Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between international diversification (ID) and performance at different levels of ID in the Indian corporate sector. Design/methodology/approach To analyse the relationship between ID and corporate performance, the study employs two statistical techniques as Random Effects Panel Regression and Two-Stage Least Squares Regression on a sample of 418 Indian corporates over the time period from 2009-10 to 2017-18. Findings The results depict that the relationship between ID and corporate performance takes the form of a horizontal s-shaped curve where the performance declines at low level of ID, improves at moderate level of ID and deteriorates at high level of ID. Originality/value The study provides valuable insights into how Indian companies can leverage strategies of ID effectively to enhance performance. Much of the prior research has predominantly focused on developed economies. The current work explores how this relationship evolves in emerging markets, where firms are increasingly engaging in international expansion but remain under-examined in this context. Since the study employs more than one statistical technique, it establishes the robustness of the study.
Purpose Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are digital systems that enhance patient care by integrating established clinical knowledge with real-time patient information. Yet, CDSS face persistent challenges in achieving widespread adoption by physicians. This study seeks to deepen the understanding of general practitioners' (GPs) adoption behaviour by integrating micro-level determinants, namely the perceived support of GPs' professional identity and social influence with macro-level determinants of national culture. Design/methodology/approach This quantitative study used repeated cross-sectional data from 27 European countries. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the effects of perceived support of professional identity, social influence and national culture on CDSS adoption by European GPs. Findings The findings from SEM suggest that GPs' perceptions of the support of their professional identity and of social influence as well as the values and beliefs of their national culture affect their adoption of CDSS, and that the effects of perceived support of professional identity and social influence are mediated by values and beliefs of national culture. Originality/value This study contributes to cross-cultural and information systems (IS) adoption research by addressing gaps in institutional theory and health IS (HIS) adoption. It examines both micro-level determinants (i.e., professional identity and social influence) and macro-level cultural factors as normative and cognitive institutional influences, offering a multi-level perspective on CDSS adoption. Using the updated Minkov–Hofstede model, the research provides a modern framework for understanding cultural effects on digital technology adoption. Furthermore, it disentangles the distinct mediation mechanisms through which cultural values shape the effects of professional identity and social influence on CDSS adoption.
Purpose Peer evaluations are widely used to assess individual contributions in teamwork, yet they are often shaped by biases rather than objective performance alone. Drawing on person–person fit theory, we examine both supplementary fit and complementary fit between evaluators and evaluatees in cross-cultural collaboration. Design/methodology/approach Using 7,513 dyad–time observations from 488 cross-cultural teams, we develop a dynamic multilevel model to examine how supplementary fit and complementary fit influence peer evaluations over time. Findings Greater supplementary fit in English proficiency, managerial experience, enjoyment and gender-equality orientation is associated with higher peer evaluations. In contrast, lower fit in international experience is associated with higher evaluations, consistent with complementary fit. We find no interaction between supplementary and complementary fit. The positive effects of supplementary fit weaken in larger teams but strengthen over time, whereas the positive effect of complementary fit becomes stronger in larger teams and remains stable over time. Originality/value This study extends the person-person fit theory literature by applying it to peer evaluations in cross-cultural collaboration. We contextualize supplementary fit and complementary fit variables within a single framework and demonstrate how their effects vary across teams and over time.
Purpose This paper aims to address a gap in ethical leadership research by examining the culturally specific mechanism through which Confucian ethical leadership (CEL) influences corporate innovation – a domain where Western-dominated studies have underexplored the unique contributions of Eastern ethical traditions. Design/methodology/approach The study constructs a conceptual framework for CEL that bridges Western paradigms while highlighting its distinctiveness. It proposes a moderated mediation model in which social-environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) mediates the CEL–innovation relationship and customer-oriented CSR moderates the direct effect of CEL on innovation. Data were collected from 151 case samples of Confucian-oriented firms in China using a case survey method, and PROCESS Model 5 with 5,000 bootstrap samples was employed for hypothesis testing. Findings The results demonstrate a significant positive effect of CEL on corporate innovation. Social-environmental CSR functions as a partial mediator, channeling CEL's influence into outcomes, while customer-oriented CSR acts as a positive moderator, strengthening the direct effect of CEL on innovation. This establishes a culturally distinct model for innovation that diverges from established Western frameworks. Originality/value This study proposes the concept of CEL as a “moral strategist,” embedding Confucian ethics into strategic decision-making to drive innovation through CSR. Unlike Western ethical leadership, which often emphasizes psychological processes or organizational climates, CEL fosters innovation through culturally rooted mechanisms centered on relational harmony and societal welfare. By contrasting these approaches, the study offers theoretical understanding of the ethical leadership-innovation nexus and contributes to cross-cultural ethical leadership research, offering insights for culturally adaptive innovation governance in global business contexts.
Purpose-This study aims to examine how transformational leadership (TL) and authoritarian leadership (AL) relate to family firms' entrepreneurial orientation (EO), specifically innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking and whether these relationships vary across cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach-The study uses survey data from 2,439 family-business leaders in 70 countries. The model is estimated using PLS-SEM, followed by multi-group comparisons across five cultural clusters. Findings-TL is positively associated with innovativeness and proactiveness in all profiles and, unexpectedly, with risk-taking-especially in high-uncertainty-avoidant or short-term-oriented settings (e.g. France/Japan; India/Saudi Arabia). AL is positively related to proactiveness and risk-taking in most profiles and enhances innovativeness in long-term, hierarchical East/Southeast Asian contexts (e.g. China/Singapore). Research limitations/implications-We expand on upper echelons theory by opening the black box in family firms. We move beyond identifying outcomes to showing the internal mechanisms through which leadership styles are shaped and filtered by family dynamics. In doing so, we offer a more context-sensitive theoretical interpretation of how leaders' characteristics translate into strategic behaviors in family firms. Practical implications-The findings suggest that family-firm boards and decision-makers should align leadership approaches with cultural conditions. TL can support innovativeness and proactiveness across contexts, whereas AL may facilitate coordinated action and risk-taking in settings where hierarchy and clear authority are culturally accepted. Social implications-Given that family businesses are the most prominent organization worldwide, understanding how they remain competitive is crucial to their regional economies. Originality/value-The study positions leadership style as an antecedent of EO in family firms and identifies culture-specific boundary conditions for these relationships. In doing so, it extends upper echelons theory beyond demographic proxies by emphasizing leadership behavior and cultural context.
