Business Literature Research Articles

Business Ethics from a Theological Perspective

This article examines the application of Christian business ethics, focusing on how theological principles guide ethical decision-making in the marketplace. As businesses prioritize profitability, many Christian leaders aim to integrate faith values into their operations to promote fairness, justice, and compassion. The study explores key theological concepts such as honesty, integrity, stewardship, love, and justice, and how these principles can be applied in real-world business practices. The purpose of the article is to offer a practical framework for Christian business leaders to integrate ethical principles into leadership, employee relations, and customer interactions. Through a review of theological teachings and Christian business literature, the article provides actionable insights for translating faith into business decisions. The findings suggest that businesses applying Christian ethics experience improved long-term outcomes, including stronger relationships with employees, customers, and stakeholders. By emphasizing values like integrity, fairness, and servant leadership, Christian business leaders foster a culture of trust and accountability. This article contributes to Christian business ethics by offering both theological and practical guidance. It encourages leaders to view their work as a way to serve others and honor God, while promoting social responsibility, ethical behavior, and sustainable practices that positively impact society.

Social Entrepreneurial Marketing and Innovation in B2B Services: Building Resilience with Explainable Artificial Intelligence

Abstract Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) and other digital technologies are altering the nature of social entrepreneurship, marketing, and other service activities. The structures and strategies of entrepreneurs undergo radical change as a result of the impact of XAI on marketing and innovation. Despite the increased interest in business to business (B2B) literature, there are limitations on how and what circumstances the activities of B2B marketing on social entrepreneurship. Therefore, this study outlines how XAI will impact B2B services by building resilience during and after crisis events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. To develop an in-depth understanding on the theories of social entrepreneurship, B2B marketing, and emerging technologies, this study set apart and conceptualize relevant factors and linkages. The result shows that based on a survey of 295 samples of B2B services entrepreneurial businesses, XAI enhances the establishment of a sustainable resilience for B2B marketing activities and contribute to building social entrepreneurial strategies for B2B marketing innovation.

Under the spotlight: contextualizing the firm vs. industry debate through the introduction of neighborhood effects

Abstract The relative importance of firm and industry effects, contrasting resource-based and industrial organization theories, is often discussed in the strategy and international business literature. Several studies indicate that firm effects (i.e., variability in firm-specific internal resources) are the primary drivers of competitive differences between firms. Leveraging insights from several theoretical lenses such as location economics, relational strategy, and institutional theory, we argue that considering the micro-geographic locations (neighborhoods) of firms challenges two implicit but potentially unrealistic assumptions in the firm vs. industry effects academic debate: That (a) firm boundaries are clearly defined, and (b) industry effects are spatially homogenous. We argue that including a neighborhood and neighborhood-industry interaction effect is thus more appropriate to contextualize the classic firm vs. industry debate. We demonstrate that firm effects are much smaller than previously identified (e.g., dropping from 43.9 to 11.5%). Our results thus challenge conventional wisdom and established empirical findings, while adding nuance to the fundamental debate regarding the locus of competitive advantage of firms.

New economic geographies of war: risks and disruptions in Eurasian transport routes and supply chains through the military conflict in Ukraine

Abstract The pandemic and the last years’ geopolitical disruptions have laid bare the vulnerability of Europe’s supply chains, as well as the challenges posed by insecure oil and gas supplies. In this contribution, we aim to add to this debate by raising awareness of the vulnerability of trade and supply chain infrastructure between Europe and Asia. We give an overview of the risks for supply chain securities due to the risk of military and armed conflicts and geopolitical challenges more broadly, illustrated by a map of central logistic corridors and hubs. We further discuss the contemporary implications for each corridor due to the war in Ukraine. By making use of the example of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), we argue that trade along these corridors is highly interdependent and that the continued conflict in Ukraine poses a danger for independent, diversified and resilient trade across Eurasia. The paper calls for future research in economic geography, military geographies and related international business literature to (jointly) reemphasize the economic geographies of war, by for instance analysing shifts in global value chains and global production networks as a result of violent conflicts.

Nonfamily executives in family firms and dividend payout: evidence from Pakistan

Purpose The strategic behavior of family firms is not the same when the top management positions are occupied by nonfamily executives. This study aims to examine the dividend payout behavior of family firms in the presence of nonfamily chairperson and nonfamily chief executive officer (CEO). Design/methodology/approach The authors used 2,926 firm-year observations of nonfinancial firms listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange over the period 2012–2021. To test the hypotheses, the authors used a generalized method of moments estimation and further applied ordinary least squares regression and fixed effects analysis to check for the robustness of results. Findings Using the lens of social identity theory, the authors found that for the sake of a firm’s reputation and to increase the wealth of family, the family firms are associated with higher dividend payout. However, the presence of nonfamily chairperson and nonfamily CEO weakens this positive relationship due to higher information asymmetry leading to lower dividend payout in such firms. Originality/value The study adds to the family business literature by highlighting the dividend payout behavior of family firms and providing empirical evidence of distinct behavior of family firms in presence of nonfamily chairperson and nonfamily CEO in context of an emerging economy.

Firms Sustainability and Performance: Critical Insights from Bibliometric Review and Content Analysis

The concept of sustainability has gained paramount importance in business, economic, and financial literature. Despite numerous research studies being conducted on the relationship between firm’s sustainability and performance, there is still a paucity of a comprehensive review on this topic. Hence, a bibliometric analysis of 1183 articles have been conducted with an aim to identify research gaps and propose the scope for future research. Data retrieved from SCOPUS and Web of Science has been screened using PRISMA framework. The study focusses on comparative analysis, performance analysis, and scientific mapping of sorted data. The results suggest a growing interest of academicians in sustainability. Additionally, co-word analysis has been conducted to ascertain frequently used words in the literature. Furthermore, content analysis has been conducted for highly cited documents to identify prominent theories guiding the relationship and preferred parameters of both sustainability and performance. This study would be helpful for aspiring researchers in understanding the historical background, the advancements and comprehending the idea.

Business models and strategies for the internalization of externalities in agri-food value chains

Current food systems have significant negative environmental, social, and economic impacts. Externalized costs and benefits create false market incentives favoring less healthy and unsustainable options. Transitioning to sustainable agri-food systems requires that businesses internalize these externalities. Internalization of externalities (IOE) is often addressed through policy measures and regulatory initiatives. However, IOE can also be carried out through business models (BMs) and strategies which involve creating positive externalities, mitigating/preventing negative ones, as well as ensuring fair distribution of risks, costs, and benefits. Accordingly, sustainable and innovative BMs and strategies offer pathways to achieving IOE. This paper identifies existing sustainable and innovative BMs and strategies and explains how they can achieve IOE. Using an integrative literature review methodology, we reconcile both economics and business literature approaches. We subsequently carry out two levels of analysis including abductive coding and interrelationship evaluation. The paper explores the characteristics of BMs and strategies that address IOE, using the well-known concept of value and introduces a conceptual framework for categorizing business models and strategies for the internalization of externalities (BM4IOE). The article initiates a discourse on the role of BMs in the IOE within agri-food value chains and provides insights into how businesses can develop and implement models that effectively internalize externalities, thereby enhancing sustainability and driving innovation in the transition of agri-food systems.

Creating Conditions for Innovation in a Complex Health System: A management practice analysis

As extended lifespans, rapid technological evolution and rising public expectations are increasing the complexity of our healthcare systems, health leaders need to innovate to gain sustainable improvements. However, the aspiration of innovation is very different from its actual implementation. Traditionally, health systems prioritise operational efficiency and standardised practices to ensure patient safety. While essential, these priorities can inadvertently limit the flexibility required for innovation. Leaders are therefore challenged to balance these operational needs with the desire to explore new ideas and solutions. This Management Practice Analysis will summarise insights from the business literature and demonstrate how health leaders can create conditions for innovation, using a leadership case study from current practice.

What’s In Your Barrel? Teamwork, Bad Apple And Team Charter

Soft Skills: Can the saying “one bad apple spoils the barrel” help stakeholders identify gaps in soft skills linked to teamwork? In the context of developing soft skills, different perceptions about career readiness exist between stakeholders, i.e., employers, college graduates and educators. This article discusses the use of a realistic workplace scenario, “bad apple” phenomenon about teamwork to authentically engage stakeholders in contemplating how to improve (transfer of learning) before business students graduate and seek employment. The author hopes this article will contribute to business literature related to bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Resilience in crisis: a systematic review of family business literatures

Resilience in crisis: a systematic review of family business literatures

The role of women in HRM in family SMEs

PurposeThis study tries to free women from the “invisible role” prison and understand the different managerial goals and styles adopted by males and females in family small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in managing employees. In particular, this paper grasps the complexity of the relationship between women’s leadership positions and configurational human resource management (HRM) practices in family SMEs.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the qualitative fuzzy set comparative analysis (fsQCA) on 623 small and medium Italian family businesses to explore women’s contributions and impacts on adopting HRM practices and business performance.FindingsThe findings confirm that gender-specific leadership styles influence the adoption of distinct bundles of HRM practices and ultimately affect organizational performance in family SMEs. Indeed, women in the family SME social context, to meet certain gender expectations, are more likely to implement steward-oriented HRM practices. This reinforces the role of women as key players in improving organizational performance by adopting people-centered HRM practices that promote employee satisfaction and retention.Originality/valueUsing the fsQCA analysis and the gender theory, family business and HRM literature, the paper investigates the role of women in Italian family SMEs as CEOs or HR managers in implementing HR management practices to achieve good organizational performance.

An abductive exploration of sustainability implementation intent among family business successors: extending the theory of planned behavior

This study explores factors driving family business successors’ intent to implement sustainable practices. Using an abductive approach with 15 second-generation successors, we identified eight primary factors influencing sustainability implementation intent: environment, future orientation, business improvement, family relations, employees, customers, values and mindset, and community development. Three moderating variables were also found: personal resistance, external factors, and financial expense. Our findings contribute to family business and sustainability literature by proposing a novel theoretical framework capturing the complex interplay of factors shaping successors’ sustainability intentions. This research offers insights for promoting sustainability in family firms and enhancing their long-term resilience.

The Importance of Selected Clauses in International Sales Contracts from the Point of View of Risk Perception and Attitude

Abstract Research background Universally, it remains unknown which clauses used in international sales contracts are seen by the business sector as crucial for reducing perceived risks. It is also unknown whether there is a relationship between companies’ attitudes toward risks and the number of clauses they consider essential in international sales contracts for this purpose. Purpose The paper surveys how Czech companies assess the importance of selected clauses in an international sales contract when trying to reduce the risks they perceive. The primary purpose is to learn whether there is a concordance with the available literature on the number of clauses considered important, key, or necessary for reducing risks. Research methodology Companies were offered nine clauses commonly used in international sales contracts and were asked to rate them according to their importance for reducing risks. Furthermore, possible relationships between companies’ attitudes toward risk and the number of clauses these companies perceive as important from the point of view of their risk attitude were investigated. Results Whereas the existing literature provides different numbers of key clauses a sales contract shall include to make such a contract safe enough from the perspective of the perceived risks, the 114 surveyed Czech companies mostly gave the highest level of importance to four of the nine assessed clauses only. These clauses are the identification of parties, price setting, the object of sale and payment terms. There is an indication that companies with an aggressive attitude toward risks could consider fewer clauses as important. Novelty The study suggests that the number of clauses that are formulated with enough care for the sake of risk reduction is lower than the numbers proposed by the existing sources. The authors contradict extant academic business literature and expert texts on the issue in question by launching the first survey among companies ever. Note This paper is a significantly modified and extended version of a text presented at the 48th EIBA Annual Conference – Oslo, in December 2022.

Configurational theory in business and management research: Status quo and guidelines for the application of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA)

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) has become a key method in Business and Management research, sparking significant discussions about its use. While many studies have explored QCA's application across various research contexts, there has been limited focus on the critical link between its theoretical foundations and methodological applications. Our review of QCA literature in Business and Management research (n = 675 articles) reveals that many studies focus more on methodological aspects than configurational theorizing. Despite repeated calls for stronger theoretical integration, only a limited number of studies have successfully employed QCA in a way that aligns theoretical principles with empirical investigation. Additionally, we found a predominant use of QCA in inductive research, though a surprising number of deductive studies misuse QCA for hypothesis testing—despite its incompatibility with set-theoretic approaches. We clarify that QCA should not be employed for hypothesis testing and emphasize its proper deductive use in evaluating theory through the alignment of theoretical propositions and empirical findings. Furthermore, we provide guidelines for conducting rigorous QCA and offer a research protocol to better align theoretical foundations with methodological applications. With this, the study contributes to the field by addressing gaps in how QCA is applied and enhancing its use in configurational theorizing.

A Review of Network Evolution: Cross‐Disciplinary Views, Frameworks, Methodologies, and an Agenda for Future Supply Chain Research

ABSTRACTThis article conducts an in‐depth review of the existing literature on network evolution, with an emphasis on understanding how supply chain networks change and evolve. This review has identified a total of 1148 articles in the area of network evolution, comprising 120 articles from business literature and 1028 articles from non‐business literature. Adopting a structured approach, we provide a roadmap for supply chain network evolution (SCNE) to systematically build a multidimensional understanding of SCNE and bridge the gap between theoretical underpinnings and research methods useful to investigate SCNE. We first broaden the scope to identify insights on dynamic network evolution from a wider array of disciplines. Next, we categorize the drivers of SCNE identified within the business literature into exogenous and endogenous factors. We then synthesize theoretical frameworks that lay the groundwork for future research directions proposed in the context of these frameworks. Finally, we outline contemporary methodologies for studying network evolution and evaluate their relevance and application to the supply chain management (SCM) field. Collectively, this roadmap paves the way for a deeper, interdisciplinary understanding of SCNE and outlines a future research agenda, providing a forward‐looking path for supply chain researchers to explore SCNE.

Are you a loyal diner? Enhancing post-consumption behaviors in full-service settings through personalization, friendliness and motivation

PurposePersonalization is a key element of restaurant innovation. Few studies in the business literature have examined its influence on table-service consumer behavior, including the factors that strengthen or weaken domain relations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of personalization on brand identification and repurchase intention by providing a contingent view of several crucial factors.Design/methodology/approachOnline surveys were distributed to restaurant customers who received personalized menus, services and promotions. The authors collected data using purposive sampling and tested this study’s hypotheses using regression analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that personalization influences brand identification and loyalty behaviors. Not all aspects of employee friendliness, notably conversational skills, strengthen the links between personalization and consumer behavior. In fact, informal frontline employee attitudes negatively moderated customer brand identification. The results, however, suggest that humorous and approachable behaviors of frontline employees are essential in enhancing the effects of personalization on brand identification and revisiting intentions.Originality/valueDrawing on self-categorization theory, this study introduces personalization as a key factor in improving brand identification and repeat purchase intentions in full-service restaurant settings. This study incorporated social exchange theory and motivational theory to construct a contingency view of frontline employee friendliness and customer motivation to better understand how customers’ dining experiences impact their post-consumption behaviors. By investigating the potential interactions between the three theoretical perspectives, this study demonstrates the relevance of personalization, cultural sensitivity and intrinsic motivation as vital components for Asian restaurants.

Remaking the Multinational Corporation: Geographically Dispersed Unbundling and Intangible Assets

Over the past decades, we have observed the emergence of multinational corporations (MNCs) that are increasingly characterized by their high levels of unbundling and geographic dispersion of their activities and by their greater reliance on intangible (vs. tangible) assets. We develop a novel typology of MNCs on the basis of these two characteristics and explore how different types of MNCs have been exposed and are likely to respond to the slowdown in the global economic integration since the 2008 global financial crisis. We argue that the degree to which MNCs have unbundled and geographically dispersed their activities and their reliance on intangible (vs. tangible) assets will affect the risks associated with cross-border transfers of goods and services and with holding overseas assets. We advance the international business (IB) literature and contribute to the global strategy literature by using our novel typology to examine MNCs’ exposure and their likely response to deglobalization pressures.

Paving towards the sustainable development goals: Analyzing the nexus of financial technology, business-centric-tourism, and green growth

The world is facing crucial challenges such as environmental degradation, social inequality, and slow economic growth due to the current transformative era. These challenges constitute a significant barrier to unlocking the world's full potential. In response, green growth has emerged as a focal point in global discourse due to the pivotal shift of legislators and researchers from conventional economic growth to sustainable and green growth. This research will examine the influence of financial technology and business-centric-tourism on green growth for a full panel of 148 worldwide economies and four different income-levels during the period spanning 2004–2021. The financial technology index comprises twenty-one enabling and integrated variables that capture the intersection between finance and technology. The two-step system GMM (Generalized Method of Moment) corroborated by the 2SLS (Two-Stage Least Square) method indicates that financial technology and business-centric-tourism endorse green growth for the world overall, while mixed results were observed at different income-levels. Moreover, energy transition, globalization, and business environment positively influence green growth, while it is negatively impacted by urban transition and socio-economic conditions. This study aligns its outcomes with the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) of 2030 and adds value to business literature on green growth by offering significant policy implications for achieving balanced and inclusive growth.

Identifying and developing the roles of private business actors in international regime complexes

Abstract Business actors play increasingly important roles in global governance and international regulation. This paper considers how regime complexity influences the roles of businesses and impacts opportunities for business influence on international regulatory regimes. We conducted a scoping literature review of 243 articles from the International Regime Complexity (IRC) theory literature to explore if and how complexity affects the roles of businesses and their influence on international regulation. We found that complexity presents opportunities for businesses to regime shift and exploit knowledge asymmetry in order to influence international regulation. Further, IRC theory illustrates how the roles of businesses interact and leverage one another in order to create better opportunities for influence in specific international regulatory regimes. This paper contributes to IRC theory by building on the existing non-state actor discussions and offering specific theorization of business behavior, thus starting to bridge the gap between the empirical and theoretical understanding. Second, it contributes to existing discussions in business and politics literature by developing existing knowledge on the roles of businesses in global governance to better reflect the added dimension of complexity.

The Ethics of Unhealthy Food and Beverage Advertising to Children: A Bibliometric Analysis and Future Research Agenda

The widely advertised category of unhealthy food and beverages (F&B) is calorie-dense, nutrient-poor, and associated with long-term harm, particularly for children. Business literature has been largely silent regarding the ethicality of its advertising targeting children and lacks clarity on questions future research needs to address. Based on a bibliometric analysis of 1,851 articles published between 1973 and 2021 containing 70,379 citations, we uncovered five intellectual clusters underlying research on the ethics of unhealthy F&B advertising to children (ATC). Importantly, we propose a concrete roadmap featuring actionable and pertinent unanswered questions to stimulate research in this crucial domain.