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1 – 10 of 114Dafnis N. Coudounaris and Peter Björk
This paper aims to investigate the internal factors of resources and capabilities of five born globals (BGs) from Estonia. It explores quantitatively the internal factors between…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the internal factors of resources and capabilities of five born globals (BGs) from Estonia. It explores quantitatively the internal factors between a medium BG and four small BGs.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a survey questionnaire in collecting information from the CEOs of BGs. The questionnaire consisted of 105 questions relevant to export sales related to differences in internal factors.
Findings
The firms’ size and industrial sector play a role in export sales due to differences in internal factors. Small BGs expect financially based rewards, non-financial rewards, the job satisfaction of sales representatives with the export manager, and with work in general, and the representatives’ job satisfaction is higher in the small BGs than in the medium BG. The sales representatives’ job performance, their work performance, sales presentations, technical knowledge, adaptiveness, teamwork, planning, support, the organisational capabilities for business identification, relationship-building and innovation are all higher in medium BGs than in small BGs. Eleven sub-constructs of the model were shown to be important for small BGs.
Originality/value
The current study is focused on BGs from Estonia, i.e. small BGs and medium BGs. The study contributes to the internal factors of resources and capabilities of BGs as well as to the literature review on BGs. It also provides a logical conceptual model, indicating that the export manager’s job satisfaction is the central construct influenced by antecedent factors and is related directly to the export sales performance of the BG.
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Laivi Laidroo, Merle Küttim, Kirsti Rumma, Paavo Siimann and Mari Avarmaa
This study explores the causes of delayed mandatory annual report filings of private companies in Estonia.
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the causes of delayed mandatory annual report filings of private companies in Estonia.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use an online survey targeting companies that had submitted annual reports for 2017 late (late-filers) or failed to submit these by July 2020 (non-filers). The responses of 492 late-filers and 122 non-filers are analysed with exploratory factor analysis, Mann–Whitney U-Test and logistic regression.
Findings
Annual report filing decisions of both, late-filers and non-filers, are strongly driven by administrative costs attached to the preparation and submission of reports with non-filers perceiving these to be significantly greater. The relevance of other disclosure-related costs and benefits remains similar for both late-filers and non-filers. While proprietary and privacy concerns remain rather unimportant, benefits of timely disclosure, in the form of access to financing and possibilities to continue ordinary business activities, remain important disclosure timing drivers.
Practical implications
Policy interventions should focus on preventive measures that hinder companies' ordinary business activities in case of non-compliance to reporting deadlines. Monetary sanctions can be used to strengthen the desired behaviour alongside broader clarification of the purpose of mandatory reporting and available exemptions.
Originality/value
The authors propose an empirically testable comprehensive one-period model of disclosure timing decisions of private companies differentiating late-filers and non-filers. The authors address the limitations of previous studies through a survey that allows the authors to draw direct inferences about the trade-offs between different decision drivers and the motivations behind managers' disclosure timing decisions.
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This article surveys why libraries are vulnerable to social engineering attacks and how to manage risks of human-caused cyber threats on organizational level; investigates…
Abstract
Purpose
This article surveys why libraries are vulnerable to social engineering attacks and how to manage risks of human-caused cyber threats on organizational level; investigates Estonian library staff awareness of information security and shares recommendations concerning focus areas that should be given more attention in the future.
Design/methodology/approach
The data used in this paper is based on an overview of relevant literature highlighting the theoretical points and giving the reasons why human factor is considered the weakest link in information security and cyber security and studying how to mitigate the related risks in the organisation. To perform the survey, a web questionnaire was designed which included 63 sentences and was developed based on the knowledge-attitude-behaviour (KAB) model supported by Kruger and Kearney and Human Aspects of Information Security Questionnaire (HAIS-Q) designed by Parsons et al.
Findings
The research results show that the information security awareness of library employees is at a good level; however, awareness in two focus areas needs special attention and should be improved. The output of this study is the mapping of seven focus areas of information security policy in libraries based on the HAIS-Q framework and the KAB model.
Originality/value
The cyber awareness of library employees has not been studied in the world using HAIS-Q and KAB model, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research has been previously carried out in the Estonian library context into cyber security awareness.
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This paper aims to investigate cyber security awareness of the staff of Estonian libraries and gives an overview why libraries could be a target of cyber attacks and why…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate cyber security awareness of the staff of Estonian libraries and gives an overview why libraries could be a target of cyber attacks and why librarians need cyber security at first place.
Design/methodology/approach
The data used in this paper is based on a review of relevant literature to provide an overview of the concept of cyber security, and the results of the original online survey created by the paper’s author, conducted among Estonian librarians. The online questionnaire was developed using the world-recognised human aspects of information security questionnaire (HAIS-Q), which is based on the knowledge-attitudes-behaviour (KAB) methodology. A total of 388 completed questionnaires were returned from employees of academic, specialised, public and school libraries. The results are interpreted on the basis of descriptive statistics and Kruger and Kearney approach.
Findings
The final score of library employees is 86, which is classified as good, but based on the result, two focus areas need more attention than previously, which are the use of devices and prevention and handling of incidents.
Originality/value
The cyber behaviour of library employees has not been widely studied in the world using HAIS-Q and KAB models, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research has been previously carried out in the Estonian library context into cyber security awareness.
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Anna-Maija Lämsä, Merle Ojasoo, Marjut Jyrkinen and Raminta Pučėtaitė
Appearance-based discrimination in workplaces based on an employee's physical appearance is a legal and ethical problem. This study provide important research findings concerning…
Abstract
Purpose
Appearance-based discrimination in workplaces based on an employee's physical appearance is a legal and ethical problem. This study provide important research findings concerning such discrimination in Estonia.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative case study strategy and narrative inquiry were used. The information which was gathered for the research consists of three cases which concern appearance-based discrimination against young women. Information for two of the cases was gathered together by means of open interviews. Information for the third case is based on articles which were found in Estonian daily newspapers.
Findings
Covert and overt discrimination based on an employee's physical appearance can occur in Estonian workplaces, even though discrimination and inequality are not tolerated in public and all forms of discrimination are illegal in Estonia. The appearance norms, which frame perceptions of attractiveness and unattractiveness, may at times be rather narrow and stereotypical in Estonian workplaces. The attempts by employees to resist such discrimination in an early phase of the employees' careers are generally not successful.
Originality/value
Through real-life cases, this study makes empirically visible a problem at the workplace related to employees' physical appearance in Estonia. This study makes suggestions for preventing this kind of discrimination in organisations. Narrative inquiry offers a fruitful approach for how researchers can address a sensitive problem, such as the appearance-based discrimination against the employees discussed in this study.
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Olha Aleksandrova, Imre Fertő and Ants-Hannes Viira
The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of investment decisions of Estonian farms after the transition to market economy and accession to the European Union (EU)…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of investment decisions of Estonian farms after the transition to market economy and accession to the European Union (EU), in the period 2006–2019.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper employs Estonian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) individual farm-level data from the period 2006–2019, and standard and augmented accelerator investment models. Generalised methods of moments (GMM) and bias-corrected least-squares dummy variables (LSDVC) regressions were used to estimate parameters of these models.
Findings
In the considered period, farm investments were positively affected by sales growth, investment subsidies and the cash flow. Decomposition of cash flow into volatile, market income related part, and more stable, farm subsidies related part indicated that investments do not depend on market income part of cash flow. Instead, the stable part of the cash flow (farm subsidies) had a significant and positive effect on investments. This suggests that credit rationing could be present in the EU agriculture, and it depends on the farm subsidies not market income of farms.
Originality/value
Despite the wealth of literature on the investment behaviour of farmers, this article is the first attempt to decompose farm cash flow into stable (farm subsidies) and volatile (market income) parts to explain the role of subsidies as a part of cash flow in credit rationing.
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Piret Masso, Krista Jaakson and Kaire Põder
The study's objective is to estimate the association of specific perceived employer-provided benefits on employees' intention to leave in different age cohorts during coronavirus…
Abstract
Purpose
The study's objective is to estimate the association of specific perceived employer-provided benefits on employees' intention to leave in different age cohorts during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Informed by the psychological theories of ageing, the authors propose three age-cohort-specific hypotheses in three motivational domains: security and health benefits, flexible work arrangement and education-related benefits.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a large survey of employees in Estonia (n = 7,209) conducted in 2020 and test the association of specific benefits and their interactions with age on employees' intention to leave.
Findings
The results show that older cohorts are generally less prone to leave their jobs. Benefits that employers could use during the COVID-19 crisis generally had negative associations with the intention to leave, but age-specific differences were negligible; only the perceived provision of flexible work arrangements reduced the younger cohort's intention to leave relatively more.
Originality/value
This study is one of the few that allows us to make inferences regarding the benefits preferences amongst the working population during an unprecedented health crisis.
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Kristjan Pulk and Leonore Riitsalu
Consumer culture is promoting immediate gratification, and the rise of digital financial services is increasing the risk of indebtedness while debt reduces well-being and affects…
Abstract
Purpose
Consumer culture is promoting immediate gratification, and the rise of digital financial services is increasing the risk of indebtedness while debt reduces well-being and affects mental health. The authors assess the effects of consumer information provision, debt literacy, chronic debt and attitudes toward debt on the intent to purchase on credit.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey including an experiment with a credit offer vignette was conducted in a representative sample of Estonia (n = 1204). Treatment conditions depicted either the total cost and duration of the credit agreement or the annual percentage rate.
Findings
Receiving modified information resulted in a 26 to 30 percentage points decrease in propensity to purchase on credit. Purchasing on credit was associated with attitudes towards credit and chronic debt, but not with debt literacy.
Research limitations/implications
The findings reveal large effects of information provision and highlight the limited effects of debt literacy on credit decisions. Limitations may emerge from differences in financial regulation across countries.
Practical implications
The authors' results highlight the importance of applying behavioural insights in consumer credit information provision, both in the financial sector and policy. Testing the messages allows having evidence-based solutions that promote responsible purchasing on credit.
Originality/value
The findings call for changes in credit information provision requirements. Their effect is significantly larger compared to the literature, emphasizing the role of credit information provision in less regulated online markets.
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Sara Rolando, Gaia Cuomo, Airi-Alina Allaste, Venus Athena Vangsgaard Fabricius, Torsten Kolind and Merlin Läänemets
This paper aims to investigate the cultural meanings of excessive drinking in three different countries with different levels of alcohol use chosen as case studies of wider…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the cultural meanings of excessive drinking in three different countries with different levels of alcohol use chosen as case studies of wider geographies representing Northern (Denmark), Southern (Italy) and Eastern (Estonia) Europe.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected according to the Reception Analytical Group Interview method, using video clips as stimuli to enhance comparability. Eight online focus groups were organized in each country for a total number of 128 participants. Symbolic boundaries defining what drinking patterns are socially acceptable were then analysed to look at cross-national variations.
Findings
Results show how different conceptualizations of excessive drinking persist, although a convergence process among drinking patterns is also observed, which suggests that differences mainly depend on meanings and values attributed to intoxication. These are both rooted in the traditional drinking cultures and affected by ongoing social and economic change processes.
Research limitations/implications
Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability, even at country level, as there are differences also within the same drinking culture; however, addressing these differences was beyond the scope of the present study, which aimed to contribute to understanding persisting differences in European drinking culture despite different drivers seem to act for globalization of drinking habits.
Practical implications
The paper includes implications for the development of tailored and effective prevention messages, considering rooted attitudes and cultural values attached to drinking and drunkenness in different European geographies, which are also related to conceptualizations of risks and pleasure.
Originality/value
This paper fulfils an identified need to understand persisting differences in alcohol-related behaviours and outcome in different European countries emerging from quantitative data.
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The objective of this chapter is to identify the key characteristics of Global Services businesses that will thrive and achieve success in the future. These factors are integrated…
Abstract
The objective of this chapter is to identify the key characteristics of Global Services businesses that will thrive and achieve success in the future. These factors are integrated into three main pillars, which we refer to as the Triple-Win. The first and most obvious pillar is technology as a tool. The second pillar is the design and sustainability of the business model, without which the previous factor would be merely a cost and not an investment. And last but not the least, there is the purpose which gives meaning to the proposal, focusing on the human being and their environment. The DIDPAGA business model sits at the intersection of these three elements.
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