity level of tasks.
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Qing-Wen Zhang, Pin-Chao Liao, Mingxuan Liang and Albert P.C. Chan
Quality failures in grid infrastructure construction would cause large-scale collapses in power supply and additional expenditures by reworks and repairs. Learning from quality…
Abstract
Purpose
Quality failures in grid infrastructure construction would cause large-scale collapses in power supply and additional expenditures by reworks and repairs. Learning from quality failures (LFQF) extracts experience from previous quality events and converts them into preventive measures to reduce or eliminate future construction quality issues. This study aims to investigate the influence factors of LFQF in the construction of grid infrastructure.
Design/methodology/approach
The related factors of LFQF, including quality management (QM) practices, quality rectification, and individual learning, were identified by reviewing literature about organizational learning and extracting experience from previous failures. A questionnaire survey was distributed to the grid companies in North, Northeast, Northwest, East, Central, and Southwest China. 381 valid responses collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the influence of these factors on LFQF.
Findings
The SEM results support that QM practices positively affect individual learning and LFQF. Quality rectification indirectly impacts LFQF via individual learning, while the results did not support the direct link between quality rectification and LFQF.
Practical implications
The findings strengthen practical insights into extracting experience from poor-quality issues and continuous improvement. The contributory factors of LFQF found in this study benefit the practitioners by taking effective measures to enhance organizational learning capability and improve the long-term construction quality performance in the grid infrastructure industry.
Originality/value
Existing research about the application of LFQF still stays at the explorative and conceptual stage. This study investigates the related factors of LFQF, including QM practices, quality rectification, and individual learning, extending the model development of learning from failures (LFF) in construction QM.
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The steady dropout of senior women from the corporate ladder motivated us to gain insights into their opting out decisions. This exploratory study revealed internal aspiration as…
Abstract
Purpose
The steady dropout of senior women from the corporate ladder motivated us to gain insights into their opting out decisions. This exploratory study revealed internal aspiration as a contributory factor of opting out beyond the well-established push and pull factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Nineteen senior women executives who had opted out of successful careers due to their internal aspirations were interviewed and grounded theory was leveraged to derive the emergent themes.
Findings
The spirit of autonomy and strong personal value emerged as a common thread amongst the women and the basis for their opting out decision. These factors led these senior women to embark upon newer pastures, which included entrepreneurship, dedication to a cause, a passion or academics. The findings were mapped with the protean career concept.
Practical implications
Recommendations would help organizations reimagine and strengthen the existing interventions for the retention of women at the senior levels while simultaneously empowering the women to align their career with their aspirations.
Originality/value
The study uniquely identifies the protean career concept as the force behind the journey undertaken by these women executives. This is in contrast with the push and pull factors that have been vastly studied as reasons for the opting out decisions.
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Raghavan Iyengar and Barry Shuster
Outstanding unexercised stock options can motivate managers to engage in actions that increase the value of their company’s stock, including buying back their firm’s stock. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Outstanding unexercised stock options can motivate managers to engage in actions that increase the value of their company’s stock, including buying back their firm’s stock. The objective of granting stock options to managers is to align their interests with stockholders by tying a portion of their compensation to the company’s stock performance. However, unexercised stock options may have unintended consequences by providing managers with a vested interest in artificially boosting stock prices via stock buybacks. The primary objective of this research is to study the main factors that influence firms' buyback decisions amongst hospitality firms at a time when these firms were clamoring for taxpayer bailouts. Results from logistic regression seem to suggest that outstanding executive stock options are a major contributory factor in a firm’s buyback decision. Estimates also indicate that larger, more profitable firms will likely engage in stock buybacks. These findings survive a battery of tests.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use logistic regression to predict the probability of a firm’s buyback decision based on a given set of exogenous explanatory variables.
Findings
The paper supports the hypothesis that buyback decisions are guided by the motive to prop support stock prices in the presence of outstanding restricted stock options/warrants granted to firms' executives.
Research limitations/implications
The paper focuses on the buyback decision of U.S. hospitality firms. The results, therefore, might not be generalizable to firms in other industries or countries.
Practical implications
U.S. share repurchase corporate policy and government regulation needs to be revisited given the economic imperative for firms to invest in activities to restore employment and put them in a position for economic recovery.
Social implications
Public criticism of the size, structure and form (i.e. loan vs grant) of COVID-19 bailouts warrants an examination of whether the factors that drive hospitality and tourism firms to repurchase shares support economic recovery.
Originality/value
Consistent with agency theory, the authors find a significant positive association between outstanding restricted stocks and a firm’s decision to support the stock prices by buying back shares.
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Vicente-Segundo Ruiz-Jacinto, Karina-Silvana Gutiérrez-Valverde, Abrahan-Pablo Aslla-Quispe, José-Manuel Burga-Falla, Aldo Alarcón-Sucasaca and Yersi-Luis Huamán-Romaní
This paper aims to present the novel stacked machine learning approach (SMLA) to estimate low-cycle fatigue (LCF) life of SAC305 solder across structural parts. Using the finite…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present the novel stacked machine learning approach (SMLA) to estimate low-cycle fatigue (LCF) life of SAC305 solder across structural parts. Using the finite element simulation (FEM) and continuous damage mechanics (CDM) model, a fatigue life database is built. The stacked machine learning (ML) model's iterative optimization during training enables precise fatigue predictions (2.41% root mean square error [RMSE], R2 = 0.975) for diverse structural components. Outliers are found in regression analysis, indicating potential overestimation for thickness transition specimens with extended lifetimes and underestimation for open-hole specimens. Correlations between fatigue life, stress factors, nominal stress and temperature are unveiled, enriching comprehension of LCF, thus enhancing solder behavior predictions.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper introduces stacked ML as a novel approach for estimating LCF life of SAC305 solder in various structural parts. It builds a fatigue life database using FEM and CDM model. The stacked ML model iteratively optimizes its structure, yielding accurate fatigue predictions (2.41% RMSE, R2 = 0.975). Outliers are observed: overestimation for thickness transition specimens and underestimation for open-hole ones. Correlations between fatigue life, stress factors, nominal stress and temperature enhance predictions, deepening understanding of solder behavior.
Findings
The findings of this paper highlight the successful application of the SMLA in accurately estimating the LCF life of SAC305 solder across diverse structural components. The stacked ML model, trained iteratively, demonstrates its effectiveness by producing precise fatigue lifetime predictions with a RMSE of 2.41% and an “R2” value of 0.975. The study also identifies distinct outlier behaviors associated with different structural parts: overestimations for thickness transition specimens with extended fatigue lifetimes and underestimations for open-hole specimens. The research further establishes correlations between fatigue life, stress concentration factors, nominal stress and temperature, enriching the understanding of solder behavior prediction.
Originality/value
The authors confirm the originality of this paper.
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Ugwunwa Esse and Yacob- Haliso
This study aims to investigate the facilitating conditions (FCs) and how these FC affect institutional repository (IR) sustainability practices in public universities in Nigeria.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the facilitating conditions (FCs) and how these FC affect institutional repository (IR) sustainability practices in public universities in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey research design was adopted in this study. The study population comprised 542 librarians from public universities that have IRs across Nigeria. A sample size of 230 librarians was determined using Taro Yamane’s formula. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents in three stages, which were purposive, stratified and purposive sampling. A structured, validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential (simple and multiple regression) statistics at a 5% level of significance.
Findings
The result revealed that the availability of FCs (ßeta = 0.459, t(211) = 7.719, p = 0.000) has a positive and significant influence on IR sustainability in public university libraries in Nigeria. The F-test (1, 223) value of 59.582 shows that there is sufficient evidence to substantiate the model’s usefulness in explaining IR sustainability. The R2 (0.211) indicates that 21.1% of the variation in IR sustainability is explained by the availability of FCs in public university libraries in Nigeria. The finding suggests that the availability of FCs is a vital predictor of IR sustainability in public university libraries in Nigeria. The result also depicts that out of the eight parameters that measure the availability of FCs, it was current awareness of IR that had a positive and significant influence on IR sustainability.
Originality/value
This study concluded that ICT skills and FCs are contributory factors to IR sustainability practices by librarians in public university libraries in Nigeria. It was recommended that university administrators formulate policies that promote the sustainability of IR and provide adequate funds to support IR sustainability. Furthermore, the library management in public university libraries in Nigeria should drive content recruitment and create awareness of the IRs among students and faculty to ensure continued use.
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Rashmi Dewangan and Manoj Verghese
This study aims to explore the impact of organizational climates on constructive workplace deviance by examining staff attitudes to four dimensions of institutional climate…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the impact of organizational climates on constructive workplace deviance by examining staff attitudes to four dimensions of institutional climate: academic; administrative; developmental; and financial. Though carried out with exclusively academic staff working in university environments, it has considerable potential as a pilot for adaptation to the needs of managers and carers working with intellectually challenged offenders and their families.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from a purposive (non-probability) sample of 357 academicians used in technical education in public or private organizations were collected electronically using a Likert-type questionnaire. Analytic techniques used in this study include measurement model assessment and structural equation modeling.
Findings
Respondents indicated that institutional climate significantly influences employees in how they exhibit constructive deviance in their workplace behavior. Practices such as whistle blowing, prosocial rule-breaking and openly expressing their concerns are common symptoms exhibited in constructive deviant behavior. An employee who is positively influenced by the organization’s climate would stand up against any policy or activity that could disrupt or harm the company’s operations and reputation. Results imply that, of the four climate variables analysed, financial climate has the most influence on positive deviance, followed by developmental and administrative climates, with academic climate having the least influence.
Practical implications
The current study’s target population is the academicians working as faculty members in the field of technical education, having multiple implications for the management of institutions. The findings of the study emphasize the significance of their workplace policies and ethics. Given the indication that financial climate appeared to be the most influential of the dimensions under study, this would emphasize the need to develop an environment where there is no irrelevant discrimination in pay based solely on gender, caste or creed.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to understand and describe its four key elements together as contributory factors to constructive deviance in an organization.
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