The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: a buzz of negativity with a silver lining of social connectedness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Amoah ◽  
Benjamin Amoah
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Side ◽  
Regression Approach ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Econometric Technique ◽  
Silver Lining

PurposeLockdowns are generally characterised by financial depletion, loneliness, stress, depression, loss of jobs and businesses, among others. The effect of the recent lockdown in Ghana as a result of COVID-19 pandemic has not been different. The primary question this study seeks to answer is: are lockdowns only characterised by negativity, or could there be a positive side that has not yet been harnessed?Design/methodology/approachTo answer this question, the authors rely on a dataset of 879 observations obtained through an online survey administered from 25 April to 3 May 2020. Using a regression approach, the authors applied an ordered probit econometric technique with its associated predicted margins.FindingsThe authors show evidence that in the midst of the negativity surrounding the lockdown, social connectedness is evident, especially in relatively less busy cities. The authors recommend that instead of losing oneself through social isolation and loneliness during lockdowns, people should use lockdowns as an opportunity to build and exhibit social capital and harness the opportunities associated with it. The authors also recommend that during lockdowns, channels of social connectedness should be made easily accessible and cheaper through a well-targeted government subsidy programme for the poor.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is a novel study that provides the first empirical evidence on the relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown and social connectedness.

scholarly journals Learning and usefulness stemming from collaboration in a maritime crisis management exercise in Northern Norway

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leif Inge Magnussen ◽  
Eric Carlstrøm ◽  
Jarle Løwe Sørensen ◽  
Glenn-Egil Torgersen ◽  
Erlend Fritjof Hagenes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emergency Personnel ◽  
Training Schemes ◽  
Learning And Collaboration ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This research investigates the perceived collaboration between public, private, and volunteer organisations during maritime crisis work, with an emphasis on learning and collaboration. The purpose of this paper is to investigate participants’ perceived collaboration training in relation to learning and usefulness. Design/methodology/approach The exercise studied in this research was run in the far North in Norway. It was estimated by the participants to be Europe’s most extensive exercise in 2016. Mixed methods research approach was applied, i.e. on-site observations, photos and interviews were conducted during the exercise. After the exercise, an online survey was distributed to emergency personnel holding different positions in conjunction with this exercise. Findings As reported, the exercise contributed to new insights on the relationship between collaboration and learning. The study showed that collaborative elements in exercises contribute to perceived learning (R=0.86, R2=0.74), and that learning in turn had a perceived beneficial effect on actual emergency work (R=0.79, R2=0.62). Research limitations/implications The possible research implications from this study include more focus on collaboration and new training schemes that could increase learning and usefulness. Practical implications Collaboration between actors seemed to suffer from the size of the exercise. A smaller exercise, less dependency on predetermined scripts, and more receptivity towards improvisation could improve collaboration. Social implications Increased awareness on the outcomes of collaboration exercise might increase their learning and usefulness, providing societies with improved rescue services. Originality/value This research implies that increased perceived collaboration has an effect on learning and usefulness in maritime exercises.

Impulsivity and entrepreneurial perseverance: toward an empirical account and entrepreneurship-prone profile

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Pietersen ◽  
Melodi Botha
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Desirability ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

PurposeAlthough emerging research has linked impulsivity with the decision to start a business, scholars have yet to draw implications for later-stage entrepreneurial outcomes. Furthermore, the authors have still to derive a parsimonious profile of the multidimensional impulsivity construct which can be positively linked to the entrepreneurial context. This paper proposes and tests a model to explain how impulsivity may relate to entrepreneurial perseverance—a construct typically regarded as a pivotal later-stage entrepreneurial outcome.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 807 owner-managers using an online survey and augmented with the novel use of longitudinal data from the central registrar of companies in South Africa. Covariance-based structural equation modeling and a D2 indexing approach for forming an entrepreneurship-prone impulsivity profile were employed.FindingsResults show that multidimensional impulsivity is significantly, but differentially, related to entrepreneurial perseverance; the perceived desirability of entrepreneurship mediates this effect for two of the four impulsivity dimensions. In particular, the authors find evidence that insufficiency of deliberation enhances, while urgency hinders, perseverance—reflected behaviorally through the filing of annual returns over a three-year period. Furthermore, the authors derive a new entrepreneurship-prone impulsivity profile which begins to suggest an intraindividual profile of impulsivity traits which may be beneficial to the entrepreneurial context.Originality/valueBy demonstrating how impulsivity impacts entrepreneurial perseverance over time, this paper advances emerging research on the relationship between impulsivity and entrepreneurship, while contributing to explaining why the perseverance decision is not simply a matter of venture pecuniary benefits and feasibility.

scholarly journals Personal engagement, emotion and the educational workplace

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 212-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Workplace Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teacher Resilience ◽  
Positive Side ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Personal Engagement

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to look how the concepts of personal engagement (Kahn) and emotion in schools can aid understanding both of research priorities and practice in schools. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a review of the area, so it has no particular methodological approach. Instead, it brings together engagement, emotion and capital. Findings This paper suggests that the commonalities between the areas discussed, and the relationship to professional capital can be enhanced both in research and practice. Research limitations/implications This paper suggests that an emphasis on the positive side of personal engagement and emotion could lead to new insights in this area. Practical implications This paper also suggests that personal engagement research has practical implications for teacher resilience and workplace relationships. Originality/value Overall, this paper seeks to act as a catalyst for further discussion in the areas outlined, and asks the researcher to continue to draw together the practical and theoretical insights that can be gained through a focus on personal engagement.

Observers versus agents

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 474-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dohyun Ahn ◽  
Dong-Hee Shin
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Effects Of Media ◽  
And Control

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore whether distinctive modes (observation vs control) of presenting diverse content differentially influence users. To achieve this goal, The authors first conceptualize empathy as social cognition and discuss the possible psychological mechanisms for divergent associations between observation-based media (i.e. video media) and control-based media (i.e. game media). Design/methodology/approach – In total, 300 adults (150 females) participated in this study through an online survey. Findings – Time spent with video media (television and film) was positively associated with empathy, which in turn was associated with enhanced social connectedness. However, time spent on game media (video games, computer games, and smartphone games) was negatively associated with empathy, which in turn was associated with inferior social connectedness. Originality/value – While previous studies on the effects of media have focussed mainly on content, the present study focusses on the effects of mode. The mode-focussed approach presents evidence contradictory to the content-focussed approach.

The influence of brokers on networking behaviour during internationalization: a study of Czech SMEs

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohit Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Environmental Uncertainty ◽  
International Market ◽  
Regression Method ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Coordinator

Purpose Under given environmental uncertainties, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of brokers on the networking behaviour of small- and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) and the subsequent impact on the performance of SMEs. The following five different types of brokers were tested, namely, coordinator, representative, cosmopolitan, liaison and gatekeeper brokers. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed by using the hierarchical regression method. Findings The results from the hierarchical regression analysis of 198 Czech firms showed that coordinator and representative brokers moderate the relationship between environmental uncertainty and networking behaviour. However, under high environmental uncertainty, the coordinator broker worked best, whereas in the host country, under low environmental uncertainty, the representative broker worked best. Originality/value The findings of this study have useful implications for SMEs in selecting an appropriate broker for strengthening their networking behaviour in the international market. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of various types of brokers on networking behaviour during their internationalization of SMEs. More specifically, this study examined if and how, given the uncertainties in the international market, multiple brokers help SME executives develop networking behaviour.

The influence of production, IT, and logistics process innovations on ambidexterity performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 1271-1284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Ardito ◽  
Ekaterina Besson ◽  
Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli ◽  
Gian Luca Gregori
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Exploration And Exploitation ◽  
Survey Period ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process Innovations ◽  
Regression Approach ◽  
Logistics Process ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the relationship between three types of process innovations (i.e. innovation in production, IT, and logistics processes) and ambidexterity performance. Specifically, the paper attempts to examine whether changes in business processes help companies to reconcile exploration and exploitation learning activities within the firm domain. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on data of 2,843 manufacturing firms, whose data are available from the Italian Innovation Survey (period 2010-2012). Hypotheses are developed and tested by using a Tobit regression approach. Findings Innovation in production and IT processes favors ambidexterity performance, whereas changes in logistics activities, despite being positive, are less relevant. Originality/value This is one of the first attempts to offer empirical evidence about the relationship between process innovations and ambidexterity performance (without engaging in domain separation), hence providing additional insights into the ambidexterity literature and the literature on process innovation.

Social network fatigue: revisiting the antecedents and consequences

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajeet Pradhan
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Comprehensive Model ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

PurposeThe study explores the antecedents and consequences of social network fatigue (SNF) using the stress–strain–outcome (S-S-O) model. It builds on the work of previous scholars in the area of SNS by focussing on the intervening processes that explain the study's focal constructs.Design/methodology/approachTo test the proposed framework, the study draws cross-sectional data from Indian Facebook users. Data were collected using an online survey, and the final sample of 309 valid and complete responses was analysed using SmartPLS to test the study's hypotheses.FindingsThe findings of the study report fear of missing out (FoMO) to be positively related to compulsive use (CU) of Facebook. CU had positive and significant direct and indirect effects (via information and social overload) on SNF. SNF was significantly associated with both depression (DEP) and discontinuous use intention (DUI). However, Facebook use intensity (FBI)'s moderating role on the relationship between FoMO and CU was insignificant.Originality/valueFirst, the current study proposes and empirically tests a comprehensive model on the lines of the S-S-O model to understand the antecedents and consequences of SNF. Second, the study uses an Indian sample that is not age-specific (adolescents or young adults), unlike most past studies. Third, it examines various intervening stages and processes (through mediation and moderation) suggested by previous scholars but not yet explored.

Firms and export performance: does size matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 985-999
Author(s):  
Van T.C. Ha ◽  
Mark J. Holmes ◽  
Trang M. Le
Keyword(s):  
Firm Size ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Export Performance ◽  
Nonlinear Relationship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regression Approach ◽  
Size Matter ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between export performance and firm size.Design/methodology/approachAnalysing a large sample of firms in the Vietnamese manufacturing sector, the authors employ a quantile regression approach to asses whether or not the relationship between exporting and firm size is dependent upon the extent of exporting that firms already undertake.FindingsThe authors find that increased firm size leads to higher export volumes. However, in sharp contrast to literature that largely focuses on considering a linear relationship between these two variables, the authors further find that the positive relationship becomes weaker as the extent of exporting activity increases.Originality/valueIn contrast to the earlier literature, a key novelty of the approach is that the authors obtain new insights in terms of establishing a nonlinear relationship between firm size and export performance in the case of Vietnamese manufacturing.

User experience sharing

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 1154-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Chen ◽  
Judy Drennan ◽  
Lynda Andrews ◽  
Linda D. Hollebeek
Keyword(s):  
User Experience ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Level Of Effort

PurposeThis paper aims to propose user experience sharing (UES) as a customer-based initiation of value co-creation pertaining to service provision, which represents customers’ level of effort made for the direct benefit of others in their service network. The authors propose and empirically examine a user experience sharing model (UESM) that explicates customer-to-customer (C2C) UES and its impacts on firm-desired customer-based outcomes in online communities.Design/methodology/ApproachBased on an extensive review, the authors conceptualize UES and UESM. By using online survey data collected from mobile app users in organic online communities, the authors performed structural equation modeling analyses by using AMOS 24.FindingsThe results support the proposed UESM, showing that C2C UES acts as a key driver of both firm-desired customer efforts and customer insights. The results also confirmed that service-dominant (S-D) logic-informed motivational drivers exert a significant impact on C2C UES. Importantly, C2C UES mediates the relationship between S-D logic-informed motivational drivers and firm-desired customer-based outcomes.Originality/valueThis study offers a pioneering attempt to develop an overarching concept, UES, which reflects customers’ initiation of value co-creation, and to empirically examine C2C UES. The empirical evidence supports the key contention that firms should proactively facilitate C2C UES.

scholarly journals Credit card cue effect

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-383
Author(s):  
King Yin Wong ◽  
Michael Lynn
Keyword(s):  
Credit Card ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Credit Cards ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Financial Security ◽  
Consumer Spending ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderation Effect ◽  
Show Evidence

Purpose The extant literature has mixed results regarding the credit card cue effect. Some showed that credit card cues stimulate spending, whereas others were unable to replicate the findings or found that cues discourage consumer spending. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how consumers’ sensitivity to the pain of payment affects their mental associations about credit cards and how the differences in credit card associations moderate the credit card cue effect on spending, providing a possible explanation for the mixed results in the literature. Furthermore, this paper examines the role of consumers’ perceived financial well-being, measured by their perceptions of current and future wealth and their sense of financial security, in mediating this moderation effect. Design/methodology/approach An experimental study was conducted with a sample of 337 participants to test the hypothesized model. Findings After being shown credit card cues, spendthrift participants had more spending-related thoughts and less debt-related thoughts, perceived themselves as having better financial well-being and consequently spent more than tightwad participants. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the direct link between an exposure to credit card cues and perceived financial well-being, and one of the few to show evidence of the moderating effect of consumers’ sensitivity to the pain of payment on spending when credit card cues are present. This study suggests that marketers may use credit card cues to promote consumer spending, whereas consumers, especially spendthrifts, should be aware of how credit card cues may inflate their perceived financial well-being and stimulate them to spend more.

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