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It is a class research question about how trust and perceived benefit affect consumers' purchase intentions. This research examines the relationship in a very different context: consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce in China. Specifically, this research empirically assesses the differences in effect size due to the change of context. First, a theoretical model linking trust, perceived benefit, and their antecedents to purchase intention is developed upon the literature. Then the model is evaluated using empirical data collected at Taobao, the largest C2C e-commerce website in China. Partial least squares based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) results strongly support the model and research hypotheses. A developing country context can indeed affect the strength of effect. These results contribute to the literature in that they provide new insights toward a more in-depth theoretical understanding. Meanwhile, they can also provide useful guidance for managers.

In an increasingly digitalized economy, e-commerce firms are known to internationalize with a greater scope than offline firms. However, it is important to analyze how their geographic scope depends on intangible resources acquired over time and whether their exploitation is affected by country-specific boundaries. The authors propose a theory-based framework to analyze the relationship between e-commerce firms’ intangible resources and geographic scope. Importantly, they apply multilevel modeling with cross-level interactions to provide insights into the role of country-specific moderators, i.e., rule of law, degree of country development, and logistics performance. The authors use data on 263 leading e-commerce firms in Europe and 2,632 market entries over 24 years. The results show that some e-commerce firms have a wider geographic scope than others due to specific intangible resources. However, these relationships change depending on the moderators, which explain country-specific variances differently. The findings have direct implications for managers interested in understanding how resources affect online geographic scope.

Higher-education institutions are increasingly embracing digital transformation to meet the evolving expectations of students, academics, and administrators. The smart campus paradigm offers a strategic framework for this shift, yet most existing assessment models originate from high-income contexts and remain largely untested in the Global South, where infrastructural and technological conditions differ substantially. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the contextual relevance of a comprehensive smart campus assessment framework at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUoT). A questionnaire survey of 278 participants—students and staff—was conducted using a 5-point Likert scale to assess the perceived importance of performance indicators across four key dimensions: Smart Economy, Smart Society, Smart Environment, and Smart Governance. A hybrid methodology combining the Best–Worst Method (BWM) and Public Opinion (PO) data was used to prioritise framework components. The research hypothesises that contextual factors predominantly influence the framework’s relevance in developing countries and asks: To what extent is the smart campus assessment framework relevant and adaptable in the Global South? The study aims to measure the framework’s relevance and identify contextual influences shaping its application. The findings confirm its overall applicability while revealing significant variations in stakeholder priorities, emphasising the need for context-sensitive and adaptable assessment tools. This research contributes to the refinement of smart campus frameworks and supports more inclusive and responsive digital transformation strategies in developing country higher education institutions.

PurposeDue to the changes in organizational, social, cultural and technological factors, companies from different contexts are shifting towards open forms of strategy-making with more widened inclusion of internal and external actors and greater transparency regarding their strategic issues, including their internationalization processes. The purpose of this paper is to understand how Open Strategizing occurs in the accelerated process of internationalization considering different contexts.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a qualitative comparative case study in Brazilian and English technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which rapidly internationalized. Furthermore, data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and documental analysis.FindingsThe authors suggest that openness contributes to the accelerated process of internationalization. Additionally, the authors show that the home-country and the national cultural contexts affect openness. The authors also disclose openness as crucial and inherent to the accelerated process of internationalization, while context is relevant but not determinant in the Open Strategizing.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to Open Strategy (OS) literature by presenting how Open Strategizing unfolds daily during the internationalization process and by evidencing the role of home-country and national cultural contexts in the configuration and dynamics of Open Strategizing. The authors also contribute to the international entrepreneurship (IE) literature by advancing the understanding of the strategies and drivers adopted by technology-based SMEs internationalizing in an accelerated way.

This study examines gender inequalities in the degree of engagement in social clubs of older people and how women’s participation relates to their empowerment at the country level. Combined individual-level data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and country-level data from the Women’s Political Empowerment Index (WPEI) are used in analyzing 41,185 non-working individuals aged 65–84 across 19 countries. Multilevel regression analyses are conducted to address these aims. We detect notable between-country variations in levels of participation. Substantial differences in the WPEI reflect marked contextual cross-country differences in gender equality. In roughly half of the 19 countries, no gender differences in social club participation are detected; however, women are more likely to participate in social clubs in the more gender-egalitarian countries of France, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, whereas in three countries – Italy, Czech Republic and Croatia – more men than women participate in social clubs. Cross-country gender differences in social club participation point to the importance of cultural factors in influencing opportunities for active ageing.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to offer deeper insight into the relationship between a subsidiary's internal integration in its manufacturing network and subsidiary-level operational performance by taking into account the country context of the respective subsidiary. Design/methodology/approach - Subsidiary-level information is gathered using the sixth round of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey, thus including 507 subsidiaries from 22 countries. Country context is operationalised using the Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum. Findings - The findings reveal that internal integration has a positive influence on operational performance improvement. Country context acts as a moderator on this relationship: subsidiaries in less developed countries are only able to improve their effectiveness (quality, flexibility, delivery), while developed country subsidiaries gain both effectiveness and efficiency (cost, time) benefits from internal integration. Research limitations/implications - The unit of analysis is the knowledge-receiving subsidiary without taking the characteristics of the sending unit or that of the whole network of subsidiaries into account. Based on the context-dependency of the integration-performance relationship found in this paper, a future research agenda is proposed including further factors (absorptive capacity, knowledge complementarity, organisational practices) that could influence this relationship. Practical implications - Subsidiary managers in less developed countries should strive to acquire intra-network knowledge related to effectiveness, while managers in developed countries can expect both efficiency and effectiveness benefits. Originality/value - A large-scale survey encompassing subsidiaries from both emerging and developed countries is used to offer deeper insight into the relationship between internal integration and performance. The paper provides a possible explanation for previous mixed findings on this relationship. The differentiation between efficiency and effectiveness performance shows that country context represents an important factor that moderates the integration-performance relationship.

This study provides in-depth analyses of how country contexts along with working conditions might relate to teachers’ turnover intentions. Using a large sample of teachers and schools from 32 OECD countries, the study estimates a set of three-level HLM models of turnover intention. The findings reveal that teacher turnover intentions vary significantly across countries and across schools within countries. This variation is a function of teacher-, school-, and country-level factors. The analysis of cross-level interactions indicates that the country contexts might have moderated the nature or strength of the relationships between working conditions and teacher turnover intention.

Purpose This paper aims to characterise the “social” in social entrepreneurship (SE) by examining social value creation (SVC) from the perspective of vulnerable beneficiaries within a developing country context. It uses the lens of care ethics to garner insights into SVC based on what beneficiaries care about in their work engagement with social enterprises. Design/methodology/approach The exploratory paper implements a multiple case study approach to theory building, which considers the rich, real-life developing country context wherein much SVC occurs. Data collection primarily uses in-depth interviews with beneficiaries in accordance with socially sensitive research methodologies involving vulnerable participants. Findings The findings offer an ethical view of SVC that is premised on what is of value to beneficiaries in SE. The authors find that SVC is a multi-dimensional and reciprocal process that is shaped as beneficiaries work for social enterprises. The reciprocal nature of the process engenders beneficiary altruism, which may heighten vulnerability and lead to the dark side of SE. Social implications Many of the problems SE tries to address are situated in developing countries. The findings may enable social entrepreneurs, policymakers and social enterprise organisations to develop more responsive and more impactful solutions to social problems in developing countries. They further suggest that beneficiaries must not be looked upon merely as passive recipients of value but as active participants in the SVC process. Originality/value This paper contributes to critical SE discourse by giving voice to beneficiaries in SE.

Studies on the construction industries in the developing countries started in the 1960s. The aspects of the subject studied include the key components of the industries, focusing on the problems they were deemed to be facing and what should be done to develop the industries and enhance their performance. There have been arguments on whether it is appropriate to study the industries in developing countries with concepts and methods developed for industries in different contexts. This short paper contributes to this debate. It is suggested that, after nearly six decades of research, there is now an established subject of knowledge on the \"construction industry in developing countries\". It is argued that the context of the industry in developing countries means that more work should be done to modify the existing body of knowledge. Some possible areas where new thinking is evident are outlined.

Orientation: Continuous innovation and knowledge sharing have become the linchpin of contemporary organisations, especially universities. Universities thus need to create a conducive organisational culture to enable innovation and knowledge sharing.Research purpose: This study aimed to contribute empirically to an understanding of how an innovative university can be realised in a developing country context.Motivation for the study: As innovation and knowledge sharing remain a challenge for most southern African universities, this article provides a theoretical and empirical understanding of the positive influence of organisational culture on these variables.Research approach/design and method: The study followed a survey design. A structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of 277 university staff members. A total of 195 questionnaires were collected for data analysis, yielding a response rate of 70.39%. Data were interpreted using descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modelling to analyse the relationship between the variables.Main findings: The results indicated that the university under investigation had a dominant rational or clan culture orientation. A significant relationship was found between organisational culture and innovation and organisational culture and knowledge sharing.Practical/managerial implications: The study proposes that innovation and knowledge sharing can best be realised within an adhocracy culture. Strategic priorities were proposed to the management of the university to enhance the pervasiveness of these variables.Contribution/value-add: The study provides empirical evidence of the positive effect of organisational culture on innovation and knowledge sharing, confirming that organisational culture is a predictor of both innovation and knowledge sharing.