Integrating the resource-based view and transaction cost economics in immigrant business performance

This paper presents a new integrated framework that integrates the resource-based view and transaction cost economics to explain the phenomenon of immigrant entrepreneurship. We extend the existing literature on immigrant entrepreneurship by identifying different types of ethnic network resources and demonstrating how these resources interact with transaction costs in the context of Chinese immigrants. Thus, our study contributes to the literature by providing a theoretical framework which identifies mechanisms immigrant entrepreneurs use to strategically deploy resources to minimize costs and maximize performance outcomes.     

Investor relations,information asymmetry and market value

Evidence to date on the market value of investor relations (IR) strategies is limited. We test the market relevance of IR activity directly employing a proprietary database measuring IR quality across all firms listed on NYSE, Amex and NASDAQ. Although, in theory, ‘repackaging’ and communicating existing information should have no market impact, we find that firms with higher quality IR strategies are rewarded with significantly higher valuation multiples. In addition, increase in IR quality is associated with increases in analyst following and liquidity. Overall, our findings are generally stronger for small firms which are more likely to be ‘neglected’. Our evidence is consistent with effective IR successfully raising firm visibility leading to enhanced recognition and reduced information asymmetry in line with Merton (1987 Merton, R., 1987. A simple model of capital market equilibrium with incomplete information. Journal of Finance, 42 (3), 483–510. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-6261.1987.tb04565.x[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and thus ‘fairer’ firm valuation as argued by IR professionals.     

Social Capital or Ethnic Enclave Location? A Multilevel Explanation of Immigrant Business Growth

The rapid increase in migration into host countries and the growth of immigrant‐owned business enterprises has revitalized research on ethnic business. Does micro (individual)‐level social capital, or meso (group)‐level location within the ethnic enclave lead to immigrant business growth? Or do you need both? We analyze quantitative data collected from 110 Chinese restaurants in Australia, a major host country. At the micro level we find that coethnic (same ethnic group) networks are critical to the growth of an immigrant entrepreneur's business, particularly in the early years. But non‐coethnic (different ethnic group) social capital only has a positive impact on business growth for immigrant businesses outside the ethnic enclave. Our findings are relevant, not only to host‐country policymakers, but also for future immigrant business owners and ethnic community leaders trying to better understand how to promote healthy communities and sustainable economic growth. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Making ads less complex,yet more creative and persuasive: the effects of conventional metaphors and irony in print advertising

Rhetorical tropes like metaphors and irony are widely used in print advertising. Current advertising literature assumes that these different tropes (metaphor, irony) are persuasive when they are sufficiently novel and complex to increase advertising elaboration. However, we propose that, in some cases, tropes can also be persuasive when they present conventional and concrete images of abstract product qualities. To test if conventionality can explain the persuasiveness of various tropes (metaphor, irony), we conducted a 2 (conventional metaphor vs. no metaphor) × 2 (conventional irony vs. no irony) multiple-message experiment. Results demonstrate that conventional metaphors are persuasive by reducing complexity and increasing creativity and ad appreciation. Conventional irony, in contrast, has little effect on persuasiveness. Thus, differentiating between various tropes (metaphor, irony) is important in predicting persuasion effects: advertisers should refrain from using conventional irony, but including conventional metaphors about abstract product qualities in print advertising is advisable.     

Revealing personal professional theories

This article introduces the concept of Personal Professional Theories to refer to knowledge development within the context of vocational education. They are personal interpretations of formal theories, work process knowledge and notions about professional attitude in a specific occupational domain, and are assumed to be frames of reference for professional experiences and guides in action simultaneously. To make detecting development in personal professional theories possible, strategies need to be validated for revealing them. Two strategies [i.e., concept mapping (CM) and a combination of CM with stimulated recall (SR)] are compared, by grading them on three aspects of adequacy (i.e., richness, coherence and content), to see which one reveals personal professional theories better. The sample consisted of 16 students of two training courses. Both strategies succeeded in revealing personal professional theories: The constructed maps displayed personal interpretations of formal theories, work process knowledge and notions about professional attitude. However, the concept maps of the combined strategy did worse on all aspects of adequacy. The CM strategy appeared better for revealing personal professional theories. Several explanations are offered, which deserve further investigation. Hence, despite the project’s small scale, the outcomes provide in interesting clues to reveal personal professional theories.     

Defining Conceptual Understanding for Teaching in International Business

The aim of this exploratory study is to develop a definition of conceptual understanding for teaching in international business. In international business, professionals face complex problems like what to produce, where to manufacture, which markets to target, and when to expand abroad. A clear definition of conceptual understanding needed to solve such problems would provide design input for international business education. In three cycles, two independent expert panels with backgrounds in academic research, international business education, and international business practice identified and validated key components of conceptual understanding in international business. Key components are the global and local contexts, general and specific business practices, and theoretical business concepts and mechanisms. Other key characteristics include factual knowledge, explanation, and out-of-the-box thinking.     

Emotional labor among police officers: a diary study relating strain,emotional labor,and service performance

Using emotional labor and conservation of resources (COR) theory, this diary study aims to gain insight into the role of daily strain in emotional labor and service performance on a day-to-day basis. Strain was taken into account both as an antecedent (at the start of the work shift), and as a consequence (at the end of the work shift) of emotional labor (surface acting, deep acting) and emotional dissonance. The participants were 53 Dutch police officers who completed a three-day diary questionnaire (i.e. 159 measurement occasions). The results of multilevel analyses showed that, as hypothesized, daily strain at the start of the work shift was positively related to daily surface acting and unrelated to daily deep acting. Furthermore, daily surface acting mediated the relationship between strain at the start of the work shift and (a) service performance and (b) strain at the end of the work shift. Additionally, as predicted, daily surface acting was particularly related to emotional dissonance when strain at the start of the work shift was high.     

Sustaining linkages to high value markets through collective action in Uganda

Uganda’s rapid urbanization offers new market opportunities for smallholder farmers to supply higher value markets such as supermarket chains and fast-food restaurants. Supplying these formal outlets offers higher incomes but accessing and maintaining links to these markets requires significant upgrading in terms of product quality and business management. To meet these conditions farmers need to become more organized which requires increased levels of social capital, to strengthen internal and external relations with group members, service providers and market chain actors. One farmers’ group in south-western Uganda has successfully sustained sales of potatoes to a fast-food outlet in Kampala. Farmers had to learn a series of new skills and integrate multiple technical, organizational, financial and marketing innovations. This paper outlines how collective action combined with strong leadership and an iterative market-led learning process enabled a smallholder farmers’ association to meet the considerable challenges of achieving the stringent quality parameters of a modern food outlet.     

Pluriempleo informal en plataformas de transporte urbano durante la pandemia en África. ¿Perspectivas de futuro?

El presente estudio tiene por objeto el impacto de la pandemia de COVID-19 en los trabajadores de plataformas de transporte urbano en vehículos de turismo con conductor (VTC) en África. Debido a su naturaleza mercantilizada e informalizada, el sector ofrece oportunidades de empleo en condiciones de mala calidad, que se agravaron durante la pandemia. Mediante un enfoque metodológico ecléctico que comprende entrevistas en profundidad con conductores de VTC en Nairobi y análisis de etnografía digital, se observan estrategias de resiliencia, adaptación y resistencia de los trabajadores que recurren al pluriempleo informal en plataformas. El estudio subraya la necesidad de establecer marcos reguladores y redes locales de solidaridad que garanticen unas condiciones de trabajo decentes y contrarresten la precariedad en la economía de plataformas.