Does social trust always explain the active use of sharing-based programs?: A cross-national comparison of Indian and U.S. rideshare consumers

The global trend of the sharing economy has led consumers to use peer-to-peer systems. However, little is known about the cultural difference in forming trust in the platform entities that is critical for participating in sharing programs. The current study researches how social trust perception affects trust in technology and platform-based trust: trust in providers, other users, and the platform company and whether it varies across cultures. Focusing on Indian and U. S. consumers, we propose that cultural orientation (cultural tightness) impacts trust formation and continuation intention. Specifically, in India, trust in technology is formed regardless of the individual's perceived social trust level, which positively impacts the trust in the platform players. For American consumers, their trust in technology is based on social trust perception, which subsequently leads to the sharing participation. This is the pioneering work to investigate social trust-the use of sharing program relation based on cultural tightness.     

Influencing factors and formation process of cultural inheritance-based innovation at heritage tourism destinations

Cultural inheritance-based innovation (CIBI) is based on paradoxical phenomena and its development clarifies conflicts between cultural inheritance and innovative development at heritage tourism destinations (HTDs). This study uses innovation systems theory and qualitative methods to explore the influencing factors and formation process of CIBI. Our findings demonstrate that CIBI is influenced by multilevel factors of the environment, government, enterprises and public, encompassing basic innovation management conditions and sociocultural constraints. Moreover, CIBI is a process that counterbalances the paradoxical elements of cultural inheritance and innovation through innovation system support. This study deepens the understanding of the paradoxical relationship between heritage conservation and innovation. By incorporating cultural inheritance constraints, it extends the framework of factors influencing cultural innovation at tourism destinations (TDs) and enriches related process research. Additionally, our results provide insights into the paradoxical management and synergistic promotion of cultural inheritance and innovation at HTDs.     

Effect of operating multiple affiliates on the performance of subsidiaries in the same host country

Little has been reported on the effect of affiliates on their foreign subsidiary performance. In the context of multinational banks (MNBs), we empirically investigate how the establishment of multiple affiliate forms affects the performance of their subsidiaries in the same host country. We also examine the factors influencing and effective entry mode choices. Based on the transaction cost theory, we hypothesize that MNBs can benefit foreign subsidiaries using entry modes based on cost minimization and value maximization. For the period 2005–2015, we test this hypothesis on a sample of 1026 subsidiaries established by 96 MNBs across 106 countries. The results show that the simultaneous operation of multiple affiliate forms positively influences their foreign subsidiary’s performance. The transaction costs determine MNBs’ entry choices. MNBs can enhance their subsidiary’s performance using entry modes considering institutional and cultural contexts and achieving cost and value targets in the host country. This study has policy implications in that it calls for collaboration between host and home countries to develop effective supervision and resolution regimes for MNBs operating multiple affiliate forms in host countries.     

Transfer of corporate governance practices into weak emerging market environments by foreign institutional investors

We advance the practice transfer theorising of corporate governance (CG) by developing a framework that uncovers how foreign institutional investors (FIIs) improve on CG practices of firms in weak institutional environments. Using hand-collected data for 85 listed Nigerian firms covering the 2011–2016 period, we show that FIIs bypass the weak regulatory environment in emerging markets by transferring good CG standards to host countries. Furthermore, FIIs’ ability to enhance the CG quality of firms in such environments is moderated by their home country’s legal system, with FIIs from countries with strong legal enforcement having an enhanced ability to improve CG practices of firms in weak institutional environments. However, cultural differences between the FIIs’ home and host countries negatively moderate this relationship. Our results are robust to the choice of estimation technique and various sources of endogeneity.     

A multiple criteria methodology for priority based portfolio selection

This paper presents a new methodology combining multiple criteria sorting or ranking methods with a project portfolio selection procedure. The multicriteria method permits the comparison of projects in terms of their priority based on qualitative and quantitative criteria. Then, a feasible set of projects, i.e. a portfolio, is selected according to the priority defined by the multiple criteria method and satisfying a set of resources and logical constraints. The proposed portfolio selection methodology is called Priority Based Portfolio Selection (PBPS) and can be applied in different contexts. We present an application in the urban planning domain where our approach allows us to select a set of urban projects based on their priority, budgetary constraints, and urban policy requirements. Given the increasing interest of historical cities to reuse their cultural heritage, we applied and tested our methodology in this context. In particular, we show how the methodology can support the prioritization of the interventions on buildings with some historical value in the historic city center of Naples (Italy), taking into account several points of view.     

The paradox and change of Russian cultural values

Existing studies on Russian culture using the dominant dimensional theory of culture (e.g., Hofstede’s), in general, offer “stereotypical” characterization of that country’s societal culture but fail to capture the dynamics of cultural values that exist in Russian business and society. We argue that this weakness stems from the either/or logic associated with such an approach. We echo the call for improving the quality of cross-cultural research by going beyond Hofstede (Tung & Verbeke, 2010) through studying cultural paradoxes and their embedded contexts (e.g., Osland & Bird, 2000) in historical and contemporary Russia. To this end, we have applied Faure & Fang’s (2008) framework which builds on the holistic, dynamic, and paradoxical Yin Yang thinking to unravel the paradox inherent and changes to Russian cultural values over time. We find that underlying paradoxical values that traditionally coexisted in Russian culture during the Communist regime have been further reinforced as a consequence of Russia’s interactions with the rest of the world. In post-Communist Russia, traditional values have not disappeared; rather, they coexist and interact with new values as a result of cultural learning and knowledge transfer in global economy. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research.     

入境旅游季节性测度及影响因素研究——基于上海的实证分析

季节性是入境旅游的典型特征之一,对旅游业发展具有重要影响。本文以2004—2019年入境旅游月度数据为样本,采用变异系数、月度指数测度上海入境旅游需求季节性,并构建面板数据模型分析上海入境旅游需求季节性影响因素。研究发现:①上海入境旅游月集中度波动频繁,季节性明显;②上海入境旅游季节形式表现为中间低,两边高的"M"型,在全年范围内形成旺季、平季和淡季3个旅游季节,其中3月、4月、5月、10月和11月为旺季,1月和2月为淡季,其余月份为平季;③长途客源市场季节性波动较小,但总体季节性较高;短途客源市场季节性在降低,但其内部客源地存在季节性过高和季节性过低的两极分化现象。④经济、气候和社会因素均不同程度显著影响上海入境旅游季节性。     

人类合作之谜:群体选择及其演化仿真研究

基因-文化共同进化塑造了人类物种。专业化和分工是人类独特的生存策略和行为模式,一系列先天心理倾向和文化本能等基础性适应器发展出来,通过组织和市场交换支持这种生存策略和行为模式。群体选择是驱动人类合作的主导力量。普莱斯方程揭示了群体间选择与群体内个体选择的净效应如何导致合作的进化。本文基于普莱斯方程的数值模拟和演化仿真发现,尽管非合作策略在"群体内个体选择"中占优,而在考虑"群体间选择"的净效应是合作策略占优。把合作行为收益b作为测度合作剩余的平均项,演化仿真发现,群体中合作者频率越高、平均适应度越大,都会导致所需b值降低,而当迭代次数越多,所需b值增加;合作者成本成倍增加时,所需最小b值是成倍增加;当加入促进合作的"执行机制"(迭代后的合作者频率乘1.001),所需b值降低。利己和利他作为主观行为动机在很多场合不具备第三方不可证实性,而合作和非合作则在人类实际生活和实验室实验中具有第三方可证实性,因此本文纠正传统上利己、利他这一对具有误导性的概念,提出将"合作行为"替换"利他主义行为","非合作行为"替换"利已主义行为",使群体选择理论在解释人类合作秩序的涌现时更具一般性。     

“Take it or leave it?”: Evidence on cultural differences affecting return behaviour for Gen Z

Both culture and age have a direct impact on consumers' shopping behaviour. Similarly, this paper explores consumers’ return behaviour in two different cultural contexts, China and Italy, characterized by low/high individualism vs. high/low collectivism. To this end, the research employs a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews collected in May and June 2020 for a sample of Generation Z consumers in China and Italy. Results show differences and similarities affecting consumers' willingness to return in the different stages of effective purchase behaviour. For instance, in the pre-purchase stage, Chinese consumers often show a limited interest in return policies since they usually prefer not to return and repurchase otherwhere the product to maximize their cost-benefit trade-off. In contrast, when retailers adopt return policies, Italian consumers are more interested in feeling protected against the risk of wrong purchases. Instead, both samples are very attentive in return and refund efficiency in the post-purchase stage, which are perceived as two discriminating factors in terms of repurchase from the same retailers.This study offers theoretical and managerial insights towards consumers' return behaviour, offering new directions for future studies.     

Income inequality and educational expenditures on children: Evidence from the China Family Panel Studies

Using the data from the China Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2018, we find that rising income inequality causes parents to spend more on children’s education, both in school and out of school. The impact of income inequality on out-of-school expenditures is significant at intensive and extensive margins, especially for study-related tutoring participation. Furthermore, we find some empirical evidence suggesting that in response to rising inequality, mothers spend more time on children’s education and there exists a substitution effect between time and money. Further analysis suggests two potential reasons for the rising education spending: (1) a higher income inequality resulting from rising skill premium strengthens parents’ long-lasting cultural attitude towards education to higher levels, inducing them to spend more on educational investment, and (2) a higher income inequality increases the value of higher education, leading to a stronger demand for better educational opportunities, and then, more intense education competition, forcing parents to invest more in education.