Data thefts have increased in frequency and cause a loss of customer trust and business. Previous research has studied how the public assigns blame for the crime, and how this affects the likelihood that the public will revisit the firm. In addition, the negative emotional response of the public to data breaches has been frequently studied. However, previous research has been inconclusive on whether frequent shoppers will be more likely to shift blame away from the business, and whether they will be more likely to return. Our survey of 315 individuals provides insight into how frequent customers differ from the general public. Specifically, the relationship between placing greater proportion of blame on data breach victims (relative to the hacked business) and revisit intention is moderated by prior shopping intensity. Those who placed greater blame on the data breach victims were more likely to return to the breached business. Frequent shoppers are indeed more likely to return to the breached business. We put this result in context with the literature on customer loyalty, and recommend that businesses monitor public sentiment carefully and match their crisis response to their target customer audience.

Extant research on data breach events primarily focus on the information technology lapses and delayed financial outcomes with less emphasis on the behavior of consumers. Essentially, current research prioritizes the "what" of data breaches, largely ignoring the question of "why." Our research seeks to fill a gap in the research design of prior studies on data breaches and customer behaviors by considering the customer emotions of anger and fear. While prior research has focused on anger due to its contagious nature, our results demonstrate that fear is the most influential emotion leading to changed behavior and/or lower revisit intentions. This article employs text and sentiment analysis of consumer responses to a data breach event to determine emotional response and revisit intentions. We find that angry customers may vent but will return with no meaningful change in their behavior. Unlike prior research, we also focus on fear and find that fearful customers retreat and disengage, behaving differently from angry customers. Managerial implications of this research illustrate the need to address fearful customers differently after a data breach to avoid reduced firm interactions and withdrawal behavior as opposed to merely reducing anger in the media as hitherto suggested.

This research examines the interactions between open innovation (OI) strategies and competitive behavior in global automotive assemblers and suppliers. We show that these firms behave differently when engaging external networks to limit downside risks when dealing with competitors (and rivals). Specifically, we find that firms cross external firm boundaries for incremental, but not radical technology projects using nominal external links. Our results are aligned with emerging innovation trends in the auto industry where the locus of innovation has evolved upstream in the digital age, from final assemblers to suppliers. This study provides support for a theory to explain inter-firm competitive dynamics within OI contexts. In particular, it provides an explanation for boundary selection criteria when engaged in OI projects. We conclude with implications for theory and practice and provide guidance for potential future research.

An extension of the dynamic capabilities model is evaluated in a rapidly changing and complex context: the global automotive sector. This industry is undergoing significant change to improve sustainable performance (e.g., alternative power train technologies with less pollution and better energy performance) responding to more stringent regulations and changing locus of innovation (i.e., suppliers investing more in R&D). Using a comparative and validated sample of 104 R&D projects in the U.S. and China, five hypotheses are tested and supported: 1) dynamic capabilities are significantly related to R&D project success, mediated by strategic intent (H1); 2) dynamic capabilities and resources operate independently and significantly in a model to predict sustainable R&D project success (H2); 3) for the U.S. data (a mature economy), there is a significant relationship between technology novelty and dynamic capabilities (H3), but not for the Chinese data, as predicted (H4); and 4) the Chinese economy does not experience the slowdown encountered in the U.S. economy (H5), but Chinese R&D is dominated by incremental improvements of existing products. These results sustain and clarify the differences in the dynamic capabilities model in mature and emerging economies for the global automotive industry.

The entrepreneurship proclivities of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community are under-researched or often grouped together into the broad disability literature. This study represents the first effort in developing a framework for deaf entrepreneurship. It departs from prior work by employing a mixed method study to examine the drivers, career motivations and prevalence of entrepreneurial activity of the deaf community in the United States. Building on the nascent entrepreneurship disability literature, this research develops and tests a deaf entrepreneurship framework. Results indicate that entrepreneurship in the deaf community is limited, primarily driven by push-oriented motivations–tightly linked to unique contextual factors. It also finds that the dynamics of entrepreneurship in the deaf community differ substantially from the existing disability entrepreneurship literature revealing the need for different policies. Implications for theory and policy along with directions for future research are discussed.

Purpose This research aims to classify and describe food festivals and examine the patterns in food festival naming and festival descriptions in online media. Design/methodology/approach This research represents the first population-level empirical examination of food festivals in the United States using a purpose-built dataset (N = 2,626). Methodology includes text mining to examine food festival communications. Findings Food festival size varies across local and regional spheres within the country. Food festivals employ geographical (place-, destination-based) associations in their names. Food festivals' descriptions and online communications showcase a welcoming environment predominantly emphasizing family-oriented and live entertainment experiences. Food festivals across the country show common naming patterns based on the elements of longevity, recurrence, location name, brand name, geographic scope, theme, and occasion. Originality/value The study makes an original contribution to the theory and practice by identifying festival forms, styles, functions, and their diversity. A population level examination of food festivals does not currently exist. Therefore, this research will serve as a foundation for scholarly work in the future and as a benchmark for evaluating current and future research.

Purpose Underpinned by the consumer-based model of authenticity (CBA), this study aims to investigate whether leisure involvement, object-based and existential authenticity, host sincerity and engagement stimulate positive memorable visitor experiences in a distinctive commercial hospitality setting: a living history site. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative data were gathered from living history site visitors (n = 1,004), with partial least squares structural equation modeling used to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings The results confirm the inclusion of the hypothesized relationships between leisure involvement, sincerity and authenticity, relative to engagement and subsequent memorability. The findings suggest that engagement can be a predictor of a positive memorable experience, contingent on CBA constructs (sincerity; object-based authenticity; existential authenticity). The significant association between object-based authenticity and memorable experience identified herein differs from some published studies, while other results are broadly consistent with extant research. Results also reveal significant differences for visitors who purchased souvenirs when compared to those who did not. Research limitations/implications The research extends the CBA by positing sincere hospitality as a relationship-based encounter between host and guest that influences social interaction, engagement and memorability within the novel living history site context. Further, the ability to differentiate visitors based on their purchases at the site is illustrated. Originality/value Given the ubiquity of engagement and authenticity as precursors to memorable experiences within contemporary commercial hospitality and heritage discourses, the findings apply to hospitality experiences beyond the living history site context examined herein.

PurposeEmphasizing the role of residents as destination advocates, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of residents’ familiarity with, and, favorability of attractions on destination image.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods research strategy was employed using 15 individual in-depth interviews and a survey questionnaire with a sample ofn=364. The study utilizes an attraction familiarity index to classify respondents into four groups based on high, average, and low familiarity and examines the characteristics of each in the relationship between informational familiarity, experiential familiarity, and favorability and destination image.FindingsThe study reveals resident perceptions of attractions within the tourism product assembly framework and illustrates the positive relationship between the residents’ level of familiarity with, and favorability of visitor attractions and destination image. Further, the findings also demonstrate the significant role of demographic characteristics such as gender and length of residency in the area. The study findings suggest that temporary residents can function as destination advocates.Research limitations/implicationsEmployees and students from a prominent northeastern university were sampled, representing local residents and temporary residents respectively. While appropriate and fairly representative of the target market for the research questions in this investigation, more work is required to replicate this study utilizing representative samples across different locations.Practical implicationsEvidence from the study indicates the importance of marketing to residents as they serve as destination advocates. In particular, the residents’ familiarity with and favorability of attractions is critical to positive destination image. The research offers insights into the identification of potential segments of residents that require special attention.Originality/valueLimited existing research investigates the role of residents as destination advocates, especially in the context of destinations that lack a primary tourism attraction but have a well-balanced mix of attractions.

We explore the interplay between social currency (SC) and consumer engagement on social networks. We use text analyses based on both human coding and machine learning asisted sentiment analysis on reviews collected from Facebook pages, and we show that SC has a positive effect on ratings and visitor loyalty. First, we find that attractions have varying makeup of SC as represented in the six dimensions of SC. Second, repeat visits increase SC. Third, SC positively impacts revisit intentions even in the absence of prior experience. We also find that prior experience does not appear to yield better ratings, however, it predicts revisit intentions. This study represents the first use of SC in the tourism domain. Theoretical and practical implications alongside limitations and future research are discussed.

This study presents preliminary results on the influence of executive capital on incremental and radical growth expectations using pilot data from forty-two working Chinese MBA students. Executive capital corresponds to individual traits that contribute to a manager’s ability to enable value creation. Regression analysis results suggest that the form of expected growth is dependent upon a manager’s social (bonding tie diversity), psychological (risk propensity), intellectual (productmarket familiarity), and economic (organizational slack) capital. Understanding the effects of executive capital on business growth expectations provides direction for managers particularly those in emerging economies. These initial results also offer possibilities for future research. INTRODUCTION AND CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT After nearly forty years of reform and opening-up policy, China is the world’s second largest economy. Through an exploitative strategy that leveraged technological knowledge and products from foreign partners, Chinese firms were able to exert a low cost advantage to produce competitive products and eventual international success (Yu et al. 2015). However, with China’s latecomer strategy, technology transfer continues to flow from west to east in support of productivity and mass production rather than technologies that support innovation and new products (Altenburg, et al. 2008; Guan et al. 2006; Hu and Mathews 2008; Kriz 2010; Xie and White 2006). China is now striving to change its image from “Made in China” to “Created in China”. In the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), innovation is defined as the primary driver of development and is positioned at the core of the national growth strategy with enterprises assigned leading roles as the source of innovation. However, with continual reliance on exploitation of existing alternatives hindering exploration strategies (Levinthal and March 1993; Piao and Zajac 2016), Chinese firms are in need of reverse momentum from incremental (take share from existing competitors) to radical (invest in new products for new markets) growth strategies. Considering these realities, adoption of corporate entrepreneurship (Ireland et al., 2009) is critical for Chinese enterprises. While research has long sought to understand the influence of managerial characteristics on business outcomes (Hambrick and Mason 1984), “the psychological and social processes by which executive profiles are converted into strategic choices still remain largely a mystery—the proverbial black box.” (Hambrick 2007, p. 337). Recent research has begun to reveal the human and social influences of Chinese top managers on innovation (Cao et al. 2015; Chen et al. 2015; Chung et al. 2015; Ding et al. 2015; Lau et al. 2008; Lin et al. 2011; Luo and Hassan 2009; Ma et al. 2009; Wang et al. 2015; Wei and Ling 2015). With managers regulating opportunities available to the firm (Penrose 1959) and serving as a microfoundation for strategic flexibility and business performance (Helfat and Peteraf 2015; Nadkarni and Herrmann 2010), this paper seeks to answer the following research question: How does executive capital (social, psychological, intellectual and economic) affect business growth strategy? In addressing this question, the paper tests hypotheses, using pilot data from working Chinese MBA students, to examine the relationship of executive capital (i.e., individual traits–either acquired or innate–that contribute to a manager’s ability to enable value creation) on the form of expected growth. Social capital describes the relational assets that can be used to mobilize resources (Adler and Kwon 2002; Nahapiet and Ghoshal 1998). Bonding tie diversity, as an element of a manager’s social capital, measures the variety of a manager’s social ties with organizational members across departments upon which the manager interacts with for strategically valuable information and resources (Cao et al. 2015). Tapping into perspectives and resources throughout the firm increases executive awareness and provides a sense of how well decisions will be supported, as demanded by more radical forms of growth. H1A: The lower the bonding tie diversity, the greater the expected growth in market share. H1B: The greater the bonding tie diversity, the greater the expected growth in new business.

Facebook is used by over 1 billion highly heterogeneous users each month. However, there exists little guidance for marketers when it comes to actionable consumer engagement strategies for this social media platform. The purpose of this article is to profile key segments of Facebook users and build an implementable marketing strategy framework that can help marketers better target their Facebook consumers, and better craft their marketing mix and Facebook campaigns. Based on focus group interviews and a qualitative survey, four distinct types of Facebook users are identified and profiled: attention seekers, devotees, connection seekers and entertainment chasers. Correspondingly, a four-segment marketing strategy framework is proposed to guide content creation and engage consumers in thriving Facebook brand communities.

Despite a large and growing literature on the subject, little is understood about the phenomenon of small business growth. Specifically, the small business growth literature has often emphasized "why" opposed to "how" firms grow. This chapter sheds light on this black box of growth by investigating the phases of planning and implementation processes separately to explore the choice of strategic expansion modes. It examines a much under-researched firm category: declining small firms. Employing a three-year longitudinal study using a multi-case study method, we find that while growth approaches are typically contextually (industry) derived, formalized planning greatly affects implementation. Further, resources are the key mediating variable between formal planning and implementation – firms with slack resources will typically implement their contextually influenced planned growth course, and firms with inadequate resources will typically implement through interactive learning, which causes them to downscale the growth plans or exit the market (merger or sale).

Muthén and Asparouhov introduced an approach for conducting Bayesian inference in the context of structural equation models that they termed Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM). In this article, we provide an overview of the BSEM technique, illustrate how this technique relates to confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, and highlight several key problems with using the BSEM approach as it is currently advocated. Utilizing data from a large-scale study of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, we develop a modified approach for applying the BSEM technique in a manner that is more consistent with accepted principles of reflective measurement, factor analysis, and model selection. We devise a series of recommendations to guide future use of the BSEM technique to help ensure that mainstream use of this approach heralds the coming of a new day in measurement development rather than a false dawn.

Members of the Millennial Generation (‘millennials’) are strongly attached to their smartphones and engrossed in social media. They frequently post pictures and tweet about the products they like and buy. Consequently, established consumer brands unable to master the use of Twitter and other social media are likely to lose their ability to communicate with this generation. This article reports findings from a study of millennials’ Twitter usage and presents the concept of brand entification as the next evolutionary stage of brand personality made possible by this social media. Brand entification refers to a distinct emotional and cognitive attachment between heavy-Twitter-using millennials and the brands they like, and to a unique set of attributions they make toward the brand. Herein, we explain the nature of brand entification, describe how it emerges, and distill some key lessons for brand managers interested in reaching Twitter-using millennials.

The authors discuss the use of social media such as the microblogging web service Twitter by brands attempting to communicate with followers, arguing that many members of the millennial generation are forming new relationships with brands through their consumption experiences as of 2014. The coffee restaurant company Starbucks Corp. is mentioned.

This study explores the strategic growth plans and outcomes of twenty-two small businesses located in an economically disadvantaged area in the U.S. Our sample of firms is provide unique insight in that these companies were not fast-growing, equity-backed new ventures. Instead, the companies we analyzed were what could be characterized as “asperational average joes” - slower growth organizations which have professed a desire and strategic intent at the highest management level to grow — and in many cases grow rapidly. While analyzing the growth choices of small businesses, it still remains to be seen what influences a certain firm to select a certain method of growth. Our research helps extend the limited body of knowledge in this area. Specifically, we investigate the role of strategic growth planning in guiding the firm towards its growth aspirations.

In this paper, we examine the fundamental process and production innovations in the digital business industry through the lens of the six facets model of technology management. The model is applied to process and product innovation at both the firm and industry level for the first time, offering insight into the digital business industry and also into how process and product innovations can be managed in an industry facing high levels of technological change. We use case histories of two digital businesses, one in the US and one in China, to provide greater generalizability of our findings.

While Facebook usage has seen explosive growth, scant research has explored returns on advertising dollars marketers invest in this emerging medium. Our two-stage study of 18- to 25-year-old college students suggests that many of the advertising dollars consumer goods firms spend on Facebook are likely wasted. This study highlights that, in addition to staying in touch with friends and relatives, Facebook users are primarily motivated by three desires: (1) to voyeuristically peer into others’ lives, (2) to create a distinctive identity for themselves, and (3) to act on their inner narcissistic tendencies. These motivations also make them poor prospects for advertisers, as users seem disinterested in Facebook ads and disengaged from marketers’ attempts to build brands. Herein, we discuss challenges for marketers, as well as opportunities for building brands and driving sales via Facebook.