Exploring farmer perceptions of agricultural innovations for maize-legume intensification in the mid-hills region of Nepal

Maize-legume intercropping is a fundamental component of mixed farming systems in the mid-hills of Nepal. However, its productivity is constrained by several biophysical and social factors, and limited adoption of proven agricultural innovations. In this study, we assessed the productivity impact of a selection of relevant agricultural innovations and changes in the associated perceptions of farmers through a series of two-year participatory on-farm trials. The evaluated innovations resulted in higher yields as compared to farmers' current practices. The active involvement of farmers enlarged our understanding of underlying decision-making factors to adopt or non-adopt agricultural innovations. Additionally, the in-depth farmer engagement in our onfarm trials positively influenced farmer perceptions of the innovations and their interest to adopt the agricultural innovations. Yet, farmers final decisions to adopt some of the evaluated innovations were limited by a host of factors including labour scarcity, the availability of inputs, and by cultural preferences despite the increased yields. This was particularly true for low and medium resource-endowed farmers. This study shows the importance of active farmer participation and context-specific design of research and development projects aiming for local impact.     

What Really Leads to Partner Relationship Management? A Review of Literature

This research article aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the Partner Relationship Management (PRM) domain through an exhaustive literature survey. Current scenario, definitions/perspectives, breakdown of studies by nation, PRM as a software application, the need for PRM, the process of developing partner relationships, and major models, along with major defining constructs and other major insights, have been summarized in the area of partner relationship management using content analysis. The focus is on bridging the gap in the existing academic literature by providing a comprehensive compilation of partner relationship management literature inclusive of B2B and B2C scenarios for future researchers. A list of select premier academic databases has been used to identify the relevant research papers in the domain. This article will help in reducing the time and efforts of researchers by quickly providing a comprehensive view of the PRM literature.     

Online determinants of e-customer satisfaction: application to website purchases in tourism

This paper examines the influence of four variables on online tourism customer satisfaction: website image perceptions, online routine, online knowledge, and customer innovativeness, and their simultaneous effects. The analysis gauges the moderating role of three socio-demographic characteristics: gender, age group, and educational background. A sample of 3188 regular online consumers of the Portuguese leader in the tourism sector was analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results show that website image, routine, and knowledge significantly influence e-customer satisfaction. Only gender moderates the impact of website knowledge on e-satisfaction. These results entail a better understanding of customer specificities, with practical actions for addressing their real needs and expectations.     

Philanthropy and the Making of a New Moral Order: A History of Developing Community

Journal of Business Ethics - Community development, or the socio-economic transformation of local communities, has been a significant focus of organizational ethics. Such community development...     

Dynamic coordination with timing frictions: Theory and applications

We present a general framework of dynamic coordination with timing frictions. A continuum of agents receive random chances to choose between two actions and remain locked in the selected action until their next opportunity to reoptimize. The instantaneous utility from each action depends on an exogenous fundamental that moves stochastically and on the mass of agents currently playing each action. Agents' decisions are strategic complements and history matters. We review some key theoretical results and show a general method to solve the social planner's problem. We then review applications of this framework to different economic problems: network externalities, statistical discrimination, and business cycles. The positive implications of these models are very similar, but the social planner's solution points to very different results for efficiency in each case. Last, we review extensions of the framework that allow for endogenous hazard rates and ex ante heterogeneous agents.     

The determinants of firms’ global diversification decisions

Why do some firms choose to be ‘born global’ and become early internationalizing firms (EIFs) while others choose to be ‘born-again global’ and develop into late internationalizing firms (LIFs)? What are the main factors impacting a firm’s decision on the timing of global diversification? Based on the theories of diversification, this study examines the role of peer influence and desire for growth on the timing of a firm’s globalization decision. We further study the idiosyncratic risk and the adoption of technological innovation hypotheses on global diversification. Our results document that innovation efficiency strongly enhances EIFs’ propensity to global diversification. On the other hand, peer pressure and idiosyncratic risk level significantly influence EIFs not to globalize. In contrast, LIFs are positively influenced by their industry peers, showing how young and mature companies respond to the market competition in a different manner.     

What drives the adoption and consumption of green hotel products and services? A systematic literature review of past achievement and future promises

The current study utilises the time-tested systematic literature review (SLR) method to identify and analyse 76 studies addressing the consumer adoption of green hotels. The results of the research profile analysis show that the literature on consumers' adoption and consumption of green hotel products and services is expanding and gaining more recognition from researchers working in Asian contexts, particularly China, Taiwan and India. Moreover, the qualitative thematic analysis yields four key themes, (a) consumer behaviour variables addressed, (b) antecedents and mediators of green hotel adoption, (c) moderators of the relationship and (d) methodological considerations, for which limitations and future research directions are identified accordingly. The main novelty of the study lies in the development of a unified framework of consumer adoption and consumption of green hotel products and services that calls for a multitheoretic examination of the issue. This review is among the first to consolidate the growing literature on consumer adoption and consumption of green hotel products and services.     

A longitudinal micro-foundational investigation into ambidextrous practices in an international alliance context–A case of a biopharma EMNE

This paper explores the development of an ambidextrous context in a rapidly growing emerging market multinational (EMNE), thus unbundling cultural and structural complexities. We use the micro-foundational lens of ambidexterity to explore and identify different processes, structures and mechanisms that underpin the development of ambidextrous practices in the EMNE. We adopt a longitudinal case study design to trace the evolution of the EMNE, which during the initial phases of its existence focused on supplying industrial enzymes and refined its technical base. In subsequent years, it exploited its technical base to emerge as a full-fledged biopharmaceutical EMNE and adopted strategic partnerships with international companies to explore new knowledge. Our novel and rich research context also provides us with insights on how this EMNE exploited its technological knowledge, whilst utilizing strategic alliances to simultaneously engage in exploratory activities. Through the micro-foundational lens of ambidexterity, we uncover the critical role played by its leadership in addressing paradoxical tensions for simultaneously managing exploitation and exploration in an international strategic alliance context.     

The role of HRM practices in product development: Contextual ambidexterity in a US MNC’s subsidiary in India

Abstract

Recent studies have started exploring the linkages between organisational ambidexterity (OA) and HRM practices. OA is noted as a critical resource in achieving product, process, and business model innovations. By adopting an inductive case study of a US MNC subsidiary in India, we found empowerment-focused HRM practices were being used for exploration of new ideas and efficiency-focused HRM practices were adopted for the exploitation of the organisation’s existing strengths. Empowerment-focused HRM practices created a culture of openness and risk-taking, which facilitated the creation of an ambidextrous context. Further, ambidextrous learning was moderated by the adoption of a managerial/leadership style that focused on ‘mirroring competencies’ between the parent operation and its subsidiary. HRM practices were aimed at developing behaviours that valued the team-based co-development of graphic processor designs by means of a ‘parallel processing’ approach to product development. Additionally, the HRM practice of offering intrinsic employee rewards and both informal and formal training facilitated OA in delivering product innovation. This study represents a pioneering exploration of multiple levels of analysis (individual, functional, and organisational) for product innovation through the lenses of ambidexterity, innovation, and HRM practices. The implications for both theory and practice are also discussed.