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1 – 10 of over 32000
Article
Publication date: 20 March 2020

Benjamin Piers William Ellway and Alison Dean

This paper uses practice theory to strengthen the theoretical relationship between customer engagement (CE) and value cocreation (VCC), thereby demonstrating how customers may…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper uses practice theory to strengthen the theoretical relationship between customer engagement (CE) and value cocreation (VCC), thereby demonstrating how customers may become engaged and remain engaged through VCC practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a problematization approach to identify shared assumptions evident in service-dominant logic (SDL) and CE research. Practice theory, as a higher-order perspective, is used to integrate the iterative and cyclical processes of VCC and CE, specifically through the theoretical mechanism of habitus.

Findings

Habitus acts as a customer value lens and provides a bridging concept to demonstrate how VCC and CE are joined via sensemaking processes. These processes determine how customers perceive, assess, and evaluate value, how they become engaged through VCC, and how their experience of engagement may lead to further VCC practice. The temporally bound experiences, states, and episodes are accumulated and aggregated through an enduring customer value lens comprised of habituated dispositions, interests, and attitudes.

Research limitations/implications

This work responds to calls for research to strengthen the theoretical link between VCC and CE and to take account of customers' lived realities and their contextualized experiences. A key suggestion for future research is the use of a rope metaphor to stimulate thinking about the complex, temporally unfolding, and interrelated processes of VCC and CE.

Practical implications

The customer value lens and CE rope are introduced to simplify the complex, abstract, theoretical research on VCC and CE for a nonacademic audience. To understand how customers' value lenses are formed and change, and how a CE rope is strengthened, firms, service designers, and practitioners need to understand sensemaking processes through customer narratives and to use platforms and feedback to support and trigger sensemaking.

Originality/value

This paper provides a theoretical mechanism to explain the iterative and cyclical nature of VCC and CE processes and how accumulation and aggregation occur in these processes. In doing so, it demonstrates that CE occurs by virtue of, and is typified by, sensemaking processes that reproduce and shape a customer's habituated value lens, which perceives, assesses, and determines VCC and thus provides a basis for further customer engagement.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 September 2018

Jannine Williams and Nicola Patterson

There is a dearth of studies exploring the intersection of gender and disability within entrepreneurship research. This is despite women’s entrepreneurship research encouraging an…

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Abstract

Purpose

There is a dearth of studies exploring the intersection of gender and disability within entrepreneurship research. This is despite women’s entrepreneurship research encouraging an expansion of the research questions asked and approaches taken. As a contribution to this debate, the purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of gender and disability as social categorizations which can shape entrepreneurial opportunities and experiences for disabled women entrepreneurs.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper offers an intersectional conceptual lens for the study of disabled women entrepreneurs to explore a concern for a particular social group – women – at a neglected point of intersection – disability – within the social setting of entrepreneurship. Guided by the research question (how can gender and feminist disability theory contribute to the development of an intersectional theoretical lens for future entrepreneurship research?), the potential for new theoretical insights to emerge in the entrepreneurship field is identified.

Findings

Through a gender and disability intersectional lens for entrepreneurship research, four theoretical synergies between gender and disability research are identified: the economic rationale; flexibility, individualism and meritocracy; and social and human capital. In addition to the theoretical synergies, the paper highlights three theoretical variances: the anomalous body and bodily variation; sexuality, beauty and appearance; and multiple experiences of care as potentially generative areas for women’s entrepreneurship research. The paper identifies new directions for future gender, disability and entrepreneurship research by outlining research questions for each synergy and variance which draw attention to disabled women entrepreneurs’ experiences of choice and control within and across different spaces and processes of entrepreneuring.

Originality/value

The conceptual intersectional lens offered to study disabled women’s entrepreneurship highlights new directions for exploring experiences of entrepreneuring at the intersection of disability and gender. The paper brings disability into view as a social category that should be of concern to feminist entrepreneurship researchers by surfacing different dimensions of experience to those currently explored. Through the new directions outlined, future research can further disrupt the prevailing discourse of individualism and meritocracy that perpetuates success as an individual’s responsibility, and instead offer the potential for richer understandings of entrepreneuring which has a gender and disability consciousness.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 25 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 16 August 2014

Parnali Dhar Chowdhury and C. Emdad Haque

The purpose of this chapter is to offer reflections on conventional theories concerning causes and determinants of diseases. It also intends to examine both theoretical and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this chapter is to offer reflections on conventional theories concerning causes and determinants of diseases. It also intends to examine both theoretical and empirical bases for adopting an Integrated Social-Ecological Systems (ISES) lens as a tool for understanding complexities related to drivers, determinants and causes of diseases.

Design/methodology/approach

We assessed the theoretical underpinnings of a range of historical and contemporary lenses for viewing infectious disease drivers and the implications of their use when used to explain both personal (i.e. individual) and population health. We examined these issues within the empirical context of the City of Dhaka (Bangladesh) by adopting an ISES lens. Within this study an emphasis has been placed on illustrating how feedback loops and non-linearity functions in systems have a direct bearing upon various aspects of infectious disease occurrences.

Findings

A brief triumph over microbes during the last century stemmed in part from our improved understanding of disease causation which was built using disciplinary-specific, monocausal approaches to the study of disease emergence. Subsequently, empirical inquiries into the multi-factorial aetiology and the ‘web of causation’ of disease emergence have extended frameworks beyond simplistic, individualistic descriptions of disease causation. Nonetheless, much work is yet to be done to understand the roles of complex, intertwined, multi-level, social-ecological factors in affecting disease occurrence. We argue, a transdisciplinary-oriented, ISES lens is needed to explain the complexities of disease occurrence at various and interacting levels. More theoretical and empirical formulations, with evidence derived from various parts of the world, is also required to further the debate.

Originality/value

Our study advances the theoretical as well as empirical basis for considering an integrated human-nature systems approach to explaining disease occurrence at all levels so that factors at the individual, household/neighbourhood, local, regional and global levels are not treated in isolation.

Details

Ecological Health: Society, Ecology and Health
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-323-0

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 26 November 2018

Pooja B. Vijayakumar, Michael J. Morley, Noreen Heraty, Mark E. Mendenhall and Joyce S. Osland

In this contribution, we systematically review the extant global leadership literature to identify important bibliometric and thematic patterns in evidence in this evolving field…

Abstract

In this contribution, we systematically review the extant global leadership literature to identify important bibliometric and thematic patterns in evidence in this evolving field of scholarship. Conceptualizing the phenomenon to include leaders/managers/supervisors who hold global, expatriate, or international positions, we draw out insights accumulated from a total of 327 published articles in key management and organizational behavior journals listed in Scopus. Our analysis proceeds in two sequential phases. Our bibliometric analysis first identifies the most cited articles, most published first authors, country bases of first authors, and frequently publishing journals in this field. This characterizes both the diversity and innovative nature of scholarship in the field. Our thematic content analysis, generated through Nvivo 11, isolates two dominant overarching themes that represent the wellspring for the body of literature, namely global leader development and global leader effectiveness. These themes of development and effectiveness are further explicated through six distinct lenses namely cultural, cognitive, learning, personality trait, social/relational, and political. These lenses are underpinned by a suite of theoretical perspectives encompassing individual, system, and contextual considerations. In combination, these sets of analyses bring added systematics to the field and serve as a point of departure for future inquiry.

Details

Advances in Global Leadership
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78754-297-6

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 7 December 2020

Marya L. Besharov and Bjoern C. Mitzinneck

As complex, intractable social problems continue to intensify, organizations increasingly respond with novel approaches that bridge multiple institutional spheres and combine…

Abstract

As complex, intractable social problems continue to intensify, organizations increasingly respond with novel approaches that bridge multiple institutional spheres and combine forms, identities, and logics that would conventionally not go together, creating hybridity. Scholarly research on this phenomenon has expanded in tandem, raising questions about how the concept of organizational hybridity can maintain analytical clarity while accommodating a diverse range of empirical manifestations. Reviewing and integrating extant literature, the authors argue that to achieve both analytical rigor and real-world relevance, research must account for variation in how hybridity is organizationally configured, temporally situated, and institutionally embedded. The authors develop a framework that captures this heterogeneity and discuss three key implications for hybridity research: drawing on multiple theoretical lenses, examining varied empirical contexts, and adopting multi-level and dynamic perspectives.

Details

Organizational Hybridity: Perspectives, Processes, Promises
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-355-5

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 August 2021

Young Hoon An, Stefan Zagelmeyer and Asmund Rygh

The dialectics of liabilities of foreignness (LOF) and assets of foreignness (AOF) have led to further explorations of what it means for an organisation to be foreign. This paper…

Abstract

Purpose

The dialectics of liabilities of foreignness (LOF) and assets of foreignness (AOF) have led to further explorations of what it means for an organisation to be foreign. This paper reviews, synthesises and contextualises recent research on both the challenges and benefits of foreignness, to develop a balanced and integrated view of this international business concept.

Design/methodology/approach

This review aims at mapping the key concepts, theories, methods and contexts in the literature and organising the key findings in an antecedent-outcomes-strategy framework, explicitly comparing LOF and AOF to explore their interrelationships. Drawing on a sample of 126 journal articles, NVivo was used to code and identify key thematic areas.

Findings

The review confirms a shift in the literature towards acknowledging the notion of AOF. Using different theoretical lenses, it identifies, reviews and discusses antecedents, consequences and strategy implications of LOF and AOF. It argues that foreignness will continue to be a fundamental concept in international business research and suggests that AOF and LOF deserve an equally central place in an integrated analytical framework of foreignness in international business strategy.

Originality/value

The paper is the first systematic attempt to integrate the literature on LOF and AOF. The systematic comparison across drivers, outcomes and strategies allows for a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of foreignness and the underlying phenomenon of foreignness. The authors also explore the paradox perspective on foreignness.

Details

critical perspectives on international business, vol. 18 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-2043

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 August 2012

Sid Lowe, Slawek Magala and Ki‐Soon Hwang

The aim of this paper is to focus on methodological development of research into the influence of culture: the use of cross‐cultural, multidisciplinary and multi‐method techniques.

1096

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to focus on methodological development of research into the influence of culture: the use of cross‐cultural, multidisciplinary and multi‐method techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins with a review of the interdisciplinary debate in business research, general management, IB and cross‐cultural management. It then explores the identities of paradigmatic combatants and possible “strategic peace initiatives”. It finally outlines some tactical and strategic complexities of such a “peace campaign” and identifies examples where multiple‐lens research offers good potentials for “post‐war” new theory development.

Findings

Ambitious calls for the advancement of interdisciplinary research in business research have appeared regularly and often feel like déjà vu. Cultural research appears to have been locked into paradigmatic “cold” warfare between methodologically distinct research “tribes”.

Originality/value

The authors' view is that culture can be likened to a holograph. It is not a real entity but a projection, which looks very different from different positions. The concern is that views of culture have been rather “monocled” and limited in relevance.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 25 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 April 2019

Tove Lafton and Anne Furu

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how kindergarten, as a learning arena equal to a university college, creates learning spaces that engage or intervene in the professional…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how kindergarten, as a learning arena equal to a university college, creates learning spaces that engage or intervene in the professional learning of student teachers in early childhood education.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on narratives from students in work-based education.

Findings

The paper addresses the complexity of education by outlining how the concept of learning is applied in earlier research on work-based learning (WBL).

Research limitations/implications

This earlier understanding is complemented this with two theoretical lenses (sociocultural and sociomaterial thinking) to analyse a constructed narrative from the students.

Originality/value

The two theoretical positions open up to examine knowledge development and potentially enrich the picture of learning spaces in experiential WBL, going beyond the student as an individual learner.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 January 2023

Sanjeev Yadav, Tsan-Ming Choi, Anil Kumar, Sunil Luthra and Farheen Naz

In recent years, sustainable supply chain practices (SSCPs), including corporate social responsibility (CSR), have been recognised as important means of developing firms’…

1324

Abstract

Purpose

In recent years, sustainable supply chain practices (SSCPs), including corporate social responsibility (CSR), have been recognised as important means of developing firms’ sustainability performance (SP). However, empirical findings on the SSCP–SP interaction are inconsistent and even contradictory. This research presents a quantitative meta-analysis that aims to uncover SSCP–SP interactions based on the correlations found in previously published empirical studies.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the main and moderating variables and selection criteria, 64 sample studies were selected after a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Findings

The findings confirm a positive correlation (0.438) between SSCP and SP. The results also reveal various critical moderators identified through meta-regression.

Practical implications

This study provides insights for operations managers and policymakers regarding the significance of control variables (e.g. ISO certification, type of economy, innovation approach, data collection method) on the relationship between SSCP and SP for business operations. This research uncovers the impacts of ISO regulations and proposed hypotheses through the lens of the natural resource-based view (NRBV) and institutional-based view (IBV).

Originality/value

This research is unique in that it provides a systematic view of the SSCP–SP interaction, validates the results through a theoretical lens (NRBV and IBV) and generalises the results by evaluating the moderation effects via checking prior literature.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 43 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 December 2022

Dina Abdelzaher, Jose De la Torre and Skylar Rolf

In today’s ever-increasing context of volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous market conditions, the shifts of countries’ protectionist policies toward inward Foreign Direct…

Abstract

Purpose

In today’s ever-increasing context of volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous market conditions, the shifts of countries’ protectionist policies toward inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and an increased gap between headquarters’ (HQ) and subsidiaries’ perspectives on what makes business sense, it has become apparent that challenges toward foreign expansion are becoming more severe and require a multidimensional dynamic approach. The authors draw from orchestration theory, dynamic capabilities literature and previous literature on dimensions of internationalization [specifically, density, geographic distance and degree of diversity of the multinational corporation (MNC) subsidiary network] to argue that firms must enhance their orchestration capability. In doing so, this study aims to highlight the nuances of orchestrating a three-dimensional (3D) conceptualization of MNCs’ international configurations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyzed the patterns of configurations that are adopted by MNCs. This sample was made up of the international configuration of 78 Fortune 500 MNCs consisting of 3,318 foreign subsidiaries. Furthermore, the authors examined the impact of different configurations of the 3Ds on firm performance using ordinary least squares regression analysis.

Findings

While the research did indicate that the sample MNCs adopted the sample configurations of the three internationalization dimensions more frequently than others, the authors found that orchestrating MNCs with an international configuration characterized by high density, low geographic distance and low internetwork scope diversity had a positive impact on firm performance.

Practical implications

While international expansion is often motivated by financial performance or market/resource gains, it is also impacted by the firm’s dynamic capability profile. Thus, as MNCs seek to continue to expand globally, they must assess and, if needed, develop their management team’s orchestration capability, which includes effectively determining how the addition or removal of a subsidiary will impact the density, geographic distance and diversity dynamics of the MNC’s international configuration. Finally, the management team needs to be able to devise plans to respond to the potential challenges associated with each of these dimensions.

Originality/value

The contribution of this study includes bringing a dynamic capabilities lens to the extant international business literature examining the multinationality and performance relationship by highlighting the importance of an MNC’s process orchestrating capability that is needed for firms to effectively manage increasingly complex subsidiary networks. It also conceptually explains and empirically supports that some configurations are likely to yield higher returns than others, which can act as a guide for firms as they are seeking to expand in more geographically distant as well as diverse sectors. Furthermore, this study highlights the need for a multidimensional simultaneous approach to the examination of internationalization to performance relationship. Finally, it highlights the tradeoffs that MNCs must address across the orchestration of the three internationalization dimensions using a dynamic capabilities theoretical lens that acknowledges the differences in perspective that exist between HQs and subsidiaries.

Details

Review of International Business and Strategy, vol. 33 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-6014

Keywords

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