The ‘old’ and ‘new’ competition and Malaysian manufacturing firms: a case study

The majority of empirical studies dealing with production processes, work organization and industrial relations practices have been conducted in advanced industrial nations. This article reports on a study of the changing nature of work organization and industrial relations policies in the developing economy of Malaysia. It explores the broad patterns of change in human resource management, technology and work organization among Malaysian manufacturing firms in the context of Best's ‘old’ and ‘new’ competition. The question that arises is: does the evidence reveal that Malaysia is embracing elements of the ‘new competition’, or is it still locked into a regime of mass production, or both? The article argues that the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ competition should not be treated as a simple, straightforward duality model of development. The distinction between the two approaches is sometimes blurred and not so clear-cut. The case study observes that both systems could be operating side by side at the same time within an organization. Since the Malaysian manufacturing sector is expected to shift from simple assembly and process-type operations using labour-intensive techniques to the more advanced and higher value-added industries, greater investment in HRD to upgrade the skills of the work-force and the adoption of appropriate industrial relations policies that emphasize decentralization, greater employee involvement and continuous innovation will become crucial. To be able to compete successfully in the global economy would require a change in focus in the adoption of industrial relations and human resource development policies. For Malaysia to realize its aspiration to become an industrialized and developed nation by the year 2020 would require radical changes in those policies within the context of an integrated approach to economic and industrial planning.     

Entrepreneurs’ achieved success: developing a multi-faceted measure

Firm performance is typically measured via objective financial indicators. However, researchers increasingly acknowledge that entrepreneurs do not measure their success solely in financial terms but that a range of often subjective indicators matter to them. This article contributes to the debate on entrepreneurial performance by studying how entrepreneurs assess their achieved success. ‘Entrepreneurs’ achieved success’ was conceptualized as a multi-faceted construct that includes entrepreneurs’ self-reported achievement of firm performance, workplace relationships, personal fulfilment, community impact, and personal financial rewards. It was measured via the Subjective Entrepreneurial Success–Achievement Scale (SES-AS). Over the course of three studies (N?=?390) the factorial structure of ‘entrepreneurs’ achieved success’ was established and largely replicated in two cultures. Based on a nomological network, we documented relationships among ‘entrepreneurs’ achieved success’, quasi-objective indicators of firm performance, and entrepreneurs’ financial satisfaction, creativity, and health. Based on our research, we propose a new conceptual framework to study performance in the context of entrepreneurship. This framework acknowledges both the success criteria that entrepreneurs wish to achieve and those that they actually achieve, and extends our understanding of firm performance.

     

On the nearness of record values to order statistics from Pitman’s measure of closeness

In the two-sample prediction problem, record values from the present sample may be used as predictors of order statistics from a future sample. In this paper, we investigate the nearness of record statistics (upper and lower) to order statistics from a location-scale family of distributions in the sense of Pitman closeness and discuss the corresponding monotonicity properties. We then determine the closest record value to a specific order statistic from a future sample. Even though in general it depends on the parent distribution, exact and explicit expressions are derived for the required probabilities in the case of exponential and uniform distributions, and some computational results are presented as well. Finally, we consider the mean squared error criterion and examine the corresponding results in the exponential case.     

Fiscal decentralization and China’s provincial economic growth: a panel data analysis for China’s tax sharing system

Quality & Quantity - Theoretical studies suggest that there is a close association between fiscal decentralization and economic growth. However, whether this linkage holds in China or not is a...     

Erratum to: Fiscal decentralization and China’s provincial economic growth: a panel data analysis for China’s tax sharing system

Quality & Quantity -     

High-investment HR values and firm performance among local firms and U.S. MNCs’ subsidiaries in South Asia: a comparative study

Grounded in institutional theory, this study investigates the differential adoption and internalization of high-investment human resource (HR) values by local companies and by subsidiaries of US firms located throughout South Asia; and the impact of these HR values on firms’ performance. In line with our predictions, results suggest that US subsidiaries have a greater rate of adoption of high-investment HR values compared to local South Asian firms. Contrary to our predictions, however, both types of firms are similar in the level of internalization of their respective HR values. Finally, while greater levels of high-investment HR value adoption is associated with firm performance across the board, this relationship tends to be stronger for US MNCs’ subsidiaries compared to local South Asian companies. Theoretical and practical implications for the transfer and diffusion of high-investment HR values in institutionally and culturally distant contexts are discussed.     

Living in and living out: a qualitative study of incarcerated mothers’ narratives of their children’s living condition

The number of incarcerated mothers is increasing significantly. There are many risks and harmful consequences for the children of the incarcerated mothers. In Iran, there is not a systematic research and information on these children. Therefore, this study aims at utilizing a qualitative methodology, to investigate the living conditions of this group, based on their mothers’ narratives. The grounded theory approach of Strauss and Corbin 1998 was used to analyze the consequences of the incarceration of mothers on the living conditions of children. The participants of the study include 16 incarcerated mothers who were on leave. The data were gathered via in-depth and open-ended interviews. During the coding process six categories were extracted which describe the living condition of the children: behavioral, mental, and physical challenges; escape; experience of poverty and destructive economy of family; dilemma of caring; mother-child visitation; difficulties suicide and mother’s emotional challenges. Children of incarcerated mothers encountered challenges such as mental, behavioral and economic. Many of them escape from home and school. Mothers prefer informal caring of their children than formal. The mother-child visits include some difficulties such as long distance, transportation costs, and undesirable visiting atmosphere. Mothers pointed to their deep psychological problems and sometimes committing suicide due to the separation of their children.     

Testing a new measure of work–life balance: a study of parent and non-parent employees from New Zealand

The present study extends the established theoretical lenses for understanding the work–family interface beyond conflict and enrichment, suggesting role balance as a theory for understanding how balance among roles can be beneficial for employees. The present study develops a measure of work–life balance and tests whether work–life balance is beneficial beyond conflict and enrichment for all employees. Two employee studies were conducted on (1) 609 parents and (2) 708 non-parents, and structural equation modeling confirmed that the balance dimension was distinct from other work–life dimensions and outcomes, and the analysis of multiple models showed that work–life balance plays a significant indirect mediation effect between conflict and enrichment toward outcomes. Overall, work–life balance was important and broadly identical for both samples with consistent effects toward job and life satisfaction, and psychological outcomes, with work–life conflict being detrimental, work–life enrichment beneficial and work–life balance providing additional benefits, especially toward life satisfaction. The findings provide greater generalizability and highlight the importance of balance for all employees, especially those typically excluded in the work–family literature such as single and childless employees.     

“Instrumentalism” and Friedman’s methodology: a short objection

‘Instrumentalist’ interpretations of economic theories have been held to provide justification for the rightness of being indifferent to the ‘realism’ or otherwise of the assumptions underlying a theory. In this view, what is important for an economist engaged in formulating policy is to have a theory which is capable of generating accurate predictions. This note asserts, with the help of a very simple example, that theories based on unrealistic assumptions are—precisely contrary to its claim—inimical to the interests of an instrumentalist view of theories. Tests of predictive accuracy can be narrow or broad. When narrow, the likelihood is high of there being a large number of theories passing the test—but this could also raise the chances of survival of (unrealistic) theories which may have unintended and undesirable policy outcomes. On the other hand, when the scope of the test of predictive accuracy is widened, the set of contending theories is likely to be small, with the survivors restricted to those based on ‘realistic’ assumptions.     

Syrian refugee women’s profile and their expectations in their host country: a case study in Turkey

Due to inner conflicts and national or international political instability in their regions, hundreds of thousands of civilians flee from their home countries to some neighboring and safer countries. Among this huge number of migrants women seem to be the most disadvantaged groups because of their social status, their cultural roles as well as their educational background. In this study, a questionnaire was developed and administered to 47 Syrian refugee women living in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. Their profile and their expectations such as the social inclusion were reported. For this purpose, the data were collected via a questionnaire and a detailed review of literature. The quantitative data were analysed using SPSS package program, and the qualitative data were pre-analysed and, subsequently, the code system was adapted. The result of the data analysis illustrated serious social/personal problems and expectations related with communication with the local or inclusion in the social life because of their status in the family, unemployment, or their expectations to go back to their home country.

     

Leasing versus purchasing: Direct evidence on a corporation’s motivations for leasing and consequences of leasing

This paper provides new evidence on the possible sources of lessee equity value changes when leasing contracts are announced. We show that lessee common equity value increases significantly in sale and leasebacks and insignificantly in direct leases. We find support, in sale and leasebacks, for the tax-savings hypothesis and for the savings in bankruptcy costs hypothesis. We also find support for the hypothesis that leasing reduces the external financing costs related to adverse selection that arise in markets with asymmetric information. Finally, we show that lessees gain less in direct leases when they lease assets with salvage values that are sensitive to use.     

Kalai and Muller’s possibility theorem: a simplified integer programming version

We provide a respecification of an integer programming characterization of Arrovian social welfare functions introduced by Sethuraman et al. (Math Oper Res 28:309–326, 2003). By exploiting this respecification, we give a new and simpler proof of Theorem 2 in Kalai and Muller (J Econ Theory 16:457–469, 1977).     

Darwin and Lamarck in creative ideas: a qualitative study of inventors’ stories

Knowledge creation has been enormously emphasized in recent years as the critical factor for long term economic growth. Knowledge creation can affect individuals and societies by increasing economic opportunities. In order to see the knowledge creation process, individuals who have different approaches to the problems can be a starting point to understand creativity in inventions. Accordingly, this study aims to understand the generation process of inventive ideas from inventors’ point of view. Inventors in cancer research are interviewed by asking the question of how they came up with their inventive ideas. From inventors’ stories six themes are developed: stumbled into solution, like raising arm, tried different things, open to variety, possibility of error, and extension from previous knowledge.     

The salient role of institutions in Women’s entrepreneurship: a critical review and agenda for future research

Institutions play an important role in women’s and men’s entrepreneurial behaviors. This article provides a systematic review of institutions and women’s entrepreneurship literature through an institutional lens, with a particular focus on informal and formal institutions. The article sets out to explore institutions for women’s entrepreneurship, illustrating why having an institutional perspective of women’s entrepreneurship contributes to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. To reach this aim, we analyze and classify the scholarship by explanatory factors and type of informal and formal institutions. The article suggests that gender roles, as an informal institution, influence the creation of both informal and formal institutions, and in turn, the women’s entrepreneurial behaviors is based on gender roles. Finally, a theoretical model is developed, which allocates women’s entrepreneurship in the center and shows the role of institutional environment in their decision to start new ventures. Implications for future research are finally discussed.     

An empirical study of the Mexican banking system’s network and its implications for systemic risk

With the aim to measure and monitor systemic risk, we present some topological metrics for the interbank exposures and the payments system networks. The evolution of such networks is analyzed, we draw important conclusions from the systemic risk's perspective and propose a measure of interconnectedness. Additionally, we suggest non-topological measures to describe individual behavior of banks in both networks. The main findings of this paper are: the structures of the payments and exposures networks are different (in terms of connectivity); the topology of the exposures network changed after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, whereas the structure of the payments network does not; the proposed measure of interconnectedness can be used to determine the importance of a bank in terms of connectivity. Finally, we found that interconnectedness of a bank is not necessarily related with its assets size but it is linked to the contagion it might cause.     

A comparison of five reflective–formative estimation approaches: reconsideration and recommendations for tourism research

Quality & Quantity - In partial least squares structural path modelling, the reflective–formative type of hierarchical component models (HCMs) (also known as Higher-Order Model) have...     

The impact of team characteristics on the supervisor’s attitude towards telework: a mixed-method study

Abstract

This study examines the impact of team characteristics on the supervisor’s attitude towards telework through a mixed-method approach. First, in the quantitative part, we test hypotheses drawing on disruption and dependency theory, using data of 205 supervisors from four Belgian organizations. The data confirm the hypothesized negative correlation between task interdependence and supervisors’ supportive attitude towards telework, as well as the moderating role of supervisor’s dependency on his or her team on this relation. We found no impact of team heterogeneity and lack of team effort and low performance. Second, we use qualitative data collected through 39 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with supervisors to gain a better understanding of supervisors’ reasoning behind their attitude towards telework. These data provide insight into how task interdependence, team heterogeneity and lack of team effort and low performance affect it. Our team-centred conceptualization of the antecedents of supervisors’ attitude towards telework enables to highlight the key role of structural aspects in shaping supervisors’ attitudes towards telework. This is particularly important for policy, as organizations are better placed to remediate aspects at the team level that contribute to supervisors’ negative attitude towards telework, rather than those at the inter-individual one.     

Extending Fisch and Block’s (2018) tips for a systematic review in management and business literature

Management Review Quarterly - A systematic literature review is designed to synthesize meaningful knowledge from a large number of studies on a research topic. Over the past decade, management...