The Business School - Te Kura Kaipakihi

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/1066

The Business School - Te Kura Kaipakihi conducts disciplinary research that is at the fore front of international knowledge. Their researchers are recognised experts in their fields and produce research of relevance to their academic and non-academic stakeholders. The Business School has research strength in: Accounting, Business Information Systems, Economics, Finance, International Business, Management (including Human Resource Management and Employment Relations), Marketing, Advertising, Retailing and Sales.

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 729

Gender Equality Discourse: A Japanese Context
(Emerald, 2025-12-04) Eweje, Gabriel; Toyosaki, Hitomi; Kobayashi, Kazunori; Chen, Sitong Michelle; Hosoda, Masahiro
Purpose This review paper aims to critically examine the discourse on gender equality in Japan, focusing on its socio-cultural, economic and political dimensions. By synthesising existing literature, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and barriers that influence the gender equality debate in Japan, while identifying gaps and opportunities for future research and specifying where practice can be recoupled to policy. Design/methodology/approach An integrative literature review was conducted across four key institutional domains – markets, government/public sector, families and education – analysed at the macro, meso and micro levels. The synthesis is integrative rather than exhaustive, prioritising analytic coverage over completeness. Findings The dynamic relationship between institutional pressures and cultural norms reinforces traditional gender roles across domains. While global pressures and progressive policies have catalysed some change, entrenched routines and weak enforcement often constrain substantive transformation. Decoupling is concentrated at two interfaces: macro to meso (policy to organisation) and meso to micro (organisation to household). Originality/value This study integrates institutional multiplicity with the three-cycle social innovation lens to demonstrate how Japan’s competing logics sustain policy–practice decoupling and to identify where recoupling can begin. It specifies two actionable interfaces (macro to meso and meso to micro), aligns practical levers to each and proposes illustrative indicators that make early recoupling observable for internal monitoring and public reporting, providing usable guidance for policymakers and organisations.
Designing Transformative Service Initiatives (TSIs) in Polarised Contexts: A Framework for Effective Practice
(Emerald, 2025-11-25) Russell-Bennett, Rebekah; Gasparin, Isadora; Gnusowski, Marek; Vredenburg, Jessica; Ahmed, Junaid; Ercan, Selen
Purpose Transformative service initiatives (TSIs) are often applied to address wicked problems in contexts that are polarised. For TSIs to be effective, they require both diversity of perspectives, a level of social cohesion and acceptance of the TSI as legitimate. Yet polarisation typically undermines cohesion and fuels resistance within communities, limiting the effectiveness of TSIs. The purpose of this study is to address the problem of how to manage diversity of perspectives when designing TSIs in a polarised context. Design/methodology/approach The authors adopt a theory synthesis approach and combine insights from service design with the theory and practice of deliberative democracy. The authors draw on deliberative democracy, as it offers practical tools and strategies for addressing disagreements in polarised contexts. The study brings together two distinct literature streams into a single conceptual theme to develop a framework for effective TSI design in polarised contexts. Findings In polarised contexts, the effective design and delivery of TSIs requires close attention to three features: actors (who should participate in the process, what types of citizens have an interest in the topic and what perspectives are represented); processes and practices (how the initiative is structured and what behaviours can be enabled to address polarisation); and outcomes (what can the process realistically yield, recognising that consensus may not always be possible). Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the research is the first to introduce deliberative democracy theory to the services marketing literature. The core contribution of the proposed framework is the identification of bridging and bonding practices as the key mechanisms for creating procedural legitimacy of a TSI in a polarised context.
Effective Use of Enterprise Social Networks for Knowledge Sharing in Organizations
(Wiley, 2025-07-04) Rahman, Naseem J; Subasinghage, Maduka; Singh, Harminder
While organizations are increasingly deploying enterprise social networks (ESNs) in workplaces, many employees are wary of using ESNs to share their knowledge as they fear that they may become less valuable to their organizations. Organizations are also concerned that ESNs can be used to send valuable information to unauthorized external parties. As a result, organizations have struggled to attain the outcomes they expected from deploying ESNs. This study used data from 11 in‐depth interviews of employees from financial service organizations to find out how organizations can encourage the effective use of their ESN applications. Thematic analysis of the data showed that governance and intra‐organizational trust are critical for increasing the effective use of ESNs.
Augmentative Versus Compensatory? How Context Shapes the Impacts of General Socializing on Newcomer Engagement
(Informa UK Limited, 2025-10-21) Chen, Jenny; Cooper-Thomas, Helena; Cheung, Gordon; Trenberth, Linda
Newcomer relationship-building behaviors are usually considered beneficial. However, after closer inspection of past studies, the results were mixed. In this paper, we start to unpack these mixed effects by focusing on newcomer general socializing (i.e., building social connections by attending workplace events). Specifically, we investigate when newcomer general socializing is more or less beneficial for newcomer engagement by proposing two contrasting views: (1) applying conservation of resources theory, we argue general socializing increases engagement under high serial tactics, providing an augmentative effect; (2) utilizing attachment theory, we argue general socializing enhances engagement under low serial tactics, enabling a compensatory effect. Unexpectedly, neither an augmentative nor a compensatory effect was supported in Study 1 (China). To explain these results, we extend our investigation by including task interdependence as a boundary condition and test our predictions in Study 2 (Australia). The results of Study 2 support the compensatory effect: When newcomers experience low serial tactics under low task interdependence, general socializing enhances emotional engagement. However, general socializing is detrimental to cognitive engagement when newcomers experience high serial tactics under low task interdependence. Our research contributes to theory and provides insights to HR on how to tailor onboarding interventions to optimize newcomer engagement.
Navigating Negative Emotions: The Role of Negativity Bias in Digital Activism
(SAGE Publications, 2025-06-08) Lee, Sanghyub John; Hwang, Euejung; Yuk, Hyeyeon; De Villiers, Rouxelle
This study investigates the influence of negativity bias in digital activism (e.g., #BlackLivesMatter, #AllLivesMatter, and Nike’s #TakeAKnee campaigns). Analyzing over 3.5 million tweets across a decade, the research highlights how predominantly negative emotions, such as anger and disgust, shape public perceptions in the context of social justice movements and brand involvement in social issues. The results from a robust methodological framework, using social media analytics and advanced sentiment analysis tools like VADER and the TTL transformer model, showed that negative emotions significantly impact the overall sentiment of African Americans and companies like Nike. Specifically, anger within the #BlackLivesMatter and #AllLivesMatter discourses negatively related to overall sentiment toward African Americans, while emotions such as sadness in the #TakeAKnee discussions positively related to overall sentiment toward Nike. Also, expressions of disgust within #AllLivesMatter and #TakeAKnee were associated with positive perceptions of African Americans. In contrast, positive emotions such as joy, and the neutral emotion of surprise showed no significant effects. These results underscore the dual impacts of negativity bias in digital activism, indicating the need for strategies to mitigate its effects and enhance the effectiveness of digital campaigns.
Open Plan Office Space? If You're Going to Do It, Do It Right: A Fourteen-Month Longitudinal Case Study
(Elsevier BV, 2020-01) Morrison, RL; Smollan, RK
There are compelling findings that open-plan office environments are associated with declines in employee wellbeing. In spite of this, the move towards shared office environments continues; yet there is a lack of research describing open-plan offices that have positive outcomes for workers. We describe a “best practice” open-plan fit-out of a law firm and provide data from occupants relating to their performance, well-being, and collegial relationships. Six months after moving to an open-plan office, staff were anonymously surveyed, and 24 were interviewed. Fourteen months later, occupants responded to a follow-up survey. Positive outcomes relating to aesthetics, collegiality, and communication were achieved through good technical design and thoughtful ergonomic assessment of the needs of employees and the requirements of their tasks. A gender difference emerged whereby female, but not male, workers in this environment reported feeling observed. This has implications for the relatively different impact these environments may have on workers. Thus, by following ergonomic principles to create open-plan offices that are ‘safe by design’ organizations can ameliorate many of the negative consequences associated with these environments.
The Leaders' Shadow: Excessive Information Spillover in the Chinese Stock Market
(Wiley, 2025-02-22) Duan, Jiaxin; Lu, Lei; Wei, Yixin; Yin, Fangyi
This study investigates information spillover from industry leaders to peer firms during the leaders' earnings announcements (EAs) in the Chinese stock market. We find a positive information spillover, which is subsequently corrected when peers announce their own earnings, indicating excessive information spillover (overreaction). We further identify several reasons for the overreaction: (1) investors' overweighing of leaders' earnings in evaluating peers' earnings; (2) investors' abnormal searching and trading behaviours, particularly among retail investors; and (3) peer firms' poor information environment and limits to arbitrage. These findings suggest that overreaction could be more prominent in less mature, retail investor-dominated markets like China.
How Did IFRS 15 Affect the Revenue Recognition Practices and Financial Statements of Firms? Evidence from Australia and New Zealand
(Elsevier, 2022-11-12) Kabir, Humayun; Su, Li
We provide evidence on how International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, affected the revenue recognition practices and financial statements of firms in Australia and New Zealand. While firms used the modified retrospective method more than the full retrospective method, the usage varied by firm size. Although the majority of sample firms (63.38%) reported that the standard had either no impact or no material impact on their financial statements, the remaining 36.62% disclosed IFRS 15 impacts in notes to financial statements. The disclosure of impacts varied by sectors and firm size. The standard did not affect the accounting for standard retail sales transactions. However, it resulted in the deferral of revenue recognition for the majority of firms whose revenue recognition was impacted by the standard. For firms that disclosed IFRS 15 impacts on financial statements, revenue was the most affected item. Cost of goods sold, contract liabilities, and profit after tax were three other most affected financial statement items. Finally, the standard affected financial statements through multiple channels.
New Zealand Ethical Consumption Driven by Universalism and Personal Achievement; Can It Also Be Fun?
(Taylor & Francis Group, 2024-10-28) Hasan, S; Wooliscroft, B; Ganglmair-Wooliscroft, A
Overconsumption and environmental pollution in New Zealand are leading to the depletion of its resources, threatening its ecosystem. This paper explores New Zealanders’ ethical and sustainable consumption behaviour, and the motivations and values that drive them. Seventy in-depth interviews with a variety of ethical consumers were conducted and analysed using laddering technique to uncover drivers behind ethical consumption habits. Results reflect the complexity and variety inherent in ethical consumption, and its motivations and drivers. Most ethical behaviours are environmentally focused, aimed at pollution reduction and environmental conservation. Ethical behaviours with a social focus are directed at the local or the international community. Social justice, equality and unity of nature (all sub-values of universalism) are revealed as drivers of ethical behaviours, and are complemented by personal achievement (feeling capable) and feelings of enjoyment–consuming ethically can also be ‘fun’. The complexity of the findings highlights the need for customised messaging from policymakers and businesses to increase ethical consumption behaviours in New Zealand.
Underemployment and Wage Growth During COVID-19
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-08-28) Meehan, Lisa; Pacheco, Gail; Turcu, Alexandra
This study provides new insights into the labour market outcomes of underemployed individuals, particularly the full-time underemployed who are often not included in official statistics. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on earnings progression for underemployed individuals in New Zealand relative to their fully-utilised counterparts. We find that both the employment and earnings-growth gap between the underemployed and fully-utilised decreased during the pandemic years. These results highlight the importance of considering the impact of economic shocks on different labour market groups and that while existing literature highlights that more vulnerable groups are less resilient to economic shocks, in line with previous New Zealand research, our results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic was different.
A Narrative Synthesis of the Empirical Literature on Social Value Creation in Social Entrepreneurship: Gaps and Opportunities for Future Research and Action
(Informa UK Limited, 2023-04-18) Lorenzo-Afable, D; Lips-Wiersma, M; Singh, S
Social value creation defines the mission of social entrepreneurship in that, through it, complex social problems are addressed, and the needs of beneficiaries are met. Despite scholarly calls for a definition, current depictions lack clarity and focus. This systematic literature review is the first to aggregate the current body of empirical literature on social value creation in social entrepreneurship. Results from the review of studies in leading academic journals yielded 14 relevant studies, mostly originating from North American and European contexts. A narrative synthesis of these studies depicts social value creation as a processual phenomenon that takes shape in response to opportunities to realise social impact. The process is enacted by multiple actors through innovation and collaborative, reciprocal relationships within a specific context. Findings suggest a paucity of social value creation research in leading academic journals, which denotes a narrow contextual view of the phenomenon. The review discusses implications on social entrepreneurship practice and suggests directions for future research that pursue a more inclusive and diverse contextual view of social value creation.
Naïve Hope or Common Occurrence? Caring Leadership and Its Impact on Employee Performance and Wellbeing in Hospitality and Tourism
(Informa UK Limited, 2025-11-23) Smollan, Roy K; Mooney, Shelagh K
When caring leadership becomes a norm, and therefore part of organizational culture, it improves employee wellbeing and performance. The interviews conducted for this study reveal how demonstrations of care from the organization as a whole, and from individual leaders, had a beneficial impact on employees in hospitality and tourism. The study also underscores the potential downside of caring leadership in terms of leader burnout and diminished follower self-efficacy. This double-edged sword has implications for Human Resource Management practice, regarding what organizations can do to develop caring leadership as a key element of the culture, but also to train and support leaders in appropriately caring for others.
Reciprocity: Finding the Right Balance in Work-Integrated Learning
(Work-Integrated Learning New Zealand (WILNZ), 2025-11-26) Wilkinson, Helene; Lucas, Patricia; Hogg, Robert
The debate surrounding financial support in work-integrated learning (WIL) has intensified. This paper explores whether paying all placement students is both sustainable and equitable. Through duoethnographic narratives from WIL educators, it examines contemporary experiences and perceptions of payment and value. For WIL relationships to be meaningful, agreements between students and organizations must be mutually beneficial. The paper examines how this mutuality might be achieved by rethinking the notion of ‘payment.’ Drawing on indigenous Māori knowledge systems of value, it introduces concepts of utu and koha, to shift focus from transactional payment to relational value. Embracing reciprocity in WIL fosters a spirit of collaboration and unity, emphasising the significance of relationships and shared commitments. Further embracement of the foundational frameworks associated with utu challenge traditional transactional mindsets, advocating for a more holistic, culturally sensitive, values-based approach to financial support in the context of learning and professional development.
The Mindful Marketplace: Ideological Repackaging in Influencer Marketing
(Elsevier BV, 2026) Errmann, Amy; Leban, Marina
Amid the broader cultural rise of contemplative traditions, social media influencers, particularly those promoting mindfulness, blend commercial self-promotion with the ideological commitments of this philosophy. This study examines how they navigate authenticity and commerciality by repackaging mindfulness into marketable products. Using a qualitative analysis of 16 mindfulness influencers on Instagram, we identify two strategies, discourse and practice, that enable them to maintain authenticity while commercializing a belief system. Our findings challenge the assumption that authenticity and commerciality are inherently oppositional. This study demonstrates how these dynamics can coexist, while raising ethical concerns around authenticity inflation, informal expertise, and the monetization of belief systems.
Cognitive Influences in Second-hand Markets: From Perception to Purchase in Rural Smartphone Consumption
(Emerald, 2025-10-23) Ibrahim, Khaled; Sarfo, Christian; Ezel Sertkaya, Canan; Burnett, Megan; Pampari, Arpana
Purpose This study aims to examine how rural consumers make second-hand purchase decisions beyond economic necessity. Using schema theory, we explore how perceived price fairness, product features, product quality and sustainable community influence drive purchase intentions in the rural second-hand smartphone market. Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed 225 rural New Zealand second-hand smartphone users and tested our hypotheses using partial least squares – structural equation modelling to analyse key factors influencing purchase intentions. Findings This study challenges the assumption that rural consumers evaluate second-hand goods solely on objective attributes, showing that decision-making is shaped by past experiences, social influences and perceived price fairness. Rather than a purely economic assessment, price fairness integrates product quality and features, influencing consumer engagement. In addition, community norms and sustainability messaging shape purchasing decisions, emphasising social influences over rational education. Practical implications Businesses and policymakers must move beyond price incentives and leverage social networks and sustainability messaging to shape consumer schemas. Trust in second-hand markets depends on perceived fairness, quality and social validation, highlighting the importance of community-driven interventions over traditional rational education efforts. Originality/value This study extends schema theory by demonstrating how rural consumers use cognitive shortcuts and social learning to navigate information asymmetry, reframes perceived price fairness as a cognitive framework rather than a transactional factor and highlights sustainability as a dynamic consumer heuristic.
Unintended Consequences of Scaling Social Impact Through Organizational Growth Strategy in Social Enterprises
(Elsevier BV, 2025-11-08) Islam, Syrus
Social enterprises are hybrid organizations aiming to achieve both financial sustainability and social impact. Because of their active role in creating social impact by addressing pressing social problems, they are recognized as important agents to help attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In the social enterprise context, organizational growth is considered a major strategy to scale social impact since it helps them offer more products/services to a larger number of beneficiaries. However, little is known about when and how this strategy may not work as intended. By synthesizing prior research and using real-life examples, this article presents ten conditions under which scaling social impact through an organizational growth strategy can create unintended consequences in social enterprises. The article also develops a holistic framework articulating how these ten conditions can emerge via seven growth-related activities in social enterprises. The developed framework facilitates a comprehensive understanding for managers and social entrepreneurs about the pitfalls to avoid while pursuing organizational growth as a social impact scaling strategy in social enterprises. Finally, this article introduces a diagnostic tool — ImpactProtect: A Growth Risk Assessment Tool for Social Enterprises — designed to help social enterprises evaluate their vulnerability to unintended consequences associated with organizational growth.
Leveraging the Influencer Marketing Power of Influential Consumers: Toward a Theory of Impression Management for Brand Recovery From Brand Crisis
(SAGE Publications, 2025-10-07) Yap, SF; Tan, LP; Lim, WM; Lim, TW
Though the role of influential consumers in shaping brand sentiment has been well recognized, especially with the advent of digital and social media and the rise of influencer marketing, little effort has been made to extrapolate their influence for impression management, which is critical for brand legitimacy and brand recovery following brand crisis. To address this gap, this conceptual article adopts a theory synthesis and model approach to develop a theoretical framework that explains and predicts the relationships characterizing the utility of influential consumers for impression management following brand crisis. In doing this, this article consolidates existing research streams, identifies novel connections, and presents a set of theoretical propositions that explain the sequence of events, including the boundary conditions, that translate the power of influential consumers into an impression management asset that brands can rely upon to reaffirm brand legitimacy and navigate toward brand recovery following brand crisis. Therefore, this article pioneers a strategic reevaluation of influencer marketing, extending its application from promoting brand positivity in stable times to a critical tool for brand restoration during crises.
Borrowed Competence: Socially Extending the Mind to Extend Digital Practices
(SAGE Publications, 2025-11-07) Stewart, Cordelia; Yap, Sheau-Fen Crystal; Kubacki, Krzysztof
This study extends current understanding of digital competence by exploring alternative skill sets harnessed by digitally disadvantaged groups that enable their practices to continue. By combining practice theory with the socially extended mind framework, we address the research question: What forms of offline competence support the integration of digital practices among a disadvantaged consumer group, and how do these competences influence the cohesion and continuity of their practices? Through an ethnography of a ‘Street Church’ community, we demonstrate how different forms of offline social interaction (i.e., sequential, synchronised, substitutive) and group culture function as valuable resources for guiding digital practices, without requiring practice carriers to embody digital skills. This study challenges conventional conceptualisations of competence, illustrating that competence no longer needs to be embodied but can be 'borrowed'. This shifts the focus away from 'what' defines competence to 'how' different forms can produce similar outcomes in practices.
Perceived Value versus Intrusiveness: The Role of Privacy Self-efficacy and Decision Quality in Mobile Augmented Reality Try-ons
(Emerald, 2025-11-10) Xu, Yingzi; Ling, I-ling
Purpose This study examines how Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) app features – virtual mirrors versus photo-based try-ons – influence consumers' perceived utilitarian and hedonic values, decision quality and regret (a form of post-purchase dissonance). It contributes to the growing literature on MAR by addressing the underexplored role of MAR in shaping regret and repurchase intention. Design/methodology/approach Two field experiments were conducted using YouCam Makeup, a leading MAR app and AI selfie editor, with 460 participants randomly assigned to interact with either the virtual mirror or the photo-based try-on feature. After the interaction, participants completed an in-person survey. Data were analyzed using multivariate statistical techniques to test the relationships among app features, perceived value, decision quality, regret and intention to repurchase through the app. Findings Results show that the virtual mirror feature provides greater utilitarian and hedonic value than photo-based try-ons, leading to higher decision quality and lower regret. However, the benefits are reduced by perceived intrusiveness, particularly among individuals with low privacy self-efficacy. While utilitarian value significantly enhances decision quality, hedonic value does not. Improved decision quality, in turn, reduces regret and increases the likelihood of repurchasing cosmetic products via the MAR app. Originality/value This research fills a gap in the MAR literature by empirically examining regret in immersive shopping contexts. It offers theoretical insights into how MAR design features influence consumer decision-making and practical guidance for developers and retailers seeking to balance utility, enjoyment and privacy to optimize the online shopping experience.
Theorising Robotic Process Automation as Socio-Technical Change: A Process Study
(Australasian Association for Information Systems, 2025-10-13) Doolin, Bill; Techatassanasoontorn, Angsana A; Waizenegger, Lena; Wallace-Carter, Erin
Robotic process automation (RPA) is increasingly adopted as a relatively inexpensive automation solution to reduce routinised and repetitive tasks and to initiate an organisation’s broader automation programme. Prior research has focused on highlighting RPA benefits for organisations with suggestions on how to maximise benefits and avoid challenges in RPA implementation. There is less understanding of the emergent and dynamic nature of RPA implementation. Drawing on key elements of socio-technical change, we conducted a process study of RPA implementation in a university. From our analysis, we identified five process patterns: initiation, mobilisation, configuration, adaptation, and evaluation, each of which has different implications for organisational trajectories of RPA implementation. Our findings also offer insights into how the changing role of RPA as an epistemic, technical, and agentic object is intertwined with the dynamics of automation and augmentation in RPA’s conception, development, incorporation into work routines, and evaluation of the initiative’s future.

Browse

Recent Submissions