Purpose: Grounded in the concept of signaling theory and instrumental-symbolic framework, the purpose of this paper is to develop a model to examine the impact of print job advertisement (ad) dimensions (message contents) and organizational familiarity on job seeker's perception of attitude, organizational attractiveness, and application intention. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is a theoretical exploration based on existing literature. Findings: The presence of instrumental and symbolic attributes in print job advertisement such as job and work characteristics, aesthetics, employee testimonial/picture, corporate image enhancing statements, organizational culture-enhancing statements, and human resource offerings are more likely to play influential roles in creating favorable attitude, organizational attractiveness, and application intention in a job seeker. Apart from this, organizational familiarity plays a moderating role on job seeker's attitude formation and in gaining organizational attractiveness. Practical implications: The study offers a clear guideline to recruiting organizations, HR managers, recruitment agencies, or consultants on how to design a recruitment advertisement to pool a large number of potential applicants. The study also throws light on testing the effectiveness of a recruitment advertisement, similar to commercial ads. Moreover, the outcome of testing would help the recruiters understand the pulse of the job seeker toward the ad, job, and organization. Originality/value: This study theoretically clarifies the role of instrumental and symbolic attributes or dimensions of job ads and the role of organizational familiarity in inducing positive attitude formation and organizational attractiveness, in the process that cultivates application intention in a potential job seeker. copyright @ 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Research Summary: This article examines the adaptation process of a large manufacturer in the Indian steel industry faced with radical sociopolitical shifts in the external ecosystem. It uses the Bower-Burgelman process model in combination with Bourdieu's praxis theory to explain the emergence of competing managerial initiatives and associated contests in the company's internal ecology of strategy-making in terms of socially acquired dispositions. It illuminates process-practice pathways through which top management's resource allocation supported changes in the efficacy of the different forms of capital of the contesting managerial classes, thereby legitimizing the daily doings of the rising class and institutionalizing a (re)defined adaptive rule structure. Managerial Summary: How do managers' early influences, including family upbringing and schooling, bear upon organization's renewal strategy? Our study finds that during discontinuities imposed by socioeconomic upheavals, when organizational performance flounders, managerial initiatives are driven by deepest dispositions derived from early age socialization. Competing managerial fractions jostle to impose practices favorable to their longstanding preferences by putting their weight behind preferred product-market choices and seeking appropriate changes in the ineffective internal rule structure. Administration's challenge lies in leveraging internal contests to iteratively allocate resources in search of winning dispositions and configurations aligned with evolving social relations in the external environment. Internal availability of managerial groups from diverse social origins is crucial for the administration to reclaim organizational advantage by arbitrating between contesting practices and practitioner fortunes. Copyright copyright @ 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Purpose: As the demand for efficiency and quality in the health-care industry has increased over the past few years, adoption of Lean principles and tools in the medical laboratory industry has become increasingly crucial. The purpose of this study is to explore the level of adoption, barriers and enablers of Lean principles and tools in the Namibian medical laboratory industry. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out to examine the level of usage, barriers and enablers, impact of Lean tools and to suggest appropriate strategies for adopting Lean in the Namibian medical laboratory services. Findings: Research findings reveal that Lean tools are moderately implemented in most laboratories. Standard operating procedures, root cause analysis, overall equipment effectiveness and visual management are the important Lean tools used in the industry. Results of the survey also show that Lean tools had a positive impact on operational performance, employee motivation, turnaround time and cost reduction. Furthermore, top management involvement, adequate training and proper planning emerged as important enablers, while lack of support from the management, financial constraint and staff resistant to change are major barriers to the adoption of Lean principles in the Namibian medical laboratory industry. Research limitations/implications: The paper has inherent limitations of survey research, which the authors will overcome by using case studies with medical laboratories. Practical implications: The findings of the authors' work will help in widening the application of Lean principles in more medical laboratories in Namibia and in other parts of the world. Originality/value: The paper is based on numerous health-care studies on Lean. This is one of the few papers investigating the adoption of Lean principles, specifically in medical laboratories, from an emerging economy such as Namibia. copyright @ 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Purpose: This research aims to explore the factors that affect the adoption of Web 2.0 among knowledge workers. The research specifically investigated the role of factors related to both knowledge seeking and knowledge sharing, in the context of Web 2.0 use by health care professionals. Design/methodology/approach: For this research, a cross-sectional survey design was adopted. The data were analyzed using the partial least square-structural equation modeling. Findings: The results confirmed that the intention to adopt Web 2.0 depends upon both the knowledge-seeking and the knowledge-sharing attitudes. However, between the two, it is knowledge-sharing factors that are more important. Health care professionals tend to share knowledge driven by intrinsic motivators rather than by extrinsic motivators. On the other hand, knowledge-seeking attitude was determined by usefulness of knowledge and was not affected by the effort involved. Research limitations/implications: All the respondents were health care professionals from India, and convenience sampling was used to reach them. This may limit the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications: This research provides useful insights on implementing Web 2.0-based knowledge management systems, specifically for health care professionals. Particularly, it emphasizes the need to focus on reinforcing intrinsic motivators like self-efficacy and the joy of sharing. Originality/value: It is perhaps the first study that integrates the factors related to knowledge sharing and seeking in a single theoretical model, thereby presents and tests a more realistic model of knowledge management. copyright @ 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

This paper seeks to understand the joint impact of institutional reforms and industry structural factors on market returns earned by rivals in an emerging market during foreign acquisitions. We use a sample of 238 foreign acquisitions in India during the period 2004-2013 and find empirical evidence to support the notion that institutional reforms, foreign competition and business group competition positively impact the market returns of the rivals of acquired firms. Additionally, we find that the effects of foreign competition and business group competition on rivals' market returns are shaped by the degree of institutional reforms in the industry, indicating that firms' market returns in emerging markets during foreign acquisitions can be better understood through the incorporation of the joint role of industry structural factors and institutional reforms. copyright @ 2018 Elsevier Ltd

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding on the impact of quality management (QM) tools and techniques in water supply infrastructure maintenance and the generation of non-revenue water (NRW) by Namibian Municipal Water Distributors. Design/methodology/approach - In-depth interviews were selected as the primary data collection method, while secondary data were collected using document review and observations. In-depth interviews as primary method provided rich data and details on the subject matter from the respondents. Document review and observations provided a holistic perspective and understanding of the context within which the maintenance projects are handled by municipal water distributors. Findings - The study found that as the number of QM tools employed to analyze maintenance data increases, the generation of NRW by the municipality decreases. However, for the tools to be effective, they should cover applications such as problem identification, data analysis, process analysis, decision making, planning, quality control and statistical process control, this helped Namibian municipalities to produce low volumes of NRW. In contrast, municipalities using QM tools arbitrarily lead to high quantities of NRW generation. Originality/value - The World Bank recommends that NRW should be less than 25 percent of the total water produced, while in many countries NRW is up to 60 percent. Developed economies have made efforts to reduce NRW but efforts are still at nascent stage in emerging economies. This is the first study providing evidences of QM tools application in maintenance process and effect on NRW. copyright @ 2018 Emerald Publishing Limited.

Purpose: This paper intends to put forward the role of interpersonal (in)justice among co-workers and their individual expertise as important factors contributing to knowledge hiding behavior. The paper is written with an intent to explain a conceptual model for practitioners' benefit. The work is novel and covers the latest construct in the field of knowledge management and human resource management. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual framework is elaborated with a brief explanation of the theory that helps explain it. The framework although being novel in itself, the explanation has been drawn from existing literature. Findings: If the co-workers do not treat each other with dignity and respect, it hampers their relationship. This in turn makes them hide knowledge from each other and at the same time if one of them holds an expertise power over the other, this behavior would be more enhanced. The whole relationship could be explained using social exchange theory. This holds implications for managers, especially when knowledge management is of paramount importance to a company for its sustenance. Practical implications: This work provides new insights into knowledge hiding behavior by employees. Certain ways to reduce this behavior are proposed. Originality/value: This paper is the one of the few written with an intent to bring knowledge hiding and its causes, to executives, in an easy to digest form. The concept is also newly introduced and these factors have not yet been brought up by any other researcher in the field. copyright @ 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Purpose: Google commands approximately 70 per cent of search market share worldwide, resulting in businesses investing heavily in search engine advertising on Google to target potential customers. Recently, Google changed the way in which content and ads were displayed on the search engine results page. This reshuffling of content and ads is expected to affect the advertisers who advertise on Google and/or use it to drive traffic to their websites. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of these changes on various stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach: Data have been collected from various sources on the internet including blogs and discussion forums. Netnography has been used as it allows a detailed evaluation of the consumers' needs, wants and choices in a virtual space. Findings: The average cost-per-click for ads on the top positions is expected to increase. Advertisers whose ads usually occupy the lower positions would be adversely affected. To counter this, more emphasis should be placed on ad extensions and on product listing ads. In addition, organizations would benefit from increased efforts on search engine optimization. Practical implications: A variety of coping strategies have been developed that can help marketers to successfully navigate through the change, including the use of ad extensions and the use of product listing ads. Originality/value: This practice-focused paper offers guidelines for digital marketers to use sponsored search more effectively as part of their arsenal in light of some important changes recently made by Google. The potential of netnography as a research methodology has also been expanded by using it in a novel setting and in drawing up actionable insights. copyright @ 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

SERVQUAL and e-SERVQUAL have been considered the most effective and powerful approaches in evaluating the quality and gaps in the service delivered in traditional and electronic services, respectively, but neither SERVQUAL nor e-SERVQUAL can measure the overall service quality of the firm. Therefore, this chapter aims to propose and test a new scale that can measure the overall service quality of the firm. copyright @ 2018 by IGI Global. All rights reserved.

Mobile applications are becoming a preferred delivery method for the government sector and contributing to more convenient and timely services to citizens. This study examines the intention to use mobile applications for the government services (mG-App) in Oman. This study extended the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model by including two constructs namely trust and information quality. Data were collected from 513 mobile application users across Oman. The research model was analysed in two stages. First, structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to determine significant determinants affecting users' acceptance of mG-App. In the second stage, a neural network model was used to validate SEM results and determine the relative importance of determinants of acceptance of mG-App. The findings revealed that trust and performance expectancy are the strongest determinants influencing the acceptance of mG-App. The findings of this research have provided theoretical contributions to the existing research on mG-App and practical implications to decision-makers involved in the development and implementation of mG-App in in Oman. copyright @ 2018

The concept of the mobile wallet is increasingly adopted in developed and developing countries for improving the scale, productivity, and excellence of banking services. Oman is one of the most growing countries of the Middle Eastern economies. Acceptance of mobile wallets in Oman is being hindered by various inhibitors. There is no study in the Middle Eastern countries that addressed the concerns of probable inhibitors influencing mobile wallet acceptance from expert's perspective. In this study, eleven key inhibitors to mobile wallet adoption are identified from the literature and expert's feedback. This study employed Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) in conjunction with fuzzy MICMAC to reveal the intricate relationship among inhibitors to mobile wallet acceptance. To the end, an integrated hierarchical model is developed to understand the influence of a particular inhibitor on others. Anxiety towards new technology' Lack of new technology skill Lack of awareness of mobile wallet benefits' and Complexity of new technology have been reported as key inhibitors to promote mobile wallets in Oman. This study also suggests several recommendations for banking organizations and policymakers in developing the effective model to popularize mobile wallets in Oman. copyright @ 2018 Elsevier Ltd

Multi-level (Multi-level in this paper refers to three levels- intended, actual and experienced- at which HR practices are theorised in the existing strategic human resource management process research) gaps in human resource (HR) practices have not been extensively investigated in the HR literature. Using a multiple embedded case study design within a multi-unit hypermarket chain in India, we identify Intended-Actual-Experienced' gaps across nine HR practices in seven retail units. We find that these gaps arise from implementers' adaptation of HR practices due to different understandings of the intent of HR practices, the importance given to their contents and the processes adopted in their implementation. We propose an inductive model for emergence of multi-level gaps in HR practices. Our model depicts the processes and variables that have the potential to enable or disable adaptation, delivery and experience of HR practices, thus creating gaps between intended and experienced HR practices. This paper highlights the need for further research on HR implementation with particular focus on gaps. It also provides a framework for practitioners to take cognisance of the gaps that could impact implementation and experience of corporate-driven HR practices. copyright @ 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review the key literature pertaining to consumption during the colonial period in India, broadly covering the time period from the early nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century. The review shows the prominent themes and patterns that help us understand colonial Indian consumers' encounter with Western products and institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is a review of historical research papers and papers pertaining to the colonial period in India. Findings: British colonialism introduced new products, institutions and ways of living into India, which were negotiated with and contested by Indian consumers and intellectuals. These new products and practices were not seamlessly adopted into the Indian context. Rather, they were appropriated into existing social structures determined by caste, gender and religion. The tensions produced by such negotiations and contestations fed Indian resistance to colonialism, culminating in British withdrawal from India. Originality/value: Historical research pertaining to marketing in the Indian context is scarce. Moreover, there are few reviews which outline the important consumption practices and changes pertaining to the colonial period. The findings of this review will be of use to researchers and students of history, marketing and cultural studies. copyright @ 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Manufacturing firms globally have adopted various environmental sustainability practices, not only because of stakeholder pressure, but also because they see positive returns from their investments in measures towards these. Remanufacturing is one such activity, which has increasingly garnered focus of both practitioners and academia. Motivated by the emergent phenomenon in the remanufacturing industry, in this paper, we study competition and collaboration between an OEM and remanufacturer under subscription-based contracts. Our problem is motivated by the initiatives of firms which have undertaken innovative ways to collaborate with remanufacturers under competition. We study two subscription-based contracts namely, (i) a lump-sum pay and per-unit fee contract, and, (ii) a revenue sharing and lump-sum pay contract and analyze the strategic decisions of the players in these contracts. On comparison of equilibrium values, we find that the collection effort of the remanufacturer under the lump-sum pay and per-unit fee contract is lower than the case of competition (base case), whereas the collection effort is higher under the revenue sharing and lump-sum pay contract (under certain bounds). We also find that the contracts lead to higher prices whereas the product design value is lower in contracts than the base case (under certain bounds). The study serves as an important building block for research in contract design between OEMs and remanufacturers. copyright @ 2018

Supply chain managers across the globe are finding it difficult to manage the increasingly complex supply chains despite adopting a variety of risk mitigation strategies. Firms on the other hand have also been adopting various kinds of environmental and social sustainability practices in recent times to reduce carbon footprint and improve their image on the social front. However, very few studies in the extant literature have examined the impact of sustainability practices on supply chain risk. We address this important gap in literature by empirically testing this relationship, using primary data from six manufacturing sectors and 21 different countries including developed as well as emerging markets across the globe. Our findings indicate that risk mitigation strategies do not always reduce the actual supply chain risk experienced by firms, whereas sustainability efforts help reduce supply chain risk, especially in emerging market contexts. In addition, we find that, while reactive risk mitigation strategies on their own fail to reduce supply chain risk, they are effective when used in conjunction with sustainability efforts. We also find that preventive risk mitigation efforts are only effective in mature supply chains such as the OECD countries. copyright @ 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the role of culture-specific socialization factors such as antecedents to technology readiness index (TRI) scale to understand the adoption of cutting-edge technologies among teenagers. Design/methodology/approach: The conceptual model was empirically tested using survey data from 381 teenagers. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings: Parent-child communication, peers, media and self-construal have varying influence on technology readiness of teenagers. The effects of parent-child interactions are mediated by self-construal, which reaffirms the importance of identity during adolescence. Research limitations/implications: The culture-specific characteristics are critical antecedents to teenagers' TRI. Moreover, the TRI 2.0 scale needs minor refinement to address culturally diverse marketplace where people are less familiar with the technical terms used in developed countries and display low levels of technology awareness. Practical implications: Marketers need to tailor their communication strategies to have a strong presence on digital media to engage with teenagers. Firms should utilize media for providing information and develop content that should resonate with teens and potentially enhances their online impression to increase the adoption of technology. Originality/value: This is the first study to investigate the antecedents of technology readiness of teenagers in an emerging market. The study uses a multidisciplinary approach to examine culture-dependent factors using theories from marketing literature (consumer socialization theory) and developmental psychology (self-construal). copyright @ 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of parents (via family communication patterns) on teenagers' electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intentions, via a serial mediation by internet usage and self-esteem, along with the moderating effect of online impression. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual model was developed based on the nature vs nurture perspective and theory of consumer socialization. Structural equation modeling was applied to investigate the interplay among proposed variables, using a sample of 797 teenage respondents in India. Findings: The findings indicate that family communication, internet usage, and self-esteem are significant antecedents to eWOM intents of teenagers. Also, online impression is a strong moderator which influences whether teenagers would engage in eWOM activities or not. Research limitations/implications: This study presents actionable items for marketers interested in teenage consumers in an emerging economy. Marketers can benefit by tailoring their online communication to influence parent's attitude toward the internet and to enhance online impression of teenagers to substantially increase eWOM dispersion. Originality/value: This study provides original insights about how parents and individual characteristics act as antecedents and impact teenagers' eWOM intentions including the moderating effect of online impression. copyright @ 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

The choice of exit method is an inevitable decision faced by entrepreneurs and private equity (PE) investors. The existing literature addresses four categories of factors which influence this choice of exit method between initial public offering (IPO) and acquisition: industry-related factors, market-timing variables, deal-specific factors and demand-for-funds factors. We extend the literature by introducing a new category of factors, PE investor characteristics', and test if this category has a significant effect on the choice of exit method. We also test if the type of entry has an influence on the exit method. We find that PE investor characteristics play an important role in the choice of exit method. The existence of a large syndicate of PE investors in the same firm increases the probability of an IPO exit, but the presence of a foreign PE investor reduces this probability. Moreover, unlike in developed markets, the cost of debt does not affect the choice of exit method in India. We further consider specific exit methods such as strategic sale, financial sale and buyback and find consistent results. We find that in buyout transactions, the probability of an IPO exit is less than that of a strategic sale. Finally, we present a unique finding that the probability of a buyback as opposed to an IPO is higher if a firm is in the real estate sector. copyright @ 2018, copyright @ 2018 Institute of Financial Management and Research.

This study examines the process through which a new organization field is formed around an issue and identifies the mechanism behind that process. Adopting a single case method and discourse analysis tool, it examines the field formation around an issue of Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) in the case of Indian healthcare. Based on the data collected from the secondary sources, the study finds that formation of a field around an issue follows the discursive process and organizational field is the discursive function of issue, power and subjectivity. Copyright copyright @ 2017 ACM.