Moderated Multiple Regression Research Articles

Different forms of supplier involvement, knowledge orchestration capability, technological uncertainty and new product development performance: a test of three-way interaction

PurposeThis paper examines the role of purchasing in facilitating early supplier involvement in new product development (NPD) in contexts of technological uncertainty (TU). Taking a purchasing perspective, it develops a moderate model to explain the effects of supplier involvement on NPD performance and whether and how knowledge orchestration capability (KOC) and TU affect these relationships. Additionally, KOC drivers are defined.Design/methodology/approachA total of 317 usable questionnaires from Chinese high-technology firms were collected. Moderated multiple regression (MMR) was used to test all hypotheses. Resource orchestration theory (ROT) was the adopted theoretical lens.FindingsTwo forms of supplier involvement (as knowledge source and co-creator) were found to distinctly affect NPD performance and have potential substitutive relationships. Purchasing KOC positively moderates the relationships between forms of supplier involvement on NPD performance. TU strengthens the moderating role of purchasing KOC. Furthermore, purchasing status and supply complexity are important antecedents for purchasing KOC.Practical implicationsThese findings serve as a blueprint for involving purchasing in technologically uncertain NPD projects and improve supplier NPD integration. Additionally, management should recognize the purchasing function's role and empower it to identify ideas, knowledge and solutions within supply networks.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the ROT by examining the role of purchasing KOC on supplier involvement in NPD performance, especially under TU. Moreover, it demonstrates significant and positive relations between purchasing department status and external supply complexity on its KOC.

Supply Chain Networks Source of Knowledge Sharing: Impacts of Capability and Collaborative Innovation Activities on Innovation Performance

Expanding on information the executives and innovation capacity speculations, this paper expects to uncover the systems of communitarian development measures by exploring the perplexing connections among basic variables impacting company's innovation execution in inventory network organizations. Utilizing progressive Multiple Regression (MR) and Moderated Multiple Regression (MMR) strategies, results from a review of 315 firms in China showed that there are critical positive connections between synergistic innovation exercises, information sharing, collective development ability, and company's innovation execution. Additionally, it is normal that information sharing plays an incomplete interceding job in the connections between collective innovation exercises and company's development execution. Community oriented development capacity displayed a directing impact on synergistic innovation exercises - development execution relationship. These outcomes add to community oriented development measure the executives by offering a nuanced conceptualization of the collective innovation - execution relationship in production network organizations.

Depression Moderates the Relationship between Trait Anxiety, Worry and Attentional Control in Melanoma Survivors

Cancer survivors commonly contend with concurrent cognitive difficulties such as problems with attention and concentration, and psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. However, the associations between attentional and emotional difficulties within the specific context of melanoma survivors remain relatively unexplored. Premised on attentional control theory, the current study employed a cross-sectional design to explore the interplay among trait anxiety (dispositional) and situational anxiety (cancer-related worry), depression and attentional control (ability to inhibit distractors and flexibly shift within and between tasks) in a sample of 187 melanoma survivors aged 18 to 58 years (Mage = 36.83 years, SDage = 5.44 years; 93% female). Data were analyzed using a moderated multiple regression, with anxiety, cancer worry and depression as predictors, and attentional control as the criterion variable. After statistically controlling for the variance of chemotherapy, we found that individuals with higher trait anxiety and higher cancer-related worry reported greater attentional control at low levels of depression, yet poorer attentional control at high depression, relative to individuals with low anxiety. Our findings suggest that anxiety and depression are differentially related to attentional control in melanoma survivors. The results provide a marker for clinicians addressing anxiety and depression in this population. Implications for primary healthcare are discussed.

Elusive trade-off: The solution to energy poverty and GHG emissions in Africa

A groundbreaking strategy known as "coopetition" has emerged to provide energy access to underserved populations in Africa while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This approach, applied across 54 African nations, combines cooperation and competition, supported by a comprehensive financial framework encompassing financial development, foreign direct investment (FDI), and official development assistance (ODA). Utilizing advanced moderated multiple regression analysis with data from reliable international sources and IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 28.0.1.1 (14)), this study highlights the strong connection between financial resources, energy poverty, and emissions. Inadequate financial support hinders renewable energy adoption and policy development, contributing to rising emissions. The research explores how coopetition modifies the relationship between ODA and energy poverty while reinforcing links between coopetition, ODA, and reduced emissions. Notably, the study challenges conventional wisdom by debunking the direct influence of financial development and foreign direct investment on energy poverty and emissions. Instead, it underscores the importance of transparent regulations, robust financial structures, and risk mitigation in advancing sustainable energy solutions.

Exposure to Psychological Intimate Partner Violence: Resilience to Depression is Related to Social Support and Learned Resourcefulness.

Psychological violence is the most common form of intimate partner violence (IPV). Psychological IPV places women at significant risk for depressive symptoms. Accordingly, this study examined the moderator role of perceived social support and learned resourcefulness (LR) as personal resources in the relationship between psychological IPV and depression. This cross-sectional study was performed via an online survey platform. A total of 168 Turkish women, with a mean age of 33.8, completed a set of measurement tools. Data were assessed using linear regression and two-way and three-way interactions in moderated multiple regression analyses. The results of the study showed that as expected psychological IPV was directly associated with depression (β = .268, p < .001). To explore the moderator roles, two separate two-way interactions were conducted, and results demonstrated that neither social support nor LR separately moderated the relationship between psychological IPV and depression. However, there was a significant three-way interaction: togetherness of perceived social support with LR moderated the relationship between psychological IPV and depression (β = -.388, p < .05). More specifically, if women exposed to psychological IPV have high perceived social support and high LR, they are less likely to report depressive symptoms. This finding highlights the positive effect of the combination of personal resources on depression linked to psychological IPV's detrimental effects. The findings were discussed in the light of the relevant literature. Interventions focusing on strengthening social support and fostering LR skills may promote the psychological well-being of women exposed to psychological IPV.

Effectiveness of governance mechanisms on bank financial performance in a changing world: evidence from a Small Island Developing States

The unique Coronavirus has speedily spread all over the world distressing all economies around the globe. This epidemic is not simply a health issue because it has affected the whole world in diverse facets due to the governmental measures taken to combat against it such as lockdowns, movement restrains, and social distancing strategies. It has also caused substantial damage to each part of the banking system as well as its performance where Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is not an exception. Thus, this study contributes to the limited literature by providing the first empirical evidence on the impact of covid19 on the role of internal and external Corporate Governance (CG) mechanisms in relation to bank performance (BP) in a SIDS. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of governance mechanisms on BP during pandemic and also look for whether the covid19 as a moderator has affected the CG variables in relation to BP. To answer the research questions, all the 18 banks operating in Mauritius from the years 2020-2022 are considered. Mauritius because it is one of the strongest economies with a ranking of second among SIDS. As per the result of this study, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that CG mechanisms are effective as some explanatory variables such as OI, AUDC, and CEOD are helpful in anticipating BP as measured by ROA, ROE, and NIM during the pandemic. Therefore, Ho is not rejected. That is, governance mechanisms are effective in relation to BP in this changing world. The evidence suggests that the adherence to CG mechanisms lead to some improvement in performance. Therefore, it is possible to minimise the adverse impact of covid19 on BP through effective governance.However, the result from moderated multiple regression (MMR) has confirmed that the insignificant effects of BIND, BDIVER, and BoSIZE on performance of banks recorded from both fixed effect model regression and dynamic panel data estimation results were due to covid19.In order to curtail the adverse effect of covid19 pandemic, the organistaion and board should recognise opportunities and build new strategies to acclimate to the uncertainties caused by the covid19 pandemic. Banks should also adhere effectively to the code of CG and not just to fulfill the legal requirements.

Simultaneous high-resolution whole-brain MR spectroscopy and [18F]FDG PET for temporal lobe epilepsy.

Precise lateralizing the epileptogenic zone in patients with drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) remains challenging, particularly when routine MRI scans are inconclusive (MRI-negative). This study aimed to investigate the synergy of fast, high-resolution, whole-brain MRSI in conjunction with simultaneous [18F]FDG PET for the lateralization of mTLE. Forty-eight drug-resistant mTLE patients (M/F 31/17, age 12-58) underwent MRSI and [18F]FDG PET on a hybrid PET/MR scanner. Lateralization of mTLE was evaluated by visual inspection and statistical classifiers of metabolic mappings against routine MRI. Additionally, this study explored how disease status influences the associations between altered N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and FDG uptake using hierarchical moderated multiple regression. The high-resolution whole-brain MRSI data offers metabolite maps at comparable resolution to [18F]FDG PET. Visual examinations of combined MRSI and [18F]FDG PET showed an mTLE lateralization accuracy rate of 91.7% in a 48-patient cohort, surpassing routine MRI (52.1%). Notably, out of 23 MRI-negative mTLE, combined MRSI and [18F]FDG PET helped detect 19 cases. Logistical regression models combining hippocampal NAA level and FDG uptake improved lateralization performance (AUC=0.856), while further incorporating extrahippocampal regions such as amygdala, thalamus, and superior temporal gyrus increased the AUC to 0.939. Concurrent MRSI/PET revealed a moderating influence of disease duration and hippocampal atrophy on the association between hippocampal NAA and glucose uptake, providing significant new insights into the disease's trajectory. This paper reports the first metabolic imaging study using simultaneous high-resolution MRSI and [18F]FDG PET, which help visualize MRI-unidentifiable lesions and may thus advance diagnostic tools and management strategies for drug-resistant mTLE.

TALENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, ORGANIZATION CULTURE AND SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN CHARTERED UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

Universities contribute to economic development of a country. However, Universities experience scarcity of academic staff due to tremendous increase in student enrolment yet little attention is given to attraction and retention of staff for sustainable performance. This study determined the relationship between talent management practices (TMP), organization culture (OC) and sustainable organizational performance (SOP). Correlational and retrospective longitudinal designs were adopted and 51 Registrars purposively selected from 51 Chartered Universities responded to questionnaires. Secondary data was from accredited Government records. Reliability was confirmed by Cronbach Alpha coefficient 0.960 from pilot study on 5 Universities. Data was analyzed descriptively and inferentially. The multiple regression findings revealed varied results with SOP; talent attraction (β=0.342, p=0.000), talent development (β=0.128, p=0.118), talent retention (β=0.035, p=0.696), career management (β=-0.203, p=0.007) and succession planning (β=0.134, p=0.020). Talent attraction and succession planning found positive significant influence on SOP, Career management found negative significant influence on SOP while Talent development and Talent retention found positive insignificant influence on SOP. The R2= 0.691 implied that 69.1% of variation in SOP explained by TMP. The model was significant as shown by (F=17.861, p=0.000). The moderated multiple regression results found that organization culture was a significant moderator; Int.(TMP*OC) = [R2Δ=0.012, β=0.197 and p=0.005]. The R2Δ=0.012 implied 1.2% variation in SOP explained by interaction between TMP and OC hence conclusion that moderator strengthens the relationship between TMP and SOP. The study concluded that effective TMP are critical contributors to SOP under positive organization culture. The study recommends adoption of innovative talent management practices that ensure the right talents are attracted to the right jobs and deliberate steps towards creation of supportive institutional culture for adoption and implementation of TMP to ensure SOP. KEY WORDS: Talent, Culture, Sustainable, Chartered Universities

The Relationships between Employees Perceptions of Organizational Justice, HR Attributions, and Affective Organizational Commitment

Purpose –The purpose of this study is to test Nishii et al.’s (2008) HR attributions theory with respect to explaining how individual variability in HR perceptions shapes work attitudes.Design/methodology/approach –Online surveys were sent to the organizational clients of a business consulting company operating in Turkey. Correspondents from organizations were asked to send the forms to a random group among their employees. Survey responses were received from 116 employees from 19 companies. The main and interactive effects of independent variables were tested using moderated multiple regression analyses conducted with SPSS Process macro (Hayes, 2012). Findings –The results supported the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between employees’ perceptions of organizational justice and affective commitment. Furthermore, as expected, employees’ well-being and service quality HR attributions were found to be positively related to commitment, whereas union compliance HR attribution was negatively related to commitment. Cost-cutting and exploitation HR attributions were not found to be significantly related to commitment. Lastly, it was found that the relationship between justice perceptions and organizational commitment was moderated by only one of the five types of HR attributions, namely employee exploitation attribution. Hence, the moderation hypothesis was partially supported. Discussion –This study explained and provided empirical support for the role of employees’ perceptions of causal HR attributions as an important antecedent and regulator of organizational commitment. This implies that organizations should pay attention to understanding, managing, and maintaining employees’ idiosyncratic perceptions about the rationale behind the adoption of HR practices. Future research is needed to investigate other potential antecedents and outcomes of these HR attributions.

Digital Dependency: How Parenting and Social Intelligence Shape Internet Addiction.

The global pandemic forced young adults and their parents to be together. This situation has equally exposed the weaknesses in the child-parent relationship. This study aimed to investigate the role of social intelligence in the relationship between parenting style and Internet addiction during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Seven hundred and seventy-four were sampled from a public university in southeast Nigeria. They comprised 373 females and 401 males aged 17-28 years, with a mean age of 21.61. The students responded to validated measures of parenting style inventory-II, the Tromsø social intelligence scale, and Young's Internet addiction test. The moderated multiple regression analysis results indicated that permissive parenting and social intelligence significantly predicted Internet addiction. Social intelligence moderated the relationship between authoritarian parenting style and Internet addiction. The moderation was that Internet addiction is significantly higher for individuals with low social intelligence and authoritarian parenting style than individuals with low social intelligence and higher authoritarian parenting style. Some implications of the findings include engaging parenting styles to encourage more physical interactions and enabling an environment for growth. Also, adopting techniques to increase social intelligence will help students adjust to any parenting style that may influence their psychological well-being.

Consumer dining duration and spending: The role of emotional labour practice in the restaurant industry

This paper centres on examining the link between emotional labour and dinning duration within the restaurant industry. In this study emotional labour practice was modelled as one of the crucial predictors of dining duration. This study adopted a multiple case study using a cross sectional design approach. The target population was 480 dyads encounters in 6 of the most popular fast food restaurant chains in Harare. Some 214 seat-in customers were the unit of analysis while wait staff were the unit of observation. In terms of responses, 200 responses were attained and were deemed sufficient for meaningful Structural Equation Modelling. The quantitative approach employed a self-completed structured questionnaire in collecting data. A structural equation modelling was run to test the direct effects, a multi-group structural equation modelling was run to test the moderating effects of categorical variables, and a moderated multiple regression was run to test the moderation effects of the latent variables. The study revealed various factors that influence the connection between emotional labour and dinning duration such as the gender factor of the people involved, the rate and strength of the interaction between restaurant employees and the clients. The outcome directed that emotional labour is positively associated with consumer dining duration. The consumer dining duration is in turn associated with consumer expenditures within the restaurant. However, all the hypothesised moderators had no statistically significant effect. The study recommended the use of emotional labour as one of the predictors for increased revenue in the restaurant industry through increased consumer spending as mediated by the dining duration under the scenario of excess capacity and limited demand. &#x0D;

EFFECT OF MORTGAGE FINANCING ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN KENYA

&lt;p&gt;The financial performance of commercial banks has been unstable as evidenced in Annual Supervision Report of 2011 to 2020, where the Return on Assets (ROA) rose to 6.2% in 2012 from 3% in 2011; and to below 3% in the years 2016 to 2020. Literature reveals that commercial banks’ lending criteria are pro-cyclical, implying a less strict lending criteria during the real estate boom, and very strict during burst; resulting in likely underestimation of the default risk on loans during periods of high demand by the commercial banks. The objective of the study was to establish the effect of mortgage financing on the n financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya for the period 2015 to 2022. Using secondary balanced panel data from 27 mortgage-offering banks in Kenya, with 189 data points and employing moderated multiple regression to achieve the study objectives. The regression analysis revealed that the independent variables explained 86.69% (R&lt;sup&gt;2 &lt;/sup&gt;= 0.8669, p-value = 0004) of variance in of financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya, the coefficient of mortgage financing is 0.004434, (p=0.0004); implying that a unit increase in mortgage loan would result to significant increase in the return on assets by 0.004434 units. Therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected. The study concluded that an increase in the amount of mortgage loans offered as well as other activities that augment the total value of mortgage loans extended by the commercial banks leads to a significant improvement in the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The study recommends that commercial banks in Kenya should target to increase the amount of mortgage offered as well as other activities that augment the total value of mortgage loans extended in order to improve their financial performance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;JEL&lt;/strong&gt;: D10; D14; G21&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0081/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

The Interplay Between Workplace Incivility, Religiosity and Well-Being: Insights from Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory, this study examines the relationship between workplace incivility and workers' psychological well-being. A related aim is to examine the link between workers' religiosity and their well-being, with workplace incivility moderating this nexus. Data were collected from 247 employees identified from private sectors (in Jordan and the UAE) via online-survey questionnaire. Factor analysis and hierarchical moderated multiple regression models were used to test the hypotheses. Study results show that workers' religiosity is positively and significantly associated with their psychological well-being, while workplace incivility is negatively (but insignificantly) associated with workers' psychological well-being. In addition, and contrary to our expectations and prior studies, our results suggest that workplace incivility strengthens the direct relationship between religiosity and well-being. The mechanism of this intersection may propose that rude and uncivil treatments positively predict self-blame, something that may lead the targets to become more religious to get recovery from different types of incivility and stressful life events. This study highlights the contextual applicability and possible extension of the JD-R theory through extending its model to religiosity and well-being of employees in a diverse cultural context in the Middle East.

THE MODERATING EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMISM IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INNOVATION CAPABILITY AND PERFORMANCE OF MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

The manufacturing sector is well known for its significance in upholding the economic prosperity of many nations. However, the manufacturing sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product has been consistently falling across the last few years, giving rise to fears of a premature de-industrialization phenomenon in Kenya. A growing research literature posits that the innovation capability can be considered a theoretical answer to the question of how organizations in various industries are able to achieve and sustain superior performance in turbulent environments. However, scholars still lack a complete understanding of the specific innovation capability that sustain superior firm performance over time in the dynamic environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of environmental dynamism in the relationship between innovation capability and performance of manufacturing firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study employed the correlational, cross-sectional survey research design. The proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 228 manufacturing firms from a target population of 526 manufacturing firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The Pearson’s product moment correlation analysis results indicated that product innovation capability, process innovation capability, marketing innovation capability and technological innovation capability had positive and significant relationship with performance of manufacturing firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The standard multiple regression results showed that product innovation capability, process innovation capability, marketing innovation capability and technological innovation capability had a positive and significant effect on performance of manufacturing firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The moderated multiple regression results showed that environmental dynamism had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between innovation capability and performance of manufacturing firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study recommended that it is imperative for the managers to implement innovation capability and strategically manage the environmental dynamism to foster the performance of manufacturing firms. Policy makers should consider initiating policy review to encourage stakeholders to implement innovation capability and strategically manage the environmental dynamism to foster the performance of manufacturing firms. The study pointed to several intriguing paths for future research.

The effect of CEO entrepreneurial passion on family firm entrepreneurial orientation: does generational stage matter?

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore to what extent passionate family chief executive officers (CEOs) increase the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of the family firm. More specifically, the authors investigate the impact of the family CEO’s entrepreneurial passion (EP) on the firm’s EO and explore whether the generational stage of the family CEO alters this relationship.Design/methodology/approachA multiple moderated regression model was used to test the hypothesized relationships, based on a unique sample of 140 private Belgian family firms. All respondent CEOs are members of the controlling family, meaning they are in a unique position to influence firm-level outcomes.FindingsThe results reveal a significant positive effect of a CEO’s EP on the family firm’s EO. The generational stage of the family CEO moderates the EP-EO relationship, so the positive effect is strongest in first-generation family CEOs and becomes negative in third- or later-generation CEOs.Originality/valueThis research builds on insights from imprinting and upper echelon theory to explore how the EP of the family CEO impacts the family firm’s EO. This study thereby contributes to research regarding the antecedents of EO and introduces the concept of EP in a family firm context. The present study further contributes to the literature on imprinting, as it empirically shows how the EP-EO relationship differs depending on the generational stage of the family CEO. In a family firm context, the generational stage acts as a contingency variable, determining the dominant theory (i.e. upper echelon or imprinting theory) in explaining the EP-EO relationship.

CAN GOOD GOVERNANCE ENHANCE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE?

The first objective of this study is to examine the effect of audit results on the local government performance. Secondly is examining the moderating role of good governance on the relationship between audit results and local government performance. This study collected 536 local governments data from 134 local authorities in Indonesia from 2016 to 2019. The data employed for audit results were extracted from findings and rectification of audit reports. For the Good Governance, this study develops the Good Governance Principles index by mapping the data taken from Evaluation of Local Government Performance by the Ministry of Home Affairs RI with IGI indicators. Meanwhile, the local government performances were measured using the total local own revenue. This study uses multiple moderated regression analyses to explain the relationship between the audit results and good governance on local government performance. As the result, it has a significant effect on both variables tested. This research also found a significant interaction between audit results and good governance on local government. These results assert that good governance enhances local government to be more effective in responding to audit results to improve their performances in the following years.

The moderating role of industry clockspeed on the relation between supply chain integration practices and new product flexibility

This study assessed the firm's new product flexibility in the recovery phase of COVID-19. Using the theoretical lens of organizational information processing theory, it established the relationship between supply chain integration practices (supply chain planning, internal integration, and supplier involvement) and new product flexibility. It also explained the moderating effect of industry clockspeed on supply chain integration practices and new product flexibility with the help of contingency theory. This study used an online survey method to collect data from plant managers, and we received 256 useable responses. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to test the validity and reliability of the scales, and we tested hypotheses using moderated multiple regression technique. The results showed significant positive relationships between supply chain integration practices and new product flexibility. The moderating effects hypotheses showed that industry clockspeed significantly and positively moderated on supply chain planning-new product flexibility and internal integration-new product flexibility links. But it negatively moderated on supplier involvement and new product flexibility. Our study departs from earlier studies in the field that were conducted under normal circumstances. We conducted our study in the recovery phase of COVID-19 in Pakistan, when firms, after fourteen days of complete lockdown, resumed their operations and experienced a new business landscape.

The Effects of Strategic Procurement 4.0 Performance on Organizational Competitiveness in the Circular Economy

Background: This study aims to identify how and if strategic procurement 4.0 performance influences competitiveness under circular economy conditions. In this regard, to achieve the aim of the study, we examine the moderating and mediating effects of strategic procurement 4.0 performance. In addition, the paper explores the role of procurement 4.0 in the circular economy and its impact on organizational competitiveness, with a focus on the mediating factors in the relationship between manager attitudes and competitiveness, making a significant contribution to the emerging research in this field. Methods: The results of a two-way moderated multiple regression analysis showed that there is an effect that intensifies the relationship between the variables being studied. Mediating effects were tested using Smart PLS-4 and the results showed significant mediating effects of strategy for procurement 4.0 and planning for procurement 4.0. Results: The study found that organizations with high strategic procurement 4.0 performance and high circular economy openness have the highest level of competitiveness. However, low levels of circular economy openness result in similar competitiveness levels regardless of low or average strategic procurement 4.0 performance. Conclusions: We found that strategic procurement 4.0, aligned with sustainability goals and incorporating digital technologies, leads to increased competitiveness in the context of the circular economy, as demonstrated in the Romanian business environment. Moreover, our study highlights the importance of strategic training in procurement 4.0, the need for a three-level approach in procurement strategy, planning, and performance review, and the significance of considering non-financial aspects in competitiveness and innovation within the context of a circular economy.

Locus of Control as Moderator Machiavellian Nature and Risk Preferences toward Ethical Decision Making of Tax Consultants in Malang

This study aims to examine and analyze the effect of: 1) machiavellian nature on ethical decision making, 2) risk preference on ethical decision making, 3) locus of control on ethical decision making, 4) locus of control moderates machiavellian nature on ethical decision making, 5) locus of control moderates risk preference towards ethical decision making. This research was conducted at the Tax Consultant in Malang using an explanatory research approach with a census sample technique obtained as many as 91 employees. However, the data collected were 78 respondents. Data were collected using a questionnaire method given via google form sent directly to respondents, then analyzed using moderated multiple linear regression analysis. Before being analyzed, the classical assumption tests were carried out: heteroscedasticity, multicollinearity, and normality. The results show that: 1) machiavellian traits affect ethical decision making, 2) risk preferences affect ethical decision making, 3) locus of control affects ethical decision making, 4) locus of control strengthens the relationship between Machiavellian traits and ethical decision making, 5) locus of control strengthens the relationship of risk preference with ethical decision making.

Examining the Interaction between Perceived Cultural Tightness and Prevention Regulatory Focus on Life Satisfaction in Italy

This study aimed to investigate how some specific cultural and personal factors can influence people’s life satisfaction. By embracing an interactionist perspective, we hypothesized that perceiving one’s social environment as culturally tight (greater strength of social norms) can “match” with regulatory prevention focus (focus on safety following guidelines and rules) resulting in increased life satisfaction. This study relied on a cross-sectional design with 472 participants residing in Italy who filled out a questionnaire with self-report measures of perceived cultural tightness of their place of residence, and well-validated measurement scales of prevention focus and life satisfaction. A moderated multiple regression model revealed that regulatory prevention focus moderated the relationship between perceived cultural tightness and life satisfaction in such a way that the relationship was positive in high (vs. low) prevention focus. Therefore, results confirmed our match hypothesis that individuals’ perception of tight social norms where they reside is associated with higher life satisfaction, particularly in those who are highly focused on prevention. These findings provide insight into identifying possible interactions of perceived culture and regulatory focus on subjective well-being within an Italian sample.