Strategic Involvement Research Articles

Do Carbon Assurance Providers Play a Strategic Role in Moderating the Relationship Between Carbon Emissions and Firms’ Cost of Equity?

This study investigates the impact of a firm's total carbon emissions on its implied cost of equity capital (COE) and explores whether this relationship is moderated by the choice of carbon assurance provider. Our findings show that firms aligning with the shared societal objective of minimizing total carbon emissions can lower their COE, consequently increasing their overall value. This association is enhanced when a firm's carbon emissions are assured by a professional accountant instead of a specialist consultant. This highlights the potential for green firms to maximize their value through the strategic involvement of a professional accountant. By doing so, these firms can proficiently convey and authenticate their corporate sustainability achievements to investors and other stakeholders. Our findings underscore the importance for a firm to carefully consider the reputation and independence of the assurance provider when seeking carbon assurance.

Türkiye’s Foreign Relations with Regional Blocs in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of AU and ECOWAS

Strong foreign relations among nations are crucial for fostering global stability, economic growth, and cross-cultural understanding. A stable global system that resolves conflicts through dialogue rather than confrontation benefits from positive foreign relations. This paper examines Türkiye’s changing foreign policy approach towards Sub-Saharan African regional blocs, with an emphasis on their political, cultural, and economic facets. Türkiye’s strategic involvement with influential regional bodies such as the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), among others, reflects its broader objective to expand its influence and cultivate multifaceted partnerships across the African continent. The scope of this paper is limited to the AU and ECOWAS. Through a comprehensive analysis, the paper evaluates Türkiye’s economic initiatives, including trade agreements and investment flows, as well as its contributions to infrastructure development. The findings established Türkiye’s peacekeeping roles, cultural diplomacy, diplomatic efforts, and educational exchanges. Through the investigation of these diverse aspects, the conclusion outlines a comprehensive understanding of Türkiye’s place in geopolitical dynamics and regional integration in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Navigating US–China Rivalry in a Multi-aligned Middle East: Understanding India’s Shifting Strategy Towards the Region

Indian economic and strategic involvement in the Middle East has seen a transformation over the past two decades. This development has happened as many observers remark a gradual decline of US influence juxtaposed with China’s growing presence in the region. This article aims to assess how India has managed its bilateral relations with China within this region of increasing economic and strategic interest. Despite a growing literature on the China-India rivalry in Southeast Asia, South Asia or Central Asia, there is a notable dearth of scholarship on the China–India rivalry and its implications in the Middle East. Filling this gap, this article focuses on explaining how India has adapted its policies towards China’s rising influence in Middle Eastern politics. The core argument is that India’s strategy has been shaped by both a perception of declining US’ engagement in the Middle East and by opportunities created by new strategic hedging strategies from key regional players such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran. The article determines that India moved over the last decade from a strategy of buck-passing on US’ security provision to one of partial soft balancing of China’s strategic presence in the Middle East. However, the article also notes the limitations of standard theories of balance-of-power and strategic hedging to account for India’s multifaceted approach towards a regional order in flux.

How churches make education policy: the churchification of Hungarian education and the social question under religious populism

ABSTRACT Since 2010, Hungary’s authoritarian populist government has radically redefined church-state relations, promoting the governance narrative of building an ‘old-style Christian democracy’. Public education has been reconceptualised within a religious framework and outsourced to religious actors. This article explores how key religious organisations engage with the government’s religious populism and govern their expanding school networks. Given the immanent tension between nativist Christian-conservative identity politics and Christian teachings about the church’s social mission, I focus on how Christian church elites have engaged with the education of underprivileged communities. Four characteristic types of strategic involvement are identified based on church education policies and their legitimacy discourses concerning their (lack of) engagement with the social question. Despite using different approaches to navigate political pressures, both the nativist illiberal and inclusive liberal visions of religion and their corresponding policies have reinforced the structures of segregated education and legitimised the government’s education policy.

Germany's Economic Integration: Automotive Industry and FDI Analysis

In this paper, Germany's significant role was explored in regional integration and its competitive edge in the automotive manufacturing industry, underlining the country's strategic involvement in the European Union and World Trade Organisation. Germany’s participation in the EU has been instrumental in promoting economic integration across Europe, benefiting from free trade agreements and contributing to the EU’s status as a major trade bloc. The paper also delves into the reasons behind Germany's prowess in the automotive sector, using Porter's Diamond Model to analyze factors like advanced technology, skilled workforce, strict consumer standards, and supportive industries, all contributing to the country's global competitiveness in this domain. Furthermore, the study investigates the dynamics of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Germany, identifying key attractions for foreign investors such as technological leadership, a robust market, efficient infrastructure, and favorable investment policies. However, challenges like rigorous government regulations on FDI and cultural differences pose potential hurdles for foreign investors. The conclusion emphasizes that while Germany offers substantial opportunities due to its economic strength and market potential, foreign entities must carefully navigate these challenges to successfully invest and operate in the German market.

Imperfect legislative agreements and judicial policymaking. A theoretical inquiry

ABSTRACT This article examines how imperfect legislative agreements offer an opportunity for higher courts’ intervention in policymaking. In concrete terms, it explains that lawmakers in certain situations avoid resolving apparent conflicts of interest due to high transaction costs in the legislative process, maintaining statutory criteria considered transparently inefficient or by simply developing regulatory arrangements with a significant degree of indeterminacy. Employing a simplified model of rational choice behaviour, the article asserts that those scenarios constitute an opportunity for strategic involvement of the higher courts in crafting public policy. As an unintended consequence of the imperfect legislative agreements, justices look at them as an indicator that members of the other branches of government have reached weak political compromises or are unable to impose their policy preferences. Therefore, justices can exercise discretion, foreseeing prospects to increase their authority while the risk of an overruling or the implementation of other retaliatory measures remains low.

Green Behavior as a Mediator Variable in the Relationship Between Strategic Involvement and Green HRM

This study aims to determine the mediating impact of green behavior on the relationship between strategic involvement and green human resource management (green HRM) at Vodafone Egypt. Strategic involvement with its four dimensions is the independent variable, green HRM with its five dimensions is the dependent variable, and unidimensional green behavior is the mediator variable. To achieve this aim, four main hypotheses were formulated for the study. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire distributed to a random sample of 400 individuals representing different managerial levels. A total of 360 valid responses from individuals were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. This study finds that there is a significant impact of green behavior on the dimensions of strategic involvement (facilitating adaptability and the implementation of the chosen strategy). It also finds that there is a significant impact of green HRM dimensions (green training, green-performance evaluation, green wages and incentives, and green integration) on green behavior. This study recommends focusing on green (electronic) recruitment and hiring processes, measuring green attitudes during selection, and incorporating environmentally-friendly criteria into job descriptions.

Enhancing educational outcomes through strategic Human Resources (HR) initiatives: Emphasizing faculty development, diversity, and leadership excellence

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the strategic role of Human Resources (HR) in transforming educational outcomes within academic institutions, focusing on faculty development, diversity initiatives, and the cultivation of educational leadership. The main objective is to elucidate how HR practices contribute to enhancing the quality and effectiveness of education. Methodologically, the review synthesizes existing literature and case studies to identify key strategies and outcomes. In faculty development, HR's role in promoting continuous professional growth and adapting to innovative teaching methodologies is emphasized. This is crucial for equipping educators with necessary skills and knowledge in a dynamic educational landscape. The review also examines HR-led diversity initiatives, highlighting their importance in creating inclusive academic environments and enriching the educational experience through diverse perspectives. The findings suggest that such initiatives lead to more culturally competent and robust educational settings. Furthermore, the paper explores HR's impact on developing educational leadership, underscoring the importance of identifying and nurturing leadership qualities among educators and administrators. This aspect ensures a visionary and strategic approach to education management. The key conclusion is that HR's strategic involvement is vital in making institutions more adaptive, inclusive, and forward-thinking. The review advocates for a more integrated and strategic role of HR in academic settings to effectively transform educational outcomes.

HR’S ROLE IN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE WITHIN NIGERIA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR: A REVIEW

In the rapidly evolving landscape of Nigeria's renewable energy sector, the role of Human Resources (HR) in driving and managing organizational change is paramount. This systematic review aims to elucidate the specific functions and strategies employed by HR professionals in facilitating such transitions within the sector. Drawing from a comprehensive analysis of empirical studies, industry reports, and case studies, several key insights emerge. Firstly, HR's proactive involvement in strategic planning and decision-making is crucial in anticipating and addressing potential challenges. Secondly, continuous training and development programs are instrumental in equipping employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt to technological and regulatory shifts. Moreover, HR's role in fostering a culture of innovation and resilience cannot be understated, as it directly influences employee morale and retention during periods of change. In conclusion, HR plays a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless integration of change initiatives within Nigeria's renewable energy sector. Their strategic involvement, capacity-building efforts, and emphasis on organizational culture are vital components in navigating the complexities of the industry's transformation.
 Keywords: Human Resources (HR), Organizational Change, Renewable Energy Sector, Nigeria, Strategic Positioning, Change Management, Workforce Alignment, Capacity Building, Training and Development, Communication, Stakeholder Engagement, Resistance Mitigation, Impact Evaluation, Continuous Improvement, Socio-economic Impact, Sustainability Goals, Innovation, Agile Organizations, Strategic Importance, Sectoral Growth.

The varieties of financial statecraft and middle powers: assessing South Korea’s strategic involvement in regional financial cooperation

In recent years, the financial statecraft literature has expanded from a focus on great powers to encompass the behavior of emerging powers. While offering an important corrective, the literature does not yet adequately address the full variety of the emerging powers’ strategies of financial statecraft. In particular, we argue that regional middle powers behave differently from regional great powers even when they have similar capacities at the global level. For instance, both India and South Korea are categorized as emerging powers in the financial statecraft literature and deploy regional strategies to reduce their financial vulnerability. Yet their financial statecraft strategies have clearly differed in practice. India has sought to challenge the global status quo and influence its neighbors, while South Korea has pursued more modest and defensive goals. Drawing on the middle power literature, we posit that middle powers’ relative position within their home regions explains such differences among the financial statecraft of emerging powers. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we examine South Korea’s financial statecraft in the Asia-Pacific region. We find that its position as a regional middle power effectively explains its patterns of bilateral and regional cooperation in the monetary sphere.

The strategic involvement of IRS in cancer progression

Insulin Receptor Substrate (IRS), an intracellular molecule devoid of an intrinsic kinase activity, is activated upon binding to IR which thereby works as a scaffold, organizing all signaling complexes and initiating the signaling process downstream. The level of IRS proteins and their stability in the cell is mostly maintained through the phosphorylation status of their tyrosine and serine residues. IRS is positively regulated by phosphorylation of its Tyr residues whereas a Ser residue phosphorylation attenuates it, although there exist some exceptions as well. Other post-translational modifications like O-linked glycosylation, N-linked glycosylation and acetylation also play a prominent role in IRS regulation. Since the discovery of the Warburg effect, people have been curious to find out all possible signaling networks and molecules that could lead to cancer and no doubt, the insulin signaling pathway is identified as one such pathway, which is highly deregulated in cancers. Eminent studies reveal that IRS is a pertinent regulator of cancer and is highly overexpressed in the five most commonly occurring cancers namely- Prostate, Ovarian, Breast, Colon and Lung cancers. IRS1 and IRS2 family members are actively involved in the progression, invasion and metastasis of these cancers. Recently, less studied IRS4 has also emerged as a contributor in ovarian, breast, colorectal and lung cancer, but no such studies related to IRS4 are found in Prostate cancer. The involvement of other IRS family members in cancer is still undiscovered and so paves the way for further exploration. This review is a time-lapse study of IRSs in the context of cancer done over the past two decades and it highlights all the major discoveries made till date, in these cancers from the perspective of IRS.

The strategic fit between strategic purchasing and purchasing involvement: the moderating role of leadership styles

PurposeThe aim of this study is to investigate and examine the impact of strategic purchasing practices (SPP) on strategic-fit (SF) by analyzing the influence of SPP on purchasing involvement in business strategy formulation with path-goal theory leadership styles as moderators.Design/methodology/approachUsing survey data from 320 respondents representing 64 manufacturing firms in the Middle East, the authors measure SPP, purchasing involvement, leadership styles and SF of the purchasing function with business strategy.FindingsBuilding on the path-goal approach to leadership, results suggest that participative, supportive and achievement-oriented leadership (AOL) styles are pure moderators, while directive leadership style (DLS) is a quasi-moderator in boosting the relationship between SPP and strategic purchasing involvement (SPI).Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the sampling methodology and sample size restricts the scope for generalizing the hypotheses. Further, data were collected only from manufacturing companies. The paper provides managerial implications on purchasing involvement in business strategy formulation and the different roles of leadership styles.Originality/valueThis is the first scholarly work to examine the different leadership styles as a moderator that affects the strategic involvement and status of strategic purchasing.

Strategies employed for information transfer and relation building in intercultural communication – A cross-cultural study

The aim of the study is to examine strategies used in intercultural encounters by Polish and Turkish students of Foreign Languages (n1=50, n2=50, respectively) who have experienced intercultural communication. Intercultural encounters are viewed as ‘language-in-action’ situations because they provide a rich source of information about linguistic devices used during intercultural exchanges, sources of misunderstanding and miscommunication, and strategies implemented to transfer information or maintain conversational involvement of the interlocutors. This study offers some insights into the frequency and variety of the strategies used in intercultural encounters. It was conducted as a small-scale project, with the Critical Incident Technique and questionnaires administered to collect data. The research participants (C1/C2 levels of proficiency) were supposed to produce written narratives describing the most memorable intercultural encounters and report on intercultural communication strategies. Their narratives were later analysed to identify strategies applied to manage intercultural communication and achieve communicative goals (e.g. maintaining contact and/or conveying necessary information). Research findings show that Proactively seeking clarification and Building intercultural connection or relationship were the most frequent strategies used by these two groups. However, research results also suggest that the choice of strategies depends on such factors as the participants’ level of language proficiency, their cultural background or the quality and quantity of intercultural contacts. Cross-cultural analysis indicates that Turkish students are more socially- and culturally oriented, whereas Polish students display a tendency to focus more on cognitive and linguistic aspects of intercultural encounters. Findings from the study can be of help for educators and trainers involved in researching intercultural communication, strategic involvement and training.

The manufacturer’s strategic involvement in product sharing

Recently, the emergence of the sharing economy impacts significantly on consumer purchase behavior and firms’ operations management. To mitigate the negative effects of peer-to-peer product sharing, many manufacturers have participated in the sharing market by providing rental service through a third-party or self-built platform to occupy more market shares. In this paper, we develop an analytical framework to examine the conditions for the manufacturer’s involvement in product sharing. We first characterize the optimal pricing and production decisions of all supply chain players assuming that the manufacturer has sufficient capacity. We then derive the optimal investment strategy for the manufacturer when he faces capacity constraints. Our findings indicate that the manufacturer can benefit from participating in the sharing market only if consumers have a high perceived value and use need of shared products or the cost of building a platform is low. We also find that the manufacturer’s involvement in the sharing market always hurts the retailer’s profit.

Revealing perceived individuals’ self-interest

In non-cooperative game-theory models, the Nash equilibrium concept is used to assess the outcome of rational decision-makers’ strategic involvement. This method allows researchers to look into certain outcomes while keeping in mind people’s self-interest restrictions. Participants, on the other hand, are not bound to provide accurate information when acting in their own self-interest. In this work, we investigate noncooperative behavior in a repeating game and suggest a new method in game theory for designing an observer. An average repeated non-cooperative Markov game with imperfect information is used to determine the categories of participants in this situation. A sequential technique, in which information is revealed a finite number of times, can approximate all of Nash’s equilibria. By computing the derivative of the player’s equilibrium with regard to his or her present type, we explain how to instrument the observer’s design. The dynamic observer creates the imperfect information game. We study a Markov model extension that incorporates a new variable that reflects the product of the observer design and the distribution vector to solve the problem. The strategies and the observation kernel make up the observer design. In this approach, the approaches are first seen as mappings from private and reported states to lotteries over alternatives. We build equations to retrieve the variables of interest using the available type: observer, strategies, observation kernels, and distribution vectors. We provide a numerical example of an industrial organization in which enterprises compete on the market and decide on the amount of production they will produce simultaneously and independently of one another.

China’s Strategic Involvement in Africa and its Regional Implications (1949-2022)

China’s strategic involvement in the African region is multi-faceted as it seeks to bolster economic, political, and security ties. Chinese security and political engagement with African countries are driven by its interest in stimulating its economic rise. This research is qualitative and exploratory in nature and utilizes the concept of strategic culture to analyze the motivations behind Beijing’s interests and behavior in the African continent. Confucian-Mencian and Parabellum form two major strands of Chinese Strategic Culture, making it a unique Cult of Defense. Three important case studies have been analyzed through the prism of the country’s strategic culture, i.e. Chinese economic engagement with one of its largest trading partners― South Africa―, Chinese political engagement in the conflicts of Sudan and South Sudan, and lastly, its security engagement in Djibouti where it established its first foreign military base. Chinese three-dimensional engagements in Africa have had both positive and negative implications for the region. This research concludes that Chinese strategic culture is not static and likely to adapt itself in accordance with the opportunities available for Beijing and its goals in Africa.

Boards' strategic involvement models: Past, present, and future

Background: The research on boards' strategic involvement has increased dramatically in the last few decades due to the need for improving boards' strategic effectiveness as a mechanism for improving organizational performance. The corporate scandals highlighted even more that boards' strategic decisions have sizable consequences for organizational survival, and long-term implications for organizational development. Purpose: The main research questions in this study are: 1. Which are the main elements of the concept of boards' strategic involvement?; 2. Which models constitute the core of the concept and how we can classify them?; 3. How has the discourse on boards' strategic role changed over time? Our purpose is to provide comprehensive answers to these questions and draft the future research agenda in this area. Study design/methodology/approach: Having in mind that boards' strategic involvement is a multidisciplinary area, we first conducted an integrative literature review, to detect the competing groups of models, and afterwards we conducted a semi-structured literature review in order to identify the most important topics in this area and to draft the future research agenda. Findings/conclusions: This paper contributes to research by identifying the models of boards' strategic involvement, classifying them in three competing groups of models that represent the foundation in this research area, by identifying the most investigated topics in the past five years and finally, by drafting the future research agenda. Our conclusion is that the research in this multidisciplinary area is navigating around these three groups of models and that the most explored topics around which the future research is going to be conducted are boards' involvement in the area of strategic human resource management and decisions regarding organizations' sustainability. Limitations/future research: The study's main limitations are related to the fact that the identified models on boards' strategic involvement have been developed, mostly by authors from the USA and UK, where the one-tier board system is used. In future research, the authors should focus on proposing new framework(s)/model(s) and supporting its insights with empirical evidence.

Understanding support systems for Parkinson's disease management in community settings: A cross-national qualitative study.

Health and social care systems face difficulties in managing multimorbidity, disease burden and complex needs in long-term conditions such as Parkinson's disease. This study aimed to develop a European understanding of how health and social care professionals can collaborate with stakeholders from different organizations and sectors to enhance the management of Parkinson's disease in a community setting by identifying the existing gaps in this process and how people with Parkinson's disease and their family carers could benefit from these partnerships. A mixed-methods sequential study was conducted in Denmark, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. The findings from the qualitative phase are presented. Individual semistructured interviews were analysed using Braun's and Clarke's thematic analysis. A meta-ethnography approach was used to analyse and synthesize cross-national findings. A total of 41 healthcare professionals and 39 stakeholders from different disciplines and sectors were interviewed in the four countries. The participants acknowledged a lack of awareness of available resources and poor communication between the different support systems in the management of Parkinson's disease. To promote multiagency collaborations, the participants highlighted the need to organize services along the Parkinson's disease journey, patient involvement and strategic involvement of carers in organizing resources and Parkinson's disease care pathways. According to the participants, the benefits from multiagency partnerships could lead to an enhanced continuity of care and specialized knowledge, mobilization of resources in the community, personalized support and improved access to services. Policymakers are called upon to create formal structures that facilitate multisectoral collaborations to promote an integrated system of care for the management of Parkinson's disease in the community. To address this challenge, we propose five strategies showing how organizations can work together to optimize the use of resources and enhance the management of Parkinson's disease throughout the illness trajectory. Patient and Public Involvement groups made up of stakeholders, healthcare professionals, patients with Parkinson's disease and family carers participated in the design of the study, the development of the interview guides and the validation of the findings.

Interfaith mediation centre in promoting peace in Bauchi State, Nigeria

One of the main obstacles across the globe is a conflict between social groupings. Conflicts over religion, ethnicity, and post-election violence in Africa, and notably Nigeria, harm people's lives and livelihoods. Conflicts occurred in Kaduna, Plateau, and the Bauchi State over a period of time. There has been a public uproar due to the escalating crisis in Bauchi State. To promote peace-building in Bauchi State, Nigeria, this article attempts to investigate the causes that led to the formation of the Interfaith Mediation Centre. The John Paul Lederach theory of peace building served as the basis for this investigation. The study used a descriptive approach. Qualitative research design was employed. The main informants were chosen by the researcher from among Interfaith Mediation Centre personnel, religious leaders, and government officials using a purposive sample technique. Data were extracted from both primary and secondary sources of data collecting. Thematic content analysis was used for analysing the data. The results of the study showed that although the Interfaith Mediation Centre was founded in 1995 to address the problems of persistent ethno religious violence affecting Bauchi state, its main goal was to put an end the conflicts. Another research result supported the idea that IMC fosters peaceful communities in Bauchi and elsewhere through various forms of strategic involvement and mediation. Accordingly, the study concluded that the organization offers training materials to boost and develop peace-building ability, promote religious tolerance, ethnic unity, and the empowerment of women to inculcate the culture of peace. The study recommended that the Interfaith Mediation Centre should keep promoting dialogue among Muslims and Christians, and also promote peace education in the state.

Opportunity or Threat? Exploring Middle Manager Roles in the Face of Digital Transformation

AbstractWith the proliferation of automation technology, controversy concerning the impact of digital automation on middle‐managers’ strategic importance is rising. Some scholars adopt an ‘automation‐as‐a‐threat’ view to argue that digital automation replaces middle‐managers’ strategic value. On the contrary, others take an ‘automation‐as‐an‐opportunity’ view to underscore the role accumulation advantages digital automation offers for individuals in organizations. We acknowledge this debate and develop a contingency‐based role‐theoretical framework, suggesting that the impact of automation on middle‐managers’ strategic involvement depends on: (a) the nature of the middle‐management tasks subject to automation, and (b) the level of the individual middle‐manager's task‐related expertise and simultaneous role embeddedness – as defined by their position tenure. We test our framework using longitudinal survey data from German, Swiss and Austrian firms at four time points. Overall, our work takes an important step toward unravelling the complex and contingent impact of digital automation on middle‐managers’ strategic involvement in contemporary organizations.