Research Seminars in 2019

李兆基商业管理学院 研究 Institute of International Business and Governance Research Seminars in 2019

2019

Sentiment Scales: The Effect of Sensory Experiences on Customer Ratingst of Sensory Experiences on Customer Ratings

Dr Fuad Mehraliyev

Research Assistant Professor, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University

11 Dec 2019

IIBG Research Seminar on 11 Dec 2019
The importance of sensory dimension of customer experiences has been supported in tourism literature; albeit, there are still several important theoretical and methodological gaps to be bridged. This study showcased a methodological procedure of developing a sentiment scale of sensory experiences. By using big online review data in a restaurant context, this study examined the impact of five sensory experiences (sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch) on rating behavior. Results illustrated the relative importance of different sensory experiences. Based on an experiential paradigm, taste experiences were considered the most important component of restaurant experiences. A negativity bias was also observed. This study found a consistent pattern across five sensory experiences that negative attribute had a stronger effect on customer rating than its positive counterpart. The findings are expected to extend the discussions on 'otherscapes' and provide theoretical and methodological grounds to develop sentiment scales to understanding tourist experience and behavior.

Choosing versus Rejecting (Shafir, 1993): A Pre-registered Replication

Dr Chandrashekar Subramanya Prasad

Research Assistant Professor, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University

27 Nov 2019

IIBG Research Seminar on 28 Nov 2019

The current study was designed to replicate previous research findings by Eldar Shafir (1993) giving evidence that the framing of a choice, in terms of choosing or rejecting, influences the outcome of the decision. The study proposed that, in line with the principle of compatibility, positive aspects of options loom larger when one is choosing and negative aspects of options loom larger when one is rejecting. Subjects (N = 1092) were presented with eight problems that presented a choice between options whereby one option had both more pros and cons (enriched option) than the other options consisted of largely neutral features (impoverished option). In the original study across eight problems, the proportions with which enriched option was chosen (in choice frame) and rejected (in reject frame) exceeded the expected 100%, and furthermore, proportions of subjects choosing enriched option exceeded while choosing than during the rejecting decision frame. The replication failed to consistently replicate these findings across eight studies. Furthermore, the authors tested for 'Accentuation hypotheses' proposed by (Wedell, 1997) as an alternative to compatibility principle. The replication results were consistent with the accentuation principle.

Executive Incentive Pay and Dividend Payouts in Family Firms: An Auditor's Perspective

Dr Leung Tak Yan

Associate Professor, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University

21 Aug 2019

IIBG Research Seminar on 21 Aug 2021
Agency theorists recommend the use of executive incentive pay and dividend payouts as governance mechanisms to alleviate principal-agent agency problems in widely-held firms. In family firms, however, principal-principal agency problems prevail, and the controlling shareholders can instead use executive incentive pay and dividend payouts to maximize their own private benefits. This research investigates the merits of executive incentives and dividend payouts from an auditor's perspective, as reflected through audit pricing. Based on the previous research, the authors interpret the use of a governance tool as reducing agency costs when audit fees are negatively associated with the use of such tool. Their analyses show that the nature and degree of family involvement in business affect the audit fee premiums or discounts associated with CEO incentives and dividend payouts. The audit fee discounts associated with CEO incentives tend to be larger in a firm with higher family ownership and less family involvement in management. In a firm with high family involvement in management (i.e., with a family-member CEO), CEO incentives may instead create an audit fee premium. Also, the audit fee discounts associated with dividend payouts tend to be larger in a firm with higher family involvement in management and board governance. Findings suggest that auditors consider family firm heterogeneity when they evaluate the merits of incentive pay and dividend payouts in family firms.

The Dark Side and Bright Side of Political Connectedness: Evidence from Corrupt Firms

Dr Leung Tak Yan

Associate Professor, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University

21 Aug 2019

IIBG Research Seminar 21 Aug 2021
This research highlights the growing trend of appointing politically-connected directors as corporate political strategy. The resource dependence theory suggests the importance of board political capital as it provides the connected firms with preferential access to different benefits. The authors formulate theory on both the dark side and bright side of political connectedness that have distinct impacts on the incidence of regulatory enforcements. First, they hypothesize that the politically-connected firms are more likely to face regulatory sanctions than their unconnected peers. Next, they posit that the politician-directors can use their central political connectedness to buffer the disciplinary pressure from the regulatory body. Third, based on the propositions of ethicality, risk aversion, and diversity, they advance the view that female politician-directors are effective monitors for preventing their connected firms from committing corruption. Using 762 pairs of corrupt and non-corrupt firms over 2010-2013, they find empirical support for their arguments. This study sheds light on how the strength of the ties and gender matter in board political capital and provides evidence supporting the view for the corruption of the rich (power-money deals). In addition, government supervision is, to some extent, effective governance mechanisms for determining the likelihood of corrupt activity.

Diversity and Innovation: The Differential Role of Levels Versus Scope

Dr Leung Tak Yan

Associate Professor, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University

19 Jul 2019

IIBG Research Seminar on 19 Jul 2019

The research formulates theory on the interplay between levels and scope of board diversity and innovation, and generate three main insights. First, it theorizes diversity in scope (gender, age, type of experience, and type of expertise) facilitates innovation, and particularly in industries characterized as high-tech and male-dominated.  Second, diversity in levels (amount of expertise, and amount of experience) is less important for innovation and even potentially detrimental.  Third, firms with greater diversity of scope generate more value-enhancing innovation.  The empirical tests, based on large sample evidence from the world's leading patent producing nation – China – are largely consistent with these hypotheses.

The Impact of Diversity on the Level of Fees Paid to Audit Firms

Dr Leung Tak Yan

Associate Professor, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University

19 Jul 2019

IIBG Research Seminar on 19 Jul 2019

Diversity, which is suggested as a way to enhance corporate governance, has become a public concern in the past few decades. This study examines the impact of board and audit committee diversity (gender, ethnicity, age, and education) on the level of fees paid to audit firms using a balanced panel of listed firms in four Asian markets – Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, and Singapore. A more diverse board or audit committee with the inclusion of females, international directors, and directors of different education levels is a more effective monitor. The results indicate a relationship between various diversity dimensions and the demand for audit coverage, as reflected in the levels of fees. However, each dimension of diversity results in variation of fee levels in different aspects. The findings on the complementary and substitution effects between internal and external monitoring mechanisms are useful for firms in devising an appropriate mix of governance strategies. This research deepens current understanding of the diversity literature and provides insights for policy-makers about corporate policy relating to gender diversity, internationalization and the education requirements of directors and board committee members.

China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) to Developing Countries: The Case of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

Professor Bala Ramasamy

Associate Dean and Professor of Economics, China Europe International Business School

11 Jun 2019

IIBG Research Seminar on 12 Jun 2019

China's outward FDI reached a peak in 2016, making it as important a foreign investor as Germany, France and the United Kingdom. In this seminar, we investigate the main motivations behind Chinese investments in developing countries, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in particular. Although the size of Chinese investment in CEE is small, the region is strategic for China as it is a gateway into Western Europe under the Belt Road Initiative. As new or future members of the EU, the CEE countries also provide access to the single market. We find that the motivations to invest in developing countries differ according to regions. Based on outward FDI data provided by the Chinese authorities, the number of Chinese FDI greenfield and M&A projects from Financial Times and Zephyr respectively, as well as face-to-face interviews with companies with investments in CEE, we find that for the case of CEE, domestic markets, access to the larger EU market, strategic assets like technology and prior relationship with the CEE are main reasons for investing.

Effect of Customer Input in Cause-Related Marketing

Ms Loretta Leung

Senior Lecturer, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University

9 Apr 2019

IIBG Research Seminar on 9 Apr 2019

The popularity of cause-related marketing (CM) is due to its wider acceptance and people's attitude towards corporate social responsibility. Prior research studies have showed that people prefer to buy from socially responsible companies (Strahilevitz 1999, Lichtenstein, Drumwright, Braig 2004, Arora and Henderson 2007, Winterich and Barone 2011). However, how can the company improve the effectiveness of CM campaign without significantly increase in cost? This study proposes that by merely allowing customers to have input in the CM campaign can influence their attitudes and responses toward the CM campaign concerned, particularly if their intention to purchase the product tied to the CM campaign. It is postulated that higher customer input will lead to higher purchase intention. An experimental study is proposed to evaluate the possibility of this effect and also to investigate the mechanism underlying this effect. We speculate that the above effect is mediated by perceived effort.

Motivational Consequences of Receiving Help in Consumer Goal Pursuit

Ms Susanna Wong

Lecturer, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University

4 Apr 2019

IIBG Research Seminars on 4 Apr 2019

Previous research has stressed the emotional consequences of receiving help. The current research complements the extant research by examining the motivational consequences of receiving help in consumer goal pursuit. We propose that receiving help during goal pursuit may increase or decrease consumers' subsequent motivation, depending on whether the help is perceived as an integral part of the resources available for goal pursuit. When consumers consider the help as resources that are readily accessible, they believe that their pool of resources available for goal pursuit is enlarged. Hence, they have greater expectations of goal attainment, resulting in greater motivation. Conversely, if consumers consider the help as extraneous resources that its future availability is uncertain, they have lower expectations of goal attainment and hence show lower subsequent motivation.