Procedural Remedies Research Articles

Evaluating Various Sources of Common Method Bias and Psychological Separation as an Alternate Remedy

Common method bias substantially impacts the way organizational scholars conduct and review empirical research. However, to date, there have been limited efforts to explicitly and systematically assess the extent to which various sources of common method bias affect both within-scale psychometric properties as well as between-scale intercorrelations. In this study, we address this gap by conducting multiple experiments intended to evaluate the extent to which social desirability, transient mood states, scale formats/anchors, item embeddedness, and item/scale intermixing impact these outcomes. Second, we also examine the utility of an alternative procedural remedy, psychological separation, which we believe holds considerable promise for addressing method bias concerns through research design. Results from Experiments 1-5 demonstrated that several sources of method bias can significantly influence participant responding and subsequent scale means/reliabilities, as well as intercorrelations among constructs. Experiment 6 revealed that playing a game of Tetris or completing a reading comprehension task and quiz resulted in construct intercorrelations commensurate with those seen in research designs utilizing temporal separation and distinct source measurement, but significantly lower correlations than in a cross-sectional design with no psychological separation manipulation. Implications of all six experiments are discussed.

Work social support, work engagement and their impacts on multiple performance outcomes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a research model in which work engagement (WE) mediates the influence of work social support on job satisfaction (JS), in-role performance (IRP), creative performance (CP) and extra-role performance (ERP).Design/methodology/approachData were collected from cabin attendants via three surveys two weeks apart and their pursers. The aforesaid relationships were assessed through structural equation modeling.FindingsIn general, there is support for the preponderance of hypotheses. Specifically, WE completely mediates the impact of coworker support on JS and IRP, while the impact of supervisor support on CP is completely mediated by WE. WE partly mediates the effect of coworker support on CP and ERP. Furthermore, the effect of supervisor support on JS, IRP and ERP is partly mediated by WE.Practical implicationsManagement should make sure that the work environment consists of supportive supervisors and coworkers who are trained on how they can enhance the cooperation and collaboration among employees. Management should also create an employee platform where cabin attendants can contribute to service delivery process by sharing their experiences arising from passenger requests and problems.Originality/valueThe study extends and contributes to the current service research by assessing the impact of WE simultaneously on three performance outcomes. The study adds to current knowledge by investigating the mediating mechanism linking work social support to the attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. The study also controls the threat of common method variance with at least two procedural remedies, which have been rarely used in the current service research.

Socioemotional wealth and performance in private family firms

PurposeAlthough family business literature acknowledges that family firms owners are motivated by a set of socioemotional wealth (SEW) goals along with firm-centric business goals, yet a consistently predictable pattern of relationship between SEW and financial wealth is yet to be discerned. The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical model based on the stakeholder approach to suggest that family commitment mediates the association between the dimensions of SEW and firm performance.Design/methodology/approachA set of hypotheses are proposed that are tested using structural equation modeling with data collected from 357 medium to large sized privately held family firms in Bangladesh. The data analysis is done with SmartPLS (v.3.2).FindingsThe results indicate that family commitment partially mediates the relationships between family control and influence, family identification, emotional attachment and renewal of family bonds through dynastic succession and firm performance. The only non-significant relationship was between binding social ties and firm performance. The results provide a more nuanced understanding of the link between SEW goals and firm performance, and present important implications for theory and practice.Research limitations/implicationsThe cross-sectional nature of the study exposes it to the specter of common method bias despite the fact that procedural remedies were initiated to minimize the impact of such occurrence. A longitudinal study with data obtained from multiple individuals at different levels of the organization would possibly yield more robust findings. Furthermore, in the absence of a multi-country and multi-sector analysis, a broad generalization of the findings may not be feasible.Practical implicationsThe knowledge that family identity, emotional attachment and renewal of family bonds through dynastic succession may be leveraged to enhance the commitment of subsequent generation of family firm owners to the firm that may be pertinent to incumbents who desire to see their successors more engaged in the family enterprise. Furthermore, knowing that excessive focus on family control over the firm leads to negative outcomes is also pertinent to family firm leaders.Social implicationsSurvival of family businesses is vital to the global economy as one of the primary drivers of global GDP growth and source of new employment. Policy makers can benefit from the findings of this study to customize policies that take into cognizance the importance of SEW owners of family firms and the fact that some of these SEW goals actually benefit the firm in terms of enhanced commitment to the enterprise and consequently superior firm performance.Originality/valueThe role of family commitment as a mediator between SEW and firm performance has not been dominant in the literature. By providing a finer-grained understanding of how family commitment accounts for the relationship between family-centric non-economic goals such as SEW and firm-centric goals such as business performance, the study presents a theoretical link between sociomemotional wealth and financial wealth in the context of private family firms.

Socioemotional wealth and family commitment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the elements of family-centric non-economic goals, such as socioemotional wealth (SEW) of family business owners, that drive family commitment. The empirical study further tests whether such relationships are impacted by the aspect of ownership, that is, who controls the firm: founder generation or subsequent generation of owner managers.Design/methodology/approachDeploying the SEW and stakeholder theories, this study proposes a conceptual link between soecioemotional wealth dimensions and family commitment. The study is based on a survey of 357 private family firms in Bangladesh involved in manufacturing ready-made garments. The respondents are all in senior-level management positions in their respective firms and are members of the dominant owning family.FindingsPrior to considering the moderating effect of controlling generation, the results indicate that four out of five FIBER dimensions of SEW affect family commitment, except for binding social ties. The study also finds that when a comparison is made between the founder generation and the subsequent generation of family firm managers, it is the latter that manifests significantly higher levels of family commitment when the focus is on the two FIBER dimensions of SEW: binding social ties and identification of family members with the firm.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the cross-sectional nature of the study exposes the study to the specter of common method bias, procedural remedies were initiated to minimize the likelihood. Furthermore, data were collected from a single key informant in each organization. Therefore, both a longitudinal study and corroborating data from more than one individual in each firm would possibly provide a more robust picture.Practical implicationsKey decision makers from within the family who wish to see their subsequent generation remain engaged and committed to the family firm may find cues from the fact that focusing on binding social ties and identification of family members with the firm play an important role in ensuring continued commitment to the business by their successors.Social implicationsFamily businesses are recognized to be vital contributors to most societies around the globe, both as employment generators as well as catalysts of economic activities. Hence, policy makers may derive pertinent information from the study in adopting policies to nurture and ensure survival and continuity of family-owned businesses, by understanding how family-centric non-economic goals impact family’s desire to commit resources, time and effort to the enterprise from generation to generation.Originality/valueDetermining the factors that drive continued engagement and commitment of family members to the business enterprise is a phenomenon that needs to be better understood in order to ensure continuity and survival of family enterprises across generations. This study attempts to provide a more nuanced understanding of how different components of family-centric goals, such as SEW, impact family commitment. The study contributes to theory building by providing a conceptual link that demonstrates the components of SEW that are most pertinent in terms of ensuring higher levels of family commitment to the family-owned business.

Work: covenant, social support and their impacts on multiple performance outcomes

PurposeApplying social exchange and job demands resources theories, this study aims to proposes a research model in which work engagement (WE) mediates the influence of work social support on job satisfaction (JS), in-role performance (IRP) and creative performance (CP).Design/methodology/approachData were collected from cabin attendants via three surveys two weeks apart and their pursers. The aforesaid relationships were assessed through structural equation modeling.FindingsIn general, there is support for the preponderance of hypotheses. Specifically, WE completely mediate the impact of coworker support on JS and IRP, whereas the impact of supervisor support on CP is completely mediated by WE. WE partly mediate the effect of coworker support on CP. Further, the effect of supervisor support on JS and IRP is partly mediated by WE.Originality/valueThe study extends and contributes to the current service research by assessing the impact of WE simultaneously on three performance outcomes. And it adds to current knowledge by investigating the mediating mechanism linking work social support to the attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. It also controls the threat of common method variance with at least two procedural remedies, which have been rarely used in the current service research.

Personal values and the features of psychological contracts

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how personal values relate to the psychological contract employees establish with their employers.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consisted of 223 frontline employees from a major Portuguese company. The paper used stepwise regressions analysis to test the research hypotheses.FindingsCollectivistic-oriented values were generally related to psychological contract features such as long time frame, lower tangibility, flexibility, inequality and collective regulation. Conversely, individualistic-oriented values were generally associated with a short time frame and a more tangible, stable, equal and individually regulated type of contract with a narrow scope.Research limitations/implicationsThis study uses cross-sectional data collected from a single Portuguese company. While common method bias could potentially affect the results, various procedural remedies were used to control for it. Finally, the study relied on stepwise regression, which is a data-driven approach.Practical implicationsThe study supports the contentions that internal dispositions are related to psychological contracts.Originality/valueThis paper innovates by exploring how employees’ personal values are associated with the psychological contract from a feature-oriented approach. In addition, this study was carried out in Portugal, highlighting the importance of exploring existing models and theories in different cultural contexts.

Constitutional complaint as a form judicial protection of human rights in Ukraine

The introduction of the constitutional complaint institute in the context of modern constitutionalism in Ukraine are analyzed in the article. Prospects for further improvement of this institute are considered. Particular attention is paid to detailing the main advantages and disadvantages of the constitutional complaint model adopted in Ukraine.The constitutional complaint is a new effective procedural remedy for the protection of human rights and freedoms in Ukraine. The constitutional complaint is a significant step towards improving Ukrainian legislation on compliance with its European standards in the field of human rights and citizen protection. Without the implementation of a really effective constitutional complaint, it is impossible to systematically ensure the rule of the Constitution of Ukraine and guarantee the emergence of constitutionalism. The functioning of the constitutional complaint institute complements the content of the principle of direct effect of the norms of the Constitution of Ukraine.The Constitutional Court of Ukraine, while protecting human rights and freedoms, is guided by the experience and practice of European constitutional justice, since approaches to addressing the main tasks of constitutional courts are similar, despite some peculiarities of national regulation. Therefore, we consider it appropriate to study the process of reforming the constitutional complaint institute, for example, in the Republic of Armenia. This is explained by the fact that in Ukraine and in the Republic of Armenia the model of complaints is similar. At the same time, both states discuss the prospects for implementing a model constitutional complaint with the possibility of challenging legal acts and acts of law enforcement. Problems of the functioning of the constitutional complaint institute, the existence of individual features of the model of complaint in each state are due to the desire to adapt this institution to the realities of social life, indicating the importance of the institute constitutional complaint.The constitutional complaint serves as a guarantee of the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, a guarantee of the development of democracy on a constitutional basis. The constitutional complaint is a component of the rule of law in the form of ensuring the implementation of the principles of law in the law. A constitutional complaint should be considered not just as another mechanism of judicial protection, but as a means of influencing the quality of the current legislation.

Constitutionalization of the Pre-trial Chamber concept

The Pre-trial Chamber was introduced in criminal proceedings as a new concept aimed at eliminating the excessive length of proceedings in the trial stage, and, at the same time, as a procedural remedy designed to meet the requirements of legality, celerity and fairness of criminal proceedings. The rules governing it have been repeatedly challenged by way of exceptions of unconstitutionality, some of the exceptions being allowed, with the consequent amendment of the legal reference texts. This study approaches the case-law of the Constitutional Court by which the constitutionalisation of this stage of the criminal proceedings was achieved, with the consequence of significant changes, inviting reflection on the new configuration of the Pre-trial Chamber, from the perspective of regulatory intent.

Social desirability and sustainable food research: A systematic literature review

Social desirability bias could affect the results of research using self-reports, like questionnaires, which are the dominant approach to explore sustainable food consumption and its drivers. Despite various methodological and statistical approaches have been suggested to counteract social desirability, their use in research about sustainable food has not been systematically reviewed before. Therefore, a systematic literature review was carried out covering 388 peer-reviewed studies. The number of papers mentioning social desirability bias steadily increased since the 1990s. However, our results indicates that the overall proportion of relevant papers discussing it is low, with most of those doing so giving no clear indication about its causes and/or consequences for data quality. Moreover, few studies provide information about the data collection process, despite well-known situational factors influencing social desirability bias. A few papers implemented methodological remedies, like anonymity or proper scaling. Statistical remedies, like social desirability scales, were found in two studies only. Our findings suggest three major improvements in survey research about sustainable food. First, a better description of the data collection process is recommended, to better identify the limitations and strengths of a specific study. Second, procedural remedies against social desirability, which are now the gold standard in other survey-based disciplines, should be used more consistently. Finally, more research is needed adopting social desirability scales, which are relatively common in other fields of research using surveys (e.g. dietary studies), as well as specialized questioning techniques for sensitive answers.

Enforcing EU equality law through collective redress: Lagging behind?

Whilst the enforcement of EU law was initially based on individual and institutional “vigilance”, it has progressively expanded to embrace collective redress. However, collective redress mechanisms remain mostly nested in market-oriented areas, like competition law, consumer protection and data protection. Drawing on EU secondary law and soft law, this article contends that collective redress procedures should also be encouraged in more socially-oriented areas, focusing, in particular, on EU equality law. This is essential not only to address the rise of xenophobia in Europe, but also to ensure the substantive supremacy and uniform application of EU equality law, and to achieve more consistency within EU law.

‘A chain reaction’ or the necessity of collective actions for consumers in cartel cases

As a particularity of competition law, damage caused by a legal violation generally travels down the supply chain. An overcharge incurred by the direct purchaser is often at least partially passed on to the next level in the supply chain, and so on, ending with the final consumer. Damage is typically widespread once it reaches the consumer level. Thus, the consumer’s rational response is not to initiate an individual lawsuit. The classical solution is to improve the incentive structure with some form of collective redress. The principle of effectiveness as defined in Article 4 of the Antitrust Damages Directive requires an effective procedural remedy for each victim of a competition law infringement, but the Directive is silent regarding collective actions. Drawing on arguments on the rational apathy problem with consumer lawsuits, we analyse why this ‘silence’ upsets the European principle of effectiveness. We show why this omission is particularly harmful in the competition law case. We conclude that the time to introduce collective actions to ensure the effectiveness of European competition law has arrived. Such mechanisms do not have to be entirely harmonised across the European Union – different shapes in different Member States or even alternative solutions to the same effect are perfectly permissible.

Workplace bullying and redress procedures: experiences of teachers in Ireland

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the experiences of redress seeking and organisational responses for targets of bullying.Design/methodology/approachA phenomenological research design was adopted. In total, 22 primary teachers (seven males, 15 females) in Ireland were self-selected for interview, following an advertisement detailing the study in a national teacher union magazine. Data were analysed utilising an interpretative phenomenological analysis framework.FindingsAll those interviewed had made official complaints as per available procedures for addressing workplace bullying in their schools. All participants had engaged in Stages 1 and 2 of the official complaints procedures including uptake of recommended counselling. Three participants ceased engagement at Stage 2. In total, 18 participants had engaged in Stage 3 with 12 ceasing engagement at this stage. Seven participants had proceeded to Stage 4. It is noteworthy that no participant articulated satisfaction with the outcome, but conversely all had articulated further upset and acceptance of the reality that redress would not be forthcoming. These participants who had exercised agency in attempting to seek redress were met with power abuses and cultures of collusion.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a small-scale study with self-selecting teachers. The data point to some problematic assumptions underpinning anti-bullying policies in small organisations.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to discourses of power/agency in workplace bullying. It challenges researchers and policy makers to elucidate more carefully the issues surrounding seeking redress for bullying.

Antecedents and outcomes of brand love: utilitarian and symbolic brand qualities

PurposeBrand love is associated with consumer behaviours that are key for organisational performance. However, research on the antecedents of brand love is sparse. The current research draws on the information processing model as well as on the experiential approaches to consumer behaviour to develop a model comprising a novel set of antecedents.Design/methodology/approachTo test the research hypotheses, we resort to two samples, which implied the collection of usable 1,018 questionnaires. For hypotheses testing, we resort to structural equation modelling.FindingsBoth functional constructs as well as more symbolic/emotional ones are positively associated with brand love. In addition, constructs with a more functional nature tend to have an indirect effect on brand love, whereas constructs with a higher level of abstraction tend to mediate the effects of more specific brand qualities. Finally, brand love is related with important outcomes, including loyalty, word of mouth and willingness to pay a premium price.Research/limitations implicationsThis research has a cross-sectional nature. Moreover, we rely on a single informant, but the procedural remedies as well as the statistical tests we conducted suggest that common method variance is not a concern.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that managers should emphasise both functional as well as emotional/symbolic aspects to strengthen the links between brands and consumers, which will be beneficial for both sides.Originality/valueThis study is the first to investigate the relationship between a number of symbolic and functional brand aspects and the development of brand love feelings.

The influence of common method bias on the relationship of the socio-ecological model in predicting physical activity behavior.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent, if any, that the association between socio-ecological parameters and physical activity may be influenced by common method bias (CMB).Methods: This study took place between February and May of 2017 at a Southeastern University in the United States. A randomized controlled experiment was employed among 119 young adults.Participants were randomized into either group 1 (the group we attempted to minimize CMB)or group 2 (control group). In group 1, CMB was minimized via various procedural remedies,such as separating the measurement of predictor and criterion variables by introducing a time lag (temporal; 2 visits several days apart), creating a cover story (psychological), and approximating measures to have data collected in different media (computer-based vs. paper and pencil) and different locations to control method variance when collecting self-report measures from the same source. Socio-ecological parameters (self-efficacy; friend support; family support)and physical activity were self-reported.Results: Exercise self-efficacy was significantly associated with physical activity. This association (β = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.33-1.1; P = 0.001) was only observed in group 2 (control), but not in group 1 (experimental group) (β = 0.03; 95% CI: -0.57-0.63; P = 0.91). The difference in these coefficients (i.e., β = 0.74 vs. β = 0.03) was statistically significant (P = 0.04).Conclusion: Future research in this field, when feasible, may wish to consider employing procedural and statistical remedies to minimize CMB.

Alternative Remedies in Standard Essential Patents Disputes

The possibility to seek and obtain injunctions for the infringement of Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) is limited in both the US and the EU. The reasons for restricting the use of injunctions is due to concern of patent holdup, i.e. the possibility of SEP holder to force standard-implementers to accept onerous licensing terms, exceeding patent’s true economic value, as well as seeing injunctions as incompatible with the commitment given by the patent holder that it will license its SEPs on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. Limiting the use of injunctions by SEP holders may enable implementers to engage in a holdout, i.e. delaying taking a license for as long as possible, forcing the patentee to engage in expensive and protracted litigation in order to settle for below FRAND terms. Instead of focusing on injunctions, courts may use some procedural remedies in SEP disputes to restore the balance between the interests of patent holders and implementers. Courts could, at the beginning of the trial, order the defendant to make interim payments into escrow, or provide another type of security, reflecting the value of SEP holder’s whole portfolio, and not just for the patents in the litigation. Once interim payments are in place, courts may separate patent and FRAND issue and try patent issues first, as such could provide parties a sense of the overall strength of the SEP portfolio. Courts may adjust the level of interim payments, after patent issues have been resolved, by setting the higher amount if most of the patents have been confirmed valid and infringed or, conversely, lower the amount if most of the patents have been found to be invalid and non-infringed. Interim payments could therefore secure the interests of SEP holders and make holdout strategy more costly, while at the same time dispense the need for injunctions and mitigate the concern about holdup.

Transboundary Movements of Genetically Modified Organisms and the Cartagena Protocol: Key Issues and Concerns

Biotechnology or the engineering of the genetic material of species can give way to avenues of possibilities for the benefit of people, fauna and flora but also has the potential of posing untold and undiscovered threats to human beings and other living organisms. One of the first attempts to legislate on international rules on biotechnology can be traced back to article 19 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992. The CBD is indeed the first international legal instrument apart from the then European Community’s relevant directives to suggest that biotechnology is a matter of concern for the international community while providing a basis upon which more detailed procedures would be elaborated in the field of biosafety. While the CBD includes international rules on access to genetic resources, access to and the transfer of technology, the handling of biotechnology and the distribution of its benefits, it does not include a detailed regulation on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their possible adverse effects on the environment, human and animal health. It was only with the coming into existence of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (Cartagena Protocol) to the CBD in 2000 that the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) such as genetically engineered plants, animals, and microbes were at last being catered for, albeit leaving aside the broader categories of GMOs. Due to the need for the negotiators of this protocol to make compromises, there were still key issues on the international biosafety framework pertaining mainly to the scope of the GMOs to be covered by this protocol and by the Advanced Informed Agreement procedure; identification and traceability issues; and liability and redress issues.
 Nine years after the entry into force of the Cartagena Protocol the transboundary movements of GMOs have clearly increased with new categories of GMOs and genetically modified products to regulate. The debate on the safety of GMOs used for food and feed as well as the effects of GMOs on the receiving environment is still very lively throughout the world, amidst a lack of traceability of GMOs or epidemiological studies in the GMO-producing countries. However, there has been some progress on liability and redress with regard to damage resulting from the transboundary movement of LMOs with the adoption of rules and procedures for liability and redress in 2010 with the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol "(hereafter the Nagoya SP)" to the Cartagena Protocol, which is yet to enter into force. There are also concerns on the harmonisation of national biosafety regulation, risk assessment and risk management standards, the interpretation of socio-economic considerations, and the monitoring of compliance with the provisions of the Cartagena The scope of the GMOs covered by the Cartagena Protocol is discussed first, which discussion is followed by the discussion of identification and traceability issues, the harmonisation of national biosafety regulation, the harmonisation of risk assessment and risk management standards, the scope of the relevant socio-economic considerations, implementation, and concerns about the settlement of disputes.

A Pyrrhic Victory: Why California's Grand Jury Law (Still) Won't Hold Officers Liable for Murder

Following a string of controversial police killings, California's S.B. 227 sought to remove what many perceived was a ploy for prosecutors to deflect public scrutiny while deciding not to charge officers with the deaths: the grand jury. The new law forbids prosecutor offices from investigating these crimes before a grand jury, and, instead, requires putting these cases to a preliminary hearing if they are filed. While S.B. 227 eliminates one of several avenues a prosecutor may use to establish probable cause in a criminal case (the grand jury’s screening process), it cannot and will not force prosecutors to charge officers with murder. By pursuing a procedural remedy to the problems presented in Ferguson, lawmakers may have “[thrown] the baby out with the bathwater,” to quote an elected district attorney in California, by removing an important investigatory tool from the prosecutor’s arsenal and eliminating the only a meaningful check on prosecutorial discretion. Furthermore, the legislation fails to reach the goals of accountability and transparency heralded by the author and proponents, but may serve to restore trust between officers and the communities they serve. This Article explains the role of the grand jury in general, and specifically its use in highly-politicized cases. Next, the Article evaluates S.B. 227, discussing the background of its passage, the policy goals of its author, and detailing how the legislation works in practice. The Article concludes that by taking a procedural approach to the issues presented in Ferguson and Staten Island, the legislation hampers some of the key goals of the law's underlying purpose and perhaps causes lawmakers to ignore alternative approaches that might produce a better outcome.

Testing and Controlling for Common Method Variance: A Review of Available Methods

Several studies have debated over the prevalence of Common Method Variance (CMV) in organizational research. This paper highlights various procedural and statistical remedies to assess and control common method variance in any organizational study. It has been recognized that Common Method Variance (CMV) may significantly influence the research findings if it is not controlled properly through procedural and statistical remedies. However, researchers usually do not use all procedural remedies to remove potential impacts of CMV. Therefore, statistical remedies are strongly suggested to control and remove effects of CMV from data analysis. We have mentioned some common and effective statistical remedies from existing literature that have been widely used and recommended to control the effects of CMV. Moreover, we also discuss the challenge of CMV in relation to entrepreneurship studies and illustrate the problem utilizing an analysis of entrepreneurial competencies and business growth. In addition, we describe the possible solutions for minimizing the impact of common method bias by using the combination of several methods. This study strongly recommends using both procedural and statistical remedies to test and control the impacts of CMV from the research study.

The Global Convergence of Global Settlements

This article was written for a symposium celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the modern class action. It argues that a global trend in mass litigation is emerging. Spurred by “victim-centered” justice movements in criminal and administrative law, the United States increasingly relies on public actors — state attorneys general, federal prosecutors, agencies, and legislative compensation funds — to compensate large groups of people in ways that mirror class actions. And increasingly, the same is true outside the United States. Even as the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Argentina adopt more expansive class action and collective redress procedures, they also have expanded the authority of prosecutors, agencies, consumer associations and other non-governmental organizations to bring representative and other mass proceedings. This new “convergence” of public approaches to mass litigation presents new challenges for judges. Government settlements share many of the same problems as large private cases — struggling to coordinate actions across different jurisdictions, ensure adequate participation, overcome conflicts of interest with different stakeholders, and distribute funds fairly. And despite the variety of judicial approaches and systems around the world, judges are often charged with reviewing the fairness of settlements brokered by different state and individual actors, each with different state, institutional or personal interests in a final resolution. After highlighting judicial responses to the problems presented in large public and private disputes, this article recommends that countries that rely on government actors to commence class action-like litigation adopt reforms to assist judges charged with reviewing those settlements. Such reforms may include: (1) joint hearings across jurisdictions, (2) coordinated notice procedures between government and private actors, and (3) limited judicial review to force government and private actors to justify difficult trade-offs in a mass settlement.

Common method bias in hospitality research: A critical review of literature and an empirical study

Common method variance has received much attention in the behavioral sciences. Nonetheless, scant scholarly effort has been invested in handling common method variance in hospitality research. This study investigates the current status of controlling for common method variance in hospitality research and assists researchers in taking appropriate actions. Study 1 shows hospitality researchers’ endeavors to control for common method bias through a critical review of literature published in four leading hospitality journals in the ten years from 2006 to 2015: International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. In Study 2, empirical investigations examine the effectiveness of a procedural remedy (temporal separation) and a statistical control (an unmeasured method factor approach) with two independent samples. The results of Study 1 reveal that most survey-related publications in the four journals fail to address or acknowledge common method variance. Moreover, only a limited number of techniques is found to be used to control for method variance. The findings of Study 2 suggest that temporal separation with a time lag of one day leads to a weak control for method variance; however, the use of an unmeasured method factor significantly helps control for method variance in the model.