Business Perspectives and Research, Ahead of Print.
An extension of the open education resource (OER) and open course ware (OCW) movement, massive open online courses (MOOCs) have changed the education landscape. MOOCs offer free courses from reputed universities to learners across the world. Despite immense popularity and universal adoption, very little is known about what constitutes MOOC success and effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing MOOC success by developing a model named the learner satisfaction model for MOOCs (LSMM). The model was empirically tested through a cross-sectional research design. Primary data were collected using purposive sampling from 227 respondents in India. The partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was used for testing the hypothesized relationships. The outcomes demonstrated that MOOC system usage significantly influenced the user satisfaction of MOOC learners. Also, the learner experience positively influenced MOOC system usage and satisfaction. However, it was observed that system quality influenced satisfaction but did not impact usage, and information quality had no impact on system use and satisfaction. Although the study has limited generalizability, the findings will help the MOOC platform providers, facilitators, and other stakeholders to design and implement the MOOCs in such a way to enhance their success and effectiveness.
Towards Compassionate Total Rewards: COVID-19’s Clarion Call for a Paradigmatic Shift
South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, Volume 10, Issue 1, Page 152-162, June 2023.
The COVID-19 ‘new normal’ has forced organisations to reinvent business practices including rewards in order to retain and motivate employees. This article reviewed the published literature to identify the changing Total Rewards strategies adopted by firms in India as they navigated the various phases of this unprecedented pandemic. The review of academic papers as well as practitioner articles or news articles on relevant themes published in the period of 2020–2021 was followed by semi-structured interviews with 12 human resource practitioners working in the Compensation and Benefits or Total Rewards function across various organisations in India to arrive at the findings of the study. The study revealed that most firms have adopted a compassionate approach while reformulating their Total Rewards strategy. Agility, fairness and hyper-personalisation form the cornerstones for relooking at the Total Rewards dimensions such as pay, benefits, learning and development, and work environment. Spurred by the pandemic, the article highlights the endeavour of Indian firms to imbibe compassion into their Total Rewards strategies by being agile, fair and hyper-personalised. Further, it also lists potential challenges that Indian reward leaders might need to address to successfully implement and sustain a compassionate Total Rewards culture in their organisations.
The COVID-19 ‘new normal’ has forced organisations to reinvent business practices including rewards in order to retain and motivate employees. This article reviewed the published literature to identify the changing Total Rewards strategies adopted by firms in India as they navigated the various phases of this unprecedented pandemic. The review of academic papers as well as practitioner articles or news articles on relevant themes published in the period of 2020–2021 was followed by semi-structured interviews with 12 human resource practitioners working in the Compensation and Benefits or Total Rewards function across various organisations in India to arrive at the findings of the study. The study revealed that most firms have adopted a compassionate approach while reformulating their Total Rewards strategy. Agility, fairness and hyper-personalisation form the cornerstones for relooking at the Total Rewards dimensions such as pay, benefits, learning and development, and work environment. Spurred by the pandemic, the article highlights the endeavour of Indian firms to imbibe compassion into their Total Rewards strategies by being agile, fair and hyper-personalised. Further, it also lists potential challenges that Indian reward leaders might need to address to successfully implement and sustain a compassionate Total Rewards culture in their organisations.
The Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment on the Transformational Leadership-Innovative Work Behaviour relationship: A Study of Indian Banking Sector
South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, Volume 10, Issue 1, Page 130-151, June 2023.
The purpose of the study was to examine the association between managers’ transformational leadership style and employees’ innovative work behaviour (IWB) through psychological empowerment. We employed survey methodology and collected data by administering a standardised instrument to employees (n = 203) working in public and private sector bank branches in the Delhi-NCR region of India. By applying structural equation modelling, we found that by adopting a transformational leadership style, managers can encourage employees’ IWB. Psychological empowerment partially mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and the IWB of the employees. Additionally, we found that the transformational leadership style is positively associated with the psychological empowerment of employees, and employees’ psychological empowerment is positively related to the IWB of the employees. The study practically iterates that transformational leaders can augment their employees’ innovative behaviour by empowering them.
The purpose of the study was to examine the association between managers’ transformational leadership style and employees’ innovative work behaviour (IWB) through psychological empowerment. We employed survey methodology and collected data by administering a standardised instrument to employees (n = 203) working in public and private sector bank branches in the Delhi-NCR region of India. By applying structural equation modelling, we found that by adopting a transformational leadership style, managers can encourage employees’ IWB. Psychological empowerment partially mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and the IWB of the employees. Additionally, we found that the transformational leadership style is positively associated with the psychological empowerment of employees, and employees’ psychological empowerment is positively related to the IWB of the employees. The study practically iterates that transformational leaders can augment their employees’ innovative behaviour by empowering them.
Striving for Inclusion of Diverse Employees: How Important is the Context?
South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, Volume 10, Issue 1, Page 107-129, June 2023.
Organisations are making efforts to enhance diversity and become inclusive, yet there is little agreement on what leads an organisation to become inclusive. This article explores how organisations become inclusive through certain policies, practices, and behaviours. We conducted this study on a multinational subsidiary based in Pakistan with its parent company headquartered in Europe. Single case study methodology was used along with semi-structured interviews to gather in-depth data. Our findings suggest that inclusive organisations and inclusion can be considered relative concepts based on the context. An effort to find standardised policies, practices and behaviours to create inclusive organisations may not be possible. Organisations may be considered inclusive in the context that they operate in. The study strongly demonstrates the need to further refine the concept of inclusive organisations especially in light of societal context. The study serves as a valuable point of discussion in understanding how local operating context is balanced with international transfer of human resource (HR) practices. Our study contributes to diversity and inclusion literature through discussing behavioural and procedural elements that contribute towards building an inclusive workplace in a non-western context.
Organisations are making efforts to enhance diversity and become inclusive, yet there is little agreement on what leads an organisation to become inclusive. This article explores how organisations become inclusive through certain policies, practices, and behaviours. We conducted this study on a multinational subsidiary based in Pakistan with its parent company headquartered in Europe. Single case study methodology was used along with semi-structured interviews to gather in-depth data. Our findings suggest that inclusive organisations and inclusion can be considered relative concepts based on the context. An effort to find standardised policies, practices and behaviours to create inclusive organisations may not be possible. Organisations may be considered inclusive in the context that they operate in. The study strongly demonstrates the need to further refine the concept of inclusive organisations especially in light of societal context. The study serves as a valuable point of discussion in understanding how local operating context is balanced with international transfer of human resource (HR) practices. Our study contributes to diversity and inclusion literature through discussing behavioural and procedural elements that contribute towards building an inclusive workplace in a non-western context.
The role of human capital in Italian equity crowdfunding campaigns
The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Ahead of Print.
Crowdfunding has become an established means for new ventures in search for funding and it has received increased attention from scholars and policy makers. One of the most relevant aspects of crowdfunding is to understand the factors associated with the success of a campaign. This paper addresses the issue with a novel dataset of 89 Italian campaigns. Three indicators of campaign success (funds received, funds as a share of target, and number of investors) are estimated as a function of different dimensions of human capital (team size, education, and work experience). We find that campaign success is correlated to team size, the share of members with very high education (i.e. PhD), and the share of members with business education. We also find a non-linear relation with team size, and a significant relationship with the diversification of the team's education. Our study contributes to a recent body of empirical studies on the determinants of the success of an equity crowdfunding campaign by confirming previous findings with a novel dataset and by providing new evidence on the relevance of signals of the founding team quality (e.g. diversity of education) and increasing return of funding to team size.
Crowdfunding has become an established means for new ventures in search for funding and it has received increased attention from scholars and policy makers. One of the most relevant aspects of crowdfunding is to understand the factors associated with the success of a campaign. This paper addresses the issue with a novel dataset of 89 Italian campaigns. Three indicators of campaign success (funds received, funds as a share of target, and number of investors) are estimated as a function of different dimensions of human capital (team size, education, and work experience). We find that campaign success is correlated to team size, the share of members with very high education (i.e. PhD), and the share of members with business education. We also find a non-linear relation with team size, and a significant relationship with the diversification of the team's education. Our study contributes to a recent body of empirical studies on the determinants of the success of an equity crowdfunding campaign by confirming previous findings with a novel dataset and by providing new evidence on the relevance of signals of the founding team quality (e.g. diversity of education) and increasing return of funding to team size.
We only know that we don’t know: attachment patterns and psychological coping during the COVID-19 pandemic – the mediation role of intolerance of uncertainty
The nexus between foreign exchange and external debt in Indonesia: evidence from linear and nonlinear ARDL approaches
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Choose to be Optimistic, it Feels Better! The Role of Career Decision-making Self-efficacy on the Relationship between Boundaryless Career Orientation and Career Optimism
South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, Volume 10, Issue 1, Page 9-35, June 2023.
Drawing on the conservation of resources (CoR) theory, this study examined whether career decision-making self-efficacy (CDSE) intervenes in the association of employees’ boundaryless career orientation and career optimism. The study further sets out to assess the interactional contribution of employees’ consideration of distant future consequences—future (CFC-F) on the fore connection of employees’ CDSE and optimism. In this vein, data were collected from 211 electronic media employees through cluster sampling via an electronically administered questionnaire. SPSS 21 and SmartPLS 3.0 were used for preliminary data analyses and hypothesis testing, respectively. The results showed that CDSE significantly and positively intervened in the relationship between boundaryless career orientation and career optimism. Furthermore, the interactional effect of CFC-F was also found significant in a way that employees demonstrated a higher degree of career optimism at the higher levels of CFC-F. Hence, the premise of CoR theory that constructive resources (e.g., boundaryless career orientation) help individuals to gain other key resources (e.g., CDSE, optimism) was substantiated. Theoretical and practical implications of the study were also discussed.
Drawing on the conservation of resources (CoR) theory, this study examined whether career decision-making self-efficacy (CDSE) intervenes in the association of employees’ boundaryless career orientation and career optimism. The study further sets out to assess the interactional contribution of employees’ consideration of distant future consequences—future (CFC-F) on the fore connection of employees’ CDSE and optimism. In this vein, data were collected from 211 electronic media employees through cluster sampling via an electronically administered questionnaire. SPSS 21 and SmartPLS 3.0 were used for preliminary data analyses and hypothesis testing, respectively. The results showed that CDSE significantly and positively intervened in the relationship between boundaryless career orientation and career optimism. Furthermore, the interactional effect of CFC-F was also found significant in a way that employees demonstrated a higher degree of career optimism at the higher levels of CFC-F. Hence, the premise of CoR theory that constructive resources (e.g., boundaryless career orientation) help individuals to gain other key resources (e.g., CDSE, optimism) was substantiated. Theoretical and practical implications of the study were also discussed.
Sustainable entrepreneurship: Factors influencing opportunity recognition and exploitation
The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Ahead of Print.
Sustainable entrepreneurship integrates economic, environmental, and social into a firm's goals, activities, and planning to create a long-term value for the firm, its stakeholders, and broader society. The firm's strategies are formulated and executed to meet the firm's needs and its stakeholders while protecting, sustaining, and enhancing the natural resources that will be needed in the future. The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call regarding external uncertainty that impacted all small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Leveraging this context, this study aims to assess the external and internal factors that influence sustainable opportunity recognition through interviews with twelve sustainable entrepreneurs in the USA and Canada. Based on the results, future research directions and recommendations have been made.
Sustainable entrepreneurship integrates economic, environmental, and social into a firm's goals, activities, and planning to create a long-term value for the firm, its stakeholders, and broader society. The firm's strategies are formulated and executed to meet the firm's needs and its stakeholders while protecting, sustaining, and enhancing the natural resources that will be needed in the future. The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call regarding external uncertainty that impacted all small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Leveraging this context, this study aims to assess the external and internal factors that influence sustainable opportunity recognition through interviews with twelve sustainable entrepreneurs in the USA and Canada. Based on the results, future research directions and recommendations have been made.
In the wake of the ironworks – entrepreneurship and the spatial connections to empowerment and emancipation
The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Ahead of Print.
In this article, we explore connections between entrepreneurship, gender, empowerment and emancipation. Through the lens of entrepreneurship, we investigate the spatial aspects of these interlinked processes and illustrate emancipation through oppressive gender structures. This spatial lens allows us to see how emancipation changes in practice over time, with empowerment being one of these practices. Through ethnographic longitudinal fieldwork that studies an ironworks turned into a tourist garden, we highlight the collective reproduction of established oppressive structures. Our findings prioritise a spatial understanding of how entrepreneurship connects to empowerment and emancipation.
In this article, we explore connections between entrepreneurship, gender, empowerment and emancipation. Through the lens of entrepreneurship, we investigate the spatial aspects of these interlinked processes and illustrate emancipation through oppressive gender structures. This spatial lens allows us to see how emancipation changes in practice over time, with empowerment being one of these practices. Through ethnographic longitudinal fieldwork that studies an ironworks turned into a tourist garden, we highlight the collective reproduction of established oppressive structures. Our findings prioritise a spatial understanding of how entrepreneurship connects to empowerment and emancipation.