fsQCA Analysis Research Articles

Factors influencing nurse fatigue during COVID-19: regression vs. fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.

Nurses during COVID-19 who face significant stress and high infection risk are prone to fatigue, affecting their health and quality of patient care. A cross- sectional study of 270 nurses who went to epidemic area to support anti-epidemic was carried out via online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic on November 2021. A web-based cross-sectional survey of 270 nurses in China who traveled to Heihe City in Heilongjiang Province to combat the novel coronavirus epidemic. The researchers collected information on sociodemographic variables, anxiety, transition shock, professionalism, collaboration, hours of work per day, and fatigue. Regression and fuzzy-set Quality Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) evaluated the factors' impact on the nurses' fatigue. Regression analysis showed that the psychological variables significant for fatigue, transition shock (β = 0.687, p < 0.001) and anxiety (β = 0.757, p < 0.001) were positively associated with fatigue, professionalism (β = -0.216, p < 0.001) was negatively associated with fatigue, and among the work-related variables, cooperation (β = -0.262, p < 0.001) was negatively related to fatigue. FsQCA analysis showed that combined effects of work hours, anxiety, and nurses' educational status caused most of the fatigue (raw coverage = 0.482, consistency = 0.896). This study provides two main findings, the one is the greater transition shock experienced during COVID-19 in a new environment, low levels of professionalism, anxiety, and poor nursing teamwork situations lead anti-epidemic nurses to increased fatigue. Second, the fsQCA results showed that anxiety is sufficient for fatigue and that nurses' educational status, daily working hours, and anxiety are the most effective combination of factors.

What determines the performance of low-carbon cities in China? Analysis of the grouping based on the technology-Organization-Environment framework.

Addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions have emerged as shared global objectives. Enhancing the development performance of low-carbon cities has become an urgent and widely acknowledged concern for both government policy-making departments and academics. Drawing upon the complex grouping perspective and resource allocation theory, this study investigates how varying conditions related to technology, organization, and environment in Chinese low-carbon pilot cities can effectively allocate resources to shape the governance performance of low-carbon cities. This paper employs a comprehensive grouping analysis perspective, treating the research object as a combination of various ways between condition variables. It integrates the advantages of case studies and variable studies, and investigates the collective relationships between elemental groupings and outcomes using the fsQCA analysis method. This approach facilitates the understanding of multiple concurrent causal relationships within the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, accounting for different performance levels in Chinese low-carbon pilot cities, as well as addressing complex causal issues such as asymmetry and multiple scenario equivalence. Data from 30 representative low-carbon pilot cities in China were employed to validate the TOE theoretical framework. No single element alone can be considered a necessary condition for low-carbon city governance performance. However, environmental enhancement plays a more prominent role in the governance performance of low-carbon cities. Additionally, the presence of "multiple concurrent" technical, organizational, and environmental conditions leads to a diverse range of governance performance in Chinese low-carbon pilot cities. In other words, the driving paths of low-carbon city performance exhibit distinct pathways. The findings of this study can assist low-carbon pilot city managers in generating effective governance ideas, facilitating the successful implementation of low-carbon city pilot projects, and drawing valuable lessons from the experience of low-carbon city development in China.

How can regional innovation ecosystem affect innovation level? an Fs QCA analysis

ABSTRACT The regional innovation ecosystem is an important force to stimulate the innovation vitality by regions. Yet, gaps in previous research limit our understanding of how regional innovation ecosystems contribute to the innovative development of regions. Therefore, this study constructs the regional innovation ecosystem analysis framework from five aspects: innovation actors, government, innovation carrier, innovation resource and innovation environment. Based on the data of 30 provinces in China, we employ the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs QCA) to explore causal configurations of innovation ecosystem elements that drive regional innovation development. The results show that (1) regional heterogeneity existed in these configurations. Four types of configurations can drive high regional innovation including the ‘Innovation actors -Government-Carriers-Resources’ type; ‘Innovation actors -Government-Carriers-Personnel-environment’ type; ‘Knowledge innovation actors-government-carriers-resources-environment’ type; and ‘Technology innovation actors-government-carriers-resources-environment’ type. (2) In the three configurations that lead to low regional innovation, the lack of multiple ecosystem elements is the main reason for low regional innovation. (3) Substitutive relationships exist between innovation actors and the innovation environment.

Research on the Development Level, Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics, and Sustainable Development Path of the Digital Business Environment

This paper aims to measure the development level and dynamic evolutionary characteristics of the digital business environment, and explore its sustainable development strategies, which would contribute to the sustainable development of the digital economy. This study employs ecosystem theory to construct evaluation indicators for the digital business environment. Utilizing panel data from 272 cities in China between 2011 and 2020, the study applies the entropy weight method to measure the development level of China’s digital business environment. It further examines the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and sustainable development strategy of the digital business environment using methods such as kernel density estimation, Markov chain analysis, Moran’s I index analysis, Dagum’s Gini coefficient calculation and decomposition, and fsQCA analysis. The results indicate that the digital business environment steadily increased during the study period. Furthermore, there has been a gradual acceleration in the upward trend since 2017, with a higher probability of transition from cities with lower levels of the digital business environment to neighboring cities with higher levels. Cities with higher development levels are experiencing an increasing gap compared to the average level. There is a significant spatial positive autocorrelation in the efficiency of the digital business environment among Chinese cities, exhibiting a distribution pattern of “high-high” and “low-low” in spatial terms. Dagum’s Gini coefficient reveals that the regional differences serve as the primary source of spatial distribution disparities in the digital business environment, and there are four configuration paths to promote a sustainable digital business environment. Moreover, our findings have implications for policy makers, such as increasing investment in digital infrastructure, leveraging the spatial spillover effects of regions with a high level of digital business environment development, and enhancing the diffusion mechanism for optimizing the digital business environment.

Configuration paths of community cafe to enhance residents' well-being: fsQCA analysis of 20 cases in Shanghai.

Community cafes have emerged as a critical infrastructure for promoting communication and cultural construction in urban areas, and have gradually become an essential public place to enhance residents' well-being. However, despite their growing importance, more empirical research is needed on the emerging concept of community cafes, including the configuration analysis of their influencing factors. To address this gap, this study employs the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method to examine 20 community cafes in Shanghai, China. The configuration effects on residents' well-being are explored across five dimensions: activity quality, psychological cognition, physical quality, physical accessibility, and sociability. The findings reveal that sociability is necessary for high levels of residents' well-being. Three configuration paths are identified to generate high well-being, which can be classified into activity-based or acquaintance-based social interaction patterns based on spatial functions. Additionally, the study identifies five groups of non-high well-being configurations, in which lack of activity quality and sociability are core conditions. Overall, the study contributes to evaluating community public spaces and provides insight into the configuration of factors that contribute to residents' well-being. The study highlights that community public spaces can have significantly different impacts on residents' well-being, with sociability emerging as a significant factor. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify community public spaces' social orientation according to spatial conditions.

Residents’ perception of tourism impacts and their support for tourism development: a study of a Bektashi faith destination in Türkiye

ABSTRACT Prior research has broadly addressed the link between residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts and their support for tourism development (STD) in different destination-based contexts. However, the literature on residents’ perceptions of the impacts of tourism on their faith and how these perceptions affect their STD in a faith tourism destination remains tenuous. This study seeks to fill this gap by investigating the link between residents’ perceptions of the economic, cultural, environmental, social and faith impacts of tourism and their STD in the Bektashi faith tourism destination. A total of 244 valid questionnaires were obtained from the inhabitants of Nevşehir, Türkiye. The authors applied fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and PLS-SEM as asymmetrical and symmetrical approaches, respectively. The symmetrical approach demonstrated that only perceived cultural, social and faith impacts positively and significantly affect residents’ STD. The asymmetrical results provided more complex compounds of tourism impacts, with six configurations sufficient to create a high level of STD. The fsQCA analysis confirmed that only perceived faith impact was a necessity in determining residents’ STD. The results of the study suggest that, in order for faith tourism destinations to thrive, responsible authorities should avoid diminishing the faith elements.

Finer-grained understanding of travel livestreaming adoption: A synthetic analysis from uses and gratifications theory perspective

Travel livestreaming opens up new channels for value co-creation. Accordingly, following uses and gratifications theory, this research aims to identify and examine complex configurations that drive viewer value cocreation behavior. Firstly, factors falling into 3 categories of gratifications were extracted based on the interview and literature review, namely, source credibility, usefulness, remuneration, innovation, immersion, and real-time interactivity. Then, the results of SEM show that the six factors all contribute to the value cocreation behavior. Furthermore, the fsQCA analysis provides a finer-grained understanding of antecedent configurations. This study expands the scenarios of value cocreation and provides application implications for tourism livestreaming stakeholders.

Exploring the impact of knowledge management capability on firm performance: the mediating role of business model innovation

PurposeKnowledge management (KM) capability plays an important role in the promotion of firm performance in the knowledge economy era. However, empirical evidence on how KM capability affects firm performance is still limited. The study therefore aims to explore the impacts of internal and external KM capabilities on firm performance via the parallel mediation of efficiency-centered and novelty-centered business model innovations (BMIs).Design/methodology/approachThe authors empirically analyzed a survey data of 295 Chinese innovative enterprises by applying partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).FindingsAccording to the results of PLS-SEM, the relationship between internal KM capability and firm performance is not significant, instead it is fully mediated by efficiency-centered and novelty-centered BMIs. External KM capability can directly and positively affect firm performance, while the relationship is also partially mediated by BMIs. Furthermore, the authors recognized the antecedent conditions for high-level and low-level firm performance by fsQCA analysis, which substantiate the above findings.Originality/valueIt not only enriches the literature that links KM and innovation management but also contributes to the new theoretical perspective on firm sustainable growth. Methodologically, it combines symmetric and asymmetric analyses together. Additionally, it provides some insights for managers to understand how KM capability drives firm performance through BMI.

Factors influencing the complex problem-solving skills in reflective learning: results from partial least square structural equation modeling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis

BackgroundThe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development emphasizes the importance of complex problem-solving (CPS) skills in the 21st century. CPS skills have been linked to academic performance, career development, and job competency training. Reflective learning, which includes journal writing, peer reflection, selfreflection, and group discussion, has been explored to improve critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. The development of various thinking modes and abilities, such as algorithmic thinking, creativity, and empathic concern, all affect problem-solving skills. However, there is a lack of an overall theory to relate variables to each other, which means that different theories need to be integrated to focus on how CPS skills can be effectively trained and improved.MethodsData from 136 medical students were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLSSEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). A hypothesized model examining the associations between the CPS skills and influence factors was constructed.ResultsThe evaluation of the structural model showed that some variables had significant influences on CPS skills, while others did not. After deleting the insignificant pathways, a structural model was built, which showed that mediating effects of empathic concern and critical thinking were observed, while personal distress only had a direct effect on CPS skills. The results of necessity showed that only cooperativity and creativity are necessary conditions for critical thinking. The fsQCA analysis provided clues for each different pathway to the result, with all consistency values being higher than 0.8, and most coverage values being between 0.240 and 0.839. The fsQCA confirmed the validity of the model and provided configurations that enhanced the CPS skills.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence that reflective learning based on multi-dimensional empathy theory and 21 stcentury skills theory can improve CPS skills in medical students. These results have practical implications for learning and suggest that educators should consider incorporating reflective learning strategies that focus on empathy and 21 stcentury skills to enhance CPS skills in their curricula.

How commitment and platform adoption drive the e-commerce performance of SMEs: A mixed-method inquiry into e-commerce affordances

To cope with the digital transition exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, managers of manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need to adopt innovative practices to face uncertain scenarios and create long-term value, identified as transformational entrepreneurship practices. Among emerging digital technologies, digital platforms are shaping and outgrowing the e-commerce channel representing a potential opportunity for manufacturing SMEs to embrace digital transformation. Drawing on affordance theory, this research uses a mixed method approach to investigate how manufacturing SMEs’ e-commerce commitment and digital platform adoption stimulate the actualization of three e-commerce affordances: consumer knowledge generation, internationalization, and customer diversification. Based on survey responses from 165 manufacturing SME managers, we find that direct selling through owned websites actualizes consumer knowledge generation and internationalization, indirect selling actualizes customer diversification and internationalization, and agency selling through third-party platforms actualizes all three affordances. The relationship between e-commerce commitment and ecommerce performance is mediated by consumer knowledge generation and internationalization but not by customer diversification. A fsQCA analysis outlines seven configurations actualizing these e-commerce affordances by pairing different ecommerce approaches with degrees of e-commerce commitment. Finally, an analysis of open-ended questions from 24 respondents complements the study and deeply interprets the seven unique configurations outlined.

Research on the Influence of E-Learning Quality on the Intention to Continue E-Learning: Evidence from SEM and fsQCA

This study explores how Chinese college students perceive the quality of e-learning and its impact on their adoption of online learning. The study develops an impact model of e-learning quality on continuous learning intention based on the stimulus-organism-response framework, technology acceptance model, and information system success model. The model is validated using a structural equation model (SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) with data collected from 253 college students at a university in Eastern China. The SEM analysis shows that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness positively influence e-learning continuance intention, while system quality and personalization have a positive impact on perceived ease of use, and learning community positively impacts perceived usefulness. The fsQCA analysis shows that college students’ willingness to continue e-learning is not solely dependent on a single factor of e-learning service quality but is also influenced by the interaction between various factors. Therefore, e-learning providers should take into account both external stimuli and internal perception factors when designing e-learning services. The findings of this study have practical implications for improving e-learning quality and enhancing the online learning experience. E-learning providers should consider the importance of system quality, personalization, and learning community in improving perceived ease of use and usefulness, which in turn can increase students’ intention to continue e-learning. The study also highlights the importance of considering the interaction between various factors that influence e-learning adoption rather than relying solely on individual factors.

Entrepreneurship educators: a configurational analysis of factors influencing pedagogical choices

PurposeEntrepreneurship education (EE) is critical for developing the skills of tomorrow's entrepreneurs and leaders. While significant research examines the content, student learning processes and outcomes, less studied are the entrepreneurship educators and their pedagogical preferences. Following a cognitive process model of decision-making, this study explores how self-efficacy, philosophy of teaching, entrepreneurship training and teaching experience influence entrepreneurship educator preferences to follow either a teacher-centric or a student-centric approach. This study also includes gender in a secondary analysis of the relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 289 entrepreneurship educators in 2021, and fuzzy-set comparative qualitative analysis (fsQCA) was used to obtain configurations of conditions (causal recipes) that lead to teacher-centric or student-centric model. A secondary analysis explores whether there are different configurations of conditions when gender is added to the analysis.FindingsThe results of our fsQCA analysis reveal multiple configurations of conditions (causal recipes) that result in a preference for either a teacher-centric or student-centric approach to teaching entrepreneurship. The authors find that teaching experience is the main condition for the teacher-centric model, while self-efficacy and entrepreneurship training are the main conditions for the pathways leading to student-centric model. The fsQCA results also show that the configurations are affected when gender is taken into account in the analysis.Originality/valueThis study, one of the first of its kind, uses a configurational approach to examine pathways that contribute to the teaching preferences of entrepreneurship educators. This paper uses self-efficacy, teaching philosophy, teaching experience and entrepreneurship training as conditions to identify multiple unique pathways that result in either a teacher-centric or student-centric pedagogical model in EE. Notably, differences by gender are also found in this study.

Behavioral Intention and Adoption of Digital Bank Mobile Application Among Housewives Using Mixed Method Approach

This mixed-method research using PLS-SEM and fsQCA analysis aims to identify the factors that influence the behavioral intention of Indonesian housewives to adopt digital banking applications, particularly by examining the UTAUT2 model's variables. The study found that facilitating conditions, price values, and habits are significant factors that affect the behavioral intention of housewives to use digital banks. Furthermore, the study suggests that paying attention to the factors of effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and habits simultaneously is the most effective approach to generating behavioral intention factors in digital bank adoption. The findings have important implications for digital bank companies, the government, financial institutions, and fintech startups. Future research should strive to obtain a more even distribution of respondents from different regions in Indonesia to reduce bias and obtain results that truly represent the conditions of housewives in Indonesia as a whole. &#x0D;

Unlocking the connection between education, entrepreneurial mindset, and social values in entrepreneurial activity development

The Entrepreneurial University constitutes a phenomenon that highlights the prominent roles played by academic organizations as aggregators of capabilities, enabling the establishing of bridges between innovation and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems. This research therefore sets out to analyze the relationship between the Total Early Stage Entrepreneurial Activities of individual graduates and their entrepreneurial attitudes and social values towards entrepreneurship. This applies data sourced from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report on innovation-driven countries. The main research findings stem from the regression models (Study 1) and fsQCA analysis (Study 2) returning evidence that the likelihood of adult graduates setting up firms or owning young companies rises whenever such individuals deem they hold the knowledge/skills required to start a business. The results also stress the importance of devoting high levels of media attention to entrepreneurship and fostering entrepreneurial cultures capable of fostering economic growth and prosperity. This research makes substantial theoretical contributions to the literature. Firstly, the findings reinforce the applicability and suitability of fsQCA analysis of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data. Secondly, this study strengthens the credibility of the Institutional Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior theoretical frameworks, correspondingly lending support to the importance of institutional or organizational factors as determinants of entrepreneurship and the need to focus on the linkage between entrepreneurial attitudes, entrepreneurial intentions, and entrepreneurial behaviors.

Understanding transaction platform governance and conflicts: A configuration approach

Transaction platforms, such as Amazon and Uber, are emerging as central players in many segments of the global economy. Extant research has primarily focused on the impact of network effects on platform growth and rivalry, but not much is known about governance configurations in platforms and their impact on outcomes that are crucial to the long-term survival of the platform. In this study, using information asymmetry logic and the organizational governance literature derived from theories of the firm, we propose that the configurations of platform governance rules impact conflicts between platforms and sellers. Our empirical research context is the online auction and mail-order industry. Following an inductive approach, we first identify the sets of rules that platforms use in seller selection and engagement. Next, utilizing fsQCA analysis, we identify multiple configurations of governance rules that lead to different levels of platform-seller conflicts. We also find that effective configurations of governance rules are contingent upon platform strategies. Theoretical and empirical implications of the study on platform governance are discussed.

Research on the innovation of time-honored brands from the perspective of dual ethical patterns.

Innovation has become an important means to promote the high-quality development of time-honored brands. However, the research on how to stimulate innovation investment in time-honored brands, especially that conducted in the local context, is still rare. To supplement the research limitations, this study adopts the perspective of dual ethical patterns and is set in the domestic context to explore the ethical influence of traditional cultures and marketization on the innovation investment of time-honored brands. We proposed two complementary methods, which are OLS regression and fsQCA analysis respectively, to systematically analyze the mechanism and key path of the dual ethical pattern to promote the innovation of time-honored brands. The results show that traditional culture and marketization level are both positively related to the innovation of time-honored brands. However, traditional culture and marketization level are mutually exclusive in their process of affecting the innovation of time-honored brands. This paper advances time-honored brands literature by highlighting the dual ethic pattern formed by traditional culture and marketization level on the innovation investment of time-honored brands. The findings respond to the academic debate between traditional culture and the innovation of time-honored brands, while enriching the research scope on the innovation mechanism of time-honored brands in the local context.

Developing a theory of full democratic consolidation: Exploring the links between democracy and digital transformation in developing eastern European countries

This paper analyzes the impact of the adoption of an information system on the consolidation process of a fully democratic system for eastern European countries. The interactions between the adoption of e-management policies and democracy are examined as a strategic approach to managing future, dynamic organizations. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analyses (fsQCA) were conducted to assess the combined effect of the conditions. The fsQCA analysis considered a sample of 26 case studies of eastern European countries with post-communist, in transition regimes as the unit of analysis.During the research the factors that were necessary or sufficient to consolidate a full democratic system in developing countries were detected, analyzed, and explained. The output is presented as a result of applying the strategic approach given by the current sociotechnical transition based on improving the management of societies through information technology capabilities. The objective is to consolidate the output in developing countries given the institutionalization of a society’s e-management core value system. As a response to the current crisis and detected anomalies (IS, Globalization and Power Concentration) in democratic consolidation theory this research empirically demonstrates the need to create a technology-based system with the goal of presenting high performance and capability to support the heavy processing of economic, societal, and political challenges among businesses, citizens, and governments as the main actors in a democratic system. As a result of the research a ‘Theory for Full Democratic Consolidation through IS’ is proposed based on the ‘magic’ pathway or model developed using a qualitative, comparative analysis methodology.The novelty of this research lies in the fact that in contrast to the current academic literature, it turns the consolidation of the democratic system and its components into a result while the process’s approach is offered by the strategic approach offered by the transformative discourse of information technologies.

The influence of Twitch and sustainability on the stock returns of video game companies: Before and after COVID-19

The covid-19 pandemic has shocked society greatly, causing many changes in people's lives. One of these changes relates to leisure and how we relate to others. Videogames became one of the first entertainment options during the pandemic, making the video game industry and the pharmaceutical industry-one of the least affected by economic slowdown. This study analyzes how Twitch and sustainability jointly influence the stock returns of major videogame companies before and during Covid-19 using panel fsQCA analysis. The results show a positive relationship between Twitch, sustainability, and stock returns in video game companies, but this relationship differs yearly, being stronger during the Covid-19 period.

Environmental and socio-technical transitions in IBEX 35 companies: fsQCA analysis of the media representation of innovation and sustainability

Environmental and socio-technical transitions in IBEX 35 companies: fsQCA analysis of the media representation of innovation and sustainability

The long-term persistence among nascent entrepreneurs: An fsQCA analysis

While the motivational phase of the entrepreneurial process is now well understood, its volitional phase–during which nascent entrepreneurs exert willpower to achieve their goals–remains largely overlooked. Few studies have investigated the conditions of long-term persistence among nascent entrepreneurs. To fill the research gap, data from a longitudinal study with an 18-month time lag were analyzed using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis approach to identify the conditions leading to long-term persistence. The study reveals two different pathways explaining persistence: one in which affective commitment is the core condition, and continuance commitment and risk-taking are peripheral conditions, and the other in which normative commitment alone is the core condition. The findings also indicate four different pathways leading to a lack of persistence, wherein the absence of affective commitment alone, in combination with the continuance and normative commitment, or risk-taking are key conditions. This research has significant implications for understanding the complex mechanisms that drive the volitional phase of the entrepreneurial process.