A systems perspective on offshoring strategy and motivational drivers amongst onshore and offshore employees

Extant research tends to view firm level offshoring strategies and micro level motivational drivers as self-contained units of analysis. By contrast, this paper draws on an inductive study of two global service firms to demonstrate how the implementation and success of an advanced task offshoring strategy depends on certain systemic interdependencies between (a) the strategy, (b) onshore employees’ motivation to transfer advanced tasks and (c) offshore employees’ motivation to spend effort on their tasks and stay with the firm. We analyse how these three elements interact and produce feedback loops to create an ‘offshoring system’. Extrapolating from our findings, we propose how the offshoring system is likely to develop within the external constraints set by the attainable expertise of offshore employees and by client demands.     

基于离岸服务外包的就业效应与技术扩散:国外研究综述及展望

本文系统回顾和评述了国外自2000年以来关于离岸服务外包的就业效应和技术扩散的研究成果,并在此基础上进一步展望了未来的研究趋势,包括研究内容的丰富化、研究思路的动态化、指标选择的统一化以及研究视角的多元化。     

Individualism,collectivism, and entrepreneurship: A framework for international comparative research

This article presents a theoretical framework and seven related propositions linking national culture—specifically individualist and collectivist orientations—to entrepreneurship. The framework identifies how both orientations affect the functions of entrepreneurship. This perspective casts new light on cross-cultural research that, while generally confirming individualism-entrepreneurship ties, has had less success accounting for the entrepreneurial vitality of largely “collectivist” nations—especially Japan.There are two main streams of research on the effects of individualism and collectivism on entrepreneurship. The micro-level stream finds that those who generate variety—founders and corporate entrepreneurs—tend to be individualistic. This work does not identify proclivities for the other entrepreneurial function, leveraging resources. The macro-stream associates both individualism and collectivism with national levels of economic growth and innovation.The framework comprises two dimensions depicting (1) levels of individualism and collectivism, and (2) the entrepreneurial functions. I conceive of individualism and collectivism as two characteristic orientations distributed in varying proportions within and between cultures and individuals. These characteristic are not polar ends of a continuum, as commonly described. The second dimension recognizes that entrepreneurship requires two activities: generating variety through innovation or new ventures, and leveraging resources internally or by establishing external ties.This paper's main contribution comes from the recognition that two entrepreneurial functions are very different processes. Variety generation requires mostly individual creativity and initiative; resource leverage depends on efficient relationships that thrive under collectivism, but can be induced contractually between individualists. These differences reveal that individualism and collectivism neither categorically encourage nor discourage entrepreneurship; rather they influence how its functions are accomplished.The propositions outlined in this paper can sharpen future research on individualism, collectivism, and entrepreneurship. In short, the paper claims individualists produce breakthroughs that collectivists implement and improve. Individualists show proclivities for new venture formation and making major innovations. They tend to leverage their resources through contract-based relations. For example, resources are stretched internally using contingent, performance-based incentives, and outside funds can be acquired through venture-capital agreements. In contrast, collectivists generate variety through group-based, incremental improvements and changes. Collectivists leverage their own resources by harnessing “clanlike” affiliations, and securing the use of the resources of other firms by building close relational ties, like keiretsu. Theory acknowledging that individualism and collectivism are not negatively related allows us to recognize that both orientations can contribute to entrepreneurship.The framework has key implications for entrepreneur/managers and policymakers. Recognizing that individualism and collectivism both contribute to entrepreneurship can guide decision-makers to examine the inventory of these orientations in their firms or regions, and implement policies to address shortfalls. For example, Americans can concentrate more on building close network ties while Japanese can focus on encouraging individual innovations.     

Digitalization,internationalization, and firm performance: A resource-orchestration perspective on new OLI advantages

Digital forces and digital global connection weaken traditional ownership, location and internalization (OLI) advantages and intensify new OLI advantages (open resources, linkages and integration). However, by building on the resource-orchestration theory, we raise the question of how digitalization (utilization and orchestration of digital resources) and internationalization (firm-level outward internationalization and country-level inward internationalization) affect firm performance. We introduce the degree of outward internationalization and home-country inward foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows as moderators in achieving firm performance as a result of digitalization. Using a panel dataset of 571 U.S. manufacturing firms, we find a curvilinear relationship between digitalization and performance. The top quartile of digitalization efforts is rewarded by significant profitability. Moreover, high levels of outward internationalization and high net-FDI inflows increase the performance gains attributable to high levels of digitalization. Overall, the resource-orchestration theory complements new OLI advantages in explaining firm performance in the digital world.     

Understanding perceived retail crowding: A critical review and research agenda

Perceived retail crowding is an important, but under-researched construct in marketing research. It has been found to influence a number of retail outcomes. However, the limited empirical studies in this area have not just produced seemingly contradictory results, but have also used different conceptualizations of the construct. This paper provides an explanation of the construct of perceived retail crowding and reviews the empirical studies in the area so as to integrate the knowledge that may help in understanding of consumer behavior in crowded retail settings. The paper also presents directions for future research and managerial implications.     

Internationalisation and risk: Literature review,integrative framework and research agenda

Based on an in-depth review of 134 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 1971 and 2018, this article presents a systematic accumulation and analysis of existing research on internationalisation and risk. The review shows that although risk has received great attention in the internationalisation literature in recent years, important gaps remain in relation to the risk implications of internationalisation, the impact of risk on internationalisation strategy, and the strategies used to assess and manage risk in the internationalisation process. Our study contributes to existing knowledge by synthesising and organising existing research into an overarching integrative framework that provides a comprehensive understanding of the risk phenomenon, including the interrelations between risk and internationalisation and the sources and consequences of risk. In addition, the review contributes by identifying important gaps in the literature and suggesting directions for future research to improve our understanding of the complex interrelationship between risk and internationalisation.     

Religion's influence on the financial well-being of consumers: A conceptual framework and research agenda

Religion is an indelible force in society, yet research examining its influence on consumption, particularly in the context of financial well-being is lacking. Thus, this paper presents a conceptual framework of factors influencing, and outcomes associated with, the effects of religion on financial well-being. Specifically, this paper introduces a conceptual framework aimed at understanding how religion influences financial decisions and well-being, both from a consumer and a business perspective. Focus groups were conducted with consumers and financial practitioners to support the development of the conceptual framework. Most novel to this framework is the identification of potential process mechanisms explaining this relationship, including trust, affect, risk propensity, and perceived personal control. The framework concludes with potential interventions targeted at consumers and businesses to improve financial well-being. This propositions-based conceptual framework serves as a research agenda to guide and aid scholars, consumer advocacy groups, policymakers, and marketers in promoting greater financial well-being.     

Riding the waves of family firm internationalization: A systematic literature review,integrative framework,and research agenda

Despite the proliferation in research efforts, family firm (FF) internationalization scholarship suffers from fragmentation, theoretical limitations, and empirical indeterminacy, leaving important facets unexplored. This article’s purpose is to unpack how this body of research has evolved over time and interfaces international business (IB) theory. We conduct a systematic literature review of relevant theoretical and empirical studies covering the last 30 years of research and comprising 134 articles. Our study contributes to this corpus of knowledge by identifying and discussing four evolutionary waves of FF internationalization research. We further advance an integrative framework that offers a comprehensive understanding of the state-of-the-art as well as promising avenues for future research at the intersection of IB and FFs.     

一种卫星多波束中的波束选择构架及实现方法

为了以少量卫星载荷设备在广阔的服务区内提供高增益的通信链路,针对多波束通信卫星提出了一种星上收发波束选择的载荷构架及其实现方法。载荷构架分为波束分组与选择模块,实现方法则利用了收发无源设备的频率响应。通过控制前后端有源设备的混频本振,使上行接收波束和下行发射波束能够工作于多波束天线覆盖区内的任意位置。通过波束指向轮循,以低于波束数量的转发器实现了卫星在广大覆盖区内的高增益通信。分析结果表明,相比同样波束规模的多波束卫星,采用所提载荷架构的多波束卫星能够大幅降低载荷重量、功耗及热耗,提高转发器使用效率;相比同样承载规模的多波束卫星,能够大幅提高每个波束的传输性能及整星的吞吐量。     

Foreign outsourcing, exporting, and FDI: A productivity comparison at the firm level

This paper documents how productivity varies with globalization modes, based on a firm-level data set covering all manufacturing industries in Japan without any firm-size threshold. Only a small fraction of firms outsource, export, or invest abroad. Foreign outsourcers and exporters tend to be less productive than the firms active in FDI or in multiple globalization modes but more productive than domestic firms. This productivity ordering is robust even when firm size, factor intensity, and/or industry are controlled for. This paper also finds that outsourcers are on average less capital intensive than other globalized firms.     

Towards an integrated debiasing framework for consumer financial decisions: A reflection on debiasing research

Consumers are subject to cognitive biases, which impede the rationality of their financial decisions. This is problematic, given the onus on the individual to make investment and savings decisions. Thus, there is an impetus for research to identify mitigation strategies. This qualitative review surveys the debiasing literature to identify the prevalent debiasing approaches and proposes an integrated model towards debiasing. The identified core debiasing strategies (education and training, decision support systems, information aspects, experience, and financial advice) are organized and integrated into a single model using the ‘Antecedents, Decisions, Outcomes’ format developed by Paul and Benito. We also propose an agenda for future debiasing research.     

Corporate communication management: A framework based on decision-making with reference to communication resources

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for corporate communication management, based on the creation and utilisation of communication resources. The aim is to address a gap in the literature in that to date, communication tools have been identified as communication resources in very few studies, nor have communication decisions been linked to the creation and use of such resources. The paper draws on some basic resource-based view assumptions to identify firm-specific communication resources. The study also draws on Parsons' sociological approach with reference to the classification of organisational decisions (policy, allocation and coordination) and contextualises this approach to the decision-making within corporate communication function/department. The framework also takes into account some elements of the postmodernism. According to this tendency in contemporary culture, internal and external stakeholders play a proactive role in the creation and utilisation of communication resources. The study contributes to the development of corporate communication as an autonomous area of management.     

International opportunity development on crowdfunding platforms: A spatial,temporal, and structural framework

Despite the prevalence and global diffusion of digital platforms, the international entrepreneurship literature has paid limited attention to the latent potential of this type of digital context for the emergence and actualization of international opportunities (IOs). Drawing on the cognitive and digital entrepreneurship literature, we develop a framework that focuses on the spatial, temporal, and structural dimensions of digital crowdfunding platforms. We elucidate how these three contextual dimensions influence the IO development, namely IO recognition, evaluation, and exploitation. We present three testable propositions, an illustrative case, and a future research agenda that provide a foundation for research on IOs in the digital context.     

Financial fraud,scandals, and regulation: A conceptual framework and literature review

Abstract

This perspectives article surveys publications in business history and constructs a conceptual framework for researching fraud and other dubious financial practices, their determinants and their consequences. The prevalence and nature of the practices studied are mainly determined by individual traits, firm governance and control, the economic environment, and regulation. Contemporaries make sense of dubious practices by constructing narratives, possibly framing them as scandals, which are likely to lead to attempts at regulatory change. It is primarily the socio-economic impact of dubious practices that determines whether regulation becomes fundamentally stricter. Existing agendas for reform strongly influence the substance of regulatory responses.     

Generational challenges to talent management: A framework for talent retention based on the psychological-contract perspective

In this conceptual paper, we adopt a social-exchange theory perspective to explain the impact of talent management (TM) on the psychological contract and its outcomes. This relationship is supposedly moderated by generational effects and associated differences in work-related values and preferences. Thus, often-neglected individual-level variables are included in the analysis. A framework and testable propositions are provided. As a result, we propose that in contexts where a war for talent prevails, the strong interest of Generations X and Y in training, development, and career advancement makes highly engaged and extensive TM activities even more crucial for retaining talented individuals than is the case for the so-called Baby Boomer generation.     

Timeliness,transparency, and trust: A framework for managing online customer complaints

This article discusses several practical solutions for dealing with online customer complaints. Online complaints are inevitable; how a firm responds can make the difference. There are techniques that managers can use not only to minimize the detrimental impact of online complaints, but also to produce beneficial outcomes. Herein, we introduce our 3T framework, designed to help managers and support teams respond to online complaints in a thoughtful and measured way. We build on word-of-mouth research and several theories from marketing, service marketing, journalism, and business ethics. With so many reviews posted online every second, firms must employ best practices grounded in empirical research and solid conceptualization to deal with this important component of online customer service.     

Understanding branded flash mobs: The nature of the concept,stakeholder motivations,and avenues for future research

In an effort to increase interaction and brand exposure, marketers have recently begun using flash mobs as a marketing device. This exploratory paper combines a conceptual discussion of flash mobs in a marketing context with a number of studies to understand how marketers are currently using flash mobs and, more importantly, if flash mobs are an effective tool of communication and persuasion? This paper categorizes flash mobs as a subsection of guerilla marketing, and provides a historical and cultural analysis of the phenomenon. The first study, a content analysis of branded flash mobs on YouTube, shows that branded flash mobs are primarily used to promote entertainment, retail and travel organizations, that the majority of branded flash mobs are dance performances, and that they normally take place in a plaza or inside a mall. Through several in-depth interviews (studies 2a, 2b, and 2c), the paper then presents an examination of the intervolved behavior and motivations of branded flash mobs stakeholders: the producers, the audience, and the participants. Implications for the marketing manager are noted and areas of future research are offered.     

人力资源培训开发与服务外包项目的分析与实践——以某管理咨询有限公司为例

基于企业人力资源培训开发服务外包项目，从环境分析、公司组建与战略规划、运营管理、市场细分与定位、财务分析、退出机制等六个环节入手，对某管理咨询有限公司的资产负债表、利润表、资本结构、成本费用、偿债能力、运营能力、盈利能力、经营风险等问题进行具体分析发现，当公司收入高于公司运营平均成本时，可以获得超额利润。适于积极扩大经营规模；当公司收入等于或者小于公司运营平均成本时，需要考虑退出市场或进行业务收割；当公司收入小于公司运营可变成本时，公司必须停止业务运营。     

内部审计服务外包的国际化与创新——基于交易成本理论与中国实践的解释

基于交易成本理论,文章考察了内部审计服务外包业务发展背后的经济学机理,然后结合国际四大和国内会计师事务所在中国的业务发展历程,指出通过创新在激烈的国际竞争中降低交易成本是内部审计服务外包呈现国际化与创新相结合趋势的主要成因。文章进一步分析了内部审计服务外包创新所需要经历的三个阶段,并通过案例分析说明了:中国内部审计服务外包仍处于第一与第二阶段;业务国际化是引致中国内部审计外包创新的重要因素,同时内部审计外包创新反过来又促进了中国内部审计外包业的国际化进程。