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Article
Publication date: 1 June 2015

Torben Eli Bager, Kent Wickstrøm Jensen, Pia Schou Nielsen and Tue Avbæk Larsen

Entrepreneurial learning through formal growth-oriented training programs for SME managers promises to enhance the growth competences and growth intentions of the enrolled…

1347

Abstract

Purpose

Entrepreneurial learning through formal growth-oriented training programs for SME managers promises to enhance the growth competences and growth intentions of the enrolled managers. The impact of such programs, however, depends on who enrolls since initial competence and growth-intention levels vary significantly. Potential participants may suffer from limited ability to transform new knowledge into practice, absence of growth intention and too high or too low a prior competence level to be able to benefit substantially. Selection and self-selection processes therefore have a bearing on the extent to which such programs result in additionality, i.e. improved growth performance compared to non-intervention. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Selection and self-selection processes are explored through a study of a large-scale training program for growth-oriented managers of small Danish firms. This program has, from 2012 to 2015, trained about 700 SME managers. Data are currently available for 366 of these participants. This evidence is compared with survey results from a randomly selected control group of 292 growth-oriented SME managers in the same firm-size group. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis.

Findings

A number of selection and self-selection biases were identified in the analysis. While some of the identified biases did not seem to conflict with the ambitions of this growth program, others potentially have consequences for the additionality of the program.

Originality/value

The paper is the first systematic study of the importance of who enrolls in training programs for SME managers.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 August 2020

Xiangyou Shen, Bing Pan, Tao Hu, Kaijun Chen, Lin Qiao and Jinyue Zhu

Online review bias research has predominantly focused on self-selection biases on the user’s side. By collecting online reviews from multiple platforms and examining their biases

Abstract

Purpose

Online review bias research has predominantly focused on self-selection biases on the user’s side. By collecting online reviews from multiple platforms and examining their biases in the unique digital environment of “Chinanet,” this paper aims to shed new light on the multiple sources of biases embedded in online reviews and potential interactions among users, technical platforms and the broader social–cultural norms.

Design/methodology/approach

In the first study, online restaurant reviews were collected from Dianping.com, one of China's largest review platforms. Their distribution and underlying biases were examined via comparisons with offline reviews collected from on-site surveys. In the second study, user and platform ratings were collected from three additional major online review platforms – Koubei, Meituan and Ele.me – and compared for possible indications of biases in platform's review aggregation.

Findings

The results revealed a distinct exponential-curved distribution of Chinese users’ online reviews, suggesting a deviation from previous findings based on Western user data. The lack of online “moaning” on Chinese review platforms points to the social–cultural complexity of Chinese consumer behavior and online environment that goes beyond self-selection at the individual user level. The results also documented a prevalent usage of customized aggregation methods by review service providers in China, implicating an additional layer of biases introduced by technical platforms.

Originality/value

Using an online–offline design and multi-platform data sets, this paper elucidates online review biases among Chinese users, the world's largest and understudied (in terms of review biases) online user group. The results provide insights into the unique social–cultural cyber norm in China's digital environment and bring to light the multilayered nature of online review biases at the intersection of users, platforms and culture.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 March 2018

Gao Liu

Although most empirical studies find that competitive bidding can reduce the interest cost, the municipal bond primary market is dominated by negotiating offerings. The purpose of…

Abstract

Purpose

Although most empirical studies find that competitive bidding can reduce the interest cost, the municipal bond primary market is dominated by negotiating offerings. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this dilemma by empirically testing two hypotheses: self-selection bias and decision inertia hypotheses.

Design/methodology/approach

Logistic regressions and Heckman procedures are used to examine data from the California municipal bond primary market.

Findings

The paper finds that while information asymmetry does affect the selection of underwriting approach, self-selection bias cannot explain the cost difference between the two sale approaches. On the other hand, decision inertia has the highest explanatory power in the selection of sale approaches.

Originality/value

This paper provides a new explanation for the “competitive sale dilemma” from the perspective of decision inertia. The authors document that state and local governments show a greater propensity of adhering to previous choices, particularly in a context in which the outcome is uncertain or actors have little knowledge in comparing the outcome of the alternatives.

Details

Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1096-3367

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2012

Dieter Kaiser and Florian Haberfelner

The purpose of this paper is to explore how hedge fund database biases developed during the 2007‐2009 financial crisis.

1275

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how hedge fund database biases developed during the 2007‐2009 financial crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consists of 8,935 hedge funds from the Lipper TASS Hedge Fund Database for the January 2002‐September 2010 time period. The theoretical foundation of this paper draws from Fung and Hsieh who argue that time series of funds of hedge funds should be less prone to some of the documented database biases. The paper uses a sampling technique to create hedge fund portfolios, and then compares them using fund of fund data.

Findings

The paper finds empirical evidence that fund of hedge fund data is less biased than single hedge fund data, and that the impact of the survivorship and backfilling biases has increased since the financial crisis. It also finds that the attrition rate for hedge funds has nearly doubled since the financial crisis, and that an elevated attrition rate has a negative impact on the quality and representativeness of hedge fund data due to the liquidation bias. The liquidation bias increased strongly in the aftermath of the financial crisis. It also fluctuates over time, and it can account for an overestimate of performance of over 10 percent p.a.

Originality/value

Given this increase and the volatile nature of hedge fund biases, we believe investors (for benchmarking) and academics (for empirical studies) should consider refraining from using single hedge fund index data.

Book part
Publication date: 7 October 2019

Xiqian Liu and Victor Borden

Without controlling for selection bias and the potential endogeneity of the treatment by using proper methods, the estimation of treatment effect could lead to biased or incorrect…

Abstract

Without controlling for selection bias and the potential endogeneity of the treatment by using proper methods, the estimation of treatment effect could lead to biased or incorrect conclusions. However, these issues are not addressed adequately and properly in higher education research. This study reviews the essence of self-selection bias, treatment assignment endogeneity, and treatment effect estimation. We introduce three treatment effect estimators – propensity score matching analysis, doubly robust estimation (augmented inverse probability weighted approach), and endogenous treatment estimator (control-function approach) – and examine literature that applies these methods to research in higher education. We then use the three methods in a case study that estimates the effects of transfer student pre-enrollment debt on persistence and first year grades. The final discussion provides guidelines and recommendations for causal inference research studies that use such quasi-experimental methods.

Article
Publication date: 16 August 2021

Jiwon Nam-Speers

The purpose of this study was to measure the bias on a binary option's effect estimate that appeared in the types of questions asked and in the placement changes of public service…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to measure the bias on a binary option's effect estimate that appeared in the types of questions asked and in the placement changes of public service users.

Design/methodology/approach

The author designed Monte Carlo simulations with the analytical strategy of latent trait theory leveraging a probability of care-placement change. The author used difference-in-difference (DID) method to estimate the effects of care settings.

Findings

The author explained the extent of discrepancy between the estimates and the true values of care service effects in changes across time. The time trend of in-home care for the combined effect of in-home care, general maturity, and other environmental factors was estimated in a biased manner, while the bias for the estimate of the incremental effect for foster care could be negligible.

Research limitations/implications

This study was designed based on individual child-unit only. Therefore, higher-level units, such as care setting or cluster, county, and state, should be considered for the simulation model.

Social implications

This study contributed to illuminating an overlooked facet in causal inferences that embrace disproportionate selection biases that appear in categorical data scales in public management research.

Originality/value

To model the nuance of a disproportionate self-selection problem, the author constructed a scenario surrounding a caseworker's judgment of care placement in the child welfare system and investigated potential bias of the caseworker's discretion. The unfolding model has not been widely used in public management research, but it can be usefully leveraged for the estimation of a decision probability.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 34 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2020

Jason Ian Pallant, Sean James Sands, Carla Renee Ferraro and Jessica Leigh Pallant

This paper investigates the degree to which self-selection explains the apparent higher purchase value of research shoppers.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper investigates the degree to which self-selection explains the apparent higher purchase value of research shoppers.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was administered to 594 retail shoppers. The purchase value of research shoppers and single-channel shoppers was compared before and after propensity score matching to account for self-selection effects.

Findings

Prior to matching, research shoppers spend significantly more than single-channel shoppers. This difference persists after accounting for self-selection but is reduced by 25%. The impact of self-selection differs across product categories and channels, with the online channel most likely to lead to higher purchase value.

Practical Implications

The findings build on existing literature on the value of omni-channel retail strategies and provide insights for retailers to determine the likely impact of encouraging research shopping among their customers.

Originality/value

The research provides important insights into the role that self-selection plays in the value of multi-channel shoppers, and the likely value to retailers of omni-channel strategies.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 48 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2021

Muhammad Fayyaz Sheikh, Aamir Inam Bhutta, Bareera Rehman, Muhammad Bazil and Ali Hassan

The purpose of this study is to examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects dividend policy (the propensity to pay dividends as well as the dividend payout…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects dividend policy (the propensity to pay dividends as well as the dividend payout ratio) and what role family ownership plays in this regard in an emerging market.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a sample of 1,480 observations from Pakistan for the period 2010–2016 and accounts for Hackman self-selection bias and endogeneity issues using a robust regression analysis. CSR activity is measured by CSR score developed through a content analysis of firms' annual reports.

Findings

The study finds that the greater number of CSR activities increases the propensity to pay dividends, but reduces the dividend payout in dividend-paying firms. On the other hand, in family firms, the greater number CSR activities decreases the propensity to pay dividends, but increases the dividend payout in dividend-paying firms. The findings hold for a series of robustness and sensitivity checks, for example, alternative measures, specifications and estimators.

Practical implications

A trade-off between firms' CSR activities and dividend policy needs to be the point of concern for investors, minority shareholders and policy makers. The role of the non-executive and independent directors becomes more important, especially in the family firms where family members sitting on the boards may drive CSR activities in their own interests opportunistically. The potential opportunistic behaviour of family members warrants the need for policy reform initiatives to strengthen the protection of other stakeholders' interests.

Originality/value

The study highlights that family owners' efforts to preserve their socio-emotional wealth in family firms affect the relationship between CSR activities and dividend policy. Further, the relationship between CSR and dividend policy in emerging markets is different from developed markets. This study simultaneously focuses on both the propensity to pay dividends and the amount of dividend payment and documents that the implications of CSR are different for them.

Details

Journal of Family Business Management, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-6238

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 13 March 2023

Peter S. Lee, Ishita Chakraborty and Shrabastee Banerjee

In this paper, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of customer feedback literature, highlighting the burgeoning role of artificial intelligence (AI). Customer feedback has…

Abstract

In this paper, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of customer feedback literature, highlighting the burgeoning role of artificial intelligence (AI). Customer feedback has long been a valuable source of customer insights for businesses and market researchers. While previously survey focused, customer feedback in the digital age has evolved to be rich, interactive, multimodal, and virtually real time. Such explosion in feedback content has also been accompanied by a rapid development of AI and machine learning technologies that enable firms to understand and take advantage of these high-velocity data sources. Yet, some of the challenges with traditional surveys remain, such as self-selection concerns of who chooses to participate and what attributes they give feedback on. In addition, these new feedback channels face other unique challenges like review manipulation and herding effects due to their public and democratic nature. Thus, while the AI toolkit has revolutionized the area of customer feedback, extracting meaningful insights requires complementing it with the appropriate social science toolkit. We begin by touching upon conventional customer feedback research and chart its evolution through the years as the nature of available data and analysis tools develop. We conclude by providing recommendations for future questions that remain to be explored in this field.

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2022

Daniel Mahn, Antonio Lecuna, Gonzalo Chavez and Sebastian Barros

Given the importance of growth-oriented entrepreneurship in the context of economic development and the need to understand how rural communities can be developed, the purpose of…

Abstract

Purpose

Given the importance of growth-oriented entrepreneurship in the context of economic development and the need to understand how rural communities can be developed, the purpose of this research paper is to determine how the drivers of growth expectations differ between urban and rural settings.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is threefold: firstly, a descriptive analysis with non-parametric testing is conducted; then pooled regression model is used to analyse the predictors of growth expectations in both contexts, and finally, coarsened exact matching is used to identify possible self-selection bias.

Findings

In contrast to mainstream entrepreneurship theory, it is found that entrepreneurs’ intrinsic knowledge, skills and abilities are not significant in the rural-specific model. The only exception is entrepreneurs’ educational level, the importance of which is emphasised as a pivotal factor in increasing high-growth ventures in rural communities. Additionally, when self-selection is eliminated, rurality worsens growth intentions.

Practical implications

There is evidence that some growth-oriented entrepreneurs self-select into rural communities. Because the high-growth entrepreneurial dynamics in rural areas are unique, public policies should target purpose-driven entrepreneurial education. This includes encouraging “lifestyle entrepreneurship” (e.g. retirees returning to rural areas to become entrepreneurs), preventing entrepreneurial brain drain in rural areas and attracting highly educated urban entrepreneurs to exploit opportunities in rural areas.

Originality/value

This research attempts to contribute to the ongoing debate regarding the factors that drive high-growth entrepreneurs in rural areas by analysing rural entrepreneurs in the high-growth context of a developing economy. The focus is on Chile – a country that is rarely investigated compared to the USA or Europe – to extend the literature on high-growth ventures and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Details

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4604

Keywords

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