Institutional Environment Factors Research Articles

Capital requirements, institutional quality and credit crunch in the MENA region

PurposeThe introduction of Basel capital adequacy standards (I, II and III) has provoked a large body of empirical and theoretical literature that aimed to detect the consequences of risk-based capital rules on bank lending behaviour and credit availability (and the possible emergence of the credit crunch phenomenon), and came up with divergent conclusions. This study aims at participating in this continuous debate but detecting the applicability of the credit crunch theory in the MENA region, taking into consideration the impact of the institutional environment, which may play a role in mitigating the supply-side credit crunch.Design/methodology/approachThis study exploits the Fixed Effects method on a dataset of 210 banks from 14 MENA countries over the period 1999–2016. The paper exploits the percentage change in bank credit as a dependent variable, capital requirements and three institutional quality variables as explanatory variables, in addition to a set of micro- and macro-economic variables.FindingsThe study finds that the implementation of higher capitalisation ratios does participate in a significant decline in bank credit supply. Additionally, by testing the impact of institutional factors on bank lending, it reveals that good governance and political stability encourage banks to extend credit and soften the credit crunch, while higher level of financial freedom discourages banks from expanding loan supply and even magnifies the decline of credit following tightening capital requirements.Practical implicationsThis paper provides very important insight for MENA policymakers and bank regulators by highlighting the importance of the institutional environment factors in amplifying or softening the effect of higher capital requirements in their economies.Originality/valueIn addition to examining an understudied sample of countries, this paper's originality and value added are represented mainly by testing the impact of institutional environment and governance level on bank lending behaviour.

Role of informal institutions in the relationship between social capital and international entrepreneurial entry

Purpose. The goal of the current study is to gain an understanding of how various informal institutional elements such as trust and corruption control affect the relationship between entrepreneurial ventures’ social capital and their ability to reach the worldwide market. Design/Methodology/Approach. The paper draws on internationalization and social capital data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), which includes 482,257 observations from 44 countries between 2003-2013, with a focus on early-stage entrepreneurs (as defined by the TEA index) who are involved in significant international entrepreneurial entry. A multi-level modelling strategy is employed for analyzing the various hypotheses by using STATA. Findings. Possessing a high level of social capital makes it easier to start a business at the international stage. And further, informal institutional variables, i.e., trust and control of corruption, positively moderate the association between social capital and international entrepreneurial entry; thus, societies where honesty prevails and corruption is controlled facilitate better international entrepreneurial entry. Limitations/Implications. The study is based on informal institutions, i.e., the variable trust taken from the World Value Survey (WVS) and the variable control of corruption by using a large sample size and multi-level modelling from World Governance Indicators, which demonstrates the importance of institutions as systems of shared meanings and noncodified standards. However, there are a number of other informal institutional indicators to examine that could have an impact on the relationship at the individual level. Implications from a theoretical perspective explain advancement of the institutional perspective as a conceptual framework for explaining international entrepreneurial activity and, further, the study empirically validates the significance of informal institutional environmental factors in the context of international entrepreneurship. Originality/Value. With the increasing interest of scholars in using the institutional approach and the availability of limited empirical studies in light of informal institutions, using a multi-level approach the current study empirically investigates the role of trust and control of corruption in the context of social capital and international entrepreneurship. Keywords: social capital, internationalization, international entrepreneurship, informal institutions

Latent Institutional Environment Factors Influencing Construction Digitalization in South Africa

ABSTRACT This paper presents the findings of an assessment of the latent institutional environment factors influencing construction digitalization using South Africa as a point of reference. The study employed a post-positivism philosophical stance which informed the use of a quantitative survey approach. The survey was conducted among construction professionals actively involved in construction projects across the country. Analysis of the data gathered was done using mean item score, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). EFA revealed two principal external environment factors (legislation and regulation, and pressure from clients and competitors) that can influence construction digitalization. Further to this, SEM revealed that while the pressure from client and competitors will have a more significant influence on digitalization, the pressure from industry regulations and government legislation cannot be overlooked. The findings of the study can be used as a guide toward the digitalization of construction organizations through the consciousness of the influence of external environmental issues, an aspect that has not gained significant recognition in the construction digitalization discourse.

Individual, institutional, and scientific environment factors associated with questionable research practices in the reporting of messages and conclusions in scientific health services research publications

BackgroundHealth Services Research findings (HSR) reported in scientific publications may become part of the decision-making process on healthcare. This study aimed to explore associations between researcher’s individual, institutional, and scientific environment factors and the occurrence of questionable research practices (QRPs) in the reporting of messages and conclusions in scientific HSR publications.MethodsWe employed a mixed-methods study design. We identified factors possibly contributing to QRPs in the reporting of messages and conclusions through a literature review, 14 semi-structured interviews with HSR institutional leaders, and 13 focus-groups amongst researchers. A survey corresponding with these factors was developed and shared with 172 authors of 116 scientific HSR publications produced by Dutch research institutes in 2016. We assessed the included publications for the occurrence of QRPs. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify factors within individual, institutional, and environmental domains. Next, we conducted bivariate analyses using simple Poisson regression to explore factors’ association with the number of QRPs in the assessed HSR publications. Factors related to QRPs with a p-value < .30 were included in four multivariate models tested through a multiple Poisson regression.ResultsIn total, 78 (45%) participants completed the survey (51.3% first authors and 48.7% last authors). Twelve factors were included in the multivariate analyses. In all four multivariate models, a higher score of “pressure to create societal impact” (Exp B = 1.28, 95% CI [1.11, 1.47]), was associated with higher number of QRPs. Higher scores on “specific training” (Exp B = 0.85, 95% CI [0.77–0.94]) and “co-author conflict of interest” (Exp B = 0.85, 95% CI [0.75–0.97]) factors were associated with a lower number of QRPs. Stratification between first and last authors indicated different factors were related to the occurrence of QRPs for these groups.ConclusionExperienced pressure to create societal impact is associated with more QRPs in the reporting of messages and conclusions in HSR publications. Specific training in reporting messages and conclusions and awareness of co-author conflict of interests are related to fewer QRPs. Our results should stimulate awareness within the field of HSR internationally on opportunities to better support reporting in scientific HSR publications.

How Formal Institutions Interact with the Organizational Drivers of New Platform Technology Adoption

Although there has been a recent surge in research on the drivers of technology adoption, our understanding is still limited to adoption in a single national context. That is, we still lack an understanding of how the effects of micro-level factors on technological adoption depend on differences in national contexts. Attempting to bridge the gap between international business and strategy research, we propose that technology adoption depends on both micro (organizational absorptive capacity and managerial attention) and macro (i.e., formal institutional environment) factors as well as their interplay. The study tests a moderated mediation model on the responses of Ericsson’s clients around the globe (89 telecommunications operators from 79 countries) to the offering of Cloud technology. We find that the influence of organizational absorptive capacity on technology adoption manifests itself partly through managerial attention. We also find that the firm’s absorptive capacity compensates for the regulatory system’s lack of quality for new technology adoption. Besides, the absorptive capacity is particularly important in directing managerial attention to the new technology in countries with a lower quality of regulatory systems.

Determinants of Public-Private Partnership Adoption in Solid Waste Management in Rural China.

Rural solid waste management is a severe challenge in China. The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is an effective method for rural solid waste management. However, policy efforts aimed at stimulating the adoption of PPP in rural solid waste management have been limited in their success. This study aims to empirically investigate the determinants of rural solid waste management PPP adoption in China. First, this study builds a theoretical model that consists of factors related to the institutional environment and market and proposes theoretical hypotheses. Then, using the balanced provincial panel data of 150 samples from 2015 to 2019, this study applies various count regression models and truncated regression models to empirically test the theoretical hypotheses. The results show that provinces with higher fiscal transparency, financial burdens, and market demand tend to adopt more PPP, while provinces with lower per capita GDP and market openness index ratings have a stronger motivation to initiate more PPP. In contrast, investment institutional environment factors have no impact on PPP adoption. To stimulate the development of PPP in rural solid waste management, this study proposed that a good-governed government and a strong market demand are critical foundations, and also a debt-risk prevention and evaluation system should be established to avoid local debt risks resulting from over-adoption of PPP.

Factors Affecting Mistreatment of the Elderly in Long-Term Care Facilities.

In long-term care facilities, elderly mistreatment occurs routinely and frequently. However, few studies have empirically explored the multifaceted risk factor of mistreatment. The purpose of this paper was to explore the factors affecting elderly mistreatment by care workers in Japanese long-term care facilities and to examine the relationship between these factors and mistreatment. This analysis was based on a sample of 1473 care workers from long-term care facilities and used multiple regression analyses. The results revealed that the nursing care level, work period, resilience, and attitude towards mistreatment among residents and staff were factors significantly associated with the degree of mistreatment. Facility size, an institutional environment that does not limit the behavior of residents, and family and community support for the elderly were among the institutional environment factors that had significant relationships with mistreatment. Staff gender, care-related qualifications, and workload were not associated with mistreatment. These findings suggest that strengthening the staff’s attitude and coping skills to prevent mistreatment, as well as interventions for changes in the institutional environment, are needed to prevent and reduce the prevalence of mistreatment in Japan. In addition, raising staff resilience to stress situations and building a resident-centered facility care environment is an important measure to reduce mistreatment.

모바일커머스 환경에서 품질, 제도 개선이 이용자 신뢰에 미치는 영향

Smartphone mobile shopping environment is different from internet shopping mall environment. In particular, in order to increase the consumer"s confidence in building a mobile shopping environment, a mobile-centric system environment that is completely different from the conventional Internet e-commerce usage environment is required. The researches related to the mobile shopping environment, which have been studied so far, are based on factors that affect the usability and usability of the mobile environment, content quality, and systemic mechanisms. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the causal relationship between mobile content quality and institutional environmental improvement factors on user"s mobile shopping trust factors in the user-centered environment. We will develop an optimal use environment for institutional improvement factors of mobile system. Furthermore, it is expected to give practical implications for the establishment of business strategy for building the optimized mobile commerce user environment in the future. On the other hand, this study further refined and refined each item of content quality and institutional mechanism characteristics based on the previous results of optimized online shopping mall quality and institutional improvement factors verified through previous studies. In conclusion, due to the lack of institutional mechanisms such as content quality constraints that consumers experience through mobile shopping and security systems that cant be perceived negatively if they are t institutionalized, the Internet shopping mall environment in terms of user environment is ultimately Constraints will appear when trading via mobile. Therefore, this study empirically explores the relationship between quality and institutional improvement factors on user trust in mobile m-commerce environment, which is more limited than e-commerce. Furthermore, it is expected to provide practical information on marketing strategies for improving the commercial environment for social media by extending the theory in the future.

Up on the hill: the experiences of adaptive snow sports

Introduction Literature supports the benefits of involvement for people with disabilities in adaptive snow sports. However, the literature is lacking in understanding the experiences of those involved in these programs or understanding what facilitates participation in adaptive snow sports. Objectives This project aims to (1) explore the experiences of people with disabilities participating in adaptive snow sports; and (2) to explore the factors which impact participation in adaptive snow sports. Materials and methods We recruited 20 former and current participants from an adaptive snow sports program using a volunteer recruitment strategy. Data were collected through individual or dyadic semi-structured interviews and on-site observations. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematic data analyses were conducted. Results Three main themes emerged from this study: (1) mountain top moments, which described the outcomes of successful participation in adaptive snow sports; (2) finding your line, which refers to the facilitators involved in adaptive snow sports participation; and (3) icy slopes and trailblazing, which includes the social, physical, and institutional environmental factors that impede quality participation. Conclusion Adaptive snow sports provide people with disabilities opportunities to develop community, engage in new and meaningful experiences, and to overcome challenges. The accounts given by people with disabilities of their experiences in adaptive snow sports suggest that key factors for participation are the involvement of student-centered instructors and the provision of adaptive equipment. Implications for rehabilitation Adaptive snow sports provide opportunities for people with disabilities to learn new and meaningful skills, develop meaningful relationships, and enjoy the outdoors. Knowledgeable instructors who are able to meet people with disabilities unique needs is an essential component to adaptive snow sport programs. Additionally, the provision of adaptive equipment is an important aspect of adaptive snow sport programs.

International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) Adoption and Implementation in Nigerian Public Sector

This study evaluated the relationship between IPSAS adoption and financial reporting quality in South West, Nigeria. Specifically, it analysed the effect of IPSAS adoption on credibility and comparability of financial statements. Additionally; salient factors influencing IPSAS implementation were investigated. Primary data collected from one hundred and eighty accountants in South West Nigeria were analysed using tabulation, graphs, factor analysis, and Goodman and Kruskal’s gamma statistics.The empirical results indicated that IPSAS adoption exerted significant and positive relationships with financial reporting quality, credibility and comparability of financial statements. Decisively, discoveries from this study reflect that implementation cost, staff training, technological factor, IPSAS knowledge and awareness and availability of expertise significantly affect IPSAS implementation. However, findings further revealed that IPSAS implementation is not significantly influenced by institutional commitment, cultural, sociological, legal, political and environmental factors. Based on these findings, the authors recommend that considerable amount of money should be set aside for full adoption and implementation of IPSAS in Nigeria.

Intrinsic and external determinants of antibiotic prescribing: a multi-level path analysis of primary care prescriptions in Hubei, China

BackgroundIrrational use of antibiotics is a major driver of development of antibiotic resistance, which heavily threatens population health worldwide. Understanding the mechanism of physician’s antibiotic prescribing decisions is increasingly highlighted to promote prudent use of antibiotics. Therefore, the current study aimed to fill the gap, modelling physician’s antibiotic prescribing and identifying the potential intrinsic and external determinants of antibiotic prescribing in primary care.MethodsA total of 428,475 prescriptions from 499 prescribers in 65 primary care facilities in Hubei of China were audited. Teixeira Antibiotic Prescribing Behavioral Model (TAPBM) was referred as theoretical basis to identify intrinsic and external predictors of antibiotic prescriptions. A questionnaire survey was conducted, covering potential physician’s intrinsic determinants (knowledge, attitudes and individual characteristics) and external factors both in individual level (patient pressure, time pressure and financial incentives) and institutional level (setting and local socio-economic development). A two-level path analysis was performed linking potential determinants of antibiotic use with physician’s actual practices.ResultsAbout 44.28% of the prescriptions contained antibiotics, with 9.28% containing two or more antibiotics. The multi-level path analysis revealed that knowledge was a significant predictor of attitudes (β = 0.154, p < 0.05), but higher knowledge and attitudes failed to translate into antibiotic prescribing practices ((β = − 0.076 – 0.039, p > 0.05). Instead, external factors played a more important role and physician’s antibiotic use was significantly associated with patient pressure (β = 0.102, p = 0.022), time pressure (β = − 0.164, p = 0.002), financial incentives (β = − 0.133– − 0.155, p = 0.027) and institutional environments (rural area, β = 0.408, p = 0.002; and high socioeconomic setting, β = − 0.641 - -0.578, p < 0.001 ). The prescribers who were male (β = − 0.168, p = 0.007) or had lower qualification (β = − 0.114, p = 0.028) were also more likely to prescribe antibiotics than others.ConclusionAntibiotic prescribing practices are complex process and associated with both intrinsic (prescriber) and external (patients and institutional environment) factors. A systematic approach is required to curb over-prescription of antibiotics. Apart from educating prescribers, it is equally important, if not more, to educate patients, break incentives and nurture professional culture within organization to reduce the overuse of antibiotics.

Enhancing Competitive Advantages for Small - And Medium - Scaled Enterprises in Viet Nam: Evidence in Tra Vinh Province

Researching to enhance competitive advantages for small and medium enterprises by collecting primary data of 315 small and medium enterprises in Tra Vinh, using multivariate regression, the research has showed 6 factors that affect to the competitive advantages for small and medium enterprises in Tra Vinh: principles changing, different costs, time controls, input activities controls, capacity controls, macro policies controls. Since then, the research implied the policies for future integration such as: improving management capacity, qualifications and awareness of small and medium enterprises' owners in Tra Vinh province on competitive advantages; Supporting businesses to develop marketing and sales activities; to support activities to provide information about markets, partners, customers for small and medium enterprises; Promote training of human resources and technology development of enterprises; Building a channel to receive feedback on institutional and business environment factors according to the provincial competitiveness index; There are preferential credit policies for small and medium enterprises.

Relation between Global Competitiveness and Institutional Environment Factors from 134 Countries

Relation between Global Competitiveness and Institutional Environment Factors from 134 Countries

Studying the Factors Affecting the Generation of Human Capital in the Russian Federation

The key parameter that determines the competitiveness of modern organizations, regions, countries and individuals is the level of formed and accumulated human capital as an integral assessment of the investment result in the stock of knowledge, skills, physical health, innovative potential. In recent years, the study of trends in the formation and effective use of human capital in the Russian economy has become particularly relevant in complex studies. The purpose of this study is analysis of the factors affecting the human capital formation in the Russian Federation. The study methods include statistical and dynamic analysis, synthesis. The information and empirical base of the study included the materials of the Federal State Statistics service, analytical materials of research institutes, materials of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey Higher School of Economics (RLMS-HSE). As a result, there were revealed the quantitative characteristics of the human capital of the Russian Federation, necessary for the analysis and determination of effective actions aimed at the formation of human capital in the Russian environment, taking into account the sectoral and regional characteristics of the competitiveness of personnel, enterprises, industries, regions. Furthermore, the identification of the institutional environment factors that determine significant long-term changes in the quality of human capital was carried. The analytical study of the main factors of human capital formation identified the key problems of the process: the reduction of the natural population growth level, the population health (the increase in the number of patients with serious socially significant diseases), the low level of organization innovative activity and insufficient funding for research and development, sectoral and territorial differentiation in payment for labour and as a consequence the unbalanced distribution of labour resources.

The effects of government relation and institutional environments on channel performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of channel partners’ government relations within channel performance and explore how institutional factors interact to influence channel performance. A theoretical framework, inclusive of hypotheses, is proposed to demonstrate the interaction of government relations and institutional environments on firm performance. Drawing on an institutional perspective, this paper suggests that the effect of partner’s government relations on firm performance is moderated by institutional environment factors, such as government interference, legal protection, and the importance of guanxi.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a questionnaire survey and collected data from 393 Chinese manufacturer managers in China.FindingsPartner’s government relations increase focal firm’s performance and this effect is moderated by different levels of legal protection. Partner’s government relations increase firm performance only in the context of high-legal protection; whereas, when legal protection is low, partner’s government relations decrease focal firm performance. As for the interaction of institutional factors, legal protection and importance of guanxi, all three moderate the negative effect of government interference on firm performance.Originality/valueThis paper provides insights on how channel partner’s government relations, representing a key institutional capital, interact with institutional environment factors to influence channel performance.

Latin American franchise internationalization: The impact of institutional environment

We analyze the internationalization of Brazilian franchise chains in Latin America. A total of 119 observations verify international commitment in each country in relation to institutional environment factors and how they are moderated by chain size and industry. The results show that despite all institutional aspects having a significant effect, their explanatory power depends on chain size. Larger franchise chains usually choose countries with better institutional aspects in terms of contract compliance and business freedom, even if the efficiency of business conditions in these countries are not the best in Latin America. In this study, were used public data from international organizations that report on the ease of doing business, level of corruption, political risk, and legal regulations. Specifically, it contributes by using institutional theory in franchising in order to understand the process of chain internationalization originating from emerging markets. Our results, in part, contradict the idea that the origin disadvantage is always an advantage of internationalization.

An Empirical Investigation into Institutions Unlocking Entrepreneurial Activity

Entrepreneurship scholars tend to agree that institutional factors influence entrepreneurship; however, empirical studies have led to different conclusions with regard to the relative importance of each driver. This study empirically investigates the influence that the regulatory, cognitive, normative and conducive institutional factors have on different types of entrepreneurial activity (EA) in South Africa. Following a survey of 163 ventures, regression results reveal that it is the cognitive and conducive institutional environments, which have a significant impact on EA. These results highlight the importance of institutional environmental factors in relation to opportunity-based EA. Additionally, the findings provide key insights to scholars and policymakers where institutional factors in an emerging market context serve as a catalyst for EA.

Evaluating the prevalence of employees without written terms of employment in the European Union

PurposeUntil now, there has been scant evidence on the proportion and characteristics of employees working without a written contract or terms of employment. To begin to fill this gap, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of employees without written contracts or terms of employment in the European Union (EU), examining whether they are unevenly distributed across countries and EU regions, and whether it is vulnerable population groups who are more likely to be without such written contracts.Design/methodology/approachA 2013 Eurobarometer survey comprising 11,025 face-to-face interviews with employees in the 28 member states of the EU (EU-28) is reported.FindingsThe finding is that it is less socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, and more firm size, institutional environment and spatial factors that are important in explaining the prevalence of employment without a written contract. Thus, governments should address not individuals but rather the formal institutional failings and asymmetry between civic and state morality, in order to reduce the level of employment without a written contract, and focus their attention on smaller firms, larger towns and Southern European countries, especially Cyprus, Malta and Portugal.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research needs to evaluate whether and how the conditions of employment (e.g. wage rates, health and safety conditions, holiday entitlements) of employees without written contracts or terms of employment differ to their equivalents who have written contracts or terms of employment. This will reveal the implications of workers not being issued with written contracts or terms of employment.Originality/valueThis is one of the first extensive evaluations of the prevalence and distribution of employees without written contracts or terms of employment.

Institutional environment, political connections of partial state ownership, and performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether substantial differences in institutional environment in China lead to different levels of demand for political connection. Design/methodology/approach – Using a data set of 296 listed private sector enterprises (PSEs) in China, the authors empirically investigate the effects of institutional environmental factors upon political connection. Findings – The authors find that the lower the level of regional property right protection, the more powerful the government intervention, and the slower the economic development, the more motivated the PSEs were to build relationship with the government via partial state ownership. However, the degree of local corruption was not correlated with the demand for political connection. The authors also find that partial state ownership in PSEs exerted a positive effect on performance. Originality/value – Deviating from previous literature that has been mostly concerned about the economic consequences to firms caused by political connections, this paper examines the reasons for political connection among Chinese PSEs. The authors introduce a new dimension of political connection, namely, partial state ownership in PSEs.

Constraints to growth: a cross country analysis of Chinese, Indian and Pakistani SMEs

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the barriers that are linked to the institutional, external and social environmental factors in the emerging economies of South-East Asia (SEA). Through a comparative analysis of China, India and Pakistan, this study attempts to understand the constraints that might inhibit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this region from becoming more successful.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposes an empirical research framework to identify the constraints to determinants of SMEs’ growth (the CDSG model) in an important geographic and industrial cluster of SEA countries including China, India and Pakistan. Six propositions are tested, using data from 1,443 SMEs obtained from Enterprise Survey Data Repository database from the World Bank. Ordinary least-squares estimation is applied for statistical analyses and testing of the research propositions.FindingsThe results show the differential effects of the proposed CDSG model in China, India and Pakistan. Access to external finance is found to be irrelevant to the growth of SMEs in China, while it has a positive influence in India and Pakistan. Furthermore, in terms of the innovation process, partial mediation is traced. Using the tax rate factor, negative mediation is found between CDSG variables and SMEs’ growth. Both mediators play different roles in firm growth activities, while the level of significance of some variables is found to be more relevant to a specific region rather than to all.Practical implicationsThe prudent management of the proposed CDSG variables could revolutionize the constraints facing SME growth, making them into success factors. This could invigorate the growth of SMEs’ in SEA countries. The paper concludes with practical implications for policymakers and investors.Originality/valueThis SMEs’ theoretical framework is the first to use innovation and tax rate mediators to highlight the determinants of business growth in three SEA regional economies (China, India and Pakistan).