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Applied Ethics for Entrepreneurial Success: Recommendations for the Developing World

2018 Griffiths School of Management Annual Conference (GSMAC) on Business, Entrepreneurship and Ethics

Editors: Sebastian Văduva, Ioan Fotea, Lois P. Văduva, Randolph Wilt

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Book Series : Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Table of Contents

About this book

This proceedings volume examines the impact of ethics on business and entrepreneurship predominantly from the Romanian perspective. Featuring selected contributions from the 2018 Griffiths School of Management Annual Conference (GMSAC) on Business, Entrepreneurship and Ethics, this book investigates the impact of different social phenomena have upon the understanding and applicability of entrepreneurship and ethics, providing lessons for emerging economies.

In emerging economies, entrepreneurship is often times associated with a negative image and entrepreneurs are seen in an unfavorable light. This is due in part to the fact that from a superficial perspective, entrepreneurial behavior does not always amalgamate well with ethical behavior. Entrepreneurship is often perceived as “success at all costs” with little regard to the interest of stakeholder and, sometimes, even the law. On the other hand, ethics are often viewed as metaphysical, having little to do with business, organizational and financial success. In actuality, ethical decisions are a significant part of an organization and ethical behaviors impact organizational culture. Beyond the moral aspects associated with business ethics, companies that practice ethical demeanor are more profitable because investors, employees and consumers seek out companies that engage in fair practices.

Featuring contributions on topics such as medical ethics, business education, consumer behavior and governance, this book provides invaluable research and tools for students, professors, practitioners and policy makers in the field s of business, management, public administration and sociology.

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Millennials Versus Gen Z: Online Shopping Behaviour in an Emerging Market

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to highlight behavioural differences in online shopping via technical devices used by Millennials (Gen Y) and Gen Z in an emerging market. The research was conducted on 1233 respondents from an emerging market using the survey method, in which the working tool was a face-to-face questionnaire administered by volunteers. The results reveal that both generations still prefer shopping in bricks-and-mortar stores to online shopping, while Gen Z mostly prefer shopping online with their smartphones. Gen Y shop online fairly frequently, and services are purchased exclusively online by Gen Z. The present paper contributes to the development of the literature on generational theory, helping retailers to develop offers through the proper targeting of Millennials and Gen Z, and to understand the ways in which good customer experience during the shopping process can be created for young people in an emerging market.

Dan-Cristian Dabija, Lavinia Lung

Chapter 2. Exploring Nursing Team Conflict in Health Care Team Interactions

Abstract

This study uses communication theory to analyze cultural and ethical conflict between team-based nurses. From a health care perspective, floor nurses conveyed stories about conflicts they had experienced during professional teamwork. Analysis of these stories produced a set of conflict themes. While nursing conflict themes are plentiful in the extant literature, limited studies have approached the topic from a communication point of view. This perspective’s strength lies in identifying cultural conflict elements that coincide with organizational and interpersonal theories, thus broaden understanding beyond individual quirks and idiosyncrasies. The paper’s analysis pairs these theories with the themes identified in the nurses’ stories, demonstrating how cultural conflict identification, progression, and possible intervention can impact the larger context of team nursing.

Randolph Wilt

Chapter 3. Indicators System for Quality Assurance in Higher Education Within the Economic Field

Abstract

This paper presents the indicators system for quality assurance in higher education institutions, namely in the economic field. Through the indicators system, the authors highlight the idea that the quality assurance and quality evaluation processes have become one of the most important phenomena of increasing the competitiveness in the academic sector. In fact, the most effective system of performance indicators is the one that accurately reveals the specific objectives of higher education institutions and has been developed taking into account the requirements of the stakeholders. Thus, through this paper the authors develop a series of tools for measuring the institutional performance by considering the data gathered from all the departments within a higher education institution in the economic field and by taking into account the following quality fields: institutional capacity, educational effectiveness and quality management. It is to be noted, that each higher education institution is responsible in defining its own objectives, activities and key performance indicators, next step focusing on placing them in the context of ranking their institutional performance.

Diana Ivana, Mihaela Drăgan, Diana Pitic, Liviu Ilieş

Chapter 4. Is the Employees’ Performance Appraisal Process Different in the Large Romanian Companies? An Empirical Research

Abstract

Knowing more in depth the process of employees’ performance process is important especially because it enables the identification of those characteristics that should be treated with an increased interest in order to improve organizational performance and finally the employees’ motivation and productivity.

The aim of the study is to highlight the key characteristics of the employee performance appraisal process in the Romanian companies using an empirical research based on a sample of 301 employees from micro-enterprises (21.9%), small enterprises (32.9%), medium enterprises (23.6%) and large companies (21.6%). The main research question of the study is: there are some significant differences regarding the employees’ performance evaluation according to the company size? In order to respond to this question, descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis test) were used.

The empirical results revealed that in most companies the evaluation of the employees’ performance is done once per year, the main elements of interest being the quality of work and the knowledge level of the job.

The majority of employees from all kind of companies declared that as a result of the assessments made in the last 3 years, their salary has increased, but the employees from large companies tend to be more satisfied with the results of the evaluations. Asked if they have been led to increase their professional training, only employees from large companies declared that they have participated in internal courses.

Viorel Lefter, Adriana Ana Maria Davidescu, Alexandra Beiu

Chapter 5. Ethical Behavior in Healthcare Organizations

Abstract

As long as in business the goals to be pursued will be profit and efficiency, there will be voices that say there is no medical ethical standardization in all healthcare that can explain these types of objectives. From the medical ethics point of view, the primary goal is attending to the patients’ welfare, no matter the cost or gain. The research was based on the feedback provided by entrepreneurs in healthcare in order to establish where business ethics and medical ethics meet in private medical practices. The aim of this article is to display how the issues of profitability and high quality healthcare merge under the roof of ethics, business and medical alike, in private healthcare organizations, as it is believed that the medical private sector is the one environment in which these two concepts should perfectly interconnect in order to achieve success.

Crina Simona Poruţiu, Ciprian Marcel Pop, Andra Ramona Poruţiu

Chapter 6. Exploring the Identity of Family Businesses and Its Role in Stakeholder Relations in an Emerging Market

Abstract

The identity of family firms is considered by the literature a unique source of competitive advantage in the realm of stakeholders relationship building and relationship marketing, mainly due to the positive perceptions stakeholders hold regarding this model of business (Astrachan and Astrachan, Family business branding: leveraging stakeholder trust. IFB research foundation report 1–43. IFB Research Foundation, London, 2015; Blombäck, Realizing the value of family business identity as corporate brand element—a research model, JIBS working papers. Jönköping International Business School, Jönköping, 2011; Krappe et al., J Fam Bus Manag 1:37–46, 2011). Nevertheless, these positive perceptions need to be activated in the minds of stakeholders in order for them to be part of the decision-making process stakeholders go through and be utilized by them to favor family businesses. A critical step in this activation process is the communication of the family identity from the part of the family firms. Therefore, it is necessary that these businesses act intentionally towards communicating their identity in order to turn on the mental evaluation mechanism that takes into consideration the perceptions regarding the identity of the business which, according to the arguments in the literature has the potential to yield favorable results for family firms.

Although the literature emphasizes the importance of communicating the family identity (Carrigan and Buckley, Int J Cons Stud 32:656–666, 2008; Craig et al., J Small Bus Manag 46:351–371, 2008; Memili et al., J Fam Bus Strat 1:200–209, 2010) the evidences used are mainly conceptual in nature (Blombäck, Realizing the value of family business identity as corporate brand element—a research model, JIBS working papers. Jönköping International Business School, Jönköping, 2011; Krappe et al., J Fam Bus Manag 1:37–46, 2011) and limited in their identification of actual practices taken by family firms to communicate their identity (Botero et al., J Fam Bus Strat 4:12–21, 2013).

Using the content analysis methodology this study reviews the websites of 365 family owned businesses in Romania and analyzes the approach taken by these businesses in regard to their family identity and the communication of this identity via the company’s official website.

Silvia Fotea, Ioan Gh. Pop, Ioan Fotea

Chapter 7. FDI Motivations in CEE Countries. The Role of Governance Ethics

Abstract

We revisit the topic of FDI motivations for the Central and Eastern European region, taking into account the different levels of economic development of the source countries. Our modelling setup includes fixed effects panel models, relying on data specific to five CEE states in the 2003–2012 period. In this context, we investigate the significance of a wide set of FDI determinants categorized according to a motive-based taxonomy, evidencing a vivid interest for the impact raised by the good governance of the host countries. We find that, in general, investors from emerging countries are market-oriented and target locations with strategic resources in their quest to harness benefits and skills. On the opposite spectrum, investors from developed economies select host countries on the basis of the potential of transferring and using technology and on the basis of endowment with strategic-assets. As compared to other types of determinants, we notice the fact that variables pointing to good governance are significant for investors from emerging markets, but overlooked by those in developing countries. We conclude that investors located in countries with different levels of economic development have distinct investing motivations. Those originating from emerging countries display a market-seeking behaviour and asset-augmenting motivations, while those from developed countries are rather asset-exploiting interested, being attracted by market opportunities and efficient and strategic-assets abundant host locations.

Oana Cristina Popovici, Adrian Cantemir Călin

Chapter 8. Customer Focus in European Higher Education Systems

Abstract

This article looks at the idea and practice of “customer focus” in higher education. As a global trend with origins in the business and corporate world, customer focus has come to increasingly shape public services worldwide. Influenced by business thinking, terminology, and practices, governmental organizations across policy areas have used customer focus to reform public services in order to bring them closer to the demands and expectations of their users. The paper particularly analyzes changes in customer focus understanding and its implications for the European higher education policies. The aim of the article is to contribute to a better conceptualization and policy understanding of this growing approach to higher education reform.

Diana Ivana, Sorin Dan, Oana Cristina Popovici

Chapter 9. Exploring Omnichannel Retailing Differences and Preferences Among Consumer Generations

Abstract

This chapter discusses differences and preferences among consumer generations, e.g. ‘Baby Boomers’, ‘Generation X’, ‘Generation Y’ (Millennials) and ‘Generation Z’, regarding their use of omnichannel retailing including their purchase and fulfilment needs, willingness to use this format, attitudes and behaviors, and subsequent effects on their satisfaction and loyalty. The development of omnichannel and fulfilment strategies is of increasing concern for international retailers. However, strategic challenges go beyond just targeting consumers via various communication and distribution channels to include the ongoing development and integrated management of such strategies to foster appropriate online purchasing and fulfilment and two-way communication with target generations for mutual data and information exchange. A systematic literature review was undertaken of omnichannel’s theoretical and practical dimensions and its relation to consumer generations. Subsequent analysis found consumer willingness to accept omnichannel options grows over time of use and that use is highly dependent on age moving through generations from Baby Boomers through Generations X, Y and Z. Suggestions for strategic development of these generational segments and fulfilment applications were lacking and this chapter concludes with suggestions for future research and practical applications in expanded strategic areas to address this gap and enable retailers to better meet generational needs and provide appropriate purchase and fulfilment strategies to increase satisfaction and loyalty.

Iulia Diana Popa, Dan-Cristian Dabija, David B. Grant

Chapter 10. New Perspectives in Performance Management: Appraising Employees Based on Computer Usage Patterns

Abstract

With or without their will, all nowadays organizations are involved in the daily quest for improving their organizational performance. Just as true, all organizations realize that people, their knowledge and skills are the most valuable resource an organization has. As a result, many of the organizational efforts are focused on enhancing the performance level of their own individuals and teams on efficiently assigning and evaluating work, on providing correct performance feedback for all employees, on determining complementary training and development needs and finally on distributing rewards based on meritocracy.

In such a context, the present article focuses on a new method for evaluating employees’ performances, based on technology driven indicators. The genesis of the article binds on an analytical research started in the context of the finding that the vast majority of employees of today’s modern organizations use the computer in their day-to-day work. As such, the use of computers facilitates capturing the entire activity of the employee for longer periods of time, so the captured information can be carefully analyzed in order to spot patterns which could have potentially driven the top performers’ results.

The aim of the research is to find a way to apply the patterns found in top performers’ behavior to all the other employees and analyses the gapping data trying to propose ways to either improve their performance, or simply reduce the gap between them and the top performers.

Gelu Ionel Vac, Mihai Florin Talpos

Title: Applied Ethics for Entrepreneurial Success: Recommendations for the Developing World
Editors: Sebastian Văduva
Ioan Fotea
Lois P. Văduva
Randolph Wilt
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-030-17215-2
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-17214-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17215-2