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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to the telecommunication reform process in Europe, its status, and upcoming policy issues. Furthermore, it also aims to provide an overview of the papers in this special issue.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an introduction to the telecom reform process based on previous research and the papers in this issue of info.Findings – The introduction argues that the European telecommunication reform process with the telecommunications green paper of 1987 as an important point of departure has been a success in many ways. It has, for example, facilitated the development of mobile, of the internet and its many applications, and considerably lowered prices. However, there are important areas where a single European market has not developed. Moreover, new challenges are rising in terms of upcoming reconfigurations of the whole information communications technology (ICT) area requiring new policy and regulatory answers.Originality/value – The paper provides a brief introduction to the European telecommunication reform process, its achievements, present challenges, and the policy responses of the European Union. In addition, an overview of the papers of this issue of info is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that telecommunications liberalization in Europe has taken the European telecommunications and internet sectors a breathtaking leap forward. To counter the leveling off of growth and facing the smartphone revolution, new structural changes are now required.Design/methodology/approach – The paper assesses in a concise manner the effect of telecommunications liberalization in Europe based on the 1987 green paper. It demonstrates the enormous dynamics created in the mobile and fixed network sectors and the key role of liberalization to make Europe internet-ready during the 1990s. The paper then proceeds to the analysis of the leveling off of growth during the last few years and discusses required changes to restart dynamics.Findings – The green paper of 1987 successfully defined a framework within which political and legal action in both regulatory and competition fields could develop, leading to full liberalization of telecommunications in the European Union by 1998. The subsequent decade saw an enormous expansion of both mobile and fixed services, which only abated by the end of the decade. Liberalization and coordination of licensing of mobile systems were the basis for the entry of the internet in Europe and the explosive growth of GSM mobile services. The paper finds that the deployment of broadband internet and fourth generation mobile now needs further change to relaunch dynamics. It welcomes the goals of the digital agenda for Europe in the context of the 2020 objectives of the European Union, but argues that deeper structural changes are needed to achieve these goals.Originality/value – Liberalization of European telecommunications was guided by a strategic framework set out in the 1987 telecommunications green paper and developed subsequently further. Comprehensive frameworks of this nature will be needed if Europe wants to gain a leading role in the future smart phone and broadband internet markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the existence of convergence in non-monetary working conditions in Europe resorting to widely used definitions of this phenomenon and composite indexes of job quality. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis relies on composite indexes, widely used in previous literature, for 207 regions in six different areas of job quality drawing on the microdata of the European Working Conditions Survey from 1995 to 2015. This study assesses the occurrence of convergence both in terms of dispersion of job quality outcomes (sigma-convergence) and, especially, regarding the existence of a catch-up process (beta-convergence). Findings: This study finds evidence of both types of convergences in all the domains, with the exception of skills and discretion and prospects dimensions according to the sigma-convergence approach. The results do not suggest substantial differences between the 15 European Union countries before the 2004 enlargement and the new Member States and are robust to a wide range of changes in the sample and different econometric specifications. Originality/value: Tot he best of the authors' knowledge, this paper represents the first rigorous and systematic attempt of addressing the existence of convergence in non-monetary working conditions, applying formal and widely accepted definitions of this phenomenon. It contributes to our knowledge on this topic providing strong evidence of convergence in job quality. Those results can be of interest for scholars in Economics and other Social Sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide answers to the question: "What are the key innovative strategies needed for future tourism in the world?" At the outset, this paper redefines the word "innovation" in the context of the hospitality and tourism industry. It then captures the essence of 13 proceeding papers on innovative initiatives in 17 countries and presents concluding remarks to this Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) theme issue on innovation (v. 11 n. 2, 2019). Design/methodology/approach: This paper draws from a wide spectrum of innovation types, concepts, strategies, suggestions and solutions written by 24 authors, who cumulatively have valuable and diverse experience in managing, operating, teaching, researching and consulting on innovation. Findings: Innovation is relevant to all macro- and micro-level aspects of all industries. In conclusion, to identify common elements in all 13 papers, the author presents a shorter definition: "Innovation is the art of implementing new ideas to improve productivity, products and services, while enhancing customer satisfaction, revenues and profitability". In addition, he emphasizes that innovation needs vision, mission and passion! Research limitations/implications: This research contributes to the emerging research theme of innovation in the hospitality and tourism industry and extends/re-defines the word: "innovation". Practical implications: There are significant practical implications in terms of industry approaches to use innovative strategies across the world. Originality/value: Readers who are interested in international best practices of hospitality and tourism would benefit from this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper investigates the determinants of subjective well-being in Europe using the European Living, Working and COVID-19 (ELWC) Survey carried out by Eurofound (2021). Socio-demographics characteristics, employment status, measures of economic distress, inequality and work life balance are considered. Particular attention is paid to how quality of government support (QGS), that considers the dimensions of good governance such as integrity, fairness, reliability, responsiveness and influences subjective mental well-being (WHO-5) through the mediation of trust in other people and in institutions. Design/methodology/approach: To this end, the authors estimate a moderated mediation model for analysing the indirect role of QGS on WHO-5 through institutional trust and trust in people. Findings: The results support the hypothesis that the reduction in WHO-5 in the European population during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID--19), particularly marked in the 18–34 age group, is related to the perceived inadequacy of government interventions in managing economic and social uncertainty through supportive measures. This outcome is also due to reduced trust in institutions and other people, as both are significant mediators that reinforce the impact of public support on WHO-5. Practical implications: Government should pay greater attention to this relationship amongst good governance, trust and mental health of citizens because a healthy human capital is a significant factor for the long-run economic growth, in a special way when the authors refer to the young workforce with a greater life expectancy. Originality/value: In the literature, the role of trust as a mediator has been analysed in the relationship between individual economic situations and subjective well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no studies have examined the role of perceived QGS on subjective mental well-being using the mediating and backing effects of trust in people and institutions. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-08-2022-0549. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the linkage between households' social interactions and credit context and how these interactions may influence household borrowing decisions. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a sample of 45,907 individuals referred to 18 countries, drawn from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, different probit regressions are used to test the four hypotheses proposed. Findings: Empirical evidence confirms that intensive and extensive sociability are positively related to consumer debt holding. However, when social activities are considered separately, there is weak evidence that they are also related to mortgage debt holding and over-indebtedness. Moreover, at this level of analysis, the different nature of the social activities in which the individual participates in may condition the relationship with borrowing behaviour. The findings also show that relative income plays a passive role in household borrowing behaviour, since low-income households are more likely to hold mortgage and informal loans or to be over-indebted in highly indebted countries. Originality/value: First, this paper extends the knowledge of the relationship between social interactions and borrowing behaviour by considering not only the intensity and diversity of the social activities in which the individual participates, but also the different nature of these activities. Second, it proposes that social interactions may play a passive role on borrowing decision, suggesting that household's behaviour might be passively affected by the density of borrowers surrounding it. To the best of our knowledge, there has not been any attempt to test this issue regarding household borrowing decisions. Third, unlike the few empirical papers on the topic, the paper also analyses previous issues by distinguishing between different types of debts; a distinction that revels the different role played by social interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees living in Europe face a number of challenges in accessing or using health information and healthcare services available in their host countries. To resolve these issues and deliver the necessary services, providers must take a comprehensive approach to better understand the types of health information and healthcare services that these individuals need, seek and use. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop that comprehensive approach. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed publications was performed, with 3.013 articles collected from various databases. A total of 57 qualifying papers on studies conducted in Europe were included in the review after applying the predefined inclusion and exclusion requirements, screening processes and eliminating duplicates. The information seeking and communication model (ISCM) was used in the analysis. Findings: The findings revealed that while many health information and healthcare services are accessible in Europe for immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, many of these individuals are unaware of their existence or how to access them. While our findings do not specify what health-related information these groups need, use or seek, they do suggest the importance and value of providing mental health, sexual health and HIV, as well as pregnancy and childbirth information and services. Furthermore, according to our results, health information services should be fact-based, easy to understand and raise awareness about healthcare structure and services available in Europe for this vulnerable population. Practical implications: This study has a range of practical implications, including (1) highlighting the need for mental health and behavioural health services and (2) stressing the value of addressing cultural context and religious values while investigating (health) information seeking of people with foreign background. Originality/value: This is one of the first studies to systematically review and examine the behaviour of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees in relation to health information and healthcare services in the European context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this analysis is to collect and classify the most important diversity indices, outline the logical connections between them and answer the following question: How much will the results differ if the authors use different indices for explaining the same dependent variable (attitude toward cultural pluralism), and what kind of relationships are observable in the European societies? Design/methodology/approach: The diversity indices are good for compressing information on the number and shares of ethnic groups in a given setting into single numbers in order to use them as independent variables. However, it matters which index the authors choose because it can make a meaningful difference in the assessment of the potential impacts of diversification. Our empirical study (based on 43 European countries and 160 regions) concluded that the correlation coefficients between the most important indices are above 0.8. Thus, in practice, none of them gives a fundamentally different answer to the question: how does diversity/diversification influences people's attitudes toward multiculturalism. Findings: By linking these results with the European Social Survey database the authors concluded that the more diverse a population in 2014 was, a more positive attitude toward multiculturalism was expressed. However, if the authors focus on the dynamics of diversification, the spread of points is much greater and polynomial (U-shaped curvilinear) trendlines are better suitable to grasp the relationships. It means that people tend to react very differently to similar societal changes in those regions where a moderate degree of diversification took place. Originality/value: International migration and ethno-cultural diversification are hotly debated issues in contemporary Europe, and there is a growing interest in understanding their possible social, economic and political outcomes. A question of key importance for the social sciences to adequately answer the challenges is the capability to measure these processes in a quantitative way as well. This paper helps decide which diversity index might be the optimum solution for a given research project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: While women in most European societies still carry the largest burden in caring for the family, there is also an important unrealised learning interest among women. This has an impact on women's labour market and career opportunities. This paper aims at analysing empirically the role of family obligations in women's ability to realise their learning interests and how this differs across societal and institutional contexts across Europe. Design/methodology/approach: The paper makes use of the second wave of Adult Education Survey from 2011, including data from 22 European countries. The article focuses on women aged 25–55 – an age group most affected by parental obligations. Logistic regression models are used to compare the effect that children in the household have on women's learning barriers across country groups of different family policy arrangements. Findings: The results confirm empirically the situational nature of family barriers to learning as they grow and decline depending on the age of children. However, the level of intensity and the period when family-related barriers remain relevant for women vary across European countries. Originality/value: This paper provides new insights into how women's caring obligations shape their labour market and career opportunities, focussing on the ability to take up adult learning. Involving data from 22 countries, including Eastern European countries, provides a broad look into the differing contexts shaping women's opportunities across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between educational orientation and employer influenced pedagogy and to consider some implications for work-based learning (WBL) higher education (HE) policy and practice in Europe. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on purposefully selected case studies to describe the key attributes of WBL related pedagogy associated with three HE programmes in Finland, Spain and the UK. Findings – The national regulatory environment has a key role to play in issues associated with WBL pedagogy. The case studies also demonstrate a pluralistic approach to pedagogy and the key role that employers play in both providing regular intelligence to inform curriculum design and contributing to pedagogy. Research limitations/implications – The small number of case studies limits the opportunity for generalisation and the level of analysis masks subtle and interesting differentiations in pedagogy worthy of further exploration. Practical implications – The paper highlights implications for government to provide the vision and regulatory environment to encourage WBL and for universities and academics to design and implement innovative, pluralist pedagogies. Originality/value – The paper provides a new framework and a unique analysis of programme level case studies from three European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces five papers which provide a comprehensive picture of recent developments and challenges in the European telecommunications industry. Believes that both regulators and managers will find these papers insightful and useful in policy and strategy discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper (overview) is to provide a brief introduction to the topic of active ageing and summarise the seven studies included in this special issue. The authors also acknowledge those who were instrumental in bringing this issue to fruition. Design/methodology/approach – The International Journal of Manpower's usual double-blind review process was used to select the seven papers included in this special issue. The papers themselves all have a cross-national perspective using data from eight European countries. These papers represent a wide variety of designs, methodologies and analytic strategies used to study active ageing in the paid labour force as well as in civil society. The papers make use of large-scale surveys among employers and volunteers, case studies in organisations, and vital statistics. Findings – The findings of the studies included in this special issue provide insights into the factors and mechanisms that hamper higher participation levels of older adults in paid employment and civil society, and give suggestions on how to improve their inclusion and how to deal with an ageing workforce. Originality/value – Taken as a collective, the papers in this special issue help propel forward in significant ways the study of active ageing from an international and interdisciplinary perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on the moderating effect of CEO's accounting-based attributes on the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) overconfidence and forecast accuracy in European companies. Design/methodology/approach: Data from a sample of 347 European firms listed on Stoxx Europe 600 index from 2005 to 2018 are used to test the moderation model using moderation regression analysis. Findings: Evidence reveals that CEO overconfidence is negatively associated with forecast accuracy. Further, CEO's accounting-based attributes significantly moderates the impact of CEO overconfidence on forecast quality. Originality/value: This study is unique in providing European evidence for the moderating effect of CEO's accounting-based attributes on the relationship between CEO overconfidence and forecast quality. This paper is also relevant as it addresses the interaction between two sciences (psychology) to explain the forecast accuracy (accounting). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to profile the Worldwide hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) issue "What are the key innovative strategies needed for future tourism in the world?", with reference to the experiences of the theme editor and writing team. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editor to reflect on the rationale for the theme issue question, the starting point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process. Findings: This paper provides a framework to facilitate discussions between international scholars in hospitality and tourism to re-define a buzzword. For this theme issue, the buzzword was "innovation". Summaries of 13 papers written on innovative strategies in hospitality and tourism around the world were then analysed to fine-tune the definition. Practical implications: The theme issue outcomes provide lines of enquiry for others to explore and reinforce the value of WHATT's approach to collaborative research and writing. Originality/value: The collaborative work reported in this theme issue offers a unified but contrarian response to the theme's strategic question. Taken together, the collection of articles provides a detailed picture of the key innovative strategies needed for future tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Economic growth is defined as growth in the capacity to meet individual and collective consumption demands. Decline in economic growth for a longer period (i.e. recession) occurs as a part of the "The Limits of Growth" concept. During such an economic crisis, three policy concepts can be implemented: "austerity"; "business as usual"; and "fiscal stimulus". The purpose of this paper is to examine the economic response to the 2008 recession, in the area of sustainable transport system development, in Europe.Design/methodology/approach The study assesses and identifies the need for investments in transport infrastructure, in particular rail, to remove barriers to developing a sustainable multimodal transport system. Towards this, by analysing secondary data collected from relevant online sources, the paper explores the prospects for sustainable rail freight transport development in Europe, during the recession period. For this, eight EU countries were selected, based on the length of railway lines in use: France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the UK.Findings Investment in five transport infrastructures were examined – road, rail, IWT, maritime ports and airports – and the research finds that overall, the "austerity" policy was implemented for investment in rail infrastructure, whereas a modest "stimulus" policy can be observed for investment in road infrastructure. The average investment in IWT infrastructure had a "stimulus" policy, whereas the average investment in Maritime port and Airport infrastructure suggests a "business as usual" policy. Of the various approaches taken in the recent recession period, European rail transport appears to have fared least well.Research limitations/implications To some extent, the research is limited by lack of some data (e.g. data unavailability on the UK airport infrastructure investment from year 2006).Practical implications The findings of the research will encourage policy makers in national government to invest in sustainable transport infrastructure.Originality/value The study suggests that there is a lack of uniform policy response to the recession, in terms of investment in transport infrastructure, and that there is a significant difference between the policy goals set by the EU – modal shift from road to rail and/ IWT to develop a sustainable transport system – and their practice. The author argues for an integrative, common and action-oriented approach to sustainable rail freight system development, by European countries, to develop effective, Europe-wide rail freight corridors, under schemes such as Horizon 2020 and Shift2Rail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Based on the sample of the European information and communications technology (ICT) companies, this paper aims to identify which strategy of knowledge generation is most beneficial for companies: internal knowledge development or absorption of knowledge external to the company through corporate acquisition or merger. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, a longitudinal analysis of European ICT companies was conducted, contrasting internal knowledge creation, in the form of patent accumulation and research and development (R&D) efforts, with external learning through merger-and-acquisition (M&A) activities to uncover the best strategies for performance maximization. Findings: Results suggest that the two knowledge generation strategies are not complementary and demonstrate only marginal impact on organizational performance. However, intriguing patterns in combining the two became apparent. It was found that patent accumulation improves learning achieved through M&A activities, while also acting as a protection against corporate takeover. At the same time, the internal knowledge generation strategy was found to have a negative impact on financial performance, with external knowledge generation demonstrating somewhat mixed results. Practical implications: This paper provides practical insights into the patterns of internal and external knowledge generation activities. The two strategies were found not to be complementary, implying that companies must carefully choose their preferences. Originality/value: This large-scale study tackles the interplay between internal and external knowledge generation strategies, which are mostly studied separately. It reveals new patterns in corporate acquisition and divestment strategies as sources of new knowledge. It also ties the knowledge paradigm to organizational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review the development of leave policies in Europe, both at a regional and national level, and to consider what future directions such policies might take to meet changing conditions and emerging needs. Design/methodology/approach: The paper draws on the work of an international network that the authors founded in 2004, which brings together experts on leave policy from over 40 countries, and in particular on an annual review of national leave policies conducted by network members. Findings: The article presents developments in European legislation on leave policy stretching from 1883 to the present day, and outlines the extent of leave policies in European countries and the wide variations in the design of these policies. It suggests that future directions in leave policy need to address the relationship between this and other policy areas; the need for a life course perspective to leave policy, getting beyond parental leave; and that leave should turn away from being considered an employment benefit towards becoming a universal right to care. Originality/value: The paper provides a concise overview of leave policy in the global region where leave policies began and are today most developed, at both a regional and national level. It is also intended to stimulate debate about the future directions that leave policy might take. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on how perspectives and assumptions embedded in the complexity paradigm contribute to make logistics management research better aligned with real-life logistics. This is necessary, due to increasing supply chain complexity caused by an increasing request for sustainable development (SD). Design/methodology/approach: The research is exploratory and based on a narrative literature review of logistics and supply chain management (SCM) from a complexity science perspective. Qualitative research interviews have been conducted with 12 logistics and supply chain managers in international companies and have focussed on their daily experiences and the underlying assumptions related to their actual work. Findings: Logistics and SCM research is embedded in the functionalistic paradigm with reductionistic assumptions as the dominant logic. These do not sufficiently align with the complexity related, for example, to the daily work of SD in logistics management practice. Research limitations/implications: It is proposed that the inclusion of complexity-based assumptions in logistics management research can increase realism in the advancement of the discipline. A key result is that the recognition of logistics as complex means inclusion of human and social aspects – which is apparent in any logistics process or phenomenon – in logistics knowledge creation processes. Practical implications: Increased realism in logistics management research by addressing complexity, instead of merely reducing it, will provide logistics and supply chain managers with increased understanding and appropriate knowledge when they deal with emerging challenges such as SD. Originality/value: Based on Boulding's levels of complexity, this paper challenges the underlying assumptions of logistics management in research and practice, and provides reflective frameworks for advancing the discipline and aligning it to the complexity of contemporary challenges in logistics management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- In 2009, the European Operations Management Association (EurOMA) celebrates its 15th anniversary and its precursor, the UK OMA, its 25th anniversary. The purpose of this paper is to review the origins and foundations of today's EurOMA and how it has progressed to being a vibrant and successful organisation. Design/methodology/approach -- The review draws on archived documents, especially newsletters and board minutes, as well as memories of all of those involved. Findings -- The review shows an important evolution from two groups of like minded individuals, through building annual conferences and brings these together as one. It then shows how it has evolved both through formalisation of its activities, building international links and, most importantly, developing a portfolio of activities to develop and support young researchers. Research limitations/implications -- Where records are not available, the paper draws on individual memories of events from a long time ago. Originality/value -- As well as providing an invaluable record, it can provide a model for the development of similar organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to describe the impact of the COVID-19 containment measures on the provision of drug treatment and harm reduction services in European prisons in15 countries during the early phase of the pandemic (March -June 2020).Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a mixed method research approach that triangulates different data sources, including the results of an on-line survey, the outcome of a focus group and four national case studies.Findings: The emergence of COVID-19 led to a disruption in prison drug markets and resulted in a number of challenges for the drug services provision inside prison. Challenges for health services included the need to maintain the provision of drug-related interventions inside prison, while introducing a range of COVID-19 containment measures. To reduce contacts between people, many countries introduced measures for early release, resulted in around a 10% reduction of the prison population in Europe. Concerns were expressed around reduction of drug-related interventions, including group activities, services by external agencies, interventions in preparation for release and continuity of care.Practical Implications: Innovations aimed at improving drug service provision included telemedicine, better partnership between security and health staff and an approach to drug treatment more individualised. Future developments must be closely monitored.Originality/value: The paper provides a unique and timely overview of the main issues, challenges and initial adaptations implemented for drug services in European prisons in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue on “Employability of higher education graduates in europe” from the perspective of global changes. Design/methodology/approach – The empirically based papers of the special issue address six main areas related to the transition of graduates from education to the labour market: employment and employability, job (mis)match, development of particular areas of competency, new certificates of higher education, along with the disciplinarity and status of the self-perceived role of academics in supporting graduates’ careers. Findings – This issue provides empirical findings relevant to various stakeholders of higher education systems which are essential for strategic development in the area. Originality/value – The selection of papers proposes an interdisciplinary scientific approach in the areas of bridging (higher) education with the labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to apply a multidimensional approach to assessing the financial well-being of European countries. Design/methodology/approach: Financial well-being is a very complex phenomenon to measure because it is composed of different dimensions. Therefore, this paper uses a multidimensional and fuzzy methodology to assess financial well-being in Europe. The financial well-being fuzzy indicator was calculated using European Quality of Life Survey data. Findings: Financial well-being is heterogeneous across European countries. This evidence is confirmed both at the level of overall financial well-being and at the level of sub-indices. The degree of financial well-being is not directly related to wealth as traditionally measured (i.e. GDP), but shows some correspondence with socio-economic characteristics of the population and with governance and cultural elements of a country. Practical implications: Understanding financial well-being could help financial institutions to transition from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more tailored approach when they provide financial services and could help policy makers to consider financial well-being when they decide how and where to allocate public spending. Originality/value: To the best of authors' knowledge, this study is the first to employ a fuzzy methodology for the analysis of financial well-being in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the current practices in "corporate-startup collaboration" and "Open Innovation" (OI) in Europe. OI has increasingly become mainstream. A growing number of European corporates are adopting OI approaches to innovate and benefit from a more agile business environment. As Henry Chesbrough – the father of OI – finds out, there is "no single best model for engagement". It highly depends on the goals that companies want to achieve. Models and approaches of corporate-startup collaboration are continuously evolving. A study of the variety of their effective-implementations in a real business context is therefore beneficial. Design/methodology/approach: For the purpose of this research, the authors analyzed the European corporates that are considered as "innovation leaders" according to "SEP Europe's Corporate Startup Stars" annual ranking. According to experts' evaluations, these companies represent the most advanced case studies in open innovation. The paper analyses the experience of 31 European large corporates implementing effective corporate-startup collaboration. The research approach is exploratory and descriptive. Findings: By adopting a practitioner-oriented perspective, the authors contribute to shed new light on how European corporates adopt OI and internalize arising innovations across organizational boundaries. Six key areas of OI activities have been identified and compared based on required resources' commitment. Nearly all of the corporates have implemented low-commitment strategies such as organizing one-off startup events and/or sharing free resources with startups. By contrast, only a limited number of corporates engaged actively through acquisitions (M&A), which requires the highest level of commitment. Startup procurement and investments seem to be the most effective approaches to startup-corporate collaboration, while corporate accelerators and innovation outposts are adopted by only nearly half of the companies considered. Research limitations/implications: Although the research is not a comprehensive survey, it is useful to identify current and future trends of successful corporate-startup collaboration as well as best practices by European leading companies working at the forefront of OI. Practical implications: This study provides evidence of the main trends in corporate-startup collaborations, both opening up their innovation processes for mutual benefits. The results have important implications both for corporates and policy makers since the study also highlights the main barriers that hinder successful corporate-startup collaborations. Although many of the analyzed corporates report to have introduced "startup-friendly procedures" – including shortening payments times, simplification of vendor registration and qualification process – the vast majority of companies still need to be educated about the opportunities and benefits arising from Open Innovation (OI). This is particularly true for mid-size companies and small and medium-sized companies that based on some preliminary evidences have not yet fully engaged in open innovation due to limited resources and lack of ability to understand the disruption threats posed by recent technology and market evolution. Originality/value: To date, there is little evidence on current practices of "Open Innovation" and "corporate-startup collaboration" in Europe. Only recently, large European corporations have concretely started to engage with startups. This paper attempts to shed new light on this so-far under-explored issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Whether welfare provision should be broad-based or selectively targeted at the poor is one of the most common themes in social policy discourse. However, empirical evidence concerning people's preferences about these distributive justice principles is very limited. The current paper aims to bridge this gap, by analyzing Europeans' opinions about a hypothetical transformation of the welfare state that would provide social transfers and services only to people on low incomes. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis draws on data from the 2016 European Social Survey and covers 21 countries. In order to understand what would motivate people to support the complete means testing of welfare provision, we use multilevel models with individual-level and contextual predictors. Findings: The results show that the upper and middle classes are the most opposed to the idea, presumably as they would be the net losers from such a reform. Furthermore, our results indicate that more-egalitarian people show a higher level of support for means testing, even though the political left has traditionally promoted universalism. Some key characteristics of the welfare state also matter: People are more likely to endorse complete means testing in countries with less-generous provision and a higher incidence of poverty. However, the extent to which the existing welfare state relies on means testing has no influence on people's opinions about implementing a fully means-tested welfare model. Practical implications: Some of the key findings are likely to be of interest to activists advocating on behalf of the poor and the socially vulnerable. Although it is generally assumed that universal provision is the best strategy to address the needs of disadvantaged people, our results suggest that from an electoral point of view, targeting within universalism may be a more appealing welfare strategy. Originality/value: This paper details one of the very few studies to examine preferences for means-tested welfare provision in a comparative context. In addition, one of the contextual variables used in the analysis – the proportion of means-tested social benefits out of the total expenditure on social benefits – is unique to this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a general micro-theoretical framework that helps to understand the embeddedness of trade unions within the European system of industrial relations, and the consequences of this embeddedness for industrial relations outcomes. First, starting from the paradoxical observation of a trend towards homogeneity within a complex, multi-layered European industrial relations system consisting of heterogeneous and autonomous agents, the paper aims to explicate the mechanisms which produce these similarities. Second, the paper seeks to analyse potential mechanisms for transnational trade union cooperation and, third, it concludes by outlining its applicability as the basis for methodological approaches which enable realistic and policy relevant analyses.Design/methodology/approach This paper is conceptual and focusses on the development of a general micro-theoretical framework which captures European industrial relations actors’ behaviour and outcomes. It integrates theoretical and empirical accounts from differing social science disciplines and from various methodological starting points on trade union action and interaction into one general micro-theoretical framework.Findings Starting from a typology of trade union goals, the authors show how various social mechanisms lead to interdependencies between trade unions and review empirical evidence for their consequences. The authors, then, identify a set of motives for transnational cooperation that would allow outcomes that are in line with trade union objectives.Originality/value Against the background that previous studies on trade union action and cross-national interaction have paid less attention to the puzzling stylised fact that industrial relations outcomes are mimicked by heterogeneous and autonomous agents actors in different countries, the authors address this research gap by developing a novel general micro-theoretical framework for the analysis of transnational trade union action and interaction in order to better understand the underlying causal mechanisms for the common behaviour and outcomes of autonomous actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) by examining the underpricing of European real estate corporations and identifying determinants explaining the phenomenon of setting the offer price at a discount at SEOs. Design/methodology/approach: With a sample of 470 SEOs of European real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies (REOCs) from 2004 to 2018, multivariate regression models are applied to test for theories on the pricing of SEOs. This paper furthermore tests for differences in underpricing for REITs and REOCs as well as specialized and diversified property companies. Findings: Significant underpricing of 3.06 percent is found, with REITs (1.90 percent) being statistically less underpriced than REOCs (5.08 percent). The findings support the market timing theory by showing that managers trying to time the equity market gain from lower underpricing. Furthermore, underwritten offerings are more underpriced to reduce the risk of the arranging bank, but top-tier underwriters are able to reduce offer price discounts by being more successful in attracting investors. The results cannot support the value uncertainty hypothesis, but they are in line with placement cost stories. In addition, specialized property companies are subject to lower underpricing. Practical implications: An optimal issuance strategy taking into account timing, relative offer size and the choice of the underwriter can minimize the amount of "money left on the table" and therefore contribute to the lower cost of raising capital. Originality/value: This is the first study to investigate SEO underpricing for European real estate corporations, pricing differences of REITs and REOCs in seasoned offerings and the effect of market timing on the pricing of SEOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to establish criteria for evaluating strategic partners in a network of logistics service providers (LSPs) to show how analytical network process (ANP) can be used to identify the weights of these criteria on a case-specific basis, and to investigate whether the ANP model can be used as a starting point to evaluate strategic partners for other LSP networks. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a literature review of vertical cooperation, the authors develop an overview of criteria for the evaluation of partners in a network of LSPs. The authors then apply ANP at LSP1 to validate the criteria, identify weights for these criteria and to validate model outcomes. Furthermore, the authors investigate whether the ANP model developed for LSP1 can be applied to another LSP with similar characteristics (LSP2). In-depth interviews are used to draw conclusions on the modeling approach and the model outcomes. Findings: The research shows that evaluation criteria for partners in vertical partnerships between shippers and LSPs are applicable to LSP partners in horizontal partnership networks. The ANP model with criteria weights provides a good starting point for LSPs to customize the evaluation framework according to their specific needs or operating environments. Originality/value: Limited research is available on evaluating LSP partners in horizontal partnerships. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first to bring forward horizontal LSP partner evaluation criteria to develop an ANP model for LSP partner evaluation and to apply this to two cases, and to provide a starting point for evaluating partners in similar horizontal LSP networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate gender differences in employment status trajectories of young Europeans during their initial labour market experience, and the way in which they are affected by some labour market institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical analysis is based on EU-SILC longitudinal data (waves 2006–2012), and focusses on young people aged 16–34. Monthly information on self-declared employment statuses for 36 months is used to define "employment status trajectories". Young people are observed in two different phases: the first three years after leaving education (first phase) and a three-year window, starting around four years after the end of education (2nd phase). Multinomial logit models are used to estimate the probability of following different trajectory types as a function of individual characteristics, macroeconomic conditions and institutional indicators. Findings: Results show that, in the first phase, women and men face on average the same difficulties in entering the labour market. When controlling for the presence of children, non-mothers have higher chances than men to enter rapidly and successfully into the labour market, whereas young mothers have the same chances. In contrast, in the second phase women experience more fragmented pathways than men, even if they do not have children. A less stringent regulation on dismissals of employees with regular contracts could enhance women's employment opportunities in the school-to-work transition, but it would have detrimental effects for both men and women in the subsequent years. On the contrary, a more stringent regulation on the use of temporary contracts would have beneficial effects for women, with no adverse effects for men. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the literature in several ways. First, it takes a broader perspective on youth labour market integration by considering two phases of individuals' initial working life. Second, it combines an explicit attention to the first "significant" employment experience with a focus on individual trajectories, by adopting a new method to group trajectories. Third, it shows how the effects of labour market institutions vary by gender, highlighting the importance of considering gender-specific consequences when discussing or adopting labour market reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to report on the quality of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in S&P Europe 350 companies. The paper also examines the impact of corporate governance structure and other firm-specific characteristics on the quality of CSR disclosure in European companies. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses a disclosure index adopted from Jizi et al. (2014). Moreover, the paper contributes to the CSR disclosure literature by developing a new index that includes all the aspects introduced by the Global Reporting Initiative version 4.The data of CSR reporting are manually collected from the firms' reports. The population and sample of this study are related to 350 companies operating in 16 European countries. Tobit regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses. Findings: The results reveal that directors' ownership, the presence of a CSR committee and firm size positively affect the quality of CSR reporting. Further testing of the independent variables on each CSR sub-category is made. The CSR sub-categories used are, namely, community involvement, employees, environment, social product and service quality, supply chain sustainability and business ethics. The presence of a sustainability committee inside the company is the only factor that shows a strong positive effect on the disclosure of every CSR sub-category and the CSR inclusive index. Research limitations/implications: The limitations of this research are that it focuses exclusively on the effect of the internal corporate mechanisms on the quality of CSR reporting; disregarding the economic, institutional, political and cultural factors that can play a role in influencing sustainability reporting of the companies. Practical implications: Better CSR disclosure leads to the firm having a better image in the society; this, in turn, has implications on firm performance, attracting funds, as well as recruiting and retaining high profile employees. Stakeholders are placing cumulative significance to corporate transparency particularly in the area of CSR. Managers should exert more efforts into not only improving the disclosure of the various facts of CSR but also into using the various media available for disclosure. Companies should take the initiative of establishing a CSR committee to ensure effective formation and implementation of CSR policies and disclosure of CSR activities. Social implications: The CRS research itself bears the merit of social implications. Moreover, the findings of this research pave the way for future researches to examine the effect of the adoption of global CSR initiatives and frameworks on the quality of CSR reporting. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the CSR disclosure literature by developing a new index that includes all the aspects of CSR and exploring the relation between the rarely explored "presence of sustainability committee" and CSR disclosure, as well as testing a vast number of CSR sub-categories that is not extensively covered in previous studies. Moreover, the paper covers a large sample of companies across 16 European countries, in terms of their stand-alone sustainability reports, dedicated chapters of CSR in annual reports, integrated reports, website CSR information and any attachments/links provided on the websites for further CSR documents, brochures or data sheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) on innovation and profitability in large European firms.Design/methodology/approach Using information from a unique micro-longitudinal database of top European R&D investors and information from the European Commission (EC) Merger Control Authority, dynamic panel estimations with firm-level fixed effects are performed. Moreover, the paper presents a qualitative case study of a merger in the European electronic and electrical equipment industry.Findings The analysis of a sample of 562 M&As authorized by the EC Merger Control Authority shows that mergers positively influence the R&D intensity and profitability of top companies in the European Union over the period 2004–2012. Furthermore, empirical evidence shows that the timing and magnitude of these effects differs. In particular, the positive effect of mergers on R&D intensity is found for the short and large term while they influence profitability only in the large term.Originality/value This paper makes several contributions. First, unlike other studies on this topic, it investigates the effects of M&As using firm-level panel data on the top 1,000 European R&D companies instead of only examining a case study. Second, a unique data set has been used, which collects information on large European firms from the European Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard and the EC antitrust authority. Finally, the paper accounts for the casual link between innovation effort and profitability when evaluating the potential effect of M&As on the R&D intensity and profitability of large European firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to provide a new and simple approach to the empirical assessment of the internal efficiency of national regulatory authorities (NRAs) based on outcomes on regulated markets. Moreover, in order to illustrate this approach, the authors apply the proposed methodology to telecommunications.Design/methodology/approach – First, this paper defines the production process of a NRA to identify correctly the inputs and the outputs of regulatory activity. Second, with reference to the telecommunications sector this paper provides estimates for the inputs and output identified. Third, by treating each NRA as a decision making unit (DMU) this paper carries out a data envelopment analysis (DEA) used in conjunction with a smoothed bootstrap technique.Findings – This paper provides evidences that NRAs operating in new accession countries look more efficient in pursuing dynamic efficiency goals than (more experienced) NRAs operating in other European countries, while they are less efficient when the regulatory outcomes are measured in terms of retail efficiency.Research limitations/implications – The lack of data on NRAs' personnel and budget requires a cautious discussion of the results.Practical implications – This paper enables one to get a better understanding of the effectiveness of different regulatory measures.Social implications – Once a measure of productive (internal) efficiency of a regulatory body has been obtained, it is then possible to embed this information in a more general analysis aimed at disentangling the effectiveness of regulatory measures from the ability (efficiency) of NRAs in putting them into force.Originality/value – The evaluation of regulators' productive efficiency, as well as the identification of its determinants, has been almost completely neglected in the literature. With this paper we start to fill this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the stylised facts of over-education among European graduates over time (1998–2013), paying special attention to the measurement issues.Design/methodology/approach The authors use two different sources, the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies 2012, and the European Union Labour Force Survey 1998–2013, with two different aims. The authors employ the first one to make a detailed analysis of the different forms of measuring over-education and its implications in terms of the result obtained. The analysis of the second one responds to studying the evolution and characteristics of over-education in Europe.Findings In the first place, the paper provides evidence of the high level of sensitivity of the level of measured over-education to the type of methodology used. Such difference is even higher when the authors focus on skills vs educational mismatch. The work also shows how with all their shortcomings, the measures of over-education used in the analysis point to the existence of convergence in over-education levels among the European countries of the sample (only interrupted by the crisis), in a context of reduction of over-education rates in many countries.Practical implications Researchers should be particularly careful when estimating over-education, because of the strong implications in terms of the so different results obtained when choosing between competing methods.Originality/value The analysis abounds in the implications of the use of different methodologies of estimating over-education in terms of both size and ranking among European countries. The production of long-run and updated estimates of over-education for a large sample of countries is done using a homogenous database and different estimation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the moderating effect of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) experience/education and earnings management in European companies.Design/methodology/approach Data from a sample of 302 European firms listed on Stoxx Europe 600 index and 596 CEOs from 2000 to 2014 are used to test the moderation model using moderation regression analysis.Findings Evidence reveals that CEO’s accounting-based attributes are negatively associated with accruals-based earnings management and positively associated with real earnings management (REM). Further, mandatory IFRS adoption significantly moderates the impact of CEO’s accounting-based traits on earnings-management activities.Research limitations/implications A small number of European firms were studied and, given the long study period, many firms with missing data were eliminated. To avoid a small sample size, countries with few observations were included, which leads to an uneven distribution between observations per country.Practical implications Findings from this paper can help: European firms to consider demographic traits when recruiting or promoting executives; the IASB to improve enforcement mechanisms and make IFRS implementation mandatory; and audit committees to effectively monitor REM.Originality/value This study is unique in providing European evidence for the moderating effect of mandatory IFRS adoption on the relationship between CEOs’ accounting experience/education and earnings management activities. This paper is also relevant as it addresses the effectiveness and efficiency of accounting literates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to perform a systematic cross-country comparison of key features of industrial relations in Europe in a context where consolidated post-war institutions are under attack on many fronts. The author discusses a number of key similarities and differences across the countries of Europe, and end by considering whether progressive alternatives still exist.Design/methodology/approach This paper draws upon academic literature and compares the contributions to this special issue in the light of common problems and challenges.Findings The trend towards the erosion of nationally based employment protection and collective bargaining institutions is widely confirmed. In most of Central and Eastern Europe, where systems of organised industrial relations were at best only partially established after the collapse of the Soviet regime, the scope for unilateral dominance by (in particular foreign-owned) employers has been further enlarged. It is also clear that the European Union, far from acting as a force for harmonisation of regulatory standards and a strengthening of the “social dimension” of employment regulation, is encouraging the erosion of nationally based employment protections and provoking a growing divergence of outcomes. However, the trends are contradictory and uneven.Originality/value This paper contributes to an updated cross-country comparative analysis of the ongoing transformations in European industrial relations and discusses still existing progressive alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to consider the situation of workers' rights in the context of European Works Councils (EWCs) in the metalworking sector. Design/methodology/approach -- The paper examines the preconditions, forms and patterns of trade union transnational coordination under the regime of cross-border competition and, in particular, its transnational implications for employment regulation in multinationals in Europe. The paper is based on evidence from the metal sector at the European Union level in the direction of establishing a framework for transnational bargaining at company level in Europe. Findings -- The paper argues that workers' representation rights at the European level (EWCs) and their resources can be very important in supporting the trade unions' bargaining activity in a situation of cross-border negotiation in multinational companies. In the absence of a legal framework, the very recent engagement by the European trade union movement to coordinate bargaining across borders, while stipulating agreements at the European company level (European Framework Agreements) for common regulatory purposes, represents a "necessary" and "essential" -- although not "sufficient" condition -- for transnational collective bargaining. Originality/value -- The paper ties the formation of EWCs to the early European project of a "social Europe". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Over the past 20 years public policy has sought to promote and formalise the socioeconomic role of universities under the auspices of the so called ''third mission''. The purpose of this paper is to consider how the third mission relates to, and has the capacity to reinforce the core missions of teaching and research. Design/methodology/approach - By highlighting the key limitations of contemporary debate the paper bridges the conceptual model/case-study dichotomy that characterises the literature. The paper draws on an ongoing study of higher education institutions in the UK and Europe. Findings - The paper contends that triangulating teaching, research, and third stream activities reinforces the respective dynamics of each component through their recursive and reciprocal development. Research limitations/implications - The paper forms the foundations of a de novo research agenda to better understand the dynamics of the third mission as a central facet of the contemporary university. Practical implications - The paper has implications for policy-makers and institutional strategy alike - identifying an unparalleled opportunity for institutional development by linking teaching, research, and third stream activities. Originality/value - By highlighting the importance that universities need to embody an ''inherent idea'' the paper contends the third mission presents the capacity for institutional development beyond the third mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the nature of undeclared work in South East Europe and the rest of the European Union and in doing so, to evaluate critically the validity of depicting the character of undeclared work as being the same everywhere. Design/methodology/approach -- A 2007 survey of undeclared work is reported, conducted in 27 European Union (EU) member states involving 26,659 face-to-face interviews. This paper focuses on the results of the 2,432 interviews conducted in five South East European countries, namely Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Slovenia. Findings -- In South Eastern Europe, more undeclared work is found to be waged employment and conducted by marginalised population groups out of necessity compared with other EU regions. Nevertheless, and similar to other EU regions, most undeclared work is conducted on an own-account basis, rather than as waged employment, for close social relations, rather than anonymous employers, and out of choice rather than necessity, although different mixtures prevail in different places and populations both within South Eastern Europe and across the EU as a whole. Research limitations/implications - This recognition of the multifarious work relations and motives involved in undeclared work, and different mixtures in varying populations, displays the need to move beyond treating undeclared work as everywhere the same and towards nuanced spatially sensitive representations. Practical implications -- Given the proportion of undeclared work conducted on an own-account basis and for closer social relations, this paper reveals that if South East European governments continue to seek its eradication, they will deter with one hand precisely the entrepreneurship and mutual aid that with another they are seeking to nurture. Originality/value -- This is the first evaluation of undeclared work in South East Europe and the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to introduce the employment relations context in South Eastern Europe from a variety of capitalism perspectives. Particular attention is accorded to the uneven nature of change at both the levels of institutions and practice. This is followed by a review of the individual papers that make up this special issue. Design/methodology/approach -- This paper is primarily a theoretical one, providing a review of the papers that make up this special issue and giving an overview of the foundation being provided. Findings -- While the term "transitional" has often been deployed to describe employment relations across the region, the process has been an extremely protracted one. There is little doubt that the nature and form of employment relations in the countries encompassed in this review is still coalescing, with further ruptures likely as a result of the 2009 depression. At the same time, the papers in this special issue point to long-standing continuities with employment. Research limitations/implications -- While the papers that make up this special issue may present the most recent research in the region, they also point to future areas for research. First, there is particularly little research that has been undertaken on peripheral areas of a generally peripheral region. Not only do we know very little about, say, Albanian employment relations, but we know little about employment relations in peripheral areas of large countries such as Turkey. Second, the 2009 depression is likely to accelerate trends to downsizing and insecure work, in the short term at least. Finally, there is a growing consensus that a sustainable economic recovery from the current crisis will depend, at least in part, on new social compromises both globally and regionally. Practical implications -- Employment relations in the region are undergoing an extended transition. In the short term, the most likely trend will be towards a further weakening of the bargaining position of employees, and towards more insecure working. However, a sustained recovery is likely to see a reversal of this, with employers being more likely to be forced to contemplate new social compromises. Originality/value -- This study applies the comparative capitalism literature to the South Eastern European region context. It also introduces some of the most recent applied research in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine what could be achieved through workforce mobility in Europe. Design/methodology/approach - The approach taken is a literature and case review. Findings - Findings indicate that full mobility of a European workforce is largely permitted and tolerated though a complex web of legal policy and constraints which need to be reviewed if full mobility is to be achieved within the European Union (EU). Practical implications - The paper draws on integration and trade theory to highlight the issues of mobility within the EU. The paper may prove useful to policy makers and researchers. Originality/value - This paper allows researchers to gain an understanding of the . issues in workforce mobility within the EU and build a conceptual portrait of the challenges faced by policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The software industry is rapidly being reformed by the collective development of open, common software - open source software (OSS) - sometimes being free at no charge, but always with the source code revealed for changing, testing and improvement. The purpose here is to examine the role and power of software in the economy and review the economic impacts of the trend to OSS on the software industry largely from a European industrial and social perspective. Design/methodology/approach - The paper briefly traces the economic significance of the software industry and the dominance in packaged software of the large US publishers, the phenomena of natural monopolies building in software packages, and the need for different industry structure for Europe, as it exhibits a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME,) and system integrator structure, It then examines the balancing affects of OSS. The paper also addresses the role that poor software plays in creating new costs or externalities for its users when it fails, contrasting the robustness of open source in defect repair. Findings - The paper finds that the way forward in economic terms for Europe may well be to follow and encourage OSS for reasons of creating a strong software industry and for a counterbalance to current monopolistic trends. Practical implications - The paper's findings emphasise the need for investment, education and encouragement in OSS, by both the public and private sectors, to build a strong knowledge-based society in Europe. Originality/value - The paper introduces the ideas of the basic economic mechanisms of volume sales of software as a good, with analysis of the industry impacts of confluence of the network effect coupled with the law of increasing returns with volume to drive monopolistic positions in the proprietary software package industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the potential need for European public policy actions in the area of mobile communications, in particular of developments towards 4th generation networks (4G). The paper is based on work conducted for the EC/JRC/IPTS/ESTO project "The Future of Mobile Technologies in EU: Assessing 4G Developments". The paper first reviews developments of 3G and 4G technologies in Japan, Korea, China and USA. It briefly addresses potential costs and benefits of competition in infrastructures. The paper states that initiatives in Europe for technologies beyond 3G tend to address research issues, while players in Asia and the USA are aiming at sales of 4G-equipment supposed to start as soon as possible. In conclusion, nine options for policy makers are presented, such as to stimulate 2.5G and 3G data markets, to analyse actual spectrum use, to continue analysing approaches competing with UMTS, to estimate costs and benefits of new approaches to spectrum regulation, and to evaluate steps towards frequency allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine and interpret the characteristics of social responsibility in general, and business responsibility in particular, that were evident during a period in European history that was plagued by widespread social problems and change. Based on that interpretation, the authors explore the lessons those characteristics may have for social responsibility in a contemporary world that is facing similar conditions. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents a qualitative analysis of the proceedings of the Bienfaisance Congress held in Frankfurt in 1857, where societal leaders from different nations met to answer the question, who has responsibility for whom, and for what? The authors use grounded theory, as it is operationalized in what is known as the "Gioia template," to conduct a structured analysis of this particular text, and to in turn produce a theoretical interpretation of how that question was answered. Findings: The interpretation from this study is that congress participants articulated certain established dimensions of responsibility (individual, organizational, national), as well as one new dimension (international), and did so by differentiating boundaries of responsibility; in turn, the authors suggest that these dimensions and boundaries work together to form a nested system of responsibilities. Research limitations/implications: There is limited empirical evidence available that documents the variety of responsibility-based initiatives that were being conducted during the 19th century. An analysis of the congress proceedings allows us to gain a better understanding of how the 19th-century world, particularly the upper echelons of European society, approached the question of under what conditions actors in different domains have responsibility for another. While the implications are limited by the analysis of the proceedings of one congress that was attended by elites, they do provide a snapshot of how Europe sought to articulate a system of bounded responsibilities during a time of widespread social problems and change. Practical implications: Although the nested system of responsibilities framework that emerged from the grounded theory analysis is not applicable to all situations, it should sensitize policymakers and business leaders to the need to address social problems in a systemic way. Originality/value: The authors both present a systems-based framework for understanding how responsibility is differentiated among actors (individual, organizational, state and international) and demonstrate how a theoretical interpretation of historical documents can be accomplished through the use of grounded theory, as operationalized through the Gioia template. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This research proposes ideal interaction patterns for structural dimensions (buyer and supplier representatives involved in the interaction and buyer and supplier critical capabilities) for transport service outsourcing. The purpose of this paper is to establish whether those ideal interaction patterns are determinants of success of the interaction. In this paper, the latter is measured against the corresponding process success and outcome success.Design/methodology/approach This paper proposes a conceptual model based on the prior literature and adapted to this specific case of transport services. The proposed model is approached using the partial least squares simultaneous equation models. For this, the result of a survey to senior management at European machinery, electronics and automotive sector manufacturing plants has been used.Findings When companies possess the proposed ideal patterns for the structural dimensions, this brings with it positive effects on both the process success and the outcome success obtained by the outsourcing plant. Therefore, buyer-supplier relationships have been recognized to play a key role in the outcomes of this interaction and that the design and management of interfaces between companies and their logistics providers are critical.Practical implications Managers can use the present research findings to produce an appropriate interaction design that includes the representatives and capabilities required to make transport service outsourcing a success.Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on transport research by specifically establishing ideal interaction patterns for the structural dimensions that buyer and supplier’s companies need to consider for achieving successful transport services outsourcing. Besides, the present research proposes a multidimensional measure of outcome success that combines major strategic, operational and financial outputs. Finally, this research represents the first survey-based empirical evidence on the topic, having used a sample of 93 plants belonging to many different companies in five European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines, in a European context, whether a management-induced International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) accounting strategy is affected by national culture. It analyses the association between management's accounting strategy and Hofstede's cultural dimensions of individualism and uncertainty avoidance, as well as institutional and firm-specific factors. Design/methodology/approach: Using hand-collected accounting decisions from 301 annual reports of firms from 14 European countries in 2017, a model is developed to identify two ordinally scaled accounting strategy variables, each representing the aggregated effect of the decisions on earnings and equity ratio. Afterwards, the effect of the cultural dimensions on these accounting-strategy variables is analysed by an ordered logistic regression. Findings: The results do not support an association between management's accounting strategy and national culture, complementing the previous critical literature on values-based theories of culture. However, there is evidence that national legal enforcement, disclosure requirements and firm size explain differences in management's accounting strategy across countries. Research limitations/implications: Using the cultural value dimensions of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project, the findings are robust and stable. However, the study is limited to a European data set and the sample year. Practical implications: This study contributes to the discussion on the transparency and comparability of IFRS accounting. The results imply that these issues are not affected by cultural differences but rather by differences in institutional and firm-specific factors. In order to bring about improvements, regulators should establish a uniform institutional setting, while the standard setter should reduce the number of implicit and explicit accounting choices embodied in the IFRS. Originality/value: The paper advances the understanding of cultural influences on management's IFRS accounting behaviour by providing an alternative to the existing accruals approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the gender specific private returns on education (RE) in Europe in a comparative perspective. The authors extend the model of de la Fuente (2003) by estimating the parameters by gender and introducing maternity leaves and benefits. The paper analyses the impact of the public policy variables evaluating the elasticities with respect to unemployment benefits, marginal and average tax rates, maternity leave and childcare benefits. Design/methodology/approach – The authors estimate the Mincerian coefficients, with the Heckman’ selection model, for 12 West European countries using the EU-SILC data. The authors then use them as input to calibrate the decision model. Findings – The RE of females tend to be higher than those of males in all the Europeans countries but Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. The gender gap can be explained mainly by the wage premia and labour income taxes which more than compensate the negative effects on females’ returns triggered by higher unemployment rates and maternity-related benefits. Practical implications – The tax system has the most pronounced effect on RE. An increase in the marginal tax rates has a negative impact. An increase in the average tax rates can have a negative or positive impact, depending on the progressivity of the tax system. An increase in unemployment benefits and maternity or child-care benefits has a negative but fairly small impact. Social implications – The analysis considers just one dimension of maternity related policies: the effect on RE and differences across gender. These policies may have aims which are beyond the scope of this paper, for instance to increase fertility. From this viewpoint, the small values of the elasticities presented are reassuring in that they suggest that they can be implemented at a fairly small cost in terms of investment in human capital. Originality/value – The authors compute the RE using a model which allows us to take into account and assess the significance of relevant variables: wage premium, income tax, some public transfers and benefits, costs of the investments. Moreover, the authors estimate the wage premia using relatively recent EU-SILC data. Finally, the paper compares 12 EU countries spanning quite different labour market conditions and institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the effect of flexible working conditions on work-family conflict in European countries. Flexible work has increasingly been used by employers to adapt to the demands of economic competition, often at the expense of employee's demands. Yet, at the same time, flexible work can provide a means to better combine work and family obligations. The paper seeks to explore which of these effects dominates for different types of flexible employment, paying specific attention to gender-specific effects. Design/methodology/approach – For the cross-national analysis of work-life-conflict, the authors employ the latest wave of the European Social Survey (ESS) from 2010, featuring a module on "Family, work and well-being". Binomial logistic regression is used to identify determinants of work-life-conflict both on the micro- and the macro-level. In addition to looking at flexible work forms as a phenomenon per se, specific attention is given to the experience of different types of employment flexibilization throughout the financial crisis. Findings – For both genders, irregularity and unpredictability of working hours negatively impact on work-life conflict beyond the mere amount of working hours. Yet, higher autonomy in choosing one's work time is used very differently: While women tend to use their control over working hours to achieve a better work-life-balance, men tend to use these arrangements to increase their work commitment, thereby enhancing their perceived work-family conflict. The authors argue that this gender-specific use of flexible work arrangements might still reflect the traditional gender roles and gender-segregated labour market structures. Adding to previous literature, the authors furthermore demonstrate that gender-specific differences are also apparent in the effects of the most recent economic crisis. Originality/value – By examining the effects of various types of flexible employment separately for men and women, the paper contributes to a better understanding of the gender-specific effects of flexible work arrangements on work-family-conflict within European countries. The 5th wave of the ESS furthermore for the first time allows an empirical investigation of the effects of the recent financial crisis on work-family conflict from a cross-nationally comparative perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The distinction between systemic banks (GSIBs) and non-systemic banks (non-GSIBs) is driven by policy reasons. This study aims to examine the behaviour of non-performing loans in European GSIBs and non-GSIBs from 2004 to 2013. Design/methodology/approach: The author uses regression methodology to analyse the association between non-performing loans (NPLs) and the state of the economy. Findings: The author finds that more profitable banks witness higher NPLs regardless of them being systemic or non-systemic. Secondly, GSIBs have fewer NPLs during economic booms and during periods of increased lending, while non-GSIBs experience higher NPLs during periods of increased lending. The author also observes that European non-GSIBs that exceed regulatory capital requirement also experience higher NPLs. In the post-crisis period, there is a significant and negative relationship between NPLs and the economic cycle for GSIBs in the post-financial crisis period and a significant and positive relationship between NPLs, loan supply and bank profitability for GSIBs in the post-financial crisis period; on the other hand, there is a significant and negative relationship between NPLs and regulatory capital ratios for non-GSIBs in the post-financial crisis period and a significant and positive relationship between NPLs and bank profitability for non-GSIBs in the post-financial crisis period. The findings have implications. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, the literature on the determinants of NPL has not empirically examined the behaviour of NPLs in European GSIBs and non-GSIBs. This paper examines this issue to provide insights to help policymakers and academics understand the peculiarities of NPLs in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to clarify the fit of competitive strategies and firm-specific advantages (FSAs) with country-specific advantages (CSAs) in explaining manufacturing location choices at product category level in the European automotive industry. Design/methodology/approach: Seven hypotheses are formulated and tested using binomial logistic regression with data from 148 passenger car models (i.e. product category level) that are sold in Europe and manufactured in countries that offer CSAs of either cost advantages or differentiation advantages. The first four hypotheses test manufacturing location choices of product categories pursuing cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy, focus strategy and hybrid strategy. The other three hypotheses test whether FSAs of R&D capability, marketing capability and operations capability will impact on the manufacturing location choice. The tests control for the type of passenger cars as well as the manufacturer's region of origin. Findings: While pursuing cost leadership strategy leads to manufacturing in countries that offer cost advantages, pursuing differentiation strategy as well as strong R&D capability and marketing capability result in manufacturing in countries that offer differentiation advantages. Focus strategy, hybrid strategy and operations capability do not have an impact on the manufacturing location choice at product category level. Research limitations/implications: Conducting empirical research at product category level is subject to limitations in the choices of FSAs due to lack of availability of data. Practical implications: Managers should assess the competitive strategies and FSAs of their product categories and then decide about manufacturing locations based on their fit with host country CSAs. Policymakers should understand the CSAs of their countries and target to attract manufacturing FDI from product categories with matching competitive strategies and FSAs. Originality/value: The research contributes to discussions in explaining manufacturing location choices. Its originality lies in being the first study to test the fit of competitive strategies and FSAs of product categories with CSAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of local port community systems (PCS) towards a vast network of interlinked locations in Europe. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is conceptual. It builds on the findings of platform theory and the analogy between the market for cargo information and the payment system industry to discuss the potential outcomes and shapes of a European port community. A number of interviews were also conducted with PCS market participants. Findings – As a result, insight is given into the stages of building a European maritime information network, the growing part played by PCS operators and the way competition and the market are organizing, as well as into some institutional difficulties. Research limitations/implications – The paper makes various inroads into the subject of PCS operation that call for further research. One particular field concerns the possible impact of PCS interoperation on port competition, which is not sufficiently clear at this stage of the research. Originality/value – The paper enlightens a hot topic in an original way and provides a useful benchmark for all concerned parties, professionals and public authorities alike. It also opens many prospects into future research on how information systems may contribute to shaping the cargo industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]