Business Commons^™

Social Capital And Cost Of Debt: Evidence From Chinese Ceo Network Centrality, Yiping Chen, Yuan G. Shan, Jimin Wang, Xinxin Yang, Junru Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Using a unique dataset comprising 6313 firm-year observations for Chinese listed firms between 2008 and 2017, we investigate the impact of CEO social capital on cost of debt. Our results show that CEO social capital is negatively related to cost of debt, and the impact of CEO social capital in environments with a low degree of marketization or social trust is more pronounced than in environments with a high degree of marketization or social trust. Moreover, our results reveal that two potential mechanisms, discretionary accruals and information disclosure quality, mediate the impact of CEO social capital on cost of debt.

An Experimental Study For The Decision-Making Support Of Shared Transport Options In Western Australia, Ferry Jie

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The road transport systems have a direct impact on both passenger and freight movements, leading towards negative environmental effects plus economical and societal costs. It has reached an alarming level. Afford to purchase more than one vehicle by an individual who can pay for it may solve the transportation problem for them; however, not everyone has a personal vehicle for movement. Moreover, providing public transport facilities to everyone on a demand basis or on time basis is not possible for several reasons. Further, personal or commercial vehicles are not being used all the time or not carrying passengers in full …

Airbnb Exits China: Insights From Platform Competition, Dan Huang, Songshan (Sam) Huang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This study aims to provide insights into Airbnb’s exit from the China market, specifically from the perspective of platform competition. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the understanding of the evolution and competition of peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation market in China and the double-edged network effects, this viewpoint article provides an in-depth discussion on Airbnb’s withdrawal from the China market. Findings: This viewpoint paper contends that Airbnb faced increasing challenges in establishing unique competitive advantages against local rivals, who demonstrate a capacity for innovation and maintaining loyal customers in adapting to the market evolution. Consequently, this may inhibit Airbnb from attracting the mainstream …

The Impact Of The Belt And Road Initiative On Green Innovation And Innovation Modes: Empirical Evidence From Chinese Listed Enterprises, Bowen Li, Zijing Zhang, Zhaoyong Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), promoting green innovation in enterprises has been the central focus of the developmental strategy for China and countries along the Belt and Road to ensure sustainable development in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to the environment and development. This paper examines the driving factors and heterogeneous mechanisms of the BRI in green technology innovation, especially in collaborative vs. independent innovation modes, utilizing a multi-period difference-in-difference model (DID) and micro-level panel data of Chinese listed enterprises spanning from 2007 to 2021. We find that the BRI has significantly stimulated the …

Organisational Drivers And Sustainability Implementation In The Mining Industry: A Holistic Theoretical Framework, Prince Amoah, Gabriel Eweje

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While few studies have examined the role of institutional pressures on sustainable business practices, there is a dearth of empirical research regarding the influence of internal organisational characteristics on sustainability implementation in developing countries. This paper examines internal organisational features and how they influence multinational companies (MNCs) operating in a resource-rich developing country to embrace and embed sustainability into corporate policies and practices. The findings show that the history of past sustainable practices, the level of internationalisation and managerial cognition internally drive MNCs to implement sustainability in their host countries. We discuss that managerial cognition drives MNCs to embrace sustainability …

When Agility Meets A Project Portfolio: A Study Of Success Factors In Large Organisations, Masoud Aghajani, Kamrul Ahsan, Naomi Whiteside

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The iterative nature of agile methods combined with high levels of team and customer interactions and continuously changing IT and software development project requirements make the management of agile project portfolios very complex. To date, the mechanisms under which project portfolio management adapts to these complexities and achieves portfolio success have not been thoroughly investigated. This study explores the notion of success and its impacting factors in large organisations' portfolios of agile IT and software development projects. Using a multiple case study design, we analysed the agile project portfolios of seven large organisations. We identified four success criteria and 15 …

The Landscape Of Public Procurement Research: A Bibliometric Analysis And Topic Modelling Based On Scopus, Abderahman Rejeb, Karim Rejeb, Andrea Appolloni, Yasanur Kayikci, Mohammad Iranmanesh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the structure and dynamics of academic articles relating to public procurement (PP) in the period 1984–2022 (up to May). The researchers also intend to analyse how this knowledge domain has grown since 1984. Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric analysis was carried out to examine the existing state of PP research. Based on 640 journal articles indexed in the Scopus database and written by 1,247 authors over nearly four decades, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to reveal the intellectual structure of academic works pertaining to PP. Findings: Findings reveal that PP research from Scopus …

An Integrative Review Of Project Portfolio Management Literature: Thematic Findings On Sustainability Mindset, Assessment, And Integration, Masoud Aghajani, Gesa Ruge, Kam Jugdev

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sustainability integration in project portfolio management helps shape strategic, organizational, and project-based contexts. The authors conducted a structured literature review from 2000 to 2021 and developed a novel integrative framework presenting a holistic view highlighting three substantive research themes: sustainability mindset, sustainability assessment, and sustainability integration in project portfolio processes. Noteworthy progress has been made at the strategic and portfolio levels toward framing a sustainability mindset (definition, values, and principles) and developing frameworks/tools for sustainability assessment and project portfolio selection. However, areas for more research include integrating sustainability into project portfolio processes, reporting, and organizational learning for portfolio improvement.

Sustainability Leadership: An Integrative Review And Conceptual Synthesis, Aymen Sajjad, Gabriel Eweje, Muhammad M. Raziq

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Over the past few decades, scholars have extensively investigated the topic of leadership, contributing to the development of diverse leadership theories and contemporary managerial practice. However, the emergence and renewed focus on societal grand challenges warrant an alternative approach to leadership such as sustainability leadership. Despite the critical importance of sustainability leadership in addressing these global concerns, scholarly research in this field of inquiry, by and large, remained scant and fragmented, lacking conceptual coherence and theoretical integration. While the existing literature provides insights into sustainability leadership characteristics, competencies, behaviors, and actions, it failed to integrate a holistic understanding of how …

Inclusive Leadership And Workplace Bullying: A Model Of Psychological Safety, Self-Esteem, And Embeddedness, Azadeh Shafaei, Mehran Nejati, Maryam Omari, Fleur Sharafizad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Bullying is an adverse workplace phenomenon that requires serious attention by leaders and managers. Drawing upon Social Identity Theory, Optimal Distinctiveness Theory, and Victim Precipitation Theory, this study investigates how inclusive leadership is associated with workplace bullying (WB). It also examines the mediating role of psychological safety and self-esteem as serial mediators in this relationship. Additionally, the moderating role of embeddedness on the link between inclusive leadership and WB is explored. The study used a two-wave time-lagged survey completed by 226 full-time employees. The survey captured employees’ perceptions about themselves, their work environment, and their line managers. Study hypotheses were …

Board Demographic, Structural Diversity, And Eco-Innovation: International Evidence, Rashid Zaman, Kaveh Asiaei, Muhammad Nadeem, Ihtisham Malik, Muhammad Arif

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research question/issue: We examine whether and how board diversity, measured by demographics (i.e., board gender, cultural diversity, tenure, social capital, expertise, and age) and structural diversity (i.e., board independence, size, board seat accumulation-chair, board compensation, and board meeting frequency), influence corporate eco-innovation. Research findings/insights: Utilizing a global sample of publicly listed companies for the period 2004–2019, we find that a one-standard deviation increase in demographic and structural diversity translates into 4.66% and 7.11% higher corporate eco-innovation, respectively. Furthermore, we discover that demographic and structural diversity promotes eco-innovation by offsetting the negative effects of political risk. In an additional analysis, we …

An Analysis Of Whether Privately Owned Financial Planning Practices Are Transitioning To Fully Independent Advice Providers, Darren Pawski, Robert Powell, Anna Golab

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In Australia, there are over 20,000 financial advisers, with only 1 % registered as independent financial advisers. This study investigates why there has been no significant transition to independent advising. The importance of the study is underlined by the substantial losses suffered by thousands of consumers from advice that has been found to be influenced by conflicts of interest. Using a qualitative technique, the study undertook exploratory semi-structured interviews among financial advisers. The study found that over 90% of privately owned advisers will not be transitioning to independent advising due to the belief that clients will not pay fees for …

Customer Behaviour Towards Halal Food: A Systematic Review And Agenda For Future Research, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Madugoda Gunaratnege Senali, Morteza Ghobakhloo, Davoud Nikbin, Ghazanfar Ali Abbasi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose

The halal food market is a large and fast-growing market. To maintain and boost the growth of the halal food industry, scholars have attempted to understand the behaviour of Muslims and non-Muslims towards halal food. To advance understating of previous studies on behaviour towards halal food and shedding light on future studies, this study aims to systematically review the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 985 peer-reviewed papers was extracted from Scopus and Web of Science databases. A total of 96 articles related to customers' behaviour towards halal food by reviewing the titles, abstracts and contents of the extracted articles …

The Impact Of Board And Hotel Characteristics On Biodiversity Reporting: Market Diversification As A Moderator, Edzuwyn F. B. H. Mahyuddin, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Azlan Amran, Behzad Foroughi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose:

This study aims to explain how board and hotel characteristics affect biodiversity reporting and to test the moderating effect of market diversification.

Design/methodology/approach:

The annual reports of 105 hotels were examined for the period between 2016 and 2017 to analyse these hotels’ biodiversity reporting using content analysis. The partial least squares technique was used to test the proposed relationships.

Findings:

The results show that the number of board members who are also on the corporate social responsibility committee, number of board members who are in environmental organizations, the star rating of the hotel, hotel size and hotel location have …

The Influence Of Local Embeddedness On The Economic, Social, And Environmental Sustainability Practices Of Regional Small Firms, Jalleh Sharafizad, Janice Redmond, Craig Parker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite growing research on economic, social, and environmental sustainability, few studies explore all three sustainability pillars and implemented practices, in the context of regional small firms. This study uses a novel integration of two theoretical concepts, local embeddedness, and sustainability embeddedness orientation, to fill this knowledge gap. Using 26 interviews, the study highlights the nuanced interconnectedness of three new theoretical concepts that link local embeddedness and sustainability embeddedness–locally embedded sustainability values, spatially-driven sustainability and locally adapted sustainability. An integrated theoretical framework is provided that uses the three new concepts to explain how and why small firm local embeddedness in regional …

Covid-19 And Csr Disclosure: Evidence From New Zealand, Stephen Bahadar, Rashid Zaman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose – Stakeholders’ uncertainty about firms’ value drives their urge to get information, as well as managerial disclosure choices. In this study, the authors examine whether and how an important source of uncertainty – the recent COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure – is beyond managerial and stakeholders’ control. Design/methodology/approach – The authors develop a novel construct for daily CSR disclosure by employing computer-aided text analysis (CATA) on the press releases issued by 125 New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX) listed from 28 February 2020 to 31 December 2020. To capture COVID-19 intensity, the authors use the growth …

The Evolution Of Mining Employment During The Resource Boom And Bust Cycle In Australia, Nam Foo, Ruhul Salim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mining employment in Australia can be cyclical and volatile. Since the gold rush in the 1850s, Australia has experienced two major mining booms. The first was in the 1970s and the second (i.e., the mineral boom) was in the mid-2000s and so it is important to have a discussion about trends in the Australian mining industry and about employment during mining cycles. This study employs Australian mining industry data to investigate sectoral labor mobility (moving from one industry to another) when the business cycles have changed. This research has used quarterly data from 1950q1 to 2018q4 for several industries such …

Do Liquid Assets Lure Managers? Evidence From Corporate Misconduct, Rashid Zaman, Nader Atawnah, Muhammad Nadeem, Stephen Bahadar, Irfan H. Shakri

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

We examine the effect of asset redeployability on corporate misconduct and find a significant positive relationship. Utilizing a large sample of public US firms for the period of 2001 to 2015, we find that a one standard deviation (SD) increase in the proportion of redeployable assets leads to a 7.2% increase in corporate fines. We also find that the positive association between asset redeployability and corporate misconduct varies across types of misconduct and industrial heterogeneity. In our channel analysis, we find that managerial risk-taking is a potential mechanism through which asset redeployability is associated with misconduct. Additional tests reveal that …

Questioning The Inclusivity Of Events: The Queer Perspective, Faith Ong, Clifford Lewis, Oscar Vorobjovas-Pinta

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Event programmes are typically designed with a target audience in mind, and such design can inherently signal inclusion or exclusion of marginalised segments. This is particularly the case for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) individuals, whose sexual and gender identities position them as an invisible minority on the periphery of society. Given the role of events in building community spirit, it is essential to ensure all members of a community feel able to participate in order to create a sense of belonging, fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals of inclusivity in community. Through the lens of Social Dominance Theory …

Duty To Address Climate Change Litigation Risks For Australian Energy Companies—Policy And Governance Issues, Prafula Pearce

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy requires cooperation from all, including corporations, shareholders, and institutional investors. The purpose of this paper is to explore climate change litigation risks for Australian energy companies and investors from a policy and governance perspective. Companies are increasingly reporting their climate policies to satisfy their shareholders and investor demands. In addition, the government and judiciary are making laws and decisions to support the Paris Agreement. This paper explores whether company directors can and, in some cases, should be considering the impact of climate change litigation risks on their business, or else risk breaching …

Examining The Extent Of And Determinants For Sustainability Assurance Quality: The Role Of Audit Committees, Rashid Zaman, Muhammad Bilal Farooq, Fahad Khalid, Zeeshan Mahmood

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study examines the extent of and determinants for sustainability assurance quality. Data comprise sustainability assurance statements published by the top 100 listed companies in Australia and New Zealand from 2017 to 2019. The findings indicate that Australian companies lead their New Zealand counterparts in sustainability assurance. Although sustainability reporting has risen, assurance rates remain significantly low. Accountants dominate the market, and companies prefer to use their own auditors for sustainability assurance work. Sustainability assurance quality is poor and does not vary significantly among Australian and New Zealand companies. Low-quality sustainability assurance plays a limited role in mitigating potential stakeholder–agency …

The Antecedents, Consequences, And Mediating Role Of Workload Among Chinese Courier Drivers, Haitao Wen, Hongduo Sun, Sebastian Kummer, Ben Farr-Wharton, David M. Herold

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The growth of e-commerce in China can be regarded as a significant factor in the increase in occupational stress and the voluntary turnover of courier drivers. This paper aims to investigate selected occupational stress factors behind the turnover intentions of Chinese courier drivers. Using data from 229 couriers employed at the largest delivery companies in China, this study applies structural equation modelling to investigate not only the direct relationships between job-stress factors and turnover intentions but also the extent to which workload indirectly mediates turnover intentions among couriers. The results indicate that a combination of high workload with social stressors …

An Enabling Environment For Asset Management Through Public Policy: The Benefits Of Standardization And Application To The Water Sector, Tiffany Batac, Kerry Brown, Rita Salgado Brito, Iain Cranston, Tetsuya Mizutani

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Water services—including urban water supply, wastewater, and stormwater services—are essential to society and critical for protecting human health and the well-being of communities. Goal 6 of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognizes this importance and aims to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Despite progress, the UN reports billions of people still lack water and sanitation services. Many governments around the world face the challenge of balancing between investment in new assets, programs, and services and providing the required funding for repair and replacement of existing water assets. This paper argues infrastructure …

A Bibliometric Content Analysis Of Do-It-Yourself (Diy) Science: Where To From Here For Management Research?, Peter Galvin, Anton Klarin, Richard Nyuur, Nicholas Burton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Do-it-yourself (DIY) science research is currently in an expansion phase both in terms of its depth (with an increasing number of papers published each year) and its scope (with the core ideas being linked to an increasing number of constructs). To develop a more holistic appreciation of how the field has developed and to identify potential avenues of future research we undertake a bibliometric content analysis of the DIY science literature post 1980. We find four major clusters pertaining to education, culture, the operationalising of DIY science (including commercialisation) and technology-related issues. We review each of these clusters and the …

Corporate Governance, Market Orientation And Performance Of Iran’S Upscale Hotels, Soheil Kazemian, Hadrian G. Djajadikerta, Jamaliah Said, Saiyidi Mat Roni, Terri Trireksani, Md Mahmudul Alam

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Market orientation has been known as an efficient managerial tool to assist in sustaining the performance of organisations. Market orientation has three dimensions, namely customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-function coordination. This paper evaluates how corporate governance influences the three dimensions of market orientation within Iran's upscale hotels. The impacts of the three dimensions of market orientation on the hotels' social and financial performance are also examined to determine if market orientation mediates the relationships between corporate governance and performance. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to analyse the survey data collected from the executives of four- …

Too Unsafe To Monitor? How Board-Ceo Cognitive Conflict And Chair Leadership Shape Outside Director Monitoring, Dennis B. Veltrop, Pieter-Jan Bezemer, Gavin Nicholson, Amedeo Pugliese

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Research into boards of directors has provided mixed support for the view that outside directors' independence or leadership by an independent chair improves monitoring. In this study, we use a micro-level approach to provide a better understanding of why outside directors have difficulty in monitoring the CEO. We highlight that an important reason for this lies in the boardroom dynamics associated with (a) outside directors' cognitive conflict with the CEO and (b) the chair's leadership of the board. Our inductive analyses of video observations of board meetings in five Australian corporations revealed the importance of chair participative leadership during disagreement …

Extending Micro-Credentials To Micro-Apprenticeships For The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Enhancing Vocational Education And Training In The Post-Pandemic’S ‘New Normal’, Pi-Shen Seet, Janice Jones

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

As noted in the foreword of this Special Issue, COVID-19 has accelerated the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s or Industry 4.0’s disruption to the labour market (Sally, 2021). Beyond Industry 4.0 (I4.0), the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies by enterprises, underscoring the need for workers to continuously upskill their digital competencies in order to remain relevant (Heinonen & Strandvik, 2021). Besides digitisation, organisations have had to innovate and adopt new business models to adapt to the ‘new normal’ of surviving and growing beyond the COVID-19 pandemic (Heinonen & Strandvik, 2021). In countries that largely relied on skilled migration …

Designing Call To Action: Users' Perception Of Different Charateristics, Thomas Mejtoft, Jonathan Hedlund, Helen Cripps, Ulrik Söderström, Ole Norberg

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper aims to provide guidance when designing a call to action in a digital system with the purpose to create an intended feeling and user engagement. The paper is based on a test of four different simple call to action constructions. The users clearly prefer constructions that have a high explainability and feels intuitive. Hence, the design should have a high level of transparency and show the user straight away what it demands from the user and what the result of the action is. Furthermore, the design should have a high usability to make it clear how to use …

Examining The Extent Of And Drivers For Materiality Assessment Disclosures In Sustainability Reports, Muhammad Bilal Farooq, Rashid Zaman, Dania Sarraj, Fahad Khalid

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the extent of materiality assessment disclosures in sustainability reports and their determinants. The study examines the disclosure practices of listed companies based in the member states of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, colloquially referred to as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Design/methodology/approach: First, the materiality assessment disclosures were scored through a content analysis of sustainability reports published by listed GCC companies during a five-year period from 2013 to 2017. Second, a fixed effect ordered logic regression was used to examine the determinants of materiality assessment disclosures. Findings: While sustainability …

Collaboration And Opportunism In Megaproject Alliance Contracts: The Interplay Between Governance, Trust And Culture, Peter Galvin, Stephane Tywoniak, Janet Sutherland

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Alliance contracts have been introduced in megaprojects to improve the alignment of objectives, risk and reward between client and contractor. However, the relational norms of alliances are not sufficient on their own to eliminate opportunistic behaviors. This study shows that, investing in mechanisms supportive of governance, culture, and trust provides a platform upon which firms may foster collaboration and limit self-interest oriented behavior amongst alliance partners. Our qualitative case study of a major project-based organization reveals the impact of these mechanisms, and more pointedly, how they interact and often reinforce each other. Governance, culture and trust are interlinked and complementary, …