Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research Articles

Patient influencer: the impact of homophily on value co-creation behaviour in online health communities

ABSTRACT The world has witnessed a rapid rise of online health communities (OHCs) where patients can create a powerful network of support and resources to make a meaningful difference in people’s health lives. Despite this rapid rise, healthcare authorities and organisations are under enormous pressure to create a sustainable environment for OHCs. Prior studies revealed that encouraging patient value co-creation behaviour (VCB) is substantially beneficial for successful OHCs; however, what factors influence these patient behaviours to co-create value is still unknown. To fill this gap, this study uses the service-dominant logic perspective of value co-creation theory and discloses how homophily between patient influencers and patients in OHCs effect VCB. The data was collected through a self-administered survey from 422 patients who are users of OHC in China and was analysed via partial least squares structural equation modelling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results revealed that homophily positively influences VCBs, i.e. participation behaviour (PB) and citizenship behaviour (CB). A parasocial relationship only moderates the relations between homophily and (PB), whereas the influencer ethical interaction capability significantly moderates the relationship of both homophily with patient PB and CB. Furthermore, the fsQCA findings signify the robustness of the study model.

A configurational analysis of innovation environment and industrial green total factor productivity

This paper examines the necessary and sufficient influence of the innovation environment, which incorporates various innovation variables, on IGTFP from a configurational standpoint. This paper utilizes fuzzy qualitative comparative analysis and necessary condition analysis methodologies. A total of 11 models are found to be driven by the innovation environment for IGTFP. Technological output is necessary for IGTFP and thus a fundamental factor in various models. The effects of wages and human capital on IGTFP are also relatively significant. Longitudinally, there is no consistent innovation environment-driven model. This paper reveals the intricate associations between the innovation ecosystem and IGTFP while elucidating the mechanism of variable effects on IGTFP influenced by varying spatio-temporal environments, which significantly amplifies current comprehension of the mean effect link between the two. Concurrently, the article furnishes methodological direction for subsequent investigation into the complexity of the relationships between relevant variables.

Hidden stories and the dark side of entrepreneurial commitment

PurposeEntrepreneurs are generally considered to be committed in order to strive for highly desirable goals, such as growth or commercial success. However, commitment is a multidimensional concept and may have asymmetric relationships with positive or negative entrepreneurial outcomes. This paper aims to provide a nuanced perspective to show under what conditions commitment may be detrimental for entrepreneurs and lead to overinvestment.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of entrepreneurs from incubators in France (N = 437), this study employs a configurational perspective, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), to identify which commitment profiles lead entrepreneurs to overinvest different resources in their entrepreneurial projects.FindingsThe paper exposes combinations of conditions that lead to overinvestment and identifies five different commitment profiles: an “Affective profile”, a “Project committed profile”, a “Profession committed profile”, an “Instrumental profile”, and an “Affective project profile”.Originality/valueThe results show that affective commitment is a necessary condition for entrepreneurs to conduct overinvesting behaviors. This complements previous linear research on the interdependence between affect and commitment in fostering detrimental outcomes for nascent entrepreneurs.

Assessing Green Practices on Eco-Friendly Hotel Customer Loyalty: A Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling and Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis Hybrid Approach

With a global focus on environmental sustainability, hotels worldwide are actively transitioning their services from conventional to eco-friendly practices. This study aims to comprehensively understand the factors that contribute to visitors’ satisfaction in eco-friendly hotels and how this satisfaction influences customers’ future reactions towards such environmentally conscious establishments. Employing the Stimulus-Organism-Response theory, this study collected data from 277 respondents using a robust quantitative research strategy. A combined approach of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was employed, to uncover deep insights into visitors’ satisfaction and their reactions towards eco-friendly hotels. The PLS-SEM results reveal significant associations between customers’ satisfaction towards eco-friendly hotel services and service quality, green practices, perceived value, and environmental sensitivity. Moreover, this study highlights a positive correlation between satisfaction and crucial outcomes like revisit intention (RVI), willingness to pay a premium (WTPP), and word-of-mouth intention (WOMI). Complementing these findings, the fsQCA analysis uncovers intricate causal relationships among antecedents that influence customer satisfaction in eco-friendly hotels. By offering critical marketing insights, this study provides guidance for hotels, the tourism industry, and policymakers on attracting customers to eco-friendly hotels, to meet the increasing demands for environmental sustainability.

TED Talks and entrepreneurial intention in higher education: A fsQCA approach

Higher education institutions are aware of the importance of entrepreneurship education in reflecting real-life scenarios and increasing students' professional opportunities. Universities attempt to nurture students' entrepreneurial skills and awaken their entrepreneurial intention through specific or transversal entrepreneurship courses in a wide variety of degree programs. By using active learning techniques, such as TED Talks, students can improve their entrepreneurial intention. However, the potential of TED Talks to stimulate students' entrepreneurial skills and intention has not yet been studied from a multicausal perspective. This study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by describing an educational experience based on active learning at a Spanish university. TED Talks were introduced to stimulate entrepreneurial intention in undergraduate students (n = 25) and master's degree students (n = 32). The impact of the experience was assessed using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Given this approach, no single characteristic was found to lead to high (or low) levels of entrepreneurial intention in students. Instead, combinations of factors were found to cause this outcome. The findings show different student profiles that lead to high and low entrepreneurial intention. The findings thus confirm the multicausal nature of entrepreneurship in higher education institutions.

Beyond regression: Unpacking research of human complex systems with qualitative comparative analysis

This study underscores the effectiveness of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) when compared to conventional regression analysis (CRA) in the investigation of complex human systems. Utilizing historical secondary cross-national data from Lipset & Man (1960) spanning 18 countries, where CRA may be impractical, the research emphasizes the superior performance of QCA, specifically utilizing both crisp set QCA and fuzzy set QCA. The dataset includes variables such as democracy survival and its precursors, such as gross national product per capita, urbanization, literacy rate, and industrial labor force. In contrast to conventional regression results indicating an insignificant relationship between democracy survival and its antecedents, crisp set QCA identifies two distinct combinations of antecedents associated with high levels of democracy survival, albeit with limited solution coverage. Meanwhile, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) reveals five combinations of antecedents linked to robust democracy survival, providing adequate solution coverage and consistency. These findings suggest that fsQCA excels in capturing the intricacies of real-life scenarios in human complex systems, offering more robust empirical solutions compared to crisp set QCA and conventional regression. As a result, researchers may find value in integrating fsQCA into their new projects focused on human complex systems.

How do local governments respond to central mandate in affordable housing policy? A qualitative comparative analysis of forty-one Chinese cities

Countries in developed and developing worlds have faced growing challenges to solve affordable housing shortages for lower-income households, prompting the adoption of various types of mandates to compel local implementation of affordable housing policy. A large volume of literature has focused on whether and how such top-down mandate indeed improves local supply of affordable housing. Insufficient understanding has been provided regarding the multi-faceted nature of local strategic responses to a top-down housing mandate. This research addresses this intellectual gap with an empirical study of local strategic behavior in response to the affordable housing mandate that was announced by the central government during the Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2011–2015). Through systematic content analysis of local news reports on affordable housing from 41 Chinese cities from various provinces, we describe the multiple-dimensional characteristics of local policy actions as cities were compelled to complied with the mandate. We further employ a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method to investigate how top-down political pressure combines with local policy interpretation, resource mobilization capacity, and local public pressure lead to more diverse policy actions in affordable housing. This research enriches the understanding of how city governments respond to top-down housing mandate, as well as offers valuable policy implications for affordable housing policy.

Cultural values and voice as determinants of customers' marketing research cooperation: A fuzzy set perspective

AbstractFirms and their managers have long been concerned with encouraging customers to take on an active role in their marketing research activities. The critical question for these firms is how to foster collaboration with customers in marketing research to enhance the firm's marketing effectiveness and simultaneously benefit the customers. This study focuses on the role that individuals' cultural values and customer voice potentially play in shaping how customers perceive marketing research cooperation with the firm. We analyzed data from a sample of 270 customers of apparel store brands in an African country. Utilizing fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis, our research reveals that the combinations of antecedent conditions that enhance marketing research cooperation significantly differ from those that impede it. Theoretically and managerially, our study expands the understanding of how marketing research cooperation is contingent upon the combination of customers' cultural values and their voice.

Multinational enterprises' R&D commitments in Chinese provinces: A configurational approach

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are increasingly off-shoring some of their R&D to emerging markets, including China. Much of the extant literature on MNEs' investments in R&D facilities abroad analyses technological and institutional factors at the national level, typically using regressions to examine how host-country institutions influence foreign MNEs' outlays. It, therefore, tends to downplay the importance of sub-national and non-technology-related institutions, and how configurations of home- and host-country institutions interact to influence R&D commitments abroad. Drawing on the global factory model and the Varieties of Capitalism approach, we identify five causal conditions that may influence MNEs' R&D commitments abroad. Conducting an abductive fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, we find four combinations of causal conditions are sufficient to explain substantial R&D commitments in different Chinese provinces. The combination of local corruption and provincial R&D intensity is important, as are the MNE's home-country stock-market capitalization to GDP ratio and minority investor protection. We contribute to the literature on MNEs' investments abroad by extending the importance of sub-national institutions to include those not directly related to technology. We also reveal how combinations of institutions (rather than individual ones acting independently) from the MNE's home and host contexts explain MNEs' R&D commitments in Chinese provinces.

Necessity- and opportunity-based female entrepreneurship across countries: The configurational impact of country-level institutions

This study proposes an integrative framework for analyzing the interdependence of multiple institutional supports for necessity- and opportunity-based female entrepreneurship across countries. The proposed framework incorporates three streams of national institutional systems to capture cross-country variations in national economic institutions, social welfare systems, and socio-cultural attitudes that jointly promote both types of female entrepreneurship. We conducted a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, which covered 150 country-year observations for 65 countries between 2011 and 2014. The findings suggest that while the two types of female entrepreneurship are associated with different configurations of national institutional supports, there are multiple equifinal pathways for each type to prosper. This study enriches the literature on female entrepreneurship by explicating its institutional embeddedness across countries, thus providing policymakers with important policy implications for supporting female entrepreneurship.

DOES N-ACETYLCYSTEINE SUPPLEMENTATION DURING AN ALTITUDE TRAINING CAMP ENABLE TRAINING QUALITY AND SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES? A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY

INTRODUCTION & AIMS Elite athletes regularly incorporate training at altitude into their programs to enhance performance. However, the additional stress of exposure to a hypoxic environment needs to be carefully managed by coaches and sport scientists. Supplementation with antioxidants, such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC) may support the athlete’s immune system to cope with this stress. Preliminary evidence also suggests NAC may further promote haematological adaptations to hypoxia. Combined, the potential health and adaptive benefits of NAC warrant further investigation. Conducting ecologically valid and scientifically robust research in an elite sporting setting can be challenging due to small sample sizes, an inability to experimentally manipulate training, and the inherent complexity of the training environment. To account for these challenges, a comparative case study approach was used. METHODS Thirteen swimmers completed a three-week ‘Live-High, Train-High’ camp in Flagstaff, USA (elevation 2,100m). Beginning four days prior to the camp commencing, swimmers where randomly assigned in matched groups to consume NAC (1,200mg per day; n = 6) or a placebo supplement (n = 7) for 14 days. With each athlete defined as a case, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis was used to examine the configurational effects of attributes (i.e., antioxidant support, sufficient ferritin, maintained body mass) previously associated with successful altitude training camps on physiological and performance outcomes. RESULTS NAC was not a solely sufficient or necessary attribute for increased haemoglobin mass. Higher consistency in haemoglobin mass was observed with high training quality. NAC and high training quality contributed to performance improvements. CONCLUSION Swimmer responses were highly individual with successful physiological and performance outcomes achieved by some, irrespective of having attributes that can impair adaptation to altitude training. Subjective training quality provided important contextual information. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis is a novel approach in sports science to evaluate the interrelationship of attributes that can impact performance.

What are the barriers towards cervical cancer screening for vulnerable women? A qualitative comparative analysis of stakeholder perspectives in seven European countries

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to map and compare stakeholders’ perceptions of barriers towards cervical cancer screening for vulnerable women in seven European countries.DesignIn Collaborative User Boards, stakeholders were...

How women hold up half the sky? A configurational analysis of women’s political leadership participation?

Purpose Existing research has examined the results of women’s political leadership participation (WPLP) and the reasons for the lack of advancement of women to management positions. However, little research has been adopting a more comprehensive framework and configuration perspective to investigate the determinants of WPLP. By integrating institutional theory and institutional complementarities theory, this study aims to construct an institution–culture–structure framework to investigate the multiple driving mechanisms of WPLP. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method and a sample of 66 countries, the authors identify multiple equifinal combinations of conditions related to high and not-high levels of WPLP. Findings According to the results, the authors summarize five pathways influencing WPLP. These pathways include education and culture-driven pattern, political institutions-driven pattern, political institutions and structure-driven pattern, integrated-driven pattern and political institutions and culture restrictive pattern. Originality/value The authors shed new light on the driving mechanism of WPLP and contribute to research on making full out of women’s leadership.

Mission Statement Components and Social Enterprise Sustainability: Findings from a Mixed-Method Approach

Mission statement components are crucial for the sustainability of social enterprises. Based on content analysis and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), we investigate the link between mission statement components and sustainability in a sample of 148 Chinese social enterprises. Our findings indicate that social enterprises’ mission statements are both socially and commercially focused. An individual mission statement component does not constitute a necessary condition for the high sustainability of social enterprises, but products or services and enterprise philosophy play a universal role in this regard. There are four configurations of mission statement components that lead to high social enterprise sustainability. This study helps to reveal the complexity of the impact of mission statement components on social enterprise sustainability.

Spillover effects and influencing factors of tourism eco‐efficiency for sustainable development: A case study of cities in the Yangtze River Delta

AbstractTourism often brings about negative environmental impacts. Tourism eco‐efficiency (TEE) and its spatial coordination are of great significance for sustainable tourism development and environmental protection in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). TEE index system was established and applied in this study. The inter‐city TEE spatial correlation network is established by the modified gravity model and analyzed by social network analysis (SNA). Spatial Durbin model (SDM) was used to analyze the spatial spillover effects of the two centrality indicators of the network. Based on fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, we analyzed TEE enhancement configuration. The results show that: TEE in 26 cities in the study area has improved overall; the phenomenon of unbalanced development within the region still exists. In addition, the TEE of each city in the spatial correlation network of TEE in the YRD urban agglomeration is connected with each other, and there is a significant negative spillover effect. TEE is mainly affected by the level of economic development, industrial status of the tourism industry, tourism industry concentration, tourism investment level, tourism resource endowment, urban landscaping, and information development level. The combination of these factors and TEE can form five configuration patterns for TEE enhancement. This study combines SNA and SDM for the first time, and the conclusions obtained can more deeply describe the spatial correlation between different urban eco‐efficiency in the YRD. Aiming at the sustainable development of regional tourism, this study provides help for strengthening the protection of tourism ecological environment in the YRD.

글로벌기업의 산학협력, 연구개발 인적자원, 기술능력 및 정부지원의 결합효과

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between Industry-University (I-U) cooperation affecting technology innovation and business performance through combination with R&D human resources, technology capability, and government support targeting global companies. Design/Methodology/Approach - Based on existing literature, we reviewed factors expected to affect the technology innovation and business performance of global companies and selected I-U cooperation, R&D human resources, technology capability, and government support. The complex relationship between these factors was proposed as a conceptual research model. Data for analysis was from 613 companies among the 2022 survey data of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings - The I-U cooperation of global companies was found to be a core condition that affects technology innovation. Even if a company does not utilize government support or has poor technology capabilities, I-U cooperation appears to be an important factor in determining technology innovation. In addition, the R&D human resources of global companies were found to be a core condition that determines technology innovation, and the I-U cooperation of global companies was found to be a core condition that affects business performance. Research Implications - It was revealed that the I-U cooperation of global companies, combined with R&D human resources, technology capability, and government support, is an important factor affecting technology innovation. In addition, it was revealed that the I-U cooperation of global companies is an important factor affecting business performance in combination with R&D human resources, technology capability, government support, and technology innovation.

Searching for a recipe for success: environmental citizen petitions under free trade agreements

ABSTRACT Submissions on enforcement matters (SEMs) allow civil society members to assert that one party to a free trade agreement (FTA) is failing to enforce its domestic environmental laws. Submissions that survive every step of the SEM process result in a ‘factual record’ prepared by a secretariat on enforcement matters. Relying on qualitative comparative analysis and an original dataset compiling the 158 SEMs submitted under the framework of US FTAs, I investigate what conditions make submissions more likely to succeed in leading to a factual record. I find that the existence of previous submissions dealing with the same facts, submissions against developing countries, and the presence of at least one non-governmental organization as a submitter contribute to a submission’s success, but only in conjunction with other conditions and for a limited number of cases. This result provides overall evidence that secretariats’ decisions are unbiased by the factors examined in this paper.

How policy promotes the integration of culture and tourism? A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis based on the Policy Instrument Theory.

Crafting pertinent policies to facilitate the high-level integration of culture and tourism has now become a vital agenda within the current discourse in China. However, relatively little is known about the actual implementation of various policies to achieve a high-level integration, especially how combinations of policy instruments are deployed in the process of realization. Based on the Policy Instrument Theory, this study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis on a sample of 31 provincial administrative regions in China to investigate the influence of typical policy instruments on the integration level of tourism and culture. The results show that each single policy tool is not necessary for high-level integration of culture and tourism. On the contrary, only through an organic combination of different policy tools can affect the integration level. This study also summarizes five policy instrument configurations, which can be grouped into four driving modes of culture-tourism integration: the environment-driven supply-demand coordination mode, supply-driven demand-environment coordination mode, supply-driven mode, and supply-driven environment coordination mode. This study considerably provides critical theoretical and practical insights into the integration of culture and tourism from the perspective of governmental policies.

Exploring the drivers of supply chain sustainability: An internal and external configuration perspective

AbstractThe global supply chains sustainability and viability has been severely impacted due to the emergence of black swan events such as COVID‐19. Previous studies have examined how to enhance supply chain sustainability from a single internal capability perspective or an external relationship perspective, few studies have examined the combined effects of internal and external factors to enhance supply chain sustainability. To fill this research gap, this study investigates the multivariate relationship from internal capabilities and external relationships mutually complementary perspective to improve supply chain sustainability. Grounded on dynamic capabilities theory and relational view, we put forward the supply chain dynamic capability construct under the internal perspective, and relationship construct with supply chain members under the external perspective. Based on the configuration theory, 270 data from enterprises were analyzed using fsQCA (fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis), and the results shows that: first, there is no necessary condition for generating high supply chain sustainability, which means that individual factors do not lead to high supply chain sustainability; second, this study identified two paths to achieve high supply chain sustainability: capability‐driven and relationship‐driven, which reflects the multiple paths and complex mechanisms to achieve high supply chain sustainability; third, this study finds the important role of supply chain dynamic reconfiguring capability in forming high supply chain sustainability. These results can provide some theoretical guidance for enterprises to improve supply chain sustainability and achieve high quality economic development.

Using formal theory in evaluation – What is it and how is it used?

Little information is available about how formal, social science theory has been used in outcome evaluations. This gap exists in debates about what role theory has in evaluation. To help address this, we need to understand variation in formal theory use in real-world practice. This research applied systematic qualitative coding to identify and classify patterns of theory use, followed by qualitative comparative analysis. The terms describing theory are defined and formal theory is differentiated from other kinds of theory, such as program theory. The study found instances of borrowing and repurposing theoretical material in a cohesive sample of 17 outcome evaluation reports covering programs addressing complex social problems, drawn from cross-cultural contexts. Theory was mostly used for post hoc explanation and less often used upfront in framing, design and conduct of evaluation. The concrete approach in the literature of applying formal theory to measure and explain causal pathways to behavioural outcomes was found, as was layered use of a range of theoretical material. This article offers insights that may assist evaluators to undertaken more sophisticated and reflective approaches to using theory. Thinking about ways we use theory could form part of the tool-kit of techniques available to evaluation practice.