International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy最新文献

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the empirical literature on the effects of informal competition on firm performance and provide directions for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

We search the Scopus and Web of Science databases and adopt a specific protocol to perform a systematic review of the literature. We screen 536 documents and apply three inclusion criteria for filtering.

Findings

We identify the impact of informal competition on nine types of formal firms' performance. We assess the findings according to the explanatory and response variables and the data samples of the articles reviewed. We find that five areas of focus are under-researched due to analyses of country or region-specific data, or lack of consensus because of contradicting findings.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review of the empirical literature on the effects of informal competition on the performance of formal firms.

Purpose

This research investigates the barriers hindering women from pursuing entrepreneurship as a career choice, particularly in the Indian context.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs rigorous data analysis techniques, including Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis, on a sample of 590 MBA students, comprising both male and female participants.

Findings

The findings reveal that social and psychological factors significantly influence women’s decisions regarding entrepreneurship. Social factors such as social stigma and cultural norms, along with psychological factors like societal expectations, emerge as major barriers.

Research limitations/implications

The findings have implications for policymakers, practitioners, and academics in designing interventions to address social and psychological barriers effectively. Recommendations include promoting cultural sensitivity and fostering confidence among women entrepreneurs.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature by quantifying the specific barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in India. It offers insights into advancing gender equity and inclusive economic development through targeted policies and programs.

Purpose

Consumer green behavior is a spotlight topic in both theoretical and practical business environments. This study aims to investigate the primary drivers of green intention behaviors among Generation Z customers by integrating the Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior. Additionally, perceived environmental responsibility serves as a moderating factor.

Design/methodology/approach

The study polled 283 Generation Z people who have purchased green products in Vietnam. Using the PLS_SEM model, we employ mediation and moderation analysis to investigate and evaluate the hypotheses.

Findings

Our findings reveal that both environmental concern and perceived marketplace influence have direct effects on attitudes toward green products as well as indirect effect on green purchase intention. Unlike previous studies, perceived environmental responsibility behaves as a moderated factor, driving the relationship between consumers' attitudes and green purchase intentions.

Practical implications

The outcomes of this study provide helpful implications for managers in improving green products based on the green purchase behavior of young customers.

Originality/value

By merging the Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior to analyze the antecedent variables of attitude and intention, this study contributes to the pro-environmental literature. It explains the underlying mediation processes of organisms and behavioral reactions, emphasizing the role of perceived environmental responsibility in regulating these frameworks. The results are critical in promoting green production and consumption in communities.

Purpose

Against the recent reversal of the gender gap in higher education that has been observed in many countries, this paper aims to explore why there are better chances for lower social class women to access higher education than for higher social class women in a relative comparison with the same groups of men. Based on the occupational approach and the Breen–Goldthorpe model, we demonstrate those country conditions under which stratification in individual chances to obtain higher education is more severe.

Design/methodology/approach

We use contextual characteristics which capture gender-based and occupational differentiation, including female labour force participation, the share of females in the service sector, and the share of males in upper-secondary vocational education. By using multilevel modelling techniques and data provided by the European Social Survey (2002–2018) for 33 countries, we have made a cross-country analysis of how the relationship between gender and class, as well as the achievement of higher education, is moderated by these features.

Findings

Our results show that a higher share of males in upper secondary vocational education in a given country is negatively associated with the likelihood of obtaining higher education, whereas a high share of females employed in services in a given country has a positive association with this likelihood. We have also found cross-level interactions between a higher share of employed females and women in the service sector, on the one hand, and those of working-class origin, on the other, that are positively associated with higher education achievement. In higher education achievement, the growing importance of horizontal differentiation based on occupation and gender has accompanied the declining power of vertical inequality based on social class.

Originality/value

This study combines gender and class in an analysis of patterns of inequalities of educational opportunity in different societies undergoing a post-industrialist shift.

Purpose

The present study examines the fluctuations in Socioeconomic and demographic (SED) factors and the prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) across clusters of states in India. Further, it attempts to analyze the extent to which the SED determinants can serve as predictive indicators for the prevalence of NCDs.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses three rounds of unit-level National Sample Survey self-reported morbidity data for the analysis. A machine learning model was constructed to predict the prevalence of NCDs based on SED characteristics. In addition, probit regression was adopted to identify the relevant SED variables across the cluster of states that significantly impact disease prevalence.

Findings

Overall, the study finds that the disease prevalence can be reasonably predicted with a given set of SED characteristics. Also, it highlights age as the most important factor across a cluster of states in understanding the distribution of disease prevalence, followed by income, education, and marital status. Understanding these variations is essential for policymakers and public health officials to develop targeted strategies that address each state’s unique challenges and opportunities.

Originality/value

The study complements the existing literature on the interplay of SEDs with the prevalence of NCDs across diverse state-level dynamics. Its predictive analysis of NCD distribution through SED factors adds valuable depth to our understanding, making a notable contribution to the field.

Purpose

Surveys in Europe show that immigration is more of a challenge than an opportunity for a significant number of people. However, little attention is given to attitudes toward immigration in the Middle East. This paper examines the effects of personal values and religiosity on the anti-immigration attitudes of citizens in the Middle East and North African countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing data from the World Values Survey, we analyze how personal values and religiosity affect anti-immigration attitudes in nine Middle Eastern countries. The data covers individual-level data of 9 MENA countries from the WVS Round 7 (2017–2022). Factor analysis is applied as a data reduction method. Afterward, an OLS regression analysis is conducted on the pooled data.

Findings

Anti-immigration attitudes increase with age, education, and religiosity. Personal values such as national pride, support for nationals, and belongingness to one’s country significantly affect anti-immigration attitudes. Furthermore, the importance of religion as a measure of religiosity was found to be positively associated with anti-immigration attitudes.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to underexplored literature by investigating how individual-level determinants, such as demographic indicators, personal values, and religious factors, shape anti-immigration attitudes in the MENA context, distinct from European dynamics.

Purpose

Informal migrant workers and street vendors have long been recognized as vulnerable groups in urban areas of Global South countries. However, limited studies exist on the economic challenges faced by migrant street vendors during crises. We aim to address this gap by shedding light on their livelihood and welfare losses during a public health crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses descriptive and qualitative analyzes to triangulate the results. Data are derived from surveys and in-depth interviews with migrant street vendors in the two biggest cities in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

The street vendors experienced significant business loss and consumption reduction during social distancing as well as encountered difficulties in recovering their businesses in the “new normal.” These adverse consequences were also found to disproportionately affect women vendors. Additionally, despite adopting various strategies and mitigation mechanisms to sustain their businesses and consumption, these efforts proved insufficient.

Social implications

This research underscores the importance of short-term and long-term urban policies aimed at supporting and promoting the social inclusion of street vendors, particularly migrant and women vendors.

Originality/value

This research represents one of the early attempts to explore the adverse effects of a public health crisis on migrant street vendors and to examine whether the crisis disproportionately affected vendors from different genders and educational backgrounds. It also examines their business recovery in the “new normal.”

Purpose

In this article, we examine the historical and cultural foundations of Nordic states’ strong contemporary social indicators to understand whether their successes can be replicated in other contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

We draw on a range of academic literature to frame a comparison of two regions’ cultural and theological roots, identifying contrasts to make arguments about prescriptions for contemporary welfare policy.

Findings

We find Nordic history contributes to a duty-based culture with strong cohesion and social trust. These cultural norms make palatable welfare policies with strong activation measures, while the US model prefers to avoid the latter because of its strong cultural orientation to rights and autonomy.

Social implications

To mitigate differences between the Nordic states and other cultural contexts, policymakers seeking to replicate Nordic welfare successes should consider welfare programming that combines stronger activation policies with oversight and relational components that mitigate gaps in social cohesion.

Originality/value

We uniquely bring together the literature on comparative welfare policy and on religion and culture to understand the precursors of contemporary attitudes and their implications for welfare policy prescriptions.

Purpose

Recently there has been a surge in interest about the use of artificial intelligence in organisations with art galleries introducing new technological innovations that coincide with the digitalisation revolution. Virtual and immersive environments that are supported by social media and digital platforms are significantly changing customer experiences at art galleries. This is internationalising and making art gallery experiences more accessible thereby fostering the competitive advantage of art galleries.

Design/methodology/approach

Art gallery customers, stakeholders and managers are appreciating the use of artificial intelligence with resulting higher satisfaction rates. Building on competency and transformational entrepreneurship theory international art gallery managers were interviewed to understand the role of artificial intelligence in their organisations and the impact of internationalisation.

Findings

The data analysis revealed that the internationalisation of art galleries enabled artificial intelligence to transform in person and online visitor experience, work and marketing, and future art gallery development ideas. Results show that artificial intelligence is opening up new transformations derived from entrepreneurial behaviours.

Originality/value

Key managerial implications are that art gallery managers need to utilise their international networks in order to learn about artificial intelligence and other new technological innovation. Theoretical implications are that existing theory can be adapted to an art gallery and artificial intelligence context. Limitations and future research suggestions focus on the need to focus more on art galleries as cultural entities that are more likely to utilise new technology innovation such as artificial intelligence.

Purpose

This paper examines whether household economic status mediates the effect of microcredit on entrepreneurial success amongst women microcredit clients and if this effect is conditional on the borrower’s marital status.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study uses primary data collected through a structured questionnaire from microcredit borrowers in Tanzania. The selection of the respondents for the survey involved categorising them based on their loan amount and length of membership in the program and randomly picking them for study participation. To realise the study objective, we used the moderated mediation model and employed the Linear-Based Regression Model 8 of the Hayes PROCESS macro V4.1 for SPSS.

Findings

The findings show that the loan amount and household economic status positively and significantly affect entrepreneurial success. However, the effect of microcredit on entrepreneurial success is mediated by household economic status. On the other hand, the direct and indirect effects of microcredit on entrepreneurial success differ depending on the borrowers' marital status, with married borrowers being negatively affected.

Originality/value

Microfinance supporters suggest that microcredit is vital for enterprise development and other socioeconomic outcomes. However, the results are inconclusive, including the role of household economic status. This study provides empirical insights into the moderated mediation effect of household economic status on the relationship between microcredit and entrepreneurial success. The study’s findings and limitations suggest considering not only microcredit and related factors but also the essential role of family factors in future research and design of microfinance services in efforts to support and grow microcredit-assisted women-owned businesses.