Showing papers on "Embeddedness published in 2014"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors integrate institutional theory with research on corporate political strategy to develop a political dependence model that explains how different types of dependency on the government lead firms to issue corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and how the risk of governmental monitoring affects the extent to which CSR reports are symbolic or substantive.
Abstract: This study focuses on how and why firms strategically respond to government signals on appropriate corporate activity. We integrate institutional theory with research on corporate political strategy to develop a political dependence model that explains (a) how different types of dependency on the government lead firms to issue corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and (b) how the risk of governmental monitoring affects the extent to which CSR reports are symbolic or substantive. First, we examine how firm characteristics reflecting dependence on the government—including private versus state ownership, executives serving on political councils, political legacy, and financial resources—affect the likelihood of firms issuing CSR reports. Second, we focus on the symbolic nature of CSR reporting and how variance in the risk of government monitoring through channels such as bureaucratic embeddedness and regional government institutional development influences the extent to which CSR communications are symbolically decoupled from substantive CSR activities. Our database includes all CSR reports issued by the approximately 1,600 publicly listed Chinese firms between 2006 and 2009. Our hypotheses are generally supported. The political perspective we develop contributes to organizational theory by showing that (a) government signaling is an important mechanism of political influence, (b) different types of dependency on the government expose firms to different types of legitimacy pressure, and (c) firms face a decoupling risk that makes them more likely to enact substantive CSR actions in situations in which they are likely to be monitored.
820 citations
TL;DR: Gupta et al. as discussed by the authors leveraged the newly emerging business analytical capability to rapidly deploy and iterate large-scale, micro-level, in vivo randomized experiments to understand how social influence in networks impacts consumer demand.
Abstract: We leverage the newly emerging business analytical capability to rapidly deploy and iterate large-scale, microlevel, in vivo randomized experiments to understand how social influence in networks impacts consumer demand. Understanding peer influence is critical to estimating product demand and diffusion, creating effective viral marketing, and designing “network interventions” to promote positive social change. But several statistical challenges make it difficult to econometrically identify peer influence in networks. Though some recent studies use experiments to identify influence, they have not investigated the social or structural conditions under which influence is strongest. By randomly manipulating messages sent by adopters of a Facebook application to their 1.3 million peers, we identify the moderating effect of tie strength and structural embeddedness on the strength of peer influence. We find that both embeddedness and tie strength increase influence. However, the amount of physical interaction between friends, measured by coappearance in photos, does not have an effect. This work presents some of the first large-scale in vivo experimental evidence investigating the social and structural moderators of peer influence in networks. The methods and results could enable more effective marketing strategies and social policy built around a new understanding of how social structure and peer influence spread behaviors in society.
This paper was accepted by Alok Gupta, special issue on business analytics.
315 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors develop a triple embeddedness framework (TEF), which conceptualizes firms-in-industries as embedded in two external (economic and socio-political) environments and in an industry regime which mediates strategic actions towards the external environments.
254 citations
TL;DR: The history and development of job embeddings can be found in this article, where the authors examine the history and evolution of job embeddedness, beginning with the story of the idea's conception, theoretical foundation, and original empirical structure as a major predictor of employee voluntary turnover.
Abstract: In this article, we examine the history and development of job embeddedness, beginning with the story of the idea’s conception, theoretical foundation, and original empirical structure as a major predictor of employee voluntary turnover. We then consider more recent expansions in the theoretical structure and empirical measurement of job embeddedness, exploring job embeddedness as a causal indicator model versus a reflective model. Next, we review some promising expansions of embeddedness to new domains (e.g., family embeddedness) as well as important contingency factors that enhance or diminish its impact. Finally, we describe how job embeddedness affects important organizational outcomes beyond turnover, including job performance, organizational citizenship behavior, innovation, and the development of social and human capital. Throughout the article, we provide our opinions on how the theory and research on embeddedness have progressed as well as ideas on how it can be improved.
240 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the role of structural and relational embeddedness of international networks in firm internationalization was examined and it was found that firms with chief executive officers who had developed strong and diverse international networks exhibited greater knowledge of foreign markets prior to internationalization.
Abstract: In this study we draw on the social network and international entrepreneurship literatures to examine the role of structural and relational embeddedness of international networks in firm internationalization. Based on a sample of 169 small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Czech Republic, we found that firms with chief executive officers who had developed strong and diverse international networks exhibited greater knowledge of foreign markets prior to internationalization. However, contrary to our expectations, no relationship was found between network density and such knowledge. In addition, our findings indicate that foreign market knowledge prior to the first international venture had a positive impact on venture performance.
213 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the Schwartz Value Survey measures seven cultural orientations that are then grouped into three bipolar dimensions (embeddedness vs. autonomy, hierarchy vs. egalitarianism and mastery vs. harmony).
Abstract: The aim of this paper is double. Firstly, it contributes to identifying the specific role of national culture as a variable that helps explain the level of economic development and reinforces the effect of entrepreneurship on the income level. Secondly, a deeper understanding of these relations in the case of the European Union is sought. In this study, data from two different sources have been used. The Schwartz Value Survey measures seven cultural orientations that are then grouped into three bipolar dimensions (embeddedness vs. autonomy, hierarchy vs. egalitarianism and mastery vs. harmony). The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor provides information regarding entrepreneurial activity. Using linear regression analysis, cultural and entrepreneurial variables are able to classify countries according to their development level, explaining over 60 % of the variance in Gross Domestic Product per capita. The role of culture is complex, with geographical elements being significantly relevant. In the case of Europe, some common elements conform what could be called “a European culture”: autonomy and egalitarianism clearly predominate over embeddedness and hierarchy, while harmony tends to prevail over mastery. Nevertheless, four well-defined groups of countries within the European Union emerge. Central and Northern Europe is closer to this European stereotypical culture, while English-speaking countries, Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean area exhibit their own differentiating elements each. These differences also exist with regard to entrepreneurial activity (overall Total Entrepreneurial Activity, necessity and opportunity-driven activity). Each of the four regional entrepreneurial cultures is characterized by a different entrepreneurial dynamics that may be plausibly explained by culture and income.
188 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest that trust is enforced when organizations develop shared goals, form social relational embeddedness, and initiate influence strategies, which leads to better inter-organizational collaboration and knowledge sharing.
188 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined the relationship between cultural producers' position in the social structure and the consecration of their creative work by relevant audiences and found that peers are more likely to favor candidates who are highly embedded in the field, whereas critics will not show such favoritism.
Abstract: Building on recent research emphasizing how legitimacy depends on consensus among audiences about candidates’ characteristics and activities, we examine the relationship between cultural producers’ (candidates) position in the social structure and the consecration of their creative work by relevant audiences. We argue that the outcome of this process of evaluation in any cultural field, whether in art or science, is a function of (1) candidates’ embeddedness within the field, and (2) the type of audience—that is, peers versus critics—evaluating candidates’ work. Specifically, we hypothesize that peers are more likely to favor candidates who are highly embedded in the field, whereas critics will not show such favoritism. We find support for these hypotheses in the context of the Hollywood motion picture industry.
179 citations
24 Oct 2014
176 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the experiences of 165 new migrant business owners in the East Midlands region of the UK and found that new migrants are indeed "diverse" in many respects; but importantly, the onerous nature of structural constraints limit the scope of new migrant enterprise.
Abstract: How can the phenomenon of new migrant enterprise be explained? The arrival of new migrants to the UK in significant numbers is prompting a new wave of business activity. This expression of ‘super-diversity’ poses challenges for existing modes of theorizing, or so it seems. We venture outside the cosmopolitan metropolis of London to examine the experiences of 165 new migrant business owners in the East Midlands region of the UK. Mixed embeddedness theory is used to illuminate the business activities of these new arrivals. We find that new migrants are indeed ‘diverse’ in many respects; but importantly, the onerous nature of structural constraints limit the scope of new migrant enterprise. There is more than a faint of echo of predecessor ethnic minority communities; and racism continues to cast influence on the business activities of new migrants.
155 citations
TL;DR: The authors examine the limitations of investigating business unity without focusing directly on processes and outcomes and then review studies of five types of business political action that offer lenses into corporate power in the United States: engagement in electoral politics, direct corporate lobbying, collective action through associations and coalitions, business campaigns in civil society and political aspects of corporate responsibility.
Abstract: Corporate political activity is both a long-standing preoccupation and an area of innovation for sociologists. We examine the limitations of investigating business unity without focusing directly on processes and outcomes and then review studies of five types of business political action that offer lenses into corporate power in the United States: engagement in electoral politics, direct corporate lobbying, collective action through associations and coalitions, business campaigns in civil society, and political aspects of corporate responsibility. Through these avenues, we highlight four shifts since the 1970s: (a) increasing fragmentation of capitalist interests, (b) closer attention to links between business lobbying and firms' social embeddedness, (c) a turn away from the assumption that money buys political victories, and (d) new avenues of covert corporate influence. This body of research has reinvigorated the classic elitist/pluralist debate while also raising novel questions about how business acto...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report the findings of a study of 327 Australian hotel frontline employees using a survey of job embeddedness, finding a negative relationship between organizational sacrifice and intention to leave, while a positive relationship was found between community links and intentions to leave.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between the efforts of a buying firm to understand supplier structural configuration and operational and financial performance and found that the understanding of the structural dimension does help to enhance operational performance, but it does not lead to better financial performance.
TL;DR: The authors argue that policy-relevant facts are the result of an intensive and complex struggle for political and epistemic authority, and they propose to understand expertise and evidence as "socially embedded" in authority relations and cultural contexts.
Abstract: Many studies on evidence-based policy are still clinging to a linear model. Instead, we propose to understand expertise and evidence as 'socially embedded' in authority relations and cultural contexts. Policy-relevant facts are the result of an intensive and complex struggle for political and epistemic authority. This is especially true where science and policy are difficult to distinguish and the guidelines for validating knowledge are highly contested. To understand the mechanisms leading to policy-based evidence and the long-term consequences of these transformations more comparative research on the cultural and institutional 'embeddedness' of epistemic and political authority is needed. Language: en
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a dynamic model that sheds light on how internal and external knowledge embeddedness interact in generating outcomes for subsidiary R&D roles, which is relevant to our work.
TL;DR: Taylor et al. as mentioned in this paper presented Taylor and Francis' accepted and refereed manuscript to the article, which is the authors' accepted, refereed, and accepted manuscript for the article.
Abstract: © 2014 Taylor & Francis. This is the authors’ accepted and refereed manuscript to the article.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors adopt a business network view to study the effects of subsidiary embeddedness on both subsidiary influence within the MNC and innovation-related business performance, and analyze subsidiary relationships connected to 85 innovation projects.
TL;DR: In this article, a sociological institutional framework for place-based entrepreneurship is proposed to provide new insight into the local institutional embeddedness of entrepreneurial behavior, and the authors provide new insights into local institutional embeddings of entrepreneurial behaviour.
Abstract: This article provides new insight into the local institutional embeddedness of entrepreneurial behaviour. By introducing a sociological institutional framework for place-based entrepreneurship, it ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors integrate insights from family business and organizational ecology into the entrepreneurship field by constructing a theoretical framework that explains how the regional context impacts family and non-family start-ups in differing ways.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate why organizations adopt informal rules when formal ones exist and how and why patterns of defiance vary across organizations and identify ambiguity of formal institutions as a major source of organizational defiance.
Abstract: We extend research on informal economic activity and investigate why organizations adopt informal rules when formal ones exist and how and why patterns of defiance vary across organizations. We build on data from an in-depth study of four organizations operating in the Nigerian movie industry. We identify ambiguity of formal institutions as a major source of organizational defiance. We also find that the organization’s domain of embeddedness mediates the relationship between institutional ambiguity and organizational defiance. According to our analysis, the rationale for organizing propelled by the dominant domain of embeddedness affects whether organizations consistently or selectively defy ambiguous formal rules. Our findings highlight the importance of the interplay between institutional and organizational dynamics in understanding informality within an economy. Copyright © 2014 Strategic Management Society.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors demonstrate that the interaction between knowledge-based and network-based activities is essential in understanding how subsidiaries gain influence within an MNC, and they test this using data on 184 foreign-owned subsidiaries in the UK.
TL;DR: This paper investigates the embeddedness of European regions in different types of inter-regional knowledge networks, namely project-based R&D collaborations within the European framework programmes (FPs), co-patent networks and co-publication networks, and reveals conspicuous differences between the knowledge networks.
Abstract: This paper investigates the embeddedness of European regions in different types of inter-regional knowledge networks, namely project-based R&D collaborations within the European framework programmes (FPs), co-patent networks and co-publication networks. Embeddedness refers to the network positioning of regions captured in terms of social network analytic (SNA) centrality measures. The objective is to estimate how region-internal and region-external factors influence network embeddedness in the distinct network types, in order to identify differences in their driving factors at the regional level. In our modelling approach, we apply advanced spatial econometric techniques by means of a mixed effects panel version of the spatial Durbin model (SDM) and introduce a set of variables accounting for a capacity specific, a relational as well as a spatial dimension in regional knowledge production activities. The results reveal conspicuous differences between the knowledge networks. Internal capacity- and technology-related aspects but also spatial spillover impacts from surrounding regions prove to be particularly important for centrality in the co-patent network. We also find significant—region-internal and region-external—impacts of general economic conditions on a region’s centrality in the FP network. However, we cannot observe substantial spillover effects of region-external factors on centrality in the co-publication network. Thus, the distinctive knowledge creation foci in each network seem to find expression in the network structure as well as its regional determinants.
TL;DR: In this paper, the implications of neoclassical economic framings within the interdisciplinary field of land-change science are reviewed, and the authors argue that concepts from economic geography can help land change science move beyond the traditional economic models.
TL;DR: The authors explored the relationship between career success, embeddedness, and mobility of early career professionals and found that those that move more often tend to keep doing so, indicating that objective career success contributes to embeddedness.
TL;DR: This article examined the relationship between community embeddedness and work outcomes (e.g., job motivation, networking behavior, and organizational identification) and the mediating role that organizational embeddedness plays in those relationships.
Abstract: The article examines the relationship between community embeddedness and work outcomes (e.g. job motivation, networking behavior, and organizational identification) and the mediating role that organizational embeddedness plays in those relationships. We draw upon conservation of resources theory to explain this mediating effect. Data were collected from 338 employees from multiple organizations at three points in time over a ten-month period; this design allowed us to use latent growth modeling to examine the relationships among changes in the independent, mediating, and outcome variables over time. Results from latent growth modeling analyses generally supported the proposed model. Although community embeddedness has been somewhat marginalized in recent empirical research on organizational embeddedness, this article highlights that it is indeed relevant in predicting job attitudes and job behaviors.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the influence of social contexts such as networks, family and household embeddedness of women entrepreneurs or the institutional environment for women's entrepreneurship and identify three further themes, based on a systematic literature review: how to conceptualise the spatial and institutional contexts for women entrepreneurship and their intersections, as informed by entrepreneurship, gender and geography studies; the paradox of empowering women and the debate around mumpreneurship.
Abstract: The paper builds on the understanding of context as suggested by Welter (2011) who introduced different dimensions of context along a continuum of where entrepreneurship takes place and when this happens. Where context has been studied in relation to gender and women, the focus has been on the influence of social contexts such as networks, family and household embeddedness of women entrepreneurs or the institutional environment for women's entrepreneurship. We contribute to the literature by identifying three further themes, based on a systematic literature review: how to conceptualise the spatial and institutional contexts for women's entrepreneurship and their intersections, as informed by entrepreneurship, gender and geography studies; the paradox of empowering women and the debate around mumpreneurship. Our analysis highlights the influence of spatial-institutional contexts on entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial behaviour is gendered because of place which itself is gendered, reflecting local institutions such as accepted gender norms which may force women into specific industries or business sizes. We also highlight the agency of women entrepreneurs in influencing their spatial-institutional contexts.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the success of paper-based alternative currencies in facilitating convivial, sustainable localised economies and argue that local currencies should be used more proactively to stimulate new forms of concrete local production to meet locally identified needs.
Abstract: This article examines the success of paper-based alternative currencies in facilitating convivial, sustainable localised economies. Based on fieldwork in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, it discusses the capacity of activists to create alternative forms of currency that communicate the organisers’ visions of a localised economy, before examining material practices: for whom do the currencies work, and who struggles to use them? Using insights from a diverse economies perspective, the article argues that we cannot read off the likelihood of an economic actor using the currency from the extent of their local economic embeddedness: economic actors in similar positions respond to the same stimuli in different ways, and local business owners and activists can form productive alliances to develop their shared project. The article concludes by arguing that local currencies should be used more proactively to stimulate new forms of concrete local production to meet locally identified needs.
28 Mar 2014
TL;DR: The importance of ownership as a conceptual category within global value chain (GVC) analysis through analyzing firm types based on their GVC linkage, market access, and ownership profile in Madagascar's apparel export industry is discussed in this paper.
TL;DR: In this article, social embeddedness, defined as the interaction of economic activities and social behavior, is used as a conceptual tool to describe the growing phenomenon of food community networks (FCNs).
Abstract: Social embeddedness, defined as the interaction of economic activities and social behavior, is used in this study as a conceptual tool to describe the growing phenomenon of food community networks (FCNs). The aim in this paper was to map the system of relations which the FCNs develop both inside and outside the network and, from the number of relations, it was inferred the influence of each FCN upon the formation of new socially embedded economic realities. A particular form of FCN was taken under consideration: solidarity purchase groups (SPGs). Performed with the aid of social network analysis on a sample of SPGs in Sicily (a region in southern Italy), the study allowed us to identify a relational (internal) social embeddedness, in which groups of consumers and farmers are directly influenced by reciprocal interactions, giving rise to more or less numerous links of reciprocity and trust depending on the number of interactions. It was also identified a structural (external) social embeddedness, generated by the nature of relations that the SPGs undertake with the various social actors. From the results of our analysis it emerges that SPGs lie at the intersection of many social realities, influencing them and in turn being influenced by such realities. We highlight the major role played by consumer and environmental associations in affecting the phenomenon of social embeddedness.