Qualitative research: extending the range with flexible pattern matching

Invisible Wounds: Exploring the Coping Strategies of Black Survivors of Homicide Victims in Canada

Canada has experienced a steady increase in homicide. Specifically, out of the 10 provinces and 3 territories, Ontario has consistently experienced the highest number of homicides, the majority concentrated within predominantly African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) communities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Despite this disproportionate reality, there is limited research on the ways in which survivors of homicide victims cope with the murder of their loved ones. This article explores the identification and characterization of coping strategies for ACB survivors of homicide victims residing in five neighbourhoods in the GTA. Participants in this study provided their insights and experiences, highlighting the coping mechanisms employed, the influence of cultural identity, and the challenges they experienced in accessing adequate care following the death of their loved ones. Implications for future research, policy and practice are discussed.

Institutional Logics in the UK Construction Industry's Response to Modern Slavery Risk: Complementarity and Conflict

There is a growing understanding that modern slavery is a phenomenon 'hidden in plain sight' in the home countries of multinational firms. Yet, business scholarship on modern slavery has so far focussed on product supply chains. To address this, we direct attention to the various institutional pressures on the UK construction industry, and managers of firms within it, around modern slavery risk for on-site labour. Based on a unique data set of 30 in-depth interviews with construction firm managers and directors, we identify two institutional logics as being integral to explaining how these companies have responded to the Modern Slavery Act: a market logic and a state logic. While the institutional logics literature largely assumes that institutional complexity will lead to a conciliation of multiple logics, we find both complementarity and continued conflict in the logics in our study. Though we identify conciliation between aspects of the market logic and the state logic, conflict remains as engagement with actions which could potentially address modern slavery is limited by the trade-offs between the two logics.

From strangers to social collectives? Sensemaking and organizing in response to a pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily exposed the inadequacy of established institutions and markets to handle a multidimensional crisis, but it also revealed the spontaneous emergence of social collectives to mitigate some of its consequences. Building upon more than 600 responses from an open-ended survey and follow-up qualitative interviews, we seek to understand the spontaneous formation of social collectives in neighborhoods during the initial global lockdown. Applying the sensemaking lens, we theorize the process that prevented the collapse of sensemaking; motivated neighbors to comply with the pandemic-related restrictions; and inspired the development of collective initiatives and the sharing of resources, experiences, and a feeling of belonging. In doing so, we identify mechanisms that allow distributed sensemaking and organizing for resilience: widely shared and accepted cues and frames, simultaneous enactment of practices, embeddedness, visibility of actions, and sense of community. Contrary to the literature on local community organizing and entrepreneurship, which emphasizes the importance of shared values and beliefs, we reveal how the abovementioned mechanisms enable social collectives to emerge and build resilience in times of crisis, even in the absence of pre-existing ties and physical and social isolation. Implications for sensemaking, resilience, organization studies, and community psychology are discussed.

How life context affects entrepreneurs' passion and performance

This article examines the influence of the life context on entrepreneurial passion (EP) and performance. Drawing on the person–environment fit theory, we developed a model showing how the life context fit affects EP in the domains of founding, inventing, and developing and how this translates into performance. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, we tested our hypotheses using a sample of 406 entrepreneurs from the cultural and creative industries. Due to the presence of unobserved heterogeneity in the overall sample, we conducted prediction-oriented segmentation, which revealed four segments in which life contexts exhibit not only positive but also adverse effects on EP. Our results showed that, in contrast to the extant literature, EP generates its overall effect on performance at the intersection of positively and negatively acting domains of founding, inventing, and developing. To explain the structural relations between the four segments, we conducted qualitative post hoc analyses to evaluate idiosyncratic data on passion and the life context and aligned our insights with the extant literature delineating four categories of entrepreneurs from the cultural and creative industries: artepreneurs, culturepreneurs, creative entrepreneurs, and lifestyle entrepreneurs. Our findings contribute to overcoming the dichotomy between passion as a personality trait and a dynamic construct and to understanding passion as an individual phenomenon with multiple sources that interacts with the proximal environment and that can impact entrepreneurial performance both positively and negatively. We extend the entrepreneurship and psychology literature, facilitating people's abilities to lead more entrepreneurial and passionate lives.

Individuals in Collaborative Governance for Environmental Management

Analyzing the effect of individual participants on collaborative governance processes in environmental management has been elusive due to lack of theoretical frameworks and data limitations. This study uses pattern matching to contrast identity theory with original data from 7 individuals participating in waste management and urban agriculture collaboration in Florianópolis, Brazil. What started as a self-organized initiative to manage an environmental problem, due to precarious waste management services, was scaled up to a citywide policy. Findings demonstrate that as the collaboration evolved over time, individual participants in municipal government transitioned between roles, organizations, and departments which affected their influence on the collaboration according to two transition styles: integrators (overlapping different roles) and segmenters (aligning roles with contexts without ambiguity). While the integrator-style participants were key to increasing sectoral diversity during the activation stage of the collaboration to produce innovative actions, segmenters contributed to formalizing the collaboration with appropriate institutional designs. However, the success of the collaboration after the institutionalization stage depended on the individual transition style and the power of municipal agents to have agency for influencing the collaboration. These findings have implications for adapting collaborative settings to respond to contextual changes that involve urban environmental issues.

E-commerce Policy and the Global Economy: A Path to More Inclusive Development?

The advancement of digitalization is gradually transforming the existing structure of the global economy. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, almost all cross-border transactions had a digital component in 2016. This is also reflected by the growing literature on digitalization and E-commerce. Yet, studies specifically focusing on E-commerce policy are scarce compared with other areas in this domain. By going beyond academic articles and including policy documents in our analysis, this study takes stock of the issues as well as the policy recommendations identified in these publications. Our analysis reveals that to promote an inclusive E-commerce participation, it is imperative to design policies that improve countries' formal institutions, facilitate the inclusion of less-developed countries in the E-commerce space, and enhance E-commerce adoption by small- and medium-sized enterprises. We highlight the significance of collaboration between and solidarity among governments and other stakeholders.

Multiple Cases of Pro-Life Volunteering in a Neo-Aristotelian Ethical Approach

ABSTRACT Objective: to understand the relationship between moral virtues and phronesis from volunteers of civil society organizations that work for the protection and assistance of pregnant women, known as pro-life. Theoretical framework: the perspective of virtue ethics is presented in the neo-Aristotelian approach as a theoretical framework, according to which human conduct is understood as based on the dispositions of character, the moral virtues, as well as through practical wisdom or phronesis, with the purpose (telos) of human flourishing. Method: the research strategy consists of a qualitative multiple case study approach in Brazilian (n = 2) and Spanish (n = 2) organizations, focusing on their volunteers (n = 17 participants). The field was accessed through participant observation, semi-structured face-to-face interview, and documentary research, thematically analyzing their content with the aid of NVivo software. Results: the results suggest how they act and learn virtues throughout their experience as volunteers - prudence (phronesis), temperance, courage, and hope - to know how to approach, advise, judge, or restrain judgment and help pregnant women establish priorities and perspectives for the future (foresight). Evidence supports the relationship of the phronesis-temperance and phronesis-hope relationship to balance current priorities and future expectations. Conclusion: different contexts may reveal similar virtues in volunteer practices. The results reinforce the assumption of the unity of virtues. Evidence, limitations, and research possibilities are discussed.

Casos Múltiplos de Voluntariado Pró-Vida em uma Abordagem Ética Neoaristotélica

RESUMO Objetivo: compreender a relação entre virtudes morais e phronesis a partir de voluntários de organizações da sociedade civil que atuam pela proteção e auxílio de gestantes, conhecidas como pró-vida. Marco teórico: apresenta-se a perspectiva da ética das virtudes na abordagem neoaristotélica como arcabouço teórico, segundo a qual a conduta humana é entendida com base nas disposições do caráter, as virtudes morais, bem como por meio da sabedoria prática ou phronesis, tendo por finalidade (telos) o florescimento humano. Método: a estratégia de pesquisa consiste em uma abordagem qualitativa de estudos de casos múltiplos em organizações brasileiras (n = 2) e espanholas (n = 2), focando-se em seus voluntários (n = 17 participantes). O acesso ao campo foi realizado por meio de observação participante, entrevista presencial semiestruturada e pesquisa documental, analisando tematicamente o seu conteúdo com o auxílio do software NVivo. Resultados: os resultados sugerem como eles atuam e aprendem virtudes ao longo de sua experiência como voluntário - prudência (phronesis), temperança, coragem e esperança - para saber abordar, aconselhar, julgar ou conter o julgamento e ajudar gestantes a estabelecer prioridades e perspectivas para o futuro (foresight). As evidências suportam a relação entre phronesis-temperança e phronesis-esperança, para equilibrar prioridades correntes e expectativas futuras. Conclusão: contextos diferentes podem revelar virtudes semelhantes nas práticas de voluntários. Os resultados reforçam o pressuposto da unidade das virtudes. Evidências, limitações e possibilidades de pesquisa são discutidas.

Self-efficacy and Social Settings Matter for Fostering Healthy Eating in Mexican Schoolchildren

OBJECTIVE

To identify differences in schoolchildren's self-efficacy for eating behaviors across social settings and self-efficacy sources favoring healthy and unhealthy eating.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional, mixed-methods study using self-efficacy and demographic surveys, focus groups, and school environment semistructured observations.

SETTING

Morelos, Mexico, Cuernavaca City school district, public elementary schools in the National School Lunch Program.

PARTICIPANTS AND RECRUITMENT

We studied 274 fifth- and sixth-grade children from 8 elementary schools during the 2016-2017 school year.

VARIABLES MEASURED

Children's self-efficacy for healthy and unhealthy eating across 3 settings (school cafeteria, recess, and home). Children's perceptions about sources of self-efficacy, which favor their healthy or unhealthy eating (performance accomplishments, behavior modeling, verbal persuasion, and emotional or physiological states). Sociodemographic information was obtained from parents.

ANALYSIS

We performed a variance components analysis with school and students within schools as random effects with paired t tests (quantitative data) and content analysis on the basis of the Social Cognitive Theory (qualitative data).

RESULTS

Schoolchildren's self-efficacy for healthy eating differed across social settings, being greater in the school cafeteria than at recess or home, except for drinking water. On average, self-efficacy for unhealthy eating was lower in the cafeteria than in other studied settings. Performance achievements and behavior modeling were key sources of self-efficacy for healthy and unhealthy eating.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Sources of self-efficacy and social settings matter to understanding schoolchildren's healthy and unhealthy eating. Future interventions might consider developing collective efficacy among the school community and boosting children's participation in home meal planning. Further research could explore locus of control and other intrapersonal dimensions influencing self-efficacy.

Business-Civil Society Collaborations in South Korea: A Multi-Stage Pattern Matching Study

In this study, we use an empirical example to demonstrate how a multi-stage pattern matching process can inform and substantiate the construction of partial least squares (PLS) models and the subsequent interpretation of and theorizing from the findings. We document the research process underlying our empirical investigations of business – civil society collaborations in South Korea. The four-step process we outline in this paper can be used to ensure the meaningfulness of the structural model as well as to maximize the use of PLS for theorizing. This methodological advancement is particularly helpful in situations when literature reference points exist, but further contextual information may add nuances to prevalent knowledge. The findings from the qualitative flexible pattern matching part of the study prompted us to conduct a multi-group analysis. The resulting path changes in the base model led to the identification of four partnering strategies for business-CSO collaborations: (1) partnering for visibility; (2) partnering for compliance; (3) partnering for responsibility outsourcing; and (4) partnering for value co-creation.

What do university students say about online learning and the COVID-19 pandemic in central Fiji? A qualitative study

Globally, the spread of COVID-19 has led to the closure of schools, thereby accelerating the expansion of the online learning environment. Though, Fiji National University students' (FNU), had no option than to quickly adopt to this mode of learning, within limited period, their learning experiences are yet to be examined and documented. We used phenomenological study design to explore students' online learning challenges, coping strategies and their perceptions on the causes of COVID-19. A total of 120 in-depth interviews were conducted with FNU students, at different levels and colleges, and analysed thematically, using inductive approach. The three themes emerged included COVID-19 misconception beliefs among students, online learning challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and online learning coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The misconception beliefs identified were natural occurrence, manmade for depopulation, unreal/fake and as a means of soliciting for funds. The challenges included ineffective tutorial sessions, lack of learning devices, unstable internet service, inadequate learning environment, socio-cultural practices, feeling of loneliness, anxiety and stress, and difficulties accessing online platforms and acquiring practical skills. The coping strategies used by students ranged from support from family and counsellors, help-seeking, frequent communication, time management, learning flexibility to control over learning environment. The findings highlight the need for policy makers, school managers, lecturers and other key stakeholders to address online learning challenges to improve online learning among FNU students. Relevant information should be provided on the COVID-19 pandemic to clear misconceptions.

Resilience building during the management of the COVID‐19 crisis in Lithuania: Major breakthroughs and incremental change

Modern societies are facing an increasing number of transboundary systemic threats. The sudden spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has once again highlighted concerns about governments' capacity to deal with disruptions and stressed the need for more resilient governance arrangements. Besides the usual policymaking, the latter might emerge from decisions, made during the crisis management as well. Building on ideas of the new institutionalism, more specifically, the normative logic of appropriateness and the rational logic of consequentiality, we examine how different mechanisms in varying contexts lead to different types of resilience building. Based on the results of pattern matching applied to the Lithuanian case of COVID‐19 crisis management in 2020, we argue that in environments where the logic of consequentiality was dominant, resilience was mostly strengthened because of major breakthroughs, stemming from coercive pressures as well as top‐down policy action from the centre of government. In contrast, more incremental developments contributed to resilience building through normative or mimetic pressures, professionalization, network‐based and bottom‐up practices in environments, where the logic of appropriateness prevailed. We claim that, while the logic of consequentiality helps to strengthen resilience in the context of turbulence, the logic of appropriateness is especially important for ensuring its sustainability.

Adaptability in Public Procurement of Engineering Services Promoting Carbon Reduction: An Organizational Control Perspective

Many studies have emphasized the importance of engineering services and their adaptability to reduce carbon emissions in the construction sector. As public clients procure these services, selecting efficient (procurement-related) control modes is critical. However, studies of control modes and their effect on adaptability are scarce. The purpose of this study is to investigate how, through the choice of control modes, a public client may create incentives for service providers to deliver carbon reduction solutions in the construction phase. In this study, a procurement model and a classification model are developed, and a single case study of an engineering service contract aiming for carbon reduction is used to illustrate the models. The empirical data include 16 interviews with respondents from the 2 contract parties, i.e., the client and service provider. The findings show that it is important to create incentives for adaptability when procuring engineering services with the aim of reducing carbon emissions in the construction phase. The findings also highlight the importance of these incentives being created both in relation to the selection of service providers and to the responsibility between the contract parties. The models developed in the study may serve as important tools for both practitioners and researchers.

Gaming innovation ecosystem: actors, roles and co-innovation processes

Burgeoning research on innovation ecosystems offers a variety of conceptual approaches. Recent systematic literature reviews and syntheses provide a rich, diverse, but somehow abstract view of IEs. Our study advances the literature by taking the perspective of those involved in IEs. We aim to identify how various actors contribute to co-innovation in innovation ecosystems. In order to do so, our aim is to establish the various types of actors (who?), the distinct roles (what?), the different stages (when?), and the diverse engagement in co-innovation processes (how?). The study investigates the Polish Gaming Innovation Ecosystem as a globally successful example of a knowledge-intensive and highly creative innovation ecosystem. Data was collected over 3 years (between 2015 and 2017), in three waves of interviews (38) and non-participatory observations (5). We find that Gaming Innovation Ecosystem participants identify a total of 12 types of collective actors, 9 types of individual actors, and 1 community of individuals. Furthermore, we find four distinctive roles that actors may play in the co-creation processes, that is: direct value creation, supporting value creation, encouraging entrepreneurship, and leadership. Finally, we structure the co-innovation process into five stages: co-discovery, co-development, co-deployment, co-delivery and co-dissemination. We identify the diverse scope and varied intensity of actors’ engagement, depending on the co-innovation phase, as perceived by our informants.

Towards Sustainable Innovative Business Models

This paper addresses two research questions: (1) How do firms innovate their business models to deal with the economic, environmental and social aspects of sustainability, and their interconnections? (2) How do managers design the process toward more sustainable innovative business models? Starting from the triple-layered canvas as a theoretical framework, a pattern matching technique is used to compare that theoretical pattern to the empirical pattern observed. The study is based on qualitative methods and data from a Spanish company in the wine sector. The findings indicate that the triple-layered canvas is applicable and useful for micro firms, although the process to design sustainable innovative business models might be even more important. A new theoretical model is inferred and proposed to incorporate the perspective of the process of the business model innovations for sustainability, and to add several relevant aspects to make the process more successful. Besides this, non-family firms introducing sustainable business model innovations in their economic, ecological, and social aspects move closer to family firms’ distinctive behavior. Finally, the implications and future lines of research are summarized.