Stories from the field: women’s networking as gender capital in entrepreneurial ecosystems

Small Business Economics - Women are under-represented in successful entrepreneurial ecosystems and the creation of women-only entrepreneurial networks has been a widespread policy response. We...     

Analysing Texts in Context: Current Practices and New Protocols for Critical Discourse Analysis in Organization Studies

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in organization studies would be strengthened by an increased focus on a central CDA tenet that texts should be analysed in context. Context has, for the most part, been afforded a taken‐for‐granted status that is misplaced because of the diverse ways in which it may be defined and applied. These generally unacknowledged differences relate to whether context is treated as space, time, practice, change, or frame. The result is a confusing array of studies claiming some degree of CDA status without core agreement – or acknowledgement of disagreements – about what is meant by context or how it should be linked to texts. To remedy this situation we identify in this Point article nine methodological protocols related to conceptual definitions, data selection, and data analysis which we argue benefit the consistency and rigour with which CDA in organization studies is applied. Use of these protocols may also serve as criteria against which the rigour of CDA research papers may be assessed.     

Effect of internal cost management,information systems integration,and absorptive capacity on inter-organizational cost management in supply chains

Inter-organizational cost management is a strategic cost management approach to managing costs that span organizational boundaries in supply chains. Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, we develop a model to predict which inter-related resources might enable companies to manage inter-organizational costs. We test this model using a survey of managerial accountants whose organizations are part of a supply chain. Using structural equation modeling, we conclude that the resources of internal electronic integration, external electronic integration, internal cost management, and absorptive capacity play significant direct and indirect roles in the development of an inter-organizational cost management (IOCM) resource. We find that these resources are inter-related and together are useful in enabling companies to ultimately benefit from managing inter-organizational costs. We find in particular the importance of relational resources associated with absorptive capacity in the development of an IOCM resource. Our research contributes to theory and practice by explaining how specific resources can be combined in allowing companies to better manage inter-organizational costs.     

Simulation of Controlled Financial Statements

Many accounting and finance studies investigate the time-series properties of historical accounting records from corporate financial statements. Some of them have recognized the potential benefits of using disaggregated monthly accounting records. Disaggregated data are beneficial because one can use more data points within a relatively short period of time, thus reducing the chance of structural change. The added data points and reduction of the number of variables needed to accommodate potential structural changes can enhance the statistical power of any subsequent analysis. The use of disaggregated data may also improve the predictive ability of time-series analytic approaches. In order to systematically assess various financial indicators and investigate the effects of different organizational characteristics, a large number of monthly statements with certain predetermined characteristics are desirable. However, such statements are not readily available. At best, monthly statements can be obtained from a few volunteer companies. Under this circumstance, simulation of controlled financial statements seems to be a reasonable solution. This research explores a methodology for simulating complete monthly financial statements based on actual company quarterly financial statements. The methodology incorporates the interrelationships among accounting numbers and the effects of exogenous variables. To test the empirical validity and whether the monthly results derived from the quarterly data can accurately track the real monthly figures, we compare the results simulated by the proposed method and those generated by a naive random walk model. We test both complete financial statements for three companies and sales statistics from the retail industry. The results of both tests demonstrate the superiority of the method proposed by this study over a naive random walk model. The proposed simulation method provides an opportunity for researchers to examine the time-series properties of financial statement elements by using the monthly data of a large number of companies. In addition, the simulation approach allows researchers to perform cross sectional comparisons on companies with different characteristics (e.g., sales behavior patterns and degrees of stability) in their financial and economic activities. Moreover, it enables the researchers to manipulate some of these characteristics to test various hypotheses.     

Maximising the potential of university spin-outs: the development of second-order commercialisation activities

This paper examines the dynamics of university spin-out company development, based on an in-depth, longitudinal case study of some of the spin-out activities of one of the longest established technology transfer organisations in the UK. The different types of resource flows between this organisation and some of the companies in which it has a stake are discussed. Specifically, the paper considers the efficacy and appropriateness of the university technology transfer office (TTO) becoming involved in what we term second-order spin-out activities. These are spin-out companies that have been formed on technology developed in a spin-out company, or by people working in that spin-out, but which have no substantive connection with the research or personnel base of the university. We argue that in a peripheral non-technology intensive regional economy, the role of the TTO may be more wideranging than has been commonly assumed and may include a focus on regional economic development as well as the commercialisation of university-based research.     

An Experimental Test of the Interaction of the Insurance and Information‐Signaling Hypotheses in Auditing*

Three incentives for hiring auditing services have been proposed in the literature: (1) to signal outsiders about the company's prospects, (2) to provide a potential source of loss recovery for investors (insurance), and (3) to reduce agency costs. The objective of this study is to examine the potential for the first two (signaling and insurance) to interact while controlling for agency costs. We conduct an experiment in which highly experienced financial analysts provide stock price estimates for a company that is under financial stress. We manipulate, between participants, the signal provided by the audit opinion (going‐concern modification, yes/no) and the ability of investors to recover losses from auditors. The key finding is that the effect of the going‐concern opinion on investor value judgements is moderated by the extent to which the auditor provides an insurance function. Specifically, the negative effect of a going‐concern opinion on the analysts' stock price estimates is reduced by the extent that the environment treats the auditor as an insurer.