School of Management (SoM)

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Browsing School of Management (SoM) by Supervisor "Angus, Andrew"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Analysing the impact of corporate governance on corporate sustainability at board level.
    (Cranfield University, 2021-06) Bolourian, Soudabeh; Angus, Andrew; Alinaghian, Leila
    Stakeholders are increasingly holding companies accountable for their environmental and social conduct. Organisations are engaging in, and incorporating, social and environmental issues in their business models, organisational structures and processes. The board of directors are responsible for the overall achievement and oversight of the organisation’s aims and objectives. However, there is little detail on the board’s role in monitoring and overseeing social and environmental issues in the corporate governance realm. This thesis addresses this void in several ways. First a systematic literature review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the extant literature investigating the board of director’s role as a core element of corporate governance in corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. Critical assessment of a sample of 67 studies from 18 highly regarded scholarly journals published between 1992 and 2020 uncovers similarities and inconsistencies regarding the effects of various board attributes on CSR-performance. The review reveals these attributes do not work in isolation, but interact with each other and the context in which they are embedded in shaping CSR-performance. Second, empirical analysis of a cross-industry sample of 2891 firm-year observations from 789 FTSE350 and S&P500 listed companies during a 4-year period (2013-2016) investigates the role of the board attributes in driving CSR-performance. The influence of the board-level CSR-committee – a board attribute that despite the increased prevalence of such committees on the board is largely understudied – in driving CSR-performance is explored. This contributes to the growing literature on CSR-committees by investigating their presence, composition and interactive effects with various board attributes in driving CSR-performance. Additionally, contributing to the recent call for investigating interactions among board attributes and their impact on CSR-performance. Finally a configurational approach is used to further explore board attribute interactions and combined impacts on CSR- performance. The results of a Qualitative Comparative Analysis reveals nine board configurations leading to high CSR-performance. This contributes to the argument that “one-size” does not fit all, and different boards can achieve the same results via unique configurations of attributes.
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    The dilemma of natural resource dependency in gulf countries.
    (Cranfield University, 2019-08) Aljarallah, Ruba Abdullah; Angus, Andrew
    Natural resources (NR) serve as useful inputs and vital raw materials for domestic industries, which stimulate and secure sustained economic growth and development. However, the notion that the richness of NR can be translated into a curse rather than a blessing has long been an overarching topic of research for both academics and policymakers. The wealth of NR has noticeable socioeconomic and political impacts that vary among resource-rich countries. Given the importance of the Gulf Countries and their dependency on income from NR, the present study thoroughly analyzes the socioeconomic and political aspects of NR dependency in Kuwait (KWT), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Firstly, this study examines the economic aspects of NR dependency by taking per capita GDP (PGDP) and Total Factor Productivity (TFP) as dependent variables. Secondly, this study examines the political aspects of NR dependency by taking institutional quality as the dependent variable. Lastly, the present study examines the social aspects of NR dependency by taking human capital as the dependent variable. This study applies the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model and co-integration technique by using time-series data from 1984 to 2014. The results indicate that, in the long-run, dependency on NR has a positive impact on PGDP in the KSA and the UAE, but the relationship is insignificant in KWT. Then, it is found that NR dependency shows a positive impact on TFP in the KSA and a negative impact in KWT, while the relationship is insignificant in the UAE. The results reveal that, in the long-run, institutional quality deteriorates as a result of NR dependency in KWT, but this relation is insignificant in the KSA and the UAE. The results of co-integration illustrate that NR dependency dampens human capital in the three countries in the long-run.
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    Exploring the potential of impact investing to catalyse transitioning to a circular economy.
    (Cranfield University, 2023-03) Bilewu, Omotayo; Nellis, Joe; Angus, Andrew
    There is an overwhelming need to address global social and environmental challenges, alongside an increasing recognition that ‘good business’ is intertwined with ‘doing good’. The emergence of impact investing as an investment vehicle to ‘intentionally’ tackle societal challenges, such as those captured within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, alongside generating financial returns is proving attractive to investors and asset managers. This doctoral thesis seeks to provide insights in response to calls for rigorous academic studies towards building institutional legitimacy that should increase market confidence and capital allocation. It starts by investigating the connections between impact investing and the circular economy - two concepts that have generated increased interest in parallel over the last decade. The review reveals that the attributes of impact investing suggest it could play a pivotal role in accelerating the transition to a circular economy. Using a social exchange theory lens, the evolving exchange modalities between investors, intermediaries, and investee companies in the impact investing ecosystem is examined. The results show that a nexus of activities influenced by formal and informal norms govern behaviours and expectations. These norms are crucial in the relational exchange between impact investors, intermediaries and investee companies. A conceptual framework emerges from the study to guide impact investing practice. Furthermore, a single embedded case study is conducted to explore how the exchange partners engage with behaviour change interventions that substitute trust with a mutual opportunity to incorporate sustainable development initiatives in the delivery of an affordable housing development. The findings indicate that mutual goals increase collaboration and cooperation, but are curtailed by the outcome of cost benefit analysis which impinges on trust. Nevertheless, there is scope for impact investors to encourage the uptake of circular economy principles through education and awareness with learning reinforced in project specific facilitated workshop settings.
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    Using a paradox lens: a study into the challenges facing an established Servitization provider.
    (Cranfield University, 2020-09) Allen, Anthony Clive; Angus, Andrew
    The current zeitgeist for servitization within manufacturing emphasises the need for manufacturers to balance the contradicting demands of production and service elements in the effort to deliver customised solutions. This emphasis on juxtapositioning two contradictory logics can however result in competing intra-organisational demands which are not always capable of a finite solution, often resulting in tensions and conflictions many managers struggle to navigate. Using a case study methodology this study identifies frequent and critical challenges facing an established servitization manufacturer and challenges the traditional binary “either/or” approach to their solution by viewing the challenges through a paradox lens to highlight their often simultaneous, interconnected, and interrelated nature and offering paradox theory as an alternative narrative to reframe such tensions. The conceptualisation of paradoxes within organisational challenges has remained relatively unexamined in servitization studies, resulting in an oversimplification of underlying challenges facing manufacturer’s delivering a servitization strategy. The study applies an exploratory, holistic single case design utilising semi-structured interviews to explore challenges experienced by 31 senior managers; employing paradox theory as a conceptual lens to better understand the contextual particulars individuals were drawing on to describe and construct their experiences of intra-organisational challenges. The study then undertakes a comparative analysis of extant literature against empirical data from the case study to identify which challenges present in the case study appear recursive and identifies what tensions within them contribute to such an outcome. The study generated five key insights at the individual level of analysis. First, the empirical confirmation of a conceptual typology presenting a holistic and contextual model that captured the challenges facing an established servitization organisation, as observed from its own senior management’s perceptions. Second, the identification of ten recursive challenges. Third, the analysis of the recursive challenges resulted in the identification of ten paradoxical tensions as causal agents underpinning their cyclical nature and are not currently associated with the servitization perspective. Fourth, the observation that the recursive tensions are interconnected and interrelated often spurring other paradoxical tensions; and fifth, paradoxical tensions contain within them multiple temporal dimensions which can affect the nature not only of the tension but actors perceptions; again, this is a view not associated with servitization studies. The study offers four theoretical contributions to knowledge. First, the study extends the servitization knowledge base by addressing its lack of contributions from paradox theory. Second, the study challenges the traditional simplistic assumptions concerning servitization challenges arguing that such generalisations to be deeply flawed and lacking contextual understanding. Third, the study identified ten recursive challenges with ten novel tensions acting as causal agents for their sustainment and identifying such tensions as interconnected and interrelated; thus, can spur other tensions. Finally, the study introduces a novel perspective in discussing servitization challenges by introducing how socially constructed temporal perspectives can not only shape an individual’s perspective on challenges identified but also shape their responses.
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    Wind energy diffusion in developing countries
    (Cranfield University, 2022-04) Zwarteveen, Jan Willem; Angus, Andrew; Zawwar, Imran
    Wind energy is valuable, but many developing and emerging economies (DEEs) do not utilize their substantial wind potential. The objective of this research is to understand wind energy diffusion with the aim to promote wind energy in underdeveloped areas for sustainable benefits of both country and wind industry. The literature review and meta-analysis identified 259 factors that influenced wind energy diffusion. A novel conceptual framework that describes wind energy diffusion was developed, dissecting factors that influence wind diffusion into factors related to the desire for wind energy, factors related to the mechanism of change and disturbing factors. Regarding DEEs, the meta-analysis showed indications of the importance of economic factors and, opposing expectations, environmental factors appear not to drive wind energy growth. Based on path creation theories but using binary logistic regression as a novel quantitative approach, the empirical study explored the factors influencing early wind energy diffusion. Key indicated drivers appeared to be climate adaptation, vested interests (fossil fuels and hydropower), and the business case potential. Regarding DEEs, a negative business case potential formed a key barrier. Novel market entry strategies for the wind power Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) are to collaborate with vested power producers rather than compete and promote wind for climate adaptation instead of climate change mitigation. Most high wind potential countries have installed less than 500 MW of wind power capacity (commercialization threshold). The remaining countries have on average 20596 MW of wind capacity installed per country. The lagging wind adopting countries were assessed on their probability to adopt commercial wind in the near future, by using a novel quantitative path creation forecasting method. Passive entry, passive waiting, active entry and active waiting were defined as suggested market entry and development strategies for the wind OEM.