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1 – 10 of over 1000Erwin Stoop, Taco Brandsen and Jan-Kees Helderman
Most research into the relationship between social capital and cooperatives takes social capital as the independent variable and the cooperative as the dependent variable, but as…
Abstract
Purpose
Most research into the relationship between social capital and cooperatives takes social capital as the independent variable and the cooperative as the dependent variable, but as yet the authors know little about causality in the other direction. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the cooperative structure helps to maintain organizational social capital.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 46 participants from local banks (chairpersons, directors, managers, team leaders and human resources managers).
Findings
Although the cooperative structure formally remained in place, integration into financial markets and digitalization effectively disembedded the organization from its original social context. The cooperative model can only remain distinctive, in terms of how it relates to its clients, under certain institutional conditions.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that scaling, in response to changes in the institutional environment, was an important factor in changing the nature of the organization.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the understanding of the social dynamics of cooperatives in the field of financial services.
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Matteo Mura, Pietro Micheli and Mariolina Longo
This study aims to investigate how dynamic tensions between performance measurement system (PMS) uses enable organizations to achieve both exploitation and exploration and enhance…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how dynamic tensions between performance measurement system (PMS) uses enable organizations to achieve both exploitation and exploration and enhance firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected survey data on 153 Italian companies. Scales for each construct were validated through an exploratory factor analysis. Data on firm performance were cross-validated by using lagged accounting data. The authors tested our hypotheses using hierarchical ordinary least squares regressions, together with bootstrapping procedures for the test on mediation.
Findings
A diagnostic use of PMS has a positive association with both exploitation – e.g. reductions in total costs and lead times – and exploration, e.g. introduction of new products and extension of product ranges. The dynamic tension created by a joint diagnostic and interactive use has the strongest association with organizational ambidexterity, measured as the multiplicative interaction between exploration and exploitation.
Practical implications
If an organization or business unit is mainly pursuing exploitative goals, a mainly diagnostic use of PMS would be most suitable. If goals are both exploitative and explorative, a mix of diagnostic and interactive uses would be most effective.
Originality/value
This research helps reconcile conflicting views in the literature. The diagnostic use of PMS, far from acting as a “negative force,” appears to be necessary to guide opportunity search and to establish an appropriate scope for exploration-related activities. The authors’ focus on the uses of PMSs shows that ambidexterity is achieved through managerial capability, rather than just through the introduction of systems and structures.
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Gianluca Vitale, Sebastiano Cupertino and Paolo Taticchi
This paper aims to investigate the relationships between business slack resources and environmental performance and considers the possible effects that management commitment…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the relationships between business slack resources and environmental performance and considers the possible effects that management commitment, corporate strategy to sustainability and innovation intensity can have on such interactions.
Design/methodology/approach
We performed partial least squares path modeling regressions on a sample of 697 non-financial listed companies worldwide, considering a time frame of 13 years.
Findings
Operational and financial slack resources are both detrimental to environmental performance in the short term. Nevertheless, financial slack resources are useful to boost innovation that enhances environmental performance. Environmental performance improvement seems to be more a matter of managerial commitment and strategic approach towards sustainability, rather than the availability of slack resources.
Research limitations/implications
Due to literature shortcomings on which effects slack resources can have on environmental performance, this paper sheds some light on the topic while also highlighting the role of management commitment, corporate sustainability strategy and innovation.
Practical implications
Managers should use financial slack resources in innovation activities to improve environmental performance. In doing so, they need to create retaining earnings to offset any costs using financial slack resources.
Originality/value
Adopting a holistic and net of endogeneity analytical perspective, this paper highlights some virtuous and critical interactions between the managerial commitment and strategic approach to sustainability, the availability of slack resources, innovation intensity and environmental performance to understand which aspects may foster or hinder the ecological transition of businesses.
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Elsie Yan, Haze K.L. Ng, Rongwei Sun, Daniel W.L. Lai, Sheung-Tak Cheng, Vivian W.Q. Lou, Daniel Y.T. Fong and Timothy Kwok
This study aims to explore the risk and protective factors of abuse on older adults by family caregivers, with a special focus on the protective role of caregiver resilience in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the risk and protective factors of abuse on older adults by family caregivers, with a special focus on the protective role of caregiver resilience in elder abuse.
Design/methodology/approach
This cross-sectional survey was conducted on a purposive sample of 600 family caregivers of community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong (mean age = 71.04 and female = 67.2%). Caregivers reported in a guided interview about elder abuse behaviours, caregiver burden, care recipients’ agitated behaviours, caregiver resilience, self-efficacy, social support and basic demographic characteristics. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the predictors of different forms of elder abuse.
Findings
Caregiver resilience was predictive of lower levels of verbal abuse, physical abuse, injury and financial exploitation but not potentially harmful behaviour (PHB). Social support was independent with all forms of elder abuse, while self-efficacy predicted greater physical abuse after the adjustment of confounding variables. Caregiver burden and agitated behaviours by care recipients remained as significant risk factors in the final models when protective factors were considered.
Research limitations/implications
This study extends current knowledge on the protecting role of resilience in elder abuse in family caregiving. Mixed findings revealed on social support and self-efficacy also highlight the complexity of the prediction of caregiver abuse. Further research should address this area.
Practical implications
The findings of this study warrant the inclusion of caregiver resilience as a key component in developing interventions to prevent elder abuse. Addressing caregiver burden and agitated behaviours have the potential in preventing elder abuse.
Social implications
The findings raise awareness of the importance of supporting caregivers in the community to prevent elder abuse.
Originality/value
Research concerning the protective factors of elder abuse is in a preliminary stage. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first which successfully demonstrates the protective role of resilience in caregiver abuse on older adults. The findings shed invaluable light on the design of effective interventions.
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Priscilla A. Harries, Miranda L. Davies, Kenneth J. Gilhooly, Mary L.M. Gilhooly and Deborah Cairns
This paper reports on banking and finance professionals' decision making in the context of elder financial abuse. The aim was to identify the case features that influence when…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper reports on banking and finance professionals' decision making in the context of elder financial abuse. The aim was to identify the case features that influence when abuse is identified and when action is taken.
Design/methodology/approach
Banking and finance professionals (n=70) were shown 35 financial abuse case scenarios and were asked to judge how certain they were that the older person was being abused and the likelihood of taking action.
Findings
Three case features significantly influenced certainty of financial abuse: the nature of the financial problem presented, the older person's level of mental capacity and who was in charge of the client's money. In cases where the older person was more confused and forgetful, there was increased suspicion that financial abuse was taking place. Finance professionals were less certain that financial abuse was occurring if the older person was in charge of his or her own finances.
Originality/value
The research findings have been used to develop freely available online training resources to promote professionals' decision making capacity (www.elderfinancialabuse.co.uk). The resources have been advocated for use by Building Societies Association as well as CIFAS, the UK's Fraud Prevention Service.
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The purpose of the study is to investigate how the processes of exploration and exploitation have developed in parallel in the literature of organizational ambidexterity and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to investigate how the processes of exploration and exploitation have developed in parallel in the literature of organizational ambidexterity and organizational learning, since James March published his seminal paper in 1991. The goal of the paper is to provide a synthesis of exploration and exploitation based on the two areas of literature.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is conceptual and no empirical data have been used.
Findings
The study advances current understanding of exploration and exploitation by building a new model for organizational ambidexterity that takes into account multiple levels of learning, perspectives from absorptive capacity and inter-organizational learning.
Originality/value
The study’s novelty lies in the creation and discussion of a synthesis of exploration and exploitation stemming from organizational ambidexterity and organizational learning.
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Family firms that simultaneously engage in multiple levels of innovation – incremental and radical – are likely to enjoy performance advantages across generations. The purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
Family firms that simultaneously engage in multiple levels of innovation – incremental and radical – are likely to enjoy performance advantages across generations. The purpose of this paper is to research under which management conditions (i.e. top management team (TMT) diversity in terms of generational or non-family involvement) family firms are more likely to achieve innovation ambidexterity. Also, the paper addresses the mediating role of open innovation (OI) breadth in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A large cross-sectional sample of 335 small- and medium-sized family firms is used. The hypotheses were tested in a mediation model. The relationship between TMT diversity and ambidexterity is measured using a binominal regression analysis, the one between TMT diversity and OI breadth using a Tobit model.
Findings
Drawing on the family firm upper echelon perspective, the results indicate that TMT diversity induced through external managers and multiple generations is positively related to innovation ambidexterity. As the mediation analysis reveals, the relationship can be explained by the higher propensity of diverse TMTs to get involved in OI breadth. The findings add to the discussion on family firm heterogeneity and its influence on different kinds of innovation.
Originality/value
So far, few studies have been concerned with ambidextrous family firms. Contrary to their reputation, this study identifies family firms as radical as well as open innovators. As such, this research takes account not only of the heterogeneity of family firms, but also of the heterogeneity of family firm innovation.
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Daniele Cerrato, Maurizio La Rocca and Todd Alessandri
The purpose of this paper is to examine the financial factors across multiple levels of analysis that influence the performance effects of the unrelated diversification strategy…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the financial factors across multiple levels of analysis that influence the performance effects of the unrelated diversification strategy, including institutional-, industry- and firm-levels.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a unique panel dataset of Italian firms from 1980 to 2010, the paper tests hypotheses on how industry external financial dependence and the firm's financial constraints both separately and jointly alter the performance benefits of unrelated diversification in contexts with financial market inefficiencies.
Findings
Unrelated diversification increases performance in weak financial contexts and such positive effect is enhanced by greater industry external financial dependence and greater firm financial constraints. However, as financial markets develop, the moderating effects of firm financial constraints shrink.
Practical implications
The study highlights the importance of recognizing the multiple financial contingencies that may alter the benefits of the unrelated diversification strategy, suggesting caution in its pursuit to boost firm performance.
Originality/value
The authors develop a theoretical framework that explains the performance outcomes of unrelated diversification, linking the benefits of an internal capital market (ICM) with the financial context of the firm and offering a fine-grained analysis that moves beyond the advanced/emerging economy dichotomy. Furthermore, leveraging on the unprecedented time frame of the empirical analysis, the paper highlights the crucial role of industry- and firm-level financial contingencies and demonstrates that their effects change at varying levels of development of the financial context.
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