Survey-based Instrument Research Articles

A comparative study of voice in Chinese English-major undergraduates’ timed and untimed argument writing

As a somewhat elusive and occlusive concept, voice can be a challenging and formidable hurdle for second language (L2) writers. One area that exemplifies this struggle is timed argument writing, where authors must position claims, ideas, and individual perspectives to an existing knowledge base and scholarly community under the confines of time. To enrich our understandings of voice construction in L2 English writers’ timed writing, we explored how 41 Chinese English-major undergraduates deployed authorial voice in two prompt-based argument writing tasks (timed versus untimed). We also sampled their self-reported knowledge, use, and understanding of voice through a survey-based instrument. To compare the quantity and quality of voice construction between the two samples, we measured 10 voice categories, three voice dimensions, and overall voice strength. Results showed that only two categories displayed statistically significant differences in terms of frequencies, but all three voice dimensions and overall voice strength scored significantly higher in untimed writing samples. Based on the results of our text analysis and survey, we further highlight the complexities of voice in L2 writing, provide evidence in support of existing voice rubrics, and make practical suggestions for teaching and assessing voice in writing.

Manualisation in child and family social work: a comparative study of Norway and Wales

The article examines the use of manuals in child and family social work in Wales and Norway and considers their application in the structuring context of New Public Management and evidence-based practice. It is based on findings from a comparative survey-based instrument distributed to social workers. The problem statement is: what are social workers’ attitudes to and experiences of manuals in professional practice? The key research foci are: ‘How often do you use manuals?’; ‘Why do you use manuals?’; and ‘To what degree do you think manuals are useful to ensure the quality of the work you perform?’ Both workforces use manuals, though more so in Norway than in Wales. This is related to the fact that there is direct and stronger pressure from governmental agencies in Norway than in Wales for provider organisations and workers to deploy manuals. The uptake of manuals in Wales appears to be prompted more by worker self-selection and/or imitation of their usage in cognate practice settings. Norwegian workers to a larger extent than those in Wales think that using manuals enhances the quality of work. We discuss possible conceptual, institutional and practitioner-based reasons for the varied relationship between manuals and their application and highlight under-researched areas.

Taxonomy for the assessment of the subjective experience of curly hair manageability.

This paper aims to develop and validate a taxonomy for the assessment of the subjective experience of curly hair manageability. It represents the latter of two iterative stages of a mixed-method design interdisciplinary project. The qualitative stage of the study incorporated thematic analysis of 14 interview transcripts generated using a video-ethnographic method (SEBE). A survey-based instrument assessing different elements of the construct of hair manageability designed during the first stage of this project was further developed following consultations with experts with extensive experience in hair research, product development, testing and trichology. The instrument was tested online with 506 female participants self-reporting natural curly hair, types 3A and higher according to the Andre Walker Curl Classification. The initial construct of four groups of hair goals received positive content validity from the experts. High scale reliability was achieved for the aesthetic, haptic and emotive goals' scales as well as for hair esteem (Cronbach's alpha >0.75). Curl type was the only personal hair attribute that was correlated with hair goals and perceptions. From the demographic and lifestyle data, only age was correlated with goals and willingness to try new products. Common hair practices and product usage were also correlated with hair curl and goals. The appropriateness of the instrument for measuring the strength of different hair goals and perceptions relevant to hair curvature degree and hair esteem has been validated. The instrument will support the development and testing of products better aligned with the manageability needs of very curly and textured hair. It was also confirmed that hair curvature is the most significant determinant of practices, and age of product attitudes.

Comparison of Credit Risk Management Practices among Islamic and Public Commercial Bank’s in Pakistan

The main objective of this research is to explain a topic in credit risk management practices. Furthermore, this research evaluates credit risk management practices in Pakistani banks. In addition, it compares and evaluates the techniques used by currently operating Islamic banks and public commercial banks. Quantitative research methods were used in the present study. A total of 400 self-administrated questionnaires have been distributed among Pakistani employee-selected banks. SPSS version 24 has been used to analyze responses using correlation, regression, and t-tests. The purpose of this research is to observe the major elements that impact credit risk management practices, which include credit risk understanding, credit risk identification, credit risk assessment, credit risk monitoring, and credit risk analysis showing that each of these elements promoted credit risk management practices among certain institutions. This study also examined the combined impact of these five variables on Pakistan's currently operating Islamic banks and public commercial banks. Finally, there are different approaches to practicing credit risk management among various institutions. The research also produced a framework for practices of credit risk management and a survey-based instrument, both of which are significant contributions.

Sick as a dog? The prevalence, politicization, and health policy consequences of canine vaccine hesitancy (CVH)

Canine vaccine hesitancy (CVH) can be thought about as dog owners’ skepticism about the safety and efficacy of administering routine vaccinations to their dogs. CVH is problematic not only because it may inspire vaccine refusal – which may in turn facilitate infectious disease spread in both canine and human populations – but because it may contribute to veterinary care provider mental/physical health risks. In a nationally representative survey of US adults (N = 2200), we introduce a novel survey-based instrument for measuring CVH. We document pervasive CVH in dog owner subpopulations. Troublingly, we find that CVH is associated with rabies non-vaccination, as well as opposition to evidence-based vaccine policies. We conclude by discussing the human and animal health consequences of CVH, and outline a research agenda for future opinion-based research on this important topic.

Real estate investment decisions in COVID-19 crisis: the effect of perception and behavioral biases

PurposeThis study aims to examine the interconnectedness between investors' perceptions of assets and their behavioral factors with investment decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic in the real estate business in Pakistan. In this regard, this study predicted investment decisions using individuals’ perceptions of the asset (perceived asset quality, perceived asset price and perceived asset value [PAV]),and behavioral biases (overconfidence [OC], herding [HD], disposition effect [DE] and risk aversion [RA]).Design/methodology/approachThis study used a survey-based instrument to gather a total of 189 usable samples. The sample data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings of this study indicated that PAV, OC and HD significantly predicted the investment decision, whereas DE and RA had an insignificant impact on investment decisions in the real estate business. In addition, this study found that PAV is the most important factor to predict investment decisions in real estate during the COVID-19 crisis.Originality/valueThe authors are certain that the study findings reinforce policy implications for regulators, policymakers and financial institutions. The study findings are also useful and relevant if the real estate sector experiences a crisis in the future.

Dynamic digital capabilities and supply chain resilience: The role of government effectiveness

Organizations in recent times are increasingly investing in building supply chain resilience following disruptions due to natural disasters, geo-political crises, and pandemics. A lack of government support has exacerbated the disruption to supply chains in some regions of the world. The positive influence of digitalization on social inclusion, government accountability, and creating a more open environment is well understood. Despite this, different countries have shown varying degrees of digital responsiveness during the pandemic as they attempted to deal with the effects of various COVID strains. The influence of government policies on the supply chain has not been examined in the literature so far and, hence, to address this research gap, we examine the interaction effect of government support effectiveness i.e., tax credits, interest deferral, digital investment, soft loans on dynamic capabilities i.e., digital adaptabilities and digital agilities and on supply chain resilience, using a multi-method approach. To understand how digital adaptability and agility improve supply chain resilience, we conducted 13 semi-structured interviews. Additionally, we pretested our measurement instrument using qualitative semi-structured interviews to validate our hypothesized relationships. We collected data at a specific point of time using a survey-based instrument (N = 203) to address our research questions. Based on data analyses of both the qualitative and survey-based data, our findings indicate that digital adaptability is an important driver of digital agility. Furthermore, the results indicate that government effectiveness is crucial to enhancing supply chain resilience by enhancing digital adaptability and agility. Our research makes some useful contributions to the dynamic capability view by enhancing theoretical understanding, of the role of government in building digital capabilities in uncertain times, to improve supply chain resilience. It also bridges the research gaps between macro and micro perspectives, as identified by management scholars. Lastly, we noted the weaknesses and limitations in the study and therefore we have offered multiple research directions forward, that could help researchers to further develop our current work.

The Self-Appraisal of Masking Instrument

We explore mask-wearing behavior during the coronavirus pandemic using the Self-Appraisal of Masking Instrument (SAMI). We situate this survey-based instrument within a theory in which the decision to mask reflects social identity, an associated identity standard, and appraisals that generate feelings about oneself. Analyses of SAMI’s empirical properties reveal that masking-specific emotional reactions are distinct from emotional reports related to current events and politics (discriminant validity). We also uncover evidence of predictive validity: expressed feelings about masking predict future voting more than 6 months later. We recommend SAMI to researchers interested in studying mask resistance in an increasingly polarized political climate, and the intuition behind SAMI could prove useful in other research contexts in which health decisions reflect a conscious comparison to standards held by those who share an identity or will otherwise pass judgment.

Challenges Faced by U.S. Veterinary Technicians in the Workplace During COVID-19.

During COVID-19, the demand for veterinary technicians increased due to increased animal care appointments booked, decreased worker productivity, pandemic-related staffing shortages, and adapted methods of care delivery. Research has been conducted to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on educators and human healthcare workers, but there is a lack of literature on veterinary technicians, the animal healthcare equivalent of nurses. The objective of our study was to evaluate how COVID-19 affected veterinary technicians. We distributed an electronic researcher-developed survey-based instrument to veterinary technicians working in the U.S. during COVID-19. We received 1,132 usable responses. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Our respondents were overwhelmingly female (97%) and mostly employed full-time (87%) in a companion animal practice (61%). A majority of respondents reported COVID-19 had a large effect (45%) or completely dominated the work (12%) at their practice. While 52% of respondents felt their efforts during COVID-19 were appreciated, only 43% agreed or strongly agreed their hours were manageable. Support staff availability was completely or barely adequate for 42% of respondents and personal protective equipment was mostly or completely adequate for 60% of respondents. The greatest professional challenges during COVID-19 were being treated worse by animal owners and difficulty communicating with clients (53 and 16% of respondents, respectively). There have been few efforts to document the professional environment experienced by veterinary technicians during COVID-19. This is critical as pre-pandemic data indicate veterinary technicians are high-risk for professional burnout and COVID-19 placed additional burdens on essential workers.

Patient-Reported Outcomes in Hemophilia B Patients Treated with IB1001 [Coagulation Factor IX (recombinant)

INTRODUCTION. Hemophilia B is a rare bleeding disorder caused by missing or defective factor IX, a clotting protein in the coagulation cascade. Patients with hemophilia B are treated with infusion of concentrated factor IX to replace the deficiency. As a chronic disease, patient quality of life and treatment satisfaction is a fundamental component of overall patient care in hemophilia B. Anecdotal evidence has suggested that some patients experience improved clinical outcomes and increased satisfaction when treated with IB1001, approved in the US as IXINITY®, [coagulation factor IX (recombinant)] (current factor treatment) as compared to their previous treatment. The objective of this study was to undertake a systematic assessment of IB1001 patient responses to measures of clinical care and quality of life that are relevant in hemophilia B in order to provide a more comprehensive description. METHODS. This was a cross-sectional study of hemophilia B patients in the United States currently being treated with IB1001. The study protocol was reviewed and approved by a central IRB. A survey was developed to capture patient-reported responses to clinical and quality of life questions of interest, including demographic characteristics, disease status, bleeding events, treatment, quality of life, and patient satisfaction. Where possible, patients were asked to compare responses on current factor treatment to those while on previous treatment with other available products. Patients were invited to complete the survey online. This was a pilot study to generate a descriptive analysis of patient experience. RESULTS. A total of 17 patients completed the survey. Most patients were male (76.5%) with a mean age of 43.8 years (range 16-73), and had been taking IB1001 for a mean 18 months at the time of this study. The elements most important for patient treatment choice were a high recovery rate, 24-hour half-life, no inhibitor development, and few side effects. Fewer annualized bleeding events were reported with the current factor treatment (mean 3.3 vs 6.7). Joint bleeds were most commonly reported, and most patients stated their bleed frequency was less (41%) or about the same (35%) on their current factor treatment compared to their previous treatment. Most patients reported their activity level as either ‘very active’ (23%), or ‘somewhat active’ (53%), and 47% of patients indicated they are more active now than on prior treatment. Overall, patients were either ‘very satisfied’ (76%) or ‘somewhat satisfied’ (12%) with their current factor treatment, compared with 12% and 23%, respectively, on prior treatment. Patients reported more mobility (29%), less pain (41%), and less anxiety or depression (18%) now than on prior treatment. CONCLUSIONS. In this study, we showed the utility of an online, survey-based instrument in characterizing patient experience with factor replacement products in hemophilia B. This study quantified the details of the patient experience that may have been driving the anecdotes of improved patient satisfaction and quality of life with IB1001. Overall, patients reported increased satisfaction, and improved clinical outcomes on their current factor treatment compared to products they had used in the past. While the data from this pilot study are encouraging, further study is warranted such as linking patient-reported outcomes to medical chart data to validate the clinical response and to better understand the variables that most influence patient satisfaction and quality of life. DisclosuresSchaaf:Aptevo Therapeutics: Employment, Equity Ownership. Lockhart:Aptevo Therapeutics: Consultancy. Fritz:Aptevo Therapeutics: Employment, Equity Ownership. Stromatt:Aptevo Therapeutics: Employment, Equity Ownership.

Psychometric properties and contextual appropriateness of the German version of the Early Development Instrument

BackgroundAssessing the early development of children at a population level in educational settings, may be useful for public health and policy decision making. In this study, we evaluated the psychometric properties and the contextual appropriateness of a German language version of the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a survey-based instrument originally developed in Canada, which assesses developmental vulnerability for children in preschool settings.MethodsSixty preschool teachers from six preschool organizations (22% of organizations contacted) in three cities in southwest Germany participated. They administered a German version of the EDI (GEDI) to 225 children (51% of eligible children). We assessed internal consistency, test-retest and interrater reliability. Preschool teachers assisted in determining face-validity by reviewing item coverage and comprehensibility. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to evaluate convergent validity. Concurrent validity was measured using correlations and agreements (Bland-Altman plots) between GEDI and other validated instrument scores. Additionally, we compared associations between GEDI domain scores and sociodemographic characteristics with similar associations in EDI studies worldwide.ResultsGEDI domains showed good to excellent internal consistency (0.73 < α > 0.99) and moderate to good test-retest and interrater reliability (0.50 to 0.81 and 0.48 to 0.71, respectively [p-value < 0.05]). Face validity was considered acceptable. EFA showed a factor structure similar to the original EDI. Correlations (range: 0.32 to 0.67) and agreements between GEDI scores and other German language instruments suggested good external reliability. Scoring within the lowest 10th percentile was strongly associated with age.ConclusionsOur psychometric assessment suggests good reliability and consistency of the GEDI. Differences in the age distribution of children, pedagogical objectives and educational system features of German preschools require future work to determine score thresholds indicative of vulnerability. Aside from dropping selected items from the original EDI that were inconsistent with features of the German educational system, the distribution of values in the language and cognitive development domain also suggested that context-specific cut-offs must be established for the German version. Such efforts are needed to account for relevant contextual differences between the educational systems.

Managerial perceptions of the strategic relevance of resources and capabilities and its configuration for firm competitiveness: an exploratory study

PurposeHighlighting the important role of managerial action in resource orchestration, the purpose of this paper is to explore how differences in managerial perceptions about the strategic relevance of resources and capabilities influences the resource configurations in SMEs from an emerging economy context.Design/methodology/approachUsing a survey-based instrument that was developed by the Global Competitive project (www.gcp.org), the authors identify 62 Mexican SMEs and perform a cluster analysis based on firm size and age and estimate the competitiveness of the SMEs in each cluster.FindingsThe results of our cluster analysis indeed suggest the existence of four configurations of SMEs based on the managerial perceptions of the value creating potential of the different resources and capabilities at the firms' disposal. The authors find evidence that managerial perception of the strategic relevance of resources and capabilities at a firm's disposal could influence firm-level competitiveness. Managers of firms that perceive high value or importance to the resources and capabilities, considered the ten resource pillars for competitiveness in this study, are also likely to be the most competitive.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is exploratory in nature and intends to provide an initial and more descriptive analysis of SME competitiveness in an emerging economy context. Additionality, the study does not take into account the effect of industry membership.Originality/valueThe choice of an emerging economy that are often characterized by asymmetric information and informal rules and regulations provides an original context for an understudied area of research in firm-level competitiveness.

Blockchain technology for enhancing swift-trust, collaboration and resilience within a humanitarian supply chain setting

There has been tremendous interest in blockchain technology (BT) (also known as distributed ledger technology) around the globe and across sectors. Following significant success in the financial sector, other sectors, such as humanitarian sector, have started deploying BT at various levels. Although the use of BT in the humanitarian sector is in its infancy, donors and government agencies are increasingly calling for building BT-enabled swift-trust (ST) and more collaborative relationships among various humanitarian actors in order to improve the transparency and traceability of disaster relief materials, information exchanges and flow of funds in disaster relief supply chains. Our study, which is informed by organisational information processing theory and relational view, proposes a theoretical model to understand how BT can influence operational supply chain transparency (OSTC) and ST among actors engaged in disaster relief operations. Our model also shows how BT-enabled ST can further improve collaboration (CO) among actors engaged in disaster relief operations and enhance supply chain resilience (SCR). We formulated and tested six research hypotheses, using data gathered from international non-governmental organisations with the help of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) database. We received 256 usable responses using a pre-tested survey-based instrument designed for key informants. Our results confirm that our six hypotheses were supported. Our study offers significant and valid contributions to the literature on ST, CO and SCR and BT/distributed ledger technology. We have also noted the limitations of our study and have offered future research directions.

Family Firms and Labor Market Regulation

Abstract In a panel across twenty-eight countries over 10 years, we show that family firms on average enjoy performance advantages over nonfamily firms only when labor markets are less regulated. We confirm this result in a matched firm sample using a survey-based instrument as a family control. Furthermore, family firms exhibit lower variation in employment levels in less-regulated labor markets, supporting the notion that labor relations drive family firms’ performance advantages. Our results are consistent with the notion that both family ownership and labor market reforms provide employment protection and thus partly substitute as governance mechanisms. Received December 17, 2018; editorial decision April 3, 2019 by Editor Andrew Ellul.

Compensatory and Catalyzing Beliefs: Their Relationship to Pro-environmental Behavior and Behavioral Spillover in Seven Countries.

There is growing research interest in behavioral spillover and its potential for enabling more widespread lifestyle change than has typically been achieved through discrete behavioral interventions. There are some routes by which spillover could take place without conscious attention or explicit recognition of the connections between separate behaviors. However, in many cases there is an expectation that an individual will perceive behaviors to be conceptually related, specifically in terms of their compensatory (suppressing further action) or catalyzing (promoting further action) properties, as a prerequisite for both negative and positive spillover. Despite this, relatively little research has been carried out to assess the beliefs that may underpin spillover processes as held by individuals themselves, or to measure these directly. We develop and evaluate a survey-based instrument for this purpose, doing so in a sample of seven countries worldwide: Brazil, China, Denmark, India, Poland, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (approx. 1,000 respondents per country). This approach allows us to assess these measures and to compare findings between countries. As part of this, we consider the connections between beliefs about behavioral relationships, and other key variables such as pro-environmental identity and personal preferences. We observe higher levels of endorsement of compensatory beliefs than previous research, and even higher levels of endorsement of novel items assessing catalyzing beliefs. For the first time, we present evidence of the validity of such measures with respect to comparable constructs, and in relation to people’s consistency across different types of behaviors. We reflect on the implications of considering the relationships between behaviors in the context of people’s subjective beliefs and offer recommendations for developing this line of research in the broader context of spillover research and within a cross-cultural framework.

Empirical investigation of data analytics capability and organizational flexibility as complements to supply chain resilience

Supply chain resilience and data analytics capability have generated increased interest in academia and among practitioners. However, existing studies often treat these two streams of literature independently. Our study model reconciles two different streams of literature: data analytics capability as a means to improve information-processing capacity and supply chain resilience as a means to reduce a ripple effect in supply chain or quickly recover after disruptions in the supply chain. We have grounded our theoretical model in the organisational information processing theory (OIPT). Four research hypotheses are tested using responses from 213 Indian manufacturing organisations collected via a pre-tested survey-based instrument. We further test our model using variance-based structural equation modelling, popularly known as PLS-SEM. All of the hypotheses were supported. The findings of our study offer a unique contribution to information systems (IS) and operations management (OM) literature. The findings further provide numerous directions to the supply chain managers. Finally, we note our study limitations and provide further research directions.

Interorganizational cooperation in tourist destination: Building performance in the hotel industry

Although the importance of interorganizational relationships in the tourism industry has been recognized, it is unclear how cooperation influences firms' performance. We argue that interorganizational cooperation in tourist destinations nourishes firms’ internal capabilities - absorptive, innovative and adaptive capabilities - thus generating competitive advantage and superior performance. We conducted two studies. In the first, we have built and validated a survey-based instrument to empirically measure interorganizational cooperation. In the second, using a sample of 271 responses to a web-based survey with hotel managers, we tested hypotheses proposing a positive relationship between interorganizational cooperation, dynamic capabilities, competitive advantage and firm performance. Our findings support that by cooperating, firms develop a number of capabilities that sustains competitive advantage leading to superior performance. The implications of our results from a theoretical and managerial perspective are also discussed.

Impact of big data and predictive analytics capability on supply chain sustainability

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical model to explain the impact of big data and predictive analytics (BDPA) on sustainable business development goal of the organization.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have developed the theoretical model using resource-based view logic and contingency theory. The model was further tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) following Peng and Lai (2012) arguments. The authors gathered 205 responses using survey-based instrument for PLS-SEM.FindingsThe statistical results suggest that out of four research hypotheses, the authors found support for three hypotheses (H1-H3) and the authors did not find support for H4. Although the authors did not find support for H4 (moderating role of supply base complexity (SBC)), however, in future the relationship between BDPA, SBC and sustainable supply chain performance measures remain interesting research questions for further studies.Originality/valueThis study makes some original contribution to the operations and supply chain management literature. The authors provide theory-driven and empirically proven results which extend previous studies which have focused on single performance measures (i.e. economic or environmental). Hence, by studying the impact of BDPA on three performance measures the authors have attempted to answer some of the unresolved questions. The authors also offer numerous guidance to the practitioners and policy makers, based on empirical results.

Choice of an authoritative style when implementing a survival urgency-based strategic change

PurposeExtant research suggests that managing strategic change has become a key managerial function and this duty encompasses changes in organizational product-market boundaries and organizational structure among many related organizational activities. The need to achieve strategic change arises because of major shifts in the external environment and the subsequent need for the organization to remain viable and competitive in the changed environment. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate if middle managers are likely to adopt authoritative style while implementing strategic change when they sense organizational survival.Design/methodology/approach“Sensemaking” literature led to development of the authors’ hypotheses and these were tested using the responses of 117 middle managers. The authors used survey-based instrument to collect data and used regression analysis to explicate the responses of the middle managers.FindingsResults indicate that when middle managers sense that the survival of the organization is at stake, they are likely to choose an authoritative style. The authors also investigated the moderating role of organizational commitment, strategic posture of the top management team, and hostile business environment on the relationship between perception of survival urgency and the choice of authoritative implementation style. Only organizational commitment moderates this relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors’ data collection was survey based and the authors used a single source for each questionnaire and this process may lead to possibilities of mono-method bias. However, steps were taken to reduce the resultant mono-method bias. The respondents are from a variety of industries and future research may focus on one specific industry.Practical implicationsThe first implication of this study allows us to expand research focus on the adoption of authoritative style, a research area that is not explored very much. The second implication of the study is that middle managers tend to focus on their emotions when it comes to implementing strategic changes. Using arguments from sensemaking the authors show that the perception of need for survival or the perception that business environment is hostile will determine how strategic change could be implemented. Middle managers must be treated as more than just the implementers of the directives/fiats/orders/edicts that originate from the top.Social implicationsRole of middle managers in strategic change management is critical and the authors suggest that the perception of organizational survival at risk leads to choice managerial style by middle managers.Originality/valueThe authors have combined ideas from both the strategic management and organizational development fields to understand successfully the implementation of strategic change in a survival urgency situation. In the past, the strategic management literature focused primarily on understanding strategy formulation process, and the process of implementation was generally neglected. The respondents are from a variety of industries. The analysis indicate that membership to any one firm was not impacting the results obtained by the authors and as such allows for results to generalized.

Strategic beliefs of port authorities

ABSTRACTOver the last decade, insights from the strategic management discipline have increasingly been applied to ports. A review of literature shows that in the analysis of port authority strategy, mainly outside-in approaches are applied. This paper adds to the emerging understanding of the port authority’s strategy by applying a cognitive perspective. Specifically, the strategic cognition of firms’ executives is one of the explanatory variables behind firms’ strategic decisions. Furthermore, cognitions are influenced by the organisational contexts in which port authority executives have worked. As a result, managerial “mental maps’ may vary across industry contexts and over time. This research investigates the strategic cognition of a global set of port authority executives through a survey-based instrument. The results show that, to a large extent, PAs resemble “regular” for-profit companies, but that they possess some specific beliefs that distinguish them from “regular” companies.