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1 – 10 of over 1000Why are state business relations in Egypt characterized by widely acknowledged high levels of cronyism? The purpose of this paper is to investigate the institutional factors…
Abstract
Purpose
Why are state business relations in Egypt characterized by widely acknowledged high levels of cronyism? The purpose of this paper is to investigate the institutional factors explaining this research question with a focus on pre-2011 Egypt.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a general theoretical discussion, certain institutions were proposed as being responsible. A game theoretical model is then introduced. It explains why cronyism was the best strategy for various business players in contrast to aggregating and lobbying their efforts to obtain government available resources, whether these resources are energy subsidies, public banks’ credit or regulations. Then pre-2011 Egypt is discussed as a case study. This discussion is enriched by the available literature and empirical data.
Findings
Choosing cronyism was attributed to the presence of a weak and dependent private sector, where businesspeople are unable to aggregate their power; a relatively stronger government; poor governance performance; higher levels of regime legitimization practices, such as providing generous consumer subsidies; and economic growth caused by an increase in resources rather than by governance institutional improvement. A discussion of the available literature and empirical data on pre-2011 Egypt, going over the various proposed institutional factors, helped to support these arguments.
Research limitations/implications
Further empirical evidence is needed to support and modify the suggestions of this paper. More detailed indicators would have further helped this research. Moreover, more case studies, other than the case of pre-2011 Egypt, are also needed. It is hoped that this paper would encourage further research endeavors that would cover these limitations.
Practical implications
Governance institutional reform is needed to minimize cronyism, especially institutions such as voice and accountability, rule of law, regulatory quality and control of corruption.
Social implications
This paper can explain why high levels of cronyism are witnessed in many countries of the world, including the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The region shares many institutional factors with Egypt. Governments in the MENA region have various sources of power with regard to their dependent private sectors added to the general poor performance in various governance indicators in the region.
Originality/value
The deep analysis conducted in this paper for the causes of Cronyism in Egypt has not been done elsewhere. This is also true for the whole MENA region. The introduced theoretical model is the first trial of this sort and should be important for future works on this topic in the MENA region and developing countries.
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Kam‐Hon Lee and Thamis Wing‐Chun Lo
Brunner and Taoka did the first survey of American businesspeople's perceptions of marketing and negotiating in the People's Republic of China in 1975. Because of China's open…
Abstract
Brunner and Taoka did the first survey of American businesspeople's perceptions of marketing and negotiating in the People's Republic of China in 1975. Because of China's open door policy and her determination to modernise, there have been many changes in US‐China business. Therefore, it is important to conduct an updated survey to furnish another reference point for American businesspeople who want to engage in China business. It was found that the most important observations made in the previous study were still true after ten years. However, there are several obvious changes. For example, PRC trade officials are no longer reluctant to reveal their positions or titles and there are problems of technical incompetence, language barriers, and foreign exchange shortage. There are clear management implications of these findings in mapping out appropriate contemporary marketing and negotiating strategies.
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Academics examining the global South who engage in informal politics to understand social and political issues should be prepared to diversify their methods toolkit. Informal ties…
Abstract
Purpose
Academics examining the global South who engage in informal politics to understand social and political issues should be prepared to diversify their methods toolkit. Informal ties and politics are where one learns about social and economic exclusion. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Mixed qualitative methods – such as individual interviews, surveys, and focus groups – provide an understanding of the people’s perspective, enabling the researcher to truly know what is going on.
Findings
Fieldwork in the downtown communities of Kingston, Jamaica, has an element of danger because violence and politics are very much a part of the daily reality of the people being interviewed. In this paper, the author argues that studying how financial resources are allocated to low-income people and understanding why some groups purposefully self-exclude themselves from economic development programs require unorthodox field methods. The author thus uses political ethnography to understand the experience of marginalized Jamaican people.
Originality/value
Mixed qualitative methods and political ethnography assisted the author to understand the actual experience of marginalized people and politicized financial programs.
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Janet K.M. Marta and Anusorn Singhapakdi
The purpose of this study is to examine differences in the ethical decision‐making processes of Thai and American businesspeople, considering perceived moral intensity, corporate…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine differences in the ethical decision‐making processes of Thai and American businesspeople, considering perceived moral intensity, corporate ethical values (CEV), and perceived importance of ethics.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey respondents were professional marketers in Thailand (n=605) and US (n=453). Results were analyzed using MANOVA and ANOVA. Scales have been used previously in the literature, so we report reliability.
Findings
American managers were more likely to perceive the unethical marketing behaviors to be more serious. American organizations were found to have higher CEV than Thai organizations. The results revealed no differences between the two groups of businesspeople, however, on their perceptions about the importance of ethics.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations inherent in this research include the initial development of the development of the measurements in the US and some notable demographic differences between the samples.
Practical implications
As investment becomes more globalized, it is imperative that mangers understand that differing ethical perceptions can be a critical factor in working together successfully, and are occasionally an absolute limitations to establishing operations in a particular country.
Originality/value
The study should be especially useful to people who manage businesses in these two countries, but many of the implications will be valuable to anyone in international business situations, in dealing with differences in ethical perception.
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Blaine McCormick and Jonathan Bean
The purpose of this paper is to continue and extend the ongoing conversation about greatness in American business.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to continue and extend the ongoing conversation about greatness in American business.
Design/methodology/approach
This survey, conducted in 2021, replicates and extends McCormick and Folsom’s 2001 and 2011 rankings of the greatest entrepreneurs and businesspeople in American history. The authors’ pool surveyed 51 experts to develop an updated ranking and explore factors of greatness.
Findings
Henry Ford topped the ranking followed by John D. Rockefeller and Steve Jobs. Business scholars ranked Oprah Winfrey the greatest female and minority businessperson.
Originality/value
The authors extend previous research by surveying the authors’ expert pool about factors of greatness in American business history. “Ability to imagine or envision the future” ranked highest with “created wealth for shareholders” in last place.
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Treena Gillespie Finney and R. Zachary Finney
The study aims to understand how university students' work experiences influence their perceptions of university ethics training. In the past, researchers have focused on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to understand how university students' work experiences influence their perceptions of university ethics training. In the past, researchers have focused on the content of university ethics programs, but have ignored the influence of students' employment.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors surveyed 953 students at a medium-sized university in the Southeastern USA.
Findings
Students' views of work and experiences on the job predicted both their views of college ethics training and their ability to identify ethical issues from a set of scenarios. Students' perceptions of their degrees as valuable credentials and their feelings that ethical behavior is the “norm” in business were the strongest predictors in both instances.
Research limitations/implications
While the regression analyses were significant, they explained relatively little of the variance.
Practical implications
In designing programs to promote ethical behaviors among future managers, university personnel should bear in mind that students' experiences on the job help to determine the manner in which they view university ethics training.
Originality/value
To date, most researchers have not considered that the response to university ethics training is influenced – in part – by the fact that students are often employed.
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Romie F. Littrell, E. Serra Yurtkoru, Handan Kepir Sinangil, Beril Durmuş, Alev Katrinli, Remziye Gulem Atabay, Gonca Günay and Burcu Güneri Çangarli
In this study the authors endeavour to further develop and validate the Behavioural and Contingency theory of leadership.
Abstract
Purpose
In this study the authors endeavour to further develop and validate the Behavioural and Contingency theory of leadership.
Design/methodology/approach
In a field survey research study, the authors collect, analyse, compare, and discuss explicit leader behaviour preferences of employed businesspeople in Istanbul and Izmir, Turkey, rating their “ideal managerial leader” and their actual organisational manager.
Findings
In Istanbul and Izmir businesspeople tend to prefer leaders who focus on managing the business system over other considerations such as relationship management; task orientation is more important than relationship orientation. In the business environment, there appear to be little or no differences in preferences relating to gender; men and women have nearly identical preferences; age has some influence; generally, older businesspeople tend to have higher preference scores for a managerial leader who clearly defines his or her own role, and lets followers know what is expected, and pushes them to work harder and exceed past performance. Subordinates neither received nor expected Paternal leader behaviour. They expected and did receive moderately Authoritarian leader behaviour.
Originality/value
The large majority of studies of leadership focus on implicit leadership theory, describing characteristics and traits of leaders. This study employs explicit leader behaviour theory and operationalisations to identify subordinates’ ideal leader behaviour compared to actual organisational manager behaviour in Turkey.
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Arts‐based learning in business is a young field. Few businesspeople are aware of the opportunities to learn about it. This article takes an international look at the most…
Abstract
Purpose
Arts‐based learning in business is a young field. Few businesspeople are aware of the opportunities to learn about it. This article takes an international look at the most prominent programs that bring together businesspeople, artists, and academics in various combinations.
Design/methodology/approach
Over the past several years, the author has interviewed people active in the field in the USA and Europe. This survey article brings together her findings.
Findings
There are many opportunities for learning. Some bring artists and businesspeople together; some combine academics, artists, and businesspeople; and within the academic community there are many opportunities for artists and academics.
Practical implications
Businesspeople will learn and take advantage of learning opportunities.
Originality/value
The author has not seen such a survey published elsewhere.
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Masood A. Badri, Donald L. Davis and Donna F. Davis
Due to increasing global competition, the issue ofcountry‐of‐origin has received a great deal of attention recently.Examines country‐of‐origin image stereotyping by businesspeople…
Abstract
Due to increasing global competition, the issue of country‐of‐origin has received a great deal of attention recently. Examines country‐of‐origin image stereotyping by businesspeople in the Gulf States of the Middle East. Assesses the attitude of businesspeople toward various products of seven countries: the USA, Japan, Germany, England, France, Italy and Taiwan, that are the most active in the Gulf States. To develop effective global marketing strategies, firms require decisionmaking support in the form of information about the perception of their products in the international markets. The study found that country‐of‐origin stereotyping is present in the Gulf States market. The study provided evidence that “Made in the USA, Japan, and Germany” clearly emerged as most favoured countries of origin. In addition, the image of English products trailed behind products from other European countries except Italy. Profile differences were analyzed statistically. Age, education, sex, and income level were variously related to consumers′ attitudes to products made in different countries.
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Romie Frederick Littrell and Evangelina Cruz Barba
The study aims to investigate the national cultural clusters myth, studying the relationships between individual cultural values and preferred leader behaviour of working…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to investigate the national cultural clusters myth, studying the relationships between individual cultural values and preferred leader behaviour of working businesspeople in “Latin American” samples from Santiago, Chile, and Guadalajara, Mexico. The set of research questions to be addressed are: Are the rankings of value dimensions by businesspeople different between “Latin American” Chile and Mexico? Are the rankings of preferred leader behaviour dimensions different between Chile and Mexico? Are the predictive relationships of leader behaviour preferences by value dimension priorities different between Chile and Mexico?
Design/methodology/approach
In an investigation of the relationships amongst preferred leader behaviour and individual value dimensions, the study employs field survey research using two experimental but well established and documented instruments, the Schwartz Values Survey and the Leader Behaviour Description Questionnaire. Comparisons between results from two samples from Chile and Mexico are carried out.
Findings
Two samples from large cities in Latin America, Santiago, Chile, and Guadalajara, Mexico, are compared using preferred leader behaviour dimensions and individual values and their relationship to one another. Significant sample and gender sub‐sample differences were observed for preferred leader behaviour, indicating that the perception of preferred leader behaviour priorities differed between businesspeople in Santiago and Guadalajara. Results indicate a general preference in both samples for a Parental Leader style, nurturing in Chile and stern in Mexico, and managerial leaders should be a source of enjoyment and pleasure in business; indications are that engaging in business is an enjoyable endeavour. Gender (sex) differences were observed between samples for preferred leader behaviour. Due to several demographic differences in job level and age in the samples, further work is required to verify the differences observed.
Research limitations/implications
Samples are from two cities, Santiago, Chile, and Guadalajara, Mexico, with an obvious requirement for studying additional regions in the country. Interpreting the findings is challenging and needs to be clarified though further focus group studies to assist in interpreting similarities and differences.
Practical implications
Practical applications of the outcomes of the study are that the results can be used to inform managerial leadership training and development and practice for expatriate and local managerial leaders working in the two cities.
Social implications
The authors’ literature review and data analyses have some social implications as they found contradictory and misleading discussions of the relative placement of Mexico, Chile, and other countries in South, Central, and North America using cultural value dimension studies that need to be rationalised in further research.
Originality/value
The study is of value to practitioners and researchers interested in managerial leadership in Latin American countries.
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