Search results
1 – 10 of over 2000Rongrong Shi, Qiaoyi Yin, Yang Yuan, Fujun Lai and Xin (Robert) Luo
Based on signaling theory, this paper aims to explore the impact of supply chain transparency (SCT) on firms' bank loan (BL) and supply chain financing (SCF) in the context of…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on signaling theory, this paper aims to explore the impact of supply chain transparency (SCT) on firms' bank loan (BL) and supply chain financing (SCF) in the context of voluntary disclosure of supplier and customer lists.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on panel data collected from Chinese-listed firms between 2012 and 2021, fixed-effect models and a series of robustness checks are used to test the predictions.
Findings
First, improving SCT by disclosing major suppliers and customers promotes BL but inhibits SCF. Specifically, customer transparency (CT) is more influential in SCF than supplier transparency (ST). Second, supplier concentration (SC) weakens SCT’s positive impact on BL while reducing its negative impact on SCF. Third, customer concentration (CC) strengthens the positive impact of SCT on BL but intensifies its negative impact on SCF. Last, these findings are basically more pronounced in highly competitive industries.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the SCT literature by investigating the under-explored practice of supply chain list disclosure and revealing its dual impact on firms' access to financing offerings (i.e. BL and SCF) based on signaling theory. Additionally, it expands the understanding of the boundary conditions affecting the relationship between SCT and firm financing, focusing on supply chain concentration. Moreover, it advances signaling theory by exploring how financing providers interpret the SCT signal and enriches the understanding of BL and SCF antecedents from a supply chain perspective.
Details
Keywords
Jing Liang, Ming Li and Xuanya Shao
The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of online reviews on answer adoption in virtual Q&A communities, with an eye toward extending knowledge exchange and community…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of online reviews on answer adoption in virtual Q&A communities, with an eye toward extending knowledge exchange and community management.
Design/methodology/approach
Online reviews contain rich cognitive and emotional information about community members regarding the provided answers. As feedback information on answers, it is crucial to explore how online reviews affect answer adoption. Based on signaling theory, a research model reflecting the influence of online reviews on answer adoption is established and empirically examined by using secondary data with 69,597 Q&A data and user data collected from Zhihu. Meanwhile, the moderating effects of the informational and emotional consistency of reviews and answers are examined.
Findings
The negative binomial regression results show that both answer-related signals (informational support and emotional support) and answerers-related signals (answerers’ reputations and expertise) positively impact answer adoption. The informational consistency of reviews and answers negatively moderates the relationships among information support, emotional support and answer adoption but positively moderates the effect of answerers’ expertise on answer adoption. Furthermore, the emotional consistency of reviews and answers positively moderates the effect of information support and answerers’ reputations on answer adoption.
Originality/value
Although previous studies have investigated the impacts of answer content, answer source credibility and personal characteristics of knowledge seekers on answer adoption in virtual Q&A communities, few have examined the impact of online reviews on answer adoption. This study explores the impacts of informational and emotional feedback in online reviews on answer adoption from a signaling theory perspective. The results not only provide unique ideas for community managers to optimize community design and operation but also inspire community users to provide or utilize knowledge, thereby reducing knowledge search costs and improving knowledge exchange efficiency.
Details
Keywords
Israa Elbendary, Ahmed Mohamed Elsetouhi, Mohamed Marie and Abdullah M. Aljafari
This study aims to investigate the direct effect of organizational reputation (OR), employer brand (EB) and organizational attributes (OA) on the intention to apply for a job…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the direct effect of organizational reputation (OR), employer brand (EB) and organizational attributes (OA) on the intention to apply for a job vacancy (IAJV); further, it examined the mediating effect of employer brand in the OA-IAJV relationship while taking into consideration the moderating effect of organizational reputation.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method approach was employed, with ten in-depth interviews followed by a questionnaire with additional 356 job seekers in Cairo and Giza cities; the sample includes both fresh graduates and experienced job applicants in the job market. The qualitative analysis confirmed that some respondents use organizational reputation as a signal of its performance. The path analysis technique tests the research hypotheses using a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
The findings revealed that the most influential variable in the intention to apply is organizational attributes, followed by organizational reputation and finally employer brand. There is a significant relationship between organizational attributes and intention to apply for a job vacancy via employer brand. In addition, the results indicate a noteworthy moderating impact of organizational reputation on the association between employer brand intentions to apply for a job and the relationship between organizational attributes and intention to apply for a job opening.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study contributes to the understanding of the direct and indirect effects of organizational reputation and organizational attributes on intention to apply through the mediating role of the employer brand. This research opens new avenues for recruitment research, considering the moderating effect of organizational reputation on strengthening the impact of the independent variables on the intention to apply and the interaction between the variables affecting the intention. Further, this study focuses on the needs of the job applicants when perceiving the organizational factors and identifies which signals can generate the intention to apply according to the signaling theory.
Details
Keywords
Yilong Zheng, Yiru Wang and Sarfraz A. Mian
Tracking trends in new technology funding patterns is essential for venture scaling. The emerging advanced digital technologies (ADT) such as virtual reality (VR), artificial…
Abstract
Purpose
Tracking trends in new technology funding patterns is essential for venture scaling. The emerging advanced digital technologies (ADT) such as virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and Internet-of-things (IoT) promote business innovation adaptations, and in turn, reshape the industrial landscape. To attract nascent funding for such prospective projects among the public, well-articulated project pitches that are equipped with effective marketing communication convey the projects' importance and marketability. Specifically, when the entrepreneurs and the crowdfunding platform users interact via different types of crowdfunding platforms, pitch framing, including the signaling of ADT terms, project location and fundraising goal, becomes imperative to help facilitate crowdfunding success.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on data collected from six leading US-based equity and reward-based crowdfunding platforms in 2020, an empirical study was performed. Using the text analysis approach, the authors examined the positive effects of incorporating technology orientation on crowdfunding success. While the effect between the project description's signaling of geographic location, fundraising goal and articulation style on fundraising success, while controlling for project and platform characteristics.
Findings
The results suggested that the technology-orientated projects are more likely to achieve better fundraising outcomes. Taking crowdfunding platform types, project locations, minimum fundraising goals and articulation with analytical and authentic into consideration, the results still hold.
Originality/value
Building on the theoretical framework of signaling theory, the authors consider the crowdfunding-specific contextual factors to enhance the understanding of the positivity impact of technology orientation. By such addition, it facilitates more effective strategic composition of entrepreneurs' fundraising conversations.
Details
Keywords
Most prior studies treated human resource management (HRM) strength as a whole, while neglecting the dynamic interactions between distinct components (consensus, consistency and…
Abstract
Purpose
Most prior studies treated human resource management (HRM) strength as a whole, while neglecting the dynamic interactions between distinct components (consensus, consistency and distinctiveness). The authors lack a deep understanding of how different components operate together to influence burnout. To address these gaps, this study aims to adopt signaling theory to investigate the interactions among different components and their impacts on employee burnout.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected time-lagged data from 231 full-time employees in manufacturing firms in Suzhou, China. The authors used the PROCESS Model 6 and hierarchical multiple regression to analyze the data.
Findings
This study found that HRM system consensus and consistency mitigate employee burnout, whereas HRM distinctiveness is not significantly related to burnout. Furthermore, the authors revealed that HRM system consistency (rather than distinctiveness) mediated the relationship between consensus and burnout. Moreover, the authors found the sequential mediating effects of HRM system distinctiveness and consistency on the association between consensus and burnout.
Practical implications
Considering that employees’ well-being problems may be debilitating and overwhelming during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is particularly ethical and timely for managers to direct attention to the role of HRM system strength in addressing employee burnout.
Originality/value
This study advances the HRM system literature by teasing out the interactions between the three pivotal components of HRM strength. Our study is among the first to empirically investigate the internal relationships between the meta-features of the HRM system and employee burnout. In doing so, the authors develop a more nuanced understanding of the collective nature of a strong HRM system that conveys a shared message about HRM to promote well-being.
Details
Keywords
Kane Smith, Manu Gupta, Puneet Prakash and Nanda Rangan
Ethereum-based blockchain technology (EBT) affords members of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) a market advantage in deploying blockchain within their organizations…
Abstract
Purpose
Ethereum-based blockchain technology (EBT) affords members of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) a market advantage in deploying blockchain within their organizations, including cybersecurity and operational benefits, that leads firms to strategically invest in this nascent technology. However, the impact of such strategic investments in EBT has yet to be explored in the context of its relationship to firm value. Therefore, this study explores EBT-specific firm-level characteristics that result in a stock market reaction to announcements of strategic investments.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use the event study methodology, strategic investment literature and signaling theory as contextualizing frameworks for their study. Additionally, the authors explore a new method for examining technology investments as a strategic counter to cybersecurity threats.
Findings
Firms that signal to the market their strong commitment to their strategic investment by developing an EBT proof of concept see significantly higher market returns. Firms that have had prior cybersecurity incidents are rewarded by the market for strategically investing in EBT, and when firms with large undistributed free cash flows utilize this cash for strategic EBT investment, the market is more likely to reward these firms, indicating the market views EBT investment positively in these circumstances.
Originality/value
The results of this study provide new evidence of the value impact of EBT for firms that suffered cybersecurity events in the past. The authors provide empirical evidence of firm-level characteristics that investors use to discern whether a strategic investment in EBT will drive organizational value. Likewise, the authors demonstrate how signaling affects investor perceptions of strategic information technology (IT) investments in EBT.
Details
Keywords
Nidhi Singhal and Deepak Kapur
This study aims to understand the impact of underlying theme in the communication on social media on funding received by early-stage start-ups.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the impact of underlying theme in the communication on social media on funding received by early-stage start-ups.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on empirical testing of data of 849 start-ups and more than 130K tweets. Machine learning (ML) model has been used for text classification of 130K+ tweets. Causal mediation analysis with bootstrapping is carried out for hypothesis testing.
Findings
Tweets addressing quality-related uncertainty are a predictor of amount of funds raised. Audience response acts as a mediator between tweets focusing on relational orientation and amount of funds raised.
Research limitations/implications
The authors advance signaling theory by theorizing and investigating the importance of signal content. Endogenous signal of quality directly influences the start-ups outcomes, while exogenous signal helps disseminate information and influence the success.
Practical implications
Entrepreneurs should put in concerted effort to reduce uncertainty about the start-ups. Value creation is a central concept for start-ups; however, communicating value should be the dominant part of social media strategy.
Originality/value
Computer-based language processing techniques have amplified the research focused on content. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study that explores underlying themes of communication of start-ups and their impact on acquiring funds.
Details
Keywords
Steven A. Creek, Joshua D. Maurer and Justin K. Kent
The purpose of this study is to examine how crowdfunding backer perceptions of market orientation and foreignness impact crowdfunding performance in emerging economies.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine how crowdfunding backer perceptions of market orientation and foreignness impact crowdfunding performance in emerging economies.
Design/methodology/approach
Using content analysis software, the authors analyzed 756 Kickstarter campaign narratives from the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa for the period between 2009 and 2019.
Findings
The authors’ results show that behavioral market orientation signals are positively related to amounts raised while decision criteria signals are negatively related. The authors also find that foreign entrepreneur status interacts with the two market orientations to impact funding amounts.
Practical implications
When creating crowdfunding campaigns in emerging economies, domestic entrepreneurs should use high levels of behavioral market orientation rhetoric but low levels of decision criteria rhetoric within their campaign narratives.
Originality/value
This study unpacks the components of market orientation and examines their positive and negative effects on crowdfunding success in the context of emerging economies.
Details
Keywords
Asif Ali Safeer and Yewang Zhou
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of perceived brand globalness (PBG) and perceived brand localness (PBL) in developing consumer word-of-mouth (CWOM) via brand…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of perceived brand globalness (PBG) and perceived brand localness (PBL) in developing consumer word-of-mouth (CWOM) via brand attitude (BATT) by incorporating the moderating role of consumer ethnocentrism (CET) and perceived brand origin (PBO) as well as considering brand familiarity (BF) as a covariate in the context of global and local quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands in emerging markets.
Design/methodology/approach
This study obtained 764 responses from Chinese consumers through an online survey and analyzed the data using the maximum-likelihood estimation technique with structural equation modeling.
Findings
After controlling brand familiarity, this study revealed that PBG and PBL are critical components that drive brand attitude, which positively improves CWOM toward global and local QSR brands. Similarly, PBG and PBL are important brand attributes that directly influence CWOM. Importantly, this research found the significant role of PBO on brand attitude toward perceived local brands compared to global QSR brands. Although this study did not discover the influence of CET as expected. However, these insights may assist global and local managers to rethink their strategies in emerging markets.
Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted exclusively in China. However, additional studies may be considered in other countries, such as comparing Asian vs European consumers.
Practical implications
This study provides recommendations to global and local managers to support them in designing and executing several brand positioning strategies in the QSR industry.
Originality/value
This novel study contributes to the accessibility–diagnosticity theory and signaling theory by examining consumers' perceptions of global and local QSR brands.
Details
Keywords
Davood Ghorbanzadeh, Atena Rahehagh and Maryam Ghiyasi
Due to changing consumer thinking patterns and market dynamics, the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry has changed dramatically in the past few years. Considering this, this…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to changing consumer thinking patterns and market dynamics, the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry has changed dramatically in the past few years. Considering this, this study aims to examine the influence of perceived brand globalness and perceived brand localness on consumer word of mouth through brand attitude by considering consumer ethnocentrism and perceived brand origin as moderators.
Design/methodology/approach
This study obtained 750 responses from Turkish consumers through a survey and analyzed the data using the maximum-likelihood estimation technique with structural equation modeling.
Findings
This study discovered that perceived brand globalness and perceived brand localness are critical components that drive brand attitude, influencing consumers' WOM toward global and local QSR brands. Similarly, perceived brand globalness and perceived brand localness are important brand attributes influencing consumer WOM. Importantly, this study found the significant effects of perceived brand origin on brand attitude mainly toward perceived local brands compared to global QSR brands. Although this study did not uncover the influence of consumer ethnocentrism as expected. However, these insights may assist global and local managers to rethink their strategies toward Turkish consumer settings.
Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted exclusively in Turkey. However, additional studies in other countries, such as the comparative Asian versus European consumers' perspectives, may be considered to generalize the findings.
Practical implications
This study provides recommendations to global and local managers to support them in designing and executing several brand positioning strategies in the QSR industry.
Originality/value
This novel study contributes to the accessibility diagnostic theory and signaling theory by examining consumers' perceptions of local and global brands.
Details