Actual Business Practice Research Articles

“Oh Grandmother, what big teeth you have!” Incentives to spur scientific research at business schools have been treacherous

Scientific research was introduced in business schools in the mid-1950s to raise the quality of business education as well as to improve actual business practices. Schools expected scientific research to provide a benign and respected path toward improvements, and government support for research and students’ strong interest in studying business brought financial resources and hiring opportunities that made large changes possible. Consequently, hundreds of business schools began urging professors to publish scientific research. Sixty years later, plentiful evidence is showing that scientific research has not brought expected benefits for business operations; on the contrary, business-school research has generated a high percentage of untrustworthy “findings”. This disappointing outcome has six interacting causes: (1) Business schools have expanded by hiring professors who study fundamental topics of economics, psychology, and sociology rather than topics relevant for business practices, so few research findings have been adopted and tested by firms. (2) Instead of evaluating the quality or consequences of research, schools have relied on evaluations by journal editors and reviewers, whose overriding criteria emphasize theory at the expense of practical implications. (3) Editorial evaluations have high error rates because editors and reviewers only know what researchers choose to tell them, and because the complexity of manuscripts causes editors and reviewers to disagree frequently. (4) Schools have incentivized professors by making promotions and job security depend on publishing numerous papers in “prestigious” journals. (5) Many professors have responded to these incentives by engaging in covert practices that make studies unlikely to be supported in replications, and some professors have gone so far as to manufacture fake data. (6) Researchers, editors, and reviewers have largely relied on null-hypothesis statistical significance tests, which are prone to interpret small variations or random errors in data as “significant” findings. Although there are fresh efforts to make research findings more reliable and impactful, the need for further interventions to reform the present knowledge-production system is all too apparent.

Quantifying the scientist–practitioner gap: How do small business owners react to our academic articles?

Abstract Much ink has been spilled on the scientist–practitioner gap, that is, the apparent divide between knowledge published in academic peer-reviewed journals and the actual business practices employed in modern organizations. Most prior papers have advanced meaningful theories on why the gap exists, ranging from poor communication skills on the part of academics to paywalls and other obstacles preventing the public from accessing research in industrial-organizational psychology (I-O). However, very few papers on the scientist–practitioner gap have taken an empirical approach to better understand why the gap exists and what can be done about it. In our focal article, we specifically discuss the gap as it pertains to small businesses and present empirical data on the topic. Drawing from our experiences working with and in small businesses before entering a PhD program, we suggest that a primary reason for the existence of this gap is the differences between large and small businesses, and we advance two theory-driven reasons for why this is the case. Next, we compiled abstracts and practical implications sections from articles published in top I-O journals in the past 5 years, then we collected ratings and open-ended text responses from subject matter experts (i.e., small business owners and managers) in reaction to reading these sections. We close by recommending several potential perspectives, both for and against our arguments, that peer commentators can take in their responses to our focal article.

Traders as ecosystem orchestrators for sustainable foods supply chain transformation

AbstractTransforming global food supply chains for sustainability in a pervasive manner requires leading it for specific contexts. As central intermediaries between producers and consumers possessing both tacit and explicit knowledge of supply–demand and local business cultures, traders are uniquely positioned for ecosystem orchestration (EO). The limited literature on the role of agricultural commodities traders in promoting sustainability and calls for it has motivated this study. To understand the capabilities required for ecosystem orchestrators (EOs), we surveyed the available literature using citation network analysis, revealing knowledge elements within the clusters of leading value and stakeholder orchestration, cultivating dynamic and interorganizational capabilities, interplaying innovation and business ecosystems, and utilizing software ecosystems. These clusters contained interlinked EO functions of offering complementary assets and digital platforms, which we highlighted as actual business practices by certain major agricultural trading firms. We conclude that traders as EOs for sustainability is plausible and provide actionable guidance.

Proactive contract theory in the context of corporate sustainability due diligence

The article discusses how proactive contract theory could be used to translate the ambitious objectives of the European Commission's current draft proposal on corporate sustainability due diligence into actual business practices in complex value chains and networks. Proactive contract theory regards contracts as legal, economic, managerial and social artefacts that should be designed to prevent undesirable results and promote favourable outcomes. Moreover, the theory highlights the need for multiprofessional collaboration and user-centricity in contract design. Based on these principles, we introduce four ways to promote corporate sustainability due diligence in supply contracts via proactive contracting: turning from one-sided safeguarding towards shared responsibility and collaboration, incentivizing responsible and sustainable business practices via promotive contract clauses, engaging end users in the contract design process and preventing disputes.

Corporate social responsibility and sustainable development in the context of environmental challenges

The article discusses the interconnection of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development of companies considering climate changes. Corporate sustainable development imposes attention to environmental problems that makes companies to switch to environmentally friendly technologies, reducing carbon emission, cutting natural sources’ deployment. The main goal of the article is to research if there are different strategies may be applied to shift companies’ activities to environmentally friendly mode. Different opinions and points of view were introduced within the article and confirm the importance of corporate social responsibility. According to corporate cases of corporate social responsibility implementation several principles were elaborated to manage environmental issues. As a result, actual business practices were observed through the principles of corporate social responsibility so, that an average strategy of companies’ sustainable development was described. There is a conclusion in the article, that corporate social responsibility can’t be applied within the company’s activity without dealing with sustainable development, because the responsibility appears as a tool of sustainability, but not the independent purpose. It has been outperformed that social responsibility within environmental issues takes significant place in strategies of sustainable development in present time and even overshadows the issue of financial achievements increase.

Does adoption of ISO 56002‐2019 and green innovation reporting enhance the firm sustainable development goal performance? An emerging paradigm

AbstractReporting is a means of communication for companies to their respective stakeholders. The literature on non‐financial reporting has mostly focused on operational, Carbon Discloser Project (CDP), and environmental disclosure to firm performance. This reporting and disclosure approach adopted by companies in their sustainability practices appears to be a normative approach. However, there has been a growing demand by stakeholders to incorporate proactive approach in business activities. To meet that, green innovation practices (GIPs) has been integrated as a new element in environmental reporting, thereby reflecting the proactiveness of companies in their adoption of green innovation reporting (GIR). The objective of this study is to advocate for greater disclosure on sustainability reporting by incorporating the GIPs of companies and substantial, sustainable development goal contribution, along with the moderation of the newly upgraded ISO 56002‐2019 innovation management system. Adoption of green innovation reporting and ISO 56002‐2019 will enhance the level of transparency of business activities and create greater stakeholder confidence along with enhancing the firm's sustainable development of goal performance. Furthermore, an extensive literature review was undertaken to create a GIR framework (i.e., product, process, service and technology) for firms to integrate GIPs into sustainability reporting. The conceptual model proposed the adoption of green innovation reporting and ISO 56002‐2019 innovation management system to firm sustainable development goal. This needs to be injected into the sustainable reporting of companies to reflect their innovativeness, actual sustainable business practices and sustainable development goal performance for the firm.

Incorporating Culture: How Indigenous People are Reshaping the Northwest Coast Art Industry by Solen Roth

Reviewed by: Incorporating Culture: How Indigenous People are Reshaping the Northwest Coast Art Industry by Solen Roth Ellen A. Ahlness Solen Roth. Incorporating Culture: How Indigenous People are Reshaping the Northwest Coast Art Industry. Vancouver: University of British Colombia Press, 2018. 228 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $32.95 sc. Consider a truth of appropriation and colonial insertions into native and cultural industries: practices affect people differently depending on whether they claim a direct connection to the expressions being commodified. The driving intent behind Incorporating Culture is to examine how and why Northwest Coast art industry norms are slowly shifting to the greater incorporation of Indigenous individuals and a greater implementation of respect for Indigenous law and economic principles, as well as what this shift could mean in the broader Native art market and beyond. Coming from a background in cultural anthropology with training in constructing sustainable models for cultural heritage preservation, Incorporating Culture comes from Roth’s doctoral fieldwork as a descriptive and philosophical study of a novel stage for Indigenous self-determination efforts: the artware industry. In the acknowledgements of Incorporating Culture, the author shares that the book is “not an attempt to have a final word on issues hotly debated…[but a] contribution to these debates” (x). This honest introduction to an exploration of the Native art industry in the Northwest prepares readers for an examination of the systemic challenges facing the Northwest art industry, including controversies, the de-economization of the term ‘stakeholders’, and confronting symptoms of larger dynamics privileging non-Indigenous peoples even in a Natively-rooted industry. On a personal level, Incorporating Culture tells the story of an industry’s transformation from a capitalist market to a system that has greater recognition of cultural and economic sovereignty, though this process has not necessarily been linear. Art is like any other natural resource; its communities, ecosystems, and people that foster and contribute to it must be maintained. Thus, in this work, Roth demonstrates how discourses affect actual business practices in this industry as individuals construct culturally modified capital structures. The book’s organization moves from examining the roots of the Northwest coast’s culture and industry to elaborating the role of trust in artware industries. From there, Roth provides cases and process-tracing explorations of cultural and behavioral shifts in the artware industry, considering how these shifts have been prompted by Indigenous participants and ‘stakeholders’ (a term which Roth pays [End Page 119] careful attention to, given the economic roots and problematic connotations of this label). Central to Roth’s analysis is an industry need to support local approaches to sustainable resource harvesting. Producers and consumers need to nurture, rather than exploit, cultural resources. The Northwest coast is arguably a very studied region, with Vancouver as the hub. Consequently, scholars must distinguish themselves through their focus, methodological approach, or engagement with readers. Roth writes like a historian, giving considerable attention and page space to detailing the pathways and processes that have led to contemporary features in the Pacific Northwest’s Native art industry. In the area Roth lives, it is common to see art containing Native stylistics, therefore, as both a guest and witness to these artware spaces, Roth nuances activities that are traditionally understood as capitalist ventures, while elaborating challenges to art and cultural practices as commodities. It is because there are more Indigenous people in this industry that values of property, relationships, and economic principles are shifting to more accurately reflect the histories that inform the contemporary market. Through the first half of the book, Roth presents a new framework for understanding native artware industries: the interplay between Indigenous and capitalist models of economics led to concentrated and intentional efforts to create culturally modified capitalism (CMC) wherein Indigenous peoples use capitalism in value-imbued ways. CMC is not an alternative to capitalism, but presented as more of a compromise—that if one is to engage in capitalism, he or she could harness it to better reflect his or her way of life. The strongest elements of Incorporating Culture manifest throughout the text. Roth is careful to not gloss over the different styles in Northwest coast art. Terminological clarification is also communicated very well with...

Development of guided reading-based village library services and its implementation

Introduction. The role of village libraries as resource centers are not widely known by the community. The village libraries have varying weaknesses in aspects of a library. The problems are the lack of human resources; less library services and promotion; insufficient collection; inadequacy of library furniture and equipment; unstable internet network; and lack of local government support. This study was a pioneer in facilitating the reading service system to support implementation of reading materials. This system was developed by village libraries through guided reading techniques.Data Collection Method. This paper used Participatory Research Appraisal to guide the data collection process involving 15 participants.Analysis Data. The participants were rural people living in West Java, Indonesia. Additional data were obtained through direct observations in seven village libraries in West Java. Data from informants were compiled and categorized according to their comparative aspects. The result is sequential activity design in accordance with PRAResults and Discussions. The results showed that village libraries were not being recognized and utilized by members of the rural community.Conclusion. They expect that the entrepreneurship activities of reading efficient technology–based books are supported by actual business practices.

Mining Time-Interval Sequential Patterns with High Utility from Transaction Databases

The purpose of time-interval sequential pattern mining is to help superstore business managers promote product sales. Sequential pattern mining discovers the time interval patterns for items: for example, if most customers purchase product item <span class="bold">A</span>, and then buy items <span class="bold">B</span> and <span class="bold">C</span> after <span class="bold">r</span> to <span class="bold">s</span> and <span class="bold">t</span> to <span class="bold">u</span> days respectively, the time interval between <span class="bold">r</span> to <span class="bold">s</span> and <span class="bold">t</span> to <span class="bold">u</span> days can be provided to business managers to facilitate informed marketing decisions. We treat these time intervals as patterns to be mined, to predict the purchasing time intervals between <span class="bold">A</span> and <span class="bold">B</span>, as well as <span class="bold">B</span> and <span class="bold">C</span>. Nevertheless, little work considers the significance of product items while mining these time-interval sequential patterns. This work extends previous work and retains high-utility time interval patterns during pattern mining. This type of mining is meant to more closely reflect actual business practice. Experimental results show the differences between three mining approaches when jointly considering item utility and time intervals for purchased items. In addition to yielding more accurate patterns than the other two methods, the proposed UTMining_A method shortens execution times by delaying join processing and removing unnecessary records.

Forecasting the purchase intention of IT product: Key roles of trust and environmental consciousness for IT firms

The dramatic deviations between a firm's CSR statements and its actual business practices show negative effects on consumers' trust and purchase intention. This study assesses consumers' purchase intention of IT product from the aspect of trust and environmental consciousness. The empirical results of this study show that the positive relationship between trust and purchase intention is positively moderated by environmental consciousness. Materialism increases the positive interaction effect of trust and environmental consciousness on purchase intention, such that the positive relationship between trust and purchase intention is stronger when both environmental consciousness and materialism are higher. Materialism increases the negative interaction effect of hypocrisy and environmental consciousness on trust, such that the negative relationship between hypocrisy and trust is stronger when both environmental consciousness and materialism are higher.

The Wal-Mart affair – where implausible deniability is the coin of the realm

Purpose – In the past more than three years, Wal-Mart has been embroiled in incidents of public scandals. In part, they pertain to Wal-Mart’s global strategy of growth and expansion, where the company’s senior managers have been implicated in using illegal bribery and corruption to secure business and to conceal this information from regulatory authorities. Another issue, albeit longer running, has been the incidents of fire and resulting deaths and injuries of hundreds of people, most notably in Bangladesh, but also in other countries where low-skill, low-wage manufacturing predominates, and where foreign multinationals have been accused of condoning and profiting from sweatshop-like exploitation of workers. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use Wal-Mart as a microcosm of corporate conduct which provides a prism through which to examine the exploitation of negative externalities, i.e. engaging in illegal and unethical behavior by using their bargaining power and market control these companies, pressure host countries to condone environmental degradation, violation of country laws in terms of wages, working conditions and operating in sweatshop-like conditions to maximize their profits at the expense of other factors of production, i.e. labor and resources. Findings – The authors contend that Wal-Mart’s unique business model, which focuses on everyday low price, absolute growth and market share expansion by any means possible and everyday low cost, has led to the company’s enormous success since its founding and has made it one of the world’s largest corporations by revenue. At the same time, this model seriously impedes the company’s ability to improve unit-based profit margins and thus forces it to take short cuts in achieving lateral growth and low-cost production. Social implications – The authors also examine in some detail the large gap that exists between Wal-Mart’s pronouncements of the company’s commitment to ethical and socially responsible conduct and its actual business practices. They demonstrate that the company’s communications and claims for ethical conduct are mostly aspirational and fail the test of accuracy, specificity, materiality and verifiability through independent, externally provided integrity assurance. Originality/value – Finally, the authors outline a number of measures that would need to be taken by Wal-Mart, industry groups that depend heavily on outsourcing from low-skill, low-wage countries for their products and host country governments and the governments of Western industrialized nations whose corporations and consumers are the primary beneficiaries of the exploitative sweatshops that fatten their companies’ bottom lines and enrich their denizens with ample amounts of inexpensive goods.

Factors Affecting Investment and Perceptions for the Bulgarian Market

This paper presents the research findings of a dual-survey process designed to understand the level of potential investor trust in the Eastern European market of Bulgaria both before and after being given information on the daily working environment for small businesses. The first survey inventories several key aspects of issues facing small businesses in Bulgaria and was distributed to potential investors. They are surveyed twice, both before and after exposure to the results of an inventory of owner issues. The second survey of Bulgarian business people was used to inventory these owner issues. The current climate of transitional economies and European bailouts means uncertainty for all aspects of global business. By furthering understanding of perceptions of investors and actual Bulgarian business practices, this research attempted to ascertain if increased trust was possible and if increased trust would translate to willingness to create business partnerships. Both surveys utilized a Likert scale. The potential investors surveyed were expatriates living in Sofia, Bulgaria and small business owners in the Mid-western United States. A second survey was given to Bulgarian small business owners. This work served to identify currently held practices, issues and ideas encountered in the Bulgarian market. The initial survey of expatriates and small business owners showed a general lack of trust in, and understanding of, Bulgarian businesses, practices and their national context. After exposure to the inventoried results of the Bulgarian business environment, the surveyed individuals responded with increased levels of trust in multiple aspects of the Bulgarian Original Research Article British Journal of Economics, Management & Trade, 4(2): 197-212, 2014 198 business environment and a willingness to partner with, and invest in, these businesses.

The Mechanics of Virtue: Quicksilver’s “Repentance,” the Test of the Audience, and Social Change in Eastward Ho

The Mechanics of Virtue: Quicksilver’s “Repentance,” the Test of the Audience, and Social Change in <i>Eastward Ho</i>

An Attempt to Design a Business Capstone Course

Derived from a personal experience, this paper presents a framework on how a ‘Capstone Course’ might be developed at a university in Australia. This paper begins with a selective literature review on the diverse ideas and methods of teaching a ‘Capstone Course’ at different levels and disciplines, then discusses the process followed to have the course syllabus and outcomes approved by top management. The literature will shed some light on the ways by which this course is delivered at business schools in different parts of the world at various levels. A common theme in the literature is that, regardless of the diverse ways in which this course can be delivered, the syllabus must be relevant to real-life situations and actual business practices. This is a difficult task since differences are apparent regarding the contents of this course and the diverse views regarding the sort of relationship that a university should have with businesses. Indeed, in obtaining necessary approvals as to how this course can be delivered, there are both challenges and limitations. This paper reports on a personal experience in developing such a course, highlighting the great opportunities and the immense challenges faced by the developer. This paper shares with readers a ‘theoretical’ vision rather than a ‘practical’ implementation of a Capstone Course designed for inter-disciplinary business students in Australia. This paper highlights the challenges and limitations experienced, with suggestions and steps depicted in a conceptual model as to how best a ‘Business Capstone’ course can be designed and implemented to achieve the ultimate goal of preparing students for the real world.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION IN FOREIGN MARKET: GLOBAL VS. LOCAL POLICY

Corporate social responsibility (CSR), understood as a concept of socially responsible business behaviour, is becoming one of the important and actual business practices. Globally more and more MNEs are engaging themselves into CSR activities and see CSR as part of their corporate strategy. This paper presents an analysis of existing CSR strategic options for international companies to choose, and reveals what influences international companies’ decision what strategy and instruments to choose for implementing in a host country or market. In particular, the implementation of CSR strategic options and instruments in Belarus are analysed. The concept of this paper is based on the integration of a theoretical idea and business management practices. Since the object of the research is complex, it required the application of different research methods, such as theory analysis, system analysis, meta-analysis, survey, content-analysis, and expert interview methods. The findings of the study could be useful for foreign companies deciding to enter the Belarusian market, make M&amp;A with local companies, for local managers responsible for CSR at their company, as well for researchers interested in CSR implementation in Eastern Europe.

Sustainable business practices in Spain: a two‐case study

PurposeThis paper aims to study sustainable business practices of two Spanish small and medium enterprise (SMEs) belonging to different sectors: a winery and a paint company. Special attention is paid to the drivers of such business practices and the lessons that can be learnt from them.Design/methodology/approachThis research employs a comparative case study approach. The authors describe and compare two business cases from different industry sectors. This paper concludes with several findings that could be of interest for some other companies, as well as interesting areas of future research.FindingsA comparison of sustainable business practices and their drivers. Similarities and differences between companies lead to different approaches to sustainability. Sustainability may be understood as a strategic tool in order to achieve competitive advantages and help companies successfully operate internationally.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this research is the specific sectors in which it has been carried out that can limit the application of the findings. Further research in additional industry sectors needs to be done to support the implications found in this paper.Practical implicationsCompanies need to consider sustainability practices as a long‐term investment instead of as an immediate cost. Culture is a decisive factor in the implementation of sustainable practices.Social implicationsCustomers can force companies to implement sustainable practices. However, it has been observed that sometimes there is a need for strict regulations in the sector to encourage companies to implement such practices since customers may not be influenced by the company's sustainable practices.Originality/valueThis research studies and compares actual sustainable business practices in two SMEs based in Spain, but of international activity and belonging to different industry sectors. The main drivers and characteristics of sustainable practices are compared and general implications are drawn from the study.

Evaluating MBA Programs in Islamic Banking and Finance: A Performance - Importance Analysis

Islamic banking and finance (IBF) is one of the fastest growing businesses in the world. Total assets of the industry reached US$ 660 billion by end of 2007 with growth of over 30% annually since 2000. The high growth is followed by the growing number of higher education institutions offering the IBF programs, primarily MBA programs. In spite of this, scholars criticize the current development state of the education institutions. Some scholars argue that they mainly focus on producing students according to the market needs instead of developing the original idea from Islamic perspective, while others are not satisfied because they give less emphasizes on the practical aspects of theories taught in class. In view of these, it is necessary to evaluate the current teaching of IBF in MBA programs. This study surveys the issues with samples from Asia, Middle East, and European Universities offering IBF Programs. Specifically, it also employs the performance–importance analysis based on the perceptual-mapping technique to compare the perceived importance and satisfaction of students in various learning aspects of IBF courses as well as identifies the ideal purpose of IBF education, main teaching methods, and major challenges in the practical learning process of the discipline. It is hoped that this study gives a new perspective in seeing how far the teaching is relevant to the theory and actual IBF business practices. Ultimately, results of this study are expected to contribute towards the more effective IBF teaching that is in harmony with the aspiration of Islamic economics principles.

Commitment analysis to operationalize software requirements from privacy policies

Online privacy policies describe organizations’ privacy practices for collecting, storing, using, and protecting consumers’ personal information. Users need to understand these policies in order to know how their personal information is being collected, stored, used, and protected. Organizations need to ensure that the commitments they express in their privacy policies reflect their actual business practices, especially in the United States where the Federal Trade Commission regulates fair business practices. Requirements engineers need to understand the privacy policies to know the privacy practices with which the software must comply and to ensure that the commitments expressed in these privacy policies are incorporated into the software requirements. In this paper, we present a methodology for obtaining requirements from privacy policies based on our theory of commitments, privileges, and rights, which was developed through a grounded theory approach. This methodology was developed from a case study in which we derived software requirements from seventeen healthcare privacy policies. We found that legal-based approaches do not provide sufficient coverage of privacy requirements because privacy policies focus primarily on procedural practices rather than legal practices.

Dignity in Western Versus in Chinese Cultures: Theoretical Overview and Practical Illustrations

ABSTRACTDignity is an important concept in ethics. Human rights organizations justify rights by appealing to human dignity. Prominent politicians have cited the need to protect human dignity and urged the founding of international institutions. The concept of human dignity is often used to evaluate and critique the ethics of select practices. In addition, the idea of dignity is used as a universal principle to ground universalist business ethics.This paper argues that there are substantial differences between the ways in which the West and China construe human dignity. Having documented these major differences, we consider two cases to show how the differences might “cash out” in actual business practice. Instead of relying upon a nonexistent universal concept of human dignity, we suggest that it is respectful and sound to seek to identify the many goods (teamwork, initiative, autonomy, respect for elders) that differing parties see at play in the case at hand and then to try to come up with ways to realize as many of these goods as possible.

Market Segmentation in Practice: Review of Empirical Studies, Methodological Assessment, and Agenda for Future Research

Although segmentation decisions are critical for achieving differential advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace, the empirical investigation of how segmentation decisions are actually conducted by firms in business practice has not been a major focus of extant research. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is threefold: first, the identified empirical studies are assessed in terms of their methodological characteristics in order to establish the soundness of extant empirical evidence on firms' market segmentation practices. Second, findings relating to all stages making up the market segmentation process are reviewed and contrasted with normative segmentation literature to identify issues of agreement and divergence; discrepancies imply either lack of familiarity with and confidence in normative guidelines or difficulties with the implementation of these guidelines into actual business practice. Third, based on disclosed research gaps relating specifically to each stage of the market segmentation process, a navigation chart for future empirical research is developed to encourage further study in those areas that have been insufficiently addressed by extant research.