This article addresses four hypotheses: (a) that corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Asia is not homogeneous but varies among countries, (b) that the variation is explained by stages of ...development, (c) that globalization enhances the adoption of CSR in Asia, and (d) that national business systems structure the profile of multinational corporations’ CSR. These hypotheses are investigated through analysis of Web site reporting of 50 companies in seven Asian countries: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand. The article concludes that CSR does vary considerably among Asian countries but that this variation is not explained by development but by factors in the respective national business systems. It also concludes that multinational companies are more likely to adopt CSR than those operating solely in their home country but that the profile of their CSR tends to reflect the profile of the country of operation rather than the country of origin.
This article explores how and why high levels of income inequality result from configurations of different types of entrepreneurial activities and elements of the institutional context in a ...multicountry sample. A configurational approach is used to unpack the complexities associated with how income inequality arises from different types of entrepreneurial activities embedded in different institutional contexts associated with Whitley’s national business systems dimensions. The findings from fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis reveal that high levels of both high-growth and necessity entrepreneurial activity are associated with income inequality in certain contexts that are characterized by distinct institutional complementarities.
Prior evidence suggests that board independence may enhance financial performance, but this relationship has been tested almost exclusively for Anglo-American countries. To explore the boundary ...conditions of this prominent governance mechanism, we examine the impact of the formal and information institutions of 18 national business systems on the board independence-financial performance relationship. Our results show that while the direct effect of independence is weak, national-level institutions significantly moderate the independence-performance relationship. Our findings suggest that the efficacy of board structures is likely to be contingent on the specific national context, but the type of legal system is insignificant.
We review and reframe three main quests of research on information systems (IS) strategy: (1) the strategic alignment quest, (2) the integration quest, and (3) the sustained competitive advantage ...quest. The assumptions and logic of these quests have become less relevant in increasingly complex adaptive business systems (CABS), where the competitive performance landscapes of products and services are highly dynamic and co-evolve. We revise the strategic alignment quest to propose a co-evolution quest that addresses not only competitive strategy questions of a firm but also corporate strategy questions. The co-evolution quest seeks to increase a firm's agility and dynamism in repositioning itself, identifying profitable product-market positions as the evolving competitive landscape erodes the profitability of the firm's existing positions. To support the co-evolution quest, we revise the integration quest and propose a reconfiguration quest that encompasses not only business processes but also products and services, as well as the contracts, resources, and transactions associated with them. As the firm makes repositioning moves to co-evolve with the competitive landscape, the reconfiguration quest seeks to increase the firm's agility in disintegrating its existing nexus of contracts, resources, and transactions that support the old positions and in reconfiguring new ones that support the new positions. Finally, we revise the sustained competitive advantage quest to propose a renewal quest that recognizes the temporary nature of competitive advantage in CABS. The renewal quest seeks to destabilize the firm's old sources of competitive advantage when competitive dynamics erode their utility, rapidly create new sources of competitive advantage, and concatenate a series of temporary advantages over time. The three reframed quests provide the foundation for a research agenda on IS strategy in CABS. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Purpose: The cost and environmental impact of energy is driving better quantification of energy utilization in a business context. Determining an entire business electrical energy usage, inclusive of ...core operations and support activities, in a singular evaluation protocol is a challenge. The challenge is exasperated when changes occur in the business, where every change implies significant rework of the business energy calculations. This study develops a holistic energy determination model for the entire business requiring minimum inputs for energy re-calculation, when aspects of the business changes. Design/methodology/approach: The research adopts a quantitative approach enabled through a Discrete Event Model. The model is developed based on the activities performed in every functional area of the business. The activities are captured using business process science. The processes are then developed into a DES Model. The model development cycle includes data collection, model development and configuration, model validation and scenario models for optimization. Findings: A coal fired power generation business, with multiple sites is comprehensively simulated to evaluate the baseline electrical energy demand and associated CO2 emissions. The results are captured at various levels of the business including; Enterprise; site, business function and equipment level. The generation sites operational functions are identified as major electrical energy consumers. The adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies of Internet of Things, Big Data Analytics, mobility and automation demonstrate energy savings of 1% of total site demand. As the Industry 4.0 technologies are applied to a limited number of processes, the results demonstrate the capability of these technologies having a significant impact on electrical energy demand and CO2 emission when applied to a broader spectrum of business processes. Research limitations/implications: The research is limited to a multi-site energy generating company, which is a coal to energy business. Practical implications: The research has significant practical implications, mostly on the mechanisms to evaluate business energy utilisation. The ability to include all areas of the business is a key practical differentiator, as compared to traditional models focusing on operations only. Originality/value: The model is unique in that it is a model that is system agnostic to any production configuration, most especially changes in configuration. This implies that the model can be easily and quickly adapted with changes in the business. This implies the model proposed would be significantly more adaptable when compared to traditional approaches.
This paper reviews the existing evidence base on the practice of people management in the context of post-state socialist countries of Asia. The focus is on Asian successor states of the Soviet Union ...and those under direct Soviet domination. In an undeniably diverse region, in all the countries under review there appears to be a disarticulation between liberal market reforms, economic progress, the ability to attract FDI and the development and persistence of a formal employment base. Extended informal networks of support often play an important role, inter alia, in informing recruitment, although clan based networks appear as quite impermeable to outsiders. Regulatory coverage is uneven but in many instances job protection is high. Drawing on the available research base, this paper consolidates and extends the existing state of knowledge on people management within the institutional contexts examined and draws out the implications for theorising and practice. The study highlights how reforms in one area may lead to counter-movements in others, shoring up existing modes of people management. Again, whilst clans and middle classes both have channels for political advocacy, there are fewer opportunities for workers and their representatives; this means that there is little impetus for legislation to promote better practice, workplace inclusivity and equity.
•There are common features in people management across the countries under review.•Regulatory coverage is uneven although in many countries high levels of job protection persist and family owned firms, characterised by autocratic paternalism, play a promient role.•As with many other emerging markets, extended informal networks of support are prominent; however, as they are often clan based, these are particularly impermeable to outsiders.•There is a disarticulation between the scale and scope of liberalisation, economic development and the retention or extension of a formal employment base, providing space to practice people management; in turn, this reduces pressures for further reforms.•Many institutional features are deeply embedded and have persisted into the post-Soviet era.
A central debate in Human Resource Management (HRM) in emerging economies is whether nations follow distinct paradigms, or if there has been homogenization towards low value-added policies or ‘best ...practice’ HR systems. The literature on comparative capitalism indicates the existence of continuities and path dependence, but often neglects emerging markets. This article seeks to address this gap through exploring the nature of HRM in Mozambique and its relationship to business systems theory. Survey results indicate diversity between companies, suggesting a segmented business system, and the article concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for government policy and management practice.
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the factors that influence bank customers’ acceptance towards FinTech using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model.
...Design/methodology/approach
A survey was carried out, and a judgemental sampling method was used. Moreover, over 200 responses were gathered from individuals that were bank account holders. Besides, the literature on the factors that influence an individual acceptance towards FinTech using the UTAUT model was also reviewed as an effort to contribute towards the factors that are significant in predicting the acceptance of FinTech services.
Findings
The results of the study revealed that performance expectancy and effort expectancy are the main factors in determining the acceptance of FinTech services. Moreover, consumer innovativeness plays an important role in the acceptance of FinTech by bank users. In contrast, social influence and facilitating conditions were not the determinants of FinTech acceptance in Pakistan.
Research limitations/implications
This study not only contributed to the theoretical extensions but also to practical implications, which would benefit the community of FinTech service providers in Pakistan.
Practical implications
The limitations of this study were two but are not limited to, firstly, the respondents which were taken among bank customers in Pakistan, confining its contribution to the narrowed perspective of Pakistan. Besides, this study also considers its contributions towards the use of the UTAUT in which the factors examined were specific, which may elucidate that the generalization of the findings only includes FinTech, where the UTAUT comes into play. This study is an eye-opener for the merging perspective of both the UTAUT and FinTech.
Originality/value
UTAUT is extended in the context of FinTech. Consumer innovativeness is incorporated in the context of the UTAUT model. Consumer innovativeness is yet to be tested and for that this study is a useful reference for academicians, policymakers and future researchers.
Recent years have seen the world economy wreaking havoc among businesses large and small. As such, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing multiple challenges. This study examines the ...effect of SME owners’/managers’ awareness of customer relations and the management thereof; the perceived value of good customer relations; customer relationship management in practice; and the business systems required to foster proper customer relations on the strength of relationships between customers and SMEs. A survey questionnaire was hand-delivered to 300 SMEs operating in the Tshwane metropolitan area in Gauteng, South Africa. A total of 276 useful responses were returned to the researcher, representing a response rate of 92 per cent. IBM SPSS Statistics Version 28 was used to perform descriptive as well as inferential analyses of the quantitative data. Most responding SMEs (83.5%) believed that their customer relationships were strong to very strong. It was found that participating SME owners/managers regarded perceived value of good customer relationships as the only construct that has a significant influence on strong customer relationships. Good relationships with customers were regarded as a mechanism for survival and increased sales, and the owners/managers of the participating SMEs believed that their customers would visit their establishments and buy merchandise regardless of price and quality if sound relationships were in place.
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