An examination of the impact of macro context on women CEOs in the hospitality industry

An extensive body of research has studied the antecedents and outcomes of gender differences at the workplace. The differential returns in objective career success (defined by promotions and salary) have been primarily attributed to indi-vidual and organizational factors. Yet, other than the effects of national culture and state interventions to promote gender equity (such as board quotas) on women’s status, we know to a less extent the impact of macro context on the gender gap. In particular, we study the effects of the federal regulation Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) which followed one of the largest accounting fraud scandals worldwide (i.e. Enron in 2001). We also study the 2008 financial meltdown crisis (following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers) on the position and pay of female CEOs. Using Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Executive Compensation database (Execucomp) from 1992 to 2011, we found that SOX led to an increase in women serving as CEOs. However, neither the federal act nor the financial meltdown had an effect on the total compensation of CEOs. This evidence suggests that the gender pay gap remains constant regardless of particular events happening in the macro context

The impact of managerial networking intensity and market-based strategies on firm growth during institutional upheaval:a study of small and medium-sized enterprises in a transition economy

Varying institutional environments provide the foundation for a great deal of international business research, yet relatively little empirical work has examined the determinants of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) growth during institutional upheaval, although the importance of SME development for economic transition and growth is widely acknowledged. Our paper addresses this gap in the literature by examining how the competitive strategies of SMEs evolve during institutional transitions, and assessing the implications for firm growth. Using data collected from 135 SMEs in 1993, and 200 SMEs in 2001, we find that managerial networking intensity (i.e., developing and maintaining relationships that may be used for business purposes) declines markedly over time, whereas the importance of market-based strategies increases. Managerial networking intensity is strongly associated with firm growth early in the institutional transition process, but not later. Market-based strategies are not associated with firm growth in either time period. Drawing on convergent insights from multiple theoretical perspectives, we argue that changes in strategy are concurrently driven by socially constructed norms that legitimize new ways of competing and delegitimize old ones, and by knowledge acquisition and learning, which provide managers with a more diverse set of tools with which to exercise their strategic choices

Self-directed learning and absorptive capacity: the mediating role of trust and human capital

This chapter aims to provide a better understanding of how self-directed learning effects absorptive capacity by examining the influence of two mediators: specifically, affective trust in colleagues and human capital development climate. By using a sample of 181 participants from the creative industries sector, a sequential mediation via a three-step causal chain was conducted. This chapter contributes to human resource development and strategic management literature in showing that self-directed learning does not only have a strong effect on the organisational capability, but it also has an impact at the group-level dynamics involving trust and organisational-level climate. These findings show that organisations need to design jobs that allow discretion and autonomy from staff to shape their own learning and to cultivate an environment that recognises and rewards learning