International Journal of Business Environment (17 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Personality, self-efficacy and self-esteem as predictors of psychological well-being of workers: the flourishing scale (5-FS)  
  by María José Serrano-Fernández, Elena Pérez-Moreiras, Maria Boada-Grau, Jordi Assens-Serra, Joan Boada-Grau 
  Abstract: Flourishing refers to a person’s perceived feelings that life is going well. The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of the flourishing experience, one of the psychological processes that occur in professional contexts. It aims to determine the relationship between flourishing and personality, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Participants in the study were 856 workers selected through non-probability sampling and the data collected were processed with the SPSS 25.0 program. The factor obtained has adequate reliability and evidence of validity. A positive relationship is established between self-esteem, self-efficacy and flourishing. Regarding personality, the relationship is positive in relation to emotional stability and negative in relation to openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness. Emotional stability, self-efficacy, conscientiousness, self-esteem and agreeableness are the variables that account for greater variance when predicting flourishing.
  Keywords: flourishing; work; personality; self-esteem; self-efficacy.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2023.10058910
   
  
• Factors influencing dynamic capabilities of entrepreneurial-led organisations to achieve analytical transformation  
  by Sandhya Kalale Srinivas, Arti Arun Kumar, N. Elangovan 
  Abstract: Entrepreneurial spirit transforms the economic scenario resulting in a significant contribution to society. Analytical transformation enables entrepreneurs with superior effective decision-making capability through information gathering, advanced technology adoption and data analysis. Effective analysis leads to superior organisational performance. However, in entrepreneurial-led large Indian organisations, the adoption of analytics is limited to predicting results. The study aims to identify the key factors that impact analytical transformation. The study also aims to identify key dynamic capabilities to achieve such transformation. This article identifies base theories related to the identified concepts. This article aims to develop an analytical transformation capability model for entrepreneurial-driven large industries. This study also empirically validates the proposed research model. The study concludes that entrepreneurial-led large Indian technology-driven industries lag behind their technology peers in adopting prescriptive analytics. The study also proposes an analytical transformation theory that aims to provide necessary techniques to improve organisational effectiveness.
  Keywords: analytical decision making; dynamic capability; prescriptive analytics; analytical transformation; organisational effectiveness; information processing; organisation efficiency; entrepreneur led organisation; analytical orientation; data centralisation; data infrastructure; networking capability; evidence-based decision making; advanced analytics; predictive analytics.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2023.10060241
   
  
• Competitive domestic markets and marketing capabilities: the mediating effect of online presence in SMEs  
  by Guillermo Barquero-Chaves, Juan Carlos Leiva, Ronald Mora-Esquivel 
  Abstract: Marketing capabilities are essential to exploit opportunities and sustain competitive advantages in domestic markets. It is therefore fundamental to identify elements affecting these capabilities. This research aims to verify if there is a positive relationship between competitive domestic markets and marketing capabilities, and whether online presence of companies exerts a mediating effect between both factors. The empirical analysis uses OLS regressions and a mimic of process method in Stata software package on a sample of 205 SMEs from Costa Rica. The findings confirm a positive relationship between competitive domestic markets and marketing capabilities, and that online presence exerts a mediating effect on this relationship, with a total effect of greater relevance for SMEs, especially in the manufacturing sector. This implies that as organisations adapt their resources and generate actions to promote the use and adoption of their online presence, they are also having a positive impact on their marketing capabilities.
  Keywords: competitive domestic markets; online presence; marketing capabilities; SME; competitiveness.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2023.10060508
   
  
• Consumer sentiments in automotive purchases before and after COVID-19: a text-mining study  
  by Ashok Bhattarai, Jiaxi Luo, Shih Yung Chou, Charles Ramser 
  Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to shortages in the automotive industry due to a limited supply of semiconductor chips, which has created a nonlinear dynamic and chaotic business environment in the industry. This leads to the following important yet unanswered questions: 1) Is there a divergence in consumer emphases placed on the car buying process prior to and after COVID-19?; 2) How do consumer sentiment patterns affect their ratings of car dealerships prior to and after COVID-19? To answer these questions, we utilise a text-mining approach and perform an ordered probit regression analysis. Results illustrate the following. First, the sentiment keyword fast had a positive impact on consumer online ratings after COVID-19, whereas clean had a positive impact on consumer online ratings before COVID-19. Third, the sentiment keyword wait had a negative impact on consumer online ratings after COVID-19. Fourth, the sentiment keyword willing had a negative impact on consumer online ratings both before and after COVID-19. Finally, the sentiment keyword mess had a negative impact on consumer online ratings both before and after COVID-19.
  Keywords: automotive purchase; COVID-19; consumer sentiments; text mining.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2023.10060886
   
  
• Delineating corporate governance and earnings management - a bibliometric review and future directions  
  by Kashish Sharma, Shridev Devji, Tonmoy Choudhury, M.D. Abubakar Siddique 
  Abstract: In this study, we outline the significant topics and present dynamics in the corporate governance and earnings management domain, in addition to research directions for the future. Utilising the bibliometric analysis technique, a total of 319 studies were examined from Scopus Database for a period starting from 1988 to 2021. We performed a publications trend analysis and found the most prominent authors, sources, and articles based on their citations and publications. Additionally, using the technique of bibliographic coupling, we performed the thematic analysis and identified six themes that represent the intellectual structure of literature on corporate governance and earnings management. Besides, despite the immense popularity of the research field, potential avenues exist for future growth. Therefore, we provide the possible future research directions that the upcoming scholars can explore to strengthen the concerned research domain.
  Keywords: corporate governance; earnings management; bibliometric analysis; bibliographic clustering.
  
  
• A review of two decades of research on language in international management (1997-2022)  
  by Yung-Hwal Park, Kevin Lehnert 
  Abstract: This research reviews over two decades of research on language within international management. This comprehensive review codes and summarises 263 articles, highlighting the impact of language in various strategic areas of management: language policy; HRM and organisational behaviour; internationalisation; HQ-subsidiary relationship; knowledge sharing; corporate reporting and governance; and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and inter-firm strategic collaboration. This study also highlights two major needs within the discipline (internal vs. external focus of language and level of analysis - individual, group and organisational), and addressed the call for a broader future research agenda.
  Keywords: literature review; language; management; international strategy; communication.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2023.10061123
   
  
• The spill-over effects of foreign direct investment on technical efficiency of domestic supporting industry firms in Vietnam  
  by To Trung Thanh, Nguyen Quynh Trang 
  Abstract: The relationship between domestic supporting industry (SI) firms and foreign direct investment (FDI) firms plays an important role in the development of many developing countries, including Vietnam. To better understand the impact of FDI on the domestic SI firms in Vietnam, the paper investigates two channels of FDI spill-overs: horizontal and backward spill-over effects. Utilizing the approach of Stochastic Frontier Analysis, the paper considers the impacts of FDI spill-overs on the Technical Efficiency of domestic SI firms for the period 2014-2018. Interacting variables are included in the models to see how the absorptive capacity of the domestic firms may influence the spill-over effects. The results show that FDI firms in both horizontal and backward linkages bring negative impacts and the domestic SI firms with higher-skilled workers may mitigate the negative backward spill-over effects. The findings suggest policy implications not only for Vietnam but also for other developing countries to better attract FDI and improve domestic SI firms’ performance.
  Keywords: FDI spillover effects; domestic supporting industry; absorptive capacity; Technical Efficiency.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2023.10061156
   
  
• ESG disclosure and financial performance in the European oil and gas industry  
  by Federica Doni, Antonio Corvino, Silvio Bianchi Martini 
  Abstract: Lately, the disclosure of sustainability issues has played a pivotal role in corporate reporting. In the academic debate, some scholars noted the need for more concerning the influence exerted by environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues over the corporate image, reputation and value creation. To bridge the last gap, this study investigates the relationship between ESG disclosure and financial performance by analysing a sample of European-listed large-sized companies operating in the oil and gas industry from 2010-2014. The methodological choice for that period resides in the intention to investigate the earlier relationship before the entry into force of the EU Directive 95/2014 on disclosure of non-financial information. Our findings demonstrate that financial performance dimension, pertinent to corporate profitability or the firms financial autonomy, can positively affect ESG disclosure policies. These empirical findings can highlight the effectiveness of ESG disclosure by confirming the relevance of the EU initiatives.
  Keywords: environmental; social and governance; ESG; disclosure; EU Directive; integrated reporting; financial performance; oil and gas industry; Europe.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2024.10061582
   
  
• Comparative analysis of community pharmacies and retail pharmacy chains: the case of Chile  
  by Luis Felipe Vergara Maldonado, Ines Gabriela Rodriguez Morales, Eduardo Barrueto Mercado, Víctor Manuel Yáñez Jara, Andrés Antonio Rubio Rivera 
  Abstract: A strategic analysis of Chiles pharmaceutical industry has revealed strong competitive dynamics, in which three main competitor pharmacy chains have a high concentration, representing about 80% of the sector; pharmacy Ahumada, Cruz Verde y Salcobrand, followed by other pharmacies and mid-range chain pharmacies such as Dr. Simi, Dr. Ahorro, Knop and Galenica. The growth of community or peoples pharmacies in the Chilean pharmaceutical market can be observed as a result of the collusion case between the large pharmacy chains Cruz Verde, Ahumada, and Salcobrand, between 2007 and 2008. This research was conducted through a comparison of the Communal Pharmacy of Chillan, Chile, with retail or chain pharmacies. The analysis included a comparison of the Communal Pharmacy and large retail chain pharmacies in terms of competitive advantages. One of the main findings was a significant difference in the prices of drugs sold by the communal pharmacy of Chillan versus chain pharmacies, with some cases observing a difference of up to 400%.
  Keywords: pharmaceutical industry; community pharmacies benchmark studies; market; retail chain; drugs; prices; competitive advantages; Chile.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2024.10061907
   
  
• Does institutional framework shape the corporate social responsibility?  
  by Assem Orazayeva, Muhammad Arslan 
  Abstract: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability are important to corporations for several reasons. This study applied a novel institutional framework to answer the question of why firms in developing and emerging economies undertake CSR issues. We explored the role of the state, financial markets, human capital, social capital, corporate governance and financial performance in shaping CSR based on a sample of 108 firms from 26 countries representing Asian, African, Latin American, East European and Middle Eastern regions for the period 2016 to 2020. By employing a dynamic linear model (GMM), we found support for propositions that underdeveloped financial markets can facilitate firms’ relationships with external stakeholders while weak labour rights and CSR are inversely related. We also found a statistically significant positive coefficient of CSR with corporate governance. The results showed an insignificant relationship for other propositions on the roles of financial performance, social capital and government ownership in shaping CSR. We found significant positive relationship of CSR with size while insignificant with leverage.
  Keywords: corporate social responsibility; CSR; institutional framework; corporate governance; understudied countries; generalised method of moments; GMM; sustainability; labour rights.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2024.10061997
   
  
• Business strategies on service quality for expanding Taiwanese restaurant chain overseas: the application of TRIZ theory and ISM  
  by Yi-Hsiang Hsu, Tzong-Ru Lee, Ching-Hua Yeh, Rika Ampuh Hadiguna 
  Abstract: A Taiwan restaurant chain’s business strategy to expand overseas is an exciting topic. The strategy intends to implement a Taiwanese restaurant chain to expand overseas stores. This study examines comprehensively by involving several methods: grey relational analysis (GRA), TRIZ and interpretive structural model (ISM). This study proves that market expansion is possible if supported by a timely innovation strategy and the right market segment. A restaurant chain concept is a new approach to global market penetration and cultural recognition. This paradigm is interesting as a new study topic for several countries with food variety, tourism potential and high-value cultures.
  Keywords: business strategy; restaurant chain; grey relational analysis; GRA; TRIZ; interpretive structural model; ISM.
  
  
• The impact of international coopetitive relationships on surrounding vertical networks during COVID-19  
  by Shuwei Jiang, Annika Laine-Kronberg 
  Abstract: This study investigates the evolution of international coopetitive relationships and their impact on vertical networks during the global COVID-19 pandemic. There is a call for more research about coopetition from an international perspective. Moreover, vertical coopetition from a network perspective is scarcely researched. In this study we aim to fill these research gaps. The empirical study is based on qualitative case study methodology. The findings demonstrate that coopetitive relationships have both positive and negative effects on the activities, performances, and business relationships of actors within vertical networks. The impact differs for suppliers and distributors as relationships evolve, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research contributes to existing theory on coopetition by widening the scope to include surrounding vertical networks and adopting a dynamic temporal perspective to illustrate the evolution of coopetitive relationships and their implications, particularly during a pandemic.
  Keywords: coopetition; vertical network; dynamics; Chinese market; automotive industry; COVID-19.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2024.10063675
   
  
• The role of absorptive capacity in the relationship global diversification-performance  
  by Encarnación Manresa-Marhuenda, Bartolomé Marco-Lajara, Pedro Seva-Larrosa, Esther Poveda-Pareja, Sergio Arjona Giner 
  Abstract: Many researchers have tried to test whether there really is a relationship between global diversification and firm performance, although many of them only deal with one aspect, be it market diversification or product diversification, without considering the role of the internal capacities of the company. Considering the importance of knowledge and its management in complex and uncertain contexts such as the current ones, the study investigates the effect of absorptive capacity on the global diversification-performance relationship. This research analyses the global diversification-firm relationship, considering the moderating role of absorptive capacity, in a sample of 496 Spanish medium-high and high technology companies for the period corresponding to 2019. The conclusions obtained, through statistical inference tests confirm an inverted U-shaped relationship between diversification and firm performance and, partially, the moderating effect of absorptive capacity in this relationship.
  Keywords: diversification; absorptive capacity; knowledge; corporate performance.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2024.10064060
   
  
• Exploring the future research directions in green human resource management: an analytical retrospection from the eye of latent Dirichlet allocation  
  by Chetan Sharma 
  Abstract: Environmental challenges have long concerned researchers, governments, and organisations. However, green organisational practices have remained dormant for ground-level implementation and deployment. Researchers must explore a field where the latest research patterns and trends may be identified to implement green HRM (GHRM). In this study, the Scopus database is considered to experiment, and 471 published articles between 2008 and 2022 have been considered to apply the latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model under the topic modelling technique. Two, five, and ten GHRM research areas were identified using experiments that require more attention from future researchers. This study concludes that various research trends are increasing and need further examination further author provided semantic mapping of those topics which are core research, trends, and developing topics. This study’s research topics need greater attention to solve environmental problems and make society eco-friendly.
  Keywords: green; human resources; sustainability; green human resource management; GHRM; environment; policies; practices; topic modelling; latent Dirichlet allocation; LDA.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2024.10064667
   
  
• Validation and adaptation of the entrepreneurship intention scales in the population of Chilean scientists  
  by Eduardo Acuña-Duran, Nicolás Contreras, Juan Carlos Oyanedel, Andrés Rubio, Cristian Céspedes-Carreño, Guido Salazar, Luis Felipe Vergara 
  Abstract: In this study, a sample of 251 academics who conduct their research in Chile are used to assess the scales psychometric properties of the entrepreneurial intention model within the context of the theory of planned behaviour. The instruments under consideration are Spanish adaptations of Linan and Chen (2009) original English scales, validated in their article Development and cross-cultural application of a specific instrument to measure entrepreneurial intentions. For this purpose, factorial structure, internal consistency, content validity, convergent validity and discriminant validity analyses were performed for the four scales of the model: entrepreneurial intention; entrepreneurial attitude; subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. The results show a four-factor structure presenting, adequate internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Consequently, the scales tested in this article prove to be adequate instruments for measuring the academic researchers entrepreneurial intention in Chile. The importance of having reliable instruments that enable measurement of academic researchers entrepreneurial ambition together with their most immediate motivating elements is discussed. This is done in order to later be able to clarify how and to what extent academic researchers develop an entrepreneurial intention based on the findings of their research.
  Keywords: entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial intention; psychometric properties; subjective norm; personal attitudes.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2024.10065069
   
  
• Brand personality evolution: analysis of the concepts scientific production  
  by Eduardo Barrueto Mercado, Luis Araya Castilo, Andrés Rubio Rivera, Hugo Moraga Flores, Luis Felipe Vergara Maldonado 
  Abstract: This research will address the evolution of brand personality as a strategic marketing tool, through a bibliometric and scientometric analysis of the concept. The methodology that was used was through a search in the Web of Science database with the keywords brand personality during the period 19752023, finding 835 articles, which have been cited 34.141 times in academic journals in recent years (20 years). Based on this information, an analysis of scientific production linked to brand personality was carried out. The most common keywords are related to measurement, influence, and the role of brand personality in marketing and advertising to achieve brand loyalty and loyalty. The study focused on searching the online database WoS, which includes scientific articles from all disciplines. The search was done from the first database records from 1975 until 2023, which was the last year for the research.
  Keywords: brand personality; strategic marketing; advertising; scientometrics; bibliometrics; impact factor; web of science; WoS; loyalty; satisfactions; brand; consumers.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2024.10065200
   
  
• Unveiling the silent climate: a validation study of the organisational silence scale in the Indian IT industry  
  by Anisha Elama, Pooja Garg 
  Abstract: Integral to organisational functioning, employees often decide whether to express ideas or remain silent on valuable information. When not addressed, this silence can hinder an organisation’s ability to adapt to changing environmental circumstances. This paper aims to validate the organisational silence (OS) scale developed by Dyne et al. (2003) among 320 employees working in the IT sector in India. The data were subjected to the framework of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to confirm the scale’s dimensionality, which yielded a unidimensional nature of this scale among the Indian population in contrast to the original multidimensional scale. The findings also provided robust evidence in favour of the nomological validity of the OS scale with employee engagement. The study carves a niche while providing the psychometric properties of OS in the Indian work setting with a robust tool to assess and improve communication and foster an environment for open dialogue and feedback.
  Keywords: organisational silence scale; uni-dimensional construct; convergent validity; nomological validity; employee engagement; IT sector; India.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2024.10065335