Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research Articles

The pursuit of splendour: a recipe of psychological motivations driving conspicuous luxury consumption

PurposeThe purpose of the present study is to examine and validate a research model encompassing power distance belief, need for uniqueness, self-monitoring, self-construal, social adjustive attitude, and value-expressive attitude as the causal antecedents for conspicuous luxury consumption.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data was collected from a large consumer panel. The study applied a combinatory partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach in examining the research hypotheses and proposition.FindingsThe results indicated the effects of power distance belief, need for uniqueness, self-monitoring, and self-construal on social adjustive attitude and value-expressive attitude, which in turn determine conspicuous luxury consumption. In addition, the fsQCA findings revealed three configurations that articulate the complex interactions of the causal antecedents.Originality/valueThis study enriches the literature by providing a comprehensive understanding of the psychological motivation factors that drive conspicuous luxury consumption and assists luxury retailers in developing targeted strategies to appeal to consumers.

Research on generation paths of production safety accidents in urban gas pipeline networks: A fuzzy set qualitative Comparative analysis (fsQCA) based on Chinese data

The production safety accidents in urban gas pipeline networks of China have shown a frequent trend in recent years, which has become the main obstacle to the high-quality development of urban gas industry. In this paper, based on 38 typical accidents that occurred in mainland China from 2012 to 2022, the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method was applied to explore the accident generation paths. We identified seven condition variables and one result variable, then six condition configurations were derived through the fsQCA method to classify the accident generation paths into four types: "illegal operation", "Equipment failure", "third-party activities damage", and "multiple risk coupling". The results show that: (1) Interrupting the generation paths of accidents caused by illegal operation and multiple risk coupling not only requires local governments and regulatory departments to strengthen safety supervision, but also requires gas enterprises to improve their safety management organizational structures and safety production management systems; (2) Strengthening daily inspection, maintenance, and risk monitoring of urban gas pipeline networks is the core of curbing accidents caused by equipment failure; (3) Deepening cooperation between gas enterprises and third-party units is the key to prevent and control accidents caused by third-party activities damage; (4) Local governments and gas enterprises should strengthen cooperation to improve the effectiveness of accident prevention and control by building the risk synergetic governance model. This study provides theoretical guidance for preventing production safety accidents in urban gas pipeline networks of China.

Capability configurations for successful advanced servitization

PurposeAdvanced servitization is the process that involves the combination of different services that facilitate both the use of a product and customer operations. Although servitization has emerged as a frequent strategy for manufacturers to differentiate themselves from the competition, its implementation can pose major challenges and may not always result in superior firm performance. Consequently, successful advanced servitization may require specific organizational capabilities to unleash performance-enhancing effects. To date, little is known about how to effectively configure advanced servitization to achieve such performance gains.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a fit theory perspective and using a configurational approach, we examine the interplay between servitization, organizational capabilities, contextual factors and financial performance. Specifically, we focus on advanced servitization and assess its necessity and sufficiency for achieving high financial performance. In addition, we study how the alignment of servitization approaches with organizational capabilities and contextual factors affects financial performance. We analyze data from 151 manufacturers in an emerging economy using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA).FindingsOur findings indicate that advanced servitization is sufficient, but not necessary for high financial performance. In addition, the findings indicate that the alignment of servitization approaches with specific service-related capabilities unfolds complementarity effects that contribute to achieving high financial performance for manufacturers with different firm size and competitive intensity. The findings indicate three configurations that may serve as templates for managers to orchestrate resource allocation and successfully deploy advanced servitization.Originality/valueOur study advances the servitization literature by further illuminating advanced servitization as a more complex servitization process. We show how high-performing manufacturers align servitization and organizational capabilities across different contexts, and thus provide design choices for managers in configuring servitization.

Can Digital Finance Enable China’s Industrial Carbon Unlocking under Environmental Regulatory Constraints? Joint Tests of Regression Analysis and Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Sustainable development goals challenge the carbon lock-in dilemma of the industrial economy, and identifying the motivation and mechanism behind carbon unlocking has become an urgent priority. With its inclusive and precise advantages, digital finance (DF) provides a new impetus for the economy’s low-carbon transformation, while reasonable environmental regulation (ER) acts as an important guiding constraint. We focus on the carbon unlocking performance of DF under ER constraints. After constructing and calculating the industrial carbon unlocking efficiency (ICUE), we observe the trends of ICUE fluctuating positively, clustering towards the eastern region, and polarization. Subsequently, based on theoretical analyses, we explore the marginal and configuration effects of DF and ER in improving ICUE using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces between 2011 and 2021 and adopt a mixed research method with regression analysis (Tobit hierarchical regression and quantile regression for panel data (QRPD)) and dynamic fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The regression analysis results show that DF can notably enhance China’s provincial ICUE, with ER generally serving as a positive moderator; however, the unlocking potential of informal environmental regulations needs further exploration. As ICUE improves in a specific location or time, the positive contribution of DF to ICUE also increases, whereas the moderating effect of ER exhibits an optimal range and follows an inverted U-shape. The dynamic fsQCA results support the findings of the regression analysis and further emphasize that effective cooperation between DF and ER is crucial for high ICUE, while inadequate DF support and the absence of formal environmental regulations remain bottlenecks in industrial carbon lock-in. Moreover, configuration paths demonstrate clear path dependency in both time and space, indicating a prolonged unlocking endeavor.

Smart, sustainable, and resilient food supply chains in disruptive events context

AbstractFood systems include dynamic and complex networks made up of all the actors, processes, and infrastructures, as well as their interactions. Because of the growing supply chain's (SC) vulnerability, fragility, and operational disturbances, managing disruptions has become a crucial problem in the food SC. Thus, companies aim to improve their resilience to deal with unexpected conditions. Thus, this study aims to analyze and frame the food SC's resilience, sustainability, and smartness considering different causal conditions (e.g., digital technology adaption, providing traceability, and enhancing collaboration). This study also analyzes the numerous and complex linkages between outcome and causal variables. Thus, this study includes data on the food industry operating in Turkey. The Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis has been used to analyze different companies' data. SC resilience performance conditions have been determined and analyzed. According to the result of this study, it can be said that enhanced flexibility structure and adaptability skills in the SC, increased IT capability, and integration of digital technologies into the SC process are the key components for achieving high SC resilience, sustainability, and smartness in the food SCs. This study suggests various implications for policymakers and managers in the food SCs.

Business environment ecosystem and manufacturing upgrading: A configurational approach

Focusing on 50 representative Chinese cities and applying the ecosystem theory of the business environment, this study employs the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method to detect the synergistic mechanisms through which the business environment ecosystem of cities affects the manufacturing upgrading. The findings show: First, none of elements in the business environment ecosystem alone could constitute the necessary condition for high manufacturing upgrading. Second, there are three paths for the configuration of high-level manufacturing upgrading, which can be summarized into two modes: “public & innovation” driven mode, and “public & market” driven mode. Third, there are six paths in the configuration of low-level manufacturing upgrading, which can be summarized into three modes: “government & innovation” restricted mode, “human & market” restricted mode, and “government & high rule of law” restricted mode. Furthermore, there is an asymmetrical relationship with the configurations of high manufacturing upgrading performance. Finally, under certain conditions, there are substitutive relationships between elements in the business environment. Overall, this work contributes to the literature on the synergistic mechanisms of business environment ecosystems, and provides practical information for manufacturing firms pursuing upgrading from multiple paths.

Exploring the dual routes in influencing sales and adoption in augmented reality retailing: a mixed approach of SEM and FsQCA

Exploring the dual routes in influencing sales and adoption in augmented reality retailing: a mixed approach of SEM and FsQCA

Configurational impact of self-regulated writing strategy, writing anxiety, and perceived writing difficulty on EFL writing performance: an fsQCA approach

Previous research has indicated that writing performance of foreign/second language (L2) learners is influenced by their utilization of self-regulated writing strategies. Yet, the relationship between various self-regulated strategies and individual characteristics, such as writing anxiety and perceived writing difficulty, has not been sufficiently examined. To bridge this gap, this study classified self-regulated writing strategies into four distinct types: cognitive, metacognitive, social behavioral, and motivational. These types were combined with L2 learners’ writing anxiety and writing difficulty to form conceptual models to predict high or low writing performance. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to gain a detailed understanding of the causal intricacies of writing performance. Data was collected from a sample of 94 students attending a university in eastern China. fsQCA revealed a variety of configurations associated with EFL writing performance, with six of them leading to high performance and four to low performance. These configurations highlight the complex causal relationship between students’ use of self-regulated writing strategies and their writing performance, while considering their writing anxiety and perceived writing difficulty. The study provided theoretical and practical implications for L2 teachers and educators who wish to enhance L2 learners’ writing performance.

International container intermodal competitiveness: An empirical study from Chinese hub ports

The global energy crisis and environmental degradation have prompted ports to strive for green transformation. Intermodal transport, as a green and efficient form of organization in the transport sector, currently has a lot of room for development. How can the competitiveness of intermodal transport be enhanced while realizing the green sustainability of ports? This study objectively evaluates the competitiveness of international container intermodal competitiveness of hub ports and analyzes the characteristics of 16 Chinese ports from 2011 to 2020. The obstacle degree model (ODM) and the panel Tobit model considering random effects are utilized to explore the complex multidimensional elements affecting the competitiveness of intermodal transport in ports. In addressing the imbalanced characteristics of intermodal transport in ports, a variety of augmentation pathways are devised using the dynamic multi-time period fuzzy-sets qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method. The results found that: (1) The competitiveness of intermodal transport in ports shows a “three echelons” structure, requiring the implementation of appropriate augmentation strategies. (2) Elements affecting the competitiveness of intermodal transport in ports are multidimensional, underscoring the significance of holistically considering internal and external elements. (3) The key to enhancing the competitiveness of intermodal transport in ports lies in striking a balance between economic development and prudent attention to multiple dimensions to ensure sustainability. This study enriches the empirical research on intermodal transport in ports. It provides valuable references for ports seeking new avenues of growth and for governments with effective management practices.

Sustainable recycling management: configuration of risk factors and resilience strategies

Purpose Recycling is associated with positive social and environmental impact, but previous studies have overlooked the cost of recycling operations. Based on the dynamic capability view, the purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate risk factors and resilience strategies within the recycling industry, prioritize these factors and identify the optimal combination of resilience strategies and risk factors to improve market performance. Design/methodology/approach The research questions were addressed in three subsequent studies. In Study 1, qualitative interviews were conducted to identify risk factors and strategies to mitigate those risks. In Study 2, quality function deployment methodologies were implemented via case studies derived from three different companies. Based on the results of Studies 1 and 2, in addition to the use of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, Study 3 aimed to determine the optimal combination of risk factors and strategies impacting market performance. Findings The results across the three studies revealed a number of risk factors as well as which risk factors and resilience strategies have the greatest impact on market performance. Specifically, it was found that higher levels of readiness, response and recovery strategies lead to greater market performance, whereas weak readiness, response and recovery strategies, along with low societal, environmental and health and safety risk factors, significantly inhibit performance. Originality/value This research extends current understandings of market performance in relation to recycling industry management and offers insight for decision-makers toward combating significant risk factors in business-to-business settings.

Exploring the push-pull factors influencing parenting efficacy of fathers of children with ASD: a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis.

This study aimed to explore the core factors and configurations influencing parenting efficacy for fathers of children with ASD in Western China by using a configuration analysis. Understanding the push-pull factors related to parenting efficacy for fathers raising children with ASD can support the fathers of children with ASD to participate in education affairs and improve the quality of family education, which is of significant importance to both individuals and society. This study recruited 156 fathers of children with ASD from China. The results suggested that there was more than one (sub) configuration for achieving a high level of parenting efficacy among fathers of children with ASD. (b) The configurations could be summarized into three main types as follows: "working within the system*flexible working time," "high level of education*high level of other support," and "severe disability*fewer interaction with wife." (c) The two variables, "family income" and "community support," were not as important as they were shown in previous studies, and their effects often depended on how they interact with other variables. Findings highlighted the validity of deploying configuration analysis (based on the ecosystem theory) to establish the relationship between independent variables and the parenting efficacy of fathers of children with ASD. The discovery of more than one configuration led to a new consensus on how multiple factors influence parenting efficacy. Implications were suggested for practitioners, policymakers, and future research alike.

Corporate governance for sustainable development: A study on mechanism configuration

There is a dearth of configuration analysis on the factors that constitute corporate governance mechanisms within the framework of corporate sustainable goals in existing literature. Specifically, the impact mechanisms related to various combined mechanisms have not been comprehensively defined. This study employs Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) approach to explore the effects of various configurations of corporate governance mechanisms on sustainable development, based on a sample of 2959 Chinese listed companies. Our analysis identifies four distinct pathways that facilitate the achievement of sustainable development goals: 1) enlarging board size, providing managerial incentives, establishing sustainability committees, and enhancing corporate transparency; 2) promoting board diversity, providing managerial incentives, establishing sustainability committees, and enhancing corporate transparency; 3) reducing ownership concentration, providing managerial incentives, establishing sustainability committees, and enhancing corporate transparency; 4) encouraging individual investment, providing managerial incentives, establishing sustainability committees, and enhancing corporate transparency. Additionally, a comparative analysis of different pathways has revealed substitutional relationships between board size and diversity, ownership concentration and investor structure, while highlighting the complementary relationship of managerial incentives, sustainability committees, and corporate transparency. Challenging the erstwhile linear research paradigm, this study contributes to understanding the pathways for achieving sustainable development goals from a configurational perspective and elucidates the relationships between corporate governance mechanisms. It offers novel and comprehensive evidence for examining the intricate nexus between corporate governance mechanisms and sustainable development. Keywords: Stakeholder theory; Sustainable development; Corporate governance mechanisms; Mechanism configurations; fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA).

How Brick-znd-mortar Bookstores Can Survive in Desperate Times in the Internet Era — A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of the Operation Status of 40 Physical Bookstores in 8 Provinces

With the rapid development of the Internet era, physical bookstores have suffered setbacks in their development and are exploring survival measures. This study investigates the profitability path of physical bookstores in the Internet era, provides guidance for bookstores to provide products and services in the new environment, and provides a theoretical basis for the government to formulate policies to help physical bookstores and other real economy to develop in a high quality. The study uses fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to explore the impact of six conditions, such as diversification and economy of scale, technology and automation application, on the profit and loss of physical bookstores. The study identifies the necessary condition as well as the configuration influence paths for the profitability of physical bookstores in the context of the Internet, analyses how physical bookstores can target their development according to different paths, and puts forward practical suggestions.

Enhancing SMEs resilience through digital innovation: a stage-based analysis

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), inherently vulnerable entities, prompting a pivotal question of how to enhance SMEs’ organizational resilience (OR) to withstand discontinuous crises. Although digital innovation (DI) is widely acknowledged as a critical antecedent to OR, limited studies have analyzed the configurational effects of DI on OR, particularly stage-based analysis.Design/methodology/approachUnderpinned by the dynamic capabilities view, this study introduces a multi-stage dynamic capabilities framework for OR. Employing Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), digital product innovation (DPI), digital services innovation (DSI) and digital process innovation (DCI) are further deconstructed into six dimensions. Furthermore, we utilized fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore the configuration effects of six DI on OR at different stages, using data from 94 Chinese SMEs.FindingsFirst, OR improvement hinges not on a singular DI but on the interactions among various DIs. Second, multiple equivalent configurations emerge at different stages. Before the crisis, absorptive capability primarily advanced through iterative DPI and predictive DSI. During the crisis, response capability is principally augmented by the iterative DPI, distributed DCI, and integrated DCI. After the crisis, recovery capability is predominantly fortified by the iterative DPI, expanded DPI and experiential DSI. Third, iterative DPI consistently assumes a supportive role in fortifying OR.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the extant literature on DI and OR, offering practical guidance for SMEs to systematically enhance OR by configuring DI across distinct stages.

Drivers of adaptive resilience of public sector organizations: an investigation into the individual characteristics of hybrid professional managers

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of resilience of public sector organizations. Drawing from Upper Echelons Theory, this study investigates the relationship between configurations of demographic and background characteristics of hybrid professional managers and organizational adaptive resilience. Specifically, it focuses on heads of 34 Italian public clinical laboratories in the Veneto Region during the first wave of the pandemic. Based on fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis, the findings show four different combinations of attributes that lead to high levels of adaptive resilience. A key role is played by being a female manager and possessing a high level of organizational tenure.

An fsQCA approach to identifying pathways to K-9 students’ online learning engagement

Student engagement has been shown to function as a pathway leading to valued educational outcomes. This study used fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to reveal how various configurations of sex, grade level, teaching presence, social presence, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and parental support lead to high online learning engagement (OLE) in a sample of 516 compulsory education (K-9) students from three provinces in Central and Eastern China. The results indicated that eight configurations of the conditions were required to attain high OLE. Of these, one configuration was sufficient to explain high OLE for all students regardless of sex and grade level, five different configurations lead to high OLE for elementary school students, and one configuration explained high OLE for boys and girls regardless of grade level. Identifying these specific configurations could help teachers to design and provide personalized online learning experiences that enhance student engagement.

Technological Capabilities on Business Outcomes: Evidence from Meta-Analysis and FsQCA

ABSTRACT A meta-analysis of 161 empirical studies analyzed technological capabilities (TC) through meta-analytical structure equation modeling (MASEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Our findings show that TC has mean positive effect size estimates across business outcomes. The combinative approach of TC presents different insights about its impact on various business outcomes. This approach highlights a theoretical view while attempting to understand the impact of TC on business outcomes.

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

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

Hidden stories and the dark side of entrepreneurial commitment

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

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

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