Steven Si

Comparative Study on Impact of Internal and External CFFs on SMEs

Abstract The failure rate of small business is alazmingly high in Pakistan. Researchers and policy makers are searching the ways and means to minimize it. The aim of this study is to examine the factors causing the failure of SMEs by collecting primary data from 119 respondents working in SME sector in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) Pakistan through a questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to present the empirical data. Despite its pazamount significance, there are few studies on this issue in Pakistan. This study attempts to fill this gap. Most of the studies on critical failure factors (CFFs) have discussed all CFFs jointly. However, in this study, CFFs are divided in two categories internal and external CFFs and their impact on SMEs failure were checked. The study also proposed solutions to overcome these failure factors.

Harmonizing model with transfer tax on water pollution across regional boundaries in a China’s lake basin

This paper presents a bilevel programming framework for a harmonizing model with transfer tax (HMTT) on water pollution across regional boundaries of a lake basin in China, where the administrator is the upper-level decision maker and individual regions consisting of the lake basin are the lower-level decision makers (followers). Leader’s cost is the total pollution reduction cost, whereas each region selfishly minimizes its own cost including reduction cost and transfer cost, given the transfer tax rate imposed by the leader. The HMTT guarantees that the imposed environmental quality standard is met through the transfer tax. Based on the KKT conditions of an auxiliary problem, we obtain that the solution set of the HMTT is nonempty. An algorithm is proposed, with the convergence result, to compute the cost-minimized transfer tax rate along with the reduction quantities of individual regions. Theoretical analysis and a case study for China’s Taihu Lake Basin show that the HMTT is superior to the current model of proportional share of pollution reduction (MPSPR). The HMTT not only solves the problem of conflicts over water pollution across regional boundaries but also utilizes the resources of the lake basin more efficiently.

Psychological Contract Breach, Negative Reciprocity, and Abusive Supervision: The Mediated Effect of Organizational Identification (心理契约破裂、负向互惠与管理欺凌：组织认同的中介作用研究)

Previous research has indicated that abusive supervision negatively influences various organizational outcomes. However, the antecedents and psychological mechanisms of abusive supervision are not well understood, especially in the Chinese context. In this study, we propose and test a mediated moderation model to explore the interactive effect of psychological contract breach and negative reciprocity belief on abusive supervision, and the mediating effect of organizational identification. Using a sample of 268 dyads of employees and their immediate supervisors (N = 536) from six companies and two industries in China, we find that when supervisors experience breaches in psychological contract they are likely to increase abusive behaviours toward subordinates, and that the positive association is stronger the more the supervisor holds negative reciprocity beliefs. Moreover, the results indicate that organizational identification mediates the joint effect of psychological contract breach and negative reciprocity belief on abusive supervision. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

Innovation, internationalization and entrepreneurship: A new venture research perspective

Abstract The current study investigates the internationalization, entrepreneurship, and innovation of the entrepreneurial firms in China. We argue that the firms’ international initial public offering (IPO) and R&D activities and growth processes are largely related to their internationalization, innovation, and entrepreneurship processes. The research sample consists of 109 Chinese entrepreneurial firms, which are listed on either the ChiNext or Nasdaq. The research examines the relationships between the firms’ international IPO listing and R&D intensity and how the domestic-listed firms and Nasdaq-listed entrepreneurial firms’ innovation capacity relates to their entrepreneurial performance. The study uses innovative methods to examine the relationships above, and the results indicate that the hypotheses in this study are supported.

Poverty reduction through entrepreneurship: incentives, social networks, and sustainability

Research on poverty reduction through entrepreneurship has often emphasized external help from government or charitable institutions. Evidence from China is used to argue that poverty reduction through entrepreneurship is an internal process which helps the poor to undertake positive actions to reduce their poverty. To conventional analyses emphasizing endogeneity and sustainability, social networks rooted in nostalgia are proposed as another determinant of the success of entrepreneurial poverty reduction initiatives. That expanded theoretical framework provides a refined and deeper understanding of how poverty reduction through entrepreneurship succeeds or fails.

Cultural Influence, Questionnaire Formation and Manager Response in Sino-American International Joint Ventures

This paper explores the differences in tendencies toward using middle-of-the scale responses between Chinese and American managers in Sino-American International Joint Ventures when questionnaire instruments were administered with an explicit midpoint. Results demonstrate that Chinese and American managers had different propensities to choose middle response alternatives when an explicit midpoint in questionnaire items was offered.