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The purpose of this study is to understand how and why consumers engage in market-shaping activities on behalf of firms.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to understand how and why consumers engage in market-shaping activities on behalf of firms.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a combination of archival, netnographic and interview methods to examine how consumers responded to the entry of Tesla into the U.S. automotive market.
Findings
Consumers are driven to engage in supportive institutional work by the culturally resonant ideologies embodied in Tesla’s strategic orientation. This work takes both discursive and practical forms and sees consumers adopting responsibilities typically associated with other actors, including activists and sales professionals.
Originality/value
In developing an account of an understudied phenomenon – consumers’ firm-supportive market shaping – this research extends theorization around institutional work and cultural branding.
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Keywords
Titus Ebenezer Kwofie, Michael Nii Addy, Daniel Yaw Addai Duah, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa, Emmanuel Banahene Owusu and George Felix Olympio
As public–private partnerships (PPPs) have become preferred and veritable approach to deliver affordable housing, the seemingly lack of understanding of the significant factors…
Abstract
Purpose
As public–private partnerships (PPPs) have become preferred and veritable approach to deliver affordable housing, the seemingly lack of understanding of the significant factors that impact on success has become a notable setback. This study aims to delineate significant factors that can support decisions in affordable PPP public housing delivery.
Design/methodology/approach
Largely, a questionnaire survey was adopted to elicit insights from practitioners, policymakers and experts to develop an evaluative decision support model using an analytical hierarchy process and multi-attribute utility technique approach. Further, an expert illustration was conducted to evaluate and validate the results on the housing typologies.
Findings
The results revealed that energy efficiency and low-cost green building materials scored the highest weighting of all the criteria. Furthermore, multi-storey self-contained flats were found to be the most preferred housing typology and were significantly influenced by these factors. From the model evaluation, the scores on the factors of sustainability, affordability, cultural values and accountability were consistent across all typologies of housing whereas that of benchmarking, governance and transparency were varied.
Originality/value
The decision support factors captured varied dimensions of key factors that impact on affordable PPP housing that have not been considered in an integrated manner. These findings offer objective and systematic support to decision-making in affordable PPP housing delivery.
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Construction sustainability (CS) is a strategic reaction to the sustainability expectations of the construction industry's external stakeholders. The extant literature has viewed…
Abstract
Purpose
Construction sustainability (CS) is a strategic reaction to the sustainability expectations of the construction industry's external stakeholders. The extant literature has viewed the environmental, social and economic dimensions of CS as having independent effects on financial performance. Due to the influence of common stakeholders, however, interactions in these dimensions will be present in their effect on financial performance. Accordingly, this study identifies the mechanisms of the interactions between the three CS dimensions and how they jointly affect financial performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Content analysis of GRI reports of 60 large construction organisations, followed by a hierarchical regression analysis was used to identify the interactions between environmental, social and economic CS in their effect on financial performance.
Findings
Economic CS was found to indirectly, and not directly, affect financial performance, the effect being mediated by both environmental and social CS. Environmental CS was found to have a strong negative effect on financial performance, whilst social CS was found to have a strongly significant positive effect on financial performance.
Practical implications
The motivation for engaging in CS is that investment in economic CS will have a positive effect on both environmental and social CS outcomes, which, in turn can have a combined effect on financial performance.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies investigating the effect of interactions between the environmental, social and economic CS dimensions on the financial performance of construction organisations. It is also one of the first studies that applies a sociotechnical framework to this relationship.
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Álvaro Nicolás-Agustín, Daniel Jiménez-Jiménez, Francisco Maeso Fernandez and Christian Di Prima
This study presents a model for assessing the effects of employee ICT training on organizations’ results. It also introduces digital transformation as a mediator between the two…
Abstract
Purpose
This study presents a model for assessing the effects of employee ICT training on organizations’ results. It also introduces digital transformation as a mediator between the two concepts and studies the role of organizational commitment and human capital in terms of digital transformation.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys were completed by the CEOs of 184 Spanish companies, and their responses were analyzed with Partial Least Squares.
Findings
The results empirically analyze the proposed theoretical model and highlight the fact that human capital and organizational commitment partially mediate the link between ICT training and digital transformation. Furthermore, there is a direct relationship between ICT training and company performance.
Practical implications
Directors and managers should invest more resources in the human capital of their company through ICT training. In fact, it can improve organizational commitment, encouraging employees to adopt innovative behaviors, thus allowing for the necessary digital transformation.
Originality/value
Despite heavy theoretical emphasis on the study of the conditions necessary for the digital transformation of companies, few studies have empirically analyzed the effects of adopting certain practices for its implementation. This paper focuses on analyzing the effect of ICT training, which is configured as a tool capable of improving staff knowledge and increasing employee commitment. This is essential for adopting organizational change such as digital transformation.
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Ingrid Wahl, Daniel Wolfgruber and Sabine Einwiller
Teleworkers need to use information and communication technology (ICT) to communicate and collaborate with their team members, however, when new and complicated information…
Abstract
Purpose
Teleworkers need to use information and communication technology (ICT) to communicate and collaborate with their team members, however, when new and complicated information systems should be used, this can lead to stress. Receiving adequate information and emotional support from team members could reduce the stress caused by technological complexity and subsequent work and occupational strains.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants (N = 400) teleworked at least half of their working hours and were employed in organizations with a minimum of 250 employees. Data from the online survey were analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Results demonstrate that aspects of informational and emotional communication contribute to perceived social support from team members, with emotional communication explaining more variance. Stress from technological complexity is mitigated by both supportive team communication and the extent of telework. Perceived stress from technological complexity, however, still increases work and occupational strains.
Practical implications
The findings emphasize the importance of supportive internal communication to foster a collaborative telework environment. Practitioners in internal communication need to encourage teleworkers to help each other with adequate information and provide also emotional support to overcome the negative effects of complex ICT.
Originality/value
The study shows that supportive communication among team members is important for teleworkers to reduce work and occupational strains, especially when facing difficulties with complex ICT.
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This paper aims to provide a novel explorative perspective on fund managers’ decisions under uncertainty. The current COVID pandemic is used as a unique reference frame to study…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a novel explorative perspective on fund managers’ decisions under uncertainty. The current COVID pandemic is used as a unique reference frame to study how heuristics are used in institutional financial practice.
Design/methodology/approach
This study follows a grounded theory approach. A total of 282 diverse publications between October 2019 and October 2020 for 20 German mutual funds are qualitatively analyzed. A theory of adaptive heuristics for fund managers is developed.
Findings
Fund managers adapt their heuristics during a crisis and this adaptive process flows through three stages. Increasing complexity in the environment leads to the adaption of simplest heuristics around investment decisions. Three distinct stages of adaption: precrisis, uncertainty and stabilization emerge from the data.
Research limitations/implications
This study’s data is based on publicly available information. There might be a discrepancy between publicly stated and internal reasoning.
Practical implications
Money managers can use the provided framework to assess their decision-making in crises. The developed adaptive processes of heuristics can assist capital allocators who choose and rate fund managers. Policymakers and regulators can learn about the aspects of investor decisions that their actions and communication address. Teaching can use this study to exemplify the nature of financial markets as adaptive systems rather than static structures.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s/authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to systematically explore the heuristics of professional money managers because they navigate a large-scale exogenous crisis.
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Daniel Francois Dörfling and Euphemia Godspower-Akpomiemie
This study aims to identify the propensity for clients (legal and natural persons) to adopt peer-to-peer (P2P) short-term insurance policies as opposed to traditional and/or…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the propensity for clients (legal and natural persons) to adopt peer-to-peer (P2P) short-term insurance policies as opposed to traditional and/or centralized short-term.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper data was collected through a survey of 102 sampled short-term insurance clients using convenience sampling. The TAM2 questionnaire was adapted to evaluate the intention to adopt a P2P insurance policy.
Findings
The findings of this study shed light on the factors influencing the adoption and (dis)continuation of short-term insurance products, both traditional and digital, among South African consumers. The results demonstrate that perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, risk perception and subjective norm play crucial roles in individuals' intention to use or (dis)continue the use of these insurance products.
Practical implications
The study's findings provide actionable insights for practitioners in the short-term insurance sector, with a focus on marketers and e-commerce professionals. These insights emphasize the need to prioritize user-friendly design and trust-building measures in the development of P2P insurance systems. Additionally, practitioners should consider harnessing the power of social influence and carefully balancing innovative features with familiarity in their marketing efforts. These strategies are poised to enhance the adoption and competitive positioning of P2P insurance solutions amidst the evolving landscape of digital transformation.
Originality/value
This study makes a substantial contribution by employing the technology acceptance model (TAM) in a novel and unconventional manner. It not only explicates the intricate dynamics governing the adoption and discontinuation of short-term insurance products, encompassing both conventional and digital alternatives, within the South African consumer milieu but also extends its purview to infer the reasons behind the limited widespread adoption of the digital counterpart, despite its superior value proposition compared to the traditional offering. The findings elucidate the critical determinants shaping individuals' decisions in this dynamic market segment. This research enhances the global discourse on insurance adoption with a unique South African perspective and furnishes insurers and marketers with empirically grounded insights to optimize their strategies and cultivate substantive connections with their target demographic.
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Florence Dadzoe, Michael Addy, Daniel Yaw Addai Duah and Michael Adesi
To be able to achieve the uptake and usage of green buildings requires various actors within the construction value chain to be engaged. Despite its global uptake, green building…
Abstract
Purpose
To be able to achieve the uptake and usage of green buildings requires various actors within the construction value chain to be engaged. Despite its global uptake, green building construction is still at its nascent stage in Ghana. Most studies in sub-Saharan Africa point to the lack of knowledge as one of the mitigating factors against its development. However, there is a dearth of studies assessing the level of knowledge of stakeholders. The terms “knowledge” and “awareness” of green building construction are often used interchangeably in the Ghanaian Construction Industry (GCI). This study seeks to unearth the level of knowledge of stakeholders on green building construction through a comparative analysis of construction professionals and demand-side operators.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured questionnaire was issued to professionals in the various recognised bodies in the construction industry and public and private institutions in Ghana. Frequency, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, median statistics and Mann–Whitney U-Test were used to rank and analyse the level of knowledge of stakeholders.
Findings
Construction professionals were more aware of green building construction than the demand-side operators. It was further identified that only a few of these stakeholders had hands-on experience as the majority of them have gained their awareness through research studies. Based on the findings of the study, it was revealed that the concept of green building construction is more abstract to stakeholders than practical despite their positive attitude towards its adoption.
Practical implications
Contextually, the study has aided in showing the level of knowledge of stakeholders on green building construction. The findings of the study aside from it aiding policymakers have also helped in identifying the perceptions and attitudes of stakeholders, their strengths and weakness in green building construction. It is recommended that due to the differences in socio-political structures and construction methods, a clear definition of green building based on the availability of resources in the GCI will encourage its adoption.
Originality/value
The study used two stakeholder groupings in the GCI as the unit of analysis. This enabled insightful discoveries into the knowledge-attitude gap of Ghanaian stakeholders that are driving the adoption of green building.
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Emmanuel Itodo Daniel, Olalekan Oshodi, Daniel Dabara and Nenpin Dimka
Housing provides constructed space for human activities. Literature indicates that housing impacts wealth, education attainment and health outcomes, among others. Because of its…
Abstract
Purpose
Housing provides constructed space for human activities. Literature indicates that housing impacts wealth, education attainment and health outcomes, among others. Because of its contributions to society, it is essential to develop and implement strategies that address the housing shortage experienced in most cities across the globe. This study aims to unpack the factors affecting housing production in the UK and chart the way forward.
Design/methodology/approach
In addressing this study's aim, an interprivitst approach was adopted and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 experienced professionals. Data were collected across the four nations of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).
Findings
The results indicated that the opportunistic behaviour of stakeholders is one of the main factors affecting housing production in the study area. Also, modern construction methods, collaborative practices, government intervention and affordable housing schemes were identified as key strategies for addressing housing production factors.
Practical implications
This study identified strategies for mitigating housing production issues that provide a focal point to all stakeholders keen on filling the housing shortage gap and improving productivity to channel their resources and effort accordingly.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to empirically analyse the influencing factors on the housing gap in the UK from the perspective of the supply side to provide information that could lead towards closing the said gap.
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David Michael Rosch, Lisa Kuron, Robert Reimer, Ronald Mickler and Daniel Jenkins
This study analyzed three years of data from the Collegiate Leadership Competition to investigate potential differences in longitudinal leader self-efficacy growth between…
Abstract
Purpose
This study analyzed three years of data from the Collegiate Leadership Competition to investigate potential differences in longitudinal leader self-efficacy growth between students who identify as men and those who identify as women.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey design.
Findings
Results indicate that women participants enter their competition experience at higher levels of leader self-efficacy than men and that both groups were able to sustain moderate levels of growth measured several months after the end of the competition.
Originality/value
The gap between men and women in their leader self-efficacy did not change over the several months of measurement. Implications for leadership educators are discussed.
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