Testable Propositions Research Articles

Customer participation and service outcomes: mediating role of task-related affective well-being

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to transformative service research by drawing on self-determination, elicitation of emotions framework and feelings-as-information theories to explore how customer participation, task-related affective well-being, customer knowledge, task complexity and service outcomes relate with each other. Design/methodology/approach A synthesis of relevant literature on customer participation and customer well-being reveals a conceptual model with 11 testable propositions. Findings The conceptual model shows that task-related affective well-being mediates the link between customer participation and service outcomes. Moreover, customer knowledge and task complexity moderate these links. Research limitations/implications An empirically testable conceptual model models the roles of task-related affective well-being, customer knowledge and task complexity in the process by which customer participation influences service outcomes. Practical implications Service managers can use the model to design services based on the effects of different types of customer participation on task-related affective well-being. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to study the mediating role of task-related affective well-being in the relationship between customer participation and service outcomes. It does so by revealing the differential impact various types of participation have on service outcomes and the moderating role of customer knowledge and task complexity.

Platforms without borders? The international strategies of digital platform firms

Research Summary: Digitalization has enabled firms with so‐called platform business models to emerge in many sectors of the economy. By facilitating transactions between different groups of users (e.g., buyers and sellers), platform firms are disrupting industries around the world. However, little is known about the international strategies of platform firms, as research has mostly examined platforms in single‐country contexts. We address this gap by integrating insights from platform research in strategy and economics—specifically the notion of network externalities—with internalization theory. We extend the existing typology of network externalities by distinguishing between within‐country and cross‐country network externalities. We derive testable propositions regarding the foreign entry modes of platform firms, their international strategic posture (multidomestic vs. globally integrated), as well as foreign market selection criteria and market exit. Managerial Summary: Many companies in the digital economy operate platform business models, which create value by connecting different groups of users, such as buyers and sellers. We examine how network externalities—the notion that a platform becomes more valuable to each user as more users join—influence the international expansion of these firms. We show that it is important to consider the geographic scope of network externalities, that is, whether network externalities operate across national borders or whether platform firms have to create separate user networks in each country. The distinction between within‐country and cross‐country network externalities affects key internationalization decisions, such as how to enter foreign markets, whether to pursue multidomestic or global strategies, how to select foreign markets, and when to exit from a foreign market.

Organizational socialization and ethical fit: a conceptual development by serendipity

PurposeA significant and increasing number of graduate recruits take up employment for specific companies by virtue of their ethical reputation and profiles. As such, ethical fit has become an important dimension of the attraction and retention of graduates. However, preconceived notions of a company’s ethical orientation obtained through the media and initial recruitment exercises may be challenged during the induction and socialization phases of organizational entry, such that people may find that the reputation is just an external façade leading to disappointment and a reassessment of the employer. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe study’s essential focus is on building a conceptual ethical fit model and to underline the need for further conceptual development in the area. The analysis of extant secondary data and the methodology of serendipity were used.FindingsThe model’s conceptual cogency and practical utility for human resource management are analyzed in the light of specific secondary data and specific propositions described.Research limitations/implicationsA major concern with conceptual models is empirical validity and practical utility which requires empirical testing. However, this limitation has been mitigated by the use of a serendipitous approach from a qualitative empirical study with a generalized person–organization (P–O) focus.Practical implicationsVarious practical implications of the model described in the paper for HR management are evident from empirical studies in the area which have dealt with particular aspects of the model. For example, Bauer et al. (1998) found that socialization effects employee turnover. And, Cable and Parsons (2001) indicate that organizational socialization is critical in generating committed employees whose values are congruent with those of the organization. Since committed employees are critical for the success of the organization, they suggest training programs for hiring managers and criteria in performance appraisals that include the development of employee value congruence through specific formal socialization tactics.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the extant literature by building a dynamic conceptual model with attendant testable propositions that explore the implications of employee misalignment in pre-socialization anticipatory organizational ethical fit and post-socialization organizational ethical fit. More specifically, the study contributes to the extant literature by considering the socialization process in relation to ethical fit dynamics. It also considers from the point of view of specific moral development theory and changing perceptions of ethical climate that occur during organizational socialization. Serendipitous material obtained from a qualitative study of P–O fit puts flesh on the bones of the effects of the socialization process on ethical fit described by the paper’s conceptual model while providing circumstantial evidence for the propositions and their practical utility for HR management.

Who Judges? Designing Jury Systems in Japan, East Asia, and Europe by Rieko Kage

Reviewed by: Who Judges? Designing Jury Systems in Japan, East Asia, and Europe by Rieko Kage Hiroshi Fukurai (bio) Who Judges? Designing Jury Systems in Japan, East Asia, and Europe. By Rieko Kage. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2017. xiv, 264 pages. $99.99, cloth; $29.99, paper; $24.00, E-book. This book is an extremely valuable addition to global jury studies and makes a significant contribution to the sociopolitical analysis of varied democratic systems of citizen participation in criminal justice proceedings. The author focuses on the lay participation systems that have been adopted, or are in the process of being introduced, in four countries: Japan, Korea, and Taiwan in Asia, and Spain in Europe. The main analysis concerns the adoption of Japan's saiban-in seido (a quasi-jury trial or mixed tribunal). The author considers an array of political science theories and derives theoretically informed hypotheses, carefully testing them through a masterful use of mixed-method analysis. The testable propositions are drawn from, and guided by, political theories of democratization, conscription, taxation, and delegation. Other political science theories and perspectives are introduced to explain the significance of adopting varied forms of popular participation in criminal trials, such as the path-dependent theory devised by Paul Pierson and the principal-agent literature on delegation, as well as political insurance theory. Also included are excellent comparative case studies related to the theoretical propositions of "new left" politics and partisan dynamics and their influence on the introduction of the jury and lay judge systems in these four countries. There are ten independent chapters, each one carefully researched and containing thoughtful analysis. Chapter 1 offers an overview of the comparative theoretical framework of the studies undertaken by the author, arguing that the relative strength of "new left" political factors has shaped not only the character of debates on the possibility of popular participation in justice systems but also the design and structural matrix of the lay participation program in criminal trials. Chapter 2 sketches out the novel theoretical framework of "new left" partisan politics in relation to efforts to impose [End Page 448] stronger constraints upon bureaucratic professional judges in advanced democracies such as Japan and "postdevelopmental" states such as Spain, Korea, and Taiwan. Chapter 3 turns to an empirical analysis of the influence of "new left" partisan politics on efforts to introduce popular participation in criminal trials. Drawing on the multitudinous data from the Comparative Manifesto Project and other available sources, the author convincingly demonstrates that "new left" oriented parties are more likely to take up leftist concerns and policy issues, including the adoption of popular participation in criminal adjudication. Chapters 4 and 5 examine the history of lay participation debates in Japan, with chapter 4 providing a content analysis of the partisan debates between 1947 and 1996, noting that unique events such as four wrongful conviction cases scrutinized by the Japanese Supreme Court led to sudden spikes in media and public concern about the legitimacy of Japan's traditional bench trial system and of the decisions reached under that system. This public scrutiny also led to greater partisan debates on significant judicial reforms in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Chapter 5 specifically examines partisan dynamics around the millennial period from 1997 to 2004, when a governmental consensus emerged from the Justice System Reform Council (JSRC, Shihō Seido Kaikaku Shingikai), whose final recommendation included the establishment of the mixed, professional, and lay judge panel to adjudicate serious criminal cases. More than 60 JSRC public panel discussions were held in many parts of Japan; these allowed maximum input from public interest groups to influence the content and spectrum of lay participation debates and discussions. Chapter 6 moves on to test the theoretically driven hypotheses based on records of debates in both houses of the Japanese Diet, demonstrating that "new left" partisan agendas influenced the deliberation in the Japanese Diet over the establishment of the JSRC in 1999. Chapter 7 focuses on Taiwan's proposal for lay participation, followed by chapter 8's coverage of studies of party politics in relation to the introduction of the jury system in Spain and South Korea. The empirical analysis of the varied impact of popular...

Commercial diplomacy's role in entering foreign markets in the age of global value chains

We examine the role played by commercial diplomacy in firms' outward internationalisation. Based on interviews with economic counsellors and a comparative case-study analysis of firms entering foreign markets, we explore the antecedents and consequences of commercial diplomacy for foreign market entry. The moderating effects of commercial diplomacy vary with regard to the foreign market's level of institutional development as well as the entry mode. The greatest potential effect is identified in less developed, institutionally and politically less stable countries and while engaging in internalisation-related entry modes. The results also depend on firms' perceptions, the timing of the relationship that is established between firms and counsellors as well as the economic counsellors' capabilities. Commercial diplomacy is important for both recognising and exploiting opportunities in international markets. We discuss the managerial and policy implications and develop propositions for testing in later entry mode research and commercial diplomacy research.

Commercial diplomacy's role in entering foreign markets in the age of global value chains

We examine the role played by commercial diplomacy in firms' outward internationalisation. Based on interviews with economic counsellors and a comparative case-study analysis of firms entering foreign markets, we explore the antecedents and consequences of commercial diplomacy for foreign market entry. The moderating effects of commercial diplomacy vary with regard to the foreign market's level of institutional development as well as the entry mode. The greatest potential effect is identified in less developed, institutionally and politically less stable countries and while engaging in internalisation-related entry modes. The results also depend on firms' perceptions, the timing of the relationship that is established between firms and counsellors as well as the economic counsellors' capabilities. Commercial diplomacy is important for both recognising and exploiting opportunities in international markets. We discuss the managerial and policy implications and develop propositions for testing in later entry mode research and commercial diplomacy research.

Optimal Turnover Rates and Performance in Public Organizations: Theoretical Expectations

This paper advances a theory of optimal turnover rates in public organizations. In doing so, we first illustrate how public labor market conditions would affect optimal turnover rates of public organizations. After that, we develop a decision-theoretic model of public managers to show when turnover incurs costs or benefits to organizations. We also propose a set of testable propositions for future scholars, which posit the turnover-performance relationships being conditioned on various individual, organizational, and environmental contextual factors. We provide suggestions for empirical applications of the theory.

The Determinants of Capital Structure: Evidence From the Hotel Sector in Sri Lanka

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting capital structure decisions of listed hotel companies in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). Different classical capital structure theories are reviewed such as Modigliani and Miller Model (M & M Theory), trade-off theory (TOT) and pecking order theory (POT) to formulate testable propositions concerning the determinants of debt levels of the companies. The model is estimated using a panel data approach for twenty-five CSE companies for the period of 2009-2015. Regression models were used to test variables representing growth opportunities, firm size, profitability, effective tax rate, operational risk, tangibility and net commercial credit position. The findings suggest that profitability, growth opportunities, and net commercial credit position are related negatively to the debt ratio, while firm size, tangibility, operational risk and effective tax rate do not appear to be related to the debt ratio. Although the findings partially support both the pecking order theory (POT) and trade-off theory (TOT), neither the trade-off nor the pecking order theory exactly seems to explain the capital structure of Sri Lankan hotel companies.

Executive Recruitment Triads from an Agency Theory Perspective

The relationships between clients, headhunters, and candidates during the executive search process has not been researched using agency theory as the theoretical framework. This is puzzling, as the existence of common objectives and information asymmetries between these three parties make agency theory an ideal one to explain the interactions between them. We addressed this gap by developing six testable propositions for researchers. Practitioners may also benefit from the study as understanding the human assumptions in the process of executive recruitment may help increase the chances of achieving positive outcomes.

Managing work-generated emotions at home: An exploration of the “Bright Side” of emotion regulation

This conceptual paper applies the construct of emotion regulation to the work-family interface in order to further expand our understanding of the positive aspects of emotional labor. Contrary to the predominant view that emotional labor is stressful and produces primarily harmful outcomes, we propose that emotion regulation in work-to-home transitions reduces an individual's work-family conflict, enhances job satisfaction, and improves their spouse's family satisfaction. Indeed, work stress can cause employees to remain preoccupied with work-related thoughts and negative moods when moving from work to family settings. We argue that social display rules positively influence an individual's engagement in emotion regulation to meet family role demands. Drawing on current research on role boundaries, emotion regulation, emotional labor, and work-family conflict, we offer testable propositions to encourage future research on the beneficial aspects of emotion regulation in research on work and family. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in closing.

EU Geoeconomics: A Framework for Analyzing Bilateral Relations in the European Union

AbstractExisting EU study approaches have come under stress as comprehensive models of European politics. In this context, bilateral relations between EU members remain under‐researched yet important for understanding the inner workings of the EU. While EU membership puts strong limitations on certain kinds of state behaviour it also leaves room for the pursuit of national interests through economic and legal means. Against this background, the article presents and develops the EU Geoeconomics Framework. Focussed on situations where state and companies share control over vital sectors of the national economy, this framework theorizes the relations between EU member states (MSs). After presenting the main assumptions and focus of EU Geoeconomics, the article develops six testable propositions. It then discusses these propositions as well as the fruitfulness of the framework against the latest developments in EU studies theory. The article concludes by pointing towards a renewed discussion of bilateral relations.

A theory of contingent business process management

PurposeMany researchers and practitioners suggest a contingent instead of a “one size fits all” approach in business process management (BPM). The purpose of this paper is to offer a contingency theory of BPM, which proposes contingency factors relevant to the successful management of business processes and that explains how and why these contingencies impact the relationships between process management and performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors develop the theory by drawing on organizational information processing theory (OIPT) and applying an information processing (IP) perspective to the process level.FindingsThe premise of the model is that the process management mechanisms such as documentation, standardization or monitoring must compensate for the uncertainty and equivocality of the nature of the process that has to be managed. In turn, managing through successful adaptation is a prerequisite for process performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe theory provides a set of testable propositions that specify the relationship between process management mechanisms and process performance. The authors also discuss implications of the new theory for further theorizing and outline empirical research strategies that can be followed to enact, evaluate and extend the theory.Practical implicationsThe theory developed in this paper allows an alternative way to describe organizational processes and supports the derivation of context-sensitive management approaches for process documentation, standardization, monitoring, execution and coordination.Originality/valueThe theoretical model is novel in that it provides a contextualized view on BPM that acknowledges different types of processes and suggests different mechanisms for managing these. The authors hope the paper serves as inspiration both for further theory development as well as to empirical studies that test, refute, support or otherwise augment the arguments.

To follow the yellow brick road: exploring the journey to mental well-being consumption

ABSTRACTIn many health service contexts, governments, public policy bodies and health services have made increasing calls to generate greater levels of understanding around encouraging timely and positive courses of behavioural action by varying sub-sets of consumers. This exploratory qualitative study addresses this call to action by examining the perceived mechanisms that are contributing to the underutilisation and adoption of health services in the early stages of health decision making within the empirical context of mental health. In-depth interviews with young adults revealed three driving mechanisms (1) expected health service quality, (2) self-stigma and (3) perceived severity, and two contingency variables of (1) media exposure and (2) past behaviour. These emergent understandings highlight an extension of existing service adoption literature to include service, individual and external media communication attributes that are qualitatively distinct and influential in engaging proactive help-seeking behaviours in young consumers. Building on our findings, we propose an integrated theoretical framework with a set of testable propositions from the perspective of young adults in the pre-contemplation phase of health decision-making. Finally, the findings emphasise the importance of a holistic service system whereby every service touchpoint with clinicians, clinical and non-clinical services shapes customers’ future expectations and behaviours towards the health service system.

Reading Institutional Logics of CSR in India from a Post-colonial Location

The paper goes beyond critique to read institutional approaches, specifically institutional logics of CSR in India and their management by Indian firms, from a post-colonial location, to explore decolonising possibilities. Drawing on post-colonial approach of catachrestic reading, it reads institutional logics of CSR literature to argue against a linear hierarchical travel of western CSR logic into India, which is then adapted/adopted/translated or decoupled, along with the secondary status this implies for India; and suggests that Indian and western CSR logics are competing logics. It argues that these competing logics are non-core, but significant and need to be managed by Indian firms. An exploratory survey supports this argument. It also suggests a few testable propositions for CSR institutional logics using “deferment of routine development” and “strategic ambiguity in meanings” as mechanisms. In addition, it shows that decolonising purpose can also be realised by having cross-paradigmatic engagements with mainstream management and organisation studies scholarship such as institutional approaches.

Transforming information into supply chain agility: an agility adaptation typology

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediators that occupy the gap between information processing theory and supply chain agility. In today’s Mach speed business environment, managers often install new technology and expect an agile supply chain when they press<Enter>. This study reveals the naivety of such an approach, which has allowed new technology to be governed by old processes.Design/methodology/approachThis work takes a qualitative approach to the dynamic conditions surrounding information processing and its connection to supply chain agility through the assessment of 60 exemplar cases. The situational conditions that have created the divide between information processing and supply chain agility are studied.FindingsThe agility adaptation typology (AAT) defining three types of adaptations and their mediating constructs is presented. Type 1: information processing, is generally an exercise in synchronization that can be used to support assimilation. Type 2: demand sensing, is where companies are able to incorporate real-time data into everyday processes to better understand demand and move toward a real-time environment. Type 3: supply chain agility, requires fundamentally new thinking in the areas of transformation, mindset and culture.Originality/valueThis work describes the reality of today’s struggle to achieve supply chain agility, providing guidelines and testable propositions, and at the same time, avoids “ivory tower prescriptions,” which exclude the real world details from the research process (Meredith, 1993). By including the messy real world details, while difficult to understand and explain, the authors are able to make strides in the AAT toward theory that explains and guides the manager’s everyday reality with all of its messy real world details.

Understanding backers’ interactions with crowdfunding campaigns

PurposeCrowdfunding has become a popular method to acquire capital for entrepreneurial ventures. To successfully achieve funding goals, it is critical for crowdfunding campaigns to attain support of individuals (backers). This paper aims to presents a conceptual model that links a reward-based crowdfunding campaign’s product, pitch and promoter characteristics to expert and casual backers’ evaluation and behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws from literature from consumer behavior, network, signaling and informational social influence theories to design a conceptual framework that highlights factors that influence potential backers’ participation in crowdfunding campaigns.FindingsIt is demonstrated that the conceptual framework presented in the manuscript usefully organizes the real-world tactical marketing decisions of a crowdfunding backer while also being readily amendable to integrating theoretical accounts of human behavior from a diverse body of social science literature. Empirically testable propositions are derived from this social science literature and recast into a manner that could be investigated in the crowdfunding context to expand the body of knowledge on this topic.Practical implicationsThis manuscript provides a framework that can be useful to crowdfunders who wish to strategically plan how their marketing communication plan features may be tailored to attract both early- and late-stage crowdfunding backers.Originality/valueThis paper is novel in the crowdfunding literature because it integrates a diverse body of literature to explicitly identify how the strategic and tactical marketing communication characteristics of a crowdfunding campaign are likely to differently influence different types of potential crowdfunding backers.

How reading narratives can improve our fitness to survive

AbstractPrevious research has argued that narrative is an evolutionary adaptation, offering advantages in terms of survival and reproductive successes. It is yet unclear, however,hownarratives may promote our fitness to survive. Integrating developments in narrative theory, evolutionary psychology, communication science, and cognitive neuroscience, this article presents a Mental Simulation Model that explains the mechanisms through which narratives prepare us for potential life-threatening events in the future. The model proposes that the design features of narrative (setting, perspective, and action) facilitate various distinctive processes of mental simulation (transportation, identification, and action simulation). It is argued that these simulation processes are capable of enhancing our fitness to survive in distinct but complementary ways. The article offers testable propositions and discusses empirical implications.

Toward a Perspective on R&amp;D Outsourcing: RBV and Firm Performance

This paper looks at the vital role of industrial research and development (R&amp;D). The increased outsourcing of industrial R&amp;D is contrasted with a resource-based view of competitive advantage which maintains capabilities that are valuable, rare, imitable, and non-substitutable (VRIN), and should be internalized in the firm. Traditional business formation literature is also supportive of keeping R&amp;D “inhouse”. R&amp;D outsourcing research is leveraged to posit possible reasons for the increased amount of outsourced R&amp;D. Testable propositions are included that look at factors for R&amp;D outsource decisions and also the impact of these decisions on firm performance. An R&amp;D entropy statistic is introduced as well as several R&amp;D characteristics useful in the decision-making process to create R&amp;D.

Country-of-origin and CSR initiatives: a social dominance perspective

PurposeResearch on corporate social responsibility (CSR) continues to proliferate, but why and how multinational enterprises (MNEs) from different parts of the world engage in CSR is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in behavior based on the status of the MNE’s home country relative to the host country.Design/methodology/approachApplying a social dominance theory (SDT) framework, the authors explain variations in MNE behavior because of perceived hierarchical differences between a MNE’s home country and that of the host country. It is posited that these hierarchical differences trigger a country-of-origin bias that affects stakeholders’ expectations for the MNE, as well as that firm’s response to those expectations. In this integrative conceptual paper, we propose a testable framework derived from a deductive approach that applies the tenets of SDT to predict outcomes of CSR implementation by MNE’s subsidiaries.FindingsMNEs from less developed countries are subject to lower expectations and engage in self-debilitating behavior, which may hinder their attempts to implement CSR initiatives in more developed countries. Paradoxically, engaging in CSR initiatives could help reduce liability of foreignness and increase chances for competitive advantage.Practical implicationsMNEs from developing countries should be aware of a potential country-of-origin bias affecting decisions on CSR implementation and that could also be detrimental to their competitive advantage when operating in more developed countries. Conversely, MNEs from developed countries should be ready for higher expectations of their CSR initiatives in less developed countries.Originality/valueThis paper strives to contribute to two extant literatures. First, it contributes to the social dominance literature by applying the perspective in the international business context, specifically research on MNE liability of origin. Second, this perspective offers testable propositions on how perceived hierarchies and liability of origin affect firm decision-making, specifically in the context of developing country MNEs. Third, this paper seeks to expand the discussion of MNE subsidiary CSR behavior to account for the relative context of the home and host country.

Adoption of the Internet of Things technologies in business procurement: impact on organizational buying behavior

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the potential of Internet of Things (IoT) to affect organizational buying behavior. Potential impacts on organizational communication, buying center structure and processes and privacy and security issues are discussed.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper that advances testable propositions based on the technology overview and use of existing organizational buying behavior theory.FindingsThis paper concludes that major changes are likely as a result of the adoption of IoT. The nature of organizational communication may shift to more machine-to-machine communication and buying centers may become smaller, less hierarchical but more coordinated, with less conflict. In addition, privacy and security concerns will need to be addressed.Originality/valueThis is the first attempt to conceptualize the impact of adoption of IoT technologies that may help future researchers to examine the impact on a more granular level. For practitioners, it may help them prepare for the impacts of the IoT technological juggernaut.