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1 – 10 of 13Charles D.T. Macaulay and Ajhanai C.I. Keaton
This paper explores organization-level racialized work strategies for maintaining racialized organizations (Ray, 2019). It focuses on intentional actions to maintain dominant…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores organization-level racialized work strategies for maintaining racialized organizations (Ray, 2019). It focuses on intentional actions to maintain dominant racial norms, demonstrating how work strategies are informed by dominant racial structures that maintain racial inequities.
Design/methodology/approach
We compiled a chronological case study (Yin, 2012) based on 168 news media articles and various organizational documents to examine responses to athlete protests at the University of Texas at Austin following the death of George Floyd. Gioia et al.’s (2013) method uncovered how dominant racial norms inform organizational behaviors.
Findings
The paper challenges institutional theory neutrality and identifies several racialized work strategies that organizations employ to maintain racialized norms and practices. The findings provide a framework for organizations to interrogate their strategies and their role in reproducing dominant racial norms and inequities.
Originality/value
In 2020, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was reinvigorated within sporting and corporate domains. However, many organizations engaged in performativity, sparking criticism about meaningful change in organizational contexts. Our case study examines how one organization responded to athlete activists’ BLM-fueled demands, revealing specific racialized work strategies that maintain structures of racism. As organizations worldwide disrupt and discuss oppressive structures such as racism, we demonstrate how organizational leadership, while aware of policies and practices of racism, may choose not to act and actively maintain such structures.
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Abdul karim Armah and Jinfa Li
Through the “Going Digital Initiative,” the Ghanaian government has introduced policies that aim at improving the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure of…
Abstract
Purpose
Through the “Going Digital Initiative,” the Ghanaian government has introduced policies that aim at improving the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure of the country. These ICT policies have benefited numerous sectors of the Ghanaian economy. In logistics management, ICT has impacted drone medical delivery in the healthcare and maritime sectors. However, the importance of ICT is not realized in the motorcycle goods transport (MGT) industry, regardless of its popularity and high economic dependency. Second, all research on motorcycles is focused on diverse social concerns, and no study has attempted to analyze ICT implementation for MGT operations. This is a significant gap in logistics management. Hence, the study aimed to investigate the impact of ICT on Ghana's MGT industry empirically.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a two-phase data collection approach to collect the data. The authors use partial least square structural equation modeling to analyze the study's measurement and structural assessment model.
Findings
ICT positively impacts MGT and the drivers considered. The drivers positively influence MGT. The study further analyzes novel results on the relationships between the drivers and their mediating roles in enhancing MGT performance.
Originality/value
The study's originality is the extension of ICT adoption and usage in MGT. The lack of literature on the importance of ICT for MGT services makes this study the primary source of literature, and the relationships investigated are unique as the research area is unexplored.
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Chao Ren, Hui Situ and Gillian Maree Vesty
This paper examines the ways in which Chinese university middle managers evaluate subordinate performance in response to the Chinese Double First-Class University Plan, a national…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the ways in which Chinese university middle managers evaluate subordinate performance in response to the Chinese Double First-Class University Plan, a national project that ranks the performance of universities. In exploring compromise arrangements, the hybridised valuing activity of middle managers is found to be shaped by emergent and extant macro-foundations.
Design/methodology/approach
The qualitative data from 49 semi-structured interviews at five Chinese public universities were conducted. Drawing on macro-foundational studies and the sociology of worth (SW) theory, the analysis helps to identify socially shared patterns of actions and outcomes.
Findings
The findings elucidate the interplay between diverse economic, social, political and institutional values and the compromise-making by middle managers. The authors find that contextual factors restrict Chinese academic middle managers' autonomy, preventing workable compromise. Through the selective adoption of international and local management practices, compromise has evolved into a private differential treaty at the operational level.
Originality/value
A nuanced explanation reveals how the macro-foundations of Chinese society influence middle managers who engage with accounting when facilitating compromise. This study helps outsiders better understand the complex convergence and divergence of performance evaluative practices in Chinese universities against the backdrop of global market-based forces and the moral dimensions of organisational life. The findings have wider implications for the Chinese government in navigating institutional steps and developing supportive policies to enable middle managers to advance productive but also sustainable compromise.
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Ahmad Honarjoo and Ehsan Darvishan
This study aims to obtain methods to identify and find the place of damage, which is one of the topics that has always been discussed in structural engineering. The cost of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to obtain methods to identify and find the place of damage, which is one of the topics that has always been discussed in structural engineering. The cost of repairing and rehabilitating massive bridges and buildings is very high, highlighting the need to monitor the structures continuously. One way to track the structure's health is to check the cracks in the concrete. Meanwhile, the current methods of concrete crack detection have complex and heavy calculations.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a new lightweight architecture based on deep learning for crack classification in concrete structures. The proposed architecture was identified and classified in less time and with higher accuracy than other traditional and valid architectures in crack detection. This paper used a standard dataset to detect two-class and multi-class cracks.
Findings
Results show that two images were recognized with 99.53% accuracy based on the proposed method, and multi-class images were classified with 91% accuracy. The low execution time of the proposed architecture compared to other valid architectures in deep learning on the same hardware platform. The use of Adam's optimizer in this research had better performance than other optimizers.
Originality/value
This paper presents a framework based on a lightweight convolutional neural network for nondestructive monitoring of structural health to optimize the calculation costs and reduce execution time in processing.
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Faozi A. Almaqtari, Tamer Elsheikh, Khaled Hussainey and Mohammed A. Al-Bukhrani
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of country-level governance on sustainability performance, taking into account the effect of sustainable development goals…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of country-level governance on sustainability performance, taking into account the effect of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and board characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses panel data analysis using fixed effect models to investigate the influence of country-level governance on sustainability performance while considering the effect of SDGs and board characteristics. The sample comprises 8,273 firms across 41 countries during the period spanning from 2016 to 2021. The sample is divided into two categories based on the score of SDGs.
Findings
The findings of this study show that countries with high SDGs score have better overall country-level governance and board attributes which have a statistically significant positive impact on sustainability performance. However, for those countries with low SDGs, political stability shows a statistically insignificant and negative impact on sustainability performance, while government effectiveness indicates a statistically insignificant positive impact on sustainability performance.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between country-level governance, SDGs, board characteristics and sustainability performance. The study also highlights the importance of considering the effect of SDGs on the relationship between country-level governance and sustainability performance. The findings of this study could be useful for policymakers and firms in improving their sustainability performance and contributing to sustainable development.
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Fernanda Cigainski Lisbinski and Heloisa Lee Burnquist
This article aims to investigate how institutional characteristics affect the level of financial development of economies collectively and compare between developed and…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to investigate how institutional characteristics affect the level of financial development of economies collectively and compare between developed and undeveloped economies.
Design/methodology/approach
A dynamic panel with 131 countries, including developed and developing ones, was utilized; the estimators of the generalized method of moments system (GMM system) model were selected because they have econometric characteristics more suitable for analysis, providing superior statistical precision compared to traditional linear estimation methods.
Findings
The results from the full panel suggest that concrete and well-defined institutions are important for financial development, confirming previous research, with a more limited scope than the present work.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of this research include the availability of data for all countries worldwide, which would make the research broader and more complete.
Originality/value
A panel of countries was used, divided into developed and developing countries, to analyze the impact of institutional variables on the financial development of these countries, which is one of the differentiators of this work. Another differentiator of this research is the presentation of estimates in six different configurations, with emphasis on the GMM system model in one and two steps, allowing for comparison between results.
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The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of audit committee characteristics on firm performance. In particular, the authors employ the random-effects variant of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of audit committee characteristics on firm performance. In particular, the authors employ the random-effects variant of the Hunter–Schmidt meta-analyze procedure to analyze the effects of key audit committee attributes, namely audit committee independence, audit committee expertise, audit committee size, audit committee meeting along with big four impact on firm performance. The authors hope to gain a better understanding of the function of audit committees in enhancing firm performance and to uncover potential discrepancies in prior findings due to varying economic levels or performance metrics.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses the Hunter–Schmidt method to conduct a meta-analysis of 39 previous studies published between 2012 and 2022 to investigate the relationship between audit committee characteristics and firm performance.
Findings
The results indicate that audit committee independence, expertise, size and affiliation with the big four have a significant and positive effect on firm performance, while audit committee meetings have a non-significant effect. Furthermore, findings suggest that companies should carefully consider the contextual factors that may impact the effectiveness of their corporate governance structures, such as economic level, when designing and implementing governance mechanisms.
Originality/value
This study is significant as it is the first to combine and analyze previous research on this topic and highlights the importance of certain audit committee characteristics in enhancing financial reporting quality and corporate governance.
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Jiang Luo, Syed Imran Zaman, Sobia Jamil and Sharfuddin Ahmed Khan
Organizations have increasingly been compelled to engage in ecological businesses in recent decades, necessitating identifying environmental practices contributing to enhanced…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizations have increasingly been compelled to engage in ecological businesses in recent decades, necessitating identifying environmental practices contributing to enhanced sustainability. One of the main reasons for doing this research is to see how far down the path to green transformational leadership (GTFL) in Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practices in the healthcare industry in Pakistan. Additionally, this research aims to analyze how this change affects the long-term success of businesses in sustainable performance (SP).
Design/methodology/approach
To identify factors related to the study variables, the research utilized master journals, as well as the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The ISM-DEMATEL (Interpretive Structural Modeling - Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) technique was employed to establish a hierarchical model. This model facilitated the identification of cause-and-effect relationships among factors, which were further elucidated using the DEMATEL interrelationship diagram.
Findings
The analysis of the results indicates that Green Training (F4), Green Job Analysis (F1), Intellectual Stimulation (F10), and Green Product Innovation (F9) are the primary factors that have a significant impact on achieving Environmental Policies and Regulations (F13), and Subjective Environment Norms (F14) of SP factors.
Research limitations/implications
The study is implemented in the healthcare industry of Pakistan, with a focus on practical and managerial aspects. It encourages managers to develop and adapt their human resources policies and environmental strategies. Implementing safety health standards is crucial to mitigate the detrimental effects on the environment. The research was carried out during the period of the pandemic. The scope of this study was restricted to the healthcare industry in Pakistan.
Originality/value
In order to improve SP, this study presents a unique strategy combining sustainability into decision-making procedures with the function of GTFL in GHRM. Implementing safety health standards is crucial to mitigate the detrimental effects on the environment.
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Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej, Ewa Popowicz and Adam Sulich
The article explores the linkages between the type of environmental strategy (ES), the use of internal communication (IC), and the greening of organizational culture (OC)…
Abstract
Purpose
The article explores the linkages between the type of environmental strategy (ES), the use of internal communication (IC), and the greening of organizational culture (OC). Moreover, the article empirically examines whether company size matters in the use of environmental IC practices in the green context. Additionally, the article considers differences between people employed at different organizational hierarchy levels. The basis for such a comparison is their opinions about the effectiveness of communication practices.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical research employed a survey method done on 199 organizations in 2020. Statistical analyses used the chi-squared test, Kendall’s Tau-b correlation coefficient, and the Mann–Whitney U test.
Findings
The research showed that companies with a proactive green strategy more often use different communication practices related to ES and have a greener culture. The study proved that larger companies more often use the analyzed communication practices. However, we found no significant difference in opinion between middle managers and line employees about the effectiveness of these practices.
Practical implications
The main contribution to business practice is the exploratory model based on the empirical study, which allows organizations to successfully implement the ES.
Originality/value
Studies rarely combine the three organizational elements: IC, OC, and ES. This article provides new empirical evidence on relationships between features of OC, green strategy types, and communication practices.
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Evans Kwesi Mireku, Ernest Kissi, Edward Badu, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa, Titus Kwofie and Kenneth Eluerkeh
The construction industry is an industry which has gained notoriety when it comes to both physical and mental health problems. Compared to other industries, the construction…
Abstract
Purpose
The construction industry is an industry which has gained notoriety when it comes to both physical and mental health problems. Compared to other industries, the construction sector has a higher prevalence of many stressors and mental health concerns. This calls for mechanisms to cope with these concerns. One coping mechanism propounded to help cope and adapt in the face of pressures and challenges is “Mental Toughness (MT)”. While mental toughness has been widely studied in various fields, there is a paucity of comprehensive research examining its significance among construction professionals. Thus, the motivation of this study is to establish the mental toughness characteristics among construction professionals in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
The construction industry is an industry which has gained notoriety when it comes to both physical and mental health problems. Compared to other industries, the construction sector has a higher prevalence of mental health concerns. One coping mechanism propounded to help cope and adapt in the face of pressures and challenges is “Mental Toughness (MT)”. While mental toughness has been widely studied in various fields, there is a paucity of comprehensive research examining its significance among construction professionals. Thus, the motivation of this study is to establish the mental toughness characteristics among construction professionals.
Findings
the study's findings revealed 13-factor model characteristics of mental toughness with 43 variables for mentally tough performers in the construction environment. These 13-factor models include Pressure Management (PM), Motivation (M), Emotional Intelligence (EI), Interpersonal self-belief (SB), Tough Attitude (TA), Job-related self-belief (SBB), Ethical Values (EV), Commitment (C), Focus (F), Optimism (OP), Expertise and Competence (EC), Imagery Control (IC) and Resilient (R).
Practical implications
The outcome of this study has significant practical implications for various stakeholders. For construction professionals the identified factors provide valuable insights into the psychological attributes and behaviours that contribute to mental toughness among construction professionals. Understanding these characteristics can empower professionals to develop strategies for coping with stress, maintaining focus, and fostering resilience in challenging construction environments to achieve optimum performance levels consistently.
Originality/value
The originality of this study's findings stems from the fact that it is among the first to provide greater insight into mental toughness characteristics considered by professionals (quantity surveyors, construction managers, engineers, project managers, architects, estate managers) in the construction industry.
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