Academic Business Research Articles

Uber’s bumpy ride in China

Theoretical basis The purpose of this paper is to explore all the strategies adopted by Uber China to gain more and more market shares of Chinese markets. It included localization of its core product, adaptation to Chinese demands and tying up with different Chinese companies. Research methodology The case study has been prepared after thoroughly studying Uber’s business in China. Secondary data is collected from credible sources such as the Uber website, newspapers, interviews and journal publications. This data helped in arriving at a basic understanding of the company, its objectives, strategies and the business model. The strategies formulated by Uber and the challenges it faced while operating in China are studied and explained based on this secondary data. Various published papers, reports released by reputed organizations and universities, interviews of managers and experts and research papers were also used to develop this case. Case overview/synopsis This case is developed considering the bent of today’s consumers toward sharing economy. The scope of businesses based on the concept of sharing economy is very wide and is increasing. China’s sharing economy sector was one of the fastest economies in the world. The case chronicles ride of Uber in China: from its entry in the country, strategies adopted, challenges faced and to the exit from China. Complexity academic level International business management at the undergraduate and postgraduate programs in management

Beyond research method to research collaboration: Research co-production relationships with practitioners

The IMP 2018 Conference theme “From Business to Research and Back Again”, highlights the importance of academic research providing and effectively communicating findings that have value for non-academic communities. This paper argues that engaged and reciprocal research relationships with the business community can provide this value. The traditional character of a relationship between the academic researcher and the “researched” is one where researchers dictate the terms of the research, i.e. they choose what topics to consider and to try to get funding for, the modes of investigating, and ways findings are gathered, interpreted and communicated. Extending a recently-published book of readings about doing research WITH managers (Freytag & Young, 2018), the work of a number of the contributors is used as a basis for an argument that increased value is created and greater relevance is achieved by deeper forms of reciprocal research collaboration with business and government practitioners. The foundations of this kind of win-win research collaboration include epistemological compatibility, solid theoretical grounding, relevant research practices and systematic co-evaluation that are geared to specific collaborative settings. The resulting research can better advance not only practice-related knowledge but also the theoretical and empirical knowledge of business academia. This is illustrated with examples of several projects and programmes where research is effectively co-produced and benefits accrue to all.

Legal resources in an academic business library

Etude comparative par une bibliotheque universitaire americaine, du cout de l'information juridique sur produit papier et sous forme electronique (base donnee en ligne ou CD-ROM)

Analyzing mandatory college internships: academic effects and implications for curricular design

ABSTRACT Universities and students increasingly view internships as valuable learning experiences that complement and augment academic classroom learning. Students benefit from the opportunity to apply recently acquired knowledge in the ‘real world,’ to identify knowledge gaps that they should address in future coursework, and to secure a post-graduation job. But, benefits beget costs because nothing is free in life—including internships. Our econometric analysis employs two modeling techniques to measure the academic effects undergraduate business students experience when they complete a mandatory internship while concurrently taking academic courses. After controlling for a number of student- and curriculum-related factors, we find students’ academic performance was negatively affected by the internship while it was ongoing. Although academic performance did rebound after the students completed their internships, it did not fully recover. Our findings suggest that faculty and administrators cannot determine the appropriate curricular role for college internships without fully considering their academic effects.

Trends and changes in Thunderbird International Business Review journal: A bibliometric review

AbstractThunderbird International Business Review is amongst the most influential journals in the field of international business studies. It started in 1959 as a result of a collaboration with the Thunderbird School of Global Business Management in the United States. The key objective of the journal is to combine academic and practical issues thereby appealing to international business academics and executives. This approach has led it to be amongst the most well‐read and cited journals due to its ability to incorporate articles on current international business topics. The aim of this article is to analyze how the journal has grown and changed. A bibliometric analysis of the journal is conducted with a specific focus on the last 15‐year time period in order to understand the trends and predict future projections. The most cited articles, authors, and countries are stated. In addition, the topics covered are discussed, which shows the journal shifting from a broad reliance on international business topics such as foreign direct investment, export performance, and multinationals to diversifying into more inter‐disciplinary topic areas such as entrepreneurship and innovation. The role of the journal impacting the topics covered in other journals is also discussed. Future research trends are provided that discuss potential new growth areas that need to be covered in terms of further progressing the field of international business studies.

Non-Verbal Communication and Management of Interactive Conflict in School-based Violence: A Sociological Perspective

A school environment, like any other open society, is an avenue where a series of conflicts are often manifested as school-staff and students relate on a daily basis to discharge their social and academic business. When these conflicts are not adequately managed, they can result in serious school-based violence. Thus, this paper presents a systematic analysis of how elements of non-verbal communication among school-staff and students can be managed to prevent occurrences of academic and administrative conflicts that can hamper achieving the goals of the school system.

Why Pictures? From Art History to Business History and Back Again

Photographic history took root in the discipline of art history with its focus on pictures, and subsequent critical histories have largely retained this image-centred focus. Yet there is no inherent reason why the study of photography needed to become a history of pictures especially, as in some respects the images might not be the most important aspect of the practice. In recent years there has been a flurry of studies examining aspects of photographic industry and business arrangements. In this article I present some debates from the field of academic business history, which raise issues of relevance for historians of photography. Reese V. Jenkins’s influential study of Kodak, Image and Enterprise (1975), provides the opportunity for investigating some of these issues. A short conclusion on the English daguerreotype trade provides an illustration or coda to these themes.

Authentic Engagement through Workplace Pedagogy

Readiness: Are business majors equipped with industry-expected skills? This question remains the central theme of discussions between employers and business academicians in terms of bridging the gap between theory and practice. These discussions are useful in identifying reasons that might impede “readiness.” This article provides an overview of pedagogical and practical considerations by offering a process and evaluation framework to help business communication faculty integrate workable pedagogy to ever-evolving business practices. Suggestions are provided for authentically engaging business majors in developing industry-expected skills, such as teamwork, social collaboration, and technology. Although these suggestions will not pertain equally to all business communication settings (i.e. regional or local practices), they do allow for the examination, reflection, and application of best practices to bridge the gaps between theory and practice in terms of providing meaning and value for undergraduate business majors to develop applicable workplace and employability skills. These uncertain times underscore the importance of reflecting on and applying best practices from academic and workplace settings that can authentically engage and develop students.

The Future of the Corporation and the Economics of Purpose

This article examines the economic underpinnings of the concept of corporate purpose, which has gained increasing attention from business academics, practitioners and policymakers. It argues that there are fundamental reasons for reconceptualizing the purpose of business in the future which derive from the changing nature of business and the market failures to which it gives rise. It suggests that regulation is proving increasingly inadequate at correcting market failures, and the traditional separation between economic efficiency and distribution that underpins policy formulation is untenable. Instead, the article sets out how appropriately defined notions of corporate purpose can help to promote not only better social outcomes but also enhanced functioning of firms and markets. It describes a set of principles that provide a comprehensive framework for reforming business around credible commitments to corporate purpose. The reformulation of the corporation has profound implications for the macroeconomic performance of economies as well as the microeconomics of firms and markets.

Extend sustainable new product development to suppliers: cases from the US computer and electronic industry

Since the Brundtland Commission presented the concept of sustainable development in 1987 (WCED, 1987), sustainability has drawn greater attention from both academic researchers and business managers. This study evaluates the association between supplier involvement (SI) and the sustainable new product development (SNPD) process. Literature indicating equivocal results of supplier involvement in the conventional new product development projects and the study of involving suppliers in sustainable new product development has been lacking. Cases from the US computer and electronic industry have been collected and utilised to identify motivations, enablers, barriers, and performance evaluation of sustainable new product development, as well as supplier selection criteria, timing and extent of supplier involvement, and supplier contributions/challenges.

Green Human Resource Management for Organizational Sustainability: A Need of the Hour for Modern Workplace

The present study intends to identify the importance of green human resource management practices in public sector organizations; employee awareness about green human resource management practices; employees’ readiness to implement these practices; and government vision and policies towards green human resource management leading towards organizational sustainability in public sector organizations of the United Arab Emirates. This cross-sectional study shall empirically test the hypothesis based on research questions about primary data, collected from employees of public sector organizations. Based on positive epistemology in this deductive research, a hypothesis is designed, and data collected, through closed-ended survey questions using a convenience sampling technique. The present research finds that the government vision and policies about green human resource management practices were not fully explained to employees working in the public sector, hindering the attainment of organizational environmental goals, and hence national sustainability efforts. Green human resource management practices significantly contribute to organizational sustainability. To maintain sustainable growth and performance, organizations shall implement green concepts across organizations, including Human Resource Management departments. Organizations need to develop green objectives on an annual basis, aligned with government vision and policies in this regard. All stakeholders, including academic experts and business leaders, need to be oriented about green concepts in order to better collaborate, and employees need to be comprehensively trained to understand and implement these concepts in order to attain organizational sustainability in all aspects. Research outcomes of this study cannot be generalized with as much confidence in private sector work settings, since the study is designed and conducted on public sector organizations of the United Arab Emirates.

Современные подходы к преподаванию в университете иностранного языка для специальных целей

ESP is one of traditional university courses for training various specialists in a number of directions, but the effectiveness of such course depends a lot on the particular curriculum which should be based on the context approach to education, communicative approach to teaching languages, ICT integration and CLIL. MOOCs have a great potential from the point of view of the content of the course, and they should be included in the curriculum. In general, the curriculum should contain 3 modules: Academic English, Business English, and Professional English, that should help learners form personal learning path as well as develop learner autonomy both in the classroom and online.

Incorporating Kinesthetic Learning into University Classrooms: An Example from Management Information Systems

Aim/Purpose: Students tend to learn best when an array of learning styles is used by instructors. The purpose of this paper is to add, to introduce, and to apply the concepts of kinesthetic learning and learning structures to university and STEM education. Background: The study applies the concept of kinesthetic learning and a learning structure called Think-Pair-Share to an experiential exercise about Moore’s Law in an introductory MIS classroom. The paper details the exercise and each of its components. Methodology: Students in two classes were asked to complete a short survey about their conceptual understanding of the course material before and after the experiential exercise. Contribution: The paper details the benefits of kinesthetic learning and learning structures and discusses how to apply these concepts through an experiential exercise used in an introductory MIS course. Findings: Results indicate that the kinesthetic learning activity had a positive impact on student learning outcomes. Recommendations for Practitioners: University educators can use this example to structure several other learning activities that apply kinesthetic learning principles. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers can use this paper to study more about how to incorporate kinesthetic learning into education, and about teaching technology concepts to undergraduate students through kinesthetic learning. Impact on Society: The results of this study may be extremely beneficial for the university and STEM community and overall academic business community. Future Research: Researchers should consider longitudinal studies and other ways to incorporate kinesthetic learning activities into education.

The Big Picture: Trends from the Academic Business Library Directors’ Year in Review Reports 2018-2019

The Big Picture: Trends from the Academic Business Library Directors’ Year in Review Reports 2018-2019

COVID-19 and strategic communication with parents and guardians of college students

In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused colleges and universities in the United States to transition from face-to-face to remote learning. Academic leaders need to understand how to better serve both their customers (parents) and their consumers (students) after this disruption in the academic business model. Strategic communication will be critical for rebuilding this industry sector. Taking a snapshot of communication patterns in the midst of change provides a baseline for future decision-making. This study builds on literature regarding emerging adulthood, family communication patterns, and crisis communication to examine two areas: (a) communication between parents/guardians and their students, and (b) communication between the institution and parents/guardians. In a study of 525 parents/family members, communication patterns reflect differences in stages of progression through the developmental stage of emerging adulthood. Digital communication tools dominated family communication and video calling increased. Parents/guardians of students who plan to return to their former institution were most satisfied with crisis communication, communication across the student life cycle, and measures of institutional quality. Parents/guardians of those who graduated were least satisfied on most measures. The potential for future philanthropy was relatively high across the sample. Recommendations are provided for applying insights to other strategic communication contexts.

Busy Academics Share Less: The Impact of Professional and Family Roles on Academic Withholding Behaviour

Although academics are increasingly expected to share their research data and materials with other academics, many appear reluctant to do so. While extant research emphasizes commercial involvement and peer influence as determinants of withholding behavior, we hypothesize that the volume of competing commitments plays an important role in preventing academics from sharing. Using rich, multi-source data on 876 academics at a large research university, we explore how withholding behavior is related to the breadth of professional and family roles. We find that academics engaged in more activities, including research, teaching and commercialization, and with more young children, are more likely than their colleagues to withhold research data and materials from their previously published research. We explore the implications of these findings for scientific production and exchange, and for academics’ workloads.

Strengthening capitalism through philanthropy: The Ford Foundation, managerialism and American business schools

Business schools have played a significant role in creating and sustaining many of today’s grand challenges, including income inequality, the gig economy and climate change. Yet calls for change go unanswered. With a critical perspective on philanthropy, an understanding of power and historical reflexivity, this article helps develop our understanding of why business schools are so deeply rooted in managerialism and so resistant to change. Through archival research, I show how the Ford Foundation used its money and influence in the 1950s to embed a managerialist ideology in American business schools as part of its efforts to sustain and strengthen the capitalist system. Through its outward face of objectivity and neutrality, combined with targeted support of specific schools, individuals and research, the Ford Foundation went beyond shaping the structure and curriculum of business schools to shaping the ideology and identities of management scholars. The more that we, as business academics, understand the full histories of our own institutions and the often hidden or ignored sources of power that played a role in their development, the easier it will be to change business schools in ways that fit our current contexts and support our current and future needs.

Ruby Roy Dholakia: autobiographical reflections of a female marketing academic

Purpose In a very personal reflection, this paper aims to trace the academic trajectory of a female marketing academic in a very male-dominated discipline. It also highlights the struggle balancing work and family, as well as protecting an immigrant identity in a foreign culture. Design/methodology/approach Given the period and unique conditions of the author’s academic journey, this highly personal retrospective account is based on recall of significant events that have shaped my singular experience. It attempts to capture the experience of an immigrant female novice navigating not only a foreign culture but also a very male-dominant discipline. Findings While times have changed and gender barriers are lower today, challenges remain. In addition, the set of choices faced by women with partners in the same discipline differ significantly and complicate the family-work balance decisions. There is no one set of path that can be followed. Practical implications While there is a professional cost to deviating from the mainstream, pursuing alternatives to the dominant topics is vital to advancing the health and relevance of the marketing discipline. The relationships between marketing and development have been an important topic for me; however, these macromarketing topics continue to be neglected. Given the current socio-economic-political conditions globally, perhaps future marketing scholars will devote greater attention to these topics. Originality/value This is purely the author’s personal reflection of a journey that began accidentally. It also occurred in the 1970s when women were rare in the business world, particularly business academia. It offers a retrospective comparison to male peers who, aside from their individual talents and history (Belk, 2017; Firat, 2014; Holbrook, 2017), were achieving their professional goals at a similar period. It also provides some historical context that can be compared to experiences of other female pioneers in marketing academia and marketing practice (Bolton, 2017; Tadajewski and Maclaran, 2013; Zeithaml, 2017).

He who pays the piper calls the tune? Setting the stage for an informed discourse on third-party funding of academic business research

Third-party funding of academic research has grown rapidly in its scope and impact. However, several forces demand greater attention to potential opportunities, challenges and threats of third-party research funding. Adopting a historical approach rooted in Anglo-Saxon academia, we discuss what third-party research funding means for European business researchers, which opportunities and tensions arise, and how to best manage them in the interest of the diverse stakeholders of our field. Finally, we introduce the six papers in this special issue and how they move the conversation on third-party research funding forward. The evidence base provided here is composed of a rich blend of empirical data, reflections on personal experience and conclusions drawn from formal mathematical models. As a result, the collection of papers offers a kaleidoscope of the state-of-the-art of research on third-party funding of academic business research in Europe. The insights emerging from these six papers collapse into a clear overall picture with each paper contributing a distinct jigsaw piece, a picture we present and discuss in this paper.

The last breath of glassblowing?

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: identify how tools and frameworks of strategic management can be applied to understand the evolution of the timeline of a firm; analyse the core competencies and weaknesses of a firm and understand their relevance in strengthening the competitive advantage of a firm; and design appropriate business models that are grounded in an integrated strategic analysis. Case overview/synopsis The case series traces the attempts of Nisrine Khalifeh to save her family’s ailing Lebanese artisan micro-enterprise that produces handmade glass blown jars, jugs and cups. Despite their unique traditional know-how in glassblowing, The Khalifeh struggle to survive since the early 2000s until today in a context of a growing concurrence by more competitive glass products. After each triggering event faced by the Khalifeh firm, Nisrine’s exploits opportunities offered to her in an archaic business model approach that provides short business solutions. Nisrine seems not to realize that her business approach is just keeping her family business from dying today instead of tomorrow while keeping it on the verge of going under. Facing an additional dilemma, she is challenged to realize how competitive and sustainable the Khalifeh business model is, and which actions she should take to withstand the competitive threats. More sustainable business options exist to this traditional micro-enterprise which carries a strong growth rate potential if sustainable business models are developed and deployed using key tools and frameworks of strategic management analysis. Complexity academic level Undergraduate Business Students, Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.