Centre de REcherche En Gestion des Organisations

Abstract We analyze the influence of gender diversity in top management on the environmental performance of French firms. Consistent with gender socialization theory, which posits that women are raised from childhood to be more nurturing and compassionate for others, we find that firms with more women in top management exhibit higher environmental performance. This result extends those already reported in the literature regarding the effect of gender diversity at board level. We also show that women in top management are associated with several key indicators such as development of eco‐friendly products and commitment to resource reduction. Furthermore, we find that the influence of women is weaker in firms with a lower environmental performance and in firms with high‐growth opportunities because these firms are likely to prioritize their own development. This suggests, in line with social role theory, that women also adapt into the role that organizations expect from them.

Abstract Entrepreneurs have started relying on crowdfunding to fund their investments. This paper surveys the literature linking crowdfunding with innovation in entrepreneurial firms. Two distinct areas are discussed. First, crowdfunding has the potential to foster innovation by offering new sources of capital to innovation‐driven firms and thereby reduce the funding gap for innovative startups. Second, crowdfunding offers a way for the crowd to participate in the innovation process by providing feedback to the entrepreneur. This feedback can take various forms, including providing ideas on the development of the product during and after the campaign (in the spirit of crowdsourcing), and providing valuable information on the future demand for the new product.

L'authenticité représente un axe stratégique pour positionner son offre. Cependant le milieu professionnel et académique manque d'outils pour répondre au mieux à la quête d'authenticité. Notre article apporte une définition du concept et étudie ses facettes en partant d'une revue de la littérature et des représentations des consommateurs. Deux terrains qualitatifs ainsi que trois terrains quantitatifs permettent de construire un instrument de mesure appliqué au domaine alimentaire.

International audience

In the agency relation between the shareholders and the CEO, everybody try to reinforce his or her position. For the CEO, it means the pursuit of a better entrenchment, which allows him to reduce the risk of being dismissed. The entrenchment model develops the importance for the CEO to get internal or external connections and to make efforts in order to attain a higher performance. From a sample of 1747 annual observations concerning 258 CEOs of public firms for the 1966-1990 period, empirical measures allow us to estimate the importance of internal networks and past performance by establishing a measure of CEO entrenchment. Furthermore, we observed, for the shareholders, the existence of an optimum of CEO entrenchment which could give a better shareholder return as compared to the market.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand an increasingly widespread practice consisting, of a brand, in signaling the domestic origin of its products aimed at domestic consumers, that is, the “made in the domestic country” (MIDC) strategy. To this end, it is proposed to analyze the MIDC label as a cue interacting with the brand’s characteristics (brand equity and country of origin of the brand). Design/methodology/approach A between-subjects experiment is conducted among 293 French consumers on four different brands of pasta. The overall design is a 2 (with/without the MIDC label) × 2 (high/low brand equity) × 2 (domestic/foreign brand) mixed design. Findings The results show that intention to buy the product increases significantly with the presence of the MIDC label, but not so willing to pay. The positive effect on buying intention is greater when: the product has rather low brand equity, consumer ethnocentrism is high and/or consumers are strongly attached to their national identity. Research limitations/implications The present research extends the literature on country-of-origin effects by taking into account the role of the brand equity of the product. However, the study focused on only one low-involvement product category (pasta) and one country (France). Practical implications This study shows that adding an MIDC label to the product is empirically justified. Originality/value While moderate or high scores on “patriotic” variables reinforce the positive impact of the MIDC label, low scores reverse the trend, that is, cause rejection.

Digitization has enabled “testing-the-waters” in entrepreneurial finance whereby investors can make nonbinding commitments in equity crowdfunding prior to an actual campaign to ascertain interest in the project. We consider whether these nonbinding equity investment commitments are informative about actual investments during the campaign and, thus, ultimate startup funding success. The data indicate that only 18% of nonbinding commitments are, in fact, invested. The evidence is consistent with hypothetical bias. Hypothetical bias is significantly less pronounced among women and among investors living in higher income areas or in areas with higher levels of education. While investment intentions are only partially reliable at the individual level, the aggregate amount of collected investment intentions is a strong predictor of campaign success. We investigate alternative reasons for withdrawals, such as lying and informational motives, both of which we find implausible alternatives to hypothetical bias.

Conventional food systems continue to jeopardize the health and well-being of people and the environment, with a number of related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) still far from being reached. Food Policy Councils (FPCs)—since several decades in North America, and more recently in Europe—have begun to facilitate sustainable food system governance activities among various stakeholders as an explicit alternative to the shaping of food systems by multinational food corporations and their governmental allies. In contrast to the former, FPCs pursue the goals of food system sustainability through broad democratic processes. Yet, at least in Europe, the agenda of FPCs is more an open promise than a firm reality (yet); and thus, it is widely unknown to what extent FPCs actually contribute to food system sustainability and do so with democratic processes. At this early stage, we offer a comparative case study across four FPCs from the Upper-Rhine Region (Freiburg, Basel, Mulhouse, Strasbourg)—all formed and founded within the past 5 years—to explore how successful different types of FPCs are in terms of contributing to food system sustainability and adhering to democratic and good governance principles. Our findings indicate mixed results, with the FPCs mostly preparing the ground for more significant efforts at later stages and struggling with a number of challenges in adhering to principles of democracy and good governance. Our study contributes to the theory of sustainable food systems and food democracy with the focus on the role of FPCs, and offers procedural insights on how to evaluate them regarding sustainable outcomes and democratic processes. The study also offers practical insights relevant to these four and other FPCs in Europe, supporting their efforts to achieve food system sustainability with democratic processes.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the Board of Directors’ characteristics and their impact on the financial soundness of Islamic banks. Design/methodology/approach Regression analysis is applied to test the impact of the Board of Directors’ characteristics on the financial soundness of Islamic banks, using a panel data set of 67 Islamic banks covering 20 countries from 2005 to 2018. The Z-score indicator is used to evaluate the Islamic banks’ soundness. To check the robustness of the results, this paper uses other dependent variables ( CAMEL ) than the Z-score. Findings The main results show that the presence of an independent non-executive director negatively impacts the financial soundness of Islamic banks, while the chief executive officer duality practice has a positive effect on it. Other characteristics of the Board of Directors do not significantly impact the financial soundness of Islamic banks (foreign director, institutional director, chairman with a Shari’ah degree, interlocked chairman and the Board of Directors’ size). Practical implications This study aims to fill the gaps in the literature that discuss the Board of Directors’ role in corporate governance and its impact on the financial soundness of Islamic banks. In other words, it shows the role played by the Board of Directors and improves the knowledge of the corporate governance-financial soundness relationship. Plus, managers, investors and regulators may gain evocative insights, particularly those looking to improve their Islamic banks’ soundness by restructuring their boards’ composition. Originality/value This study sheds new light on the literature on Islamic banking by clarifying the relationship between the Board of Directors and the financial soundness of Islamic banks. Contrary to previous research, this paper uses an additional hypothesis stating that a chairman with a Shari’ah degree (Fiqh Muamalt) has a positive impact on the financial soundness of Islamic banks.

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to understand how and why consumers resist or accept product rebranding. It seeks to identify and to quantify the drivers of attitudes toward this marketing practice to guide marketing managers in the execution of an effective changeover. Design/methodology/approach – The research is conducted in three stages. First, a qualitative study is run among 45 consumers to identify variables that might influence attitudes toward product rebranding. Second, a review of literature on the emotion of surprise is carried out to specify the relationships between the variables previously identified and to formulate hypotheses. Third, a quantitative study is conducted among 480 consumers to test the hypotheses and to quantify the impact of each variable. Findings – Surprise impacts attitudes toward product rebranding through a three-way process (automatic, higher-order cognitive, higher-order affective): a direct negative effect, an indirect effect mediated by incomprehension about the reasons for the change and an indirect effect mediated by the negative emotions generated by the change. Moreover, trust in firms diminishes the negative effects of anger, fear and sadness on attitudes toward product rebranding. Research limitations/implications – The research offers a better understanding of processes involved in the building of consumer attitudes toward brand name change. However, it only constitutes a first step in the attempt to understand the phenomena. Practical implications – This practice of brand name change is increasingly popular, but marketing managers are skeptical about the best way to implement it. The paper provides a better understanding of consumer reactions to product rebranding, so that marketing managers can make better decisions. It reveals guidance for successful brand name changes. Originality/value – This paper is the first to propose and to test a comprehensive model of the mental processes involved in the building of consumer attitudes toward product rebranding.

Entrepreneurs have started relying on crowdfunding to fund their investments. This paper surveys the literature linking crowdfunding with innovation in entrepreneurial firms. Two distinct areas are discussed. First, crowdfunding has the potential to foster innovation by offering new sources of capital to innovation‐driven firms and thereby reduce the funding gap for innovative startups. Second, crowdfunding offers a way for the crowd to participate in the innovation process by providing feedback to the entrepreneur. This feedback can take various forms, including providing ideas on the development of the product during and after the campaign (in the spirit of crowdsourcing), and providing valuable information on the future demand for the new product.

International audience

Abstract A major pattern of non‐ownership consumption is “simultaneous sharing,” whereby customers simultaneously share the same resource in either a virtual or physical setting. However, little research examines the actual value that consumers derive from such a group‐based commercial experience. By integrating the literature on customer value and the psychology of autonomy, this study proposes a theoretical model of the simultaneous sharing experience that balances the benefits and social intrusiveness of sharer agency. Based on data that were collected from members of a collaborative platform dedicated to flat sharing and analyzed through structural equation modeling, social intrusiveness is found to be a pervasive phenomenon that strongly impairs customer satisfaction, whereas communal benefits, as reflected by enjoyment, companionship, informational guidance, and emotional support, enhance it. As a major antecedent of both communal benefits and intrusiveness, perceived homophily nourishes satisfaction, however, customer age may reduce the buffering influence of perceived homophily on intrusiveness, whereas an additional positive effect on communal benefits is associated with the sharer social integrative motive. We discuss the implications of this study for customer experience and commercial sharing consumption research.

Rédaction en chef : Isabelle COLLIN-LACHAUD, Gilles N’GOALA Créée en 1993, Décisions Marketing est une revue officielle de l’AFM (Association Française du Marketing). Il s’agit d’une revue académique, orientée vers la prise de décision, et dont la vocation est à la fois européenne et internationale. Les articles publiés s’appuient sur des recherches qui traitent de concepts et de méthodes pertinents en termes de prise de décision marketing, avec une vision critique, ainsi que des problématiques et des stratégies qui y sont rattachées (innovation, communication, internationalisation, distribution, etc.). Les articles permettent également de faire connaître des concepts et pratiques émergents (marketing de l’expérience, commerce électronique, gestion des marchés d’occasion, marketing sensoriel, etc.) et présentent des points de vue théoriques et stratégiques originaux. La revue Décisions Marketing est devenue la référence francophone des revues académiques en marketing, orientées vers la prise de décision. La revue s’adresse à la fois aux universitaires et aux professionnels avertis, désireux de suivre les évolutions dans leur spécialité. Retrouvez les numéros et les articles en téléchargement sur Cairn.info.

Cet article vise à confronter le souvenir post-expérience immédiatement collecté en sortie de magasin à l’expérience effectivement vécue par le chaland. Si certains éléments du parcours de magasinage tendent à être invariablement récupérés en mémoire, d’autres sont au contraire oubliés ou soumis à des distorsions. Le type de parcours de magasinage semble expliquer les écarts observés, contrairement à certaines variables individuelles telles que le sexe ou la connaissance du magasin. Nos résultats discutent par ailleurs de l’intérêt de recourir à l’observation des parcours de magasinage plutôt qu’à une méthode déclarative lorsque l’objectif de l’étude est de cerner des comportements effectifs.

L’étude de la « proactivité de carrière », en tant qu’objet de recherche, se heurte à la réalité du terrain, c’est à dire à la difficulté et à la réticence des individus à se projeter dans leur avenir professionnel. Le plan de carrière semble être un exercice obligé auquel les salariés se prêtent de manière plus ou moins consentante pour correspondre aux exigences managériales. Cette observation initiale nous a amené à proposer deux lectures différentes de la proactivité de carrière, non pas seulement dans son acception habituelle, comme un processus de planification d’objectifs de carrière mais aussi comme un processus d’anticipation d’évènements de carrière, rejoignant en cela les travaux récents sur les comportements proactifs (Grant et Ashford, 2008 ; Bindl et Parker, 2010 ; Fuller et al., 2012). À partir de ces deux approches conceptuelles et d’entretiens menés auprès d’un échantillon de vingt-cinq ingénieurs, cet article vise à mieux comprendre ce qu’est un comportement proactif de carrière. Cette étude qualitative, s’inspirant de la méthode des incidents critiques, nous a permis d’approfondir la connaissance du processus proactif d’anticipation et de montrer que cette démarche « anticipatrice » est sans doute plus réalisable par les salariés que l’approche planificatrice, dans un monde professionnel considéré comme instable et peu prévisible.

International audience

Rédaction en chef : Isabelle COLLIN-LACHAUD, Gilles N’GOALA Créée en 1993, Décisions Marketing est une revue officielle de l’AFM (Association Française du Marketing). Il s’agit d’une revue académique, orientée vers la prise de décision, et dont la vocation est à la fois européenne et internationale. Les articles publiés s’appuient sur des recherches qui traitent de concepts et de méthodes pertinents en termes de prise de décision marketing, avec une vision critique, ainsi que des problématiques et des stratégies qui y sont rattachées (innovation, communication, internationalisation, distribution, etc.). Les articles permettent également de faire connaître des concepts et pratiques émergents (marketing de l’expérience, commerce électronique, gestion des marchés d’occasion, marketing sensoriel, etc.) et présentent des points de vue théoriques et stratégiques originaux. La revue Décisions Marketing est devenue la référence francophone des revues académiques en marketing, orientées vers la prise de décision. La revue s’adresse à la fois aux universitaires et aux professionnels avertis, désireux de suivre les évolutions dans leur spécialité. Retrouvez les numéros et les articles en téléchargement sur Cairn.info.

This study examined the association between intensive board monitoring (IBM) and segment disclosure quality (SDQ). It also investigated whether this association can be moderated by firm's home country investor protection (IP) level. Based on a panel of 271 non-financial European Union (EU) listed corporations covering the 2007–2012 period, this study estimated two multiple regression models including industry and year fixed effects. We found evidence that the segment disclosure quality is higher when a majority of outside directors serve on monitoring committees. We, also, found that the positive association between IBM and SDQ is more pronounced for firms in a weak IP environment and less pronounced for firms in a strong IP environment. Thus, we provided evidence in favor of a substitutive relationship between IBM and IP level with respect to their association with SDQ. Our findings are evidenced by several robustness tests.

In a tense economic environment where consumers are encouraged to favor local rather than imported products, multinational companies (MNEs) need leverage to enhance their offer regarding local products. This research suggests a consideration of consumer affinity towards a foreign country as a means to reinforce both willingness to buy (WTB) and willingness to pay (WTP). An experiment was conducted with 170 French consumers (non-students). Respondents were asked about their WTB and their WTP for products for which the country of origin varied in a within-subject design based on 1) the level of the respondent's sense of affinity towards the product's country of origin and 2) the image of the country of origin for the product category in question. In addition, the sources of affinity feeling to a foreign country were explored. Results indicate that consumer affinity towards a foreign country has a positive effect on consumer WTB and WTP. This effect is complementary to the well- known country of origin effect. Three main factors influence consumer affinity toward a foreign country in a positive manner: a consumer's 1) personal experience with the country (to have visited it, to have friends there, etc.), 2) positive evaluation of its natural landscapes 3) appreciation of its culture (history, values, etc.) Implications for MNEs are detailed to inspire their marketing strategy.