Search results
1 – 10 of 103Henry Gyarteng-Mensah, De-Graft Owusu-Manu, David Edwards, Isaac Baidoo and Hatem El-Gohary
Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE), this study aims to better understand the job preference of postgraduate students studying at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and…
Abstract
Purpose
Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE), this study aims to better understand the job preference of postgraduate students studying at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology-Institute of Distance Learning, Ghana and also rank the attributes of a job they deem important.
Design/methodology/approach
The research adopted a positivist epistemological design contextualised within a deductive approach and case study strategy. Primary survey data was collected from a stratified random sample of 128 postgraduate students with multi-sectorial career prospects. Sample students were subjected to a DCE in which their stated preferences were collected using closed-ended questionnaires with 28 pairs of hypothetical job profiles. Respondents’ preferences from the DCE data were then modelled using the conditional logit.
Findings
The research reveals that: salary in the range GHC 2,800.00 to GHC 3,400.00 ($1 = GHS 5.3); supportive management; very challenging jobs; and jobs located in the city were the top attributes that were significant and had the most impact in increasing the utility of selecting a particular job. Interestingly, jobs with no extra hours workload were not significant hence, had a negative impact upon student preferences.
Originality/value
This novel research is the first to use a DCE to better elicit preference and trade-offs of postgraduate students in a developing country towards varying job characteristics that have an impact on their future employment decisions. Knowledge advancements made provide invaluable insight to employers and policymakers on the key criteria that should be implemented to retain the best candidate.
Details
Keywords
Namrita Kalia and Bhawana Bhardwaj
Improving employee’s performance has always remained an area of concern in the hospitality industry where employees’ performance is related to customers’ satisfaction. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Improving employee’s performance has always remained an area of concern in the hospitality industry where employees’ performance is related to customers’ satisfaction. The inadequacy of research work on demographics and organization variables’ influence on contextual and task performance has led to present research. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify role of demographic and organizational variables in affecting contextual and task performance of hotel employees.
Design/methodology/approach
Data was collected from a sample of 350 hotel employees. The research is based on primary data and a structured questionnaire.
Findings
Task performance of employees increases with the age but contextual performance improves up to 40-50 years and then remains constant. Low salaries and job insecurity affected the performance of employees. A change of designation alone, without a corresponding increase in pay, did not enhance the performance of the employees. The type and size of the organization significantly affect job performance.
Research limitations/implications
The study is a contribution to the theory and practice of employee management and improving employee’s performance. Factors affecting contextual and task performance have been identified. Future research can be conducted based on this study.
Practical implications
The study has highlighted the significant effect of demographic variables, organizational variables on contextual and task performance of hotel employees. The hotel industry plays an important role in economic development of a country. The study is practically helpful for hotel industry to understand what demographical and organizational variables can be considered to enhance employee’s performance.
Originality/value
Previous literature has lacked in identifying factors, which can affect the contextual and task performance of hotel employees. The paper is contributing to the existing body of knowledge related to employees’ performance. The managers of hotel industry can use outcome of this research to improve job performance of the employees. Findings open new avenues for future research.
Details
Keywords
Jeroen Schepers and Sandra Streukens
Although consumers feel that the move toward service robots in the frontline so far was driven by firms' strive to replace human service agents and realize cost savings…
Abstract
Purpose
Although consumers feel that the move toward service robots in the frontline so far was driven by firms' strive to replace human service agents and realize cost savings accordingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has led customers to appreciate frontline robots' ability to provide services in ways that keep them safe and protected from the virus. Still, research on this topic is scant. This article offers guidance by providing a theoretical backdrop for the safety perspective on service robots, as well as outlining a typology that researchers and practitioners can use to further advance this field.
Design/methodology/approach
A typology is developed based on a combination of a theory- and practice-driven approach. Departing from the type of behavior performed by the service robot, the typology synthesizes three different service robot roles from past literature and proposes three new safety-related role extensions. These safety-related roles are derived from a search for examples of how service robots are used in practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Findings
The typology's roles are corroborated by discussing relevant robot implementations around the globe. Jointly, the six roles give rise to several ideas that jointly constitute a future research agenda.
Originality/value
This manuscript is (one of) the first to provide in-depth attention to the phenomenon of service customers' physical safety needs in the age of service robots. In doing so, it discusses and ties together theories and concepts from different fields, such as hierarchy of needs theory, evolutionary human motives theory, perceived risk theory, regulatory focus theory, job demand–resources theory, and theory of artificial intelligence job replacement.
Details
Keywords
Sandra Jacobs and Christine Liebrecht
Since public sector organizations provide services to citizens but struggle with poor perceptions of their functioning, it is valuable to examine how their online responses to…
Abstract
Purpose
Since public sector organizations provide services to citizens but struggle with poor perceptions of their functioning, it is valuable to examine how their online responses to complaints on social media could impact their reputation. Yet, surprisingly little is known about effects of public organizations' webcare. Therefore, this study assesses the impact of the webcare's tone, response strategy and user's involvement on participants’ continuance intention and perceptions of reputation.
Design/methodology/approach
Two experimental studies (Study 1: N = 424; Study 2: N = 203) with an interval of one week were carried out to assess the effects of singular and repeated exposure to webcare by a Dutch public transport organization on the participants' continuance intention and perceived organizational reputation. Study 1 examined the effects of the webcare's tone (corporate vs conversational human voice (CHV)) and response strategy (accommodative vs defensive); Study 2 contained tone of voice and user's involvement (observer vs complainer). The effects of repeated exposure to the webcare's tone were also examined.
Findings
The results indicate that perceptions of CHV in webcare contribute to webcare as reputation management tool, since it leads to immediate higher reputation scores that also remain stable after repeated exposure. Furthermore, people's continuance intention increased after repeated exposure to webcare responses that were perceived as CHV, thus a natural and engaging communication style, indicating this is an effective strategy for customer care as well. No substantial impact was found for response strategy and user's involvement in the complaint handling.
Originality/value
The novelty of this study is that the authors assess the effects of the webcare's tone combined with response strategy and user's involvement in a public sector context with a sector-specific conceptualization of reputation and continuance intention measured after singular and repeated exposure to webcare.
Details
Keywords
Jorge Nascimento and Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro
Considering the relevance of understanding what influences environmentally sustainable consumer choices, the present study aims to examine and synthesize the key determinants…
Abstract
Purpose
Considering the relevance of understanding what influences environmentally sustainable consumer choices, the present study aims to examine and synthesize the key determinants factors from literature and outline a new conceptual framework for explaining green purchasing behaviors (GPBs).
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 161 articles extracted from Web of Science and Scopus databases, which were systematically evaluated and reviewed, and represent the current GPB knowledge base. Content analysis, science mapping and bibliometric analysis techniques were applied to uncover the major theories and constructs from the state-of-the-art.
Findings
The evolving debate between altruistic and self-interest consumer motivations reveals challenges for rational-based theories, as most empirical applications are not focused on buying behaviors, but instead either on pro-environmental (non-buying) activities or on buying intentions. From the subset of leading contributions and emerging topics, nine thematic clusters are unveiled in this investigation, which were combined to create the new PSICHE framework with the purpose of predicting GPB: (P)roduct-related factors, (S)ocial influences, (I)ndividual factors, (C)oncerns about the environment, (H)abits and (E)motions.
Practical implications
By uncovering the multiple intervening factors in GPB decision processes, this study will assist practitioners and academics to move forward on how to foster more sustainable consumer behaviors.
Originality/value
The present study provides readers a summary of an unprecedentedly broad collection of papers, from which the key themes are categorized, the domain's intellectual structure is captured and an actionable framework for enhancing the understanding GPB is proposed. Four new thrust areas and a set of future research questions are included.
Details
Keywords
Ricardo Godinho Bilro, Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro and Pedro Souto
The purpose of this paper is to offer a comprehensive overview of current research on customer behavior in the business-to-business (B2B) context and propose a research agenda for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer a comprehensive overview of current research on customer behavior in the business-to-business (B2B) context and propose a research agenda for future studies. Despite being a relatively recent area of interest for academics and practitioners, a literature review that synthesizes existing knowledge into coherent topics and outlines a research agenda for future research is still lacking.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on a systematic literature review of 219 papers and using a text-mining approach based on the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm, this paper enhances the existing knowledge of B2B customer behavior and provides a descriptive analysis of the literature.
Findings
From this review, ten major research topics are found and analyzed. These topics were analyzed through the lens of the Theory, Context, Characteristics and Method framework, providing a summary of key findings from prior studies. Additionally, an integrative framework was developed, offering insights into future research directions.
Originality/value
This study presents a novel contribution to the field of B2B by providing a systematic review of the topic of customer behavior, filling a gap in the literature and offering a valuable resource for scholars and managers seeking to advance the field.
Details
Keywords
Andressa Kelly da Silva Nunes, Sandra Naomi Morioka and Ivan Bolis
This study aims to analyze the challenges startups face in implementing business models for sustainability. In particular, the research question of this study is: How do the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyze the challenges startups face in implementing business models for sustainability. In particular, the research question of this study is: How do the challenges faced by startups affect business models for sustainability in the context of an emerging country?
Design/methodology/approach
Startups are increasingly incorporating ways to thrive in a competitive environment with innovative sustainable business models, a key factor for competitive advantage and corporate sustainability. This paper analyses startups’ challenges in adopting business models for sustainability through a case study in two startups, using the sustainable value exchange matrix (SVEM) tool through workshops, to carry out the diagnosis of these challenges.
Findings
The barriers and challenges of business models for sustainability in startups were found in different categories, where the main barriers are linked to the institutional category, the organizational and the market and sales culture. Thus, the authors concluded that there is a need to reformulate public policies and to have greater participation of the actors involved.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of the research is the number of case studies (only two), which makes it difficult to generalize the results.
Practical implications
The research presents two major contributions. First, through the case studies, it is possible to verify that the barriers and challenges in business models for sustainability have relevance for startups. The second contribution is the adaptation of SVEM in conducting the debate by incorporating the barriers and challenges in value creation and delivery system.
Social implications
This study contributes to the business models for sustainability literature to better understand the challenges startups face in practice and can serve as insights to help overcome them. As this is an empirical study, the information gathered can help create metrics and public policies to achieve the United Nations sustainable development goals.
Originality/value
The present research has as originality the analysis of the challenges in startups in implementing business models for sustainability and their relationships with the value proposition, capture and creation, as well as and delivery (adapted to the challenges found in the literature) applying the SVEM tool proposed by Morioka et al. (2018).
Details
Keywords
Judit Végh, Andrea Dúll and Lan Anh Nguyen Luu
This qualitative study explores how trailing spouses form their relationships before and after a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic and what patterns can be observed. It…
Abstract
Purpose
This qualitative study explores how trailing spouses form their relationships before and after a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic and what patterns can be observed. It explores their significant relationships with friends and extended family, focusing on dynamics and change.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with seven trailing spouses in Malaysia: before the pandemic, in the beginning and at the end of the first year of the pandemic. The authors used longitudinal interpretative phenomenological analysis (LIPA).
Findings
Being aware of the limits of resources emerged as a key factor in how trailing spouses develop and maintain relationships with friends and extended family. The fact that the pandemic changed the dynamics of their social networks illuminates how crucial these relationships or their absence are in their adjustment and readjustment process. Children play a significant role in these relationships.
Research limitations/implications
Comparative research into the friendships and relationships of different groups of trailing spouses in various locations could capture more specificity of the relationship dynamics.
Practical implications
The explored patterns can promote a better understanding of the relationship dynamics of trailing spouses' networks, which can, in turn, support and facilitate both adjustment and repatriation processes. They can help explain how and what kind of social networks best support trailing spouse transition during a time of crisis or adjustment. These findings could be incorporated into intercultural training programs.
Originality/value
No current study that the authors know of has explored trailing spouses' relationship dynamics in a longitudinal study before and during a crisis.
Details
Keywords
Asha Mistry, Hannah Sellers, Jeremy Levesley and Sandra Lee
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a framework to achieve sustainable development and fulfilling these Goals will take an unprecedented effort by all sectors in…
Abstract
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a framework to achieve sustainable development and fulfilling these Goals will take an unprecedented effort by all sectors in society. Many universities and businesses are using the Goals within their strategies and sustainability reporting. However, this is difficult as there is currently no standard methodology to map the 17 goals, 169 targets and 232 indicators. Work at the University of Leicester has focused on developing a robust methodology to map a higher education institution's (HEI's) research contribution to the Goals. We have integrated this unique methodology into an automated software tool to measure a university's academic contribution to the Goals using mathematical text mining techniques. Our ability to quickly and effectively map institutions' research contributions has boosted our ambitions and efforts to develop software to map the full operations of an HEI or business.
Details
Keywords
Sandra Montalvo-Arroyo, José Manuel de la Torre-Ruiz, María Dolores Vidal-Salazar and Eulogio Cordón-Pozo
This research aims to study the effects of information (on salary, salary reductions and the pandemic's impact on the organization) on the salary satisfaction of workers whose…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to study the effects of information (on salary, salary reductions and the pandemic's impact on the organization) on the salary satisfaction of workers whose salary had been cut during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, analyzing the mediating role of salary equity in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Information was acquired with a structured questionnaire sent by email in May 2021 from 251 employees in Spain during the “third wave” of COVID-19. The model was estimated using the weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV).
Findings
Results collected reveal that workers' perceptions of equity fully mediated the relationship between salary information, information on salary cuts and salary satisfaction.
Practical implications
Learning more about the effects of information on salary satisfaction can contribute to communication policies that reduce the negative impact of sensitive salary decisions, practical implications for employees, organizations and policymakers.
Originality/value
This study examines the central role of organizational information as a mechanism for managing problems arising from the pandemic-induced unfavorable working conditions. This study analyzes how this information affects workers' attitudes, highlighting the role of equity as a mediator in this process.
Propósito
Esta investigación pretende estudiar los efectos de la información (sobre el salario, las reducciones salariales y el impacto de la pandemia en la organización) en la satisfacción salarial de los trabajadores que sufrieron reducciones salariales durante la pandemia de COVID-19, analizando el papel mediador de la equidad salarial en esta relación.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
La información se obtuvo mediante un cuestionario estructurado enviado por correo electrónico en mayo de 2021 a 251 empleados en Espa durante la “tercera ola” de COVID-19. El modelo se estimó utilizando la media ponderada de mínimos cuadrados, y varianza ajustada (WLSMV).
Conclusiones
Los resultados recogidos revelan que la percepción de equidad de los trabajadores media totalmente la relación entre la información salarial y la información de recortes salariales sobre la satisfacción salarial.
Implicaciones prácticas
Aprender más sobre los efectos de la información en la satisfacción salarial puede contribuir a políticas de comunicación que reduzcan el impacto negativo de decisiones salariales delicadas, implicaciones prácticas para empleados, organizaciones y responsables políticos.
Originalidad
Este estudio examina el papel central de la información organizativa como mecanismo de gestión de los problemas derivados de las condiciones laborales desfavorables inducidas por la pandemia. Analiza cómo esta información afecta a las actitudes de los trabajadores, destacando el papel de la equidad como mediador en este proceso.
Details