Business Administration Research Research Articles

A Categorical Framework of Ethical Leadership for Public Organizations: Testing a Multi-Dimensional Model of Local Government Managers

Organizational managers serve as ethical role models in their capacity as leaders. Mainstream research on ethics leadership is multidisciplinary, although empirical research is dominated by business administration and psychology scholars with less empirical work in public administration. This article develops and tests a categorical framework for ethical leadership behavior by applying it to data from a national survey of Chief Administrative Officers (CAO) of local governments in the United States. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) is used to test six dimensions of ethical leadership behavior and support is found for the model. This research is novel since it extends the ethical leadership research in business administration and psychology to local government managers and by extension, to public managers in general.

How Does the Use of Artificial Intelligence Reflect on Business Administration and Management? A Perspective on Knowledge Production at the Postgraduate Level

Objectives: The extensive adoption of AI applications in many industries raises concerns over their potential to significantly transform employment in various aspects, including job creation, automation, and decision-making procedures. The impact that AI has on employment dynamics presents an array of obstacles and opportunities for the fields of business administration and management. Given all these advancements, the present study conducts a thorough examination of postgraduate theses, recognizing them as a systematic representation of the expanding influence of AI in the fields of business administration and management. Postgraduate research, which entails a thorough academic investigation, provides a crucial perspective for understanding the present condition and future course of AI use in business environments. Through an in-depth examination of postgraduate theses, this research attempts to reveal trends in the application of AI technologies in various organizational contexts. Design/methodology/approach: The 73 master's and doctoral theses used in this study were obtained from the repository of the Council of Higher Education National Thesis Center. The sample spans a range of institutions, demonstrating the diversity and depth of AI research across the academic landscape of management studies. To comprehensively examine and understand the information categories encompassed in these theses, the research utilizes two techniques: document analysis and descriptive content analysis. Document analysis systematically examines the theses as data sources, enabling a thorough investigation of the material that focuses on the identification, assessment, and synthesis of information pertaining to AI in business administration and management. Descriptive content analysis classifies and facilitates a methodical examination of the data. The distribution of theses subjected to document analysis was based on thesis type, universities and sub-disciplines, publication year and language, sample characteristics, methodology, theories, AI application areas, and keywords. Results: The findings show that studies on AI have gained momentum in the last four years, with a high percentage of theses focusing on management, organization, and marketing. The quantitative research method has been the most preferred for postgraduate theses. Additionally, human resource management, machine learning, and artificial neural networks constitute most of the research focus. The data indicates that most master's theses concentrate on human resource management and marketing. The finance and information technology sectors are predominant in terms of industry focus. Practical implications: The findings have the potential to significantly assist practitioners in understanding the ongoing research on AI, enabling them to align their strategic planning with the latest discoveries and approaches in higher education. The prevalence of machine learning and artificial neural networks signifies an inclination towards increasingly complex AI implementations within organizations. Organizations may leverage this understanding to increase innovation, enhance decision-making procedures, and sustain a competitive advantage through the implementation of cutting-edge AI. Furthermore, this study can assist researchers, such as master's and doctoral students, with the topic, research question, data source, data collection tool, and analysis type selection in future studies. Originality/value: The study is expected to provide insights into research focus, scope, and methodology for future research by revealing the current state of AI research in business administration and management domains in Turkey. Through the examination of postgraduate theses, this study not only highlights the increasing academic attention towards AI but also establishes a foundation upon which subsequent research can be built. This study represents an initial effort to gain deeper insights into AI research in Turkey, specifically focusing on knowledge production within universities.

Inaugural Editorial

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Journal of Comprehensive Business Administration Research (JCBAR). It is with great pride and enthusiasm that we launch this platform dedicated to advancing the field of business administration through high-quality, peer-reviewed research. The primary aim of JCBAR is to bridge the gap between theory and practice in business administration. Our objective is to provide a forum where researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can share insights, innovations, and methodologies that address the complex challenges faced by modern businesses. I strive to promote a deeper understanding of business practices and foster the development of strategies that can lead to improved organizational performance and economic growth. JCBAR is committed to publishing research that is both rigorous and relevant. I seek to highlight studies that not only advance academic knowledge but also offer practical implications for business leaders and policymakers. By doing so, I hope to facilitate a continuous dialogue between the academic and business communities, ensuring that research findings are translated into actionable strategies.

Does a government's organizational structure affect the governance structure of local family firms? A perspective on the number of cities’ subordinate counties

Previous research has explored factors influencing the governance structure of family firms from family and corporate levels, while this study taking the number of a city's subordinate counties as the lens, examines the impact of a government's organizational structure on local family firms’ governance structure. Results show that in cities with a larger number of subordinate counties, local people are more likely to form a sense of identity with the county rather than the city. Influenced by this “small-group” sense of identity, locals tend to place greater emphasis on familial unity, trusting and relying more on family members. Thus, when running family businesses, local people are more willing to involve family members in operations and increase their shareholdings. Moreover, in regions with lower population mobility, this relationship is more significant. By analyzing the factors which can affect family firms’ governance structure from a macro institutional environment perspective, this study elucidates how regional characteristics impact local family firms’ management, and establishes an academic link between public administration research and business administration research.

Design Science in business administration

Objective of the study: This article aims to analyse the intellectual structure of Design Science in Business Administration. It Identifies the most influential works and journals, the theoretical approaches for the generation of artifacts, and discusses the intellectual structure of the emerging literature on Design Science. Methodology: The research used bibliographic coupling and citation analyses in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Originality/relevance: This research contributes to a better understanding of the design science in Business Administration. Main results: The articles are, in the main, theoretical, demonstrating that Design Science is still in an initial maturity phase. As for the empirical and theoretical (illustrated) articles, their respective authors indicate as artifacts: framework, method, and instantiation, in addition to Design Propositions, Design Principles, and Technological Rules. The articles that constitute DS's intellectual structure are predominantly in the Systems Information area and, to a lesser degree, in Service Design and Operations Management. Theoretical/methodological contributions: The article contributes to the scientific discussion on design science by identifying the main areas that use the paradigm to conduct research in Business Administration.

일본의 한국 지역연구 동향

This paper aims to analyze the trends of Korea area studies in Japan, with a focus on the Korean Regional Research Association. Firstly, examining the current status of regional research-related conferences in Japan, such conferences were established in the 1980s and continued until the 2000s, but their numbers sharply declined in the 2010s. The Modern Korean Chosun Society, founded in 2000, is a relatively new society comprising members from various academic disciplines, including law, politics, international relations, economics, business administration, sociology, social welfare, journalism and communication research, pedagogy, cultural anthropology, ethnography, folklore, history, literature, and language. Korean political research tends to describe political dynamics based on different regimes, while political history often focuses on individual figures. Much of the Korean economic research has centered on analyzing the impact of the IMF economic crisis on Korean society. Additionally, Korean social research has examined various topics, such as changes in employment structures resulting from job insecurity in the labor market, the rapid aging of the population, and shifts in population and family structures due to trends like unmarried and late marriage.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Business Administration Research, Vol. 12, No. 1

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Business Administration Research, Vol. 12, No. 1, 2023.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Business Administration Research, Vol. 11, No. 2

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Business Administration Research, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2022.

Approaching place and space as craftsperson: on the dialogue between theory and practice

PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to this Special Issue about alternative and critical marketing theory on space and place by discussing its link with practice. More generally, this paper intends to suggest that more effective links between theory and practice can result into more meaningful conceptual research in business administration and marketing.Design/methodology/approachThis is a reflexive introspective essay that relates the author’s personal experience to the recent literature on the dialogue between theory and practice within general marketing research and marketing scholarship on place and space.FindingsAfter recognising that different modes of knowledge creation exist, some gateways between theory and practice are identified, as part of a future agenda that could accompany scholars in improving their engagement with society. These gateways include dissemination strategies; teaching and public engagement; and formats of “engaged” research that comprise action research and collaboration with non-academic actors.Research limitations/implicationsThe alternative and critical marketing theory on space and place comprises different specific domains, some of which appear to be closer to practice than others. Because of the author’s background, place branding and destination marketing are granted preferential attention.Originality/valueThe figure of the craftsman depicted by Sennet (2008) is identified as a source of inspiration for marketing scholars interested in space and place. The metaphor of the craftsperson could be useful for business and marketing scholar alike while reflecting on their roles and positionalities.

Interrogating Business and Public Administration Research Attributes and Variables

Research proposal presentation or assessment panels and ethics assessment committees almost always ask us why we have included certain questions in our data or information collection instruments as well as why we think such questions will help us realise our research purpose. How can we answer these questions? First, let us step back. Numerous books have described what a conceptual framework is and why we need it. Further, there are several attempts to describe how we can conceptualise conceptual frameworks primarily through reviewing literature. One of the sets of literature that we should review is on attributes or variables, if not both, that are key to the research that we are pursuing. However, we find the discussion on how we should interrogate literature on attributes or variables not exhaustive to adequately guide a research student or a research novice on what they should do. Therefore, this paper proposes how we should explicitly identify, interrogate, and integrate literature on qualitative attributes or quantitative variables that are key to our business and public administration research. Apart from summoning basic systems thinking principles, the paper draws on reverse engineering comments compiled from examiners’ reports[1] and consequent discussions with colleagues and students through devising seminars. We believe that the approach we have proposed in this paper will guide business and public administration research students and novices on how they should interrogate literature on attributes or variables that are key to the research that they are pursuing. If they get this right, it would contribute to robustness of their conceptual framework and, therefore, the research report. Before then, it will also empower us to answer the research proposal presentation or assessment panels and ethics assessment committees on why we have included certain questions in our data or information collection instruments and why we think such questions will allow us to achieve our research objectives.
 [1]Examiner’s reports of some WITS Graduate School of Governance and WITS Graduate School of Business Administration students.

Trend of Economy and Business Development in a Composite Environment

The Journal of Business Administration Research has been focusing on the research and development of global business models and management, contributing highly valued information for professionals engaged in scientific research, application innovation, and enterprise operation. The global economy and business development have been facing unprecedented challenges in seeking new economic models and renewing business models and management practices since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. Traditional industries are forced to transform the standardized management that has already become an essential condition, into smarter, more simplified, and highly effective management to adapt to an environment with mature applications of the Internet of Things (IoT), shifting from offline to online operations, and focusing more on operations at the user end instead of at the platform end. The goal is to integrate resources and improve operation efficiency more effectively by upgrading industries, lowering human resource requirements, and simplifying management models and production processes.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Business Administration Research, Vol. 10, No. 1

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Business Administration Research, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2021.

Environment, Business, and Health Care Prevail: A Comprehensive, Systematic Review of System Dynamics Application Domains

System dynamics, as a methodology for analyzing and understanding various types of systems, has been applied in research for several decades. We undertook a review to identify the latest application domains and map the realm of system dynamics. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA methodology. We analyzed and categorized 212 articles and found that the vast majority of studies belong to the fields of business administration, health, and environmental research. Altogether, 20 groups of modeling and simulation topics can be recognized. System dynamics is occasionally supported by other modeling methodologies such as the agent-based modeling approach. There are issues related to published studies mostly associated with testing of validity and reasonability of models, leading to the development of predictions that are not grounded in verified models. This study contributes to the development of system dynamics as a methodology that can offer new ideas, highlight limitations, or provide analogies for further research in various research disciplines.

Origin, Use and Meaning of the Innovation Diamond

This document seeks to present the instrument known as the DIAMOND OF INNOVATION and its “green version”, reveals the genesis from the results shown with the generation of the collection of books called: ASIAN FIRMS. Using these eight books makes it possible to discover the business model of the central countries (PR China, Republic of India) and Southeast Asia (Japan, South Korea, R. China-Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam), focusing on continuous Innovation. This process, which tested and perfected the instrument, is accompanied by companies from the industrial and Colombian primary sectors. The tool shows its ability to establish a diagnosis in a city, country, company in terms of Innovation and establish a strategy based on the eight points of the Diamond and accompany it with a hierarchy or strategic priority. To this end, the use of secondary tools is established, such as the STRATEGIC MOTHER MATRIX. It detects the behavior of the leading countries for each of the Diamond points, becoming “good practices”, and determines the backwardness or practices to improve, prioritizing each strategy to be developed, seeking to advance on the subject of Innovation. With the advancement of research, sponsored from the beginning by the Universidad Piloto de Colombia and its Business Administration program and research partners such as Grupo SASA and some farms in the Ubaté valley (Department of Cundinamarca), dedicated to the main production focused on In dairy, the “green” version of the Innovation Diamond is tested and launched, its reason for being: to prevent Innovation in a country, city, company, from being accepted simply for being Innovation, without considering its impact in the environment.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Business Administration Research, Vol. 9, No. 2

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Business Administration Research, Vol. 9, No. 2, 2020.

Understanding the Uptake of Big Data in Health Care: Protocol for a Multinational Mixed-Methods Study.

BackgroundDespite the high potential of big data, their applications in health care face many organizational, social, financial, and regulatory challenges. The societal dimensions of big data are underrepresented in much medical research. Little is known about integrating big data applications in the corporate routines of hospitals and other care providers. Equally little is understood about embedding big data applications in daily work practices and how they lead to actual improvements for health care actors, such as patients, care professionals, care providers, information technology companies, payers, and the society.ObjectiveThis planned study aims to provide an integrated analysis of big data applications, focusing on the interrelations among concrete big data experiments, organizational routines, and relevant systemic and societal dimensions. To understand the similarities and differences between interactions in various contexts, the study covers 12 big data pilot projects in eight European countries, each with its own health care system. Workshops will be held with stakeholders to discuss the findings, our recommendations, and the implementation. Dissemination is supported by visual representations developed to share the knowledge gained.MethodsThis study will utilize a mixed-methods approach that combines performance measurements, interviews, document analysis, and cocreation workshops. Analysis will be structured around the following four key dimensions: performance, embedding, legitimation, and value creation. Data and their interrelations across the dimensions will be synthesized per application and per country.ResultsThe study was funded in August 2017. Data collection started in April 2018 and will continue until September 2021. The multidisciplinary focus of this study enables us to combine insights from several social sciences (health policy analysis, business administration, innovation studies, organization studies, ethics, and health services research) to advance a holistic understanding of big data value realization. The multinational character enables comparative analysis across the following eight European countries: Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Given that national and organizational contexts change over time, it will not be possible to isolate the factors and actors that explain the implementation of big data applications. The visual representations developed for dissemination purposes will help to reduce complexity and clarify the relations between the various dimensions.ConclusionsThis study will develop an integrated approach to big data applications that considers the interrelations among concrete big data experiments, organizational routines, and relevant systemic and societal dimensions.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/16779

Estimating Poisson pseudo-maximum-likelihood rather than log-linear model of a log-transformed dependent variable

Purpose The purpose of this study is to account for a recent non-mainstream econometric approach using microdata and how it can inform research in business administration. More specifically, the paper draws from the applied microeconometric literature stances in favor of fitting Poisson regression with robust standard errors rather than the OLS linear regression of a log-transformed dependent variable. In addition, the authors point to the appropriate Stata coding and take into account the possibility of failing to check for the existence of the estimates – convergency issues – as well as being sensitive to numerical problems. Design/methodology/approach The author details the main issues with the log-linear model, drawing from the applied econometric literature in favor of estimating multiplicative models for non-count data. Then, he provides the Stata commands and illustrates the differences in the coefficient and standard errors between both OLS and Poisson models using the health expenditure dataset from the RAND Health Insurance Experiment (RHIE). Findings The results indicate that the use of Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood estimators yield better results that the log-linear model, as well as other alternative models, such as Tobit and two-part models. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in demonstrating an alternative microeconometric technique to deal with positive skewness of dependent variables.

BINARISMOS E AFINS

The theme of the next Academy of Management conference, to be held in 2020 in Vancouver, Canada, is Broadening Our Sight (Aguinis, 2019), which sounds quite fitting in today's times. Instead of regretting why business administration research does not always enjoy the same prestige as other areas [a subject well studied by Khurana (2007)], the call for papers for this conference expects researchers to abandon the zero-sum thinking present in the dichotomies that surround business administration research (e.g., dilemmas such as qualitative or quantitative research? Research on the micro, meso, or macro level?). The conference seeks contributions that go beyond this binary model, which is not quite useful for building synergies in the search for solutions. However, the issue is not just internal organizational problems. External problems such as political strategies, supply chain, and people management or forms of leadership—among many other topics addressed in business administration research—are definitely associated with management. Polarized positions do not contribute to creative solution of problems (but diversity and pluralism do), and the complexity of the contemporary scenario requires solutions that combine diverse areas of knowledge. The domain of business administration needs to reconcile the internal difficulties faced by companies with the political and social issues that surround them.

Actor-Based Approaches in Business Administration Research

This essay argues that the research questions of business administration as an academic discipline has to deal with can be classified into three types: first-order problems concern problems occurring in the daily operations of firms, for instance, how to correctly calculate the net present value of an investment project. Second-order problems concern how institutional settings in the firm must be designed in order to assure that solutions to first-order problems are actually applied by the actors in the firm. For instance, how to design a decision support system in order to avoid costly decision-biases known to occur in managerial decision-making. Third-order problems concern the question, why some firms install such advantageous institutional settings, while others do not. Economics typically assumes that solving first- and second-order problems constitute a competitive advantage for the firm which is able to do so, which implies that competition will force all firms to do so. However, entrepreneurial practice indicates this to be not the case: first, some institutions, for instance for surveillance, are costly to operate and the operating costs of such institutions may well exceed the costs arsing from the problem itself. Second, organizational changes are costly too, both in terms of installing a new organizational setup and in terms of overcoming the resistance of persons with vested interests in the existing institutional setting and general organizational inertia. While first-order problems constitute the traditional domain of business administration research and in particular teaching, the behavioral turn, the inclusion of psychological elements in the research agenda and “explanatory toolbox” of economics and business administration, is accompanied by a shift of the focus on second- and third-order problems. This raises the question, what methodological basis is appropriate for introducing explanations originating from an individual-level focused discipline like psychology to the research agenda of business administration research, which is concerned with collective entities, like firms and markets. This essay is about how actor-based methodological approaches from sociology can contribute to solving second- and third-order problems, using the cases of decision biases and the choice of institutional settings as examples.

Pensamiento crítico y sus beneficios en la Administración

El pensamiento crítico y sus habilidades deberían ser un componente fundamental de la educación universitaria; especialmente en la administración. En este documento se analizarán las competencias y habilidades del pensamiento crítico y su utilidad para la enseñanza, la investigación y el desempeño profesional en administración de empresas. Al final se concluye que el pensamiento crítico podría manifestarse como el sexto modo de ser de los gerentes en las organizaciones; modo de ser crítico. Y se sugiere ahondar en estudios que busquen su plena implementación y desarrollo en este campo del conocimiento.