Propositions For Future Research Research Articles

Toward a multilevel perspective on digital servitization

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical lens on digital servitization (DS) for future research purposes. By developing a multilevel framework that helps structure and untangle its complexity, the authors aim to increase understanding into the persistent challenge of DS.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on a problematization approach, critical incident technique was applied to a comparative, longitudinal, multiple-case study in which DS journeys from one Italian and one Belgian manufacturing firm were analyzed.FindingsAnalysis revealed that different levels and elements of the multilevel framework were simultaneously involved in the identified critical incidents. This huge interconnectedness severely challenged the DS journeys. Managerial (un)responsiveness played a central role in the organizational outcome for both firms.Originality/valueThe authors answer the call for a more holistic approach toward DS. A multilevel framework is provided to be employed by future researchers and practitioners alike. A mid-range theory for DS and propositions for future research are developed.

Theory of consumption values in consumer behaviour research: A review and future research agenda

AbstractCurrent marketing philosophy is value‐oriented, whereas marketing theory explaining value from the consumer perspective is limited. The theory of consumption value (TCV) is a marketing theory that provides insight into the motivation for consumers' consumption behaviour through consumption values. Although it offers theoretical explanations about consumer behaviour on a large scale, there is no single article in the literature providing comprehensive and integrated knowledge of TCV and a future research agenda based on a systematic literature review. The main aims of this paper are to present integrated knowledge and provide propositions for future research. This review research covers peer‐reviewed journal articles that used this theory and were published between 1991 and 2020. The major findings in the review demonstrate that this theory has remained up to date in the consumer behaviour literature, has been dynamic and has been comprehensively used to explain choice behaviour. Thus, further understanding has been provided for consumer behaviour related to drivers of consumption, although some issues require further examination. Directions for future research are developed in more detail to encourage and advance the understanding of value through TCV.

Integrating agency and structure in employability: Bourdieu's theory of practice

Employability research has long been and still is criticised for being overly agentic. Employability is seen as a personal asset tied to the individual. Recently, scholars have called for a more structure-sensitive understanding of employability. In response, studies have probed whether employability is shaped by agency and/or structure, mainly along a substantialist perspective in which agents and structure are distinct entities separately impacting employability. In this paper, we aim to arrive at a more integrative and relational understanding of agency and structure in employability research. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's theory of practice, our theoretical integration of agency and structure in employability has two implications. First, employability is always shaped in a structured context: the context shapes what is needed to be employable, the do's and don'ts to achieve this and what kind of opportunities individual actors can expect, while at the same time the actors construct the context and its rules. Second, employability is in relation to others: the individual actor competes with other individual actors for employment opportunities, for which still other individual or collective actors act as gatekeepers. Together, this relational perspective on employability questions the agentic idea of employability as a personal asset and adds to the substantialist perspective. These insights are used to formulate propositions for future research.

"The Good, The Bad, and the Minimum Tolerable": Exploring Expectations of Institutional Food.

There is a tendency towards greater expectations of consumer goods and services in society—what was once judged as ideal may now be a bare minimum. This presents a challenge for food providers in the upcoming decades. As the more demanding baby boomer cohort ages, health institutions of the future will face challenges meeting their food expectations. The purpose of this study was to explore expectation type dynamics and function with updated empirical material on aging consumers expectations of institutional food and advance our current understanding of how consumers evaluate their expectations. This qualitative study employed in-depth semi structured interviews with 14 informants between the age of 58–79. Content analysis was performed to capture the informants’ food expectations based on the expectation hierarchy proposed by Santos and Boote. Analyzing the content and relationship between different expectation types led to three main findings: expectation functions and content, interconnectedness, and the role of affect. Based on the findings, this study contributes by making several propositions for future research and proposes an updated expectancy–disconfirmation model. Importantly, this study provides novel knowledge that can help health institutions understand and meet aging consumers expectations of institutional food.

Infrastructure project finance: a systematic literature review and directions for future research

Purpose The objective of this systematic literature review (SLR) is to outline the existing research in the field of infrastructure project finance (IPF). This paper aims to summarise the academic and practitioner research to highlight the benefits of adopting IPF structures in uncertain environments. By highlighting all conceptual and applied implications of IPF, the study identifies future research directions to develop a holistic understanding of IPF. Design/methodology/approach The SLR is based on 125 articles published in peer-reviewed journals during 1975–2019. After providing a brief overview of IPF, research methodology and citation, publication and author analysis, the SLR presents the various domains around which existing research in IPF is focussed and provides future research propositions in each domain. Findings The study found that despite the increased usage of IPF, academic and practitioner research in the field is lagging. Also, with increased usage of IPF in emerging and under-developed economies, IPF structure presents a perfect setting to understand how investment and financing are interlinked and how to overcome the institutional voids, socio-economic risks and inter-partner differences by IPF structures. Originality/value This literature review paper is based on the research in IPF between 1975 and 2019. To the best of the authors’ understanding, the SLR is the first focussed study detailing a methodical and thorough compendium of existing studies in the IPF domain. By focussing on various domains of IPF research, this paper presents future research avenues in the field.

Sustainability and strategy: A Brazilian integrative review

This paper aimed to understand how the fields of strategy and sustainability have been related in papers published in top Brazilian management journals. An integrative review was conducted in July 2019, consisting of a qualitative approach analysis. It was found that there are nine issues that permeate the relation between sustainability and strategy, such as critical analysis, which is present in Brazilian papers but has not been identified in international reviews on this topic. This study highlights the need for critical analysis in the sustainability-strategy relationship, a little-explored perspective in both literature and practice. As well, the adoption of organizational theories that can be used to analyze the sustainability-strategy relationship. Seeking to contribute to the scientific advancement of this topic, propositions for future research are presented.

War for Competitive Advantage – ‘Porter’s Generic Strategies Past – Present – Future’ – A Review

Michael Porter coined the generic strategies and competitive advantage with opening new arenas for researchers and practitioners. Since its inception, Porter's typology has faced various explanations, frameworks, criticism, and refinements. The present study reviews the research on Porter's generic strategies in the Strategic Management Journal since the inception of the journal in 1980 till 2020. Researchers propose to discuss, review, summarize, match, and contrast the similarities and differences in various approaches to strategy choice and decision makings. Researchers propose future research propositions while connecting other pertinent questions in the field of strategic management, as Porter suggested that dynamic theory is required than static and standalone research frameworks.

WHAT AFFECTS THE IMPLEMENTATION AND REALISATION OF STRATEGY IN ORGANISATIONS?

In today's changing environment companies are pushed to be flexible, develop new strategies and implement change plans. Strategy implementation and realisation is a critical component of organizational performance, however, many organizations fail to implement their strategic plans, while others could not achieve their desired results. In practice nowadays more attention is paid to the implementation of the strategy than to its creation, still strategy research most often treats strategy execution and realisation as a black box. The aim of this study is to find out the factors influencing the successful implementation and realization of business strategy in Latvian organizations. Quantitative research using a structured questionnaire (n = 440) and a multivariate linear regression analysis shows that managerial competence and leadership followed by clarity of goals play a decisive role in the successful implementation of business strategy. Implications of the results for managerial practice are discussed and propositions for future research provided

Participatory urban governance under the microscope: A qualitative study of high-functioning neighborhood councils in Los Angeles

ABSTRACT With the neighborhood seen as the ideal unit for participatory modes of governance, many cities in the United States have established formal systems of neighborhood councils to increase civic participation, improve service delivery, and enhance democracy. Los Angeles boasts the most extensive neighborhood council system, which was founded in 1999, in the country. Through a qualitative study of two neighborhood councils in LA, this study investigates how neighborhood councils influence land use and policy decision-making. It finds that political capital, negotiation, and associational leverage are the most important tools for these councils in exerting influence. In doing so, the authors suggest that the oft-cited justifications for pursuing formalized modes of participatory urban governance do not take into consideration the sociopolitical dimensions of urban regimes, and suggest three propositions for future research on neighborhood governance systems.

Counterfeit luxury consumption: A review and research agenda

AbstractThis article captures the present state of research on counterfeit luxury consumption by providing a critical review of the existing body of knowledge. The article proposes a novel conceptualization of counterfeit luxury consumption from a consumer perspective. Based on predetermined inclusion criteria, the paper provides a systematic review of the growing yet still fragmented scholarship on counterfeit luxury consumption. It provides a historical overview of the extant counterfeiting research, synthesizes the existing body of knowledge, and provides propositions for future research and practice. In our pursuit towards building a robust counterfeiting theory, this study identifies the key perspectives that seek to explain the consumption of counterfeit luxury brands through different lenses. The article reviews key theories and constructs, identifies inconsistencies in findings, and provides explanations towards a common understanding. To this pursuit, a synthesis of three counterfeiting research domains is presented; moreover, an integrated model, which captures their interrelationships, is proposed. Finally, the implications for theory and practice are spelled out. The resultant five key tenets are, therefore, proposed to guide the future of research in counterfeit luxury consumption.

Administrative Capital and Citizens’ Responses to Administrative Burden

AbstractAdministrative burden research has highlighted the multiple costs imposed by public policies and their impact on citizens. However, the empirical understanding of citizens’ responses to such burdens remains limited. Using ethnographic data of doctors applying for maternity leave in Pakistan, this article documents strategies used by citizens to navigate the administrative burden faced by them. Our findings suggest that these strategies are based on an individual’s cache of social, cultural capital, and economic capital. Based on our data, we also theorize the significance of another form of capital for navigating administrative burden. This administrative capital is defined as an individual’s understanding of bureaucratic rules, processes, and behaviors. Our findings further illustrate that the different costs imposed by public policies can be interchangeable, which may be used by citizens to their advantage. Propositions for future research on the intersection of different forms capital and administrative burden are also included.

Bridging the gap between circular economy and climate change mitigation policies through eco-innovations and Quintuple Helix Model

Climate change represents an increasing threat to society and demands collaborative actions for changing technologies, production methods, and consumption. The concept of Circular Economy (CE) emerged aiming to increase the resource use efficiency and minimize resource inputs, waste and emissions generation. However, the contribution of CE eco-innovations to climate change mitigation goals, pushed by the Quintuple Helix Model (QHM) actors, is still unknown. This analytical review intends to fulfil this gap by investigating the main elements of the QHM that contribute to CE eco-innovations, namely companies, government, society, academia, and the natural environment. An analytical framework and theoretical propositions for future research are proposed. Eco-innovation technologies from energy, waste, transportation, construction and manufacturing sectors are discussed. Practical recommendations and implications for policymakers associated with CE and climate change policies and their interrelationship in terms of eco-innovations are also provided.

Organising an early phase of academic engagement: a case study of interactions between engineering and equestrian sports

ABSTRACT This paper explores the underlying processes of initiating academic engagement, seen from the university perspective. We do so through a longitudinal case study, of the university, Chalmers, and specifically around the engineering subjects, and the development of such relationships with a sector with few such traditions, namely equestrian sports. In terms of how the chosen university has worked to initiate academic engagement, we find, in contrast to existing literature, how, what we call researcher-teachers, primarily used students to engage with a variety of external organisations, rather than relying on research excellence. University management offered support and made small investments. In terms of perceived benefits, the researcher-teachers, university managers and students all stressed positive reputational benefits, especially attracting female students into engineering and diffusing engineering knowledge in society. Acknowledging the limitations of our study, three propositions for future research are to conceptualise the university as providing knowledge-intensive services, to explore the potential involvement of university management, and to articulate different phases of academic engagement.

Stepping out of the shadows: Supporting actors’ strategies for managing end-user experiences in service ecosystems

In service ecosystems not all actors have direct relationships with end users, yet they are often critical for delivering better service experiences. Specific events (e.g. service failures) may require these supporting actors, who are often hidden during regular customer experience journeys, to become visible when deviations or disruptions occur. Deciding whether and when to come out of the shadows presents a complex managerial challenge for ecosystem actors providing supporting services, with important implications for end user’s experiences. We examine strategies that service ecosystem actors can adopt for managing end-user experiences in complex ecosystems, and the implications for themselves and other ecosystem actors. Based upon two dimensions, visibility and synchronization, six experience management strategies are outlined and contrasted. Using case vignettes, we explore how and when such strategies might be adopted and potential impacts on service sellers and end-user experiences during regular and atypical service journeys, and present future research propositions.

What drives total factor productivity and its growth in post-communist countries? The case of the Czech food industry

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate factors that drive the total factor productivity (TFP) and its growth in the Czech food industry over 2003–2017. The authors’ analysis focuses on firm-level characteristics such as location choice, sub-sector affiliation, use of debt, liquidity, asset turnover, firm size and firm age.Design/methodology/approachThe determinants of productivity were tested econometrically by estimation of multivariate regression models. The firm-level panel data set consisted of 14,488 observations (data of 980 firms spanning 15 years). TFP was estimated by three regression-based techniques – ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, instrumental variables (IV) approach and two-way generalized method of moments (GMM) regression. All three measures of TFP were used as outcome variables to estimate the impact of firm-level determinants on both TFP level and growth.FindingsThe results have shown statistically significant and reversed U-shaped relationship between the firm age and the TFP level (with a turning point in the age of 12.5 years). However, the dynamic models investigating the TFP growth have found that younger firms achieve higher productivity growth in comparison with older ones. Higher market share and assets turnover were positively associated with both TFP level and its growth.Research limitations/implicationsThis study brings several relevant propositions for future research. First, the authors recommend future researchers to study not only differences in the levels of productivity but also determinants of its growth. Second, the authors believe that adding a non-linear component to age as a factor explaining changes in the levels of productivity might be a very relevant contribution to the literature.Originality/valueAlthough it is generally accepted that successful and sustainable growth of firms, regions and economies can be achieved particularly through viable companies with high productivity, there is still a limited number of firm-level studies explaining the determinants of productivity levels and growth in agribusiness sectors in transition economies. Therefore, this study is expected to contribute to a better understanding of this important topic.

Exploring the influence of CEO and chief diversity officers' relational demography on organizational diversity management

PurposeDrawing on the relational demography literature and a social identity perspective, several research propositions in which the authors postulate that demographic characteristics (e.g. gender and race) of senior leaders will influence the implementation and effectiveness of diversity management practices were presented. Specifically, the authors focus on the Chief Executive Officer/Chief Diversity Officer (CEO/CDO) dyad and explore independent and joint effects of CEO and CDO majority–minority group status on workplace diversity outcomes, outlining key identity-based and relational moderators (e.g. value threat, relational identity and leader–member exchange) of these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe literature on relational demography and leader–member exchange to develop propositions for future research was integrated.FindingsThis is a conceptual paper. There is no empirical data reported testing the propositions.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors extended theory and research on relational demography by focusing on senior leaders in the organization and proposing that the influence of CEO and CDO demographic characteristics on the enactment of diversity practices may be contingent on key identity-based and relational processes.Originality/valueThe authors are not aware of any studies investigating how personal characteristics and relational processes relating to the CEO and CDO may influence the implementation and effectiveness of workplace diversity management practices. In a similar vein, the authors contribute to the research literatures on relational demography and social identity by extending the application of these theories to senior leaders in organizations and in relation to the work of CEOs and CDOs.

Team Membership Change “Events”: A Review and Reconceptualization

Driven by views of teams as dynamic systems with permeable boundaries, scholars are increasingly seeking to better understand how team membership changes (i.e., team members joining and/or leaving) shape the functioning and performance of organizational teams. However, empirical studies of team membership change appear to be progressing in three largely independent directions as researchers consider: (a) how newcomers impact and are impacted by the teams they join; (b) how teams adapt to member departures; or (c) how teams function under conditions of high membership fluidity, with little theoretical integration or consensus across these three areas. To accelerate an integrative stream of research on team membership change, we advance a conceptual framework which depicts each team membership change as a discrete team-level “event” which shapes team functioning to the extent to which it is “novel,” “disruptive,” and “critical” for the team. We use this framework to guide our review and synthesis of empirical studies of team membership change published over the past 20 years. Our review reveals numerous factors, across conceptual levels of the organization, that determine the strength (i.e., novelty, disruptiveness, criticality) of a team membership change event and, consequently, its impact on team functioning and performance. In closing, we provide propositions for future research that integrate a multilevel, event-based perspective of team membership change and demonstrate how team membership change events may impact organizational systems over time and across levels of observation.

Toward an integrated model of consumer reactance: a literature analysis

Psychological reactance gained scholarly attention and is continued to be explored across various disciplines ever since Brehm proposed reactance theory in 1966. Proliferation of intrusive marketing and promotion efforts across communication channels induce negative reactions from significant number of consumers. Little effort has been made in reviewing and consolidating the results of previous literature in the context of consumer reactance. To address this research gap the current study systematically reviewed the existing literature and has attempted to classify consumer reactance variables by using the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) framework. A conceptual framework was then built to explain the interrelationships between these three key S–O–R elements of consumer reactance. Lastly the implications for practitioners’ and researchers’ have been discussed. Propositions for future research are put forward.

A review of applicant faking in selection interviews

AbstractInterviews are commonly used for selection but research on interview faking only gained momentum relatively recently. We review both theoretical and empirical work on prevalence, antecedents, processes, and effects of interview faking. Most applicants fake at least to some degree. Personality (e.g., Conscientiousness, Honesty‐humility, the Dark Triad) and attitudes toward faking substantially correlate with faking behaviors. Research concerning applicants' ability, interview structure components, or contextual factors is limited. Furthermore, the impact of faking on interview ratings is mixed and effects on criterion‐related validity are not consistently negative. Finally, the detection of faking seems hardly possible and there are limited options available to reduce interview faking. Throughout our review, we describe important gaps and derive suggestions and propositions for future research.

Bridging the gap: organisational value frames and sustainable alliance portfolios

Research on sustainability-oriented partnerships focused either on inter-firm or cross-sector partnerships separately and often took the partnership as a level of analysis. As opposed to the partnership level, the firm-level analysis that investigates portfolios of sustainability-oriented partnerships were brought forward by only a few studies. By drawing on the literature of alliance portfolios, this paper builds the notion of "sustainable alliance portfolio" further to move scholarly attention towards the bigger picture of firms' partnership efforts for sustainability. Taking stock on the research that introduced organisational cognition to corporate sustainability which showed how partners' value frames co-evolve, converge, diverge or fuse over time; this paper theorises how business case and paradoxical frames impact the configuration, management and development of sustainable alliance portfolios. Overall, this paper bridges the gap between two constructs-organisational value frames and sustainable alliance portfolios- and offers propositions for future research to draw attention to the under-theorised portfolios of sustainability-oriented partnerships.