Emerging Country Setting Research Articles

Adaptation strategy, international experience and export performance of Moroccan handicraft firms: the mediating role of partnerships

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the specific role that partnerships play in the relationship between adaptation strategy, international experience, and export performance of handicraft firms in an emerging country setting. The authors' purpose is to identify the key factors that may contribute to the success of export activities of small handicraft companies in international markets.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on a non-probability sampling technique, the authors collected survey data from 410 handicraft companies located in Morocco. The authors' conceptual model, which draws on the network theory, was tested using covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling by means of AMOS 24 Software.FindingsThe results indicate that adaptation marketing strategy and partnerships impact positively the export performance of handicraft firms. Partnerships also play an intermediary role by partially (fully) mediating the relationship between adaptation strategy (international experience) and export performance.Practical implicationsThis study may assist marketers and entrepreneurs in handicraft companies to better understand the causal relationship between adaptation strategy, marketing experience and export performance of entrepreneurs' firms. Managers in these companies should be aware of the importance that partnerships play in boosting the export performance through marketing practices and experience.Originality/valueThe authors' paper contributes to the scant literature on the adaptation marketing strategy and export performance and the intermediary role of partnerships in the specific context of handicraft businesses operating in North African emerging markets, namely Morocco.

Do boards influence audit quality? A multidimensional analysis

This study investigates how corporate boards of directors influence the quality of external audit in a sample of service firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). We contribute to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the efficacy of the corporate governance mechanisms through corporate boards to influence audit quality in an emerging country setting (i.e., Jordan). According to Chua (1986), this is mainstream “market-based” accounting research. We regress multiple dimensions that capture the quality of financial statements’ audit on a group of board of directors (BoD) characteristics for total observations of 225 firm-year obtained for 45 companies during the period (2014-2018). Specifically, the multidimensional analysis of the response variable, audit quality, includes audit firm’s internationalization, audit fees, auditor tenure, and the number of licensed practitioners at the audit firm. Using multiple linear (Panel Least Squares – PLS) and logistic regression models, we document empirical evidence that audit quality is positively affected by the independence and size of boards but negatively affected by CEOs duality, while no influence of the board’s expertise on any measures of the audit quality. The study provides implications for policymakers and investors regarding the signals that firms can send regarding the quality of financial statements audit when complying with the best practices of corporate governance

Can we anti‐consume our way to sustainability? Finding answers at the intersection of cultural values

AbstractAnti‐consumption behaviours are frequently seen as an effective way for an individual to mitigate harm done to the natural world and foster sustainability. Despite explicit calls to investigate the drivers of anti‐consumption behaviours, the effect of cultural values on anti‐consumption remains under‐researched. Our research examines the influence of two antecedents, cultural values (individualism and collectivism), and self‐efficacy on anti‐consumption behaviours in an emerging country setting. Our results indicate that cultural values influence anti‐consumption behaviours. Consistent with our expectations, we found that collectivistic values positively influenced anti‐consumption behaviours. This relationship remained valid across anti‐consumption behaviours, such as voluntary simplicity and brand avoidance. Furthermore, beyond our initial expectation, this study demonstrated a positive indirect relationship between individualism and anti‐consumption, which is activated through the self‐efficacy pathway. These findings suggest that approaches for managing anti‐consumption behaviour do not work equally well in all cultures, and that managers may need to fine‐tune their international marketing strategies to ensure their effectiveness.

A structured literature review of corporate governance and performance research within an emerging country setting

Research Question: The research proposition is to identify the particular interest of researchers, their work visibility and features, as well as the trend in the literature for corporate governance and corporate performance area of research from an emerging country perspective. Motivation: The relationship between corporate governance and company performance is a widely debated topic in the literature. Regardless of the popularity of the topic addressed in the accounting literature, little research focused on carrying out a structured literature review in emerging countries. Idea: The objective of this study is to debate on the relevance that the Romanian researchers has given to the study of the corporate governance and performance relationship. Data: The database selected for the research is Web of Science, counting a total number of 114 papers included in the study. Tools: A Structured Literature Review (SLR) is conducted, analysing the research published by the Romanian academics, referring to corporate governance and the performance of the companies. Findings: The results illustrate multiple waves both in the interest of the researchers, as well as in the validation of their research. Most of the studies engage a quantitative methodology, focusing on the national companies’ policies of corporate governance. Furthermore, the authors concentrate within three main universities in the country. Contribution: This paper provides an approach to discover under-investigating topics and methods, thus being a starting point for researchers who will further study this subject. It may have direct implications especially in the academic environment of the European emerging countries.

Organizational Justice and Affective Commitment in the Post-Revolution Tunisian Context: The Role of Employment Type

ABSTRACT The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of organizational justice (OJ) on affective commitment (AC) taking into account the employment type (ET). Data were collected from 864 employees working in the Tunisian telecom sector. Structural Equations Modeling and Multi-Group Analysis were used to test the hypotheses. The results highlight the ineffectiveness of the traditional distributional justice facet and the prevalence of the socio-emotional component (interactional justice). Most importantly, the results confirm that ET has a moderating effect. Procedural justice and vertical interactional justice have a greater effect on temporary employees’ commitment. Whereas, horizontal interactional justice may be an important lever of the commitment of permanent employees. This study offers a better understanding of the OJ contribution to AC. It offers a reading grid for managers of telecom sector to better lead and identify key elements that may boost the commitment of different types of employees (permanent vs temporary). Moreover, this model is applied in an emerging country setting in order to bridge the research gap. The distinction between the vertical and the horizontal interactional justice can be considered as a novelty in this field of research.

Conceptualizing a new model for luxury brand purchase intention in an emerging country setting

Most of the research on luxury brands has been conducted across rich Western countries. The resulting models may reflect socio-economic and cultural attributes of these countries that do not exist elsewhere. This paper proposes a model suitable for emerging countries that are asserting themselves on the global stage thanks to globalization. This proposed model will be used to pursue a comprehensive scholary study across Sri Lanka. The main attributes of studies in luxury consumption research include consumers’ attitude, identity, personality, mindset, values, social influence, and financial power. Our proposed model combines these attributes along with personal cultural orientation. The exogenous factors of this model are Self-identity, Experiential Value, Consumption Value, Individual Difference, Social Influence, Consumption Type. The endogenous factors are Brand Consciousness, Brand Love, and Attitude Toward Luxury.

Review of Literature on the Historical Evolution of Luxury to Identify the Factors Associated with Consumer Attitude Towards Luxury Car Brands in an Emerging Country Setting

Luxury is concept that has been viewed by different scholars and industry experts in the brand marketing evolutionary process. Many studies have found that a number of factors affect the purchase of luxury goods and many researchers have shown their interest in luxury consumption. Because of globalization, global luxury products have gained their presence in emerging nations such as Sri Lanka. Luxury consumption involves reflection of the social class, lifestyle and consumer’s personality backed by the prestige consumption mindset rooted in their financial power, individual values, social values and attitudes. The perceived luxuriousness is often identified and argued under different dimensions such as quality, hedonism, prestige, exclusiveness, uniqueness, conspicuous consumption and tradition by many scholars. However, these dimensions have not been tested, discussed and analyzed from consumer behavior standpoint in an emerging country like Sri Lanka which consists of a new consumer segment that wishes to enjoy a luxurious living.

Liability of foreignness and anti-corruption reporting in an emerging market: The case of Turkish listed companies

Abstract: This study examines the association between different types of dependency on resources and/or pressures from the international community and the reporting practices on the fight against corruption of companies in an emerging country setting, that of Turkey. More specifically, we focus on the influence of multinationality, cross-listing, and membership of the United Nations Global Compact on this type of reporting. We use ordinal regression analysis to explore the association between the three factors mentioned above and anti-corruption reporting for a sample of Turkish firms on the Borsa Istanbul 100 index, while controlling for some other factors likely to influence anti-corruption reporting. Findings show a low level of reporting. They also suggest that companies with their shares cross-listed and companies which are members of the Uited Nations Global Compact do present higher levels of anti-corruption reporting than their counterparts.

The making of urban financialization? An exploration of brazilian urban partnership operations with building certificates

This paper provides two contributions to the research on urban planning and the financialization of land use. Instead of stressing the consequences of finance on others, it prioritizes the analysis of the social-technical constitution of finance itself within urban planning, and does so in an emerging country setting, which is still relatively understudied in the existing literature. We analyse a specific Brazilian planning instrument, i.e., the sale of securitized building certificates (CEPACs) in large urban (re)development projects (UDPs), as a potential constituent space of urban financialization. The paper explores how planners, financial consultants, contractors and builders/developers effectively shape the contradictory financial and physical design and implementation of UDPs with CEPACs. Although the initial evidence shows that there are still clear limits to the penetration of financial logics into land use planning, continuing regulatory rollout and the increasing activism of foreign investors suggest the instrument’s open-ended trajectory, with a potentially more significant role for financial actors in constituting urban financialization through CEPACs.

Designing a marine protected areas network in a data-limited situation

The science of designing a marine protected areas network is rapidly developing. However, translating the design principles for a data-limited situation is a challenge. The planning design that works perfectly in a developed country setting may not be readily applicable to a developing and emerging country setting because of constraints on data availability and social complexity. Using available global databases and local knowledge, a participatory-based, semi-quantitative framework for selecting suitable sites for protection in the Southern Negros Marine Key Biodiversity Area in the Philippines was implemented. The framework involved the accounting of marine resources; identifying areas of biodiversity and fisheries importance; and determining land- and sea-based threats to marine biodiversity, ecosystems, and its uses. Various initiatives that could engage the municipalities in Southern Negros in the networking process were identified.

Implementation of a multifaceted sepsis education program in an emerging country setting: clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness in a long-term follow-up study

To evaluate whether a multifaceted, centrally coordinated quality improvement program in a network of hospitals can increase compliance with the resuscitation bundle and improve clinical and economic outcomes in an emerging country setting. This was a pre- and post-intervention study in ten private hospitals (1,650 beds) in Brazil (from May 2010 to January 2012), enrolling 2,120 patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. The program used a multifaceted approach: screening strategies, multidisciplinary educational sessions, case management, and continuous performance assessment. The network administration and an external consultant provided performance feedback and benchmarking within the network. The primary outcome was compliance with the resuscitation bundle. The secondary outcomes were hospital mortality, hospital and ICU length of stay, quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gain, and cost-effectiveness. The proportion of patients who received all the required items for the resuscitation bundle improved from 13% [95% confidence interval (CI) 8-18%] at baseline to 62% (95% CI 54-69%) in the last trimester (p < 0.001). Hospital mortality decreased from 55% (95% CI 48-62%) to 26% (95% CI 19-32%, p < 0.001). Full compliance with the resuscitation bundle was associated with lower risk of hospital mortality (propensity weighted corrected risk ratio 0.74; 95% CI 0.56-0.94, p = 0.02). There was a reduction in the total cost per patient from 29.3 (95% CI 23.9-35.4) to 17.5 (95% CI 14.3-21.1) thousand US dollars from baseline to the last 3 months (mean difference -11,815; 95% CI -18,604 to -5,338). The mean QALY increased from 2.63 (95% CI 2.15-3.14) to 4.06 (95% CI 3.58-4.57). For each QALY, the full compliance saves US$5,383. A multifaceted approach to severe sepsis and septic shock patients in an emerging country setting led to high compliance with the resuscitation bundle. The intervention was cost-effective and associated with a reduction in mortality.