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The transition of small Spanish wineries toward multi-channel distribution: The role of ambidexterity	[ "Spain", "Wines", "Multi-channel", "Ambidexterity", "CAQDAS", "Abductive", "Multiple cases analysis" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The rapid growth of the internet and the increasing efficiency of logistics services have urged firms that commercialized their products exclusively through traditional channels to consider the option of selling directly to consumers through online channels, thus giving rise to multi-channel distribution (Ailawadi and Farris, 2017). Today, consumers want to be able to use new digital channels to interact with a company at any stage in the purchasing process. Thus, enhancing the consumer experience in the digital era requires the effective integration of multiple sales and communication channels (Saghiri et al., 2017).\nLiterature review and research framework: As our aim is to investigate the dynamic capability of ambidexterity in the multi-channel distribution of wineries, we need to revise two streams of literature to build our research framework. First, we revise the key papers from the channels literature that analyze the benefits and requirements of a multi-channel strategy, and we present the findings of the papers that have analyzed multi-channel distribution in the wine sector. The second part revises the literature, from the management field that has investigated the dynamic capability of ambidexterity, and the limited findings on ambidexterity in supply chains and distribution channels.\nResearch methodology: Our study is focused on small firms in the Spanish wine sector. Spain is the first exporter of wine and the third wine producer in the world (Inigo et al., 2018). The sector comprises 4,373 winemakers (OEMV, 2018); 83 per cent of them have less than 10 employees and can be characterized as small family businesses [Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), 2018]. In Spain there are 89 Wine Denomination or Designation of Origin (DO) (Ministerio de Agricultura y Pesca, Alimentacion y Medio Ambiente, 2018), being Ribera del Duero and Rioja the main ones as their sales represent 25 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively, of total sector sales (Inigo et al., 2018).\nResults: Firm 1.\nDiscussion of results: After analyzing each of the companies' exploitation and exploration capabilities, these are summarized in Figure 2 to assess the level of ambidexterity of each firm and relate it with its level of multi-channel integration.\nConclusions, implications, limitations and future research: This study has analyzed the process of multi-channel integration in small Spanish wineries, identifying the exploitation and exploration capabilities deployed in the management of multiple channels. We have investigated if those firms with a more advanced multi-channel distribution, i.e. higher level of channel integration, show higher levels of development of the ambidexterity dynamic capability.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper aims to analyses the development of exploitation and exploration capabilities, and the role of ambidexterity, in the evolution of small Spanish wineries toward multi-channel distribution systems.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A qualitative methodology based on the analyses of multiple cases supported by a computer assisted qualitative data analysis software with an abductive approach was used to study the relationship between ambidexterity and the multi-channel integration of six wineries.\nFindings: Companies with more advanced multi-channel distribution systems have more developed ambidexterity capabilities. This ambidexterity stems fundamentally from the ability to simultaneously maintain relations with distributors and innovate and search for creative ways to satisfy new customers.\nResearch limitations/implications: The research is based on insights from companies based in Spain.\nPractical implications: Spanish small and medium enterprises in the sector are in an underdeveloped phase of multi-channel integration. To be successful in this process, these companies must combine exploitation and exploration capabilities.\nSocial implications: If the company is able to develop an integrated multi-channel distribution system leading to an omnichannel system, consumers will benefit from it, getting complete information at each specific stage of shopping.\nOriginality/value: This study provides the first description in academic literature of the usefulness of the concept of ambidexterity as a dynamic capability to explain the degree of development and multi-channel integration.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
An investigation of lead benchmarking implementation: A comparison of small/medium enterprises and large companies	[ "Malaysia", "SME", "Large organizations", "Lead benchmarking", "Lead indicator", "Small and medium enterprises" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Since its appearance as a component of modern quality management principles (Moriarty, 2011) in the 1980s, benchmarking has gained credibility for improving organizations' competitive advantages. Interest in benchmarking has increased significantly since its inclusion as a criterion for the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award (Adebanjo et al., 2010). Recent studies demonstrate that benchmarking is used by the majority of organizations in all parts of the world (Gomes and Yasin, 2011; Joo et al., 2011; Lockamy III, 2011; Moriarty, 2011), and many organizations intend to continue the use of benchmarking in the future (Adebanjo et al., 2010). However, most organizations' benchmarks are based on hard rather than soft data and ignore non-financial measures such as customer satisfaction, human resources and innovation (Moffett et al., 2008).\n2 Literature review: 2.1 Benchmarking definition\n3 Research methodology: We used an interview methodology to examine lead benchmarking implementation by collecting data from manufacturing companies of various sizes. The targeted population was quality managers. Guided by variables outlined for lead benchmarking, collaboration and information sharing approaches, a questionnaire was developed. To formulate questions, exploratory research was undertaken, including a broad-based literature review and preliminary semi-structured interviews with a number of informed academics. Each question was derived from a triangulation of case data, previous questionnaires (Deros, 2004) and semi-structured interviews in line with Field (2009). The areas covered include aspects related to manager perceptions of benchmarking, benchmarking initiatives, lead benchmarking methodologies, benchmarking implementation's challenges and the benefits and future of benchmarking.\n4 Analysis of questionnaire findings: Key findings are explained in five main parts as follows:\n5 Summary and conclusion: Our study was conducted to determine differences in benchmarking implementation of Malaysian SMEs and large companies. The results confirmed that Malaysian firms in particular large organization have started a journey towards becoming world-class manufacturing organizations by focusing on lead performance measures.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore current levels of lead benchmarking implementation and lead performance indicators among Malaysian organizations. Comparing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with large companies, it identifies what benefits and difficulties are present during benchmarking implementation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Descriptive analyses, one-way ANOVAs between and within groups, and parametric and non-parametric tests are used to compare responses obtained from small, medium and large Malaysian manufacturing organizations.\nFindings: Findings suggest that larger organizations have a more progressive approach to lead benchmarking. Strategy and employee development are dominant lead performance indicators of continuous improvement. Large companies experience fewer challenges when implementing benchmarking projects. Perceptions of key benchmarking implementation barriers shift from mere lack of resources toward lack of knowledge and training, information sharing, commitment and trust.\nResearch limitations/implications: The sample is specific in nature (Malaysian manufacturing organizations); results should be interpreted accordingly.\nOriginality/value: Little is known about lead benchmarking practices in Malaysia, particularly within the contexts of SMEs. The outcomes of this study provide a basis for further improvement and valuable knowledge for top management of manufacturing organizations to refine strategies and advance quality management approaches.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
New perspective for the management of M&A process: a merger case of a Japanese pharmaceutical company	[ "Acquisitions and mergers", "Pharmaceuticals industry", "Japan" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Many firms consider mergers and acquisitions (M&As) as an essential strategic measure, and the volume of M&As has increased over recent decades. The impact of M&As on subsequent performance has been widely studied, and many studies have identified adverse effects of M&As (Berkovitch and Narayanan, 1993). While knowledge or intellectual capital has been regarded as a key driver of competitive advantage in recent corporate management (Kogut and Zander, 1996), the complicated consolidation processes following M&As often vitiate this fundamental source of corporate capabilities (Jemison and Sitkin, 1986). To deal with various stakeholders and conflicts of interest between firms, M&As are usually conducted in an extremely top-down manner, which is often inconsistent with the preservation of key employees and their knowledge assets. Through the process of rationalization involving employee layoffs to make efficiency savings, M&As can decrease the motivation of employees, cause an outflow of key employees, and so forth (Ernst and Vitt, 2000; Paruchuri et al., 2006). Since a certain amount of rationalization must be executed in order to achieve business efficiency, the negative effects on intellectual capital have presented a significant dilemma for executives managing the M&A process (Jemison and Sitkin, 1986). In this respect, the key issue in M&A management is how to involve and motivate employees and sustain their knowledge assets during the course of the M&A process.In order to overcome this formidable management difficulty, the current study aims to offer a new perspective for effective management of the M&A process, for which we employ a case study of a merger of a Japanese company. While the previous literature has focused mostly on M&A cases in Europe and the USA, studies on M&As in Asian countries is less common. This is partly attributable to the infrequency of M&As in the region. However, the number of M&As in Japan has increased since 2000 (RECOF, 2008), and a few studies focusing on Japanese firms have presented some features of their M&A management, such as stronger emphasis on human resource factors and longer-term perspectives (Froese and Goeritz, 2007). These characteristics have led to successful integration in some M&As, whereas they have also worsened corporate values in others (Hattori, 2004). Although we do not believe that Japanese-style M&A management is a panacea, we expect to learn different perspectives that could be applicable to Western cases through a deeper understanding of a Japanese case.As the sample for our study, we chose a pharmaceutical firm, since the pharmaceutical industry is known to be of the most knowledge-intensive and M&A-intensive industries (Mergerstat, 2007). The Japanese pharmaceutical industry experienced few M&As until quite recently. This is partly because of the domestic industry environment (i.e. protection by the national industry policy), but more importantly, conventional Japanese corporate governance was regarded as being inappropriate for achieving successful M&As. That is, employees wielded substantial power in the corporate governance and had a strong aversion to M&As. Moreover, the lifetime employment system prevented effective post-M&A rationalization. Collectively, these factors have created a perception that M&As in the Japanese context may not lead to increased corporate value (Hattori, 2004). However, the recent increase in global competition has forced some firms in the industry to resort to M&As. In this context, we expect to observe a different approach to the management of the M&A process, in which higher priority is given to employees.The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. In section 2, we illustrate the merger process of the case company (Astellas) with the background of pre-merged firms. Section 3 develops a framework of the M&A process drawing on the literature based on Western cases, and highlights the features of the Astellas case. Finally, section 4 summarizes the key findings of the case study.\n2. Case study of the merger of Astellas Pharma, Inc.: In this study, we analyze the case of the merged firm Astellas Pharma, which was formed following a merger between Yamanouchi Pharma and Fujisawa Pharma in 2005. The firm had 15,000 employees, achieved annual sales of Y=880bn ($US7.7bn), and was ranked second in Japan and seventeenth in the world for sales volume (fiscal year 2005). The merger was one of the largest M&As ini Japanese history and was regarded as a successful Japanese M&A case. Three years after completion of the merger, the company achieved major financial goals that were projected at the planning phase.The case draws on in-depth interviews with ten principal actors involved in the merger process, including senior management[1]. The interviews were semi-structured and explored the reasons for the decision to merge, the rationale for the firm combination, the organization for the merger process, the issues in the process, the decision-making system, the nature and content of communication with employees, and future plans for the merged entity. The interviews were conducted in July-September 2005 (3-5 months after the deal was concluded), and each took two to three hours. For triangulation, we also interviewed 14 external experts, such as investment bankers, consultants, and other pharmaceutical executives and obtained additional information on the merger process of Astellas and the industry environment. The information collected was augmented by documentary analysis, including financial statements, investor relations information, and other public information. Figure 1 describes the merger process of the firm chronologically.2.1 Company background\n3. Framework of M&A process management and features of the Astellas case: The Astellas case was characterized by a strong momentum created by the core team, coupled with top-down support from management leadership and ground-level support from employees. We discuss the notable features of the case and THE practical implications in line with the previous literature on M&A process management (Buono and Bowditch, 1989; Galpin and Herndon, 1999; Seo and Hill, 2005), in which the entire M&A process is demarcated into three inter-linked phases:1. the pre-merger phase;2. the initial planning phase; and3. the integration phase (Table II).3.1 Pre-merger phase\n4. Conclusions: Although M&As are an essential strategic measure for various industries, they often severely damage knowledge capital, a critical source of competitive advantage. While swift rationalization of human resources is typically prioritized in Western-style M&As, the Astellas case demonstrates how employee-oriented approaches helped to preserve knowledge assets while encouraging an orderly merger. The Astellas case was characterized by the strong momentum created by the core team, with the excellent combination of ground-level support from the workforce and the monolithic leadership of top management.First of all, the Astellas case was highly consistent in its momentum to create a new firm. Although Yamanouchi was the acquirer and Fujisawa was acquired in actuality, their decision-making was not based on such a power game, but on the logic to choose the best. This is not only clearly stated in their merger principles but also implied throughout the merger process. Moreover, the process of creating the new firm is reinforced by the creation of a new management team with the next generation of executives. This released Astellas from its backward-looking issues and enabled it to focus on the future. This drastic endeavor was made possible by the initiative of the core team.In general, M&As tend to follow an extremely top-down approach, which often overlooks the reality of the business frontline. Notably in the Astellas case, a few key employees were involved in the core team from the pre-merger phase, and were allowed exceptional authority. They were consistently engaged in the merger process and finally took the core positions in the post-merger corporate management. This consistent involvement facilitated their strong commitment not just to complete the deal successfully but also to strengthen the firm's capabilities in the long term. Moreover, the exceptional management leadership essentially drove the merger process, resolving indecisiveness and ambiguity of M&A process management, which is a typical difficulty in Japanese M&As. Although Western-style M&As are often controlled by the leadership of only the acquirer's top management, the Astellas case demonstrated the monolithic leadership of both firms' CEOs. Before the merger, the CEOs had already established a relationship of mutual trust through the integration of the OTC business and so on. This relationship was sustained and even strengthened through the merger process. Crucially, this encouraged mutual trust between the two firms among other core team members and every employee.In summary, the core team of the Astellas merger gives us a different perspective of M&A process management. Although the management of the M&A process should follow the corporate culture and other environmental factors of each case, future M&As should consider the feasibility of a hybrid model of Western and Japanese M&A management by modifying the features observed in this study.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this study is to provide a new perspective for effective management of the merger and acquisition (M&A) process by making use of a case study of a merger in the Japanese pharmaceutical industry. As corporate governance and culture are notably employee-oriented in Japanese firms, the paper seeks to explore whether M&As in the industry may follow different paths from those in Western companies and lead to competitive advantage.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper examines the case of a merger of a Japanese pharmaceutical company, Astellas Pharma, which was formed as a result of one of the largest M&As in Japanese M&A history. The case is analyzed in line with previous theories on M&A process management.\nFindings: - The case was characterized by a strong momentum created by a core merger team consisting of a few members of management and workforce representatives, and the merger process was facilitated by both top-down leadership and ground-level support from the workforce. While broad engagement and non-rapid rationalization of the workforce can slow the execution of the merger process and delay efficiency savings, it can also consistently drive the merger process and place the merged firm on a solid foundation with strong commitment from all levels.\nOriginality/value: - This study suggests a new mode of the M&A process by focusing on a particular merger case of a Japanese pharmaceutical company. The mechanisms observed in the case should be applied with appropriate modifications to the M&As of Western companies.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Multi-library union, promoting ILL/DD of the Chinese science digital library	[ "China", "Document delivery", "Interlibrary loan", "Evaluation", "LibQUAL", "CSDL" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The Chinese Science Digital Library (CSDL) was established in 2003 to support libraries in supplying their users quickly from the vast amount of published material available. It consists of a system of interlibrary loans and document delivery (ILL/DD) and is the result of a project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The library of CAS (main library in Peking) collaborated on the project, along with more than 75 libraries of the subordinate research institutes of CAS (located throughout China).\n2. Chinese Science Digital Library operation mechanism: 2.1 Management system\n3. Resources of the Chinese Science Digital Library: The home page for the ILL/DD system at CSDL provides access to many databases. These resources can be divided into three categories; the CSDL union catalogue database, various integrated resource databases and resources from third-party companies (Jiang et al., 2003). CSDL's ILL/DD system and resources are shown in Figure 3 and are described below.\n4. Chinese Science Digital Library's interlibrary loans and document delivery system feature: The ILL/DD system at CSDL is a part of a centralised construction (Zhen, 2008) which embodies several technical superiorities in the form of its multi-library union service. These superiorities are described below:\n5. Interlibrary loans and document delivery service quality assessment based on LibQUAL+: To evaluate ILL/DD quality, this study applied a modified LibQUAL+ model to the service quality assessment of a university library.\n6. Conclusion: The CSDL first united all book and journal resources from CAS by creating a union catalogue database. Subsequently, it organized service staff by enabling every member library to appoint its own ILL librarian. The CSDL not only implemented ILL/DD throughout CAS but also developed many member libraries outside CAS to reach its target of catalogue co-building and resource sharing. The CSDL has become a pioneering ILL/DD system in China. Its integrated mode is unique and deserves to be studied and promoted. Some conclusions from the analysis on CSDL ILL/DD are as follows. The CSDL plans a role of guarantor and supporter of libraries and campaigns for resource co-building and sharing. It encourages developing countries to build an ILL/DD system. In addition, the LibQUAL+ model was modified to assess ILL/DD service quality. Using this modified model, an ILL/DD quality evaluation was conducted for one university library. The evaluated result has shown that the modified LibQUAL+ model can be used effectively for ILL/DD service quality assessment.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This study aims to describe and analyse interlibrary loans and document delivery (ILL/DD) in the Chinese Academy of Sciences and to evaluate the ILL/DD service quality of one particular library.\nDesign/methodology/approach: ILL/DD at the Chinese Science Digital Library (CSDL) is described. The success of ILL/DD at CSDL is analysed. Finally, the service quality of one library's ILL/DD based on LibQUAL+ is evaluated.\nFindings: ILL/DD at CSDL can be improved through a multi-library union, and a modified LibQUAL+ model can be used to evaluate a library's ILL/DD service quality.\nSocial implications: More patrons can access a better service, and the work efficiency of librarians can be improved.\nOriginality/value: This study is helpful to librarians interested in ILL/DD and resource sharing in China.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Onboarding is a change: Applying change management model ADKAR to onboarding	[ "Project management", "Change management", "Onboarding" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Onboarding is a crucial step for an employee, as well as an employer, but it is often neglected by both. In some organizations, onboarding is viewed as the training of a newcomer or induction or a checklist to tick for the completion of joining formalities or onboarding may go overboard with information overload. These approaches will not be helpful either to a new employee or to an organization. It can impact the bottom-line of the organization by causing a delay in making a new employee productive and by creating a low level of engagement and retention. The better approach can be treating onboarding as a change and applying the change management process. There is a big change for the new employee when he or she joins any organization. For the organization or department or team, it is an adopting of a new person. An onboarding process smooths the experience for both.\nOnboarding: According to the Society for Human Resource Management, \"Onboarding is the process by which new hires get acclimatized to all aspects of their jobs rapidly and easily, and learn the knowledge, skills, abilities (KSA) and behaviors required to function effectively within an organization\".\nAwareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement - change management model: The change management model ADKAR (awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement) developed by PROSCI is a popular model. For organization level change, there is a need for project or program management to address technical and logistic requirements and change management to address human aspects. ADKAR gels well with project management. The model can be applicable to make a successful change for one person or 20 people or 1,000 people or for the whole organization. This can be used for onboarding of one person or several new employees.\nChange management aspects: Awareness\nProject management aspects: Good project management focuses on different dimensions - planning, scheduling and monitoring, managing budget, scope and risks, and considering stakeholders involvement. Formal and proactive onboarding needs project management.\nCaution from the ADKAR model: Follow the phases: For a successful onboarding, the program should follow the phases. If the manager says \"My new staff needs just on-the-job training\" (direct ability phase), new staff may have a very stressful period and will not be productive. The progressive nature of the model makes it holistic and stress-free.\nConclusion: Irrespective of size, any organization will have new recruits and onboarding is a necessity. Besides new recruits, the foreign posting of staff or acquisition of an organization will require onboarding. A carefully custom designed onboarding process can make a new employee engaged and committed, resulting in higher productivity. Higher retention brings lower turnover cost. Thus, onboarding has strategic importance. A change model ADKAR can bring in change management and project management aspects to make systematic and proactive onboarding.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the onboarding process with reference to the change management model ADKAR to improve effectiveness.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Change management phases and project management phases of the ADKAR model are applied to onboarding process, and onboarding activities are analyzed.\nFindings: The change management approach and project management approach provide a systematic design and implementation plan for onboarding.\nOriginality/value: HR professionals can plan a customized, systematic, and holistic onboarding program covering technical and non-technical aspects in terms of knowledge, skills, abilities, and behavior.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The relationship among participative management style, strategy implementation success, and financial performance in the foodservice industry	[ "Participative management", "Restaurants", "Strategy implementation", "Organizational size", "Performance", "Management styles", "Management strategy" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Directive and participative management style in decision making and the strategy implementation process has been an area of research interest for a long time in the management literature. While some past hospitality strategic management studies were based on strategy formulation, strategy structure-debate or environmental scanning, only a few studies have been based on directive or participative approaches in the strategic process and implementation in the hospitality industry (Dev and Olsen, 1989; Harrington, 2004; Okumus, 2001; Parsa, 1999; Schmelzer and Olsen, 1994).While managers of all types have been shown to prefer more directive management styles due to time constraints and ease of decision making (Nutt, 1989), researchers have argued for the benefits of participative management as a method for increasing information processing, utilizing knowledge dispersed across the organization, providing more alternatives, facilitating opportunity recognition, and to avoid having good ideas overlooked (Barringer and Bluedorn, 1999; Nonaka, 1988; Harrington and Ottenbacher, 2009). Therefore, this study builds on past studies and examines the relationship between organizational members' involvement and the degree of participation in decision making and strategy implementation process in the foodservice industry.The relationship between organizational structure, directive or participative management style, hierarchical level of participation, implementation success and financial performance are investigated. Some of the objectives of this study include the following:* to examine the relationship between management hierarchical level of involvement and organizational structure;* to determine the relationship between participative management style, strategy implementation success, and financial performance; and* to investigate the differences between the degree of overall participation on strategy implementation success, and financial performance.While much research has looked at the participation issue, little has been done to assess the relationship among the level of involvement at a variety of organizational levels and the impact of the degree of participation on firm performance (Cleland and Ireland, 2006; Li and Simerly, 1998).\nLiterature review: As changes in the economy and in the hospitality industry continue to transpire, managers in the foodservice industry should be prepared to continuously enhance their strategic decision-making skills. Decision making is one of the many skills managers and leaders employ on a daily basis regardless of their leadership style. However, it is common knowledge that decision-making strategy varies from one manager to another depending on the leadership style or styles employed by the manager. A manager that predominantly employs a directive leadership style is likely to restrict the involvement of his or her subordinates in strategic decision making than a manager who predominantly employs a participative leadership style (Northouse, 2004).Directive leadership style is characterized as a leadership style where leaders instruct subordinates about what is to be done, how is to be done, and when is to be done (Mintzberg et al., 1998). A directive leader clearly makes decisions, sets standards of performance, and makes them clear to subordinates. While a major potential benefit of directive leadership style includes its ability to get the job done (Ogbeide et al., 2008), a number of advantages have been purported for this top-down approach. Less complex situations and environments where time constraints are an issue have been suggested as situations where directive leadership may be effective (Bourgeois and Brodwin, 1984; Nutt, 1989). Of course, this belief is based on several assumptions:* environmental cause-and-effect relationships can generally be understood (Mintzberg, 1973);* any knowledge needed to understand these relationships is not specific to other areas of the organization (Cloudhury and Sampler, 1997); and* lower levels of the firm are willing to accept directives from above (Bryson and Bromiley, 1993).In contrast, participative leadership is characterized as a leadership style where leaders invite subordinates to share in the decision making. A participative leader confers with subordinates and integrates their suggestions, ideas and opinions into the decision-making process (Northouse, 2004). Some of the potential benefits of participative leadership (management) style include its positive impact on employees' motivation/satisfaction, its ability to get the job done, and its likelihood to increase quality decision making (Ogbeide et al., 2008; Smylie et al., 1996).Decision making has been an area of study from a variety of perspectives. Earlier studies indicate decision-making process tactics can be categorized into three primary types and are identified as:1. analysis tactics;2. judgment tactics; and3. participative tactics.Harrington and Ottenbacher (2009) considered how managers in the hospitality industry make significant organizational decisions and how this process is impacted by contextual features. The study found direct and interacting relationships among several contextual features with decision-making tactics. Key contextual features included decision urgency, risk level, complexity, dynamism, level of decision maker, and internal or external support/opposition. While this study pointed out many of the relationships among context and process, it also pointed to the importance of a participative approach to the decision process success when used in hospitality and other high-contact service business sectors.Despite some of the advantages of participative management style, the breadth and depth of organizational members' participation or involvement in the strategic process varies from one organization to another (Harrington, 2004). Breadth of involvement relates to the opportunity to gain knowledge from business units, departments, project teams, and stakeholders of the organization (Forbes and Milliken, 1999). Depth of involvement relates to involvement through organizational hierarchy (from the upper management to frontline employees) (Barringer and Bluedorn, 1999). Past studies on the relationship between the breadth of involvement and implementation success is not clear and can be described as mixed (Simons et al., 1999). Thus, further hospitality studies are needed in this regard to examine the relationship between breadth of involvement and implementation success in the hospitality industry. Similarly, due to the discrepancies in the measurement of the depth of involvement (Harrington, 2004), the value of hospitality studies with a complete measurement of hierarchical involvement cannot be understated.Based on a synthesis of research in the strategic management and innovation areas, Ottenbacher and Harrington (2008) provided a matrix defining four categories of influence distribution or involvement types during the strategic decision-making process. These types are defined by the level of depth and breadth of involvement within and across an organization. These two collective processes have been suggested as ways for teams to utilize more heterogeneity in their backgrounds under the assumption that the team will make better strategic decisions. The basic idea is that diversity in specific knowledge will provide more information, a better understanding of the situation and more alternatives (e.g. Forbes and Milliken, 1999; Simons et al., 1999). The possible downside of this more collective approach is that, if not properly managed, teams will have more dissention and in some cases be unable to reach a consensus (e.g. Dooley and Fryxell, 1999).Several studies in the hospitality literature have indicated a relationship between higher level of involvement of organizational members and higher firm success (Chorengel and Teare, 1994; Harrington, 2004, 2005; Okumus, 2003; Schmelzer and Olsen, 1994; Teare et al., 1998). However, these studies were based on case studies, qualitative approaches, small sample sizes or conceptual fashions that need further study for a better substantiation. This study draws from the previous research but employs a quantitative research method and a larger sample size to examine the relationship between participative management style and organizational structures as it relates to the degree of participation, implementation success and financial performance.\nDefinitions: The concept of involvement has been used to describe a variety of concepts in the literature (e.g. Gursoy and Gavcar, 2003; Nutt, 1989; Varki and Wong, 2003). For this study, we follow the earlier work of Barringer and Bluedorn (1999) and define involvement as the level of participation by members of organizational levels during the action plan decision making and implementation. A related concept in this study is the degree of participative management style. Where the level of involvement in this study considers the level for each organizational level (upper, middle, lower management and frontline employees), degree of participation in this study taps into concepts of breadth and depth of involvement. Therefore, the degree of participation is defined as the collective level of involvement across and within the firm, ranging from minimal to robust participation.Organizational structure and size are long studied variables of interest in business research. Typical measures include sales, assets, and number of employees (Harrington, 2004; Hart and Banbury, 1994). Because earlier researchers have indicated unique differences for the restaurant industry due to the number of geographically dispersed units (Bradach, 1997; Ritchie and Riley, 2004), this study defines structure/size by number of units in the firm (single versus multiple).In this study, the strategy implementation process relates (primarily) to strategic means rather than strategic ends. Strategic ends apply to what an organization intends to achieve and, therefore, applies to a firm's strategic plan such as missions, goals and objectives. Strategic means are defined as how an organization intends to achieve its mission, goals and objectives. Strategic means are generally described as policies, projects, programs and action plans. These strategic endeavors are more closely tied to strategy implementation (Brews and Hunt, 1999). Because this study considers involvement and degree of participation at all foodservice firm levels (from frontline staff to top management), the authors assume the findings are more applicable to tactical issues of strategy implementation. This presumption is a boundary condition of the current study and is an under-researched area in general business (Cleland and Ireland, 2006) and hospitality (Harrington and Ottenbacher, 2009).\nHypotheses: Organizational structure/size and level of involvement\nMethodology: The population for this study is membership in a state restaurant association in the Southern USA. The sample selection for this study was a random sample of 1,600 members. The survey instrument utilized for this study was adapted from previous studies (Barringer and Bluedorn, 1999; Brews and Hunt, 1999; Harrington, 2004; Nutt, 1989). The questionnaire is made up of:* some forced-choice questions regarding management implementation tactics, foodservice segments, organizational structure, ownership type, and educational level;* some \"fill in the blank\" questions regarding the total number of employees in the organization, and the official title of the respondent;* a five-point scale, which ranged from 1=\"Low\" to 5=\"Top\", was used to measure organizational performance; and* a ten-point scale, which ranged from 1=\"No/Low/Little\" to 10=\"High/Very\", was used to measure the environmental factors impacting the foodservice industry, implementation success, and the hierarchical categories of employees involved in the strategy implementation process.Measurements\nResults: Of 1,600 surveys, 424 (26.5 percent response rate) were returned, of which 324 responses were usable, containing all information. This response rate is similar to other studies of a similar population (Dev and Olsen, 1989; Jogaratnam, 2002). However, in order to minimize the possibility of non-response error, foodservice segment characteristics of the sample were compared with the association membership, percentages by ownership-type and numbers of units were compared between our sample and the National Restaurant Association, and all firms that responded were sent a second copy and asked to have a second informant respond to the survey. Overall, these findings indicated minimal effects due to non-response bias, ensure inter-rater reliability of the environment and organizational processes, and increase the external validity beyond the borders of this sample.Respondent's profile\nDiscussions and conclusions: This study considered the relationship among management hierarchical levels of participation during action plan implementation, organizational structure (single and multi-unit firms) and performance. The results indicate that larger organizational structures (multi-unit firms) do not necessarily require a greater level of involvement at all organizational levels per business units and departments to utilize strategic processes compared with smaller organizational structures (single-unit firms). However, larger organizational structures require higher levels of involvement by middle and lower management levels to successfully utilize strategic processes. These findings seem to imply that the strategic implementation process in organizations with larger structure require a greater level of involvement of middle and lower management.Because there was no difference in the level of involvement by upper management or frontline associates for large or small foodservice firms, this finding indicates that foodservice firms in our study utilized a similar participative management style for these two key organizational levels. An implication of this finding is that the level of involvement at these two levels has become institutionalized across foodservice firms. This institutionalization may be the result of a traditional top-down view of leadership in the field coupled with two decades of firms implementing the empowerment concept to enhance customer satisfaction and service recovery. While this may be the case, it still remains a question as to whether or not individual firms in the foodservice field are able to implement a higher level of involvement or participative management style to achieve competitive advantage during the action plan implementation process.While earlier studies have suggested that managers prefer to use low involvement methods in action plan implementation (e.g. Nutt, 1989), this study also supported the notion that greater levels of involvement by a variety of management levels were related to greater strategy implementation success and financial performance. Where the relationship between level of involvement and greater implementation success appears to be tied directly to successful outcomes of specific project implementation, the more long-term relationship with financial performance appears to be partially derived through more participative approaches and may result through a lag effect from higher success in project implementation accumulating over time.The degree of overall participation across four organizational levels also provided an interesting and original finding. In general, the results provide support for higher strategy implementation success and financial performance. Firms utilizing higher levels of organizational participation outperformed firms using a low participative style. This relationship appears consistent across small and large firms and across foodservice sectors. The finding that, regardless of the size of a foodservice organization, the higher the degree of participative management style resulted in higher implementation success, higher overall profitability, and financial performance was not surprising as it supports similar studies in the area.Implications\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - This study aims to consider how the degree of participation at various hierarchical levels impacts action plan implementation success and firm financial performance. Specifically, the study seeks to assess the relationship among organizational structure, involvement by top management, middle management, lower management and frontline employees and its effect on firm performance; and, when controlling for firm size and industry segment membership, the effect of the relationship among direct involvement effects and interacting involvement effects on performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The study used survey methodology and a random sample of members in a US state restaurant association. The analysis included comparisons between groups using independent sample t tests and hierarchical regression to assess direct and interacting effects.\nFindings: - The findings indicate that, regardless of firm size or industry segment, the direct effects of greater top management involvement and the interaction effects of one three-way interaction (middle management, lower management, and frontline staff) and the four-way interaction led to higher levels of action plan success. For the longer-term impact on financial performance, higher participative approaches used by top management and frontline staff were significantly associated with higher overall profits and financial success.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The sample was drawn from a specific region in the USA and may not be generalizable. The study attempts to minimize the potential for non-response bias and to ensure inter-rater reliability but these potential threats to validity cannot be totally ruled out.\nPractical implications: - In general, higher top management participatory approaches are important to enhance financial and strategy implementation success, regardless of firm size. The interaction of participation by all levels of the firm is a useful approach to increase the likelihood of strategy implementation success. Top management and frontline employee participation are critical organizational levels for enhancing participative management approaches and ultimately increasing financial performance for all foodservice firms.\nOriginality/value: - The value of this study is the consideration of the impact of participation by degree across four hierarchical levels on firm performance and plan execution success.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Share and share alike: Making knowledge matter	[ "Knowledge management", "Research and development", "Organizational culture" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Many organizations will realize that success depends on generating new ideas that inspire new innovations and lead to new products being launched. In certain industries, this sequence of events is even more important. Knowledge is the catalyst for any effective breakthrough.\nWhy knowledge is important: Knowledge is one of the most powerful assets for any company, not least because it is often unique and thus difficult to replicate. Fully exploiting this valuable resource is consequently a must.The best way to capitalize on knowledge is to share it. Two heads are after all better than one, or so the proverb claims. That being the case, sharing can enable different perspectives on current information to emerge. An equally exciting possibility is that entirely new knowledge will result from the activity.Trouble is, the task is not always a straightforward one. While it is simple enough to share explicit knowledge, it is more challenging where tacit forms are concerned. Tacit knowledge essentially reflects the know-how an individual has acquired and developed through various associations with others. Finding ways to successfully share tacit knowledge is seen as crucial to new knowledge creation.\nFactors that help or hinder knowledge sharing: Plenty of personal and organizational factors can either facilitate or hamper knowledge sharing. By definition, the process incorporates a considerable social element. It is therefore important that research and development (R&D) professionals are given plenty of opportunities to engage in both formal and informal interactions. The latter is arguably the most important. Why? Because people are naturally much more inclined to share information with someone they like, respect and trust. Informal contact inside and outside the workplace can help nurture these feelings and make the working relationship flourish as a result. There is no doubt that such exchanges can be highly productive. Even seemingly idle chit-chat round the coffee machine might help generate a highly inspirational thought or two further down the line.Development of personal networks is obviously to be encouraged then. But geographical proximity also plays an integral role in the creation of social bonds between the professionals concerned. Of course, this is a particular challenging issue when relevant business units are widely dispersed. Absence might make the heart grow fonder in some contexts but that is hardly the case here. The most probable outcome is a silo mentality, which makes succeeding in any aim to share tacit knowledge between different faculties virtually impossible.On the other hand, knowledge exchange should be noticeably easier to stimulate among colleagues who occupy the same location. For a start, companies can use open plan office designs to ensure that workers operate in close proximity to on another. Regular interaction is the norm within such an environment. Sharing the same workspace will also nurture a common identity and affinity in terms of language, practices and goals. When mutual interest and involvement prevails, the impact on knowledge sharing propensity is positive.If the logistics within an organization are important, then its culture is even more so. A learning culture is imperative if knowledge sharing is to occur. And as with the office space, openness holds the key. Not everyone will feel confident enough about the significance of the knowledge they possess. For those who are not, a degree of hesitancy to share it with others is inevitable. Some might even live in fear of being ridiculed if their suggestions or questions are perceived as irrelevant or, worse still, absurd. But promoting a culture within which every person's contribution is encouraged, supported and valued should help remove this insecurity from the equation and increase the frequency of knowledge sharing as a result.Some employees are motivated by a belief that spreading the gospel might lead to the identification of ways to make the job less demanding. Furthermore, it makes sense to share knowledge so that people become more familiar with each others' roles and responsibilities. Managers can then delegate tasks where necessary and minimize the disruption of worker absence caused by events like sickness or vacation.Many people gain immense satisfaction from helping others. This will not be lost on shrewd company leaders who can point out that imparting knowledge provides an ideal chance to fulfill such desires. However, altruistic aims will be of little concern to certain individuals. To them, knowledge equals power. And being in sole possession means being in control and instigates a sense of feeling special. Letting others get in on the act is perceived as diluting their own importance. This sentiment certainly needs to be challenged as it poses a potentially formidable barrier to the knowledge-sharing process.If the exchange of knowledge is to become a routine organizational behavior, motivation and commitment are clearly fundamental. But those involved must possess some ability in the first place to absorb and then share what they learn. Training and ongoing management support is vital in this respect. Having the right mechanisms in place can likewise help R&D professionals overcome other barriers that include knowing that relevant information exists, its whereabouts and how it can be accessed. In larger corporations especially, this could be a pretty daunting task.\nThe combination effect: Some of the identified enablers and barriers have an oppositional relationship. Awareness of this can enable organizational leaders to combat any harmful impacts on knowledge sharing. Take the aforementioned problem of people not knowing where to find knowledge. This can be addressed by ensuring that those affected develop personal networks that include all the appropriate contacts. Perhaps the most effective way of negating barriers while increasing the likelihood of knowledge sharing is to exploit interdependencies between certain enablers. For instance, creating open spaces in the organization affords greater opportunity for the informal contact that brings people closer together.Different professional groups hold different views, responsibilities and goals. These and other factors influence their approach to knowledge-sharing activities. Consequently, the significance of certain enablers and barriers is subject to variation. This highlights that knowledge sharing is a multi-faceted phenomenon for which a one-cap-fits-all approach is inappropriate. Instead, companies should aim to identify the most important enablers in each context and exploit any synergistic opportunities they provide to increase knowledge sharing. The end result could well be a speedier development process and more innovations.\nComment: The review is based upon: \"Knowledge-sharing enablers and barriers in pharmaceutical research and development,\" by Anne-Mette Lilleoere and Ebba Holme Hansen. The important contribution knowledge-sharing makes to innovation is the focus of this lengthy article. Lilleoere and Hansen identify key factors that enable knowledge sharing and suggest ways in which they can function interdependently to negate the impact of other factors that serve as barriers to the activity. Many interesting and valuable points are made by the authors and emphasized further within a detailed case study of a major organization in the pharmaceuticals industry.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to review the latest management development across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.\nFindings: - Many organizations will realize that success depends on generating new ideas that inspire new innovations and lead to new products being launched. In certain industries, this sequence of events is even more important. Knowledge is the catalyst for any effective breakthrough. Knowledge is one of the most powerful assets for any company, not least because it is often unique and thus difficult to replicate. Fully exploiting this valuable resource is consequently a must. The best way to capitalize on knowledge is to share it. Two heads are after all better than one, or so the proverb claims. That being the case, sharing can enable different perspectives on current information to emerge. An equally exciting possibility is that entirely new knowledge will result from the activity.\nPractical implications: - The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.\nOriginality/value: - The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The global village: online cross-cultural communication and HRM	[ "Individual behaviour", "Collectivism", "Cross‐cultural management", "Human resource management", "Internet" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In today's knowledge based global economy, online communication is increasingly valued by organisations as a way to efficiently respond to dynamic competitive markets. Internet usage shows no signs of slowing down. Statistics show that approximately 1.1 billion e-mails are sent out daily in the USA and 88 million employees are connected to the Internet (HR Focus, 2003). From 1993 to 1996 alone, the number of Internet hosts grew from 1.3 million to 9.5 million (Gray, 1996). Furthermore, estimates of the Asia-Pacific region's contribution to global business-to-business e-commerce in 2004-2005 range from $US616 billion to $US1,500 billion (Bajaj, 2001). As time passes it is likely that Internet usage will continue to expand amongst members of each subsequent generation worldwide (Negroponte, 1995).As a backdrop to the increase in online activity, organisations today operate on a supranational level, trading across national barriers and in different parts of the globe. As network competence has shown a strong positive influence on the inter-intra organisational online collaborations, and on a firm's product and process innovation success (Ritter and Germunden, 2003), the effectiveness of cross-cultural online communication is critical to business success today.In past decade technology has affected the way people communicate to accomplish work, which has in turn brought impetus for changes in culture and society (DeFillippi, 2002). Although online communication has fostered an information and knowledge based culture, it could destroy individual and/or group performance if it is poorly planned, developed, and implemented by the organisation (Martinsons and Chong, 1999). Such people related cultural issues have profound implications for HRM (Miller, 2003; Moffett et al., 2003).Some cultural diversity literature on the Internet show extreme polarity of views. Some assert that the new technology reduces cultural diversity in what has been termed the \"MacWorld\" effect where developing countries aspire to a Western consumer lifestyle (Barber, 1992). Some cultural diversity literature on the internet shows extreme polarity of views that new technology either reduces cultural diversity in what has been termed the \"MacWorld\" effect where developing countries aspire to a Western consumer lifestyle (Barber, 1992); or reinforces cultural fault-lines whereby cross-border communication technology retains cultural groupings (Barnett, 2001). In an online communication context where Westerners' independent values and Easterners' interdependent values are evoked and exchanged (Hofstede, 2001), online communication is predicted to elicit perceived value dissimilarity, reducing work effectiveness online.Recent research findings imply that the value differences between Westerners and Easterners manifest in different perspectives, attributes and communication patterns that tend to produce significantly poorer perceived performance, more coordination costs, lower satisfaction and lower commitment to cross-cultural communication (Ishida, 1986; Jehn et al., 1999; Nadler et al., 1985). Diversity oriented HRM, namely, the combined use of individualist and collectivist (IC) HRM practices is thus proposed to positively moderate the effect of cross-cultural online communication between Westerners and Easterners (see Figure 1).Individualism-collectivism online\nParadoxical effect of cultural diversity online: In addition to extreme decentralisation and interactivity, the Internet could genuinely be described as something no previous technology could lay claim to: being global in nature. Previous communication technologies could not overcome the barriers of distance and time the way the Internet can; newspapers, radio and most television networks were in effect restricted to audiences of national and passive users.Although the Internet began as an experiment by military researchers in the USA (Hafner and Lyon, 1996; Negroponte, 1995; Poster, 1999), its use accelerated throughout the world at astonishing speeds. It became a technology that swept across geopolitical borders and out of the jurisdiction of national governments (Poster, 1999). What are the consequences of global information flow and usage on cultural values? If changes in technology affect society through changing the way people communicate, how does that change in communication display itself through cultural values? To date, there are two distinctive schools of thought, which state that:(1) technological progress causes cultural homogeneity (Hillis-Miller, 2001), and(2) technology progress reinforces cultural fault-lines (Hall, 1996; Zahir et al., 2002).Next, we explore the paradoxical effects of cultural diversity online based on these two dissimilar schools of thought.Technology progress causes cultural homogeneity\nCross-cultural online communication: collectivists' online resistance: As stated in the beginning of the chapter, individualism refers to a holding of values and beliefs that individuals are clearly distinguishable or separate from their social environment. In contrast, collectivism refers to the holding of values and beliefs that individuals are defined by the social context to which they belong (Bochner, 1994; Triandis, 1989).Cross-cultural differences make themselves known through the adoption of the Internet. Within collectivist cultures, such as those in East or Southeast Asia, there was more resistance to the use of the Internet. China took a strong stand against the Internet fearing that unregulated access by its citizens to non-official news sites would jeopardize the country's stability (Abbott, 2001) by letting citizens have access to Western values. In addition, several sites within China, whose operators were familiar with the cultural and political climate of censorship, self-regulated their content to stay on the right side of the authorities (Abbott, 2001). From a Western legal perspective, such regulation infringed on an individual's rights to access the Internet, however from an Eastern collectivist society, the regulation was tolerated in the name of stability or national relationship-building (Weber, 2002). Some of the fear surrounding the Internet was exacerbated by a lack of informed knowledge by governments in collectivist cultures about the decentralised nature of the medium. For example, Malaysia unsuccessfully tried to filter the content of Internet service providers (Abbott, 2001). The preceding discussion on collectivists' resistance towards the Internet insinuates their in-group or social group orientation, which can hinder their online communication with individualists.In the business communication literature, there has been a significant amount of interest in cross-cultural communication and high-low context cultures (Guffey, 2003; Locker and Kaczmarek, 2001; Mohan et al., 1996), which signifies the importance of the study of cultural perspectives toward online communication. Low context cultures tend to refer to individualist group members (Singelis and Brown, 1995), who value direct confrontation and clarity (Bovee et al., 2003; Guffey, 2003; Locker and Kaczmarek, 2001; Mohan et al., 1996). Examples of low context cultures include German, Scandinavian, North American and English cultures (Bovee et al., 2003; Hall, 1976). High context cultures tend to refer to collectivist group members (Singelis and Brown, 1995), who value indirectness, politeness, ambiguity and group membership (Bovee et al., 2003; Guffey, 2003; Locker and Kaczmarek, 2001; Mohan et al., 1996). High context cultures include Eastern nationals, such as Japanese, Chinese, Arab, and Greek societies (Bovee et al., 2003).Because trusting relationships are more significant than business transactions in high context cultures, they have low reliance on written words but high reliance on multifaceted communication means including contextual factors, oral agreements, situational cues, and nonverbal behaviours (Bovee et al., 2003; Guffey, 2003; Locker and Kaczmarek, 2001; Mohan et al., 1996). The rules of everyday life are learned via situational cues and spiral logic is employed (Bovee et al., 2003; Guffey, 2003; Locker and Kaczmarek, 2001; Mohan et al., 1996). For example, the two years of perplexity experienced by a Swedish businessman before formalising a contractual relationship with the Saudis has been explained as demonstrating the need to become first known and trusted (Hofstede, 1991). The experience can be explained equally well from a culture context perspective as an example of indirect, spiralling social interaction in which a trusting relationship takes precedence over the actual business transaction.Because transparency and directness in relationships are valued in low context cultures, the emphasis is on business transactions where there is only one level of meaning, where only written agreements are binding, everyday rules are explicit and logic is applied with linear precision. There is a high reliance on words, especially in written words, and specific details, but low reliance on contextual factors and nonverbal aspects. Trust relationships are less significant than business transactions (Bovee et al., 2003; Guffey, 2003; Locker and Kaczmarek, 2001; Mohan et al., 1996).Examples of the affect of cultural perspective on online communication abound. For example, recent research findings show that Chinese websites have a higher frequency of high context orientation whereas US websites show higher low-context orientation (Singh et al., 2003). Research findings indicate that collectivists tend to avoid directness in writing (Beamer, 1994). Moreover, Hong Kong students were found to be reluctant to write directly about required business outcomes (Perotti and Bridges, 1993). Chinese speakers were found to use spatial, and correlational logic writing style whereas English speakers used linear, cause and effect logic and writing styles (Beamer, 1994).The critical importance of the cross-cultural dimensions of high-and low-context cultures is evident in recent research which analysed the communication aspects of the current crisis in US-Arab relations (George, 2003). Research found that the US low-context culture's reliance on explicit verbal communication was perceived as less credible by Arabians of high context culture. Similarly, high-context and low-context cultures were found to have different preferences for managing conflict either discretely, subtly (i.e. the preference of the high context Arab culture) or via open confrontation (i.e. the preference of the low context US culture) (George, 2003).Individualists' low context nature and collectivists' high context nature is expected to permeate into online communication contexts. Within online communication contexts where emails tend to require only the written form of direct, short and succinct messages, collectivists are predicted to show more resistance to online communication whereas individualists are predicted to show favourable attitudes toward online communication. Collectivists are, thus, predicted to produce more stress and tension in online communication than their individualist counterparts. Consequently, they may demonstrate deviance behaviour from online communication and prefer to communicate matters in person.In suggesting strategies for improved intercultural and international communication, communicators first need to understand the cultural uniqueness of a country before they can identify the most appropriate and effective message, format, and channel of communication (George, 2003). This includes understanding both the language and the culture context.1. P1. The low context nature of online communication will be more favourably reacted to in terms of use, attitudes toward, and emotional responses.In order to avoid cross-cultural misunderstandings, messages should be tailored to mirror cultural contexts and differences between the sender and the audience. Hence, communication between people from low context cultures (i.e. individualists) and persons from high context cultures (i.e. collectivists) must consider both form of communication and the perception of the wording or language used (George, 2003). Thus, we contend that the combined use of IC HRM practices would facilitate the most effective message, format and channels of communication that both cultures can understand in an objective manner, while simultaneously, capitalizing on culturally diverse knowledge and talents.Key outcomes for individuals, groups and organizations\nHRM implication on technology management: Technology has revolutionized HRM in organisations (Miller, 2003). Technology and HRM can provide organisations with a highway for growing human capital. For example, recent research across 208 organisations found that HRM and technology investment enhanced human capital development (Youndt et al., 2004). Technology, however, could destroy individual and/or group performance if it is poorly planned, developed, and implemented by the organisation (Martinsons and Chong, 1999).Today, technology is not just being managed by the technical experts. The emergence of personal computers, friendlier commercial software and multi-user networks have led to the fact that technology can be managed at the individual, group and organisational level (Martinsons and Chong, 1999). In order to succeed in multifaceted technology management, HRM plays a vital role in managing social, structural, and psychological issues addressed by technology (Martinsons and Chong, 1999).While the HR-Technology literature mainly discusses the technology implications of HRM practices (e.g. HRIS, e-recruitment), there is little attention given to the HRM implications of technology management (Lengnick-Hall and Moritz, 2003; Miller, 2003; Shrivastava and Shaw, 2004; Singh and Finn, 2003; Townsend and Bennett, 2003). As technology impinges upon organisational culture, affecting people's work style (DeFillippi, 2002), HRM plays a crucial role in the management of technology.Research findings repetitively indicate that poor SHRM can hinder technology management (Bikson and Gutek, 1984; Chong, 1993; Ives and Olsen, 1984; Raheb, 1993; Willcocks and Mason, 1988; Martinsons and Chong, 1999). The common causes of technology failures are documented as HR issues, namely, organisational culture, performance management, change management and conflict resolution process (see Martinsons and Chong, 1999). Despite such findings, in practice, the role of SHRM as part of the technology management process (i.e. planning, development and implementation) has been given little attention to date.Within the online cross cultural communication context, we contend that diversity oriented HRM will help reduce misunderstanding and conflict between ICs thereby maximising the potential of their diverse knowledge.Diversity oriented HRM\nConclusion: Cultures have been categorized as those promoting individualism (where individuals are separate to the whole) or collectivism (where the overriding principle is that individuals are defined by social contexts to which they belong). The use of online communication increases as organisations continue to adapt and utilise new technology. Given the value dissimilarities between ICs, such value dissimilarities across cultures could manifest in online environments. If not properly managed, organisations may face negative outcomes such as increased costs and reduced productivity. Diversity oriented SHRM, namely, the combined use of IC HRM practices is proposed as a potential factor that will produce greater efficiency and effectiveness in online communications worldwide.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine relational and task dimension of online communication and the associated emotional experience.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper examines four categories of work outcomes: emotional experiences of work, work attitudes, work dynamics and work behaviours; and links each to the cross-cultural online communication context.\nFindings: - It was found that diversity-oriented HRM can reduce the cultural fault-lines between individualist and collectivist (IC) cultures, and thereby positively moderate the relationship between cross-cultural online communication and affective, cognitive and behavioural outcomes.\nPractical implications: - Diversity-oriented HRM can capitalize on an organisation's cultural diversity and avoid cross-cultural misunderstandings. In a more practical sense, the research purports that combined use of IC HRM practices can produce greater efficiency and effectiveness in online communications worldwide.\nOriginality/value: - The paper provides an insight into the potential implications of increased use of information technology on cross-cultural communication, and human resource management. The significance of diversity-oriented human resource management in managing these implications is also highlighted.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Marriott targets millennials through social-media game: Potential employees experience the thrills and spills of kitchen work	[ "Hotels", "Recruitment", "Computer games", "Multinational companies" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: A guest staying at the JW Marriott hotel on Juhu beach, Mumbai, was struck when he saw a line of people just looking at the hotel from the beach.\nHotels were on high alert: \"It wasn't until I went out on to the beach that everything came into focus for me,\" David Kippen continued. \"In Mumbai, the Taj Hotel had been attacked just a year or so earlier, so all hotels were on high alert. Entering any hotel, particularly a Marriott, your car is greeted by a bomb-sniffing dog, a mirror is run along the underside of the car. Your boot and engine are checked, then you go through two metal detectors.\"Somehow, I hadn't keyed in on how high a barrier that created to the smart, ambitious, but probably poor and 'put in their place by the world' talent that Marriott counts on to be the associates of tomorrow.\"When he decided to go out the beach by the rear exit, he realized that the hotel was protected by a blast wall.\"If you want to walk out to the beach they issue you with ID, you sign a little clipboard and you walk through a massive blast door that an associate opens for you,\" he explained. \"To the left as you walk out is a machine gunner surrounded by sand-bags. Walk a few more paces and you are at the sea. Turn around and the view is suddenly very different. Instead of a somewhat posh but sincerely warm, friendly place, you see machine guns, blast wall and a distant view of reflective glass.\"Hotel associates told me that people sit there for hours, just looking and wondering. Seeing this made me realize that we had to find a way to tear down this proverbial wall or nobody would ever have the courage to cross without an uncle, cousin, brother or friend's invitation.\"So my goal in building the My Marriott Hotel game was to create a footbridge from the cyber-cafes tomorrow's talent was sitting in today to the warm, friendly, welcoming reality I knew Marriott would offer them.\"\nBusiness game set in the kitchen: Marriott was delighted with the idea when Evviva Brands pitched it to them. Their first question was, \"What part of the hotel should we feature?\"Because there are so many ways into the culinary - love of food, family, love of cooking, recipes, precision, craft and so on - it was decided to begin with the kitchen. My Marriott Hotel provides insight into what it might be like to work in a kitchen at Marriott, while capitalizing on the benefits of social-media platforms.\"The key to the game is that it's not a kitchen game: it's a business game with the first module set in a kitchen,\" said David Kippen. \"Subsequent modules may explore housekeeping, reception, grounds, facility management and so on.\"The game addresses Marriott's desire to be an employer of choice and although designed to be enjoyed by a wide audience, My Marriott Hotel is a key part of Marriott's strategically important plan to help to drive global-talent acquisition. At the same time, the game will help to introduce Marriott into far-reaching, emerging markets through global social-media platforms.Players of My Marriott Hotel run and fine tune a successful kitchen that services an invisible but implied dining room. This entails balancing such elements as hiring staff, equipment acquisition, ingredient sourcing, customer satisfaction and quality control; creating a game concept that appeals to a broad audience of users who enjoy the slower measured construction aspects of game play as well as the faster, more spontaneous and dynamic elements associated with power gaming.The game is divided into:1. the \"prep\" phase, which is more measured and strategic; and2. the \"service\" phase, which is faster and more pressurized.Together, they aim to give as faithful a depiction of the working of a busy hotel kitchen as possible within the confines of a game.Said David Kippen: \"We have been delighted to help Marriott in raising awareness of its brand in global growth markets and to assist in improving overall talent-acquisition goals.\nDrawing back the curtain: \"This game is the first branded game on a social medium. Many of Marriott's staff are hired via referral, with social networking coming into play in a big way. We also based the game on Evviva's 'inside insight' approach, where we approached the best experts at Marriott - the cooks who have years of experience and culinary passion - at various stages of the game's development.\"So while we would never say that the game trains you for kitchen work, if you find yourself obsessed by it, you would probably enjoy the real thing even more. Our goal in developing My Marriott Hotel was to draw back the curtain and give people the opportunity to see the various skills needed to run a busy hotel, starting with the kitchen.\"David Rodriguez, executive vice-president of global human resources at Marriott International, commented: \"As Marriott expands in growth markets outside the US and as we seek to attract more millennials - those between the ages 18 and 27 - to our workforce, we must find new ways to interest them in hospitality careers.\"This game allows us to showcase the world of opportunities and the growth potential attainable in hospitality careers, especially in cultures where the service industry might be less established or prestigious.\"Evviva Brands, which has offices across the world, has worked with businesses ranging from Bain & Company, Coca-Cola, Microsoft and E.ON.Marriott International has more than 3,600 hotels in 71 countries. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, it has around 129,000 employees. Fortune magazine ranks it the hotel industry's most admired company.\nNote: David Pollitt, Human Resource Management International Digest editor, wrote this article.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The aim is to describe an employee-engagement social-media game that is helping to make Marriott Group a less forbidding place for local people from developing countries to apply to work.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The article explains the background to the development of the game, the form the game takes and the results it is designed to achieve.\nFindings: - It is found that that players of the My Marriott Hotel game run a successful kitchen that services an invisible but implied dining room. This entails balancing such elements as hiring staff, equipment acquisition, ingredient sourcing, customer satisfaction and quality control.\nPractical implications: - The article explains how the tool is helping Marriott to attract more millennials - those between the ages 18 and 27 - to its workforce, by showcasing the opportunities and growth potential attainable in hospitality careers, especially in cultures where the service industry might be less established or prestigious. It highlights a tool that could help to make multinational companies a less forbidding place for people from developing countries to apply to work in.\nOriginality/value: - The article describes what is believed to be the first branded game on a social medium.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Emotion, memory and re-collective value: shared festival experiences	[ "Consumer behaviour", "Festivals", "Experience marketing", "Co-creation", "Music and memory" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: This paper gathers attendees' most memorable festival moments to understand the consumption experience beyond the time and place of the event. It also examines the influence of these memories on attitudes and behavioural intention. As the music plays a powerful role in memory creation and re-creation (Van Dijck, 2006) we also consider how music-triggered memories might create consumer cultures, which influence future tourism and hospitality behaviours. The aim is to provide greater insights into the influences on future consumer decisions by exploring the formation of memories and the triggers for these, thus addressing a distinct gap in the hospitality literature. Festivals are used as the context for the research because of the social nature of such experiences and the role of music within them. As many other tourism and hospitality experiences also use social engagement, emotional response and memory creation to appeal to customers, often with music as the backdrop (Magnini and Parker, 2009), we feel that the findings will apply more widely within the sector.\nLiterature review: CCT can be seen as a set of theoretical questions, which underpin several key areas of hospitality consumption. These are:\nResearch setting: The study takes a qualitative approach, as the research on the combination of extended emotion, memory and music festival experience is scarce and lacks an accepted theoretical base. A theory creation viewpoint can best be used with a qualitative narrative approach that aids in understanding the complexities of the studied concepts (Stadler et al., 2018).\nFindings and discussion: Narratives on Finnish and UK music festival memories were overwhelmingly alike. This indicates that the sociocultural context and code of conduct in music festivals within these two countries seem to be quite similar. The only major difference found in the stories is that personal emotions are present more often in the Finnish narratives (67 per cent) than in the UK ones (39 per cent) but the theme was found in both.\nConclusions: The aim of this study was to discover how music festival experiences create lasting shared memories, the role of music within this process and the influence of shared memories on behavioural intentions (Kim and Fesenmaier, 2017; Wood, 2019). The festival memories from the UK and Finland were largely similar indicating that the different music festival base, and the scale and history in the two countries had little influence on festival memories. Taking a CCT approach, the received narratives were analysed thematically resulting in within-the-festival themes of communitas, personal and shared emotions, and beyond-the-festival themes of sharing memories and transformation. These were further analysed in relation to the music as memory trigger and the concept of socially-extended emotional memory (Krueger, 2014b).\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This study aims to explore how emotionally rich collective experiences create lasting, shareable memories, which influence future behaviours. In particular, the role of others and of music in creating value through memories is considered using the concept of socially extended emotions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Over 250 narratives were gathered from festival attendees in the UK and Finland. Respondents completed a writing task detailing their most vivid memories, what made them memorable, their feelings at the time and as they remembered them, and how they shared them. The narratives were then analysed thematically.\nFindings: Collective emotion continues to be co-created long after the experience through memory-sharing. The music listened to is woven through this extension of the experience but is, surprisingly, not a critical part of it. The sociality of the experience is remembered most and was key to the memories shared afterwards. The added value of gathering memorable moments, and being able to share them with others, is clearly evidenced.\nPractical implications: The study highlights the importance of designing events to create collective emotional moments that form lasting memories. This emphasizes the role of post-experience marketing and customer relationship building to enhance the value that is created customer-to-customer via memory sharing.\nOriginality/value: The research addresses the lack of literature exploring post-event experience journeys and the collective nature of these. It also deepens a theoretical understanding of the role of time and sociality in the co-creation and extension of emotions and their value in hospitality consumption. A model is proposed to guide future research.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Rethinking conceptions of educational leadership within a First Nations setting in Canada: Mapping a disputed terrain	[ "Educational policy", "Leadership", "First Nation education", "Paradigmatic foundations" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: As active researchers in the policy context of First Nations education, we have a long-standing interest in, among other things, power brokers, gatekeepers, and policy makers, and the effects these have on the formulation and evaluation of competing knowledge claims in the field of education, and especially on how they understand education in a First Nations setting. Equally important, as non-First Nations researchers, we have systematically noted how dominant scholarly perspectives limit and narrow the space and visibility of research on First Nations education in the larger world of educational and public policy. How to open up space for scholarship, and particularly for research across a wider set of perspectives on education and educational leadership, is of great concern to us: as researchers, and non-First Nations ones at that, how can we problematize our own implication with power and knowledge generation in ways that open up spaces for a more equitable discussion and dialogue on education, one that creates and recognizes the indigenous. Other as part of this larger educational project in which we are involved?\nFirst Nations Education within the Canadian context: The majority of educational policies (for the most part implicit in managerial and administrative policy impacting First Nations education rather than in explicitly \"educational\" policies) enacted by the federal government of Canada still promote a hegemonic model of power that fosters asymmetrical relations between First Nations and non-First Nations cultures and overwhelmingly supports assimilationist policy discourses advocating unequal power relationships between these two different groups and interests. These assimilationist policy discourses subordinate First Nations knowledge and value systems to those of a hegemonic mainstream system, and hence suppress and delegitimize First Nations thinking and epistemology.\nFraming the discussion about educational leadership within a First Nations setting: Educational leadership has generated a seemingly endless variety of definitions in terms of traits, behaviors, role relationships, interaction and learning patterns (facilitation of collaborative relationships and team work, for instance), change, organizational structures, or sense making (see Bush and Barker, 2003; Cranston, 2002; Danielson, 2007). Educational leadership, moreover, is a concept that is contingent upon the sociocultural and educational context in which it is enacted and exercised (House, 2004). Capturing the essence of educational leadership, especially in a First Nation educational setting, has been an elusive goal sought by scholars in countries like Canada (see Blakesley, 2008; Jules, 1999; Ottmann, 2005).\nConcluding comments: trends, open questions, and challenges ahead: Our original intent was to present alternative conceptual horizons for educational leadership, horizons that acknowledge and assist in defusing power inequities within dominant societies, communities and/or institutions, but especially between mainstream societies and institutions on the one hand and First Nations peoples and their institutions on the other. We thus envisioned these horizons as opening up spaces for vibrant First Nation approaches to educational leadership to emerge. This type of understanding that educational leadership likely needs to be distinctive in First Nations contexts means that the relevant powerbrokers in mainstream Canadian society should engage in open, searching, and ongoing discussion with First Nations partners about appropriate ways of preparing leaders who can re-structure, articulate, and lead educational institutions, particularly authentically First Nations educational institutions. What is needed, moreover, are leaders who can do so in ways that do not cling dogmatically to any particular model of educational leadership, but rather build institutional capacities to cope appropriately with the challenges imposed by the plurality First Nations experience. Non-First Nation educators, power brokers, gatekeepers, and policy makers who want to create alliances with First Nation people will see this possibility of cross-cultural dialogue about conceptions of educational leadership as an \"opportunity to challenge conventional assumptions about knowledge, power, and a sense of place\" (Marker, 2006, p. 21). None of this should be taken to signify that we believe some existing models of educational research have no potential to contribute to this process. We believe that servant-leadership (Sergiovanni, 1992) and, though perhaps to a lesser extent, distributed leadership (Spillane, 2006) may be quite useful in this dialogue. Too often, however, research on First Nations education, especially in the field of educational leadership, is framed as a \"glance into an ethnic community rather than a deep challenge to the mainstream values and goals of schooling\" (p. 22). Engaging with values of First Nation people could be a way for non-First Nation educators and policy makers to begin to think outside the existing \"box\" of leadership models and, in doing so, to take into consideration that non-western or non-Euro-centric traditions, problematics, and ways of knowing call for more diverse voices and perspectives as the basis of such thinking. As noted above, we do not wish suggest that everything in the context and content of contemporary models of leadership is irrelevant or unuseful, merely that First Nations need to adopt and adapt such content carefully and purposefully and likely will need to diverge from it in significant ways, in some cases ways so significant they may seem to \"reinvent \"the very concept of leadership.\"\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide to First and non-First Nation educators, scholars, and policy makers alternative perspectives that can reshape research on educational leadership in First Nation education with new imaginings that question fundamentally the cultural-political-economic-space defined by Euro-centred notion of modernity.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper addresses two questions in dealing with issues of conceptions of educational leadership in a First Nations setting: first, in what socio-cultural paradigm and epistemic framework, should the paper ground the view of relations among persons and between them and their environment, in a way that opens up spaces for prospects for action of those located outside a Euro-centric epistemic and ontological field; second, how could this paradigm assist us in formulating a conception of educational leadership that increases the leverage of First Nations education in constructing alternative sociocultural and educational worlds not grounded in the Eurocentric modernity?\nFindings: For non-First Nation educators, power brokers, and policy makers who want to create alliances with First Nation people, this paper outlines the necessity to consider cross-cultural dialogue about conceptions of educational leadership as an \"opportunity to challenge conventional assumptions about knowledge, power, and a sense of place\" (Marker, 2006, p. 21).\nOriginality/value: The originality of this paper resides in its presentation of alternative conceptual horizons for educational leadership, horizons that acknowledge power inequities between mainstream societies and institutions on the one hand and First Nations peoples and their institutions on the other.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Human, conceptual and technical skills as determinants of preservation management in university libraries in Southern Nigeria	[ "Collection management", "Information resources management", "Library materials", "Personnel skills", "Preservation management", "University libraries – Nigeria" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: University libraries are establish to acquire, process, store, preserve and disseminate information materials of any format to support teaching, learning, research and community service. The information resources - print and non-print - include reference materials, textbooks, journals, conference proceedings, theses and dissertations, maps and atlases, paper based, electronic or digital. However, these materials are susceptible to damage, destruction and deterioration through improper handling, heavy use, poor storage conditions, adverse weather conditions occasion by high temperature and relative humidity, sunlight, pest infestation, disasters, hyper acidity, media fragility, technology obsolescence and threat to data integrity. Consequently, libraries in the region experience high rate of information resources deterioration. Although this is not peculiar to libraries, the study, however, has libraries as its focus.\nLiterature review: Preservation includes all the managerial and financial considerations, including storage and accommodation provisions, staffing levels, policies, techniques and methods involved in preserving library, and archive materials and information contained in them (The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, 1986). Preservation is an umbrella term for an array of activities; principles, practices and organisations that together help ensure the usability, longevity and accessibility of recorded knowledge. It activities currently defining the realm of preservation of library materials include conservation (general collection repair and special collection), reformatting (microfilming, photocopying and digitisation), selection for preservation, environmental monitoring and control, care and handling of materials, disaster preparedness and recovery, standards relating to materials practice and technique, commercial binding and [preservation education and training (Jordan, 2003).\nMethodology: The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of this study was the academic librarians and library officers in public university libraries in Southern Nigeria. They constituted the senior, middle and line level library personnel in the university libraries studied. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 24 of the 33 university libraries in the southern Nigeria.\nResults: Distribution of the respondents based on years of work experience indicated that majority 151 (39.2 per cent) had 11-20 years of work experience. This was closely followed by those with 1-10 years' experience (138) (35.8 per cent). Respondents with an experience of 31 years and above constituted the lowest number of respondents (24) (6.2 per cent). This shows that majority of the respondents had enough years of experiences that are required to understand what constitute threats to library information resources and preservation requirements.\nDiscussion of findings: There are several findings derived from the analysis of data from questionnaire and focus group discussions that are critical in this study.\nConclusion: University libraries in southern Nigeria are confronted with threats to their information resources which may impede access to them and negatively affect service delivery. It was discovered that though not adequate, personnel in university libraries in southern Nigeria adopted some measures and strategies to preserve their information resources. Furthermore, the study has confirmed that human, conceptual and technical skills were critical to effective preservation management in the university libraries southern Nigeria. This will enhance the library personnel ability to conceive, establish, monitor, supervise and effectively execute preservation management in their libraries. Unfortunately, some of these skills were found lacking in the personnel of libraries studied, thereby creating room for the need for capacity building for the library personnel to attain effective and efficient preservation management in the libraries.\nRecommendations: Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are imperative for preservation management in university libraries in southern Nigeria:\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Preservation is an essential component of library management that requires special skills and competencies. This critical area seems to have been neglected by management of university libraries in Nigeria. This paper aims to examine threats to library information resources and contributions of skills of library personnel to preservation management in university libraries.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. This facilitated the collection of data from large population of respondents. Questionnaire and focus group discussion were used as data collection instruments.\nFindings: Preservation management is one of the core areas of library practice that requires special skills. The study revealed that university libraries in Nigeria are confronted with threats to their information resources. The study found that human, conceptual and technical skills of library personnel significantly determine preservation management in university libraries in Southern Nigeria.\nPractical implications: The paper will allow the management of university libraries to appreciate the importance of personnel skills as the key factor for effective preservation management in libraries and accord it the necessary priority.\nOriginality/value: While literature is replete with different aspects of preservation management in university libraries in Africa, little has been written on personnel skills and preservation management in libraries. The paper presents one of the few empirical studies that focus on the relationship between personnel skills and preservation management in university libraries in Nigeria and Africa.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Con-men and corporate trainers: show me the learning	[ "Organizational change and learning", "Learning", "Organization development" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Ever since I began my doctoral studies at Pepperdine University, I knew I wanted to be involved in workplace learning. What I did not know is I would professionally experience an ugly side to workplace learning, a side with a population I refer to as con-artists and corporate trainers who are making their way in the workplace learning community; a population with average public speaking skills and the \"guts\" to act like they are the smartest people in the room. Let me start with a quote:\nCon-artists: My interpretation of a con-artist? First, they may display a limited consideration for the concept of learning: \"a change in the individual, due to the interaction of that individual and his environment, which fills a need and makes him capable of dealing adequately with his environment\" (Burton, 1963, p. 7). Next, they may demonstrate only a limited knowledge of aspects of adult education: building the learner's interest, valuing the adult learners' awareness and motivation to learn as needs and interests are experienced, taking a life-centered learning orientation; focusing on experience as the richest source of adult learning, a deep need for self-direction in the learning process and an increasing degree of individual differences in regards to learning with age (Lindeman, 1926). Furthermore, they may not hold graduate degrees and some not even a bachelor degree.\nCorporate trainers: In 2014, I relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, to work for one of the biggest organizations on the strip as a Leadership Development Partner. Unfortunately, I worked with people in the workplace learning department that did not share my educational credentials, or experience, this included managers and directors. Not that my education and experience was required to perform their jobs, it just created a conflict of styles between myself and others. I started questioning their approach to curriculum development and facilitation. These corporate trainers were taking established curriculum from some of the best minds in workplace learning, re-worked and presented as their own - and did so very poorly I thought - which at times relegated it to zero value for the learners.\nShow me the learning: There should be more to showing the learning if an organization is truly vested in developing its human capital. This will require showing employees how to do better by first helping them be better. Cashman (2008, p. 23) states the following:\nRecommendation: Workplace Educators are needed in the workplace learning community! As a Workplace Educator myself, we live to make a lasting impact on learners by creating authentic learning that creates real value that leads to real results. Workplace Educators most likely hold graduate level education, perhaps combined with experience in academia as well as the training room. It could be helpful if more people in workplace learning held \"academic cred!\" All colleges and universities require a Master' degree to facilitate adult learning. Why not the workplace? These potential candidates are easy to spot; these are the resumes Human Resources relegate to being overqualified or assume these candidates are out of the salary range.\nConclusion: It is not too late; if organizations want employees to do better, they have to help them be better, and the only way that happens is to help them learn better. The population of con-artists and corporate trainers may be growing in the workplace learning community but can be offset by more Workplace Educators. Moreover, it is never too late for organizations to hold con-artists and corporate trainers to a higher level of expectation and transform them to effective Workplace Educators to help their workplace to show all of us the learning!\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to increase awareness of how organizations can better recruit and hire Workplace Educators to increase organizational effectiveness through heighten learning and development programs. As a Doctor of Education in the field of organizational leadership, I have witness the task of workplace learning and development relegated to inarticulate and inauthentic trainers who lack the skills-set to provide effective organizational strategy needed in the workplace. The paper gives insight on identifying the less qualified and hiring the better qualified.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The approach to this paper was one of gathering information from the professional experience of the author, literature written on organizational behavior and workplace learning and development. This paper was designed to review the history and examine the current state of learning and development in the workplace.\nFindings: The findings from the literature review gives creditability to the author's view that it is time for organizations to create more effective learning environments that starts with recruiting and hiring the most effective Workplace Educators, organizations should separate learning and development from human resources and Workplace Educators should be given a sit at the executive table.\nOriginality/value: This paper provides information for organizations and human resource departments to enhance their knowledge of how they are choosing the people to educate their workplace in the study organizational behavior and learning and development. The focus of the paper is to review the history and build more appreciation and respect for the study of organizational behavior and workplace learning and development.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
News media and the racialization of protest: an analysis of Black Lives Matter articles	[ "Media", "African Americans", "Black Lives Matter", "Blame attribution", "Protest paradigm" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The hashtag \"#Black Lives Matter\" and the social movement that followed developed as a response to the homicide of 17-year old Trayvon Martin, who was pursued and ultimately killed by a volunteer neighborhood watchman as he walked home in his neighborhood after buying candy at a nearby store. Trayvon's killer was acquitted while Trayvon's character was impugned and he was assigned blame for his own death. Rather than in response to Trayvon's death or to any one judicial failure, however, Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a call to action and response to the virulent, seemingly intractable anti-black racism that permeates US society (Cullors et al., 2017).\nThe protest paradigm: The protest paradigm is viewed \"as a pattern of news coverage that expresses disapproval toward protests and dissent\" (Lee, 2014, p. 2727). The five characteristics of the paradigm, which are outlined below, have been used as a guide for researchers to draw conclusions about and recognize negative journalistic patterns in protest coverage.\nPrevious research: Researchers studying the news coverage of protests have often found that protest coverage displays varying levels of the paradigm characteristics - with some characteristics showing up in a majority of the articles, and other characteristics being virtually or completely absent from the coverage. The generally accepted explanation for adherence to and existence of the paradigm is the routinized creation of news that has emerged as a necessary way to streamline news production. Traditional news routines often lead to episodic, one-dimensional coverage of events, and articles and news segments focusing on social movements tend to follow this routine (Gamson and Wolfsfeld, 1993). Journalists are trained to judge an event's newsworthiness by the impact and uniqueness of the event (Eliasoph, 1988) and to use official sources to establish credibility (McLeod, 2007; Schudson, 1989). They often tread carefully when constructing news packages or stories, knowing that stepping too far away from the established routines can negatively impact their careers (Eliasoph, 1988). Traditional ideas of what constitutes \"newsworthiness\" also suggest social movements that are centrally located, involve famous or public figures, or consistently provide images and definitions that are appealing to the general public are more likely to receive news coverage (McCarthy et al., 1996; Smith et al., 2001). As such, it is not uncommon for a protest to receive coverage that contains, for example, positive framing, but is delegitimizing due to a failure to adequately describe the motivations for protest.\nThe current research: In this paper, using the protest paradigm as our guide, we investigate media portrayal of BLM in news articles from seven major mainstream media outlets. BLM is a relatively new social movement on which academic study is still rapidly increasing. It is important that scholars of media continue to objectively analyze trends and patterns that occur in the coverage of new and emerging social movements. The variations in coverage that are revealed through analyses can guide other inquiry, but the necessary starting point is a simple, specialized, and informative dive into the mainstream media's treatment of the social movement.\nMethods and data: In an effort to operationalize some of the more abstract aspects of the protest paradigm (e.g. demonization and delegitimization), we turned to other scholarly research to identify variables commonly used to denote presence of the paradigm characteristics. Researchers have operationalized demonization by examining overall tone (positive, negative or neutral) of the news articles or by identifying lengthy descriptions of violent confrontations between the protesters and police regulating the protests (Dardis, 2006; Veneti et al., 2016). Demonization can also occur when articles identify the illegal character of the protest - including mentions of arrests for disruption of the peace or disorderly conduct, for example, or outlining other specific actions that are technically illegal but generally do not garner public outrage, like conducting a parade without a permit or failure to use established routes (McLeod and Hertog, 1999). Delegitimization has been operationalized by identifying journalists' use of descriptions of the appearance or \"theatrical\" actions of protesters such as chanting, waving flags, or linking arms (Dardis, 2006; McLeod and Hertog, 1999). Still others have used descriptions of the social and economic disruptions caused by the protests to operationalize the delegitimization of protests (Di Cicco, 2010; Veneti et al., 2016)\nResults: Textual analysis\nDiscussion: The protest paradigm is a widely used guide for identifying negative aspects of protest coverage. Along with framing theories, the protest paradigm provides a template for examining characteristics that are often found in protest coverage. This is an important tool, and it is crucial in understanding BLM's treatment by the mainstream news media. The analysis of the implications of these paradigm characteristics is important so that scholars and practitioners of journalism and media can better understand the impact of their work. Purposeful, deliberate efforts of those creating content for mass consumption are required for them to be aware of the implications of coverage that unintentionally demonizes or delegitimizes an effort for social change.\nContributions and suggestions for research and practice: As BLM is a relatively new social movement about which academic study is rapidly increasing, this paper contributes to the literature by investigating the coverage of BLM in mainstream news articles. We found that all of the protest paradigm characteristics were present in coverage of BLM. In a significant addition to the literature, we identified a new variable, blame attribution, which may be unique to black protestors and which may be associated with widespread criminalization of blacks in America.\nLimitations and conclusion: We used seven US-based mainstream newspapers to investigate our research questions, and although they were purposefully chosen, it is possible that other outlets or a different time period would have had different results. In addition, social media and alternative media sites are likely to cover BLM differently than mainstream news organizations (Rohlinger et al., 2012). While the contribution of those outlets to the national conversation should not be overlooked, the reach of mainstream news media is so enormous that it deserves its own analysis.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine coverage of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in seven US-based newspapers to determine whether the protest paradigm, \"a pattern of news coverage that expresses disapproval toward protests and dissent,\" and other marginalizing techniques are present, and racialized.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Relevant articles published during a six-month period of 2014 near the death of Michael Brown were retrieved from the selected outlets, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the St Louis Post-Dispatch. Textual and content analyses were performed.\nFindings: The articles heavily followed the paradigm. An additional characteristic, blame attribution, was also identified. Language of crime, lawlessness, violence, blame for nearby acts of violence, and inflammatory quotes from bystanders and official sources were often present. There was little discussion of key issues associated with the formation of BLM.\nResearch limitations/implications: Mainstream outlets rather than social media or alternative outlets were examined. Future research should study coverage of BLM in other outlets.\nPractical implications: Measures to avoid marginalizing protests and racialization of coverage, including increased diversity in the newsroom and monitoring for racialized language are suggested.\nSocial implications: Racialization of news and coverage of BLM has widespread negative consequences, such as association of Blacks with criminality that may affect their quality of life. The protest paradigm has the ability to squelch participation in social movements, which have the possibility to bring about needed social change.\nOriginality/value: This interdisciplinary paper highlights the important role of mainstream media and news routines in affecting the BLM movement. It uses diversity research to make recommendations for media practitioners to avoid racialization of news.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Audit quality, political connections and information asymmetry: evidence from banks in gulf co-operation council countries	[ "Audit quality", "Political connections", "Information asymmetry", "GCC", "Emerging markets", "Accrual", "Big N" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The growing complexity of business transactions, accounting standards and political and corruption scandals has increased the demand for high-quality audits. Previous studies have documented that higher-quality audits provide greater independent assurance of the credibility and quality of financial reports (e.g. Lin and Hwang, 2010; Defond and Zhang, 2014; Healy and Palepu, 1993; Alzoubi, 2018). Thus, higher-quality audits can improve resource allocation and contracting efficiency while also reducing the information asymmetry between managers and outside investors by allowing outsiders to verify the validity of financial statements (e.g. Almutairi et al., 2009; Hakim and Omri, 2010). For example, DeAngelo (1981) suggests that large audit firms provide high audit quality due to their stronger reputation incentives and greater competencies. Similarly, DeFond (1992) argues that large audit firms have a higher degree of independence and expertise and are better able to discover and report irregularities and misstatements in financial reports. Consistent with this view, several studies have documented that large audit firms are associated with superior financial reporting outcomes (Becker et al., 1998; Chaney et al., 2011; Francis et al., 2009; Piot, 2010; Pittman and Fortin, 2004). For example, Chen et al. (2008) showed that higher audit quality is associated with fewer discretionary accruals, indicating a higher financial reporting quality. Similarly, Chi et al. (2011) and Alzoubi (2018) examined the relation between earnings management and audit quality in companies that have incentives to manage earnings and found that high audit quality is negatively associated with the level of accrual earnings management, indicating that high-quality auditors constrain accrual earnings management.Although numerous studies have examined the effect of audit quality on financial reporting quality, most of them were conducted using data from developed markets. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether audit quality effects on information asymmetry are particular to the developed market, or if they are also prominent in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (namely Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates), where the culture, religion, political institutions, legal environment, financial and tax reporting requirements, audit requirements and economic characteristics are significantly different. This study also examines whether political connections have no effect on the association between audit quality and information asymmetry using data from the GCC. I expect the role of auditors in independently verifying financial reports to be more important in the GCC, where the quality of financial reporting is generally poorer.Following previous studies (e.g. Al-Hadi et al., 2016; Elbadry et al., 2015), I used trading volume (TR_VOLUME), trading value (TR_VALUE) and return volatility (VOLATILITY) to measure the level of information asymmetry. I follow prior research in the audit literature and employed going-concern opinion and Big N auditors to measure audit quality. An indicator variable that equals 1 if the firm is politically connected and 0 otherwise was used to measure a firm's political connections. Several control variables were also included in the regression analyses based on variables identified in the literature related to information asymmetry [1].Using a sample of leading listed local banks across the GCC for the fiscal years 2012-2016, I found that audit quality measured using a joint audit conducted by two Big 4 auditors is significantly negatively associated with the level of information asymmetry. The results indicate that audit quality plays an important role in the quality of financial reporting by providing greater assurance that the financial statements faithfully reflect the firm's underlying economics and flow through to the allocation of information among traders. However, I also found that issuing auditor's going-concern opinion is positively associated with the level of information asymmetry, indicating that auditors issuing a going-concern opinion raise concerns about the credibility of the firm's financial reports and higher adverse selection risk in the market and thus introduce noise in the assessment of the financial reports that may lead to greater information asymmetry. Further, I found that political connections have no effect on the association between audit quality and information asymmetry, indicating that the beneficial effects of audit quality are no greater for politically connected firms than for similar but politically unconnected firms.This study contributes to the literature in several ways. First, it increases our understanding of the impact of audit quality on the level of information asymmetry among traders in different economic, legal and political institutions, regulatory and litigation incentives and social contexts compared to that of research conducted using data collected from developed and other emerging countries. This will help to widen our knowledge on the role of audit quality on information asymmetry across the globe.Second, prior studies have focused on the effect of audit quality on information asymmetry between firms and outside investors. In contrast, this study focuses on whether audit quality is linked to lower information asymmetry between informed and uninformed investors. Moreover, this study examines whether political connections have no effect on the association between audit quality and information asymmetry. Thus, this study contributes to the literature by focusing on the impact of audit quality on information asymmetry and the moderating effect of political connections on the relationship between audit quality and information asymmetry using a sample of 49 leading listed local banks across the GCC.Third, my research findings have policy implications. Specifically, the results of the study suggest that policymakers, standard-setters and regulators need to understand the potential adverse effect of political connections on the role of audit quality on information asymmetry among traders. The study also provides important insights for audit regulators to better identify and understand the benefits of audit quality and to take policy matters that influence audit quality seriously.The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. The next section presents the institutional background. Section 3 reviews previous studies and develops the hypotheses. Section 4 presents the research design and the sample selection procedure. Section 5 discusses the descriptive statistics and the main results. Section 6 provides a brief summary and conclusion.\n2. Institutional background: The GCC was founded in May 1981 by Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It aims to strengthen unity among its members and formulate similar regulations in various fields, such as the economy, finance, tourism, trade, legislation and customs, based on common objectives and similar political and cultural identities, which are rooted in Islamic beliefs.The accounting and auditing profession in the region is regulated by Commercial Law. For example, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the setting of accounting and auditing regulations rests with the Ministry of Trade (Al-Hadi et al., 2016; Qahtani, 2006). In the UAE, Federal Law No. 22 of 1995 stipulates the registration, licensing and the responsibilities of auditors. Bahrain Commercial Law No. 13 of 1980 is like other GCC states' laws in all material aspects (Qahtani, 2006) [2].The GCC holds 45% of the world's oil reserves and has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years thanks to increasing oil and natural gas revenues (Al-Hadi et al., 2016; Al-Shammari et al., 2008). According to the World Bank, the region produced an aggregate GDP of above $1.6 trillion (Al-Shammari et al., 2008). The region's stock markets have also grown rapidly over the past decade, reaching an average capitalization of 44% of GDP in 2013. The market capitalization for all GCC countries increased from US$120 billion in 2002 to US$1,000 billion in 2006 (Al-Shammari et al., 2008). The region's financial sector is dominated by banking and is also one of the largest Islamic banking markets, with approximately $300 billion in financial assets, over one-third of the total global Islamic banking sector.\n3. Literature review and hypotheses development: 3.1 Literature review\n4. Variable measurement, research design and sample selection: 4.1 Variable measurement\n5. Results: 5.1 Descriptive statistics\n6. Conclusion: Although numerous studies have documented that audit quality plays a role in the quality of financial reporting by providing greater assurance that the financial statements faithfully reflect a firm's underlying economics, most of these studies were conducted using data from developed markets. Moreover, prior studies on audit quality research have focused on how audit quality lowers information asymmetry between firms and outside investors. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether audit quality effects are particular to the developed market or if they are also prominent in countries such as the GCC member countries, where the culture, religion, political institutions, legal environment, financial and tax reporting requirements, audit requirements and economic characteristics are significantly different. In addition, this study focused on whether audit quality is linked to lower information asymmetry between informed and uninformed investors. Further, this study examines whether a firm's political connections moderate the link between audit quality and information asymmetry.The analysis of the data in this study is separated into two sections: first, the effect of audit quality proxied by the issuance of going-concern opinion and audit size on the level of information asymmetry is analyzed; second, whether political connections moderate the association between audit quality and information asymmetry is analyzed.The results of this study indicate that audit quality affects the level of information asymmetry among investors. Specifically, I found that audit quality measured by a joint audit by two Big 4 auditors is significantly negatively associated with the level of information asymmetry, as reflected in greater share-trading volume and market value of shares traded and lower volatility of share returns. Thus, the results indicated that audit quality plays a role in the quality of financial reporting by providing greater assurance that the financial statements faithfully reflect the firm's underlying economics and flow through to the allocation of information among traders. However, issuing an auditor's going-concern modified opinion is positively associated with the level of information asymmetry as reflected in lower share-trading volume, indicating that auditors issuing a going-concern opinion raise concerns about the credibility of the firm's financial reports and higher adverse selection risk in the market. Further, I found that political connections have no effect on the association between audit quality and information asymmetry, suggesting that the beneficial effects of audit quality are no greater for politically connected firms than for similar but politically unconnected firms.This study contributes to the literature in several ways. First, this study helps to increase our understanding of the impact of audit quality on the level of information asymmetry among traders in different economic, legal and political institutions, regulatory and litigation incentives and social contexts compared to the research conducted using data collected from developed and other emerging countries. Second, unlike traditional audit-quality studies, this study extends prior studies by examining and focusing on new research questions. Third, the research findings have policy implications. Specifically, the results of the study suggest that policymakers, standard-setters and regulators need to understand the potentially adverse effect of political connections on the role of audit quality on information asymmetry among traders.Due to data unavailability, I was not able to use bid-ask spread as a proxy for information asymmetry. Future research should gather better and more extensive data to address this issue where possible. This study also raises a number of opportunities for future research. First, while this study provided evidence on the impact of audit quality on information asymmetry, and the moderating effect of political connections on the relationship between audit quality and information asymmetry using a sample of 49 leading listed local banks across the GCC, the study could be extended to a more in-depth study that takes account of specific factors and regulatory practices of other Middle East countries. Given that this study focuses on the impact of the impact of audit quality on information asymmetry, and the moderating effect of political connections on this relationship, it would be important for future researchers to expand this study's scope and explore how the political connections of audit firms affect audit quality and auditor's independence. Second, future research could examine the direct and joint effects of corporate governance, regulation and supervision on the level of information asymmetry.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of audit quality on information asymmetry for a sample of leading listed local banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In addition, the paper examines whether a firm's political connections moderate the association between audit quality and information asymmetry.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The author employs country fixed effects to examine the impact of audit quality on information asymmetry. The paper uses a sample of 49 leading listed local banks across the GCC and 236 bank-year observations, over the period of 2012-2016.\nFindings: Using trading volume, trade value and stock return volatility as proxies for information asymmetry and audit quality through auditors' opinion and audit size, the paper documents that audit quality plays an important role in improving the quality of financial information reporting by providing greater independent assurance of the credibility of financial reports. The paper also documents that a firm's political connections have no effect on the association between audit quality and information asymmetry, indicating that the beneficial effects of audit quality are no greater for politically connected firms than for similar but politically unconnected firms.\nPractical implications: The findings of the study help policymakers, standard-setters and regulators to understand the potential adverse effect of political connections on the role of audit quality on information asymmetry. The study also provides important insights for audit regulators to better identify and understand the benefits of audit quality and to take policy matters that influence audit quality seriously.\nOriginality/value: The study increases our understanding of the impact of audit quality on the level of information asymmetry in different economic, legal and political institutions, regulatory and litigation incentives and social contexts compared to that of research conducted using data collected from developed and other emerging countries. This will help to widen our knowledge on the role of audit quality on information asymmetry across the globe.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Disaster preparedness for sustainable development in Bangladesh	[ "Disasters", "Floods", "Education", "Bangladesh" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Bangladesh is almost annually affected by natural disasters. Sometimes the country faces multiple disasters in the same year. Natural disasters cause economic loss and often result in enormous death toll. In addition to causing damage to the ecosystem, disasters cause short- and long-term social problems. Population displacement, livelihood loss and family disintegration are among the more common examples of such problems (Elahi, 1991). Severity and frequency of natural disasters are very likely to increase in future because of climate change. This is already evident from an increasing frequency of extreme events. Thus natural disasters have negative impact on the socio-economy of Bangladesh and impose multifarious constraints to sustainable development of the country.In response to the frequent natural disasters, short- intermediate- and long-term prevention and mitigation plans have been formulated in Bangladesh. Implementation of these plans often faces insurmountable challenges because of adverse socio-political settings. Prevention and mitigation measures may reduce the vulnerability and hazard while occurrence of natural disasters remains unavoidable. Adequate preparedness may significantly reduce the adverse impacts of these disasters. Knowledge, awareness, resources and an efficient framework are the most important elements of preparedness of a community against natural disasters. All these elements are to be developed over a long period of time with a focused goal and a predetermined strategy. In Bangladesh, disaster preparedness education and awareness-building programs have gained special attention from both the government and non-government sectors. Consequently, formal and non-formal education programs have been successfully introduced through many government and non-government institutions. However, these programs need easier access to all sections of vulnerable people and better management of available resources to promote educated and aware communities better prepared against disasters.\nRecent major disasters: The more common disasters in Bangladesh include flood, cyclone and storm surge, drought, tornado, riverbank erosion, earthquake, and arsenic contamination of groundwater. Among these, floods and cyclonic storm surges demand special attention because of their frequency of occurrence and damaging power. In recent times, the floods of 1987, 1988, 1998, 2004 and 2007, and the cyclones of 1970, 1985, 1991 and 1997 are noteworthy.Flood\nDisaster mitigation and preparedness: Structural and non-structural measures for flood mitigation\nEducation for disaster preparedness: Education and awareness are prerequisites for preparedness. Disaster preparedness education is provided through formal and non-formal means by both government and NGO programs. Figure 5 shows the structure of the education programs. The government-operated programs provide disaster preparedness education through the Campaign for Popular Education (adult literacy program) (SEMP, 2003) and primary-level school curriculum. There are also several awareness-building programs regarding disaster preparedness. Approximately 2,000 NGOs work in Bangladesh, of which about 190 are foreign NGOs. NGOs play important roles in rural and national development. Micro credit and public education programs are noteworthy NGO activities in Bangladesh. Many NGOs have included disaster preparedness education as a highlighted topic within their public education programs. Leading NGOs in disaster management and education are:* Bangladesh Rural Advancement Commission (BRAC).* Proshika.* Gono Shahajjyo Shongstha (GSS).* Dhaka Ahsania Mission.* Disaster Management Forum.Formal education\nConclusion: Natural disasters act against sustainable development of Bangladesh. Flood, cyclone and storm surge are more frequent and damaging among all natural disasters in the country. Despite many setbacks progress has been achieved in disaster mitigation and preparedness. However, improvements are still needed for comprehensive disaster management. A national-level framework exists for disaster management in Bangladesh. Some of the programs in this framework, such as a volunteer-based cyclone preparedness program, function efficiently during cyclones. Both the Government and NGOs have active field-level programs for disaster management. These programs are particularly addressed to the local-level stakeholders. Government and NGOs provide formal and non-formal education in disaster preparedness and management with a view to promoting a resilient and sustainable society. The formal education programs are conducted at the primary school and postgraduate levels. NGOs have a relatively strong program in non-formal education.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Natural disasters adversely affect the country's economy and deter its development. Thus preparedness for the disasters, along with effective prevention and mitigation measures, is imperative for sustainable development of the country. The purpose of this paper is to examine the present state of disaster preparedness in the country with special attention to the more frequent and damaging disasters - flood and cyclone.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A detailed study of the effects of natural disasters, disaster prevention and mitigation measures, and institutional setting for disaster preparedness was undertaken.\nFindings: - Plans and programs have been formulated to manage natural disasters. In a \"Cyclone Preparedness Program\", trained volunteers facilitate emergency response and proper use of the multi-purpose shelters. Within an institutional framework for disaster management, several Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) work for disaster preparedness alongside the government organizations. Their formal and nonformal education programs on disaster preparedness have a common objective of promoting resilient and sustainable communities.\nPractical implications: - Planning and design of structural interventions for prevention and mitigation of natural disasters should be done more carefully to avoid adverse impacts on the environment. A participatory approach is essential in this process. Education and awareness-building programs need wider and easier access to the people.\nOriginality/value: - The paper concludes that the institutional arrangement for cyclone preparedness and response is unique and efficient, and that participation of NGOs in the preparedness program contributes significantly toward sustainable development. These lessons will be important for development planning in other sectors.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Exploring the impact of game framing and task framing on user participation in citizen science projects	[ "User participation", "User experience", "Citizen science", "Task design", "Citizen science games", "Stimulus–organism–response framework" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Citizen science is a crowdsourcing approach through which members of the public are recruited to help with scientific data collection or analysis in distributed systems, often via an open call for contribution over the web (Bonney et al., 2014). Participants contribute by working on tasks such as observation, annotation and classification (Wiggins and Crowston, 2011), and citizen science projects have become important outlets to promote science communication and education (Bonney et al., 2016; Crall et al., 2013). Citizen science projects are inherently interesting to many people, but can also be difficult, complex or potentially tedious for others. The success of a citizen science project relies upon motivated crowds of participants, so identifying factors that motivate and engage user participation is an important question to be addressed by citizen scientists, designers and project initiators. Many different motivations have been explored, including altruism, activism and tangible rewards (Rotman et al., 2014; Curtis, 2015). More importantly, knowing how to design citizen science projects in a way that effectively enhances the user experience is a more proactive approach when it comes to addressing challenges such as low user retention, participation or contribution. Games and play are therefore viewed as promising approaches for motivating citizen science participants (Preece, 2016; Greenhill et al., 2016), and citizen science games have become a trendy form of design in extant citizen projects, such as Foldit, Eyewire and Galaxy Zoo.\n2. Citizen science games: 2.1 Games and gamification\n3. Citizen Sort overview: We developed Citizen Sort (https://citizensort.org) in 2013 to facilitate research on citizen science games. Citizen Sort is an online platform that supports a real-world science task: taxonomic species classification. It was developed in partnership with life science domain experts from several scientific institutions, and was tailored to support information science, human-computer interaction and user experience research. Since its release, more than 5,000 participants have signed up for Citizen Sort accounts. Citizen Sort includes two \"full-fledged\" serious games: Happy Match and Forgotten Island. Both use game framing and task framing to shape the user experience and encourage participation.\n4. Research hypotheses development: Game framing elements and task framing elements should both be significant predictors for user experience and behavior in citizen science systems (Preece, 2016). The stimulus-organisms-response (S-O-R) framework (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974) from environmental psychology establishes an overarching framework that enhances our understanding of how environmental stimuli can affect a person's affective states and behavioral responses. This framework has gradually evolved to explain the interrelationships among design characteristics, user evaluations of the design and user reactions in different contexts (Kim and Lennon, 2013; Cyr and Head, 2013). It has also been used in gamified crowdsourcing research to denote how game framing elements impact users' psychological and behavioral outcomes (Morschheuser et al., 2017). Participants respond to task framing and game framing elements based on the nature of these stimuli and their own internal characteristics and states, and their responses could be reflected by behaviors such as participation sign-ups, participation rates, and participant retention. Therefore, we use the S-O-R model as a meta-framework to develop hypotheses about the effect of game framing and task framing on participant experiences and behavior in citizen science games. Figure 4 shows our proposed research model, which depicts how game framing and task framing, two layers of design characteristics, contribute to perceived enjoyment (hedonia) and experienced meaningfulness (eudaimonia) and then subsequently impact user participation in citizen science projects. The following subsections provide more details on our research hypotheses.\n5. Method: 5.1 Data collection\n6. Results: We used PLS-SEM to estimate the measurement model and structural model. PLS-SEM is a component-based SEM approach that is appropriate for the early stages of theory development (Barclay et al., 1995), which fits our goal to explore and understand the impact of game framing and task framing in citizen science games. For content analysis, we used an inductive, open-ended approach to interpret participant responses, looking for additional support to understand respondent's experiences with Citizen Sort.\n7. Discussion: 7.1 Game framing vs task framing in citizen science games\n8. Limitations and conclusion: In this research, we explored the dual nature of citizen science games, which are presented to players not only as games, but also as scientific activities. We conceptualized this in terms of game framing and task framing, explicating how these environmental stimuli can impact perceived enjoyment, experienced meaningfulness, and ultimately, participation.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how game framing and task framing influence experienced meaningfulness (eudaimonia) and perceived enjoyment (hedonia), which, in turn, can account for user participation behavior in citizen science projects.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors designed and implemented a citizen science system, Citizen Sort, and used a survey method to investigate to what extent game framing and task framing influence participation behavior. PLS-SEM was used to test research hypotheses with 76 Citizen Sort participants.\nFindings: Analysis confirmed that game framing and task framing have a significant impact on perceived enjoyment, but showed that only task framing has a direct effect on experienced meaningfulness. The effects of experienced meaningfulness on participation were fully mediated by perceived enjoyment. Content analysis of qualitative data revealed additional insights.\nResearch limitations/implications: This research is limited due to its sample size and considered as an exploratory study, in which PLS-SEM was used to identify the impact of game framing and task framing as well as support the theory development regarding the dual nature of citizen science games.\nPractical implications: This research provided suggestions for scientists, designers and project initiators that game framing and task framing should be effectively integrated to provide enjoyable and meaningful experiences so as to promote user contribution.\nOriginality/value: This research is one of initial studies which explored the impact of dual nature of citizen science games. The findings of this study provide the groundwork for guidelines and strategies to facilitate user contribution in citizen science projects.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Evaluating perceptions on effectiveness of e-learning programs in Indian banks: identifying areas for improvement	[ "E‐learning", "Training", "Individual perception", "Banks", "India" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction and purpose of the study: Technological advances are dramatically altering the training and development landscape in India. Although the adoption of online learning programs by Indian organizations has been significant in recent years, the capabilities and efficacy of such programs have yet to be fully investigated.In this study, the word e-learning has been used synonymously with e-training. E-learning has been defined as the use of information and communication technologies to deliver information and instruction to employees as part of planned efforts to increase job-related knowledge and skill. Organizations are choosing e-learning as a mode of imparting learning so as to increase learner convenience, reduce cost of delivery of learning, track and monitor learning needs of employees and customize learning programs for them. E-learning appeals to organizations that have a strong need to deliver consistent training across multiple locations. While the potential advantages of e-learning make it appealing, organizations embarking on e-learning implementations must keep two things in mind: there are a number of potential drawbacks to using e-learning and successful implementation requires significant planning and effort. E-learning initiatives can require considerable investment in both information technology (IT) and staff. Specific costs include development costs to design and build the actual courses as well as hardware and software costs to allow users to access the training.According to the technology acceptance model (TAM) by Davis et al. (1989), employee attitudes toward computers must be investigated since the intention of computer use and actual use are influenced by such attitudes,. Employees have various backgrounds, computer skills, beliefs, and interests and such differences cause different perceptions toward e-learning.\nResearch objectives: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate e-learners' positive and negative perceptions of the key aspects of e-learning and to identify areas that need improvement.The following secondary objectives can be derived:1. What are the key drivers of e-learning?2. What perceptions do e-learners hold with regard to their e-learning experiences?\nMethod: The participants were 194 employees of public and private banks. Data were collected on the perception of employees about e-learning. The responses were measured on a Likert scale of 1 to 5. Of the 194 participants there were 83 percent males and 17 percent females. Approximately 65 percent of respondents were in the age group 30 to 50 years. Almost 59 percent respondents had experience of less than 12 years and 64 percent respondents were executives or middle management. Almost 70 percent respondents had access to computers and internet technology; almost 83 percent were willing to use information technology tools in their work life and 74 percent respondents found e-learning effective.\nResults and implications: Disproved assumptions\nConclusion: Although e-learning has not lived up to its promise in revolutionizing corporate training in India, there is little doubt that such a mode of learning will play as large a part in the future of human resource development in this part of the world as it has in the west. The emphasis on learning vis-a-vis training connotes an altogether more important outcome, that of behavioral change and the development of performance through the transfer of knowledge and skills on a continuous basis rather than erratically, like traditional face-to-face training programs. The study suggests that, although access to technology definitely plays a very important role towards the effective implementation of e-learning, there are some other factors like suitability of an e-learning program to the job at hand, and customization are important in determining the success of e-learning implementation.Also there seems to be another important dimension which has come out in the study and which can be explored further. That dimension is that should assessment of learning/training needs of employees be done centrally at the head office level or should it be the employees themselves who should define their training needs? It can be further explored that would e-leaning be more effective if the extent of involvement of the learners in the decision to be trained was high? Also would the learners feel more motivated to learn and apply their learning if their involvement in the learning decision was higher? More work is needed here to focus on an analysis of learner needs and learner demands for e-learning, which is currently supply rather than demand driven.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this study is to evaluate e-learners' positive and negative perceptions of the key aspects of e-learning and to identify areas that need improvement.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The participants were 194 employees of public and private banks. Data were collected on the perception of employees about e-learning. The responses were measured on a Likert scale of 1 to 5.\nFindings: - Although e-learning has not lived up to its promise in revolutionizing corporate training in India, there is little doubt that such a mode of learning will play as large a part in the future of human resource development in this part of the world as it has in the west.\nOriginality/value: - This study provides a useful discussion on the perceptions on effectiveness of e-learning programs in Indian banks.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Evaluating sustainable supply chain indicators using fuzzy AHP: Case of Indian automotive industry	[ "India", "AHP", "Fuzzy", "Automotive industry", "Sustainable supply chain (SSC)" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Natural resources consumption rate has been upsurge due to growing customer demand, fast changing technologies, cut-throat competition and shorter product lifecycles. Hence, there has been a great emphasis on sustainability, to maintain the availability of resources for long time. Although the number of studies are available on sustainability, but these studies have less explained how to implement sustainability practices (Kumar and Rahman, 2013; Seuring and Muller, 2008). Moreover, Most of the research on sustainability is done in developing countries. Little attention has been paid to developing countries like India (Prakash and Barua, 2016b).\n2. Literature review: Sustainability is now the hot topic of discussion in most of the global meetings. Policy makers from industrialized and developing countries are coming together to deal with it. A great deal of research has been done in the area of sustainability, but still there is no consensus about the ways to deal with \"sustainability\" in business practices. A proper balance between meeting current demands and future needs has to be determined. In order to do this, we have to look at the evolution of sustainability and its dimensions. A literature review is done to identify the patterns and these of the subject area. In this study we tried to identify the various dimensions used by previous research in term of explaining the term sustainability and its dimensions.\n3. Problem definition: Since sustainable practices are only available options with the organizations in order to curb environmental related concern, societal and pollution issues. There is a need to adopt sustainable practices to reduce negative ecological impact. To done this; critical SSC indicators are need to identify for successful adoption of SSC practices. This motivated the study to identify the various factors, concentrating on the universal concept of sustainability, and understand the prioritization order of the factors. The goal of this study is to categorize the various factors that have an impact on the SSC management; laying equal emphasis on the dimensions of economy, environment and society; and rank them in order of prioritization. This could help in realizing a clear picture of which factors need to be given more consideration over others and could help in framing out an informed course of action.\n4. Research methodology: The motive behind selection of methodology is the identification, evaluation and prioritization of identified factors to attain sustainability in automotive supply chain. The decision makers include experts (domain specialist, consultants, managers and senior executive) from country. In this research 21 indicators comprising qualitative and quantitative, were recognized through literature and discussions (see Table I). This study utilizes fuzzy analytical hierarchical process to rank and evaluate the identified specific SSC indicators of Indian automotive sector.\n5. Calculation of the value of fuzzy synthetic extent: Decision group has to make pair-wise comparison of 3 factors and 19 sub-factors, defined by TFN as given in Table V. The TFN comparison matrices of the criteria are given in Table VI. The fuzzy comparison matrices by computing arithmetic mean of these values of criteria (see Table VI).\n6. Discussion and managerial implications: SSC has always been a contested with traditional supply chain perspective creating ambiguous view around the dimensions of economy, environment and society. The importance and preference of these dimensions also vary from author to author, industry to industry, community to community and nation to nation (Silvestre, 2015). It has been quite difficult to analyze that which criteria needs higher attention over others but prioritizing by using this approach would be highly helpful in rubbing off the ambiguity surrounding them. This study utilizes the fuzzy AHP process to evaluate and rank the factors to actualize sustainable development and the result demonstrates that the factors emerge in the preference order of environmental indicators, social indicators and then the economic indicators. This shows environmental indicator is the prime factor to implement sustainable practices into supply chain. Since environmental indicator got first rank it suggest that environmental consideration in supply chain management has very important role in today's business scenario where firms are trying to become more environmental friendly, cost effective and competitive. An environmental/green supply chain primarily encompasses activities that affect the environment into traditional supply chain. Moreover, it has been seen as a part of sustainable development (Govindan et al., 2014). Industries can reduce negative impact from environment by adopting green practices in their supply chain process (Diabat et al., 2013). Therefore, Indian automobile Industry has to implement and adopt environmental practices into her supply chain in order to attain the goal of sustainable business practices. Social indicator received 2nd rank. It means organizational operations or process toward human safety and rights, community welfare and development, philanthropy, workplace conditions and environments, employment and career development opportunities, ethical manufacturing/production activities, gender parity and labor laws and other societal concerns and issues. Due to increased awareness about these issues, there is tremendous pressure on the organizations to implement social responsible business practices and activities in their entire supply chain process and adopt social sustainable production and consumption practices (Fleury and Davies, 2012). Hence, Indian automobile firms have to employ and load social responsible business practices into their supply chain. This social SSC will meet societal requirement and expectations from organizations and also comply with renewed environmental policies and regulations. Economical indicator acquired 3rd rank. It suggests that firm's ability, efficiency and effectiveness in terms operations and process. It includes optimum asset utilization, reduction in resource use and cost reduction measures. This dimension is very crucial for firm's survival. It indicates that organization is competent and capable enough to generate profits and get long-term business opportunities under changing business conditions. Due to dynamic business scenario, organizations have to proactive in decision making and implement effective strategies and policies to get long-term competitive advantage and economic benefits (Muduli and Barve, 2013). Therefore, Indian automobile firms have to implement robust strategies to cope up with internal and external business environment. They have to design and develop such economic programs which can optimized resource utilization rate and provide financial benefits. They have to focus cost effective and technological-based eco-design system in entire supply chain process in order to attain the goal of economical responsible sustainable business practices.\n7. Conclusions: From reducing to emission minimization to improving working conditions, organizations need to understand the importance of the sustainability indicators. While literature on sustainability indicators is easily available but classification and ranking of sustainability indicators are rather limited in developing country context. Good understandings of sustainability indicators equip managers to direct their efforts for improving the overall sustainability of supply chain. In this paper, it has been demonstrated that fuzzy AHP approach can be used to rank and classify the sustainability indicators for improving sustainability performance. A sensitivity analysis has been performed to understand the changes in the dimensions of sustainability with change in one of the sustainability dimensions.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Sustainability in supply chain is gaining attention in recent years due to environmental concern, enforced legislation, green issues, social responsibility, etc. Sustainable supply chain (SSC) has revolved around the various dimensions including economy, environment and societal factors since its inception. The purpose of this paper is to identify, prioritize and evaluate the indicators of SSC so that organizations can cultivate strategies to implement them on priority.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper proposes a methodology based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to prioritize the indicators of SSC. A numerical analysis of Indian automotive industry is presented to demonstrate the use of the proposed method. This proposed method considered fuzzy framework that can handle impreciseness and uncertainty. Sensitivity analysis is also performed to test the robustness of the proposed model.\nFindings: Potential indicators are identified from relevant literature and validated by industry experts. This research finalizes the SSC indicators under three dimensions so that prioritization of identified indicators can be developed and the insights relationship of factors would be explored. The results of the study found that environmental and social dimensions of sustainability contribute more toward the sustainability.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study is limited to identify evaluation factors and other factors have not been identified and categorized. Evaluation is done by experts in this area so it is natural that views of decision makers may be subjective and vary with regard to industry type, priorities, resources, etc.\nPractical implications: This study will help industry to identify, evaluate and prioritize factors for successful implementation of sustainability in their supply chain. Automotive companies could device these factors by applying the outcome of the study in their operations with higher priority to integrate sustainability in their supply chain.\nOriginality/value: These factors are identified to implement sustain ability into supply chain practices for automotive industry.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The implementation of lean Six Sigma in financial services organizations	[ "Six sigma", "Lean production", "Financial institutions", "Financial services", "Portugal" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Organizations have been facing an increasingly competitive and global environment, which calls for enhanced firm capability in identifying new opportunities and sustaining superior performance.Strategies used by companies to avoid competitive disadvantages include the elimination of operational inefficiencies (which are large in the financial sector, on the order of 20 percent or more of total banking industry costs) (de Koning et al., 2008b) and improvement of revenue by increasing the number of customers and their satisfaction, through innovation and improvement (de Koning et al., 2008a).Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a method that can help financial institutions to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness (George, 2003; Snee and Hoerl, 2003), by combining the strengths of lean thinking and Six Sigma. Since lean does not possess the tools to reduce variation and provide statistical control and Six Sigma does not attempt to develop a link between quality and speed (Su et al., 2006), the application of the combined tool LSS offers useful solutions that can lead to greater efficiency and better quality in the financial services industry (de Koning et al., 2008a).The paper presents results of a case study from a company that has initiated the implementation of LSS methodologies, in the pursuit of service excellence. The study analyses the implementation process of LSS in GE Money Portugal, which is part of the general electric (GE) group. GE Money Portugal is a financial services organization, providing services such as mortgages, real estate and homeowner services.Content analysis of semi-structured interviews to the agents involved in the implementation of LSS is used to understand the characteristics of the implementation process, illustrate the benefits that can be accomplished, the main difficulties felt, and the key lessons learned. In addition, the differences relating to the implementation processes in several companies of the GE Money group implemented in European countries, as perceived by the quality director for Europe, are analyzed.Section 2 presents the literature review on LSS, lean management and Six Sigma implementation and its critical success factors (CSF). In Section 3, the methodological framework is presented. Next, the case study, which illustrates a successful LSS implementation in financial services industry, is presented. Section 5 offers some conclusive remarks and summarizes the lessons learned during the implementation process.\n2 Literature review: 2.1 LSS in services organizations\n3 Methodology: 3.1 Introductory remarks\n4 Results and discussion: The results obtained were analyzed by looking for the emerging characteristics of the implementation of the LSS tool and the nature of the impact of the different choices made.4.1 LSS and design for LSS in GE Money\n5 Conclusions: This paper examines the use of LSS by a financial services organization, GE Money Portugal, namely the introduction of the lean component in the established Six Sigma corporate culture of the GE Group. Several questions were raised:* the perceived changes after the introduction of lean (in terms of processes, tools, advantages and difficulties) in an already Six Sigma services organization;* the differences between the CSF of the implementation process of lean production and the CSF of the implementation process of LSS; and* the differences at the international level, raised by the cultural differences.Among the perceived benefits are:* an increase of productivity due to the application of the lean and to the improvement of the processes; and* improving revenue by increasing customer satisfaction and by servicing more customers, due to a focus on projects such as decreasing operational costs by improving processing efficiency.Regarding the tools used in LSS processes, results suggest that, after the introduction of lean, the tools became more qualitative than quantitative in order to be more easy to use and less time-consuming. Tools such as the VSM, fishbone analysis, BPMS, service level agreement, QFD, VOC, VOE, and FMEA tools are mixed with some tools that are exclusive to the GE group (EMS process of evaluation, the DMADIC cycle in DFLSS, an adaptation of the traditional define, measure, analyse, design and verify to the reality of GE business).Regarding the CSF, results suggest that the following are among the most important ones:* the need of total commitment of top management;* selection of the LSS team members based on their technical and analytical skills and specific personal and interpersonal characteristics (facilitators, communicators, know-how transfer ability, global vision of the business);* major investment in specialized training in Six Sigma (GB, BB, MBB) and lean thinking and in dissemination of knowledge; and* change in the entrepreneurial culture, facilitated by the involvement of top management and the by demonstrating the benefits achieved in small projects.Finally, at an international level, there are cultural differences pertaining mainly to internal resistance, openness to change, preferences for a more formal project management approach and the preference for lean or for \"Six Sigma\" tools in LSS. When the management team is not local (in most cases involving persons from countries such as the UK or the USA), cultural differences are not as significant. In an increasingly globalized corporate environment, this seems to offer a way to the desired homogeneity between multicultural project teams, without the loss of their creativity and fresh approaches in problem solving.There are several limitations to the study:* the chosen methodology of single case study does not allow generalizations;* there are content analysis issues associated to the level of subjectivity involved in the coding process; and* the fact that few companies work in a LSS approach (or are implementing one).However, the implications of this paper are that managers in financial services organizations need to consider LSS as a valuable instrument to improve both operational efficiency and effectiveness and may obtain here pertinent information regarding the benefits accomplished, the main difficulties felt, and the key lessons learned, when implementing the tool in a similar company.Nowadays, with all the pressures to cut costs, implementing tools such as LSS may be easily dismissed given the investment and effort required. However, the benefits derived from its implementation, such as lowering the operational costs, improving processes and product quality, increased efficiency, which leads to the increase of productivity, the agility and versatility obtained by the organization, vastly outweigh the costs. Thus, LSS is more than likely a safe bet.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to obtain pertinent information pertaining to benefits accomplished, main difficulties felt, and key lessons learned in the implementation of lean Six Sigma (LSS), which are likely to be helpful to financial services organizations wanting to implement the same tool.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper reports the results of a case study from a financial services organization which has begun the implementation of LSS methodologies ten years ago, in the pursuit of service excellence.\nFindings: - The benefits derived from LSS implementation, such as lowering the operational costs, improving processes and product quality, increased efficiency, which leads to the increase of productivity, the agility and versatility obtained by the organization, vastly outweigh the costs. At an international level, there are cultural differences pertaining mainly to internal resistance and openness to change.\nResearch limitations/implications: - This work focuses on a specific case study.\nPractical implications: - The authors compiled the lessons learned and recommendations for future implementations of this methodology. The paper, therefore, will be of interest to managers of similar companies.\nOriginality/value: - The paper presents a successful application of LSS for a financial services company.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Benchmarking sustainability practices: evidence from manufacturing firms	[ "Responsive product strategy", "Environmental performance", "Lean practices", "Supply chain restructuring", "Empirical study", "Manufacturing industries", "Supply chain management", "Sustainable development" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Increasingly, firms have wrestled with sustainability practices at all levels - strategic, operational, and outcome measures - for their competitive advantage (Zhu and Sarkis, 2004). Benchmarking is also important in improving sustainability practices. A vast majority of firms reportedly use benchmarking in their companies for competitive analyses, implementation of improvement programs, performance assessment, and organizational change practices (Rigby, 2001; Gurumurthy and Kodali, 2009). Effective benchmarking requires a shared understanding of its nature, causal relational chains, and outcome measures useful for both small and large organizations with a reliable, large set of data (Meybodi, 2009; Wong and Wong, 2008). Thus, benchmarking sustainability practices requires intra- and inter-organizational practices with a set of environmental and business performance outcomes. However, such benchmarking has not been adequately explored (Klassen and McLaughlin, 1996; Soni and Kodali, 2010; Yang et al., 2011).In response to research needs in this area, this study presents a research model that defines sustainability practices in the context of the business environment, strategic goal setting, operational improvement, supply chain restructuring (SCR) practices, and performance outcomes. It examines the following research questions:RQ1. What are some of the key constructs related to sustainability practices?RQ2. What are the causal relational chains of sustainability practices?RQ3. In the causal relationships, how are lean practices (LP), SCR, environmental performance (EP), and firm performance (FP) related?The paper is organized as follows. First, based on literature review, this article presents a research model that shows how sustainability issues are approached in manufacturing firms. Hypotheses articulate the nature of relationships between key variables. This paper examines the interrelationships that involve responsive product strategy (RPS), LP, supply chain innovation, EP, and performance outcomes. This research extends the work of Dobrzykowski et al. (2011), who found that green innovation goals are positively related to supply chain redesign, which models the influence of value co-creation and absorptive capacity. Second, results from 379 companies worldwide add insight to practitioners to benchmark their own organization and see how they use sustainability practices to achieve financial growth. Third, the research results and their implications are discussed.\nA model of causal chains of sustainability practices: A key driver for implementing new organization-wide practices (e.g. sustainability practices) for any firm is its strategic initiatives (e.g. business strategic practices) that respond to the pressures of the external environment (e.g. market requirements, societal expectations, and government regulations). Such strategic initiatives influence firms to adopt internal response practices that reflect the similar features of sustainability practices (Hong et al., 2009; Yang et al., 2011). Since sustainability requirements cover all the component parts that suppliers provide, external network configurations that involve suppliers and customers are critical for sustainability implementation (Liao et al., 2010; Roh et al., 2011). Internal response practices and external network configurations will result in desirable sustainability outcomes (Zhu and Sarkis, 2004; Soni and Kodali, 2010; Hong et al., 2010a, b). Figure 1 shows a general model of causal chains for sustainability practices.\nLiterature review: Figure 2 shows the research model of sustainability practices of manufacturing firms. This integrative research model specifies the above general model including strategic driver (i.e. RPS), internal response practices (i.e. LP), external network configurations (i.e. SCR), and sustainability outcomes (i.e. EP and FP). In this section, the domain of each construct is defined with adequate literature support. The essential nature of each construct is explained in the next section.Responsive product strategy\nHypotheses development: Responsive product strategy and lean practices\nResearch methodology: The International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) V, a worldwide research project involving more than 20 countries, was used for empirical analysis. The survey was conducted in 2009 in the Asian Pacific, European, North American, and South American regions. The respondents to this survey are plant managers or manufacturing executives of manufacturing units. Initial contact was made before sending the questionnaire to find out their willingness to take part in this study. Although the response rate varied across countries, it exceeded 25 percent on average, warranting an affirmative assessment. After eliminating incomplete cases, 379 responses remained for further analysis. Table I reports the profile of respondents.Research instrument assessment\nConcluding remarks: The majority of respondents are mostly plant managers or senior managers from European countries. Their knowledge about strategic and operational practices is at the plant level. Thus, interpreting the results requires caution. In spite of the limitations inherent in the survey instruments, this study makes several contributions to the body of the literature.First, this paper defines sustainability practices by 2009 IMSS V by extending the previous papers by \"supply chain coordination\" (Roh et al., 2011), LP (Yang et al., 2011), and \"strategic green orientation\" (Hong et al., 2009), which are all based on 2005 IMSS IV. These previous studies did not examine broad sustainability practices. On the other hand, this article examines sustainability practices in terms of EP, social reputation, and employee satisfaction and knowledge. The results of this study suggest that firms implement sustainability practices not only at the strategic level, but also at the employee level, to achieve greater social reputation.Second, these reliable measures of sustainability practices are useful for benchmarking purposes. Firms may learn how to be responsive to the market and customers and thus improve EP. This study shows how RPS addresses the environmental aspects at the manufacturing plant level. Manufacturers that aim to be responsive to customers may examine how their products reflect the environmental dimension in order to gain competitive advantage.Third, this study also shows how firms use LP and SCR to achieve excellent EP. LP are an important baseline that enables firms to connect their RPS to arrive at EP. The results confirm a stream of literature that lean leads to green (King and Lenox, 2001; Rothenberg et al., 2001). This study contributes to this study by showing that LP mediate the RPS to progress toward EP. Firms that aim to enhance EP should take LP into consideration and endeavor to spread the principles throughout the inter- and intra-organization level. The results also suggest that firms participate in SCR and the effect of SCR does not significantly affect EP yet. The focal company and suppliers might not strive to improve EP to the same extent. Thus, there should be caution that restructuring the supply chain may automatically turn into improved EP in the short term.Finally, this study suggests future research issues in the area of improving sustainability practices. Benchmarking is a valuable tool that provides an opportunity to learn from other organizations (Soni and Kodali, 2010). Benchmarking sustainability practices in diverse contexts in terms of industries and country locations may accomplish their strategic and operational goals. Its scope of application ranges from large firms to small businesses, public as well as semi-public sectors, and includes various types of industries. Future papers may address more such benchmarking specific details.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - With increasing emphasis on the environment, firms are required to include sustainability practices at all levels - strategic, operational, and outcome measures. The purpose of this paper is to present a research model that defines sustainability practices in the context of the competitive business environment, strategic driver, operational and supply chain practices, and performance outcomes.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper identifies research gaps in the areas of integration of sustainability practices across functional levels within firms and across networks. In total, 379 companies were analyzed in structural equation modeling.\nFindings: - This study has three important findings: First, firms striving for responsiveness to market and customers also improve environmental performance; second, this study confirms lean practices as an important mediator to achieve excellent environmental performance; third, the focal company takes the lead in achieving environmental performance, and suppliers are in the supportive circle of influence.\nOriginality/value: - This study provides a research model based on rich theoretical support. It further provides reliable measures of sustainability practices as benchmark tools.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Challenges in delivering brand promise - focusing on municipal healthcare organisations	[ "Branding", "Discourse analysis", "Dilemma theory", "Discursive institutionalism", "Healthcare organisation", "Public organisation" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: For several decades the Nordic welfare model has been central to the success of the small Nordic economies and the right to healthcare based on citizenship has been one of its cornerstones. However, the welfare model is under intense pressure (Forsander, 2004; Johansson and Hvinden, 2007; Wahl, 2007) as the economic and human resources available to public-sector organisations diminish even as challenges mount. Finland's public-healthcare sector, for example, is struggling to maintain high-quality service provision and is introducing multiple structural and organisational reforms.\nThe theoretical framework: Branding in a public-sector context\nData collection and analysis: Finland is a Nordic welfare state and thus a relevant research context on the subject of marketing in the public-healthcare sector undergoing a privatisation-type transformation. The qualitative case research for the study was carried out in Finland in 2007 and 2011. The three case organisations, UlabA, UlabB and UlabC, are Finnish publicly owned university-hospital clinical laboratories. All three went through similar organisational processes of transformation to become municipal enterprises from their former balance-sheet-oriented form in the late 1990s (UlabC) and in 2004 (UlabA and UlabB). Their combined annual turnover at the time of the data collection was approximately EUR 30 million and they employed close to 2,500 people.\nFindings: interpretative repertoires of the municipal enterprise as new brand: The repertoires, the discursive moves they represent, the specific practices the moves were associated with and what they accomplished with regard to the brand are discussed in this section and summarised in Table I.\nDiscussion: Public-sector organisations are entering new private or quasi-private markets on various levels. They need to respond to competitive pressures similar to those private organisations face, thus brand building has assumed greater significance in public healthcare but received limited attention in research and the perspective of employees has certainly been neglected. This study aims to address that knowledge gap and contribute to research on how employees interpret public-sector and healthcare branding. It examined how healthcare professionals in three case organisations talked about the adoption of a new organisational brand, how that shaped their understanding of the new organisation and their own work within it and how the dilemmas that arose related to their interpretative repertoires. The findings are based on a discourse analysis of interviews conducted with managers and employees in these healthcare organisations.\nConclusions: Theoretically, our unique contribution to healthcare branding comes first from applying the dilemma approach (Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, 2000) and second from demonstrating how internal branding can reconcile dilemmas identified in the case organisations. Third, our research contributes to discursive institutionalism and to the knowledge of how branding ideas can be translated and transferred into public-healthcare sector organisations.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how healthcare professionals understand a new organisational brand and examine the ideas discussed in relation to it within healthcare organisations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research is based on a discursive approach that facilitates understanding how the informants perceived a new organisation brand and how that might shape their activities in the enterprise.\nFindings: The study identified four distinct interpretative repertoires: the organisational brand as an economic solution, the magic wand, the factory and a servant to the customer. The new brand was understood in terms of economic and business-like functions marked by external branding and its signs (logos, etc.). The brand is not communicated to patients or colleagues and the factory metaphor is applied to work practices. Hence, several potential dilemmas arise concerning the brand promise, customer expectations, economic and efficiency gains and the professional values of employees.\nResearch limitations/implications: Adoption of private-sector practices in semi-public or public-sector organisations is common. This study focuses on how private-sector ideas diffuse into the organisations and how they are translated within them.\nPractical implications: The authors suggest a stronger emphasis on internal branding as a reconciliation to enhance legitimacy, high-quality customer service and staff wellbeing.\nOriginality/value: Theoretically, the unique contribution of the study is drawing upon healthcare branding, dilemma theory and discursive institutionalism in its interpretation. Consequently, it demonstrates how ideas about the brand and public healthcare are translated and communicated in the examined discourses and how those ideas reconstruct understanding and change behaviour within the organisations.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Exploring cleanliness in the Dutch facilities management industry: a Delphi approach	[ "Qualitative", "Standards", "Facilities management", "Antecedents", "Actual cleanliness", "Perceived cleanliness" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: One of the aims of in-house and corporate facility managers is to provide clean environments to their end-users. By doing so, facility managers ensure that millions of end-users work, live or stay in environments that are both hygienic (Whitehead et al., 2007) and enjoyable (Vilnai-Yavetz and Gilboa, 2010). Following previous research, cleanliness is one of the key factors influencing overall customer satisfaction (Wakefield and Blodgett, 1996). In The Netherlands, the business of cleanliness is a big business. Dutch organisations spend billions on cleaning services every year, representing approximately 1 per cent of the gross national product (Van Diepen-Knegjens and Veenstra, 2017), highlighting its significance in facilities management.\nTheoretical framework: The cleaning industry\nMethod: Delphi method\nResults: Step 1: interviews\nConclusions: The purpose of this study was to define the concept of end-user perceptions and find out which antecedents of perceived cleanliness can be distinguished and which antecedents are used in practice and could possibly contribute to the development of an instrument that can be used to measure perceived cleanliness.\nDiscussion: Theoretical and practical implications\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper aims to identify antecedents that influence perceived cleanliness by consulting experts and end-users in the field of facilities management (facility service providers, clients of facility service providers and consultants). Business models were evaluated to understand why some antecedents are adopted by practitioners and others are not.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A qualitative study, with end-users (n = 7) and experts (n = 24) in the field of facilities management, was carried out to identify antecedents of perceived cleanliness. Following the Delphi approach, different research methods including interviews, group discussions and surveys were applied.\nFindings: Actual cleanliness, cleaning staff behaviour and the appearance of the environment were identified as the three main antecedents of perceived cleanliness. Client organisations tend to have a stronger focus on antecedents that are not related to the cleaning process compared to facility service providers.\nPractical implications: More (visible) cleaning, maintenance, toilets, scent, architecture and use of materials offer interesting starting points for practitioners to positively influence perceived cleanliness. These antecedents may also be used for the development of a standard for perceived cleanliness.\nOriginality/value: A basis was created for the development of an instrument that measures perceived cleanliness and includes antecedents that are typically not included in most of the current standards of actual cleanliness (e.g. NEN 2075, ISSA).\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Deep renovation of historic buildings: The IEA-SHC Task 59 path towards the lowest possible energy demand and CO2 emissions	[ "Historic buildings", "Energy retrofit", "Best practice", "Guideline", "Low energy" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Global greenhouse gas emissions have increased continuously since 1960 and CO2 concentrations have risen above the threshold established to \"preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed\" (Hansen et al., 2008, p. 217). Retrofitting existing buildings has the potential to greatly reduce carbon emissions. For example, just the retrofit of European dwellings built before 1945 could save annually up to 180 Mt of CO2, equivalent to 3.6 per cent of the total EU-27 CO2 emissions in 1990 (Troi and Bastian, 2015).\nBarriers to energy retrofits in historic buildings: Previous research in the field provided valuable insights into the motivations and limitations for the energy retrofit of historic buildings. Most of this research, however, is focussed on privately owned residential buildings and limited to the European context. In a recent study, Kaveh et al. (2018) proposed three main categories of limitations to the implementation of retrofit measures: social, economic and technical viability.\nThe IEA-SHC Task 59 approach: towards lowest possible energy demand: The scope and approach of Task 59 is the combined result of three different efforts. First, the results achieved in previous research projects (e.g. 3encult, EFFESSUS, Spara och Bevara) are the foundation stone of Task 59 and this paper. In addition, several members involved in these projects participated in the two Task definition meetings that took part before the launch of the project (Brussels 2016 and Vienna 2017 with the participation of 24 experts) to narrow down its scope. Last, the analysis of previous research presented in this paper informed the specific objectives of Task 59, in response to the barriers identified in the implementation of deep retrofits in historic buildings.\nAddressing barriers in decision makers' engagement through best practices: The barriers identified in the literature indicate the need for tools that change attitudes towards energy efficiency in historic buildings. The dissemination of exemplary case studies has positively impacted the transition towards sustainable development in the construction sector (Femenias, 2004). As part of a development process that includes basic practice, best practice, demonstration projects and experimental projects, \"Good examples\" are described as a powerful tool that has been successfully used to show what can be achieved (e.g. in terms of energy efficiency) as a way to influence mainstream building practices.\nAddressing barriers in the planning process through guidelines: The discourse on energy retrofit of historic buildings has shifted towards a less rigid take on what historic buildings can be and the measures that can be considered appropriate. Instead of exempting historic buildings from energy performance targets in legislation, standards provide an alternative \"soft law\" better suited to contemporary modes of governance (Brunsson and Jacobsson, 2000). Traditional policy does not facilitate the iterative and interdisciplinary design processes that are needed to achieve customised solutions. Voluntary standards focussing on the decision-making process have emerged as a promising but thus far untested alternative.\nConclusions: Non-technological barriers are hampering the energy performance improvement of historic buildings. In order to increase the speed at which historic buildings are being retrofitted and the depth of these renovations, new tools are needed. This paper presents the approach developed within IEA-SHC Task 59 to overcome the decision makers' lack of engagement in the renovation of historic buildings and to support them in a complex design process.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Improving the energy performance of historic buildings has the potential to reduce carbon emissions while protecting built heritage through its continued use. However, implementing energy retrofits in these buildings faces social, economic, and technical barriers. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to present the approach of IEA-SHC Task 59 to address some of these barriers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Task 59 aims to achieve the lowest possible energy demand for historic buildings. This paper proposes a definition for this concept and identifies three key socio-technical barriers to achieving this goal: the decision-makers' lack of engagement in the renovation of historic buildings, a lack of support during the design process and limited access to proven retrofit solutions. Two methods - dissemination of best-practice and guidelines - are discussed in this paper as critical approaches for addressing the first two barriers.\nFindings: An assessment of existing databases indicates a lack of best-practice examples focused specifically on historic buildings and the need for tailored information describing these case studies. Similarly, an initial evaluation of guidelines highlighted the need for process-oriented guidance and its evaluation in practice.\nOriginality/value: This paper provides a novel definition of lowest possible energy demand for historic buildings that is broadly applicable in both practice and research. Both best-practices and guidelines are intended to be widely disseminated throughout the field.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The new paradigm of collection management in university libraries: from crisis to revolution	[ "Cooperation", "Collection management", "University libraries", "Collection development", "Science philosophy", "Structure of scientific revolutions" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Libraries are living organisms (Anglada, 2006), a product of human activity. They are continually growing (Ranganathan, 1931) to adapt to the historic context which is the reason for their evolution. The concept of a library has progressed together with the technology that transforms the collection, access and services and social changes that modify their goals.\nTransforming the collection: The library as a living organism is formed by \"vital elements\" such as the collection - which is its basic element and the nucleus of its activity. With the appearance of the Internet and other digital formats, the collection seems to lose its relevance, but, in truth, it has become a more complex, active, strong and elaborated element, and has radically modified its composition (Fuentes, 2007).\nScience philosophy in libraries: Librarianship, as a discipline of information science, evolves and progresses, and should therefore be studied within a historical and social context. It is formed by a community with common theories which define its models and processes and that sometimes determine experience perceptions and new theory formulations.\nApplication of science revolution theories to library collection management: Based on the phases of Kuhn's science revolutions theory, we will try to argue and show how library collection management has developed in the past decades.\nConclusion: After the analysis of the evolution of the libraries' collection and its management, the conclusions are as follows:\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper aims to argue regarding the evolution of the collection management as a gradual process where internal and external factors interact to transform the collection and its management activities. In this progress, cooperation is used as a necessary strategy for assuming its roles and to fit the new goals, mission and context of the library. Libraries are living organisms in continuous change to adapt to the context where they exist and which is the cause of their progress. It is formed by \"vital elements\" such as the collection - which is its basic element and the nucleus of its activity.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This argumentative paper establishes a logical reasoning of the evolution process of the \"collection management\", with the application of Kuhn's structure of scientific revolutions.\nFindings: The library collection has had great changes, such as its origin, composition, ownership, volume and diversity, different life cycle from paper to digital formats and evaluation process. These changes have affected the principles and practices of collection management in three key areas: expansion and change of traditional activities in collection management; enlargement and modification of agents involved; and fundamental mission of giving access to all information resources needed by actual or potential remote users. The \"cooperation\" becomes an essential element and the main engine of great part of the collection management.\nOriginality/value: In this paper, Kuhn's structure of scientific revolutions theory is used to establish the evolution of the collection management, to become a revolution, with a new paradigm \"cooperative collection management\".\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Individual time preferences and obesity: A behavioral economics analysis using a quasi-hyperbolic discounting approach	[ "Obesity", "Behavioural economics", "Present-biased preferences", "Time preferences" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Obesity, as a leading cause of preventable death with a significant financial burden on healthcare systems, is a major public health concern (Dee et al., 2014; Klarenbach et al., 2006; Ng et al., 2014). It is estimated that the societal costs of obesity are higher than smoking and alcoholism (Robroek et al., 2010). Obesity is a known risk factor for non-communicable diseases including diabetes, cancers and heart problems (Ng et al., 2014; Kelishadi et al., 2014.). Obesity is the result of some unhealthy types of behavior, including overeating and physical inactivity (Stoklosa et al., 2017).\n2. Theoretical framework: The standard economic model assumes that individuals make rational intertemporal choices to maximize their lifetime expected utilities or happiness based on the present and future costs and benefits associated with their choices. They discount (or devalue) future outcomes relative to present ones. This model assumes that the degree to which future outcomes are discounted is consistent over time. In other words, the discount rate between any two periods (e.g. periods t and t+1) is constant such that present tradeoffs are treated the same as future tradeoffs. If an exponential discounter prefers to start dieting tomorrow, not today, he will always start dieting when tomorrow comes, ceteris paribus. This implies that individuals have time-consistent (or stable) preferences. This model has been formularized by an exponential discounting function (Samuelson, 1937):(1)\n3. Methods: 3.1 Data\n4. Results: The mean age of participants was 43.7 years (standard deviation (SD) +-6.33). The prevalence of obesity in the sample was 25.78 percent. The average score of willingness to take risks was 5.87 (SD +-2.2). Respondents with present-biased preferences (b< 1) comprised of 40.91 percent of the total sample. In total, 46.97 percent of respondents were exponential discounter (b= 1, i.e. they had time-consistent preferences) and 12.12 percent of them were future-biased (b> 1). Respondents with a high level of patience comprised 57.20 percent of the sample. The percentage of the sample with the medium and low level of patience were 14.52 and 28.28, respectively (Table I).\n5. Discussion: This study explored the association between time preferences and obesity in a sample of the adult population in Iran. Time-consistent patience (d) and present bias (b) components of the quasi-hyperbolic discounting model were assessed as the measures of time preferences. As expected, we found that the time-consistent patience and present-bias were correlated with the probability of being obese. The likelihood of being obese was greater for impatient rather than patient individuals. The probability of being obese was higher for present-biased individuals as compared to future biased individuals. These findings are consistent with previous studies. For example, Courtemanche and colleagues showed that both consistent time preferences and present bias are related to obesity. They also showed that the present bias is a strong predictor of BMI (Courtemanche et al., 2015). Stoklosa and colleagues also found that impatience and present-biased preferences were significantly associated with the likelihood of being obese. Moreover, children of present-biased or impatient parents had a significantly higher likelihood of being obese (Stoklosa et al., 2017). Present-biased preferences were shown to be correlated with other health behavior. For example, Ida found that smokers were more likely to be present biased than non-smokers (Ida, 2014). Time-inconsistent preferences result in self-control problem (or present-biased preferences), and, consequently, it may induce irrational health decisions. Time-inconsistent preferences can be an explanation for the underinvestment in health and why individuals behave irrationally when making health-related decisions (e.g. by overeating and unsafe sex). Present-biased preferences lead individuals to not to pursue their behavior change plans and frequently postponing the plans that have been made earlier. Inconsistent time preferences provide a rationale for the government to intervene in the health sector in order to improve the individuals' welfare, because present-biased individuals often do not make the best choices to maximize their well-being and they may make self-harming decisions in the present that reduce their future welfare, and they will regret in the future (Bradford et al., 2017).\n6. Conclusion: We found that the long-run patience (d) and time-inconsistent preferences (b), captured by a quasi-hyperbolic discounting model were important determinants of obesity. The probability of being obese was significantly associated with time-consistent patience and time-inconsistent preferences. Considering the time-inconsistency in designing behavioral policy interventions to address obesity may increase their success rate. Policies aimed to persuade individuals to use commitment devices might help them to overcome their self-control problem and present bias. Moreover, choice of architecture could be used to design environments where individuals are nudged to behave more rationally when making obesity-related decisions.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Behavioral economic analysis of health-related behavior is a potentially useful approach to study and control non-communicable diseases. The purpose of this paper is to explore the time preferences of individuals and its impact on obesity in an adult population of Iran.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A structured questionnaire was completed by 792 individuals who were randomly selected from the participants of an ongoing national Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN cohort study in West of Iran. The quasi-hyperbolic discounting model was used to estimate the parameters of time preferences and a probit regression model was used to explore the correlation between obesity and time preferences.\nFindings: There was a statistically significant correlation between obesity and both the long-run patience and present-biased preferences of participants. Individuals with a low level of long-run patience were 10.2 percentage points more likely to be obese compared to individuals with a high level of long-run patience. The probability of being obese increased by 11 percentage points in present-biased individuals compared to future biased individuals.\nOriginality/value: The long-run patience and time inconsistent preferences were significant determinants of obesity. Considering the time-inconsistent preferences in the development of policies to change obesity-related behavior among adults might increase the success rate of the interventions.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Learning and behaviour: addressing the culture change conundrum: part two	[ "High performance organizations", "Performance support", "Changing behaviour", "Changing corporate culture", "Corporate and organizational culture", "Learning and behaviour" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: In Part 1 of this paper we examined the drivers of calls for a change of corporate culture and the relationship between culture and the desire to alter certain behaviours of people in organisations, drawing upon the results of a five-year study (Coulson-Thomas, 2012a, b, 2013) that employed a mixed-methods approach building upon earlier survey findings with the results of early adopter case studies (Creswell, 2003; Tashakkori and Teddle, 2003; Creswell and Clark, 2007). The use of performance support which can integrate learning and working and represents an affordable way of changing the behaviour of particular and front-line work-groups independently of corporate culture was introduced.\nParticular problems and issues: A problem with codes of practice and statements of values or conduct is that the guidance that is provided is often excessively general as a result of being drafted to cover a wide range of people, situations and circumstances. Applications of performance support can be much more specific and can address dilemmas and practical problems encountered at different stages of addressing particular issues and requirements, including when trying novel options. Instead of just articulating general principles one can provide relevant help. John Harvey-Jones (1988) stressed the importance of making things happen.\nBenefits of providing better support: People who are properly supported can benefit from increased understanding, reduced stress and gain the confidence and competence to more easily address more demanding issues. Organisations find that they can benefit from higher performance, lower costs, improved decision making and evidenced compliance. Customers, clients and citizens can benefit from quicker and bespoke responses, and they can be helped to help themselves. The environment can also benefit when people are enabled to take more sustainable purchasing and lifestyle decisions.\nEntrepreneurship development: Kuratko and Hornsby (1998) are among those who have stressed the importance of entrepreneurial leadership. Innovation can require trying a number of alternatives and evaluating the consequences. Companies may be reluctant to give people a free hand because of legal, regulatory, quality and other requirements and implications. Ensuring compliance can require time consuming assessment and testing, which may also inhibit the refinement, improvement or bespoking of an existing offering.\n\"New leadership\": The \"new leadership\" required to remain current and competitive in uncertain and insecure times requires a shift of emphasis away from general corporate wide initiatives, including those to change corporate cultures, and top-down strategy formulation and motivation (Coulson-Thomas, 2012a, b, 2013). Many organisations would benefit from greater focus on the implementation of policies, helping people and the provision of better support, particularly of front-line work-groups delivering key corporate objectives, that can be effective with existing people and existing cultures and structures.\nAvoiding unnecessary change: Calls for general and fundamental change of structure, culture or procedures should trigger alarm bells. Continuity can be as important as change, particularly continuity of relationships and consistency of experience that meets customer expectations and requirements. Too much change and change for changes sake can create new opportunities for fraud, theft, hacking and other abuses. Uncertainty during a period of transition or transformation, or while changes are bedding in, can create new loopholes and vulnerabilities.\n\"New leadership\" and performance support: In summary, many general corporate culture change programmes and associated training may be unnecessary if their purpose is to quickly change specific behaviours in particular areas. They might also be problematic in organisations that need to embrace a diversity of cultures and encourage a variety of approaches and behaviours across different functions and business units. Performance support which integrates learning and working can be a cost-effective way of changing behaviour, ensuring compliance, enabling people to innovate and remain current and competitive, and delivering multiple objectives without requiring a change of culture or structure (Coulson-Thomas, 2012a, 2013, 2014a, b, c, d).\nImplications for training and development: Members of the training and development community faced with a request to change a corporate culture need to be aware of both the challenges involved and the availability of an affordable way of altering behaviours and building a high performance organisation that can be adopted without tampering with existing cultures, where the latter is defined in terms of the attitudes, beliefs and values of those concerned (Coulson-Thomas, 2014a, b, c, d; Pettigrew, 1990). The evidence of the five-year investigation suggests a cautious, questioning and sceptical stance be adopted.\nImplications for HR policies and practices: Boards as well as individual HR practitioners need to question whether they are helping or hindering. Findings from investigations of what high performers do differently reveal large and measurable differences in performance among people trained, rewarded and compensated the same way (Coulson-Thomas, 2007, 2014e). The variability of performance across members of key work-groups raises questions concerning the relevance and contribution of many training, reward and other HR policies and practices. Wide differences in performance are explained by how many critical success factors are in place (e.g. Coulson-Thomas et al., 2003). The extent to which the job, task or activity is done in a winning or losing way determines outcomes.\nFurther information: Transforming Knowledge Management, Talent Management 2 and Transforming Public Services by Colin Coulson-Thomas which summarise the findings of a five-year investigation into the most cost-effective route to high-performance organisations are published by Policy Publications and can be obtained from www.policypublications.com\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Calls for culture change often result from a desire to change certain behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to summarise some key findings of a five year investigation into quicker and more affordable routes to creating high-performance organisations. It suggests a practical and cost-effective way of quickly changing the behaviour of key work-groups independently of corporate culture which integrates working and learning and simultaneously achieves multiple corporate objectives.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A programme of critical success factor, \"issue\" and other surveys was complemented with a five-year evaluation of more recent case studies to understand early adoptions of performance support and to assess their results and implications. The applications examined were discussed with the relevant technical architect and the results obtained corroborated with commissioner/user performance data and/or documented assessments/reactions.\nFindings: The use of performance support which can integrate learning and working represents an affordable way of changing the behaviour of particular and front-line work-groups independently of corporate culture. Changing a culture defined in terms of deeply held attitudes, values and beliefs is problematic, but required changes of behaviour can often be quickly accomplished using performance support, which can also address particular problems and deliver benefits for multiple stakeholders.\nPractical implications: Many general corporate culture change programmes, HR policies and associated training may be unnecessary and counter-productive if the aim is to quickly change specific behaviours in particular areas. They might also be problematic in organisations that need to embrace a diversity of cultures and encourage a variety of approaches and behaviours across different functions and business units. Performance support which integrates learning and working can be a cost-effective way of changing behaviour, ensuring compliance, enabling people to innovate and remain current and competitive, and delivering multiple objectives without requiring a change of culture or structure.\nOriginality/value: Summarises the main findings of an investigation that has identified deficiencies of contemporary responses to a requirement to change certain behaviours that involve seeking to change a corporate culture and questions their practicality, desirability, time-scale and affordability. It presents an evidence-based alternative approach that is more affordable and can more quickly deliver changes of behaviour required and ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, policies and codes.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Development of a manufacturing flexibility hierarchy through factor and cluster analysis: The role of new product type on US electronic manufacturer performance	[ "Flexible manufacturing systems", "Product development", "Electronics industry", "United States of America" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Today's manufacturers face fierce competition, in addition to uncertainty and continuous change. Developing low-cost and high-quality products is no longer enough to guarantee success (Upton, 1995a). Successful manufacturing organizations must develop new products to meet market needs in a timely, cost-effective, and efficient manner (Gupta, 2003; Chang et al., 2001). New product development is crucial to the financial well-being of manufacturing organizations. Griffin (1997), for example, found that sales revenue from new products was significantly higher for manufacturing organizations than for organizations in the service sector. Despite the important role that new product development plays in the financial well-being of a manufacturing organization, there is limited research on the relationship between new product development and manufacturing system capability.Flexibility is one aspect of manufacturing capability that many consider essential to achieve an organizational competitive advantage similar to capability in the areas of cost, quality, and delivery (Ettlie, 1998; Poolton and Barclay, 1998; Upton, 1995a). The relationship between flexibility and product development is not well developed or understood. Vokurka and O'Leary-Kelly (2000) identified a need for more research to define and identify those dimensions of manufacturing flexibility that contribute to new product development and ultimately to business performance.A review of the existing literature on manufacturing flexibility and new product development revealed three gaps. First, comprehensive measures for manufacturing flexibility have not been well-developed (Braglia and Petroni, 2000; de Toni and Tonchia, 1998; Gerwin, 1993a; Koste and Malhotra, 1999). Gupta and Somers (1992) initiated research to develop general flexibility measures. This work, however, has been criticized as having only a limited theoretical base, inconsistent definitions, as well as failing to capture the entire domain of flexibility (Koste and Malhotra, 1999). Zhang et al. (2003) developed instruments to measure several traditional measures of flexibility but not measures related to new product development.Second, some studies have explored linkages between flexibility and specific outcomes such as operational improvements (da Silveira, 2006) and customer satisfaction (Zhang et al., 2003). To date, there has been little empirical research on the relationship between manufacturing flexibility and new product development (Vokurka and O'Leary-Kelly, 2000). Lastly, some studies have focused on the impact of uncertainty, flexibility, and performance (Swamindass and Newell, 1987; Pagell and Krause, 1999, 2004). These studies have contributed to the understanding of uncertainty and performance, but have not included new product development constructs in the research. A gap remains in understanding the linkages between the dimensions of manufacturing flexibility and business performance within a new product development context. These gaps are investigated within the study outlined in this paper.The next section summarizes the foundational literature used in designing this study. Specifically, a synthesis of previous research on flexibility was completed and used to develop a theoretical model. To build the model, previous research was used to first determine the most appropriate dimensions of flexibility to include in a model focused on understanding the relationship between flexibility and new product development. Measures for these flexibility dimensions were developed based on previously published work. Second, the literature was reviewed to identify a structural relationship between flexibility dimensions. Third, appropriate outcome measures for new product development performance were defined and operationalized based on previous studies of new product development.\nLiterature review: Guilford (2004, p. 26) defined flexible manufacturing as \"the ability to react to customer demands with little penalty in time, effort, cost, or performance.\" Sethi and Sethi (1990) considered a manufacturing system flexible if it adapted to a wide range of possible changes in response to changes in the environment. Gerwin (1993a) defined manufacturing flexibility as a capability of a manufacturing system to adjust it resources effectively in response to internal and external changes. Upton (1995b) proposed that manufacturing flexibility can be operationalized by three characteristics - mobility, range, and uniformity. Mobility represents the ability of an organization to respond to changes; whereas range represents the ability of an organization to manufacture multiple products. Uniformity refers to the ability of an organization to maintain its performance (as measured by productivity or costs) when switching between products. Koste and Malhotra (1999) used a similar measurement for flexibility, but they distinguished between the number of products (number) and the variety of products produced by an organization (heterogeneity).Manufacturing flexibility is also theorized to be multi-dimensional (Beach et al., 2000; Gerwin, 1993a; Gupta and Somers, 1992, 1996; Hyun and Ahn, 1992; Sawhney, 2006; Sethi and Sethi, 1990). A review of the literature was completed to identify different dimensions of manufacturing flexibility. Those flexibility dimensions named in more than one study are summarized in Table I. Additional flexibility dimensions were found, but were not identified across multiple studies. These dimensions include product/production and expansion/market flexibility (Gupta and Somers, 1992); control flexibility (Hyun and Ahn, 1992); lead time and customization flexibility (Olhager, 1993); action, state and design change flexibility (Upton, 1994); input quality and supplier flexibility (Sawhney, 2006); materials flexibility (Gerwin, 1993a); and flexibility competence and execution competency (Narasimhan et al., 2004).\nResearch model and variables: Manufacturing flexibility dimensions and new product development\nMethodology: The research hypotheses were tested through a field study of an industrial sector characterized by significant new product development activities. A survey was developed for this study. The total design method (Salant and Dillman, 1994) was used to guide survey item development, the overall survey development, and the survey administration. Where possible, survey items were adapted from previously published studies. Multiple item measures were developed for each construct (flexibility dimensions, product type, and performance measures) included in the research model.A pilot test of the survey instrument was conducted. The pilot survey was administered to 60 randomly selected US electronic manufacturers, whose Harris Manufacturers Directory Standard Industrial Classification code was 367. A 40 percent response rate was achieved. Internal reliability using Cronbach's a was completed for the entire set of responses from the pilot study. In addition, qualitative feedback from respondents was reviewed. Unreliable items were eliminated and small modifications were made to some items (Larso, 2004).Survey items\nResults: Survey validity and reliability\nDiscussion: A hierarchy of manufacturing flexibility dimensions\nConclusions: Overall, this study highlights the complexity of the relationship between manufacturing flexibility and new product performance. Previous studies have also found that the relationships between performance and manufacturing flexibility are complex, even when focused on a single domain, such as supply chain management (Chang et al., 2007) or strategic sourcing (Narasimhan and Das, 1999). This study has made a significant contribution by identifying dimensions of manufacturing flexibility related to new product performance and in proposing a structure of relationships between these dimensions. When the type of new product development is considered, significant relationships (both positive and negative) between the flexibility and performance emerged.Additional study is needed to fully characterize the relationship between individual flexibility dimensions and a company's performance related to new product development. Data for this study were obtained from organizations in a specific sector, so cannot be generalized to a broader range of manufacturing organizations or product types. Follow-on studies using a broader set of industries would help determine if these findings can be generalized to a broader set of industries. In addition, more complex mathematical models, requiring a larger data set, would be helpful in further understanding how different dimensions of flexibility might interact for a given type of new product and for multiple aspects of performance. While this study looked at the impact of new product type on the relationship between each flexibility dimension and three performance measures individually, it would be helpful to understand an overall combined effect of flexibility on performance using a technique such as data envelopment analysis (DEA). DEA is a non-parametric frontier estimation method that could be used to calculate the best possible performance of a given new product based on the performance of other new products in the data set when multiple inputs and multiple outputs are taken into account.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The ability of production organizations to respond quickly to changes in the market with new products requires flexibility. The relationship between manufacturing flexibility and the performance of organizations in new product development is not well characterized. The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a flexibility model focused on new product performance in manufacturing organizations empirically in one industrial sector.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Hypothesized relationships between manufacturing flexibility, new product type, and new product performance are empirically tested using survey data from 273 companies, representing a range of US electronic manufacturers.\nFindings: - Factor and cluster analysis identifies eight distinct flexibility dimensions and a hierarchy among these dimensions. The relationships between the identified flexibility dimensions and new product performance, as tested through correlation analyses, are found to be dependent on the type of new product development.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Overall, this study highlights the complexity of the relationship between manufacturing flexibility and new product performance. This study is conducted in a specific sector, so the results cannot be generalized. More complex mathematical models, requiring a larger data set, would be helpful in further separating out direct and indirect effects of variables, such as new product type, on the relationship between flexibility and performance.\nPractical implications: - With multiple dimensions of flexibility, organizational leaders must choose the dimension(s) that is/are most appropriate to develop. This study helps provide insight into which dimensions of flexibility a particular plant should focus on, given a particular type of new product.\nOriginality/value: - The study has made a significant contribution by identifying the dimensions of flexibility related to new product performance and in proposing a hierarchical structure for these dimensions. This study has also made a contribution by providing empirical support for the role of new product type as a moderator in the flexibility/performance relationship.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Developing and validating a measurement instrument of ISO 9001 effectiveness in food manufacturing SMEs	[ "Greece", "Small to medium‐sized enterprises", "Food industry", "ISO 9000 series", "Measurement instrument", "ISO 9001 effectiveness", "ISO 9001 objectives", "Food manufacturing SMEs" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Companies should continually improve the effectiveness of their quality management systems (QMS) (Marin and Ruiz-Olalla, 2011). An organization with an effective management system is expected to be more efficient in using its resources than an organization without an effective management system (Bell and Omachonu, 2011). Furthermore, an effective QMS enhances the competitive abilities of a company and provides strategic advantages in the market place (Anderson et al., 1994). The objective of the ISO 9001 standard is to provide an effective QMS reflecting company quality practices involved in producing goods and services that conform to requirements (van der Wiele et al., 2005; Quazi et al., 2002). As far as food companies are concerned, the implementation of the ISO 9001 standard improves food safety and quality throughout the food chain, enhances customer satisfaction and improves organizational effectiveness (Sparling et al., 2001).The ISO 9001 standard has gained widespread attention in both research and practice over the past two decades (Benner and Veloso, 2008). It has been adopted worldwide by nearly one million companies from different sectors including the food sector (ISO, 2008b). In fact, it can be stated that, what at the beginning was considered a source of competitive advantage (Benner and Veloso, 2008), today is simply a requirement to do business in some sectors (Gomez-Gomez et al., 2011). However, the selection of suppliers or business partnerships should not depend solely on the possession of an ISO 9001 certification, because whatever the version, ISO 9001 is not a guarantee of quality or better performance. Hence, when a company wants to improve its QMS, the application, in isolation, of the ISO 9001 standard is not a foolproof way of getting this improvement (Martinez-Costa et al., 2009). In other words, simply implementing the standard and conforming to its requirements is a waste of time and effort (Hoyle, 1995). Based on the above it is apparent that even though the ISO 9001 standard is very popular, its effectiveness is questionable (Heras et al., 2008; Singh, 2008; Zeng et al., 2007; Yeung et al., 2003). In other words, the effectiveness of the standard in enhancing a firm's competitive performance is highly controversial (Yeung et al., 2003). Studies evaluating whether ISO 9001 registration makes a difference to an organization's performance show mixed results (Singh, 2008; Heras et al., 2008).Until a range of measures are developed to verify whether the ISO 9001 QMS is doing the job that it is intended to do and to determine the effectiveness of the standard (Oztas et al., 2007; Hoyle, 1995; Newall and Dale, 1992), doubts will remain regarding its suitability and applicability in a company environment (Oztas et al., 2007). More specifically, if the objectives of the system have not been defined it is difficult to measure the effectiveness or the effects of the system (Al-Nakeeb et al., 1998). So, a company having established a QMS according to ISO 9001 should test the standard's effectiveness by evaluating the degree to which its pre-established objectives and expectations are achieved (van der Spiegel et al., 2007; Al-Nakeeb et al., 1998).Reviewing the literature several suggestions have been made with regard to measuring ISO 9001 effectiveness. According to Heras et al. (2008), there is little evidence to date of rigorous assessment of ISO 9001 effectiveness. Magd (2006) states that in the future, firms should measure internal as well as external aspects to ensure the effective implementation of ISO 9001. Moreover, whether the long-term effectiveness or the real value of ISO 9001 is related to the depth to which it is implemented is a topic that deserves further investigation (Jang and Lin, 2008).In order to assure, control and improve its operations and food quality, a food company has to select an appropriate QMS or a combination of systems that should be applied effectively (Oliver, 2009). In order to facilitate the effective implementation of ISO 9001, in 2001, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published the ISO 15161:2000 standard/guidelines for the implementation of ISO 9001 in the food industry (Hernadez et al., 2006). However, an instrument to measure the effectiveness of ISO 9001, especially in the food sector, does not yet exist. Therefore, there is a need for an instrument to measure the effective implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS in food companies (van der Spiegel et al., 2005, 2007).In order to fill this gap and contribute to the literature, this study aims, first, at developing an instrument to measure ISO 9001 effectiveness, based on its components, meaning the ISO 9001 objectives; and second, at validating the instrument in the food manufacturing sector. A further contribution of the present study concerns a food company's ability to assess and improve its effectiveness in implementing ISO 9001. Thus, based on the degree to which the ISO 9001 objectives are currently achieved, a food company can further improve process and product quality, approach business excellence and maximize the respective benefits. Through an extensive literature review, the ISO 9001 objectives and their indicators are identified, reviewed by experts and pilot-tested, confirming their content validity. Thus, based on the indicators of the ISO 9001 objectives, a measurement instrument of ISO 9001 effectiveness is developed. Through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (first and second order CFA) the measurement instrument is then empirically validated. A sample from the Greek food manufacturing sector is used for this purpose. Focusing solely on manufacturing companies would help the control of any confounding factors that might enter into the analyses by having both manufacturing and service companies (Martinez-Costa et al., 2009). The majority of the companies belonging to the Greek food manufacturing sector are, according to Fotopoulos et al. (2009) and Vlachos (2009), small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). So, the model fit to the empirical data from food manufacturing SMEs is assessed as well as the construct validity (convergent, discriminant and nomological) of the extracted latent factors.\n2 Literature review: 2.1 Implementing ISO 9001 in the food sector\n3 Methodology: 3.1 Questionnaire development\n4 Results: 4.1 Exploratory factor analysis\n5 Discussion: 5.1 The company profiles\n6 Conclusions: Implementing the ISO 9001 standard and conforming to its requirements does not guarantee that a food manufacturing SME continuously improves the quality of its processes and products, operates in a proactive rather than in a reactive manner and finally satisfies its customers. As a consequence, a food company's survival and competitiveness in long run are not assured. Increasing ISO 9001 effectiveness is the parameter that can make the difference, helping a food manufacturing SME move a step forward rather than simply conforming to ISO 9001 requirements. In other words, maximizing ISO 9001 effectiveness can help a food manufacturing SME successfully improve quality on a continuous basis, prevent nonconformities and satisfy its customers. Thus, this can further help the food company survive, succeed and be competitive in the current business environment. However, ISO 9001 effectiveness should be measurable and evaluated based on its definition. Having in mind the above mentioned, the present study contributes to the existing body of literature, first, by developing a measurement instrument of ISO 9001 effectiveness (based on measures describing the components of ISO 9001 effectiveness - the ISO 9001 objectives); second, by validating the measurement instrument in food manufacturing SMEs; and finally, by giving food manufacturing SMEs the opportunity to assess and improve their QMS (based on the current degree of achievement of ISO 9001 effectiveness), and consequently to increase the quality benefits derived with regard to the internal and external business environment.The three objectives of the ISO 9001 standard identified in the literature are confirmed and empirically validated through the food manufacturing SMEs. In other words, the measured variables/indicators identified in the literature are reflected from three-latent factors namely, continuous improvement, prevention of nonconformities and customer satisfaction focus. So, a first layer of latent factors is created and validated (through the first order CFA). These latent factors in turn are reflected from a single higher order latent factor that expresses the effectiveness of the ISO 9001 standard. Thus, two layers of latent factors are revealed and validated (through the second order CFA). Bearing in mind both steps (the first and second order CFA) of validating the instrument developed for measuring ISO 9001 effectiveness in food manufacturing SMEs, the conclusions of the present study are summarized as follows: ISO 9001 effectiveness in food manufacturing SMEs is evaluated by the level of achieving the ISO 9001 objectives, which are in turn evaluated by respective measured items. From the results of the present study it is also obvious that the food manufacturing SMEs participating in the validation process of the instrument, demonstrate a high degree of achieving the ISO 9001 objectives and consequently a high degree of implementing the standard effectively, however not an optimum one. Hence, there is scope for the food manufacturing SMEs to further optimize the level of ISO 9001 effectiveness.\n7 Practical implications: A food manufacturing SME can use the measurement instrument developed in the present study, as a tool for assessing ISO 9001 effectiveness. Simply conforming to ISO 9001 requirements does not assure a company's ability to effectively implement the ISO 9001 QMS, it is mostly the company's ability to achieve the standard's objectives. The achievement of these objectives starts, obviously, from an initially low level and continuously changes, either increasing or decreasing. This level should always be evaluated so that a food manufacturing SME can find ways to continuously improve the standard's effectiveness. In other words, by evaluating the level of achieving the ISO 9001 objectives, a company's self-assessment is achieved. So, the extent to which the standard is implemented, which expresses a specific level of its effectiveness, constitutes an important indicator for a food manufacturing SME with regard to fully achieving the ISO 9001 objectives. Hence, a food manufacturing SME by choosing a suitable strategy can set the foundations not only for survival but also for improving quality and gaining competitive advantages that can help it overcome the current downturn.In addition to using the measurement instrument as a tool for self-assessment, it can also be used as an objective tool for comparing the ability of food manufacturing SMEs to implement the ISO 9001 standard effectively. In other words, the present measurement instrument can be used as a tool for benchmarking. As a consequence, a food manufacturing SME can identify its strengths and weaknesses, compared to the practices of other companies, and through strategic decisions, maximize strengths or decrease weaknesses in order to achieve business excellence, improve competitiveness and consequently survive in the current economic crisis.From the above mentioned, the significance of the present measurement instrument from a practical point of view is obvious. Using this instrument, two actions, self-assessment and benchmarking, can be taken by food manufacturing SMEs regarding the effective implementation of ISO 9001. Both actions, however, should have a common purpose, that is, to increase ISO 9001 effectiveness, meaning the degree of achieving continuous quality improvement, prevention of nonconformities and customer satisfaction focus. These actions can be part of the implementation plan of the ISO 9001 QMS of each food manufacturing SME. Furthermore, they can be incorporated as inputs into the annual management review of the system, bearing in mind that the elements of this instrument that describe the ISO 9001 objectives, stem from the philosophy of the standard itself, of which numerous food companies have ample experience (as in the case of the food manufacturing SMEs participating in the present study).As far as the generalisability of the research findings is concerned, it is obvious that we can generalize the findings for SMEs of the food manufacturing sector operating in countries with the same economic development as Greece. However, we cannot generalize the use of the measurement instrument developed in the present study for large food manufacturing companies, food service companies, non food companies (either manufacturing or service) and for companies operating in countries with different economic development to Greece.\n8 Limitations and future research recommendations: The limitations of this study, that are certainly present, give rise to suggestions for future research. Given that the sample of the responding companies is limited to Greek food manufacturing SMEs from different fields, the following research questions are formulated: can the measurement instrument developed in this study be applied to large food manufacturing companies, food service companies or food companies operating in different economic conditions to Greece? Moreover, should the measurement instrument vary in accordance to a specific sub-sector of the food sector? A question that also arises concerns the applicability of the measurement instrument to non food companies. So, it is worth examining its applicability by collecting empirical data from non food companies of different sizes and sectors, either manufacturing or not. The authors of this paper believe that no differences will be determined between samples of food and non food companies with regard to the applicability of the measurement instrument, due to the fact that it is based on the ISO 9001 standard's objectives. However, this must be confirmed through empirical evidence.A further limitation of the present study concerns the data used. More specifically, the data constitute subjective business evidence obtained from company representatives. This fact entails the risk of receiving biased responses with regard to the measured variables of ISO 9001 effectiveness. So, future research is recommended using objective data that can be drawn from the documents of the ISO 9001 QMS and will reflect quantitative indices.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to develop an instrument that measures the effectiveness of the ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS), based on its components, meaning the ISO 9001 objectives; and to validate this instrument in the food manufacturing sector.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Bearing in mind the definition of \"ISO 9001 effectiveness\", the ISO 9001 objectives and their indicators are identified in the literature. Based on these indicators, a measurement instrument is developed and then empirically validated through collecting preliminary data from 335 Greek food manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). After testing the assumptions of multivariate analysis, exploratory factor analysis as well as first and second order confirmatory factor analysis are applied.\nFindings: - The data collected reveal, as identified in the literature, the three-dimensional nature of the ISO 9001 objectives (continuous improvement, prevention of nonconformities and customer satisfaction focus). The responding food manufacturing SMEs demonstrate a high level of achievement of these objectives. Further analysis of the data also reveals a valid latent factor reflecting the successful achievement of the ISO 9001 objectives, namely \"ISO 9001 effectiveness\".\nResearch limitations/implications: - The present study focuses on food manufacturing SMEs. Therefore, it is worth validating the measurement instrument on large food manufacturing companies, food service companies, companies of specific food sub-sectors, non-food companies and finally on companies operating in different economic conditions to Greece.\nPractical implications: - This measurement instrument can be used by a food manufacturing SME as a self assessment tool and a benchmarking tool. In doing so, suitable strategies can be selected in order for a food SME to improve quality, gain competitive advantage and overcome the current downturn.\nOriginality/value: - In this paper, a measurement instrument is developed and validated in food manufacturing SMEs, based on measures describing the ISO 9001 objectives; in other words, ISO 9001 effectiveness.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Consumer supply-chain demands and challenges at farmers' markets	[ "Consumer behaviour", "Supply chain", "Market research", "Qualitative methods", "Farmers market" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In the USA, the agriculture, food and related industries represent a $992bn business, contributing 5.5 percent to the gross domestic product (bea.gov). The local food sector is reported to be roughly $6.1bn of that, which is less than 1 percent of the GDP and comprises a miniscule market share (Low et al., 2015; Winne, 2008). However, the demand for locally produced foods has been increasing rapidly in the past few decades in many countries, and numerous studies have documented this phenomenon (Bianchi and Mortimer, 2015; Guthrie et al., 2006; Lawson et al., 2008; Wolf et al., 2005; USDA, 2014a, b). In the USA, there are more than 8,000 registered farmers' markets, which represents a 180 percent increase since 2006 (Low et al., 2015).\nLiterature review: Industrial vs local food supply chains\nContext: To understand the results of this study, it is important to provide a brief overview of the context of this market and the pragmatic challenges relating to the supply chain in this space. The following paragraphs explain the dynamics between the weekday market and Saturday market and also describe some of the choices the market management has made over the past few years that have influenced the supply and distribution patterns.\nMethods: This analysis is based on an online survey of farmers' market customers, which included participation by 270 customers (M=51, F=219) who took an online survey in 2012-2013. The survey was distributed through a market e-mail list using Qualtrics, an online survey tool. This study is a portion of a larger market research study originally designed as an applied project to help the market manager and the local farmers understand consumer needs at this market. This survey included questions about the consumer demand for types of food products, consumer demographic information, market preferences and open-ended suggestions. Specific demographic variables will be explored in depth in another manuscript, and the focus of this analysis was an examination of open-ended consumer insights regarding what products and changes customers would like to see more of at the market. These qualitative insights (Arnould and Wallendorf, 1994) can help the market potentially address any existing barriers that limit farmers' market growth.\nResults: In-demand products\nDiscussion: What can be learned from these data about farmers and farmers' markets from a supply perspective? The farmers' market in this study clearly has a challenge providing a consistent supply of local foods and may not be able to meet the consumer demand. These findings are consistent with other research on farmers' markets in which consumers have reported a lack of variety, the inability to purchase food all year round, the need for more vendors and the location as factors that they would like to change (Alonso and O'Neill, 2011). This is true even for a market like the one in this study, which has been around for almost 40 years and has a large number of vendors and customers.\nConclusion: The goal of this research has been to better understand what consumers see as missing at the farmers' market to see where the opportunities lie for farmers' markets to continue growing. This work also examined the most salient barriers that prevent consumers from shopping at the weekday market and what might get them to patronize that market more often. These topics were analyzed through a supply and demand lens because there appears to be an imbalance in which consumers want more of the high-quality products and want them at different times than local farmers in this venue can provide consistently.\nLimitations and future directions: There are several limitations that should be considered when extrapolating the findings from this study into other contexts. First, the recruitment of participants through the market manager and the e-mail list that the market used meant that this sample skewed toward people who were already loyal farmers' market customers.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer demands for local foods at a farmers' market. This includes examining both what products consumers want more of at the market and also what factors influence consumers' attendance for a weekday farmers' market.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study was based on open-ended comments from a market survey of 270 participants in a farmers' market in the USA.\nFindings: This study revealed that consumers want more products at the farmers' market that require significant resources and time to grow, such as meat and fruit. Consumers reported that they would be more likely to attend a weekday market if it had better hours of operation and better selection. Consumer comments also revealed that consumers often perceive the market to run out of products and not have the full supply that they want to purchase.\nResearch limitations/implications: This research represents qualitative insights at one farmers' market in the USA. While there are observations that may transfer to other markets, caution should be used when generalizing these findings.\nPractical implications: This research is informative for farmers in providing them a list of consumer demands and also highlights the ways farmers need to make their market convenient to consumer work and life patterns.\nOriginality/value: This work adds value to the literature by expanding our understanding of specific foods customers see as limited in the farmers' market, and it also provides much needed information regarding consumer behavior and weekday market attendance, which is not discussed as often in the literature.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
An integrative model for knowledge sharing in communities-of-practice	[ "Communities", "Working practices", "Knowledge management", "Organizational behaviour", "Innovation", "South Korea" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Throughout the past decade, knowledge management (KM) has been the primary focus of attention from organizations, which perceive it as a strategic means for innovation and the maintenance of competitive advantage (Chua, 2009). Many firms have implemented KM initiatives with a focus on information technology and have invested significant resources in deploying their KM systems; this enables the sharing of explicit knowledge among employees, by way of a corporate knowledge repository.However, such systems or repository-based approaches have, thus far, failed to generate the outcomes or business benefits putatively ascribed to KM like the creation and usage of high-quality knowledge and improvements in organizational learning and innovation (Malhotra, 1998; Brown and Duguid, 2002; Garud and Kumaraswamy, 2005). Rather, initiatives in KM systems appear to incentivize firms to manage mostly explicit knowledge and a large quantity of useless data and documents (McDermott, 1999). At one of the largest systems integration companies in Korea, after two years of KM implementation, 70 percent of registered knowledge items originated from outside sources such as the internet or news media, and 83 percent of the 350,000 knowledge items were never used by any of the 5,000 employees (KMRC, 2005).Communities of practice (CoPs) are beginning to gain some recognition as effective organizational mechanisms, which allow members to voluntarily create and share both implicit and explicit knowledge. CoPs support reciprocal learning as a social process, and function as an alternative to knowledge repository-oriented KM implementation (Swan et al., 2000; Lesser and Storck, 2001; Wenger and Snyder, 2000).According to the field's original theorists (Brown and Duguid, 1991; Lave and Wenger, 1991), CoPs are largely formed in a voluntary manner and operate informally without formal controls or system supports. However, formal and strategic CoPs have also spread rapidly in Korea, as many firms depend on CoPs as a source of innovation and problem solving (KMRC, 2003).Despite the proliferation of CoPs in the firms, not much is currently known as to the individual or organizational factors that motivate CoP members' knowledge sharing behaviors. The manner in which knowledge sharing behavior differs between formal and informal CoPs also requires further clarification. Thus, this study poses and empirically addresses the following three questions:1. What are the socio-psychological factors that affect CoP members' knowledge sharing attitudes?2. What are the individual, social, and organizational factors that influence knowledge sharing intentions and behaviors?3. Are there any differences between formal and informal CoPs with regards to the effects of such factors?This paper is organized into seven sections. The following section describes the theoretical background. Section 3 shows the research model and the hypotheses. In section 4, the research methodology is provided. Section 5 presents the analysis and results of the study, and the implications of the study are addressed in section 6. The final section summarizes the contributions and limitations of this study.\n2. Theoretical background: 2.1 CoPs: formal vs informal\n3. Underlying theories: This study regards knowledge-sharing behavior in CoPs as an individual's social psychological process, in which one's attitude affects intention, and intention subsequently influences the individual's behavior. In order to determine which factors affect CoP members' knowledge sharing attitudes, intentions, and behaviors, the research adopted three background theories: the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model, Motivation Theory, and the Triandis model. The integration of these three underlying theories is provided in Figure 1.3.1 Motivation Theory\n4. Research model and hypotheses: Our research model is provided in Figure 2. This model may be divided into four major parts. The first part identifies the factors that affect attitudes toward knowledge sharing, whereas the second part of the model identifies the factors that influence intentions toward knowledge sharing. The third part identifies factors that affect knowledge sharing, and the final section examines whether or not the levels of impact exerted by each factor on knowledge sharing attitudes in CoPs differ between formal and informal CoPs.4.1 Factors affecting attitudes toward knowledge sharing\n5. Research methodology: To test the research model, this study adopted the survey method, and evaluated the given hypotheses via the partial least squares (PLS) method for analysis. The unit of analysis was individual.5.1 Measurements\n6. Analysis and results: The PLS was used because it was deemed appropriate for assessing the theories during the early developmental stages (Fornell and Bookstein, 1982). The PLS was selected as an appropriate method for this study, as it is the first initiative to integrate three different theoretical perspectives for the study of knowledge sharing behavior in CoPs.6.1 Measurement model\n7. Discussion and implications: 7.1 Discussion of the findings\n8. Conclusion and limitations: This study has identified confirmatory relations by integrating some theoretical models on human behavior designed to clarify the mechanism of knowledge sharing in CoPs. With an understanding of the entire knowledge sharing process (attitude-intention-behavior), companies should establish a spontaneous knowledge sharing culture.One of the major findings of this study was that both extrinsic motivational and intrinsic motivational factors can affect attitudes toward knowledge sharing behaviors. In particular, intrinsic motivational factors were determined to exert more profound effect on these attitudes than extrinsic motivational factors. Additionally, some significant differences in knowledge sharing mechanisms between formally-managed and informally-nurtured CoPs were identified.Of course, the study findings are in some regards limited. First, because the survey samples were limited to Korean high-tech companies, the results of this study may not be generalizable to other countries. For example, the research assumed that in the Korean context, social image or \"face\" has an impact on knowledge sharing. However, this assumption was not tested in other cultures such as Western ones.Second, a common method variance (CMV) problem might be a relevant issue, as the survey asked the same respondents about both independent and dependent variables. If knowledge-sharing behavior as a dependent variable can be measured via objective measurements (e.g. online CoP log data), such problems may be ameliorated to a substantial degree.Third, as this study focused on the impact of social motivation on knowledge sharing attitudes, it did not include other significant factors such as personal motivational factors (e.g. personal development, learning and growth, contribution to higher purpose) or contributions to the development of practice. More relevant and powerful models for explaining knowledge sharing in CoPs might be achievable with further study.Finally, because the data in this study were cross-sectional and not longitudinal in nature, some causal relationships could only be inferred, rather than empirically supported. Once the independent variable and the dependent variable are measured over time, this problem may resolve itself.Received: 3 May 2010Accepted: 3 September 2010\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - This study attempts to identify the factors and relationships that influence community of practice (CoP) members' knowledge-sharing attitudes, intentions, and behaviors.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The Theory of Planned Behavior model, Motivation Theory, and the Triandis model were employed here. For the empirical validation, 282 responses from four Korean companies were collected.\nFindings: - Whereas both extrinsic motivational and intrinsic motivational factors positively influenced attitude toward knowledge-sharing behaviors, intrinsic motivational factors were more influential in this regard. Additionally, some differences in knowledge-sharing mechanisms were noted between formally managed CoPs and informally nurtured CoPs.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Since the survey samples used herein were limited to Korean companies, the results of this study may prove ungeneralizable.\nPractical implications: - For managers who intend to introduce CoPs to their firm, a CoP supportive environment must be created, such that the image, reciprocity, enjoyment of helping, and need for affiliation of each CoP member can be satisfied.\nOriginality/value: - This study is one of the first pieces of integrative research regarding CoPs to target understanding of the most crucial component of CoP activities, namely knowledge sharing.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Understanding climate-human interactions in Small Island Developing States (SIDS): Implications for future livelihood sustainability	[ "Livelihoods", "Adaptation", "Climate change", "Food security", "Islands", "Sea-level change" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Underpinned by time-honored interactions with the natural environment, the livelihoods of most inhabitants of oceanic islands are today widely considered to be under serious threat from climate change. Populist depictions of islands as the \"canaries in the coalmine\" or being \"at the front line of climate change\" abound. Often considered implicit, such views appear more likely to have been shaped by the media and the (unwitting) prejudices of international observers, both informed by a largely superficial knowledge of island environments and societies (Dreher and Voyer, 2015; Farbotko and Lazrus, 2012; Orlove et al., 2014). The narratives of vulnerability that inform associated interventions are echoed by representatives of many Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in international fora, in often stark contrast to the views of their citizenry (Barnett and Campbell, 2010; Kelman, 2010; Lata and Nunn, 2012; McNamara, 2009; Mortreux and Barnett, 2009). For, as several recent studies have shown, island societies and cultural practices have often high degrees of resilience to external shocks (Allen, 2015; Lazrus, 2015; McNamara and Prasad, 2014), something that would be expected of societies that have evolved for millennia in sometimes effective isolation on comparatively small remote landmasses in the middle of the world's oceans.\n2. Climate change and human livelihoods on oceanic islands: Rather than considering all islands, this paper focuses on those islands in the world ocean that are sufficiently distant from continental margins for their societies to have evolved largely in isolation from continental people before the era of globalization (Leppard, 2014). Most such oceanic islands fall into four geographical groups: those spanning the tropical Pacific (most numerous), those in the Caribbean, those (elsewhere) in the Atlantic and those in the tropical Indian Ocean. Baselines for discussion are provided by times of earliest sustained colonization/occupation of particular island groups.\n3. Climate-livelihood interactions on islands: For most of the past 3,000 years on most inhabited oceanic islands, livelihoods took advantage of (and sometimes extended) opportunities for food acquisition afforded by island environments but were also forced to respond to (climate-driven) environmental changes: sometimes slow, sometimes rapid, invariably disruptive (Hannon et al., 2005; Nunn, 2007b).\n4. Special characteristics of island environments and societies: Designing effective and sustainable adaptation strategies for oceanic-island contexts requires an understanding of these that encompasses both environmental and socio-cultural knowledge, localized and culturally grounded, respectively[9]. It also requires an understanding of the diversity of contexts involving a familiarity with the characteristics of the response unit (like a town/village or community), its methods of coping with livelihood stress, and its ability to apprehend and respond appropriately to the long-term challenges that will arise from future climate change. The singular nature of island environments and societies as well as the question of diversity are discussed separately in subsections 4.1-4.3 below.\n5. Informing future interventions for climate-change adaptation: The high proportion of failed interventions for climate-change adaptation in island contexts over 25-30 years is regrettable and may have exacerbated ongoing global perceptions of the intractability of the challenges facing island nations (Figure 4). Yet as the pace of twenty-first-century climate change accelerates, so the imperative of developing and implementing adaptation in island contexts that is both effective and sustainable is increasing.\n6. Conclusions: The widespread perception of islands and their inhabitants as being especially vulnerable to climate change has some empirical grounding but is also a view that has been exacerbated in recent years by the lack of visible progress toward climate-proofing livelihoods on islands. There is no shortage of photographs of vulnerable island people, no shortage of media stories or indeed vehement expressions of concern by representatives of island countries in international meetings about the experienced and anticipated effects of climate change. What is missing from these narratives is that the situation for most people on most oceanic islands being affected by climate change has not changed in 30 years despite millions of dollars for adaptation having been made available[21]. The ineffectiveness and unsustainability of associated interventions is manifest from this, as well as from the large numbers of \"failed\" adaptation initiatives, such as the remains of collapsed seawalls that litter the coasts of many tropical Pacific Islands. While criticism of the nature of interventions for adaptation has been growing in the past few years (McNamara, 2013; Nunn, 2009b), this is the first study to argue that adaptation failure is a key factor in sustaining, even amplifying, perceptions of island vulnerability.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Climate change poses diverse, often fundamental, challenges to livelihoods of island peoples. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that these challenges must be better understood before effective and sustainable adaptation is possible.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Understanding past livelihood impacts from climate change can help design and operationalize future interventions. In addition, globalization has had uneven effects on island countries/jurisdictions, producing situations especially in archipelagoes where there are significant differences between core and peripheral communities. This approach overcomes the problems that have characterized many recent interventions for climate-change adaptation in island contexts which have resulted in uneven and at best only marginal livelihood improvements in preparedness for future climate change.\nFindings: Island contexts have a range of unique vulnerability and resilience characteristics that help explain recent and proposed responses to climate change. These include the sensitivity of coastal fringes to climate-environmental changes: and in island societies, the comparatively high degrees of social coherence, closeness to nature and spirituality that are uncommon in western contexts.\nResearch limitations/implications: Enhanced understanding of island environmental and social contexts, as well as insights from past climate impacts and peripherality, all contribute to more effective and sustainable future interventions for adaptation.\nOriginality/value: The need for more effective and sustainable adaptation in island contexts is becoming ever more exigent as the pace of twenty-first-century climate change increases.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Fire officer leadership strategies for cost management	[ "Fire department management", "Fire officer leadership strategies", "Fire operations cost management", "Hazardous operations and cost management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Hazardous operations are a primary concern for jurisdictional leaders (Steyn and Niemann, 2014). Fire officers manage hazardous operations daily by minimizing life-threatening situations to the workforce while maximizing benefits to the public (Cohen-Hatton et al., 2015). Personnel assigned to hazardous operations must focus their attention on the operational aspects, and special management strategies are essential to minimizing the possibly of injury or death (Dillard and Layzell, 2014).\nResearch question: The research question was:\nResearch methodology: The paper explored involved the exploration of the leadership strategies used by fire officers within 13 fire stations experiencing similar types of emergency situations located within city limits of a major metropolitan area located in the USA. In addition, the paper analyzed workplace practices, policies and procedures. The research methodology consisted of establishing a relationship with fire department leadership within a metropolitan area to conduct the study. The senior leadership fire chief(s) were briefed, and approval to conduct the study was granted. The interviews were scheduled based on specific criteria established for participants. The interviews were conducted, and audio-recorded using previously established research questions. Upon completion of the interviews, the audio-recorded interviews were transcribed, participants confirmed accuracy of the interviews data, thematic analysis to identify the patterned meaning across the data set and methodological triangulation, which included fire workplace practices, policies and procedures related to hazardous operations and cost management were reviewed.\nConceptually: This paper used the transformational leadership theory (TLT) as the premise for the research study since fire fighters follow their officers through emergency and non-emergency situations. Conceptually, leaders may use the TLT as a framework to identify business problems, identify solutions, and find relevant strategies (Banks et al., 2016). Fire officers who apply the TLT define the framework for strategy identification from the perspective of leading by example. Antonakis and House (2014) conveyed that leading by example is the basis of framework through the application of the TLT. The TLT dovetails into key tenets of TL that include fire officers acting as role models motivating employees to perform above expectations working collectively to achieve common goals (Schaubroeck et al., 2016). Figure 1 illustrates the TLT as applied to exploring fire officer leadership strategies for cost management.\nLiterature review: Fire officers and economics of safety\nFindings: The overarching research question for this paper was:\nBusiness practice: The themes from this paper link the peer-reviewed literature to the business practice. Cost management is a vital part of survival for public safety organizations (Anzia and Moe, 2015). Ruetzler et al. (2014) posited safety-related services are the first to face budget reductions in fiscally distressed times. The creative staffing strategy affirms the financial stability of the fire department thus reducing the possibility of staff or budget reductions. In total, 70 percent of the fire officers in this study revealed their flexibility to render daily operational staffing decisions and operate within the budget.\nApplications hazardous cost management: The findings of this paper illustrate a focus on fire department business practices using various leadership strategies which contribute to the overall financial success of the organization (Kasdan, 2015). The identified themes from this study include: servant leadership, partnerships and accountability, and creative staffing that applies to positive solutions of fire department business practices. The significance of this study is in the findings that suggest innovative business practices contributing to effective leadership strategies and cost management for the fire service (McCleskey, 2014).\nImplications for social change: Indications from this study reflect the positive effect servant leadership, partnerships and accountability along with creative staffing have on the overall fire department business outcomes (Yucel et al., 2014). The social improvements identified in this paper encourage working in unison to improve fire services to constituents. Moreover, the social benefits of these strategies increase value to the fire department services to citizens served by saving lives and property which benefits the overall community.\nRecommendations for further research: In the future, municipal budgets may involve reductions at every level, requiring fire officers to develop innovative leadership strategies for managing costs to remain cost effective. Fire officers must select the appropriate leadership strategy for achieving the goals of the fire department and manage costs. When a servant leadership strategy is used daily by putting others first, it enables fire officers to lead by example; it enables fire officers and city officials to create partnerships and committees to meet organizational objectives creating increased accountability among fire offices and city leaders and further affirms the importance of partnerships with all ranks in the fire department and city to ensure accountability and ownership to achieve organizational goals associated with the demands of its citizens.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore leadership strategies of fire officers used by fire office leaders to manage costs associated with hazardous operations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The methodology employed in this study was a qualitative method using a case study design. The participants in this research study comprised 13 randomly selected fire officers from fire stations within a major metropolitan area located in the USA who had five or more years hazardous operations experience. In addition to interviews, workplace practices, policies and procedures related to hazardous operations and cost management were analyzed. Limitations of this study include both the sample size, and the geographic area, which impacts the ability to generalize the results of the study.\nFindings: Four central themes emerged from the study, namely, servant leadership, partnership, accountability and creative staffing, which are crucial strategies to manage costs associated with hazardous operations. The findings of this study further indicate fire officers must distinguish between the most appropriate action for any given situation to achieve the fire department goals and objectives.\nPractical implications: Managing cost effective hazardous operations through sound leadership strategies reduced injuries and saved lives, which results in cost savings in fire departmental budgets, labor costs and health care costs, which can further support the redirection of funds to critical areas of fire operations.\nOriginality/value: The value of identifying leadership strategies related to hazardous operations cost management may reduce injuries, save lives and ensure adequate budget allocations for fire departments. Social implications include innovative leadership strategies, which may enable fire officers to promote positive social change through saving lives of fire fighters and the citizens they serve.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
e-Gaps in the economy: a case of Poland	[ "Electronic commerce", "Business enterprise", "Gap analysis", "Poland" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Topical literature on management distinguishes the notions of a technical, technological and organisational gap (Fagerberg, 1987; Grudzewski, 1994; Mintzberg, 1975; Quinn and Rohrbaugh, 1983; Vaill, 1989). Generally speaking, a \"gap\" usually refers to the distance within a certain field between a business entity (or an economy treated as a whole or partially -, e.g. one branch of industry) and a certain benchmark, in most cases close to the ideal in given conditions. The benchmark typically specifies the level of entities (economies) which hold global leadership in a certain field. In other words, the \"gaps\" relate to the discrepancies in the level of development of a given entity against an accepted level of reference.The below analysis introduces two terms: e-technological and e-organisational gap. The e-technological gap of a given economy refers to the discrepancies in its economic development compared to the most advanced economies in terms of application of modern IS/IT solutions.The e-organisational gap refers to the discrepancies observed between an analysed entity and its most developed competitors in terms of application of electronic business solutions.The e-technological gap results from varying economic conditions, the nature of a given economy or branch of industry, its innovativeness, development of the human capital (HC) as well as economic infrastructure. Co-occurrence of varying attributes in the areas on the macroeconomic level allows for the operation of enterprises on the microeconomic level and contributes to the generation of their implicite and explicite knowledge. Simultaneously, it creates the binding basis for development in various areas within an enterprise, resulting from the impingement of both external and endogenous factors, i.e. strategic, environmental and process related, in other words related to the products and employees of the given enterprise, the existing support system, its strategy and structure (Nord et al., 2007). The blending of the above factors leads to more or less efficient functional implementations, as indicated in the Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) model of business and IT strategies alignment or in other authors' research (Andresen et al., 2007).The e-organisational gap, on the other hand, characterises particular enterprises and indicates the areas and levels of their development in terms of electronic business in comparison with their most developed competitors. Therefore, it specifies an enterprise's capability of adopting electronic business solutions.\ne-Technological gap in Polish economy: The scope of the e-technological gap in Poland was determined with the use of the Knowledge Economy Index (KEI) in areas responding to the author's classification of exogenous factors in electronic business adoption (i.e. economy, innovations, HC and infrastructure - Pastuszak, 2007), as well as the global (Growth Competitiveness Index - GCI; Table I). Furthermore, the Polish economy was positioned in relation to other states with the use of a subjective division of the analysed group into two subgroups, generally referred to as: the World and Central Eastern Europe.The first group comprises ten leading worldwide economies, characterised by the highest KEI values, namely Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Holland, New Zealand, Norway, Canada, Germany and Japan. The group was used for establishing Poland's position against the global leaders in terms of the new economy development.The second group - Central Eastern Europe - includes the KEI and GCI indexes of economies comparable to Poland's, i.e. the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary.In order to maintain relative comparability of the obtained indexes, the relative measure was employed. Subsequently, the percentage level of the e-technological gap was calculated. The values of the KEI parameters for particular worldwide regions were expressed with the use of the mean GCI calculated for the groups of countries. The mean level of indexes presented in Table I reflects the arithmetic mean of the indexes' values for the particular groups of countries, within the accepted analytic areas.Figure 1 shows the level of development in the analysed states for particular areas of the new economy, comprising the elements of the KEI. The analysis indicates that the highest level of general economic development is observed in Finland (the KEI value was 8.44). Scandinavian countries also display the highest ratings in terms of innovations (Sweden - 9.68), HC (Finland - 9.21) and infrastructure (again Sweden - 9.76). Proportionately, the highest values of the analysed indexes were observed in Sweden and Finland, while the lowest - in Poland and Slovakia, which close the presented juxtaposition.While analysing elements of the KEI describing the development of the new economy in Poland, it is worth paying particular attention to the high level of HC development. It is comparable to respective levels observed in Canada or Slovenia, exceeding those noted in Germany or Japan, and only slightly lower from that in Holland. The above fact confirms the relatively high potential for development of the Polish economy. However, in order to operationalise that potential and convert it into concrete economic solutions, the support of HC from other spheres of the new economy is necessary. And, unfortunately in the other areas Poland's position is far less favourable. The lowest index value (both in reference to the analysed spheres and to all the countries specified in the study) was observed in the sphere of innovations of the Polish economy (6.15 pts.). At the same time, it is tied with the particularly low assessment of the general condition of the economy itself in macroeconomic terms (as compared to the other countries) and very low-level development in terms of infrastructure.The level of the e-technological gap for particular areas of the new economy was specified in Table I as a percentage disparity between the values of weighed indexes calculated for the Polish economy and economies of other, selected countries worldwide. The obtained scope of Poland's setbacks within the analysed spheres of the new economy, corresponding to the exogenous factors of e-business reception defined earlier, as well as in reference to the two comparative groups of worldwide economies, is shown in Figure 2.The least delay observed for Poland in terms of HC (3.6 per cent of the KEI value), economic factors (12.9 per cent), infrastructure (24.5 per cent) and innovations (25.1 per cent), was noted in comparison to Central East European countries. The above is confirmed by other authors who indicate that countries classified as transition economies display considerable similarities in terms of economic, technological and HC development (Zver et al., 2004). The most significant gaps (between 42.6 and 50.5 per cent) were observed in comparison to the economies from the worldwide group, in all the analysed areas except HC. In terms of the latter, the calculated gap was the least, amounting in 2004 to approximately 31 per cent of the considered indexes' value.\ne-Organisational gap in polish enterprises: The e-technological gap calculated above for the Polish economy has direct influence upon the general level of development of Polish enterprises from the perspective of e-business solutions implementation. Shortcomings in terms of infrastructure, competence and support for e-business initiatives by government authorities, impede their performance and development. Enterprises are therefore forced to operate in less favourable conditions than their international counterparts, the global, European or industry leaders. As a result, they cannot fully utilise their potential, and their competitive standpoint does not reflect the level which could probably be achieved should the exogenous factors be better configured.However, an analysis of enterprises operating within the same country will show, that their current level of e-business development is mostly influenced by endogenous factors. The claim is supported by the assumption that macroeconomic, exogenous conditions are relatively homogenous. In other words, the way in which a given enterprise handles its affairs in the same economic conditions and succeeds in reaching a higher competitive position in relation to other enterprises operating in the same country, on the same markets, is due to a proper configuration of its endogenous conditions. Therefore, it is important to study the extent and scope of the e-organisational gap observed in enterprises, as it will reflect the level of utilisation of the potential offered by both the new economy trends and the macroeconomic conditions in a given country. The level of the gap will determine the level to which an enterprise has been competitively adapted to the specific conditions and its potential competitive position in the given country or on the given market.The classification of the e-organisational gap utilises the results of the author's research of internet readiness of Polish enterprises, carried out as part of a grant awarded by Polish State Committee for Scientific Research in 2003-2004 (Pastuszak, 2004). Owing to the vastness of the data gathered in the course of the interviews, the information has not been included in this text. The detailed results of the research (a computer database) can be downloaded from http://netreadiness.sonet.lublin.pl or obtained from the author via e-mail. The research utilised the net readiness methodology of Cisco Systems (Hartman et al., 2000), in areas specified as: leadership, management, competence and IS/IT technologies. The collective results of the study and percentage levels of internet quotient (IQ) variations are presented in Table II. It can be observed that the level of the gap observed in Polish enterprises (percentage value in respect to the ideal model of net readiness and population as studied by Cisco), is the lowest in the sphere of utilised technologies (merely 7.1 per cent of the IQ value) and the highest - in the leadership sphere (16.4 per cent of the IQ value).Figure 3 (graphic representation of the net readiness of Polish enterprises) shows the comparison between the results obtained for Polish enterprises with those of the worldwide population studied by Cisco Systems Inc., as well as with the model values which characterise an enterprise of the net readiness quotient of 100 per cent.The lowest level of the e-organisational gap, in absolute values amounting to IQ: 0.3 (i.e. the discrepancy between the IQ value of 4.2 as calculated for the companies studied by Cisco, and IQ = 3.9 as obtained in Poland) in relation to worldwide enterprises and 1.1 to the ideal model, was noted in the sphere of e-business technologies; in the other spheres of NR, however, the gaps display significantly higher values, respectively, in the sphere of:* e-business competence: 0.5 and 1.4;* e-business leadership: 0.7 and 1.5; and* management: 0.6 and 1.7.While comparing the development level of Polish enterprises in terms of leadership and management, it should be noted, however, that although the absolute level of the e-gap in the sphere of management in relation to the group of worldwide enterprises amounts to 0.6 and is lower than the respective e-gap in the sphere of leadership (0.7), the sphere of management is still characterised by a higher, relative development level in terms of management (respectively IQLW=4.4 and IQLP=3.7 compared to IQMW=3.9 and IQMP=3.3). Furthermore, by relating the obtained IQ values in the sphere of management to the sphere of e-business competence (respectively IQMP=3.3 and IQCP=3.6) it can be observed that in this respect the sphere of management is greatly underdeveloped. The conclusion is of fundamental importance, as it indicates the strong need to improve the quality of management in Polish e-business.By accepting the level of the identified e-technological gap in the Polish economy (Figure 1) as reference along with the potential influence of its particular elements (i.e. economic, infrastructural, innovative and related to HC) on the corresponding spheres of enterprises' activity, specified by the NR methodology (i.e. leadership, technology, management and competence), it can be noted that Polish enterprises are relatively well adapted to competing in rather unfavourable economic conditions (i.e. relatively low e-organisational gap, Figure 4). The analysed enterprises, despite the great technological and innovative setback observed in the Polish economy, reaching 49 per cent of the analysed exogenous values, are capable of utilising the newest technological solutions, self-implemented in spite of their relatively low level of competence and insufficiently developed system and style of e-business management. It can be claimed that if - by taking proper steps in terms of the national economic policy (e.g. as part of the National Development Plan for 2007-2013) - the e-technological gap in the Polish economy is reduced, the new exogenous conditions may stimulate a significant improvement of the international competitive position of Polish enterprises and gradually reduce the existing e-organisational gap.\nConclusion: The impingement of exogenous factors and the level of the e-technological gap in economy constitute the point of reference and specific delimiting conditions for business operations.A compilation of HC, level of an economy's innovativeness, development of general infrastructure (in particular IT infrastructure) as well as the general values of the basic macroeconomic indexes in an economy, remain constant for all enterprises operating within it. However, each of the entities - manufacturing firms and service firms, utilising its own operational strategy, properly selected teams of employees and individual management, IT and knowledge management systems (Feng and Chen, 2007), creates its particularly constructed organisation, clearly distinguished from others operating in the same market. Owing to the above, utterly distinct enterprises are able to operate within the same scope of external conditions, often in the same markets and industries. Their distinctness, in terms of adaptation to the conditions and scope of implementation of the new economy solutions, is qualified by means of the e-organisational gap. The gap is created as the result of varying intensity and level of development in each of the particular enterprises in such spheres as: leadership and competence in the given field, the system of management or infrastructure. The way the spheres operate and the level of their development is, therefore, in part a derivative of external conditions, and in part - most significantly - the internal organisational culture and individual system of management. In consequence, the potential level of an enterprise's development in a given field (in this case, utilisation of information systems and technologies as well as the advanced e-business solutions based on the same), will depend on the level of reception of such solutions in the enterprise. In order to maximise the discussed level, it is necessary to take two types of steps. The first group of necessary activities lies mainly in the hands of public administration. They include activities aimed at eliminating or reducing the e-technological gap as well as improving the scope of general economic development. With the above in place, macroeconomic, exogenous conditions are created which can serve as the basis for implementation of the second group of activities, undertaken by particular enterprises. The latter include identification of the e-organisational gap level and intensification of activities aimed at its reduction or elimination (e.g. by means of facilitation of organisation and performed processes (Morcillo et al., 2007) or development and implementation of new systems and technologies, particularly making possible knowledge and IT transfer (Gottschalk and Solli-Sather, 2007) or organisational learning.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The paper aims to present the results of the author's research on the development of the new economy in Poland. It focuses on identifying two types of so-called \"e-gaps\", and shows the connection between e-technology and e-organisational gap.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The factors determined the e-gaps have been identified based on the author's past research, and on the review of reports and statistics coming from different sources (net readiness indexes, public institutions, etc.).\nFindings: - Despite the unfavourable macroeconomic, exogenous conditions which determine the high level of the e-technological gap in the Polish economy, Polish enterprises display a relatively lower level of the e-organisational gap. One of the methods of limiting the scope of the e-technological gap in economy seems to lie in initiating macroeconomic activities aimed at reducing the setback of particular enterprises and - consequently - facilitating the increase of economic competitiveness, taken as a whole.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The findings are based on the net readiness research made in Poland, and to see the international sight of e-gaps, the international net readiness research are needed.\nPractical implications: - This paper makes possible to prepare a diagnosis of now-a-days net readiness development in Poland and indicates the most needed areas of activity of polish government and polish CEO's.\nOriginality/value: - The research may be used by other countries not as well developed in the e-business area as international leaders in order to know and to decrease the level of their e-gaps.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Purchasing theory and practice: an agenda for change	[ "Demand and supply", "Corporate strategy", "Small to medium‐sized enterprises" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The Purchasing and Supply field is currently obsessed with studying the effects of corporate bloating, and this is generating a considerable gap between theory and practice. A majority of the output of the field results from an examination of the practices of giant corporations whose sales exceed the GDP of many countries. Statistically, behemoths of this magnitude are extremely rare. More than 99 per cent of all of the business enterprises in the UK at the beginning of 2005 had less than 50 employees, and no less than 73 per cent of the total consisted of sole-proprietors. However, although the individual companies are tiny, the SME sector accounted for almost 60 per cent of total employment and 52 per cent of UK GDP (DTI, 2006, p. 1). One of the very few studies of purchasing behaviour in this dominant business sector concluded that many managers in SMEs do not regard purchasing as a key task, and some do not even perceive purchasing as a distinct activity (Ellegard, 2006). The relevance to this sector of studies of the purchasing practices and concerns of companies as gargantuan as say, Toyota, is thus extremely limited. The current bias towards the effects of bloating may be explicable. Giant corporations are the celebrities of the business world, and their antics appear to have an effect on some academics that mimics that of movie-star underwear on the paparazzi. From a practical perspective however, the fixation on bloated organisations is deeply dysfunctional. Purchasing is an applied field of study, and one its objectives should surely be to understand purchasing phenomena in-the-round, with a view to helping individual companies, and perhaps the economy as a whole, to improve purchasing practice and performance. By succumbing to the attractions of celebrity-watching, the output of the field over-emphasises some subjects and under-emphasises or entirely omits others, thus failing business and the country.\nSubject over-emphases: The focus on extraordinarily large companies has produced a growing volume of work on the relationship between purchasing activities and corporate strategy. The purchasing functions of giant corporations tend to be equally large, well staffed, and in possession of enormous amounts of money to spend. From the perspective of such companies, effort applied to research into strategy might well be useful. In normal, tiny companies, however, where purchasing is done by the managing director when s/he has a few minutes to spare, and there is no department to make a contribution, the field's interest in purchasing and strategy may appear at best absurdly misguided, and at worst - the ultimate insult - \" merely academic\". Moreover, as Dubois et al. (2003) point out in their remarkably detailed and prolonged large company study, the purchasing function, even in the bloated sector, is rarely proactive in strategic matters and tends to act more as a conduit between suppliers and other functions within the company. On balance, the heavy academic interest in the function's strategic contribution might usefully be described as perverse.There has also been much excitement in the field over the last few decades about the metaphors of supply \"chains\" and \"networks\". This has culminated in frequent observations concerning the phenomenon of competition between supply chains rather than companies (see for example Mentzer, 2001, p. 21). Although enormous supermarkets might benefit from insights flowing from the use of the chain metaphor, for normal, very small companies, this trope is largely devoid of explanatory power. Raising the awareness of small companies of their downstream position in a supply chain will be of little practical import. They know who their suppliers are, and if they have suffered catastrophic supply interruptions in the past, they may even be aware of the nature of one or two of their suppliers' suppliers. But the vast majority are so small and relatively powerless that they have no expectation of being able to influence, let alone control, their upstream supply chains. Moreover, the idea of devoting extremely limited management resources to attempting to understand or influence even wider \"networks\" of suppliers' customers and customers' other suppliers must appear simply absurd. Drawing the attention of a normal, very small company to the concept of a \"supply network\" is of no more practical use, than pointing out to someone cooking a meal in Stoke-on-Trent that their gas cooker is part of a much larger network of gas-fed cookers that includes one attended by Gordon Ramsay. As a statement of fact it is true; but worthless. Small and medium sized companies are in need of a deeper understanding of dyadic relations. Sadly, as fashion in the field has embraced metaphors-fit-only-for-giants, it may be increasingly difficult to get studies published that adopt this ancient, diminutive metaphor.\nSubject under-emphases: With a few exceptions such as the work of the late Michael Quayle (2003, 2002a, b), the primary effect the focus on corporate bloating has been a shocking failure to try to understand purchasing phenomena from the SME perspective. The field's failure to explore power and the negotiation process may perhaps also be traced to the influence of the interest in goliaths. With the honourable exception of a group working under Andrew Cox at Birmingham University, power has been severely under-explored. The concept tends to be taken for granted in giant corporations, and high levels of power may radically reduce the difficulties encountered by buyers in negotiations. This may help to explain the absence of the study of the commercial negotiation process from the field. Negotiation is the core activity of all purchasing functions, and the means by which most of their objectives are brought to fruition. Many other disciplines have embraced the study of this process with enthusiasm, but their treatments are of only limited practical use to companies-as-buyers.One further consequence of the current over-emphasis on the function's strategic contribution is a striking absence of guidance from the field on how to improve the function's primary, operational role as a service provider to internal customers. Practice would be well served by the conversion of ideas from the customer service literatures in marketing into a purchasing context. However, such a process would have to involve a change of perspective. Subject treatments in the marketing field are predominantly buyer-centric. Companies-as-sellers need to understand customer behaviour in order to maximise sales. However, it is not at all obvious why the purchasing field should adopt the same perspective. Yet that is precisely what is happening with other subject matters. The field focuses on what companies-as-buyers want, and what they do. The field would help practice enormously by shifting its focus away from customers and on to the deeply neglected subject of supplier behaviour in order to improve the purchasing function's contribution to organisational success via improvements in supplier performance.Finally, as an academic field, purchasing and supply is less than twenty years old, and it is perhaps unreasonable to expect it to display the characteristics of an established field and its literature. Still, the absence of critical work is striking. Although the field can be forgiven for still being preoccupied with the tasks of identifying and describing the phenomena at the centre of its terrain, practitioners might be forgiven for regarding this process as being of little interest. They, after all, are only too familiar with those phenomena, and would welcome instead the critical assessment of competing ideas and predictive or prescriptive theories that the field has yet, in the main, to produce.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of the article is to describe the consequences for the purchasing and supply management field of its current focus on the behaviours and concerns of extremely large corporations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This is a short viewpoint article.\nFindings: - It is found that there is a lack of research in purchasing and supply management in SMEs. Small and medium sized companies are in need of a deeper understanding of dyadic relations. Sadly, as fashion in the field has embraced metaphors-fit-only-for giants, it may be increasingly difficult to get studies published that adopt this ancient, diminutive metaphor.\nOriginality/value: - The main contribution of the piece is to draw attention to the current lack of research in the field to the dominant form of company in every economy - the SME.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Sampling strategies of indoor air quality assessment for offices	[ "Air", "Quality assessment", "Workplace", "Office buildings", "Hong Kong" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: With growing concern in the past decade over complaints attributed to poor indoor air quality (IAQ), different criteria have been set in the form of regulations or guidelines in different places (ACGIH, 1986; ENV Ministry of the Environment, 1996; Environment Australia, 2001; Health Canada, 1987; US Environmental Protection Agency, 1987; WHO, 2000). In Hong Kong, in addition to the IAQ guideline (HKEPD Indoor Air Quality Management Group, 1999), a certification scheme has been launched recently for offices and public places (HKEPD Indoor Air Quality Information Centre, 2003). The certification steps as well as sampling requirements for public IAQ are detailed. In particular, an eight-hour time weighted average sampling period, which is a generally accepted practice for a balance between measurement efforts and uncertainties, is specified for workplaces.However, a number of technical difficulties in the scheme implementation have been reported from the local building industry. For example, the scheme has not explicitly defined the correction factor for alternative measurement protocols, the rationale behind the parameter selection, the criteria for sampling density determination, the interpretation of intermittent measurement periods other than the specified eight-hour averaging and so on (Mui and Wong, 2004; Mui et al., 2006a, b; Wong and Mui, 2007; Wong et al., 2006). All of these could mislead the building owners and managers about facilitating their resources for mitigation and building renovations.When assessing IAQ, measurement errors of the sampling methods are critical as they can lead to a bias in the exposure-effect relationship. Several expressions for the standard error of the measured mean concentration have been proposed and used in a number of environmentally related applications (Armstrong et al., 1992; Mui and Wong, 2004; Pielke, 1998; Rydock et al., 2001). Studies were also performed to find out the uncertainties of using different sampling methods for pollutant concentration measurement, the differences between the collected results and the year-round pollutant profile due to seasonal variations.In this study, CO2 was used as a reference to evaluate the existing and the proposed sampling schemes for average indoor pollutant concentration regarding the sampling time and sampling point density required and the probable errors induced at certain confidence levels of the measurement. A comprehensive CO2 measurement of an in-use Hong Kong office was reviewed and alternative methods of sampling with defined measurement uncertainty were suggested. Providing flexibility of choosing the sampling time and the sampling point density in IAQ assessments at an acceptable accuracy, the results would be useful to policymakers for making decisions on resources and manpower management in pollutant level monitoring yet avoiding inappropriate level of reliance on the results.\nSampling for average indoor carbon dioxide level: In a typical mechanically ventilated indoor environment, the pollutant concentration Phi (ppm) at a sampling point i would be measured in a sampling period tm (h) with a start time ta (h) and an end time tb (h); and the time average concentration of the pollutant i> (ppm) would be used to describe the environmental condition at that location (HKEPD Indoor Air Quality Management Group, 1999; HKEPD Indoor Air Quality Information Centre, 2003; Mui and Wong, 2004), where N is the number of sample measurements taken at point i: Equation 1 For a large indoor space, measurements at r sampling points would be used to evaluate the sample-spatial average concentration {Ph}: Equation 2 {Ph} would be taken as the spatial mean mR for the space, i.e. {Ph}-mR, if the number of measurement points is \"sufficiently large\", i.e. r-[?]. For practical cases with acceptable measurement uncertainties, measurements in certain time period at some sampling locations in an indoor environment would be made (Mui and Wong, 2004; Mui et al., 2006a, b). In Hong Kong, a continuous sampling of a measurement period of eight hours has been generally adopted to determine the average pollutant concentration of a workplace at a sampling point density As of 500 m2 per measurement location (HKEPD Indoor Air Quality Management Group, 1999; HKEPD Indoor Air Quality Information Centre, 2003).\nReview of IAQ assessment: A one-year CO2 measurement was conducted in an in-use office building of Hong Kong. An entire floor of the building serving as an open-plan office was selected for this study. The indoor CO2 concentrations in the office during working hours from 09.00 to 17.00 for all working days throughout the year were monitored at a total of 17 comparable spatial locations for sampling point maximisation (Mui et al., 2006a, b; Wong and Mui, 2007).The probable measurement errors related to a proposed sampling point density As were evaluated by expressing the number of sample means Nmr that fell within the probable error limits of the sample-spatial average concentration {Ph}[?] as a percentage of the total number of sample measurements Nkrmade in a scheme. The confidence levels xr for the measurements with a 5 per cent error limit \|xr\| deviating from the spatial mean CO2 concentration at various As (equivalent to r=2 to 12 measurement points in the space of measurement) were defined: Equation 3 The results showed that the confidence level was 71 per cent, within the 5 per cent set error limit at As=500 m2 per measurement point, which is the sampling point density recommended in the HKEPD certification scheme; and xr would increase to 85 per cent (at the same set error limit of 5 per cent) when the number of sampling points was doubled, i.e. As=250 m2 per measurement point. The probable measurement errors decrease by 14 per cent with doubled sampling points. Likewise, a lower probability (down from 70 per cent to 60 per cent) of obtaining the measurement concentration within the 5 per cent set error limit would result from a 50 per cent reduction in measurement points, i.e. As=1,000 m2 per measurement point.The average CO2 concentration i,tm> at the 17 sampling points reported (i=1 to 17) was determined with tm=1, 2, 4 and 8 hours using continuous assessment (Mui et al., 2006a). For Nki sample measurements made at each location i, the percentage of sample means Nmi that were within some probable error limits of i,tm> was evaluated. The average of confidence levels of all sampling locations with a probable error \|xi\| of 5 per cent deviating from the long-term average was interpreted as the confidence level xtm that i,tm> \"represented\": Equation 4 The results showed that shortening the sampling period tm from eight hours to one in determining the average CO2 concentration during the occupied period for the ventilated space would reduce the confidence level of 20 per cent. Within the 5 per cent error limit, the confidence level of the recommended eight-hour continuous measurement was found to be 58 per cent, i.e. the probability of obtaining the sample CO2 concentration lies within 5 per cent deviation from the long-term average is 58 per cent.\nSampling period and sampling point density: Accuracy of a sampling scheme could be quantified as the combination of the uncertainties associated with (1) different sampling times and (2) sampling point densities when compared with the long-term average pollutant level over a space. The confidence level x of an assessment result obtained from a scheme would be expressed as: Equation 5 Based on the one-year CO2 measurement results, the confidence levels of adopting a sampling point density As of 500 m2 and an eight-hour continuous measurement are 71 per cent and 58 per cent respectively. Therefore, conducting an IAQ assessment that follows the sampling scheme recommended by HKEPD would result in a confidence level of 41 per cent of the yearly spatial average.Taking this 41 per cent as the \"acceptable\" uncertainty, alternative IAQ sampling schemes which would provide the same confidence level as HKEPD recommendation but with different sampling point densities and sampling times were derived. They are shown in Figure 1 with a concession between the number of sampling points chosen and the duration of the measurement needed. As extending the measurement time beyond eight hours will not reflect the usual exposure of the occupants to pollutants during office hours, only sampling schemes using a shorter sampling time are proposed.As shown in the figure, increasing the number of sampling points will significantly reduce the corresponding sampling time required. To maintain the same confidence level, for example, if the sampling point density As is doubled from 250 m2 to 500 m2 per measurement point (i.e. the value recommended in the HKEPD certification scheme), then the sampling time required will be reduced from eight hours to three hours.\nApplication examples: Figure 2 illustrates the application examples of three alternative schemes taken from Figure 1: measurement period tm=5.5 h at a sampling point density As=400 m2 per measurement point, tm=3.5 h at As=300 m2, and tm=2 h at As=200 m2. Over four typical working days in the office, the probable errors \|x\|sch deviated from the long-term sample average concentration for the three schemes were evaluated and compared with the probable errors \|x\|ref of the HKEPD recommended scheme. The results showed that the probable errors ranged from 0.5 per cent to 7 per cent with an average of about 5 per cent, and that reasonably agreed with the set error limit \|x\|=5 per cent deviation from the long-term average. Adopting the example alternative schemes with a shorter sampling time but more sampling points would also provide the \"acceptable\" confidence level as recommended as shown.\nConclusion: In view of growing concern about IAQ and its related health effects from different parties such as the government, scientists, policymakers, assessors and the general public, various sampling schemes have been proposed and compared with the existing ones for IAQ measurement in air-conditioned commercial spaces. In this study, a long-term (one-year) measurement of CO2 concentration in a typical Hong Kong office was used to evaluate the alternative sampling strategies under the same measurement uncertainty. Applying the probable errors associated with different sampling times and sampling point densities to the IAQ measurements defined, alternative sampling schemes for IAQ assessment were proposed with conserved uncertainty. These schemes would provide the flexibility of choices between the number of sampling points chosen and the duration of the measurement needed according to the \"acceptable\" uncertainty as recommended in the HKEPD method. Using these scheme options, all parties could decide on the manpower and resources required for their respective sampling strategies while taking the uncertainties into account.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The aim of this paper is to propose alternative sampling schemes for indoor air quality assessments in which a balance between the sampling time required and number of sampling points chosen is allowed.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - CO2 was used as a reference to evaluate the existing and the proposed sampling schemes for average indoor pollutant concentration regarding the sampling time and sampling point density required and the probable errors induced at certain confidence levels of the measurement.\nFindings: - The results showed that increasing the number of sampling points would significantly reduce the corresponding sampling time required: at the same confidence level, doubling the sampling point density from 250 m2 to 500 m2 per measurement point would reduce the sampling time required from eight hours to three hours.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The model parameters were determined from surveys for some typical offices in Hong Kong and therefore may require adaptation for use elsewhere.\nPractical implications: - A useful source of information in determining the number of sampling points chosen and the duration of the measurement needed according to the \"acceptable\" measurement uncertainty allowed.\nOriginality/value: - Providing flexibility in IAQ assessment, the results would be useful to policymakers for making decisions on resources and manpower management for their respective sampling strategies while taking the uncertainties into account.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Are leaders with postgraduate degrees perceived to be more transformational? A quasi-experimental field study	[ "Higher education", "Transformational leadership", "Quasi-experimental field study" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nExperimental field study: Transformational leadership, a leadership theory aimed at understanding and harnessing the interpersonal relationships between leaders and followers, is a growing field, maturing from a leadership theory into a foundation that is enabling further insights into the leader-follower dynamic (Antonakis et al., 2003). A significant amount of research has been conducted on the subject of transformational leadership and particularly, how it can be applied in leading organizations (Arthur et al., 1993; Avolio et al., 1999; Avolio et al., 2011). Specifically, it has been shown that organizations comprised of leaders with transformational characteristics have better overall performance than those organizations with relatively weaker transformational characteristics (e.g. Barling and Weber, 1996; Dvir et al., 2002; Howell and Avolio, 1993; Menges et al., 2011; Wang et al., 2011). This relatively superior performance is related to evidence that suggests transformational leaders inspire those in their sphere of influence to transcend self-interest in pursuit of the needs the organization (Bass, 1999). This self-sacrifice is established by creating organizational values that one aspires to align with, providing intellectual challenges, responsibilities and autonomy combined with an atmosphere of open-mindedness and tolerance (Bass, 1999).\nBackground: Burns (1978) compared the concept of transactional leadership, defined as a standard exchange-type relationship between a leader and follower, to the concept of transforming leadership in which the leader uses inspiration as means to motivate followers to transcend self-interest for the sake of a common vision. On this premise, other researchers have taken the idea of transformational leadership and developed a standardized approach in both defining and measuring transformational leadership characteristics (Agle and Sonnenfeld, 1994; Barling and Weber, 1996; Bass, 1985a, b, 1999; Conger, 1999; Hall and Lord, 1995; Howell and Avolio, 1993; Podsakoff et al., 1996; Yukl, 1989).\nMethods: Participants and procedure\nResults: Using the data obtained in both the focus and mass surveys independent of each other, average transformational leadership scores were calculated for both the self (focus survey data set) and manager evaluations (both data sets) by taking the average of the five subscales (idealized influence - attributed, idealized influence - behavior, IM, IS and individual consideration).\nDiscussion: This study evaluated the influence of post-graduate education, specifically the attainment of a MBA by employees of a mid-sized energy company located on the eastern seaboard of North America, on perceived levels of exhibited transformational leadership qualities. The results of the mass survey data support the primary hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between the attainment of post-graduate education (i.e. Master's degree such as the MBA) and perceived levels of transformational leadership qualities.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Transformational leadership has been shown to have a positive impact on a host of employee level and organizational performance indicators. However, little research has sought to understand some of the antecedents of this style of leadership. The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between having a post-secondary education and perceptions of transformational leadership.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data were collected from two surveys issued in a mid-sized energy company located on the eastern seaboard of North America. One-way ANOVA comparing employees' perceptions of transformational leadership exhibited by their supervisors that either did or did not have a post-graduate degree demonstrated a strong, positive relationship between the attainment of a Master's degree and perceived levels of transformational leadership qualities.\nFindings: The findings of this quasi-experimental field study demonstrated a strong, positive relationship between the attainment of a Master's degree and perceived levels of transformational leadership qualities.\nOriginality/value: This study is the first of its kind to demonstrate that more educated managers are generally perceived to be more transformational in their leadership style.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
A real driver of US-China trade conflict: The Sino-US competition for global hegemony and its implications for the future	[ "China’s rise", "Hegemonic stability", "Power transition", "Sino–US hegemonic competition", "Trade war" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The USA and China are currently waging a trade war. On July 7, 2018, the Trump administration imposed a 25 percent tariff on imports of $34bn of Chinese goods, following tariffs already imposed on steel, washing machines, aluminum and solar panels. The Chinese Government immediately retaliated with a 25 percent tariff on imports of US soy beans, other agricultural products and automobiles (Dollar, 2018). On September 24, 2018, the USA escalated its trade war with China by imposing a 10 percent tariff on about $200bn worth of Chinese products, which may increase to 25 percent at the end of 2018. China again responded with tariffs on about $60bn of US goods, while at the same time it pointed to the importance of a good bilateral trade relationship (Xinhua, 2018).\nHST and US hegemony in the postwar world: According to HST[1], a single predominant power (i.e. hegemon) possessing greatest material (e.g. military and economic) resources in the world typically creates the global economic system and seeks to stabilize it (Kindleberger, 1973). With its preponderant material resources, a hegemonic power exercises global leadership so that other countries accept and follow the rules that it created for the world. Also, a hegemon provides international public goods - e.g. \"the provision of open market for the goods and services free from political interventions\" so that market actors can compete with each other via the price mechanism rather than via the proximity to political power (Saull, 2010, p. 6) - which are unlikely to exist unless it is willing to bear full costs of their provision. The stable global order that the hegemon creates benefits all participants in the international system, although the gains of smaller or weaker states who bear none of the costs of public goods provision are much greater than those of the predominant power (Snidal, 1985, p. 581).\nChina's rise and PTT: US hegemony over the last seven decades or so has recently been challenged by China's rise. Since the economic reforms launched in December 1978, China has achieved a remarkable economic development. China's real-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate over the last four decades is about 10 percent on average (World Bank, 2018; also see Kim, 2016b, p. 707). While the size of China's economy (in terms of GDP) is currently the number two in the world only after the USA, China already became the world's largest exporter in 2010. In 2011, China ranked as the world's first destination for inward foreign direct investment (FDI) and the world's first investor for outward FDI among developing countries[4]. Also, in 2013, China became the world's largest trading country in goods, overtaking the USA (Anderlini and Hornby, 2014). Moreover, measured on a purchasing power parity basis that adjusts for price differences, China ranked in 2017 as the world's number one (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018). Given that China's size of GDP on a PPP basis in 1980 was one-tenth that of the USA, China's economic growth is truly remarkable (International Monetary Fund, 2018).\nChina's challenges to US hegemony: In light of the power transition perspective, the three most recent examples of China's challenges to US hegemony in the world are the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the creation of the AIIB, and Beijing's plan for \"Made in China 2025.\"\nUS efforts to prolong US hegemony: China's initiatives of the BRI, the AIIB and Made in China 2025 certainly threaten the global hegemony of the USA, which is now over seven decades. Layne (2018, p. 96) points out that \"Since the onset of the Great Recession,[8] China has successively taken top position in the world in exports (passing Germany); in trade (passing the USA); and in manufacturing (claiming a title the USA had held for a century).\" Based on these facts, he argues that the Great Recession and the rapid rise of China as a leading economic power have demonstrated the reality of American decline - i.e. the end of the unipolar era or Pax Americana[9] (Layne, 2012, p. 204).\nConclusion: Since the end of the Second World War, the USA has undoubtedly been a global hegemon. With its preponderant military and economic strength, it has created a liberal international economic order and maintained it by promoting global free trade. USA sudden turn to protectionism under the banner of \"America First\" in the Trump administration illustrates \"US fear\" that its hegemony or Pax Americana is declining vis-a-vis China's growing power. It also demonstrates that the USA now seeks to deter China from overtaking its hegemony so as to keep US hegemony as long as possible.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: According to the conventional wisdom, trade is not a zero-sum game, but a positive-sum game. By allowing countries to focus on producing the goods that they can produce relatively efficiently, free trade is largely beneficial for everyone involved. Then, why are the world's two largest economies (i.e. the USA and China) currently engaged in a trade war, which is likely to hurt their own economies? What is the driving force for the trade war between the two economic giants? The purpose of this paper is to offer an explanation of the underlying cause of the US-China trade war.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In an effort to make sense of the trade war between the USA and China, the paper draws the insights from the two international relations theories - i.e. hegemonic stability theory and power transition theory.\nFindings: As China continues to threaten US hegemony in the world in general and East Asia in particular, the Sino-US competition for hegemony will intensify over time. As a result, the trade war between the two countries may persist longer than many anticipate. Further, even if the trade war between the two superpowers ends soon, a similar type of conflict is likely to occur later as long as the Sino-US hegemonic rivalry continues.\nOriginality/value: The central thesis of this paper is that \"US fear\" about its declining hegemony and China's rapid rise as a challenger of US hegemony is driving a US-launched trade war with China. Since the underlying cause of the trade war between the world's two largest economies is political (i.e. the Sino-US hegemonic rivalry) rather than economic (e.g. US attempts to improve the trade balance with China by imposing tariffs on Chinese goods), the paper contends that the full understanding of the trade war requires close attention to the importance of power competition between the two superpowers.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Training strategies for an aging workforce	[ "Learning", "Older workers", "Human resource management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Organisations have begun to tap into the older worker talent pool. Loewe AG, a German electronics company, has a health-oriented initiative that targets 55-year-old-plus (55-plus) workers. Known as \"Project 67\", it includes workshops that foster a health-conscious attitude among experienced staff as well as the installation of ergonomic work stations (AARP, 2008). For its part, British airport company BBA has a flexible retirement policy, which offers to employees options such as switching to part-time positions or retiring and then returning to work as contractual staff (Employers Forum on Age and IFF Research Ltd, 2006). The goal underlying these initiatives is to create a work environment that encourages highly-skilled 55-plus professionals to continue working.\nAdopting a targeted approach: Organizations might adopt a targeted approach to the training of experienced workers. In this context, targeting has three dimensions. The first is to identify the 55-plus employees who have the skills and knowledge that the organisation needs. Assurance France Generali (AFG), an insurance company part of the Generali group, has a unit responsible for monitoring the evolution of the company's requirements in terms of trades, qualifications and skills. This information enables AFG to identify highly-valuable older professionals (European Foundation the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofund, 2007a)).The second dimension is to identify the 55-plus professionals with critical skills who would like to continue working. Here, the question is not who has valuable knowledge but who is willing to continue offering that knowledge to the organisation. Corporate surveys can reveal the preferences of experienced employees. For example, in 2007, the city of Calgary polled near-retirees about their retirement projects and found out that 80 percent of them were interested in returning to work post-retirement as long as the city offered some flexibility in work conditions and assignments (Harder, 2008).The third dimension is to tailor training products and techniques to allow for the learning styles and preferences of older employees. German automaker BMW, for example, has created courses that offer to experienced workers the opportunity to bring their implicit organisational knowledge into the classroom. This is achieved through design options that privilege practical and work-oriented activities and exercises (Eurofund, 2006).\nRenewing critical skills: Organisations can offer training to update the skills and knowledge of experienced workers. As suggested earlier, older managers and professionals might need to renew some of their technical competencies in order to remain productive for another five to ten years. Verbund, Austria's main producer and distributor of electricity, has a skill renewal program that targets 45-plus system and grid operators. The program's goal is to ensure that the operators have the tools needed to efficiently manage electricity flows and to limit the risk of system failures. Accordingly, the program addresses both technical competencies (e.g. new planning software and security protocols) and soft skills, such as decision making under stress and teamwork and cooperation (Eurofund, 2007b).MicroTEC, a technology company based in Germany, relies on hands-on reciprocal learning to update the knowledge of 55-plus workers. The key to MicroTEC's approach is the development of so-called \"benefit partnerships\" between older and younger employees. In these partnerships, as in mentoring relations, 55-plus professionals help their younger colleagues to acquire critical abilities, such as how to plan and implement complex IT projects. However, unlike what happens in traditional mentoring, the transfer of knowledge also takes place the other way around. Younger employees, in effect, are explicitly asked to acquaint their experienced colleagues with the most recent technological developments (Eurofund, 2005a).\nOffering new challenges: Organisations might also devise learning programs that expand the knowledge horizon of 55-plus workers. Unlike skills update initiatives, which help older employees to perform in their current positions, skill development programs prepare 55-plus professionals to pursue new career paths. These programs respond to two needs. The first is the desire of some 55-plus workers to devote their later career years to positions that allow them to develop new abilities (Pitt-Catsouphes and Smyer, 2006). The second is the organisational need to retain and redeploy senior personnel who become redundant (due to restructuring, for example), but still possess knowledge and experience valuable to the organisation. Skill development programs support older workers in their transitions to new jobs or functions.Thales Group, a French electronics conglomerate, has a program to guide senior executives and engineers towards new positions within the company. Participants are chosen on the basis of knowledge, experience, motivation, and potential to succeed in jobs outside their field of expertise. Participants remain under their current departments for administrative proposes, but go on assignment to an internal consultancy unit known as Thales Missions & Conseil (TM&C) (Guenard and Le Dauphin, 2001). While in this unit, they train as consultants, receive coaching in new fields of expertise, and work on projects for departments and subsidiaries of Thales. A senior engineer, for example, might work in a consultancy project for a human resources unit. In TM&C, executives and engineers have the opportunity to prove their value to various departments and, with few exceptions, they find in this way their new positions within the organization (European Monitoring Centre on Change, 2004).\nIntegrating training into recruitment: Organisations might also develop learning initiatives for experienced job-seekers. Although most organisations recruit recent graduates and mid-career professionals to address their talent needs, some companies have begun to target 55-plus workers as well. The business case for recruiting gray talent often makes reference to performance-related attributes of 55-plus workers, such as a high level of job satisfaction, a positive attitude towards the organization, and a strong work ethics (Pitt-Catsouphes and Smyer, 2005). However, perhaps the most persuasive argument is simply the inability to find suitable younger professionals. This inability can be the result of an organisation's specific qualification requirements, a tight competition for labour in a given geographical area, or a combination of both. This said, although 55-plus workers may have the qualifications and availability necessary to address an organisation's staffing needs, they may still require some training in order to perform at the level or in the domain required. This creates the need to integrate training into the recruitment strategy.Between 1999 and 2003, the Bosch Group, a German manufacturer of automotive, industrial and consumer goods, ran a targeted recruitment program that included a qualifications component (Bosch Group, 2003). Bosch created the program after it realized that the talent needs in its Stuttgart-Feuerbach facility could be addressed by recruiting senior engineers living in or around the region. The initiative, known as the Magdeburg project, proposed an external qualification process. This means that Bosch did not hire the engineers and then train them in-house. Instead, the company partnered with local employment offices and educational institutions in order to qualify the engineers as part of the recruitment process, and prior to hiring. Under the partnership terms, Bosch prescribed the subjects to be taught (e.g. diesel engine technology) and made available a number of contractual positions. For their part, the employment offices proposed the candidates and financed the qualifications process, whereas the educational institutions were in charge of delivering the training (Eurofund, 2005b).\nFinding the niche: Bosch's Magdeburg project illustrates both the value and challenges of training initiatives that target 55-plus workers. By updating and expanding the skill set of senior engineers, the project enabled Bosch to address the talent needs of its Stuttgart-Feuerbach facility. Yet, when the talent needs disappeared, Bosch simply terminated the program (Eurofund, 2005b). The conventional wisdom is that 55-plus professionals will become increasingly valuable due to a coming generalized talent shortage. Labour market projections, however, paint a more cautious scenario (Lapointe et al., 2006; Horrigan, 2004). Talent shortages, if there are any, are likely to be highly localized (for example, IT professionals in growth industries). Accordingly, training initiatives will be value-added, not when they target older workers across the board, but when they, like the Magdeburg project, focus on specific occupational groups, industries, geographical areas, and time frames.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to explore how organizations might support older workers' learning.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper highlights an incoming HR challenge (training older workers), conducts a review of corporate responses in Europe, and then identifies lessons. Examples are drawn from the case study database of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.\nFindings: - The paper identifies four lessons. The first is to adopt a targeted approach, which involves both identifying older employees with key abilities and tailoring training products to their needs. The second lesson is to develop training initiatives that update job-related skills and knowledge. The third is to complement skills update products with programs that expand the knowledge horizon of older employees. The fourth lesson is to integrate training into recruitment initiatives that target experienced job-seekers.\nOriginality/value: - Many organisations are developing initiatives to tap into the older worker talent pool. Training is a critical component of strategies that seek to retain or attract experienced professionals. The paper provides practical advice that will help organizations to design and implement learning programs for older workers.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Online corporate social networking: The effective use of social networks to facilitate organizational learning and improvements to business operations	[ "Social networks", "Market orientation", "Organizational learning", "Organizational change", "Change management", "Brazil", "Learning organizations" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: In recent years, there has been a change in the type of content published on the Internet, most notably in its socialization aspect, both in its inter-personnel relationships and through the so-called online social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Xing, etc., with individual users now being the major content providers on the net.\nParticipation in social networks: Social networks are created in an environment that greatly favors user participation, allowing them to add content. This encourages collaboration and cooperation, aspects which are requisites for achieving an atmosphere of effective learning.The involvement of businesses in technological social networks corresponds to a current trend rather than to any type of strategic rethinking procedure, which is why, in the majority of cases, this type of endeavor does not result in improvements to business operations.Market orientation should be supported by tools, which encourage interaction with the user, in the sense of social networking, as these are implemented in a friendly atmosphere and encourage knowledge transfer procedures.To be effective, knowledge transfer emanating from consumers should bring about an improvement to either the organizational procedures or a change to the product attributes so that the business is able to fully adapt itself to consumer requirements. If this were not the case, social networks on their own would only serve to generate interaction with clients but would not result in improvements to the management of the business.Knowledge about the user continues to grow as long as the social networks manage to maintain relations with their existing members, as well as attracting other members that share similar interests. This allows businesses to create routines, which allow their members to develop shared values and knowledge based on their experiences.Companies are becoming more and more interested in the opinions expressed by their users through social networks, given that in most cases potential clients give more credence to the opinion of an anonymous user, than to all the information that they can be provided about a specific product.\nKnowledge transfer: Knowledge transfer moves quicker between companies rather than within companies, and this is due to the fact that external knowledge transfer takes place for the most part in communities of businesses which implicitly share the interest in a particular practice, whereas within the company, the division of work presents strong barriers to internal knowledge transfer.Market orientation generates market intelligence concerning both the current and future needs of the client; the integration and distribution of this intelligence to different departments; and the response of the whole organization. Nevertheless, for the knowledge of clients to be transferred to the company, there are a series of factors that encourage the creation, protection and transfer of knowledge once inside the organization. Amongst these factors are the culture and organizational structure, the people and information technology employed there.The organizational structure also determines the way in which individuals cooperate within the organization to employ and acquire external knowledge from clients as well as the way in which these will respond to new developments. This knowledge transfer between individuals can occur through formal or informal channels; from individuals to explicit sources, from individuals to groups, between groups, and from one group to the organization.A company can promote organizational learning systems through the consolidation of an organizational culture that does not change the attitude of its employees, but which rather encourages the voluntary and constant exchange of knowledge through social interaction.\nThe study: In their study, Assis-Dorr et al. (2012) proposed three hypotheses:1. There is a significant, positive relationship between the market orientation of an organization and its degree involvement in social networks.2. There is a major, positive relationship between the degree of incorporation into social networks and the creation of organizational learning.3. There is a major, positive relationship between the market orientation of an organization and the creation of organizational learning.To be able to contrast the hypotheses, a survey was drawn up whereby people from biotechnological companies from across Brazil measured their perception with regard to the group of items that go to make up each of the following three theory constructs:1. ten items for the scale of market orientation;2. seven items for organizational learning; and3. eight items for the degree of incorporation into social networks.A total of 144 questionnaires were received, 12 of which had to be rejected due to missing data, giving a final total of 132 valid questionnaires.\nSocial network strategy: An organizational change is taking place within the organizations with the introduction of technological social networks, whereby currently some companies create themselves profiles on social networks such as Facebook or Twitter in order to be able to access new channels of communication. For a social network strategy to be successful, it should be included as part of the overall corporate strategy.From the results of their study, Assis-Dorr et al. (2012) attest to the existence of a causal relationship between market-orientated companies and those that involve themselves in the world of social relations. Companies that are decidedly market-orientated use social networks to learn about client requirements with regard to products and services provided by the company, their degree of satisfaction, as well as any opinions that are expressed through the social networks.Correctly implementing social networking technologies requires more than just new technology, as it is also important to nurture a culture where participation is key, developing synergies between users through a recurrent process. One of the advantages of social networks is that it requires easy-to-use technology, which, cost wise, is easily available to any user. If users introduce, link and rank contents, a collective intelligence is created which consequently heightens the user's performance.The authors conclude that the use of social networks is an element that facilitates the creation of organizational learning. Directives should encourage the effective use of social networks given that, from an employee standpoint, they are a motivational and low budget way to create organizational learning.Those companies that generate appropriate market intelligence, and involve themselves with the current and future needs of clients and are equipped to satisfy said needs, achieve better market opportunities by encouraging learning skills.\nComment: This is a review of \"Social networking as an enabler of change in entrepreneurial Brazilian firms\" by Henrique Assis-Dorr, Daniel Palacios-Marques and Jose M. Merigo. This article outlines a study carried out in Brazil, which demonstrates that companies with a greater degree of involvement in social networking develop organizational learning practices, which improve their results. The article is clear and concise, and employs an interesting and readable style.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.\nFindings: - The paper finds that an organizational change is taking place within the organizations with the introduction of technological social networks, whereby currently some companies create themselves profiles on social networks such as Facebook or Twitter in order to be able to access new channels of communication. For a social network strategy to be successful, it should be included as part of the overall corporate strategy.\nPractical implications: - The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.\nSocial implications: - The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact.\nOriginality/value: - The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Employer branding: employer attractiveness and the use of social media	[ "Social media", "Human resources", "Corporate reputation", "Employer attractiveness", "Employer branding", "Recruiting" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: All organisations strive for sustained competitive advantage in order to attain economic profit and to survive in an increasingly global and competitive marketplace. Human resources (HR) are crucial for competitive advantage, and they often represent the main investment in knowledge intensive firms. In order to be a resource for competitive advantage, the selection of human capital needs to have a high level of competence and willingness to show productive behaviour (Wright et al., 1994). If an organisation finds and retains qualified employees and combine their talents better than the competitors, they can achieve an advantage (Boxall, 1996).\nEmployer branding and recruiting: Organisations strive to be attractive employers, with the goal of hiring competent employees. Recruiting is defined as organisational activities that affect the number and type of applicants who apply for an open position (Gatewood et al., 2011). The use of internet facilitates the hiring process, both for the person seeking employment and for the organisation (Borstorff et al., 2005; Walker et al., 2011).\nHypotheses and research model: When employers are running employer branding campaigns, they need to know which factors that actually lead to a good impression of the organisation. On this basis, they can design the employer branding campaigns with the explicit purpose of improving the attractiveness of the organisation. In the study by Berthon et al. (2005), respondents were asked to rate the overall attractiveness of a well-known firm, in addition to the indicators in the EmpAt scale. A positive relationship was found between the five dimensions and overall attractiveness. We want to take this research further and include the variables corporate reputation, use of social media, and intentions to apply for a job in a model with the dimensions of employer attractiveness. There are several studies that have demonstrated relations between an organisation's reputation and how it attracts applicants (Collins and Han, 2004). In our study, however, we hypothesise whether the dimensions for employer attractiveness have a relation with corporate reputation. This leads to the first hypothesis:\nMethod: Procedure and participants\nResults: The proposed model was tested by means of structural equation modelling in LISREL 8.80, which enables a simultaneous test of models with multiple dependent variables by statistically controlling for relations between these variables. The analyses were conducted on a covariance matrix and with the maximum likelihood method of estimation. The overall fit of the models was evaluated using the Chi-Square test (kh2), its degrees of freedom (df) and p-value, as well as on the basis of root mean square approximation (RMSEA), comparative fit index (CFI), normed fit index (NFI), non-normed fit index (NNFI), and adjusted goodness of fit index (AGIF). The kh2 statistic should be insignificant with a p-value above 0.05 and the ratio of kh2 to degrees of freedom smaller than 3:1 (Gefen et al., 2000). A good fit for RMSEA should be close to 0.06 (Hu and Bentler, 1999) or have an upper limit of 0.07 (Steiger, 2007). CFI, NFI, and NNFI should have a value of 0.95 or above, while AGIF should be above 0.80 (Hu and Bentler, 1999).\nDiscussion: In this study we have investigated relations between the dimensions in the EmpAt scale, use of social media, corporate reputation, and intentions to apply for a job in an employer branding perspective in order to identify important factors which organisations should focus on in employer branding campaigns. In addition, the EmpAt scale has been validated in Norwegian for the purpose of the study. Two out of four hypotheses, H2 and H3, were confirmed, while H1 was partly confirmed. One of the hypotheses, H4 was not confirmed. The results will be discussed in the following.\nPractical implications: In relation to managers and HR-practitioners the results of the present study indicate several suggestions. First, the focus on employer branding campaigns and recruiting should be on non-monetary factors and avoid focus on, for example, compensation as a key element for the organisation. In particular, the study at hand underscores the importance of psychological values, innovation values, and application values for potential employees when they evaluate employers. This involves innovation opportunities, feeling of confidence and self-worth, and in general growth, learning, and the opportunity to use ones skills and knowledge. These factors are important for building a positive reputation of the firm, which will enhance intentions to apply for a job among potential employees. As such, firms that are in need for employees with specific qualifications, such as engineers, or just talented people in general, should build their recruitment strategy based on such evaluations.\nLimitations and issues for further research: The present research has limitations. Firstly, since the findings are based on correlational data, conclusions about the direction of the relationships are unwarranted. We have presented directions in the models, but that is only for illustration.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate which factors employers should focus on in their employer branding strategies. The present study tested the employer attractiveness scale (EmpAt) and analysed relationships between dimensions in this measurement scale and the use of social media in relation to corporate reputation and intentions to apply for a job.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Electronic questionnaires were distributed to students at three higher education institutions in Norway. The proposed model is analysed on the basis of 366 responses related to three well-known Norwegian engineering firms.\nFindings: The results indicate that several employer attributes are positive for corporate reputation, which again is related to attraction of potential employees. Specifically, the results suggest that innovation value, psychological value, application value, and the use of social media positively relate to corporate reputation, which in turn is positively linked to intentions to apply for a job. Psychological value, which is the strongest predictor, is also directly related to intentions to apply for a job. Furthermore, the validation of the EmpAt scale resulted in different dimensions than in the original study. New dimensions and a re-arrangement of indicators are proposed.\nOriginality/value: The research is original in the way it combines employer branding and social media, and this will be of value to employers in their recruitment processes.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Alternative measures of satisfaction in cross-cultural settings	[ "Cross‐cultural studies", "Customer satisfaction", "Mathematical modelling" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this article.\nIntroduction: Consumer satisfaction is a multi-faceted concept that has received significant study by various leading marketing scholars (e.g. Oliver, 1997, 1999; Woodruff et al., 1983), and has been recognized for several decades as an important aspect of successful business conduct by academicians and practitioners. Aaker (1992), for example, reports on the relationship between consumer satisfaction and the financial success and growth of an organization.The literature suggests that there are two perspectives from which consumer satisfaction can be viewed. One perspective adopts a functional orientation and refers to an individual's evaluation of whether their performance expectations of a product/service during and subsequent to usage are met (Tse et al., 1988; Garbarino and Johnson, 1999) (termed \"meets expectations\" in this paper). The other perspective of consumer satisfaction refers to an individual's affective state of feeling toward a product/service which results from consumption (Oliver, 1997, 1999) (termed \"feeling state\" in this manuscript). Interestingly, Oliver (1999) also indicates that whether a product/service meets expectations may lead to one's feeling state, suggesting the two perspectives of satisfaction are either causally, or otherwise related, or that they are perhaps one fundamental construct.A review of extant literature indicates that consumer satisfaction research has, until recently, primarily been conducted in the Western culture. However, the last 20 years has seen a dramatic increase in American and other Western firms entering foreign markets to help offset growing domestic pressures and to secure growth opportunities (Dunning, 1995). As Western firms have entered into foreign markets, while some succeed quite satisfactorily, many do not achieve their desired levels of performance (Homburg et al., 2002; Liu and McClure, 2001). Among the reasons for this performance shortfall is these firms' failure to achieve sufficiently strong satisfaction with foreign consumers (Nakata and Sivakumar, 2001; Schuster and Copeland, 1999; Clark, 1990).Although there are many important international markets for Western firms to consider entering, one that is frequently targeted because of its growth potential is China. However, China is particularly challenging for American marketers because from the perspective of a sociologist or a cultural anthropologist or an affective psychologist, it hosts a culture that some view as fundamentally opposite from our Western culture (Nisbett et al., 2001; Tweed and Lehman, 2002). Literature suggests that one of the manifestations of these differences is that the traditional Chinese culture has a greater utilitarian orientation, which focuses on functional fulfillment and avoidance of feelings, while the Western culture has more of an experiential orientation that focuses on feeling good, and experiencing self-fulfillment and self-pleasure (Inglehart and Baker, 2000; Inglehart, 2000, 2001).Based on these various insights, the following research questions are put forth to guide a study to help strengthen our cross-cultural consumer satisfaction knowledge:1. Are the meets expectations and the feeling state perspectives of satisfaction two distinct constructs with Americans and/or Chinese?2. Does the more functionally oriented meets expectations perspective of consumer satisfaction have stronger influence on purchase intent with Chinese than with Americans?3. Does the more experientially oriented feeling state perspective of consumer satisfaction have stronger influence on purchase intent with Americans than with Chinese?\nConceptual development: Customer satisfaction\nStudy: Participant selection\nFindings: For Coca-Cola and KFC, examination of factor loading in confirmatory factor analysis showed that data for meets expectations and feeling state loads as two separate constructs. In addition, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the covariance between meets expectations and feeling state for each brand with members of the American and the Chinese samples is <=0.90. While this level of covariance indicates some multi-collinearity between the two constructs, the covariance values do not suggest that the influence of each construct on purchase intent is too difficult to determine (Hair et al., 2006). These findings indicate that meets expectations and feeling state are two distinct constructs for Americans and Chinese; thus, H1 is supported.With respect to H2, Figure 2 indicates that the relationship path between meets expectations and purchase intent for Coca-Cola is somewhat stronger for Chinese than for Americans (standardized path weight of 0.27 for Chinese, 0.24 for Americans, at a<0.001). In contrast, Figure 3 indicates that for KFC the relationship path between meets expectations and purchase intent is stronger for Americans than for Chinese (standardized path weight of 0.16 for Chinese, 0.28 for Americans, at a<0.001).However, data analysis indicated that the relationship path between meets expectations and purchase intent for Coca-Cola and KFC are insignificant with the Chinese respondents. This indicates that the relationship path between the functionally oriented meets expectations and purchase intent does not hold up with the Chinese respondents. Thus, H2 is rejected.With respect to H3, Figure 2 indicates that feeling state has a stronger influence on purchase intent with Americans than Chinese for Coca-Cola (standardized path weight of 0.41 for Americans, 0.38 for Chinese, at a<0.001). This result supports H3. However, Figure 3 indicates that feeling state has a stronger influence on purchase intent for KFC with Chinese than Americans (standardized path weight of 0.51 for Chinese, 0.44 for Americans, at a<0.001). These mixed findings suggest that H3 is only partially supported.\nDiscussion and conclusions: One of the most notable findings from this study is that from a comparative cross-cultural perspective, the meets expectations and feeling state perspectives of consumer satisfaction were found to be two distinct constructs for both Americans and Chinese. In addition, the findings do not suggest that meets expectations or feeling state are antecedents or consequences of the other construct, indicating that they are associated through only a certain degree of covariance.With respect to the Chinese respondents, a significant finding of the study is that contrary to social science literatures, the functionally oriented meets expectations construct was not found to have significant influence on purchase intent with Chinese. In contrast, of the two perspectives of satisfaction, only the experientially oriented feeling state was found to significantly influence purchase intent with Chinese. These results suggest that it may be of greater value to researchers and marketing practitioners to have a stronger focus on what leads to Chinese having a positive feeling toward a branded product than on what leads to them perceiving that a brand meets their expectations.With respect to the American respondents, the stronger influence of feeling state on purchase intent than meets expectations, suggests that similar to their efforts with Chinese that researchers and practitioners may benefit from focusing more on what leads to Americans having positive feelings about a brand.In attempting to ascertain what might have led to this study's mixed findings, it may be that familiarity and usage of a brand may be a contributing factor. For example, the American and Chinese respondents indicated that they are familiar with, and at minimum, periodically consume Coca-Cola and KFC. It may be that their experiences with the brands leads to them not perceiving it important to question whether either of these brands meets their expectations, as they may assume their expectations will be met. This may indicate that the respondents' psychological feeling stage about the brand is fundamentally the only perspective of satisfaction that influences their purchase intent.This study may also provide insight into the ongoing standardization versus localization marketing strategy debate (Ozsomer and Prussia, 2000). More specifically, this study lends at least preliminary support to the use of a standardized global marketing strategy, and that the strategy should focus on strengthening local consumer's feelings toward a brand.No single study will resolve the ongoing standardization/localization debate (Solberg, 2002). However, because of the potential increased efficiencies that practitioners would realize from standardization (e.g. manufacturing, marketing, and distribution), any insights that strengthen our understanding of those situations in which standardization may be more suitable could be of significant value. However, it is important to recognize that the implementation of a pure standardization strategy is sometimes questionable, particularly with products where cultural differences may impact consumption habits (Domzal and Unger, 1987).This study provides insights for future research opportunities that will help strengthen our understanding of cross-cultural consumer similarities and differences, and will help address the standardization versus localization debate. For example, because this study employed two very well known brands that the respondents have at minimum consumed periodically, future research should be conducted with products/services with which consumers are less familiar, and have had less usage experience.With Coca-Cola and KFC being relatively affordable and readily available products, with relatively low levels of consumer involvement, future research should include products/services that represent wider ranges of involvement, cost and availability. For example, future research might focus on non-consumables, and products that may have greater involvement with consumers' imagery (e.g. clothing, furniture, vehicles, and cosmetics).Future research should also comparatively examine the influence of meets expectations and feeling state on purchase intent with products that are owned and marketed by firms within the culture being studied. For example, one might conduct a study that examines the influence of meets expectations and feeling state on purchase intent of an American brand of car with Americans, and a Chinese brand of car with Chinese. Future research might also be conducted with an array of consumer groups within a culture. For example, Tai and Tam (1997) and Fried (1976) discuss that there are individuals in different regions of China with cultural, behavioral and cognitive differences (Tai and Tam, 1997; Fried, 1976). While some believe that because the Chinese culture throughout the nation arose from similar historical and philosophical roots that the various groups are similar (Chang, 1983), studies with a wider array of respondents within cultures may provide insight into potential regional (dis)similarities within individual cultures.However, we believe that the most notable implication of this study might be that it demonstrates that, while challenging, empirical cross-cultural studies are practicable, and, in the increasingly globalized economy, imperative. To fully understand similarities and dissimilarities of concepts such as satisfaction and other aspects of consuming behavior in different cultures around the world, carefully conducted empirical studies will become increasingly important.\nLimitations: As with any study, ours was subject to limitations. It only involved two brands, with neither being exclusive nor conspicuous. Instead, each brand is relatively affordable and available to anyone within the two cultures. Because people are less likely to be influenced by others when they are deciding whether to purchase/consume brands that are not exclusive or conspicuous, this study's findings may not be reflective of other brands or product classes (Bourne, 1957; Bearden and Etzel, 1982).Another limitation is that the study used only US and Chinese undergraduate student volunteers. As a result, other than being from different cultures, these respondents may not representative of other age or socioeconomic groups. Finally, while steps were taken to ensure that the English and Chinese versions of the survey were conceptually similar and equally understandable, one cannot discount the possibility that the dissimilarities and nuances of each culture's language may have led to some unfound differential understanding of some of the questions (Huang, 2002).\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - This paper seeks to develop and test a model that enables examination of the cross-cultural comparative influence of the meets expectations versus feeling state perspectives of consumer satisfaction for a product or brand.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - New measures were developed for the meets expectations and feeling state constructs, leading to a survey that was administered to Chinese and Americans. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in order to test hypotheses that were developed from the extant literature.\nFindings: - The study found that meets expectations and feeling state are two distinct separate constructs with Americans and Chinese, and that their influence on future purchase intent differs between cultures, and between brands.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Only two brands were used in the study. The survey was completed with university students in the USA and China versus a broader range of age groups. The dissimilar nuances of English and Chinese may lead to different understandings of the measurement items.\nPractical implications: - This study provides a foundation for future cross-cultural consumer research, and provides empirical insights into the ongoing standardization versus localization marketing strategy debate.\nOriginality/value: - This study is a benchmark comparative cross-cultural consumer satisfaction study with vastly disparate American and Chinese consumers.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Geocentralization and Thainess: Analysis and instruction methodology design of the business administration curriculum in Thailand	[ "Curriculum development", "Adult education", "Quantitative analysis", "Education management", "Business administration", "Education sustainability" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Thailand is a nation-state that desires to improve its overall competitiveness ranking in the Southeast Asia-Pacific region, known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In this regard, Thailand uses the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) on countries' economic comparability with the so-called 12 Pillars of Competitiveness. Specific to this study are the outcomes for the fifth pillar on \"Higher education and training,\" with a particular emphasis on business administration, with the introduction of geocentralization; label and methodology designed by the researcher to use Thai cultural preferences to adapt the learning environment for internationalized standards for business administration curriculum development, as will be detailed in this paper.\nProblem statement: The Thai students' performance in the WEF and Programme for International Student (PISA) indicates is worsening every year. The first gauge for this measurement in this study is the annual results of the WEF's GCR rankings that measure several factors of a nation's general competitiveness, and for which the fifth pillar: \"Higher education and training,\" is one component. The 2011 GCR showed that Thailand ranked closer to the middle of the list of 138 participating nations in overall rankings, but lower throughout the AEC in education quality (see Figure 1), and the problem deepened in 2012 (see Figure 2). The second measurement is the PISA (2012) study by the OECD that evaluates scholastic performance on mathematics, science, and reading in 15-year-old students across the globe is relevant since they would become first-year adult learners in 2015. In 2012, out of 65 countries participating in these tests, Thai students secured the 50th place in mathematics, 48th in science, and 47th in reading (see Figure 3). The 2015 PISA scores did not improve, where out of 72 participating countries, Thailand came in 55th place in mathematics, 56th in science, and 59th place in reading (see Figure 4).\nPurpose of research: The first purpose of this study is to analyze the adverse scholastic performance compared with the programs from the AEC which are set to the international standards with higher performance scores in the WEF and PISA testing and it is meant to serve as a warning for management for what to avoid in business administration curriculum development which is inefficiently preparing students for the expectancies of the international business world. The second purpose addressed how those ineffective curriculum components are regulated by the Thai \"Ministry Of Education\" (MOE) for adherence to Thainess imperatives in both curriculum design and implementation in the learning environment, monitored by the MOE's Total Quality Framework (TQF) system.\nHypothesis: The first hypothesis (H1) is based on Thailand's desire to improve competitiveness by focusing on efforts in the fifth pillar of higher education quality. H1 asserts that by looking for the differences in course subjects' validity and identifying which of those subjects are irrelevant to international business administration education standards, adaptations or replacements can then be made that focus only on subjects of equivalency to such international standards:\nAssumptions and limitations: The assumption is that the resulting deficiency in Thailand's competitiveness goals gauged by the GCR's fifth pillar, specifically in business administration programs in the AEC, is primarily due to a misalignment of the said goals with both the design (H1) and implementation (H2) of that curriculum. The irrelevant use of curriculum components centered on culturally significant topics that remain absent of internationalization standards, results in a corresponding deficiency in classroom instruction from a dependency on the misaligned curriculum's guidelines being regulated by the aforementioned TQF system insisting on Thainess inclusions.\nLiterature review: The significance of the Thai Office of Higher Education Commission (OHEC) influence on the stipulations and guidelines for both the reform of education and instructional methodology in Thailand is unequivocal. The OHEC promotes institutional autonomy in curriculum development (design) and instruction (implementation) to optimize for it deems as \"local knowledge\" (Sangnapaboworn, 2011a, b; Sangkapreecha and Sangkapreecha, 2014). Whether or not this allows educational institutions' management to adequately prepare the adult learner for the contemporary business world will be explored in this section on literature.\nMethodology: The analysis of H1: curricular development (design) was a quantitative examination showing the statistical variance of Thailand's curriculum components with those components utilized throughout other AEC institutions with higher Palmes ratings. A non-experimental design of statistical variance analysis was used for H1 in Table II as a differential analysis of the curriculum models. The assumed hypothesis is that there is an impact and change is mandatory, or with the null hypothesis that suggested no impact and therefore no change needed. The statistical deviations between culturally influenced programs, or not, suggests that international business operations, cultural awareness, and geocentricism are lacking in Thai curriculum, but comprised in the highest Palmes-rated institutions, and therefore contributory to the lower performance of Thai learners in the WEF and PISA results. The hypothetical assumption, H1a, was that there is a direct quantitative correlation between the difference in curriculums between Thailand's MOE-regulated business administration curriculum and those curricula from the top three higher performing nations in the AEC, with a critical impact on development efforts. The null hypothesis, H10, was simply that there would be no difference in curricula and therefore no impact on development.\nFindings: Table II summarizes each program into a final tally of either culturally oriented or more business-oriented subjects. The variance shows that approximately 11.2 percent of the Thai business administration programs are comprised of culturally based subjects, whereas the top Palmes programs show a 0.00 percent result of culturally imperative courses. The inference is that the percentage of Thailand's curriculum insistencies on culturally sensitive subjects is a primary causation of the continuously lowering performance results in the WEF and PISA.\nConclusions and recommendations: The findings showed that Thailand's business administration programs are comprised with over 11 percent of its curricula with irrelevant local or cultural subjects, resulting in low performance in the WEF and PISA testing and zero Palmes awards. AEC institutions conversely show zero percentage of local or cultural subjects and the top Palmes awards. The data suggest that such inclusions of culturally imperative courses are a primary causation for the impediments facing Thailand's fifth pillar goals and objectives for improving their global competitiveness. As stated before, if conceptualizing curriculum development efforts for such programs as hospitality and tourism, then culturally sensitive subjects can be logically acceptable, but not for programs of learning aimed for international markets meeting uniform standards.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Thailand desires to improve its economic competitiveness in the Southeast Asia-Pacific region and utilizes the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) on the 12 Pillars of Competitiveness to gauge this progress. The purpose of this paper is to study the outcomes for the fifth pillar on \"Higher education and training\" to identify the challenges to institutional management for the design and implementation of business administration programs.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The first hypothesis on causality and impact is a comparison of curricula design from published material between Thai and similar highly rated programs from the GCR using a statistical variance method. The second hypothesis is a proposed improvement model for implementation, geocentralization, analyzed using an inferential percentage differentiation.\nFindings: The findings reveal a marked misalignment in relevant vs irrelevant curriculum design, with implementation performance results showing lower outcomes from traditional learning methods as compared to geocentralization.\nOriginality/value: Final remarks outline recommendations that Thai higher education administrators can utilize for improving curriculum design and implementation.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Document supply of grey literature and open access: an update	[ "Grey literature", "Document delivery", "Sciences" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In 2005, we conducted a survey on open access (OA) projects and the document supply of grey literature, based on data collected from five major scientific and technical information (STI) centres[1] (Boukacem-Zeghmouri and Schopfel, 2006). Our main findings were:The STI centres placed special emphasis on grey literature and had important grey collections, especially of conference proceedings, technical reports and dissertations. Nevertheless, the relative part of grey document supply differed with INIST and the British Library having a grey document supply of up to 5 per cent, and CISTI and TIB Hannover with more than 10 per cent.The \"grey supply\" generally followed the overall downward trend of document supply overall. Nevertheless, in two STI centres (CISTI and TIB) the supply of grey literature slightly increased.Due to their public mission, all institutions were interested and involved in open access projects. Their specific involvement depended on the integration into the national information market and institutional environment (higher education, research communities) but also in financial and human resources. One part of these open access projects was related to traditional grey literature.This involvement did not impact their traditional functioning and activities in any significant way. We observed little impact of OA on acquisition policy or service development. Only a few changes were noted in the information systems on which the supply of grey literature is based, or in the bibliographic control.Our 2005 survey showed a great diversity between the document suppliers on a topical issue that directly concerns them. We suggested that access to grey literature in an electronic context may have greater economic potential than in the traditional paper era and that the commitment of the document suppliers in the domain of open access to the distribution of grey literature may be a strategic means of establishing their position in the broader scientific and technical information market.Four years later, our intention is to provide more evidence on the relationship between the OA movement, document supply and grey literature. Since 2005, the OA movement has steadily developed. According to the statistics from the two main OA directories (OpenDOAR available at: www.opendoar.org DOAJ available at: www.doaj.org), the number of OA journals and repositories increases at 20-30 per cent per year. In May 2009, the cited directories included more than 4,200 journals and 1,400 repositories.Compared to 2005, open access has become a central part of the scientific and technical information market, offering free and seamless dissemination of 10-20 per cent of current scientific production and challenging the subscription-based business model of academic publishing.In the past, STI centres played a central role in the value chain for print journal publishing. Today, they face two threats: the developing e-commerce from the main academic publishers with growing disintermediation, and the open access movement with community-based direct communication between scholars.Our conviction is not that these threats will necessarily destroy STI centres' service offerings[2] but that they will deeply affect their functioning and strategies. A recent report on nine American universities[3] showed that on the user side \"institutional repositories (IR) and open access (OA) materials (may not) have ... substantially impacted interlibrary loan services ...). Most of the participants report the same or an increased volume of business\" (Kelsey, 2009). Nevertheless, they also report rather low use of \"commercial suppliers\"[4]. So what about these service providers?The head of sales and marketing at the British Library stated one year ago \"(... the last five to seven years have been a roller-coaster ride for our document supply service\" (Pfleger, 2008). Is this true for all STI centres?As in our 2005 survey, our 2009 focus is on grey literature[5] and document supply. Why this focus on grey literature? Because of the importance of grey resources for scientific research and teaching, all major public document suppliers invest in collections and delivery services for theses, conference proceedings, reports and unpublished working papers. These special collections are costly and \"grey supply\" is often more expensive than article supply.On the other hand, grey literature represents a significant part of the content of institutional and other repositories and is more and more freely available on the Web but not always easy to find. Therefore our underlying assumption is that grey literature may be a sensitive indicator for the evolving strategy of STI centres.\nQuestions and methodology: Our follow-up study reproduces largely the methodology of the initial survey (Boukacem-Zeghmouri and Schopfel, 2006). The survey sample remains the same as in the initial study:* The British Library (BL) (www.bl.uk/).* The NRC Canada Institute of Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) (http://cisti-icist.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/).* The French CNRS Institut de l'Information Scientifique et Technique (INIST) (www.inist.fr).* The Korean Institute of Scientific and Technical Information (KISTI) (www.kisti.re.kr/english/).* The German National Library of Science and Technology at Hannover (TIB) (www.tib.uni-hannover.de/).These traditional document suppliers have in common a public mission to collect, preserve, archive and disseminate scientific information through a non-profit ILL and document supply service that is based on a mixed economic model with their income supplied both by public funding and their customers' fees. ILL and document supply networks without holdings and corporate, profit-based suppliers are excluded from the sample. The data collection can be described in the following way:1. We searched for open source information about the development, services and projects of the sample on the institutional websites, in activity reports and published articles.2. We asked each institution for information on the following topics::* Figures on their grey document supply and ILL in 2008.* Comparison of these figures to the overall supply and ILL (%).* The recent evolution compared to previous years.* Their projects in the area of grey literature.* Their open access projects.* The impact on the collection of grey literature.* The impact on document supply (service offer, pricing).* The impact on the bibliographic control of grey literature (cataloguing, record data).* The impact on the information system.1. We communicated the data synthesis to the institutions for comments and validation.The results are analysed in two ways: a comparison between the five institutions, and a comparison with the results published in 2006.\nResults: In the following, we present the data and information for each STI centres.The British Library\nDiscussion: All STI centres were willing to participate in this survey and contributed with detailed and (partly) insider information. More facts were gathered from open sources (websites, blogs, newsletters, reports, conferences and journal articles). Short-living, abandoned or finished projects like CISTI's e-book venture with Ingram Digital (MyiLibrary) or INIST's project of a specific French and international dissertation service were ignored.Together, this information provides an interesting and contrasted image. Compared to our 2005 survey, the changes in the functioning and activities are significant.Document supply - overall and grey\nConclusion: Taken together, these five STI centres satisfied in 2008 around 2.45 million requests. This is not a small figure, but compared to the access to online resources through digital libraries, portals and open archives, it becomes subsidiary and nearly insignificant[11]. We are very far from the golden age of document supply ten years ago when the number of requests was more than double and this activity made the STM publishers somewhat nervous.Decline, but also (potential) rise. Confronted with globalisation, e-commerce, IP laws in favour of right-holders and the financial position of (some) information companies, the STI centres are in a paradoxical situation, at the same time strategic partners[12] and commercial competitors especially in the corporate STI market.Of course, their strategic approach and perspective are different, shaped by their national context and organisational characteristics. Nevertheless, they seem to share some common features, perhaps even a kind of common culture of what to do, and how to do it. Our conclusion is on three topics, long tail, repositories, and e-science.Long tail\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - This paper seeks to investigate the impact of the open archive initiative on the document supply of grey literature.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The article is based on a comparative survey of five major scientific and technical information centres: The British Library (UK), CISTI (Canada), INIST-CNRS (France), KISTI (South Korea), and TIB Hannover (Germany).\nFindings: - All major document suppliers are quite deeply involved in the open archive movement, and this involvement has an obvious impact on the policy of acquisition, archiving and supply of grey literature (dissertations, reports, conferences etc.).\nOriginality/value: - The paper is a follow-up study of the survey published in 2006.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Collaboration for transition between TVET and university: a proposal	[ "Collaboration", "TVET", "Transition", "Pathway", "University" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Transition pathway from technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to higher education generally refers to the arrangements that enable students to progress from one qualification to another, through admission or credit transfer, or both, in a defined qualification pathway (AQF, 2011). In recent years, transition pathways, especially from the post-secondary TVET to higher education, has gained considerable attention from the policy makers, scholars and development practitioners across the world (OECD, 2012b; UNESCO, 2012; 2016; Field and Guez, 2018; European Commission, 2016).\nDefining technical and vocational education and training and engaged university: Technical and vocational education and training\nCollaboration: theoretical underpinning: Collaboration generally refers to an \"inter-organizational effort, to address problems that are too complex and too protracted to be resolved by unilateral organizational action\", through which organizations try to cope with turbulence and complexity in their environment (Gray and Wood, 1991; Gray, 1985).\nImperatives for collaboration: the global context: Changing skills needs\nPathway for transition: available models of collaboration: There are distinct forms of post-secondary vocational education emerging in countries all around the world. Numerous examples are available on how these countries have created transition pathways from TVET to university, through collaboration. These include programs ranging from restricted entries to open door policies, providing articulation opportunities for students who are willing to avail university degree that is required for further advancement in their career. Such collaborative alliances between TVET and universities have taken place in areas such as teaching, professional skill development, research and development, consultancy and promotion as well as marketing (Sommerlad et al., 1998).\nImperatives for collaboration: the national context: To identify the critical contingencies for collaboration between TVET and universities in Bangladesh, this part of the paper relies on a combination of data from secondary sources as well as unstructured interviews of TVET experts, and students from TVET institutions and universities. The conversations took place without any predetermined questions and the discussions were transcribed to find themes directing to identify key contingencies. The key theme that has emerged from the interviews is general dissatisfaction regarding the current system of TVET. The sub-themes include: negative societal perception of TVET, inadequate resources for the TVET institutions, inadequate job and career progression opportunity for the TVET graduates, limited opportunity for higher education, and inadequate information on TVET in general. Literatures on TVET in Bangladesh support the experience shared by the students and TVET experts in the interview.\nCritical contingencies for collaboration between polytechnic institutes and universities: Drawing on the resource dependency and institutional perspectives, the analysis of the imperatives for collaboration between TVET and universities, at the global and national context, suggests the following critical contingencies for such collaboration:\nA proposed model of collaboration between polytechnic institutes and universities: The domain for collaboration between polytechnic institutes and universities in Bangladesh is currently in an unorganized state, as the key stakeholders have not attempted to reach to a consensus to form collaboration for transition of Diploma graduates to universities. This stage requires that a convener, individual or a small group of stakeholders guide the primary process and identify required resources for such collaborative efforts. While the GoB can naturally act as the convener, this paper proposes that a group of representatives from the universities and polytechnic institutes to form a taskforce and convene the collaboration for transition of Diploma graduates to universities. Similar to the Australian Vice Chancellors' Committee's Credit Transfer Committee, this taskforce may include the vice chancellors of universities and principals of the polytechnic institutes.\nConclusion: Transition pathway from TVET to universities has gained significant attention in recent years, as a way to ensure better earning opportunity and career progression for the TVET graduates. To ensure flexible transition from TVET to higher education, many universities across the world have set examples of successful collaboration with such institutions. In Bangladesh TVET has been a relatively underprioritized stream of education, and also enjoys a lower social status, in comparison to the general and religious educational stream. While the GoB has expressed significant commitment in revitalizing the sector in last few years, key emphasis has been on increasing the rate of enrollment in TVET as well as increasing the number of TVET institutions. Initiative to form collaboration to ensure flexible transition opportunities for the Diploma graduates, to access universities, has been almost inexistent. This paper aimed at proposing a model of collaboration between polytechnic institutes and universities as mechanism to address the inequitable nature of TVET in Bangladesh. Drawing on the resource dependency and institutional perspective to collaboration, this paper identifies the key motivations, as critical contingencies for forming collaboration and proposed a model of collaboration between polytechnic institutes and universities. The model includes: policy advocacy for NQF, joint program credit transfer and transition, and development and dissemination of common IEC materials. The key arguments in favor of such collaboration is that it will:\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Despite the growing emphasis on revitalizing the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector in Bangladesh, very little discussion has taken place on reforming the current inflexible transition pathways, from TVET to the universities. This paper aims to reflect critically on the existing literature on TVET, in the global and national context, and the experiences of students and TVET experts, to develop a model of collaboration between the polytechnic institutes and the universities in Bangladesh.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper follows a qualitative strategy of enquiry, using a mix of critical reflection on literature on TVET and higher education and unstructured interviews with two TVET experts, four TVET students and four students from a public university. It draws on the theories of collaboration and uses exemplary cases to illustrate and support the line of reasoning.\nFindings: This paper identifies that there is resource dependency between the polytechnic institutes and universities in Bangladesh, and their institutional environment necessitates them to form collaboration to ensure flexible transition pathway, from polytechnic institutes to universities; this paper proposes a model for such collaboration.\nPractical implications: This paper offers a guideline for forming collaboration among the relevant stakeholders.\nSocial implications: Collaboration between polytechnic institutes and universities in Bangladesh is likely to address the inequitable nature of TVET, by improving its social status and acceptance, as well as allowing higher income opportunity and greater mobility for the TVET graduates, coming especially from humble socio-economic backgrounds.\nOriginality/value: This paper contributes in the recent discussions on how collaboration among different stakeholders can contribute in achieving the sustainable development goals, with special emphasis on TVET.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
How does abusive supervision restrict employees' feedback-seeking behavior?	[ "Organizational behaviour", "Leader-member exchange", "Self-esteem", "Abusive supervision" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: To maintain a competitive advantage within an organization, employees must obtain feedback about whether they are meeting their performance goals (Lam et al., 2017). In most organizations, employees usually receive feedback through official channels, such as a staff performance-appraisal (Anseel et al., 2015). Some employees also take the initiative to seek feedback on their performance from various sources outside formal channels and use this information to effectively monitor and adjust their personal goals and performance (Ashford, 1986). It is feedback-seeking behavior (FSB), and not the feedback itself, that appeals to feedback researchers and offers a new direction for study. Ashford (1986) defined FSB as a \"conscious devotion of the effort toward determining the correctness and adequacy of behaviors for attaining valued end states.\"\nTheory and hypotheses: Abusive supervision and employees' OBSE\nMethod: Participants and procedure\nResults: We conducted a three-factor confirmatory factor analysis model for the variables collected from employees. The three-factor model with LMX, abusive supervision and OBSE achieved a satisfactory fit (kh2(186) = 223.72, p < 0.01, df = 186, IFI = 0.99, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.03).\nDiscussion: This study examined the underlying mechanism whereby abusive supervision influenced employee FSB. From a self-concept perspective, we tested employee OBSE as a mediator and LMX as a moderator in this relationship. The hypotheses proposed in this study were supported. The results revealed that abusive supervision partially undermined employee FSB by means of OBSE, and the LMX moderated the mediating effect. For high-LMX employees, the mediating effect of OBSE was considerably stronger than for those with low LMX. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed in the following subsections.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the restrictive effect of abusive supervision on employees' feedback-seeking behavior (FSB) through organizational-based self-esteem (OBSE) and the moderation of this mediation by leader-member exchange (LMX).\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study conducted hierarchical regression and path analysis to analyze the 312 manager-employee dyads data gathered from five companies in China.\nFindings: The authors found that abusive supervision had a detrimental effect on employee FSB, partially through OBSE, and that both the direct and indirect effects were moderated by LMX.\nPractical implications: Organizations should seek to inhibit supervisors' abusive behavior in the workplace. Supervisors should not occasionally mistreat subordinates with whom they have a good relationship.\nOriginality/value: This study reveals the underlying influence mechanism of abusive supervision on employee FSB using the self-concept theory and suggests that OBSE is critical in determining how abusive supervision influences employee FSB. Furthermore, LMX quality (especially high LMX) moderates the above mediation.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Stakeholder governance: how stakeholders influence corporate decision making	[ "Social responsibility", "Corporate governance", "Structures", "Stakeholders" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: According to Lehman Brothers, in the eighteenth century we saw 11 banking crises, during the nineteenth century there were 18, and finally in the twentieth century there were 33 financial crises[1]. Extrapolation from that experience suggests that the financial crisis of 2008 could be the first of approximately 60 crises in the twenty-first century. Is it not ironic? The more crises occur, the less it seems we have learned to deal with them. Reflecting on the recurring phenomenon of financial crises Peter Senge (2008) states:We are all familiar with financial bubbles, the metaphor invented by economic historians to make sense of a recurring puzzle: How is that financial overexpansion and collapse occur time and again, drawing otherwise bright and clever people into ruin?The answer is that during a period of expansion, in effect, two parallel realities develop, one inside the bubble and one outside. Both feel equally real to those who live within them. But the more the bubble grows, the more people are drawn into its powerful reinforcing beliefs, and perceptions. Eventually, those inside the bubble become so absorbed by their reality that they literally can no longer understand the point of view of those outside.If this observation is right, Senge points to an important governance issue: how to align the world views of those inside and outside the bubble? Ireland has found a legal answer to this question. In fighting the effects of the financial crisis of 2007 the country enacted the Credit Institutions Financial Support Scheme 2008. In section 32 the scheme states:In order to promote the public interest, a covered institution shall, at the direction of the Minister, take all reasonable steps to appoint at least one but no more than two non-executive directors to its board from a panel approved by the Minister during the period of the guarantee. The covered institution shall remunerate those non-executive directors. The Minister will also have the right to appoint persons to observe all meetings of the remuneration, audit, credit and risk committees of a covered institution. Such observers shall have the right to attend all meetings and have access to necessary committee papers and other relevant information.These so called \"public interest directors\" come from outside the bubble to the inside and have the challenge of continuously aligning the worldviews of those inside and outside. Public interest directors are one way of stakeholder governance allowing external stakeholders access to corporate decision making in order to prevent future crises from happening. This paper looks beyond legal mechanisms and investigates voluntary mechanisms of stakeholder governance applied by companies.While research has considered the importance of stakeholders being involved in corporate decision-making (Sutton, 1993; Turnbull, 1994; Bird, 2001; White, 2006, 2009), apart from anecdotal evidence (Lewis, 2000; Mirvis and Googins, 2006), no empirical investigation has evaluated how stakeholder input is taken into account on the corporate level. Thus, the critical question we address by looking at voluntary stakeholder governance mechanisms is: how do stakeholders influence corporate decision making and help to align the worldviews of those inside and outside the organization?This article is structured into four chapters. First, we present the theoretical foundations of corporate governance and stakeholder theory. Second, we present our qualitative methodology and the empirical results. Third, we discuss the results. Finally, we end the paper with a brief conclusion.\nTheoretical background: Corporate governance\nResearch methodology: As our literature review did not reveal a large number of empirical studies on how corporations voluntarily grant access to corporate decision making for stakeholders, we take a qualitative case study approach (Eisenhardt, 1989; Yin, 2003). We first identified a number of corporations which run stakeholder engagement mechanisms either by following previous research (AccountAbility and Utopies, 2007; Castello and Lozano, 2009; Hansen et al., 2009) as well as referrals from experts in the field. This approach helped us to identify 46 organizations using 76 mechanisms of stakeholder engagement (as some organizations have more than one mechanism of engagement with stakeholders). These 76 stakeholder engagement mechanisms were then analysed for patterns regarding governance structures (Spitzeck, 2009) and the influence stakeholders are granted in corporate decision making.Following a grounded theory approach (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) this study seeks to classify different stages of stakeholder governance in terms of power and scope, thus developing theory from the comparative case study approach (Eisenhardt, 1989). The data was analyzed following Strauss and Corbin's (1998) process of description, conceptual ordering and theorizing. The research team created profiles of the organizations' stakeholder engagement mechanisms which were then evaluated independently using a five-point Likert scale for each dimension (1 - low and 5 - high). First, the research team evaluated the different instruments inductively searching for patterns in both dimensions of power and scope. Second, a form of analytic induction (Wilson, 2004) was used to compare constructs across cases. This process helped to facilitate cross-case comparison and is considered a suitable method for building theory and testing ideas across multiple cases (Miles and Huberman, 2005). Analytic induction is an iterative process and entails the sequential analysis of cases; propositions generated from the initial case are considered against subsequent cases, and refined as necessary. In addition, the process enabled the meaning of the construct to be continually refined (Eisenhardt, 1989).\nResults: Our analysis revealed a 3x5 matrix. Only three different patterns of scope of stakeholder participation could be distinguished. The scope increases from operational issues, to a managerial and finally to a strategic level of interaction. Five different levels of power could be distinguished starting from a situation where no evidence of stakeholder influence is provided to a final stage where stakeholders have a say in corporate decision making. Table I provides an overview of the results.The analysis of the results is presented in two different forms. First, the different levels of power (1-5) as well as scope (1-3) are explained with reference to the data. Second, we present some logically derived clusters of stakeholder governance mechanisms.Power\nDiscussion: One of our main (inductive) findings is the stages on each dimension of the power/scope grid of stakeholder governance. The first dimension, stakeholder power, actually relates to findings from other authors, for example, the stakeholder debate versus dialogue classification (Kaptein and Van Tulder, 2003), or Burchell and Cook's (2008) four-item scale for stakeholder dialogues (dialogue, debate, mediation or negotiation) as well as Arnstein's (Arnstein, 1969, p. 216) Ladder of Citizenship participation describing the level of citizen power in even more detail using eight stages (from manipulation over consultation to citizen power). While some of these deductive approaches are more detailed than our findings regarding the power dimension, overall, our inductive and empirically-based two-dimensional analysis allows for better description as it additionally discriminates the scope of stakeholder governance.The majority of stakeholder governance mechanisms remain in the category of \"Dialogue and issues advisory\" where stakeholders have a very limited influence in decision making. However, when engagement and influence do not come together, it can lead to frustration of stakeholders (Burchell and Cook, 2006, p. 168). Several decades back, Arnstein already stated that:... participation without redistribution of power is an empty and frustrating process for the powerless. It allows the power-holders to claim that all sides were considered, but makes it possible only for some of those sides to benefit. It maintains the status quo (Arnstein, 1969, p. 216).As the cluster of \"Issues collaboration\" reflects, there are also ways to make dialogues have a real impact on corporate decision making, this is usually the case when the corporation engages in open, learning-oriented dialogue (Burchell and Cook, 2008, p. 41) or symmetrical dialogues (Grunig and Grunig, 1992).Our findings, especially in the cluster of \"Strategic advisory and innovation\", show a multitude of governance mechanisms with the goal of collaborative development of new products and services such as customer collaborations, innovation competitions, NGO collaborations, and multi-stakeholder initiatives. More broadly, these mechanisms should be seen in the context of open innovation arguing that the integration of external sources into innovation management leads to more successful products and services (von Hippel, 2005). The results of Hansen et al. (2009) also show that the integration of stakeholders in innovation management leads to new and more sustainability-oriented products and services.Another important finding is that stakeholder diversity diminishes with increasing scope and power. Very high stakeholder power is, apart from a few exceptions, only achieved by customers. This is, however, nothing more than a reflection of customer orientation as it is pursued by concepts such as customer integration and open innovation (von Hippel, 2005; Piller and Walcher, 2006). The idea of stakeholder theory is, however, to integrate much broader stakeholder groups than only customers.We also found \"Strategic collaboration\" mechanisms that are characterised by allowing stakeholders to take direct decision-making power, for example, the voting mechanisms regarding the banking policies of The Co-operative Bank. This empirical evidence supports a political view of the corporation (Scherer and Palazzo, 2007).\nConclusion: This paper set out to evaluate how stakeholders are voluntarily granted influence in corporate decision making. Besides the mass of traditional customer integration mechanisms, conventional stakeholder dialogues and advisory boards we also found some innovative approaches for providing diverse stakeholders with power to influence core business decisions. We believe that these findings serve as a good basis for further research in this direction.Theoretical implications\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to explore how stakeholders are voluntarily granted influence in corporate decision making.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The stakeholder governance practices of 46 companies were explored in a multiple comparative case analysis, drawing on publicly available sources.\nFindings: - The research finds that stakeholders are granted a voice regarding operational, managerial as well as strategic issues. The power granted to stakeholders varies from non-participation to co-decision making. The majority of engagements found are a combination of low power and low scope of participation, which are limited in their potential to align the views of those inside and outside the corporate boundaries.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The data used in this research relied on publicly available sources, such as company reports, articles and web sites.\nPractical implications: - By seeing an array of different stakeholder governance mechanisms managers can reflect on their own approach to stakeholders and see how other companies use stakeholder engagement for scenario planning and innovation.\nOriginality/value: - The paper is the first to empirically analyse a broad range of companies regarding their voluntary stakeholder engagement mechanisms. This design allows the creation of a heuristic for stakeholder governance as well as for identifying clusters.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Psychological contract violation and turnover intention: do cultural values matter?	[ "Malaysia", "Downsizing", "Psychological contract violation", "Cultural value orientations", "Mastery", "Subjugation" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Downsizing disrupts the reciprocal nature of the employment relationship, resulting in unfulfilled obligations in employees' psychological contracts (PCs). During and following downsizing implementation, it becomes more difficult to determine the perceived obligations owed by employers to their employees, and vice versa. As a consequence, further difficulties are faced in relation to fulfilling the perceived obligations in accordance with PCs; and the attitude and behavior of employees is affected. For example, existing research demonstrates that employees who have experienced organizational change are more likely to leave the organization (Freese et al., 2011). One reason employees leave an employer following downsizing is the perception of such change as a violation of the PC in relation to job security and justice (De Meuse et al., 2004). In the case of downsizing, the sense of security of downsizing survivors is violated by perceived uncertainty concerning the future role of a downsizing survivor within the organization, and anxiety stemming from the fear of further downsizing.\nPCV and turnover intention: Research examining PCs provides a theoretical foundation for predicting the reactions of downsizing survivors to a downsizing experience (e.g. Arshad and Sparrow, 2010; Morrison and Robinson, 1997). Employees develop an exchange relationship with their employers that goes beyond more formal contracts (Rousseau, 1995). A PC refers to the belief of the employee concerning the existence of an unwritten contract of mutual obligation in the employer-employee relationship that involves elements of trust, a sense of relationship and expectations concerning future benefits (Rousseau, 1989). In the context of downsizing, downsizing is considered a breach of the PC due to the expectation of job security on the part of the employee (Turnley and Feldman, 1998).The perceived breach causes an affective reaction, known as PCV, which leads to diminished effort and behavioral engagement (Morrison and Robinson, 1997). Such perceived breaches of a PC are consistent with social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) and the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960), posit that if employees perceive that their employer has not reciprocated their contributions, then employees may restore the social exchange balance by changing the level of their contributions to the organization or considering leaving the organization.\nModerating influence of cultural values: Despite the wide use of the concept of culture, much of the existing research in cross-cultural management does not indicate the adoption of a common theory of culture conceptualized and operationalized at an individual level of analysis (Maznevski et al., 2002; Newman and Sheikh, 2012). The majority of cross-cultural researchers focus on national culture (Sparrow, 2006). However, limitations exist when attempting to define culture within a national framework. For example, researchers need to reach consensus regarding the definition of \"nation;\" and debate exists concerning whether a \"nation\" can be used as a surrogate for \"culture\" (Groeschl and Doherty, 2000). Sparrow (2006) notes that criticisms of the cross-national stream of work that has gained increasing acceptance over the last few years includes the homogeneity assumption, the presence of intra-individual variation, and the presence of intra-cultural and inter-domain variation. Although the homogeneity issue may not exist in some countries, the argument cannot be made in the case of Malaysia, which is known as \"a multicultural country par excellence\" (Fontaine et al., 2002). Consistent with existing criticisms of the national culture approach, Earley and Mosakowski (1995) argue that the individual level of analysis offers the benefit of directly linking the hypothesized aspect of culture to other constructs in the nomological network since it measures the relative degree of value endorsement or extent of sharedness rather than an aggregation according to nationality, the latter of which presumes that all cultural members equally and identically share a given perspective. The operationalization of value orientations potentially provides the most comprehensive and valid framework for representing the dimensions of national culture (Maznevski et al., 2002).\nResearch methods: The present study is based on a survey of downsizing survivors from a large organization in Malaysia that implemented downsizing as a strategy to reduce costs and improve performance. Survey questionnaires were distributed to respondents from various hierarchical positions, including managers, supervisors, technical staff, operation staff, sales staff and administrative staff. The respondents were surveyed at two different points in time: within one month following the implementation of downsizing (Time 1), and eight months after the first survey (Time 2). To assure participants that their responses were confidential and their participation would not be privy to the organization, data were collected through a questionnaire survey mailed directly to the employees' home addresses. PCVs and cultural value orientations were measured in the Time 1 survey, whereas turnover intention was measured in the Time 2 survey. The final sample, which consists of 281 respondents to both temporal phases of the survey, is used in the following analysis.\nResults: The distinctiveness of the study variables was assessed using CFA. The hypothesized model including four factors (i.e. PCV, SO, MO and turnover intention) yielded a well-fitting model of kh2 (203), GFI=0.91, CFI=0.96, RMSEA=0.04 (see Table I). The kh2 difference test demonstrates the hypothesized 4-factor model is superior to both a 3-factor model that merged SO and MO, and to a 1-factor model that merged all the variables examined.\nDiscussion: First, the findings from the present study are consistent with existing studies, which find a positive relationship between PCV and turnover intention (e.g. Robinson and Morrison, 1995; Guzzo et al., 1994). Rousseau (1995) argues that PCs arise when individuals infer promises that lead to subsequent beliefs about the existence of reciprocal obligations, typically between individual employees and their employer. These promissory beliefs act as the foundation of employment relationships and work arrangements. The PC provides assurance that if each party does their part, the relationship will be mutually beneficial. However, changes in the workplace, work practices and employment relations have significantly altered the nature of the PC, resulting in an increase in the PCV (Morrison and Robinson, 1997). In the case of PCVs that occur during downsizing, such violations cause employees to lose faith in the benefits of continuing the employer-employee relationship. As a result, employees are more likely to leave the organization.\nTheoretical and managerial contributions: From a theoretical perspective, one contribution of the present study is that it highlights the need to examine culture from the individual level in PC and downsizing research. The findings suggest that some subtle cultural influences exist in relation to the processes within the generic human functioning model. The findings of the present study indicate the existence of significant interactions between cultural value orientation and PCV in predicting turnover intention. For example, in the field of comparative human resource management, psychologists have begun to move beyond the traditional paradigm of country-level studies toward the examination of issues concerning culturally related behavioral dynamics within individuals (Sparrow, 2006). The change in the approach taken toward comparative human resource management studies has led to the development of a new cultural paradigm research tradition that treats cultural dimensions as quasi-individual difference characteristics (Kirkman and Shapiro, 2001; Mazvevski et al., 2002). Such individual level data show that while people can share or endorse a given cultural value or belief, sufficient natural variability exists within a country for cultural value to be treated as an important individual difference (Earley and Mosakowski, 1995). The present study demonstrates the inherent strength of the effect of cultural value orientations as individual difference variables.\nLimitations of the study and suggestions for future research: The findings and the implications of this study must be considered in light of its limitations. Due to difficulty in obtaining access to a larger sample, the present study only examined downsizing survivors from one organization. Thus, it is not possible to generalize the findings to Malaysian downsizing survivors in general. In addition, the data were collected through the use of a self-report survey, which raises concerns about common method variance. The observed relationship may have been artificially inflated due to the tendency of respondents to respond in a consistent manner. However, the longitudinal design of the present study should have reduced the likelihood of such bias.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of cultural value orientations (mastery and subjugation) in moderating the relationship between psychological contract violation (PCV) and turnover intention.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A longitudinal survey method was used to collect data from downsizing survivors in two phases. The final sample was 281 cases. Confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression models were used to test the hypotheses.\nFindings: PCV is positively related to turnover intention, and the relationship is moderated by cultural value orientations. Specifically, the relationship is stronger among downsizing survivors with a high level of subjugation orientation (SO) and/or a low level of mastery orientation (MO) in comparison with downsizing survivors with a low level of SO and/or a high level of MO.\nResearch limitations/implications: The contribution of the study lies in the utility of examining culture at an individual level of analysis in relation to PC and downsizing research. Despite a generic human functioning model, some subtle cultural influences exist affecting the processes within the model. The negative reactions to downsizing are not simply a function of situational factors, but also reflect individual differences in cultural value orientations.\nOriginality/value: The study addresses the need to examine the role of cultural value orientations in influencing the relationship between PCV, and employee behaviors. Such an examination is important because cultural differences may result in unique interpretations and reactions to PCV.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Service with a conscience: moral dilemmas in customer service roles	[ "Moral emotions", "Customer services", "Moral dilemmas" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Service employees are among the primary boundary spanners, exposed to multiple conflicts and stress (Slatten, 2008). These challenges are most salient when service employees face multiple conflicting demands from managers, customers, and the job itself. They often find themselves in situations in which they need to cope with moral dilemmas (Ferrell and Gresham, 1985), or are required to compromise ethical standards in order to respond to multiple demands at the same time (Fukawa and Erevelles, 2014; Parasuraman, 2002; Schwepker and Hartline, 2005).\nMoral dilemmas in service roles: The goals of an organization and how best to pursue those goals may involve ethical considerations, e.g., when the goals of businesses and their stakeholders are in opposition to each other (Shaw, 1999). A moral dilemma arises when expectations of one's behavior are inconsistent with one's beliefs regarding what is right and wrong (Rokeach, 1968). In the organizational context a moral dilemma is reflected in the perceived discrepancy between organizational values and the employee's ethics, and often occurs when organizations expect employees to engage in ethically questionable behavior such as lying to a customer (Kammeyer-Mueller et al., 2012). Thus, while service employees' amoral behavior may occur contrary to organizational norms and for the benefit of employee interests (Schepers et al., 2012; Vardaman et al., 2014), such unethical behaviors are sometimes the direct outcome of organizational pressure (Bush et al., 2013) and result in stress and/or burnout (Kammeyer-Mueller et al., 2012; Maslach et al., 2001), fatigue, decreased job satisfaction, and increased turnover (DeTienne et al., 2012; Schluter et al., 2008). Employees may also confront dilemmas when coping with behavior by customers that disrupts service encounters (Harris and Reynolds, 2003), such as unwillingness to cooperate with the service provider or other customers, or to comply with industrial regulations, and/or laws (Bitner et al., 1994). Such behaviors (Fisk et al., 2010) include writing compensation letters knowingly exploiting service recovery policies (Harris and Reynolds, 2003, 2004) or quarreling with other customers (Lovelock, 2001).\nMoral decision making and emotions in service jobs: Several authors have presented theoretical frameworks for appropriate values in service. Rendtorff (2009) puts forward a framework for ethics in service, suggesting several values (e.g. autonomy, dignity) that should guide service organizations. Abela and Murphy (2008) present a theoretical discussion of ethical tensions in service, focusing primarily on tensions between organizational interests and the interests of customers (e.g. effectiveness vs customer autonomy). Previous empirical research has focused on moral dilemmas generated by organizational pressures on service employees to behave unethically, often contrasting the ethics of their professional socialization or personal ethics. Bush et al. (2013) used the guideline of the American Marketing Association values, including honesty, transparency, fairness, respect, responsibility, and citizenship to analyze service employees' experiences of unethical marketing situations. Other studies have documented that employees from various professions, such as accountants (Shafer, 2002), psychologists (Austin et al., 2005), nurses (Gaudine and Thorne, 2012; Pauly et al., 2009), and healthcare professionals (Sporrong et al., 2006), suffer from negative outcomes as a result of such pressures both professionally (Gaudine and Thorne, 2012; Peterson, 2003; Nelson and Kiecker, 1996; Schwepker, 1999, 2003; Shafer, 2002) and personally (Prottas, 2013; Schwepker et al., 1997; Thorne, 2010). However, understanding ethical decision making in the service context requires more information regarding the conflict between organizational values and employees' personal values. Thus, the first research question posited is as follows:\nMethodology: Respondents\nResults: In regard to the first research question, areas of conflict between employees' personal values and organizational priorities are described below. The construction of categories of dilemmas followed an inductive process, according to the critical incidents technique's guidelines (Flanagan, 1954). The presentation of the categories in opposition to one another emerged from the way the dilemmas were described by the respondents combined with notions presented in research of service and moral dilemmas.\nDiscussion: Frontline service employees are agents of an organization but also of their customers, attending to the needs of both parties in transactions. This boundary-spanning role involves dilemmas arising from both the customer's and the organization's perspective (Troyer et al., 2000), as well as from deep-rooted personal values. This study explored organizational and personal values involved in moral dilemmas in the service context, as well as the role of moral emotions in service employees' decisions following a moral dilemma.\nConclusion: Service employees confront moral dilemmas as a result of conflict between deep-rooted personal values and organizational values. Customers often trigger such dilemmas through behavior that conflicts with organizational norms or by mistreating employees, thereby stimulating emotions of either caring or aversion toward them. The study documents the multifaceted effects of the organization-employee-customer dynamic on service employees' moral dilemmas.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Service employees are frequently exposed to moral dilemmas as a result of their boundary role, attending to the interests of both the organization and customers. The purpose of this paper is to explore organizational and personal values that generate moral dilemmas in the service context, as well as emotions related to employees' moral decisions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using the critical incidents technique, data were collected from service providers about moral dilemmas in the workplace. The data were analyzed independently by each author, with an agreement rate of 84-88 percent.\nFindings: The results show that service employees confront dilemmas as a result of conflicts between the following organizational and personal values: standardization vs personalization; profit vs integrity; and emotional display rules vs dignity. Moral decision making involves emotions generated by customer distress, negative emotions toward customers, and emotions of guilt, shame, or fear.\nOriginality/value: Little research has studied moral conflicts in service encounters from employees' perspective. Using a qualitative approach, this study explores the role of personal values and moral emotions in such processes.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
A profile of Koreans: who purchases fashion goods online?	[ "Market segmentation", "Lifestyles", "Internet shopping", "Electronic commerce", "Fashion", "South Korea" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Now internet is ubiquitous and has become a major marketing channel to expand business opportunities. Online market has shown its rapid growth all over the world. In the US online market, 132 million people spent more than $130.3 billion in 2006 and annual spending per buyer had increased from $457 in 2001 to $784 in 2006 (Machrotech, 2007). Korean e-retailing sales volume in 2006 was more than 13.4 trillion won (approximately $14 billion), increased by 26.1 percent from the previous year, and clothing/fashion related products took the largest part of merchandise (Korean National Statistical Office, 2007). The number of e-retailers selling clothing/fashion related products was increased to 49.8 percent of those in 2005. E-commerce market size of People's Republic of China reached 1.1 trillion yuan in 2006 (approximately 15.2 billion), which was almost 48.6 percent increased in 2005 (National Internet Development of Agency of Korea, 2007).Customers in one market - online market - may be too heterogeneous in their needs and values. Hence, marketers are trying to identify relatively homogeneous groups with similar product desires or interests. Within a number of segmentation variables, lifestyle has been suggested as one of the most fundamental factors (Vyncke, 2002). Since physical product attributes have become more comparable due to technology development while consumers are much more complicated than before, marketers have relied on psychological variables of consumers rather than physical attributes of products. Understanding consumers' lifestyles would help marketers to communicate properly with their target audience and develop marketing strategies effectively.This study examined Korean online users to provide e-market segments for fashion products by fashion lifestyles. In comparing the number of internet users in Asia countries in 2005, China (111 million), Japan (66milllion), India (60million), and Korea (33million) were ranked in order, whereas the internet usage rate of Korea (68.35 percent) was highest (Japan, 51.54 percent, China, 8.44 percent, India 5.44 percent) (National Internet Development of Agency of Korea, 2008). According to the same source, the internet usage rate of Korea reached 75.5 percent in 2007. As Korea is one of the leading countries with well-developed infrastructure of the internet use and about three-quarters of population have used the internet, it would be appropriate to examine Korean consumers as a representative e-retailing market in Asia. The internet users generally possess high propensity to become the first-time buyer at online shopping mall. As Korea is considered as a testing market for new products from a global marketing perspective (Park, 2007), Koreans are fastidious and sensitive in styles and fashions. Investigating fashion lifestyles of Koreans will provide information about shopping orientation of Asians who are very refined in fashion tastes.The purpose of this study was to identify a lifestyle typology relevant for predicting individual differences in evaluation for online fashion mall attributes. In order to accomplish this goal, first, we classified online users based on fashion lifestyles, and then profiled different fashion lifestyle segments with regard to demographics and internet usage trends. Finally, we identified differences among segments in terms of online shopping mall attributes. The findings of this study would offer guidelines for fashion e-retailers to improve market segmentations and corresponding strategies.\nLiterature review: Lifestyles\nMethodology: Instrument and data collection\nResults: Results on fashion lifestyle factors\nDiscussion: We profiled market segments of potential consumers who would buy fashion items on e-retailers. Internet users belonged to one of five fashion lifestyle segments. In order to provide the differences between clusters graphically, Figures 1-5 were drawn based on factor scores in Table II. We provided distinctive characteristics of each segment.Fashion/brand shoppers (20.6 percent)\nConclusion and recommendations: This study aims to classify internet users by fashion lifestyles. Involvement with fashion leads consumers to specific buying behaviors. We focus on age ranged from 15 to 39 years, representative age groups of heavy internet users. Almost 70 percent of 1,211 internet users have bought fashion items on e-retailers, who are potential to become loyal consumers. About 30 percents who do not buy any fashion item online are potential consumers to become first-time buyers since they have visited fashion e-retailers at least once.Five lifestyle segments are Fashion/brand Shopper, Recreational Shopper, Economical Shopper, Individualistic Shopper, and Fashion Followers. The first two segments are the most potential and important target market for e-business. Luxury brand or flagship store marketers in addition to multi shop retailers who collect exclusive fashion items from various well-known brands are suitable to target Fashion/brands Shoppers. Since consumers in this segment have needs for high-quality products with premium brands, proper product assortments that are compatible with consumers' tastes and current fashion trends are necessary. Individual Shopper is similar to Fashion/brand Shopper in terms of brand or personality pursuits but different in fashion consciousness. Thus Individual Shopper could be the second target market for exclusive fashion brands.Fashion e-retailers such as fast fashion brands are proper for Recreational group because this segment needs for a high-quality, wide variety of merchandise at valued prices. Characteristics of McFashion brands would satisfy this segment of both economical and brand orientations. Economical Shopper is typical, practical online users, so basic items at valued prices rather than trendy, well-known brand items are appropriate. To enhance the purchase of fashion goods online for this segment, e-retailers require reinforcing after service attributes and price-related promotions. Fashion Follower segment exhibits relatively negative attitudes toward fashion e-malls, so it would be difficult to satisfy them. However, since this segment is interested in fashion, brands, and shopping, there is possibility to increase online shopping usages by stimulating these inclinations. Besides, it is necessary to inform positive aspects of online shopping so that this segment is comfortable with e-retailers.Limitations and future research\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to classify internet users by fashion lifestyles, to profile the demographic and internet usage characteristics of each segment, and to examine evaluation for fashion e-retailers' attributes.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A total of 1,211 internet users who have visited an online fashion mall at least once participated in a web survey. Lifestyles were analyzed by factor analysis, generating five factors. Five segments were obtained by k-mean cluster analysis. Descriptive analysis, ANOVA, chi-square tests, and radar charts were employed.\nFindings: - Internet users were classified into Economical Shopper, Recreational Shopper, Fashion/brand Shopper, Fashion Follower, and Individualistic Shopper. Each segment presented different characteristics in demographics and internet usages. In addition, segments evaluated e-retailers' attributes differently. Fashion/brand Shopper presented the highest levels of overall satisfaction and intention to purchase fashion goods online, while Fashion Follower showed the opposite.\nResearch limitations/implications: - A profile of each segment explained who they are and why they buy or shop for fashion goods online. Evaluation for e-retailers' attributes indicated how online marketers responded to potential buyers' needs and values.\nOriginality/value: - The paper offers valuable recommendations to apparel e-retailers based on characteristics of each segment.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Does intellectual capital matter in performance management system-organizational performance relationship? Experience of higher education institutions in Indonesia	[ "Intellectual capital", "Higher education institutions", "Organizational performance", "Performance management system" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Performance is always crucial for both profit-oriented and nonprofit-oriented organizations because it is the actual achievement of the desired organizational goals and objectives (Beitsch et al., 2015; Para-Gonzalez et al., 2018; Geys and Sorensen, 2018). Performance refers to the results of activities in the form of outputs and outcomes (Van Dooren et al., 2015; Angiola et al., 2018). Performance is also related to the achievements of organizational vision and mission (Bititci et al., 2016; Duygulu et al., 2016). Recently, there has been a growing tendency throughout the world that public organizations are facing great pressures to improve performance and to reform public management regarding the use of public resources (West and Blackman, 2015; Gerrish, 2015; Angiola et al., 2018). Using the story of the financial crisis, Massey (2018) stated that public organizations must be reformed in terms of improved policy capacity and good governance. A strong state in a free economy must be capable of balancing between deregulation for economic growth and regulation for the public goods (Hvidman and Andersen, 2014; Bergquist and Keskitalo, 2016; Hazelkorn and Gibson, 2019).\n2. Literature review and hypotheses development: PMS has a crucial role in the success of strategy implementation and organizational performance. Although it is still controversial (Candido and Santos, 2015), according to Mintzberg (1994, pp. 25, 284) and Kaplan (Kaplan and Norton, 2001, p. 1), the failure rate of strategy implementation ranges between 50 and 90 percent. The failure in strategy implementation causes a significant loss for an organization (Ivancic, 2013). This is why an effective PMS is needed to keep strategy implementation in the right place (Ilee and Puranam, 2016).\n3. Methodology and measurement: 3.1 Research design\n4. Empirical results: 4.1 Results of descriptive statistics\n5. Conclusion, contribution and limitation: 5.1 Conclusion\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether performance management system (PMS) has a positive effect on organizational performance. Furthermore, it also investigates whether intellectual capital (IC) mediates PMS-organizational performance relationship.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study is designed as a quantitative research employing a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Using an online survey, data are collected from the HEIs managers under the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, the Government of Indonesia (MRTH-GOI). This research uses a mediation model approach to test the indirect effect of IC.\nFindings: The results reveal that PMS has a positive direct effect on organizational performance of the HEIs in Indonesia. Further analysis proves that IC partially mediates PMS-organizational relationship.\nResearch limitations/implications: This research is context-specific for Indonesia and caution should be used when generalizing it to other countries. It implies that the better the organizational performance of the HEIs, the better the quality of life in the society. PMS and IC play a crucial role in the era of knowledge economy.\nPractical implications: The HEIs managers should design and implement a reliable PMS. They also should properly manage the IC (human capital, structural capital, relational capital) so that they can enhance organizational performance in areas of teaching, research and community service as the core business of the HEIs.\nSocial implications: As the global education competition has become a serious issue in each HEI in Indonesia, the results of this study contribute to providing an approach on how to achieve a better organizational performance which brings more benefits to the society. The HEIs display a strategic role in improving the quality of life of society. The knowledge economy requires society to enhance the quality of education at all levels. This research model and results provide empirical evidence of the importance of IC which mediates the relationship between PMS and organizational performance. When the HEIs in Indonesia implement this model of managing IC, the society will get more benefits in terms of the improvements in the quality of education, teaching, research and community service from the HEIs. The better the HEIs performance, the better the quality of life of the society in the era of knowledge economy.\nOriginality/value: This research brings together issues that are usually examined separately in previous studies. It employs a mediation research model to explore the central role of IC in PMS- organizational performance relationship which is rarely researched. This is also the first study exploring the three constructs of PMS, IC and organizational performance in the Indonesian HEIs research setting.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Did partnership in Ireland deliver for all workers? Unions and earnings	[ "Social partnership", "Earnings inequality", "Union premiums" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Since 1987 social partnership agreements between government, employers and trade unions have regularly set annual wage increases across all unionised establishments in the Irish economy. In all there have been seven formal agreements, usually lasting for a three year period. The partnership agreements concluded after 1995 coincided with a remarkable period of economic growth (Nolan et al., 2000; MacSharry and White, 2000). The last pay agreement (towards 2016) was concluded in November 2008. Yet early in 2009 the agreed pay increases for all public sector workers and many private sector workers were suspended. The unique growth conditions in the Irish economy up to 2007 changed dramatically with the global financial crisis. After more than 20 years of social partnership agreements the process began to unravel. Assessment of the organisational benefits for trade unions from the partnership period appear to have been relatively poor (D'Art and Turner, 2011). Union density levels decreased significantly, union recognition became more difficult to achieve and employer opposition increased in scope and intensity. In this context it may be an appropriate time to assess the extent to which the era of partnership between unions, employers and the state has delivered in terms of a wage premium for union members compared to non-union workers and more generally whether harmonisation of earnings has occurred across the private sector.\nTheory and literature: A central function of trade unions and collective bargaining is to improve the wages and conditions of union members. Collective bargaining evens up the asymmetrical power imbalance inherent in the employment relationship by increasing the market power of workers to collectively negotiate wage raises. Alternatively non-union individual workers rely on individual sources of power such as skill and expertise. However, it has been argued that unions also affect non-union wages through a threat and a spill-over effect (Freeman and Medoff, 1981; Hirsch, 2004; Farber, 2005). The \"spill-over\" effect results from a reduction of union employment due to the increase in the union wage and a consequent increase in labour supply in the non-union sector. This effect causes downward pressure on non-union wages. Alternatively the \"threat effect\" motivates non-union employers to increase wages to avert the threat of unionisation. The evidence indicates that the threat effect tends to dominate, though the efficacy of its impact for non-union workers in highly organised industrial sectors compared to non-union workers in less organised sectors is relatively marginal (Freeman and Medoff, 1981; Farber, 2005).\nUnions and wage inequality: Trade unions traditionally have attempted to shape pay structures by ensuring lower levels of income dispersion among union members compared to non-members (Metcalf et al., 2001; Metcalf, 1982). Many unions operate within a tradition that views the labour market as embedded in a moral economy that consists of norms prescribing fair distribution and the reduction of inequality in pay (Western and Rosenfeld, 2011). Trade unions have traditionally been seen as the defenders of egalitarian pay structures demanding \"equal pay for equal work\", the standardisation of pay setting mechanisms where pay scales are attached to jobs rather than the individual (Machin, 1999). Politically unions encourage economic equality and social solidarity through mechanisms such as public speeches, advocate redistributive public policies and shape fair rules governing the labour market (Western and Rosenfeld, 2011). Empirical studies generally indicate that trade unions act to reduce income inequality in labour markets indirectly through political and social pressure and directly through its actions at industry and workplace level (Freeman and Medoff, 1984; Gosling and Machin, 1995).\nSocial partnership, wage premiums and wage inequality: There are a number of reasons to expect that 20 years of social partnership may have reduced the wage premium and wage inequality between union and non-union employees and establishments. First the dominance of social partnership in setting wage increases at national level agreements, though formally covering only unionised establishments, tended to filter down to the unorganised sector. Many non-union firms adopt similar pay arrangements in order to retain staff and avoid the threat of a unionised drive - \"the threat effect\" (Sexton and O'Connell, 1997; Flood and Toner, 1997). While non-firms are under no obligation to accept the terms and condition negotiated in the national wage agreement, such firms have tended to use the agreements as a benchmark for pay (Geary and Roche, 2001; Collings et al., 2005).\nOther factors associated with the size of the wage gap: The size of the wage gap is also likely to vary depending on a number of sectoral and workplace factors. First, the higher the level of union density in a sector or industry the greater the union premium is likely to be and the lower the level of wage dispersion (Freeman and Medoff, 1981; Belman and Heywood, 1990). This effect may extend to non-union workers. Non-union workers in highly unionised sectors and industries may enjoy a wage premium compared to similar non-union workers in weakly unionised sectors (Hirsch, 2004; Western and Rosenfeld, 2011, p. 524). McGuinness et al. (2010) found that within firm wage inequality in Ireland was inversely related to trade union density levels.\nData and measures: The analysis in the paper is based on the NES carried out by the Central Statistics Office in October 2008. The purpose of the NES is to provide information on the distribution of individual employee earnings and on the factors which influence earnings levels. It allows results to be broken down by sector, occupation, age, sex, educational attainment as well as many other individual employee circumstances. Participating employers are requested to supply a sample of employee names. A sample of employers is selected initially and in a second stage a sample of employees is selected from within the selected enterprises. Employers complete a questionnaire with basic organisational details and practices and certain payroll-type details for the sample of employees. These details relate to gross earnings including overtime and shift allowances in a pay period together with hours worked in that period. An employee questionnaire is completed separately by each of the employees in the sample chosen. The measures used here are sourced from the combined matching in one database of the employer and employee surveys. It is important to note the nature of the different measures in both surveys.\nResults: Generally raw mean hourly earnings tend to be higher for union members than non-union employees. Unionised male employees earn an average of EUR21.07 per hour and females earning an average of EUR17.81 compared to EUR20.44 for non-union males and EUR16.5 for females.\nConclusion: Based on the extant literature on the effects of trade unions we predicted a positive wage gap in favour of unionised employees. Controlling for individual and workplace characteristics results indicate that unionised employees enjoy a wage gap of around 6 per cent over non-union employees. This is considerably lower than the mark-up of 20 per cent estimated for union employees in 1987 (Callan and Reilly, 1993). The difference between the two figures likely reflects a real decline in the union wage gap between union and non-union employees and is reflective of similar trends of a lower union wage premium over time in the USA and particularly the UK and Canada. A common feature of the Anglo-Saxon countries including Ireland is a consistent decline in the proportion of unionised employees in the private sector. Consequently union bargaining power is likely to be weakened in the private sector especially in firms where union density levels are low. Regarding wage dispersion levels the evidence indicates that trade unions in the Irish private sector act to reduce inequality.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: After 20 years of social partnership in Ireland the purpose of this paper is to use a national survey of firms and employees to examine the extent of the wage gap between union and non-union workers in the private sector and compare the degree of wage inequality in union and non-union firms and among union and non-union employees.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The analysis in the paper is based on the National Employment Survey carried out by the Central Statistics Office in October 2008. Approximately 9,000 enterprises were sampled and almost 5,000 enterprises responded - a response rate of over 50 per cent while almost 100,000 employees were sampled and 65,535 completed the questionnaire - a response rate of over 60 per cent. In total 22 per cent (14,619) of respondents worked in the public sector and 78 per cent (50,916) in the private sector.\nFindings: It appears that over time the earnings premium enjoyed by unionised workers has declined. This may reflect a long term decline in union bargaining power in the private sector as union density levels have declined. Even so unionised employees enjoy a wage premium over non-union employees and collective coverage appears to reduce levels of income inequality. However, the overall union wage gap is relatively modest - being generally below 10 per cent possibly due to the harmonising effects associated with the period of social partnership supported by government trade unions and employers.\nResearch limitations/implications: The cross-sectional nature of the data means that the factors associated with variations in employee earnings over time cannot be identified.\nPractical implications: There is substantial evidence of a considerable spill-over effect as nationally agreed rates of pay percolated from the union to the non-union sector. It may also be the case that social partnership has acted to reduce wage inequality in non-union as well as union establishments. It appears that partnership type arrangements have the capacity to deliver for all workers in the private sector.\nOriginality/value: A unique aspect of the national survey data used here is the availability of employer/employee matched data from a robust national level survey with measures of union membership, earnings, individual and employment characteristics.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Are business schools studying and teaching the right things?	[ "Business schools", "Education", "Teaching", "Innovation" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Is the world really \"flatter\" than it used to be? Absolutely, if by \"flatter\" we mean the removal of barriers that have kept nations apart since the beginning of history.The spectre of global integration has arrived, with serious implications for all institutions - and that most certainly includes business schools. Our academic institutions can either absorb and teach the lessons of globalisation, or have it act upon them in not always happy ways.Globalisation has arrived in full force because of the convergence of several powerful factors:free trade agreements put into place over the past two decades;the shift toward services and technology-driven economies;the emergence of highly skilled workforces in the world's largest nations; and, of coursethe reality of a global networked infrastructure.For the first time in history, everything is connected - businesses, workflows, transactions and billions of individuals. There are 1.2 billion people, millions of businesses and perhaps a trillion devices connected to the world wide web. By 2011, it is estimated that the internet will reach two billion people - nearly one-third of the world's population.When everything and everyone is connected, we know what happens - things move. And that includes work. Work flows to the places where it will be done best - that is, most efficiently and with the highest quality. It is like water finding its own level.What are the ramifications for academia of this phenomenon? Are the future employees who will drive the differentiation and innovation that keep us ahead of the pack getting the educational experience they will need to lead? A recent study from two professors at DePaul University in the USA suggests that they are not.The study examined US Labour Department data on thousands of executives across 52 industries who identified the skills they found most valuable in managers. The study also looked at the core curricula at 373 business schools and compared the managers' views with the required MBA coursework. While managing decision making and human capital were at the top of managers' lists when it came to ranking skills in order of importance - it ranked only fifth out of six in terms of how well-represented it was in the core curricula of the B-schools surveyed. Based on their core curriculum offerings, business schools were placing the greatest emphasis on managing administration and control, an area that came in next to last in terms of importance in the survey.This disconnect points to an obvious need for a more collaborative relationship between higher education and industry in order to create the twenty-first century skills that will drive competitiveness and economic growth.One example; when IBM first started building computers after the Second World War, there were no formal education programs in computer science. In fact, the term \"computer science\" did not even exist. Many people were sceptical that teaching about computers was a legitimate area for scientific inquiry. After all, was not a computer just a machine, like an automobile or a washing machine? How could studying that be a true science?But for IBM the question was hardly ... pardon the pun ... academic. If we did not start teaching about computers in our schools and universities, where were the designers, engineers and the scientists that IBM wanted to hire going to come from? The solution for IBM was to work closely with universities to develop computer science as a new and legitimate field of study. IBM's first computer science research lab was at Columbia University, a co-project of the school and IBM. Columbia's first computer science course was co-taught by an IBMer. And today, more than 50 years later, it would be hard to image a major university on any continent without a department of computer science.The point I want to make in citing that analogy is that we face a similar situation today. In our world, the services industry - especially IT services - is facing the same daunting challenge. There is a dearth of formal programs to develop future employees who have studied services as a distinct aspect of the modern economy.Today IBM and many other companies such as EDS, Accenture and HP to mention just a few, are working with academia to help create \"service science\" ... because we see services as fundamentally depending on people working together, and with technology, to provide innovation and differentiation for us - and value for our clients.We see this focus on service innovation as bringing together a number of different academic areas that already exist - engineering ... behavioural management ... organisational theory ... business modelling ... and of course a deep background in technology, combined with an understanding of people, cultures, and the ability to interact remotely in this global environment - exactly the sort of knowledge that the DePaul study said was important to modern executives.So we believe very strongly that academia needs to consider services as a distinct and legitimate area for research and teaching, and that doing so is part of academia's role in preparing students for the high value jobs of the future, jobs that are out there and available and will be for decades to come.If this looks interdisciplinary to you, that is because it is. Because that is where the great majority of innovation is coming from today ... at the intersection between established fields of study. And to move forward economically, we need more people who are comfortable moving back and forth across traditional academic boundaries.There is a great lack of these skills ... you might call them \"overlapping\" skills, especially at the juncture of business and IT. The industry needs people who understand how their company works and how to use technologies to help the business improve the way it delivers services. Likewise, business students need to know more about technology in order to imagine and execute new business models.Industry can shine headlights to what is coming, but ultimately it is up to our university partners as to whether they move in that direction or not. But one piece of advice from a company that has been to the brink and back: If you are not selling what your customer needs in the modern economy, you can become uncompetitive very quickly; and that includes the \"customers\" who are buying an education for the twenty-first century.Over the next decade, IBM alone will hire thousands of people to work in our services business. Information technology will remain a growth area, but most of the new jobs will be in the service side of the technology business.The marketplace requirements for technical talent are evolving quickly. The best jobs are in client-facing areas - designing advanced systems and sophisticated applications customised to add business value in a specific industry or organisation. These new jobs are much more collaborative, interdisciplinary and broader than the solitary, code-crunching programming jobs of the past. These new jobs require solid technical competence ... yes ... but combined with business and organisational knowledge, as well as good communication and people skills.\nPotential for groundbreaking academic research in services: Preparing students for this emerging workforce is the primary reason a service science discipline must begin to emerge. But another key benefit of creating this field is the potential for groundbreaking academic research in the burgeoning world of services.IBM itself began expanding its own service science research after determining that even though services were the fastest growing part of our company's business, we were not spending very much R&D money on them. And IBM is hardly the only company focused on services.Over the past several decades, services have exploded as a percentage of the world economy. Even China, best known for its low-cost manufacturing capability, envisions itself as a services powerhouse within the next five years. Yet while services continue to grow, little analysis and research have been devoted to how we can be more systematic about service innovation.One problem: the definition of what constitutes a service can seem vague - anything from dry cleaning to investment banking might be classified as a service. I would define it this way: Service is the application of skill to solve a particular problem.Because virtually every sector of the economy uses information technology in its operations, there is a pressing need and opportunity for universities to focus on training and research that targets IT services in particular. Applying the discipline of engineering to IT services has the potential to drive tremendous innovation.While the service sector now accounts for the majority of the labour force in the most developed economies, the sector has yet to see the quantum leaps in productivity which have been driven over the years in the industrial and agricultural sectors.Here are some of the questions I think we need to address at our universities today: \"How do we become more systematic about service innovation?\"; \"How can scientific and mathematical analysis be applied to increase service productivity?\"; and \"How can we improve the predictability of demand for services?\".One example of such research might be companies utilising technology to find patterns in the way they have successfully delivered services and interacted with customers. The companies could then repeat those patterns with multiple customers. Studies like this could identify the various component parts of specific services - such as consulting - that companies could reuse to meet many customers needs without having to build each service offering from scratch.Although technology is a key element of service science, a better understanding of human behaviour is also critical. There is a need to integrate social sciences such as psychology and sociology, as well as anthropology, which could provide useful information about the way people and groups work and interact.These challenges offer fertile, unexplored territory for sophisticated academic research. We need smart students to bring their own imaginations to bear on projects that can lead to new thinking on best practices in services. That external perspective is vital to drive innovation.With any new field, there are naysayers. Some will question whether such interdisciplinary and market-facing skills can be taught in universities or whether they are the kinds of skills that can only be learned on the job. I expect similar concerns were raised in the formative days of computer science in the mid 1940s when professors and practitioners at Columbia University began teaching the first general computer science courses.New fields of study, especially those requiring interdisciplinary involvement, are sometimes perceived as too \"soft.\" But as we have seen with computer science and software engineering, acceptance is a matter of time.It took nearly two decades from the time the first computer science course was offered before the first doctorate in computer science was granted in 1965.I do not think it will take that long this time around. Corporations interested in service science have been actively working with academics to foster the field. We have also awarded grants to academic researchers, developed course materials, and worked with business academic consortia. Companies such as IBM and EDS have made a point of hiring people who have taken courses or received certificates in service science. And businesses are also employing service science principles in their own operations.But by starting now to create the courses, build the curricula, and generate the interest in research projects, we can begin to develop the structure of the field of services science. Forward-thinking universities are getting in on it. Professors and students in these pioneering programs will reap the dividends - as will the firms that capitalise on this new knowledge and new talent.This is not something that has to wait, or be studied to death. Universities throughout the world - most notably in North America, Europe, and Australia are already offering courses and graduate-level certification in service science, with the long-term goal of establishing degree and Master programs. Participating schools include the USA's Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California, Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon University; Makerere University, Uganda; Universidad Raimon Llull, Spain; Erasmus University, Rotterdam; Budapest Tech, Hungary; Switzerland's Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne; Italy's Bocconi School of Management, the University of Pavia, Scuola Sant'Anna di Pisa and University of Castelanza; Portugal's Porto University; Germany's Karlruhe University and University of Stuttgart, and the UK's University of Manchester, University of Warwick, University of Cambridge, and the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London.The program at Porto University was a direct outcome of IBM's close relationship with that school, going back several years to it being the first university on the Iberian peninsula to sign on to IBM's World Community Grid program, which harnesses voluntarily-donated down time from PCs around the world for non-profit research on diseases and other broad-based research projects of common public interest. More recently, Professor Falcao e Cunha both attended and presented at a Service Science summit that IBM held in the USA, and returned to the University committed to begin a formal program at the school. Now the Portuguese Ministry of Education has approved the University's program for a Masters degree in Engineering of Services and Management, which IBM Portugal strongly supported with a letter of recommendation to the government from IBM Portugal's Country General Manager. It is expected that IBM will contribute to the courses with lectures, case studies and internships.Another great example is the e-Commerce MBA program at the State University of Management (SUM) in Russia. When the University was looking for a technology partner that also had experience at working with universities, they came to IBM. They knew that through IBM's Academic Initiative, faculty and researchers worldwide, the university can gain access to software, hardware, training, course materials and more. A team of two professors and two IBM specialists was formed to examine all aspects of what it would take to create an e-Commerce MBA program ... from core courses to technology support. Based on the feasibility report, both SUM and IBM committed to a series of actions to establish this degree, which would not have been possible without strong teamwork on both sides.\nPotential stumbling blocks: With all this going for service science as a new academic discipline, what is holding it back?Clearly one element is political. It can be difficult for university administrators to adopt multidisciplinary programs because academic departments often do not want to give up faculty positions for such efforts and because it flies in the face of the current disciplinary structure.Some academics may also be wary of service science because they are concerned that it will turn out to be just another fad or buzzword. Others may not want to go into a field that has little history and no published journals, does not yield much grant funding, and is unlikely to lead to a tenured position.But what can change this is the development and demonstration of challenging problems of interest to both academia and business. Adequate research funding from both camps could be the stimulus that really gets service science launched on campuses around the world.It might still be too early to know for sure how service science will fare as a formal discipline. But I personally think it has a great shot at success because it addresses such a fundamental and long-standing concern of employers: giving students a mix of technology and management skills. There is also a growing consensus that service innovation is critical to every nation's economic future.Nonetheless, more funding and more focus are needed to kick-start service science as an academic discipline. If this occurs on a broad enough basis, the field will enable students and faculty to do the research that will result in a knowledge base that can yield new tools, new methods, and better answers to the questions we have today.Our modern world runs on services. To grow economically, we need a level of service innovation that can only come from approaching the task scientifically, on campus as well as in the workplace. Please join me, IBM and many other companies in supporting the development of this new and promising academic discipline.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of the importance of services as a subject for scientific research and teaching. Services represent the majority of the world economy but universities and business schools have not generally considered services to be an appropriate subject for scientific research and teaching. With the help of industry, universities and business schools need to bring together a variety of current academic disciplines, including engineering, statistics, management theory, and human psychology, to develop a formal, interdisciplinary curriculum around service science. It is imperative that we do this to drive much needed service innovation and to equip graduates for the jobs of tomorrow.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper is based on first-hand experience of working with over 50 universities from around the world which are developing service science as an academic discipline and research topic.\nFindings: - The paper finds that the number of business schools and universities running service science on their curriculum is on the rise. By being part of the Service Science, Management and Engineering (SSME) academic initiative, business schools and universities are enabling their graduates to benefit from the swiftly growing service sector and strengthening their linkages with business.\nOriginality/value: - This paper sets out to inspire academic and business school leaders to find out more about SSME.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Multi-stage expectation-confirmation framework for salespeople expectation management	[ "Salesperson turnover", "Expectation confirmation theory", "Multi-stage framework", "Salespeople expectation management", "Stage-specific intervention" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Firms value the satisfaction and loyalty of not only their end consumers, but also of their employees. However, managing the satisfaction and loyalty of salespeople - who are the dominant drivers of revenue in many business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer companies - is challenging, as reflected by high turnover rates (Boles et al., 2007). Failure to retain salespeople is detrimental to firms because of the high costs of hiring and training salespeople (Farias et al., 2017; Griffeth and Hom, 2001) and loss of revenue over time (Palmatier et al., 2007). Therefore, it is important for firms to manage turnover rates by understanding the underlying drivers of salespeople's job satisfaction and allocating resources accordingly.\n2. Development of a multi-stage expectation-confirmation framework: 2.1 Expectation-confirmation theory and multi-stage expectation-confirmation framework\n3. MECF and organizational interventions: 3.1 Pre-expectation stage\n4. Implications: Considering the dearth of scholastic attention to salespeople expectation management, this paper contributes to the salespeople development and management literature by presenting MECF. This paper proposes MECF as a general framework from which a variety of specific models, all sharing salespeople expectation management as a core, can be derived. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to provide a comprehensive framework for describing the relationship between expectations, tenure and turnover intentions of salespeople. The main contributions of this paper are:\n5. Limitations and future research: The proposed MECF and its limitations provide ample opportunities for future research. Most notably, future research is needed to empirically validate the propositions in this study, such as the non-linear relationship between expectations, tenure and turnover intentions. We invite empirical applications using large data sets from a sales organization setting. Researchers may use the latent difference score approach using structural equation modeling (McArdle, 2009) to analyze the outcomes of expectation-confirmation in a longitudinal manner. This approach also allows the investigation of intra-individual changes in levels of expectations as well as individual differences in these changes and how they might influence turnover intentions over time.\n6. Conclusion: Salespeople start their jobs with their own set of expectations (e.g. expectations about salary raise, promotion, bonus, paid sick-leave, longer vacations, etc.). As time passes, the expectations continually change and evolve. Notably, expectations developed in early stages of professional careers affect salespeople satisfaction and turnover. That is, salespeople may leave early if positive expectations are unmet. Thus, a winning strategy for sales organizations is to recognize salespeople expectations and to meet or beat these expectations. Salespeople expectation management is particularly important in sales organizations that frequently find aligning sales force management strategies with organizational imperatives to be challenging. The MECF framework can be used for effective salespeople expectation and turnover management and may also serve as a general model of organizational interventions.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Despite its significance in salespeople management, salespeople expectation management has received little attention in the literature, especially in the industrial marketing literature. In response, the purpose of this study is to leverage the expectation confirmation theory to present a conceptual framework that provides an effective tool for salespeople expectation management.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study first explores the application and strategic implications of expectation-confirmation theory in salespeople expectation management and theorizes that salespeople establish pre-expectations (expectations that are developed before joining the firm), experience multiple stages of the expectation-confirmation process throughout their sales career with a firm and - in each stage - establish either a longer-term commitment to or permanent disengagement from the firm.\nFindings: A winning strategy for sales organizations is to recognize salespeople expectations and to meet or beat these expectations. Salespeople expectation management is particularly important in sales organizations that frequently find aligning sales force management strategies with organizational imperatives to be challenging.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study extends expectation-confirmation theory by presenting a conceptual framework that: identifies the existence of pre-expectations of salespeople and their outcomes; recognizes that the expectation-confirmation process occurs across multiple stages in the salespeople's career cycle; recognizes that the level of expectations in previous stages of one's career cycle influences the level of expectations in subsequent stages; and conceptualizes the non-linear relationship between expectations, tenure and turnover intentions.\nOriginality/value: The multiple expectation-confirmation framework can be used for effective salespeople expectation and turnover management and may also serve as a general model of organizational interventions.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Customer satisfaction and loyalty in the United Arab Emirates banking industry	[ "United Arab Emirates", "Islamic banks", "Customer satisfaction", "Customer loyalty", "Conventional banks" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Customer satisfaction in various industries is a widely studied topic in marketing literature. As awareness increases among customers and they become more demanding, the need to understand the factors leading to greater customer satisfaction assumes a dominant position. Swan et al. (1982) describes satisfaction as:\n2. Literature review: Yi (1990) indicates that satisfaction with products and services is a product of pre-purchase expectations and disconfirmation. If the perceived performance of the product or service exceeds anticipated levels, then the result is positive disconfirmation, and perceived under-performance leads to negative disconfirmation (Jamal and Naser, 2002). The former leads to the continuity of the relationship and positive word of mouth, and the latter may result in the discontinuity of the relationship and negative recommendations. Customer satisfaction not only affects purchase decisions but also influences the post-purchase approach (Yi, 1990). Customer loyalty results in increased profitability and decreased costs for the company, as it is relatively cheaper to serve existing customers rather than enticing new customers (Hallowell, 1996). Loyal customers are less price-sensitive (Anderson et al., 1994) and their familiarity with the service delivery system results in lower costs and increased revenues for the company (Reichheld and Sasser, 1990). Dawes and Swailes (1999) suggest that attracting a new customer is five times costlier than retaining an existing one. Tantakasem and Lee (2007) assert that a 5 percent increase in customer retention can enhance a firm's profitability by 50 percent. Gupta et al. (2004) find that a 1 percent improvement in retention of customers results in a five-time greater impact on firm value than a 1 percent decrease in cost of capital. Anderson and Mittal (2000) document that the negative impact on Return on Investment (ROI) due to decline in satisfaction is double the positive impact on ROI due to enhanced satisfaction. This clearly designates strong association between an extended relationship with the customer and increased value of the firm.\n3. Data and methodology: The instrument for the study is adapted from Naser et al. (1999). Besides collecting the demographic information of the sample, the authors collected information on the awareness, usage, determinants of bank selection, and satisfaction factors with Islamic banks in Jordan. The questionnaire included 17 questions associated with bank selection determinants and 24 questions to measure satisfaction with Islamic banks. The survey used a five-point Likert scale, ranging from \"highly dissatisfied\" to \"highly satisfied\" to measure the satisfaction of Islamic bank customers. For this study, data is collected on all four aspects mentioned above; however, keeping in mind the primary purpose of this study, responses associated with factors of satisfaction have been considered, and findings have been reported accordingly. Moreover, to maintain the parsimony of the regression model, some tangibility and marketing related variables (e.g. architectural design and internal layout of the bank, advertising of products) included in Naser et al. (1999), are not considered in this study. Subsequently, the number of factors against which consumer satisfaction is measured is reduced to 14 for Islamic banks and 13 for conventional banks.\n4. Findings: 4.1. Islamic banks\n5. Discussion: Table VIII presents the comparison of results for Islamic and conventional banking stepwise regression and some results are worth mentioning. The cost factor is insignificant in both cases, which is also observed in earlier studies (Amin and Isa, 2008; Al-Eisa and Alhemoud, 2009; Jamal and Naser, 2002; Jabnoun and Khalifa, 2005; Kassim and Souiden, 2007; Levesque and McDougall, 1996). Roig et al. (2006) argue that cost factors bear more importance when the services are simplistic in nature. For example, Gronholdt et al. (2000) found that cost is a relevant factor for measuring loyalty with supermarkets in Denmark. Costs might be irrelevant in the case of banking services, which are perceived to be highly complex.\n6. Conclusion: The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that lead to loyalty among Islamic and conventional bank customers in the UAE. The analysis entailed customers from both Islamic and conventional banks. Stepwise regression allowed identification of the relationship between loyalty and various factors of customer satisfaction like cost, efficiency in handling issues on the phone and otherwise, confidentiality, management and board of directors, advice by personnel, knowledge of personnel, and reputation of banks. For Islamic banks, the Shariah Supervisory Board was also included in the independent variables. For conventional banks' customers, results indicated satisfaction with reputation, but an inverse relationship was highlighted between handling issues on phone and association with bank. On the other hand, Islamic banks customers indicated satisfaction with the Shariah Advisory Board, the number of branches, and efficiency dimension; however, negative association was highlighted between the relational aspects i.e. advice by the personnel and association with the Islamic banks. All the other factors were statistically insignificant. In terms of reputation of conventional banks, and the significance of the Shariah Advisory Board for Islamic banks' customers and number of branches, the results are in line with previous studies. However, the results related to efficiency of conventional banks are contrary to previous studies. The study has implications for banks, as higher customer satisfaction leads to customer retention and positive word of mouth.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the determinants of consumer loyalty in Islamic and conventional banks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study has relevance and importance in a country with a dual banking system. Since the products and services offered by the banks are largely homogenous, customer loyalty is mostly associated with the quality of certain tangible and intangible dimensions of service. It is important for the banks to understand the factors that lead to higher satisfaction and subsequent loyalty among consumers in the context of the UAE.\nDesign/methodology/approach: More than 300 respondents were surveyed to understand the factors that lead to continuing a relationship with Islamic and conventional banks. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and stepwise regression.\nFindings: The findings of the study indicate that Islamic banks' customers are satisfied with the Shariah Advisory Board, convenience-related factors such as number of branches, and efficiency-related factors like handling issues on the phone. However, an inverse relationship is found between advice by the personnel and length of association with the bank. On the other hand, the importance of reputation and efficient handling of issues on the phone is highlighted with respect to conventional banks.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study focusses only on consumers that bank either with Islamic or conventional banks and excludes those who deal with both Islamic and conventional banks simultaneously.\nPractical implications: The research has several managerial implications, as the findings of the study not only highlight the factors that banking consumers value the most in the UAE banking sector, but also provide insight into the factors which need immediate attention. These decisions have strategic and resource-related implications for banks. This knowledge will allow banks to align services with their long-term objectives and invest into resources and capabilities that will provide them competitive advantage.\nOriginality/value: The study allows identification of factors that are valued the most by banking consumers in a culturally and religiously diverse country with a dual banking system.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Case study analysis of Six Sigma implementation in service organisations	[ "Six Sigma", "Service organizations", "Case study", "Critical success factors", "Singapore" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Since, its introduction in the 1980s by Motorola, Six Sigma as a quality improvement methodology has gained importance both in manufacturing and service organisations (Basu, 2004). The initial success stories are mainly from the manufacturing sector and included organisations such as Raytheon, Texas Instruments and Honeywell. The success story of General Electric in the 1990s, catapulted Six Sigma into several manufacturing and service organisations. In the last decade or so, service organisations in the finance and banking sector such as Citibank and American Express, and health sector such as Baxter Health and Mount Carmel Hospital have registered success through Six Sigma implementation (Jones Jr, 2004; Sehwall and De Yong, 2003; Young, 2001; Rucker, 2000).Six Sigma implementation in service organisations though mainly limited to health care and finance in the initial years, is slowly getting recognized by other services such as information technology, call centers and education. According to Does et al. (2002) and Mortimer (2006) Six Sigma applicability is for all types of organisations throughout the world. This reflects in the growing influence of Six Sigma in countries such as Singapore where it is extensively implemented in public service organisations such as Alexandra Hospital, Singapore Power, and Singapore City Gas (Inozu et al., 2006; Pheng and Hui, 2004).An extensive literature review on Six Sigma implementation in service organisations by the authors (Chakrabarty and Tan, 2009, 2007) resulted in understanding several aspects. First the literature talks mainly about critical success factors (CSFs), critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristics, key performance indicators (KPIs), and a set of tools and techniques (STTs). There is ambiguity in understanding about KPIs both in the literature and in practice at the level of Six Sigma implementation. It is also observed that there is lack of rigor in the studies about Six Sigma in services. Authors such as Nonthaleerak and Hendry (2008) and Schroeder et al. (2008) stressed the need for rigorous research and theory development in studies related to Six Sigma implementation.Based on the identified gaps, this study aims to develop a framework and identify major factors that a play a role in Six Sigma implementation at the project level. The overall study includes data collection both qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative data collection is through multiple case studies in different service organisations. This paper presents results from four main case studies done as a part of the overall research. The results are presented through interpretation of the data collected through various techniques. On the Six Sigma implementation aspect at project level and also as part of the overall framework, the study focused on CSFs, CTQs, KPIs, and STTs. The practical issues explored are the difficulties and concerns of the practitioners regarding Six Sigma implementation in service organisations.The rest of the paper is organized into six sections. The next section provides a literature review and focus on Six Sigma implementation in manufacturing and services. The third section discusses the derived research questions. This is followed by two sections on case study data collection techniques and four case studies and their analysis. In the final section, the paper concludes with possible implications and limitations of the study.\nLiterature review: Six Sigma originated in industry. But in recent times, it has inspired a considerable amount of academic literature. This review of the literature covered a timeframe of 12 years (2000-2011).Scope and research methods\nResearch questions: Based on the above discussion, the following exploratory research questions were derived:RQ1. What success factors are of importance for succeeding with a Six Sigma implementation in service organizations? How do they impact its implementation in services?RQ2. How have service organizations successfully implemented Six Sigma, and what difficulties emerged during the implementation process?RQ3. What are the tools and techniques for Six Sigma implementation in services? How they are selected?\nMethodology: This type of study involves some issues which need to be addressed. One is the need for sufficient data. The three-phase approach considered in this study will ensure that valid and reliable interpretation are made while generating theories and in developing the framework. Next is to have rich and detailed enough data to go beyond the limited depth of explanation of the theories that occur in large-scale research. Practitioner involvement is important to overcome this issue. Relationships, attitudes, and meaningful insights have to be obtained from the practitioners' views to build a discussion around them. This will help to establish without misinterpretation the relationships and propagation of Six Sigma in service organizations. Finally, the practitioner has to be challenged so that the critically reflexive learning can be applied for Six Sigma implementation to a wider range of service organizations.In order to overcome these issues, an empirical study is developed using three-phase approach. This approach is integrative. It uses a combination of different techniques at each phase as shown in Figure 8. This integrative phase by phase process of data collection helps in developing an understanding of the phenomena over time, by allowing each phase of the research to build on learning from previous phase(s) (Gilmore and Carson, 1996).This paper reports on the results emerging only from the case studies which are conducted in two phases. The discussion on surveys and their results are out of the scope of this paper. The insights from case studies were rich and provide inputs for a larger scale survey which was conducted later in this study.Case studies\nData collection procedure: Interviews\nMultiple case study and qualitative outcomes: Brief description of cases\nDiscussion: The primary aim of this study was to explore the success factors, identification of CTQ characteristics, tools and techniques, and the performance indicators which display the improvements due to Six Sigma. This paper identifies different CSFs, CTQ, and STTs which influence Six Sigma implementation.Critical success factors\nConclusion: Implications to research\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The aim of this research is to explore the implementation of Six Sigma in service organisations. The focus of the investigation is on identifying critical success factors (CSFs), critical-to quality (CTQ) characteristics, tools and techniques and key performance indicators (KPIs), and also to understand the issues emerging from the implementation process.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Exploratory empirical evidence is provided through four in-depth case studies of organisations mainly in Singapore. They include a hospital, a public service organisation, a consultancy service and a hotel.\nFindings: - The major findings include an understanding about the suitability of Six Sigma implementation in service organisations. Management support and team member support emerged as primary success factors. The CTQs include time and cost, while use of soft tools instead of rigorous statistical tools are preferred by service organisations. At the project level, KPIs are understood more as CTQs. Additionally; various interesting practical difficulties emerged from the case studies.\nResearch limitations/implications: - A main limitation of this study is the small number of organisations studied and that are mainly from a single geographical location. Furthermore, the exploratory nature of the study demands rigorous in-depth studies. The practical difficulties identified will have major implications for managers. The framework including the CSFs, CTQs, KPIs, and tools and techniques, will be a useful guide for both practitioners and academicians.\nOriginality/value: - There are limited studies about Six Sigma implementation in service organisations. This paper provides a framework and a paradigm shift from viewing its implementation through a manufacturing lens.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Organizational justice and millennial turnover in public accounting	[ "Generation Y", "Distributive justice", "Procedural justice", "Organizational justice", "Employee turnover intentions", "Public accounting" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: With each new generation, public accounting leadership faces new challenges. The newest members of the workforce are known as Generation Y, the Millennial Generation, or the Millennials (Hagel, 2014). As Generation Y has entered the workforce, public accounting firms have been confronted by two serious staffing issues (Reinstein et al., 2012). First, there are not enough graduates qualified for life in public accounting (Reinstein et al., 2012). Second, the few qualified staff have been quitting their high profile public accounting jobs at an abnormally high rate (Reinstein et al., 2012). The notable impact of Millennial turnover in public accounting may be due to the field's bottom heavy structure in which recent graduates, mostly Millennials, comprise the majority of the associate and senior associate ranks. It is estimated that approximately 80 percent of client service public accounting employees are less than 35 years old (Mastrolia and Willits, 2013). Public accounting firms have implemented initiatives that should have reduced turnover, but those initiatives have not lowered the turnover rate (Vance and Stephens, 2010). The lack of results has indicated that other factors might have affected Millennial turnover decisions. Millennial public accountants have noted fairness as a factor (Deloitte, 2016). A Big Four Millennial public accountant stated, firms need \"to be fully transparent and strive for fairness and equality in all aspects of work\" (Deloitte, 2016, p. 11). Fairness can be quantified within the organizational justice theory.\nLiterature review: The problem of Millennial turnover in public accounting has been addressed by industry leaders. The following information highlights how PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) LLP, a Big Four public accounting firm and the world's largest professional services firm, was impacted by Millennial turnover. Ten years after the Millennials entered the workforce, leaders at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) (2013) LLP, could not ignore a growing problem. Their Millennial accountants were quitting at a higher rate than the firm had ever experienced (PwC, 2013). This phenomenon triggered an extensive generational study of PwC's (2013) employees to understand the new workforce, as almost 80 percent of their employees are Millennials. In contrast, only 50 percent of the general workforce will be Millennials by 2020 (Ware, 2014). The study identified work/life balance and work flexibility as key factors that drove Millennial turnover decisions (PwC, 2013). The Millennials also noted that ability to manage workload, internal career opportunities, and work relationships impacted their decision to stay or leave (PwC, 2013).\nHypotheses development: The phenomenon of Millennial turnover in public accounting is a complex and multifaceted issue. Employee turnover intentions have been related to several factors, including burnout, job satisfaction, stress, job commitment, and most importantly to this study, organizational justice. The public accounting industry has been known as a challenging workplace. The growth of Millennials in the public accounting environment has caused additional challenges. Millennial traits, particularly their sense of entitlement and need for constant feedback have impacted the public accounting environment. Based on a thorough understanding of these factors and evidence from the existing literature, the following hypotheses have been developed (stated in alternative format):\nMethod: Data collection\nResults: Descriptive statistics for the variables of interest are reported in Table II. H1 focused on identifying the relationship between distributive justice and turnover intentions while controlling for gender and tenure. The model indicated higher levels of distributive justice predicted lower levels of turnover intentions (R2=0.29, F(1, 74)=9.53, p<0.001), supporting H1 (Table III). An evaluation of Cohen's f2 guidance for effect size indicates a high practical significance based on a large effect size (f2=0.41) (Cohen, 1992).\nDiscussion: This research study confirmed the known relationships between distributive justice and turnover intentions and procedural justice and turnover intentions exist for Millennials in the public accounting environment and supported the applicability of the organizational justice theory with this specific population within this environment. The primary contribution is that the research expanded the organizational justice theory by suggesting that procedural justice might have a stronger relationship with turnover intentions than distributive justice for Millennial accountants. Previous studies have found distributive justice to be a stronger indicator of turnover intentions (Muzumdar, 2012). The discrepancy suggests that Millennials may perceive fairness differently. The statistically significant findings coupled with the large effect sizes demonstrate the practical significance of this study's results.\nConclusion: Millennial employee turnover has been a significant issue for the public accounting industry. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive value of distributive justice and procedural justice for Millennial turnover intentions among public accountants. This study demonstrated that perceptions of these two types of organizational justice had significant negative relationships with turnover intentions in Millennial public accountants while controlling for gender and tenure. The previously documented relationship between distributive justice and turnover intentions was confirmed with a solely Millennial sample. Previous studies reported inconsistent results regarding the relationship between procedural justice and turnover intentions. In a joint model that included both justice variables, procedural justice had a significant relationship with turnover intentions, while distributive justice did not. This may suggest that procedural justice has more predictive value for turnover intentions than distributive justice for Millennial public accountants. From these results, it is clear that further studies should be performed to understand the impact various programs could have on perceptions of organizational justice and turnover intentions, as well as the interrelationship between distributive justice and procedural justice. Organizational justice is important issue for Millennial public accountants. Public accounting firms must thoughtfully assess their retention programs and evaluation policies in order to manage perceptions of procedural justice and reduce turnover intentions.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between distributive justice, procedural justice, and turnover intentions for Millennial employees working in the public accounting environment.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data collection utilized an online survey sent to members of a regional certified public accountant organization (n=75).\nFindings: Lower levels of both distributive and procedural justice predicted higher turnover intentions, controlling for gender and job tenure. Procedural justice was found to have a stronger relationship with turnover intentions than distributive justice for Millennial public accountants.\nPractical implications: The public accounting industry is facing a crisis based on the shortage of staff and senior level accountants, which are primarily Millennial employees. The study results have practical implications for public accounting firms. The findings suggest that the fairness of organizational processes could impact Millennials' turnover intentions more than the fairness of organizational rewards. Employers could use this information to manage levels of procedural justice, which could reduce turnover intentions, actual turnover, and other byproducts of the staffing shortage.\nOriginality/value: This study examined the relationship between organizational justice and Millennial turnover intentions in public accounting. The study replicated the findings of some prior studies in a purely Millennial sample in the public accounting context and addressed some of the contradictory results seen previously related to organizational justice. As the public accounting industry has an abnormally large percentage of Millennial employees, these findings may be applied to other environments as the Millennial population in the workforce increases.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Communication problems in professional sports: the case of Greece	[ "Communications", "Coaching", "Sports", "Greece" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Interpersonal communication can be defined as the process by which information is exchanged and understood by two or more people, usually with an intent to influence or motivate behavior (Daft, 2000). It is the transfer of information in the form of understandable messages through a channel of a sender (coach) to others (players) (Alder and Rodman, 1994). Successful communication also means that the transmitted message must be appropriately decoded (Kanelopoulos, 1990) as it is a key factor in the cohesion of any group of people working together to achieve common objectives. Effective communication is a prerequisite for the coordination of any group; the development of good personal relationships and trust within the team; the creation of a positive environment within and around the team, leading the team's efforts to the achievement of its goals. On the other hand, lack of communication can lead to lack of cooperation and coordination, creating confusion among team members. Communication is correlated to effectiveness and efficiency of any team function, through its informational, motivational, evaluative and emotive roles (Himstreet, 1995).\nCommunication in sports teams: Communication is correlated to effectiveness and efficiency of any sports team function, through its informational, motivational, and evaluative role. Coaching, teaching, evaluating and decision making are very important activities, especially when somebody engages him/herself to help players to enjoy mastering new skills, competing with others, and feeling good. In small group communication every person can participate actively with the other members, so that whatever their makeup, small groups process characteristics that are not present in a dyad (Williams, 1989). Communication in groups is affected strongly by the type of leader (coach), who is in a position of authority. The coaches need appropriate knowledge regarding the technique, strategy, or skills of the sport, but also they should know how to teach these skills to players. To a large extent, team performance depends on the coach's ability to communicate effectively. As the leader of a group of people, s/he encodes and sends messages to players, in order to affect performance. According to Koontz and Weihrich (1990), the communication process, including sports teams, involves four different parts:1. Sender, also referred as the transmitter, is the person who leads the communication process and is the initiator of the message. The coach, as a sender, gives the necessary ideas, information, suggestions and orders to players during daily practices and official games.2. Message is the tangible formulation of an idea sent by the sender (coach) to the receiver (player). The message consists of the verbal (oral or written) and non-verbal symbols that have been developed to convey meaning to the receiver. Understanding of a message by players is very important, since they should know exactly how to execute skills and employ tactics, in order to achieve goals and objectives (Duck, 1993).3. Communication channel is the carrier of the message. The coaches should use the appropriate channels to send desired messages, using words, symbols, drawings, memos, signs, body language, etc. (Aldag and Stearns, 1987). When the message is received, the players engage in decoding, which is the process of translating the symbols into the interpreted messages.4. Receiver is the person with whom the message is exchanged. If no exchange takes place, then there has been no communication. It is the most complicated link of the communication process (Boone and Kurtz, 1992). For the purpose of this paper the players will be considered the receivers.\nThe main problems in the communication process: According to Daft (2000), Laios (1999), Alder and Rodman (1994), Koontz and Weihrich (1990) and Duck (1993), the main problems in the communication process between the coaches and the players are the following:* Limited time. During games the coach has limited time to communicate with his players. In a very short period of time instructions should be transmitted in a way that the players will understand them, although they are tired and not in their best condition. Limited time is more obvious during halftime breaks, time outs and overtimes.* Language. Another important communication problem is the language. In professional sport, especially after the Bosman case, teams are composed of players from different countries who speak their own language.* Ability of perception. Even when the roadblocks of limited time and language have been removed, during the communication process with the players the coach faces the problem of \"selective perception\", which means that the players perceive and decode differently the messages sent by the coach.* Negative attitude. Attitudes have three components: cognition (thoughts), affect (feelings), and behavior (Olson and Zanna, 1993), all of which constitute important factors in the communication process, because they greatly affect how the players perceive and execute the instructions sent by the coach.* External factors. Factors which are not directly related to the coach or players could also affect the communication process. Such factors are the spectators, the officials, the opponents and the noise. These factors are called external and are hard for the coach to control.\nMethodology: The sample included 24 (n=24) professional coaches from four different professional team sports in Greece. More specifically, they were ten football coaches, eight basketball coaches, five volleyball coaches and three handball coaches. All subjects were male. Coaches who participated in the study were working on the highest level of their sport (i.e. for football in the professional league). The research instrument was developed from a relevant review of literature that focused on main problems in communication inside small groups (Daft, 2000; Laios, 1999; Alder and Rodman, 1994; Koontz and Weihrich, 1990; Duck, 1993). There was one set - lists of five variables regarding the problems in communication (limited time, language, etc.). Coaches were asked to indicate the main communication problem.\nResults: A total of 24 professional coaches were asked about any communication problems between themselves and the players. Ten coaches (41.67 per cent) considered external factors the main problem. Six coaches (25.00 per cent) considered limited time the main problem. Four coaches (16.67 per cent) considered language the main problem. Three coaches (12.50 per cent) considered perception a problem and one coach (4.16 per cent) considered the negative attitudes a problem. Table I depicts the answers of professional coaches concerning what they consider as the most important problem in their communication with players.\nConclusion: Communication constitutes a very important factor for coaches and athletes in professional sports. Effective communication can influence significantly individual and team performance. The results of this research showed that the most important communication problems between coaches and players in professional sports are: the external factors, the limited time, the language, the ability of perception and the negative attitude. From the above-mentioned communication problems, the coaches considered the external factors (41.67 per cent) as the most important, especially when their teams are playing away. The noise of the spectators, the opponent's behavior and the officials whistling can influence the communication process to a high degree. The coaches cannot control these external factors but they can teach their players to be focused, calm and minimize the negative influence that outside factors can create. Of the coaches, 25 per cent need more time in order to communicate with their players, especially during the games. Many times the pressure of time in timeouts, halftime, overtime periods, interact with coaches' ability to communicate effectively with their players. That is why the messages by the coaches should be clear and short and the players should stay focused, even when they are tired. Language is considered by 16.67 per cent coaches as a main problem. Professional teams in Greece are composed of professional athletes from different countries. The players can be Greeks, naturalized, Americans and Europeans. The coach must find the proper language and proper methods to give his orders and transfer his messages in such a way that everybody will understand him. Professional players are great personalities, but the ability of perception varied in high degree. Depending on their mental abilities or past experiences, they can understand directions, strategies and tactics in a different way and time. A total of 12.50 per cent of the coaches considered the ability of perception of their players a main problem. That is why they should be aware of that when encoding messages, in order to avoid confusion and bad execution. Finally, the factor of negative attitude was considered as a main problem only by one coach (4.16 per cent). Many times the stress of the game, fatigue, athlete's personality, team cohesion, team environment and coach's personality can affect the player's attitude.\nA training check-list: In order to overcome the problems that occur during the communication process with the players of professional teams, the coaches should:* Communicate with clear and short messages, especially during the stressful time of a game. On the other hand, the players should stay focused, even when they are tired.* Be aware of the ability of every player while encoding messages, in order to avoid confusion. Players with high cognitive ability, high level of training and past experiences, understand easier instructions on strategies and tactics.* Train their players to be calm and focused.* Teach their players how to minimize the negative influence of the external factors, especially when they play away games.* In their contacts with players they should always project a positive attitude. They should not be afraid of accepting mistakes, and they should appraise and reward good performance when players are worth it.* Provide detailed information. They should avoid criticizing the personality of players. Instead, they should focus only on athletic performance. Providing players with the right directions and detailed information can improve performance and lead to success (Hale and Stiff, 1990).* They should listen carefully their players, especially when it comes to sport activities. Listening involves the skill of grasping both facts and feelings to interpret genuine meaning of a message (Pearce, 1989; Peters, 1988). The ability to listen well is linked to persuasive skills, showing that good listeners are good speakers as well.* Improve non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication refers to messages sent through human actions and behaviors rather than words. Non-verbal messages can be a powerful asset to communication if they complement and support verbal messages. The way a coach acts, talks, walks, or expresses ideas is considered a part of communication with the team and its environment (Martens et al., 1981).\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this research was to explore the communication barriers among coaches and players in professional sports, define the basic communication principles, and suggest methods of improving the communication process.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The sample included 24 professional coaches from four different professional team sports in Greece. All subjects were male. The research instrument was developed from a relevant review of literature that focused on main problems in communication inside small groups. There was one set - lists of five variables regarding the problems in communication (limited time, language, etc.). Coaches were asked to indicate the main communication problem.\nFindings: - The results of this research showed that the most important communication problems between coaches and players in professional sports are: the external factors, the limited time, the language, the ability of perception and the negative attitude. From the above-mentioned communicational problems, the coaches considered the external factors (41.67 per cent) as the most important, especially when their teams are playing away. The factor of negative attitude was considered as a main problem only by one coach (4.16 per cent).\nPractical implications: - Communication is one of the most important functions of management. Coaches of amateur and professional teams should know how to communicate successfully with players in order to maximize individual and team performance. That is why it is important for the coaches to know how to overcome the problems that occur during the communication process with the players.\nOriginality/value: - Even most of the coaches are realizing the importance of effective communication; this research points out the main communication problems between coaches and players and suggests methods of improving the communication process.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The assessment of ICT literacy of Iranian teachers through the ISST model	[ "Teachers", "Experts", "ICT literacy", "Information and communication technology", "ISST model" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Nowadays science and technology, has been an explosive and uncontrollable process, so at this time, we are facing with a changing world which lead to the discovery and invention of tools and equipments, explaining the procedures, structures and familiar processes that without applying them solving problems it is not possible (Abbasi and Nazarzadeh Zare, 2012), this means that, society in the twenty-first century requires creativity, problem-solving abilities and communication skills. Information and communication technologies (ICT) literacy has been focussed on these fundamental characteristics to cultivate those comprehensive capacities (Hwang et al., 2010, p. 128). On the other hand, the emergence of ICT in education has transformed teaching and learning to a more viable and effective method and would likely set the standard for the future (Oni et al., 2013). Therefore, the main mission of the education system is to equip the learners to do their appropriate role for the excellence of society. To achieve this mission in the current era, attending to ICT skills is necessary (Teo et al., 1997).\n2. Methodology: 2.1. Research method\n3. Findings: The descriptive findings in Table II show that 67.6 percent of experts in the study are female and 32.4 percent are male. Also 66.9 percent of teachers in the study are female and 33.1 percent are male:\n4. Discussion: In this research, the components of ICT literacy based on the ISST model from the viewpoint of experts of educational technology and teachers were studied. The findings of the study, after examining their viewpoint, showed that all components of ICT literacy were more than the mean level.\n5. Conclusion: Considering the fact the culture of using ICT in Iran is new, and the curriculum of the future should be prepared based on global changes, cultural diversity, quality of life, promotion of technology, lifelong learning, global economic and interaction with national environment, so fundamental training in the field of ICT literacy for teachers and students of Iran is more essential in the education system.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the views of experts of educational technology and teachers in Tehran, about the components of ICT literacy based on the ISST model.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study conducted a descriptive methodology by using a survey method. The statistical population consisted of 9,800 teachers and 37 experts of educational technology in Tehran; owing to the small size of the experts' population, all 37 experts were selected for research, and a sample of 266 teachers was selected based on the cluster sampling method. To collect the necessary data, the researcher designed a questionnaire based on four key components of the ISST model. To analyze the data, statistical procedures including the Kolmogrov-Smirnov test, one sample t-test and independent t-test were used.\nFindings: The findings of research showed that from the viewpoint of experts all components of ICT literacy were significant. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of teachers, all components of ICT literacy except the component of information society were significant. Furthermore, the findings showed that, there were a significant difference (p=0.05) between the views of experts and teachers about all components of ICT literacy, except the component of information processing.\nPractical implications: The study showed that to equip all teachers with the components of ICT literacy such as information device, information society, information processing and information handling can help them to improve efficiency and effectiveness, and also the ISST model applied in this study can be used by other functional areas.\nOriginality/value: This study showed that fundamental training in the field of ICT literacy for teachers is very essential in the education system, because fluency of ICT skills can help them to increase better performance, and subsequently to increase self-value, motivation, feeling of success and productivity in the work environment.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Influence of specialized hotels on employees' perception of abuse in the selective tourism destination	[ "Abuse forms", "Employees perception", "Montenegro", "Selective tourism destination", "Specialized hotels" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Abuse is a component of violent behavior, and the actual particular problem today is an issue of systematic abuses of women (Ferrante, 2016) in private life and the workplace. Chronic abuse may cause physical and mental disorders (Hoeger and Hoeger, 2015), which can severely damage not only employees' health but also employees' work effect in the tourism sector and thus the competitiveness of hotels and selective tourism destination.\n2. Literature review: Today abuse is very often cited as environmental abuse (Singal, 2014; Chen et al., 2014; Musakwa and Niekerk, 2013), which is associated with not only sustainable tourism development of tourism destination but also the sustainable development of hotel industry. Today issues of migrant abuse (Zopiatis et al., 2014) are especially actual which are linked with abuse in the workplace, in hotels (Okumus et al., 2010a) and travel agencies (Kracht and Wang, 2010) and other different forms of enterprises in travel and tourism industry. Very important contemporary problem is the problem of substance abuse (Shani et al., 2014; Hwang et al., 2014; Woo et al., 2015; Price et al., 2015), which can be brought into connection with the productivity in the workplace both on destination and hotel industry levels. Abuse is individual violent behavior (Robbins and Coulter, 2016) and at the hotel industry level (i.e. the level of specialized hotels), it can be physiological abuse or intolerant behavior (Keegan and Green, 2015), abuse of dignity or violation of dignity (Tracy, 2013; DeVito, 2015), verbal abuse or verbal threat (Karatepe et al., 2009; Daft, 2016), sexual abuse or harassment (Poulston, 2008; Mattel, 2016), workplace abuse or punishment (Williams, 2013) and corruptive abuse or corruptive activities (Das and Dirienzo, 2010).\n3. Methodology: The research methodology in this study has to describe the specific statistical procedures and techniques that will be used for identification, selection and analysis of data collected on influence of specialized hotels on employees' perception of abuse in the selective tourism destination. The methodology has shown how the data were collected and analyzed through the sub-heading participants, research variables and analytical procedure.\n4. Findings: Using F tests (Doane and Seward, 2011) with input parameters, we found Pillai V = 0.25 effect size f2(V) = 0.0434783; a error prob. = 0.05; power (1-b error prob.) = 0.80; number of groups = 17; and response variables = 6; and calculated minimum sample size for multivariate analysis of variance of 170 cases. The study sample is more than enough for further research. From that point of view, obtained results should be statistically highly reliable.\n5. Conclusion and discussion: 5.1 Conclusion\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper aims to determine to what extent there is a difference in employees' perception of abuse in the selective tourism destination in various types of specialized hotels.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A survey of employees in specialized hotels in the selective tourism destination has the sample of 1,796 cases. Multivariate analysis of variance is used for testing the level of perception's differences.\nFindings: There is a statistically significant difference in the perception of abuse among employees in various types of specialized hotels such as wellness hotels, sport hotels, business hotels and congress hotels.\nResearch limitations/implications: The results offer employees' perception of differences about abuse in various types of specialized hotels in the selective tourism destination. There is a possibility of practical usage of methodology for identification of the most often types of abuse in specialized hotels. The identification of abuse is to protect specific social structures such as employees in specialized hotels in the selective tourism destination.\nOriginality/value: Research could serve as a good example for future practical and theoretical research in the field of abuse and specialized hotels. The paper can be used as a methodological tool to show how to identify the most often types of abuse in specialized hotels in a concrete selective tourism destination.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Exploring determinants of internationalisation: the case of late starters	[ "Italy", "Export", "Regression", "Survey research", "International business" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Globalisation is changing the patterns of global beverage consumption because of manifold factors that drive the harmonisation process of consumer preferences (Smith and Mitry, 2007). However, the consequences of globalisation are affecting geographic regions and markets differently. In traditional wine producing countries wine consumption is on the decline, while consumers in non-producing countries are adopting wine in their beverage repertoire (International Organisation of Vine and Wine, 2015). As a consequence of these developments, world wine trade has markedly gained more importance. This observation is supported by the fact that international value and volume of wine have more than doubled between 2000 and 2010 (Mariani et al., 2012). The development of international trade agreements is thought to intensify this trend in the agricultural sector (Dixon, 2015). Developing an understanding and addressing internationalisation in the wine sector is a key topic that will shape the future of the European wine industry. This is particularly the case for Italian wineries as the domestic per capita wine consumption has declined by about 3 per cent annually according to the latest International Organisation of Vine and Wine (2015) data. International trade is strongly affected by these developments in domestic and international markets. In times where domestic demand is declining, firms will allocate more resources to increase exports (Esteves and Rua, 2015), which implies that businesses in traditional wine producing countries may shift focus from supplying their domestic markets to expanding their activity through export to new countries (Mariani et al., 2012). Italian exports specifically have benefited from the \"internationalization of Italian style and taste\" and its related pull effects on demand (Porter, 2011). Values of Italian wine exports have been continuously on the rise over the last decade, apart from a backlash in the aftermath of the great financial crisis in the year 2009. Particularly since 2011 it has been found that the rise in Italian wine export values has been driven by increasing unit values rather than by volume. On average, Italian wine exports have grown annually by 6 per cent between 2004 and 2013, while wine exports in the Emilia-Romagna (ER) wine producing region have grown in the same period by about 9 per cent in value annually (Istituto Nazionale Di Statistica, 2015). The recent development of the wine industry in ER is of interest as it is an example of an old world wine region which is currently in great transition. Traditionally, wine production in ER has been characterised by a high share of bulk wine. Recently, a marked increase in wine export value could be seen. The constitution of exports differs fundamentally from the Italian average, which is also an indication of the early stage of premium bottled wine production in the region of ER. Sparkling wine (ER: 3 per cent, Italy: 15 per cent) and bottled still wine (ER: 45 per cent, Italy: 76 per cent) exports show a considerably lower share compared to bulk wine exports (ER: 52 per cent, Italy: 10 per cent), which shape up the majority of the region's wine exports (Istituto Nazionale Di Statistica, 2013b). The long history in bulk wine production is also strongly associated with the structure of the local industry which has adapted to this production system. Wine producers in ER tend to be rather associated in cooperatives (ER: 68 per cent, Italy: 50 per cent) and 83 per cent of wine is produced by large-scale wine production businesses with annual production volumes above 5 million litres. This is markedly higher than the Italian average where the production volume share of this business group is 59 per cent (Agenzia per le erogazioni in agricoltura, 2008).\n2. Literature review: Conceptually this paper is based on the internationalisation framework of Johanson and Vahlne (1977) and the internationalisation paradigm proposed by Bilkey and Tesar (1977). Particularly in the early stages of internationalisation, export is the most important mode to access a foreign market (Johanson and Vahlne, 1977). Studies on internationalisation in the wine industry need to carefully consider the rigidity of agricultural production factors and the special role of origin. Recent studies in the wine sector have identified several particularities of internationalisation. The role of network relationships facilitated through oenotourism in Italy has been investigated by Francioni et al. (2016), while Dalmoro (2013) analysed the network effects of national wine bodies in Brazil and Uruguay. Determinants of export performance and related barriers have also received recent attention among wine producers in France (Maurel, 2009), Spain (Bardaji et al., 2014), Chile (Bianchi and Wickramasekera, 2013) and new world wine producing countries (Parcero and Villanueva, 2012). A meta-analysis by Santini and Rabino (2012) encourages further research on small businesses in old world wine production countries to study the heterogeneity in internationalisation and to apply a resource-based view on its determinants. Although the dominant economic perspective in international trade analysis is to use gravity models, the focus on business economics of this study advocates following another research stream which predominantly applies firm-level data. Before discussing the methodological reasoning, the following sections present the research framework first.\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Sample\n4. Results: Univariate descriptive statistics in Tables I and II show that businesses among the sample produce annually about 2,128 hl of wine. However, the annual output of half the businesses is below 800 hl. While the median annual revenue is about EUR300,000 EUR, because of some large firms, the average revenue of businesses in the sample is about EUR1 million EUR. The average number of staff per business is six, resulting in a per employee revenue of about EUR111,000 EUR. On average the ratio of annual revenue and wine production is EUR4.6 EURl-1, while for half of the wineries this ratio is less than EUR4 EURl-1. Export intensity of businesses is 24 per cent on average, whereas half of the businesses export less than 18 per cent of their annual production. Cellar door and direct sales are common practice among the businesses and on average 30 per cent (median: 15 per cent) of total wine sales occur through this channel. Sales to hotels, restaurants and cafes have been the most prevalent domestic sales channel (mean: 37 per cent; median: 30 per cent). Exportation of wine is most predominantly achieved through working directly with importers (mean: 53 per cent; median: 50 per cent). The use of export agents is rare and less than half of the businesses sell their wines through this type of agent. However, 12 per cent of wine exports are handled through this type of intermediary on average. The composition of exported wines is found to be driven by PDO wines (average: 65 per cent; median: 80 per cent), while PGI wine has a share of only 31 per cent (median: 10 per cent) and only 4 per cent is exported as common wine. Common wine is reportedly exported by only a small minority of businesses. Further, it can be seen that on average only 23 per cent of bottled wine exports are types of white wine (median: 20 per cent). Sparkling wine is exported by only a minority of the businesses and accounts for 2 per cent of the exported volume. The majority of exported wine is destined for the European market, but about 41 per cent of the wine is also exported outside Europe (median: 38 per cent). The data shows that half of the businesses in the sample did initiate their export activities within the last decade, which underlines the fact that the firms in the sample may be considered late starters (Francioni et al., 2016). A first analysis of the data finds firms with an export intensity of more than 10 per cent[1] significantly less likely to highlight the importance of the common territorial brand (p = 0.089). Instead, there is a tendency towards an elevated importance of individual corporate brands among committed exporters compared to experimental ones. Further differences can be seen in the fact that businesses that are committed to exportation are significantly more likely to attribute beneficial effects of exports on growth of the business (p = 0.095). Further, the majority of businesses among the sample consider exportation (very) important to grow the profit margins of their business.\n5. Discussion: The following paragraphs discuss the determinants of internationalisation of wineries in the ER region in the light of the conceptual relationships outlined in this research. While H2 through H5 were supported by the findings of the research, H1 could only be partially supported. According to the analysis, perceptions of difficulties did not differ significantly between experimental and committed exporters, which was also found earlier by Maurel (2009) among French wine producers. However, committed exporters were more likely to state that exportation is beneficial to the growth of their business. However, a dependence on the geographic focus of the market was identified. Results supported H2 and H3 indicating that productivity measures and unit revenue indicators are correlated with the export intensity of a business, while absolute measures of firm size did not show significant influence on this variable. These findings can be explained as businesses with higher unit revenues may be more likely to export and interact with foreign markets owing to higher product quality and higher relative competitiveness in foreign markets. Applying the Alchian-Allen theorem, low quality wines were found to be less competitive in foreign markets under the assumption that transportation costs were unit cost rather than ad-valorem cost, thus causing a higher effect the less the unit value of a good. From both parts of the study, the reported perceptions of barriers to internationalisation as well as the subsequent multivariate analysis of actual business characteristics, it can be concluded that product quality is a critical determinant to exportation. This finding shows further, that in relative terms, ER struggles in the mature domestic market, which is dominated in the premium segment by better known local wine producers. This point may be crucial for firms in developing their strategic objectives. For this reason, based on the statistical analysis, H3 was confirmed for the set of sampled businesses in the ER region, confirming a recent study on this relationship by Manova and Zhang (2012).\n6. Conclusions, limitations and future research: In an economy like the current one, strategic options that push companies towards international markets play a decisive role in the success of the same. The roads leading to internationalisation are numerous, and the chosen strategy takes different configurations defined by variables related to competitiveness, distribution and the environment within which a business is located.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of internationalisation among late starters in the wine sector. Strategic implications for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a young wine producing region are derived based on the findings.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data were collected through a quantitative survey among 38 wineries that are engaged in export activity in the Romagna wine producing area (Italy). Both multivariate analysis of cardinal company data through multiple and fractional regression models as well as nonparametric analysis of Likert-type survey elements were carried out.\nFindings: The study identifies several determinants that affect the export intensity of businesses in the sample: Resources within the business turn out to be important, as well as the choice of distribution partners. Characteristics of exported goods were found to differ on comparing intra- and extra-EU exports.\nPractical implications: Competitiveness in the international marketplace is closely linked to the product quality, distribution network and productivity of a firm. Regional networks can help businesses to develop these factors, overcome export barriers and strengthen the competitiveness of a region as a whole.\nOriginality/value: This study investigated the determinants of internationalisation in a wine producing region which is considered a late starter of internationalisation in the wine industry and it is the first one spotlighting on a regional firm-level in the Italian wine industry.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
"Opportunistic" spin-offs in the aftermath of an adverse corporate event	[ "Venture creation", "Entrepreneurs", "Biotechnology", "Spin-offs", "Triggers" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The prior organisational experience of entrepreneurs is an important determinant of \"how, by whom, and with what effects opportunities to create future goods and services are discovered, evaluated, and exploited\" (Shane and Venkataraman, 2000, p. 218). Ventures in many industries emerge through processes variously referred to as \"spin-offs\" and \"spawning\" (Agarwal et al., 2004; Basu et al., 2015; Chatterji, 2009; Klepper, 2001), where entrepreneurs draw on opportunities and resources from their prior workplace. Notwithstanding the importance of spin-offs, much of existing entrepreneurship research focusses on individuals that create de novo organisations, rather than de alio organisations, that is \"entrepreneurial ventures with their roots in the prior organizational experiences of their founders\" (Walsh and Bartunek, 2011, p. 1017), or fails to distinguish between the two types of new organisations (Helfat and Lieberman, 2002; Walsh and Bartunek, 2011)[1].\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Theories of spin-off formation\n3. Methodological approach: 3.1 Research approach\n4. Case study: Elan Corporation: 4.1 The successful parent\n5. Analysis: parent - spin-off inter-organisational dynamics: The crises at Elan and the implementation of a restructuring plan by new management represent an adverse event (Buenstorf, 2009). In total, 12 spin-offs emerged from Elan in the aftermath of the adverse event (Table I). This section analyses the spin-offs in terms of triggers to spin-off formation (drawing on the 2012 interviews with six spin-offs) and the relationship between the parent and the spin-off in terms of the genealogical inheritance of the spin-offs (drawing on the 2012 interviews with six spin-offs, the 2006 interviews with the Elan executives and industry experts, and the secondary data sources).\n6. Discussion: 6.1 Triggers to spin-off formation\n7. Conclusions: There is increased attention within the entrepreneurship domain to the study of the mobility of entrepreneurs between for-profit corporate organisations and new organisations (Fryges and Wright 2014; Wright, 2011). In seeking to understand entrepreneurship Dimov (2010) argues that entrepreneurship researchers need to identify the \"generative mechanisms that that explain particular sequences of events\" (p. 70). As such this study explored the inter-organisational dynamics, in terms of the triggers to spin-off formation and the inherited resources exploited by a spin-off, between a parent characterised by an adverse event and the spin-offs that emerged.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the inter-organisational dynamics, in terms of the triggers to spin-off formation and the genealogical inheritance of spin-offs, between a parent characterised by an adverse event and the spin-offs that emerge. The study focusses on the nature of the triggering event, exploring the heterogeneous nature of the processes by which some spin-offs are formed to exploit new opportunities created unexpectedly by an adverse event, and on the genealogical inheritance that forms the pre-entry experience of the founder.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A case study based on interview data with founders of spin-offs, supplemented with interviews with managers and industry experts, and with secondary data sources. The case study is of the spin-offs from a successful firm, Elan Corporation, reported to be the world's 20th largest drug firm in 2002, that experienced an adverse event in 2002. The Elan case offers the opportunity to focus exclusively on what Buenstorf (2009) refers to as necessity spin-offs. Prior to collecting data it was necessary to identify the population of spin-offs from Elan.\nFindings: This study extends existing research by identifying \"opportunistic spin-offs\": spin-offs that occur in the wake of an adverse event where the entrepreneur exploits an unexpected opportunity to engage in entrepreneurship but does not feel compelled to establish the spin-off. These spin-offs are characterised by \"unexpected opportunities\", \"opportunistic acquisition of assets\" and, perhaps reflecting the seniority and experience of those involved, \"alternative employment opportunities\".\nOriginality/value: Understanding the process of spin-off formation is important because it provides insight into how and why individuals initiate new ventures. Spin-offs are an important source of new firms and an important mechanism in the process of industry evolution. The study contributes to the literature on spin-offs by providing evidence of the heterogeneous nature of spin-offs that occur in the aftermath of an adverse event, leading to the classification of some spin-offs as \"opportunistic spin-offs\". The study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by demonstrating that an important trigger for venture creation is unexpected changes in an individual's employment circumstances.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Lean machine manufacturing at Munjal Showa limited	[ "Lean production", "Competitive advantage", "India", "Low Cost automation", "Lean machine", "Indigenous development" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Given recent increases in global competition, scarce resources, increasing costs and fluctuating economies, manufacturing organizations have taken to lean production system which has become critical to the long-term survival. As articulated by Liker (2004, p. 7): to be a lean manufacturer requires a way of thinking that focusses on making the product flow through value adding processes without interruption (one piece flow), a \"pull\" system that cascades back from customer demand by replenishing only what the next operation takes away at short intervals, and a culture to improve. Lean is a management philosophy focussed on identifying and eliminating waste throughout a product's entire value stream (De Treville and Antonakis, 2006; Narasimhan et al., 2006; Shah and Ward, 2003, 2007).\n2. About MSL: MSL was established in 1985, in technical and financial collaboration with Showa Corporation of Japan, the pioneering global leader engaged in the manufacture of shock absorbers. It is one of the longest Indo-Japanese joint venture with 39 percent equity partnership of Hero Group and 26 percent of Showa Corporation Japan, which is a Honda subsidiary. MSL is a member of Hero Moto Corp Group, in India. The primary manufacturing plant is spread over an area of six acres, in the industrial area of Gurgaon, Haryana, on the outskirts of the national capital territory of Delhi, India. The company turnover for the year 2012-2013 was INR 15,815 million ($284.44 million). The company set up its second plant in April 2005 at Manesar, spread over 16 acres of land to produce two-wheeler shock absorbers mainly to cater to the needs of Honda scooters and Hero Moto Corp.\n3. Bottom Case: Bottom Case is used in front fork assembly of two wheelers. Front fork is the part that connects front wheel of motor cycle to main body of motorcycle and also acts as front wheel shock absorber. As the name indicates Bottom Case is assembled at the bottom of front fork assembly and front wheel assembly is attached to it. As per the agreement between MSL and Showa, Japan; design and other technical inputs were provided by Showa and manufacturing was carried out at MSL's end. MSL did not have the authority to change or modify both parts as well as process designs (Plate 1).\n4. In house manufacturing of low-cost lean machines: \"After seeing the machines at Showa Japan; I wanted to manufacture machines which are leaner, smaller, more productive, and operator friendly\" Mr Atre recounted. Atre and his team had already done wonders at MSL by incorporating lean TPM concepts in re-building old and manufacturing new machines (refer Shivdasini et al., 2013).\n5. Small and compact lean machine design: Shop floor is the productive area of any manufacturing firm and cost of shop floor area are slowly getting prohibitive. So, saving shop floor area is equal to saving money. Showa's CNC and axle hole slitting machine together occupied 134 sq. ft. of floor space. Mr Atre and his team analyzed the machines and designed a machine which could perform the required activities based on the activity map. The newly designed machine had size dimension of only 12 sq. ft. and saved a floor space of 122 sq. ft. (Plate 6).\n6. Improvements: The idea of manufacturing the in-house machine generated lot of benefits for Munjal Showa. (All the improvements shown in the below section are with respect to machine used in fifth and sixth operation as shown under Before the heading in Figure 7). This helped them to reduce the number of operations in the machining line as shown as follows.\n7. Conclusion: Mr Atre attributes his successful foray into lean TPM machines as evidence of management commitment to, and involvement in, the lean effort; employee autonomy to make decisions regarding business process changes; information transparency of lean TPM goals; and evidence of initial performance improvements and long-term sustainability of lean efforts. Likewise, Alukal (2003, p. 33) suggests: creativity before capital. In lean, team brainstorming of ideas and solutions is emphasized instead of spending large sums of money on capital expenditures. People working in the process are brought together to tap into their experiences, skills and brainpower to generate a plan for waste reduction and process improvement. Bringing people together and giving them the power to make and implement lean decisions is strongly supported in the literature (Alukal, 2003; Crute et al., 2003; Hines et al., 2004; Liker, 2004; Nash and Poling, 2007; Schonberger, 2005). For example Liker (2004) stresses the importance of building a culture, which stops to fix problems, in order to achieve lean. MSL and indigenous development of lean machines is a live example of maintaining competitive advantage on the shop floor.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The global manufacturing industry is becoming more competitive. Munjal Showa, a shock absorber manufacturer in India, is using indigenous development of lean machines by incorporating concepts of lean manufacturing and low-cost automation techniques to increase their competitiveness. This new approach has helped the company to reduce cost of manufacturing and to increase productivity by reducing cycle time and down time. The purpose of this paper is to offer an in depth study of how at Munjal Showa Ltd lean machines are being developed and manufactured. This paper explores how a cumbersome machine was transformed into a lean machine.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper explores how a cumbersome machine was transformed into a lean machine.\nFindings: This new approach has helped the company to reduce cost of manufacturing and to increase productivity by reducing cycle time and down time.\nResearch limitations/implications: The paper discusses the process of converting one cumbersome machine to a lean machine.\nPractical implications: Creativity before capital. In lean, team brainstorming of ideas and solutions is emphasized instead of spending large sums of money on capital expenditures\nSocial implications: The cockpit model eases pressure of incumbents on the shop floor.\nOriginality/value: The concepts espoused in the paper has increased productivity by 3.45 times and reduced costs.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Plurality in environmental supply chain mechanisms: Differential effects on triple bottom line outcomes	[ "Survey methods", "Environmental sustainability", "Supplier environmental collaboration", "Supplier environmental evaluation" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Buying firms are being increasingly confronted with alarming incidents of non-compliance with respect to sustainability along their upstream supply chains (e.g. Wilhelm et al., 2016); these incidents have continually harmed the performance of the buying firm (Hartmann and Moeller, 2014). Among others, the suppliers of McDonald's were not only criticized, but even fined by the Chinese government for water and environmental pollution (Hewitt, 2015; Mozur, 2013). Accordingly, buying firms are mandated to take substantial measures to prevent these looming sustainability concerns in their upstream supply chains through adequate management of suppliers' environmental practices (e.g. Blome, Hollos and Paulraj, 2014; Paulraj, 2011; Reuter et al., 2010); this is clearly evident in the very recent changes of environmental supply chain mechanisms of firms like Apple (Vaughan, 2014) and Ford (Hardcastle, 2016). Research has closely analyzed the different mechanisms that are adopted by firms to encourage as well as manage the environmental practices in supplier firms (e.g. Blome, Paulraj and Schuetz, 2014; Gimenez and Sierra, 2013; Paulraj, 2011; Paulraj et al., 2014; Tachizawa et al., 2012; Vachon and Klassen, 2006). This literature broadly characterizes environmentally oriented supply chain mechanisms into two broad categories: environmental collaboration (EC) and environmental evaluation (EE). EC is a relational mechanism (Macneil, 1980) as it represents a soft and trust-based approach in achieving improved performance, while EE is a transactional mechanism (Williamson, 1985) as it focuses on a hard, fact-based analysis of performance that might also lead to improved performance.\nTheoretical development: Environmental supply chain mechanisms\nHypothesis development: Since we study plural forms of EC and EE, our hypotheses focus on interaction effects. But our view of interaction does not follow the traditional contingency approach which allows only for multiplicative effects; while this approach could help us to study complementary effects, it does not specifically assess for substitutionary effects. Therefore, we use the polynomial regression analysis as this allows us to model both interaction and curvilinear effects; this approach helps us to better understand whether these mechanisms act as complements or supplements through the evaluation of a three-dimensional surface map (please refer to Edwards (1994) and Lambert et al. (2003) for a detailed review). We hypothesize along the symmetry as well as the asymmetry lines of the response surface (please refer to Figure 1); while the symmetry line reflects the simultaneous increase in EC and EE, the asymmetry line reflects the increase in EC and the simultaneous decrease in EE. Additionally, we concentrate on the beginning, middle, and end points along the symmetry and asymmetry lines with the ambition of presenting the theoretical justification for our hypotheses clearly.\nMethodology: Data collection\nDiscussion and conclusion: Discussion of results and theoretical implications\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The environmental management of supply chains has become increasingly relevant in the recent era. Extant research proposes two main forms of mechanisms - collaboration and evaluation - for environmental supply chain management. Despite the wide use of these mechanisms and the empirical insight into the fact that they could be adopted simultaneously, it is unknown if, and, at which levels, environmental collaboration (EC) and environmental evaluation (EE) could be complementary or substitutionary in nature. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to gain a clear understanding into the plural forms of these mechanisms.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The transaction cost economics and relational exchange theory are used to ground the research hypotheses. The results are based on survey data collected from 145 US manufacturing firms. The authors employ polynomial regression as well as the response surface methodology to test the proposed hypotheses.\nFindings: The results suggest that EC and EE can have an intriguing effect depending on the outcome measure. Specifically, the authors find the effects in the economic and the environmental/social domains to be significantly different.\nOriginality/value: While scholars acknowledge that collaboration and evaluation could act as complements, extant research does not propose and test models that specifically capture complementary and substitutionary nature of these mechanisms. Accordingly, the study makes the first attempt to empirically test for the effects of the simultaneous pursuit of EC and EE.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Factors affecting contractor's business failure: contractors' perspective	[ "Contractors", "Construction management", "Contracting failure", "Construction in Palestine", "Importance index", "Business failures", "Construction industry" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: For centuries, the construction business has played a pivotal role in the socio-economic development of all nations. Its role ranges from providing infrastructure support to factors of production for other sectors of the economy. Therefore, the organization, efficiency, capacity and cost effectiveness of the construction industry are of vital importance if the industry is to play its role.However, most often the construction industry faces many difficulties ranging from internal weaknesses to external threats that affect and influence its performance. The construction industry in developing countries has grave and more varied problems that cannot be tackled by one group of individuals or one organization. These problems require concerted efforts of all stakeholders to come up with practical solutions.A number of scholars have addressed the industry's problems in developing countries setting and discussed ways to overcome these problems (Enshassi et al., 2006; Osama, 1997; Arslan et al., 2006; Hillebrandt, 1997; Ofori, 1994; Wells, 1986). However, a lack of progress was noted in solving problems, for a number of reasons. These reasons, as outlined by Ofori (1994), include:* inappropriateness of some of the recommendations and the initiatives adopted;* poor executive capacity of the implementing agencies;* lack of resources for implementation and initiatives;* neglect of the construction industry by government and a lack of government commitment to solve the construction industry's problems; and* absence of measurable targets in programmes for improving the industry's overall performance.Ogunlana and Olomolaiye (1989) stated that the construction industry's problems in developing economies can be categorised into three areas:1. problems of shortages or inadequacies in industry infrastructure;2. problems caused by clients and consultants; and3. problems caused by contractors' incompetence/inadequacies.The construction industry in Palestine was one of the leading sectors that achieved high rates of economic growth in the 1970s and up to the mid-1980s. During that period, the contribution of this sector increased in terms of providing job opportunities for the Palestinian labour force and the generation of local production. In addition to its social role in providing homes, public facilities and infrastructure for economic enterprises, the construction and housing industry was a driving force in the Palestinian economy. Gross domestic capital formation in the Palestinian territories rose from $US10.8m to $US520.3m (i.e. 4,717.6 per cent) between 1968 and 1987 - an annual average of 248.3 per cent. This was primarily attributable to the contribution of the construction industry, which ranged from 43 per cent to 82 per cent during the same period (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 1994). In summary, the construction industry has been a vital contributor to the Palestinian economy. It represented 26 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2000 (MAP, 2002). Since then, this sector has been subject to many setbacks which have decreased its role in building up the Palestinian economy in contrast with its counterparts in many developing and neighbouring countries (Enshassi et al., 2006). The aim of this paper is to explore the causes of the business failure of contractors and to investigate the impact level of these causes from the contractors' viewpoint.\n2. Background: The construction business is large in size and significant in the role it plays in the economy, but in recent years it has witnessed an increasing number of financial failures in construction companies (Clough, 1981). The construction contracting business has the second highest failure rate of any business, exceeded only by restaurants (Clough and Sears, 1994). The economic and social damage resulting from the failure of construction businesses go beyond the obvious and quantifiable costs to the company's owners, creditors and employees (Mason and Harris, 1979). Russell and Zhai (1996) postulated that construction company evaluation is a critical step in successfully completing a project. It is therefore important to recognize any potential company failures at the earliest opportunity.2.1 Failure definition\n3. Research methodology: Forty-four factors affecting the failure of contracting businesses were defined through a detailed literature review (Abidali and Harris, 1995; Osama, 1997; Arditi et al., 2000; Schaufelberger, 2003; Davidson and Martin, 2003; Enshassi et al., 2006; Kivrak and Arslan, 2008; Arslan et al., 2006). The factors were tabulated in questionnaire form. Related factors were grouped under one main group. The factors were divided into three groups - i.e. managerial, financial, and external. The questionnaire was reviewed by some parties involved in the construction industry to test the validity of its content. This test led to the introduction of minor modifications - to better suit the local market conditions - prior to sending out the questionnaire to the target research population.The studied target population includes contractors who hold valid registration from the Contractors Union in building specialisation within the West Bank. The total number of contractors who have valid registration are represented by 173 companies (Palestinian Contractors Union, 2009). A systematic random sample was selected to ensure a representative sample of all contractors, using the formulae below (Ayoub and McCuen, 2000). The population is assumed to be normally distributed: Equation 1 where SS is the sample size for unlimited population, Z is the Z value (e.g. 1.96 for the 95 per cent confidence level), P is the percentage picking a choice, expressed as a decimal (0.5 is used for the sample size needed), and C is the confidence interval (0.5). This gives us: Equation 2 The correction for a finite population is: Equation 3 where \"pop\" is the number of target population (building works contractors), i.e. pop=173. This gives us: Equation 4 Therefore, the calculated sample size is 120 contractors based on a 95 per cent confidence level.The questionnaire was sent out to a total of 120 contracting companies asking their contribution in ranking the 44 factors identified in terms of severity using an ordinal scale. The ordinal scale was:* 0=no influence;* 1=very low influence;* 2=low influence;* 3=moderate influence;* 4=high influence; and* 5=very high influence.A total of 84 completed questionnaires were returned, representing a good response rate of 70 per cent.For analysing data by ordinal scale, an importance index was used. This index was computed using the following equation (Lim and Alum, 1995): Equation 5 where n0 is the number of respondents who answered \"no influence\", n1 is the number of respondents who answered \"very low influence\", n2 is the number of respondents who answered \"low influence\", n3 is the number of respondents who answered \"moderate influence\", n4 is the number of respondents who answered \"high influence\", and n5 is the number of respondents who answered \"very high influence\".Accordingly, if all participants answer one factor to be \"no influence\", then the importance index is 0, which means that this factor is not relevant and the last in rank. On the other hand, if all answer \"very high influence\", then the importance index is 100, which means that this factor has very high relevance and is the first in rank. Table II shows the possible ranges for the importance index and the corresponding impact levels.The importance index for all factors was calculated. The group index was calculated by taking the average of factors in each group.The weighted mean, standard deviation, standard error of the mean, 95 per cent confidence interval, and coefficient of variation are calculated in order to measure the dispersion and homogeneity of the data.\n4. Results and discussion: Ranking and statistical techniques are the two statistical methods used to analyze the collected data. The results of data analyses are presented in the following sections.4.1 Ranking\n5. Conclusion: The main objective of this paper is to identify the factors that have the potential to cause contractor's business failure in the West Bank in Palestine and to determine their impact level from contractor's viewpoint. Forty-four factors were considered in this study and were listed under the following three groups - i.e. financial, managerial, and external.Contractors ranked the following factors as being highly influential with huge potential to cause the failure of contracting businesses:* fluctuation in the cost of construction materials;* delay in collecting payments from clients;* lack of experience in contracts;* low margin of profit due to competition; and* closure and limitation of movement between West Bank areas.The top four factors are human-related, and could be controlled and improved by companies to avoid or reduce the causes that lead to business failure.The results show that failure of contracting businesses mostly arises from the financial-related factors, followed by managerial skills and external-related factors, respectively. This result is in line with many previous studies.Statistical analyses of the data show that the dispersion in contractors' responses is quite small. The results show that the coefficients of variation values are reasonable and the data can be considered homogenous. The results also show that the causes with higher means have smaller variations. This indicates that the contractors agree highly on the impact of the top causes, and therefore a great attention should be paid to them.The findings lead to the following conclusions:* no participant response specified a cause that had no influence at all on the failure of contracting businesses;* the lowest importance index value was 28 per cent;* the indices of the groups are between 58 per cent and 71 per cent.These all indicate that the causes identified are highly relevant to the problem of the failure of contracting businesses in the West Bank.The following recommendations are suggested:* The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) should conduct a continuous training program with the co-operation of the Palestinian Contractors Union to improve managerial and financial practices and to explain the internal and external factors affecting the construction business.* Estimates based on updated price information should be considered in order to come up with reasonable offers.* Continuous updating of the prices of materials and labour rates by government-related agencies is recommended. The cost list should be distributed to construction professionals to come up with best estimates if there is a change in the cost of certain items.* The PNA must take the risk when the clients delay payments to contractors since most contracting companies in the West Bank are small in size and lack capital.* The PNA must modify and improve the regulations and laws to meet the impact of closure and segmentation of the West Bank. These regulations are supposed to help companies make profits.* Tenders must be awarded on accurate estimated costs and not necessarily to the lowest bidder.* Close coordination and communication between contractors, owners, and various government agencies with standard procedures, permits and codes are strongly recommended to improve management control and payment problems.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The main objective of this paper is to identify the factors that have the potential to cause a contractor's business failure in the West Bank in Palestine and to determine their impact level from the contractor's viewpoint.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A survey of 84 contractors from the West Bank in Palestine was performed. A total of 44 factors were considered in this study and were listed under three groups, i.e. financial, managerial, and external.\nFindings: - Contractors have ranked the following factors as highly influential with huge potential to cause contractor's business failure: fluctuation in construction material costs; delay in collecting dibs from clients; lack of experience in contracts; low margin of profit due to competition; and closure and limitation of movement between West Bank areas.\nOriginality/value: - This paper identified the factors that have the potential to cause contractor's business failure in the West Bank in Palestine and determined their impact level from the contractor's viewpoint.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Transforming partner relationships through technological innovation	[ "Channel relationships", "Innovation", "Resource management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this issue.\nIntroduction: An assortment of web-based tools - designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of coordination efforts between channel partners - has recently emerged (Mirani et al., 2001). These tools, collectively referred to as partner relationship management (PRM) technologies, enable channel dyads to better manage interdependent activities and resources by providing for the continual exchange of relevant information (Weber, 2001) and automating numerous tasks related to channel process flows (e.g. sales, service, order management) (Siebel, 2002a). Over time, the improved management of interfirm dependencies - resulting from the adoption of PRM technology - generates efficiency (i.e. reduced costs) and effectiveness (e.g. superior end customer service) gains that substantially enhance channel performance (Bello et al., 2002).Despite the performance benefits high commitment offers, gaining reseller commitment (i.e. support and long-term use) to PRM technology is likely to be a difficult proposition. Downstream channel members (e.g. retailers, wholesalers) create value for their end customers by offering -at a single point of purchase - an assortment of competing brands across a variety of product categories (Coughlan et al., 2001). In order to effectively do so, they establish exchange relationships with numerous suppliers within each product category, which necessarily precludes the formation of sole supplier arrangements (Weitz and Jap, 1995). Consequently, to the extent that PRM technology is perceived to be conducive to the formation of exclusive exchange relationships, resellers may be unwilling to invest in its adoption. Moreover, even if the technology is viewed as desirable, resellers that offer a modest assortment and/or variety of products may be unable to commit to the technology - that is, resellers that deal with numerous suppliers may lack the resources (e.g. time, money) needed to adopt the relationship-specific PRM platform that is deployed by each of its multiple suppliers. Hence, similar to other inter-organizational innovation initiatives (e.g. EDI), the relative success of PRM implementation efforts is likely to hinge on the level of reseller commitment to the new technology.The objective here is to propose a conceptual model that purports to explain how reseller commitment to PRM technology develops and ultimately influences the outcomes resulting from the innovation initiative. The proposed conceptual model draws on insights from case examples as well as the organizational innovation literature and examines the indirect impact of environmental factors, influence strategies, and exchange characteristics on reseller commitment to PRM technology. The discussion is structured as follows. First, a brief theoretical overview is provided. Then, the conceptual model and corresponding research propositions are presented. The discussion concludes with a set of managerial and research implications stemming from this effort.\nTheoretical framework: Organizational innovation\nConceptual model: Figure 1 is a graphical representation of the proposed conceptual model. It illustrates how perceptions regarding the technology's impact on the efficiency and equity of the inter-organizational relationship (IOR) influence resellers' commitment to PRM technology. In addition, the model shows how environmental factors, influence strategies, and characteristics of the exchange relationship shape resellers' perceptions regarding the technology's impact. Finally, the model depicts how reseller commitment to PRM technology is indirectly related to channel performance.Before proceeding, it is important to underscore that the conceptual model is intended to capture only the marginal effects of PRM adoption on the IOR. That is, commitment to PRM technology is modeled as a function of reseller perceptions regarding the incremental effect of PRM on IOR efficiency and equity, given the existing economic structure and socio-political dynamics of the IOR. Hence, the achieved level of reseller commitment to PRM technology is only expected to enhance or detract from the conflict and coordination that already characterizes the channel relationship.Reseller commitment to PRM technology\nDiscussion and implications: The emergence of PRM technologies provides channel dyads with the opportunity to achieve unprecedented levels of coordination that result in the highly efficient management of inter-organizational dependencies. However, as the thesis of this paper suggests, gaining reseller commitment to these technologies is likely to be a difficult proposition. Without reseller commitment, the promise offered by PRM technologies remains just that - promise.Many factors contribute to reseller resistance to PRM technology. However, the issue of assortment and variety seems especially critical. While PRM technology enhances coordination between a single dyadic pair, resellers typically engage in numerous exchange relationships that enable them to provide end customers with an assortment of brands within and across product categories. Does this suggest that the benefits that can be achieved from investments in PRM technology are highly limited or does the possibility exist that these boundary-spanning technologies will transform the nature of interfirm channel relationships? Future research should focus on determining what effect, if any, the emergence of these technologies has on the character or form of channel relationships.The broad functionality offered by PRM solutions also raises several issues that have potentially interesting research implications. Given that PRM tools are designed to improve the coordination of tasks and resources across the different channel process flows (e.g. physical flow, payment flow, etc.), it is entirely possible that PRM initiatives generate an increase in, both, channel conflict and coordination. Stated differently, the possibility exists that resellers might decide to selectively adopt and use only certain features offered by the PRM solution, thus simultaneously increasing channel conflict and coordination. For instance, resellers might willingly embrace those features of the technology that enable them to better coordinate interdependencies related to the promotional flow, but might resist using those features of the technology that are associated with the payment flow. Research is needed to determine if the deployment of PRM technology does, in fact, have differential effects on channel conflict and coordination processes. If so, determining which features of the technology are likely to engender conflict and which are likely to enhance coordination can prove invaluable to marketers involved in PRM implementation initiatives.Moreover, considering that the different PRM solutions available in the market today are highly customizable and vary significantly in form and function, it is possible that reseller commitment to PRM technology (and the ultimate outcome of PRM initiatives) will be highly contingent upon the nature of the technological tool that is actually deployed. For instance, a supplier might elect to deploy a PRM module with limited functionality that focuses exclusively on enhancing coordination efforts related to the physical flow (e.g. warehousing, transportation, etc.). Yet another supplier might elect to deploy a more comprehensive PRM solution that has an impact on the coordination of tasks and resources related to multiple channel process flows. Therefore, it is critical to examine whether resellers' perceptions about and willingness to commit to PRM technology are influenced by the functionality of the solution that is being deployed. For example, are resellers more likely to commit to PRM technology if they perceive its adoption will only result in changes to a limited number of IOR processes? Similarly, are resellers' perceptions about the cost of adopting PRM technology related to the functionality offered by the solution that is being deployed?Finally, Table I's brief analysis suggests that PRM is likely to enhance the efficiency of individual IOR processes and -perhaps more importantly - it raises the possibility that the members of the channel dyad might not share equally in the efficiency gains afforded by the new technology. Empirical work is needed to ascertain if (and under what conditions) both members of the dyad are able to capture an equitable share of the \"expanded pie\" (see Jap, 1999, 2001).Aside from generating a number of testable propositions, the conceptual model proposal points to other areas that would be worthy of academic research. For instance, if suppliers rely on their zone managers to achieve reseller commitment to PRM technology, are certain managers better able to gain reseller buy-in to the technology and, if so, why? Likewise, do differences in reseller commitment result when different implementation partners (i.e. third party software firms) handle the deployment of the technology across geographic regions? Finally, is it possible that companies within certain industries are better able to benefit from the coordination efficiencies afforded by PRM technology?How profound an effect PRM technologies will have on channel relationships in unclear. However, their emergence raises many questions that are worthy of academic inquiry. If these technologies are able to deliver on their promise, it is possible that they will forever change the nature of channel relationships. To date, however, little academic work has focused on understanding this nascent phenomenon. Thus, the hope is that - if nothing else - this proposal l stimulates research in a topic that is rapidly increasing in importance.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - To develop and propose a conceptual model that explains why downstream channel members (e.g. retailers) are likely to adopt or resist the implementation of emerging partner relationship management (PRM) technologies by their channel counterparts (i.e. suppliers).\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The conceptual model is grounded in organizational innovation theory and utilizes select case examples to support posited relationships.\nFindings: - Resellers' level of commitment to new PRM tools deployed by suppliers is likely to be driven by their perception of the technology's impact on the equity (i.e. fairness) and efficiency (i.e. cost) of existing channel relationships. In turn, resellers' perceptions about the equity and efficiency implications of PRM technology adoption are expected to be influenced by several factors, including: environmental factors, suppliers' choice of influence strategies and the characteristics of the exchange relationship.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Aside from offering several testable propositions, the paper also raises various questions that are worthy of investigation, such as: To what extent (if at all) do boundary-spanning technologies alter the basic nature of channel relationships? Can the deployment of PRM tools simultaneously lead to both greater channel conflict and coordination? Do differences in reseller commitment result when different implementation partners (i.e. third-party software firms) handle the deployment of the technology across geographic regions?\nOriginality/value: - The paper builds on the inter-organizational concepts of equity and efficiency to offer a new perspective on the adoption of boundary-spanning technologies in a channel setting.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Discerning product benefits through visual thematic analysis	[ "Newspaper benefits", "Thematic analysis", "Multi‐dimensional scaling", "Perceptual maps", "Categorical data analysis", "Data reduction of categorical variables", "Data analysis", "United Kingdom" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The importance of benefits is well established in marketing literature. Benefit segmentation, a popular form of segmentation, operates upon the premise that consumers perceive products as bundles of benefits, and not as bundles of features (Haley, 1968). It is suggested that consumer choice does not happen based on a feature-by-feature comparison of alternative brands, but holistically, where the branded product is evaluated for its fit with the desired benefits (Chernev, 2004). Accordingly, it may be posited that consumers selectively attend to product features based upon the benefits sought (Huffman and Houston, 1993). Desired benefits also influence the \"consideration set\" formation process. A \"consideration set\" may contain brands belonging to different industry-defined product categories as long as the consumer perceives that these brands provide similar desired benefit(s) (Ratneshwar et al., 2001). Therefore, knowing what benefits do consumers desire from a product is indispensable for marketers, since desired benefits have a pivotal role to play in product perception, product categorization, product selection and market segmentation.The authors of this paper accordingly emphasize that discerning product benefits should be given the utmost priority and it should be the first question that should be addressed by the marketer before undertaking any marketing activity. However, the answer to this primordial question is generally assumed a priori based upon the features of the product, or pursued without scientific rigor, as no formal guideline or framework for perceiving product benefits is currently laid out. This paper attempts to fill this gap by using a modified version of thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) procedure. The authors term this procedure as visual thematic analysis (VTA). Accordingly, VTA is defined as a \"method for ascribing themes from qualitative data using multiple investigators and statistical graphing techniques in different phases of analysis, thereby enforcing investigator and methodological triangulation within single research design.\"The visual thematic analysis procedure is illustrated in the context of mainstream English newspapers. The scope of this study is confined to physically delivered, non-financial dailies only. A newspaper is a fairly complex product, given its varied distinguishing features. A newspaper is an experience/credence product, as objective features of a newspaper like the quality of printing and the quality of (physical) paper used serve very little purpose in evaluating it. A newspaper can be either a high involvement product or a low involvement one, depending upon the amount of time spent on reading it. The newspaper belongs to one of the few product categories where one can evidence simultaneous multiple behavioral brand loyalties. Given these peculiarities of the newspaper, it is both interesting as well as challenging to find out what benefits do consumers desire from this product.Addressing this question within a philosophical paradigm is important as each paradigm has its own methodologies relating to addressing the research question(s) and paradigm-specific criteria for judging the quality of the research undertaken (Hudson and Ozanne, 1988). Such criteria are discussed under criterology (Seale, 1999). Accordingly, the next section discusses the meaning of the product benefits, ascribes a relevant paradigm for visual thematic analysis procedure and then elaborates upon the criteriology.\nLiterature review: Features are objective characteristics of the product (Ratneshwar et al., 1999). Benefit is the meaning that consumers attach to the product's feature(s) (Keller, 2003) depending upon their functionality. Through the process of cognitive abstraction, consumers map one or more features to a single benefit (Ratneshwar et al., 1999). For example, the benefit \"speed of a laptop\" can be inferred using a combination of one or more features like size of RAM, speed of processor, version of operating system installed etc. Benefits, in short, explain what consumers desire from a product (Vriens and ter Hofstede, 2000). The benefit has to be demarcated from a related construct called motive. Motives explain the reasons for behavior (McClelland, 1985); accordingly, in the case of consumer behavior, purchase motives explain why a consumer wants a product. To illustrate, the motive behind the purchase of a car might be transportation and social acceptance, whereas benefits that are sought could be safety, comfort, economy, luxury, style etc.Benefits which a product can confer to a consumer exist independent of the consumer. For example, the property of a fur sofa to offer comfortable seating, or a wine to be able to inebriate can exist despite the non-existence of consumer, as long as the products are functional. This view corresponds to Popper's paradigm called realism where the object exists independent of the researcher (Magee, 1985). Proponents of realism believe that the real world is incompletely and imperfectly comprehensible. For example, if \"style\" is the benefit that is sought from the apparel, one person's account of meaning of style might not project the true picture. Multiple descriptions may be required to comprehend the phenomenon - style within the context of the apparel. Hence, realists believe in obtaining multiple accounts of description of reality to ascribe meaning to the phenomenon or objects (Guba and Lincoln, 1994). Therefore, focus groups and depth interviews are considered as legitimate methods for data collection as long as the moderator is aware of the precise set of objectives to be accomplished through these procedures (Healy and Perry, 2000).Data analysis within the Realism paradigm can be undertaken using thematic analysis (Roulston, 2001). Considering VTA is a methodological variant of the thematic analysis procedure (Braun and Clarke, 2006), it is assumed that all the objectives and methodological considerations of thematic analysis are applicable for VTA also. Thematic analysis involves searching for repetitive themes which occur across the data (Boyatzis, 1998). A theme is a patterned response that is relevant to the research question (Braun and Clarke, 2006). A theme is identified using a code name or set of code names, where the code name stands for a shorthand name given to a rich qualitative description (Boyatzis, 1998). The same code name may be assigned to more than one qualitative description as long as the descriptions convey the same information. Thematic analysis can be undertaken within the Realism paradigm only if the experiences of participants are interpreted in a straightforward manner without ascribing any implicit meaning to what is being stated (Roulston, 2001). This mode of interpretation is called semantic interpretation (Braun and Clarke, 2006). Code names that are ascribed to qualitative descriptions in this study are not based upon any preconceived framework; rather, they are named concurrently as and when the data arrives. This approach is termed \"inductive approach\" to thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006). To summarize, thematic analysis used in this study is based on a semantic as well as inductive approach, undertaken within the realism paradigm.Braun and Clarke (2006) devised a six-stage procedure to conduct thematic analysis. This study will adhere to this original six-stage procedure, but will augment it by incorporating multi-dimensional scaling techniques - PROXSCAL and multiple-correspondence analysis, in some of these stages. Multidimensional scaling techniques (MDS) enable visualization of data on charts, commonly called perceptual maps. The authors believe that introducing this technique will aid in the graphical representation of data and thereby foster better analysis. Though quantitative research procedures are introduced, parity will be maintained with the original procedure suggested by Braun and Clarke (2006) in terms of objectives to be met within each stage. Data-coding and methodological aspects relating to thematic analysis and MDS will be discussed in the methodology section.Akin to reliability and validity, which are hallmarks of good research within the Positivist paradigm (Hudson and Ozanne, 1988), Realism paradigm has concepts namely auditability and triangulation (Healy and Perry, 2000). Auditability is a qualitative measure of methodological trustworthiness. A research is auditable if the discussion of the results is accompanied by appropriate original quotes from the respondents (Healy and Perry, 2000). Triangulation is an appropriate method for validation within the realism paradigm (Blaikie, 1991). Triangulation deals with combining two or more aspects of research to strengthen the design so as to increase the ability to interpret the findings (Campbell and Fiske, 1959). Methodological triangulation seeks to use multiple methods to analyze data, within a single research design so as to decrease the \"deficiencies and biases that stem from any single method\" (Mitchell, 1986, p. 19). Investigator triangulation seeks for convergence of information when analyzed by different investigators (Duffy, 1987). Investigator triangulation reduces the bias in coding and analyzing data where as methodological triangulation reduces the propensity of rival explanations (Thurmond, 2001).\nResearch methodology: Focus group discussion guide development\nResults and discussion: Tabular depiction of the joint space map is offered in Table II. In this table 26 newspaper attributes (code names) combine to form eight benefits (themes). This section presents accompanying verbal description of each theme based upon focus group participants' experiences. All newspaper names are expurgated for the sake of anonymity, accordingly replaced with XXXX. Description of each of the eight themes is offered below.General news\nImplications to management theory and practice: This paper has made a two-pronged contribution to the body of knowledge, one corresponding to theory and the other corresponding to practice. On the managerial front, an attempt is made to scientifically conceive the benefits that consumers desire from a newspaper, their composition as well as their description. The procedure suggested here might seem elaborate but it has far-reaching implications. For example, the \"results-section\" of this paper might give richer insights to newspaper marketers regarding consumers' perception about general English newspapers. This understanding can be used further in formulating product and promotion strategies.The research on benefit elicitation can serve as a foundation for further empirical research. To obtain further insights, data relating to the importance of newspaper benefits, newspaper choice, reader involvement, and reader demographics can be sought through questionnaire administration. The data thus obtained can be subjected to statistical analysis to classify the broad newspaper reader-base into distinct benefit-based segments and then find out which benefits have significant impact on the choice of general English newspapers in each segment. The results of this study can be used to position newspapers within the desired segment(s) and also to fashion product mix in a way that appeals to the targeted segment(s).On a theoretical platform, this paper attempts to enhance the original procedure of thematic analysis by incorporating graphical scaling procedures namely PROXSCAL and multiple - correspondence analysis. These techniques objectively put forth the combined perspective of individual experts in a single graphical chart. The authors opine that introducing these statistical techniques in no form will derogate the qualitative rigor as procedural aspects relating to thematic analysis have remained intact. The only changes that were brought about relate to introducing multiple coders (experts) and subjecting the individual expert opinions to analysis through software for developing thematic pile charts rather than seeking manual representations. Subjecting expert opinions to software analysis could be legitimate because all expert opinions will deserve equal weightage in this case; an assurance that cannot be made in case of manual theme-piling exercise. Apart from better comprehension, visual thematic procedure illustrated here also envisages investigator and methodological triangulation by introducing variations in methods and experts in each stage.\nFuture research directions: The scope of this VTA spans beyond discerning product attributes. VTA can be used as an alternative to traditional data reduction techniques like factor analysis especially when the researcher confronts scarce sample sizes or categorical variables. If data reduction is the objective, third, fourth and fifth stages of visual thematic analysis can be used in place of traditional factor analysis to explore the underlying constructs or themes. The obtained result may be validated using confirmatory factor analysis technique after relevant data collection. Unlike the traditional statistical techniques which are data intensive, perceptual map of PROXSCAL or MCA can be generated even with a single response. Hence this VTA may be used in place of traditional factor analysis to reduce data in those instances when the researcher confronts scarce sample size or sample size that is less than the number of observed variables. Factor analysis can only be used to reduce data that are interval or ratio scaled, however when the data is categorical in nature, factor analysis cannot be used, in such cases VTA may be effectively deployed.VTA can also be used in the initial stages of scale development to identify items relating to a theme (alias construct) and delete some dispersed items based upon their relative equi-distance from more than one theme cluster (equivalent to cross loading in factor analysis) or non-proximity with any theme cluster (equivalent to outliers) in the perceptual map. Remaining items may be subjected to confirmatory factor analysis after relevant data collection on these items. While this paper has utilized visual thematic analysis in realism paradigm, the method thematic analysis, according to Braun and Clarke (2006), is not wedded to any paradigm; such should be the case with visual thematic analysis. Graphical techniques incorporated into the visual thematic analysis only visually summarize the individual expert's opinions on a chart. As no statistical conclusions are made using these graphs, it can be posited that visual thematic analysis is also a paradigm-free technique.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - There is a lack of a framework that explicates how to determine the benefits that consumers desire from a product. The purpose of this article is to formulate a scientific procedure for discerning the benefits that consumers seek from a product. The authors term this procedure as visual thematic analysis (VTA). VTA procedure is illustrated through discerning the benefits of mainstream (non-financial) English newspapers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The focus group method was used to collect data. These data were analyzed using visual thematic analysis which involves using multiple investigators and multi-dimensional scaling techniques in stages.\nFindings: - A total of 26 newspaper attributes combined to form eight distinct newspaper benefits namely ease of comprehension, journalistic values, critical insights, general news, entertainment, well-being, classifieds and offers.\nPractical implications: - Obtained results may be used further: to segment the newspaper market based upon benefits sought, to position newspapers within the desired segment(s) and to fashion product mix in a way that appeals to the targeted segment(s).\nOriginality/value: - This paper proposes a new method called \"visual thematic analysis\" for data reduction. One such application of VTA is \"discerning product benefits\" which is discussed in detail. Other applications of this technique that are mentioned in the paper are in the areas of data reduction when researcher confronts small sample size, data reduction of categorical variables and scale development.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Comparative analysis of online accountability practices in three sectors: private, public and nonprofit	[ "Online accountability", "Public sector", "Private sector", "Nonprofit sector", "Comparative analysis" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Organizational accountability has become an important topic of discussion for a scholarly community and the general public. In its most basic form, accountability refers to holding certain expectations about what organizations should be able to explain, justify and take responsibility for (Cooper and Owen, 2007). Several researchers challenged well-established accounting literature, arguing that existing financial and management accounting practices offer a rather restricted understanding of organizational accountability (e.g. Gray, 2002; McKernan and Kosmala Maclullich, 2004; Young, 2006). As a response, scholars call for more encompassing forms of accountability (Gray, 2002; Brennan and Solomon, 2008; Messner, 2009), moving beyond general rules of accounting practices.As a result, a body of research emerges distinguishing between two forms of accountability as follows: functional (or hierarchical) accountability and holistic accountability (Roberts, 2003; O'dwyer and Unerman, 2007; O'Dwyer and Unerman, 2008; Cordery et al., 2010). While functional accountability embraces narrow, short-term, quantitatively-oriented accountability to stakeholders, holistic accountability is seen as broadening the accountability to encompass organization's wider impacts, including accountability for the achievement of organization's mission (O'Dwyer and Unerman, 2008).Accountability has been studied in organizations belonging to three sectors of economy as follows: private, public and nonprofit. A large number of empirical studies provide various typologies and diagnoses, revealing considerable variation in organizational interest, investment, maintenance and intensity of accountability relationships in each individual sector. These bodies of literature are useful in our understanding of accountability relationships with stakeholders within each sector, but they do not build toward a larger accountability theory applicable to all three sectors.An intersector comparative analysis of accountability practices is, therefore, needed, and the aim of this project is to contribute to such a goal. The focus of our comparative analysis is on accountability practices in an online environment (via the use of information and communications technologies), which are often referred to as online accountability (OA). Utilizing a stakeholder theory and building on a conceptual framework of functional and holistic accountability, this research project contributes to filling the research gap by comparatively assessing OA practices of hospitals in three sectors of the economy as follows: public, private and nonprofit. In addition, we will explore how the online environment (specifically, websites) gives organizations space for both functional (hierarchical) and holistic forms of accountability. The hospital industry has been chosen as the focus for this study because there are organizations of all three types (private, public and nonprofit) that somewhat equally compete for market share. In addition, hospitals, regardless of ownership, have a very similar mix of stakeholders as follows: patients, families, community members, governmental agencies, donors (private and public hospitals often have affiliated foundations that work as nonprofit entities) and media.This study is important for several reasons. First, it adds to accounting literature by moving beyond conceptualizations of accountability as traditional account-giving for the purposes of controlling and justifying organizational existence, that is the functional (hierarchical) form of accountability. Rather, it argues that online space allows for holistic accountability that promotes more social forms of accountability. Thus, this research conceptualizes the online environment as a fruitful space for realizing holistic accountability. Second, this project contributes to a larger theory on accountability by reviewing how organizations in three sectors of economy fulfill accountability expectations to their stakeholders.The paper is structured as follows. We will first review available literature (such as forms of accountability, definitions and measurements of online accountability, the stakeholder theory as a theoretical framework guiding this study and accountability in three sectors of economy). Then, we will outline a methodology of this study, focusing on the data sampling and gathering, the instrument and the data analyses. Further, we will present results and discussion of these results. The paper will conclude with implications (both research-related and practical) as well as limitations and directions for future research.\nLiterature review: The literature review for this study will first define accountability and will include a discussion on two forms of accountability (functional and holistic). Then, we move to argue that the online environment provides space for OA and makes it an important and valuable facet of overall accountability efforts in organizations, and hence, the review of online accountability studies follow. After defining OA, we turn to theoretical framework that helps us understand differences in OA practices. We discuss the stakeholder theory and how this research project has been framed by the theory. Finally, a review of relevant literature on accountability in each sector appears as it contributes to framing of our proposed hypotheses that pertain to individual sectors.Forms of accountability\nMethodology: This study utilized a quantitative content analysis method to comparatively review OAPs in three sectors. Researchers chose the hospital industry for this study because there are organizations of all three types (public, private and nonprofit) within the US hospital industry. The hospital industry is also unique in this sense as organizations in all three sectors somewhat equally compete for market share. A hospital's website was a unit of analysis in this study.Data sampling and gathering\nResults: Descriptive statistics\nDiscussion: The results of this research study indicate that there are statistically significant differences in how organizations in three sectors of the economy conduct their online accountability practices. In short, nonprofits were leading the way in their OAPs, with highest overall scores and specifically, highest scores within engagement, performance and mission dimensions. In addition, public organizations had the strongest scores in disclosing governance information, and private organizations had websites that ranked slightly higher on accessibility, compared to their counterparts. Our findings in each sector will be further discussed in detail.Nonprofit organizations\nConclusions and limitations: This study attempted to comparatively review online accountability practices, using the hospital industry as a case of analysis. Our findings revealed that there are statistically significant differences in how organizations conduct their OAPs. Nonprofits are leading the way in their online accountability practices since they had statistically higher overall OAP scores. They were more likely to score higher on engagement, performance and mission dimensions. Private organizations had the lowest scores on every dimension, except for accessibility (however, not statistically significant). Public organizations had the strongest scores within the governance dimension.While this study provided insight into sectoral similarities and differences in addressing OAPs, it has several limitations. First, this study is limited through its sole focus on online accountability. The findings should not be interpreted as indicators of the overall accountability of organizations in different sectors. Online accountability is only one aspect of accountability practices. Future research may add to our understanding of online accountability in three sectors by conducting qualitative interviews with stakeholders to further determine how online accountability fits within larger accountability efforts. For example, this study does not address internal accountability - accountability that is directed inwards, toward organizational members and their professional values (Stockenstrand, 2019) - and further research focusing on internal accountability in online space is needed.Second, because of the nature of the study, we only included hospital websites in this analysis. This insured the comparability of results but decreased the generalizability to other areas. A further look into other areas (such as financial institutions, service providers, etc.) would be a fruitful area for future research.Moreover, the quantitative nature of this research project allowed us to get a snapshot of OA, but not the activities, processes and decision-making that leads to these practices. A further qualitative in-depth analysis, such as one-on-one interviews with hospital administration, communication professionals, board members and leadership personnel would assist in answering why accountability efforts vary and give us a better understanding of how accountability is enacted and experienced.Finally, the dynamic nature of the Internet is another limitation. With rapid changes and developments in information and communication technologies, the findings of this study might not be as applicable in the future. It is certainly a time-dated representation of OAPs. However, even with these limitations, this study has value and may contribute to policymaking and strategic organizational planning.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This research paper comparatively reviews online accountability practices in public, private and nonprofit organizations, using the hospital industry as a case of analysis.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a quantitative content analysis of 240 US hospital websites, sampled from the 2016 American Hospital Association (AHA) database. Online Accountability Practices (OAP) instrument was utilized, and it included five dimensions as follows: accessibility, engagement, performance, governance and mission.\nFindings: There were statistically significant differences in online accountability practices among the three sectors. Nonprofit organizations were leading the way in their overall online accountability practices. They were more likely to score higher on engagement, performance and mission dimensions. We explain this finding through the prism of multiple accountabilities, guided by the stakeholder theory. Private organizations had the lowest scores on every online accountability dimension, except for accessibility. Consistent with previous literature, private organizations were more likely to make information accessible in the online sphere, but not necessarily meaningful or reliable for evaluating organizational performance. Public organizations had the strongest scores within the governance dimension, placing importance on disclosing organizational leadership and sharing information on their governance structures.\nResearch limitations/implications: This project contributes to theory building on accountability in the online environment. It argues that the distinction between two forms of accountability (functional and holistic) is applicable in the online environment, while accessibility and performance dimensions of online accountability closely align with the functional (hierarchical) form of accountability, and a more holistic approach to accountability includes dimensions like engagement, governance and mission. In addition, this project is the first of its kind to apply the stakeholder theory to accountability practices in three sectors of the economy and how the stakeholder theory provides guidance as a basis of understanding the forms of accountability (functional and holistic) that are most likely aligned with organizations in three sectors of the economy.\nPractical implications: The results of this study point to a number of implications for hospital patients, families, hospital administration, healthcare professionals and policymakers. These implications can be broadly divided into two groups as follows: policy implications and management implications. Policy implications pertain to the national dialog and interorganizational deliberations of sector-wide policy to enrich accountability practices; while management implications are concerned with local, intraorganizational discussions among administrators and organizational leaders on formulating specific strategies and tactics.\nOriginality/value: This research paper contributes to empirical studies on organizational accountability in the online environment. It enriches our understanding of how organizations in different sectors present themselves to the public.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Knowledge-based dynamic capabilities and innovation in networked environments	[ "Dynamic capabilities", "Knowledge‐based view", "Innovation", "Network embeddedness", "Information networks", "China" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Dynamic capability is one of the most important constructs in strategic management in recent decades (Teece et al., 1997). The dynamic capability framework is based on, but different from, the resource-based view in that it contributes to this field by focusing on how firms renew their resource-based competitive advantage dynamically. The literature on this topic has grown rapidly since dynamic capability was first introduced, but substantial gaps remain. On the one hand, many theoretical works emerged and deepened the understanding of this concept (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000; Winter, 2003; Teece, 2007). On the other hand, little empirical research on dynamic capabilities has been taken out even though 14 years have passed. This paper proposes that such absence of empirical evidence is the result of two reasons. First, the concept of dynamic capability is still vague and inconsistent. Especially, what is the object that dynamic capabilities act on, resources, capabilities or knowledge? Second, the construct of dynamic capabilities is in need of operationalization. As the literature has not provided a measurable construct, testable propositions can hardly be put forward and tested.The central research question of this paper is: \"How do knowledge-based dynamic capabilities contribute to firm's innovation performance?\" The authors theorized and examined this central question in three steps. As a foundational issue, the first step was to clarify the meaning and construct of dynamic capabilities from knowledge-based view. In the second step, the authors modeled and investigated the relationship of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities and innovation performance. The proposition of this relationship is not as straight and evident as people used to suppose and significant mediating effects exist. Finally, this paper examined whether network embeddedness influenced knowledge-based dynamic capability, and thus further worked on innovation. Taken together, these three sub-questions helped us to understand the contributions of dynamic capabilities to innovation performance, as well as to understand the antecedents of dynamic capabilities that may enhance or weaken it in networked environments.This paper is built on the work of dynamic capabilities, knowledge-based view and the networked innovation model. It contributes to the literature in the following three ways. First, this paper extends previous research on dynamic capabilities by conceptualizing dynamic capabilities as knowledge-based and consisting of acquiring, generating and combing knowledge resources. It further theorizes that there is a systematic structure between knowledge acquisition, generation, and combination and innovation performance. Second, the empirical work, based on 218 survey samples, validates the vital role of dynamic capabilities on firm innovation performance. Third, this paper suggests that network embeddedness is an important antecedent of dynamic capabilities in more and more networked environments; managers need to pay more attention to their alliance network and make adjustment according to their capability and performance.The following paper is organized into four parts. First, the authors developed the knowledge-based dynamic capabilities construct drawing on the knowledge-based view and dynamic capabilities perspectives. A theoretical model linking dynamic capabilities with innovation and network enbeddedness was put forward in the second section. In the third section, statistical analysis based on a survey of 218 Chinese manufacturing firms was taken out. The method of analysis is structural equation modeling with AMOS 7.0. Discussions and implications were given in the last section.\n2. Literature review and construct development: A. From dynamic capabilities to knowledge-based dynamic capabilities\n3. Hypothesis development: As Powell et al. (1996) pointed out that the rapid growth of various alliances and networks has changed the modes of innovation and \"the locus of innovation\" shifted to the networks of learning. In this context, knowledge becomes the most critical input to innovation process, hence, the ability to exploit and explore knowledge turns to be a critical component of competitive advantages (Kogut, 2000). As defined in the above section, this paper conceptualizes dynamic capabilities as a series of knowledge-based capabilities. On one hand, these activities will improve innovation performance; on the other hand, external networks may have substantial influences on these capabilities. Figure 1 illustrates the relationship between a firm's knowledge-based dynamic capabilities and innovation performance and the role of network embeddedness in the process of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities development. Through their relationships with network partners in the environments, firms acquire or combine new knowledge that will greatly facilitate their innovation activities and hence promote their innovation performance.A. The link between knowledge-based dynamic capabilities and innovation\n4. Methodology: A. Research setting\n5. Results and analysis: A. Construct validity and reliability\n6. Discussion and conclusions: The literature agrees that dynamic capabilities are critical for innovation and competitive advantage, yet it is not clear how it contributes to innovation. This study extends and deepens our understanding of dynamic capabilities and its link with innovation performance in networked environments.The first contribution of this study is that the authors proposed a concise construct of dynamic capabilities and validated it through empirical studies. Although 14 years have passed since dynamic capabilities were first introduced, much confusion still remained in this field. By reducing the subject of dynamic capabilities from the general resource to knowledge resource, this study developed a convergent construct that can be empirically tested. Conceptualize dynamic capabilities as a series of processes handling knowledge resources and aiming at addressing dynamic environments, their attributes and constitutions were clarified. Additionally this conception made it possible to identify and measure dynamic capabilities practically and also facilitate us to examine the relationship between dynamic capabilities and innovation performance empirically.This paper offered rich evidence on the contribution of dynamic capabilities on innovation performance. Whereas most extant work demonstrates the contribution of dynamic capabilities theoretically, this paper put forwards a set of propositions linking dynamic capabilities to innovation performance systematically. The empirical study with 218 samples of Chinese manufacturing firms provided strong support for this effect. Further, intrinsic structure within the three dimensions was discovered. Our results reported that knowledge combination capability promotes innovation performance directly and mediates the process between knowledge acquisition, knowledge generation and innovation. In other words, knowledge acquisition capability and knowledge generation capability are important preconditions of knowledge combination and contribute to innovation performance indirectly. These findings echoed the research of Kogut and Zander (1992) that firms' innovations are products of its combinative capabilities.This study revealed that network embeddedness was an important antecedent of dynamic capabilities. The results showed that knowledge acquisition capability and knowledge combination capability were greatly influenced by network embeddedness. The results of our empirical study indicate that relational embeddedness exhibits a greater influence on the knowledge-based dynamic capabilities. Knowledge acquisition capability is mainly influenced by trust, joint problems solving and commitment, while knowledge combination is mainly driven by joint problem solving and commitments. An interesting result was that nonredundancy has no significant links with dynamic capabilities which is in controversy with the literature. A possible explanation is that the advantage of structural embeddedness is their ability to provide relatively new knowledge while the acquisition and combination of knowledge concerns mainly with in-depth knowledge exchange activities which will go on in a continuous period.\n7. Limitations and direction for future research: While this research deepened our understanding on dynamic capabilities and the mechanism between network embeddedness, knowledge-based dynamic capabilities and innovation performance, further questions emerged in this study. First, the construct of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities calls for more examination and verification. The conceptualization and operationalization of dynamic capabilities in this paper will provide a starting point for future empirical studies based on large samples and different context and much work still needs to be done to yield a mature construct. Second, manufacturing is a broad context which includes both high-tech sectors such as chip manufactures as well as relative stable industries such as the steel industry, however, this paper does not examine the differences between different industries. Further studies may overcome this problem by adding control variables or restrict their investigations to specific kinds of industry. Third, the literature has recognized the evolutionary nature of dynamic capabilities, there is a possibility that firms will reconstruct their organizational environments deliberately to sustain competitive advantage. In other words, managers may adapt their alliance networks dynamically. Hence, feedbacks between network environments, dynamic capabilities and innovation performance link the cycle of these constructs. In the future, scholars could investigate these relationships either though case studies or large scale empirical data.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to clarify the concept of dynamic capabilities from the knowledge-based perspective and investigate the mechanisms of dynamic capabilities on innovation performance in networked environments.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper designed a seven-point Likert questionnaire measuring the dynamic capabilities, innovation performance and network embeddedness and a sample of 218 Chinese manufacturing firms were surveyed. Structural equation modeling method was used to statistically test the theoretical hypothesis.\nFindings: - Significant relationships were found between dynamic capabilities and innovation performance and knowledge combination capability played a mediating role in this relationship. For the links between network embeddedness and dynamic capabilities, knowledge acquisition capability was affected mainly by relational embeddedness and the diversity of network and joint problem solving contributed much to knowledge combination capability.\nResearch limitations/implications: - This paper deepened the understanding on dynamic capabilities and the mechanism between network embeddedness, knowledge-based dynamic capabilities and innovation performance. In the future, the construct of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities calls for more examination and verification.\nOriginality/value: - Drawing on the literature of dynamic capabilities framework, knowledge-based view and the network model, this study extends the literature of dynamic capabilities and its link with innovation performance in networked environments. Using survey data and structural equation modeling, this study offers rich evidence on the contribution of dynamic capabilities on innovation performance and the antecedents of dynamic capabilities.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Cops and/or courts? A heterogeneous panel Granger-causality analysis of DUI in California	[ "Crime", "Community", "Public choice", "Common good", "Local economies", "Legal theory", "I180", "K420", "R410" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Deterrence is considered a keystone to law and order. Effective deterrence uses enforcement and punishment to induce potential (re)offenders to \"think twice\" and choose not to (re)offend. Dissuading potential offenders in the wider population out of deference to the possibility of arrest and punishment is termed \"general deterrence\" while \"specific deterrence\" induces an already-known offender not to repeat a violation. Of the two, general deterrence is the lesser understood mechanism. We assume that effective general deterrence hinges on how exactly law, enforcement and penalties interact; we propose a means to identify deterrent jurisdictions with a minimum of structural assumptions. This paper examines a specific violation: \"drunk-driving\" (or DUI, DWI); and how arrests by police, convictions by the court system and the community's subsequent drunk-driving episodes appear to interact empirically. We contribute toward a better understanding the dynamic links between DUI enforcement and adjudication, using heterogeneous panel models for better causal insight than has been feasible until now.\n2. Related literature: Our study draws from three principal strands of the drunk-driving literature(s): economics, criminology and traffic safety; while it is not exhaustive, our literature survey aims to highlight the complementarity of these several perspectives.\n3. The model: We assert that constructive coordination between the police and the courts is integral to civic coherence and public safety. Presumably, less drunk-driving improves public safety and the community's quality of life. We assume the purpose of drunk-driving law is harm reduction (more than moral policy); in the sections that follow we develop an assessment of how effectively the police and the courts appear to have achieved that objective. We present a system-level study of the general deterrence of drunk-driving that does not presume consistency between DUI enforcement and subsequent adjudication. We do not assume a response of the local criminal justice system to its surrounding community.\n4. Data: Selected DUI statistics for each of California's 58 counties were assembled into a 20-year panel for this project. The data sources were the California Department of Motor Vehicles' Annual Report of the DUI Management Information System (DUI-MIS) and the California Highway Patrol's Annual Report of Fatal and Injury Motor Vehicle Traffic Collisions (aka the \"Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System\"). Despite covering one of the most populous and driving-oriented states in the nation, these sources have evidently only been used together in one instance (Cooper et al., 2005). One or two years' DUI-MIS data have been used occasionally (e.g. Berger and Marelich, 1997; Grant, 2007; Tashima and Masten, 2011) but, to our knowledge, no panel analyses have been done[7].\n5. Triangular causality analysis: 5.1 Background on granger causality test in panel data\n6. Discussion: Results from the panel-Granger causality tests applied to our innovative data set are particular to California's experience but that should not diminish their value. California's considerable range of topography and climate, urbanicity and rurality, socio-economic status, political identifications, race, ethnicity and economic bases make it a valuable microcosm. Further, the population's generally young average age and demographic variations (US Census 2015) makes California an important site for determining the next steps to further reduce drunk-driving.\n7. Conclusion: In this paper, we have developed an empirically rooted approach to classify counties' deterrence of drunk-driving. It is flexible and may be fruitfully applied to other \"behavioural externality\" laws, as well as regulatory compliance. We present a novel application of a triangular Granger-causality methodology previously applied most often to macro-development and growth topics. To demonstrate our model, we exploit California county-level panel data that have been under-utilized for too long. Our approach allows us to identify patterns in the data, such as which counties are police-led (DUI arrests Granger-causes court convictions) while controlling for time and cross-section heterogeneity. Furthermore, our implementation of a heterogeneous panel Granger non-causality test (Dumitrescu and Hurlin, 2012) is flexible enough that we are able to identify different patterns in the causal relationship among police (arrests), courts (convictions) and DUI(crashes) across counties. Additionally, we have implemented a straight-forward approach to identify the sign of the direction of causality; and we have demonstrated a data-driven process to characterize the apparent (in)efficacy of interactions between police-courts-communities.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the interaction of enforcement and adjudication for general deterrence of drunk-driving. The authors present a triangular feedback model between three domains: police, courts and drunk-driving events. The authors' deductive approach imposes no structural assumptions beyond the core of general deterrence theory.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using a largely untapped data set for California's 58 counties from 1990 to 2010, the authors estimate a series of heterogeneous panel Granger non-causality tests. This empirically based evidence is re-organized per the proposed triangular feedback model to objectively categorize local criminal justice systems as active, responsive or reactive (with respect to drunk-driving).\nFindings: Our results suggest that state-level analyses obscure useful variations that empirical panel methods can now handle. The authors provide evidence that research based on empirically derived groupings, rather than inductively based preconceptions, is key to understanding enforcement and compliance. The authors provide a less confounded picture of the relationship between drunk-driving enforcement and adjudication.\nResearch limitations/implications: Our study addresses one offense for a particular state in the USA. It is an exploratory analysis. This analytical and empirical approach is new.\nPractical implications: Our approach imposes very few a priori assumptions and requires a minimum of data series to be executed. The method can be broadly applied to a range of topics and observational units.\nSocial implications: The authors aim to expand identification of local systems' effectiveness (or not) and mechanisms of for general deterrence of drunk-driving. The offense is one that can be committed easily and unintentionally; it does not presume anomie. The authors address general communities, not anomalies. Knowing how enforcement and compliance operate is essential to an array of behavioral externalities.\nOriginality/value: This is a new empirically based approach for analyzing social systems. It is a marriage of new macroeconomic time-series techniques with an old question, most often addressed by microeconomic research. This study uses an underutilized data source to construct a unique panel data set.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Apparel brands' use of Facebook: an exploratory content analysis of branded entertainment	[ "Facebook", "Content analysis", "Apparel", "Branded entertainment", "Play theory", "Social media strategy" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In today's society, consumers expect companies to have an online social media presence (Parsons, 2011). Social media allows for two-way communication between users and web site publishers; social media provides a space in which information is collaborative and users can interact and participate collectively (Salkhordeh, 2010; Thrackery et al., 2008). Social media applications include social networking web sites (SNWs). SNWs are sites that allow the creation of a profile with an evident list of users in which connections between users can be viewed (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). Since their mainstream introduction in 2003, SNWs such as MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook have increased substantially in popularity and usage among consumers (Salkhordeh, 2010). Millions of users collectively connect to these SNWs daily (Boyd and Ellison, 2007; Salkhordeh, 2010). Facebook alone has over 483 million daily active users[1] and is considered one of the most popular SNWs (Arnold, 2006; Lipsman et al., 2012). With such an enormous user base, it is no surprise that many companies have incorporated Facebook into their marketing strategies (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). Social media adoption is especially important for online retailers attempting to reduce online shopping risks and increase consumer trust (Constantinides et al., 2008).\n2. Play theory: Play theory suggests that mass communication is a form of play and that audiences will voluntarily participate in mass communication activities, which are presented by the media, to gain self-satisfaction (Stephenson, 1967). Zhang (2010) adapted Stephenson's (1967) play theory and the frameworks from Pellegrini (1995) and Sutton-Smith (1997) to examine branded entertainment used on Facebook pages. According to Zhang (2010), branded entertainment as a social media activity can be regarded as a form of play; different forms of branded entertainment trigger various consumer motivations. The four play themes that were present in branded entertainment on Facebook pages include: play as power, play as identity, play as fantasy, and play as frivolity (Zhang, 2010).\n3. Methodology: Apparel Magazine's list of the top 50 apparel brands (Speer, 2011) was used to identify apparel brands and to select the study sample. According to the paper, the brands were first ranked based on annual profits of $100 million or more and then by the number of Facebook fans. The list comprised a variety of apparel brands including manufacturers (e.g. Nike, Levi's, Hanes) and retailers (e.g. Gap, J.Crew, The Buckle). Diverse apparel brands were represented in terms of store type (e.g. specialty store: Express; department store: Nordstrom), target market (e.g. male: Men's Warehouse; young adults: Abercrombie & Fitch; baby boomer: Chico's; children: The Children's Place), and product type (intimate apparel: Victoria's Secret; sportswear: Columbia sportswear; maternity apparel: motherhood maternity).\n4. Results: Collectively, 1,443 posts were analyzed during the time frame of the present study. Raters coded each post individually based on the elements of branded entertainment and play themes used within the post. Three Facebook posts were excluded due to insufficient information that prevented them from qualifying as any type of branded entertainment. Therefore, the sample of posts used for data analysis was 1,440:\n5. Discussion and implications: The current study attempts to provide meaningful insights into apparel brands' use of Facebook as a social media strategy. The results of this study contribute to existing research by exploring the branded entertainment available on apparel brands' Facebook pages and analyzing them within the framework of play theory. The findings of the content analysis indicate that apparel brands use their Facebook pages in a limited capacity in terms of branded entertainment. Photos and advertisements were the predominant forms of branded entertainment (n=797). An overwhelming number of photos and advertisements on apparel brands' Facebook posts promoted specific products for the upcoming holiday season. For example, J. Crew's Facebook page promoted a specific product every few days and thus served as a countdown until Christmas. This result confirmed Zhang's (2010) research, which found that, during the holiday season, brands typically focus on combining branded entertainment with promotional enterprises to increase consumer interest in their products. These highly concentrated efforts and the corporate interest in product promotion could also be related to the finding that games and word play elements were never utilized on apparel brands' Facebook pages in this study. Games and word play do not typically have a high promotional effect and require skill and thought from the viewer. During the holiday season, companies cannot risk posting such entertainment, which does not focus solely on the product.\n6. Limitations and future study: Some caution should be taken in interpreting the findings of this study due to the nature of the sample and its limited generalizability. The sample was taken based upon information in Apparel Magazine and is therefore limited to the 50 companies listed. Future research should focus on developing a larger sample size that encompasses additional brands and posts to better represent the entire apparel industry. In addition, future research could consider splitting the brands into defined categories, such as the targeted consumer or the product price level. This differentiation would greatly increase the practicality of solutions for Facebook marketing strategies within a specific target market or product type. The time frame of this study also limits the generalizability of its findings. Thus, future research endeavors could continue the study over a longer period or focus on multiple e-commerce peaks throughout the year. While the current study addressed the types of branded entertainment and play themes utilized in apparel brands' Facebook pages, it did not consider the effect and success of each category of branded entertainment and play themes (e.g. the number of \"likes\" and the number of fans). Further study on how various branded entertainment forms and play themes influence the number of \"likes\" or fans will help brands set some priorities in the presentation of Facebook page content. Finally, with the quickly evolving nature of the internet, the findings of this study will need to be updated along with the play theories that are evaluated in terms of the Facebook posts.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine features of branded entertainment in apparel brands' Facebook pages based on the conceptual framework of play themes (Zhang, 2010).\nDesign/methodology/approach: A content analysis was performed for 1,443 posts present on 50 apparel brands' Facebook profile pages in the time period from November 28, 2011 to December 25, 2011.\nFindings: The findings provide meaningful insights into apparel brands' use of Facebook as a social media strategy. The most dominant branded entertainment consisted of photos and advertisements and was directed toward promoting specific products and sales without using a particular play theme. Among the play themes used, play as frivolity, which includes simple and fun activities, was predominant. Overall, apparel brands utilized limited types of branded entertainment on their Facebook pages.\nResearch limitations/implications: By integrating play themes into branded entertainment, apparel brands can optimize their branded contents on Facebook to connect with consumers and increase consumer motivation to interact with the brand. More specifically, apparel brands that adopt additional play themes other than play as frivolity for their branded entertainment will stand out and cut through the clutter of competitors' Facebook pages.\nOriginality/value: No previous research investigated apparel brands' use of Facebook pages. This study fills the void in the literature by addressing how apparel brands utilize types of branded entertainment on their Facebook profile pages.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Employee voice and silence in multinational corporations in the mobile telecommunications industry in Nigeria	[ "National cultures", "Nigeria", "Labour market", "Employee voice", "Employee silence" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Employee voice is an HR instrument through which employee(s) can sway the employer in his/her decision-making process through informal and formal channels for the purpose of cultivating communication, engaging employees and increasing workers' obligations and performance (Armstrong, 2006; Marchington, 2007; Newcombe, 2012; Donoghue and Siegel, 2005). Voice can thus be perceived as a mechanism for productive cooperation between capital and labor which invariably increases the long-term sustainability of a firm and the economic welfare of workers (Wilkinson and Barry, 2016). Hence, the importance of voice cannot be overemphasized because the contrary position would be for workers to either exit the company, keep silent about work issues with fellow co-workers or about being dissatisfied about managerial decisions and possible faults in work activities (Donaghey et al., 2011; Wilkinson et al., 2014).\nTheoretical framework: antecedents and outcomes of employee voice and silence: Employee voice and silence\nMethod: An exploratory, qualitative case study research methodology within the interpretivism paradigm was adopted in this paper. This allowed the emergence of context-specific patterns (Piekkari et al., 2009). Case study research is a strategy that involves the study of a case within a real-life contemporary context through detailed, in-depth data collection (Yin, 2014). In the present study, the descriptive, multiple-case study is deemed an appropriate research strategy to inductively explore employee voice in the Sub-Saharan context and the labor market situation in Nigeria and to gain more understanding of utilized and effective employee voice mechanisms of Nigerian employees.\nFindings: This section presents the findings of research on employee voice in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria, contextualized in the Sub-Saharan culture and the labor market situation, and presents the array of voice mechanisms utilized in the three case organizations.\nDiscussion: The objectives of the study presented in this paper were as follows:\nConclusion: This paper has shed light on the macro-contextual factors that hold employees back and make them reluctant or unwilling to speak their minds, i.e. the Sub-Saharan culture, characterized by respect for those in higher status positions and the labor market situation that instills the fear of job loss among employees should they voice out. This paper has also shown that implementing employee voice mechanisms that motivate and foster voice, most importantly, the corporate council and village meeting, enables employees in the Nigerian telecommunication industry to engage in informal upward promotive and prohibitive voice, leading to beneficial individual and organizational outcomes.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore employee voice and silence in the mobile telecommunication industry in Nigeria.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An exploratory qualitative case study methodology was employed in this study. Participant selection was done through a purposeful intensity sampling technique, which resulted in 30 employees from two different multinational organizations and an indigenous organization taking part in in-depth interviews.\nFindings: Findings show the presence of fear of victimization in the Nigerian workplace embellished by the Sub-Saharan culture and the state of the labor market, which resulted in employee silence. The study revealed that the implementation of culturally adapted employee voice mechanisms within organizations in the mobile telecommunication industry in Nigeria promotes employee voice and organizational performance, whereas a lack thereof results in organizational failure.\nResearch limitations/implications: A limitation is that the purposive sample of employees from three organizations in the mobile telecommunications industry only permits theoretical and analytic generalization.\nPractical implications: A focus on the co-creation of a high-performance work environment and the development of a powerful employee value proposition would foster employee voice.\nSocial implications: It will enable multinationals operating in Nigeria understand better how to operate employee voice in order to obtain optimal performance from workers in Sub-Sahara Africa.\nOriginality/value: This paper contributes to the literature on employee/industrial relations by showing that a high-power-distance national culture and a high unemployment rate affect employee voice and silence, which brings to the fore the importance of adequate employee voice mechanisms through which employees express their voice in order to arrive at beneficial individual and organizational outcomes.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Heterogeneous investors and trading platforms competition	[ "Microstructure", "Liquidity", "Alternative platforms", "Externalities", "Informed investors", "Stock exchanges competition", "G10, D62" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Flash crashes, high stock price volatility, and dark and high frequency trading are putting financial market structures at center stage. US and European regulations have experienced a drastic shift with Reg National Market System Regulation and Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MIFID), implemented in 2007, which support strong competition between both incumbent market firms (such as NYSE-Euronext, Nasdaq, Deutsche Boerse or London Stock Exchange) and new, flexible, technologically intensive players in trading services. Former centralized and order-driven market firms such as Euronext have to deal with a rise in alternative trading platforms with differentiated matching services, while their transnational arm wrestles with foreign financial market centers. The international and now internal competitive pressures are driving incumbents to adopt new strategies. It is less efficient for historical players to adopt an aggressive strategy toward every kind of competitor. Sometimes, local competitors (alternative platforms) could lead to better trading services diversification, i.e. a better match with all kinds of investors' needs. Then, it might be helpful to reinforce the overall attractiveness of the trading center and be internationally competitive.\n2. Traditional and alternative platforms of trading: a literature review: 2.1 Stylized facts\n3. The benchmark model: The benchmark model, in a simplified way, reproduces the competition between a domestic trading center composed of just one platform and foreign trading centers. The trading process is then consolidated in one exclusive execution venue, and in that case, the domestic platform and the domestic center are the same.\n4. Domestic fragmented trading center: From the initial conditions depicted by the benchmark, we then consider the introduction of alternative trading platforms, competing in the domestic center. This entry is associated with both the diffusion of new technologies, and changes in the regulation allowing the entry of new competitors to the previously monopoly execution services market. In the benchmark case, the domestic center was composed of one platform and, then, be as one with it. In that competitive case, the domestic fragmented center is composed of several trading platforms. We then consider the overall competitiveness of the whole domestic trading center compared to the foreign centers, and the individual profit of each trading platform comprising the domestic center.\n5. Conclusion: The MIFID implemented in 2007 has become a main pillar of European financial markets regulation. One of its main objectives is to increase trading services competition. European Union member states can no longer require brokers and investors to route orders only to regulated stock exchanges, and to authorize the entry of new players or so-called multilateral trading facilities. Currently, Euronext Europe has to compete internationally with other global trading centers (such as Nasdaq, Deutsche Boerse or the London Stock Exchange) or with the less delimitated over-the-counter space. The Nyse Group subsidiary is in competition with local players such as Bats Chi-X or Turquoise. However, the expected benefits from the new competitive landscape have not flowed equally to all market participants, and especially not to end-users. The trading environment has become more fragmented. The increased complexity is a consequence not only of trading services competition but also of the social interaction between all trading stakeholders: players and heterogeneous users (investors) and the strong specificity of the exchanged product, which implies complex externalities.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to consider competition's issues between European market firms, such as Euronext, and multilateral trading facilities, following Markets in Financial Instruments Directive's enforcement. This new domestic competition is adding to the existing international competition among financial centers. While diversification of local trading services can improve the international competitiveness of a financial center, the fragmentation of order flows can harm its attractiveness.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The theoretical setting analyzes the interaction between heterogeneous who experiment network externalities, and heterogeneous local trading services providers (alternative platforms and incumbent) in an international context. The authors compare two forms of organizations of the market: a consolidated market, and a fragmented market with alternative platforms - in both cases, in competition with a foreign universe.\nFindings: The results of this study point out the importance of the trade-off between diversification and externalities. With alternative platforms entry, enhanced competition decreases fees and redistributes informed investors between the foreign market and the domestic one. The increase of domestic platforms' number then has more complex effects on externalities (of information and liquidity). When the liquidity externalities are low, the diversification of financial platforms increases the number of investors on domestic centers. When liquidity externalities are not negligible, despite the decrease of fees, this same diversification orientates more informed investors to the foreign center.\nOriginality/value: This model is the first to analyze jointly the internal and international competition of trading platforms with heterogeneous investors.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Does the sky have to be the limit? Utilizing cloud-based learning in the workplace	[ "Cloud‐based learning", "Learning and development", "Technology", "Learning organizations", "Workplace learning" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: \"Cloud-based computing\" is a concept that has been around for a while and due to the increased innovation in technology, particularly with mobile devices, it is becoming far easier to instantly access information via internet applications. The general view of cloud computing is that it is a set of computer resources that are offered as scalable, on-demand services through the internet. For organizations, it offers reduced information technology costs in terms of electricity and hardware purchase and maintenance whilst increasing the availability of real time data that enables employees to have flexible access to information from any geographic location. As many organizations change to offering employees flexible working hours and \"work from home\" options, cloud computing can increase an organizations efficiency and reliability.\nSo what is cloud-based learning?: Cloud-based learning has been referred to as \"learning-as-a-service\" as it supports the instant use of software in the cloud for learning purposes (Ojala and Tyrvainen, 2011). It provides software, data and storage services that enable people to access information at their own pace to gain knowledge, and skills. It also creates an online environment that enables organizational members to share and collaborate on work activities from any time zone and location.One of the most significant benefits of cloud-based learning for an organization is that it enables informal and formal learning that caters for a wide-range of people. However, as the use of cloud computing grows, better learning tools need to be developed to ensure people can easily access and utilize relevant information and knowledge. Supportive cloud computer infrastructure can have an amplifying effect in getting more people involved and institutional support and mentor programs will develop people's level of comfort and confidence in utilizing cloud-based learning applications. Those providing learning via the cloud also need to develop their own skills to keep pace with employee expectations of the technology and encourage better capitalization of the potential of this innovation. Examples of how cloud-based learning is already being used are:linking to social media to follow blog activities, watch videos and enable broader communication through Google or Facebook accounts;linking up with other organizations to encourage and allow for cross-collaboration;providing information in alternative formats and languages to allow for cultural diversity and learning style differences;providing online writing environments that help people develop thinking and communication skills;interaction and collaboration between students (as peers) and with their teachers around the world on academic programs;interactive textbooks for students (e.g. Apple iBook2); andtargeted advertising for learners based on information gleaned from their activity in the cloud (e.g. partnership between Apple and Google).\nLearning and development practitioners exploring this technology: In order to get the most out of cloud-based learning, learning and development (L&D) practitioners need to encourage content creation and knowledge sharing in their organizations. As cloud-based learning offers a useful way to take data and information from all parts of an organization and make it readily accessible to all employees, it is important that a number of steps be followed.Firstly, appropriate content that can be created quickly and disseminated within an organization can be pre-packaged for cloud-based learning so that it offers time advantages for both employees and employers. Information captured in the cloud can be used by organizational members to explore ideas and share experiences about learning. This enables collaboration to take place in any geographic and time location.Secondly, practitioners need to link material found on the cloud to learning activities occurring within the organization in order to specify performance objectives and to continually monitor how people are developing from cloud-based learning. Emphasis needs to be placed on the important enabler of social learning that is facilitated by cloud-based technologies.Thirdly, as some organizational information is proprietary and has legal implications if shared, organizations need to identify topic areas that should not be included on the cloud computers without privacy and security mechanisms being put in place.Below is a checklist that L&D professionals might find useful to assist their thinking on how they might make the most of the opportunities this technology offers.1. Technology adoption:What kinds of cloud-based technologies already exist in the organization?Are they linked to cloud-based learning activities?How will you increase participation to encourage adoption of cloud-based learning?1. Organizational control:What kinds of legal, regulatory and proprietary restrictions are there on information placed on cloud computers?Identify topics and subjects that should not be shared on cloud technologies without security restrictions and password access.Disseminate cloud-based learning guidelines across the organization.1. Implementation:Ensure organizational members identify information that has a high value for collaboration and learning.Ensure cloud-based learning activities form part of employees performance reviews.Encourage recognition and development of cloud-based learning concepts by rewarding the development of skills and tools to participate in cloud technologies.In order for organizations to best use cloud-based learning they need to promote the relevant information on the cloud that can be used in conjunction with the organization's internal resources. It is also important for organizations to teach employees how to establish boundaries around their cloud-based learning activities in order to ensure privacy and confidentiality with regards to an organization's intellectual property.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to discuss the benefits of cloud-based learning.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper provides examples of how cloud-based learning is currently being implemented, and informs learning and development (L&D) professionals how to make the most of this technology.\nFindings: - In order to get the most out of cloud-based learning, L&D practitioners need to encourage content creation and knowledge sharing in their organizations. As cloud-based learning offers a useful way to take data and information from all parts of an organization and make it readily accessible to all employees, it is important that a number of steps be followed.\nPractical implications: - Cloud-based learning reduces costs in terms of hardware purchase and maintenance, whilst increasing the availability of real time data from any geographic location.\nOriginality/value: - The paper offers a checklist that L&D professionals might find useful to assist their thinking on how they might make the most of the opportunities this technology offers.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Situational leadership theory: a test from three perspectives	[ "Job level", "Leader-follower congruence", "Objective indices", "Situational Leadership Theory" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership theory (SLT) proposes a taxonomy consisting of four leadership styles, ranging from directing to delegating, and a framework for matching each style to specific situations. SLT has undergone a number of cosmetic and substantive changes since it was first introduced as the \"Life Cycle of Leadership\" (Hersey and Blanchard, 1969), and has emerged most recently as a restated set of prescriptive principles (Blanchard, 2010). Blanchard (2010) has identified four levels of follower development and their corresponding alternate optimal styles of leadership. For the enthusiastic beginner, characterized as low on competence but high on commitment, a directive style of leadership would be appropriate (directive defined as low-supportive behavior in conjunction with high-directive behavior). The disillusioned learner, characterized as being low on competence to having some competence in combination with low commitment, should benefit from a coaching style of leadership (coaching defined as high-supportive behavior in conjunction with high-directive behavior). The capable but cautious performer, who is moderate to high on competence but has variable commitment, should benefit from a supportive style of leadership (supportive defined as high-supportive behavior in conjunction with low-directive behavior). The self-reliant achiever, who is high on both competence and commitment, responds best to a delegating style of leadership (delegating defined as low-supportive behavior in conjunction with low-directive behavior).\nSubjective and objective indices: The first research topic is measurement of follower competence and commitment. A number of studies have used subjective measures such as supervisor rating (Fernandez and Vecchio, 1997; Norris and Vecchio, 1992; Thompson and Vecchio, 2009; Vecchio, 1987; Vecchio et al., 2006). Results from testing of SLT suggest that rating of competence and commitment may not be an identifiable and distinct construct, but rather an attribution made by leaders based on interpersonal attraction or projected performance (Thompson, 2008; Vecchio et al., 2006). Attribution bias entering judgments is a problem that arises when there are no objective indices for certain constructs. Variance may occur because of rater idiosyncratic error (Deniz et al., 2008; Murphy, 2008). Leaders may be inclined to make assumptions about one attribute based on judgments about other attributes. For example, a competent follower may also be assumed to be committed (Thompson, 2008).\nJob level: Fernandez and Vecchio (1997) assume that specific jobs may require specific norms or expectations for leader behavior. Due to ambiguity regarding the conceptual definition of follower competence and commitment, Fernandez and Vecchio (1997) suggest a modification of the term competence and commitment, where it is to be replaced with a level appropriate concept such as normative expectations. For example, members of a top management team in an organization might expect to receive little direct supervision, as experience and knowledge make supervisor's influence less important (Kerr and Jermier, 1978). Employees lower in the organizational hierarchy might expect their leaders to train them to master the job, let them know where they stand on matters that concern them, and execute a fair degree of monitoring of their behavior. To be effective, leaders should be conscious of and responsive to such norms, and tailor leadership style to employee expectations for leader behavior, rather than to follower competence and commitment. They also suggest, in their across-jobs approach, that jobs should be sorted into three categories based on job content: those that require low, moderate, and high self-directedness. For example, a high-self-directedness job would be a top management team in an organization, which has a considerable degree of latitude for independent action. Fernandez and Vecchio (1997) assumed that leader behavior would have a varying impact on follower performance as a function of job level. In accordance with SLT, it would be reasonable to assume that greater directiveness and lower supportiveness would be beneficial, even appreciated, by employees at lower level positions, compared to employees in high-self-directed jobs, where freedom from direction and support seems to receive a favorable response. Moderate self-directed jobs would respond to some direction and greater supportiveness.\nCongruence in leader rating and follower self-rating: The third and final area of concern is the assessment of the follower by means of a rating system. Previous studies have used only one source for assessing follower competence and commitment, such as either peer rating, leader rating, or self-report. Blank et al. (1990) used peers to contribute data on follower development level. When testing SLT's assumption that the interplay of task behavior, relationship behavior, and follower competence and commitment moderate leader effectiveness, their results were not supportive of the theory. This may have been caused by the use of peer ratings, which can reflect popularity rather than task orientation (Thompson, 2008).\nMethod: Participants\nResults: Table I provides descriptive statistics and intercorrelations among the independent and the dependent variables. Cronbach's a for the multi-item scales are listed on the primary diagonal of the correlation matrix. The a coefficients were in an acceptable range for all the variables of interest (0.61-0.92). Performance was significantly and positively correlated with leader supportiveness, job level, supervisor rating of follower competence and commitment, and follower self-rating of competence and commitment. Leader directiveness was inversely associated with experience. Job level was positively correlated to supervisor rating of follower competence and commitment, and follower self-rating of competence and commitment. Leader ratings of follower competence and commitment showed substantial association with job performance, while subordinate self-ratings of competence and commitment were moderately correlated with ratings of job performance. Furthermore, average self-ratings of competence and commitment were higher than leader ratings of follower competence and commitment.\nDiscussion: The present study tests the interaction hypothesis of SLT using objective indices for follower competence as a substitute for subjective measures like supervisor perception of competence of the follower. Several interesting patterns were identified concerning the relationship between objective indices and leader structuring, as suggested in SLT. Leader directiveness was inversely associated with experience, indicating that supervisors acted consistently with SLT's recommendation to provide more direction with less competent employees. The partitioned test showed that main differences were in favor of SLT for followers at development levels 3 and 4 when using experience as moderator. The need for specific leader activity seems to be substituted for by expertise. These findings are consistent with the study of Vecchio and Boatwright (2002), where experience was inversely associated with preference for structuring. These findings are also consistent with other studies showing that experienced people who have acquired expertise and become self-reliant benefit from leaders who empower employees, allow them to exercise influence over work processes, and support them in leading themselves (De Vries et al., 1998; Stewart et al., 2011). Followers given greater opportunities for self-direction will manifest superior outcomes, such as higher levels of job performance and job satisfaction (Vecchio et al., 2010).\nImplications: What do these results mean for research on SLT? Several attempts have been made to address the problems concerning the moderator variable \"follower competence and commitment.\" Previous studies, which have used peers, self-report, and leader assessment in rating follower development level, have made some progress in identifying the strengths and shortcomings of SLT. Even though evidence was obtained for applying objective indices as suggested by Vecchio and Boatwright (2002), this study has not found clear evidence for the suggestion that objective indices may be a superior device for studying follower reactions to leader behavior than using subjective constructs. Also, it has not been confirmed whether SLT constructs are more accurately conceptualized at the level of the job than the competence and commitment of the individual. However, the present study is the first attempt to apply two sources, leader rating and follower self-rating, of competence and commitment, when validating SLT. Evidence from the present study suggests that measuring the degree of agreement between leader assessment and follower self-rating might be a key factor to determine the development level of the follower. By comparing leader rating and follower self-rating a more accurate measurement is available than using only one source. In this respect, future research could extend the present work by testing SLT's predictions in the following four situations: first, when leader and follower are in agreement on individual development level and evaluations are favorable (competence and commitment is high); second, when leader and follower assessments are in agreement but evaluation is poor (competence and commitment are low); third, when leader and follower are not in agreement and follower self-rating is higher than leader rating; and finally, leader and follower are not in agreement and follower self-rating is lower than leader rating.\nLimitations and future research: In this study, SLT did not provide clear support when employing objective indices for follower development level. Advocates of SLT may argue that objective indices, such as education, age, and experience, do not adequately reflect development level because they are general assessments and do not indicate follower task-specific competence. However, experience, as applied in this study, is more closely connected to task competence and more convincing as an index of follower competence, and should provide some support for the validity of SLT. Experience is also used as an indicator of follower competence in SLT (Blanchard, 2008). Furthermore, proponents of SLT may argue that applying objective indices neglects assessment of follower commitment, which relies more on subjective reports from supervisors. However, as stated by Graeff (1997), competence is given \"causal priority\" as the first-or-strongest-to-impact influence on performance in SLT. Using objective indices for competence should therefore provide some knowledge about SLT dynamics.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Ambiguity surrounding \"follower competence and commitment\" of Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership theory (SLT) has rendered validation difficult. The purpose of this paper is to address this difficulty by presenting different perspectives for determining follower development level and applies these perspectives for testing the validity of SLT.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study population was drawn from 80 supervisors and 357 followers. Financial organizations were chosen because much of the existing research on SLT has so far focussed on service-oriented organizations in education, healthcare, and armed services.\nFindings: Measuring the degree of agreement between leader rating of follower competence and commitment and follower self-rating was found to be a core issue for determining follower competence and commitment. SLT predictions are more likely to hold when leader rating and follower self-rating are congruent, rather than using leader rating alone, which has been applied in previous studies.\nPractical implications: Both leader and follower need to diagnose follower competence and commitment, first individually and then together, to discuss similarities and differences and attempt to agree upon the determination of follower competence and commitment. If the rating is based on some mutual agreement, then it is assumed in accordance with SLT that the leader can provide the follower with an appropriate amount of direction and support.\nOriginality/value: The findings in the present study are of great importance for future research on SLT. It may change the approach for testing the validity of the theory. A leader-follower congruence approach will, in the authors view, constitute the future research avenue for research on SLT.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) toward the development micro and small and entrepreneurs using partnership and community development program (PKBL) in Pekanbaru	[ "CSR", "Different test", "PKBL" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Micro- and small-sized enterprises (MSEs) became Indonesian weapon while enduring 1998 crisis. Despite being managed in a simple manner, they had already taken a major role that time, as they served as a support and an important option for the community to live in a more prosperous, independent state, and they helped many people by resolving unemployment because of the following characteristics: resilient; flexible, independent, efficient (worked on by all family members) and self-financing (or family financing). Judging from the number of enterprises (units) and employment in Indonesia, MSEs play a huge role, as can be seen in Table I.\n2. Literature review: Social responsibility or also called as CSR is defined as the corporate commitment to act ethically, operate legally and contribute toward the improvement of economy alongside the improvement of life quality for the employees and their families, local community and the society in a broad sense. CSR can also be defined as business commitment to contribute to sustainable economic development and to cooperate with employees of the company, their families, local communities and the society as a whole (Fox et al., 2002 in Budimanta et al., 2004). Thereby, CSR is directed either inside (internal) or outside (external) companies. Inside, the responsibilities are directed to shareholders in the form of profitability and growth and to employees to provide compensation according to the principles of justice. Meanwhile, outside, CSR is related to the role of companies as taxpayers aimed to improve the welfare and competence of the public and preserve the environment for the benefit of future generations.\n3. Methodology: The scope of the study on fund distribution from CSR toward the attitude and revenue development of MSEs in Riau province was to select three state-owned companies that distribute fund from PKBL program in Pekanbaru, namely, PT. Jasa Raharja, PT. Angkasa Pura and PT. Pegadaian in Riau region. Meanwhile, the material study scope included a review on PKBL beneficiaries from 2012 to 2013. The population and sample in this research were the MSEs as partners of several SOEs in Riau province, with all major branches located in Pekanbaru. The entrepreneurs also received guidance through attitude training and entrepreneurial development from these SOEs. In this case, the population was consisted of 155 small- and micro-sized enterprises, and samples taken in this research were 95 SMEs. The consideration of this sampling was based on the reachable distance and location. This research used quantitative analysis with t-test (different test) to view the differences in entrepreneurial attitude and revenue, before and after receiving the CSR fund through the PKBL program.\n4. Result and discussion: The results of different test analysis (t-test) on eight variables are presented below: planning, confidence, task orientation, risk-taking, leadership, honesty, revenue and costs (Table V).\n5. Conclusions and recommendation: Based on the analysis of study on impacts of distribution of CSR fund (PKBL Program) on the development of attitude and revenue of MSEs in Pekanbaru, the following conclusions can be made:\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper aims to determine the roles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) or social responsibility practiced by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) toward the development of entrepreneurial attitude and revenue of micro and small entrepreneurs in Pekanbaru.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This research used quantitative analysis with t-test (different test) to view the differences in entrepreneurial attitude and revenue before and after receiving the CSR fund through Partnership and Community Development Program (PKBL program).\nFindings: PKBL aid by a state-owned company is highly effective and helps small and micro entrepreneurs in increasing revenue. It is seen from the significance of sales turnover and cost efficiency development. Some positive impacts of receiving PKBL fund on the development of entrepreneurial attitude towards positivity are significant and some are not. A significant change is found in the development of entrepreneurial attitude in the aspect of planning and leadership that show that micro and small entrepreneurs have a plan and a good leadership after receiving PKBL fund. There appears a significant difference before and after PKBL fund distribution. Confidence, task orientation, risk taking and honesty dimensions show no signs of significant difference before and after receiving PKBL fund, as they are related to someone's nature, which is attached to each individual, and it requires time, processes and optimal treatment to change.\nOriginality/value: No study has investigated the roles of CSR or social responsibility practiced by SOEs towards the development of entrepreneurial attitude and revenue of micro and small entrepreneurs in Pekanbaru, Riau.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The effect of dual relational embeddedness and trust on alliance governance	[ "Alliance governance", "Deterrence-based trust", "Economic relational embeddedness", "Knowledge-based trust", "Social relational embeddedness" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In the dynamic and competitive global marketplace, the number of single enterprises with a hierarchical structure has declined (Gulati, 1995a). Many firms have sought to gain external resources and greater flexibility through cooperation with other companies. Such alliances may take the form of either contract governance or equity governance. Williamson (1985) uses a transaction cost economics (TCE hereafter) perspective to build a transaction cost-alliance governance framework. Based on a comparative hypothesis, he demonstrates that, when there is a rise in transition costs during business cooperation, companies attempt to reduce those costs by adopting equity governance rather than contract governance. Equity governance alliances have a relatively fixed structure that involves mutual investments in certain assets, shared commitments, collaborative knowledge creation and the sharing of R&D results. Contract governance alliances, in contrast, have a relatively flexible structure that allows R&D activities, usually with a short-term target, to be conducted via cooperation through a given protocol.\nTheory and hypotheses: Theoretical background\nMethodology: Sample and procedure\nEmpirical results: Following the literature, we used Cronbach's a to estimate the reliability of the scales and used the confirmatory factor analysis to test the validity of those scales. The results are reported in Table II. The lowest Cronbach's a is 0.794, indicating the model's adequate reliability and internal consistency. The component values for the majority of factors are greater than 0.742, another proof of the reliability of the measurements in the model. The average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (CR) values are above 0.619 and 0.867, respectively, indicating that these measurements are effective. Together, these results demonstrate the convergent validity of the scales.\nAdditional tests: The foregoing results show that the moderating effects of SRE and KBT on the relationship between opportunistic behavior and equity governance are negative, whereas those of ERE and DBT are positive. However, the negative moderating effects of SRE and KBT on equity governance are not significant. Thus, we conducted further tests.\nDiscussion: Theoretical contributions and implications for alliance governance practices\nConclusion: Previous studies in TCE generally ignore its social network tendency. This study overcomes the deficiencies of the traditional TCE framework and reinvestigates the topic by focusing on the relationship between opportunistic behavior and equity governance, treating RE and inter-firm trust as moderating variables. In addition, this study analyzes the dual nature of RE and inter-firm trust, thereby contributing to RE theory and providing new ideas for subsequent research. Finally, the study reveals how RE and its two branches, ERE and SRE, as well as inter-firm trust and its two types, DBT and KBT, moderate the cooperative governance simultaneously. ERE and DBT strengthen the tendency to adopt equity cooperation, whereas SRE and KBT weaken that tendency. These findings not only refine the current literature on trust mechanisms, but they also clarify the relationship between trust and alliance governance. The results can also help Chinese enterprises to find suitable alliance governance modes, from the perspective of inter-firm RE and trust, to improve firm performance.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Previous studies have illustrated that relational embeddedness is an important factor in alliance governance, but the homogeneity of it turned out to be an obstacle in the path of alliance governance research. In light of this theoretical gap, the purpose of this study is to answering the following questions: Is relational embeddedness homogeneous? How does dual relational embeddedness and inter-firm trust influence alliance governance (especially the equity governance)?\nDesign/methodology/approach: Based on the perspective of transaction cost economics, there is traditional \"transaction characteristics-prevention cost-alliance governance\" framework from Williamson. In this study, we firstly introduce relational embeddedness and inter-firm trust into new model as moderating variable which based on the primary hypotheses in traditional framework; secondly, from the social network view, we analysis the dual nature of relational embeddedness and inter-firm trust. Thirdly, the authors refine the above moderating effect from different type of relational embeddedness and inter-firm trust. The authors conduct empirical analyses based on survey data of 328 Chinese manufacturing enterprises, and multiple regression analyses were used to test the above mentioned moderating effect.\nFindings: The results show: ERE (economic relational embeddedness) and SRE (social relational embeddedness), respectively, lead to deterrence-based trust and knowledge-based trust. The ERE and deterrence-based trust strengthen the tendency towards hierarchical equity cooperation, while SRE and knowledge-based trust weaken the likelihood of equity cooperation choices being made.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study has made some encouraging progress, but there are still some problems and elements worthy of further study. First, from the view of independent variables, the authors did not include any transaction characteristics (such as asset co-specificity) in our integrated model. Secondly, and most importantly, the authors found some variables outside the analysis framework (such as whether involving R&D or core technology). After interaction with these variables, it is possible that the moderating role of relational embeddedness and trust, and especially the effects of SRE and KBT on equity cooperative governance, may be reversed.\nPractical implications: Inter-firm cooperation is an important and special organization, which can joint interdependent resources to create value. This paper provides suggestions to Chinese enterprises which could help them realize the duality of relationship character and how to properly implement alliance governance. It helps enterprises to realize that relational embeddedness is not homogeneous and clarify the relationship between inter-firm trust and alliance governance. This research indicates the firm manager that effective alliance governance comes from appropriate relational embeddedness and inter-firm trust.\nOriginality/value: Overall, three contributions emerge: first, the authors construct a relational embeddedness and classical framework that overcomes the traditional deficiencies of being static and one-sided. Secondly, the forward research of dual embeddedness and trust improves the relational embeddedness theory and provides new ideas for subsequent research. Last but not least, the research clearly indicates that ambidextrous relational embeddedness leads to ambidextrous trust, which not only refines the existing research into trust mechanisms, but also clarifies the relationship between trust and alliance governance.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Driving green supply chain management performance through supplier selection and value internalisation: A self-determination theory perspective	[ "Case study", "Green performance", "Green supply chain management", "Self-determination theory", "Aerospace manufacturer", "Green supplier selection", "SME" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Green supply chain management (GSCM) is an important strategic objective for businesses who seek to realise the multiple benefits from such practices, including cost savings, stronger brand recognition and competitor differentiation (Brammer and Walker, 2011; Min and Galle, 2001; Roehrich et al., 2014; Sarkis et al., 2012; Vachon and Klassen, 2008). A central part of GSCM is the selection of \"green\" suppliers and suppliers' willingness to contribute towards GSCM, which have so far received limited comprehensive theoretical and empirical attention in a single study, despite several frameworks emphasising their roles in achieving sustainable supply chain (SC) management practices (Govindan et al., 2015). Nevertheless, extant studies have not yet unpacked the complexity inherent in green supplier selection (GSS) and supplier motivation to drive GSCM from a dyadic upstream SC perspective.\n2. Conceptual development: 2.1 SCM relationships to drive GSCM performance\n3. Methods: 3.1 Research approach and sampling\n4. Findings: 4.1 The aerospace sector and case companies\n5. Discussion: 5.1 Driving GSCM performance through GSS and value internalisation\n6. Conclusions: The study offers theoretical and empirical examinations of how GSS drives GSCM performance and how realisation of improved GSCM performance is contingent upon SDT mechanisms of autonomy, competence and relatedness. The study contributes to our yet incomplete understanding of how to drive GSCM performance in upstream parts of the SC. The study draws out the importance of GSS, distinguishing between new and legacy suppliers, to drive GSCM performance. Through the lens of SDT, second-tier suppliers' motivation (value internalisation) to realise GSCM is investigated. GSS and value internalisation are crucial to improve GSCM performance in the upstream parts of the SC. Findings also illustrate how first-tier supplier's GSCM practices are driven by downstream pressures of aircraft manufacturers and customers and the extent to which these are passed on to and internalised by second-tier suppliers. As such, our study provides an empirical and theoretical assessment of two key GSCM components which emphasise both implications for research and practice to realise GSCM performance.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to apply self-determination theory (SDT) to green supply chain management (GSCM) and explore how green supplier selection (GSS) drives GSCM performance and how realisation of improved GSCM performance is contingent upon SDT mechanisms of autonomy, competence and relatedness.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study draws on 18 semi-structured interviews and secondary data from a Germany-based first-tier aircraft interior manufacturer and its six key suppliers. The focal company was selected because it is recognised as having achieved high GSCM standards in the aerospace industry.\nFindings: The study draws out the importance of GSS, distinguishing between new and legacy suppliers, and offers significant insights into how suppliers' motivation and downstream GSCM criteria can be internalised in second-tier suppliers to drive GSCM performance.\nPractical implications: GSS should be considered not only for new suppliers but also at an ongoing basis for legacy suppliers. Focal companies must realise the importance of motivating supply chain partners to realise GSCM practices and need to first build-up autonomy before focussing on competence and relatedness sub-dimensions.\nOriginality/value: The authors make a significant contribution to the GSCM literature by conducting a study of first-tier-second-tier relationships, thus moving beyond the buyer-supplier relationships investigated in extant studies. The results theoretically and empirically draw out key factors in GSS and supplier motivation in engaging with GSCM practices, thus driving GSCM performance.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Strategic superboards: improved network management processes for regeneration?	[ "Regeneration", "Strategic management", "Partnership", "United Kingdom" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Strategic approaches through partnerships in regeneration have long been the aim of the UK central government (Fordham et al., 1999). In some programmes this approach has been extended in terms of partnerships being superboards: large in terms of the scale and scope at which they operate. City challenge, city pride and the new commitment to regeneration (NCR) are examples[1]. The latter influenced the development of the local strategic partnership (LSP) policy (Russell, 2001). It is recognised that superboards, likened to the traditional local authority, can impact more positively upon local economies and populations whether pursued at the regional, sub-regional or local level due to their superior resource base.The New Labour government's regeneration policy has thus evolved and contains some sound policy ideas, the defining feature of which is joined-up government or coordination but in the context of decentralisation and broad participation. They have based their approach on a vast amount of research and consultation with academic, practitioner and deprived communities concerning how best to tackle deprivation. A joined-up approach was considered necessary, pursuing interventions that reinforce each other, and operate at a large enough scale to have substantial impact. A key finding in regeneration research is that it is not correct to argue policies have not had an impact but have not had widespread enough impact to stem the flow of deprivation (Social Exclusion Unit, 1998). Many regeneration programmes have thus attempted to turn this situation around through the use of superboards.The case study research reported below focused on three regeneration partnerships, two of which represented the LSP and regeneration zone (RZ) programmes[2]. These had similar aims, to operate through superboards bringing together key players from across the community, in order to provide substantial impact over the long-term in regenerating their areas, thus replacing the tendency for smaller scale, area or single theme-based interventions epitomised by the SRB programme. The third partnership was an SRB scheme operating under the SRB's revised rules. This provides a comparator for the new programmes. All three partnerships were based in one area of the West Midlands region.The paper is organised as follows: the first section discusses network management theory, its relevance and use in this research. It includes a summary of the impact of the institutional design on the original SRB programme. The second section discusses the outcomes of the case studies in relation to two key aspects partnership formation and the strategy and action plan development. Finally, a discussion and conclusions are presented.\nNetwork management theory: The theory of network management can explain how policy networks both succeed and fail in the quest to gain the hoped for synergies between partnership members. Klijn and Koppenjan (1999) argue that network management is a form of public management. It is one way in which government can \"steer\" actors into dealing with societal problems. Drawing upon this approach, the techniques used by central government and local actors within regeneration are conceived of as forms of network management.Two types of network management can be identified, the first, game management, deals with interactions within an existing network structure, for example, where a network member facilitates meetings within a partnership in order to improve interaction between members. The second, involves changing the institutional design or structure of a network, for example, where central government changes the rules around resource distribution. These basic categories include many individual interventions. Key interventions cited as game management include: activating a network, arranging, facilitating, brokerage, mediation, and arbitration. Network structuring includes influencing formal policy; influencing interrelationships, values, norms and perceptions, and including new members (Kickert and Koppenjan, 1997).In the UK, changing the network structure is commonplace, for example, each time central government determine that a new set of actors should be involved in regeneration. Through doing this they hope to alter the interaction within the network. This is an important feature in regeneration partnerships that have changed from narrow central-local relationships to broad multi-sectoral networks where the level of interaction has necessarily increased. Although this paper focuses on the actions of central government in establishing the institutional design of the network, game management is also important since it is this aspect that explains how local actors implement programme rules into their particular partnership. However, the programme's institutional design appears to be the most important determinant of how partnerships operate (Klijn and Koppenjan, 2000).A feature of the new superboards is the appearance of increased autonomy over what they do and how they do it, as many of the rules concerning the micro management of partnerships, which were evident in the SRB programme, have been relaxed. Nevertheless, the overarching structure of the network appears to remain a key determinant of success or failure.\nNetwork management and the SRB: Until New Labour came to power in 1997, the most important urban regeneration partnership programme was the SRB. This represented the amalgamation of 20 funding streams into a single holistic budget to which partnerships could bid for resources through yearly competitions. Partnerships were intended to collaborate to produce a bid that represented a coordinated approach to regeneration. Whilst the programme improved over time (Brennan et al., 1998), it has not been perfect, and in the early years, it was particularly problematic. In terms of network management, central government operated a partial approach. Whilst the scheme was rooted in an interactive perspective in which synergy would be achieved through interaction between the various sectors in the partnership it resorted to instrumentalism as partnership formation was the prerequisite of funding. Local actors, responding to cuts elsewhere, simply formed a partnership to access funds which they often saw as their entitlement, previously provided through routine allocations (Environment Committee, 1995, 1996). Little was done to enforce, encourage or support the hoped for interaction through the institutional design of the programme.The outcomes were disappointing. Partnership working was poor, spending decisions were made by those with power, particularly local authorities. Many partnerships had no voluntary or community sector representation and where they were involved, they were often expected to sign up to pre-made plans. Influence from the private sector was also weak as their inclusion was described as tokenistic (ibid). It has been argued that the institutional rules by which this programme operated led to less successful interventions since it encouraged poor partnership working and the focus of interventions tended to be biased towards what central government wanted rather than what was needed in the local areas (Hall and Nevin, 1999).The institutional rules of the SRB undermined the primary goal of interactive partnership working in the following ways:* open competition led to overbidding and too fierce a competitive process;* competition was exacerbated as the challenge element of the SRB budget was small due to the top-slicing to fund existing programmes (Stewart, 1994);* there was an absence of rules regarding the basis for the competition, bidders had no idea of the level of funding within each region. It has been described as a monopsonistic market in which central government held the purchasing power (Hall and Nevin, 1999);* timescales were short in comparison to the task of forming a partnership and producing an outline bid for regeneration work; and* whilst the management of the interaction in partnerships can be described as passive by central government, there was active management regarding the bureaucratic nature of the process in terms of \"regularity, propriety and value for money\" (DETR, 1998, p. 3).An overall assessment of the SRB is that the level of strategic working between partnership members and the resulting synergy acquisition was poor. It can therefore be viewed as a weak exercise in network management. It succeeded in instigating partnerships but in general these did not function as intended.The SRB during this phase is not unique in its failings, strategic planning has been regularly identified as weak within regeneration policy. The content of schemes have thus been an amalgamation of existing projects which were ready for implementation regardless of their suitability, usually drawn from a small group of public sector actors (for summaries of research findings see Higgins et al., 1983; Wilks-Heeg, 2000). In partnership models, where all partners are supposed to influence such decisions in order to acquire the optimum mix of projects, such activity is problematic.One outcome of this situation is the lack of integration between economic development and training for the unemployed in deprived communities that would allow them to compete for employment (Hambleton, 1981; Oatley and Lambert, 1998). Thus, the benefits of development are rarely gained by those in need.This research sought to investigate the ways in which the New Labour central government were managing regeneration partnerships through the institutional design of new programmes. The substantive content of regeneration has changed little whilst more emphasis has been placed on process. The emphasis has been on aspects of increased co-governance or decision-making concerning appropriate development plans combined with joint work or coordination between organisations in terms of acquiring policy coherence and, where appropriate, in service delivery. The research was conducted over the 2001/2002 period. Key to it was the institutional design used by central government and the Regional Development Agency, and how local partners had interpreted these? Given that it was too early to assess the partnership's substantive impact, the focus was placed on processes: how the partnerships were established and their early attempts to develop strategies.\nNetwork management under New Labour - the research findings: Two important characteristics of this phase of policy, which compare favourably against the SRB, are the aims of regeneration policy and how those aims would be fulfilled. In general, there was little tension created by central government's policy aims. The findings suggested that the policy community were in favour of the concept of strategic superboards and of increased joint work; better quality partnership and targeting attention on the worst deprivation. As such, this phase of regeneration is characterised by consensus. This is possibly due to the high level of consultation carried out by central government and the commitment to evidence based interventions. Thus, network management during this phase operates within a fairly uncontentious context. Therefore, it might have been expected that programmes would be more successfully implemented.\nPartnership formation: A key aspect of New Labour's regeneration strategy has been to establish partnerships which are truly multi-sectoral and which demonstrate that inclusion in the partnership is matched by influence. This aims to reduce the occurrence and severity of the so-called paper partnerships (DETR, 1997). This objective was particularly clearly expressed in both the SRB and LSP guidance (DETR, 1998, 2001). Admittedly, less so in AWM's Zone guidance[3], but the inclusion of the private and voluntary sector as full partners in order to gain synergy was evident (Advantage West Midlands, 2000).The LSP partnership\nStrategy development within the partnerships: A key feature of New Labour's policies has been its commitment to planning at all spatial levels, the purpose of which is to create higher levels of coordination in order that interventions would reinforce each other and provide better value for money. As such, the role of planning was exhorted within regeneration policy and it was implied that this would be carried out by all members of partnerships with the clear intent of including deprived communities themselves. Therefore, the existence of multi-sectoral boards should be demonstrated in the strategies themselves and in the process of production.The superboards were primarily established to deal with the multiple causes of deprivation. Much store has been set on their ability to regenerate local areas through adopting more inclusive ways of working between partnership members and the production of balanced and appropriate strategies.The SRB partnership\nConclusions: This paper has outlined the ways in which two new strategic superboard partnerships representing new programmes have failed to contribute to the aim of a more coordinated, co-governed and strategic approach to the regeneration of their areas. In comparison to the original SRB, all three cases reviewed showed substantial improvements in their institutional designs. However, of the three cases, the two superboards do not compare particularly well with the recent SRB case that appeared to be delivering the objectives sought by central government. Superboards, in reality, have offered little added value during this period. This is despite the possibility that LSPs, particularly, may bring advantages in the longer-term.From a network management perspective the institutional designs used did not make sufficient allowances for the embedding and development of new partnerships working within new systems. This outcome suggests that central government should think carefully before introducing new systems and that they should pay more attention to the way new institutions will work in practice within institutional contexts that they often have little control over. This is not to say that the new programmes did not include some novel and potentially important innovations, they did, but we have yet to see the benefits from these. For example, in the LSP case the rewards of community involvement supported by the CEF investment have not been reaped. They may, of course, contribute more effectively over service provision in the future.Neither should it be argued that we should avoid change at all costs, but if we do make radical changes, then we have to accept that early wins are unlikely to be gained, such ventures are truly long-term, which is, as we know a difficult concept within the political environment, but unfortunately necessary. It is sad to note that after such an extensive planning period, the LSP policy has been shown to be performing poorly and the recurrence of issues found in previous policies in both new programmes does suggest the need for greater continuity. To this end we must continue with the regeneration structures we now have, amending them incrementally as learning takes place about the ways in which they can be productive.Methodologically, it might be argued that this series of case studies carried out in one area supplies insufficient evidence for generalisation. This could indeed be a valid critique, and more evidence is needed, however, given the impact of the SRB's institutional design reported by the extensive research carried out on the SRB programme, for example Mawson et al. (1995), which suggested very strong patterns of outcomes emerging from a flawed system, then it can be argued that we can be confident that these findings have a substantial degree of generalisability without suggesting that all LSPs and sub-regional partnerships, zones or otherwise, will produce exactly the same outcomes. The institutional design and the ensuing network management was partial in these new programmes, just as it had been in the SRB. Central government needs to find a better balance between renewing institutional structures and developing approaches that allow partners to work together more productively through more active management within existing structures.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - Aims to present a critical discussion of two UK case studies through which a \"third way\" modernisation of regeneration policies has been identified as a world-wide trend.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Provides case studies that represent attempts at creating \"strategic superboards\": the first, local strategic partnerships (LSPs) is a national programme and the second, the regeneration zones (RZs), is peculiar to a specific region in the UK. Network management theory is used to analyse how regeneration partnerships, as networked organisations, are managed. The focus is on the institutional design rules used to achieve decentralisation, balance and joining-up.\nFindings: - Although the findings show that the programmes' institutional design was potentially improved, the partnerships' achievements fell short of their objectives. It is concluded that a key factor in this failure is the continuing partial approach by central government in managing the networks. As a result these partnerships found it difficult to operate within the new institutional designs.\nOriginality/value: - Highlights that there has been an absence of attention to management in network situations by UK academics that is not shared by our UK and European counterparts.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Effects of process and product-oriented innovations on employee downsizing	[ "Spain", "Manufacturing industries", "Downsizing", "Product innovation", "Process management", "Process innovations" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Downsizing is an economic phenomenon that has become very popular in firms around the world over the last two decades (Budros, 1999, 2000, 2004; Datta et al., 2010; Gandolfi, 2005). Massive layoffs and labour attrition have become ubiquitous in business media[1]. In academic outlets as well, attention to this topic has been extraordinarily important from the end of 1980s until now. In fact, employee downsizing is viewed \"as one of the most far-reaching and significant management issues of the current era\" (Datta et al., 2010, p. 282).In a comprehensive review on employee downsizing, Datta et al. (2010) identify 91 empirical studies performed between 1988 and 2008 by researchers from different countries. From this review, it can be seen how most researchers have traditionally been interested in examining the consequences of employee downsizing. Yet it also reveals a growing interest among management scholars in the potential determinants of employee downsizing.This study adds to the latter research stream by providing new empirical evidence on causes of employee downsizing - defined as a significant reduction of workforce (Budros, 1999; Burton et al., 1996; Mellahi and Wilkinson, 2008). In particular, our main goal is to examine the role played by different types of firm innovation on downsizing. Drawing on economic and management views, we assess the potential positive or negative effect of different types of processes (i.e. new technology via the introduction of new equipment as well as new methods of organizing the workforce) and product innovations (i.e. number of innovations) on downsizing. Therefore, our research is aimed at empirically detecting potential differences in firm downsizing behaviour depending on their specific innovation activities i.e. process vs product-oriented innovations. As noted below, this will enable us to test what specific effect (compensation or displacement) is more likely in each case.Our study can contribute to the literature on employee downsizing in a number of significant ways. First, we make an effort to provide alternative explanations about why firms downsize as it analyses different types of process and product innovations whose effects on employment (and, thus, downsizing) do not seem to be clear. Most importantly, we shed new insights on the potential effect of two distinct process innovations in nature: new equipment and new methods of organizing the workforce. To our knowledge, this is a matter unexplored by prior research. In fact, the extant literature has exclusively focused on process innovations associated with acquiring and deploying new production equipment, and/or product innovations (e.g. Budros, 1999; Doms et al., 1995; Dougherty and Bowman, 1995; Harrison et al., 2005; Mellahi and Wilkinson, 2008, 2010a, b). Thus, our study seeks to further our understanding of the effect of firm innovation by focusing on the potential effect of one type of process innovation which has not been examined until now: the adoption and implementation of new methods of organizing the workforce owing to new technology.Second, we examine this phenomenon in Spain during a recent time period, 1994-2006. There are many empirical studies on causes and effects of employee downsizing carried out by researchers in different countries - including Spain (e.g. Suarez-Gonzalez, 2001; Vicente-Lorente and Suarez-Gonzalez, 2007) - in the last ten years. Yet there are few empirical studies analysing employee downsizing with recent firm data (see Datta et al., 2010). Moreover, as noted below, we analyse the effect of firm innovation on downsizing in a country which has experienced a long period of economic growth.Finally, unlike prior research which primarily examined large firms, our sample includes firms of very different sizes (small, medium and large-sized firms), although there is a great proportion of small and medium-sized firms. Moreover, our empirical setting can provide representative findings about the downsizing behaviour of firms belonging to an economy where unemployment rates are especially high. Lastly, we think the consideration of all these issues can help researchers to have a more complete view of the downsizing phenomenon.The study is organized as follows. The next section theorizes on the potential relationship between firm innovation and employee downsizing by reviewing the extant literature and proposing the subsequent hypotheses. The third section describes the methodology used to test prior hypotheses. The empirical findings are presented in the following section. The last section discusses the main results and concludes with some suggestions for future research.\nTheorizing the relationship between firm innovation and downsizing: As noted above, we assume that firm innovation can exert a positive or negative effect on employee downsizing. Most importantly, in line with past research from the economics and management fields, we argue that such an effect will basically depend on the specific type of innovation - process or product.The effect of process-oriented innovations on downsizing: new equipment and methods of organizing the workforce\nMethods: Data\nResults: Findings from the descriptive analysis\nDiscussion and conclusions: This study has provided empirical evidence on the relationship between firm innovation and downsizing in a sample of Spanish manufacturing firms from 1994 to 2006. Our findings add new evidence to this relatively unexplored matter in the management field whose concerns have been more focused on examining the reverse relationship (e.g. Burton et al., 1996; Dougherty and Bowman, 1995; Espahbodi et al., 2000; Mellahi and Wilkinson, 2008, 2010a, b). Specifically, we have analysed how different types of process and product-oriented firm innovations affect the probability of performing drastic cuts in the workforce. To this end, we have formulated a set of hypotheses on the impact of product and process-related innovations on downsizing probability for a sample of Spanish manufacturing firms.Our results reveal that downsizing, defined as a substantial workforce reduction, has been a relatively frequent phenomenon in the case of Spanish manufacturing firms. This finding is very similar to that of Suarez-Gonzalez (2001) and Vicente-Lorente and Suarez-Gonzalez (2007) in two longitudinal studies on a sample of large Spanish manufacturing and service firms. Specifically, these authors found that the mean number of firms that had downsized between 1990 and 1998 was about 23 per cent. Yet it is interesting to note that within the period considered by these authors an economic recession occurred between 1991 and 1992 (Spain experienced a drop of about 0.9 per cent in its economic growth rate).Most importantly, our results reflect that the effect of process-oriented innovations on downsizing is strongly dependent on the specific type of innovation being introduced by firm managers. On the one hand, our results suggest that those firms that make complementary production investments when the process innovation occurs have significantly lower downsizing rates than ones that do not make such investments. This finding has several implications. First, the impact of process innovation on a firm's employment is complex and deserves a more detailed examination in light of our results. The nature and goals of process innovation can explain the significant differences in its role as an enhancing or inhibiting factor of a firm's employment decision. Second, these differences could partially clarify the prior contradictory evidence on the link between process innovation and job creation at firm level. At this point additional efforts are needed to propose new and more fine-grained definitions and typologies of process innovations. From our view, the usual measures of process innovation could offer mixed evidence derived from a measurement problem. Third, the estimated effect of process innovation provides indirect evidence for assessing the relevance of the displacement and compensation effects of this type of innovation upon employment change at firm level. Our evidence on this matter would suggest that the displacement effect of process innovation dominates over the compensation effect when such innovations are related to or accompanied by complementary production investments. On the contrary, the absence of these investments favours the dominance of the displacement effect.In other words, process innovative companies meet favourable conditions to translate efficiency gains into a higher labour demand in line with some previous evidence (see Blanchflower and Burgess, 1998; Doms et al., 1995; Fung, 2006; Greenan, 2003; Greenan and Guellec, 2000; Zimmermann, 2008) but this is only true when complementary productive assets are acquired and deployed. Otherwise the improved process can help firms to cut costs but their growth opportunities might remain unaffected or even worsened. This latter context would justify that the process improvement in terms of managerial practices and new methods of organizing work can spark off relevant organizational changes (Brynjolfsson and Hitt, 2000; Brynjolfsson et al., 2002; Caroli, 2001), and that these changes can ultimately lead firm managers to dismiss a significant number of employees.As far as product-oriented innovations are concerned, our results reflect the existence of a negative and significant effect of the role played by the number of product innovations on the probability of carrying out drastic reductions in workforce. This evidence seems consistent with the view that continuous and/or intense efforts aimed at improving existing products and/or developing new ones are likely to boost the firm's competitiveness and to enhance growth opportunities. In this sense, it can be expected that the successful exploitation of these growth opportunities will be associated with the need to hire new personnel. In some way, this finding is in line with past empirical research from the economic field which mostly finds a positive link between product innovations and employment growth (see Greenan and Guellec, 2000; Rottmann and Ruschinski, 1998; Smolny, 1998; Jaumandreu, 2003; Harrison et al., 2005; Mastrostefano and Pianta, 2005).The effect of most of the significant control variables appears to be consistent with previous evidence on the relevance of environmental factors in the downsize choice. So, in line with prior research, the positive and significant effect of the variable M&A confirms that companies engaged in mergers and spin-off processes tend to be more plausible downsizers. In addition, firm size, the pressure of an increasing demand (Sales growth) and the advantage of a profitable position (Gross margin) prompt firms to increase their workforce and thus, inhibit layoffs. Finally, we find that the share of the firm's main market (Market share) makes downsizing decisions more likely. We venture two feasible explanations for this fact. First, as the level of competitiveness in output markets lowers, firms tend to adopt a more defensive behaviour in the inputs market (i.e. hire fewer and/or fire more employees). Another potential explanation is that data on market share depend heavily on how the respondents define their reference markets (i.e. the set of \"closest\" competitors) and it is plausible that firms with poor growth opportunities and/or worse competitive positions tend to redefine the boundaries of their market in narrower terms. With respect to the negative effect of R&D intensity on employee downsizing, our findings suggest that firms more intensive in R&D are more likely to generate new knowledge. And, since new knowledge usually translates into a higher firm creativity, it is highly likely that such creativity ultimately fosters a firm success and growth and, thus, the need to hire new personnel.Future avenues of research\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine the role played by different types of firm innovation on employee downsizing. Drawing on economic and management views, the authors aims to assess the potential positive or negative effect of different types of processes (i.e. new technology via the introduction of new equipment as well as new methods of organizing the workforce) and product (i.e. number of innovations) innovations on employee downsizing.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The empirical setting is a sample of Spanish manufacturing firms over the period 1994-2006. The authors employ probit models for panel data as an empirical tool.\nFindings: - The results show a negative and significant effect of process innovations associated with acquiring and deploying new production equipment and product-oriented innovations on the probability of carrying out important reductions in workforce. However, a positive and significant effect is found when process innovations are linked to the adoption of new methods of organizing the workforce.\nPractical implications: - Managers might play a significant role in employment creation, especially when they carry out process innovations related to the acquisition of complementary production assets (i.e. new equipment) and market highly innovative products. Policy makers might contribute to diminish the potential number of employees affected by firms' downsizing strategies by designing, for example, public subsidies systems that deliberately prompt both types of innovations.\nOriginality/value: - The authors make an effort to provide alternative explanations about why firms downsize, as they analyze different types of process and product innovations whose effects on employment (and, thus, downsizing) do not seem to be clear. Moreover, the paper furthers one's understanding of the effect of firm innovation by focusing on the potential effect of one type of process innovation which has not been examined until now: the adoption and implementation of new methods of organizing the workforce owing to new technology.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Automated data-driven profiling: threats for group privacy	[ "Profiling", "Privacy implications", "Big data analytics", "Group privacy" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In the context of the new information society, which is emerging, people and almost every device is connected through the internet. Businesses, administrations, public, industrial sectors and scientific research are continuously generating vast amounts of structured or unstructured textual data and multimedia content on various platforms (social media sites, sensors networks, machine-to-machine communication, etc.) (Sivarajah et al., 2017). These data are often described as \"big data\" (Klous, 2016), a term highly popular in recent years (Rafferty et al., 2016). Although a universally accepted definition of \"big data\" does not exist, most authors describe \"big data\" with three principal characteristics (3Vs): Volume, Velocity, Variety (Liang et al., 2018; Oussous et al., 2018; SankaramAlladi and Prasad, 2017). Others (Storey and Song, 2017) add Veracity and Value as important features of big data.\n2. Background: identifying the boundaries of privacy: 2.1 The concept of information privacy\n3. The problem: profiling groups and communities: Big data techniques use a variety of tools to discover knowledge in high volume, highly dynamic, and highly heterogeneous data. Network analysis, sentiment analysis, trust and reputation management, machine learning, cluster analysis are some examples of big data techniques which may result in highly comprehensive user profiles (Hasan et al., 2013). Profiling applications pursue cover a wide variety of purposes ranging from anti-terrorism to direct marketing (Schermer, 2011), while the knowledge included in profiles varies accordingly to the purposes and the domain it is used.\n4. Identifying group privacy threats: The information in a group profile may include various attributes of a user such as geographical location, academic and professional background, membership in groups, interests, preferences, opinions, etc (Habegger et al., 2014). Raymond (2017), defines:\n5. Discussion: implications for collective entities and society: Traditionally, profiling was based on a few standard variables (e.g. sex, age, family income and place of residence) and their predictive ability was limited. Nowadays, big data analytics use hundreds of different variables to infer predictive information about people (Mantelero, 2016) giving a high degree of complexity and variety to the privacy implications stemming from profiling. A deeper investigation of this issue is possible by taking into consideration every domain of its application.\n6. Conclusions: Big data analytics are reshaping the digital environment. The complexity of the data processing and the predictive character of the inferred from data new knowledge, are some of the new features of profiling which complicate and even confuse under some circumstances the privacy implications stemming from it. As Calo (2011), argues, privacy harms are characterized \"by an absence of understanding, a vague discomfort punctuated by the occasional act of disruption, unfairness [...]\".\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: User profiling with big data raises significant issues regarding privacy. Privacy studies typically focus on individual privacy; however, in the era of big data analytics, users are also targeted as members of specific groups, thus challenging their collective privacy with unidentified implications. Overall, this paper aims to argue that in the age of big data, there is a need to consider the collective aspects of privacy as well and to develop new ways of calculating privacy risks and identify privacy threats that emerge.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Focusing on a collective level, the authors conducted an extensive literature review related to information privacy and concepts of social identity. They also examined numerous automated data-driven profiling techniques analyzing at the same time the involved privacy issues for groups.\nFindings: This paper identifies privacy threats for collective entities that stem from data-driven profiling, and it argues that privacy-preserving mechanisms are required to protect the privacy interests of groups as entities, independently of the interests of their individual members. Moreover, this paper concludes that collective privacy threats may be different from threats for individuals when they are not members of a group.\nOriginality/value: Although research evidence indicates that in the age of big data privacy as a collective issue is becoming increasingly important, the pluralist character of privacy has not yet been adequately explored. This paper contributes to filling this gap and provides new insights with regard to threats for group privacy and their impact on collective entities and society.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Corporate intranets place information on the dashboard: Big-picture feedback puts HR in the driving seat	[ "Intranets", "Performance", "Human resource management", "Company performance", "Performance management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The job of human resources, in the old days, was to make sure that everything ran smoothly. It was important that all the regulations were followed and the paperwork was done on time.\nFeedback on training needs: At Hewlett-Packard, classes are delivered via a broadcast medium and then laboratory exercises are posted on the intranet so that trainees can review material as needed. Post-class discussions also take place on the intranet.Alice Pescuric is vice-president of workforce-effectiveness practice at Development Dimensions International, Pittsburgh. \"There is a growing trend toward training and assessment online,\" she said. \"This enables learners to manage their own performance, determine skill gaps and receive learning online\" (Cohen, 1997).It is one thing to have an objective and another to get people moving together toward it. Doing that requires continual course corrections and having real-time feedback.Modern information technology, like that used by Claremont Technology Inc., is being designed to do what all good feedback systems should do; to provide continuous feedback about what is going on inside and outside the organization.Project managers and executives are using the intranet to gain a true perspective about what is really going on in the organization. They do this in part by using an \"upward feedback system\". The application was designed to elicit workers' candid appraisals of their managers' performance in several key areas. Managers then know which behaviors they need to change and which skills they need to develop through training.\"Managers can get feedback on their leadership, management and personality style. The idea is for people to use that information to take charge of their own careers,\" said Naomi Wexer, director of career development and training at Claremont, a 600-person systems-integration firm in Beaverton, Oregon.The performance-feedback system operates over Claremont's corporate intranet. Managers electronically send a standard 49-question form to a minimum of five staffers whose feedback they desire. Staffers then use a five-point rating system to answer questions about a manager's coaching, leadership and communication skills and other traits. Respondents' identities are protected by the system to ensure candor. \"The reports that are generated are 100 percent anonymous. We require managers to send out at least five surveys at a time, so it is not clear who responses come from,\" said Naomi Wexer (King, 1997).\nIn 30 minutes or less: Performance measurement and real-time feedback are essential to improving performance. Intranet technology can be used to continually monitor where the group's or individual's performance is at and compare that to what is needed to reach an objective. Intranets can be used to continually provide real-time feedback on what is going on with an individual's or group's performance. Intranets make it possible to give feedback in a matter of minutes, not weeks.Employee Benefit News reported last March that intranets are being used to make meaningful changes in company benefit programs. \"It's a very efficient data-collection tool,\" said Bill Rau, director of compensation and benefits at Xantera Parks and Resorts, in Aurora, Colorado. The company employees 2,500 and uses the intranet to improve their performance. \"We are a hospitality company, and a lot of employees do not have access to computers, so we have to make arrangements to get employees to computers if we want them to take a survey,\" he said.Even under these conditions they believe providing computer access is much easier than attempting to distribute and then collect paper forms with data that must be manually entered.\"You know how things are going in real-time,\" affirmed Bill Rau. \"In less than 30 seconds, I can go on to the web and find out how many people have responded and what the responses are. I can give feedback on a survey to managers in 30 minutes.\"The company took advantage of the findings of this first-ever survey to make meaningful changes to benefit programs, including an expansion of company health-care benefits for employees in rural areas.KeyCorp is another organization using the intranet to improve the management process. The corporation is a Cleveland-based bank with some 22,000 employees located throughout the US. It routinely surveys new-hires after their orientation and 45 days after hire to make sure they understand benefits and HR policies.\"We spend a lot of time on the front end designing the questions so that the managers get the data they are looking for,\" noted Catherine Bucher, a senior market-research analyst for the company.Ann Hornsby, KeyCorp's manager of health management and wellness, took advantage of the intranet to conduct six surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of her program's communication campaign and gather information from program participants.\nRapid feedback on results: Successful training demands rapid feedback on results. Shel Holtz describes one approach that Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico, used for its people. Rapid feedback occurred through online training. Shel Holtz emphasized that: \"At Sandia, employees seeking to be certified at a new level can determine if the training required for that certification is available online. If it is, employees can launch the appropriate training module and study it at their own pace, from their desktops, and when they have the time.\"Employees at Sandia gain rapid insight into what is going on through instant feedback on tests, which are scored on the fly. If an employee passes the test, he or she is notified instantly, and appropriate notices are then sent to human resources and to the employee's supervisor. Shel Holtz explains that online training also helps employees to find out what courses they need.In another case, at Cisco Systems, employees can keep track of what is going on by following a career path through a simple point-and-click interface on the company's internal web.\"For each career choice an employee makes on a chart, the chart shows training that needs to be completed in order to advance to the next level. The chart also shows training that would be a good idea for the employee's own development along the line,\" reports Shel Holtz (Cohen, 1997).Several companies also report that intranets facilitate collaboration among widely dispersed work groups. For example, on JC Penney's intranet, jWeb, employees use the intranet to collaborate on developing web-based training. \"Internet- and intranet-based technology opens up all kinds of possibilities for collaborative work across business units, departments, divisions, suppliers and customers,\" said Mani S. Iyer, president of Belmont, California-based TeamScape (Cohen, 1997).One of the most impressive examples of real-time feedback is that of Middlesex Health System Inc. A stand-alone hospital four years ago, it needed a way to share real-time patient information, improve care and stay competitive. It therefore built an intranet-based repository that houses 4.3 million clinical results, including real-time laboratory work and radiology-test results, as well as care summaries and medication listings for 200,000 patients.Cardiologist Dr Arthur McDowell said: \"It has revolutionized the way we take care of patients. Everyone I take care of has another doctor, like a primary-care physician. Before, we used to spend hours finding patient records. Now, when I walk in to see a new patient, I head straight to my computer and see what doctors they have been seeing, what tests have been done, what the results are and what medications they are on.\"Dr Michael Saxe, chairman of the emergency department, said the system helps him to treat patients faster. \"I don't have time to wait for someone to run up to records at 2 a.m. and find someone's history,\" he said. \"On an average day, I go into the system every five to 15 minutes. If I have to wait even six seconds, that's too much time for me\" (Gaudin, 1998).\nBig-picture feedback: It is true that some companies, and particularly human-resources departments, have used employee feedback and surveys for years to design and refine programs but the true potential has not been fully realized. The capability today exists to build surveying into a powerful enterprise-management tool. The possibility exists to craft policy and programs on the fly, and as never before deal with fast-changing business conditions.At MindSpring Enterprises Inc., an Atlanta-based internet service provider, the 1,900-employee company used to conduct surveys manually by tabulating responses and importing them into a spreadsheet. It was a costly and time-consuming process, said Cindy Buell, director of leadership and organization development (Greengard, 1999). The HR department began using software to gain feedback about core values.After drafting the questions, it converted the survey into HTML and placed it on the firm's intranet. This whole process of converting manual surveys to intranet ones has also helped the company to conduct 360-degree assessments and design more effective packages and more quickly understand what the workers want. It has also found that, by tracking answers to survey questions over time, it is able to measure organizational change.It is easier than you might think to install an intranet system, but it is harder to make it effective. An effective feedback and measurement system is essential for the intranet to be something more than a communication tool. To use the intranet as a management tool you must:* understand what is important to the organization;* gain an understanding of how decisions, actions, choices, capabilities and resources being consumed affect things important to the group or organization;* acquire an understanding about what is going on;* identify what actions are needed to improve things; and* gain insights into what is and is not important.\nPersonalizing feedback: Intranet technology can create an entirely novel application of internet technology. The intranet, using available data-visualization software, can provide information that can be easily seen and understood. Intranets can improve the training process because organizational members can continually see on their own desktop, at a glance, where their individual or group's performances are and know what is needed to correct performance.The intranet can provide a feedback system that helps anyone to see the connections between individual activities, attitudes, choices and formal strategic objectives. Employees can see the results of their performance and compare it to objective benchmarks. Combining intranet and supporting software gives the capability to identify, track and display important performance measures in an easy-to-understand, graphical format. It can be a tool that can make it possible to integrate strategic concerns and important training needs.Using the appropriate software, combined with good objective-setting and data collection, makes it far easier to implement training objectives. Employees, using their own desktop, can be greeted every day with up-to-date feedback about what is important, where they are heading and how they are doing. It makes it far easier to implement strategy if feedback is continually provided on critical concerns. Intranets used this way can help to make HR a strategic tool to manage the entire organization from simple desktop screens.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - Discusses how to use an intranet to gain a true picture about what is going on in an organization.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Details the rise of internet technology, examines its applications in human-resource management and considers practical examples from Hewlett-Packard, Claremont Technology, Xantera Parks and Resorts, KeyCorp, Sandia National Labs, Cisco Systems, JC Penney, TeamScape, Middlesex Health System and MindSpring Enterprises.\nFindings: - Describes how intranets can be used to continually provide real-time feedback on what is going on with an individual's or group's performance and make it possible to give feedback in a matter of minutes, not weeks.\nPractical implications: - Explains how intranets can be used to improve the overall management process and to facilitate collaboration among widely dispersed work groups.\nSocial implications: - Describes a tool which, by improving the performance of individuals and organizations, can ultimately benefit society as a whole.\nOriginality/value: - Gives numerous case examples of the successful use of intranet technology in organizations.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Consumers' personal values and sales promotion preferences effect on behavioural intention and purchase satisfaction for consumer product	[ "Consumer behaviour", "Values", "Advertising", "Customer satisfaction", "Personal value", "Sales promotion techniques", "Preferences", "Product type", "Purchase satisfaction", "Behavioral intention", "Malaysia" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Sales promotion activities, especially in the Malaysian retail environment, are mainly used to induce existing customers to buy more, attract new customers and encourage customer switching (De Run and Jee, 2008, 2009; De Run et al., 2010b; Ndubisi and Chiew, 2005, 2006). Nevertheless, not all sales promotion techniques help marketers to sell their products. Some techniques are more preferred than the others, particularly in the Malaysian context (Alvarez and Casielles, 2005; De Run et al., 2010b; Ndubisi and Chiew, 2005, 2006). Such preferences are affected by personal value where it is partly determined by an individual's preliminary values and beliefs (De Run and Jee, 2009; Williams, 1979). Personal values will either affect or not affect sales promotion impact by different type of consumer products. Thus, if personal values lead to sales promotion techniques preferences, they should lead to good purchase satisfaction and positive behavioural intention (Alvarez and Casielles, 2005; De Run and Jee, 2009).\nLiterature review: Academics are mainly concerned with the issue of the effectiveness of sales promotions (Ndubisi and Chiew, 2005, 2006). Although sales promotion is widely used in various countries, there is a clear lack of studies on the effects of personal values on sales promotion activities (De Run and Jee, 2009; Huff and Alden, 1998; Kahle, 1983; Ndubisi and Chiew, 2005, 2006). Hence there is call for more in-depth research to be carried out on the effect of personal value on sales promotion activities. Hence this study will look into the various literatures done on values, personal values, sales promotion and product type.\nMethodology: A two-stage study was employed in this study. Initially exploratory tests were carried out to measure respondent preferences towards different sales promotion techniques for each product type. A factorial design was then created and a survey employed to obtain responses from purchasing enabled consumers in Malaysia. The decision concerning sample size was predetermined by the considerations of the factorial design used in the study. This study uses a 3 (internal, external and interpersonal value)x2 (most and least preferred sales promotion techniques)x4 product type (convenience, shopping, specialty/luxury and unsought product) factorial design. The most and least preferred sales promotion techniques for each product differ for the four different questionnaires (refer to exploratory test stage) that were generated and distributed to different consumers in Malaysia. A minimum of 50 respondents per cell (De Run, 2004; Hair et al., Jr, 1998) meant that there was a requirement of 300 respondents per product type, per questionnaire. A total 1,300 questionnaires were distributed and collected by hand through hired enumerators in 13 different states in Malaysia (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu). Kuala Lumpur (the capital city of Malaysia) was included in Selangor and Labuan was included in Sabah. In total, 100 questionnaires were collected in each state with a variation of 25 questionnaires for each product type. Such a quantity of questionnaires is based on the considering of the possibilities of missing data, incomplete and unusable questionnaires.\nFindings: Details of respondents' demographics by different type of consumer products is presented in Table III. For all the four product typed studied, most of the respondents were female (55-60 per cent) where most of them were Malay (50-64 per cent) representing the major ethnic in Malaysia. Most of the respondents were within the age range of 21-55 years old (61-67 per cent) and earn an income ranging from RM2,000 and below.\nDiscussion: The findings were mainly guided by the context chosen to test the theoretical framework and hypotheses. This study uses personal values and sales promotion techniques preferences in the Malaysian context. Different personal values and sales promotion techniques preferences may have an influence on consumers purchase satisfaction and behavioural intention for different consumers' product type. It is therefore important to understand the characteristics of Malaysian consumers' personal values and sales promotion techniques preferences, as well as the characteristics of each consumer's product type in order to interpret and evaluate the findings.\nConclusion: Consumer personal value and sales promotion techniques preferences were studied by noting their outcomes on consumer purchase satisfaction and behavioural intention. They were studied from the aspect of the Malaysian consumers' perspectives for four different consumer products. This part details the conclusions and contributions of this research, the limitations incurred and guidelines for future research that could be carried out to improve and provide more insight into the issues of personal value and sales promotion techniques preferences.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of Malaysian consumers' personal values and sales promotion preferences on their overall behavioural intention and purchase satisfaction.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In total, 1,300 questionnaires were distributed and collected by hand through hired enumerators in 13 different states in Malaysia (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu). This research was carried out for four different type of consumer product (convenience, shopping, specialty/luxury and unsought product). Data were analysed using General Linear Model-Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and General Linear Model-Univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to test for difference between independent and dependent variables.\nFindings: The findings suggest that sales promotion technique preferences will have an impact on consumers' behavioural intention and purchase satisfaction for all the product types studied. On the other hand, there is no significant impact in consumers' purchases satisfaction and behavioural intention by personal value for all the product type studied.\nPractical implications: The findings from this research have expanded current knowledge and academic studies done on similar areas of research where this research detail the association of personal value and sales promotion techniques preferences on consumers' purchase satisfaction (attitude) and behavioural intention (behaviour) for different types of consumer products. The research suggests to managers in Malaysia that it is crucial to understand the characteristics of their products when selecting appropriate strategies and sales promotion techniques for better market segmentation and targeting.\nOriginality/value: This research is the first of its type where only a minimal number of studies have looked into these issues (personal values and sales promotion techniques preferences) from a business perspective.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Active fiscal policy and macroeconomic stability	[ "Monetary policy", "Stability", "Dynamic", "Fiscal policy" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Of the countless contributions Keynes made to macroeconomic analysis, one that stands out is his emphasis on the use of fiscal policy to determine the level of employment and income. In fact, it is not difficult to see that from the publication of The General Theory until the end of the 1960s, a \"triumph of Keynesianism\" prevailed in matters of fiscal policy (Blinder, 2006). On the other hand, the evolution of the macroeconomic debate about the effectiveness of these stabilization policies resulted in Keynesian theory being seen as \"inflationary\" or even \"outdated\".\n2. The model: Setterfield (2007) starts out with a standard macroeconomic model modified to consider a case in which fiscal policy may be used as a stabilizing instrument. One notable weakness of this model, however, is its complete neglect of the role of monetary policy. The model we develop here fills this gap and seeks to establish the conditions for stability of a model similar to that suggested by Setterfield (2007), considering three different monetary policy configurations. The main elements of this model are as follows: an IS curve with a fiscal component; an expectations-augmented Phillips curve; a reaction function for fiscal authority; a dynamic equation for interest rate; and a dynamic equation for inflationary expectations.\n3. Phase diagram and comparative statics: In this section, we will conduct two exercises: derive the phase diagrams generated by the conservative and hybrid regimes and conduct certain comparative statics exercises for these two regimes. The alternative regime was not taken into consideration because an asymptotically stable equilibrium point was not found for this economic policy configuration[7]. The steps to follow here are: derive the generic isoclines for each regime; verify the equilibrium point for the system of equations; and analyse the impact of changes to the exogenous variables on the point of equilibrium. Table II demonstrates both the isoclines and the equilibrium point for the conservative regime.\n4. Concluding remarks: The model developed in this paper sought to investigate whether fiscal policy may be a complementary instrument to monetary policy in the macrostabilization process. Through a dynamic analysis, considering three different monetary policy regimes, it was possible to demonstrate that an active fiscal policy is only compatible with macroeconomic equilibrium when the monetary authority is conservative or hybrid. Furthermore, we ascertained through numeric simulations that the fundamental difference between these two monetary policy regimes lies in the greater likelihood of equilibrium with monotonic convergence in the hybrid regime: if the fiscal policy were active it follows that the hybrid regime would be preferable to the conservative one. It was also possible to ascertain that an active fiscal policy is preferable to a passive one under these two monetary regimes. On the other hand, when we considered the alternative monetary regime, we found that the macrodynamic model is only marginally stable, indicating that the monetary authority cannot be lenient towards inflation.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether fiscal policy may be a complementary instrument to monetary policy in the macrostabilization process.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors developed a dynamic system with two linear differential equations in order to verify if an active fiscal policy can be compatible with macroeconomic equilibrium in three monetary policy regimes (conservative, alternative and hybrid). The authors also use numerical simulations because it is impossible to extract analytically full conclusions from the theoretical model.\nFindings: The results suggest that fiscal policy can be a useful tool for macroeconomic stabilization; the counter-cyclical role of fiscal policy is compatible with dynamic equilibrium only if the monetary authority is not lenient towards inflation; and under an active fiscal policy a hybrid monetary regime is preferable to a conservative one.\nOriginality/value: This paper offers a theoretical contribution to explicate the macroeconomic implications of fiscal policy.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Performance measurement in supply chain entities: balanced scorecard perspective	[ "Performance measures", "Supply chain management", "Balanced scorecard" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Successful competition in this era requires competencies not traditionally reflected in the existing financial statements. To a certain extent, a heavy reliance on financial performance measures could hinder future competitive advantage as financial indicators are outcome measures, which do not reflect drivers of future performance and true value creation. Hence, a balanced perspective ought to be adopted in approaching the topic of performance measurement (Kaplan and Norton, 1996a). The balanced scorecard (BSC) is a powerful and balanced strategic management system that facilitates the implementation of strategy, using measures to ensure that corporate vision and strategy are implemented and achieved (Kaplan and Norton, 1996b). The BSC was initially conceptualized as a performance measurement system where the traditional financial measures were supplemented with non-financial measures pertaining to the customers, internal business processes, and the organization's learning and growth activities. According to Kaplan and Norton (1992), the scorecard answers four basic questions: how do customers see us? (thereby providing a customer perspective); what must we excel at? (thereby providing an internal perspective); can we continue to improve and create value? (providing a learning and growth perspective); and how do we look to shareholders? (providing a financial perspective). Thus, financial measures are but one perspective. The BSC can help senior executives clarify and operationalize the vision and strategy of the organization, focusing management's attention on a few but critical indicators of both current and future performance.Organizations are components in the supply chain. How they perform is acutely affected by how they compete and collaborate within this complex web of linked organizational relationships. As a result, firms are rethinking the way businesses are run, and how they can compete in an environment based not only on win-win relationships, but also simultaneously using their core competencies and developing new ones. Performance measurement of entities in a supply chain therefore needs to be considered holistically since a given supply chain now competes against other supply chains.This study, using the BSC approach established by Kaplan and Norton (1992), examines what senior executives measure and how they perceive performance measurement as entities on their supply chain. We specifically consider the following clusters of entities: international procurement offices (IPOs), manufacturers, retailers, and logistics service providers.This rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 reviews the literature on performance measurement and the BSC. The research methodology is presented in Section 3. The empirical findings are reported in Section 4. The managerial implications are reported in Section 5. Section 6 concludes, with limitations of the study and some suggestions for future research.\n2 Theoretical background: Chow et al. (1994) were probably the first to attempt to define supply chain (logistics) performance and they presented some measures for measuring logistics performance. Since then, most of the literature on logistics performance appear to focus on models and frameworks (Clarke and Gourdin, 1991; Mentzer and Konrad, 1991; Rao and Grenoble, 1991; Hubbard, 1992; Bagchi, 1996; Korpela and Tuominen, 1996) and on managing different aspects of logistics (Larson, 1994). For instance, in the Indian automotive sector, Saad and Patel (2006) have applied factor analysis to better understand the framework of measures used in supply chain performance of the Indian automotive sector and the difficulty in implementing such measures. There is also other research, which have attempted to look specifically into certain entities of the supply chain and measure the performance on that basis (Tan et al., 1998; Choy et al., 2007). In this regard, Choy et al. (2007) have developed a performance management system for supplier relationship management for maintenance logistics providers using a benchmarking framework. Likewise, on the measurement of logistics performance systems using an activity-based costing approach, Koota and Takala (1998) applied this methodology on a case study on the basic metal industry.Since then, other perspectives have been applied on understanding and managing performance, especially at the strategic level (Lingle and Shiemann, 1996). Foremost among these is the focus on the concept of the BSC (Corrigan, 1995). Since the seminal introduction by Kaplan and Norton (1992), research has proliferated to include case studies and applications of the BSC approach (Newing, 1994; Vitale et al., 1994; Birchard, 1995). Even compensation-related work can be shaped to fit the BSC framework (McNerney, 1996). Most of the applications and case studies are descriptions of how companies have adopted, created, and implemented scorecards in their organizations or industry. Kaplan and Norton (1992, 1993, 1996b, 2000, 2004a, 2005, 2006b, 2008a) have provided an ongoing perspective on the growth of the body of knowledge on the BSC through their publications in the Harvard Business Review. Kaplan and Norton (1996a, 2001, 2004b, 2006a, 2008b) have also provided a comprehensive reference to the BSC through their books.\n3 Methodology: Using the framework of the BSC's four perspectives, 15 generic performance measures were incorporated (see Kaplan and Norton, 1992, 1996b for a detailed discussion of the measures). As many companies do not wish to reveal information concerning performance, our method of investigation therefore included asking the respondents whether they measured such performance elements, whether it was important, and the percentage change compared to the previous year. The questions developed for the survey were derived after studying the process and formulation of the BSC which was carried out in another study on the adoption and formulation of the BSC in logistics companies. We asked the respondents whether they use any of the 15 performance indicators that we listed out for them to consider. The respondents would have to indicate either a yes or no. Under the financial perspective, these measures suggested include return on investment (ROI), gross revenue, profit before tax and cost reduction. Market share, number of customers retained, and customer satisfaction were the measures included for consideration under the customers' perspective. The internal business processes perspective incorporated measures on quality of service, new services implemented, on-time delivery, and waste reduction. The learning and growth perspective includes measures on employee satisfaction, employee turnover, number of suggestions implemented per employee, and money invested in employee training.We also asked the respondents to denote the importance of each indicator was important to them, on a seven-point Likert scale (1=not important at all, 7=very important). The third question required the respondents to put down the percentage change of each indicator as compared to the previous year's performance. This would show whether the responding entities actually measured and tracked what they considered as important indicators over time.Sampling frame\n4 Results: In this section, unless otherwise mentioned, we will rely on the rank order of the means of the various reported measures to base our analysis and discussion for its simplicity and clarity of analysis.As to whether firms measure their logistics performance indicators, Figure 1 shows that the top three indicators most commonly measured are financial in nature: gross revenue (85.26 percent), profit before tax (84.95 percent), and cost reduction (82.8 percent). Further, the least measured indicators seem to be the number of suggestions implemented per employee (45.26 percent), market share (42.39 percent) and new services implemented (41.76 percent), all from the other three perspectives. Such results can be expected because in practice, financial indicators are most readily measured while the non-financial indicators like market share or employee suggestions are not only difficult to measure but are also deemed to be \"not crucial\" for the bottomline. As such, these results lend support to the BSC argument that measurements must be consciously made across the four perspectives in a balanced manner since otherwise, most companies would tend to measure only financial indicators. The BSC can therefore be a very useful tool to facilitate a company's formulation of measures that are well balanced across all four perspectives.Under the customers' perspective, customer satisfaction was the most frequently measured (71.28 percent) item. Although customer satisfaction may affect the number of customers retained, only 63.83 percent of the respondents measured the latter. Market share is one of the least measured items (42.39 percent). It is clear that though \"the customer is king,\" companies do not highly measure such customer-oriented measures. These measures are often seen as difficult to measure.On the business processes perspective, on-time delivery was the most frequently measured (78.72 percent), followed by service quality (70.53 percent). These suggest that dependability and quality are the two most frequently measured operational performance indicators. We note, however, that even these significant operational measures are far less measured compared with the financial indicators. Similarly, employee turnover was the most frequently measured indicator under the learning and growth perspective (70.83 percent); next are investment in employee training (59.14 percent) and employee satisfaction (55.67 percent). Again, these are much less measured compared with the financial indicators, as expected.Measurement by clusters\n5 Discussion: From the sample of 113 respondents, it was found that despite the need to provide a balanced approach to performance measurement, these responding firms are still focused primarily on traditional financial measures such as gross revenue, profit before tax, and cost reduction. From a supply chain perspective, the non-tangible logistics performance indicators such as on-time delivery, customer satisfaction, and cost reduction are perceived to be most important but they are not the most measured of the indicators. These have implications for practice and theory.Implications for practice\n6 Conclusion: This paper has provided an empirical snapshot of supply chain entities in Singapore from a BSC perspective focusing on performance measurement. The overall study obtained data about the supply chain entities' performance measurement, in terms of actual measurement, importance of such measures and percentage changes in the actual scores of measures. Our results suggest that respondents focused primarily on measuring financial-related performance indicators, although a secondary importance is also placed on on-time delivery and customer satisfaction measures. In terms of importance of measures, on-time delivery was considered most important though it was not the most measured indicator.Our results therefore suggest that the measurement of performance of supply chain entities could be improved by using a more balanced perspective as provided for by the BSC framework. Further, our results showed an apparent lack in the focus on drivers of strategic future performance, as implied in the results of the measurement of internal business processes and learning and growth indicators. These two perspectives contain measures that create future value, and address the development of core competencies but they were not as well measured.Our study's findings are based on the data from a total respondent sample size of 113. Some of the clusters were, however, smaller than the others. As such, the results presented here may not be representative of the individual clusters. Also, there were missing data from the some of the respondents to some parts of our questions. Finally, while the results may be valid in the current context, it may not be representative of the past or future as the data were collected at a particular point in time when the macro economic conditions were generally not as positive.This study could be extended to other countries in the surrounding Asian region, thus making a comparative study possible. Further, the study could be institutionalized, enabling a longitudinal analysis of the supply chain clusters over time. The results collected over time could also be used as benchmark indices pertaining to the supply chain entities in Singapore, and such benchmarks may then be evaluated longitudinally. In addition, it may be helpful to examine the actual measures adopted and created by the supply chain entities (through the BSC approach), and determine what are the actual key performance measures used by the different clusters on the supply chain. Therefore, generic and unique (to logistics companies, manufacturers, retailers, and IPOs) key performance measures could be identified. Finally, it may be useful to examine whether companies focusing on financial indicators are in fact more profitable and better managed, as compared to companies with a more balanced measurement perspective.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine what senior supply chain executives measure and how they perceive performance measurement from a balanced scorecard (BSC) perspective.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A survey designed from the four perspectives of the BSC framework is conducted on senior executives involved in the supply chain functions of client firms, and those executives from the logistics service provider industry.\nFindings: - Despite the need to provide a balanced approach to performance measurement, firms remain focused on traditional financial measures (gross revenue, profit before tax, and cost reduction). From a supply chain perspective, the non-tangible measures such as customer satisfaction are most measured. Other key logistics performance indicators include on-time delivery, and customer satisfaction.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The findings are based on a sample size of 113. Thus, some respondent clusters are smaller than others. Hence, the results may not be representative of the individual clusters.\nPractical implications: - Each supply chain entity must adopt a more balanced perspective in its performance measurement and management. Companies need to recognize the importance of the drivers of strategic future performance. Managing a given supply chain's overall performance necessitates the coordination of measures across the different entities on the supply chain, often requiring all entities to adopt a common balanced perspective in their performance management to facilitate the overall performance and competitiveness of the entire supply chain.\nOriginality/value: - This paper is the first attempt to apply the BSC framework on the logistics industry.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Social media and performance measurement systems: towards a new model?	[ "Performance measurement systems", "Social media" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Social media (SM) is defined as group of internet-based applications, \"including collaborative projects, micro-blogs/blogs, content communities, social networking sites, and virtual worlds\", that are based on Web 2.0 and allow an exchange of user-generated information (Kaplan, 2012, p. 129). Over recent years, there has been an explosion in SM use, with the number of users growing annually by a significant 20 per cent and now reaching more than one billion (McKinsey, 2013). Apart from individual use, this mounting interest has been seized upon by many companies all over the world and across different sectors (Harvard Business Review, 2012). SM applications generate a large corpus of data that companies can exploit to measure and manage their performance, delineating the need for a new performance measurement system (PMS) model. PMS is intended as a process for quantifying action efficiency and effectiveness, by \"understanding of the factors, both internal and external to the organisation, that facilitate and inhibit the introduction of new measures\" and optimise their use to support organisations in their decision making and achieving desired performance (Kennerley and Neely, 2002, p. 217). While practitioners and the consultancy industry have been very active in providing contributions on the role of SM data in measuring performance (\"Open data\", McKinsey, 2013), academic research is still in its infancy in this area.\n2. Literature review: PMS and SM: The aim of the literature analysis is to provide a broad overview of the existing contributions on SM and PMS and identify the issues and gaps in this field. There are only a limited number of academic articles specifically addressing PMS in the age of SM (Denning, 2011; Boyd and Gessner, 2013) and, while they mention PMS, the articles focus on sub-areas rather than on PMS as a system. Denning (2011) concentrated on marketing and client relationship management, proposing that SM information should be implemented within PMS to measure the company's ability to perform and deliver both value and customer satisfaction. Boyd and Gessner (2013), on the other hand, studied how SM information derived from an \"internal Facebook\" group could be adopted to measure employee performance, and therefore achieve a fair evaluation and ensure their well-being.\n3. Framework: The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of SM on PMS in terms of measurement methods, performance indicators and use. Based on the prior research analysed in the previous chapter, this section provides an overall framework for PMS, considering SM as a new variable. The framework is distinguished into two parts (Franco-Santos et al., 2012): components and use.\n4. Methodology: This empirical study of the impact of SM on PMS is based upon a case study methodology, making it is possible to investigate the complexity of organisational processes in a real-life context (Yin, 2009, 2014). A case study method is consistent with recent claims made regarding this type of investigation in performance and measurement systems (Masquefa, 2008; Chenhall et al., 2011; Ulgen and Forslund, 2015; Kumar et al., 2015), and with studies on SM management (Worrell et al., 2011; Haefliger et al., 2011). In this research, an explorative case study of eight companies was adopted with a clear objective to investigate SM use for performance measurement (Barratt et al., 2011). These case studies allow us to generalise and develop the theory (Eisenhardt, 1989) while, at the same time ensuring that they can be applied to qualitative data analysis. In order to gain a more balanced view of SM use, interviews were carried out with companies from several different firms operating in the technology, telecommunications, manufacturing and consultancy sectors.\n5. Results: The results section is composed of two sections, components and use of the framework. The analysis provides an overview of the current impact of SM on PMS and the application of such tools within companies. These sections illustrate these findings, providing a cross-case perspective.\n6. Discussion: This research explored the role of SM in measuring performance, and it proposes a preliminary framework that covers both the technical features of the PMS and its use. According to this framework, eight cases were studied, showing that SM have an actual impact on the PMS and, more in detail, how SM are incorporated to enhance performance measurement. The previous section pointed out both the variations and the similarities between the cases, allowing patterns of adoption and use to be outlined.\n7. Conclusions: The aim of this paper is to analyse how SM information impacts on PMS, addressing two main aspects: PMS technical features, in terms of indicators and measurement processes; and the use of indicators within business processes. This research responds to the theoretical calls (Schoen et al., 2013, Raybourn, 2013) and proposes an evolutionary image of SM adopted in a systematic way to align measures and their possible uses on different levels within SM implementation. Our findings suggest that at this early stage companies can adopt a variety of approaches of SM employment within the scope of a PMS. Nonetheless, companies underline that SM have become an important variable of PMS even if not directly included within the systems. The case studies confirm that SM indicators provide additional information with respect to the traditional sources used in PMS, helping to mitigate drawbacks of traditional indicators and improve companies' performance, because of SM indicators timeliness and long-term orientation. Therefore, the holistic framework proposed in this study helps to assemble different metrics, measurements and indicators based on SM information in order to complement traditional PMS.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse how social media (SM) influence performance measurement systems (PMS), examining changes in measurement methods, performance indicators and their application.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The framework of the research was constructed to cover the technical component of PMS (measurement methods and indicators) and the use of the information obtained from SM. Empirically, the study is based on a set of case studies in eight companies.\nFindings: The study findings offer a theoretical and empirical framework to evaluate PMS in the era of SM. It provides a classification of SM metrics, key performance indicators correlated to their use within different departments belonging to eight companies, highlighting the benefits and threats of SM information for PMS.\nResearch limitations/implications: The limitation of this study is the diversity of industries included into the multiple-case study. The authors choose cases with the aim of providing a broader view on the impact of SM on PMS. However, the results show the dependency of use and type of measurement on certain industries, requiring future research focused on specific sectors or PMS aspects.\nPractical implications: The paper provides a map of SM information measurement methods and use, which allows companies to position themselves and examine PMS evolution.\nOriginality/value: The results of the paper propose a holistic model, employing SM as a new variable in PMS.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Systems school leadership: exploring an emerging construct	[ "Principals", "Systems theory", "Leadership development", "School leaders", "SSL approach" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Systems thinking can be explained succinctly as a holistic approach, which puts the study of wholes before that of the parts; it does not try to break down systems into parts in order to understand them; it concentrates its attention instead at how the parts act together in networks of interaction (e.g. Checkland and Poulter, 2006; Richmond, 1994; Senge, 2006). The literature implies that systems thinking is an effective approach, recommended for managers dealing with complex organizational challenges (e.g. Ackoff, 1999; Checkland and Poulter, 2006; Sterman, 2000).\nConceptual framework: The conceptual framework for this study is grounded in the literatures on systems thinking and on its implementation in school leadership.\nResearch context: This research study presents findings from Israeli principals. The Israeli educational system has been traditionally highly centralized both structurally and procedurally. The Ministry of Education has controlled schools in areas such as, writing and distribution of curriculum materials, standards, testing, and hiring and firing of school staff (Gibton et al., 2000). Schools have followed a basic national curriculum although allowed to conduct \"experiments\" under administrative direction from the Ministry (Oplatka, 2006). However, in recent years, the tendency toward neo-liberal ideas of competition and privatization has resulted in more open and flexible registration opportunities for urban schools (with weaker links between residential location and school attendance zones). These processes (open enrollment zones, school choices, increased strength of local education authorities in municipalities) have transpired much more in the urban schools, which operate in a competitive environment, whereas suburban and rural schools operate in a less competitive environment. This tendency toward flexible registration opportunities has been coupled with attempts (since late 1980s) to decentralize the school system through efforts such as school-based management, autonomous schools, and so forth (Nir, 2006). Although enabling school autonomy is a declared policy of the Ministry of Education, principals are still hesitant to undertake professional autonomy due to the Ministry's attempt to retain a strong centralized control system in operation, generally perceived by principals as bounded autonomy (Inbar, 2009).\nMethod: Research design\nFindings: Data analysis yielded four main characteristics of SSL: leading wholes; adopting a multidimensional view; influencing indirectly; and evaluating significance. See Table I for a summary of each.\nDiscussion and implications: This paper presents four characteristics of SSL. The first characteristic is leading wholes - the conceptualization of all aspects of school life as one large system, so that when there is a need to change or improve it, the principal will not isolate small parts and attempt to repair them but rather will consideration a large number of interactions as they mutually influence each other. The second characteristic is adopting a multidimensional view - the ability to \"juggle\" between several aspects of a given issue simultaneously; noticing a wide range of reasons for its emergence and existence, taking into account a variety of its consequences and predicting various options for its future development. The third characteristic is influencing indirectly - using an indirect approach when dealing with tasks and challenges, based on the awareness that countless mutual influences are at play among various elements within the school, each of which is connected to others, affecting them and being affected by them. The fourth characteristic is evaluating significance - the ability to evaluate elements of school life according to their significance for the entire system, distinguishing between important and unimportant issues to be resolved and identifying patterns. In line with systems thinking, this list of four main characteristics of SSL should be seen as overlapping, interconnected, and interrelated. School leaders who perform at the SSL level should be considered as such not merely because they demonstrate several of these characteristics, but rather because they reveal an overall ability to apply the conceptual framework of SSL in the reality of schools. Thus, the characteristics of SSL should be seen as reflections of a comprehensive approach.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how effective school principals use systems thinking, aiming to present the systems school leadership (SSL) approach - an approach where principals lead schools through the systems thinking concept and procedures.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Participants were 28 Israeli school principals, selected as outstanding leaders by recommendations from their superintendents and according to their schools' achievements. The study employed semi-structured interviews as well as focus groups. Generating themes was an inductive process, grounded in the various perspectives articulated by participants.\nFindings: Data analysis generated four main characteristics of SSL: leading wholes; adopting a multidimensional view; influencing indirectly; and evaluating significance.\nResearch limitations/implications: Further research that will explore to what extent and how often principals use systems thinking is required. In addition, replication in various educational contexts is important in order to substantiate the validity of the SSL's characteristics. Beyond principals' perceptions, more objective measures like direct observations are needed to evaluate actual implementation of SSL in diverse school settings.\nPractical implications: Identifying the SSL characteristics facilitates the development of practical processes for nurturing SSL in various stages of school leaders' educational career.\nOriginality/value: This paper provides a useful conceptual and empirical framework to evaluate SSL as a managerial approach.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Effects of Gen Y hotel employee's voice and team-member exchange on satisfaction and affective commitment between the U.S. and China	[ "Job satisfaction", "Cross-culture", "Affective commitment", "Voice", "Hotel gen Y employee", "TMX" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Gen Yers increasingly assume management positions from earlier generations. By 2025, Gen Y will represent 75 per cent of the global workforce (Pew Research Center, 2015). Understanding Gen Ys' values becomes more pressing, as they become the majority in positions of power and influence. It is imperative for any hotel business organization to develop effective management strategies for this generation, as the literature indicates that Gen Yers differ distinctly from older generations in terms of their work attitudes and behaviors (Solnet and Hood, 2008). Understanding their volunteering behavior and peer relationships in the workplace is particularly important. Hotel employees' tasks are interdependent calling for a proactive workforce. Sharing ideas and suggestions is also critical to providing better customer service (Corsun and Enz, 1999). Researchers have paid scant attention to understanding, within a Gen Y employee context, employee extra-role behaviors and social relationships, in particular, employee voice (EV) and team-member exchange (TMX).\nLiterature review: Generation Y\nResearch methodology: Sampling\nResults: Profile of survey respondents\nDiscussion and conclusions: Conclusions\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This study aims to examine the effects of employee voice (EV) and team-member exchange (TMX) on employee job satisfaction (EJS) and affective commitment to an organization among Gen Y employees of hotel companies in the USA and China.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using a Qualtrics panel, a self-administered online survey was completed by Gen Y hotel employees in the USA and China. Multiple-group structural equation modeling analysis examined relative moderating effects on the proposed framework.\nFindings: The effect of EV on EJS was greater in China than in the USA. However, Gen Y hotel employees in the USA who experience high-quality TMX are more likely to have greater EJS than they would in China.\nResearch limitations/implications: Further studies need to be carried out in other hospitality sectors or non-hospitality business areas with different cross-national contexts.\nPractical implications: Chinese hotel managers need to develop effective ways to encourage Gen Y EV. To promote TMX of Gen Y employees in the USA, supporting team-oriented projects and/or evaluations can be an effective way.\nOriginality/value: This study advances previous cross-cultural studies by focusing on a generation subculture. It makes significant contributions to the hospitality literature, as it is the first among research studies that examines Gen Y employees' extra-role behavior (EV) and TMX across different national cultures: the USA vs China.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Mixed reality (MR) interfaces for mobile information systems	[ "Reality", "Mobile communication systems", "Information systems", "Geography" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Two of the most significant technological trends of the past 15 years have been the increased portability of computer hardware - such as laptop computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs) - and the increasing availability of wireless networks such as mobile telecommunications, and more recently wireless access points (Brimicombe and Li, 2006). The convergence of these technological drivers presents opportunities within the emerging field of mobile computing. Increasingly there is ubiquitous access to information stored via a variety of media (for example, text, audio, image and video) via mobile devices with wireless network connections. Advances in software development tools for mobile devices have resulted in the implementation of user-friendly interfaces that aim to appeal to a wide audience of end users. A key challenge for researchers of mobile information systems is to decide the type of interface to adopt when presenting this information on mobile devices. Additionally, developers should assess whether the most suitable interface is dependent upon the audience, the task-in-hand and geographic context in which the mobile information system is likely to be used (Jiang and Yao, 2006).The LOCUS project (LOcation Context tools for UMTS Services) being conducted within the Department of Information Science at City University is addressing some of the research challenges described above (LOCUS, 2007). The main aim of the project is to enhance the effectiveness of location-based services (LBS) in urban environments by investigating how mixed reality interfaces compare with the current map- and text-based approaches used by the majority of location-based services for the tasks of navigation and wayfinding (Mountain and Liarokapis, 2005). To satisfy this aim, LOCUS is tackling a number of issues including the three-dimensional representation of urban environments, the presentation of spatially referenced information - such as the information retrieved as the result of a user query, and navigational information to specific locations - and advanced visualisation and interaction techniques (Liarokapis et al., 2006).The LOCUS system is built on top of the WebPark mobile client-server architecture (WebPark, 2006) which provides the basic functionality associated with LBS including the retrieval of information based upon spatial and semantic criteria, and the presentation of this information as a list or on a map (see Figures 1a and b ). In common with the majority of LBS, the basic architecture provides no mechanism for the display of information in a three-dimensional environment, such as a mixed reality interface.Mixed reality environments occupy a spectrum between entirely real environments at one extreme and entirely virtual environments on the other. This mixing of the real and the virtual domain offers great potential in terms of displaying information retrieved as a result of a location-based search, since this requires the presentation of digital information relative to your location in the physical world. This presentation may on the one hand be entirely synthetic, for example, placing virtual objects representing individual results within a virtual scene as a backdrop. Alternatively, an augmented reality interface can superimpose this information over the real world scene in the appropriate spatial location from the mobile user's perspective. Both interfaces can present the location of information within the scene as well as navigation tools that describe the routes to the spatial locations associated with retrieved information. The LOCUS project is extending the functionality of the WebPark architecture to allow the presentation of spatially referenced information via these mixed reality interfaces on mobile devices (see Figures 1c and d).The rest of the paper is structured as follows. First, a review of relevant background literature in mobile computing and mixed reality is presented. Next, candidate interfaces for mobile information provision into mobile devices are suggested: these include the list, the map, and virtual and augmented reality interfaces. The paper closes with a discussion and conclusions.\n2. Background: 2.1 Mobile computing\n3. Interfaces for mobile information systems: There are many candidate interfaces for the presentation of the results of an information retrieval query on mobile devices (Mannings and Pearson, 2003; Schofield and Kubin, 2002; Mountain and Liarokapis, 2005). This section describes how the interfaces described previously can be applied to the task of presenting information retrieved as the result of a mobile query.As described in the introduction, the LOCUS project has developed alternative, mixed reality interfaces for existing mobile information system technology based upon the WebPark platform. The WebPark platform can assist users in formulating spatially referenced, mobile queries. The retrieved set of spatially referenced results can then be displayed using various alternative interfaces: a list, a map, virtual reality or augmented reality. Each interface is described in more detail in the rest of this section.3.1 List interface\n4. Discussion: An evaluation exercise was undertaken to assess appropriate levels of detail, realism and interaction for the mobile virtual reality interface. Whilst there has been extensive evaluation of these requirements in a static desktop context (Dollner, 2005), relatively little attention has been paid to the specific needs of mobile users. In order to gauge these specific requirements, an expert evaluation was conducted. Two common evaluation techniques were applied:1. think aloud; and2. cognitive walkthrough (Dix et al., 2004).Think aloud is a form of observation that involves participants talking through the actions they are performing, and what they believe to be happening, whilst interacting with a system. The cognitive walkthrough technique was also used where a prototype of a mobile VR application and scenario of use were presented to expert users: evaluating in this way allows fast assessment of early mock-up, and hence can influence subsequent development and the suitability of the final application. Both forms of evaluation are appropriate for small numbers of participants testing prototype software and it has been suggested that the majority of usability problems can be discovered from testing in this way (Dix et al., 2004).The expert user testing took place at City University with a total of four users with varied backgrounds: one human-computer interaction expert, one information visualization expert, one information retrieval expert and one geographic information scientist. Each user spent approximately one hour performing four tasks. The aims of the evaluation of the VR prototype included assessment of the expert user experience with particular focus on:* the degree of realism required in the scene;* the required spatial accuracy and level of detail of the building outlines; and* a comparison of 3D virtual scenes with 2D paper maps.A virtual reality scene was created of the University campus and surrounding area, and viewpoints placed to describe trajectories of movement through the scene. The expert-evaluation process covered two tasks, including mobile search and navigation. The first scenario was in relation to searching for, then locating, specific features. For example, a user searching on a mobile system for entrances to the City University campus from a nearby station. The second scenario was in relation to navigation from one point to another, for example, from the station to the University. Starting and target locations were marked in the 3D maps, and sequences of viewpoints were presented, to mimic movement through the scene.There was a great deal of variation in terms of the level of photorealism required in the scene, and whether buildings should have image textures placed over the building faces, or whether the building outlines would be sufficient alone. Opinions varied between evaluators and according to the task in hand. Plain, untextured buildings are hard to distinguish from each other and, in contrast, buildings with realistic textures were considered easy to recognise in a micro-scale navigation context (for example, trying to find the entrance to a particular building). However, many evaluators thought that much of this realism would not be required or visible on a small screen device when an overview of the area was required, for example, when considering one's present location in relation to information retrieved from a mobile search. Expert users also suggested various departures from the realism traditionally aspired to within the field of virtual reality. These included transparency, to allow users to see through buildings as an aid to navigation, since this will allow the identification of the location of a concealed destination point. Other suggestions included labelling of objects in the scene (for example, building and street names). The inclusion of symbology in the scene to represent points, and routes to those points, was considered to be beneficial to the task of navigation.In terms of the level of detail and spatial accuracy, some users thought that it was not important to have very detailed models of building geometry. Building outlines that are roughly the right size and shape are sufficient, especially when considering an overview of an area, as often required in the mobile search task. For micro-navigation, a higher degree of accuracy may be required.Virtual 3D scenes were found to have many advantages when compared to paper maps: the most positive feature was found to be the possibility to recognize the features in the surrounding environment, which provides a link between the real and virtual worlds. This removes the need to map-read, which is required when attempting to link your position in the real world with a 2D map, hence the VR interface offers an effective way to gauge your initial position and orientation. A more intangible response was the majority of the users enjoyed interacting with the VR interface more than a 2D map. However, the 3D interface also has significant drawbacks. Some users said that they are so used to using 2D maps that they do not really need a 3D map for navigating, however they thought this attitude may change with the next generation. The size, resolution and contrast of the device screen were also highlighted as potential problems for the VR interface.\n5. Conclusions: This paper has presented some insights on how mixed reality interfaces can be used in conjunction with mobile information systems to enhance the user experience. We have explored how the LOCUS project has extended LBS through different interfaces to aid the tasks of urban navigation and wayfinding. In particular, we have described how virtual and augmented reality interfaces can be used in place of text- and map-based interfaces, which can provide an egocentric perspective to location-based information which is lacking from map- and text-based representations.Expert user evaluation has proven to be a useful technique to aid development, and suggests that the most suitable interface is likely to vary according to the user and task in hand. Continued research, development and evaluation is required to provide increasingly intuitive interfaces for location-based services that can allow users to make associations between spatially referenced information retrieved from mobile information systems, and their location in the physical world.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The motivation for this research is the emergence of mobile information systems where information is disseminated to mobile individuals via handheld devices. A key distinction between mobile and desktop computing is the significance of the relationship between the spatial location of an individual and the spatial location associated with information accessed by that individual. Given a set of spatially referenced documents retrieved from a mobile information system, this set can be presented using alternative interfaces of which two presently dominate: textual lists and graphical two-dimensional maps. The purpose of this paper is to explore how mixed reality interfaces can be used for the presentation of information on mobile devices.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A review of relevant literature is followed by a proposed classification of four alternative interfaces. Each interface is the result of a rapid prototyping approach to software development. Some brief evaluation is described, based upon thinking aloud and cognitive walk-through techniques with expert users.\nFindings: - The most suitable interface for mobile information systems is likely to be user- and task-dependent; however, mixed reality interfaces offer promise in allowing mobile users to make associations between spatially referenced information and the physical world.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Evaluation of these interfaces is limited to a small number of expert evaluators, and does not include a full-scale evaluation with a large number of end users.\nOriginality/value: - The application of mixed reality interfaces to the task of displaying spatially referenced information for mobile individuals.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Examination of customer-centric measures among different types of customers in the context of major Canadian ski resort	[ "Satisfaction", "Image", "Service quality", "Types of customers", "Partial least squares modelling", "Repurchase intent" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Tourism plays a significant role for the economy of British Columbia (Destination British Columbia, 2014a). In 2012, the tourism industry generated $13.5 billion in revenue for the province and the ski areas represented approximately nine percent of the total tourism revenues in 2012. Many tourists stem from international origin and, therefore, tourism can be seen as a significant producer of export revenue for the economy of British Columbia, Canada (Destination British Columbia, 2014b). The annual number of visits to ski resorts is close to 20 million. Due to the favorable terrains in British Columbia, the number of alpine ski resorts is 46 (Government of British Columbia, 2016).\nLiterature review: Customer satisfaction\nMethodology: The sample\nFindings: Assessment of the measurement model\nHypothesis testing with PLS modeling: The hypothesis testing was done separately for the four visitor groups and the results can be seen in Table V.\nDiscussion: The purpose of the study was to identify what these customer-centric measures are, what is their importance for the different customer types and then to investigate the stability of the customer satisfaction model relationships by the customer type using the model of Kristensen and Eskildsen (2010) as a base model. More specifically, we wanted to investigate the strength and significance of the relationship between the key constructs in the customer satisfaction model.\nImplications: There are several managerial implications that emerge from the discussion. What managers should focus on first and foremost is the overall service quality of skiing. This should be the key area of focus, because it was found that service quality (skiing) had a strong, positive relationship with image, satisfaction and value for money especially so for ski holiday visitors and season pass holders.\nConclusions: The intention in this study was to examine the key drivers of customer satisfaction in the context of a ski resort. However, firms need more than mere customer satisfaction to elicit feelings of loyalty and/or a high likelihood of repurchase (Fuller and Matzler, 2008). Therefore, this study is also about helping firms to predict ways to not only meet the expectations of customers, but to exceed them to generate high satisfaction levels. Finally, this study intended to assess the differences between various visitor types to see what these subgroups considered significant regarding satisfaction.\nLimitations and future research: No research is without its limitations. The surveys were done in two weekends in February 2015, one of which was during a Winter holiday for schools. Therefore, it could be argued that there may be a higher proportion of respondents from the weekend and ski holiday visitor groups, which may put the representativeness of the sample into question. Also, since the time frame between the interviews was quite short, it meant that we did not receive responses throughout different times of the ski season where the conditions of the slopes may vary, which could have had an effect on responses related to product quality and satisfaction.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Customer-centric measures such as customer satisfaction and repurchase intent are important indicators of performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine what is the strength and significance of the path coefficients in a customer satisfaction model consisting of various customer-centric measures for different types of ski resort customer (i.e. day, weekend and ski holiday visitors as well as season pass holders) in a ski resort in Canada.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The results were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach for the four different types ski resort visitors.\nFindings: There appeared to differences in the strength and significance in the customer satisfaction model relationships for the four types of ski resort visitors indicating that the a priori managerial classification of the ski resort visitors is warranted.\nOriginality/value: The research pinpoints differences in the strength and significance in the relationships between customer-centric measures for four different types ski resort visitors, i.e. day, weekend and ski holiday visitors as well as season pass holders, which have significant managerial implications for the marketing practice of the ski resort.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Demographic diversity on boards and employer/employee relationship	[ "Demographic diversity on boards", "Employee relationship", "Firm financial situation" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In this paper, we study the relationship between demographic diversity on boards and a dimension of employer/employee relationship (EER) that focuses on human resource management (HRM). In recent years, many studies have been conducted on demographic diversity (e.g. Heckel et al., 2017; Leonard and Levine, 2006; Syed and Kramar, 2009; Verbeek and Groeneveld, 2012; Giuliano and Ransom, 2013; Li et al., 2017). However, the effect of demographic diversity on boards on EER has not been sufficiently studied. On the one hand, it remains unclear whether and how demographic diversity on boards may influence EER. On the other hand, it is not clear either whether there is any contextual factor that may moderate the relationship between the diversity and EER. Our study contributes to the diversity and EER literature by addressing these research gaps.\nTheoretical background and hypotheses: Demographic diversity on boards and EER\nMethods: Data and sample\nData analysis and results: Table I shows the descriptive statistics for the data and contains interesting correlations. First, there is a significant and positive correlation between firm age and EER, suggesting that older firms are better at handling EERs than their younger counterparts. There is also a significant and positive correlation between firm size and EER, which indicates that large firms are better than small firms in terms of performance in EER. Finally, consistent with our prediction, demographic diversity on boards has a positive relationship with EER.\nDiscussion: With empirical evidence about the relationship between demographic diversity on boards and EER, we have contributed to the existing literature of demographic diversity by exploring whether demographic diversity on boards may improve the firms' EER. The results from our study are important because they provide empirical support for a positive effect of top management's demographic diversity on firms' EER. Specifically, our results showed that the two most visible dimensions of demographic diversity - ethnic diversity and gender diversity - can have direct positive effects on EER.\nConcluding remarks: In conclusion, demographic diversity on boards can help to improve performance in EER among firms from different industries. When studying this beneficial effect, it is helpful to integrate the views of UET and those from information-processing and decision-making perspective. Also, it would be more appropriate to take into account some relevant contextual variables, such as a firm's financial situation. Future studies could make further efforts to identify more contextual factors that are relevant to the effect of demographic diversity, and test the influence of these factors on the relationship between demographic diversity and different dimensions of firm performance. The findings from such research should provide useful knowledge for firm managers to improve firm performance, such as those in managing demographic diversity and EER.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between demographic diversity on boards and employer/employee relationship (EER) and to test the moderating effect of contextual factors such as a firm's financial situation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper analyzes data from over 1,000 publicly listed US firms and uses hierarchical regression.\nFindings: Demographic diversity on boards of a given firm, such as ethnic diversity and gender diversity, should have positive effects on EER, which can be considered as an important dimension of overall human resource management performance in a given firm. Contextual factors such as a firm's financial situation should moderate the relationship between demographic diversity on boards and the EER.\nOriginality/value: First, this research contributes to the current literature by showing that EER can be influenced by demographic diversity on boards, which further helps to highlight the beneficial effect of demographic diversity in top management team. Second, this study uncovers the moderating role of some contextual factors such as a firm' financial situation. Third, this study also contributes to the corporate governance literature by studying the link between demographic diversity on boards and EER.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Linking quality assurance to human resource management: a study of SMEs in Malaysia	[ "Quality standards", "Quality management", "Human resource management", "Small to medium‐sized enterprises" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Organizations today are facing numerous environmental challenges. These include the information age environment with the rise of e-business and the internet revolution, rapid technological advancement, and globalization, to name just a few. Changes are very rapid, volatile and complex in terms of dimensions. Human resources are almost always at the heart of an effective response to these challenges. Therefore, human resource programs and policies must show how organizations have geared themselves up to meet the challenges. Examples from successful organizations demonstrate that they have gone a long way to designing effective human resource system. These include effective manpower planning, recruitment and selection processes, realistic performance plans and development-oriented performance appraisal, effective learning systems providing ample learning opportunities with the help of training, performance guidance, and other mechanisms such as mentoring. The human resource systems also consists of mechanisms to inculcate a sense of pride in one's work and a high degree of organizational commitment, introducing such organizational development systems as personal growth labs, creativity workshops, quality circles, kaizen, and team building exercises, to name just a few. Further, from an examination of the human resource development (HRD) climate, work values such as openness, trust, delegation and decentralization, quality orientation, etc., a system of reward and recognition, quality of organizational communication, and empowerment of employees amply demonstrate that successful organizations have gone a long way towards bringing revolutionary changes in their HR systems and practices (Becker et al., 2001; Zairi, 1998).\nObjectives of the study: Against this backdrop, the present study proposes to:1. Examine how far concerns for human resources have come to the centre stage in Malaysian companies while dealing with the challenges of global competitiveness in the new millennium. Fey and Bjorkman (2000) maintain that compared to developed economies human assets may be an even more critical determinant of firms' performance in a developing economy such as Malaysia against the backdrop of global competition.2. Since a growing number of organizations are trying to gain ISO certification in order to ensure the quality of their products or services, the paper tries to examine whether the concern for quality and standardization, such as ISO certification, are linked to an improvement in human resource management systems and practices.\nLiterature review: HRM and organizational effectiveness\nMethodology: Most of the studies on HRM practices examine only employers' perspectives and ignore employees' perceptions. As rightly observed by Legge (1998, p. 14): \"when reading accounts of HRM practice in UK and North America it is noticeable the extent to which the data are (literally) the voices of management\". Similar concerns were expressed by Guest (1999), who argued for examining employees' perceptions of HRM practices. According to him, \"from its conception human resource management reflected management agenda to the neglect of workers' concerns\" (p. 5).Edgar and Geare (2005) measured HRM practices in three ways in order to examine their relationship with employees' attitudes. These included:1. additive measures of numbers of HRM practices;2. employer's report; and3. employees' report of the strength of practices.Employee attitude was measured using organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and an organizational fairness scales. The findings indicated significant relationships between HRM practices and employees' attitudes. However, the results were significant only when employee reports of the strength of HRM practices were used to measure HRM. This study highlighted that there are perceptual differences as to the strength of HRM practices and emphasized the importance of allowing employees' voices in HRM research.It was for this reason that the present study measured employees' rather than employers' perspectives of HRM practices.Organizations and the sample\nResults: Table I presents the mean ratings of HR practices in organizations included in the sample. The rating was done a five-point scale (1=extremely inadequate/not at all true; 5=excellent/very much true).As shown in Table I, in general, the HR system and practices obtained low to moderate endorsement from employees. Some of the facets of HR management which obtained relatively higher scores were recruitment and selection system, role analysis, and role efficacy. Measures which obtained less than adequate ratings included action research, organizational development, reward and recognition, human resource development climate, other mechanisms of employee development such as mentoring, guidance and development, and learning and training system.Tables II-VI compare the mean scores of the two groups of companies on HR systems as perceived by employees of respective organizations.Career system\nDiscussion: In general, the result showed significant variations in human resource management practices across the organizations included in the study (for inter-organizational differences, see Hassan et al., 2006). Each organization was unique with respect to the HR competency. Clearly, human resource strategies are difficult to imitate because of path dependency and causal ambiguity (Barney, 1991; Collins and Montgomery, 1995). HRM systems are path-dependent since they consist of policies that have evolved over time. To adopt an HRM system successfully, it is necessary to understand how all the relationships inside the system work (Fey and Bjorkman, 2000). Taken together, however, the combined scores indicated that HR system and practices were still at in a nascent stage. The respondents included in the study gave a moderate rating to almost all the facets of HRM systems. This included both ISO certified and non-ISO certified companies. It may therefore be concluded that the focus on employee development is yet to come to the centre stage in these organizations in Malaysia. The findings therefore support Rowley and Abdul-Rahman (2007), who also found a lack of concern and commitment for building human capital in locally owned companies in Malaysia. Othman et al. (2001) similarly reported large gaps between CEOs' expectations and the role of HR in the Malaysian manufacturing sector. Similar concerns have been reported in countries like China and New Zealand (Edgar, 2003; Law et al., 2003) Employees' perception of the HR system and practices also indicate a gap between employer rhetoric (most of the companies talk of building knowledge capital, etc.) and the reality as experienced by employees. Kane et al. (1999) suggest that the failure of employers to operationalize HRM practices effectively may be one of the causes of perceived HRM ineffectiveness.The comparison between ISO certified and non-ISO certified companies yielded few significant differences with regard to the HRM system. The former obtained significantly higher ratings on career system, which included manpower planning, recruitment, potential appraisal, the promotion system, contextual analysis (one aspect of work planning) and quality orientation (a component of the HRD system). In all cases, ISO certified companies obtained higher mean scores as compared to their counterparts. However, the analysis showed no significant differences between the two on several other dimensions of the HRM system and practices. This included role analysis, performance appraisal, learning and training system, performance guidance and other means of development such mentoring and coaching, attempts to build employees' role efficacy, organizational development practices, action research, and above all the HRD climate, the organizational values, and the reward and recognition system. The comparison revealed more similarities than differences in HR practices between the two groups. In all cases employees gave a low endorsement, suggesting that the present HR system and practices were not adequate to meet the emerging challenges of global competition and above all the goal of quality and customer satisfaction.\nConclusions and recommendations: In conclusion, organizations with ISO certification were more similar and better off than those that did not have this certification on most of HRM systems and practices. The result therefore indicates that ISO certified companies are yet to reach the stage of quality management where concern for quality is organization-wide and is well integrated into the management system (Institute of Personnel Management, 1993; Vloeberghs and Bellens, 1996). They seem to be at the quality assurance level, where the focus is more on the process (technical) aspects of quality rather than on the human aspects (Marchington et al., 1993). The HR department had only a peripheral role.The findings therefore stress the need for a more active and central role of HRM in realizing the goals of quality standards. Organizations build their reputation of quality only when they adopt the resource-based view of human capital as advocated by Prahalad and Hamel (1990). There is a need for organizations to seriously consider investment in HRD as their top priority. It is then that the purpose of quality certification achieves its own objectives.The study recommends further research on quality assurance and human resource development using a larger sample of organizations representing different sectors of the economy. Also, a cross-national comparison of HRD initiatives undertaken by SMEs along with ISO certification will be of great value.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - As organizations try to provide quality assurance from ISO certification, the importance of people management through better HR management assumes greater significance. This paper aims to examine this issue. It seeks to compare selected ISO certified SMEs with non-ISO certified SMEs on several HR practices.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A sample of 292 employees drawn from ten SMEs, five of them ISO certified, responded to a questionnaire which measured the adequacy of the following HRM systems: career system (manpower planning and recruitment, potential assessment, career planning), work system (role analysis, contextual analysis, performance appraisal), development system (training and learning, performance guidance, knowledge sharing, other means of competency development), self-renewal system (role efficacy, OD practices, action-oriented research), and HRD system (HRD climate, organizational values, quality orientation, reward and recognition).\nFindings: - The results indicated a moderate rating for most of the HRM systems in all the organizations including those with ISO certifications. However, ISO certified companies were perceived to be doing better on managing career system, conducting contextual analysis for goal setting and quality orientation. In the rest of the cases the differences were not significant.\nPractical implications: - The findings suggest that organizations need to go beyond quality assurance to organization-wide quality management through improvement in HR systems and practices.\nOriginality/value: - The paper provides empirical knowledge on HR systems and practices and the relationship of these factors with organizational quest for quality in a developing economy.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
To integrate or not to integrate: factors affecting the adoption of virtual integration strategy in organizations	[ "Integration", "Supply chain management", "Information exchange" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The growth of economic globalization, which is the integration of local, fragmented national economies into a single global market and the accompanying trade liberalization, has put significant competitive pressures on many businesses. The rapid introduction of new products to consumer markets is shortening the life cycle of existing products. Market demands have become increasingly difficult to forecast, partly due to the geographical and demographic complexities of the customer base. The need to respond to such and other market changes and stay competitive puts tremendous pressure on companies. Along with the increasing global competition, the need for supply chain integration and collaborative strategies has steadily grown in the last decade.\nWhy virtual integration?: There are both internal and external reasons for adopting a virtual integration strategy. Internally, the organization may engage in virtually integrated relationship with its supply chain partners for increasing inventory turnover. Instead of maintaining a costly inventory buffer to minimize market uncertainty, virtually integrated organizations rely on inter-organization information networks to obtain an on-time delivery of raw materials on a continuous basis. Similarly, such organizations tend to minimize the amount of finished product inventory by building to customer orders. In industries such as the personal computer (PC) where product life cycles are as short as six months or less, maintaining inventory results in a substantial capital loss due to obsolescence.Another internal motivation for adopting virtual integration strategy is the pressure for reducing product-to-market time. As product life cycles get shorter and customer's preferences change rapidly, businesses focus on virtually integrating with their customers and suppliers in order to get a direct feedback on the specific market requirement and build new products that meet these emerging needs. Consider the example of Dell, Inc. Using a direct selling and built-to-order system as part of its virtual integration strategy, Dell is not only able to utilize the direct feedback on customer's transaction pattern and future demand to continuously improve and come up with new products, but also to share the relevant information to suppliers' design teams to facilitate inter-organization coordination.The major external reason for adopting virtual integration as a strategy is competitive flexibility. Organizations that are part of a dynamic competition and rapid technological change find competitive agility as a strategic advantage. Competitive agility refers to the ability of the organization to alter its product offerings and market when faced with changing customer demands and market situations. Unlike the case of vertical integration, the virtually integrated organization does not have to acquire suppliers and accumulate a large inventory buffer that might result in obsolescence if the technology or market demand changes. Virtual integration enables the organization to identify a growing demand in the market through extensive coordination with suppliers without \"... owning and managing assets and functions that constrain its choices\" (Reddy and Reddy, 2001).\nComponents of virtual integration: The underlying concepts of virtual integration are postponement (mass customization), integrated information system across the supply chain and outsourcing (subcontracting).Postponement (mass customization)\nIndustry applications: In recent years, a number of organizations across different industries have started to embrace virtual integration as a core element of their business strategies. As companies increasingly go global and diversify, the need for integrating internal business processes with suppliers, distribution channels (outlets) and customers become very important.Personal computer industry (Dell, Inc.)\nConclusion: Adopting a virtual integration strategy in an organization is indeed subject to several interrelated factors. This article presents some of the determinant factors that either facilitate or inhibit the possibility of adopting a virtual integration strategy. The underlying premise of the article is that organizations operating in an industry characterized by high innovation and intense competition tend to embrace information technology-driven supply chain coordination. The article presents one facet of such integration through a virtual integration strategy.This article highlights four different factors that affect the adoption of a virtual integration strategy:1. degree of market power imbalance in the industry;2. the degree of competition in the industry;3. the degree of product customization required; and4. the degree of electronic commerce in the company.However, these factors are far from being exhaustive and should be considered as part of fundamental reasons why some organizations pursue such a strategy. The theoretical framework presented above is generally believed to contribute to the understanding on what might possibly enhance or inhibit the adoption of virtual integration strategy in companies and their supply chain members. Future research in this area should focus on investigating the major impacts of such virtual strategies on long-term survival of organizations across several industries. This study did not address the implication of virtual integration on stable and mature industries.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this article is to examine the major determinants for adopting virtual integration strategy in organizations. The article also addresses the competitive implications of adopting virtual integration strategy.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The article proposes a theoretical model that shows the major internal as well as external factors for adopting virtual integration strategy. In addition, the article presents real-world applications of this strategy to explain the adoption process.\nFindings: - Virtual integration is a viable strategy in industries characterized by rapid product innovations and a high degree of competition. Virtual integration enables information technology driven supply chain coordination.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Future research efforts in this area should focus on testing empirically the proposed relationships between adopting a virtual integration strategy and firm performance using different industry categories.\nPractical implications: - Executives in a highly competitive, innovative and increasingly varying market demand may benefit from adopting virtual integration strategy. By doing so, firms can integrate their processes using information technology to be more customer-responsive and competitive.\nOriginality/value: - This article identifies the value of adopting a virtual integration strategy and highlights the major factors affecting the adoption of this strategy in organizations. Managers at medium and high-level positions in particularly dynamic industries will most likely benefit from this article.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Playing catch-up: how less developed nations can jump-start technology innovation	[ "Pathways" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Intelligent and networked workplaces, augmented reality, cloud computing and big data distinguish the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0 or I4.0) from the era of steam engines (Industry 1.0), assembly lines and electricity (Industry 2.0) and IT and connected devices (Industry 3.0). The latest technological revolution, I4.0, brings opportunities to countries that want to upgrade their industrial status and enhance their competences. China is currently in the process of achieving I4.0: the central government announced the national strategy \"Made in China 2025\", dedicated to closing the technology gap between China and other advanced industrialized nations (Li, 2017). I4.0 plays an important role in the agenda for China to achieve its industrial upgrading goals and Made in China 2025 is a key part of this process. However, how China can actually successfully seize the windows of opportunity (WoO) to implement technological progress to fulfill the goal of I4.0 is not clear.\nCatch-up processes of advanced industrial powers: The Japanese semiconductor industry followed the USA and assumed market dominance for more than three decades. Its pre-eminence was built over three stages: developing internal demands, building proficient skills, and obtaining a position of dominance (Cho et al., 1998). The ambitious strategy started from building domestic captive demand with existing production lines that enhanced the foundation for expanding the semiconductor business alongside direct customer feedback that improved quality and marketability. Windows of opportunities in this market promoted the take-off of forerunners, followed by massive investment that provided economies of scale that allowed further technological gains (Lee and Malerba, 2017). With mature manufacturing skills and high production capability, the Japanese semiconductor products' penetration into foreign markets was increasingly competitive. With profits and market information from around the world, the Japanese semiconductor R&D sector received considerable investment to upgrade its technology and eventually became a world leader. Noticeably, the Japanese memory industry has rapidly updated its development aims according to market demand and developed second-generation technologies simultaneously. This is defined as \"stage-contracting\" or \"stage-compressing\" (Shin, 2017), an update to \"stage-skipping\" (Lee and Lim, 2001).\nCatch-up processes of newly industrialized countries: Successful catch-up also emerged in more recently industrialized countries and regions such as South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. These four nations and regions are often referred to as newly industrialized countries (NICs) and have become formidable East Asian electronics producers. Some studies examine the manufacturing industries of one or more NICs, while others focus on a particular industry in a selected NIC (usually South Korea).\nCatch-up processes of emerging economies: More recent research has seen the focus shift from catch-up of AIPs and NICs to EEs. Successful catch-up in EEs is a more recent phenomenon concentrated in the 1990s, while the catching up AIPs and NICs started as early as the 1950s. China provides a salient example for demonstrating the process of an emerging market closing the gap on its targets.\nThe takeaway: By revisiting industrial level technological catch-up processes in different times and nations while keeping an eye on WoO, some key points emerge for future studies and practices.\nConclusion: The historical development of successful catch-up shows divergent patterns. In this article, we summarize the three categories of catching in relation to where the catch-up began. We also investigate what kinds of windows of opportunities are more likely to play a key role in the catch-up process. Finally, we compare these catch-up processes and draw lessons to increase our current understanding and to suggest future research. We conclude that catch-up processes do not necessarily have to follow a pre-determined pattern, nor be initiated by any particular trigger. Successful catch-up requires the latecomer to take a holistic consideration of their initial conditions, the interconnectedness and interplay between catch-up processes alongside the windows of opportunities and the chosen target chosen to catch up with.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This study aims to investigate the historical technological catch-up processes with particular attention to the role of windows of opportunity (WoO). As Industry 4.0 becomes the benchmark of many latecomer countries, this paper may provide guidelines to both policymakers and business practitioners. For clarifying how to catch up with the incumbents and leaders, the authors summarize the lessons based on the historical observations to conclude the pathways for latecomers who aim to reduce the gaps to leaders and manage catch-up. This study enriches the literature of catch-up from a holistic view with fresh insights into how and where to catch up.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors analyze the technological catch-up processes emerged in advanced industrial powers, newly industrialized countries (NICs) and emerging economies (EEs). By categorizing the countries into three kinds, they summarize the processes of catch-up along with the industry evolutions. Moreover, they explore how WoO may facilitate the catch-up processes from one stage to the next in above-mentioned categories. Doing so helps to further examine how technological catch-up and WoO interplay and differ among countries. Then, the authors further investigate the latecomers and incumbents and conclude the target choosing, path setting and direction selecting when implementing a catch-up strategy.\nFindings: This study shows that technological catch-up emerged first in advanced industrial powers (AIPs), then in NICs and recently in EEs. Technological catch-up processes in AIPs and NICs take longer time than those in EEs. WoO from policy, market and technology usually collaboratively facilitate the technological catch-up processes in AIPs and NICs. However, in EEs, single WoO can lead to a successful catch-up. The authors further summarize the directions and pathways of catch-up: AIPs and NICs are normally considered by some latecomers to catch up with, while EEs are not.\nOriginality/value: This study is among the first to systematically review the historical developments of industry evolutions by focusing the technological catch-up based on the different categories of countries: AIPs, NICs and EEs. Moreover, the authors are also among the first few integrating the WoO and technological catch-up processes in different kinds of countries. To the best of the authors' knowledge, they are also one of the pioneers who highlight the directions and pathways of latecomers and target choosing to catch up with. They also explore the possibility of selecting EEs as catch-up targets.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Innovation in centralized organizations: examining evidence from Soviet Russia	[ "Innovation", "Project evaluation", "Hierarchy", "Command economy", "Polyarchy" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Innovation plays a key role in creating and sustaining economic growth. Organizations and nations that are able to achieve success in innovation reach higher growth rates and increased technological levels. There are profound differences in the political structure of nations and the organizational architecture of firms (Sah and Stiglitz, 1986; Sah, 1991). Organizations may choose to set up the screening and development of innovation projects in a centralized or a decentralized fashion (Augier and Knudsen, 2004; Richtner and Rognes, 2008). Christensen and Knudsen (2010) describe and model the full range of decision-making architectures between the extreme centralized and decentralized forms - often referred to as hierarchies and polyarchies.\n2 Innovation in the centralized economy of the Soviet Union: The studies of the performance of the Soviet economy typically focus on the aggregate measures such as the GDP, GNP, and productivity (Allen, 2001). While the quality of the Soviet statistical data has been questioned by researchers (Gomulka, 1986), even the adjusted GNP statistics prepared by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) demonstrate that the performance of the Soviet economy has been quite high in the 1950s and early 1960s. This was followed by a considerable slowdown in the 1970s. The annual growth rates of the GNP, estimated as three year averages on the basis of the data presented in the US Congress Joint Economic Committee report changed from a high of 7.3 percent in 1955 to 5.4 percent in 1964 and 1.9 percent in 1979. Table I presents data on the growth rates of inputs such as labor and capital, and the output (GNP) of the Soviet economy based on studies of Ofer (1987) and Allen (2001). Note that the growth rates of output were high and stayed above 5 percent per year from late 1920s through 1960s. Then the decline is observed in the 1970s with productivity growth at zero in the early 1970s, and in the negative in the late 1970s.\n3 Explaining innovation failure in the centralized economic system: A number of studies attempted to decipher the causes of the growth slowdown in the centralized Soviet economy, an extensive summary is provided by Allen (2001). However, the specific focus on the differences in innovation success between the centralized and the market economic systems received less attention. The theoretical explanations reviewed in this section range from the general comments on the lack of incentives for innovation (von Hayek, 1945; Kornai, 1980), to specific models of the principal-agent relationship in the centralized economic system (Dearden et al., 1990), and the soft budget constraint theory (Qian and Xu, 1998). The innovation process is complex and is unlikely to be explained completely by a single model. The list of factors discussed below is not intended to be exhaustive, however it represents the development of the research in this area and outlines the strengths and limitations of the models.\n4 Hierarchies in the Soviet economic decision-making: a historical perspective: If we are to accept the hierarchy explanation for the innovation pattern in the centralized Soviet economy, we need to confirm that the decision-making structure of the Soviet economy was indeed a hierarchy, and that this structure changed at the time of the observed slowdown in production and technological change slowdown between 1965 and 1970. This section focuses on the historical evidence and addresses first the general structure of the Soviet economy, and then its reforms undertaken in 1965.\n5 Conclusions and implications: This study outlined the empirical evidence and the theoretical explanations for the differences in innovation between the centralized and decentralized economic systems. Conclusions from these theories may also be applicable to the study of innovation within the market economy such as comparing government- and privately-funded projects.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This study aims to examine the economic factors that determine innovation pattern in centralized and decentralized economies and organizations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Empirical evidence on innovation in the centralized economy of the Soviet Union is reviewed. Existing theoretical literature in this area relies on the incentives of decision-makers in centralized organizations and on the concept of soft budget constraint in centralized command economies and hard budget constraint in market economies. This study advocates applying the hierarchy/polyarchy model of innovation screening to explain the pattern of innovation in centralized economic systems.\nFindings: Screening and development of innovation projects can be organized in a centralized or decentralized fashion. The differences in innovation between centralized and decentralized economic systems may be explained by elements of the principal-agent theory, the soft budget constraint model, and the theory of decision-making in hierarchies and polyarchies. Empirical evidence shows a sharp slowdown in both innovation and economic growth in the Soviet economy following the economic decision-making reform of 1965. The theoretical explanation most consistent with this evidence is the hierarchy decision-making model.\nOriginality/value: Comparisons of innovation in centralized and decentralized economies traditionally relied on decision-makers' incentives and the concept of soft budget constraint. Upon analysis of empirical evidence from the centralized Soviet economy, this study advocates explaining innovation patterns based on decision-making theory of hierarchy.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Serious games as a virtual training ground for relocation to a new healthcare facility	[ "Information systems", "Relocation", "Organizational change", "Facilities management", "Work organization", "Computer facilities management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: High-quality data and information created from advanced information systems (ISs), such as building information modelling (BIM), are considered valuable assets for the management of today's sophisticated facilities (Becerik-Gerber et al., 2011; Rundell, 2006; Teicholz, 2013). Consequently, an increasing number of building owners and operators prioritize BIM utilization in design, construction and facilities management (FM) (McGraw-Hill, 2012). The term computer-integrated FM refers to the reuse of digital project information created throughout design and construction in FM (Yu et al., 2000). Despite an increasing BIM technology uptake in project planning, limited consideration is given to operation, maintenance and end-of-life disposal of buildings (Shen et al., 2010). Thus, few BIM models are developed with the purpose of providing accurate data, information and knowledge required for FM (Liu and Issa, 2014; Teicholz, 2013). As a result, FM struggles to reap the benefits of BIM technology (Arayici et al., 2012).\nRelated research: Combining BIM and gaming is a relatively new discourse in the field of construction informatics (Liu et al., 2015). Triggered by the recent evolution of both technologies, construction informatics researchers begin to explore the potential that lies within combining them (Raju et al., 2011). Early examples of this stream of research can be found in the 2011 special issue on \"BIM and serious gaming\" published in the Journal of Information Technology in Construction. Topics discussed in this release include: BIM-based games for construction site safety training (Lin et al., 2011), education of forklift drivers working in the future facility (Juang et al., 2011) and the use of games to optimize a building's design (Shiratuddin and Thabet, 2011). This work indicates that construction researchers find a range of prospective application areas and benefits of this combinatorial innovation. More recent examples of trying to apply the new technology include BIM-based games combined with sensor technology as a means for assessing a building's state, including temperature and energy consumption (Chiang et al., 2015; Furst et al., 2014). Others suggest using these technologies for elderly care and related building automation (Wu, 2015). Moreover, there is growing interest to apply BIM-based games for building design review by users (Edwards et al., 2015). Some research suggests using BIM-based games displayed on handheld devices for fire emergency evacuations (Wang et al., 2014). Thus, there is a wide array of thinkable application areas of the new technology and construction researchers are just beginning to understand its implications.\nTheoretical lens: The application of a technology in a novel area can be investigated based on theoretical models explaining software use and linking it to work performance. The model chosen for this study is the so-called TTF model, which facilitates the investigation of how well a new system (e.g. BIM-based game) supports work performance (e.g. knowledge of the new hospital's spatial layout). Goodhue and Thompson (1995, p. 213) proposed the concept of TTF to \"better understand the linkage between the ISs and individual performance\". The TTF construct is intended to serve as an indicator for evaluating the extent to which a new system will be useful to assist its future users in doing their jobs. Since its inception, TTF has been applied to the study of a wide range of ISs, including group support systems (Zigurs and Buckland, 1998), e-procurement systems (Gebauer and Shaw, 2004) and electronic knowledge repositories (Kankanhalli et al., 2005).\nMethod: The research strategy chosen to guide the inquiry is a case-study approach reporting on game prototyping done by software developers. Data were collected through a combination of semi-structured interviews, a focus group interview and document analysis which allowed for data triangulation. The game development process was executed in three sequential stages:\nThe hospital case: The setting of our case study is a major healthcare construction project in the Ostfold region of Norway, built by the Southern and Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Sor-Ost) and operated by the county's hospital agency (Ostfold Sykehus). The project is part of a large programme of investments in the Norwegian healthcare sector. The target is to change and improve the way healthcare services are provided to the patients by building better caring environments. Operating brand-new hospital facilities fitted with the latest technology involves significant changes for healthcare personnel. Careful change management and intensive preparation are required for safe and effective operation of new hospital facilities. This entails significant changes to users' well-established processes and ways of working.\nAnalysis: The analysis of our results is based on the TTF constructs suggested by Nan 2011, namely:\nDiscussion: The early results of integrating BIM and gaming are encouraging and show the potential this technology yields for building operation. However, the case project also shows that there is significant work remaining in this field. One fundamental issue is currently the technological integration of BIM models and games. In line with earlier research (Dalton and Parfitt, 2013), our results show that design systems like Autodesk(r)Revit and game engines like Unity3D are not interoperable. Because all developers in the case worked based on Unity3D, we cannot say whether other game engines would have performed better.\nConclusion: Our study shows how the TTF concept is useful to analyse, explain and understand how BIM and gaming could be integrated to support staff training before starting up the operation of a new facility. The case analysis identified that integration between BIM and gaming could be further improved by:\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper aims to enquire into how building information modelling (BIM) and gaming can be integrated to support professionals in their learning about the spatial layout of a new building. This knowledge is important to prepare building operation and facilities management (FM).\nDesign/methodology/approach: Ingrained in task-technology fit theory, this paper reports from a case study of a serious game staged in the graphical environment of a building information model. A series of interviews with the client, subject-matter experts and software developers involved in developing the game were conducted. The industrial setting for the study is a major hospital construction project in Norway. The project has been awarded BuildingSMART's 2015 award for \"outstanding open BIM practice\", making it Norway's role model for BIM practice.\nFindings: Importing and exporting geometry from BIM into a game engine remain challenging. The transfer of data between the two requires workarounds using intermediary software. Apart from issues related to technical interoperability, several sociotechnical challenges influential for the integration of BIM and gaming have been identified, related to: the collaboration among construction, operational and gaming experts; clear communication of information needs; and better contractual agreements.\nResearch limitations/implications: BIM's geometric and semantic data enabled the creation of a sophisticated game for preparing building operation. Test-users perceived the game to be superior to classroom teaching for learning about the spatial layout of the building. However, quantifying the business value of the game for operation after occupancy of the new facilities was beyond the scope of this study.\nOriginality/value: The work presented exemplifies a novel application area of BIM and gaming technology in FM. The findings presented in this article are relevant for professionals and scholars seeking to expand the utility of BIM for starting up the operation of new facilities.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Out-of-body experience: Sex-based harassment linked to general dissociation, sexual dissociation, and sexual communication	[ "Harassment", "Dissociation", "Sexual communication", "Sexual trauma" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: \"It was like an out-of-body experience [...] [...] I pretended it hadn't really happened [...] I kept moving because it was part of my job, and I knew he was, at the time, a very important guy, and certainly important to me. I trusted him.\"-Jessica Teich, describing Richard Dreyfus (Yuan, 2017)\nSex-based harassment: Although the recent #MeToo movement raised public awareness of sexual violence, scholars have conducted research on sex-based harassment for decades. The term \"sex-based harassment\" is more comprehensive than the term \"sexual assault,\" which tends to focus solely on criminal sexual behavior (Cook et al., 2018). Sexual violence researchers generally consider sex-based harassment to include three types of discriminatory conduct: sexual coercion, unwanted sexual attention and gender harassment (Cook et al., 2018). Sexual coercion, also termed \"quid pro quo\" harassment, involves a person in power demanding sexual favors through threats of professional punishment/retaliation or in exchange for a professional advantage. Unwanted sexual attention consists of unwanted and pervasive romantic or sexual advances. Gender harassment, the most common type of sex-based harassment (Leskinen et al., 2011), involves pejorative remarks or behaviors that belittle another person based on gender (Cook et al., 2018).\nPrevalence and outcomes of sex-based harassment: While many consider sex-based harassment to be an infrequent, mild form of sexual violence, research suggests otherwise. Fitzgerald (1993) estimated that approximately 50 percent of women experience sex-based harassment in the workplace. A second study found that 63 percent of female university employees and 68 percent of female private-sector employees experience harassment (Schneider et al., 1997). Other studies have found higher rates of sex-based harassment for women in male-dominated environments (Fitzgerald et al., 1997; Street et al., 2007). Ilies et al. (2003) found that 24 percent of women considered themselves victims of sex-based harassment, and 58 percent of women responded affirmatively to at least one behaviorally-specific harassment situation. Estimates that consistently indicate harassment is pervasive have led Fitzgerald (2017) to label sexual harassment as \"still the last great open secret\" (p. 483). Although men do experience sex-based harassment (Waldo et al., 1998), rates for men tend to be lower than for women (Rosenthal et al., 2016).\nUnexplored associations of harassment: As it stands, further investigation is needed into outcomes associated with sex-based harassment. Although studies have looked at posttraumatic stress symptoms that result from harassment, few studies have targeted a key posttraumatic outcome - dissociation. Dissociation is characterized by a disconnection or disintegration among one's consciousness, memory and the external environment (DePrince and Freyd, 2007; Zurbriggen and Freyd, 2004). Dissociative symptoms can range from a mild instance of \"highway hypnosis\" to an \"out-of-body\" experience. In other cases, they may manifest as significant memory lapses or severe identity confusion. Dissociation is one of the most well-studied posttraumatic symptoms in the field of trauma; survivors of trauma report elevated levels of dissociation not only during the trauma itself (Lensvelt-Mulders et al., 2008), but also increased dissociative tendencies (Bremner and Brett, 1997; Chu and Dill, 1990) and difficulties with emotional awareness (Polusny et al., 2008) that extend beyond the trauma.\nThe current study: In the present study, we examined sex-based harassment and its association with general dissociation, sexual dissociation and sexual communication. The aims of the study included:\nMethod: Participants\nResults: Data preparation\nDiscussion: The purpose of the present study was to investigate sex-based harassment and its unique association with general dissociation, sexual dissociation and sexual communication among men and women. General dissociation, sexual dissociation and sexual communication have been found in prior research to be related to multiple types of trauma, including sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse (e.g. Hansen et al., 2012; Rosenthal and Freyd, 2017).\nConclusion: This study provides further evidence for the negative - and often traumatic - outcomes associated with sex-based harassment for both men and women. Results from this study suggest that sex-based harassment may be having a profound influence on victims, and even mild harassment should be acknowledged as a serious issue with potential psychological consequences. In line with theories of betrayal trauma and institutional betrayal, harassed individuals may be engaging in greater dissociation to cope with mistreatment. Despite its limitations, we hope this research will validate of the subjective experiences of those who have been harassed, inform only clinical work and inspire change at both institutional and societal levels.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Although prior research has indicated that posttraumatic stress symptoms may result from sex-based harassment, limited research has targeted a key posttraumatic outcome - dissociation. Dissociation has been linked to experiences of betrayal trauma and institutional betrayal; sex-based harassment is very often a significant betrayal creating a bind for the target. The purpose of this paper is to extend existing research by investigating the relationship between sex-based harassment, general dissociation, sexual dissociation and sexual communication.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This exploratory study utilized self-report measures from a sample of male and female Oregon residents using Amazon Mechanical Turk (N=582).\nFindings: Results of regression analyses indicated that harassment statistically predicted higher general dissociation, higher sexual dissociation and less effective sexual communication, even after controlling for prior sexual trauma experiences. Results did not indicate any significant interactions between gender and harassment.\nPractical implications: When considering the effects of sex-based harassment on women and men, clinicians and institutional organizations should consider the role of dissociation as a possible coping mechanism for harassment.\nOriginality/value: These correlational findings provide evidence that sex-based harassment is uniquely associated with multiple negative psychological outcomes in men and women.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Nurturing property investment by re-engineered systems for land pricing by local authorities	[ "Property", "Investments", "Local Authorities", "Zambia" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Mining has always been the main industrial activity of the Copperbelt province in Zambia. The free-market oriented economic strategy pursued by the government in the 1990s has led to inter alia the privatisation and eventual break-up of the then Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) into separate business entities. This development has resulted in a vibrant property market - especially residential - on the Copperbelt because most of the housing units held by the mining conglomerate were sold to sitting tenants. Because of the sudden increase in the demand for professional services, councils are failing to cope with the appraisal and analysis of development projects. Some key indicators of the deficiencies in the property development process in local authorities have been, but not limited to:* The mushrooming of illegal housing units - estimated at 80 percent of every city's housing stock (Mwimba, 2002).* The generically poor city architecture.* The poor record of collecting council tax and rates from property owners (Times Reporter, 2004).* Lengthy bureaucratic and/or political systems that overpower technical prudence in the planning application and land allocation process.At times, factors such as general political, economic, and legal risks could abruptly change ones' business architecture; resulting in abandonment of property development. However, much of the problem emanates from the outdated and usually inadequate project analysis approaches used by local authorities to advise property developers.This research is aimed at identifying the weaknesses of the current practices, proposing a re-engineered approach to the analysis and appraisal of proposed construction developments by the local authorities. It uses seven cities in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia, as case studies. The research suggests that re-engineering existing systems is both necessary and possible, because proper project analysis could on one hand help developers better determine the viability of their proposals, and on the other, nurture property investment in cities.\nPoor project analysis in councils: the problem: When the mines were privatised by the government in the 1990s, most local authorities never anticipated a rapid increase in the demand for professional management of the areas that had previously been run by the mining company. The municipality is the only remaining authority that could provide professional planning and property services in the city. However, the municipalities are failing to provide these services adequately because of the sudden increase in demand resulting not only from the sale of the housing units that belonged to the mining conglomerate (Pangaea Partners, 2000) but also increased rural to urban migration (Chakwe, 2004), increased proliferation of squatter settlements, and an increasing unwillingness to pay for services (Ntengwe, 2004). Additionally, a presidential decree of the late 1990s that forced councils as well as parastatal organisations to sell their residential properties to sitting tenants at undervalued prices, created a significant loss of revenue for the councils (Kaswende, 2005). Various reports such as that by Madon et al. (2004) show a worldwide trend where councils in underdeveloped nations are experiencing difficulties in the collection of rates and council tax. In the Copperbelt, however, this problem is compounded by:* The overly politicised, static and bureaucratic planning system devoid of any established project appraisal techniques.* The insecurity associated with land tenure and title deeds for land in the mining area (Hansungule et al., 1998; Smith, 2004).* Poor construction cost and property value data capture, analysis and storage.* Non-use of market data such as rental and capital values, inflation and interest rates to appraise a project at its initial stages, as shown in Figure 1.* The lack of any interdepartmental link between the councils and other government organisations that process proposed project developments.* The lack of a system to inform developers of their financial obligations to the council, in the form of rates and council tax, people in many mining cities were not used to paying rates (Kaswende, 2005).* The huge number of unfinished buildings, which translates into loss of revenue to the developer and the council.Furthermore, most councils are overwhelmed by the demand for residential development land (Times Reporter, 2004a, b, c, d), applications for extensions to existing units, while the predefined planning and project analysis process remains largely static and highly politicised. The demand for land is reinforced by the Land Act 1995 because it supports the principle of trading land on the open market (Government of Zambia, 1995; Phe, 2002). Figure 1 abstracts the key problems associated with project appraisal and analysis process in local authorities. Presently, factors such as time, cost, value and performance of the proposed development do not form part of the success and/or failure criteria in the analysis and appraisal process. Moreover, there is no use of computers to increase the speed, reliability and storage of business data crucial to the appraisal of project proposals, nor is there any use of even simplistic simulation techniques.The councils' failure to provide adequate services for their citizenry is - inter alia - reducing the tax base, dampening local economic activities and exposing people to environmental hazards emanating from mining waste disposal such as contaminated water resources (Von der Heyden and New, 2004). Additionally, city architecture is being altered for the worse; hence there is a need to re-engineer the approaches that councils have relied upon for decades, without necessarily altering, and/or attempting to alter, their overly politicised structures of governance.\nResearch design and sample details: The research was designed to start with a pilot study of the processes and operations that govern residential property development in the Copperbelt province. The research sample (n) was the seven cities found in the Copperbelt, namely: Ndola, Kalulushi, Luanshya, Kitwe, Chingola, Chililabombwe and Mufulira. The Copperbelt province was selected because it is the most urbanised province in Zambia, and its cities are closer to each other, reducing research expenses. A structured interview was used to collect data from the seven case study councils. Figure 2 shows an abstraction of the sequence of questions and the key points covered. The main sub-sections included:* General information about the council - covering management structure, operational systems of revenue collection and client interface.* Planning permission and building regulations - aimed at testing the availability and enforcement of the regulations, availability of advice systems, data archiving and information sharing.* Project cost appraisal service - assessing the availability of a project appraisal specialist and the systems used to appraise projects on behalf of clients.* Property value appraisal service - testing the use of the Land Economics Surveyor in determining the value aspects of the project.* Respondent opinion on the current service provision.Each council was requested to circulate a set of structured questions to all concerned sections and/or departments so as to have as much information as possible available from its professional officers for use by its selected interviewee. The aim was to widen the perspective from which the response to the research questions could be provided. The research was designed in this manner because of limited research funds; it was prudent to start a pilot study so as to acquire an insight into the problem, and then, on the basis of the result, to offer a professional overview of what further research and/or applications might be needed to enhance current project appraisal practices to assist in the achievement of their declared objective of nurturing property investors.\nResearch findings and analysis: The results and analysis of the responses to the pilot study are presented in the same sequence as the questions were put to the interviewees. This is to maintain the readability of the report.Generic management structure and application to build in the councils' jurisdiction\nConceptual model for re-engineering the existing project appraisal systems: benefits to the local councils: In a nutshell a re-engineered approach to the existing approach to the analysis of proposed construction developments include, but is not limited to:* An assessment of the property market.* Using the captured market data such as capital and rental values, and property resale values as primary data to feed into established and tested methods such as the \"developer's budget\".* Realigning the administrative processes performed by council professionals so that they can use existing resources such as computers to collect data, set up data repositories and create data feedback for future use.* Tapping the existing data from other government organisations such as the government valuation department (GVD) or the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).* Performing comparative studies and \"what if analyses\" at the appraisal stage so as to test the impact economic factors such as inflation and interest rates could have on the success/failure criteria of proposed developments.* If possible, testing the utility of the final product in relation to factors such as location, environment, amenities and others, and assessing how the product could impact on the environment.Making the above changes to the existing project analysis and appraisal system, therefore, requires the use of computer resources, so as to increase the speed with which analysts could perform. This is the key reason why the proposed two-fold strategy is Information Technology (IT) centric. Re-engineering in this case does not mean an attempt to change established methods such as the \"developer's budget calculation\" and \"discounted cash flow\" method. On the contrary, it encourages the subtle introduction of such methods so as to tap into their capacity to aid decision makers; attempting to make a huge positive impact if they were to be deployed by council professionals.Because a free and open market is not yet operating and therefore the availability of data on completed sale transactions is somewhat limited, we would suggest that, in the interim, all councils should make use of capital and rental valuations produced by the government valuation department for rating purposes as an artificial, but useful starting point for a professional developers budget calculation. In this way, the shortage of market-derived information can be overcome and residential plot selling prices (and taxation base) can be determined using a proper and acceptable methodology.Innovation related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), according to Ayres and Williams (2004), has continued to make a good impact in science, engineering, manufacturing, system integration and many more areas of life. ICT is, therefore, considered essential to any proposal in the research because of the reported non-use of ICT systems at the appraisal stage (Zambia Daily Mail, 2005). Figure 7 shows a conceptual model of how an existing paper based proposed development application and approval analysis could be extended to include a database system that could supplement data requirements and speed up the processes. Therefore, the overall proposal is largely two-fold.1. Short-term system\nConclusion: Even though the local authorities in the Copperbelt province are faced with many difficulties in nurturing property development, the research has shown that the biggest problem lies with their overly politicised management structure, static appraisal methods, poor market data capture, analysis and use. The research has also shown that, because of the lack of open market data on property values, the existing project analysis and appraisal system is static and ineffective at best. As a result, none of the developers are advised on how to get the best out of an investment in property development. There is also clear evidence that project analysis and appraisal systems in councils could be re-engineered to enhance the existing paper-based system with a spreadsheet centric system in the short term. In the long run, a customised database supported system should be developed which can store not only construction cost information but also sales and re-sale values of property.\nLessons from the research: In most countries, the problem of proposed project analysis and appraisal is non-existent because of the level of development achieved, as well as the existing tools and techniques available to councils. In Zambia however and probably in other developing countries, the lessons are that:* In an overly politicised local authority, interdepartmental communication and data exchange is essential when analysing and appraising proposed development projects if property investment is to be harnessed.* A static paper based system of appraising a proposed development could be user friendly, but it becomes useless if it does not include established methods of project appraisal and analysis. It lacks the capability to collect, analyse and synthesise construction related business data for use within the appraisal process.* Employing qualified personnel in the council should be matched with the provision of the resources necessary for them to perform their duties professionally.* Underutilisation of available resources compounds the problem of inefficiency.* Gradual improvements to existing systems such as project appraisal forms should cater for the cultural and political governance of the local authority.* The ability to appraise proposed developments using accepted business centric approaches could be used in local authorities, just like private sector consultants do.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The research in this paper is aimed at re-engineering existing approaches to the analysis of proposed developments in local authorities - from land pricing to planning permission - hence reducing the loss of revenue in councils, and nurture property development.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper is a case study of seven city councils on the Copperbelt province of Zambia was conducted using the same template of questions.\nFindings: - The research found that councils had overly politicised management structure, static appraisal methods, poor market data capture, analysis and use. Additionally, councils did not use market data on property values; hence the existing analysis and appraisal systems are static and ineffective.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The paper shows that extracting current data from the councils proved a severe limitation.\nPractical implications: - The paper shows that councils can: learn how overly politicised their interdepartmental communication and data exchange is; enhance paper based systems of appraising proposed developments by adding established methods of project appraisal that can ease the collection, analysis and synthesis of construction business data used in the appraisal process; Employ, and support qualified personnel with adequate resources necessary to perform their duties professionally; make gradual improvements to existing systems within the cultural and political atmosphere of the council; and appraise proposed developments using accepted business approaches; just like private sector consultants do.\nOriginality/value: - The research provides practical solutions that enhance professional appraisal techniques in councils of most underdeveloped countries, hence setting the basis upon which market driven strategies for nurturing property development can be made\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Poverty among the small-scale plantation holders: Indigenous communities in Peninsular Malaysia	[ "Malaysia", "Poverty", "Palm oil", "Indigenous community", "Natural rubber", "Small-scale planation" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Agriculture is a very important part of the livelihood of many poor people, especially the indigenous people. It is often claimed that the development in the agriculture sector is essential for poverty reduction (Cervantes-Godoy and Dewbre, 2010). For many African countries, bulk of their agriculture output comes from small-scale farms, and the growth of large-scale farms is slow and downgrading (Wiggins, 2009). However, this does not prove that small-scale farms do not face obstacles. In terms of labor productivity, small-scale farms have less labor productivity in comparison to large-scale farms.\n2. Literature review: The indigenous people are still facing many problems, even though, they are utilized as human capital. Moreover, they still have a poor socio-economic condition and cannot earn a higher income. This is a common phenomenon in countries where the indigenous people are considered as a part of general population, such as Mexico (Ramirez, 2007), and in countries where large number of the population is indigenous, such as Bolivia (Feiring et al., 2003). Surprisingly, industrialized countries, such as Australia (Altman and May, 2011; Altman et al., 2005), and developing countries, such as India and Vietnam (Subramanian et al., 2006; Rovillos and Morales, 2002), are not exempted from this kind of condition. Saugestad (2011) stated that the dilemma of the indigenous people gathered attention in the previous decades due to the indigenous right movements that took place, these movements were also raised at the international level. Eversole et al. (2005) published a study about the indigenous people in the USA, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Taiwan, Canada, Australia and Russia. The study makes use of the context of different countries using diverse approaches, so making a comparison of the results across each country is quite difficult. In addition to this, it should also be noted that the indigenous people are considerable in number and generally represent the poor population of the world at a disproportionate level.\n3. Research method: This study covered six states with the highest population of indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia. The data were collected in 2014 and 2015 through primary and secondary sources. This study adopted stratified sampling and stratified random sampling techniques to collect primary data from the respected states.\n4. Results and discussion: This section identifies the total number of indigenous households that are involved in the small-scale plantation. The discussion is made about their poverty profile, plantation size and the characteristics of plantations before presenting the discriminant analysis and land ownership issue of indigenous people.\n5. Conclusion and recommendations: This paper is an empirical study examining poverty among small-scale palm oil and natural rubber plantations of the indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia. Discriminant analysis and descriptive statistics were used in this study. A total number of 2,136 participants were interviewed and only 31.65 percent own either or both palm oil and natural rubber plantation. Only 26.26 percent own natural rubber plantation, 8.66 percent own palm oil plantation and 3.28 percent own both natural rubber and palm oil plantation. The national poverty line of RM760 per month per household has been used in this study to identify the households that live below the poverty line (EPU, 2009). The study found that 49.70 percent of natural rubber plantation owners and 37.3 percent of the palm oil plantation owners live under the national poverty line. The average income per month is more than the national poverty line for small palm oil and natural rubber plantation owners. The study assumed that indigenous household with more than five acres of plantation land should live above the poverty line. The descriptive statistics showed that only 10.90 percent have a natural rubber plantation more than five acres and 31.40 percent have palm oil plantations more than five acres. The average land size is less than five acres for both plantation owners.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the socio-economic condition of indigenous households involved in the production of palm oil and natural rubber in Peninsular Malaysia.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Discriminant analysis is used in this study.\nFindings: This study finds that 49.70 percent of natural rubber plantation owners and 37.3 percent of the palm oil plantation owners live under the national poverty line. Discriminant analysis shows that natural rubber plantation size has a significant difference between income below the poverty line and above the poverty line. But palm oil plantation size is not significantly different between income below and above the poverty line, mainly because small-scale palm oil farms receive help from the government and other agencies. This study also finds that the majority of indigenous people do not have ownership rights to their land.\nPractical implications: This study suggests that small-scale plantation holders should be provided with training to upgrade their skills to increase productivity. Furthermore, finding an appropriate land ownership model helps to understand the fundamental issue of poverty among the small-scale plantation holder of indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia.\nOriginality/value: Primary data are used in this study. The results show different scenarios than the existing studies.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Sensory marketing in an outdoor out-store shopping environment - an exploratory study in Japan	[ "Direct observation", "Sensory marketing", "Out-store", "Outdoor", "Shopping street" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: A shopping habitat is an unstructured environment where all kinds of retailers gather (Yuksel, 2007). This habitat may be located indoors (e.g. shopping malls) or outdoors (e.g. shopping districts/streets). An outdoor out-store shopping environment, in particular, is not only a business hub but also a sociocultural center where sellers and buyers interact with one another on a daily basis (Kuppinger, 2014). In a sense, a shopping street is a leisure spot for local people and a touristic attraction for visitors/tourists (Snepenger et al., 2003). It also has its own customer segment, for example, those seeking unique shopping experiences (Lorch and Smith, 1993). However, nowadays shopping streets have to compete with other alternatives (e.g. shopping malls, online shopping sites) for shopper/visitor preferences. Several difficulties that challenge shopping streets include, for example, vacancy and survival rate, low sales volume, and the decline of tradition, among others (O'Callaghan and O'Riordan, 2003; Prendergast et al., 1998). Fortunately, the concept of shopping streets can reform and renovate itself to survive and grow, and to contribute to the revitalization of the local economy and tradition (Ozuduru et al., 2014; Stobart, 1998). Nevertheless, how retailers in shopping streets are doing to achieve that goal is largely unknown.\nTheoretical framework: Approaches in defining of sensory marketing\nEmpirical study: Objective and study setting\nDiscussions: Yuksel (2007) regards the outdoor out-store shopping environment as an unstructured shopping habitat, a place which gathers retailers of all kinds. However, from the perspective of sensory marketing, this study argues that this shopping habitat is a structured environment, and also includes the surrounding space. Accordingly, retailers in the Machida shopping area use the forms of sensory stimuli (visual, audio, scent, gustatory and tactile) to encode their business-related information. Among the stimuli, visual (and to some extents, audio and tactile) cues seem to be the dominant ones (see also Goldkuhl and Styven, 2007; Soars, 2009). However, retailers in the Machida shopping area rely on the local sociocultural climate and follow one another to create the cues. Their practices, thus, may be the results of habits and imitations. Moreover, the use of the sensory stimuli has created a sensory atmosphere surrounding the shops, the retailers, and the customers. Therefore, there is a sensory space besides a sensory place. In other words, the outdoor out-store shopping environment is a place and space where sensory stimuli are employed as the mediators between retailers and customers.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the sensory marketing activities in an outdoor out-store shopping environment.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study synthesizes the existing literature to build up an integrative conceptual framework of sensory marketing from the supply-side perspective. An observational study then follows to demonstrate how sensory marketing has been implemented in an outdoor out-store shopping environment in Japan.\nFindings: The study has proved that there is an outdoor out-store marketing environment where marketers use sensory cues to provide the information about their shops and products/services to their potential customers. When looking at each shop separately, the dominant sensory cues are the visual ones; however, in the outdoor out-store marketing environment of a shopping street as a whole, the combination of visual, audio, and tactile cues is a popular practice. In addition, it is observed that some outdoor out-store marketing practices are oriented toward the local cultural values.\nResearch limitations/implications: Implications for shopping environments management are discussed.\nOriginality/value: The study extends the theories on shopping environments to an outdoor out-store context, and supports the implementation of experiential marketing and context marketing.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]

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