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This article addresses the relationship of universities to their changing regulatory environments internationally.

This article updates analysis published in 2004 exploring the contrasting modes of, and key trends in, regulation of higher education across eight OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) states. The article offers a wider analysis of the changing patterns of regulation rooted in mutuality, oversight, competition and design, and the implications for the management of higher education institutions.

Since 2004, higher education has seen more growth in oversight-based and competition-based regulation, but also some decentralization of regulation as an increasing cast of actors, many international and transnational in character, have asserted themselves in key aspects of the regulatory environment. This article explores the implications of these changes in the regulatory mix over higher education for the ways that universities manage their regulatory environment, arguing first, that there is significant evidence of meta-regulatory approaches to regulating universities, and second, that such a meta-regulatory approach is consistent with an emphasis on university autonomy, raising a challenge for universities in how to use the autonomy (variable by country) they do have to manage their environment.

This article offers an original analysis of how universities might most appropriately respond, deploying their autonomy, however variable, to address their external regulatory environment. The author suggests we might increasingly see the external regulatory environment as meta-regulatory in character and universities making more use of reflexive governance processes.

This paper aims to explore the impact of salespeople’s goal orientation and self-regulatory mode on their performance through sales ambidexterity and sales technology infusion (STI) using a sales technology ecosystem approach.

This paper adopts a qualitative methodology, through in-depth interviews with salespeople from a diverse range of industries, age profiles and contexts, to explore the narratives and original meanings related to their goal orientation, self-regulatory mode, ambidexterity, STI and performance.

Sceptics are salespeople who may fear or hesitate to fully use the sales technology, whereas enthusiasts are ambidextrous salespeople with high STI, who are more open to change and able to face uncertainty, regardless of the differences in their background in terms of industry, age and experience.

STI may be influenced by individual factors, such as the salesperson’s goal orientation and self-regulatory mode. Hence, sales organizations should try to foster and facilitate further STI and sales ambidexterity, which are key to achieving positive outcomes in today’s technology-intensive sales settings.

This paper extends the current literature on sales technology and sales ambidexterity within a sales technology ecosystem perspective and provides new insight on the combined impact of these variables on the salesperson’s performance.

Reflecting on recent empirical developments as well as insights from regulatory state theory, the paper considers directions in which the regulatory state could develop in the post-COVID-19 era.

This is a de-contextualised analysis of regulatory developments drawing on the prior regulatory state literature and literature on post-crisis responses. Taking into account recent empirical developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper sets out, in a comparative context, scenarios for the future development of the regulatory state.

Predicting the direction in which the regulatory state will develop is challenging, particularly at this early stage. Yet, we provide a conceptual framework for thinking about possible futures of the regulatory state and how domestic and international factors might mediate these futures.

The paper provides a structured approach to the analysis of the regulatory state bringing together insights from the literature on the regulatory state, public management reform, and global regulatory shifts.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of the metaphor of verticality on how individuals assess prices, having regulatory focus as a moderator of this relationship.

Two experiments were conducted with a 2 × 2 between-subjects design (metaphor of verticality: physically higher vs physically lower × regulatory focus: promotion vs prevention). The second study performed moderated mediation by incorporating the self-esteem variable.

The results show that the treatment group consisting of prevention-focused individuals who consider themselves physically higher assessed prices according to what was proposed for the study compared to the group consisting of promotion-focused individuals who consider themselves physically lower. Participants in Treatment Group 1 attributed the lowest prices to products, demanded more significant discounts to go to another store searching for a product and considered the prices more unfair.

The primary contribution of this study is to reveal that the position of one's body on the vertical axis influences their thoughts and, therefore, their decision-making in the scope of products and services prices. Moreover, regulatory focus can attenuate such effects.

Whereas many studies address ambidexterity at the organizational level, much less is known about individual level ambidexterity. Moreover, there is a lack of thorough understanding of how motivational orientations are related to individual level ambidexterity. Yet, it is crucial to have an understanding of what motivates employees who perform explorative and exploitative activities. This study aims to empirically test the link between the constellation of motivational orientations of employees and their ambidexterity.

The authors use polynomial regression analysis and surface response analysis to analyze data from 103 employees employed in one Dutch organization. Polynomial regressions allow for analyzing linear and nonlinear direct and interactive effects between different motivational orientations in relation to individual level ambidexterity.

For individual ambidexterity, it is important to have an assessment orientation that is balanced with a locomotion orientation. Alternatively, people high on only locomotion orientation or only assessment orientation are also ambidextrous.

Insights into the motivational orientation of employees in relation to ambidexterity help to advance the theoretical understanding of how employees may enhance their individual ambidexterity.

This paper reflects on Sven Modell's (2022) study discussing uses of institutional theorising for studying performance measurement and management (PMM) in the public sector context. The paper provides arguments for critically analysing the assumptions and characteristics of PMM research.

First, the paper addresses PMM as a field of research linking scientific disciplines, schools of thought and academic scholars. Second, the paper discusses the role of institutional theorising in PMM research. Third, the paper analyses and reviews Modell's ideas on the future prospects of PMM research. The paper also elaborates on the ideas presented in Modell's paper.

Modell's paper suggests sociology of valuation and the discussion on hybrid governance as future developments for PMM research. This paper provides a conceptual perspective to link these areas together. Furthermore, the paper contributes to understanding PMM as a multi-disciplinary, inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary research area.

This paper contributes to the conceptualizations of values, valuation and hybridity in PMM research from the viewpoint of institutional theory.

Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, the authors expected that daily micro-events, daily hassles and uplifts at work influenced well-being via work engagement at the daily level.

The authors conducted two diary studies. In study 1, 181 workers answered a daily questionnaire for four working days (N = 181 × 4 = 724). In study 2, 51 workers filled in a questionnaire for ten consecutive working days (N = 51 × 10 = 510).

In study 1, the results demonstrated that work engagement fully mediated the effects of daily uplifts on well-being and partially mediated the effects of daily hassles on well-being. The results of study 2 revealed a full mediation for both kinds of daily micro-events. Hence, daily uplifts stimulated work engagement, which, in turn, enhanced well-being, and daily hassles minimized work engagement and, consequently, well-being.

The relationships explored provide new theoretical elements for models that explain well-being.

Economists argue that trade liberalization is good for every country involved in the process since, according to Ricardian theory, free trade would allow more trade, which, in turn, offers wider choices for consumers and allows the most efficient producers to concentrate on their specialty areas. This observation raises the issue as to whether the general public believes in such a proposition. If the answer to the question is not in the affirmative, then there must be other reasons why developing country members participate in trade negotiation. An attempt is made to resolve this issue from a new standpoint - the regulatory reform perspective with particularly reference to Korea. Even if this new perspective is satisfactory, the issue remains as to whether the general public can be persuaded by its intrinsic argument. However, a new and different answer definitely adds to the reasons why developing country members should participate in the services negotiation associated with The Doha Development Agenda and the General Agreement on Trade in Services Negotiation.

The aim of this research is to investigate the factors affecting consumers’ willingness to buy private label brands (PLBs). The relationships among store image, familiarity with PLBs, consumers’ perceptions of PLB quality, risk, price consciousness and attitude towards PLBs are examined. Finally, the relationship between attitude towards, and willingness to buy PLB is explored.

Self-administered questionnaire was distributed to shoppers at Carrefour operating in Cairo, Egypt. The data obtained from 265 respondents were examined using structural equation modelling (analysis of moment structures) version 22, which empirically test the hypothesised relations established in the research conceptual model.

With the exception of perceived risk, the results suggest that all consumers’ perceptual and attitudinal factors affect directly or indirectly consumers’ willingness to buy PLB.

This study is limited to international hypermarket/supermarket operating in Egypt. So the findings should be exercised with cautious while attempting to generalise the research results.

Retail managers should focus on the enhancement of both store image and familiarity with PLBs to leverage consumers’ perceptions with respect to PLBs quality and risk to achieve differentiation and to increase sales.

This is one of the few studies that investigate the role of familiarity with PLBs in a developing context. In doing so, it proposes that familiarity with PLBs directly affects consumers’ perceived quality and perceived risk, while it indirectly influences consumers’ willingness to buy PLBs.

El propósito de este trabajo es el de analizar los factores que afectan a la predisposición de los consumidores a comprar marcas de distribución. Es por ello que se examina la estructura de relaciones existentes entre la imagen de la tienda, la familiaridad con las marcas de distribución, las percepciones de calidad y riesgo así como la conciencia de precio y su posterior efecto en actitudes hacia las marcas de distribución y la predisposición de compra.

Se distribuyeron cuestionarios auto-administrados entre compradores de la cadena Carrefour en El Cairo, Egipto. Los datos proporcionados por 265 individuos fueron analizados con ecuaciones estructurales (AMOS) para contrastar empíricamente las relaciones planteadas en el modelo conceptual propuesto.

Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que todos los factores actitudinales y perceptuales de los consumidores afectan directa o indirectamente a la disposición de los consumidores a adquirir marcas de distribución, excepto la percepción del riesgo.

Este estudio se limita a las cadenas de supermercados e hipermercados que operan en Egipto, por lo que los resultados obtenidos tienen una limitada generalización fuera de este contexto.

Los directivos de los detallistas deben centrar sus esfuerzos en ensalzar la imagen de la tienda y la familiaridad con las marcas de distribución con el propósito de influir en las percepciones de calidad y riesgo que los consumidores tienen sobre ellas con el fin último de lograr una diferenciación y un incremento de las ventas.

Este estudio es uno de los pocos que investiga el papel que ejerce la familiaridad con las marcas de distribución en países en vías de desarrollo. Propone que la familiaridad afecta directamente a la percepción de calidad y riesgo de los consumidores e influye indirectamente en la disposición de los consumidores a comprar las marcas de distribución.

This study aims to examine the multidimensional nature of institutional distance as a driver of acquisition decisions in emerging markets. Then, this study aims to offer a nuanced perspective on the role of its various formal and informal dimensions by taking into account the potential contingency role played by a firm’s context experience.

Building on institutional economics and organizational institutionalism, this study explores the heterogeneity of institutional distance and its effects on the decision to enter emerging versus advanced markets through cross-border acquisitions. Thus, institutional distance is disentangled into its formal and informal dimensions, the former being captured by regulatory efficiency, country governance and financial development. Furthermore, our framework examines the moderating effect of an acquiring firm’s experience in institutionally similar environments, defined as context experience. The hypotheses are analyzed on a sample of 496 cross-border acquisitions by Italian companies in 41 countries from 2008 to 2018.

Findings indicate that at an increasing distance in terms of regulatory efficiency and financial development, acquiring firms are less likely to enter emerging markets, while informal institutional distance is positively associated with such acquisitions. Context experience mitigates the negative effect of formal distance and enhances the positive effect of informal distance.

This study contributes to institutional distance literature in multiple ways. First, by bridging institutional economics and organizational institutionalism and second, by examining the heterogeneity of formal and informal dimensions of distance, this study offers a finer-grained perspective on how institutional distance affects acquisition decisions. Finally, it offers a contingency perspective on the role of context experience.