Informal Legacy and Exporting Among Sub-Saharan African Firms

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Larsen, Marcus M.; Witte, Caroline T.

Abstract: Around the world and especially in areas of widespread poverty, firms start thei ... Expand

Abstract: Around the world and especially in areas of widespread poverty, firms start their operations without registering with relevant authorities (i.e., in the informal economy). We explore whether firms that initiated their operations in the informal economy but later register have a higher propensity to export than firms that register at the time of their foundation. We reason that the experience of having operated informally provides formally registered firms with the advantage of low-cost and flexible exploration but also a domestic legitimacy liability. We suggest that these factors likely contribute to making foreign export markets more attractive after registration. Based on a comprehensive sample of sub-Saharan African firms, we find that, conditional on registration, firms with an informal legacy have a higher propensity to initiate exporting than firms that started their operations formally. We contribute with theoretical and policy-oriented insights on the dynamics of informality and exporting. Funding: The work of M. M. Larsen was supported by the Carlsbergfondet [Grant CF17_0384]. Collapse

Topics: financial performance logistics management business model anonymity innovation management

Methods: survey descriptive statistic regression analysis method statistical hypothesis test logistic regression

Theories: theory of abduction transaction cost economics

Competing Affordance Potencies Shaping Data Collection: Case of Humanitarian Organizations

2022 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Vila-Pozo, Marta; Martinez, Rosario; Sahay, Sundeep

Abstract: Individual adoption of technology in humanitarian settings is linked with expec ... Expand

Abstract: Individual adoption of technology in humanitarian settings is linked with expectancies of performance and effort, and users tend to easily default to "whatever works". A deeper understanding of the process of field users' adoption of a new technology is of utmost importance for humanitarian organizations. We used Affordance Potency framework for comparing competing affordances of a mobile based solution with existing paper-based processes, against 4 identified affordances. The mobile solution was deployed in seven inpatient wards of two humanitarian field hospitals during a period of four months. This analysis demonstrated how technology features are as important as it is to be flexible to respond to contextualised work practices. The affordance potency lens helped understand how competing systems can shape the data collection process. A key contribution of this study is the use of affordances from a "competing" lens perspective within the unique context of a humanitarian organization. Collapse

Topics: affordance usability information system use user experience data quality

Methods: qualitative interview group interview participant observation qualitative content analysis literature study

Theories: theory of affordance information systems theory

Modeling and Implementation of a New Negotiation Decision Support System for Conflict Resolution Under Uncertainty

2022 | Group Decision and Negotiation | Citations: 0

Authors: Xu, Haiyan; Han, Yu; Ke, Ginger Y.; Zhu, Jun

Abstract: The dynamic nature of negotiation and decision-making necessitates a flexible ne ... Expand

Abstract: The dynamic nature of negotiation and decision-making necessitates a flexible negotiation decision support system (NDSS) that can systematically investigate real-world strategic conflicts with a wide range of preference information with uncertainty. However, most of the existing decision support system, such as GMCR II under the framework of the graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR), is only capable of handling simple preference. This research develops a new NDSS based on an algebraic representation to implement modeling and analysis for GMCR. More specifically, an algebraic approach using option prioritizing to generate unknown preference is proposed and then implemented to build an efficient and flexible modeling and analysis system. This new system may provide decision makers with valuable strategic insights for negotiations and decisions, especially in dynamic conflict environments. The procedure of applying the proposed theory and system is demonstrated using a South Sudan conflict with unknown preference involving the third-party intervention. Collapse

Topics: structured query language decision support system systems implementation usability

Methods: case study linear optimization theory development