Contingency Factors Research Articles

Not that simple: unraveling contingent factors linking firm R&D investment and patenting performance

PurposeExisting research suggests a positive relationship between firms’ research and development investments (RDIs) and their patenting performance (PP) according to assumptions of linear productivity and homogeneous behavior. This study unravels the RDI–PP relationship by taking a strategic view to reveal its underlying mechanisms.Design/methodology/approachWe study the effects of firms’ RDI on PP in the context of China’s listed firms in 16 patent-intensive industries, including the pharmaceutical, computer communication, electronic equipment and electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing industries. To test our hypotheses, we use panel data from 2010 to 2017. We apply generalized estimating equations to estimate our models.FindingsThe study finds an inverted U-shaped relationship between RDI and PP that arises from the transition of innovation portfolios and the strategic balancing of patenting costs and benefits. The study further examines two contingencies: (1) top management team (TMT) education level and (2) TMT compensation. It shows the turning point of the inverted U-shape shifts to the right when TMT education level is high; the curve flattens when TMT education level and TMT compensation are high.Originality/valueWe contribute to literature on innovation and appropriability strategy in three ways: First, we reveal the underlying mechanisms of the inverted U-shaped relationship between RDI and PP. Second, because previous research on appropriability strategies pays little attention to how innovation portfolios influence patenting decisions at the firm level, we provide evidence and insights on how the tension between exploitative and explorative innovations affects appropriability strategies. Third, we connect appropriability strategy literature with two streams of literature: corporate governance and upper-echelon theory.

Testing the mediation effects of contingent factors on the relationship between management control systems and performance in higher education institutions

Testing the mediation effects of contingent factors on the relationship between management control systems and performance in higher education institutions

Rights of Nature Through a Legal Expressivist Lens: Legal Recognition of Non-Anthropocentric Values

AbstractThe shortcomings of existing legal tools to abate species extinctions and habitat losses raise the attractiveness of recognizing rights of nature (RoN), in effect granting legal standing directly to non-human entities and collectives. RoN have been recognized in several domestic legislations and attract increasing popularity and enthusiasm. Yet, from an analytical and general perspective RoN rely on a contentious relation between concepts such as intrinsic value and interests, respectively, as justifying RoN. Consequently, a general analytical defense of RoN has not been provided and recognition hitherto has been constrained to the contingent factors of domestic legislations. Here, I will provide an examination of RoN by way of expressive theories of law where law expresses (some) ethical values. Expressive theories of law have not previously been related to RoN. I will examine whether such theories have the potential of defending RoN as rights that legislatures have strong general reasons to recognize. The examination of RoN through the lens of expressivist legal theories provide a better understanding of RoN, and the analytical and conceptual commitments they presuppose, including the relation between ethics and law and the values underpinning RoN to be expressed by law.

Does CSR contribute to firms’ open innovation? Evidence from China

Purpose Open innovation enables firms to incorporate external expertise and resources into their innovations. However, it is far from easy to obtain sufficient support from external contributors due to potential concerns about the risks of opportunism and appropriation. This paper aims to investigate whether firms’ engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributes to their open innovation, considering the contingency factors of technological capability, environmental dynamism and state ownership based on capability and motivation perspectives. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of Chinese listed firms covering the period from 2009 to 2018, instrumental variable and propensity score matching approaches were used to address the endogenous problems. Findings This paper obtains empirical results showing that firms engaged in higher levels of CSR produce more joint outputs (co-owned patents) and that this effect is strengthened by technological capability and environmental dynamism. Among state-owned enterprises, CSR engagement is less impactful with regard to open innovation. It is further shown that open innovation is a primary channel through which CSR engagement enhances innovative efficiency. Originality/value This study enriches the knowledge of the antecedents of open innovation and contributes to the debate regarding the relationship between CSR and innovation by establishing a relationship between CSR and open innovation, whereas most prior studies focus on how the input and output of innovation are affected by CSR initiatives.

Adapting Management Control Systems to Organizational Contingency Factors: A Study of Moroccan Industrial Companies

This study investigates how organizational contingency factors, namely company size, environmental uncertainty, technological capacity, and organizational structure, affect the design and effectiveness of management control systems (MCS) in Moroccan industrial companies. Drawing on contingency theory, which emphasizes the alignment of organizational systems with contextual factors, this research applies quantitative methods to a sample of 190 industrial firms in Morocco, achieving a 76% response rate to the distributed surveys. The data are analyzed using correlation and linear regression techniques to explore these relationships. The findings reveal that larger firms, those operating in dynamic and uncertain environments, and those with advanced technological systems tend to implement more sophisticated, integrated, and participative MCS. Furthermore, flexible and decentralized organizational structures significantly enhance the adoption of adaptive control systems. These results underscore the importance of tailoring MCS to organizational characteristics and environmental conditions, particularly in emerging market contexts. This study’s novel contribution lies in its application of contingency theory to a non-Western industrial context, addressing a gap in the literature by demonstrating how specific regional factors influence MCS practices. This research offers practical insights for Moroccan industrial firms seeking to improve their operational efficiency, adaptability, and strategic decision making in volatile markets.

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Interaction on Value Co-Creation in Online Collaborative Innovation Communities Based on the Service Ecosystem Framework.

Interaction is typically at the core of the value co-creation process through operant resource exchange in online collaborative innovation communities (OCICs). While some studies emphasize the facilitating effect of interaction on value co-creation, others have drawn opposite conclusions, such as more peer interaction leads to less idea generation. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to utilize the service ecosystem framework to clarify the overall relationship between interaction and value co-creation and to explore the moderating factors that may have contributed to the divergence and inconsistency of previous studies. We conducted a meta-analysis of 65 effect sizes obtained from 63 articles with a cumulative sample size of 25,185 between 2004 and 2023, using a random effects model. The results indicate that interaction has a significantly positive impact on user value co-creation within OCICs (r = 0.453, 95%CI [0.405, 0.499]), and the heterogeneity among studies was significant (Q = 1409.29, p < 0.001). The strength of this correlation was moderated by the types of interaction (human-computer or human-human interactions), the types of OCICs (business-sponsored or socially constructed online communities), and the number of involved OCICs (one or multiple online communities), but not by the cultural background. These findings support the service ecosystem perspective rather than resource scarcity theory by resolving the mixed findings regarding the relationship between interaction and user value co-creation. Furthermore, this study systematically examined the contingent factors separately across three levels, micro (types of actor interactions), meso (types and number of OCICs), and macro (cultural background), combining the whole and the part insights, and empirically integrating service ecosystems as the foundational paradigm and unit of analysis for value co-creation research for the first time. This research contributes to theoretical frameworks in service ecosystems and offers actionable insights for management practices in business and marketing.

Impact of stress, job satisfaction, work–life balance and telework on auditors’ job performance: a PLS-SEM and fsQCA approach

PurposeThe present study aims to analyze the influence of stress, job satisfaction and work–life balance on auditors’ job performance and examine the moderating effect of telework on previous relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe research data are collected through an electronic questionnaire with 322 Portuguese auditors. We used a partial least squares–structural equation model and fuzzy set quality comparative analysis to test our hypotheses.FindingsThere is a positive relationship between job satisfaction and job performance. Conflict, positively, and ambiguity, negatively (components of stress), influence job performance. Work–family conflict was shown to be equally impactful in decreasing auditors’ technical knowledge and ability, and this effect was amplified in the presence of telework. The results show the existence of a complex structure of configurational arrangements that are sufficient to achieve high job performance.Practical implicationsAudit firms need to pay attention to employees’ feelings related to their work since their well-being affects their job performance. In general, the teleworking context did not affect the relationships studied, which means that audit firms can enjoy its advantages without compromising audit quality.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the growing literature on the determinants of auditor performance. The inclusion of teleworking as a contingent factor is a theoretical innovation in auditing studies. The results emphasize the importance of researchers including the multi-method approach for a better understanding of the complex structure of configurations that are sufficient for job performance.

How a Nazi occupied India’s first chair in International Relations

Abstract This article contributes to disciplinary histories of International Relations (IR) by revealing a little-known history: how a Nazi diplomat, Curt Max Prüfer, occupied the first chair in IR in India. While the paper documents how Prüfer, a discredited diplomat, landed in Delhi through his connections with peripatetic Indian anti-colonial networks and spent slightly over two years as the first IR chair at Delhi University, it also makes broader claims about how we narrate disciplinary histories. Intellectual genealogies, the predominant way in which disciplinary histories are written, often miss the contingent factors that play a considerable role in the fashioning of the discipline. Contingency-filled narratives also point towards the fact that International Relations/Affairs, at least in its early period of formation, operated as a term of mythical heft – a placeholder to fit anyone with academic or practical expertise in varied fields such as international law, colonial administration, anthropology, diplomacy, history, political economy, and military strategy.

Business groups and firm-specific characteristics: influences on entrepreneurial orientation

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of business group (BG) affiliation on affiliated firms' entrepreneurial orientation (EO). The authors further investigate the possible contingent factors affecting this relationship – the age of BGs and the affiliated firm’s external linkages (ratio of external to in-house interlocks) on the relationship in an emerging market context.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a dynamic panel data framework using the system-generalized method of moments (Sys-GMM) on a sample of 670 NSE-listed Indian firms during the 2006–2019 period. EO is measured through content analysis of the letters to shareholders (LTS) issued by the companies between the period 2006 and 2019.FindingsBG affiliates have more EO than standalone firms, as affiliates can access group-wide resources and capabilities apart from firm-specific resources. Affiliates of older BG have less EO since they are more entrenched in the institutional settings of their BG. Affiliates with more external linkages of board members will have a higher level of EO, as such linkages would subside inertial tendencies by exposing them to novel sets of information, resources and strategic practices. Further, the negative effect of BG age on EO is countered by external linkages. Overall, the study shows that the effect of group affiliation is not uniform and is contingent on the factors we have theorized and tested.Originality/valueThe paper proposes the resource-based view and the institutional void theory as likely candidates for explaining the contribution of BGs towards the EO of its affiliates, especially in the context of emerging markets. The contingent role of BG age highlighted in the paper forewarns managers about the importance of establishing internal mechanisms to preserve the EO in affiliates. Our findings about the positive role played by external linkages of the board members provide one such mechanism that can be leveraged to enhance affiliated firm’s EO.

Bridging the gap between entrepreneurial intentions and behavior: examining the role of mindfulness

PurposeThis study investigates the role of mindfulness in the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and behavior.Design/methodology/approachTo investigate the effect of mindfulness on entrepreneurial intention and behavior, we adopt a conceptual framework based on the theory of planned behavior and develop our hypothesis, anticipating that mindfulness has a moderating effect on the entrepreneurial intention–behavior relationship. We conduct an empirical study by administering a survey questionnaire with 329 respondents who attended a training program organized by one of the leading management institutes in India.FindingsWe find a positive effect of entrepreneurial intention and mindfulness on entrepreneurial behavior. Further, mindfulness has a moderating effect on the entrepreneurial intention–behavior relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has a few limitations. It was conducted among unemployed youth who participated in a government-sponsored training program for the promotion of entrepreneurship. Although not all the participants in the program were automatically eligible for government funding for starting a business, their entrepreneurial intention–behavior relationship may vary based on their conditions after the training concluded. This study emphasizes only the relationship between mindfulness and entrepreneurial intention behavior, considering EI and well-being implicit in mindfulness. Other contingent factors might also influence the entrepreneurship intention–behavior relationship, but our argument is that, ultimately, all emotional and rational factors can be subordinated to mindfulness. Hence, future research could be carried out to study the effect of mindfulness practice, entrepreneurial intention and the effectiveness of implementation behavior. Further longitudinal studies could be designed to understand how mindfulness training bridges the gap in the entrepreneurial intention–behavior relationship.Practical implicationsThrough this study, we offer empirical evidence on the role of mindfulness in moderating the intention–behavior relationship in entrepreneurship. Mindfulness makes people more aware of their internal and external environment when they pay attention with a purpose that helps them to regulate their emotions, cognition, novelty seeking and social contexts to sustain the ups and downs in starting a business.Originality/valueThe findings of the study offer new insights into the nuanced association between entrepreneurial intention and behavior through the lens of mindfulness.

Do metaverse implementation announcements enhance firms’ stock market value in China? A signaling theory perspective

PurposeThe metaverse has garnered increasing attention from researchers and practitioners, yet numerous firms remain hesitant to invest in it due to ongoing debates about its potential financial benefits. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze how the implementation of metaverse initiatives affects firms’ stock market value – an area that remains underexplored in the existing literature. Additionally, there is a significant lack of research on the contingency factors that shape the stock market reaction, leaving a noticeable gap in managerial guidance on the timing and benefits of investments in the metaverse. To narrow these gaps, we examine whether and when the implementation of metaverse initiatives enhances firms’ stock market value.Design/methodology/approachBased on 73 metaverse implementation announcements disclosed by Chinese listed firms during January 2021–August 2023, we employ an event study approach to test the hypotheses.FindingsWe find that metaverse implementation announcements elicit a positive stock market reaction. Moreover, the stock market reaction is stronger for technology-focused announcements and smaller firms, or when public attention to the metaverse is higher. Nevertheless, firms’ growth prospects do not significantly alter the stock market reaction.Originality/valueThis study extends the nascent literature on the metaverse by applying signaling theory to offer novel insights into the signaling effect of metaverse implementation announcements on stock market value and the boundary conditions under which the effectiveness of the signal varies. Besides, it provides managers with important implications regarding how to tailor the investment and information disclosure strategies of the metaverse to more effectively enhance firms’ stock market value.

Analyzing the influence of organizational culture and top management orientation on the relationship between e-procurement and firms’ performance: a contingency factors perspective

This study emphasizes the significance of organizational culture and top management orientation in influencing the success of e-procurement, supply chain sustainability, and firm performance. The study exclusively utilized a quantitative research approach in formulating the framework for the study. convenience sampling was adopted during visits to selected organizations, where a total of 400 questionnaires were administered to available procurement staff. The final sample size for the study was determined by the 385 respondents who completed the questionnaire during the researcher's visit. The findings of the study indicate that electronic procurement has a positive and significant influence on firm performance. Electronic procurement has a significant positive effect on organizational culture. Organizational culture has a significant positive effect on firms’ performance. Organizational culture is a statistically significant mediates the relationship between electronic procurement and firms’ performance, with a moderately strong positive effect. Top management orientation positively and significantly moderates the relationship between organizational culture and firm performance. The interaction between contingency factors and organizational culture does not significantly impact firm performance. It underscores the need for organizations to align their culture and leadership style with the requirements of e-procurement implementation

Enhancing Marketing Outcomes with Innovative Indigenous Products: A Case Study of Smes Supported By P3ud in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra

The primary aim of this study was to empirically examine the contribution of the Innovative Indigenous Product (IIP) approach in enhancing the marketing performance of MSMEs supported by P3UD in Deli Serdang District, North Sumatra. Through the distribution of questionnaires to 98 MSME participants and the application of Smart-PLS 3.0 for analysis, the results reveal that IIP significantly contributes to the relationship between market orientation and marketing performance, suggesting that market orientation indirectly influences marketing performance by fostering IIP. These findings highlight the importance for MSMEs to explore innovative products and services rooted in local culture, which not only boosts marketing performance but also fosters sustainable competitiveness. Additionally, the results suggest that government support plays a critical role in shaping the relationship between market orientation and marketing performance. Overall, the mediation and moderation effects underscore the significance of contingency factors as indispensable elements in efforts to enhance marketing performance.

Does environmental cooperation with suppliers matter under environmental strategy focus and digital technology knowledge?

ABSTRACT Environmental cooperation with suppliers (ECS) helps firms to effectively manage dispersed suppliers, thereby addressing stakeholders’ environmental concerns. However, the literature is inconclusive regarding the relationship between ECS and financial performance (FP). Unlike previous research on ECS, this study uses the motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA) theory to analyze the relationship between ECS and FP, with firm innovativeness as a mediator. Furthermore, environmental strategy focus and digital technology knowledge are considered contingent factors in the link between ECS and FP. The SPSS version of PROCESS was employed to test the hypotheses, using ordinary least squares regression with survey data collected from 136 Chinese firms. The results reveal that firm innovativeness positively mediates the relationship between ECS and FP. Moreover, environmental strategy focus and digital technology knowledge strengthen the indirect impact of ECS on FP via firm innovativeness. Finally, this study provides theoretical and practical implications for firms when implementing ECS and firm innovativeness.

The differentiated roles of digitalization in firms’ value chain activities: a double-edged sword?

PurposeBuilding on the value chain model, this study develops a theoretical framework to illustrate the associations between digitalization and firms’ value chain activities from three typical dimensions including R&D investment, manufacturing cost efficiency and marketing cost efficiency. The roles of unabsorbed and absorbed slack resources in their relationships are also examined.Design/methodology/approachBased upon a large sample of Chinese manufacturing firms from 2016 to 2020 and then employing text mining-based analysis and the multiple regression model, this study empirically tests the effects of digitalization on firms’ value chain activities and how these effects are moderated by slack resources.FindingsThe findings show that increase in digitalization leads to an increase in firms’ R&D investment and a decline in manufacturing cost, but results in an increase in marketing cost. In addition, the unabsorbed slack resources and absorbed slack resources play differentiated roles in the associations between digitalization and these value chain activities.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the debate on how digitalization facilitates or hinders the value increment by employing the value chain model and further analyzing the impacts of digitalization on three value chain dimensions: R&D investment, manufacturing cost efficiency and marketing cost efficiency. This study extends the possibility that the influences of digitalization on different value chain dimensions may vary depending on some key contingency factors such as unabsorbed and absorbed slack resources.

The effect of standardized advertising, managerial ties and born global orientation on export performance

PurposeGiven the contradictory findings of standardization/adaptation of marketing strategy in explaining export performance in the extant research, this study aims to examine the contingent effects of managerial ties and born global orientation in the standardized advertising-export performance conceptualization.Design/methodology/approachThe study used two-respondent method in the survey research by a sample of 155 exporting firms operating in the industrial marketing based in Australia and New Zealand and applied hierarchical regression analysis to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that standardized advertising has a significant effect on export performance and this relationship is positively moderated by business ties. Such effect is particularly enhanced for born global firms (than nonborn global firms). However, political ties negatively influence the impact of standardized advertising on performance and such effect is stronger for born global firms.Research limitations/implicationsA broader perspective of contingent variables should be included to examine the underlying relationship between standardized advertising and export performance in capturing the dynamism in international marketing contexts, such as institutional frameworks or sociocultural environments in host countries.Practical implicationsStandardized advertising is critical for born global firms’ export performance as it can increase efficiency and speed up internationalization processes. Such positive impact of standardized advertising on export performance is further enhanced if born global firms allocate resources to develop strong business ties with host country partners instead of building political ties with host country governments, because smooth business networking can facilitate standardized advertising on industrial marketing, yet justifiable political relations require intricate negotiations that often prolong internationalization progress.Originality/valueThis study incorporates managerial ties and born global orientation as contingent factors in fixing the theoretic interlock between standardization advertising strategy and export firm performance.

A semblance of freedom: Horkheimer and Adorno’s conception of myth

In this paper I argue that the pessimistic reading of Horkheimer and Adorno’s Dialectic of Enlightenment, which suggests reason is ensconced within the domination of myth, misses a key component of the authors' argument. Specifically, it misses the possibility that the liberation from the heteronomy of myth might occur via a critique of myth. Using Owen Hulatt’s reinterpretation of Adorno’s account of the tension between mimesis and self-preservation as a point of orientation, I show that while myth for Horkheimer and Adorno is synonymous with a heteronomous form of life, they simultaneously recognize it as an incomplete but largely untapped mediator of the history of human experience (via language), and thus a promising source of rational self-knowledge. Specifically, myth can illuminate fragments of both the contingent factors that led to human sociality becoming entwined with domination, while also offering momentary reflections of the kinds of life that were relinquished in the drive for instrumentalised survival. I propose that for Horkheimer and Adorno it is myth’s linguistic mediation between a community of speakers and their (often violent and ambiguous) pasts that is unique. It is thus myth’s capacity to offer a meditation on those other possibilities of human existence that presents a renewed chance of enlightenment.

Visitor’s Perception towards Event Management in Kathmandu Valley

Background: Events are significant drivers of tourism and play a key role in the development and marketing of destinations. In Kathmandu Valley, the increasing trend of event organization has raised questions about visitor perceptions toward event management. However, no previous study has explored this topic in Nepal. Objective: The study aims to analyze visitor perceptions of event management in Kathmandu Valley, focusing on how affective engagement influences these perceptions and identifying areas for improvement. Method: An exploratory research design was adopted to uncover the realities of visitor perceptions. Quantitative data was collected from 343 respondents and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships between variables. Result: The study found that affective engagement significantly impacts visitor perceptions. Attendees expect high-quality service from event companies and are likely to share their experiences on social media platforms like Facebook. Most respondents were between the ages of 21-30, indicating a strong youth interest in event attendance. The analysis revealed that one independent variable, affective engagement, had a significant effect on one hypothesis related to contingent factors, while another hypothesis was rejected. Conclusion: Event management companies in Kathmandu Valley should prioritize affective engagement, addressing attendees' emotions and feelings. Enhancing internal management practices can lead to better service delivery, addressing common issues such as overcrowding, location, and security. Additionally, adopting modern technologies could further attract and satisfy attendees, improving overall event experiences. Paper Types: Research Paper Key words: Event management, Planned behavior, Affective engagement, SEM, Quality of the event JEL Classification: C38, D9, N95, N3

The Janus Face of Italy’s Far Right

When Giorgia Meloni, the leader of a party with fascist roots, was elected Italy’s prime minister, liberal alarm bells went off. Concerns soon evaporated, however, as Meloni continued Italy’s policy of support for Ukraine against Russia and refrained from picking fights with the European Union. Her adherence to what looked like a traditional centre-right foreign policy mystified observers across the Atlantic, who neglected her more troubling domestic policies. In liberal-minded and pro-EU quarters, the belief emerged that if Meloni showed that moderation could pay off electorally, other far-right parties could follow suit. However, Meloni’s foreign policy is arguably less the result of a genuine change of heart than of contingent factors such as a strongly Atlanticist US administration, Italy’s need for EU cash and a lack of competition for the leadership of Europe’s far right. All these conditions may vanish in the coming years, and if they do, Meloni may find that her experiment in moderation is not politically expedient after all.

The cost of ‘cost reduction’: An integrative review of blended workgroups

Blended workgroups, comprising both standard and nonstandard employees, are increasingly used by organisations to reduce costs, however, evidence on their effectiveness has been mixed. This integrative review analyses 96 relevant empirical studies, and organises the findings along three themes: impacts at individual and organisational levels, theoretical perspectives explaining the mechanisms of workgroup dynamics, and contingency factors influencing benefits and costs. Our findings offer four key insights: the importance of composition, the need for a multi-perspective approach, the development of targeted management practices, and the significance of career lifecycle management, all of which have important managerial implications. We suggest five avenues for future research: integrating theoretical perspectives, addressing employee psychological well-being, considering contextual factors, examining temporal changes, and analysing the impact of gender dynamics.