External Contingencies Research Articles

How and when does digitalization influence export performance? A meta-analysis of its consequences and contingencies

PurposeThis study aims to clarify the direct impact of digitalization on export performance (EP) by synthesizing previous research and testing this relationship empirically. Furthermore, the study investigates digitalization types, contextual moderators and method moderators affecting the impact of digitalization on EP.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses meta-analysis to test the digitalization–EP relationship (k = 81) using data from 106 independent samples involving 62,082 respondents across nearly 30 countries.FindingsThe study finds digitalization’s positive and significant effect on EP (r = 0.36). The impact of digitalization on EP is also subject to different moderators, including digitalization type (i.e. digital capabilities), contextual factors (i.e. institutions, export experience, development of the region and industry) and method factors (i.e. back translation and strategy measurement).Originality/valueScholars have initiated studies on the impacts of diverse digitalization types on EP, while empirical findings on these effects remain inconclusive. Based on resource-based theory, the study develops and validates a comprehensive meta-analytic framework, revealing the important influence of digitalization on EP. The moderator findings further highlight the impact of internal and external contingencies on the outcomes of exporting firms’ digitalization.

Exploring the process of restoring psychological needs after incidences of frustration and need unfulfillment.

Research on psychological need restoration after incidences of need frustration holds promise for deepening our understanding of the dynamic nature of psychological needs proposed by self-determination theory. We aimed to extend this work by exploring differences in the process of restoring psychological needs after indences of frustration versus need unfulfillment. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 Danish adults varying in age, gender, and physical activity levels. Data were analyzed using the Framework Method. We identified four distinct yet interconnected phases in the need restoration process: Discrepancies between Actual and Desired Need States, Experiencing Negative Emotions, Initiating Plans for Action, and Action Stage. These stages offer a comprehensive framework for understanding how individuals restore their needs. We discerned contrasting approaches to need restoration depending on prior experiences of need frustration due to external contingencies versus need frustration due to internal factors and need unfulfillment. Need frustration due to external contingencies prompts withdrawal, aligning with the avoidance strategies identified in the literature. Conversely, unfulfilled needs and need frustration due to internal factors lead to proactive engagement, highlighting a distinct 'fight' response. These insights extend existing research, providing a nuanced understanding of the dynamic processes of need restoration.

Entrepreneurial Culture and Continuous Improvement to Handle Environmental Turbulence

Abstract The purpose of this study is to understand how organizations behave when faced with turbulent external environments characterized by rapid change, uncertainty, and unpredictability. We look at different dimensions of environmental turbulence, for example, regulatory forces, economic changes, and political changes that directly shape organizational strategies. Literature suggests that while dealing with market dynamics companies must go beyond traditional paradigms to embrace a proactive approach toward change thus making decisions that shape new potential opportunities and being always ready to act and react swiftly according to market changes. Entrepreneurial firms can indeed lead to innovative interventions, driving market developments. The research utilizes a single case study approach that is somewhat revealing to explore the strategic responses of a firm in a resource-based industry facing globalization pressures. There are two broad streams identified: Continuous Improvement and Entrepreneurial Culture. Corporate strategy regarding market dynamics impact and internationalization efforts falls under the category of continuous improvement approaches which emphasize coping with external contingencies. The second macroaggregate on Entrepreneurial Culture deals with stakeholder orientation, organizational agility, and the influence of entrepreneurial ideas and values in corporate responses to disruption. The firm is actively involved in shaping its own future by taking a change-focused approach that involves both forwardthinking management decisions but also an entrepreneurial mindset. This study will contribute to the literature on firm’s organizational learning, focusing on how to strategize in turbulent environments. Furthermore, the study will provide a holistic view of different resources and components of a change that are extensively analysed independently in the literature. Thus, looking at how they are combined for company success.

Longitudinal perceptions of gamified loyalty programs (GLPs): a mix of slot machines and entertainment toys

PurposeThis paper seeks to understand users' perceptions of their experiences in mobile applications (apps) with gamified loyalty programs (GLPs) that use rewards as the primary engagement vehicle. The research focuses particularly on the motivations to further interact with GLPs and the motivational changes occurring after successive interactions.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted weekly open qualitative interviews over a month (four rounds of interviews) with five Portuguese active users of the mobile app Yorn Shake It, from Vodafone, which is a relevant case study to illustrate GLPs in mobile apps.FindingsParticipants' motivations to interact with the mentioned GLP are shaped by the reward incentive and users' perceptions of the gamified interactive experience. Motivational changes occur regardless of the presence of external contingencies and depend on contextual changes or perceived results of the gamified experience. This means that rewards also satisfy intrinsic needs, but users may remain connected to the system as long as fun experiences are provided without exhausting perceptions. Also, motivation may turn to reward contingencies when the challenge becomes boring.OriginalityThis is the first qualitative study explaining the perceptions of gamified experiences after continued participation, extending knowledge about the importance of a fair balance between the value and achievement of rewards and the entertainment of the challenge provided after continued exposure. The findings provide insights to GLP marketing managers and developers to better engage target audiences according to their needs and past experience, creating levels of challenges and fair rewards to maintain motivation and prevent abandonment after continued exposure.

How critical success factors combine to influence success? A configurational theory approach on multiple social projects

PurposeIn literature, it is recognized that there is no universal set of critical success factors (CSFs) applicable to all projects. The goal of this research is to validate a theoretical model which considers that CSFs’ influence on project success (PS) is configurational, that CSFs combine to influence PS.Design/methodology/approachThe authors proposed a theoretical framework which operationalizes CSFs considering contingency and institutional theories' terms, as external contingencies, organizational resources and project strategies, which influence PS. The framework is validated through a qualitative approach on 18 social projects implemented by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Based on the conducted semistructured interviews with NGO managers or project managers, 91 instances when CSFs combine to influence PS were identified.FindingsThe dominant path reveals the combination of CSFs in terms of strategies adopted to face contingencies (70 instances), another as resources which moderate managers' strategies (14 instances), and in seven instances positive contingencies and resources combine and influence the PS. The results reveal that CSFs combine in reactive and dynamic ways to influence PS.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the vast literature on projects' success by adopting a different perspective. Configurational theory explains project management and projects' complexity better than the traditional approaches, which have a rather correlational perspective.

Nonprofit-business collaboration: An empirical-based framework for value creation

While interest in nonprofit-business collaboration (NBC) has grown rapidly in the past decades, literature has underexposed the peculiarities of nonprofit organizations (NPOs), compared to the ample attention on the perspective of the firm and the implications for society. In specific, we lack clarity on how NPOs can deliberately seek collaboration with the business sector to foster their organizational viability and economic interests, in addition to their traditional focus on delivering social value and meaningfulness. This active approach has become imperative given the growing uncertainty of government funding and budgetary constraints. However, the proactive involvement in NBC is complex and risky. In this study, we address this dilemma by investigating several NPOs that are active in NBC. Based on the analysis and findings, we developed an empirical-based framework that explains the essence of NPOs’ proactive engagement with the business sector. More specifically, we offer subtle theoretical and empirical investigations of various internal and external contingencies that explain the effectiveness of NPOs in establishing collaboration with firms for value creation. Moreover, we advance the current debate concerning the need to establish a clear distinction between value creation for society (conceived as the sum of benevolent benefits obtained from the collaboration) and for the partners. As such, we showed that the active-in-collaboration NPOs distinguish between different NBC values that include economic benefits (for survival), institutional development (for organizational effectiveness), and transformational for changing business practice (for the fulfillment of mission). Therefore, we shift the focus from the predominating perspectives of society and business to consider NPOs as an active component of this relationship. Together, these findings offer a robust nonprofit-centric foundation that is necessary for NBC practice and theory development. JEL Classification: M1 Business Administration

The impact of intelligent manufacturing on labor productivity: An empirical analysis of Chinese listed manufacturing companies

Integrating a variety of disruptive information technologies and advanced manufacturing technologies, intelligent manufacturing (IM) has been increasingly adopted by manufacturers around the globe. While previous studies have extensively demonstrated the technological characteristics as well as industrial applications of IM, only a few studies have investigated the likely operational performance effects of IM at the firm-level, presumably due to limited data availability. Accordingly, the motivation of this study is to empirically examine the impact of IM adoption on operational performance in terms of labor productivity, and the conditions under which adopters may reap more benefits from IM. We leverage the resource-based view as the theoretical lens and use the difference-in-differences method to analyze the staggered implementation of IM pilot projects with 16,441 firm-year observations between 2010 and 2020 in China. Our results show that the adoption of IM has positive and significant impacts on Chinese listed manufacturing companies’ labor productivity. In addition, manufacturers with higher employee human capital quality and R&D intensity, as well as operating in more competitive industries will enjoy a more salient IM implementation-labor productivity benefit. Overall, our study contributes to the emerging IM literature by providing empirical evidence of the productivity enhancement effect of IM adoption based on large-scale secondary data, and it also supports the view that successful adoption of innovative technology stems from a proper fit between that technology and diverse internal and external contingencies.

Digitalization & Covid-19: An institutional-contingency theoretic analysis of supply chain digitalization

Black Swan external contingencies like the COVID-19 pandemic or Suez Canal blockage have a significant impact on the technology adoption decisions in firms. At a firm level, supply chains are the segments that are most prone to disruption due to these shocks. Hence the need to study the role of these contingencies in enabling digitalization in supply chains. Modern supply chains operate in a strong institutional environment that influences various aspects like technology adoption and digitalization. In this study, we bring these two aspects together by applying an institutional and contingency theory perspective. We investigate the institutional forces and the effect of environmental contingencies on the digitalization of supply chains. We propose a generalizable model to investigate digitalization readiness independent of the technological artefact being implemented. To achieve the same, we identify the forces of digitalization in the supply chains from the review of the extant literature. We then model the forces of digitalization into a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN). The study finds that organizational readiness and people readiness are critical elements of digitalization readiness. Our study reports the importance of top management's involvement and employees' training as the critical forces aiding digitalization.

Empowering supply chains with Industry 4.0 technologies to face megatrends

AbstractThis paper investigates how current megatrends (i.e., aging population, growing urbanization, shifts in consumer demands, geopolitical shifts, depletion of natural resources, climate change) are changing the supply chain landscape and the role of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies to support alignment with these changes. Building on contingency theory, the study employs focus‐group interviews with various experts to generate new insights into fitting supply chain capabilities and enabling technologies. Data collected in the focus groups helped us to identify five supply chain capabilities as prevalent and mostly fitting the external contingencies, i.e., customer‐driven, urban‐centered, resource‐efficient, fast reactive, and human‐centered supply chain. Moreover, this study highlights and compares the potential of I4.0 technologies and their applications in supporting specific supply chain capabilities. The findings of this study can inform supply chain managers in the definition of capabilities to be enhanced at the supply chain level and contribute toward understanding the extent of I4.0 technologies in empowering supply chains to face turbulent and changing conditions.

Impacts of contingency factors on the application of strategic management accounting in Vietnamese manufacturing enterprises

Based on contingency theory in the study of strategic management accounting, this study examines the internal and external contingencies of the organization that affect the application of strategic management accounting (SMA) in Vietnamese manufacturing enterprises. Using qualitative and quantitative methodology, qualitative methods are used to make questionnaires, and quantitative methods are used to measure the scale and analyze the impact of each factor. The data used in the study was collected using a survey questionnaire from a sample of 395 managers (directors, deputy directors, chief accountants) and accounting staff with knowledge of management accounting/strategic management accounting in Vietnamese manufacturing enterprises. Based on the collected survey data, we performed a multivariable linear regression analysis with SPSS 20 to test the relationship between the contingency factors and the application of SMA. Regression analysis results show that contingencies such as organization size, competitive intensity, organizational structure (decentralized management), organization’s technology, business strategy, and perception of market instability positively influence the application of SMA in Vietnamese manufacturing enterprises. Therefore, the study provides insight that contributes to a better understanding of the impact of contingency factors on the application of SMA in the context of manufacturing enterprises in emerging economies like Vietnam. This finding is useful for policymakers and business managers in developing and promulgating mechanisms to influence these random variables to motivate enterprises to use more SMA techniques.

A Socio-Cognitive Explanation of Organizational Grouping Decisions: Multidivisional Firms and the Formation of Their Divisions

We advance a socio-cognitive explanation of the grouping of a firm's activities into distinct divisions, each responsible for a specific set of activities. We argue that categorization creates expectations regarding which activities should be bundled, and grouping decisions that are inconsistent with these expectations are sanctioned. Hence, organizational grouping and reconfiguration decisions of multidivisional firms are influenced by categorical expectations, in addition to the interdependencies and shared external contingencies underlying a firm's activities and their perceptions and interpretations among managers. We also expect that the illegitimacy discount and associated performance penalty resulting from a firm's divergence in organizational grouping choices from categorical expectations will be lower for firms that span multiple categories or belong to an incoherent category. The socio-cognitive explanation we develop informs four theoretically relevant topics—labelling of organizational units, analogical reasoning, organizational identity, and categorical expectation violations—and has implications for future empirical research on organization design.

An empirical test of sponsorship theory on a population of business incubators between 2005 and 2017 – is it working or not?

ABSTRACT This article investigates how business incubator support affects subsequent firm performance. We build on and extend a recent focus on organisational sponsorship mechanisms, applying the lens to business incubators. We first ask: Is there an overall effect of business incubator sponsorship on subsequent firm performance? Second, we ask: To what extent do the decisions of business incubator managers, in terms of allocating resources to start-up firms, impact the subsequent firm performance? We use a unique dataset consisting of the entire population of business incubators in Sweden and their start-ups from 2005 to 2015. Results indicate that business incubator sponsorship has a positive effect on firm performance, while the effects of various forms of sponsorship vary from large positive to neutral effects. Thus, we confirm earlier research on the positive effects of sponsorship and give input on how business managers can use sponsorship theory to provide more optimal resource allocation over time. It appears that coaching and legitimacy have more positive impact on firm level performance compared to other sponsoring activities. Sponsorship is a complex issue, meriting increased theoretical and managerial understanding of its forms and mechanisms. In this respect, our study of how the sponsorship activities of business incubators affect start-up performance complements and extends previous studies of how the effects of business incubator sponsorship depend on external contingencies.

Emotion, Persuasion, and Team Adaptation: Advancing Theory Through Cinema

Contemporary models of team adaptation are highly cognitive in nature and operate under the assumption that teams possess the capacity to adapt. However, teams also face contingencies that erode their adaptability, threatening to stall or undermine the adaptation process. Anecdote points to the ability of some teams to employ affective communication to adapt in the face of these internal or external contingencies. Drawing from cinematic examples, we consider how pathos appeals influence team adaptation. Specifically, we examine three cinematic stories in which pathos appeals were used to leverage emotion by adapting teams. These stories enhance our understanding of team adaptation in the face of difficult and often unforeseen challenges, laying the foundation for new theory and an expanded understanding of how emotion and persuasion affect team change. We discuss these implications and propose new directions for future research.

The relationship between dividend payout and corporate social responsibility: The moderating effect of shareholder friendliness and board monitoring

The purpose of this study is to extend the previous literature on the dividend payout and corporate social responsibility nexus by considering internal and external contingencies. We specifically examine the relationship between dividend payout and corporate social responsibility and whether shareholder friendliness and board monitoring moderate this relationship. Based on a sample of 34,456 observations across 60 countries from 2003 to 2019, we find that dividend payout is positively associated with nine dimensions of environmental, social, and governance pillars, whereas dividend growth is negatively associated with them. Furthermore, we find that shareholder friendliness negatively moderates the relationship between dividend payout and some environmental, social, and governance dimensions, whereas board monitoring has a positive moderating effect. These results suggest that shareholder-oriented managers prioritize shareholders’ interests at the expense of stakeholders. However, the board plays a good monitoring role in resolving conflicts of interest between shareholders and stakeholders. Additional tests show that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between dividend payout and corporate social responsibility, suggesting that firms might find it difficult to balance the interests of both parties at high dividend payout. Finally, under weaker market regulations, the direct relationship between dividend payout and corporate social responsibility and the moderating effects are positive and stronger.

Does the ferry sector need soft total quality management practices? Evidence from an Italian ferry company

PurposeThe study aims to deepen existing knowledge on the specific role of soft total quality management (TQM) practices in the ferry sector. Over the last decade, TQM practices have been thoroughly restructured, allowing us to develop an appropriate framework through which the relevance of each practice to this particular sector can be explained.Design/methodology/approachA narrative case study has been conducted to enhance the quality orientation and soft TQM practices adopted by a medium-sized company in the ferry sector.FindingsThe study identifies five soft TQM practices that offer valuable contributions in terms of quality orientation. These are organised into a configurational and systemic approach according to a three-level framework. At the macro level, a customer-orientated approach is paramount, as this orientation clearly points out the fundamental values of TQM. Coherently, at the micro-level, employees should be trained, involved, and empowered to truly internalise and behave according to a quality orientation. At the meso-level, dedicated leadership should support these practices and foster their effectiveness across the organisational structure.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this study is related to its narrative analysis. More empirically-grounded research should be used in the future to test the validity of the model.Practical implicationsTQM practices can leverage soft aspects, finding mutual integrations and offering reciprocal support if a bundle of practices is enforced and co-present across several layers of an organisational structure.Originality/valueThe model offers a configurational approach to help the ferry sector in leveraging soft TQM practices to implement TQM initiatives successfully. This is subject to external contingencies and thus requires adaptability and flexibility.

From inclusive climate to organizational innovation: Examining internal and external enablers for knowledge management capacity.

As the diversity field evolves, scholars are shifting the attention from mitigating "problems" associated with diversity to searching for ways to leverage the potential value in diversity. We advance this field by studying how an inclusive climate benefits organizational innovation, an important foundation for sustained competitive advantage. Adopting a synergy perspective, we examine the internal (i.e., workplace demographic diversity in terms of age, gender, and region) and external contingencies (i.e., environmental scanning and environmental uncertainty) for an inclusive climate to foster incremental and radical innovation through the mechanism of knowledge management capacity. We tested our research model with a three-wave data collection from multiple sources (i.e., employees, human resource managers, and executives) in 102 organizations. We found that workplace age and regional diversity (but not gender diversity) strengthened the positive effect of inclusive climate on knowledge management capacity, and subsequently incremental and radical innovation. The facilitating effect of environmental scanning was only significant for organizations that experienced higher environmental uncertainty. Our research highlights the importance of considering the synergistic potential of internal human resources and external environments for organizations to capitalize on their inclusive climate for knowledge management and innovation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Good teachers and counter conduct

ABSTRACT Research on policy enactment has explored tensions created by accountability approaches associated with new forms of management under neoliberalism. These approaches generate particular discursive constructs of the ‘good teacher’ – constructs that often negate the rich, unmeasurable, and ethical practices associated with teacher professionalism. This paper draws on data generated as part of an institutional ethnography at an Australian school. Five teachers reflected on their work and the policies and procedures that govern it. They reported a range of practices for coping with the demands of policy enactment; described by one informant using the heuristic of attachment, aversion, and indifference. Significantly, the influence of external contingency – specifically in the form of climate change – represents a complex space in which teachers must navigate using ethical judgment and practical wisdom. This kind of ethical work creates demands that exceed the circumscribed notions of good teaching present in governing policies. Taking up the Foucauldian concept of counter conduct, this paper argues that these ‘unofficial’ practices are an expression of ethical professionalism. Rather than being explicitly ‘activist’, these teachers are simply engaging in ‘good work’ as it might be understood under the external contingencies associated with a changing and challenging world.

Digital Transformation and Green Innovation of Chinese Firms: The Moderating Role of Regulatory Pressure and International Opportunities.

The digitalization of business processes has increasingly challenged conventional wisdom in corporate green innovation. This empirical paper studies the timely but theoretically underexplored relationship between digital transformation and green innovation in a developing country context. Given that firms’ digital transformation shifts organizational structures toward decentralization, we employ a digital perspective to analyze organizational coordination, control, and learning mechanisms and propose that digital transformation positively affects corporate green innovation. Moreover, drawing on structural contingency theory, we demonstrate that such effects can be strengthened by external contingencies, specifically regulatory pressure and international opportunities. Using a dataset of Chinese listed firms, we find empirical support for our hypotheses. Our study is one of the first to examine how firms can leverage organizational digital transformation to enhance their green innovation performance and thus provides new insights into the drivers of sustainable practices for firms in developing countries.

Trust- and distrust-building mechanisms in academic spin-off relationships with a parent university

ABSTRACT Academic spin-offs have become widely recognized vehicles for the commercialization of research results, fostering regional growth by universities. However, expectations of benefits are accompanied by high failure rates, low survival rates and fragile development paths. Our study addresses the role and contribution of the parent university in ASO growth. While most prior research focused on external contingencies relevant for successful ASO development, we turn towards the relationship between the parent university and the ASO in order to better understand how its dynamics can support or impede growth. From a behavioral perspective, we argue that these relationships are consequential to the behavior of ASO entrepreneurs, their attention focus and their business development. Our study focuses on trust- and distrust-building mechanisms between the ASO and its parent university. In order to identify relevant patterns experienced by individuals, we use a purposeful sampling procedure for maximum heterogeneity. We collected 19 semi-structured interviews from 29 informants at the same research university, along with its 10 ASOs at various stages of development and from diverse academic fields. We follow a hybrid coding procedure, and thematically group emerging topics into overarching themes to find that trust and distrust appear at the same time within the same relationships. The interplay between trust and distrust appears as asymmetrical and ambivalent. We identify the mechanisms that lead to trust and to distrust at the individual and institutional levels. Our findings contribute to better understanding the behavioural underpinnings of effective ASO-parent university relationships.

Implicit Theories of Family Firm Ownership and Heterogeneity of Family Firm Risk Taking

A firm’s proactive risk taking is essential to sustaining a firm. Ownership structure is an important variable that purportedly determines risk taking. In relation to the most common ownership form around the world, existing literature suggests that family firms take less risk than non-family firms. However, family firms may differ in their risk preferences. To understand the drivers of family firm heterogeneity in risk taking, we leverage research on implicit theories to propose that family owners’ entity and incremental implicit theory orientations may influence risk taking. We then further consider several some key internal and external contingencies likely to influence the extent to which some family firms are likely to pursue risk taking based on their implicit theories.