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1 – 10 of over 1000Jiangnan Qiu, Wenjing Gu, Zhongming Ma, Yue You, Chengjie Cai and Meihui Zhang
In the extant research on online knowledge communities (OKCs), little attention has been paid to the influence of membership fluidity on the coevolution of the social and…
Abstract
Purpose
In the extant research on online knowledge communities (OKCs), little attention has been paid to the influence of membership fluidity on the coevolution of the social and knowledge systems. This article aims to fill this gap.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) framework, this paper constructs a simulation model to study the coevolution of these two systems under different levels of membership fluidity.
Findings
By analyzing the evolution of these systems with the vector autoregression (VAR) method, we find that social and knowledge systems become more orderly as the coevolution progresses. Furthermore, in communities with low membership fluidity, the microlevel of the social system (i.e. users) drives the coevolution, whereas in communities with high membership fluidity, the microlevel of the knowledge system (i.e. users' views) drives the coevolution.
Originality/value
This paper extends the application of the ASA framework and enriches the literature on membership fluidity of online communities and the literature on driving factors for coevolution of the social and knowledge systems in OKCs. On a practical level, our work suggests that community administrators should adopt different strategies for different membership fluidity to efficiently promote the coevolution of the social and knowledge systems in OKCs.
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Yan Zhang, Shaosheng Jin, Yu Yvette Zhang and Xiaohua Yu
The purpose of this study is to decompose the effects of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) into multiple dimensions—macrolevel image, related to the country image, and microlevel…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to decompose the effects of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) into multiple dimensions—macrolevel image, related to the country image, and microlevel image, related to dairy industry/product attributes—and investigate how each dimension affects Chinese consumers' evaluation of imported milk.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted the Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) auction mechanism to elicit consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for milk from different countries (New Zealand, Australia, Germany, France and China). The experiment was conducted with 348 shoppers at supermarkets in three major cities of China (Hangzhou, Wuhan and Shijiazhuang). The study subject was ultrahigh-temperature processing (UHT) milk (200 mL Tetra Pak aseptic brick package).
Findings
The results show that Chinese consumers are willing to pay a premium for UHT milk from New Zealand, Australia, Germany and France compared to domestic milk, and the premiums are 59.4, 58.9, 57.9, and 52.9% respectively. Both microlevel and macrolevel images exert a substantial influence on consumers' WTP, and the microlevel image has a greater impact on consumers' evaluation of milk than the macrolevel image. Particularly, the macropolitical, microtechnology/quality and microdesign/package dimensions have a positive influence on WTP for milk.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the existing literature in introducing the country-of-origin image (COI) construct with different dimensions to get in-depth knowledge about the country-of-origin (COO) effect in food or agricultural economics.
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This essay studies disconnections between the macrolevel societal problems of a state and more microlevel political alignments.
Abstract
Purpose
This essay studies disconnections between the macrolevel societal problems of a state and more microlevel political alignments.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a dataset composed of macrolevel measures of state problems and microlevel responses to a 2008 election survey, this essay applies multilevel statistical models to explain the state-to-state variance between the states on anti-abortion and pro-gun sentiments. This analysis uncovers the macro- and microlevel factors that disconnect a state’s neglect-of-children indicators from its citizens’ sentiments about abortion, and the factors that disconnect a state’s crime indicators from its citizens’ sentiments about guns.
Findings
The initial associations between a state’s indicators of neglect of children and anti-abortion sentiments are explained by the state’s lower human development (HD) and social attributes, especially religious beliefs, which predict social conservatism. The initial associations between a state’s indicators of crime and incarcerations are also explained by a state’s lower HD and the social attributes, especially religious beliefs, which predict social conservatism. Considering both abortion and guns as key indicators of social conservatism, the voters’ political choices exhibit a moralistic axiological rationality rather than a more pragmatic instrumental rationality.
Originality/value
The moral absolutism associated with sentiments about abortion and guns suggests that social conservatism and authoritarianism are intertwined but separate conceptions, which have similar consequences and determinants. Both may be influenced by the same changes in social and educational policies, especially the quality of education.
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Gulsan Ara Parvin, Jonas Joerin, Sunil Parashar and Rajib Shaw
Building a resilient city requires detail and careful assessment of its current level of vulnerabilities and resilience. During such assessment and initiatives it should remember…
Abstract
Building a resilient city requires detail and careful assessment of its current level of vulnerabilities and resilience. During such assessment and initiatives it should remember that there are large differences in risk and vulnerability within urban areas (Satterthwaite, Dodman, & Bicknell, 2009). It is natural to consider that the vulnerabilities and eventually the resilience level would not be same for all parts of a city, especially one that is relatively larger. A city, especially a large one, covers a substantial and often physiographically heterogeneous area with different exposures and susceptibility to hazards. Furthermore, a city's population and the conditions under which it lives are diverse. Therefore, some parts and peoples of a city may be more vulnerable than others (Klein, Nicholls, & Thomalla, 2004). In fact, cities form different microclimates within them because of the variations of land use, settlement patterns, functions, densities, and characteristics of the residential areas and their communities. All of these diversities contribute to disaster risk; in turn, these affect human development and the resilience of different parts of the city International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).
Andreia Borges and Nelson Ramalho
There are no management decisions deprived of ethical or political consequences. Political corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been highlighting this assertion but research…
Abstract
Purpose
There are no management decisions deprived of ethical or political consequences. Political corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been highlighting this assertion but research at the microlevel on this topic is scarce. This study aims to contribute to the microlevel research by proposing a behavioral framework where leaders’ political skills are determinants of engagement in strategic CSR and perceived CSR leverages their ascribed legitimacy to perform a political role outside the boundaries of the organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
Building upon political CSR and critical realism theories, this study offers a general review on key political CSR microlevel concepts and examines multiple dimensions of CSR to explain the indirect effect between boards' political skills and political legitimacy.
Findings
This research suggests that high politically skilled leaders are associated to more CSR adoption which fosters higher legitimacy to act as political influencers. Among these, CSR activities directed toward community members and employees are seemingly the most successful from a political standpoint.
Originality/value
This study proposes a contemporary form of political influence to business leaders that, in contrast with other strategies such as lobbying or financing political campaigns, does not end up damaging corporate image and reputation. Also, this study proposes that not all CSR activities leverage corporate political legitimacy per se, therefore they do need to be differentiated. This study then offers a comprehensive future research agenda, including detailed suggestions for research designs and measurements.
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Sheshadri Chatterjee, Ranjan Chaudhuri and Demetris Vrontis
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of microlevel corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities on firm sustainability. The study also examines the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of microlevel corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities on firm sustainability. The study also examines the mediating roles of CSR performance (CSRP) and top management support on firm sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
With the help of existing literature and theories, a theoretical model has been developed, which is then validated using structural equation modeling technique considering 327 respondents who perform CSR activities at respondents' firms in India. The research methods include moderator analysis to understand the role of top management support for firm sustainability.
Findings
This research found that microlevel CSR activities have a significant positive impact on CSR performance. The study also found that there is a significant moderating impact of top management support on the relationship between CSR performance and firm sustainability.
Research limitations/implications
This study proposed a theoretical model which has established the relationships between the microlevel CSR activities and CSRP along with firm sustainability. This is an effective model and provides vital inputs to the firms on how to succeed with CSR activities. Limitations to this study's generalizability include use of cross-sectional data and that the data were collected from one country.
Originality/value
The proposed theoretical model is unique and can be applied by firms to enhance firms' CSR performance. There is no other study which has investigated the moderating role of firm leadership team impacting the relationship between CSR performance and firm sustainability. Thus, this study is a unique attempt and adds value to the extant literature on CSR as well as firm sustainability.
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Although we have seen a proliferation of studies examining the discursive aspects of strategy, the full potential of the linguistic turn has not yet been realized. This paper…
Abstract
Although we have seen a proliferation of studies examining the discursive aspects of strategy, the full potential of the linguistic turn has not yet been realized. This paper argues for a multifaceted interdiscursive approach that can help to go beyond simplistic views on strategy as unified discourse and pave the way for new research efforts. At the metalevel, it is important to focus attention on struggles over competing conceptions of strategy in this body of knowledge. At the mesolevel it is interesting to examine alternative strategy narratives to better understand the polyphony and dialogicality in organizational strategizing. At the microlevel, it is useful to reflect on the rhetorical tactics and skills that are used in strategy conversations to promote or resist specific views. This paper calls for new focused analyses at these different levels of analysis, but also for studies of the processes linking these levels.