No abstract

Research in escalating commitment has shown that escalation situations are primarily a function of psychological traits such as self‐justification and risk propensity. However, the extent to which these factors affect decision making is dependent upon a number of variables which include the situation, the level of commitment, and the cultural norms involved No studies to date examine the relationship between escalating commitment and cultural values. The purpose of this paper is to extend the work on escalating commitment by examining it from an international perspective. Research propositions explore cultural values and their impact on the escalation of commitment process.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to assertiveness research and assess the differences in assertiveness as it relates to gender, national culture, and ethnicity. Design/methodology/approach – The data for the study are from 231 undergraduate students majoring in business at one of four academic institutions: three in the USA and one in the Republic of Vietnam. Students completed the 30-item Rathus Assertiveness Schedule. Findings – This research suggests that individuals who are alike in level of education and status demonstrate similar levels of assertiveness, regardless of gender, national culture, or ethnicity. However, differences were seen as the data show white American males to be the most assertive, with African American females next. White females ranked third, followed by Vietnamese females, concluding with Vietnamese males. Research limitations/implications – Although the sample size is small, the intent of this research was never to have the subjects represent the general population in terms of the variables used. Instead, the authors attempted to control for gender, culture, and ethnicity variables by using a sample of college students who were similar in relation to education and social status. Future research could more fully research the findings from this study which suggest that African American women are more assertive than all other groups with the exception of white males. Originality/value – This study also gives credence to the suggestion that the global manager, in order to become more effective, needs to fully understand employee differences as represented by gender, national culture, and ethnicity.

The goal of this study is to provide guidance to managers who must make decisions regarding the adoption of technological innovations. The study was conducted within the context of the hospital industry. Results indicate that while adoption of technological innovations may lead to increased performance for certain hospitals, for large hospitals, and those located in rich environments, medical technology may be a ‘no‐win’ situation. Failure to adopt technology may result in the loss of patients, but adoption may result in increased costs that cannot be recovered due to underutilization.

The current environment in the United States surrounding health care issues such as spending, costs, access, and affordability points toward a societal obligation to help provide for those who cannot pay the costs of their own care. Hospitals are often one of the largest employers in communities, and like many other organizations, view providing charitable care as an aspect of their corporate social responsibility (CSR). This study compares the recent levels of charitable care of for-profit, not-for-profit, and government hospitals. The authors attempt to determine which type of hospital is the most charitable, what the relationship between CSR and profitability may be, and the differences in the relationship between CSR and profitability for various hospital types. Data from a sample of 167 short-term, general hospitals were examined and results indicated that there were significant differences in CSR for government, not-for-profit and for-profit. Higher levels of CSR did not affect firm profitability, although significant interactions were found between control and CSR for varying levels of profitability.