Clermont Recherche Management

En mobilisant les apports des institutionnalistes américains et des philosophes de l’esprit, nous proposons un approfondissement des définitions de deux des trois formes canoniques de la proximité. Après avoir rappelé que la proximité géographique est une disponibilité relationnelle, la proximité institutionnelle est définie comme un effet des institutions : elle renvoie à des significations communes à partager et à la fixation de rôles complémentaires à jouer dans l’action collective. La proximité organisationnelle, suivant la distinction proposée par COMMONS entre institution et organisation, est une forme particulière de proximité institutionnelle qui articule coordination cognitive et coordination politique. Elle consiste pour des acteurs à intégrer la communauté cognitive, c’est-à-dire à accéder à la mémoire de l’organisation composée de règles et de routines, et à intégrer la communauté politique, c’est-à-dire à s’insérer dans la structure de pouvoir.

In this paper we report the results of conducting a two-stage analysis on the impact and importance of mandatory adoption of international accounting reporting standards (IFRS) on European Union firms. In the first stage we determined the impact of mandatory adoption of IFRS across 13 countries and twenty industries. This was accomplished by identifying significant differences in return on assets (ROA) for firms computed under IFRS and local, generally accepted accounting principles (LG). Significant positive differences were detected for firms in Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom: only German and Norwegian firms exhibited a negative average significant difference between ROA calculated using IFRS and LG. Repeating the analysis of differences in ROA on an industry-by-industry basis yielded additional Portuguese and Spanish firms for the second stage of the analysis in which the impact of mandatory IFRS adoption was assessed. Defining impact in terms of market and financial reporting quality, we found a statistically significant relationship between accounting information and market returns for firms in the all-countries-combined sample of 3,530 observations, and in the countries of Belgium, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Support for the timeliness of accounting information was uncovered for firms in the all-countries-combined sample, and in the countries of Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Finally, evidence to support the proposition that accounting regimes produce quality discretionary accruals was found for firms from the all-countries-combined sample of 3,480 observations and from Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. When comparing differential accounting information constructed under IFRS and LG, however, few differences could be found. Specifically, there was no statistical support for any of the samples that accounting information produced under IFRS was any more value relevant than the accounting information derived using LG. When our examination shifted to the timeliness of earnings, a positive differential impact between earnings constructed on the basis of IFRS and local accounting standards was detected only for the all-countries-combined sample. Finally, the quality of discretionary accruals was shown to be significantly higher under IFRS than LG for firms in Finland, Greece and Sweden.

Empirical studies have noticed the differing impact of product and process innovation on international competitiveness, the level of employment and the types of skills used, and on the profit rate of firms (Vernon, 1966; Rottmann and Ruschinski, 1997; Duguet and Greenan, 1997; Capon et al., 1992). These studies show that the type of innovative behaviour of firms is important. However, little is known from either a theoretical or an empirical point of view, about the determinants of these different types of innovation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the microeconomic determinants of the innovative behaviour of French manufacturing firms. Studying a sample of innovative firms, we try to understand why they develop product innovations rather than process innovations, or product and process innovations simultaneously.

Abstract To meet growing demands for information on their environmental impacts, firms may engage in selective disclosure by strategically reporting only a subset of relevant data. In this article, we draw out and problematize an antecedent to selective disclosure, public attention . Prior studies suggest that public attention brings scrutiny that reduces selective disclosure by increasing the risk of getting caught ( the floodlight thesis ). The impression management literature, however, suggests that public attention offers the possibility of broad‐based image benefits from the disclosure of strategically filtered data ( the spotlight thesis ). Panel regressions with Trucost data from 2008–19 provide overall support for the spotlight thesis as well as a negative moderator, environmental damage. Results also point to an underlying mechanism: Companies receiving public attention disclose a larger number of environmental metrics, but not ones that, altogether, represent more environmental damage, a tactic that we call strategic fluffing .

Frontier markets are increasingly sought by investors in search of higher returns and low correlation with traditional assets. As such, it is important for financial market participants to understand the volatility transmission mechanism across these markets in order to make better portfolio allocation decisions. This paper employs a bivariate BEKK-GARCH(1,1) model to simultaneously estimate the mean and conditional variance between equity stock markets (twenty-one national frontier stock indices and two broad indices the MSCI Frontier Markets and the MSCI World) and oil prices. We examine weekly returns from February 8, 2008 to February 1, 2013 and find significant transmission of shocks and volatility between oil prices and some of the examined markets. Moreover, this spillover effect is sometimes bidirectional.

Global talent management is a key success factor for multinational corporations, as investments made to attract and retain talent are enormous. However, the link between talent management practices and retention is under-researched. In this paper, we fill this research gap by proposing a conceptual framework linking global talent management practices and talent retention in multinational corporations, by exploring the role of individual careers through knowing-whom career capital and career success. We conducted a survey among talent and a control group within a multinational company, to test our framework through structural equation modeling. The main results show that talent management practices have a positive effect on talent’s intention to stay and that career-related aspects are key factors in retaining this talent on a global scale. Thus, our contribution is threefold: a conceptual framework, empirical evidence, and a new literature-based TM index, which makes the perceived intensity of TM programs measurable.

With economic activity in emerging markets growing at 40 percent, and with 10 percent and more of the firms in the Global Fortune 500 now headquartered in emerging economies, intense interest lies in the globalization of business activities, including the sales function. This systematic review of the international sales literature in a selection of the most influential journals explains, consolidates, and analyzes current knowledge. This paper also explores the challenges inherent in conducting international sales research, including conceptualization, research management, and data collection issues. Finally, we suggest ways to move forward for researchers in this field, including pertinent topics and how methodological and practical constraints might be addressed.

Abstract Governments and corporations around the world are increasingly pressured to manage climate‐related business risks and reduce their carbon footprint. Consequently, a growing number of corporations have started implementing internal carbon pricing (ICP) programs, assigning a monetary value to their carbon emissions as a mitigation and adaptation mechanism. This paper explores the motives underlying voluntary ICP adoption and examines whether a firm's exposure to climate‐related risks is a relevant driver of ICP adoption. Using a worldwide sample of firms reporting to the Carbon Disclosure Project between 2016 and 2018, we find that firm‐level climate change exposure is significantly and positively related to the likelihood of ICP adoption. More specifically, the probability of adoption is largely linked to regulatory shocks and opportunity exposure. Moreover, we find that board independence acts as a moderator in the climate change exposure–ICP adoption relation. The findings of this study shed light on the factors contributing to the acceleration in ICP implementation in the context of a coordinated effort between public and private sectors to reduce global emissions.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore sustainability paradoxes in sharing economy initiatives by focusing on logistics management in last-mile logistics. Design/methodology/approach In this exploratory study, a total of 10 case studies were conducted in three categories of companies: anti-waste platforms, food delivery platforms and bicycle delivery companies. Twenty-seven face-to-face interviews with founders and/or managers and contractors (couriers, logistics service providers or volunteers) were the primary source of data collection. The heterogeneity of the sample enabled the authors to build an understanding of sustainability paradoxes in the logistics of sharing economy initiatives. Findings The findings indicate how logistics management impacts the sustainability of sharing economy initiatives in last-mile delivery. The authors identify seven paradoxical tensions (five of them social) generated by the contradictions between the organizations' promised environmental and social values and the impacts of their operations. Research limitations/implications This exploratory research is based on a qualitative study of 10 cases and 27 interviews from heterogeneous samples; further empirical research is needed to ensure generalization. Practical implications The paper increases the understanding of environmental and social paradoxical tensions and awareness of logistics challenges. Social implications The paper helps identify ways to reconcile promised values and impacts generated by sharing economy initiatives while managing last-mile delivery. Originality/value The results enrich the literature about the paradoxes in sharing economy initiatives by providing illustrations in last-mile logistics and exposing the underlying challenges for sharing economy logistics actors.

The first emergency was to receive and treat COVID-19 patients in their acute phase; today, there is a clear need to propose appropriate post-acute rehabilitation programs. The aim of this research was to systematically review the effects of physical activity programs in the recovery of post-COVID-19 patients. The literature search followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022289219), and was conducted between August and December 2021. A total of 35 studies out of the 1528 initially identified were finally included in the analysis. The systematic review clearly showed the health benefits of rehabilitation including physical activity in post-COVID-19 recovery, regardless of exercise modalities. These positive results were even observed using minor muscle re-mobilization for severe cases (i.e., postural changes, few steps-2 times/day) or using low volumes of exercise for mild-to-moderate cases (i.e., 120 min/week). A total of 97% of the 29 studies that performed statistical analyses demonstrated a significant increase in at least one parameter of functional capacity, and 96% of the 26 studies that statistically investigated the effects on the quality of life, mental health, and general state reported improvements. Yet, most of the studies were retrospective, uncontrolled, and enrolled aged people with comorbidities presented in severe forms of COVID-19. Physical activity programs, in addition to their high heterogeneity, remained poorly described in 83% of the studies and were part of a multidisciplinary program for 89% of the studies. Despite promising results, there is today a real need for prospective well-designed studies specifically assessing the effects of physical activity. In addition, it might appear relevant to propose standardized programs further considering the main characteristics of patients such as age, comorbidities, or the severity of COVID-19.

This article discusses the ways in which social media can help renew and strengthen mobilisations led by trade unions. Social media can invigorate union campaign organising by facilitating workers' involvement in three main ways: by strengthening a sense of collective identity among dispersed workforces, by aggregating feelings of injustice and by enabling self-organised workers practical and emotional support. Furthermore, the use of social media can support labour movement expansion in four different manners: by amplifying offline collective actions, by enhancing the legitimacy of the campaign through emphasising workers' personal testimony, by connecting the movement with activist networks, and by supporting the emergence of new forms of collective action.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare systems are facing many changes. Particularly, patients are more engaged in the care process. The medical perspective of the process is insufficient to provide patients with high quality care and service personalisation. This research presents an attempt to complete this medical perspective through an experiential perspective, especially for chronic diseases such as cancer. We investigated patients' experiences and profiles to reach a deeper understanding of their needs and expectations when they confront the disease. The objectives of this research were to model the key stages underling the patient pathway and to identify the challenging touch points of the interactions between patients and healthcare providers. Bringing together findings of patient experience, pathway, and profiles would help all the stakeholders involved to develop better practices for the healthcare process. METHODS: A qualitative observational nethnography on a French specialized forum for breast cancer patients "les Impatientes" was conducted. A total of 967 reviews were collected over a complete year period from all over France. Thematic and lexicometric content analysis were performed according to the experience dimensions, the pathway stages and touch points, as well as the patients' profiles. RESULTS: Data analysis shows that the healthcare pathway experienced by the patients is built around three stages. The discovery stage is closely related to the emotional dimension regarding the patient and physician relationship. The examination stage is characterized by a more technical and informational needs for the types of treatments. The follow-up and survivorship stage illustrates the patients' need to assess the treatments' effectiveness and the quality of the follow-up. Moreover, three profiles of patients were identified. The newcomers, the altruists and the autonomous are characterized by different attitudes depending on the stage of the healthcare pathway they were living. CONCLUSIONS: Our research presents an original modelling of the patient pathway and profiles beyond the medical process. It gives practical tracks to improve the healthcare pathway. Patients expect healthcare providers to integrate and strengthen several challenging touch points in order to create satisfactory patient experiences and high quality service.

This research investigates the relationship between financial reporting quality and audit quality within the context of French listed companies. The auditor brand name (Big4) is used as a proxy for audit quality and earnings management is ascertained through real and accruals earnings management estimation. Discretionary accruals are estimated using the Jones Model and the Modified Jones Model while real earnings management is estimated through the use of models proposed by Roychowdhury (2006). The results indicate that clients of Big4 audit firms record higher levels of accruals and real earnings management. This assertion could be attributed to the low level of auditor litigation risk in France. This study contributes to the literature by investigating the case for both discretionary accruals and real earnings management in a French environment that has peculiar auditing characteristics.   Key words: Audit quality, financial reporting quality, earnings management, discretionary accruals, real earnings management.

The notion of sustainable innovation (SI) emerged recently in the academic literature and evokes deep changes in organizations’ products, processes, and practices to favour the creation of social and environmental value in addition to economic returns. The development of SI implies a collaborative process that requires the orchestration of several actors and streams of knowledge to be successful. Indeed, companies adopting the SI path need structured methodologies to guide the collaboration process with internal and external actors and support the decision process. Nevertheless, the literature has focused on the analysis of determinants and drivers of sustainable innovation development, while the process perspective has been discussed less. Through an in-depth case study in a large-sized company in France, this article proposes a methodological framework to guide the collaborative process in the early phases of sustainable innovation development. The framework relies on a combination of qualitative research and a multicriteria decision aiding method (AHP). The contributions of this work address two main aspects: (i) the conceptualization of sustainable innovation (SI) and (ii) the collaborative process between internal and external actors to develop SI. Firstly, our study leads to two additional dimensions to complete the concept of SI, traditionally based on the three pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social), by adding the functional and relational dimensions. Secondly, concerning the collaborative process to develop SI, our framework proposes a structured methodology following five steps: definition of the project scope, setting actors’ motivations, defining satisfaction criteria, proposing SI solutions, and performing a decision-aiding process to define the preference profiles of the key actors.

BACKGROUND: The French healthcare system is characterised by a shift towards outpatient care and the desire to develop telemedicine affirmed in the collective commitment "Ma santé 2022" presented by President Macron in 2018. In France, remote patient follow up has recently been developed in the active phase of cancer treatment inspired by the patient navigation approach used in other countries. According to Service-Dominant Logic (S-D L), patients become more active. Their role in co-production of services is strengthened and their behaviours changed. Telephone follow-ups can contribute to modifying the relationship between the patient and the nurse navigators in charge of it, moving logically from a passive attitude from the patient to a more active one. METHODS: This study was carried out at Léon Bérard, a cancer control unit, in France. It concerned patients treated in an oncohaematology department, who benefited from telephone follow-ups carried out by nurse specialists during the active phase of their treatment. The multidisciplinary research team including social science researchers, physicians and carers developed a research protocol to study this pilot case. Essentially based on a qualitative approach, it was validated by the centre's management to study this follow-up on patients' behaviours. The 1st phase of the research, based on 24 semi-structured interviews with patients undergoing treatment undertaken from November 2018 to September 2019, is presented. RESULTS: The Telephone follow-up was a positive experience for all patients. The action of the nurse specialist helped to develop certain dimensions of in-role and extra-role behaviour that created value. The patients' discourse has reported a positive follow-up in its clinical dimensions, its psychological dimensions and an enhanced quality of life. We detected a patient activation through their roles but it remained limited. The telephone follow-up also created a patient dependency. CONCLUSIONS: The telephone follow-up is a relevant tool for patients undergoing treatment and it deserves to be more widely deployed. It brings comfort and creates a relationship based on trust but at the same time it limits the emancipation of the patient, which is a central element of the S-D logic and its empowerment.

Abstract Companies face mounting pressure to be environmentally conscious, yet they simultanously have to cope with more frequent financial crises. Whether environmental performance ( EP ) improves or mitigates the resilience of a firm when confronted with a financial shock is then of particular importance. Our survival analysis shows that high pre‐crisis EP significantly increased the time of firms’ market price recovery after the subprime crisis. This result suggests that EP appears as an organisational constraint that may limit the ability of firms to be financially resilient. However, in less environmentally oriented countries, EP does not negatively influence a firm’s financial resilience.

International audience

The authors compared business journal ranking systems from 6 countries. Results revealed a low degree of agreement among the systems, and a low to moderate relationship between pairs of systems. In addition, the French and United Kingdom ranking systems were different from each other and from the systems in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, and the United States. The authors discuss results from a cultural embeddedness perspective. They provide conceptual implications and managerial implications for business schools.

International audience

This paper aims at contributing to the talent management (TM) and organisation research fields by investigating the mechanisms of elite construction through an exclusive TM programme in a multinational company (MNC). We conducted an exploratory single‐case study in an MNC operating in more than 15 countries, by interviewing HR managers as representatives of top management and participants in a TM programme in seven countries. Other data sources included non‐participant observation and the use of internal and external documents. Our results show that talents develop a common elite identity based on exclusiveness, and additionally they gain access to resources and privileges through the mechanisms of performing rituals, acculturation through symbols, preferential treatment, social networking and the acquisition of insider knowledge. Furthermore, those employees identified as talents organise themselves in a closed, elite community. These results are summarised in a theory‐based framework explaining the building of an elite through exclusive TM .