Abstract

Purpose
In a rapidly shifting market, organizations seek more diverse and innovative employee development interventions. Yet, these initiatives may have limited impact without employees’ engagement. This conceptual paper aims to propose self-leadership as a value-added strategy for promoting both individual and organizational development.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a conceptual analysis with three case examples. The cases were purposefully selected, aiming to comprehend how the concept of self-leadership has been applied within organizations and to identify real-life examples where self-leadership has been adopted as an organizational strategy.

Findings
This study demonstrates that self-leadership plays a significant role in facilitating human resource development (HRD) initiatives. Specifically, the authors illustrate how self-leadership interventions in companies empower individuals to take charge of their development, aligning personal and organizational goals. When effectively applied, self-leadership strategies positively impact HRD practices in the areas of training and development, organization development and career development, yielding benefits for both employees and employers.

Originality/value
This study addresses knowledge gaps in the emerging field of self-leadership in HRD by providing three companies’ examples of how self-leadership can add value to HRD. The findings offer unique insights into the synergy between self-leadership and HRD, benefiting academics interested in this line of inquiry and HRD practitioners seeking innovative approaches to employee and organizational development.

Purpose and driving questions

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to explore how self-leadership is applied in the organizational context and how it addresses HRD issues, specifically within the three major domains of HRD practices: training and development (T&D), organization development (OD) and CD. The findings of this research will assist HRD professionals, in both academia and the world of practice, in their efforts to promote personal and organizational growth and development. Three overarching questions guided this inquiry:

Q1. What is self-leadership?

Q2. How has self-leadership been used as an organizational strategy?

Q3. How can self-leadership strategies help address HRD issues within organizations?

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the relationship between self-leadership and HRD and the potential of using self-leadership to address HRD issues within organizations. By studying three selected cases in the real world, we demonstrated the positive contributions of self-leadership interventions to T&D, OD and CD, all core domains of HRD practice. Therefore, we propose self-leadership as a value-added strategy for HRD. In addition, we call for more interdisciplinary research collaborations and interest from the HRD scholarly community in initiating self-leadership studies in response to the list of questions we posed. Efforts in this direction will not only enhance our understanding of self-leadership, but also advance HRD scholarship and broaden the HRD impact in the world of practice.

Abstract

Purpose
This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach
This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings
The paper examines the multi-wave implementation of big data analytics in a Taiwanese bank.

Originality/value
The briefing saves busy executives, strategists, and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Challenges with big data analytics

Despite its potential, the adoption of big data analytics is hindered by numerous challenges. Financial consideration and human resources are the two main factors obstructing its implementation. Studies suggest many banks are yet to realize the full benefits and returns of leveraging big data. Most organizations also lack adequate managerial and technical skills to gain value from big data usage. Indeed, many banks unfamiliar with this new practice lack the capabilities to embed big data analytics into their operations and processes. A difficulty firms face is reducing a large and diverse dataset derived from several sources into easy-to-interpret results that can support decisionmaking. It becomes critical for firms to employ experienced data scientists who can uncover insights that can help improve the bank’s operation and performance. Banks also face many non-technical challenges in big data applications. Organizations need the buy-in from organizational members from all ranks-from senior management to lower levels across various functions. The adoption of new technologies necessitates changes in operating practices which may result in organizational resistance. Security, privacy and government regulations can also impact big data applications.

Impact of big data analytics in bank A

Using insights from customer clustering and product affinity models, Bank A was able to adapt its offerings across channels. For example, the organization used cluster affinity scores to target specific marketing campaigns for those customers. Bank A implemented these changes in three waves across ten months. The results showed that the different divisions (e.g. wealth management and personal finance) improved their response rates using the two data analytics methods.

Abstract

Purpose – Recent studies on the securities market’s differential pricing of earnings components indicate that cash flows from operations are valued more highly than extreme total accruals. However, no previous study has examined whether cash flows from operations have a higher valuation than moderate total accruals. Therefore, this study examines the securities market’s differential pricing of cash flows from operations and both moderate and extreme total accruals

Design/methodology/approach – The study’s sample is divided into two sub-samples: a moderate total accruals sub-sample; and an extreme total accruals sub-sample. To evaluate whether cash flows have a higher valuation when compared to total accruals, for the entire sample and for each of the two sub-samples, the study examines the statistical significance of the difference between slope coefficients of cash flows and total accruals for regression of returns on both unexpected cash flows from operations and unexpected total accruals

Findings – Consistent with prior research, results from the entire sample show a differential higher valuation of cash flows when compared to total accruals. Another finding, consistent with recent studies, is that cash flows from operations have a higher valuation when compared to extreme total accruals. However, there is no higher differential valuation of cash flows over moderate total accruals. These findings support the decomposition of earnings into the components of cash flows from operations and total accruals only when total accruals are extreme (rather than moderate).

Practical implications – A possible explanation for these results is that since accruals predict cash flows, total accruals – when moderate (i.e. not extreme) – are priced similarly to cash flows. These results reveal that when total accruals are moderate, earnings are a better proxy for the underlying cash flows (over the entire future horizon, not just the current period) than is cash flows. However, since total accruals are unlikely to persist in a permanent way over the years, these results indicate that the decomposition of earnings into the components of cash flows from operations and total accruals is consistent with the information set used to value equity securities. Therefore, separate disclosure of cash flows is value relevant. In addition, users of financial statements certainly need the cash flows information as an ex-post validation of the prior earnings.

Originality/value – This study’s contribution stems from its determination of the preferred level of disaggregation of earnings components (i.e. operating cash flows and total accruals). This is expected to help investors in their attempt to enhance the outcome of their informed investment and credit decisions.

Introduction

Reported numbers can be considered informative if they assist investors in making more informed decisions. When stock prices change in response to reported numbers, it can be presumed that investors’ valuation, buying, and selling decisions are influenced by reported numbers. It follows that reported numbers inform their decisions. Earnings can be divided into total accruals and cash flows from operations [1]. Earnings components (i.e. operating cash flows and total accruals) can be considered incrementally informative in relation to total earnings if they assist investors in making decisions that are more informed compared to those made when only the total is known. For example, if investors think that current cash flows are more or less informative when compared to total accruals with respect to their ability to predict future cash flows, then they are likely to be interested in learning about these earnings components and not simply total earnings. Identifying the preferred level of disaggregation regarding the elements of earnings can assist investors in making more effective investment and lending decisions. With these considerations in mind, the present study seeks to investigate the differential price of earnings components in the securities market.

Results

5.1 Stock returns and earnings components for the entire sample Table 2 presents the results regarding the relationship between stock returns and earnings components (i.e. cash flows from operations and total accruals) for the entire sample. The sum of the coefficients for the level and change in cash flows (α1þα3) is 1.218 (t 5 6.743), which is significant and positive at the 1% level. The sum of the coefficients for the level and change in total accruals (α2þα4) is 0.699 (t 5 11.311), which is significant and positive at the 1% level. These results suggest that both cash flows from operations and total accruals have incremental information content beyond each other.

Abstract

Purpose

     Sustainable business model innovation (SBMI) is a change in the way a firm operates in order to create positive impacts or to reduce negative consequences for the environment and the society. The aim of this paper is to explain what pathways a firm can take when it implements a sustainable business innovation process in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Design/methodology/approach

     The article starts with the analysis of the existing literature about BMI and SBMI in order to extrapolate the main elements of these topics.

Findings

     Thanks to the combined information from academic and nonacademic sources, the study proposes a new framework. It is divided into three sectors: value proposition, value capture delivery and value capture according to the main studies about the business model.

Research limitations/implications

     Regarding theoretical implications, this study contributes to developing a theory of both BMI and sustainable innovation. Indeed it helps in the understanding of the dynamic vision about how the business model changes in order to incorporate triple sustainability.

Practical implications

     From a practical view, the paper can serve as a guideline for corporate reorganization.

Originality/value

     The new framework differs from some recent academic efforts first of all for its theoretical characteristics: BMI construct and not business model concept is the core of the framework. The business model represents the subject of innovation, not its vehicle. Another unique aspect that can be derived from the approach adopted is that it links theoretical with practical sources.

Introduction

     Business model innovation is a widely known topic and one of the most recurring keywords in managerial studies. It deals with a new way to do business aiming at prosperity in a dynamic environment through the reconceptualization of the underlying logic behind the value creation, capture and delivery (Richardson, 2008; Teece, 2010).

     Firms increasingly need to innovate by modifying their business model by initiating changes, improvements and replacements in various organizational elements (Mitchell & Coles, 2003). It is relevant to understand these elements to facilitate the analysis of organizational processes and planning of transformation from one business model to another and to increase the firm’s resilience and the probability of success (Geissdoerfer, Vladimirova, & Evans, 2018).

Discussion and conclusion

     Subject-matter experts consider the SBMI a complex process that changes the core elements of the firm’s logic to create new value for all their stakeholders.

     The radicality of organizational change makes the adoption of a sustainable orientation easier for new entrants (start-up) and riskier for incumbents – the existing companies that have been operating their business for a long time. Indeed, the start-up does not transform an existing business model but creates new ones without a history to respect or a tradition to maintain. At the same time, incumbents’ firms must start revising their current business model. The ambiguity of the situation also can bring uncertainty.

Abstract

Purpose
The Bed and Breakfast (B&B) enterprises generally lack sufficient human resources and time to conduct research on important social media marketing factors for visitors’ satisfaction and visitors’ intentions. Therefore, this study aims to provide crucial social media marketing and factors and service quality elements for improving customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in B&B sectors. This study also provides some recommendations for attracting more visitors and increasing customer satisfaction and customer loyalty through social media.

Design/methodology/approach
First, social media marketing factors and service quality elements were identified through the systematic literature review. Then these identified factors and elements were used to design a survey questionnaire for collecting data. The research data included responses of 64 B&B enterprises and 625 customers. The collected data was analyzed by feature selection approaches including Decision Tree algorithm and Information Gain to identify the key factors for improving customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.

Findings
The findings of this study determined that featured choice is an important social media marketing factor, and assurance is the common service quality element for both B&B enterprises and their customers in terms of satisfaction and loyalty.

Originality/value
This study adds a value to the growing literature on customer satisfaction and loyalty in B&B sectors by exploring key social media marketing factors and service quality elements. The study reveals several implications for theories and practices. The findings hopefully help B&B enterprises better social media marketing with less workforce and budget.

Introduction

     In recent decades, tourism is one of the global major service industries and has made significant contributions to the worldwide economy (Parvin, Tavakolinia, Mosammam, & Razavian, 2022). For this reason, many governments in general, and Taiwanese in particular, are actively promoting the growth of this so-called “chimney-free industry” (Chen, Lin, & Kuo, 2013). However, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the growth of the tourism sector (Parvin et al., 2022) because people preferred staying in congested areas such as towns and metropolitan cities for safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, when the COVID-19 pandemic is controlled, tourism has returned to normal (Biju & Kumar, 2022), and Bed (i.e. sleeping for a night) and Breakfast (i.e. a meal in the morning) (B&B) services, provided by guest houses and hotels (Zhang, Li, Huang, & Hua, 2022a, Zhang, Williams, Li, & Liu, 2022b), are becoming popular.

     In addition, the rapid development of social networking websites has become popular social media on the internet. Social networking websites, such as Facebook, TripAdvisor and Twitter, have become the main platforms for communicating, discussing and exchanging information among social site members (Dehghani & Tumer, 2015). On these websites, online users transmit information and interact with each other through available characteristics of media. Consequently, these social networking websites could be called “social media” (Adeola, Hinson, & Evans, 2020). Community websites have become an important source of information for many people. Tourists can share their travelling experiences with others and respond to related comments. This many-to-many interaction spread through the internet can be called electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) (Chen, Shang, & Li, 2014). The forms of e-WOM include one-to-one emails, one-to-many distributed emails, instant messages, Web pages, blogs, discussion forums, chat rooms and online communities (Sigauke & Erdis, 2018).

Conclusions

     The present study’s main objective is to identify factors of social media marketing and SQEs in the B&B sector. We used two feature selection methods, IG and DT, to recognize the key factors for increasing satisfaction and building loyalty, respectively. This study provided the set of social media factors and SQEs to the B&B enterprises and customers. In addition, the findings are useful for both enterprises to improve customer satisfaction and customers when they will choose B&B services. The contributions of this study to social media marketing research are, first, the traditional conceptualization of customer loyalty was successfully applied in the social media marketing context; second, our methodology contributing to theory, could be applied in different sectors or on issues to generate different dimensions in a single study; and third, this is the first study to determine the key social media factors and SQEs in terms of customer satisfaction and loyalty based on the customers and B&B enterprises opinions in the B&B sector.

Abstract

Purpose

     This study offers an understanding of vulnerable populations’ experiences of actual use of mobile banking and their expectations of mobile banking (MB).

Design/methodology/approach

     Data were generated from MB customers and bankers using online reviews, focus groups and semi-structured interviews, as a mix of methods and sources can provide rich and in-depth understanding.

Findings

    The affordance of MB for vulnerable populations is explained in four concepts: meaning, material, competency and usability. Recommendations that could further engage and improve the service quality of MB apps for vulnerable populations include customization and personalization of services, access to the digital health data of members of vulnerable populations, audio-based option selection and touchscreen options, and enhancement of service and performance standards.

Research limitations/implications

     It is suggested that retail bankers should improve the service quality and performance of their MB apps by considering the recommendations drawn from vulnerable people’s experiences. This study discusses implications for retailers.

Originality/value

     This study applied social practice theory and affordance of technology theory to understand how those in vulnerable populations experienced MB apps; the results could be used to improve the accessibility, performance and service quality of MB apps.

Introduction

     Mobile banking (MB) has become the most attractive channel for retail bankers, especially in developing countries where accessibility to banking services is low compared to developed countries (Thusi and Maduku, 2020). However, although retail mobile banking has many benefits, customers’ acceptance and use of retail mobile banking are limited, especially in developing countries (Mukerjee, 2020; Thusi and Maduku, 2020). In Pakistan, 75% of the population use mobile phones (Kemp, 2020) and smartphone use is expected to increase to 51% by the end of 2020 (Statista, 2016). Although 19 different retail banks offer banking services in Pakistan, in 2019 only 3.1 million (1.5%) of the total population of 204.6 million were registered mobile banking users (Rahi et al., 2019). There is evidence that social distancing, lockdowns, government financial help and the environment of fear engendered by COVID-19 (ReliefWeb, 2020) have increased the use of mobile banking in Pakistan (Hassan, 2020). In addition, retail bankers are keen to know how they can reduce their operational costs, as well as develop a positive banking experience for customers (Mew and Millan, 2021; Thusi and Maduku, 2020; Wiese and Humbani, 2020), which mobile banking may help to deliver.

Findings

     Figure 2 provides an overview of how the keywords, code and major themes were extracted from the findings, and how these concepts helped to develop the final framework. Table 1 provides the definitions and descriptions of major codes which are discussed in findings section.

Abstract

Purpose

     The study reviews the recent conceptualizations and theorizing of green human resource management (GHRM) and explores GHRM’s interconnections with the sustainability literature. The research findings have implications affecting GHRM measurement and design of future studies in the sparsely investigated human resource management (HRM)-environment-sustainability-responsibility spectrum.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a narrative style based on a review of quantitative field evidence from 38 recent empirical papers to provide an analytical framework on how the GHRM research agenda has broadened to include aspects of corporate sustainability (CS) and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Findings

The study finds support from the literature on the impact of environment-related HR initiatives on building long-term capabilities and enhancing firm-specific social outcomes. Further, the study finds that different perspectives used in the conceptualization of GHRM reveal GHRM’s differential impact on organization and environmental sustainability underlying GHRM’s growing recognition as an important tool for organizations to demonstrate their commitment to being a responsible stakeholder of the socio-economic system.

Originality/value

GHRM scholars would find the review useful as the review provides a detailed explanation of how GHRM problems are defined and measured. The understanding of the process of conceptualization has been identified as a research gap in previous reviews; thus, one of the aims of this paper is to aid further knowledge development by understanding how research has progressed previously. The other benefit of the review is that management practitioners would find the insights useful to align HRM initiatives with organization CS/CSR objectives.

Introduction

     Environmental responsibility has gained significant attention over the past few decades in response to the increase in incidents of environmental harm caused by adverse organizational actions (Paulet et al., 2021). There is growing pressure on businesses to demonstrate transparency on their impact on the environment prompting many to adopt sophisticated environmental management systems (Jabbour and Santos, 2008) or pursue other green strategies to minimize any environmental risks that may arise from their operations. However, there is still a lack of consensus on environmental performance being considered a legitimate indicator of organizational performance (Jackson et al., 2011). Despite concerns, larger companies around the world feel the need to share strong signals about their commitment to act socially responsible on account of rising regulatory and legal requirements, shareholder and customer pressures, UN initiatives, etc. requiring greater disclosures on their governance and decision making (Paulet et al., 2021, p. 161; Ehnert et al., 2016). Organizations are making gradual progress with the emergence of clean technologies; however, the “soft and human” side of organizations remains the main challenge while implementing environment-sustainability initiatives (Jabbour and Renwick, 2018, p. 623).

Conclusion

     Based on this review, it can be concluded that while the focus so far has been on theory application, theory development will likely occur as more data emerges from the field. Therefore, it can be inferred that conceptualizing different relations would play an important role in generating more insights about the phenomenon unfolding in the field offering researchers an opportunity to discover newer explanations. Thus, this research paper offers scholars not only a comprehensive list of existing theories and variables but also explanations of their applications.

     Additionally, the review provides a categorical basis by identifying different conceptualization perspectives to enable future researchers to develop or adopt more comprehensible measures for GHRM assessment (Pham et al., 2020a; Umrani et al., 2020).

     The necessity to update GHRM conceptualization on an ongoing basis has also been recognized as an academic need (Ren et al., 2018). The evidence shows the broadening of the GHRM school of thought from the function and behavioral perspectives to include perceptions and capabilities (Jackson and Seo, 2010; Kramar, 2014). An advantage of this Green human resource management 875 review is that it describes how in-depth GHRM theorizing has been done in recent research. Previously, this was only briefly covered, and it was acknowledged that more scholarly effort would be required to understand the same (Ren et al., 2018). Previous reviews as listed earlier in the methodology section also identified themes and trends of GHRM research, leaving the process of theorizing an unexplored area. Future studies can explore the different configurations of how GHRM has been implemented to conceptualize multiple pathways for achieving organizations’ environmental and sustainability goals.

Abstract

Purpose

     This study aims to examine the mediating role played by corporate governance (CG) in the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and analyst forecast quality.

Design/methodology/approach

     The authors raise three specific questions: Does CG play a mediating role in the relationship between CSR and analyst forecast quality? If so, is such mediation effect of CG reduced for firms with weak governance? Do firms with superior CSR performance experience higher analyst forecast quality through the mediation effect of CG?

Findings

     The present results suggest that CG serves as a partial mediator that facilitates CSR’s positive influence on analyst forecast quality. However, further analyses show that in firms with a low governance score, CG does not have a mediation effect. Conversely, the authors find that firms with superior CSR performance have higher forecast quality through the mediation effect of CG. The authors also find that the mediation effect of CG is more pronounced for the environmental component than for the social component of CSR

Originality/value

     To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the role of CG as a mediator between CSR and analyst forecast quality and to reveal that the strength of this effect varies depending on firms’ CG level and CSR commitment.

Introduction

     Informative stock price in financial markets is essential to efficient resource allocation in an economy, and the analyst report is an important avenue to producing a more informed stock price that also leads to better stock performance in the long term (Brav and Lehavy, 2003; Fernandez et al., 2011; Asquith et al., 2005; Lennox and Park, 2006). Although corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming a significant part of corporate activity, the literature about the influence of CSR on analyst forecast quality offers largely mixed findings. Some studies find that socially responsible firms experience lower levels of conflict among stakeholders, which may reduce information asymmetry in prices and thus result in more accurate analyst forecasts (Al-Hadi et al., 2019; Becchetti et al., 2015). Other studies suggest that CSR can be used by management as a greenwashing strategy to manipulate legitimacy for obtaining societal acceptance (Jo and Harjoto, 2012; Orlitzky, 2013), which can lead to price distortion and potentially mislead analyst forecasts. In an attempt to reconcile these inconclusive findings, we incorporate the unique role of corporate governance (CG) as a mediator, aiming to investigate the mediation effect of firms’ CG on the relationship between CSR and analyst forecast quality

Conclusion

     This study explored the relationship between CSR and analyst forecast quality and examined the mediation effect of CG. Our results reveal that CG acts as a partial mediator affecting the relationship between CSR and analyst forecast quality, and the mediating role of CG is muted in firms with low level of CG mechanism. Further, our results show that for firms committing to excess CSR, CG also plays a partial mediating role in facilitating CSR’s positive influence on forecast quality.

     This study offers two incremental contributions. First, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explicitly investigate the role of CG as a mediator between CSR and analyst quality. Second, after splitting CSR into expected CSR and excess CSR, we obtain results that support the signaling hypothesis, indicating that excess CSR engagement by some firms enhances analyst forecast quality through CG as a mediator. Overall, our findings add to extant literature on the nexus of CSR, CG and information asymmetry by providing strong evidence that CG complements CSR to enhance analyst forecast quality.

Abstract

 Purpose

     This paper points out that common human resource manageement (HRM) research and practice have overlooked employee’s class of origin. Workers’ class of origin can be seen as “the elephant in the room” in current HRM, being that it significantly affects organizational decision-making with negative social (increased class-based inequality) and organizational (inefficient allocation of human re-sources) effects.

Design/methodology/approach

     The paper summarizes the partial, fragmented and multi-disciplinary literature on HRM and employees’ social class of origin.

Findings

     The paper shows how recruiting, selection, training and development practices systematically reinforce class-based inequality by providing high-class employees with more resources and opportunities compared to low-class employees.

Practical implications

     The paper provides sustainable HR practitioners, educators and researchers with recommendations on how to address employees’ social class of origin, improving organizational competitive advantage and reducing class-based inequality at the societal level.

Originality/value

     The paper focuses on a topic which, in diversity management, is an elephant in the room (i.e. workers social class of origin).

Introduction

     In modern societies, individuals’ position in a social hierarchy is supposed to depend only on their merit and not on ascribed characteristics (Bell, 1973). Common human resource manageement (HRM) research and practice have supported this shift from ascription to merit; diversity management, in particular, aims at avoiding bias and discrimination against employees based on visible and invisible ascribed characteristics like gender, age, race, physical ability/disability, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity (e.g. K€ollen, 2021).

     Social stratification research provides extensive empirical evidence that individuals’ class of origin has a substantial and stable effect on occupational careers, above and beyond other ascribed characteristics, as well as merit-related variables such as education level (Goldthorpe, 2003). However, several scholars have recognized that common HRM practice tends to ignore an employee’s class of origin (e.g. Bidwellet al., 2013; Cobb, 2016; Dundon and Rafferty, 2018; Grothe-Hammer and Kohl, 2020; Jonsen et al., 2011), even when considering diversity management practices (Jonsen et al., 2021; Ricc
o and Guerci, 2014). For example, a recent analysis of DiversityInc’s 2019 list of 50 companies shows that “not a single company statement referred to social class” (Ingram and Oh, 2022, p. 6). Likewise, employees’ class of origin is rarely considered in common HRM research (Loignon and Woehr, 2018). As such, HRM practice contributes to the reproduction of class-based inequality in the workplace (van Dijk et al., 2020; Avent-Holt and Tomaskovic-Devey, 2019), e.g. in terms of the “class ceiling” (Ingram and Oh, 2022).

Conclusions

     This paper is a first attempt to render sustainable HRM practice, education and research sensitive to the concept of class-based inequality. Neglecting class-based inequalities does not only make organizations inequality reproducers, with negative effects on their social legitimacy; it also jeopardizes organizational performance, in particular through inefficient staff deployment and/or negative attitudes and behaviors of low-class employees due to discrimination and unequal treatment. We have shown how common HRM practices like recruitment and selection, as well as training and development, directly influence the social mobility of employees and thereby contribute to social inequality. Building on these analyses, we have provided the sustainable HRM community with some recommendations on how to avoid class-based inequality. We have also made some suggestions as to how future sustainable HRM studies can support such efforts.

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Literature review

3. Methodology

4. Theoretical model

5. Analysis and results

6. Discussion and conclusion

7. Implications

8. Limitations and future research directions

References

Abstract

Purpose – A place brand is a culmination of its exclusive history, people and traditions that affect customer and community experiences. Place branding has become increasingly important for collective heritage brand strategy, as stakeholders undertake efforts to create an aura of a distinctive geographic location. Though place branding has received considerable scholarly attention, there is a lacuna: the role of residents as cocreators of a place and its heritage. Accordingly, this paper aims to develop a “bi-directional participatory place branding” model by applying the stimulus–organism–response approach grounded theory.

Design/methodology/approach – A grounded theory approach with multi-sited ethnography, personal interviews (with residents and city leaders) and observational techniques were adopted in a UNESCO world heritage city of India, Ahmedabad. Findings – The findings indicate that the people (residents) aspect of place branding is associated with their life stories, past experiences, feelings and aspirations. However, the place acts as a nostalgia enabler, disseminating symbolic and heritage metaphors to residents and visitors as place brand ambassadors. When the place and people components are perceived positively, residents participate involve themselves with the place and thus, in turn, become the place ambassadors.

Originality/value – No prior studies have analyzed the association between residents, the place where they reside and the resultant behavior toward the place. The unique contribution is the bi-directional participatory place branding model, especially involving a UNESCO world heritage city rather than solely a site.

1. Introduction

The democratization of economic development and urbanization aspects among people has led to competition across places, countries, cities and associated government investment in the last few decades (Ma et al., 2019; Han et al., 2019; Ma et al., 2020). These efforts have led to increased visibility of place and development of branding practices that facilitate making a place unique and accessible to people. A consequence has been acute research attention in the domain of place branding (Ma et al., 2019; Rebelo et al., 2019). Place branding has been defined as “the current episode of place marketing development” (Kavaratzis and Ashworth, 2008) and is focused on effectively creating and launching strategies that help hone the place’s image (Rebelo et al., 2019).

Places often strive for awareness and attention to stay competitive and achieve broader economic, political, and social objectives and become corporate and community brands (Kavaratzis and Ashworth, 2005). Over the past 40 years, implementation of place branding has become markedly focused, integrated and strategically oriented, thus creating cultural meaning (Pedeliento and Kavaratzis, 2019; Ma et al., 2020).

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Literature review

3. Methodology

4. Results

5. Discussion

6. Summary and conclusion

References

Abstract

Purpose
This study examines the relationship between investor cognitive bias, investor intuitive attributes and investment decision quality in commercial real estate in Uganda.

Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional research survey was used in this study, and data were collected from 200 investors of commercial real estate in Uganda using a structured questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses derived under this study.

Findings
The results indicate that investor cognitive bias and investor intuitive attributes are positive and significant determinants of investment decision quality in commercial real estate. In addition, the two components of Investor cognitive bias (framing variation and cognitive heuristics) are positive and significant determinants of investment decision quality, whereas mental accounting is a negative and significant determinant of investment decision quality. For investor intuitive attributes, confidence degree and loss aversion are positive and significant determinants of investment decision quality, whereas herding behavior is a negative and significant determinant of investment decision quality in commercial real estate in Uganda.

Practical implications
For practitioners in commercial real estate sector should emphasize independent evaluation of investment opportunities (framing variation), simplify information regarding investments (Cognitive heuristics), believe in own abilities (Confidence degree), be risk averse (loss aversion) and avoid making decisions based on subjective visual mind (mental accounting) and group think/herding in order to make quality investment decisions. For policymakers, the study has illuminated factors such as provision of reliable information that ought to be taken into account when promulgating policies for regulation of the commercial real estate sector. This will help investors to come up with investment decisions which are plausible.

Originality/value
Few studies have focused on investor cognitive bias and investor intuitive attributes on investment decision quality in commercial real estate. This study is the first to examine the relationship, especially in the commercial real estate sector in a developing country like Uganda.

1. Introduction

Commercial Real Estates (CRE) are properties developed and/or invested in specifically and exclusively for generating rental income and/or appreciation in value to realize capital gains upon disposal, rather than as a living space for the owner of the property. When developed for rental purposes, the tenants may use CREs for residential purposes (e.g. apartments), office/work space, shopping malls, industrial parks, warehouses and hotels. Globally, investments in commercial real estate have shown diverse trends. Bollinger and Pagliari (2019) argue that most commercial real estate developers opt for diversified portfolios that bring appropriate yields over time. The recent global outlook report indicates that the USA commercial real estate investment market registered a downward trend as compared to the Asia Pacific and European real estate investment markets, which earned 6% and 8% returns, respectively (Rossi and Vismara, 2018).