Global acquisition and knowledge transfer — a case study of company D

Knowledge transfer, acting through capital, technology and people, is typically accompanied by globalisation. This paper examines a case of such transfer, paying attention to some theoretical implications of the political economy of Japanese business. It looks at the corporate culture, production systems and industrial relations of a British firm (herein ‘D’) which was taken over by a Japanese textile trading company (S), and in particular at the change from a line system to a flexible group system in production, representing a paradigmatic change from Fordism. Under Japanese ownership, managerial control increased, though without degrading working conditions; how far this ‘miracle’ will go remains to be seen. This paper thus examines the dialectical process of capitalist knowledge transfer, suggesting that it will provide opportunities for innovation in management, but within the strictures of capitalist development.     

Does servant leadership foster creativity and innovation? A multi-level mediation study of identification and prototypicality

The purpose of this multi-level study is to examine how servant leadership affects both employee creativity and team innovation. Drawing from social identity, in particular, relational identification theory, we found on the basis of a two-nation Asian sample of 154 teams that servant leadership promotes individual relational identification and collective prototypicality with the leader which, in turn, fosters employee creativity and team innovation. In addition, our study suggests that the mediated effect of leader identification is strongest when team climate for innovation is high.     

Roles of ‘small- and medium-sized enterprises’ in service industry innovation: a case study on leisure agriculture service in tourism regional innovation

This study combines service-dominant logic (SDL) with industry cluster theory to analyze the evolution of leisure agriculture service in Taiwan. The result shows that cooperation among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can increase customer willingness to participate in value co-creation. Customer-driven cooperation among SMEs drives SMEs to increase their competitiveness and thus overcome their disadvantages in resources and capabilities. Additionally, the four-stage evolution of leisure agriculture service is identified to help tourism SMEs understand their positions and suggest appropriate strategies for achieving sustainable development and it also reveals a shifting paradigm from goods-dominant logic to SDL in tourism industry.     

The relationships between types of network organization and adoption of management mechanisms: an empirical study of knowledge transactions of MNC’s subsidiaries in Taiwan

This paper examines the relationships of various types of network organizations and the adoption of management mechanisms through the application of network theory. We found that strong relationships exist as described within the four hypotheses by empirically evaluating case studies of MNC subsidiaries in Taiwan. Based on “the knowledge transaction density” observed between an MNC’s enterprise group and local firms, the subsidiaries can be classified into three categories of network organization, namely: (1) Self-sufficient, (2) Production- based, and (3) Operation-centered subsidiaries. The literature review suggests that there are four types of mechanisms that MNC headquarters use to control their foreign subsidiaries. These mechanisms are bureaucratic, personnel, performance and cultural controls. This research reports three major findings. Firstly, for Operation-centered subsidiaries, headquarters prefer to adopt two or more management mechanisms simultaneously. Secondly, for Production-based subsidiaries, headquarters prefer to adopt bureaucratic management mechanisms. Finally, for Self-sufficient subsidiaries, headquarters prefer to adopt performance and cultural management mechanisms.     

Connecting local food to foodservice businesses: An exploratory qualitative study on wholesale distributors‘ perceived benefits and challenges

Wholesale distributors play a vital role in the foodservice industry. However, despite growing interest in local food systems, little research has considered the motivations and challenges of wholesale distributors in developing and maintaining direct relationships with local farmers. This exploratory study investigates wholesale distributors’ perceptions, motivations, and constraints in buying local food products from local farmers in a study conducted in Vancouver, Canada, and Christchurch, New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 wholesale distributors. Results indicate that purchasing of local foods was perceived as beneficial by wholesale distributors, but they experienced challenges with purchasing. Based on the findings, strategies are posited for both wholesale distributors and farmers to better serve foodservice organizations.     

Still enamoured of the glocal: A comment on ‘From local to grobal,and back’

This is a comment on M. Hoogenboom, D. Bannink, & W. Trommel (2010), ‘From local to grobal, and back’ (Business History, 52(6), 932–954). While great appreciation is expressed for the authors’ effort to test empirically the theoretical ideas developed by G. Ritzer (2007) in The globalization of nothing (2nd ed., Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press), a number of reservations are expressed about the way his ideas are interpreted. The article has the unfortunate tendency to support the idea of glocalisation rather than the broader model developed by Ritzer.     

Speculation and volatility—A time-varying approach applied on Chinese commodity futures markets

Experts have long discussed and empirically investigated whether speculative activity increases volatility on commodity futures markets. Little empirical research, however, analyzes the role of speculators on commodity futures markets in China. Using time-varying vector autoregression models with stochastic volatility, this paper investigates for four heavily traded metal and agricultural contracts, how the relationship between returns volatility and speculation evolves over time. Our findings indicate that speculative activity has little to no impact on volatility. On the contrary, for all commodities examined, returns volatility seems to amplify speculation.     

A socioemotional wealth perspective on how collaboration intensity,trust, and international market knowledge affect family firms’ multinationality

Internationalization theory does not account for the priority family firms place on socioemotional wealth (SEW). This can reshape how critical theoretical dimensions of collaboration intensity, network trust, and international market knowledge exert their effects. Bringing together the internationalization model of Johanson and Vahlne (2009) with SEW theory, our study of 334 German-speaking family firms reveals international market knowledge mediates the relationship between collaboration intensity and family firms’ multinationality. High network trust positively moderates the relationship between collaboration intensity and the acquisition of international market knowledge. Our work expands the predictive ability of Johanson and Vahlne’s (2009) important model.     

Came and gone? A longitudinal study of the effects of COVID-19 on tourism purchasing intentions

The study is based on a multi-year research conducted in three successive years (2019; 2020; 2021). Drawing from three samples (N = 507; 463; 488) it longitudinally examines the complexity and the derived chaordic systems of the impact of COVID-19 upon the purchasing intentions of adult Athenian holidaymakers by using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. In doing so, it evaluates the simple conditions of impact of recession, destination selection, and price and quality risks, also progressing to a complementary examination through Necessary Condition Analysis. The findings generate three pathways (price-quality nexus; financial focus; destination orientation) leading to the same outcome (purchasing intentions), the hierarchy of which changed over time. They also highlight the impact of recession and quality risks as constant necessary conditions, and demonstrate the transformation over time of destination selection and price risks from influential to necessary. The contribution of the study lies in both the theoretical and methodological domains.     

A Pearl on the Yellow River and Huai River——A Brief Introduction to the Investment Environment in Suxian Area

In the area of the Yellow River and HuaiRiver, on the Bian River bank, the beautifuland richly endowed Suxian area is locatedon a tract of extensive, fertile and greenplain. The Suxian area possesses abundantnatural resources, a piece of gold treasureland with huge potential waiting to bedeveloped. Twenty-six kinds of mineralresources have been identified there, includingcoal, oil, cobalt, copper, lead, gallium andiron. The coal reserves stand at 3.2 billiontons, marble reserves, over 44.27 millioncubic metres, and dolomite reserves, over 20million cubic metres. The Suxian area aboundsin wheat, corn, sweet potatoes, rice, rape,     

Peer presence promotes popular choices: A “Spicy” field study on social influence and brand choice

Retail research has highlighted how the presence of others can affect consumers' brand evaluations, purchase intentions, and choice behavior. This field study investigated whether the presence (vs. absence) of peers and other consumers, respectively, could influence consumers' propensity to purchase popular brands (i.e., a market leader) within a given product category. Consumers at a supermarket were observed when standing in front of a spice shelf and their choices were analyzed as a function of whether they shopped alone or in the presence of peers versus other consumers. The results revealed that peer presence, but not the mere presence of other consumers, increased consumers' inclination to make popular brand choices, and that this effect was mediated by their stated familiarity with the chosen brand. As such, peer presence seems to increase consumers’ reliance on heuristics and the accessibility of concepts linked to popularity, leading to congruent popular brand choices. Moreover, consumers shopping in the presence of others generally took a longer time before choosing a brand and touched slightly more products in the presence of other consumers. Taken together, these results contribute to theory refinement in social influence from ecologically valid conditions and offer a set of implications for companies, store managers, and people working in the food industry.     

Liabilities of origin and its influence on firm's corporate social performance? A study of emerging market multinational corporations

This study draws upon the institutional-based view to examine how home country institutional voids affect the corporate social performance (CSP) of emerging market multinational corporations (EMNCs). We propose that home country institutional voids of EMNCs are positively related to CSP. We also argue that EMNCs' internationalization and visibility will further augment the above relationships. We tested our hypotheses using a sample of 89 EMNCs from 10 countries from 2009 to 2018 and found support for our arguments. Our findings show that EMNCs use CSP to overcome the liabilities of origin due to their home-country institutional voids. Internationalization and visibility increase the challenges of origin liabilities and EMNCs respond by enhancing their CSP. Our research adds to the existing knowledge base on institutional voids within the realm of international business.     

Do time constraint and emergency purchase situation exert same influence on shopping? A study under haptic touch influence

Marketing literature has identified emergency purchase situation and time constraint as important situational influences. However, both of them are often equated with each other as both require shopping to be done in a short time. This study makes an attempt to eliminate the confusion by studying the impact of two situation variables on product evaluation and purchase intention under the influence of haptic touch. Two studies conducted to test the hypotheses show that while emergency purchase situation has a significant impact under no-touch influence, the same can not be said for time constraint situation.     

A study of influences of the workers’ compensation and injury management regulations on aviation safety at a workplace

As the aviation industries developed, so too did the recognition that there must be an effective regulatory framework to address issues related to the workers’ compensation and rehabilitation. All employees would like to work and return home safely from their workplace. Therefore, the efficient management of workplace injury and disease reduces the cost of aviation operations and improves flight safety. Workers’ compensation and injury management laws regulate a majority of rehabilitation and compensation issues, but achieving an injury-free workplace remains a major challenge for the regulators. This paper examines the clauses of the workers’ compensation and injury management laws of Western Australia related to workplace safety, compensation, and rehabilitations of the injured workers. It also discusses various provisions of common law under the relevant workers’ health injury management legislations.     

What drives brand love and purchase intentions toward the local food distribution system? A study of social media-based REKO (fair consumption) groups

Local food is gaining increasing popularity among consumers due to its association with sustainable consumption. However, for a product to be commercially successful, such growing popularity should translate into high purchase intentions and positive associations with the product post-consumption. Although this success has not yet been reflected for local food consumption, research in this area has remained limited. The present study addresses this gap by examining the antecedents of brand love for both the local food distribution system and the local food it distributes. The study thus employs the stimuli-organism-response (SOR) theory, which indicates that certain environmental stimuli influence the consumers' internal state or organism and shapes their behavior, in turn. Specifically, this study uses altruism as the stimulus, supporting local producers, transparency, satisfaction with labeling, and desire for labeling as the consumers’ internal state (organism), and purchase intentions and brand love as the response. Cross-sectional data were collected from 2045 local food consumers associated with Facebook-based REKO (fair consumption) groups in Finland. Findings indicate that altruism is associated with internal state, i.e., desire for labeling, supporting local producers, and satisfaction with labeling. These variables, in turn, are associated with brand love for the local food distribution system. Furthermore, purchase intentions positively mediate the association of the four internal states with brand love.     

How do customers meet their needs in in-store and online fashion shopping? A comparative study based on the jobs-to-be-done theory

Understanding customer needs is key for fashion retailers to stay competitive and innovative. Surprisingly, however, extant literature mainly explores customer needs in terms of a garment and its attributes rather than viewing shopping as a problem-solving process to meet customer needs. Moreover, these studies fail to address how customers meet their needs in-store (ISFR) and online fashion retailing (OFR). To fill this research gap, we empirically investigate customers' personal and social needs and how they can be met through the jobs-to-be-done theory. Findings reveal that, beyond the purchase of a garment, customer needs can be fulfilled through different ways, such as smart technology or a person's high interaction with social others in ISFR and the online shop experience or a social linkage without social interaction in OFR. Additionally, our findings offer potential service innovations for fashion retailing managers.