Search results for "VDP::Samfunnsvitenskap: 200::Økonomi: 210"
showing 10 items of 499 documents
What drives the adoption and consumption of green hotel products and services? A systematic literature review of past achievement and future promises
2021
The current study utilises the time-tested systematic literature review (SLR) method to identify and analyse 76 studies addressing the consumer adoption of green hotels. The results of the research profile analysis show that the literature on consumers' adoption and consumption of green hotel products and services is expanding and gaining more recognition from researchers working in Asian contexts, particularly China, Taiwan and India. Moreover, the qualitative thematic analysis yields four key themes, (a) consumer behaviour variables addressed, (b) antecedents and mediators of green hotel adoption, (c) moderators of the relationship and (d) methodological considerations, for which limitati…
Chinese reverse M&As in the Netherlands: Chinese managers’ trust building practices
2019
Purpose Building trust is critical in reverse mergers and acquisitions (M&As), attributed to the divergence of governance and culture between the East and the West. This paper aims to explore the barriers and trust-building practices of Chinese managers in reverse M&As in developed countries. Design/methodology/approach The primary data set of this research contains case studies of two Chinese M&A deals and in-depth interviews with managers and advisories in the Netherlands. Findings This research finds that the divergences of decision-making structure, communication style and trust orientation generate barriers to the trust building in Chinese reverse M&As. The third-party…
Which social program supports sustainable grass-root finance? Machine-learning evidence
2019
Resources for development are used efficiently when social programs help to promote at the same time the sustainability of grass-root financial associations at the bottom of the pyramid. This study applies machine-learning to a worldwide database of grass-root associations in order to identify which social programs are good predictors of financial returns in the groups. The results indicate that education, income-generating activities and health programs are the most frequent programs provided by development agencies. Business training is not the most frequent intervention applied to grass-root associations, but it is in fact the most important social program to encourage financial sustaina…
Climate change, consumer lifestyles and legitimation strategies of sustainability-oriented firms
2021
Abstract This study explores the links between climate change, consumer lifestyles, and legitimation strategies of sustainable firms. Our findings offer new insight into this under-researched area based on qualitative case studies of four Nordic firms operating in industrial and consumer contexts. We find that climate change consciousness is a major driver for all case firms’ sustainability-focused operations, but the dynamics differed. Achieving sociopolitical legitimacy emerges as an important factor for the case firms operating in the energy sector, especially as it connects to government incentives and regulative pressures. However, cognitive legitimacy is increasingly important for the…
Not so different altogether: Putting Lean and sociotechnical design into practice in a process industry
2021
Purpose: The shop-floor organization under lean production (LP) has been hotly debated for about three decades. As this organization concept leaves considerable room for interpretation, the content of lean-inspired changes can vary widely. This paper pleads for a contingency view of how LP is implemented and how the outcomes of lean-inspired changes rely on users’ interpretations of the concept in particular production contexts.Design/methodology/approach: A case study was conducted in two large Norwegian chemical plants. Data from the observations and interviews were supplemented by interviews with top managers in 2017 and 2018. The first author also followed a management audit in one plan…
COVID-19 Profit Warnings: Delivering Bad News in a Time of Crisis
2022
Abstract Profit warnings (large negative earnings surprises) are important corporate reporting documents for delivering bad news and a distinctive corporate communication genre. The 2020 COVID-19 exogenous shock provides a unique worldwide crisis context for company disclosure of bad news. The research develops a genre-based typology/analytical framework for assessing COVID-19 profit warnings’ quality comprising: (1) Four profit warning/forecast quality characteristics and (2) Eight profit warning/forecast disclosures. For a sample of 160 profit-warning documents, the research manually analyses their content, culminating in a disclosure quality score/index. The research tests a model of the…
Corporate Social Responsibility in the Garment Industry : A Cross-case analysis of three Norwegian organizations’ approach to central challenges in i…
2017
Master's thesis Development management UT503 - University of Agder 2017 Working conditions for factory workers in the garment sector are often appalling, with extensive use of overtime, unsafe working environments, low presence of unions, union-hostility, weak (or no) contracts, and wages being held back, to name a few challenges. The idea and practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has received increased attention, as an approach to mitigating some of these challenges. With CSR, it is proposed that businesses ought to take on voluntary social and/or environmental responsibility because it is morally right. Some suggest that part of this responsibility should include ensuring dece…
Natural Resource Exploitation, Environment and Poverty; Linkages and Impact on Rural Households in Asutifi District in Ghana
2007
Master's Thesis in Development Management - Agder University College, 2007 The controversial negative relationship between the abundance of natural resources and economic growth and development has been at the centre of several development research discourses. It is often explained that, natural resources when exploited can be used to generate economic growth and development. However, this assertion is often rebuffed by other explanations that, natural resource abundance rather create more difficulties than benefits. The abundance of oil, coal, gold and even trees have been the route cause of problems such as riots, wars, corruption, inflation, environmental degradation and reduced economic…
Collective actions for empowerment and poverty reduction in rural Chiapas, Mexico
2007
Master's Thesis in Development Management - Agder University College, 2007 The present thesis is an investigation of rural community development in the Venustiano Carranza Province of Chiapas, Mexico. The objectives have been to analyze people’s experiences of collective work, and how this work, the social capital formation and access to capacity building courses might be leading to individual empowerment in the rural communities. The thesis begins with an introduction to the study area and an outline of the theories of alternative development and community approaches, and a presentation of the theories of empowerment, social capital and collective actions. It is argued that developing the …
The Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Well-being of Workers in the Informal Sector of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
2021
Master's thesis in Global Development and Planning (UT505) The economic restriction of COVID-19 in several countries has significantly impacted the global economy resulting in mass unemployment and job losses. Despite the fact that the crisis has an impact on every country, developing countries are the ones who are most affected. Furthermore, informal sectors are the hardest hit sector. In Nepal, where informal workers account for the highest working group, millions of jobs are estimated to be interrupted. Financial shortages and the lack of a welfare system in this crisis have made these people's lives miserable, making it impossible for them to manage their livelihood. This is affecting t…