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Induction process puts First UK Bus on route to greater efficiency: Dramatic fall in turnover of new drivers
|
[
"Induction",
"Buses",
"Passenger transport",
"Employee turnover",
"United Kingdom"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Almost half of new drivers in the UK bus industry typically leave within their first 12 weeks of employment. Since it costs around PS3,500 to recruit and fully train each new driver; this high turnover represents a significant waste of investment.\nNew roles and new expectations: Instructors were now given the title of \"driver trainers\" and were required to carry out all parts of the induction and training process. They became part of a national team, able to operate from any operating company to a standardized process. They also had to be able to use newly developed materials in accordance with how they had been trained, and to operate a robust handover process to shadow drivers.Initially, not all the operating companies had shadow drivers. Often there was no formal role for them, no training and no proper selection process.Under the reforms, all operating companies had to select \"buddy drivers\" - the new name for shadow drivers - who were appointed to the role through a more robust competence-based process and then trained in their coaching role. A robust handover process from buddy drivers to Scottish and National Vocational Qualification assessors was devised.Previously, First UK Bus Division had offered Scottish and National Vocational Qualifications (S/NVQs) only to existing employees, not new drivers. The S/NVQ process had been bureaucratic and time-consuming. Under the reforms, assessors were renamed service-quality officers and given a set of newly streamlined materials. Training towards S/NVQs was now offered to all new drivers.\nThe training in detail: Driver trainers and service-quality officers were given a two-day introduction to the new process. Designed as part briefing and part \"free space\", the introduction timetable allowed plenty of time to explore participants' concerns. They were encouraged to ask Topaz wide-ranging questions about the design, to maximize the chances of convincing them that the new-driver process was robust and would work in their operating companies. New materials were introduced, and time allowed for comment on each.Driver trainers were then given two days of training in trainer skills. This included sharing best practice, demonstration, role-play and discussion, all supported by a train-the-trainer guide. Most of the input was covered on day one, with driver trainers demonstrating and practicing their understanding and application of trainer skills on day two. Each delivered a one-to-one and group-training session.The one-day buddy coaching-skills course was designed to combine learning about, and understanding of, the new materials and processes, with the development of coaching skills. It was a mixture of input, discussions and exercises. A buddy-guide workbook supported the course.\nThe pilot program: Somerset & Avon operating company was chosen for the pilot as it had the worst retention figures. Driver trainers, buddies, service-quality officers, the S/NVQ-awarding bodies and Transport and General Workers' Union were involved in the continuous development of the program and materials throughout the pilot.The pilot results showed, on an intake of 132 drivers, a retention rate of 73 percent - a 29 percent improvement against the same period the previous year, and 27 percent better than the average retention rate for new drivers nationally across First UK Bus Division.An evaluation of the pilot program revealed that:* operating-company managing directors had to be committed to implementing the new training if the full benefits were to be achieved;* strong operational support was needed for training buddies, allocating their drivers and giving time for them to undertake their roles; and* recruitment procedures had to be improved, with an HR manager responsible for all recruitment.\nThe national roll-out: Feedback was so positive that First UK Bus Division decided to introduce the program across all its operating companies, and recruitment training formed part of this national roll-out.Operating-company management was fully briefed before the training began, and provided with a \"launch plan\" in the form of a standard operating procedure. This covered business requirements, management reporting, key performance indicators and evaluation documentation for operating company management use.Recruiting process audits were carried out by First UK Bus Division and the national learning and development team. Evidence of compliance was collected and reported back to each operating company managing director, and nationally. Each operating company manager and a member of the learning and development team attended each training program. Good ideas from the operating companies are incorporated into the training through the annual updating process.\nThe results achieved: First UK Bus Division uses a \"traffic light\" system to summarize the results of induction audits carried out at operating companies. Some 60 percent regularly achieve the green light, which means that the standard operating procedure is being delivered with local enhancements and the remaining 40 percent achieve amber, for delivering the standard operating procedure. No operating company has so far been given a red light.All the division's driver trainers now have a S/NVQ Level 3 in driver instruction. \"They are adding real value and giving more quality time to new drivers,\" said Chris Jefferies, the First UK Bus learning and development manager, who implemented the new process.The percentage of new drivers passing the PCV theory and practical tests first time has risen from around 70 to more than 80.\"By working within clearer boundaries, driver trainers see how crucial the handover process is and implement it rigorously,\" Chris Jefferies continued. \"Their commitment to using standardized materials comes from knowing they are based on best practice and a successful pilot.\"Giving official recognition of the job of buddy, introducing a formal recruitment process and job profile and buddies to determine when a new driver is ready to \"go solo\" have increased respect for this role across the company. Buddy drivers are now recognized in many operating companies as the breeding ground for driver trainers and first-line supervisors.The fact that three-quarters of new drivers achieve S/NVQs highlights the focus service quality officers are placing on this new group of candidates. The awarding bodies themselves have welcomed the reduction in bureaucracy in the process and additional value placed on observations, which have resulted in easier assessment. S/NVQs, previously seen as \"nice to have\", are now viewed as an important retention and development tool. The qualification system is now being extended to cleaners, retail and administrative staff.Paul Derrick, a driver trainer in Devon and Cornwall, commented: \"I was formerly cynical of the new process, but am now a real champion of the process and the training.\"The Learning and Skills Council chief executive, Mark Haysom, said: \"There is real evidence of the company's skill needs being properly mapped against its business requirements. There is a lot to be proud of.\"Nicola Shaw, managing director of First UK Bus Division, concluded: \"We have been investing heavily in training at all levels of the organization. Our front-line employees are key to the success of a 24-7 operation and driver induction ensures that we have a high-quality, consistent approach. It is business critical for us to ensure high-quality bus services and so that we perform with pride.\"\nNote: David Pollitt, Human Resource Management International Digest editor, wrote this article.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to reveal that, in an industry where new-driver retention has been seen as \"too difficult\", First UK Bus Division took the strategic decision to tackle the issue.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper describes how the company, with the help of a learning and development business, researched the causes, designed an approach to resolve them, piloted the approach and measured the impact.\nFindings: - The paper details how the company has significantly reduced the turnover of new drivers, increased first-time pass rates in the passenger-carrying vehicle (PCV) test, improved internal communications, reduced bureaucracy and built a more clearly defined career structure.\nPractical implications: - The paper reveals that the new induction process has saved the business more than PS1 million in recruitment and training costs.\nOriginality/value: - The paper points out the wide-ranging organizational benefits that can result from a proper induction process.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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How exposure to logos and logo varieties fosters brand prominence and freshness
|
[
"Logo design",
"Brand evaluation",
"Brand equity (consumer)"
] |
[
{
"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.\nAutomatic effects of exposure to brands and their logos: Even though consumers may often not consciously notice that they are exposed to brand logos, this logo exposure can still influence their attitudes and behavior. Such effects are called automatic effects because they result from automatic processes that require no effort, intentionality or awareness (Fitzsimons et al., 2008). Automatic effects thus \"pass the objective threshold (i.e. it is discriminated by the senses), but fail to pass the subjective threshold (i.e. it fails to reach conscious awareness and cannot be reported verbally)\" (Dijksterhuis et al., 2005, p. 80). In branding, automatic effects of brand exposure have been demonstrated by subliminally priming the brand or its logo. Such exposure and subconsciously processing of the logo brings the brand to consumers' minds. Consequently, various automatic effects of subliminally priming brands for fostering brand-related outcomes have been reported. Karremans et al. (2006) showed that subliminally priming people with the name of a drink leads to increased choice shares for the brand and increased intentions to consume the brand. Similar results have been found in the context of logos (Bermeitinger et al., 2009). In addition, Fitzsimons et al. (2008) showed that exposure to a brand's logo can activate salient brand associations: consumers primed with the Apple logo behaved more creatively than consumers primed with the IBM logo. Based on these findings, we expect that when exposed to a brand's logo, this will automatically bring the brand to mind.\nMethod: Pretests\nDiscussion: The increasing exposure to brands in our lives has led to advertising clutter, forcing brands to stand out even more amidst a sea of offerings. Concurrently, brands have to stay fresh in the minds of consumers. We propose that exposing consumers to logo varieties may help to cut through the clutter that consumers are faced with. In two experimental studies, we exposed respondents to either the existing brand logo or to logo varieties, and examined their influence on brand prominence and freshness. We make a substantive contribution by showing that consumers subconsciously process logo varieties to which they are exposed in a similar way as they subconsciously process the existing logo of the brand, making both types of logo exposure effective for building brand prominence and freshness.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This study aims to propose that a brand can be kept both prominent and fresh by using existing logos as well as logo varieties (i.e. slight modifications to the brand's existing logo).\nDesign/methodology/approach: In two experimental studies, the authors exposed respondents to either the existing brand logo or to logo varieties, and examined their influence on brand prominence and freshness.\nFindings: The findings suggest that consumers subconsciously process logo varieties to which they are exposed in a similar way as they subconsciously process the existing logo of the brand, making both types of logo exposure effective for building brand prominence and freshness.\nResearch limitations/implications: It would also be worthwhile to study the effect of logo varieties using other dependent measures than the ones employed in this study, such as purchase intent and behavioral measures (such as consumption behaviors).\nPractical implications: This research shows that logo varieties can be used alongside the existing brand logo to build prominence and freshness. These findings diverge from the findings typically reported in the branding literature that state that consumers resist changes to logos.\nOriginality/value: This research not only demonstrates that exposure to logo varieties and existing logos evokes automatic effects (both types of logos outperform a control group in fostering brand-related outcomes) but also confirms that exposing consumers to the existing logo or logo varieties give less differential effects than one may think.\n",
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Determinants of informal coordination in networked supply chains
|
[
"Supply chain management",
"Channel relationships",
"Construct development",
"Coordination",
"Informal networking",
"Structural equation modelling"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Collaboration between firms is a powerful source of competitive advantage, calling for effective management of relationships in the supply chain. This includes the development and maintenance of capabilities to ensure an effective operating system. An operating system is said to be superior to that of a competitor if it responds better to the holistic structure of market opportunities, and as such secures the long-term viability of the firm. This paper develops a conceptual model for analyzing how informal connection of capabilities in networked supply chains can increase the operational effectiveness of a firm in highly dynamic markets. Highly dynamic markets are characterized by short lead-time requirements and a large variety of product and service components, thus posing unique requirements for operations and logistics.More recently there has been a move away from what may be termed power-based relationships in supply chains, or relationships based on focal companies, in which formal and hierarchical dependence is present, toward more of a network model, in which a sense of mutual development and partnership prevails (Harland et al., 2004). This observation is supported by several studies that have set the groundwork for further research in the area of networked relations in the supply chain (Hameri and Paatela, 2005; Garavelli, 2003; Harland et al., 2004; Hakansson and Persson, 2004; Hofenk et al., 2011; Koulikoff-Souviron and Harrison, 2007). Networked supply chains have strong linkages between their members, characterized by low levels of vertical integration. In addition, the lack of influence or power, exhibited by the interdependence of business partners, is also seen as a key determinant of an effective networked supply chain structure (Sydow and Windeler, 1998; Kemppainen and Vepsalainen, 2003; Zaheer and Bell, 2005). Networked supply chain structures include non-power-based relationships and inter-company coordination, as well as informal business systems that are linked through joint supply chain objectives (Croom, 2005; Harland et al., 2004; Lambert et al., 1998).In order to be able to better respond to dynamic markets companies increasingly consider coordinating their supply chain capabilities without formal agreements across a range of partners (Hakansson and Persson, 2004; Gulati, 1999). It is postulated that coordination mechanisms in short-term relationships are significantly different from those in long-term relationships. Typically, supply chain partners would build relationship traits such as commitment, trust, joint objectives, communication, and the exchange of information over time. It is argued in this paper that in highly dynamic situations, supply chain partners have only limited time to get and work together to respond to a market opportunity, thus more informal coordination practices are noticeable. While informal coordination practices are often less structured and difficult to identify, collaborative technologies need to support both informal and formal coordination mechanisms.This paper builds on the concept of the \"informally networked supply chain\" (INSC) to discuss collaborative, short-term relationships where partners coordinate their mutual capabilities to address a transitory, but important, business opportunity in order to achieve collectively beneficial outcomes. In such a context, supply chain management concerns the timely coordination of capabilities, i.e. technologies, processes, and other resources related to the flow of material, information, and funds within a company, but also externally between companies (Hakansson and Persson, 2004). The reason for better coordination of supply chain activity, and to obtain access to capabilities, is the improvement of overall operational performance (OP) at the company and supply chain level. As markets and customer demands evolve, supply chain managers are prompted to integrate processes and technology across supply chain partners (Kemppainen and Vepsalainen, 2003; Davenport, 2005; Holweg et al., 2005; Lee, 2004; Sydow and Staber, 2002). It appears that existing supply chain concepts do not sufficiently address the simultaneous effects that informal connectivity (collaboration standards, technology standards and regulatory and industry rules) and relationship alignment (RA) (e.g. trust, power, and knowledge sharing) have on dynamic coordination in networked supply chains.To fill this gap, this study empirically examines capability connectivity (CC), RA, and the ability to informally network in the supply chain as determinants for better utilizing capabilities among supply chain partners. In particular, the study focusses on how the above described determinants may impact on OP in the supply chain when responding to short-lived demand requirements or highly dynamic markets. The study adds a new concept, the INSC, to the discourse in the supply chain management discipline. It shows that CC and RA may enable new alternative ways of coordinating supply chain capabilities to meet a specific market requirement. As such, it offers a new perspective in relation to flexibility and agility in the supply chain (Towill and Christopher, 2002; Christopher, 2000; Yusuf et al., 2004). In terms of organizational development, the study provides empirical evidence for the fact that companies may build informal coordination capabilities in order to take advantage of time sensitive market opportunities.\n2. Theoretical background and development: 2.1 The concept of INSCs\n3. Research model and hypotheses: From our earlier discussions, it is proposed that connectivity is a result of integrating processes and technologies across companies. It is further posited that industry rules and regulatory conditions create an environment, which is conducive (or the reverse), for networked relationships in supply chains. Standards and rules may be important variables that enable organizations to informally communicate, share information and more readily make supply chain decisions. As a result, this may improve companies' abilities to connect supply chain technologies, processes, and organizational structures; combine cross-organizational capabilities more flexibly, and, depending on the market situation, improve material and financial flows. This results in the first hypothesis:H1. Better CC leads to more informal coordination of supply chain capabilities.The better such relational factors are aligned between supply chain partners, the more frequently these partners may engage in joint rapid and informal decision making. This leads to our second research hypothesis:H2. Better RA leads to more informal coordination of supply chain capabilities.It is argued that if organizations can overcome the constraints of formal and time-consuming decision making and engage in INSC arrangements, they can achieve measurable performance improvements. This leads to the third research hypothesis:H3. More informal coordination of capabilities in a supply chain network leads to gains in OP.Taking into account the higher order nature of the capability connectivity-, INSC-, and operational performance-constructs, the above three main research hypotheses translate into the following final ten hypotheses:H1.1. Better supply chain CC through technology and process standards leads to more market capability access through informal networking.H1.2. Better supply chain CC through technology and process standards leads to more supply capability access through informal networking.H1.3. Worse supply chain CC through more rules and regulations leads to less market capability access through informal networking.H1.4. Worse supply chain CC through more rules and regulations leads to less supply capability access through informal networking.H2.1. Better RA leads to more market capability access through informal networking.H2.2. Better RA leads to more supply capability access through informal networking.H3.1. OP improvement from more market capability access through informal networking leads to better market-oriented effectiveness.H3.2. OP improvement from more market capability access through informal networking leads to better internal efficiencies.H3.3. OP improvement from more supply capability access through informal networking leads to better market-oriented effectiveness.H3.4. OP improvement from more supply capability access through informal networking leads to better internal efficiencies.\n4. Research method: A mixed research approach, using multiple approaches for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, was used (Huberman and Miles, 2002). First, the literature in the field was reviewed for relevant contributions and gaps, and for determining the research questions. Subsequently, a qualitative exploratory phase was included in order to confirm the relevance of the research question to the practitioner, involving a panel of 96 supply chain experts selected from a sample of 500 senior executives, across a range of industries and responsibility levels. In order to analyze the outcome of this qualitative phase, a content analysis was performed that included a structured data write-up, categorization, and coding (Glaser, 2001). Third, based on the results of the exploratory field study and the review of the literature, a research model was proposed and a survey instrument developed to measure the research constructs and variables. Subsequently, this model was analyzed using structural equation modeling, and conclusions were drawn as well as implications for managers and theory development. The detailed research model is summarized in Figure 1.4.1 Sample and data collection\n5. Data analysis and results: 5.1 Data analysis\n6. Discussion and conclusion: 6.1 Implications for theory\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine capability connectivity, relationship alignment and the ability to informally network in the supply chain as determinants for better utilizing capabilities amongst supply chain partners. In particular, the paper focuses on how the above described determinants may impact on operational performance in the supply chain when responding to short-lived demand requirements or highly dynamic markets.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A mixed research methodology is used, including a qualitative exploratory phase to confirm the relevance of the research question to the practitioner, followed by quantitative structural equation modeling, based on a sample of 231 supply chain professionals.\nFindings: - In total, four determinants of informal networking were derived: capability connectivity, describing the ability of supply chain partners to rapidly and informally integrate capabilities, such as IT, to service an ad hoc market requirement; relationship alignment or the ability to informally integrate resources across supply chain partners in the context of highly dynamic market situations; the informally networked supply chain itself, measuring the ability of supply chain partners to respond to transient opportunities in the context of highly dynamic markets; and finally operational performance which measures the effect informal networking has on company performance. Results show that informal coordination of supply chain activities influences operational performance in different ways, and most significantly impacts positively on operational efficiency through supply-oriented informal networking. The study identified that industry rules and regulations have a significant impact on the propensity of supply chain partners to collaborate informally. Finally, it is also shown that relationship alignment between companies is an important factor to achieve both market- and supply-oriented informal networking capabilities.\nPractical implications: - The management of industry rules, regulation, connectivity, and relationship alignment are significant antecedents for informal coordination of supply chain capabilities in business networks. The study shows positive effects of informal networking in supply chains on operational efficiency, and suggests that companies should strive to enable greater flexibility to connect with their trading partners without an abundance of idiosyncrasies. Furthermore, relationship alignment, in combination with process and IT connectivity, is significant in creating the foundation for informal networking in supply chains, in particular for supply-related activities.\nOriginality/value: - The paper adds a new concept, the informally networked supply chain, and shows that capability connectivity and relationship alignment may enable new alternative ways of coordinating supply chain capabilities to meet a specific market requirement. As such, it offers a new perspective in relation to flexibility and agility in the supply chain.\n",
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Understanding how Millennial shoppers decide what to buy: Digitally connected unseen journeys
|
[
"Decision making",
"Fashion",
"Purchase intention",
"Internet retailing",
"Marketing communications"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Since the 1950s the volume and nature of communications have changed significantly (Kitchen, 1999). Marketing spend has continued to increase on digital media (such as web, e-mail and mobile) at the expense of more traditional media (such as TV, radio, cinema, outdoor and direct mail) (see Warc, 2015). Contemporary communications have moved from asynchronous interaction (participants do not respond immediately, e.g. e-mail), to synchronous interaction (real-time communications with instant responses) (Tuten and Solomon, 2013). The introduction of mobile platforms has transformed retailers with opportunities to develop a variety of technological innovations aimed at improving their approach to communicating with their customers (Taylor, 2016). Wilkie (2005) suggests that consumers are faced with so much conflicting advice regarding alternatives to select that they have to ignore or resist most of this. Consumers are therefore engaging with brands differently (e.g. Mix and Katzberg, 2015 discuss the complex nature of consumer touch points with brands from instore, online, traditional advertising, etc.) and marketing may need to adapt and be more flexible (Parsons and Maclaran, 2009). Furthermore, consumers are likely to have access to greater amounts of information in this digital era and therefore, consumers with greater knowledge will feel more powerful (Foucault, 1972). If consumers know how to evaluate various value propositions on offer, then this will lead to a higher degree of consumer empowerment, which may depend upon how \"connected\" they are (Pires et al., 2006).\n2. Literature review: 2.1 The digital age\n3. Methodology and results: In order to address the research question an exploratory investigation was undertaken to gain a greater understanding of the common influences developed in shopping behaviour through different journeys. In line with other studies that investigated online shopper behaviour (Balabanis and Reynolds, 2001; Pavlou et al., 2007), we have examined online decision making in the fashion garment sector. An online survey was conducted with respondents sourced though using Survey Monkey Audience. The survey was conducted over five days between 21 and 25 March 2015. Respondents were required to be between 16 and 34 years old (Gen Y and Gen Z criteria), be living in England having purchased an item of clothing costing PS15 or more during the 60 days prior to answering the survey. The questionnaire referred to their most recent fashion purchase. Research ethics guidelines state that young persons aged 16-18 do not require parental consent (Manchester Metropolitan University, 2017). In total 1,978 people started the survey, 53 per cent female and 47 per cent male, some were filtered out during the process for not meeting these specific criteria but only 589 of that group provided opinions prior to completing their purchase (49.7 per cent female and 50.3 per cent male). Three key areas are presented in the results: behaviour relating to searching for information, the influence of \"others\" throughout the process, and the use of technology, along with a discussion regarding the implications and future direction.\n4. Discussion: 4.1 Shopper journeys\n5. Implications and future direction: The research has shown that retailers need to understand the detail involved in the digitally connected shopper journey. Retailers need to invest in technology to facilitate the increasing use of social media in the validation process leading to the zero moment of truth in the purchase decision-making activity. Millennials increasingly seek approval from their peer groups using social media to complement traditional forms of communication. Hence the retail environment is still an important space and should be recognised as a resource to facilitate this group of shoppers information needs. The journey length and opinion formers engaging with Millennials have been shown to be important part of the shopping journey from identifying ideas of what to buy, to retaining product details and finally through to purchase. The implication is that retailers need to address the growing cynicism of consumers towards marketing and communications, and shoppers being more selective regarding when they tune in to communications (Parsons and Maclaran, 2009; Wilkie, 2005). It is even more important that retailers know how to communicate with consumers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The shopper journey can cross a number of channels leading up to the point of a possible purchase, which may be unseen by the retailer or brand for the targeted purchase. The purpose of this paper is to gain a greater understanding of the decision making and purchase intention activity for online Millennial shoppers in deciding what fashion garments to buy in the digital retail environment. The paper also investigates the use of technology and social media involvement in the shopper journey leading up to the point of purchase.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In line with other studies that investigated online shopper behaviour (Balabanis and Reynolds, 2001; Pavlou et al., 2007), the authors have undertaken an exploratory investigation using an online survey conducted with respondents sourced through using Survey Monkey Audience. The survey was conducted with over 580 respondents (49.7 per cent female and 50.3 per cent male) between 16 and 34 years old living in England.\nFindings: The findings highlight a picture of shoppers going on very different shopper journeys with different lengths, influenced by different touch points and using different media and devices. Each customer has their own individual experience and expectation. They can move through extremely diverse, long and complicated journeys in the buying process before they purchase a product. Most striking is their willingness to reach out and be influenced by other people beyond the control of any retailer - using platforms that are not necessarily specifically related with any retailer. Shoppers can undertake numerous activities before they make their final purchase decision, seeking content from different retailers, asking for social validation of their decision from their social networks both online and offline which is often out of sight of the retailer or brand.\nPractical implications: The findings show how retailers and brands can understand the shopper decision journey and their behaviours across all the devices and channels that are used. Moreover, for some or part of the digital journey the shopper can often be unseen by the retailer or brand.\nOriginality/value: Consumers actively seek out novelty, knowledge and inspiration but shoppers employ a variety of interactions over a much greater period of time to arrive at the moment of purchase. This research provides an insight into the range of complex views and positions held by each individual to get a much more complete picture of where shoppers are looking to buy and what are their interests.\n",
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Work-family conflict, work-family facilitation, and job outcomes in the Korean hotel industry
|
[
"Hotels",
"Human resource management",
"Work‐family conflict",
"Work‐family facilitation",
"Job satisfaction",
"Job performance",
"Employee attitudes",
"South Korea"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Over the past three decades, the family structure has undergone tremendous changes, going from large to small, from consanguineous to matrimonial, and from patriarchal to egalitarian due to major economic and social transformations (Han et al., 2009). Under these circumstances, Korean society also has experienced many changes, such as women's extensively increased social participation, increased numbers of dual-income couples, and single-parent households (Kim et al., 2009). These metamorphoses have created more conflicts and more problems in individuals' work and family lives (McManus et al., 2002). One survey reported that many Koreans were suffering from conflicts of work and family responsibilities (Oh, 2007). In this article, 73.8 per cent of 663 respondents were under stress due to high conflict between their work and family roles. A US study also showed that more than two-thirds of those respondents reported conflicts between work and family and more than half blamed these work-family conflicts on turnover (Armour, 2002). Additionally, according to past researches, work-family conflict has a significant relationship to other organisational outcomes, such as organisational commitment (e.g. Namasivayam and Mount, 2004), job stress, service recovery performance, turnover intention (e.g. Karatepe and Baddar, 2006; Karatepe and Sokmen, 2006), job satisfaction (e.g. Namasivayam and Zhao, 2007) and exhaustion (e.g. Karatepe, 2010). With this knowledge, many organisations, individuals, and researchers worldwide have taken a further interest in the concept of work-family conflict (Namasivayam and Zhao, 2007).The concept of work-family conflict (WFC) is defined as a role conflict caused by taking on too many responsibilities at work and at home (Greenhaus and Beutell, 1985). Since researchers first identified this concept, a large body of literature has investigated its causes and consequences (Byron, 2005). In the middle of extensive studying about work-family conflict which is the negative interaction between work and family, certain researchers have started to wonder whether there are any potential benefits for the linkage between work and family life (Grzywacz, 2000). Finally, a new concept to explain the positive interaction between work and family was developed and identified as work-family facilitation (WFF) (Voydanoff, 2004). In accordance with investigations about such work-family conflict and work-family facilitation, both work-family conflict and work-family facilitation appear to individuals simultaneously since they are largely conceptually and empirically distinct constructs (Seery et al., 2008; Carlson et al., 2010). Thus, after revealing and defining the work-family facilitation concept, researchers have worked to design research models that include both work-family conflict and work-family facilitation when they empirically test the antecedents and the consequences of each (e.g. Boyer and Mosley, 2007; Karatepe and Magaji, 2008; Karatepe and Kilic, 2009; O'Neill et al., 2009; Karatepe, 2010). Even though many of the potential effects of work-family conflict and work-family facilitation on employees' work and family lives have been explored, less is known about work-family conflict and work-family facilitation in the Korean hotel industry.In Korea, people believe their family lives are as important as their work lives due to the effect of Confucianism, which has been the traditional, historical, and potential ideology appealing to Koreans. Confucianism still seems to be deeply rooted in their daily lives even though Korea has been westernized, modernised and economically developed over the past 40 years (Hahm, 2003). Confucian value also has strongly affected on the ways of management in the Korean industry (Miles, 2008). Based on Confucianism, the family in particular is considered both a key factor and a primary standard of all actions. One of the main principles that shows family value is that when the home environment is harmonious, all else in life goes well (Kang, 2004). That means family value is highly regarded by most people. Hence, hotel managers and organisations need to understand the main factors to enhance employees' work and family balances.Considering this backdrop, the aim of this study is to investigate the inter-relationships between work-family conflict, work-family facilitation, job satisfaction and job performance. For the purpose of this paper, this research empirically tests the effects of work-family conflict and work-family facilitation on job satisfaction. This paper also examines the effect of job satisfaction on job performance.\nLiterature review: Work-family conflict and work-family facilitation\nMethodology: Measurement\nResults: Sample characteristics\nDiscussion and managerial implications: It is very important to understand the relationship between work and family properly for a company to operate its business most efficiently (Wayne et al., 2007). To be more profitable, hotel organisations also should pay attention to job satisfaction, as it is important in determining job performance (Gallardo et al., 2010), the level of service quality delivered by employees to customers (Gu and Siu, 2009), and customer satisfaction eventually (Magnini et al., 2011). Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of work-family conflict and work-family facilitation on job satisfaction among frontline staff in the hotel industry. In addition, this study sought to determine if job satisfaction may lead to higher job performance.Based on the findings gained in this study, the followings are the key points. First, work to family conflict was found to have a negative effect on job satisfaction. This finding is consistent with the previous theoretical arguments (e.g. Babin and Boles, 1996; Namasivayam and Mount, 2004; Namasivayam and Zhao, 2007; Boyer and Mosley, 2007). In particular, the major factor that leads work to family conflict to lower job satisfaction was time in this study. That means that a time-based conflict makes employees have more problematic in their family lives. This issue seems to be caused by typical characteristics of a hotel job such as shift work, year round business, long working hours and restricted weekend or holiday closing (Harris and Reynolds, 2003; Karatepe and Sokmen, 2006). In order to decrease the time-based conflict, managers and supervisors need to consider each employee's family life as much as they can when planning scheduling. In addition, managers should have their employees keep regular working hours since employees who have overtime often are more likely to have a work-family conflict (Wayne et al., 2004).Second, interestingly, family to work conflict was revealed to have a positive effect on job satisfaction; most of the past researches have reported family to work conflict has a negative effect on job satisfaction. However, there is one exception that supports this result (e.g. Namasivayam and Mount, 2004). It is acknowledged that there is a tendency to use work to escape from the stresses of family life. This phenomenon may be created by today's changes in family structure that make people need to undertake much more work and responsibility within the family. This result suggests another point-of-view that work may provide an escape from home while many people still think work is the origin of stresses and conflicts. Organisations need to pay more attention to this idea that workplace may be perceived by employees as \"a stress-release mechanism\" (Namasivayam and Mount, 2004, p. 249). In line with this acknowledgement, to maximize job satisfaction, organisations need to know what employees really want in their work environment. And the workplace policies that can make employees more comfortable and work in enjoyable moods should be prepared. Those efforts will make employees be more satisfied with their work lives and be more beneficial to the organisation.Third, unlike the previous research findings, the result of this study did not provide any empirical support for the effect of work to family facilitation on job satisfaction. The finding here does not correspond with the previous results (e.g. Balmforth and Gardner, 2006; Boyer and Mosley, 2007; Carlson et al., 2010; Lu, 2011).Fourth, family to work facilitation also had a positive effect on job satisfaction. This result distinguishes the present study from many researches that preceded this one. In the past, most studies reported that family to work facilitation has a strong relationship to family satisfaction without considering the relationship of family to work facilitation to job satisfaction (Carlson et al., 2006; Lu, 2011). However, in this study, a significantly positive effect of family to work facilitation on job satisfaction was revealed. This finding highlights the fact that satisfaction and happiness in family life is very important for employees to have success in the workplace. In addition, this finding suggests that successful fulfilment in family life is indeed associated with higher job satisfaction. As noted in earlier studies, family-friendly benefit programs such as \"paid family leave, onsite child care service, and flexible work schedules\" (Karatepe, 2010, p. 851) are effective tools to have a family supportive work environment that may help to maintain a better balance between work and family. Actually, in Korea, many organisations have already implemented the family-friendly policies that include parental leave, maternity leave, on-site childcare, childcare leave, sick leave and weddings and funerals leave since childcare leave was first introduced by the public organisation in 1995. However, Korea has not successfully maintained these family-friendly policies since the traditional thinking that housework is for women and business work is for men still does exist in Korean society. Actually, the recent survey among elementary school teachers indicated a low percentage of employees' benefiting from family-friendly policies: 11.8 per cent for childcare leave, 2.4 per cent for sick leave, 44.1 per cent for maternity leave, 35.4 per cent for marriage or funeral leave, and 9.4 per cent for childcare leave time (Moon and Roh, 2010). Thus, first al all, hotel organisations need to consider a great variety of family-friendly policies like childcare centre, insurance policy for self and for family, stress management programs, sabbatical leave, parental leave, maternity leave, on-site childcare, childcare leave and more. If they already have implemented the programs, hotel organisations need to encourage their employees to use those advantages to maximize the satisfaction in their family lives. Additionally, it may be helpful to provide new incentives like \"a trip abroad family ticket\", \"a family medical check-up program\", and \"special discounts for family members\". Periodic family events with employees' family would be welcome on important dates like \"Mother's Day\", \"Workers\" Day\" or \"Christmas\". Special lectures on marital life and parenting might also be useful additions to help employee's creating a stable family atmosphere.Fifth, this study demonstrated that job satisfaction had a significantly positive relationship to job performance. This result is consistent with those of Shore and Martin (1989), Morrison (1997), and Goris et al. (2000). This study confirmed that frontline staff who are satisfied with their work do provide better service. Therefore, this empirical evidence suggests that the Korean hotel management need to make more efforts on enhancing employees' satisfaction in order to get more profit eventually.In summary, job satisfaction may be increased by reducing work to family conflict and increasing the facilitation of employees from family to work. In addition, the results show that the greater job satisfaction employees experience, the better job performance they generate. Applying these findings, this study proposes that organisations invest more resources in flexible working schedules, regular working hours, family-friendly programs, and additional useful benefits and support related to family. These efforts will let employees feel more satisfaction in their jobs. Moreover, employees' satisfaction with their jobs will result in better customer service.As a final note, it would be desirable future researches to study these issues with more sampling extension to various categories of employment and not only the hotels but also different areas of the tourism and hospitality industry. A longitudinal research that allows social researchers and hotel organisations to understand employees better in specific industrial situations would be beneficial to fully understand the relationship of work-family interface to job outcomes more completely.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The present study aims to investigate the predictive effect of work-family conflict and work-family facilitation on job satisfaction in the Korean hotel industry. In addition, this study seeks to examine if there is a significant effect of job satisfaction on job performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The data were obtained from full-time frontline staff in ten five-star hotels in Seoul. Confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis through AMOS 4.0 were performed to demonstrate relationships among variables. In addition, frequent analysis to investigate sample characteristics and correlation analysis to determine relationships between each of the two constructs were conducted using SPSS 10.0.\nFindings: - The results show that job satisfaction may be improved by limiting \"work to family conflicts\" and evaluating the nature of \"facilitation from family to work\". An additional finding is that job satisfaction may enhance job performance. Unexpectedly, \"family to work conflict\" significantly and positively relates to job satisfaction in the workplace.\nResearch limitations/implications: - It would be desirable for future research to study these issues via extending the sample to various categories of employment, and not only hotels but also different areas of the tourism and hospitality industry. Longitudinal research that allows social researchers and hotel organizations to understand employees better in specific industrial situations would be beneficial to understand fully the relationship of work-family interface to job outcomes more completely.\nPractical implications: - This study proposes that organizations invest more resources in flexible working schedules, regular working hours, family-friendly programs, and additional useful benefits and support related to family.\nOriginality/value: - This study offers useful guidelines for foreign hotel entrepreneurs entering the Korean market regarding how to improve job satisfaction and job performance in relation to work-family interaction.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Combinatorial use of communication technologies in organizations
|
[
"Combinatorial use",
"Information and communication technologies (ICTs)",
"Media choice and use",
"Workplace communication"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Organizations have been increasingly relying on information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support flexibility in organizing mechanisms, to facilitate innovation and responsiveness and to manage communication processes within and across organizational units (Rice and Leonardi, 2014). Over the past two decades, organizational communication researchers have developed dozens of media choice theories to explain how people choose certain ICT in organizations. Some media choice theories have focused on the technological aspect (e.g. Daft and Lengel, 1986), and some have focused on the social aspect (e.g. Fulk et al., 1990). While we can conceive of ICTs narrowly as tools to accomplish specific tasks or more broadly as an orientation toward the world, the majority of studies on media choices presume that ICT users usually have particular reasons or an identifiable motivation to select (or not to select) a specific ICT at any given point in time. However, if we look at patterns of ICT use in organizations today, one of the most striking characteristics seems to be that many users do not always select one medium over another anymore (Hassoun, 2012). Instead, as organizational settings have been increasingly saturated by a wide array of ICT alternatives (e.g. instant messenger, group support systems, intranets, video conferencing, virtual collaboration and social media), more individuals use a mix of ICTs over time and draw on different modalities (Leonardi et al., 2012; Stephens et al., 2008).\nTheoretical foundations of combinatorial use of ICT: In this section, we begin with defining key terms related to combinatorial use of ICT. Drawing on interdisciplinary research from communication, management and information system, we focus on explicating core definitions involving ICT, media choice, media capabilities and combinatorial use. Next, we synthesize theoretical perspectives that elucidate the role of ICT use in balancing multiple relationships in organizational communication, such as materiality and human agency, medium and message, time and task completion and cognition and affect.\nPast research on combinatorial use of ICT: Past research on combinatorial use of ICT is nested in the view of communication as a process (Poole, 2013). Monge and Kalman (1996) proposed that three concepts are central to the scientific understanding of communication processes: sequentiality, simultaneity and synchronicity. Sequentiality shows the unfolding of a communication process over time, while simultaneity reflects the configuration of a specific moment and how entities coexist in this moment. Synchronicity captures the parallel unfolding of multiple processes through time. These concepts represent different but equally important elements of communication processes involving combinatorial use of ICT and collectively showing what constitutes an occurrence in a moment and what unfolds over time (Poole, 2013). Drawing upon these concepts, previous studies have explored how people use multiple ICTs in a combinatorial fashion, either simultaneously or sequentially, to coordinate and complete workplace tasks, form shared understanding, and shape social relationships (e.g. Leonardi et al., 2012; Stephens and Davis, 2009). Next, we will trace the development of research on combinatorial use of ICT and present two main bodies of studies: ICT succession theory (sequential use of ICTs) and multicommunicating (simultaneous use of ICTs).\nDirections for future research on combinatorial use of ICT: This section considers how organizational communication researchers might use existing theories and frameworks to advance combinatorial use of ICT and to fill in research gaps. Specifically, despite the widespread of combinatorial ICT use in communication research, few studies have sought to integrate communication strategies and media capabilities with combinatorial use of ICTs and clarify how the interplay between materiality of ICTs and human agency factor into the combinatorics perspective ICT use. These gaps open two vistas for future research: the strategy-driven approach and the affordance approach. In an attempt to address these opportunities, we discuss a range of research questions that are relevant to today's technologies as well as significant for future ICTs and changing organizational forms.\nPractical suggestions for corporate communication: RQ1 and RQ2 highlight the importance of incorporating communication strategies to understand how combinatorial ICT use shapes workplace communication. Corporate managers should learn to critically evaluate both internal and external corporate communication needs, develop an appropriate strategy and create technological pipelines that sustain effective communication and collaboration. Strategical plans might include task forces to investigate how combinatorial ICT use impacts workplace productivity and even corporate identity, culture and vision. Moreover, managers should be cautious about possible setbacks of combinatorial ICT use, such as interruption and information overload (i.e. over-exposure, excessive consumption, and input abundance of information and data). Combinatorial ICT use might exacerbate the problem of interruption by disrupting thought processes and work flows, causing individuals to take longer to complete task.\nConclusion: In modern workplaces, the number of ICTs available to employees constantly increases (e.g. mobile phones, intranets, instant messaging, social media), in addition to e-mail, telephone, voice mail and face-to-face communication. As a result, understanding the use of multiple ICTs in complex work environments could have significant implications for productivity and efficiency of individuals and organizations. In order to accomplish the aim of advancing the understanding of combinatorial ICT use, this paper sought to clarify terminology used in previous research, specify a range of research questions that can collectively benefit future studies and identify how combinatorial ICT use as a perspective uniquely elucidates media choice and use in organizations. Importantly, this paper can serve as a catalyst for on-going research conversations regarding combinatorial ICT use, while assisting organizational communication researchers in describing, theorizing and researching combinatorial ICT use. Also, we expect this conversation would involve the diverse perspectives of critical scholars, positivists and social constructionists to further explain this increasingly prominent organizational communication phenomenon.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critique and extend contemporary scholarship on information and communication technologies (ICTs). This paper argues that the focus on the selection and use of a single communication medium limits the understanding of current ICT use in organizations. A combinatorial perspective is needed to capture the complexities of multiple ICTs use for achieving communication goals and completing tasks.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper addresses the trending phenomenon of combinatorial use of ICTs by offering a critical review of the theoretical studies and empirical research in scholarly books and journals and deriving novel theoretical research questions that set the stage for future studies.\nFindings: This paper identifies how combinatorial ICT use as a perspective that uniquely elucidates ICT use in organizations, clarifies key terms used in previous research and proposes theoretical and operational recommendations for researchers and corporate practitioners who are interested in studying the combinatorial use of ICTs.\nOriginality/value: This paper highlights that understanding the combinatorial use ICTs in complex work environments could have significant implications for productivity and efficiency of individuals and corporations. This paper serves as a catalyst for on-going research conversations regarding combinatorial ICT use, while assisting organizational communication researchers and practitioners in describing, theorizing and advancing ICT implementation, use and outcomes.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Information and non-information multitasking interplay
|
[
"Information searches",
"Individual behaviour",
"Task analysis"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Due to the increasing complexity of the global information environment individuals and groups are increasing engaged in critical multitasking and task switching behaviors (Waller, 1997). Multitasking is the ability of humans to handle simultaneously the demands of multiple tasks via task switching (Just et al., 2001; Rubenstein et al., 2001; Wickens, 1992).More specifically, human engage in information-related multitasking behaviors. For example, a library or information retrieval (IR) system user may multitask (either begin their search with multiple information tasks or develop further information tasks during the search process, and information task switch (switch back and forth between different information tasks during a search session). For example, a person switches between seeking health information and new car information as they are thinking and working on multiple information problems concurrently. However, limited studies have examined multitasking information behaviors and information task switching.Multitasking information behvavior research is a significant area of study. Despite the focus on tasks (Vakkari, 2003), current models of information behavior and retrieval do not consider multitasking behaviors. Human information behavior (HIB) is more complex that the consideration of information tasks in isolation from people's other tasks. Theoretical and empirical studies are needed to further understand multitasking information behaviors, and in particular the coordination and interplay between information and non-information related behaviors.This paper explores and speculates on a new direction in HIB research. Namely, the nature of HIB as a multitasking activity, the interplay between information behavior and non-information behavior tasks, and the relation between multitasking information behavior to cognitive style and individual differences. A model of multitasking between information and non-information behavior tasks is also proposed. Multitasking information behavior is emerging as an important HIB research area in need of further theoretical and empirical development.\nRelated studies: Multitasking studies\nMultitasking and task switching model: Figure 1 extends Spink's (2004) multitasking model to include the interplay between information and non-information related task switching.Drawing on the multitasking and HIB research literature, Figure 1 suggests that multitasking, and information and non-information task switching may be affected by the many factors, including:* nature and complexity of content in relation to the information seeker's domain knowledge;* amount and depth of information processing required for different information tasks;* information seeker's level of interest, including their attention and focus, in the information task;* level of planning and priorities by the information seeker in relation to their information tasks;* pros and cons or the effects on effectiveness, efficiency and productivity of information tasks switching;* serendipity by the information seeker that is prompted by visual information cues and the tension with the planning and priority goals, and task interplays; and* cognitive styles and individual differences associated with attention/focus, and task prioritizing that is further elaborated in the next section of the paper.Cognitive styles and individual differences\nConclusion and further research: Multitasking is a relatively new and crucial area of HIB research. Theoretically and practically, HIB can be conceptualized as a multitasking process. Humans commonly face multiple and complex situations in organizing and seeking information that involves interplay of information and non-information tasks. Further research is needed to examine multitasking further. Studies are also needed to investigate how people coordinate their information and multitasking behaviors, the role of individual differences and cognitive styles influence multitasking information behaviors and information task switching.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - During multitasking, humans handle multiple tasks through task switching or engage in multitasking information behaviors. For example, a user switches between seeking new kitchen information and medical information. Recent studies provide insights these complex multitasking human information behaviors (HIB). However, limited studies have examined the interplay between information and non-information tasks.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The goal of the paper was to examine the interplay of information and non-information task behaviors.\nFindings: - This paper explores and speculates on a new direction in HIB research. The nature of HIB as a multitasking activity including the interplay of information and non-information behavior tasks, and the relation between multitasking information behavior to cognitive style and individual differences, is discussed. A model of multitasking between information and non-information behavior tasks is proposed.\nPractical implications/limitations: - Multitasking information behavior models should include the interplay of information and non-information tasks, and individual differences and cognitive styles.\nOriginality/value: - The paper is the first information science theoretical examination of the interplay between information and non-information tasks.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Critical thinking in intellectual property law
|
[
"Intellectual property",
"Teaching and learning",
"Critical thinking",
"Course design and examination",
"Legal education",
"Stockholm model"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Critical thinking and importance of critical thinking in legal education: We encounter problems and try to solve them in a rush and perhaps that is \"good enough\" to solve it immediately but then some point later an unanticipated situation might arise, which might go beyond our control. At this point, perhaps we should try to ask questions, analyze and try to understand why it has happened and how it has happened. Therefore, we need to have an alternative approach rather than traditional everyday thinking to deal with the problems confidently and comfortably.\n2. Stockholm model of critical thinking in legal education: The core of the Stockholm University Faculty of Law's Framework Decision is that within the framework of teaching and examination, teachers should strive to put the law into a wider context (Stockholm Model, 2016). The objectives behind such a framework is to operationalize critical and multidimensional perspectives within legal education in the faculty and thereby strengthening students' critical and scientific approaches in the relevant field of study (Stockholm Model, 2016). The framework decision encourages following three approaches (Stockholm Model, 2016):\n3. Using critical thinking in intellectual property law teaching: As critical thinking itself is a difficult process, a law teacher needs to integrate critical thinking in a way that could make sure engaging teaching and participatory classroom discussion rather than simply distributing some critical thinking course materials and having critical questions in examination. If we do consider critical thinking to be an important skill in the lawyering process, the question remains as to how we might teach it in law schools. We believe the process must begin with the teachers themselves, and expand outward to the classroom, and to the law school environment. We cannot teach it and encourage it in our professional culture unless we understand it, believe in its value and use it ourselves.\n4. Way Forward: The use of critical thinking in IP law education could promote deeper understanding of IP law among the students, which in turn to a great extent could fulfill the criteria of different approaches of Stockholm model. Therefore, it is important to make sure while course designing and developing TLAs and examination task to think about six critical thinking skills - interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation and self-regulation (American Philosophical Association, 1990; Ennis, 1989, 1990; McPeck, 1990; Moore, 2004)[6]. Nevertheless, using threshold concept and constructive alignment could help at least to fulfill partial goals of critical thinking. However, in a study it was mentioned that\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate how critical thinking be integrated in intellectual property (IP) law teaching.\nDesign/methodology/approach: It used doctrinal methods based on existing pedagogical scholarship in the field of effective teaching and learning at the university level.\nFindings: It demonstrated how the use of critical thinking in IP law education could facilitate deeper understanding of IP law issues from different socio-economic, environmental, historical and political dimensions.\nResearch limitations/implications: It is yet to be tested for practical application in other jurisdictions and students having background from diverse socio-economic and cultural settings.\nPractical implications: The application of critical thinking in IP law could help students to apply IP law from practical perspectives to meet societal objectives and business interests as well.\nSocial implications: This will facilitate in broader societal understanding in using IP law to achieve sustainable development goals.\nOriginality/value: Till date, little work has been undertaken on the use of critical thinking in IP law teaching. Therefore, this study tried to make a unique contribution to incorporate critical thinking in IP law education.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Export barriers and business confidence: a quasi-longitudinal examination
|
[
"International marketing",
"Export marketing",
"SME marketing",
"Entrepreneurship",
"Internationalization",
"International business"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The purpose of this study is to examine the change in exporters' perception of export barriers across time. To date, most of the research on export barriers has adopted a one-time cross-sectional view on this phenomenon. This paper advances knowledge by examining how exporters' perception of export barriers, evolves across time and the plausible explanations underlying this. From a theoretical standpoint, the study proposes the existence of an indirect relationship between the exporters' confidence in the external environment and the influence of export barriers. Using changes in exporter confidence at two specific points in time, the paper highlights the changing influence of logistics and distribution factors, internal resource constraints, trade-related barriers, home market barriers, export market knowledge, currency and payment obstacles and adaptation factors. Apart from being among the first longitudinal studies on this vitally important topic, this to the best of our knowledge is the only empirical paper using exporter expectations as a subjective predictor of international expansion outcomes. Additionally, and specifically within the New Zealand context, this study offers vital insights into some of the factors underpinning New Zealand's lackluster export performance in recent years.\n2. Export barriers and export marketing: Export barriers have been studied since the late 1960s and early 1970s (e.g. Groke and Kreidle, 1967; Pavord and Bogart, 1975; Pinney, 1971). Pursuant to these exploratory studies, nearly 100 empirical studies have been conducted worldwide. Indeed, the export barrier discourse represents one of the well developed and mature themes of international marketing research. Hilton (2005, p. 20) argues that:\n3. Drivers of export barriers: Firm factors have been identified as a major predictor of export barrier influence for continuing exporters. Extant literature demonstrates export barriers are associated with firm size, age, industry, ownership, export experience, export intensity, adoption of information technology and choice of entry mode (Crick, 2007; Crick and Chaudhry, 1997; Da Silva and Da Rocha, 2001; Hornby et al., 2002; Karelakis et al., 2008; Katsikeas and Morgan, 1994; Kwon and Hu, 1996; Leonidou, 2000; Mahone and Choudhury, 1995; Peel and Eckart, 1996; Shaw and Darroch, 2004). However, inconsistent results have made it confounding to assimilate this rich vein of research into a unified paradigm or conceptual framework. For instance, while Karelakis et al. (2008), Leonidou (2000) and Shaw and Darroch (2004) found an inverse relationship between firm size and influence of export barriers, both Katsikeas and Morgan (1994) and Peel and Eckart (1996) found contradictory evidence suggesting that larger firms faced impenetrable complexity-related barriers. Further, conflicting results have also been reported from the studies testing Bilkey's(1978) seminal work in which the author had posited that exporters with high levels of export intensity perceived higher barriers because they naturally expended supplementary resources and efforts to attain such level of success. Czinkota and Ursic (1991) found evidence to corroborate this, Leonidou (2000) found no support for it, while Karelakis et al. (2008) found opposing evidence supporting the view that the high performing exporters perceived lower barriers. Henceforth, there is a growing stream of research (e.g. Altintas et al., 2007; Julian and Ahmed, 2005; Kahiya and Dean, 2014) seeking to elucidate on the export barrier/export intensity relationship.\n4. Conceptual framework: The theoretical contribution of this paper ensues from the conceptualization and adoption of external or institutional-level factors. Traditionally, drivers or predictors of export barrier influence have been framed as objective-verifiable factors. This is evident particularly regarding external factors where researchers have used actual \"objective-verifiable\" indicants such as exchange rates, protectionism and trade regulations (Campbell, 1996; Da Silva and Da Rocha, 2001; Kahiya et al., 2014; Korneliussen and Blasius, 2008). In this paper, we examine the role of external factors from a subjective perspective. As Figure 1 shows, we propose that it is not the external factors alone that impact exporters' perception of export barriers but how exporters perceive the \"quality\" of the external environment. Thus, we add a new dimension to the predictors of export barriers by proposing that perception of the external environment can impact exporter's perception of export barriers. However, our study does not examine the entire model. Rather, our empirical analysis is confined to how the perception of the external environment may influence exporters' perception of export barriers.\n5. Methods: Longitudinal research remains under-represented in organization and management literature in general (Welch and Paavilainen-Mantymaki, 2013) and in the export subject in particular (Leonidou, 2004). Indeed, Kahiya et al. (2014) point out that longitudinal research constitutes roughly 3 percent of export barrier research. For this study, we adopted Menard's (2008) perspective which abstracts longitudinal research as the approach involving collection of data on multiple variables over at least two periods, thus allowing a researcher to obtain insights on change over time. Thus, by drawing two random probabilistic samples from the same working population, this study adopted a quasi-longitudinal or time-ordered cross-sectional design (Menard, 2008; Rindfleisch et al., 2008). Lynn (2009), reasons that, notwithstanding its limitations, this research design is effective especially for studies whose principal focus is analysis of gross change.\n6. Results and discussion: Overall, our logistic regression model fits this analysis as evidenced by the non-significant Hosmer and Lemeshow kh2 which tests the null hypothesis; \"there is no difference between observed and model predicted results.\" The model predicts change in export barrier influence across the two time periods in a way that closely fits the variability observed amongst the sample(s) of SME exporters. Specifically, logistics and distribution factors, internal resource constraints, trade-related barriers, home market factors, export market knowledge and currency and payments obstacles, are significantly related to the 1995 and 2010 longitudinal divide. The Nagelkerke pseudo R2, which can be interpreted in a manner analogous to a coefficient of determination, illustrates that 75.9 percent of the variability in export barrier influence can be linked to the 1995 and 2010 distinction. Additionally, the differences in export barrier perception across the two periods are substantial to an extent that the model can classify correctly, 88.4 percent (198 of 224) of all sample items to the appropriate time periods. This classification accuracy is comparable to previous studies that have used binary logistic analysis to predict membership in categorical variables on the basis of the export barrier construct (see Kahiya, 2013; Karakaya and Harcar, 1999; Koksal and Kettaneh, 2011; Patterson, 2004; Ramaseshan and Soutar, 1996).\n7. Conclusions and implications: The foremost contribution of this research is that it provides empirical evidence that over a reasonably long period (in this instance 15 years), the influence of most barriers does change markedly. A key lesson for policymakers is to stay current and revisit the subject matter of export barriers perhaps on a five-year interval to avoid being trapped in a situation where the influence of virtually all export barriers has changed. In such a scenario, it becomes problematic to develop cost-effective export programs or to track the efficacy of such programs on exporter development. Of particular note are internal resource constraints, currency and payment issues, home market factors and trade-related barriers that have traditionally been considered systemic and universal in the realm of cross-sectional research. Results of this longitudinal study suggest these barriers can escalate in influence in a way that is inversely connected to exporter's confidence regarding growth prospects. Additionally, that the majority of export barriers have increased in influence in recent years appears to explain, at least in part, the pedestrian performance among New Zealand's manufacturing exporters. Thus, under the current circumstances, exporters may not be realizing their full potential.\n8. Limitations and future research: Exploratory studies that mesh a theory-setting and a theory-testing research design often come with some limitations. This research carries two specific limitations and readers are cautioned against generalizing results beyond the context of this study. Although we painstakingly defended the use of a time-ordered or quasi-longitudinal approach in drawing the two random probabilistic samples, this approach may inadvertently have introduced a methodological rival in that the variability across the two samples may be connected to new elements unique to the t\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of export barriers at two different points in time, 1995 (t\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study draws two random probabilistic samples (1995/2010) of New Zealand's SME exporters, from the same working population, using an identical survey instrument. Preliminary analysis combines exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis techniques. The research proposition is tested using binary logistic regression.\nFindings: The results found that the influence of export barriers changes substantially across time. There was support for the proposition in that the 2010 sample of exporters were two to nine times more likely to consider export barriers influential than the 1995 group. Such evidence was particularly strong in the context of logistics and distribution factors, internal resource constraints, trade-related barriers, home market factors and currency and payments obstacles.\nPractical implications: This research suggests managerial evaluation of the prevailing business atmosphere, as captured by exporter's confidence, can influence perception of export barriers. Specifically, barriers tend to be evaluated as influential when there is a sense of pessimism within the export sector. Thus over time export barrier influence can be traced to the manager's evaluation of export prospects as opposed to the frequently researched organizational and internationalization variables.\nOriginality/value: This is the first study to use theory to predict and empirically test the change in export barrier influence across time. While the majority of export barrier research adopts the cognitive or \"objective-verifiable\" view, the study supports the contention that export barrier influence can also be understood in the context of the emotive or \"subjective-moot\" perspective. Additionally, export managers should adopt long-term orientation towards exports while policymakers are encouraged (contrary to mainstream research) to move from targeted export support programs to inclusive or mass market approaches.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Art as strategic branding tool for luxury fashion brands
|
[
"Brand management",
"Culture",
"Art",
"Fashion marketing",
"Experiential branding",
"Marketing strategy",
"Luxury branding"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The proximity between art and luxury, developing side by side and constantly feeding each other, has been an ongoing discussion for many decades (Kapferer, 2015a; Steele, 2012a). Kapferer states that luxury likes to be associated with art, because both aim to be perceived as imperial and timeless and share a love for creativity, craftsmanship, rare materials and exclusivity. Luxury tries to position products as contemporary authentic art items made by the hand of a designer, emphasising craftsmanship, expertise and effort. Which can be seen as an object of art, communicating sophistication and an intrinsic value (Kapferer, 2015b). Fashion-historian Valerie Steele distinguishes between art and fashion as follows: fashion is an industry with a creative element, a commodity with a commercial nature. In contrast, art is a field of high cultural production, including sculptures, paintings and music associated with a greater aesthetic realm (Steele, 2012a, 2012b). The implementation of art and design has been visible in various ways in luxury. There are designers with whom art plays a dominant role in their own creative process. These designers set themselves into an art context and often see themselves as artists, recognisable throughout their whole brand identity (Kubler and Smith, 2013). Often resulting in collections with posit social and political statements, while simultaneously breaking the boundaries between architecture, design and art (Twist, 2005). Designers like Raf Simons, Helmut Lang, Martin Margiela, Hussein Chalayan, Alexander McQueen, Rei Kawakubo and Viktor&Rolf are examples.\nTheoretical foundation: As it is beyond the scope of this paper to present an entire overview of the related literature, the aim was to compile the most relevant theoretical background, through defining luxury, contextualising the drivers between the intimate liaison of luxury, art and ExB and investigating the concept of competitive advantage and value creation. Exploring the relationships between luxury and these strategies aims to build a typology, a connection and an understanding for the empirical part.\nMethodology and research design: With regard to the research aim and the research question, an exploratory qualitative analysis with an inductive approach was adopted. The empirical part was suited to a qualitative method approach. The research design chosen is of explorative nature in the form of 26 semi-structured, in-depth interviews, conducting with 16 people working in a luxury fashion environment (experts) and ten with luxury consumers consisting of men and women. The research approach included a traditional type of access involving face-to-face, Skype, email or telephone interactions over a two-month period in July and August 2016. The use of pre-formulated questions was important with the opportunity of adding questions during the interview, led to thought-provoking impulses and made findings more interesting (Myers, 2013). It was of interest to gain insights into the research topic and the underlying reasons for particular developments within the luxury industry from people working directly for LB, as well as artists relating to luxury. Experts recruited from different cities (New York, Milan, London, Vienna, Paris) working in different professions, of various ages and genders with the criteria of working within the fashion luxury or art environment were found as most suitable and chosen through a purposive sampling, selected subjectively (Table I). To have a high credibility, experts were researched in detail and the majority were approached through an invitation via email or during direct conversations. Furthermore, existing contacts were used and experts referred me via snowball technique to additional experts.\nFindings: As it is irrelevant to allocate perspectives, comments and quotes to specific names of experts and luxury consumers, experts are abbreviated as EX one-to-sixteen and luxury consumers as LC one-to-ten to provide anonymity and a better readability. The findings with supporting quotes are illustrated below.\nTheme 1: associations relationship art and luxury fashion: The strong friendship\nTheme 2: competitive advantage and differentiation through art: The interviewees were asked whether the \"artification\" of LBs can create a benefit leading subsequently to an added value and creating a competitive differentiation. The findings are summarised below.\nTheme 3: experiences in retail stores in correlation with art: The experts and the consumers both revealed that the presentation of artworks and exhibitions in luxury fashion stores can be nice, but are not of major interest or necessary, more like a \"hidden\" added value. The findings indicate that the relevance of having art in stores depends on the location and environment of the store, as each store might have different loyal clients going there. There appeared to be a greater agreement regarding experiences regardless if art or artistic installations are involved. It was often mentioned that this can be one interesting strategy to bring people inside stores. Sometimes it might not be the brand's target audience or conversely the people who would usually not come into this particular store. There was no clear outcome of the interviews whether brands having \"free spaces\" for art in stores can increase their actual sales. However, it was often seen as an auxiliary tool to enhance a brand's image. It was furthermore mentioned that the quality and the way of showcasing the exhibited works are essential and might also add a personal connection and show a brand's expression of its dedication to art. If a brand manages to create a special, unique, exclusive moment, which impresses customers in a space, then it will remain in people's minds, might lead to an increasing foot-traffic and a return to stores. It became evident that most experts and luxury consumers like the idea of art foundations of big luxury houses to support art, apart from their own spaces. This \"patronage\" was highlighted as a big \"plus\", an interesting value of a luxury company, to present art in a different context and to show the dedication and investment in art.\nDiscussion: All experts see ExB as an essential tool and predict that ExB will be of increasing importance in the future. With the essence of being personalised, exclusive, authentic and bringing an element of steady surprise, but still being consistent with the brand's values.\nConclusion: After the intense examination with the primary and secondary investigation, the research question whether \"the combination of ExM with the influence of art can create a unique added value for LFB\" can be answered as follows: ExM and the \"artification\" of LFB and their products can generate a unique added value; however, several elements need to be considered to create a true competitive advantage. It was explored that collaborating with the arts is a frequently used tactical and strategic brand management approach of LBs. Research demonstrates the increasing closeness between art and LBs around the world. However, as Joy et al. (2014) suggested it must be clear that the art-brand association needs to be balanced with the brands values, heritage, history and ideology.\nTheoretical contribution: Because there is minor research on the topic, discovering the long-term relationship between art and fashion through theoretical and empirical research has contributed a great value to future theoretical academics. The outcome leads to several recommendations to support the value creation of LB, presenting implications for marketing strategies and subsequently gives further insights into the future of luxury. The fresh research project advances the literature in luxury branding and will be of great value for academics and marketers as theoretical frameworks were illuminated, analysed and questioned and practical implementations and future recommendations given.\nManagerial implications: The nature of the art-brand identity needs to be understood by LB marketers. On the basis of the results the points below aggregate the conclusion and shall support LB and their marketing departments to identify how art can be integrated in their future strategies. The bullet characters recommend actions which can be applied separately or in conjunction depending on the brand's aims and strategies. If tailored to the brand and implemented effectively these suggestions can contribute to a lasting value creation and favourable brand differentiation (Table II).\nLimitations and future research: The work presents thorough insights but certain limitations have to be considered. From a general LB perspective, it is uncertain if the research results focusing on LFB are directly transferable to other luxury sectors. The outcome is neither representative of the whole luxury fashion industry nor can it be generalised. For this to happen, more European LBs of various sizes and sectors would have to be included in this study. The study's research design limits the reliability, as reliability is often not a realistic attribute of qualitative interviews. The effect of translation bias might be given, as three interviews were conducted in German and later translated and paraphrased into English.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: This study aims to understand the lasting relationship between luxury fashion and art. The purpose of the paper is to explore whether the application of art, the cooperation with artists, the implementation of experiential strategies focusing on retail spaces and shows embedded in the strategic concept of a luxury brand lead to a competitive advantage and to a sustained value creation for luxury brands.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Based on the literature, the strategic role of art and the importance of experiential marketing for the value creation of European luxury fashion brands was explored through empirical data collection, consisting of 26 semi-structured in-depth interviews. The gained data have been analysed through a thematic analysis approach and triangulated to avoid bias.\nFindings: The exploratory study revealed that when art is applied as a strategic tool, it is of relevance to achieve an authentic fit to the brand. When integrating art consistently and authentically within the whole value chain system, it leads to a higher brand equity.\nPractical implications: The paper provides a guide for both academics and marketers as theoretical frameworks are examined, analysed and future recommendations are given, which are suited to be applied within the brand management principles.\nOriginality/value: The outcome contributes to a wider delineation regarding the future of luxury brands. The study reveals novel viewpoints concerning the integration of arts in luxury brand marketing and adds to existing literature.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Complementarity - a concept for document analysis?
|
[
"Document management",
"Systems theory",
"Information control",
"Data analysis"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The concept of complementarity is usually associated with the Danish physicist Niels Bohr (1885-1962) who formulated it as a basic principle of quantum theory for the first time in 1927. It refers to effects such as the wave-particle duality, in which different measurements made on a system reveal it to have either particle-like or wave-like properties. Both properties are necessary to gaining complete knowledge of the phenomena; they are complementary to each other but, at the same time, they also exclude each other.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to provide a discussion on the concept of complementarity and to show how it can work in a concrete document analysis.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Starting out with the question of whether it is correct to refer to Bohr's principle of complementarity in the field of document analysis, the paper discusses literature written on the subject, before it uses an example to show that it would be more accurate to view complementarity as a relationship between parts that form a whole, thereby not mutually exclusive.\nFindings: - The paper finds that the various approaches are not necessarily mutually exclusive. They could be investigated either parallel to one another or nearly simultaneously, even though synchronous observation is not possible. The extent to which a complementary document analysis with an equal weighting of all aspects is actually feasible remains an open question.\nOriginality/value: - The principle of complementarity is rather new in document analysis. The concept introduced by Niels W. Lund is discussed here for the first time.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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The relationship between corporate governance and intellectual capital: The moderating role of firm size
|
[
"Saudi Arabia",
"Corporate governance",
"Intellectual capital",
"Agency theory",
"Resources-based theory"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In a competitive world, Knowledge is power, aphorism has increased by the beginning of twenty-first century (Rechberg and Syed, 2013). Nowadays, researchers focus attention on intellectual capital (IC), which consists of knowledge and experience of an employee, database and information systems, business relationship, goodwill and alliance (Saunders and Brynjolfsson, 2016). Van der Meer-Kooistra and Zijlstra (2001) claim that IC adds value to the firms by improving the exchange of knowledge and the creation of new knowledge. Guthrie and Petty (2000) note that the IC has the potential to improve the efficiency of both capital and labor markets. Researchers also find that IC positively influences the performance and wealth of the firms (Celenza and Rossi, 2014; Singh et al., 2016; Inkinen, 2015; Zerenler and Gozlu, 2008; Phusavat et al., 2011). The importance of knowledge and IC is essential for the shareholders and investors to ensure that managerial decisions are made to enhance shareholders' wealth through the efficient use of IC (Appuhami and Bhuyan, 2015).\n2. Literature review and hypotheses: CG is a combination of policies, laws and instructions influencing the way a firm is managed and controlled, it consists of a framework of rules to grant transparency and fairness in the relationship between the firms and its shareholders, the framework of CG consists of both external and internal contracts between employees and the shareholders, it includes distribution of rewards and responsibilities and conditions to avoid conflicting interests (Klapper and Love, 2004). Over two decades both CG and IC literatures have exposed the significance to stakeholders and management and the prospects of developing the topic of CG are considered along with areas for future research (Turnbull, 1997). CG and IC are considered as the main value driver of the firm's performance, it has become a significant factors for those firms in enhancing their competitive advantage and reducing agency problem. IC is not clear as CG and like many other intangible assets; it might be difficult to identify and report in financial statements. This leads to a gap between firms' value as reported in the financial statement and actual market value (Rahman, 2012). The need for IC valuation has increased; different methods to calculate the value of IC and its efficiency have been developed, such as Skandia IC Report Method (Edvinsson and Malone, 1997), Intangible Asset Monitor Approach (Sveiby, 1997) and value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) (Pulic, 1998). Among IC valuation methods, VAIC is widely used in calculating the IC. Few studies have discussed the linkage between CG and IC. However, most of these few studies have been carried out in developed countries. Al-Musalli and Ismail (2012) examine the level of IC of listed banks in GCC countries using VAIC and investigate the possible impact of several CG variables, bank-specific characteristics and banking industry characteristics on IC. They found that board size, board independence, family ownership and institutional ownership have a significant relationship with IC. Moving from GCC countries to Middle East countries, Alizadeh et al. (2014) examine the association between CG and IC in the pharmaceutical companies in Tehran Stock Exchange for five years period from 2004 to 2009, using a regression model. The independent variable was CG (i.e. board size, duality of CEO and BOD and auditing committee). The results found that board size has a negative impact on firms' IC, while dualities of CEO and BOD and auditing committee have no effects on IC. Another study was adopted by Altuner et al. (2015) in Istanbul to examine the linkages among IC, CG and corporate social responsibility, the study was conducted on manufacturing firms listed in Istanbul Stock Exchange for five years from 2007 to 2011. The results support a positive relationship among these important constructs. Widening the literature to Asian countries, Ahmed Haji and MohdGhazali, (2013) examine the relationship between IC disclosure and CG in Malaysian listed companies for the period 2008-2010. The study concludes that all CG attributes, namely, board size, independent directors, board effectiveness and position of the chairman were significant while director ownership was found to be consistent in negatively with IC. Broadening the literatures to the European countries, Cerbioni and Parbonetti (2007) examine the relationship between CG and IC in a sample of European biotechnology firms. The variables were independent directors, board dimension, CEO and BOD duality. The findings suggest that BOD independency is positively-related IC while CEO duality is negatively linked to IC. Another study adopted by Li et al. (2008), adopting a study in UK for a sample of 100 UK listed firms to investigate the relationship between IC disclosure and CG variables. The independent variables are as follows: board composition, ownership structure, audit committee size and frequency of audit committee meetings and CEO role duality. Findings show that IC components have a significant association with all the CG except for role duality. Appuhami and Bhuyan (2015) examine the influence of CG on IC in top service firms in Australia. The findings show that CEO duality, board composition and remuneration committee composition are significantly associated with IC, whereas, board size and audit committee composition are insignificantly associated with IC. Another study conducted in different stock exchanges by Saeed et al. (2015) to explore the role of IC as a mediator between CG and firms performance relationship. This study use five CG measures, which can contribute to the IC and then IC leads to corporate performance. The results show that CG measures and IC of firms yield higher corporate performance. Overall, literatures show that the direct relationship between CG principles and IC components is ambiguity. To fill this gap in the literature, we use a moderated model to enhance the relationship. We adopt this study, as it depends on both Agency theory developed by Jensen and Meckling (1976), who addresses problems that arise due to the conflict between management and shareholders interest and the resources-based theory developed by Grant (1991), who considers that IC is the main strategic asset in creating and maintaining firms' competitive advantage. Therefore, it is interesting to further explore the effect of firm size on the relationship between CG and IC of listed firms in Saudi Arabia.\n3. Research design and methodology: 3.1 The study sample and data source\n4. Testing data validity: As presented in Table III, to secure approximation of data to a normal distribution, Jarque-Bera parametric test was used. The decision basis of this test is to accept the null hypothesis (H0) that the data are normally distributed (Gujarati, 2003). As shown in Table III, we noticed that the (J-B) value for all variables was less than 0.05. This ascertains that the study data are not normally distributed. To overcome this problem, the natural logarithm of these variables was considered. Additionally, the size of the sample was big and not distributing the data normally may not influence the credibility of the study. However, empirical research that uses time series, like the case of this study, presupposes stability of these series. Autocorrelation might occur in the model because the time series on which this study is based is non-stationary (Gujarati, 2003). As for the strength of the general linear model (GLM) basically depends on the hypothesis that every variable from the independent ones is by itself independent. If this condition is not realized, the GLM will then be inapplicable. It can never be considered good for the parameters' evaluation. To actualize this, collinearity diagnostics standard used incessant tolerance quotient for every variable of the independent ones.\n5. Descriptive results: As shown in Table III, for ownership of the largest shareholder, the mean percentage is around 44.1 per cent, shows that the largest shareholder in Saudi companies own more than 20 per cent of a firm's outstanding stocks, this means that the majority of firms in the Saudi market are family-owned business, they have the voting power in the firm, which significantly influences the strategic direction and the business operations of the firm. This indicates that Saudi companies are controlled by a few individuals. The mean percentage ownership of the three largest shareholders is 61.2 per cent, shows that the ownership of the largest three shareholders is less than half of the shares in Saudi listed firms. This may indicate that the firms focus on multiple shareholders control. Added to that, the high percentage shows a strong monitoring by other shareholders in the firms. One of the important CG practices is having the BOD between 7 and 13 members. The mean percentage for the board size is around 72.4 per cent, board size is considered to be aligned with governance practices to take a strategic decision that leads to efficient use of company resources. A BOD between 7 and 13 members can be reasonable, as more the numbers involved, the harder it becomes to make decisions. For the independency of the BOD, the mean percentage is 42.9 per cent of board independency, which is nearly to half of the sample may adversely affect disclosure and transparency and could be a possible reason for the conflict of interest. The mean percentage for duality of CEO and the chairman, the duality takes place when the chairman of the board and CEO roles are 100 per cent compliance in all listed Saudi firms, which can lead to an effective board (Bouaziz, 2014; Awwad and Alkababji, 2014).\n6. Preliminary analysis: corporate governance level and intellectual capital: The CG level was divided into two categories; firms with high CG and firms with low CG as shown in Table IV. The path analysis based on the value of the calculated median of CG index (60 per cent). To identify the significance in the variance between the means of the two samples t-statistic test and z-statistic tests were used. The two IC components namely, HCE and SCE tend to be higher with firms that have high CG level. However, the CG level found to be higher with firms that have low CEE.\n7. Granger causality test: Causality test aims to find the direction of the relationship between CG and IC through answering the question as to whether the CG index can cause or encourage IC. This is what we are trying to answer in this part of the study. This step is to determine the causal direction of \"Granger\". When there is one integrative vector a systematic error correction for Engle and Granger (1987) is used. By applying this test to two slow terms, results emerged as shown in Table V. Three proposed models of relationships have been developed. The results show that there is no causal relationship toward the impact of CG on CEE. However, there is a causal relationship toward the impact of CG adoption on HCE and SCE.\n8. Empirical study: The study used GLM to test the moderating effect of firm size on the relationship between CG and IC. We, therefore, run several tests to check whether data of this study could meet the conditions of the GLM. For the strength of the GLM basically depends on the hypothesis that every variable from the independent ones is by itself independent. If this condition is not realized, the GLM will then be inapplicable. It can never be considered good for parameters' evaluation. To actualize this, Collinearity Diagnostics Standard used incessant Tolerance quotient for every variable of the independent ones. Variance inflation factor (VIF) has to be found afterward. This test is the standard that measures the effect of independent variables. Gujarati, (2003) stated that getting a VIF higher than 10 indicates that there is a multicollinearity problem for the independent variable of concern. As presented in Table VI, it can be noticed that the VIF values for all independent variables is less than 10, which means that we do not have any collinearity problems in the study models.\n9. Conclusion and recommendations: This study is to measure the relationship between CG and IC of listed firms in the Saudi stock exchange. This paper is to contribute to IC literature in terms of examining the relationship between the CG and IC, the IC, which was measured by using HCE, SCE and CEE and the CG has been measured by using the ownership of the largest shareholder, ownership of the three largest shareholders, size of the BOD, independency of BOD and duality of chairman and CEO. In addition to that, the study also used two control variables such as firm age and the sectors, as discussed in the literature review. Therefore, theoretically, this study is to fill the gap in the literature review, the researchers used the moderator role of firm size model to enhance the relationship between CG and IC and this was depending on the agency theory, which addresses the problems that arise due to the conflict between management and shareholders interest and the resources-based theory, which considers that IC is the main strategic asset in creating and maintaining firms' competitive advantage. However, the study answered the research question, whether the CG index can cause or encourage IC? This step is to determine the causal direction of \"Granger\". When there is one integrative vector a systematic error correction for Engle and Granger (1987) is used. However, the results confirm a moderating effect of Firm size on the relationship between CG and CEE. These results showed that a combination of the CG index with the firm size will enhance a firm's CEE, although, neither the HCE nor the SCE should be considered. Thus, the results of this study can be a starting point for similar research to the relationship between CG and IC and other factors related to this matter in GCC.\n",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating role of firm size on the relationship between corporate governance (CG) and intellectual capital (IC) efficiency.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The methodology was a pooled data for three years (2012-2014) for 171 listed firms, resulting in 489 observations.\nFindings: The findings revealed that the inclusion of firm size as a moderating variable has influenced positively only the relationship between CG principles and capital employed efficiency (CEE). Further, the finding showed that the two IC components namely, human capital efficiency and structural capital efficiency, tend to be higher with firms that high level of CG adoption. However, CEE tends to be higher with firms that have lower level of CG adoption. Other finding shows that CG index was significant with the three IC components.\nOriginality/value: Such information will help the stakeholders, investors, decision-makers, regulators, policymakers and scholars to improve their knowledge about IC. Furthermore, it will be useful for firms to place their priorities regarding the internal system and financial plans for effective and efficient use of CG and IC.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Exploring the impact of the board of directors on the performance of not-for-profit organizations
|
[
"Non‐profit organizations",
"Board of Directors",
"General management",
"Strategic management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Not-for-profit organizations (NFPs) play an important role in communities around the world in areas ranging from education, healthcare, disaster relief, social work, and the overall improvement of the human condition. Studies have shown that well performing boards usually coincide with well performing organizations. Herman and Renz (2000) noted that effective boards improve organizational performance. The mechanism behind this relationship has, however, remained unclear. As Herman et al. (1997) argue, it is a major challenge to study the effectiveness of board of directors because of the lack of criteria for defining and measuring board effectiveness. Given that NFPs effectiveness is also challenging to measure makes the situation even more precarious. Prior studies identified significant relationships between board and organizational effectiveness; however, the causal direction of this relationship needs to be investigated (Herman and Renz, 1999).In order to understand the effectiveness of the board in NFPs, this study examines three theoretical perspectives that can be utilized to connect the different dimensions of board performance and organizational performance. In previous research, Chait et al. (1991) examined the practices of board members at independent colleges and identified six competencies of effective boards. The identified dimensions are:1. Contextual. Effective boards understand and take into consideration the culture and norms of the organization they govern.2. Educational. Effective boards ensure that their members are knowledgeable about the organization and the board's roles, responsibilities, and performance.3. Interpersonal. Effective boards nurture the development of their members as a working group, attend to the board's collective welfare, and foster a sense of cohesiveness.4. Analytical. Effective boards recognize the complexities and subtleties of issues and accept ambiguity and uncertainty as healthy preconditions for critical discussions. ... They raise doubts, explore trade-offs, and encourage differences of opinion.5. Political. Effective boards accept as a primary responsibility the need to develop and maintain healthy relationships among major constituencies.6. Strategic. Effective boards help their organizations envision a direction and shape a strategy for the future ... They anticipate potential problems and act before issues become crises.These attributes seem to capture most of the essential elements of effective governance. Chait et al. (1991) also argue that the best boards add most value through five interrelated approaches: helping senior management determine what matters most, creating opportunities for the president to think aloud, encouraging experimentation, monitoring progress and performance, and modeling the desired behaviors.Based on the review of these different perspectives, boards should be viewed as a social system that needs to be a strong, high functioning work group whose members trust each other, challenge one another, and engage the top management on critical issues facing the organization. Such a board should help the organization envision its direction and shape the strategy for the future, bearing in mind that the challenges that emanate from the environment will sometimes put some of their assumptions into question.\nBoard performance: Board performance has been examined in multiple ways by different researchers. The most commonly used method is to consider a series of activities, roles, and functions that the board must perform. A list of such roles has been empirically validated and seems to reflect some of the most important and significant activities that boards must perform (e.g. Conger et al., 2001). Miller-Millesen (2003) classified the typical functions of nonprofit boards across agency theory, resource dependency theory, and institutional theory to explain how and why these activities take place in nonprofit boards.The other way of looking at board performance was suggested by Chait et al. (1991) where they came up with six ways to identify board effectiveness: contextual, educational, interpersonal, strategic, analytical, and political. These characteristics of effective boards seem to capture most of the essential elements of effective governance.This paper explores these six board competencies as suggested by Chait et al. (1991) in relation to the agency theory, resource dependency theory, and decision/group process theory. This framework allows for a linkage between the literature on NFP and the relationship between governance and organizational performance.\nAgency theory: Agency theory is among the most commonly used theories in corporate governance to explore the relationship between board performance and organizational performance. The theory suggests that there is a conflict relationship between the board and the top management as the top management's self-interested behavior is not aligned with the interest of the stockholders. It is thus the duty of the board to monitor the management team to ensure that the interests of the stockholders are protected. According to the theory, board members who have interests in the organization are more vigilant in monitoring the tasks of the management team. Board members are given incentives such as stock ownership to align their interests with those of the other stockholders. By limiting the number of insiders in the board, the board is able to work more independently of the top management team. The insiders are those members with significant ties to management team such as former or current executives of the organization (Fama and Jenson, 1983).In their study exploring agency theory principles in nonprofits, Callen et al. (2003) found a positive relationship between major donors on the board and indicators of organizational efficiency. This finding supported Fama and Jensen's (1983) proposition that major donors usually perform a monitoring function which ensures organizational efficiency. Olson (2000) investigated governance and financial performance in nonprofit colleges and concluded that decision control facilitated by tenure and expertise had a positive influence on the organization's financial performance. Herman and Renz (1997) found that boards that have specific processes for evaluating CEO performance were more likely to be found in effective organizations.These findings support the contention that boards that effectively oversee the top management do so to improve the firm's effectiveness and hence performance thereby protecting the interests of the stakeholders.There are however, applicability questions about the agency theory to NFPs because of the lack of clear identification of ownership. Research has shown that boards in NFPs do rely on top management and considers that relationship as key in their ability to provide control over the organization (Miller, 2002). Board members in nonprofits are not able to clearly identify who they are accountable to and sometimes suggesting that they are accountable to themselves (Green and Griesinger, 1996). Such observations make the use of the agency theory in nonprofits limited.The agency theory can be used in the contextual understanding of the effectiveness dimension where the board ensures that the organization stays within its social rationale for its existence and also keeps and recognizes its historical precedence (Brown, 2005). Here, the board ensures that the organization stays within the context through which its existence has been nurtured. By linking the culture and norms of the organization to its existence, the board is able to keep the organization close to the mission for which it was founded. Better understanding of the organization's historical and philosophical background should improve the organization's decision making and consequently lead to improved organizational performance. The contextual dimension of board effectiveness can then be used to monitor the organization thereby utilizing the theoretical underpinnings of the agency theory and uniquely so for the NFPs.Resource dependency\nConclusions: The study examined four research questions that provide the framework for analysis between board effectiveness and organizational performance. The first research question was about the relationship between boards that function as a steward to safeguard organizational constituents' interest and overall organizational performance. The dimension used in this question was the contextual dimension that turned out to be not statistically significant. This seems to suggest that there is no relationship between the board's view as a steward for the organization and organizational performance. Given that most of the responding boards belonged to religious organizations, it is possible that the boards feel like the communities that they serve have matured cultures that do not require their stewardship.The second question addressed the relationship between boards that provide resources to the organization and overall organizational performance. The dimensions used to answer this question were strategic and political which had the strongest relationship, R=0.201. Although the relationship is not statistically significant, these dimensions seem to suggest boards that understand the strategic direction of the organization and use their networks to provide resources to the organization tend to be associated with organizations that overall performance. Once again, most of the respondents were religious organizations whose resources mostly come from their congregations; the boards may have felt that they do not play a major role in providing their organizations with resources.The third question asked about the board's effectiveness in setting the processes and procedures that guide the organization's operations. The hypothesis to this question was not supported and the results indicated that there is a weak relationship between the dimensions used (analytical, educational, and interpersonal) but the results were not statistically significant. Given the religious background as discussed earlier, boards may feel that they do not have a big role to play in setting the organizational processes and procedures and especially for those denominations that are not independent of the mother church.The fourth question dealt with the diversity of the board where, again, the hypothesis was not supported. Most boards felt they were sufficiently diverse and that their diversity had nothing to do with organizational performance.Since the majority of the respondents (30) of the study served in religious organizations, this may have skewed the results toward a certain direction that is difficult to ascertain until other studies compare results across different NFP classifications. This suggests that it is important to repeat such a study with a much diverse group of NFPs in addition to measuring other board and organizational dimensions such as board size, executive perceptions, and organization size, and age.In conclusion, the efforts to link board effectiveness and organizational performance will remain tenuous at best. This is an illusive phenomenon that will continue to elude researchers as long as the dimensions of board effectiveness and organizational performance remain perceptual. The need to understand the strategic orientation of NFPs governance is even greater as these organizations continue to play a major role in the lives of ordinary people in various communities around the world.Board education and its interpersonal dimensions would help us understand whether nonprofits are learning organizations or static organizations where the need for collaboration and training are not welcome. Diversity in boards may need to be studied from different dimensions in order to capture the full effect of board diversity in relation to objective organizational performance.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to examine the impact of board of directors on the performance of not-for-profit (NFP) organizations. The study also aims to utilize the six dimensions of effective board performance as suggested by Chait et al., using the theoretical explanations of the resource dependency theory, the agency theory, and the group/decision processes theory. By explaining how these board activities influence organizational performance, we can begin to understand the importance of board influence in determining organizational effectiveness as measured by organizational performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - For the purpose of this study, organizational performance attributes are used in line with the strategy used by Nobbie and Brudney. The measurement used includes the perception of board members' view of the overall success in meeting organizational goals, increase or decrease in the number of programs offered by the organization, improvement in the quality of service offered by the organization, and the level of satisfaction by the clients with the level of service provided.\nFindings: - The survey revealed that the strategic and the political dimensions have a stronger relationship with the perceived organizational performance in nonprofit organizations as compared to the other dimensions.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Given that the majority of the respondents (30) of the study served in religious organizations, this may have skewed the results toward a certain direction that is difficult to ascertain until other studies compare results across different NFP classifications. This suggests that it is important to repeat such a study with a much diverse group of NFPs in addition to measuring other board and organizational dimensions such as board size, executive perceptions, and organization size, and age.\nPractical implications: - The efforts to link board effectiveness and organizational performance will remain tenuous at best. This is an illusive phenomenon that will continue to elude researchers as long as the dimensions of board effectiveness and organizational performance remain perceptual. The need to understand the strategic orientation of NFPs governance is even greater as these organizations continue to play a major role in the lives of ordinary people in various communities around the world.\nOriginality/value: - In order to understand the effectiveness of the board in NFPs, this study examines three theoretical perspectives that can be utilized to connect the different dimensions of board performance and organizational performance. In previous research, Chait et al. examined the practices of board members at independent colleges and identified six competencies of effective boards. The identified dimensions are: contextual: effective boards understand and take into consideration the culture and norms of the organization they govern; educational: effective boards ensure that their members are knowledgeable about the organization and the board's roles, responsibilities, and performance; interpersonal: effective boards nurture the development of their members as a working group, attend to the board's collective welfare, and foster a sense of cohesiveness; analytical: effective boards recognize the complexities and subtleties of issues and accept ambiguity and uncertainty as healthy preconditions for critical discussions. They raise doubts, explore trade-offs, and encourage differences of opinion; political: effective boards accept as a primary responsibility the need to develop and maintain healthy relationships among major constituencies; and strategic: effective boards help their organizations envision a direction and shape a strategy for the future. They anticipate potential problems and act before issues become crises.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
AHP framework to assist lean deployment in Abu Dhabi public healthcare delivery system
|
[
"Healthcare",
"Operations management",
"Analytical hierarchy process",
"Abu Dhabi"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In this age of cut throat competition, businesses are increasingly looking to ways that can help continuously improve their processes by ensuring a highly quality output at a minimum cost. Lean methodology with its origin in the Toyota production system (TPS) is one such approach that can help businesses overcome inefficiencies. The lean concept of \"waste minimization\" for process improvement is no longer limited to the automotive or manufacturing companies but services such as healthcare have adopted the lean management as a process improvement program. The healthcare sector has been under pressure for the last few years as the budgets shrank and the demand jumped which necessitated the embracing of \"lean thinking\" by the healthcare so that \"more could be achieved with less\" (Poksinska, 2010).\n2. Literature review: 2.1. Introduction to lean methodology\n3. Overview of AHP: AHP methods structure the decision process into a hierarchy and the decision making involves choosing an option from different alternatives. Through a set of pair-wise comparisons at each level of the hierarchy, a matrix can be developed, where the entities indicate the strength with which one element dominates another with respect to a given criterion. AHP is a principle of measurement through pair-wise comparisons and relies on the judgment of experts to derive the priority scales. These scales measure the intangibles in relative terms. The comparisons are made using a scale of absolute judgment that represents how much more one element dominates another with respect to a given attribute. The main concern of AHP is dealing with inconsistencies arising with the judgment and improving this judgment (Vinodh and Joy, 2012). AHP judges and selects the elements/concepts which have a greater influence on predetermined objective. AHP has been used to accurately evaluate the influence of the criteria in terms of goals. Figure 2 presents the outline of AHP method employed in this research.\n4. AHP model and analysis: As shown in Figure 2, the first step is to identify the problem. The purpose of the research is to identify, prioritize and select waste minimization opportunity based on the experience and judgment of the staff and management of three Abu Dhabi hospitals. Therefore, this research is designed by composing multi criteria attributes of lean management principles. Figure 3 depicts the hierarchy of the AHP model for evaluating the lean practices in a healthcare setting. The multi criteria attributes are organized in a hierarchical with the highest level of the hierarchy being the overall goal, i.e. to identify and prioritize the lean improvement opportunities in the public hospitals. The seven wastes of lean healthcare are represented as the criteria in level 2. Each healthcare waste is further divided in level 2 into three types (sub-criteria) to illustrate common manifestations of the respective waste (criteria).\n5. Conclusion and directions for future research: The UAE healthcare sector has seen exceptional growth with healthcare expenditure per capita being ranked among the top 20 in the world (Deloitte, 2011). With an aim of establishing itself as a preferred destination for domestic patients and a hub for global medical tourists seeking high-quality and cost-effective procedures and treatments, the UAE healthcare sector has attracted major international healthcare players but the healthcare providers still face significant challenges for operational excellence restricting their competitiveness. Lean methodology is likely to improve both quality and productivity of the UAE healthcare delivery system but there is a pressing need to investigate the lean deployment strategies both from the academic and the managerial perspectives. This study attempts to fulfill this research gap by proposing a lean deployment framework for the identification, prioritization and selection of improvement opportunities for quality and productivity gains. The continued success of the lean thinking over the last two decades makes it as one of the main building blocks of any operational excellence initiative.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce lean concept to the field of healthcare management, expands the conceptualization of lean management beyond the manufacturing companies to consider key waste reduction opportunities which are posited to be requisites to lean practices and implements the proposed framework in the three public hospitals in Abu Dhabi.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This research is designed by decomposing complex and unstructured issue into a set of components organized in a multi-level hierarchical form. To deal with this complexity of multi criteria decision-making process, analytical hierarchical process (AHP) method is used in this research.\nFindings: AHP framework for this study resulted in a ranking of 21 healthcare wastes based on the evaluations of local situations by experienced healthcare professionals. It has been found that management in healthcare systems of Abu Dhabi is putting more emphasis on the inventory waste.\nResearch limitations/implications: The future directions of the research would be to apply a lean set of tools for the value stream optimization of the prioritized key improvement areas.\nPractical implications: This is a contribution to the continuing research into lean management, giving practitioners and designers a practical way for measuring and implementing lean practices across health organizations.\nOriginality/value: The contribution of this research, through successive stages of data collection, measurement analysis and refinement, is a set of reliable and valid framework that can be subsequently used in conceptualization, prioritization of the waste reduction strategies in healthcare management.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The significance of Chinese commercial property in an Asian property portfolio
|
[
"China",
"Organizations",
"Property",
"Portfolio investment",
"International organizations",
"Investors"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: With investors having an increased appetite for property in recent years (Talbot, 2007), this has resulted in significant growth in assets under management for the major property fund managers and global property securities funds. These significant capital inflows and increased competition for property assets have seen yield compression in the major mature property markets in 2005-2007, with a resulting increased focus on the potential strategic role for international property investment. Major factors also contributing to this increased international property exposure have included the need for portfolio diversification, potential for higher returns, lower cost of capital and favourable exchange rates (Murdoch, 2004; Worzala and Newell, 1998). Recent studies have also highlighted the portfolio diversification benefits of international direct and indirect property in a mixed-asset portfolio (e.g. Bond et al., 2003; Conover et al., 2002; Hoesli et al., 2004; Ling and Naranjo, 2002), with several studies specifically highlighting the effectiveness of international diversification into the Asian property markets (e.g. Addae-Dapaah and Loh, 2005; Bond et al., 2003; Garvey et al., 2001).This increased appetite for international property investment is shown in the global commercial property transaction capital flows in 2006 (JLL, 2007a). Of the $682 billion in global commercial property transactions in 2006, 42 per cent were cross-border, with 29 per cent being cross-continent. Importantly, 33 per cent of commercial property transaction capital flows in Asia in 2006 ($27 billion) were cross-border; this being an increase of 77 per cent on the 2005 level of $15.3 billion. Table I sees China as the second largest Asian country for commercial property transaction capital flows in 2006, accounting for 11 per cent of transactions; only exceeded by Japan. For China, 61 per cent of these transactions were cross-border, significantly above the levels of cross-border transactions seen in all other Asian countries and globally (JLL, 2007a). This reflects the significant commercial property investment in China in recent years by major international investors, including Morgan Stanley, ING, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, RREEF, GIC, CapitaLand and Macquarie (JLL, 2007b; Lau, 2007; RREEF, 2007).Given this significant international property investor interest in China, detailed empirical research regarding the dynamics of the China commercial property markets is still very limited, with only Cao and Keivani (2007) and Newell et al. (2005) examining these property markets in detail. As such, the purpose of this paper is to assess the significance and performance of the China commercial property market compared to the other developed and emerging property markets in Asia. In particular, the performance of office and retail property and property companies in China will be assessed over Q4: 1998-Q1: 2007 and contrasted to the performance of other Asian property markets, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. The risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of China commercial property will be assessed in an Asian property portfolio context; particularly whether these benefits have been enhanced in more recent years. The implications for including China commercial property in a pan-Asia property portfolio by major international investors will also be assessed.\nSignificance of property in China: Significance of commercial property\nMethodology: Data sources\nChina commercial property performance analysis: Risk-adjusted returns\nInternational property investment implications: With the significant economic development of China, major international property investors have shown considerable recent interest regarding property investment in China; particularly in Shanghai and increasingly in the emerging markets in the Tier 2/3 cities in China. These property investment strategies have included establishing unlisted property funds (e.g., core, value-add and opportunistic investments in various Tier 1, 2, and 3 property markets in China), investing in listed property companies in China, as well as investing in China property companies trading on the Hong Kong stock market and Hong Kong-based property companies with significant property investment and development activities in China.The analyses in this paper have shown the Shanghai office and retail property markets to be diversified, with this diversification benefit having been enhanced in more recent years. Importantly, both direct and indirect property in China have shown significantly enhanced returns in recent years, although this has been offset to some degree by increasing risk for Shanghai office property and property companies in China. More recently, the Shanghai retail property market has been the best-performed Asian retail property market on a risk-adjusted basis.In a pan-Asia property fund context, Shanghai office and retail property have shown diversification benefits with their respective Asian property market sectors. While there has been some marginal loss of these diversification benefits in recent years, these losses are not significant, but they have been in an environment of enhanced diversification benefits across the other Asian property markets.Overall, this paper has highlighted the enhanced performance and diversification benefits of direct and indirect property in China; particularly for the Shanghai retail property market. While there are clear diversification benefits of China property in a pan-Asian property portfolio, these benefits have not been enhanced to the same degree in recent years as has been evident in the other Asian property markets. This reinforces the benefits of a pan-Asia property strategy by international property investors, as well as the key benefits of including China commercial property in this pan-Asia property investment strategy.While past performance is no guarantee of future performance, this paper has given clear insights into the dynamics of the direct and indirect property markets in China and how these property investment benefits have been enhanced in recent years; both in a China context and pan-Asia context. This paper has also highlighted the added-value of China commercial property in a pan-Asia property investment strategy. However, along with most global markets, China has clearly been impacted by the global credit crisis in 2008, which has seen reduced listed property company performance as well as a significant reduction in direct property activities by both local and international investors.Similarly, given the less transparent nature of the China property markets, there are significant difficulties for direct property investment in China (see earlier section). As such, it is essential that international property investors also give careful consideration to the risk factors likely to impact on their property investment decision making in China and in some of the less mature property markets in Asia. This includes identifying an effective entry and exit strategy for unlisted property funds in China, as well as controlling for currency risk and other international property investment risk factors (e.g., revisions to foreign investment rules in November 2007). The forecast continued strong economic growth of China and its increased levels of urbanisation will continue to see increased interest in investing in commercial property in China by the major international property investors.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - International investors have shown considerable recent interest regarding property investment in China via both direct and indirect property. The purpose of this paper is to assess the significance and performance of the China commercial property market compared to six developed and emerging commercial property markets in Asia.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper analyses the performance of commercial property in China over 1998-2007 for both direct and indirect property. Risk-adjusted performance analysis is used to assess the added value of China commercial property in a pan-Asia portfolio, with the portfolio diversification benefits of China commercial property also assessed. Sub-period analyses are also used to assess the dynamics of China commercial property.\nFindings: - This paper finds that China commercial property has shown significantly enhanced performance and diversification benefits in recent years. In a pan-Asia property fund context, there are clear diversification benefits provided by China commercial property, with these benefits also being evident in the other Asian property markets. The findings highlight the benefits of a pan-Asia property investment strategy by international property investors, as well as the key benefits and added-value of including China commercial property in this pan-Asia property investment strategy.\nOriginality/value: - Previous empirical research into the China commercial property markets has been very limited. This paper rigorously assesses the role of China commercial property in a pan-Asia property portfolio context. Given the increasing interest by the leading international property investors regarding investing in China commercial property, this research enables more informed and practical investment decision-making regarding the role of both direct and indirect China commercial property as part of a pan-Asia institutional property investment strategy.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Prophets and losses: the predictive impulse
|
[
"Backcasting",
"Forecasting",
"Global financial crisis",
"Mind",
"Myths and culture",
"Predictions",
"Prophets"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The global financial crisis (GFC) and its prolonged economic impact have served to once again highlight the inherent problems associated with the efficacy of what we refer to as \"forecasting\". Two decades ago Henry Mintzberg ridiculed those who repeatedly claimed turbulence and unpredictability as a new, recent, and escalating phenomenon and which they claimed made forecasting so difficult, \"the argument about escalating or endemic turbulence is as silly as are all the claims about today's turbulence\" (Mintzberg, 1994, p. 205). Nothing has changed since Mintzberg made this point, except that once again everyone seems surprised that they were caught by surprise.\nProfitable prophets: Seers and prophets have been with us for a long time. Sometimes revered, sometimes despised, those who got it right have often been elevated to a god-like status. During the 1980s Australians were mesmerized by the seemingly flawless investment predictions of Alan Bond. Events post-1987 exposed Bond to be a criminal rather than a prophetic genius. Until the shocking revelations of late 2008 and 2009, Bernard Madoff and Allen Stanford were regarded with awe, and both have fallen from grace with a public outcry of shock, rage, and protestations of betrayal from trusting investors. Financial wizardry is hyped and applauded while the magic spills over into the general population of investors.\nThe pretense of scientific rigor: Humans sometimes unquestioningly follow the tenets of myths buried deeply within the mists of time. One of these myths suggests that some of us can to some extent predict the future. These are a select few. In the past these \"seers\" were endowed with a mystical or godly spirit; today they have received \"special\" learning and have developed educated and experience-based \"insights\" that allow them to see what others cannot. Some predictive acts are possible, we can predict weather patterns with some degree of certainty, but only because we're tracking something that has already been set in motion, and we model such activities based on scientific principles and previous experiences. As long as events follow routine patterns and immutable laws, then their outcomes are relatively predictable. But who can predict activities that have human behavior as one of their major determinants? Carl von Clausewitz, the Prussian general and theorist of war, reputedly claimed that if your plan credited an enemy with only three possible options he would probably take a fourth. Human behavior is difficult to predict, especially when operating under conditions of uncertainty and stress, at which time conjecture and speculation come into play. But myths and traditions also underwrite our decision processes, and as the economic \"tsunami\" has demonstrated, once the rules change and the patterns are broken, then perhaps our myths and tradition should also be more critically examined, but in complete opposition to rules of logic and reason, myth and tradition suddenly appear to play a more significant role in our decision-making. Governments and businesses enact knee-jerk strategies, as Dennett (2003, p. 306) explains:\nEvolution, routine, and security: Organizational structure is crucial to the effective accomplishment of its strategy (Chandler, 1962). This rule applies to organisms as well as organizations. According to Guthrie (1990) some spruce trees growing in Siberia are over 100 years old but only have a maximum span of six inches and grow perfectly straight as they compete with their neighbors for sunlight and nutrients from the frozen ground. In order to protect themselves against grazing animals they have evolved highly toxic foliage and maintain the bulk of their biomass below ground, away from herbivores. These trees must be efficient in their access and utilization of resources, adapting their strategy to their environment. Such strategies will take into consideration the competitive nature of the environment, encouraging cooperative as well as combative behavior when and where required. Such survival \"strategies\" are usually woven into the DNA of an organism.\nForecasting, backcasting, or wishful thinking?: Barrow (2008) quotes Charles Babbage:\n\"Remembering\" the future: With the above in mind, the role of the past should not be completely ignored. Suddendorf and Corballis (2007), referring to our ability at mental time travel, cite significant research that highlights the importance of knowing the past in order to imagine the future. In fact, it appears that we are unable to predict for details of the future without being able to activate a clear memory of the past. They cite research with amnesiac patients who are unable to answer simple questions about yesterday's events and who are then equally unable to say what might happen tomorrow. Patients with depression who have trouble retrieving specific memories from their past also have trouble imagining specific future episodes. Finally, the authors point out that brain imaging has shown that both remembering the past and imagining the future are associated with frontal and temporal lobe activity, although they emphasize that there are specific areas in the frontal pole and medial temporal lobes that are more involved with imagining the future than with recalling the past. It could be argued that it is therefore impossible to attempt to predict the future without knowledge of the past, which also suggests that our prediction efforts will always remain anchored in the past, regardless of how much we believe they are not. Taleb's black swans will always remain black swans.\nConclusion: There will always be surprises in our lives - both good and bad. Employing characteristically strong and optimistic human survival traits, we try to reduce the element of surprise by building predictive as well as protective mechanisms. Oddly, we continue to be surprised when we are caught by surprise. There are so many \"fail-safe\" mechanisms and seemingly credible \"prophets\" who claim to be able to predict and protect our future. Shermer (2005) says it most clearly: \"There is in fact, no such thing as the supernatural or the paranormal\" (p. 180), and anyone who claims to be able to predict the future, regardless of the scientific terminology with which they clothe themselves, is in effect claiming supernatural or paranormal powers. Rather than discouraging us from planning for an uncertain future, this knowledge should motivate us to include alternative scenarios and developing coping strategies if the unexpected should happen. Peter Drucker argued that \"forecasting is not a respectable human activity and not worthwhile beyond the shortest of periods. Strategic planning is necessary precisely because we cannot forecast\" (Drucker, 1974, p. 124). He goes on to argue that forecasting attempts to follow the most probable course of events, or range of events. In Drucker's view, decision-makers should be asking \"What do we have to do today to be ready for an uncertain tomorrow?\" (Drucker, 1974, p. 125). Drucker asks a question that we should all ask ourselves. Our existence, whether as an individual, an organization, a nation, or an entire species is predicated on our ability to survive the element of uncertainty. Our energy will be better expended on the development of plans that ask what may go wrong and how should we respond, rather than placing our faith in plans based on desires and wishes. The former will prepare us for uncertainty, the latter will not.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The topic of forecasting and our (in)ability to predict the future should be regularly revisited as our memories seem incredibly short and forgiving of inaccurate and false predictions, as well as our failure to predict what should have been obvious. Forecasting is a critical stage of the strategizing process. Why are we still getting it wrong?\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using a conceptual approach, this paper warns against placing too much faith in our predictive (in)abilities and attempts to address the question of why we continue to seek out and trust a flawed industry that profits from false prophecy.\nFindings: Humans have always found comfort in soothsayers and mystics. Where once they came in the guise of tribal witch doctors, today many appear as economists, strategists, and consultants. Our need for security is readily exploited by people claiming to know the future. We receive pleasure from the act of cooperation and therefore prefer to believe rather than disbelieve. We place faith in myths rather than facts, and we fail to see what in hindsight should have been obvious.\nOriginality/value: This paper acts as a warning. Forecasting is about identifying patterns and themes and designing multiple response scenarios. Myths and magic have no place in the modern business world, and those who claim to \"know\" the future are really only speculating or lying - no one can \"see\" the future. Strategists can only reflect on the past, speculate in an informed manner, and design multiple alternative responses. The anomalous event, the pattern breaker, the surprise, will always be with us. The best we can do is to prepare for what might occur, and operate on the basis that just because something has been with us for a long time, it may not be with us forever.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Debriefing a rescue mission during a terror attack
|
[
"Terror",
"Learning",
"Debriefing"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Particularly after stressful events, debriefing could be the difference between learning from experience or not (Stein, 2002). The event itself will hardly facilitate learning; rather, it provides opportunities for learning if reflected on (Dewey, 1980; Kolb, 1984; Pearson and Smith, 1985). Debriefing provides an opportunity to encourage the use of the reflection process, and to mediate the quality of this reflection process (Shalev et al., 1998; Zigmont et al., 2011).\nMethodology: In qualitative research, phenomenology is a method used to explore social phenomena through people's firsthand experiences of an event in the way it took place in their lives (Moustakas, 1994). The SAR crew members' experience of the terror attack, the rescue mission and the subsequent debriefing made them relevant subjects for the current study.\nFindings: In examining how the rescue crew experienced the debriefing process we developed the categories social support, emotions and meaning, as outlined in the following sections.\nDiscussion: This paper has explored the empirical basis for arguing whether debriefing is an effective type of treatment after traumatic events. The existing literature has a lack of clarity concerning the link between debriefing and preventing trauma, and therefore we chose to explore the link between debriefing and learning. Some of the major findings that emerged are given below.\nClosing comments: In this study we have explored the experience a SAR crew had from debriefing the mission they were on during the terror attack at Utoya on July 22, 2011. We are both humbled and privileged to see the ability six unique human beings have shown to in sharing their personal and unembellished experiences from this Holistic Debriefing. We are, moreover, proud to pass on their extraordinary stories so that others may learn from them.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore a better understanding of Holistic Debriefing processes from a learning perspective.\nDesign/methodology/approach: During a terror attack in which 69 people were killed and 66 were wounded, a Search and Rescue crew experienced \"fear of death\" while giving life-saving help to victims of the attack. Afterwards, the crew conducted a Holistic Debriefing. The crew participated in interviews to share their experience of this type of debriefing.\nFindings: The findings from the Holistic Debriefing sessions suggest that the debriefing process was experienced as positive in terms of social support, emotions and meaning. These experiences are further explained from a learning perspective.\nResearch limitations/implications: This research was conducted on a small group of individuals experiencing an extreme situation, and findings may not readily generalize to other populations or situations.\nPractical implications: Holistic Debriefing has been adopted by an increasing number of squadrons in the Norwegian Air Force.\nSocial implications: Holistic Debriefing has been implemented at the Norwegian Air Force Academy, and may be relevant for other units involved in similar operations.\nOriginality/value: This study is unique when it comes to exploring Holistic Debriefing of rescue personnel in the aftermath of a terror attack. Moreover, Holistic Debriefing is also addressed as a reflection process in order to enhance individual and group learning processes.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Cloud computing adoption by SMEs in the north east of England: A multi-perspective framework
|
[
"Information technology",
"Communication technologies",
"Innovation",
"Internet",
"Information and communication technologies innovation",
"Cloud computing",
"North east of England",
"TOE framework",
"Small to medium‐sized enterprises",
"Diffusion of innovation"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) can improve business competitiveness, and has provided genuine advantages for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs, firms with one to 250 employees (DTI, 2004)), enabling them to compete with large firms (Swash, 1998; Bayo-Moriones and Lera-Lopez, 2007). In the UK, SMEs represent the vast majority of all enterprises, 99 per cent according to BIS (2010), a figure which is not atypical for virtually all countries. Despite their importance, limited research has studied the adoption, implementation and usage of ICT in the small enterprises within the UK context (Shiels et al., 2003; Harindranath et al., 2008). In traditional IT environments, increasingly the complex management issue of software, hardware and networking equipment require specialist staff for implementing and maintaining IT services (Thinkstrategies, 2002). Some of the promised benefits from cloud computing can be very appealing for SMEs, which need to maximise the return on their investment and still remain competitive in an ever-demanding business environment. Saya et al. (2010) point out that while extant research has studied cloud computing architecture (Rochwerger et al., 2009), potential applications (Liu and Orban, 2008) and costs and benefits (Assuncao et al., 2009), the decision making on the adoption of cloud computing has not been empirically examined. Consequently, this paper's main research objective is to contribute to a growing body of research on cloud computing, by studying the SME adoption process. If SMEs have access to scalable technologies they could potentially deliver products and services that in the past only large enterprises could deliver, flattening the competitive arena. The north-east of England was selected for this study as it is a region that aspires to become home to innovative digital firms and most of the companies in the region are SMEs.In the next section, the relevant literature is presented and the theoretical framework adopted in this study is discussed in detail. This is followed by a description of the study's overall research design and methodological issues. The paper continues by presenting the study's main findings, before highlighting future research avenues.\n2. Literature review: Before proceeding with the literature review and the discussion of our conceptual framework it is important first to define what cloud computing is. Not surprisingly, cloud computing services have been defined in many different ways, typically focusing on technical and service characteristics. For instance, Buyya et al. (2008, p. 2) defined cloud computing as \"a type of parallel and distributed system consisting of a collection of interconnected and virtualised computers that are dynamically provisioned and present as one or more unified computing resources based on service-level agreements established through negotiation between service provider and customer\", while Wang et al. (2010, p. 3) defines it as \"a set of network enabled services, providing scalable, QoS guaranteed, normally personalised, inexpensive computing platforms on demand, which could be accessed in a simple and pervasive way\". In the context of this work, we adopt the definition in Plummer et al. (2008) as it captures concisely the key features of cloud computing from both a technical and end-user perspective. They defined cloud computing \"a style of computing where massively scalable IT-related capabilities are provided as a service using Internet technologies to multiple external customers\" (Plummer et al., 2008, p. 3).According to Leimeister et al. (2010) various researchers refer to cloud computing as a new paradigm and emerging technology (e.g. see Lyer and Henderson, 2010; Zhang et al., 2010), while others (e.g. see Foster et al., 2008; Youseff et al., 2008; Dillon et al., 2010) believe it is not really a new concept, as it uses traditional computing technologies. Either way, the on-demand computing model is expected to influence the way many enterprises approach IT-related services. Cloud service models are classified based on the computing requirements of the clients and represent different layers of the cloud computing architecture: infrastructure as a service, platform as a service and software as a service. Also, cloud deployment models are classified according to type of exclusive and non-exclusive method of providing cloud services to the clients as follows: public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud and community clouds (Mell and Grance, 2010). Cloud-based end-user services, such as e-mail or office applications, are increasingly finding their way into daily business practices, offering new opportunities and capabilities, but equally creating new challenges for stakeholders.IDC predict that worldwide spending on public IT cloud services will grow from $16.5 billion in 2009 to over $55 billion in 2014 (Gens, 2010). In turn, this can help businesses improve the creation and delivery of IT solutions, by enabling them to access computing services more flexibly and at reduced cost (Jain and Bhardwaj, 2010; Smith et al., 2009). The results obtained from a CIO survey on business priorities and strategies reports that CIOs ranked cloud services second among the top ten technology priorities in 2010 (Misra and Mondal, 2011). A survey by Forrester's Business Technology (May 2006) about North American and European large enterprise infrastructure and data centres indicated that 80 per cent of the overall IT budget in these enterprises goes to recurring operations and maintenance (Gillett and Yates, 2006). This makes cloud computing a strategic technology option for them. However, cloud computing is not only of interest for large businesses, but also for small- and medium-sized ones too (Jain and Bhardwaj, 2010) since they tend to have limited resources in terms of time, money and expertise (Cragg and King, 1993; Wymer and Regan, 2005). For SMEs cloud computing promises to deliver tangible business benefits, often at much lower cost as they only pay for the resources needed, offering them good return on investment of their limited resources. In turn they can focus on what truly delivers value to their customers and results in a competitive advantage.2.1 ICT innovation adoption\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Research design\n4. Findings and discussion: 4.1 Technological context\n5. Conclusion: \"Computing services on-demand\" is gradually modifying the way information system services are developed, scaled, maintained and paid for. Previous trends such as virtualisation and outsourcing may be considered as the initiation point for cloud computing ideas. Nevertheless, the novelty of cloud computing is the comprehensive method of providing computing services using high-speed internet connections (Leimeister et al., 2010; Yadav and Zeng Wen, 2010).This study is an early attempt to explore and develop an SME cloud computing adoption model that was theoretically grounded in the TOE framework. By adopting the TOE framework this study has shown that the three contexts of this framework (technological, organisational and environmental) are connected to each other. The main factors that were identified as playing a significant role in SME adoption of cloud services were: relative advantage, uncertainty, geo-restriction, compatibility, trialability, size, top management support, prior experience, innovativeness, industry, market scope, supplier efforts and external computing support. In contrast, this study did not find enough evidence that competitive pressure was a significant determinant of cloud computing adoption.These findings have important implications and great value to the research community, managers and ICT providers, in terms of formulating better strategies for cloud computing adoption. For service providers, using the research model in this study can assist in increasing their understanding of why some SMEs choose to adopt cloud computing services, while seemingly similar ones facing similar market conditions do not. On the other hand, however, cloud computing providers may need to improve their interaction with SMEs who are involved in the cloud computing experience, in an effort to create a healthy environment for cloud computing adoption, and to remove any vagueness surrounding this type of technology. Providers may need to clarify their position and stance when it comes to offering in-house services vs cloud services, which in turn can affect clients' confidence. Prospectors appear to be willing to adopt cloud computing services despite security concerns, as they rely on the element of trust. Nevertheless, providers need to be aware of common concerns that SMEs experience when they make their adoption decision, such as locality, and trialability. All these points can play a role in spreading a sense of trust and relief among SMEs to encourage adoption. In turn this will lead to the diffusion of cloud computing. Giving the SMEs the chance to try the products before the actual use would increase the awareness about cloud services. Also, an SME will be able to assess the services before the actual use regarding the compatibility with its existing systems and to evaluate the complexity level. Finally, since prospectors and most of the clients who are already adopting cloud services have stressed the importance of the physical location of the data centre, providers can take this point into consideration when choosing the place for their data centre, and also in their negotiations with the potential customers.Future research could build on this study by examining cloud computing adoption in different sectors and industries and in different countries in both a qualitative and quantitative way. More specifically, this study adopted a semi-structured interview data collection method to explore the decision-making process of SMEs. Although this approach is useful in delving into business-related decision analysis, it limits the ability to generalise. Also, future studies could consider interviewing different stakeholders (e.g. top managers, staff in the IT department, end users, etc.) within the same firm in the form of case studies. Our sample was limited to one or two companies per sector. Having more participants per sector could better represent trends within each sector and allow for more reliable comparisons. This also applies to the geographical area considered. Different regions could be examined, both nationally and internationally. Given that SMEs are pervasive in all economies this will call for a careful selection of samples that can help provide a representative picture of cloud computing.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a growing body of research on cloud computing, by studying the small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) adoption process. If SMEs have access to scalable technologies they could potentially deliver products and services that in the past only large enterprises could deliver, flattening the competitive arena.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - By adopting the Technological, Organisational and Environmental (TOE) framework as a theoretical base, this qualitative exploratory study used semi-structured interviews to collect data in 15 different SMEs and service providers in the north east of England. The north east of England was selected as it is a region that aspires to become home to innovative digital firms and most of the companies in the region are SMEs.\nFindings: - The main factors that were identified as playing a significant role in SME adoption of cloud services were: relative advantage, uncertainty, geo-restriction, compatibility, trialability, size, top management support, prior experience, innovativeness, industry, market scope, supplier efforts and external computing support. In contrast, this study did not find enough evidence that competitive pressure was a significant determinant of cloud computing adoption.\nResearch limitations/implications: - These findings have important implications and great value to the research community, managers and information and communication technologies (ICT) providers, in terms of formulating better strategies for cloud computing adoption. For service providers, using the research model in this study can assist in increasing their understanding of why some SMEs choose to adopt cloud computing services, while seemingly similar ones facing similar market conditions do not. Also, cloud computing providers may need to improve their interaction with SMEs which are involved in the cloud computing experience, in an effort to create a healthy environment for cloud computing adoption, and to remove any vagueness surrounding this type of technology.\nOriginality/value: - This study is an attempt to explore and develop an SME cloud computing adoption model that was theoretically grounded in the TOE framework. By adopting the TOE framework this study has shown that the three contexts of this framework (technological, organisational, and environmental) are connected to each other.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Influence of low-melting milk fat fraction on crystallization and physical properties of chocolate
|
[
"Chocolate",
"Milk fat fraction",
"Crystallization",
"Solid fat content",
"Rheology",
"Milk"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Milk fat is commonly used in chocolate production because of its desirable flavour and its lower price compared with cocoa butter. Adding milk fat also influences the physical properties of chocolate mass, such as the crystallization behavior of cocoa butter and the texture of the final chocolate (Attaie et al., 2003). Cocoa butter, as the fat phase of chocolate, is characterized by specific physical properties, which are caused by composition of triglycerides and fatty acid content (Hartel, 2001). Fat content determines the production process, primarily the stage of tempering (precrystallization) and the final crystallization (Beckett, 2008). Tempering - pre-crystallization - is one of the main processes influencing product quality chocolate manufacturing. The aim of the precrystallization step is to produce crystal seeds in the preferred V (b2) crystal lattice of cocoa butter (Svenstrup et al., 2005). As the fat phase clearly has a bearing on the sensory attributes of chocolate, it is imperative to determine cocoa butter's crystallization behaviour and the close link with composition. Partial replacement of cocoa butter with milkfat in chocolate formulations is now a common industrial practice as it improves bloom resistance and appreciably softens texture by lowering the initial solid fat content, by slowing down the rate of cocoa butter crystallization and by retarding the form V to VI transition (Sonwaia and Rousseaub, 2010). Either the content or the kind of crystal is the main factor which defines precrystallized mass behaviour, and it could also be predicted that the solid fat content of the cocoa butter and milk fat mixture in the chocolate mass have a significant influence on the temperature investigated. Because of the complex triglyceride composition the milk fat could be fractioned in different fractions with characteristic physical attributes, melting point and solid fat content (SFC) (Kaylegian and Lindsay, 1995; Hartel and Kaylegian, 2001; Van Aken et al., 1999; Dimick et al., 1996).Since it was found that the SFC content of fat measured at different temperatures can be used as a prognostic indicator of the important attributes of products, such as chewing feeling and hardness, kinetics measurements of SFC can provide insight into the mechanism of crystallization of the fat mixture which directly causes the quality of the final product. SFC fat profile may be useful information for creating the physical properties of the product and predicting the behavior of the final product during storage and transport. During the last three decades, pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has become a dominant and a routine technique for the determination of solid fat content (Shukla et al., 1999). NMR is the only method that directly measures the SFC as opposed to indirect methods of differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential skaning calorimetry (DSC) where the results are obtained by measuring the heat capacity as for volume changes resulted from the melting of the solid phase. SFC measurement, directly in the chocolate, includes a special tempering process because of expressed polymorphism of fats (Leissner et al., 1997; Torbica et al., 2006). Viscosity and rheological behavior of melted chocolate mass, depends of the nature interaction between solid particles (the particles of sugar, fat-reduced cocoa particles, particles of milk powder) and the continuous fat phase (Afoakwa et al., 2007). In the stage of precrystallization the viscosity of chocolate mass increases because the crystal centers of cocoa butter forms, which are considered to be a new dispersed phase that leads to direct dependence of rheological behavior of chocolate mass and crystallization process in the stage of precrystallization (Chevalley, 1999).The aim of this paper is to determinate the low-melting (26degC) milk fat fraction concentration and optimal conditions of the precrystallization process, temperature and time, in order to obtain chocolate with suitable physical and sensory attributes.\n2. Materials and methods: 2.1 Materials\n3. Results and discussion: Figures 1-5 show the influence of the concentrated milk fat fraction MF26 and the temperature of cooling on the time necessary to achieve the maximum.Figure 6 shows the influence of milk fat fraction MF26 concentration and temperature of fracture on the time necessary to achieve the maximum torque.The influence of temperature on the time necessary to achieve the maximum is more notable with the larger concentrations of the milk fat fraction. Therefore, this time almost trebles when the cooling temperature is increased from 23degC to 27degC with the concentration of the milk fat fraction of 5 per cent. The reason for such behaviour is the low melting temperature of this milk fat fraction, so that at higher temperatures, at which it is almost completely melted, its liquid phase has a significant influence on the nucleation and the crystallization properties of cocoa butter. Characteristically, the addition of the milk fat fraction MF26 in concentration of 3 and 5 per cent greatly affects the reduction of the maximum maximum torque value, which is best seen at the higher cooling temperature of 27degC.The statistical processing of the results shows that the given form of functional dependence is appropriate (F=59.85). The very high value of the coorelation coefficient (R=0.995025) between the concentration of the milk fat fraction and the pre-crystallization temperature indicates a mutually good interaction of these values and their influence on the time necessary to achieve the maximum.The optimal conditions for achieving the necessary degree of the temperature adjustment of a chocolate mass are the addition of 3 per cent of milk fat fraction and the cooling temperature of 25degC. In that way, in a relatively short nucleation time and at the adequate crystallization speed, chocolate mass, possessing optimal rheological properties, that is low values of the maximum torque, is obtained.The flow curves of the chocolate mass before and after pre-crystallization depending on the concentration of the milk fat fraction MF26 and the cooling temperature are shown in Figures 7-9.Based on the results obtained it is clear that the addition of the fat milk fraction MF26 causes a decrease in the shear stress, that is in the chocolate mass viscosity regardless of the pre-crystallization temperature. It is evident that the addition of 1 and 3 per cent of the milk fat fraction at lower temperatures does not seriously affect the shear stress of the chocolate mass, while with the addition of 5 per cent the reduction of the shear stress becomes significant. At the pre-crystallization temperatures of 23degC and 25degC the milk fat fraction MF26, in added concentrations, affects the destruction of the structure of the chocolate mass for tickotrophy is practically lost, especially when the content of the milk fat fraction MF26 is higher. At 27degC, a more intensive crystallization of cocoa butter begins to take place and the curves of the shear stress depending on the share rate change their direction indicating another tickotrophy in the chocolate mass in which there are cocoa butter crystals for most of the part. This effect is increased by adding the milk fat fraction in greater quantities.Figures 10 and 11 gives the results of the tests, by the QDA method, of the influence of structure on the properties of chewing chocolate, depending on the concentration of milk fat fractions and temperature fracture.At the lowest applied pre-crystallization temperature the addition of the milk fat fraction of a 26degC melting point and in quantity of 3 and 5 per cent improves the sensory quality of chocolate if compared to the starting/initial chocolate sample. However, the chocolate obtained possesses only good sensory quality, namely its form is slightly deformed, the surface is partly damaged, snap is rough and granular, its structure is nonuniform and the rate of melting in the mouth is slower. The addition of the milk fat fraction in the quantities of 3 and 5 per cent into the chocolate mass pre-crystallized at 25degC and 27degC causes the obtainment of a chocolate possessing better sensory properties. This is certainly the consequence of the change in rheological properties of the chocolate mass which facilitate the occurance of the optimal quantity of crystallization cores which will in turn produce a chocolate of an adequate physical and sensory quality. It is most evident in the chocolate obtained from a chocolate mass pre-crystallized at 27degC. The reduction of the shear stress in the chocolate mass obviously aids the crystallization of cocoa butter in the presence of the milk fat fraction whose physical attributes are very similar to those of the pure milk fat.The influence of the milk fat fraction MF26 and the cooling temperature of the chocolate mass on the solid fat content in the laboratory-prepared samples is shown in Figure 12.From the results obtained it can be seen that the addition of the milk fat fraction reduces the solid fat content in chocolate regardless of the applied pre-crystallization temperature. The reason for this is a relatively low melting point of the fraction in question. Even at lower cooling temperatures most of this fat remains liquid and hinders the crystallization of cocoa butter, consequently resulting in a decrease in the chocolate solid fat content. At the temperature interval between 25degC and 30degC, which defines the fat bloom stability of chocolate, only the addition of 5 per cent of the milk fat fraction causes a more significant decrease of the SFC in chocolate, which leads towards the conclusion that 5 per cent of this fat can be added to chocolate without any concequences in terms of melting properties. The addition of the milk fat fraction MF26 brings about an increase of the SFC at the temperature interval above 35degC. However, contrary to expectations, the addition of this fat did not cause the melting properties and masticatory quality to worsen, which was confirmed by the sensory evaluation of the chocolate samples. The reason probably lies in the faster melting of the milk fat fraction which then migrated to the surface and influenced the overall masticatory impression when masticating.\n4. Conclusion: The addition of 1 and 3 per cent of the milk fat fraction MF26 of a low melting point at the applied pre-crystallization temperature of 23degC does not change the rheological behaviour of the chocolate mass.The addition of the examined milk fat fraction MF26 in the maximum examined concentration (5 per cent), with an increase of the pre-crystallization temperature to 27degC, doubles the time of the nucleation of the chocolate mass, while under the same conditions the time necessary to achieve the maximum torque can even treble. Shear stress of the chocolate mass decreases more intensively with the addition of 5 per cent of the milk fat fraction MF26 regardless of the applied temperature of cooling. At the cooling temperature of 23degC and 25degC, in the presence of the milk fat fraction MF26, a disintegration of the tickotrophic structure takes place. With an increase of pre-crystallization temperature to 27degC the same effect occurs again.A satisfactory sensory quality of chocolate was not achieved by pre-crystallizing the chocolatre mass at the low pre-crystallization temperature of 23degC, not even with the addition of greater concentrations of the milk fat fraction MF26. A better quality of chocolate with the addition of the examined milk fat fraction is achieved only at higher pre-crystallization temperatures. It is, however, followed by a significant decrease in the SFC.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Investigated milk fat fraction differs in physical attributes, first of all in melting point and solid fat content and its influence on crystallization process of cocoa butter i.e. chocolate mass. It means that this fraction slows down crystallization rate, decreases melting point of mixture with cocoa butter and causes chocolate softness. It is very important for quality of chocolate especially chocolate with nuts or sunflower kernel. The aim of this paper was to investigate the influence of low-melting (26degC) milk fat fraction on crystallization processes in chocolate mass and define the optimal concentration of this fraction with suitable precrystallization temperature time regime. Solid fat content of chocolate which designates the influence of precrystallization changes in chocolate mass with addition of milk fat fractions was investigated.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The precrystallization was performed in a laboratory crystallizer that is in a modified Brabender pharinograph, which measures the rheological characteristics as indirect parameter of crystallization properties of chocolate mass depending on milk fat fraction concentration and precrystallization temperature. The experiments were performed according to the factorial plan 32 (two factors on three levels) and the results are statistically treated.\nFindings: - The results showed that the optimal conditions for achieving the satisfactory tempering rate (optimal concentration of crystals in chocolate mass) are addition of 3 per cent low-melting milk fat fraction and precrystallization temperature of 25degC.\nOriginality/value: - The addition of high-melting milk fat fraction slows down the chocolate mass crystallization more then low-melting milk fat fraction. Investigated fraction influenced decreasing in solid fat content of chocolate regardless of precrystallization temperature.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Student learning opportunities in traditional and computer-mediated internships
|
[
"Higher education",
"Learning outcomes",
"E-internship",
"Virtual internship",
"Work-integrated learning",
"Simulated internship"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Many higher education degree programmes have traditionally been focussed on the transfer of technical knowledge because such knowledge is seen to transcend the boundaries of different workplaces (Guile and Griffiths, 2001). More recently, the development of skills and knowledge required for students' successful transition from education to the workplace has received growing attention (e.g. see Arum and Roksa, 2011; Rosenberg et al., 2012; Jackson et al., 2014). A subset of this literature argues that students are unlikely to be prepared for contemporary workplace challenges if their degree focusses on the transfer of a finite set of knowledge (Coll and Zegwaard, 2006; Fleming, 2008; Bayerlein, 2015; Jackson et al., 2017). A modification of traditional knowledge-focussed degree programmes that is thought to address this shortcoming is the integration of internships into the curriculum (Business Industry and Higher Education Collaboration Council, 2007; Knouse and Fontenot, 2008; Burritt et al., 2010). Internships are expected to improve the graduate employability of students because they assist in the structured transition from the world of education to the world of work (Knouse et al., 1999; Guile and Griffiths, 2001).\n2. Students' internship learning experience: The current paper views all internship formats as structured student learning experiences (Beenen and Rousseau, 2010) that should enable students to transition from formal classroom learning into the predominantly informal and/or accidental learning environment of contemporary workplaces (Candy and Crebert, 1991). To master this transition successfully, internships should be specifically designed to support students in the development of cognitive, skill-based and affective learning outcomes (Kraiger et al., 1993). The current paper utilises the assessment strategy of Kraiger et al. (1993) to evaluate the potential that key student learning activities are available within each analysed internship format because their three criteria are conceptually aligned with other assessment approaches (e.g. see Abeysekera, 2006), and the individual nature of each criterion enables a criterion-by-criterion assessment which is not available in other assessment matrices.\n3. Introduction to predominant internship formats: The term internship itself has a variety of meanings and interpretations (Maertz et al., 2014). Following the prior literature (Jeske and Axtell, 2014; Maertz et al., 2014), the current paper utilises a higher education student focussed definition of internships, where all available internship formats are described as temporary (non-permanent) work placements that reflect a period of transition from higher education to the world of work.\n4. Comparative analysis of the three main internship formats: CMIs enable students to develop many of the learning outcomes and benefits of traditional internships discussed above (also, see Guile and Griffiths, 2001; Kavanagh and Drennan, 2008; Hergert, 2009; Burritt et al., 2010; De Lang and Watty, 2011; Rosenberg et al., 2012; Jackson et al., 2014). In addition, the descriptions of e-internships and simulated internships provided in the current paper highlight that CMIs are also able to address many of the limitations of traditional internships. A comparative summary of the extent to which both CMIs are able to achieve the learning outcomes, and to address the limitations, of traditional internships is provided in Table I.\n5. Conclusion: The current paper presented the findings of a conceptual literature review that compares the cognitive, skill-based and affective learning outcomes (Kraiger et al., 1993) that are expected to feature within the three analysed internship formats. In addition, the paper provided a conceptually based assessment of the extent to which e-internships and simulated internships are likely to be able to address the main limitations of traditional internships. Using these assessments, the paper developed a specific set of learning outcome expectations for each internship format, aimed at informing students and HEP personnel about the benefits and limitations of each format. In addition, the expectation sets developed in this paper may also inform future research in this area because they provide a basis against which CMIs may be assessed empirically.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a student learning outcome focussed assessment of the benefits and limitations of traditional internships, e-internships, and simulated internships to evaluate the potential of computer-mediated internships (CMIs) (e-internships and simulated internships) within higher education from a student perspective.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper undertakes a systematic conceptually based assessment of the extent to which CMIs are able to replicate the cognitive, skill-based and affective learning outcomes of traditional internships. In addition, the key limitations of traditional internships from a student perspective are identified, and the potential ability of CMIs to address these limitations is assessed.\nFindings: The findings of this paper highlight that CMIs are able to replicate most of the benefits of traditional internships, whilst concurrently addressing many of their limitations. However, the current paper also identifies a number of important limitations for student learning in CMIs, and provides advice that aims to assist students in maximising their learning outcomes in these situations.\nOriginality/value: The paper is the first to provide a systematic student learning outcome focussed comparison of traditional internships and CMIs. In addition, the paper establishes the high potential of simulated internships for student learning in higher education, and provides students, higher education providers and researcher with learning outcome focussed criteria sets that enable the empirical evaluation of CMIs in future research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Probability of change orders and the effect on cost and schedule for new public school buildings
|
[
"Construction",
"Project management",
"Design-bid-build",
"Construction site",
"Change orders"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Change orders (CO) are common in any type of project, whether for a school building project or another type. In Nevada, both private companies and public agencies are actively involved in construction projects. Public agencies have a strong presence in the construction of highways and other infrastructures, and private firms are more active in the construction of commercial and residential buildings. For both, however, the ultimate goal is to complete the project on time and within budget.\nLiterature review: Various studies had been conducted to determine the likelihood of COs and their effects on cost and schedule growth during the construction projects of buildings and highways. Ibbs (2012) analyzed 226 COs for large electrical and mechanical projects, and found that 40 percent of the projects had more than 10 percent of COs. In addition, this study found that there was a cumulative effect of COs on productivity, such that the productivity decreased as the COs increased. When comparing the planned and actual productivity of projects that had COs, the author found that when the COs were less than 5 percent in a project, the actual productivity for 60 percent of the projects exceeded the planned productivity. In contrast to this, when the projects had more than 20 percent COs, none of the projects' productivity exceeded the planned productivity.\nStudy methods: To conduct the necessary statistical analysis, detailed data for COs of new school buildings were collected from CCSD. This study was based on quantitative data; therefore, the authors used statistical methods to validate the findings of the study. No qualitative data were used in the study, and so the metrics for COs, cost and schedule growth were used in manner similar to that used by previous researchers. In addition, statistical tests were chosen based on the types of data and the population distribution. The data collection method; testing of hypotheses and development process for the metrics for COs, cost and schedule that were used in this study are described below.\nResults: The CO data and their probability as well as the data for the probability of schedule and cost growth were plotted using best-fit regression lines. Then, the effect of the COs on cost and schedule growth was determined by using t-tests. The results of these analyses are described as follows.\nDiscussion: Figure 5 shows that the maximum percentage of COs for CCSD school buildings was about 29 percent. This study showed that there was a 55 percent probability to have less than 5 percent COs, which is significantly higher than the study conducted by Ibbs (2012). Using data for 169 large projects from the Construction Industry Institute (CII), Ibbs et al. showed that there was about a 30 percent probability of having less than 5 percent COs. This indicates that new school building projects for CCSD performed better than that of CII industrial projects in terms of COs. In addition to this, the maximum COs that occurred in this study (29 percent) was significantly lower than in Ibbs et al.'s study (58 percent). In addition, the average COs for this study was found to be 5.9 percent compared to 8 percent found by Ibbs et al. Gunhan et al. (2007) also found that the range of COs for school building construction and renovation ranged between 4.6 and 6.8 percent.\nConclusions and recommendations: In any projects, changes made during the construction phase is detrimental to the cost and schedule. This study quantitatively analyzed COs for 95 projects for new school buildings to determine the probabilities and severity of these changes on cost and schedule growth. From data for new school buildings of CCSD in southern Nevada, this study showed that, on average, the amount of COs was less than for the school building projects analyzed by Gunhan et al. and for industrial projects of CII member companies analyzed by Ibbs et al.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Change orders (COs) adversely affect the cost and schedule of projects, specifically during the construction phase. COs of 95 new public school building projects contracted by the Clark County School District (CCSD) of Nevada were analyzed to quantify the cost and schedule growth as well as to determine the effect of COs on cost and schedule growth. The paper aims to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The data were collected from CCSD through questionnaire survey. Descriptive statistics and statistical tests were conducted to determine the effect of COs on cost and schedule growth.\nFindings: It was found that the average amount of COs as well as cost and schedule overruns were 5.9, 3.0 and 7.4 percent, respectively. Statistical tests showed that the amount of COs had an adverse effect on schedule growth; schedule overruns in projects with less than 4 percent COs were significantly lower than projects with more than 4 percent COs. Cost overruns did not significantly differ in those two types of projects. The primary contribution of this study is that it provides the tools and the framework for school district engineers to determine the probability of the occurrence of COs as well as the optimum percentage of COs for a minimum effect on cost and schedule growth of new public school buildings. Probability curves were also developed to determine the likelihood of the occurrence of COs, cost growth and schedule growth in these projects. These findings could be used by school districts to avoid or reduce COs in future projects, minimizing the effect on cost and schedule growth during the construction phase.\nResearch limitations/implications: The findings and the probabilities curves developed in this study should be used carefully in other cases. These data were specific to the owner, location and types of buildings and generalizing these findings may have negative consequences.\nPractical implications: The practical implications are that this study could provide a tool to school building administrators to determine the probability of having COs as well as cost and schedule overruns and the effects of COs on cost and schedule overruns. To the authors' best knowledge, no other studies of this type have been conducted previously.\nSocial implications: The social implication of this study is it will help to efficiently use the tax payers' money while building new school buildings.\nOriginality/value: This study has collected the hard data of COs, cost and schedule data of CCSD new school building projects. Therefore, the data are from the projects completed by CCSD. So, the paper is written from the original data received from CCSD.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Cross-cultural generalization of the effect of option choice framing on product option choices
|
[
"Consumer behaviour",
"Cross‐cultural studies",
"Decision making",
"Thailand",
"Singapore"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Product option selection is an important issue in consumer decision making because many product categories (for example, cars, computers, houses, home theaters, cameras and so forth) come with such an offer. How product options are presented to consumers can influence the way information is processed and the final purchase decision. Decisions may be framed by asking consumers to add product options they want to a base model (hereafter referred to as additive framing) or to delete product options they do not want from a fully equipped model (hereafter referred to as subtractive framing). For instance, when selling a wedding package, a bridal shop can offer a basic package that provides a wedding gown and a two-piece suit for the bride and groom. Additional services such as a bridal car, bridal bouquets, specially designed invitation cards and so on can be added to the package if the couple desires. Alternatively, the shop can sell a full package that provides a comprehensive range of services. The couple is then allowed to drop some of the services and hence obtain a \"discount\" in the package price.It has been found that when consumers had decided to make a purchase within a specified product category, subtractive framing resulted in a greater number of options chosen, higher total option prices (Biswas and Grau, 2008; Levin et al., 2002; Park et al., 2000), higher expected prices, and higher perceived value (Park et al., 2000), hence more benefits to marketers. Most studies in this area were based on American samples, except Levin et al. (2002) that also examined Italians and found that Italians responded the same way as Americans did.From a managerial contribution standpoint, it is important to examine whether the superiority of subtractive framing is valid in other cultures that are very different from American and whether it is valid in other product categories. If not, local marketers, as well as multinational marketers doing business in other non-American cultures, will find themselves following a less profitable strategy. From a theoretical contribution standpoint, as pointed out in Weber and Hsee's (2000) review of cross-cultural research in the field of judgment and decision making, there has been little research comparing Eastern and Western cultures on risk perception and risk preferences, which in turn can affect loss aversion and decision making.In response to the above important needs, the objective of this study is to examine the cross-cultural generalization of the effect of option choice framing on product option choices and other managerial and psychological variables in the context of a condominium purchase. Two cultures that are mostly similar to each other but are very different from American culture are chosen to validate and qualify past findings: Singaporean and Thai. According to Hofstede (1980), Singaporean and Thai cultures are collectivist while American culture is individualist, are high in power distance while American is low, and are moderately feminine (emphasizing caring for others and quality of life) while American is rather masculine (emphasizing success, money and things). However, Singaporean culture is very low while American is moderate and Thai is high in uncertainty avoidance. In terms of economic development of the three countries, USA is the most developed while Thailand is the least. In 2008, the per capita GDP of Singaporeans was US$39,886.86 with a saving ratio of 30.7 percent of personal disposable income, that of Thais was US$4,291.07 with a saving ratio of 4.3 percent of personal disposable income, and that of Americans was US$47,778.23 with a saving ratio of 3.4 percent (Euromonitor, 2009). Other cultural differences between Americans and Thais are detailed in Pornpitakpan (2000). The following presents the literature review, hypotheses for the effect of option choice framing on several dependent variables, methods, results, implications of the study, as well as suggestions for future research.\nTheoretical background and hypotheses: Effects of option choice framing on the number of options chosen and total option prices\nMethods: Research design\nResults: Check on product familiarity\nDiscussion: This research employs a 2 (additive vs subtractive framing) x 2 (Singaporean vs Thai participants) between-subjects factorial design. Participants add or delete options in a condominium purchase scenario. The majority of results in this study replicate those of past research on Italian (Levin et al., 2002) and American (Biswas and Grau, 2008; Levin et al., 2002; Park et al., 2000) samples, suggesting that these results might be robust across cultures. Interestingly, other findings contradict those reported in past studies and thus advance extant body of knowledge.The results in this study show that in both cultures, compared to participants in the additive framing condition, those in the subtractive framing choose more options and end up with higher total option prices. Consistent with Park et al. (2000), the results in the study support the idea that because the price of the full model is higher than the price of the base model, consumers in the subtractive framing condition tend to have a higher reference price than do consumers in the additive framing and consequently tend to perceive the product as being more prestigious. For both Singaporeans and Thais, compared to participants in the additive framing condition, those in the subtractive framing perceive that the product has a higher price, are less likely to categorize the product as belonging to an ordinary category (except there is no difference between framing conditions for Singaporeans), and are more likely to categorize the product as belonging to a prestigious category. The fact that consumers perceive the product as more prestigious in subtractive framing than in additive framing is favorable for marketers because this raises the product image. However, the fact that they perceive the product as more expensive in subtractive framing than in additive framing is unfavorable because this may decrease their purchase intention.Past studies found that people give more weight to utility losses than monetary losses (Hardie et al., 1993; Tversky and Kahneman, 1991) and are less used to the task of rejecting than the task of choosing an alternative (Shafir, 1993). Besides, forgoing options may be emotion laden and negative (Chatterjee and Heath, 1996), a situation found to induce more attribute-based and more thorough processing (Luce et al., 1997). Consistent with these findings, Park et al. (2000) found that people perceived more decision difficulty and took more time when they faced utility losses and rejecting tasks in the subtractive framing condition than when they faced monetary losses and choosing tasks in the additive framing condition.However, the results in this study indicate that for Singaporeans, the two option choice framing conditions do not differ in perceived decision difficulty. This might be because the option choice task is a scenario, not a real-life choice task in which participants have to spend real money. However, given that Park et al. (2000) also used scenario, this explanation appears untenable. This study also finds that Singaporeans (as manifested through longer decision time) and Thais (as manifested through higher perceived decision difficulty and longer decision time) feel a harder conflict when they face monetary losses in the additive framing condition than when they face utility losses in the subtractive framing. This result certainly qualifies the findings of past studies that people give more weight to utility losses than monetary losses. Together with the null effect of option choice framing on decision difficulty for Singaporeans, it suggests that Singaporeans and Thais may not make decisions in terms of choosing rather than rejecting as posited by Shafir (1993), and that they may not find the task of forgoing options negative and emotion-laden. Future research should reconcile these discrepant findings in a real purchase situation with more cultures as the rationales portrayed in the previous paragraph may not be cross-culturally valid.Subsequent to the proposition that consumers in the subtractive framing condition may choose more options (and hence obtaining more benefits) than may those in the additive framing while perceiving the final price low relative to the higher anchor price of the full model, they should feel that the product offers more value for money. Park et al.'s (2000) results and the results on Singaporeans in this study support this prediction. For Thais, the two option choice framing conditions do not differ in perceived value although similar to Singaporeans, Thais in the subtractive framing condition indeed choose more options than do those in the additive framing. This suggests that Thais might not compare the final option prices against the anchor price of the full model they start with. Instead, they might compare the benefits of the options against the prices of the options they choose, hence the invariant value for money across the two option choice framing conditions. It is interesting for future research to explore whether other cultures demonstrate the same result as that of Thai participants in this study.Apart from the above research suggestions, future research should investigate the effects of cultural differences/similarities and option choice framing in many other cultures and product categories that vary in terms of involvement and prices. The condominium used in this study and the car used in Park et al. (2000) are high price, high involvement products. It is interesting to examine whether the results in this study will hold in other cultures and in low price/involvement products. Set lunches/dinners are examples of low price products in which options can be added to a base menu or deleted from a full menu. Will consumers order more food and overeat if subtractive framing rather than additive framing is used for set lunches/dinners? Other examples of relatively low price products that can come as a full model for options to be deleted or a base model for options to be added include mobile phone services, tour packages, computer packages and gift baskets. In particular, gift basket prices are relatively not that high, but the purchase involvement is high because the social risk can be severe with inappropriate choices. Finally, future research may use participants who differ significantly in terms of wealth, social class and many other personality traits (such as frugality, price consciousness, value consciousness and financial concern) that may affect the weight given to utility losses vs monetary losses, and subsequently the effect of subtractive vs additive framing on option choices.In conclusion, option choice framing affects consumer decision making. This study finds that for both Singaporeans and Thais, compared to additive framing, subtractive framing results in a higher number of options chosen, higher total option prices, higher expected product prices and higher perceived product prestige. For Thais, compared to additive framing, subtractive framing also results in lower perceived decision difficulty and shorter decision time. For Singaporeans, compared to additive framing, subtractive framing results in shorter decision time and higher perceived value. Given these managerial benefits, it is suggested that subtractive option choice framing be used rather than additive framing. One caution is that in recession time, the use of subtractive framing may backfire because consumers perceive the product as more expensive than its counterpart presented under additive framing, thus lowering their purchase intention of the product. In addition, whenever marketers want consumers to perceive the starting price as low, the price of a base model should be emphasized as opposed to the price of a full model.Opens in a new window.Table I\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine the cross-cultural generalization of the effect of option choice framing on product option choices and other managerial and psychological variables.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The experiment employs 124 Singaporean and 96 Thai working adults, who add options to a base model or delete options from a full model in a condominium purchase scenario. Hypotheses are derived from the different weights for monetary losses and utility gains from adding options vs utility losses and monetary gains from deleting options.\nFindings: - For both Singaporeans and Thais, compared to additive framing, subtractive framing results in a higher number of options chosen, higher total option prices, higher expected product prices and higher perceived product prestige. For Thais, compared to additive framing, subtractive framing also results in lower perceived decision difficulty and shorter decision time. For Singaporeans, compared to additive framing, subtractive framing results in shorter decision time and higher perceived value.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The option choice task is a scenario, not a real-life choice task in which participants have to spend real money.\nPractical implications: - Subtractive option choice framing should be used rather than additive option choice framing. However, in recession time, the use of subtractive framing may backfire because consumers perceive the product as more expensive than its counterpart presented under additive framing, thus lowering their purchase intention of the product. In addition, whenever marketers want consumers to perceive the starting price as low, the price of a base model should be emphasized as opposed to the price of a full model.\nOriginality/value: - This study examines an important issue - whether the superiority of subtractive framing over additive framing reported in past research is valid in other cultures that are very different from American and whether it is valid in another product category. The results qualify past findings that people give more weight to utility losses than monetary losses.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Report on the Charleston Conference
|
[
"Collections management",
"Libraries",
"Conferences"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The annual Charleston Conference was held November 3-6, 2004 in Charleston, South Carolina. Books and serials in many formats were on the minds of the conference goers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - To report on the annual Charleston Conference, held November 3-6, 2004 in Charleston, South Carolina.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A summary of the main points of the conference.\nFindings: - Addresses questions and topics such as: how useful core book lists can be in 2004; new publishing models; a study of circulation data, ILL requests and WorldCat holdings of University of Colorado monographs; whether there is still funding for electronic full-text resources in the humanities and fine arts; the usage of print journals in the electronic age; citation data in the sciences regarding books; and the e-journal project at Drexel.\nOriginality/value: - This report is of interest to library and information management professionals.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Psychological characteristics and entrepreneurial intentions among secondary students
|
[
"Entrepreneurship education",
"Entrepreneurial intention",
"Psychological characteristics"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The educational system is one key area susceptible to interventions presenting entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to dependent employment. The support for this view comes from a wide literature review of enterprise, entrepreneurship and business creation. The evidence suggesting a positive link between education and entrepreneurship is robust (Gorman et al., 1997; Henry et al., 2003; Peterman and Kennedy, 2003; Fayolle et al., 2006; Ferreira et al., 2007; Raposo et al., 2008, Oosterbeek et al., 2010; von Graevenitz et al., 2010). Accordingly to Kuratko (2005, p. 580), \"it is becoming clear that entrepreneurship, or certain facets of it, can be taught\". More specifically, there is some evidence that entrepreneurship education plays a positive role in student entrepreneurial intentions (Pittaway and Cope, 2007; Nabi et al., 2010). Additionally, Collins and Moore (1964) posit how the entrepreneurial role might be culturally and experimentally acquired, and therefore influenced by education and training.\n2. Relationship between entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial (start-up business) intentions: hypotheses and model derivation: This study adopts the psychological approach to entrepreneurship. This approach focused on personality/psychological factors and characteristics is usually described as the trait approach to entrepreneurship (McClelland, 1961; Brockhaus, 1980). This line of research represents one of the earliest and more extensive researches on the factors that influence the decision to start up a business In spite of the fact that some criticise this approach and its predictive power (e.g Gartner, 1989), individual traits or personality characteristics remain one of the factors attracting the greatest research attentions (Robinson et al., 1991; Ho and Koh, 1992; Koh, 1996; Bakotic and Kruzic, 2010). For example, Mitton (1989) describes entrepreneurs as those displaying certain psychological characteristics such as a commitment to their work, a need for total control and an ability to cope with uncertainty and challenges.\n3. Methodology: This empirical research is based on a sample of 74 secondary students aged between 14 and 15 years old (average age 14.3 years old) of which 47.3 per cent are female. Data collection was undertaken through a self-administered in class survey questionnaire. This questionnaire was structured according to both the questionnaires conceived by Linan and Chen (2007) to assess entrepreneurial intentions, and by Koh (1996) for studying entrepreneurial characteristics. This thereby includes several groups of questions (each group including five to seven items) that operationalise the variables concerning start-up (entrepreneurial) intentions (Linan and Chen, 2007) and psychological characteristics (Koh, 1996). All these questions were formulated as sentences answered on a five-point Likert-scale, with 1 - \"completely disagree\" and 5 - \"completely agree\".\n4. Results: Descriptive analysis\n5. Discussion: In general, students are not prone to risk taking while returning high scores for innovativeness, and a positive level of locus of control, need for achievement and tolerance to ambiguity.\n6. Conclusions: The purpose of this paper involved understanding whether teenage students possess entrepreneurial characteristics and whether these characteristics relate to entrepreneurial intentions. Our results indicate that teenagers possess high levels of entrepreneurial characteristics, such as innovativeness, locus of control, need for achievement and tolerance to ambiguity, but that these are not related with any intention to start up businesses. Previous studies indicate that these characteristics are important features of entrepreneurs and should be incorporated into entrepreneurship education (Neck and Greene, 2011; Jusoh et al., 2011). Given this, the challenge to educators at this stage is to preserve, or increase, these psychological characteristics while simultaneously making students more self-confident, more aware about, and more interested in an entrepreneurial career. In other words, developing the motivation to become an entrepreneur (including content-specific motivational characteristics such as locus of control and self-efficacy beliefs) would seem a key aspect to developing entrepreneurial curricula, since, as mentioned by Somuncuoglu and Yildirim (1999), motivation represents a driving force for student learning goals.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test a model of entrepreneurial intentions among secondary students based on their psychological characteristics. Furthermore, this seeks to determine whether teenage students (14-15 years old) possess entrepreneurial characteristics and whether these characteristics correspond to entrepreneurial intentions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A sample of secondary students was chosen ranging from 14 to 15 years old. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analysed by univarite statistics and structural equations modelling (PLS) to measure the relationship between the psychological characteristics and entrepreneurial intentions.\nFindings: The results demonstrate there is a relationship between (some) psychological characteristics and entrepreneurial intentions. The propensity to risk negatively influences entrepreneurial intentions, meanwhile self-confidence and the need for achievement positively influence the construct. The relationship between tolerance and ambiguity, locus of control and innovativeness with entrepreneurial intentions reported no statistical significance.\nResearch limitations/implications: The results reinforce the idea that psychological characteristics (trait approach) influence entrepreneurial intentions. However, the model needs further development through the incorporation of behavioural characteristics. This would allow for the understanding of whether behaviour and trait theories oppose or complement each other.\nOriginality/value: The paper provides important evidence for improving entrepreneurship education for young students. First, it is important to incite and develop some psychological characteristics in order to promote entrepreneurial intentions. Second, entrepreneurship curricula should jointly develop both entrepreneurial characteristics and the awareness among students about the viability of an entrepreneurial career. This may be achieved not only by presenting entrepreneurs as role models, promoting an entrepreneurial culture but also by developing entrepreneurial skills that improve self-confidence.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Parental participation fees in school expenses in Israel
|
[
"Inequality",
"Free education",
"Parental fees"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The entitlement to education has been officially recognized as a human right since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 (Donnelly, 2013). This right is probably the main reason for the establishment of a free-education-for-all-children policy by many countries, providing schools that are financed by taxation. Additional reasons for this policy may be the potential impact of education on implementation of national values, its contribution to social cohesion, and its positive effect on citizens' earning capacity, influencing in turn the national economic situation.\nTheoretical background: Public Funding for Schools\nResearch context: This research explores the conduct of the State of Israel in terms of its policy concerning parents' participation in schooling costs. According to the Gini coefficient for measuring a nation's distributive inequality, Israel is among the five countries with the broadest gap between rich and poor, alongside the USA, Turkey, Mexico and Chile (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2014). Mindful of the great diversity among school populations, recent educational policy in Israel has been directed toward achieving high levels of equality in educational outcomes across the board. Nevertheless, Israeli students' academic achievements remain among the lowest in the industrialized countries, and students' educational gaps (achievement distributions) remain among the largest (BenDavid-Hadar and Ziderman, 2011).\nMethodology: The current study explores the Israeli school system. This system consists of public schools and private schools. Public schools serve about 1.33 million students, with approximately 67 percent in the Jewish sector and 33 percent in the Arab sector. The Jewish sector is divided into state schools (75 percent) and state-religious schools (25 percent). The Arab sector is divided into Arab schools (71 percent), Bedouin schools (22 percent) and Druze schools (7 percent). Most of private schools are ultra-orthodox religious schools, which serve about 270,000 students (Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, 2013b).\nFindings: Analysis of relevant documents shows that the Israeli policy in regard to parental payments in Israel has three main characteristics: high basic payments; payments for learning activities; and insufficient enforcement. These characteristics will be explored presently.\nDiscussion: This study's findings show that the Israeli policy in regard to school charges has several significant flaws. First, although Israel holds a free-education policy almost since its establishment (The State of Israel, 1949), education in Israel is not really free: the basic payments for a single student amount to hundreds of dollars a year (see Table I). It should be noted that the average number of children up to age 17 per household in Israel (for households in which there are children of this age group) is 2.4 (Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, 2013b). Thus, most households pay for more than one student. These data are compatible with the reports of school principals from various countries, mentioned in the theoretical background brought above, showing that the rate of government school funding in Israel is lower than the average across the OECD countries, with Israel ranking 26th of 33 in this context.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Many countries throughout the world provide all children with free education. However, sometimes there are user charges in publically funded schools worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to explore parental participation fees in school expenses in Israel, depicting the current situation and analyzing its implications.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Public documents from Israel were explored, such as guidelines of the CEO of the Ministry of education, laws, court rulings, publications of the Central Bureau of Statistics, reports of State Comptroller and reports of various committees. Document analysis was a three-stage process - condensing, coding and categorizing. The analysis was based on interpretation of the documents collected, attempting to detect explicit and implicit meanings concerning the topic at hand.\nFindings: Findings show that the Israeli policy in regard to parental payments has three main characteristics: first, high basic payments; second, payments for learning activities; and third, insufficient enforcement.\nPractical implications: According to the findings of this study, it would be advisable to re-examine the Israeli policy in regard to school charges that parents are required to pay.\nOriginality/value: There is not much research to be found on the subject of parental participation fees in school expenses. The findings of this study expand the limited knowledge existing on this topic.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Perceived pay communication, justice and pay satisfaction
|
[
"Pay communication",
"Organizational justice",
"Pay satisfaction",
"Universities",
"United States of America"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Although pay is the major reward component in nearly all organizations (Scott et al., 2005), few firms spend much time and effort communicating to their employees about how pay is determined and allocated (Balkin and Gomez-Mejia, 1985; Lawler, 2003; Scott et al., 2005). Indeed, surveys show that many employees are dissatisfied about how well they understand their pay (Rogers et al., 2003). Since pay is often seen as confirmation of one's status in and value to the organization, the emotional and behavioral impact of misunderstanding compensation systems can be great (Jones et al., 1999; Rogers et al., 2003). Further, evidence exists that communication about management practices can increase organizational commitment, job satisfaction, performance, pay satisfaction and perceptions of pay fairness, and encourage a positive psychological job contract (Brown and Huber, 1992; Cappelli and Sherer, 1988; Dreher et al., 1988; Dyer and Theriault, 1976; Goris et al., 2002; Heneman and Judge, 2000; Lawler, 1981; Mulvey et al., 2002; Putti et al., 1990; Vakola and Bouradas, 2005; Wimalasiri, 1995; Winter and Jackson, 2006). Ensuring that employees are satisfied with their remuneration is critical: pay dissatisfaction has been shown to influence cognitions and behaviors, including performance, commitment, trust, theft, job search, union sentiments, benefit choice, turnover, intention to quit, organizational effectiveness and tardiness (Currall et al., 2005; Heneman and Judge, 2000; Kisilevitz et al., 2006; Tekleab et al., 2005; Williams et al., 2006).This study investigates how employees' perceptions about pay communication affect critical attitudes like justice perceptions and pay satisfaction in a US public sector organization. This is an important research topic, particularly for these organizations, which have open pay systems. Indeed, past public sector research shows that pay system elements are experienced more favorably when employees trust their organizations (Condrey, 1995). Unfortunately, research suggests that workers in public sector organizations seem to experience long-term management mistrust (Page et al., 2007).Contributions of the paper\nPerceived pay communication, justice, and pay satisfaction: Employers are more successful in motivating employees when their decisions are relevant, appropriate and acceptable in their particular organizational context (Behrend, 1988). Educating workers on what is expected from them, and what they will receive in exchange, will increase the effectiveness of the organization's reward system (Behrend, 1981). Research shows that pay communication can help communicate management's intention to pay fairly and that pay communication is associated with a number of positive outcomes, including pay-for-performance perceptions, performance improvement, retention, organizational commitment, trust in management, empowerment, improved decision making, positive and open-work climates, improved organizational effectiveness, and pay satisfaction (Brown and Huber, 1992; Cappelli and Sherer, 1988; Dreher et al., 1988; Dyer and Theriault, 1976; Heneman and Judge, 2000; Judge, 1993; Lawler, 1981; Mulvey et al., 2002; Nikandrou et al., 2000; Williams and Levy, 1992; Williams, 1995). In summing up the extant research on pay communication and pay satisfaction, Heneman and Judge (2000, p. 76) state that, \"a consistent emerging theme was that communication with employees about the nature of the [pay] program [...] enhanced pay satisfaction\".However, the nature of the relationship between pay communication and pay satisfaction is not clearly understood. Why would simple communication about pay improve desirable outcomes? In particular, why does pay communication predict satisfaction with pay? It is commonly accepted that the majority of American workers are dissatisfied with their pay (Leonard, 2001), but research has found that simply communicating with workers about pay improves their satisfaction with it. Why would this be?Pay communication predicts pay satisfaction because knowledge about pay enhances workers' perceptions that pay practices are fair. Employees hold systems of beliefs about pay and develop expectations of pay increases and other aspects of their compensation based on past employer practices, and these belief systems affect feelings of pay equity (Behrend, 1974, 1977, 1988). Educating workers about pay determination may increase justice perceptions by showing them that the organization sets pay equitably, based on reasonable elements (Hanley, 1988). Indeed, unless the organization communicates pay determination processes, fairness perceptions regarding pay are unlikely to develop (Jones et al., 1999; Lee et al., 1999).Further, as will be discussed below, justice perceptions have predicted pay satisfaction in many studies (Berkowitz et al., 1987; Folger and Konovsky, 1989; Greenberg, 1993, 2006; Jones et al., 1999; McFarlin and Sweeney, 1992; Scarpello and Jones, 1996; Sweeney and McFarlin, 1993). In other words, for employees to be satisfied with their pay, they must believe that it is justly determined and distributed. Pay communication enhances justice perceptions, which increases pay satisfaction. This investigation into how the relationship between pay communication and satisfaction comes about - through enhanced justice perceptions - is a major contribution of this paper. The next sections describe the dynamics of:* how perceptions of pay communication predict justice perceptions; and* how justice perceptions predict pay satisfaction dimensions, creating a mediation effect between perceived pay communication and pay satisfaction.\nHypothesized relationships: Perceived pay communication predicting justice perceptions\nMethod: Research context\nResults: Means, standard deviations, and correlations are found in Table II. Analyses were conducted using SEM (AMOS 6.0). Since pay level is often correlated with pay satisfaction (Hemmasi et al., 1992; Heneman and Judge, 2000; Lee et al., 1999), the input to the program was a partial correlation matrix that controlled for pay level (Lee et al., 1999).To ensure that common method variance was not problematic, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed to see if a common factor would emerge using the 24 observed communication and justice variables (Podsakoff and Organ, 1986). This model fit the data very poorly (kh2(251)=6,820, CFI=0.07; RMSEA=0.26). Thus, common method variance is unlikely to exist in these data.Measurement model\nDiscussion: The findings of this study reveal that when workers believe they receive pay communication, they feel more fairly treated in terms of procedures, distributions, interpersonal treatment, and information received. In turn, these justice perceptions seem to mediate the relationships between perceived pay communication and pay satisfaction. Pay satisfaction depends, then, not only on pay communication itself, but on the effect that communication has on justice. Pay communication predicts not only how workers perceive justice in their work environment, but also how satisfied they are with pay.As hypothesized, perceived pay communication is more strongly associated with perceptions of procedural than distributive justice. Further, procedural and distributive justice are more critical to pay satisfaction than are interpersonal or informational justice, and distributive justice is most predictive of all. Perceived pay communication also directly predicts all dimensions of pay satisfaction except satisfaction with benefits.Confirming previous research (Colquitt et al., 2001), distributive justice significantly predicts all four pay satisfaction dimensions, but procedural justice shows weaker relationships. Interactional justice shows no significant relationships with satisfaction, except that the dimension of interpersonal justice negatively predicts pay administration satisfaction. Perhaps supervisors who spent time carefully and courteously communicating to their subordinates about pay actually conveyed to their workers, accurately or inaccurately, that the organization's reward program is poorly administered.It is notable that perceived pay communication does not have a direct relationship with benefits satisfaction. Pay communication, as operationalized in this study, focuses on pay, not on benefits, so this finding may be an artifact of the measure. Alternatively, workers in this sample are more satisfied with their benefits than with other aspects of pay (Table I), so benefit satisfaction may be less dependent on communication than other dimensions.Findings in light of the organizational context\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Although some research shows that positive outcomes occur when workers understand how their pay is determined, little is known about the dynamics of how pay communication affects pay satisfaction. This research proposes that the relationships between pay communication and pay satisfaction exist because justice perceptions mediate them. Pay communication is of particular interest to managers of public sector organizations, where many aspects of the pay system are in the public domain, and without adequate communication, may be easily misunderstood by workers. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The study consists of a sample of 384 employees of a Midwestern public university in the USA who completed two questionnaires. Structural equation modeling is used.\nFindings: - Pay communication has both direct and mediated relationships with pay satisfaction (satisfaction with pay level, benefits, pay raise, and pay administration). Distributive justice accounts for more variance in all pay satisfaction dimensions than procedural justice. Interpersonal and information justice are essentially unrelated to pay satisfaction.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The sample over-represents women, non-minorities, and workers with long-service records. Results may not be generalizeable to other organizational contexts, particularly to private sector organizations.\nPractical implications: - Perceived pay communication predicts not only pay satisfaction, but also perceptions of organizational justice. In turn, justice's mediation is critical to enhancing satisfaction with pay. Organizations should carefully design and implement pay communication programs.\nOriginality/value: - First, the relationships between perceived pay communication and pay satisfaction are shown to be, in part, based on justice perceptions. Second, issues of pay communication have rarely been studied in US public sector organizations, which require open pay systems. Third, this paper presents improvements in measures and other methods over past research in pay communication.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The service-profit chain in call centre services
|
[
"Customer satisfaction",
"Performance",
"Call centres",
"Remote services",
"Service-profit chain"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction and aim of the study: The service-profit chain (SPC) model (Heskett et al., 1994, 1997) proposes a number of direct relationships spread across the business process in order to explain firm performance. In essence, the model suggests that sound human resource (HR) practices will lead to satisfied employees, which in turn leads to satisfied customers and this will ultimately stimulate growth and profitability, as illustrated in Figure 1. Beyond its obvious intuitive appeal and face value, the SPC makes two main contributions to service management: first, the model draws attention to the intermediate steps that allow us to consider the link between HR practices and company performance. Second, the SPC highlights important links in service management by considering both HR (employee) and marketing (customer) elements, which are traditionally dealt with separately by different literatures. Service management science, however, has kept traditional constructs such as satisfaction and firm performance at the core of its interest base (Ranaweera and Sigala, 2015).\nCall centre service: voice-to-voice (V2V) encounters: In general, service employees tend to be the most direct form of contact the company has with its customers. In fact, for many consumers, to all intents and purposes, the service employees are the company (Culbertson, 2009; Thomas, 1993). Thus, what happens between the customer and the service employee during a service encounter, in terms of what is expressed both verbally and non-verbally, is likely to leave a lasting impression on the customer (Noone et al., 2009). In the case of call centres, this implies that the employees of the call centre are perceived as the embodiment of the company, regardless of whether these employees actually work for the company in an in house call centre, or whether they work for another company in the case of outsourced call centres.\nThe SPC: contributions and limitations: The SPC has achieved ample recognition in the academic and professional literature. The model has been examined in a wide range of national and cultural contexts such as in Europe in the UK, Ireland (Gelade and Young, 2005) and Germany (Homburg et al., 2009), in the USA (Lau, 2000), and in Asian countries such as Korea (Kim, 2014) and China (Xu and Geodegebuure, 2005; Xu and van der Heijden, 2005) in Arab countries such as Kuwait (Sharif, 2009). However, the model has been applied in a more narrow subset of service contexts, most of which involve traditional F2F services, such as restaurants (Kim, 2014), hotels (Salanova et al., 2005) and travel agencies (Homburg et al., 2009) within the tourism industry, as well as retail banking (Gelade and Young, 2005), sales (Maritz and Nieman, 2008) and grocery retail (Silvestro and Cross, 2000; Silvestro, 2002).\nThe applicability of the SPC: issues from the call centre literature: As mentioned in the introduction, the SPC (Heskett et al., 1994, 1997) establishes a number of links between key business elements that drive company performance. The sequence of links is illustrated in the SPC model shown in Figure 1. There are no previous studies that examine the broad spectrum of causal relationships proposed by the SPC in the specific context of call centre services. Although to examine all of the relationships in the model is beyond the scope of this study, we will examine relationships across the model, including elements from the beginning, middle and end of the SPC. The call centre literature does present us with some evidence of specific links in the SPC although the focus of the papers is not on the SPC but on more narrowly defined relationships (e.g. how certain HR practices impact upon agent satisfaction, absenteeism, turnover, etc.). Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that there is a considerable body of qualitative studies that offer a more nuanced view of the intricacies of specific HR elements and outcomes in the SPC (Connell and Burgess, 2006). In this section, we mainly focus on reviewing the core organisational level links in the SPC that are tested in our study and for which there is evidence in the call centre literature.\nMethodology: Data collection and sample\nResults: As this study examines a complex chain of cause-effect relationships, the most appropriate analytical procedure is SEM (Bollen, 1989). SEM has been widely employed in studies of the SPC (Chand, 2010; Gelade and Young, 2005; Yee et al., 2011). The data analysis was carried out using EQS software (Bentler, 1989) in order to estimate the measurement and structural models. Maximum likelihood estimation was employed in order to test the SPC in call centres, and robust statistics were used in order to correct for non-normality of the data (Satorra and Bentler, 2001).\nDiscussion: This study extends the reach of the SPC model by demonstrating that it applies beyond the context for which it was originally envisaged, i.e. high-human capital investment and F2F services. By testing the model in the call centre sector, this study demonstrates that the SPC model can also serve as a guide towards the achievement of organisational performance, even where the originally envisaged conditions are not present.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the explanatory power of the service-profit chain (SPC) model in a context that differs from its original conception. The authors do so by considering whether the main relationships it proposes apply in the context of call centre services, characterised by remote services and cost cutting business models.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The data were gathered from a survey of call centre management with a sample of 937 call centres from 14 countries. The analysis was carried out using structural equation modelling.\nFindings: Findings reveal that the SPC model behaves somewhat differently in call centres. Although there is general support for most of the links in the model, the results indicate that customer satisfaction in the call centre industry is a separate outcome, rather than a precursor to company performance.\nResearch limitations/implications: As is common in most research of this type, the present study is based on cross-sectional data.\nPractical implications: Managers would be well advised to keep in mind that even minimum investments in human capital can make a difference in customer satisfaction and company results.\nOriginality/value: This is the first study to examine the main links in the SPC in non-traditional, non-face-to-face services. It demonstrates that the basic logic of the model is upheld, thus providing evidence that the boundaries of the SPC model may be further pushed in line with the peculiarities of the evolving service economy. Also, the authors make a methodological contribution by proposing a series of organisational level proxies for measuring elements of the chain that are typically assessed using individual level data that is expensive to gather.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A conceptual overview of a holistic model for quality in higher education
|
[
"Quality",
"Total quality management",
"Quality management",
"Higher education"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nSetting the scene: contemporary management issues: Contemporary challenge for higher education comes from the demands of political leaders for access for a greater share of the country's population to meet the demands of the new economy. This is exacerbated by the growing concern that the skills and attitudes young people bring to their roles as workers and citizens are inadequate (Newman, et al., 2004, p. 1). Additional complicating factor is that worldwide there is a rapid decrease in the funding per student (e.g. the average reduction of 5 per cent per annum in the per capita funding in the 1990s in the UK) (Ford, et al., 1996, p. 9).The national governments all around the world, as the major funding bodies for higher education, have initiated elaborate Quality assessment procedures to regulate educational standards. Despite this, research literature is relatively silent on whether improved academic standards and learning outcomes have occurred as a result of the worldwide movement of quality assessments. In any case, the amount of effort invested by the governments shows the desperation to bring about a fundamental improvement in the quality of management in higher education (Brennan & Shah, 2001, chapter 10).This information disseminated from the government intervention has fuelled an interest in the mass media to construct league tables and other forms of rankings of institutions. The difficulty with the resultant competition among the higher education institutions lies in the narrowness of the goals that have emerged. National rankings of institutions by media are based on a variety of indicators which tell little about the actual quality of learning taking place in the institution (Pascarella and Terenzini, 1998, p. 592).Access to higher education for all sections of the community has become vital to full civic and economic participation in society. But in the intense and fierce competition for students with high marks, which gives the institutions a better rating, such equity issues get continuously sidelined. For example, in the USA typically 48 per cent of young persons from high-income families complete their university education compared to only 7 per cent from low-income families. This situation is clearly a recipe for a future crisis (Mortenson, 2003).In higher education, independence is prized and shared governance is valued by the academics. Hence the leadership challenge is enormous. Historically, little attention has been devoted to this issue. There is a characteristic lack of leadership, in all aspects of governance in higher education. Borders are firmly entrenched between departments and dissension is most pronounced across academic and administrative wings. The challenge to the higher education leadership, is to build activities in campuses, to reaffirm the common purposes (Lucas, 1996, pp. 26-7).Trustworthiness of university research is a crucial foundation of the integrity of scholarship. The corporate gifts to university research grew by 500 per cent in the period from mid 80s to mid 90s in the US. Many, citing a number of disturbing trends, question whether the integrity of universities, \"as a principal source of criticism about social and political trends\", is compromised by limiting, \"what they say so as not to offend potential donors\" (Newman et al., 2004, p. 62). This makes it clear that there is a demonstrable failure by the higher education leadership, to assert its core values in the midst of turbulent changes in the society.Based on the discussions above, the dichotomies between rhetoric and reality in higher education is recapitulated in the Table I (Elfin, 2003; Newman et al., 2004, pp. 66-7). The current tensions in management of higher education have arisen as Governments have adopted an interventionist style of quality assessment, to make the higher education sector adopt rational management models. But the fundamental question is, what model is appropriate to make the development of students' critical reflection and professional competence possible? (Radford, et al., 1997, pp. 53-4) An effective way to address the issue is to adopt an approach of synthesis of existing knowledge in the field of management development, both in business and educational literature, to emphasise quality educational delivery. Such a model would then serve as a basis for the development of a collective consciousness or shared values, among the stakeholders of an institution. Both development and implementation aspects of such a model should be considered in order to assess its suitability to higher education (Srikanthan and Dalrymple, 2002).\nDevelopment of alternative perspectives for quality: The role of a university, as understood in its earliest days of formation in the medieval period (13th century Oxford, Paris etc.), was one of subservience to, or confrontations with, religious dogma and political ideologies. Therefore, the founding fathers of modern universities enshrined academic freedom in teaching and learning, as central to the development of universities (Thelin, 1982, p. 75). This value should be embedded at the core of any quality model to successfully meet the contemporary criteria of service.Pre-1990s: quality control\nSynthesis: a holistic model for quality in higher education: Approach to quality management in higher education\nDeveloping the elements of quality management model for education (QME): Core elements of the quality model for education\nImplementation of the holistic model: Approach to implementation\nA review of the model development: The purpose of the paper, as defined initially, is to seek answers to the question for investigation centred around the feasibility of a suitable model for quality in higher education. Subsequently, the theoretical feasibility of a model for quality addressing both service and education, was established with a summary listing of its features. These establish the theoretical potential for the development of the model for quality in higher education addressing both the service and education areas.On the implementation front, initially, the need for a more proactive approach to the holistic model, as opposed to the traditional quality systems following standard methodologies, was identified. A methodology for the implementation of the holistic model is developed, based on Senge's (1994, pp. 15-47) proposal for a generic model for building learning in organisations. As conducive actions are consistently pursued, a domain of enduring change is likely to begin to take place, setting in motion the virtuous cycle of quality improvements in the operational areas of the institution. Thus, overall, the developments in the paper establish a theoretical feasibility of a comprehensive quality system for higher education.\nList of acronyms used: ISO International Standards OrganisationQM Quality ManagementQME Quality Management in Education modelTQM Total Quality Management modelUK United KingdomUS/USA United States of America\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to develop an overarching basis to consider issues of quality in higher education.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - An attempt is made to synthesise different approaches to management in higher education.\nFindings: - The article concludes that it is possible to synthesise a model, based on existing literature, to uniquely address higher education.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The model developed is a conceptual one as emphasised by the title.\nOriginality/value: - Provides a thought framework for addressing the quality issues in higher education.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The effect of hedonic and utilitarian values on satisfaction and loyalty of Airbnb users
|
[
"Product involvement",
"Customer loyalty",
"Customer satisfaction",
"Hedonic value",
"Airbnb",
"Utilitarian value"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Recently, the business marketplace has been inundated with new startup companies that follow a novel economic model called the \"sharing economy\". This model began as a new socioeconomic system that allows for shared creation, distribution and consumption of products and services among individuals (Tussyadiah and Pesonen, 2015). Compared to the traditional business system, this unique trend is viewed as an alternative consumption mode that offers more value for less cost (Botsman and Rogers, 2010; Gansky, 2010; Lamberton and Rose, 2012; Sacks, 2011). First, most sharing economy companies have unique operating systems in that most transactions are made exclusively online. This setting provides more economic benefits to both the service providers and customers and better accessibility to the services and products (Stephany, 2015). Second, these companies essentially rely on establishing a sense of trust among people (Ufford, 2015). For instance, Airbnb enables hosts and guests to create trust in each other by ensuring that the users establish faith in a provider's reliability and a sense of security during the transaction (Ert et al., 2015; Wirtz and Lwin, 2009). Third, the sharing economy business model enables users to experience a greater number of unique interactions with service providers compared to existing commercial businesses. Because some travelers, for example, prefer the experience of staying in a home rather than a hotel, Airbnb provides distinctive types of accommodation and residential options (Airbnb, 2016; Guttentag, 2015).\n2. Literature review: 2.1 The sharing economy and Airbnb\n3. Research design and methodology: 3.1 Sample and data collection\n4. Results: 4.1 Demographic information\n5. Conclusion: 5.1 Discussion\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between customer values, satisfaction and loyalty in the context of Airbnb.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The survey questionnaires were developed based upon review of previous studies. The samples were collected from US- based Airbnb users. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.\nFindings: The result of this study indicates that first, Airbnb users' hedonic value has a positive impact on satisfaction and loyalty, while utilitarian value influences only on satisfaction. Second, this study also shows that product involvement plays as a moderating role in the paths between hedonic value and customer satisfaction.\nResearch limitations/implications: Study findings may help researchers understand the roles of hedonic and utilitarian values and their impacts on satisfaction and loyalty in the context of Airbnb. This study also contributes to Airbnb marketers in fulfilling users' expectations about the company.\nOriginality/value: This research contributes to the hospitality literature by expanding the realm of research on Airbnb, which is a unique company applying the sharing economy concept in the lodging industry.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Human capital management: 2nd generation
|
[
"Human resource management",
"Human capital",
"Performance management",
"Leadership",
"Technology led strategy"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The 1st Generation of Human Capital Management (HCM) addressed business needs through the system integration of recruiting, learning, performance, and succession planning. HCM solutions were introduced on the heels of \"stand alone\" applications that automated each of these processes independently and by a variety of providers. Prior to these \"pointed solutions\", developed by vendors that failed to see the big picture, the HR Function provided basic payroll and benefit systems. HCM has evolved significantly in the past two decades and now organizations are realizing that the \"technology\" is only part of the solution. The remaining pieces of the puzzle, content and services, will be the major focal point in the next generation of HCM solutions.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to help organizations improve the overall effectiveness and utilization of talent management systems, including analysis of the evolution of technology and predictions regarding the next generation of systems, based on trends and organizational needs.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Research for this article is based on over 15 years of research and actual implementation of talent management solutions. Discussions with organizations, analysts and providers provided key input to the findings. The article approaches human capital management globally, holistically and comprehensively.\nFindings: - Results of the research confirmed that organizations still struggle with achieving a high success rate when implementing such systems. Utilization and effectiveness is directly linked to the overall solution, including content and services, as well as the technology.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Statistically, the research did not include every industry and nationality.\nPractical implications: - Organisations that are seeking to deploy talent management systems should consider providers that can provide content and service, directly or via partners. The content and services should be examined as part of the overall solution and not post-implementation.\nOriginality/value: - Providers of talent management solutions are very fragmented and do not generally take an holistic approach. The concepts outlined in this paper provide human resources management with practical, \"best in class\", guidelines for deploying such solutions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Having a voice: the quest for democratic policing in Southern Africa
|
[
"Trade unions",
"South Africa",
"Police",
"Policing",
"Labour",
"Social action"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: In February 2007, a group of Swaziland police officers came together to form a police union. Unsurprisingly, the Swaziland Government refused to recognise or register the union. The current Industrial Relations Act bar members of the police or the security forces more generally from joining or forming a union (Nxumalo, 2007). The Swazi police officers who have been advocating for police rights have been threatened with arrest. They have turned to the Police, Prisons and Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) in South Africa for strategic direction and legal advice. POPCRU, as the first police union to be registered in Southern Africa has become a flag bearer for police social and labour rights in the Southern African region.\nPolice as unionists: The growth of police unionism worldwide is an indication that police officers are increasingly concerned with their workplace rights and workplace participation. It is not surprising, therefore, that observers of the police note that, \"like it or not, police unions have become an increasingly prominent feature of the modern agency and its environment of interested parties\" (Magenau and Hunt, 1989, p. 553). The quest for police labour and social rights is proliferating. In April 2006, the Gujarat High Court (India) determined that the police have a fundamental right to form an association or union. This determination followed a petition filed by various police associations (and with support from senior police officials) challenging a government decision to cancel recognition of the associations (Dave, 2006). This trend (Marks and Fleming, 2006) is likely to continue particularly in democratising countries, as police union networks both regionally and internationally come into contact with police employees who have not been awarded basic labour rights. How these demands will be configured will depend on national, regional and international regulatory networks and institutions.Police industrial action has littered public police history from the mid-nineteenth century up until the present day. As early as 1882, the Dublin Metropolitan Police engaged in industrial action although it would be another 40 years before the police in Ireland formed police associations. In the same period, the French police collectively agitated for improved working conditions (Emsley, 2000). In Australia, police unions[3] had been established in the various states by the mid-1920s (Swanton, 1976)[4]. In other parts of Europe police employees came together under the banner of the Internationale Foderation der Polizeibeamtem, \"... prepared to organise and issue demands on their own behalf\" (Emsley, 2000, p. 97). In the UK, police strikes in 1918 and further unrest in 1919 prompted the police commissioner to order all police officers to leave the union, \"on threat of dismissal\" (Judge, 1994, pp. 21-2). Strike activity in Boston in the USA in the same year, generated disquiet amongst police administrations worldwide when 19 police were suspended for union activities (Kliesmet, 1989).Since that time police unions in most western industrial countries have established themselves as pivotal players in the employment relationship between workers, management and government authorities. Yet despite the long history of police union rights and the institutionalisation of police unions in many countries, police managers and employers continue to view police unions as disruptive entities, and as bodies that resist reform and challenge managerial prerogative (James, 2002). Their antagonism is not simply a response to police union defensiveness, but also a response to the reality that police unions have hastened the breakdown of militaristic aspects of police organisational culture (O'Malley, 2005).In post-conflict and newly democratising countries, police unions are viewed as potentially insurrectionist bodies, threatening newly attained peace and stability. In countries with authoritarian governments such as Swaziland, unionisation within the police threatens unquestioning responsiveness to government orders. Police unions are viewed as undermining much needed \"discipline\" within police organisations (More, 2002) and as \"crippling management's control\" (Grimes, 1975; Banton, 1974). Where unions have looked to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for support they have been disappointed (Marks and Fleming, 2006).It is argued here that the challenges presented by police unions are positive. They have the capacity to confront existing (undemocratic) occupational cultures, to promote organisational accord and to forge positive reform.\nLabour rights in police organisations: According to the ILO (2000), freedom of association and the right to organise and bargain collectively are fundamental human rights. The ILO maintains that through encouraging the full realisation of these rights a \"decent work-cycle\" is established, which has the potential to increase productivity, income, and profits for all concerned.However, the guarantees provided in the ILO conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining does not apply automatically to the police and the armed forces. Instead, police labour rights are to be determined by national laws or regulations (ILO, 2003). These national frameworks are themselves dependent on a number of national dynamics including broad labour law legislation (at all levels of government), party political standpoints, social movement environments and the configuration of police organisations.It is not surprising that while police unions are permitted in most (western) liberal democracies, they are prohibited in societies with transitional or authoritarian governments. Where collective bargaining and freedom of association are proscribed (for example, in most African, South American and Asian countries and in many Eastern European countries), governments argue that access to core labour rights will negatively impact on the operational efficiency of the police. In these countries, government and police managers maintain that awarding police the rights to collective bargaining and freedom of association will diminish discipline and emasculate the chain of command (Marks and Fleming, 2006).The following section discusses basic labour rights, and argues that extending these rights to police will be likely to create more democratic police organisations and practice.Collective representation\nAddressing concerns: Yet, despite such reassurances, police unionism remains threatening in the eyes of police authorities. Below there is brief mention of two concerns (and there are others) of police authorities in regard to police unionisation, and also police union leaders' responses to these concerns.Police managers and employers worry that if police have the right to unionise and to collectively bargain, they could choose to engage in strike action (Grimes, 1975). The reality is that police unions across the world have been reluctant to strike and generally police unions have not argued for the right to withdraw their labour (Reiner, 1978). Police unionists argue that the communities that the police serve are most harmed by strike activity, and that criminals are the ones who benefit from such action[9].In the absence of the right to strike, police unions across the world have called for the institutionalisation of dispute resolution and arbitration processes. In most countries, legislation constrains the boundaries of police industrial action. Grievance procedures, tribunals and conciliation and arbitration avenues are all designed to prevent \"aggressive industrial bargainers\" (James, 2002). Police unions have been actively involved in shaping and promoting these alternative institutions and processes with positive results in terms of labour peace and social dialogue.Finally, police managers worry that extending labour rights to the police will serve to undermine management prerogative (Wright, 1995; Hewitt, 1978). Police unionists interviewed, however, indicated that they did not feel the unions should have the right to interfere with operational matters. As Ron de Lord, a Police Unionist from Texas who was involved in the formation of ICPRA put it:The onus is upon police managers to indicate the limits of collective bargaining and to come to agreement with police labour organisations on this issue. We are primarily interested in \"flavour of the day management theories\", political whims and management issues such as training, diversity management, disciplinary systems and professional opportunity - issues that impact on the way we do the job. We are not necessarily interested in operational issues unless they fall into those categories[10].Police unionists recognise and value the police ranking structure as well as the importance of command structures and discipline. This is perhaps because police unionists and their members tend to identify themselves primarily as police officers, rather than as unionists. Ideally, according to one police unionist from Australia, police unions would prefer to leave operational decision-making to police managers and supervisors[11].Perhaps, this is, as Grimes argued four decades ago, because police unions do not want to take responsibility for any disastrous outcomes that may result from operational decision making. The fear then that police unions will undermine the operational authority of police leaders seems unwarranted, although admittedly it is sometimes difficult to separate workplace issues from more operational matters.\nConclusion: Regional and international networks of police unions are growing in strength and influence. Even in countries characterised by extremely authoritarian governments, police officers are now using the language of rights and citizenship and are determined to have their collective voices heard (Griffin, 2001). While in Southern Africa at present the only country that awards police the right to unionise and to bargain collectively is South Africa, there are moves from below challenging current police regulations and labour legislation. These efforts are likely to be supported and even advanced by organisations like POPCRU and international networks like the ICPRA.Resistance to the extension of labour rights to the police is likely to continue. But what needs to be borne in mind is that, despite the apprehensions of governments and senior police management towards police unions, where they do exist and are strong, the sky has not fallen and chaos has not ensued. If international police union experience is anything to go by, management and employer fears about strike imperative of police unions and the erosion of managerial prerogative seems unwarranted.Through collective representation and access to collective bargaining, police unions have added considerably to the fabric of police organisations. Through collective representation police officers have been able to engage significantly in co-determination processes and participate in decision-making forums; often contributing significantly to improvements within the organisation and the bolstering of rank-and-file morale.Interviews with police union leaders reveal a desire to work collaboratively with police managers to forge police organisations that embrace democratic reform, and to improve productivity. The presence of police unions may in fact facilitate smoother processes and decision making within police organisations, given shared professionalism agendas and a climate of social dialogue. Police are more likely to be receptive to management initiatives if they have \"reason to believe that the department will not treat them in an arbitrary fashion\" (Halpern, 1974).In 2005, Canadian Criminologist Pat O'Malley recommended that police managers review their oppositional stance to police unions to consider them as \"mediums of change\". As partners, he suggests, police managers and unions could work together in moving away from \"the old military guild of public police, toward the formation of a public business corporation, and a privileged labour force, in a segmented policing market\".It is hoped that this paper has opened some space for policing and employment relations scholars and also police managers to deliberate on the important role of police unions and police labour rights in a rapidly changing policing environment. Police organisations in the Southern African region should not avoid these deliberations. If they do, it is likely that reform initiatives from below will clash with those from above and ongoing instability in the police workplace will persist.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Efforts by police organisations to unionise and to increase their social and labour rights is an international phenomenon, and one that is becoming more vigorous in the Southern African region. However, many governments are wary of police unions and limit their rights, or refuse to recognise them at all. This paper aims to discuss the issues involved.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper draws on face-to-face and telephone interviews, as well as e-mail correspondence, with police unionists from Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and the USA.\nFindings: - The efforts of the unions involved gave impetus to the formation of the International Council of Police Representative Associations (ICPRA), in September 2006. Two of ICPRA's aims are to assist and advise police unions all over the world and to provide the international police union movement with a voice for influencing policing futures. In South Africa, the Police and Civil Rights Unions is assisting police in the subregion and has become a symbol of what is possible for police even in repressive states.\nOriginality/value: - The paper illustrates how, in a rapidly changing police labour environment, police unions have the capacity to confront existing (undemocratic) occupational cultures, to promote organisational accord and to forge positive reform.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Artistry for the strategist
|
[
"Art",
"Skills",
"Learning",
"Thinking styles",
"Strategic management",
"Knowledge management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Walk into any well-stocked bookstore and you will find books with \"art\" in the titles. For example, in the business section there are titles including such as The Art of Innovation, The Art of Problem Solving, and Leadership as an Art. In the sports section, you can find books about the art of tennis, golf, football, fencing, horsemanship, juggling and so on. Human performance titles, including the art of possibility, healing, friendship, war, peace, teaching and happiness, abound. Apparently, artistry is possible in just about everything we do.\nArtistry in practice: What does it mean to say that artistry can escape the boundaries of the fine arts? As a strategist, can you treat the pursuit of artistry as a legitimate goal? There are three major academic writers who speak directly to the importance of artistry across practice disciplines: John Dewey, Donald Schon and Elliot Eisner. While a complete discussion of these writers is outside the scope of this article, a brief inclusion of their ideas will lay ground work. Their ideas about where artistry resides are briefly summarized in the following quotes:\nArtistry in action: Mastery is developed in a particular discipline and is by nature conservative. Having mastery means we have expertise and controlled precision in what we do. Practice, involvement, focus, repetition, attention and responsiveness lead to the skillful and apparently effortless performance that distinguishes masterful activity. Mastery is rooted in a deep familiarity with a discipline that allows practitioners to recognize what is important, to structure situations in a productive way, and to act both effectively and responsively.\nThe elements of a knowledge system: Artistry is not developed while sitting in a chair. It is developed through participation in a discipline as action in that discipline unfolds. Taking action allows us to generate knowledge through time. For the purposes of this learning effort, knowledge can be sorted into three different categories: experiential, conceptual and directional (see Figure 1). Identified and defined, a design for learning can be made for each type of knowledge that is consistent with its nature.\nThe emergence of artistry: working downstream and upstream: The development of mastery and originality are dependent on two different pathways of connection between knowledge categories. Establishing these connections is the final step in the development of a knowledge system that will give practitioners an effective route to artistry.\nLearning artistry: Efforts to learn artistry in any discipline are often thwarted by three misconceptions. The first misconception is the most common and most important - believing it leads students of artistry to frustration and discouragement. As discussed, practitioners interested in achieving artistry often try to copy the finished performances of others, hoping this will take them directly to their goal. This is such a tempting path it is repeatedly followed to its discouraging end. This repeated disappointment contributes to the belief that artistry is not for everyone.\nChoosing artistry: In the end, the important question is: \"Do you want to pursue the practice of strategy as an art?\" Are the situations you face filled with uncertainty, surprises and complexity that make them candidates for artistic practice? If so, working toward artistry is a choice limited only by your appetite for the implications of this choice.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Artistry has been suggested by many authors to be a characteristic of exemplary practitioners in any discipline; however, few have defined artistry, or described how it might be employed and developed. The purpose of this paper is to explain the role of artistry in practice and how it can be developed.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper explains the relevance of artistry to contemporary practice. The problems faced by today\nFindings: Artistry is not an exclusive talent. Instead, it is a learned, emergent capability that allows practitioners to integrate mastery and originality as the work. This integration is made possible through the development of a sophisticated knowledge system.\nOriginality/value: By revealing what artistic practice is and how it can be achieved, this paper gives practitioners a route to a creative and effective approach to practice.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
No more fairytales: a quest for alternative narratives of sustainable business
|
[
"Sustainability reporting",
"Narrative analysis",
"Sustainable business",
"Sustainability accounting"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Let us create a fiction that is truer than truth.(Six Characters in Search of an Author (Pirandello, first performed 1921, cited by Gabriel, 2004, p. 22))\n2. Background: 2.1 Sustainability reporting\n3. Narratives, stories, fairytales: 3.1 Ways of emplotment\n4. Approach and method: 4.1 Narrative analysis\n5. Results: 5.1 Key narratives\n6. Discussion: In this paper, we sought to explore narratives of sustainability across entity classes. We proposed that \"alternative\" organisations could offer a counter-narrative to support a broadening out and opening up of the debate on sustainability and business.\n7. Conclusion: With this paper, we have sought to develop the sustainability reporting literature in two ways. First, we have looked at sustainability reports as stories, exploring how organisations use narrative forms and tropes to construct accounts of their social and environmental interactions. We found that organisations typically make use of the romance or quest narrative form, using the characteristic trope of metaphor to create an image of the organisation on a hero's journey to sustainability. This organisation-centric view, we argue, results in a closing out of the bigger picture of planetary sustainability. Second, we have looked at the accounts of sustainability presented by a range of \"alternative\" organisations, different in purpose and ownership structure from the large PLCS on which the literature has typically focussed. We found the counter-narrative presented by these organisations to be different in content, but not in form, to the dominant narrative. These organisations too lean on the romance narrative form and the journey and building metaphors, which we suggest limits the capacity of these narratives to contribute to a broadening out and opening up of the debate on sustainability and business.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore storytelling in sustainability reporting. The author posits that large PLCs use their sustainability reports to support the construction of a fairytale of \"sustainable business\", and asks if organisations with an alternative purpose (social enterprises, values-based SMEs) and/or ownership structure (co-operatives, partnerships) can offer a counter-narrative of the sustainability-business relationship.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper uses the literature on storytelling and organisational mythmaking to gain insight into the construction of narratives and their impact on the reader. A narrative analysis is conducted of the sustainability reports of 40 organisations across a range of entity classes, including large PLCs, values-based SMEs, co-owned businesses and social enterprises.\nFindings: The analysis indicates that the narratives presented in sustainability reporting are of much the same form across entity classes. The author argues on this basis that sustainability reports represent stories targeted at specific stakeholders rather than accounts of the organisation's relationship with ecological and societal sustainability, and urges scholars to challenge organisations across entity classes to engage with sustainability at a planetary level.\nOriginality/value: The paper seeks to contribute to the literature in two ways. First, the author illustrates how the literature on storytelling can be used to analyse organisational narratives of sustainability, and how narrative forms and genres can be mobilised to support potential counter-narratives. Second, the author explores and ultimately challenges the proposition that organisations less often examined in the literature, such as social enterprises and co-operatives, can offer alternative narratives of the sustainability-business relationship.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Intimacy and exposure - the Armenian "tun" and Yerevan's public space
|
[
"Housing",
"Urban development",
"Cultural sociology",
"Social change",
"Post-socialism",
"Social values"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The public vs private sphere/space[1] dichotomy is a prominent topic in contemporary post-Soviet studies. Several theorists have equated this dichotomy with the state-people binary, tracing the latter to Soviet origins (Darieva and Kaschuba, 2007; Boym, 1994)[2]. As mentioned by this volume's editors: \"there is a considerable consensus suggesting that public spaces were of limited use due to extensive political control and surveillance, making the ideal 'everyone's space' effectively into 'no one's space'\" (see Introduction). This portrayal of the \"public\" is premised upon the characterisation of the Soviet state's role as a \"Leviathan\" that attacked civil society and dominated the public sphere (see Aretxaga, 2003, p. 398), thereby forcing the citizens - or the \"people\" - to find refuge in their private networks, and thus by extension, in the private sphere. The private networks, then, are often represented as having existed both in secret and in parallel to the \"official\" state-dominated sphere[3], although other theorists have argued that even the private networks were subject to frequent state encroachment.\nThe Armenian \"tun\" (house) - bridging a divide: Soon after beginning my fieldwork I became aware of the importance Armenians ascribe to their flats and houses. This is obviously visible in the vibrant activity dedicated to the building, renovating, and decoration of private housing space, which I observed among my neighbours and almost all people in the capital.\nInside the house - private space and values: According to Carsten and Hugh-Jones (1995) \"the house\" as an object of investigation has three dimensions: it is a material construction, it represents a social group, and it embodies a cultural category. Following Hardenberg (2007) I would add two more aspects: the dimension of \"idea\" and \"value\". For Hardenberg (2007) the so-called \"encompassing house\" is \"a body, which represents society and is created by representations (rituals, exchange, marriage, construction etc.)\" (p. 167). It incorporates \"a comprehensive symbolic ordering of the social world, integrates society into the cosmos and is constituted within the framework of hierarchically evaluated contexts\" (Hardenberg, 2007, pp. 158-159)[8].\nBeyond the door threshold: Leaving the private flat of a normal (Soviet) residential house in Yerevan you find yourself in the corridors and the staircases of the neighbourhood.\nThe public space, the house of state, and the crowd: Why is the public sphere avoided?[16] Why is it perceived as a kind of desert? Why do people change their behaviour as soon as they move through a public space? As mentioned above, urban space, starting from the door threshold of the private house, is \"public\", which means it is defined by the majority of Yerevantsi as the space \"of the anonymous crowd for which the state should care\" and as the \"space shaped by local elites and officials\"[17].\nConclusion: Referring to Herzfeld I have tried to argue that private and public space and people and state are not strictly divided in Armenia. I tried to demonstrate this point by taking examples from the spheres of housing and kinship.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: In contrast to the dominant accounts in post-Soviet studies that see public and private as two spheres existing in parallel, the purpose of this paper is to argue that in Armenia the public-private dichotomy can be better understood as a spectrum of different kinds of interactions between the state and private actors/social groups representing different sets of socio-cultural values, which are mirrored in Yerevan's city planning and housing.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The data derives from long-term ethnographic fieldwork in Yerevan. To analyse the data set the author used methods common in social and cultural anthropology. The theoretical background derives from urban anthropology (Liu), theories on housing (Carsten and Hugh-Jones), the anthropology of values (Dumont), and the anthropology of states (Herzfeld) linked to the debate on modernity.\nFindings: The author demonstrates that basic cultural concepts, norms, expectations, rules, beliefs, and values currently take effect on both sides (public and private/state and people), and that personal networks in Armenia are no longer used to trick an alien state, but also used by the state elites to gain advantage. The degree of intimacy of social relations thereby structures urban space and behaviour.\nOriginality/value: The paper looks at the public-private dichotomy in post-Soviet states from a new perspective, which is inspired by the anthropology of (socio-cultural) values, and argues that cultural intimacy (Herzfeld) is - simultaneously - a unifying and a separating fact in the relationship of states and people.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Wireless technologies for logistic distribution process
|
[
"Fleet management",
"Wireless",
"Communication technologies",
"Distribution management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Adapting appropriate information and mobile communication technologies into logistic fleet management, can effectively improve the fleet resource utilization and customer satisfaction. Modern logistic system requires real-time monitoring and interaction with fleet vehicles to attain high fleet utilization and provide fast response to customer's need. Enabling technologies that support these real-time logistic requirements are mobile communication, global positioning system (GPS), geographical information system (GIS) and embedded real-time system design and implementation technologies. Wireless wide area network (WAN) communication system provides the real-time mobile information link for logistic information centre and all vehicles in the logistic service fleet. Short-range wireless communications technology integrates vehicle borne sensors and gadget into an ad hoc network and substitutes the role of cumbersome wiring harness.Logistic fleet management using mobile communication infrastructure enables real-time transportation status information transfer. Modern vehicle dispatching system integrates mobile data communication and embedded real-time system technology into this domain to achieve dynamic dispatching and real-time monitoring. In See et al. (2002), modular mobile dispatching system (MMDS) had been introduced that realize a logistic fleet dispatching through the integration of a dispatching centre software, dispatching control centre system (DCCS), and a set of vehicle borne data terminals, modular mobile data terminals (MMDTs). Figure 1 shows MMDS architecture; it adopts the general packet radio service (GPRS) mobile communication. In See et al. (2003), a dispatching system that is capable of accommodating multiple mobile communication protocols was introduced; the protocols are trunking radio, global system for mobile communications (GSM) short-message service (SMS), and GPRS packet data communication. In See and Chen (2003), dispatching system affordability from the perspective of total cost of ownership had been addressed.In the design of modern logistic management system, a generic system architecture that could be used as a baseline framework for the assessment of new technology adaptation would be very helpful for this application domain. This paper presents the real-time fleet management system (RTFMS) architecture, and uses it as reference architecture for modern mobile logistic fleet management design and analysis. RTFMS consists of three major constituents, the logistic information service (LIS) system, vehicle-borne mobile data terminal (MDT), and the mobile communication infrastructure. LIS system serves as data communication hub for MDTs, it maintains a reliable and smooth communication link for the fleet. LIS also provides fleet dispatching function and information query services to the enterprise internal and external users. In modern logistic fleet management, MDT data terminal plays a very important role as a vehicle borne sensor integrator; it integrates GPS and mobile communication capabilities into a tiny box with in affordable unit price. The technology profile for each RTFMS constituent will be presented accordingly. The RTFMS information flows will also be depicted to facilitate system response time analysis.In this paper, unified modelling language (UML) (Booch et al., 1999; www.uml.org/) notation has been used to describe this RTFMS fleet management system. In UML, there are several modelling diagrams for system behaviour and structural description. Most frequently used diagrams are use-case, sequence and collaboration diagram. Use-case diagram describes the scenario in the usage of system from a specific aspect. Sequence diagram focuses on time ordered messages that passed among related objects in a system to accomplish specific system function requirement. Collaboration diagram is another presentation of system scenario of object interactions that show the objects interconnection through messages.The rest of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents the RTFMS architecture. Section 3 describes the technology profiles for MDT and logistic information system. Section 4 presents the considerations of various wireless mobile communication technologies for logistic distribution process. Section 5 presents the conclusion.\nReal-time fleet management system: Wireless mobile communication technology furnished by GPRS and 3G-data communication infrastructure and real-time system technology can be organized to furnish bi-directional information transfers amongst logistic fleet management centre and all vehicles in the fleet.Based on previous field experiences in logistic fleet management system design and following the progress of related technologies, this work proposed the RTFMS architecture. RTFMS consists of three major constituents, vehicle on-board MDT, LIS system, and the mobile communication infrastructure. Figure 2 shows the RTFMS architecture and three information flows, annotated as TA, TB, and TC. These flows are used to assess the RTFMS system timing behaviour. TA represents the time required for a message to travel from MDT back to LIS database. TB represents the LIS user service request processing time. TC represents the application event announcement time.The reset of this section describes the RTFMS architecture from the following three aspects:1. RTFMS information flows;2. LIS services and further value-added service integration of the RTFMS; and3. system response time and system resource considerations in RTFMS deployment.RTFMS information flows\nMobile data terminal and logistic information system: In the deployment of a logistic fleet management solution, each vehicle in the fleet needs to have a MDT installed to establish wireless virtual connection between vehicle and enterprise fleet management centre. Enterprise needs to construct an information technology infrastructure that integrates fleet MDTs and provides LIS to various users that need the underlying information. The UML (Booch et al., 1999) use cases of the MDT and LIS system are described as follows.Mobile data terminal\nAdoption of wireless communication technologies: Advancement and availability of wireless communication technologies change the shape of logistic dispatching operation drastically and the evolutions are still underway. They can be categorized into WAN infrastructure and personal area network (PAN) organization (Callaway et al., 2002; Bisdikian, 2001). GSM, GPRS and 3G belong to the category of providing WAN connection. Recent PAN wireless communication schemes are Bluetooth (Bisdikian, 2001) and Zigbee (Callaway et al., 2002). RFID has also been technology that provides nonline-of-sight and wireless access to the identification of shipped good (Weinstein, 2005). The application aspects of wireless WAN and PAN technologies in logistic fleet operations are described as follows.\nWAN mobile communication infrastructure: GSM, GPRS and 3G (third-generation) communications provide several alternatives of mobile data communication services. They are GSM SMS, circuit switched data (CSD), high-speed circuit switched data (HSCSD) (Vrdoljak et al., 2000), GSM GPRS (Sarikaya, 2000) and recently deployed 3G (Wisley et al., 2002; Varma et al., 2003). Data terminal equipment uses AT commands (ETSI, 1999) to control the GSM module for sending and receiving text messages, like SMS. Table I compares asset of attributes among these mobile communication data services.In GSM SMS, each message carries a string of up to 160 characters in length. SMS service is a \"store and forward\" service, short message will be sent to a SMS Message Centre first and then forwarded to the recipient. Communication operator charges SMS service by the number of messages sent. In vehicle location tracking application with a time resolution of every two minutes per location data transfer, eight hours of tracking needs 240 SMS messages. This cost around NT$720 for one vehicle tracking per day. Approximately, 1US$=34NT$. This is too expensive and hindered the SMS from adoption in continuously vehicle tracking applications. However, SMS service charge will still be reasonable for an \"on demand position query\" application.GSM CSD uses GSM voice channel connection to transfer modulated data in a data rate of 9.6 kbps. HSCSD is a variant of CSD that allows a user to take up to four CSD channels for data transfer. The number of CSD channels taken will multiply communication cost of the HSCSD. GSM CSD needs real-time circuit connection between sender and receiver. In case of mobile data call to a PSTN fixed wire telephone, it could take around 15-25 seconds for data call set-up. The connection between the sender and receiver will be occupied for the whole duration of the data transfer. Accordingly, CSD has the disadvantages of low-data rate, long set-up time and circuit occupation.GPRS is an extension to GSM, and it provides good geographical coverage in Taiwan. In Taiwan, the GPRS networks have been installed since 2003. The packet-based mobile data services from GPRS would be a lot cheaper than GSM SMS or CSD approach. With appropriate GPRS message flow design, the monthly mobile communication service expenditure can be within 300NT$ per month per vehicle.NTT DoCoMo deployed the first commercial 3G Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) in Japan by 2001, it has realized the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) 3G standard. International Telecommunication Union requires that the 3G system supports data services at the rate of 144 Kbps in outdoor mobile, and 2 Mbps in fixed indoor situation. The CDMA 2000 1X system could deliver data rate at 144 Kbps. In the second phase, the CDMA 2000 1X EVDO will provide data rate at 2.4 Mbps. WCDMA has the theoretical download data rate of 384 Kbps. In Taiwan, all major mobile communication operators provide 3G service by the end of the 2006.Vehicle fleet MDT providers have integrated 3G into their data terminal. However, there is no substantial difference in GPRS and 3G mobile communication service charges. The adoption of 3G in logistic fleet management will have to wait until the looming of application scenario that demands bandwidth higher than GPRS. Having the aid of bandwidth growth in 3G and the cost decline in electronic devices, real-time image and video transfer could be candidate technologies to be integrated into MDT in real-time logistic application domain.PAN mobile communication organization\nConclusion and further work: The architecture for a real-world logistic fleet management system, the RTFMS system, was proposed in this work. This RTFMS can be served as reference architecture for real-time logistic fleet management design. The major components of the RTFMS have been described in UML use cases to facilitate the reuse of this design. RTFMS architecture with information flows that show the routes of messages and service request and response has been illustrated in this work. The timing considerations for each route of information flow have been clearly identified and addressed. The considerations for the selection of vehicle borne data terminals and the mobile communication technologies have been presented with associated technology profiles. This reference architecture had been condensed from the field experiences in actual deployment of mobile fleet management systems to vehicle fleets of some major logistic service providers in Taiwan. Currently, there have been more than 3,000 vehicles that operate daily island-wise, in Taiwan. Using this RTFMS as domain reference system architecture, fleet management system architect could assess and postulate the requirements for physical components, system scale, and system performance.The real-time logistic fleet management system provides real-time data services for all stakeholders in the chain of logistic service provider and consumers. Since, all these service interactions are being based on the internet infrastructure, the future works in this direction would be investigating in composing the logistic fleet management services to other supply chain services from the aspect of service-oriented architecture (Alonso and Casati, 2005; Perrey and Lycett, 2003; Baglietto et al., 2002) to promote further service integration. This paper described the adoption of wireless WAN, and short-range vehicle borne PAN technologies. The development of mobile technologies are changing the shape of logistic distribution process, their progresses deserve our continuous attention.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to present the integration of logistic management with information and communication technologies to largely improve the effectiveness of logistic fleet operations. The work presented here shows a real-world fleet management system that integrates mobile communication and supports real-time logistic information flow management.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - First, the application of information and mobile communication technologies in providing effective logistic distribution service is introduced. Then, the proposed real-time fleet management system (RTFMS) architecture is depicted, the technology profiles for mobile data terminal (MDT) and logistic information system are described, and the considerations of various wireless mobile communication technologies for logistic distribution process are also addressed. Finally, the implications of this paper are discussed and plans for further work are outlined.\nFindings: - The proposed architecture for a real-world logistic fleet management system, the RTFMS, can be served as reference architecture for real-time logistic fleet management design. The major components of the RTFMS have been described in UML use cases to facilitate reuse of this design. This paper presents the RTFMS architecture with associated information flows and timing considerations could be used for the architecture adaptation in similar applications. Wireless technologies provide the logistics feet management with bi-directional real-time information flows as shown in this paper, and this would stimulate new ideas in logistics management and services models.\nResearch limitations/implications: - This paper provides a reference model with implementation in adopting wireless technologies in logistics distribution process. However, the services provided by each specific system would depend on all stakeholders in specific chain of logistics service provider and consumer.\nOriginality/value: - The work presented here shows a real-world fleet management system that integrates mobile communication and supports real-time logistic information flow management.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Initial teacher education for school health promotion in Austria: Does it support the implementation of the health-promoting school approach?
|
[
"Austria",
"Teachers",
"Education colleges",
"Curricula",
"Health promotion",
"Health education",
"Teacher education",
"Settings",
"Behaviour",
"Teaching",
"Learning"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The development of the health-promoting school\nMethodology: Analysis of the curricula of Austrian UTEs\nResults: Findings of the analysis of the curricula\nDiscussion: The present study investigates initial teacher education at Austrian UTEs for its potential to prepare future teachers for the implementation of comprehensive school HP by analysing the curricula and by interviewing representatives from the UTEs.In the curricula of the Austrian UTEs, health-related content is currently integrated mostly in subjects or fields of study like \"nutrition\", \"physical activity and sports\" and \"biology\", but is also found in modules of teaching and learning covering subject discipline and subject didactics. Correspondingly, most of the interviewees work in these fields at their UTE, especially in the areas of physical activity. Some UTEs have coordinators for \"health promotion\".Some UTEs/training programmes offer modules with explicit health content with titles like \"health\", \"health promotion\" or \"health education\". Both the analysis of the curricula and the interviews show that in many cases explicit health-related content is found in modules that are optional for the student teachers. While some interviewees argued that HP should feature prominently in exclusive, compulsory modules, others claimed that HP is integrated as an interdisciplinary principle of teaching and learning and does not need to be made explicit in that sense.A broader setting orientation for the benefit of teachers and pupils, respectively, can be detected in around 20 per cent of all analysed modules. In light of the importance of conveying an integrated, comprehensive view of school HP in teacher training, there is definitely room for improvement. The analysis of the interviews points to a broader understanding of HP on the part of the representatives of the UTEs than is reflected in the curricula they teach.The situation at the UTEs appears to mirror the situation in schools: although interviewees claimed that they need to make teaching and learning for their students health-promoting itself, they also talked about significant structural problems that hinder this development in practice. In accordance with findings for schools (Gugglberger and Dur, 2011; Denman et al., 2002; St Leger, 2000), there appear to be time constraints, competing topics and demands, a lack of appropriate space for students and lecturers for working and/or recreation or a lack of shared commitment to the concept. In some UTEs there are, however, many favourable aspects of daily life as well such as coaching for lecturers, healthy food at the canteen and mutual awareness of health-related topics. In this context, the importance of observational learning to prepare teacher candidates for implementing school HP was mentioned several times.Some of the interviewed representatives took the view that HP and related topics should receive more attention within in-service training and through consultation rather than in initial teacher education, as the latter is already put under a lot of pressure with diverse demands from society. Furthermore, it was suggested that having spent time working in schools might actually be beneficial for advanced training regarding HP. However, another similar study by the same author, focusing on in-service teacher training in Austrian UTEs indicates that for the school year of 2010/2011, there is even less setting orientation in in-service training for teachers (Flaschberger et al., 2010).Linking initial and in-service teacher training for HP - reported as already in effect in some UTEs - seems to be an innovative idea which would support the implementation of comprehensive approaches. In a recent OECD report (Schleicher, 2011), continuous professional development to update skills and knowledge in a range of ways was also suggested as necessary for today's teachers. In the interviews, continuous assistance by external experts on HP was additionally seen as important for schools to facilitate sustainable implementation or institutionalisation.According to recent literature on teacher professionalism, it is important to promote teacher collaboration in order to create more positive teacher-pupil relations, leading to a positive school culture and more job satisfaction for teachers (Schleicher, 2011). Initial research by the author of this paper on the implementation of HP in Austrian pilot schools after participating in in-service training showed that the perceived success of the implementation and institutionalisation of the concept seem to be linked to the level of collaboration possible in schools (Flaschberger et al., 2012). However, the importance of collaboration within the teacher team and between teachers and other stakeholders for comprehensive approaches in school HP was not adequately reflected in the curricula analysed for the present study. The importance of collaboration for HP was often mentioned in the interviews but little connection was made with designing teacher education accordingly, although there were some small indications that the issue was included in a few modules.Analysis of the curricula shows that professionalisation was included relatively often, appearing in the form of phrases regarding professional competences, self-reflection or pedagogical research. This was not surprising, as the curricula analysed are recent versions, most of which were last modified between 2008 and 2010. Therefore, it was not unexpected that the wording used in most of the studied modules was geared towards professionalism. However, when considering some of the interviewees' rather pessimistic statements concerning this topic, the question remains, how much of this is actually put into practice?A relatively high percentage of content regarding health-promoting teaching and learning practices could be detected in the curricula. Although this area of school HP is rather new compared to behaviour - or settings-based concepts, the interviewees made references to it explicitly and implicitly. From the point of view of comprehensive approaches, this appears to be rather progressive.\nRecommendations and further research: The interviews with the representatives of the UTEs pointed to some questions that are worthy of further investigation. It is unclear if training institutions should offer exclusive modules for HP or if they should integrate it in every subject area as an underlying principle. As the analysis of the curricula shows, both approaches are currently applied in different Austrian UTEs and different branches of study, respectively. Similarly to the school setting, an underlying principle of all actions and decisions in the curricula of the UTEs could be seen as an ideal from an HP standpoint, because it implicates a comprehensive approach with both behaviour and setting orientation. The question of how the concept of HP as an underlying principle should best be conveyed within teacher education remains and requires further research.The present study shows, however, that initial teacher education in Austrian UTEs does not offer all their student teachers the same level of support for acquiring relevant competences and knowledge for comprehensive school HP. Some student teachers receive various inputs regarding HP, others might never hear about it during initial teacher education. HP remains topic focused, with most attention being paid to subject areas like nutrition, physical education and psychosocial health. There was some concern with wider processes, with the organisation and planning of health-related measures alluded to quite often. However, the settings approach of HP should be more prominent from both a theoretical and applied perspective in teacher education. Crucial next steps would be to integrate a strong orientation towards HP into the professional standards for all teachers, and in particular, to focus more on strengthening teacher collaboration: this study found that relatively little attention is paid to collaboration or teamwork as part of the content or design of initial teacher education. Additionally, the relatively advanced state of development pertaining to the preparation for health-promoting instruction should be maintained and further promoted in Austrian UTEs.There may well be problems connected with implementing and embedding comprehensive health-promoting school approaches in all educational institutions, including those responsible for preparing prospective teachers for their professional life. However, UTEs have a key role to play, especially when it comes to observational learning. Student teachers need to experience a life outside the traditional framework they have known since they were pupils themselves to enable them to contribute to organisational change towards HP during their working life. Therefore, it would be helpful to create health-promoting UTEs, integrating a HP perspective and thus setting an example for the prospective teachers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - School health promotion is said to be most effective when implemented through a comprehensive, settings-based, whole-school approach. The purpose of this paper is to address the current lack of knowledge about the current state of teacher education for health promotion and its potential to further the development of settings-based approaches.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper focuses on an analysis of initial teacher education for school health promotion in Austria by studying the curricula of the Universities of Teacher Education, as well as interviewing representatives from these institutions. A content analysis of the identified modules and a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts were conducted.\nFindings: - While there is more behaviour orientation than setting orientation identified in the curricula, the interviewees showed a broad understanding of health promotion that encompasses a settings view. The situation at the Universities of Teacher Education mirrors the situation in schools: there are similar supporting and hindering factors for the implementation of healthy settings.\nPractical implications: - A greater degree of focus in teacher education on the settings approach and the promotion of the skills required to implement it is needed, as well as the creation of health-promoting Universities of Teacher Education.\nOriginality/value: - The study makes recommendations about how to prepare future teachers to support the development of more effective approaches of school health promotion.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Brand name substitution and brand equity transfer
|
[
"Brand name substitution",
"Brand equity transfer",
"Brand management",
"Brand names",
"Consumer behaviour",
"Product image",
"Brand identity"
] |
[
{
"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.\n1. Introduction: Brand name substitutions have become a frequent phenomenon, and companies confronted with rebranding are often mentioned in the business press (Muzellec and Lambkin, 2009). Several well known examples of brand name substitutions are Treets-M&M's, Chambourcy-Nestle and recently Thomson-Technicolor. Brand name substitution consists of changing the name of a product or service which is marketed by a company (Muzellec and Lambkin, 2006; Muzellec and Lambkin, 2007).Several factors can motivate brand name substitutions. During 2000-2002, Unilever suppressed nearly 75 percent of its brands to increase the concentration of its communication efforts, avoid product cannibalisation and improve the brand awareness of its 12 most well-known billionaire brands (Dinkovski, 2008). Thomson became Technicolor as of 2010, likely in an attempt to reinforce its positioning in the LCD television market. Yet, regardless of the reasons, the practice of changing or substituting brand names is extremely risky for companies (Kapferer, 2007). Consumers might not recognise their usual product or doubt its quality, which could induce them to stop buying it. In turn, the most frequent negative consequence of brand name substitution is the brand equity loss that is engendered by decreased market share, which itself results from consumers' failure to recognise the product. Confronted with a brand name substitution, consumers may lose their mental associations, brand image perceptions, product quality perceptions, awareness and loyalty toward the brand. If they then choose to purchase another brand, the focal brand loses market share and profits. These drastic potential consequences of brand substitutions require marketing managers to find ways to transfer brand equity from an old to a new brand and thus minimise brand loyalty losses.Despite the importance of these strategic issues, literature relating to product and brand deletions is relatively sparse. Varadarajan et al. (2006) focus on the organizational and environmental drivers of brand deletion propensity and the predisposition of a firm to delete a particular brand from its brand portfolio. Muzellec and Lambkin (2006) tend to understand the drivers of the corporate rebranding phenomenon and analyse their impact on corporate brand equity. Few studies address brand name substitutions from a consumer perspective. Delassus (2005) considers the transfer of associations when the canned vegetable brand Marie Thumas became Bonduelle in Belgium. Collange (2008) includes four brand name substitutions in a study of the evolution of French consumers' purchase intentions across product categories (i.e. laundry detergent, shower gel, yoghurt and chocolate bars). These studies address the transfer of associations and purchase intentions; they do not address fully brand equity transfer.In an attempt to identify key influence factors of the transfer of brand equity in the case of brand substitution, we focus on a brand change in the biscuit market. When Kraft bought the biscuits division LU of Danone in 2007, it lost the right to the brand name Taillefine, because Danone still uses Taillefine for its milk-related products in France. Therefore, Kraft switched the biscuits brand to Belvita.This brand substitution was particularly risky. The brand name substitution was accompanied by a radical change in the product packaging (i.e. both picture and colours). The tagline changed from \"balance\" to \"pleasure and balance\". Despite these radical changes, Kraft did not undertake any transition phase to prepare consumers for the shift. Thus, consumers likely had difficulty identifying the product on the supermarket shelf and may have considered Belvita a new product. This brand name substitution is particularly interesting in terms of our study, in that it was likely to cause brand equity loss.In the remainder of this article, we begin by defining brand equity, then identify the potential key influence factors of brand equity transfer. Furthermore, we propose a research model to explain how to transfer brand equity from the old to the new brand. Subsequently, we present the research methodology and results, along with a discussion of their implications. Finally, conclusions, contributions, limitations and prolongations of our research are discussed.\n2. Consumer-based brand equity: Consumer-based brand equity refers to the value that a brand adds to a product from a consumer stand point (Farquhar, 1989). It results from the effects of all marketing activities, designed to create positive, strong and unique associations in consumers' memory, so that they have a favourable perception of and positive attitude toward the brand (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1993; Yoo et al., 2000; Yoo and Donthu, 2001).Brand equity consists of two distinct components (Guyon, 2008): functional and symbolic. The first dimension is associated with functional features and the branded product's performance (Keller, 2001), such that it describes how the product or service meets customers' functional needs. The second refers to more intangible aspects of the brand, such as image associations, which link only indirectly to the real characteristics of the product.Several authors have tried to identify and define brand equity dimensions. For example, Aaker (1991, 1996) identifies four criteria: brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty. Other authors suggest that brand equity also encompasses dimensions such as the trust toward the brand (Degado-Ballester and Munuera-Aleman, 2005), brand ethics (Keller, 1993; Yoo et al., 2000), brand personality (Pappu et al., 2005), etc. Thus, \"despite the availability of numerous definitions in the literature, there is little consensus on what exactly brand equity means\" (Pappu et al., 2005, p. 144).Following Yoo et al. (2000), we retain the most widely used dimensions of brand equity, namely, brand image (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1993; Shocker and Weitz, 1988), perceived quality (Aaker, 1991) and brand loyalty (Oliver, 1997; Yoo et al., 2000). Although brand awareness is a key dimension of brand equity (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1993; Kapferer, 2005), we do not use this concept, because the recently introduced, substitution brand Belvita is not well known on the French market.We adopt Zeithaml's (1988, p. 5) definition of perceived quality as \"the consumer's (subjective) judgment about a product's overall excellence or superiority\". Higher perceived product quality implies that through their long-term experience, consumers recognise the superior differentiation of that brand. For brand image, we follow Keller (1993) and define it as consumer' perceptions of the brand, as reflected by brand associations held in consumer memory. A positive overall perception generally leads to positive consumer brand attitudes, which form the basis for brand choice. Finally, Oliver (1997, p. 392) defines loyalty as \"a deeply held commitment to rebuy or repatronise a preferred product or service consistently in the future, despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behavior\". Similar to Yoo et al. (2000) and Beatty and Kahle (1988), we conceptualise loyalty as a general commitment that causes consumers to purchase a brand routinely and resist switching to another.\n3. Key influence factors of brand equity transfer: research model: The few studies pertaining to brand name substitution in extant branding literature allow us to identify five key influence factors of brand equity transfer: knowledge of the brand substitution (Delassus, 2005), attitude toward or degree of acceptance of the substitution (Delassus, 2005), perceived similarity between the old and new brand (Collange, 2008), attachment to the initial brand (Collange, 2008) and the presence of an umbrella brand (Aime-Garnier and Lai, 2008).We discuss the impact of each of these factors on brand equity transfer. Then we address the relationship among three brand equity dimensions, namely, brand image, perceived quality and brand loyalty transfer.3.1 Knowledge of brand substitution and brand equity transfer\n4. Methodology: 4.1 Data collection\n5. Analysis and results: Because the results of the qualitative research align with those we obtained though our quantitative study, we present only the results of the quantitative research, in three main parts:1. perceived quality;2. brand image; and3. loyalty.5.1 Perceived quality transfer\n6. Conclusion, implications, limits and extensions: This research aims to answer a key question: How can brand equity be transferred successfully in the case of brand name substitution? The empirical results related to the substitution of the biscuits brand name Taillefine with Belvita reveal that to transfer brand equity:1. consumers should be aware of the brand substitution;2. they should have a positive attitude toward the replacement of the initial brand;3. they should perceive the old and the new brand as similar;4. they should not be too much emotionally bound to the old brand; and5. the new brand should benefit from the presence of an umbrella brand.This research therefore has several managerial, theoretical and methodological implications.Marketing managers should make a checklist of these five key determinants of brand equity transfer. With it, they could precisely estimate the extent to which their brand equity is transferrable during a brand name substitution. However, they also need to keep in mind that the five key determinants do not play identical roles in brand equity transfer. Managers therefore can and should manipulate all five determinants considered in our research. They can ensure image transfer by increasing consumers' knowledge of the brand name substitution, the degree of acceptance of the change and the presence of the umbrella brand. Yet consumers' attachment to the initial brand and their perception of the similarity between the old and the new brand also can indirectly enhance brand image transfer by reinforcing perceived quality transfer. To augment consumers' loyalty transfers, managers should pay attention to their degree of acceptance (attitude) of the brand substitution, the presence of an umbrella brand and the level of attachment to the old brand. Thus, managers could prioritise their efforts for a brand substitution: Pay attention to the key factors with the strongest impact on brand image, perceived quality or loyalty transfer. Another important managerial result of our study is the finding that loyalty transfer relies mainly on perceived quality transfer, which also affects brand image transfer. Delassus (2005) concurs that brand name substitution is a process, such that perceived quality should transfer first to guarantee that image and loyalty also transfer. These results emphasise the importance of the transfer of functional attributes of brand equity; managers should ensure the perceived quality transfer is efficient and facilitates image and loyalty transfer.From a theoretical standpoint, extending previous studies that explain how brand associations transfer (Delassus, 2005) or purchase intention evolves (Collange, 2008), we offer an initial consideration of brand equity transfers in the case of a brand substitution. Moreover, the empirical results provide satisfying answers to the research question.Finally, from the methodological standpoint, our research validates, once again, six measurement scales. In the qualitative phase, we also were able to propose and test a new measurement scale that captures the reassuring effect of the umbrella brand in the case of a brand name substitution.As does all research expanding into new grounds, this study has several limitations. The most important are the limitation of the results to the context of the brand name substitution we selected and our use of a convenience sample. Further studies should address these limits, such as by replicating our study in another product category with a representative sample.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Despite the prevalence with which firms change the brand names they use, this research stream has received little academic attention. Managers confronted with brand name substitutions fear most a loss of brand equity, which would decrease their market share. This research aims to identify key influences that might enable companies to minimise their brand equity losses in response to brand name substitutions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A preliminary qualitative investigation (20 semi-directive interviews) pertained to better understand how brand equity loss might be minimised in the case of a brand name substitution. This qualitative research and a relevant literature review provided input for the questionnaire design. Furthermore, the resulting survey data from a sample of 300 consumers served for the test of the research propositions.\nFindings: - This study identifies five key influence factors that marketing managers can use to transfer brand equity in the case of brand name substitution, based on consumers' knowledge of the brand change, attitude toward brand change, perceived similarity between the old and new brands, degree of attachment to the initial brand, and recognition of the presence of an umbrella brand. Finally, the brand equity dimensions are interrelated, such that the transfer of perceived quality and brand image influences loyalty transfer, and brand quality transfer improves brand image transfer.\nOriginality/value: - This research represents a first attempt to answer the pressing question: how can firms transfer brand equity successfully in the case of brand name substitution? The study also identifies for the first time key influence factors that favour brand equity transfer from an old to a new brand.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Reporting on the gender and diversity, standing working group at the European group of organizational studies colloquium
|
[
"Gender",
"Equal opportunities",
"Ethnic minorities"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nEuropean Group of Organisational Studies: Gender and Diversity, Standing Working Group: Introduction\nOverview: SWG on gender and diversity: The SWG on Gender and Diversity was established in 2009 and since then has secured its place within EGOS as an important site for the discussion and debate of all aspects of research related to diversity, equality and inclusion, garnering solid and growing interest from scholars globally. Evidence of its popularity is reflected in the increasing rate of submissions to the stream. For instance in 2011, 30 papers were submitted, while in the subsequent two years, the stream attracted some 50 submissions. Similarly, in 2014 almost 50 papers were submitted to the Gender and Diversity stream, 30 of which were accepted for discussion in the three parallel sessions (Bendl et al., 2014).\nScope of the papers/sessions at EGOS 2014: This year's stream theme was Critical Approaches to Organising and Managing Diversity and submissions covered a broad span of interests and focus points around this theme. The research presented provided the participants with international insights from a range of country contexts including Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil and the USA.\nReflections on the closing session: In the closing session the Convenors coordinated an interesting discussion around two key considerations: what is critical about our critical approach? And, what is the diversity of diversity studies? Breaking up into small groups the noise levels reflected some robust discussions and questions about whether diversity scholars can in fact not be critical, but at the same time, what in fact does it mean to be critical? We reflected on the point that diversity management can in fact be positioned as uncritical: theoretically and empirically. For instance, the dominant business and policy position; and, some areas of scholarship espouse the virtues of a business case approach for diversity management, which: neglects the temporal and spatial context (from multiple levels) of analysis; focuses on measurable outcomes and the \"deliverables\" of diversity management policies; and, largely draws on and reinforces fixed, essential categories of analysis. The aforementioned papers provide important and useful examples of how the session \"disturbed\" the status quo and engaged us with critical insights into a variety of different aspects of diversity management theorising and practice.\nConclusion: This paper has provided an overview of the Gender and Diversity Stream at the EGOS colloquium in 2014 by presenting key \"moments\" of a selection of papers. These papers were a true reflection of the central theme of the stream: critical approaches to organising and managing diversity. In the context of the session many new and insightful ideas were presented, brought to life with presentations from different geographical spaces, a myriad of theoretical approaches and, the use of varied methods of analysis. For those engaged with research into the varied dimensions of diversity and inclusion, immersion in the three-day event hosted by the Gender and Diversity stream is a must. The dialogue on the controversies and debates shaping diversity and inclusion will continue in Athens in 2015, with the central theme Paradigms and Methods of Diversity Scholarship. We look forward to reporting back to you on this event.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the Gender and Diversity Stream, Standing Working Group (SWG) at the recent European Group of Organisational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, which was hosted in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The paper provides an overview of the SWG before turning to the scope of the papers and a brief synopsis of three of the best papers within the context of the stream.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Approach is report style following submission of a paper and participation in the three-day colloquium.\nFindings: Evidently, the Gender and Diversity Stream has secured its position within the EGOS colloquium. The stream provides an environment forum in which to present works where participants engage in critical reviews of participant's work. The success of this growing stream is found not only in the scholarly and practical importance of the subject terrain but also in the organisation of the stream which is thematically organised to ensure participants were engaged and actively took part in the discussion.\nOriginality/value: This paper presents insights on the EGOS SWG on \"Gender and Diversity\" and traces the topic of \"critical approaches to organising and managing diversity\" which was the SWG's main theme of the stream at the EGOS Colloquium in Rotterdam 2014.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The prediction of petition based on Big Data
|
[
"China",
"Big Data",
"Baidu Index",
"Google Trend",
"Petition",
"Social risk perception"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: It has been realized that the development of the internet, mobile communication technology and cloud computing has prompted the accumulation of data and the advent of the new era of Big Data. Big Data is a relatively abstract concept that mainly refers to the huge amount of complex data which is difficult to obtain, store, manage and analyze using normal database software (Manyika et al., 2011). The development of Big Data demonstrates that everything can be digitized, the whole is greater than the sum of parts and data can have a powerful predictive function. These characteristics have triggered the revolution of various disciplines in research technology and research content (Chen, 2016).With respect to social science, Big Data has several excellent advantages, compared with traditional questionnaire and experiment, such as timeless and effortless, more natural and real and sample-rich (Xue and Chen, 2015). Therefore, researchers have attempted to integrate data from multiple different sources and to uncover the prediction function embedded in these data. The ideal sources are the ones which can maximally reflect the real life and can be used conveniently (Chen, 2016). Because a huge number of people have been using the Web searching engines to search for information of interest, searching engines, as an important database in indicating people's mind and behavior, have of course drawn much attention in various areas (Kristoufek, 2013).\n2. Literature review: In social science, collective action is always a difficult issue for traditional researching methods to study. Petition in China is a typical example. It has been discussed that Chinese people usually choose to propose opinions, reflect the situation or make complaints to the relevant governments by writing letters, sending e-mails or visiting (Liu, 2016). In recent years, the number of petitions is increasingly growing, and the official data show that there were nearly ten million reported cases of petition and five million people participating in petition in 2016 (Hou, 2016). Therefore, such a huge population of petition makes petition prediction important yet difficult.\n3. Method and data: Based on the study of Xue and Liu (2017), this research tried to make a further analysis of the predicting effect of online indices of petition by different methods. First, we re-classified the offline petition in China in terms of the seven kinds of social risk perception both by human and by cluster analysis. Second, we used the keywords of each new type of offline petition to construct two sets of online searching indices by using data from \"Google Trend\" and \"Baidu Index\" and analyzed their validity by calculating their correlation with the corresponding set of petition offline. Third, we analyzed the predicting effect of seven kinds of social risk perception on the online searching indices of petition by using Granger causality analysis. Finally, based on the integration of the time series correlation between social risk perception and online searching of petition, as well as the correlation between petition offline and online indices, we analyzed the dominate social risk perceptions and their impact in China.\n4. Results: As Xue and Liu (2017) only classified the petition in terms of social risk by artificial approach, it is hard to certify the reliability of these categories. In this research, we first re-classified the petition offline both by statistical method and artificial method. Based on the comparison of the two sets of categories, we examined the feasibility of the idea that petition can be classified in terms of social risk perception.\n5. Discussion: Benefiting from the development of Big Data and online searching engines, researchers now can explore the social psychological reasons of collective action more easily. Based on the study of Xue and Liu (2017), this study used artificial and statistical method simultaneously to examine the feasibility and reliability of the idea that petition could be classified in terms of its potation social psychological reasons, such as social risk perception. Then this study made a further analysis of the predicting effect of certain kind of social risk perception on various types of petitions in China. The result suggested the dominate state of economic-related issues in modern China and the important role of economic risk perception in motivating the public's response.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The development of Big Data and online searching engine provides a good opportunity for studying petition in China. This study has constructed a set of indices for predicting petitions in China by using online searching engines and further explored the predicting role of economic, environment and public life risk perception in various petitions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Based on the study of Xue and Liu (2017), this research first re-classified offline petition by human and cluster analysis in terms of social risk perception and built online searching indices of the two sets of petition by using data from \"Google Trend\" and \"Baidu Index.\" Second, it analyzed the predicting effect of social risk perception on online searching indices of petition by using Granger causality analysis. Finally, this study integrated the results and selected significant paths from social risk perception to the two sets of petition.\nFindings: The study found that the re-classification made by human was more appropriate than the categories made by cluster analysis in terms of social risk perception. For the two sets of petition, the correlations between offline petition and Baidu Index of petition were both more significant than that of Google index. Moreover, economic and finance and resource and environment risk perception had a significant predicting effect on more than one kind of online searching indices of petition.\nOriginality/value: The results have demonstrated the important role of economic issues in China on predicting petitions of the economic kind, as well as other kinds. They have also reflected the dominant social contradictions and their relationship in modern China.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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FIZ AutoDoc - the customer-oriented document delivery service
|
[
"Document delivery",
"Document supply",
"Customer service",
"Delivery services",
"Document management",
"Delivery"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Until 20 years ago, all large and most medium-sized companies in Germany and Europe had their own in-house reference library which provided printed books and scientific journals to researchers, engineers and patent specialists.\nScientific document delivery services play a major role in providing information: Against this background, document delivery services in the information sector have become increasingly important for information managers. If a corporate information department receives an order for a scientific article, it is often ordered from a document delivery service, because easy and quick access to academic full-texts is essential for the end users. Due to the faster innovation cycles, researching enterprises in particular must be able to provide the required articles immediately. Another asset is the high quality of the content provided by the document delivery services. According to a survey of the US consultant firm Outsell[3], many information managers consider scientific document deliveries a very important service for the procurement of information that should also be maintained in times of economic difficulties.\nCentralized or decentralized organization of access to information: With regard to accessing scientific documents, we can generally distinguish between a centralized and a decentralized ordering process. Institutions needing many scientific full-texts will mostly have centralized orders placed through their information managers. The documents are stored in the databases of the information centers and can be accessed by the end users. The information departments always keep an eye on the costs and the copyright compliance. If fewer documents are required, it may make sense to offer the document delivery service online in the corporate intranet or via a Web interface, so that the employees themselves can order scientific publications directly with the delivery service. In this case, it is very important that the service is user-friendly and offers appropriate licensing for end users.\nFIZ karlsruhe: FIZ Karlsruhe - Leibniz Institute for Information Infrastructure - is a limited liability company (GmbH) with a recognized not-for-profit status. A high percentage of its revenues (about 78 per cent in 2014) is generated in the international markets. Its research-based activities are funded by the German Federal Government and the Federal State Baden-Wurttemberg. About 350 employees work at three locations in Germany and one subsidiary in the USA. The headquarters is in Karlsruhe and it is considered to be one of the largest institutions of its kind in Germany.\nFIZ AutoDoc: FIZ AutoDoc offers fast access to the holdings of scientific publishers, scientific libraries and full-text providers. Journal articles, patent documents, research findings and other full-texts can be ordered from various suppliers and are billed on one collective invoice.\nThe automated standard workflow of a full-text order placed via FIZ AutoDoc: It is very easy to order a full-text via FIZ AutoDoc. The user logs on to the system and completes the menu-guided online order form. The relevant bibliographic data of the required full-text can be entered either directly into the order form or exported to FIZ AutoDoc via connected interfaces. In addition to the bibliographic data, the user chooses the required delivery speed (standard within 48 hours, rush within 24 hours and super rush within just three hours), and the desired format (PDF, fax or mail). Fast access to new information is guaranteed. This is important because for competitive reasons information is required faster and more often.\nAutomated and traceable order processing: Once the order has been entered into the system, it is assigned an order number. This unambiguous identification allows for tracing the orders within the system. Information (order date, ordering status, document supplier, all details about the delivery of the full-text, etc.) is available at every stage of order processing.\nOptional support by the FIZ AutoDoc service team: Besides the automatic processing of full-text orders, customers can also place orders that are processed manually. This offer is beneficial for FIZ AutoDoc users who only have incomplete or faulty bibliographic data available. In these cases, the system cannot process the order automatically and the order processing is done by the FIZ AutoDoc service team. The order can be sent to the service team by e-mail or fax without any formal requirements. It is then processed by the experts from the service team. These have long-standing experience in procuring literature and communicate directly with the customer to fulfill the requirements specified in the order.\nFIZ AutoDoc premium for corporate solutions offers an enhanced functionality: FIZ AutoDoc Premium is the solution for integrating FIZ AutoDoc into a corporate intranet or portal. This FIZ AutoDoc version is managed by an administrator within the company via a user-friendly \"Account Settings\" menu. The seamless integration of FIZ AutoDoc into the corporate intranet is made via interfaces that are of an international standard, that is Open URL, SOAP for Web Services and XML. Corporate logos and intranet designs can be included so that the system fits in with the corporate design. The system administrator can adapt FIZ AutoDoc Premium to the special requirements of the company. They can, for example, set certain delivery conditions or upload the ISSN lists of subscribed journals and in-house holdings, thus creating a virtual library. All orders are then at first checked against these holdings. Orders for documents contained therein are forwarded to the company library. If the article is contained in a subscribed e-journal, a link to the desired article is generated. This prevents redundant orders being placed with external suppliers and saves costs. FIZ AutoDoc Premium users can also access order and invoice statistics which give a complete and detailed overview of the orders processed. Order details and information on corporate end-users and the related cost centers are available See Figure 3.\nThe challenge posed by the copyright reform of 2008: The copyright reform (\"second basket\"), art. 53a in particular, has entirely changed the, up to then, liberal document delivery procedures in Germany. Prior to January 1, 2008, public libraries with large holdings of scientific and other literature for public use could deliver publications to their customers in industry and academic institutions as printed copies, by fax or electronically (scanned, PDF). There were standard copyright charges (6) paid to the publishers via Verwertungsgesellschaft Wort (VG Wort).\nCopyright compliance: But how can the copyrights of the authors be safeguarded and protected if there is such a large amount of scientific literature? Usually the forwarding of texts is subject to restrictions prescribed by copyright law. With FIZ AutoDoc, FIZ Karlsruhe guarantees that the document deliveries comply with copyright. The institute partners only with enterprises and organizations that act in accordance with their country's copyright laws and pay the copyright fees to their national collecting society or to the rights holders. Thus, FIZ AutoDoc ensures that the customer receives a copyright-compliant copy of the full-text combined with high standards of usability. The delivered documents are copyrighted and may only be used for internal purposes. To make each customer aware of this fact, the usage rights in the articles are displayed during the ordering process. Documents purchased through FIZ AutoDoc must neither be scanned, nor copied electronically, nor re-used (for example, to build repositories).\nThe challenge posed by the multinational copyright license (CCC) or the VG WORT digital copyright license (VG WORT, rights direct, CCC): Other licensing models are available for large customers who need more than the usual limited usage possibilities or individually purchased extended rights of use.\nArticles can be rented thanks to a co-operation with DeepDyve: Through its partnerships with academic publishers such as Springer Science+Business Media and John Wiley\nDelivery of open access articles: To publish a scientific document under Open Access conditions permits anyone to read, download, store, link, print and thus use this document free of charge. Access to such documents is already possible via Google Scholar, GetInfo and other search engines.\nFIZ AutoDoc as part of the STN full-text solution: It was a logical step for FIZ Karlsruhe to combine its own products to provide enhanced services to the customers. Although there are different ways of ordering documents via FIZ AutoDoc, the STN Full-text Solution is particularly attractive for many users. STN International is the world's premier online service for research and patent information. It is operated by FIZ Karlsruhe and its American partner Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS). To place an order, search results from the STN databases can be simply transferred to FIZ AutoDoc. This has the advantage that authentication, delivery and billing are effected through the customer's STN account without the need for a separate login ID. FIZ AutoDoc's order processing system analyzes and verifies the entered or transferred data by means of DOI or bibliographic data, checks them against the ISSN register and offers context-sensitive help functions (e.g. lists with suggested ISSNs), if needed. The costs are displayed throughout the whole ordering process. This results in high transparency and enables the user to keep an eye on their budget planning.\nFIZ AutoDoc and subito[6]: Subito is the trademark of the document delivery service of scientific libraries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is a not-for profit registered association domiciled in Berlin and was founded in 1994. Its Articles state:\nSummary: In the 15 years of its existence, FIZ AutoDoc has had to adapt to changing framework conditions. Originally developed as an answer to the digitization of the libraries, it is now far more than just a Web-based platform for automated full-text ordering. Many publishers and libraries worldwide partner with FIZ AutoDoc and are connected to the system. FIZ AutoDoc can easily be integrated into portals and intranets via interfaces. What is more, the negative side effects of the substantial changes in the copyright law, for example the copyright reform in 2008, can be managed for the user. Today, information specialists placing an order via FIZ AutoDoc can be sure that the delivery is copyright compliant. FIZ AutoDoc customers do not need to deal with these legal aspects. Since 2014, full-texts can be rented through FIZ AutoDoc instead of being purchased, similar to the streaming of music and films. So far, FIZ Karlsruhe has succeeded in adapting its product to new conditions while keeping an eye on the rapidly changing requirements of its customers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: To describe both the service and recent developments of FIZ AutoDoc.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An in depth description with particular emphasis on copyright issues.\nFindings: That FIZ AutoDoc has developed to respond to the information needs of its customers primarily in the commercial sector internationally.\nOriginality/value: A full description of a valuable service that draws upon the resources of many partners to provide commercial organizations with the information that they need.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Education and competencies within Belt and Road countries
|
[
"Education",
"Skills",
"International comparison",
"PIAAC"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The contemporary era of the knowledge-based economy is characterised by a high tide of competitiveness (Piketty, 2017) capital in a time of large and increasing income inequality and low extent of cohesiveness (Stiglitz, 2013).\nReview: Education state competitiveness and cohesiveness\nThe survey of adult skills PIAAC: The survey of Adult Skills is the outcome of collaboration between countries that participate in the survey, the OECD secretariat, the European Commission and an international consortium led by the educational testing service as part of the PIAAC in 2011 and 2012 and in 2014-2015 (Hanushek et al., 2015; OECD, 2013a, b).\nMethodology: The research questions are as follows:\nMethod: The \"REPEST\" code (Avvisati and Keslair, 2014) is used to examine the above-mentioned relationships. This code is a Stata module used to run estimations with weighted replicate samples and plausible values. It is a Stata routine (a do file), freely available at IDEAS, that is especially designed for complex surveys.\nData: The data sets of the 12 B&R countries which participated in the PIAAC survey are presented in Table II. The data are comprised of 66,672 examinee results in literacy, numeracy and PS. In addition, for each examinee, the data are comprised of examinee background characteristics, such as education level, parental profiles which include parents' education level and home features, such as the number of books at home.\nDescriptive data analysis: Figure 3 presents the distribution of education and age of the examinees in the 12 B&R countries participating in the PIAAC. From the data, it is evident that Singapore, Slovenia and Turkey exhibit a lower level of education on average (lower than 12) compared to other B&R countries participating in the PIAAC. In addition, in Poland, the average age is low (30) compared to other countries (40).\nFindings: Regression results\nDiscussion: The findings of this research point out the importance of relationships between education and competencies. Across the country level, education is found as a key component in explaining the variance in competencies. Similarly, Brunello and Rocco (2015) found a positive relationship between education level and competencies; their focus was on vocational education. In addition, Vera-Toscano et al. (2017) also found a similar relationship between education level and competencies measured at PIAAC within European countries. Our findings resemble the findings of other works and reveal that some background variables (among them age, gender, immigration of the examinee and his parents, parental education, the number of books and income) are related to the level of competencies.\nPolicy implications: High levels of competencies might be a key for the achievement of a high level of state competitiveness. The distribution of these competencies within a state might shed some light on the extent to which cohesiveness is sustained within this state. The global competitiveness index (GCI) assesses the ability of countries to compete globally. It measures economic indicators alongside other indicators, such as the level of education (Schwab, 2016). Richard Samans, Head of the Centre for the Global Agenda and Member of the Managing Board, World Economic Forum, argues:Creating the conditions necessary to reignite growth could not be more urgent [...] Incentivizing innovation is especially important for finding new growth engines, but laying the foundations for long-term, sustainable growth requires working on all factors and institutions identified in the Global Competitiveness Index. Leveraging the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will require not only businesses willing and able to innovate, but also sound institutions, both public and private; basic infrastructure, health, and education; macroeconomic stability; and well-functioning labour, financial, and human capital markets(Samans, 2016, p. XI).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between education and competencies from a comparative view, while controlling for background characteristics (e.g. parental education), home features (e.g. income) and country fixed effect.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper utilises an international data sets of 12 Belt and Road (B&R) countries participating in the PIAAC survey. Data are examined using regression models with \"REPSET\" Stata code. The focus on B&R countries is interesting as this recent economic and strategic development alliance might transform the contemporary global balance of power. Therefore, examining its educational development is important.\nFindings: Findings reveal the higher the level of education, the higher the competency level in numeracy and literacy. Age was found to be negatively related to competencies, and gender was found to be dually significant. Among the examined B&R countries, Slovenia, Russia and Israel contribute the most to the numeracy, literacy and problem solving competencies (respectively) compared with other countries. The findings might contribute to the design of education for development policies aimed at increasing the level of state competitiveness while accounting for social cohesiveness.\nOriginality/value: The paper provides a comparative study into educational development of the B&R alliance, and therefore offers an insight of the developmental cooperation as it emerges. The focus on the B&R initiative is important as it is a strategic development alliance which might transform the contemporary global balance of power. Therefore, the examination of the above-mentioned relationships with the focus on B&R countries might advance the strategic design of this cooperation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Exploring the service profit chain in a Thai bank
|
[
"Customer satisfaction",
"Customer engagement",
"Internal branding",
"Convenience",
"Courtesy",
"Service profit chain"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The objective of this paper is to identify those aspects of service most associated with customer satisfaction and engagement in the Thai banking context. Examining a single Thai bank, the study frames the relationships between service factors and customer satisfaction/engagement in terms of the service profit chain (SPC) model, and in so doing highlights certain limitations with it. One is that in SPC approaches, the categories of service features that are deemed to influence customer satisfaction are usually theory-driven and a priori, and do not emerge from the customers themselves; second, SPC approaches have concentrated primarily on the employee-satisfaction to customer-satisfaction relationships, and thus miss out on wider factors that may be more influential in shaping customer satisfaction, engagement and organizational performance. In order to shed light both on the relationships between service features and customer satisfaction, and to evaluate the SPC model itself, this study takes an inductive approach to those service features the customers themselves see as influencing their satisfaction, and their engagement with the company and its products. In order to achieve the stated research objective, the study, thus, begins by asking a question: \"what aspects of a bank's service do customers see as important for their own satisfaction and engagement?\"\nExploring the service profit chain in a Thai bank: This paper explores the SPC in a Thai bank. Since Heskett and Schlesinger (1994) and Heskett et al. (1997) proposed the model, there has been a vibrant debate about both the whole, and the component parts, of the chain. Heskett et al. (1997) stressed the relationships that transcend organizational interfaces that link employee factors, service quality, customer satisfaction and company performance; and most subsequent research on SPC stresses employee loyalty, commitment and satisfaction, and their constitutive linkages with customer loyalty, commitment and satisfaction (see Jeon and Choi, 2012). Silvestro and Cross (2000) described this modeling of both sides of the retail interface as a \"satisfaction mirror\" - a chain of relationship where satisfaction, loyalty and commitment among employees and among customers reflect each other, and are mutually supportive of each other. More recently, Conway and Briner (2015) highlighted the importance of employee commitment on service quality, with its impact upon customer satisfaction and subsequent organizational performance, stressing the key role service quality and customer satisfaction play in an organization's market performance, which is typically discussed in terms of customer retention and acquisition:Organizationally committed employees are more productive and address the needs of customers because they identify with the organization's valuing of customers and such customer service performance leads to customer satisfaction.\nResearch and methodologies: The chosen research method was a company case of TISCO, a small retail Thai bank (see Appendix 1), which combined surveys and interviews. Focusing on a single company like this enabled in-depth study of the organization's service features and the identification of the most significant relationships in the SPC. Glaveli et al. (2006) and Donthu and Yoo (1998) identified the importance of cultural context in framing customer perceptions of service quality; and limiting the analysis to one organization in one sector in one cultural context ensured clarity to the analysis. As one of the authors worked in a senior position in the company, this meant open access for the purposes of research, and willing participation by its customers. This combination of research access and stakeholders' willingness to engage in the project enabled detailed study of the particular factors associated with enhancing customer engagement, and developing the customer base. The research involved both qualitative and quantitative phases, with the first qualitative stage being used to identify the key service-related factors, which were then operationalized in the development of testable hypotheses for the second.\nStage 2: hypothesis development and survey: Stage 2 sought to explore the relationships between the main factors identified in the qualitative phase: convenience, courtesy, competence, convenience, internal branding, customer engagement/satisfaction and customer acquisition/retention (see Van Doorn et al., 2010). This was done through the development and testing of hypotheses for each of the relationships in Table I. Each of the hypotheses was informed and supported by the literature already discussed, which posited relationships between the particular variables. For instance, Aurand et al. (2005) highlighted possible relationships between internal branding and customer satisfaction (H7) and customer engagement (H8). Sashi (2012) and So et al. (2014), meanwhile, discussed the relationships between customer engagement and retention (H11).\nFindings of Phase II of the research: As can be seen from Table I: H1 and H2 show positive correlations between employee competence and customer satisfaction and customer engagement. The correlation of H1 is stronger than that of H2, which indicates that employee competence is a factor that satisfies customers, rather than encouraging them to actively and enthusiastically champion the company and its brands.\nLimitations and scope for further research: This study used the methodology of: qualitative identification of service quality factors that are important to customers; and, building on that; the testing of these particular factors for their correlations with customer satisfaction/engagement and customer retention/acquisition. This model of has been developed and employed by studying one Thai bank, highlighting the importance in this case of courtesy, competence, convenience and internal branding. If the methodology is used in different sectoral cultural contexts, it may result in different service factors being raised by customers. This is an interesting prospect, and so it is hoped that future studies can inductively reveal key service quality factors, and then go onto test them further - in so doing highlighting key differences in the perceived importance of particular service factors in particular sectors and cultural contexts.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the service profit chain (SPC) in a Thai bank, to identify which service features customers understand to be most important in their customer satisfaction and engagement. Through this it is intended to evaluate and refine the SPC model.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research involved two phases: a qualitative inductive process of interviews with bank customers to identify what they considered to be the most important aspects of service in their own customer satisfaction/engagement; second, a survey phase, which theoretically developed these aspects of service, and operationalized them as variables for testing in a refined SPC model.\nFindings: The key service features for customers in their satisfaction and engagement were found to be convenience, courtesy, competence and internal branding. All had positive relationships with customer satisfaction/customer engagement. Customer engagement/satisfaction were further found to correlate with customer retention and acquisition. Interestingly, whereas all four service variables correlated with customer engagement and satisfaction, two of the variables - courtesy and internal branding - had stronger relationships with customer engagement.\nPractical implications: The inductive modeling and refinement of the SPC approach can be employed in different companies and cultural contexts to identify which features of service are most important to customers in influencing their customer satisfaction/engagement.\nOriginality/value: This is the first study to use/evaluate the SPC approach in the Thai banking context; the first to use inductive methods to identify relationships between service features and customer satisfaction/engagement; and the first to examine courtesy, competence, convenience and internal branding in a holistic model with customer satisfaction/engagement and customer retention/acquisition.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Education and capacity building with research: a possible case for Future Earth
|
[
"Education",
"Sustainability",
"Capacity building",
"Future Earth",
"Human resource"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: This paper maps out an education and capacity building framework for implementing Future Earth in the Asia-Pacific Region. As a regional policy framework prospectus, this document outlines possible steps for success in the implementation of a long-run strategy that accomplishes continuously improving communications and decision-making systems.\nPolicy recommendations: The education and capacity-building framework for Future Earth should focus on the following two areas for education and capacity building. First, there is a need for educational reforms toward key sustainability competencies (Wiek et al., 2011) to grow the capacity of the Asia-Pacific as an innovator for progress toward Future Earth. Second, there is a need for a solutions-oriented project approach at the local, national and transnational levels. This includes transnational sustainability initiatives that have universities in various regions as a core, and many stakeholders from countries where the university is located will be necessary to accelerate the steps of transformation through capacity building.\nPotential program structure in the Asia-pacific policy framework: Within the Asia-Pacific region, the researchers suggest that there are three main education and capacity building goals. First, there is the task of building relevant competencies in stakeholders. This supplies the necessary skills for multi-stakeholder collaborations to succeed. Second, there is a need to cultivate \"bilateral translators\", those who can facilitate the accomplishment of important Future Earth sustainability projects by bridging the skills and needs of different stakeholders. Finally, there is the implementation of Future Earth projects, which can be built on existing programs and networks conducting the global environmental change research from their on-going achievements (Future Earth, 2013).\nFocal issue projects: Focal issue projects can and should occur on multiple scales:\nDiscussion and conclusions: The authors envision this platform having a role in resolving open natural resource problems, water shortages, lower-wetland management for carbon emissions and pollution-related issues at the local and regional level and issues of economic disparity within the Asian sector. Already established institutes and programs undertaking research associated with Future Earth will facilitate the opportunities for the common platform of education and capacity building for Future Earth. For example, Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) programs[2] initiated by Government of Japan that promote international joint research which targets global challenges and requires engagement by the international community can serve as candidates to facilitate a common platform for education and capacity building for Future Earth. A wide range of global/regional environmental issues (e.g. wild fire managements for carbon management and water resource management with sanitation system)3 has already been studied through the international networks developed by SATREPS. The initial design of Future Earth is committed to utilizing already established programs and networks for education and capacity building. Candidate programs for education and capacity to provide human assets for Future Earth should urgently be identified, consulted and prepared to incorporate and advance a common platform for education and capacity of Future Earth.\nAcknowledgements: This research was partially funded by Grant-in-Aid for Specially promoted Research (26000001) from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and was supported by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (S-14), under the Japanese Ministry of the Environment.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to suggest the structure of a platform for education and capacity building for Future Earth, which is an intensive program open to the eight stakeholders and which utilizes existing research programs/facilities associated with Future Earth. An intention of this paper is to facilitate a policy brief for projects associated with Future Earth.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper reviewed backgrounds and necessary items for education and capacity buildings in Future Earth projects by implementing three main priorities in Future Earth and current surrounding environments.\nFindings: This paper then suggested a possible structure, competencies, contents and human resources for education and capacity building and education for Future Earth.\nOriginality/value: The suggestions can be implemented in capacity building and education programs associated with Future Earth.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The geopolitics of future tourism development in an expanding EU
|
[
"Croatia",
"Israel",
"Geopolitics",
"Greece",
"Consolidated democracy",
"EU accession",
"Tourism growth"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Despite the certainty of threats to security and conflicts between countries and within them, awareness of the underlying geopolitical factors affecting future scenarios for order and security in key areas of Europe is often missing. The consequence of the breakdown of security is a game changer for tourism, as it is for all kinds of economic development. In many areas of the world where armed conflict occurs, it is usually accompanied by economic deficits and by the downturn (albeit this might be temporary) in tourism in particular. This paper explores the connections between security and order and the democratic governmental systems. It explores the link between enhancement of order (the consensual way the EU settles its differences) and benefits to tourism flows. It further asserts that these factors explain the continued expansion of the EU and also explains the conflict with Russia. In particular, the intention is to arrive at a better understanding of how tourism flows will be affected in future (negatively or positively) by the geopolitics of EU expansion. This understanding could be used by governments, tourist boards and other tourism stakeholders to be smarter in their planning, raising the prospect of designing smart (future looking) strategies in relation to tourism growth based on a greater awareness and deeper understanding of the geopolitics around the EU (Figure 1).\nGeopolitical \"tectonic plates\", conflict in Ukraine: The conflict in Ukraine and raised levels of tension along the Eastern EU border can be seen as a clash of geopolitical tectonic plates (the plates being the governmental systems) along which geopolitical storms can occur. One of these storms is occurring now between Ukraine and Russia with the EU, with America also involved in opposing Russia's actions. This conflict has the potential to spread. The perspective of a geopolitical clash is underpinned by the view (shared by many scholars including notably Richard N. Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations in the USA) that the status quo regarding order in the world (present since the end of the Cold War) is now \"unravelling\". Haass identifies three reasons for this. First, power is now diffused across many actors, due to diminishing America's role as the only world superpower. Second, respect for the political and economic role of America has lessened, and third, recent (US lead) military interventions have raised doubts about America's judgement and the reliability of its threats and promises. As a result, America's global influence overall has diminished, indeed the Western World is confused on the whole issue of when and how to militarily intervene. This, argues Haass, gives rise to the geopolitical turbulence we are experiencing in the world now.\nCroatia, Greece, EU membership, order and tourism growth: Croatia acceded to full membership of the EU on 1 July 2013. Many commentators believe that the decision to apply for membership to the EU marked a turning point for Croatia in terms of its political stability. Croatia does provide an insightful example of a country with many interlinked challenges, not least of which is its recent regional conflict triggered by the breakup of the Yugoslavia in the 1990s.\nConclusions: By understanding the definition of consolidated democracy, it is possible to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the EU governmental institutions and those of individual member states. The goals of the partnership between the EU and countries wishing to accede are formalised in accession agreements, which provide for structural funding from the EU to acceding countries. The accession agreements aim to achieve convergence (within agreed limits) with other members of the EU. The overall goal is specific: to enable the sort of democratic system that not only enhances order but also the rights of the individual. The preservation of order and enhancement of civil liberties are essential elements in opening up trade, leading to prosperity. These are the elements that countries that are situated on the eastern borders of the EU aspire to achieving themselves. It is that aspiration which holds a threat for Russia.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assert the link between the process of EU accession, the consolidation of democratic processes and the improvement of economic and tourism infrastructure to incoming tourism flows.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The methodology of this paper involves explanation of an analysis exploring links between governmental systems and the order necessary for economic development and tourism. The argument is supported by the recent history of tourism development in three countries, two within the EU and one outside.\nFindings: Accession to the EU (especially in the case of Eastern European countries) constitutes a way to emulate the democratic freedoms and greater economic prosperity of existing EU member states. Tourism is one of the areas of economy that benefits from the stability and growth EU membership can bring. Accession to the EU has had beneficial effects for acceding in terms of political stability and tourism growth.\nOriginality/value: The opportunities that EU membership can bring to tourism development for example (also strategies to exploit these opportunities) depend to a large degree on the international relations between the EU and its rivals. The extent to which tourism demands ebb and flow is governed by a range of factors, but the issues of conflict and security are game breakers. Understanding the factors and trends involved in the peaceful resolution of conflict (democratic model) or use of force to resolve conflict (military model) is key in the analysis of future tourism opportunities.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Developing and validating a multi-dimensional measure of coopetition
|
[
"Business-to-Business Marketing",
"Local-level coopetition",
"Multi-dimensional variables",
"National-level coopetition",
"Organisation-level coopetition",
"Scale development and validation"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Whether to enter into a coopetition strategy is a fundamental business-to-business marketing decision, in which managers cooperate with their competitors to improve their respective firms' performance in ways that would not be possible if they operated individualistically (Bengtsson and Kock, 1999; Rusko, 2011; Akpinar and Vincze, 2016). More formally, coopetition is defined as \"a dynamic and paradoxical relationship, which arises when two companies cooperate in some areas (such as strategic alliances), but simultaneously compete in other areas\"[1] (Bengtsson and Kock, 2000, p. 411). Coopetition helps to challenge some of the hyper-competitive assumptions of industrial rivalry that appear in theories, such as the resource-based view (Hunt and Derozier, 2004; Dyer et al., 2018). That is, authors have argued that instead of restricting management teams' resources and capabilities to those within the boundaries of their organisations, they should share assets with their competitors to facilitate serving markets that would be difficult under individualistic business strategies (Geldes et al., 2017; Felzensztein et al., 2018). Consequently, coopetition is likely to improve various company performance outcomes, depending on managers' objectives (Czakon and Czernek, 2016; Ranganathan et al., 2018).\nTheoretical background: Antecedents and consequences of coopetition activities\nMethodology: Population of interest\nResults: Findings from the preliminary qualitative study\nDiscussion: A body of knowledge surrounds coopetition in the business-to-business marketing literature, with it being viewed as a strategy used to improve company performance over individualistic business models (Bengtsson and Kock, 1999; Felzensztein et al., 2012; Wang and Yang, 2013; Bengtsson and Johansson, 2014; Czakon and Czernek, 2016; Velu, 2016; Crick, 2019a). That said, most authors who have conducted research on coopetition (including its antecedents and consequences) have adopted conceptual or qualitative approaches (Gnyawali and Park, 2009; Rusko, 2011; Dahl et al., 2016; Gnyawali and Charleton, 2018; Mathias et al., 2018). More importantly, the relatively few studies to use quantitative methods to examine coopetition have used measures with limitations, such as using single-item and uni-dimensional operationalisations (Ang, 2008; Ritala, 2012; Bouncken and Kraus, 2013; Bouncken et al., 2018). As such, this current study developed and validated a measure of coopetition that reflects its multi-dimensionality. Examination of coopetition was via three components, namely, local-, national- and organisation-level coopetition (following Crick and Crick, 2016). A measure of three facets was developed and validated (the COOP scale) using qualitative and quantitative sources of data.\nPractical implications: While the contribution of this study is focussed on marketing scholars, it also has associated practical benefits. As noted throughout this study, coopetition activities should assist management teams to improve their performance in ways that they would not be able to achieve if they were to operate individualistically (Bengtsson and Kock, 1999; Rusko, 2011; Ritala, 2012; Bengtsson and Johansson, 2014; Czakon and Czernek, 2016; Ranganathan et al., 2018). Yet, because marketing scholars have used measures of the coopetition construct with certain restrictions (Ang, 2008; Ritala, 2012; Bouncken and Kraus, 2013; Bouncken et al., 2018), arguably, limited recommendations can be made to practitioners about the extent to which coopetition activities can be managed, as well as their performance consequences. By using the COOP scale, academics can test the antecedents and consequences of these different forms of coopetition activities to make well-rounded managerial recommendations about the benefits (and potential drawbacks) of collaborating with competitors with targeting different product markets. A series of limitations and avenues for future research are described as follows.\nLimitations and avenues for future research: Although this study has developed and validated a multi-dimensional measure of coopetition (namely, the COOP scale), there are certain limitations that can be addressed in future research. First, the final sample for the core study was 151 observations. It is appreciated that it would have been ideal to obtain a larger sample size; however, with a high response rate of 57.63 per cent, the sample size was acceptable (Moorman, 1995; Baruch and Holtom, 2008; Keinanen and Kuivalainen, 2015). Additionally, the results indicated that the data were robust, suggesting no problems with such a sample size. In future research, academics should strive for larger sample sizes to ensure that their data is representative of their populations of interest. Second, the empirical context involved a sector that exhibited coopetition activities, namely, sporting clubs (Benijts et al., 2011; Lorgnier and Su, 2014; Crick and Crick, 2016). In future research, scholars should aim to replicate this study using alternative empirical contexts (namely, industries and countries). Third, in spite of this study identifying that coopetition is comprised of three distinct dimensions (local-, national- and organisation-level coopetition) after item deletion took place in the analysis, only two indicators were used to measure each facet of the variable. While two items can satisfactorily capture trace evidence of certain latent variables (Hayduk and Littvay, 2012), in future research, scholars should attempt to replicate this investigation using additional items for each facet of coopetition (Peter, 1981; Diamantopoulos et al., 2012).\nConclusions: The objective of this investigation was to develop and validate a multi-dimensional measure of coopetition (the COOP scale) so that marketing scholars, undertaking research in business-to-business contexts, have access to a valid and reliable operationalisation to test the antecedents and consequences of coopetition activities. To achieve this research objective, data collection was undertaken using sporting clubs in New Zealand (using qualitative and quantitative methods). Such data were analysed using a range of techniques, for which the COOP scale passed all major assessments of reliability and validity (including common method variance). The conclusion is that the coopetition construct comprises three facets, namely, local-, national- and organisation-level coopetition. These three dimensions were measured using multiple items. In closing, this improved measurement scale has ample scope to extend the coopetition literature in future empirical research within the business-to-business marketing domain.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Coopetition, namely, the interplay between cooperation and competition, has received a good deal of interest in the business-to-business marketing literature. Academics have operationalised the coopetition construct and have used these measures to test the antecedents and consequences of firms collaborating with their competitors. However, business-to-business marketing scholars have not developed and validated an agreed operationalisation that reflects the dimensionality of the coopetition construct. Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop and validate a multi-dimensional measure of coopetition for marketing scholars to use in future research.\nDesign/methodology/approach: To use a highly cooperative and highly competitive empirical context, sporting organisations in New Zealand were sampled, as the key informants within these entities engaged in different forms of coopetition. Checks were made to ensure that the sampled entities produced generalisable results. That is, it is anticipated that the results apply to other industries with firms engaging in similar business-to-business behaviours. Various sources of qualitative and quantitative data were acquired to develop and validate a multi-dimensional measure of coopetition (the COOP scale), which passed all major assessments of reliability and validity (including common method variance).\nFindings: The results indicated that coopetition is a multi-dimensional construct, comprising three distinct dimensions. First, local-level coopetition is collaboration among competing entities within a close geographic proximity. Second, national-level coopetition is cooperation with rivals within the same country but across different geographic regions. Third, organisation-level coopetition is cooperation with competitors across different firms (including with indirect rivals), regardless of their geographic location and product markets served. Indeed, organisation-level coopetition extends to how companies engage in coopetition in domestic and international capacities, depending on the extent to which they compete in similar product markets in comparison to industry rivals. Also, multiple indicators were used to measure each facet of the coopetition construct after the scale purification stage.\nOriginality/value: Prior coopetition-based investigations have predominately been conceptual or qualitative in nature. The scarce number of existing scales have significant problems, such as not appreciating that coopetition is a multi-dimensional variable, as well as using single indicators. In spite of a recent call for research on the multiple levels of coopetition, there has not been an agreed measure of the construct that accounts for its multi-dimensionality. Hence, this investigation responds to such a call for research by developing and validating the COOP scale. Local-, national- and organisation-level coopetition are anticipated to be the main facets of the coopetition construct, which offer several avenues for future research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Rapid hard tooling process selection using QFD-AHP methodology
|
[
"Injection instruments",
"Rapid prototypes",
"Process planning"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: rapid tooling: Tooling development for near net shape manufacturing continues to be an area of concern, owing to the significant amount of time and cost involved. Several rapid tooling (RT) methods have emerged in the last few years, which can reduce the tooling development time by 50 percent or more (Levy et al., 2003). This includes \"soft\" and \"bridge\" tooling methods based on rapid prototyping (RP), which use materials other than die steel and are cost effective for small order quantities. For example, the Stereolithography Direct AIM (ACES injection mold) process gives an epoxy resin mold, which can withstand up to 250 plastic injection molding cycles (Segal and Campbell, 2001). Spray metal tooling is an indirect RT process in which low melting alloy is sprayed over an RP model (pattern) to produce a corresponding mold cavity, which can be supported by a backing material (such as epoxy) and can be used for a few hundred injection molding cycles.The soft and bridge tooling methods cannot produce tooling in conventional tool steels, which are required for better quality and larger quantity of parts. This led to the development of newer processes for fabricating RT in steels. This includes 3D Keltool, selective laser sintering (SLS) mold, direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) mold, shape deposition modeling (SDM) steel mold and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of SLS tooling. The 3D Keltool is an indirect RT process, which uses an RP model as pattern for making interim molds in silicone rubber, which are filled with slurry of tool steel, tungsten carbide and epoxy binder. The binder is then burnt out and the voids are infiltrated with copper to produce production mold inserts, which can withstand up to 0.5 millions injection molding cycles (Campbell and Colin, 1997). The SLS process can directly build carbon steel or stainless steel molds (Radstok, 1999). The DMLS process uses a laser for liquid phase sintering of metal powder. Two different powder systems: bronze based powder and steel based powder (with a nitrogen atmosphere) are employed (Simchi et al., 2003). The DMLS tooling can be used for up to 10,000 injection molding cycles. The SDM process can build the tool steel dies with hardness up to 40 HRc, which can withstand high pressure and produce good quality castings comparable with those produced from H13 die material (Link et al., 1998). Agarwala et al. (1999) used a SLS pattern in HIP process to produce mold inserts in H13 steel, but a detailed techno-economic analysis of this route is unavailable.In general, production of steel dies and molds using RP patterns or layered manufacturing processes is still maturing and the process knowledge is not very well established. To achieve the desired accuracy and surface quality, process variables like layer thickness, part orientation and shrinkage allowance need to be optimized carefully based on detailed experimentation. On the other hand, recent advances in high speed machining have significantly reduced the manufacturing time of steel dies, making it even more difficult for tool engineers to decide the most suitable process for rapid manufacture of a die/mold for a given set of requirements and constraints. This prompted us to develop a systematic methodology for RT process selection and prioritization of tooling development variables. The methodology is a key aspect of a generic framework under development for RT, covering tooling process selection, cost estimation, manufacturability evaluation (Figure 1). In this paper the term rapid hard tooling (RHT) is used to represent the RT processes that are used for functional prototypes and batch production of injection molded parts.\nPrevious and related work: There is a growing body of research work on rapid development of molds and dies. Since the range of options in RT methods is continuously growing, the selection of the most appropriate process for a given application is becoming a difficult task. A few researchers have indeed highlighted the need for a \"rapid intelligent tooling system\" for deciding the optimal process (Kochan et al., 1999), though very few attempts appear to have been made in this direction. In one such attempt, a rule-based approach (with 80 rules) was used for selection and evaluation of four RT methods (Kaschka and Peter, 2002). In such an approach, establishing rule bases for different routes combining various processes is cumbersome, because of overlaps between the processes. Additionally, integrating RP with secondary processes (such as investment casting, slip casting, sintering, vacuum casting, etc.) multiplies the number of tooling routes. The other approach is to use a decision-making tool such as analytical hierarchal process (AHP) and quality function deployment (QFD), which are based on weighted sum model. These are briefly described here.Analytical hierarchy process (AHP)\nProposed approach: The proposed QFD-AHP approach for RT route selection has three phases. The first phase involves analyzing the customer (tooling) requirements and determining their relative importance considering constraints like material, geometric features, die material and production quantity by pair wise comparison using AHP. The second phase involves selecting an appropriate tooling process using QFD, based on the importance values of requirements obtained in the first phase. In the third phase, the effect of each process variable of the selected RT process is mapped and prioritized to identify critical process parameters that need special attention and have to be optimized.The proposed approach decomposes the complexity of the overall problem into three simpler steps, making it easier to implement. It also allows experienced tool engineers to capture their knowledge and improve the decision-making by the means of assigning or adjusting the weights. If the selected process is not available, the user can carry out another iteration after adjusting the relative importance of tooling requirements. Prioritization of process variables helps in taking decisions on parting surface, construction of die cavity (built-in or split) and requirements of machined core/cavity inserts, etc. Figure 2 shows a pictorial representation of the proposed QFD-AHP approach.To explain the proposed methodology in detail and prove its practical application, a tooling development project for a Nylon 66 hub gear was taken up. The hub gear is used in washing machines, and is conventionally produced by injection molding in a mold made of P20 or H11 die steel. The initial order quantity was 5,000. Other requirements included cost reduction (compared to die steel mold), while maintaining accuracy and short lead-time (two weeks). The three phases are described in detail next.Phase 1: Tooling requirements analysis\nRapid tooling development and processing: As suggested by QFD-AHP methodology, DMLS cavity inserts were fabricated on EOS-M250 (DMLS) machine, using a Cu-Ni-Sn based alloy in powder form. The build time was about 16 hours. This mold was used in microprocessor controlled DGM150 injection molding machine to process low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and Nylon 66, before using it for regular production in a conventional machine in industry. About 5,000 Nylon 66 and an equal number of PBT parts were produced from this mold. Figure 9 shows the DMLS mold and the parts in Nylon 66, LDPE and PBT. The key observations made during DMLS mold development and subsequent molding of LDPE and Nylon 66 parts in this investigation are discussed here.Mold assembly preparation\nConclusion: This work focused on the problem of RT process selection, which is decomposed into three phases: tooling requirements analysis, process selection and prioritization of process variables. The hybrid approach based on AHP and QFD enabled more reliable decisions: AHP enabled prioritizing the requirements using relative weights and QFD used the weights for evaluating process capability against each requirement. In the industrial case study of a hub gear presented to illustrate the approach, DMLS emerged as the most appropriate process for the given set of customer requirements. The DMLS mold was successfully used for 10,000 cycles of injection molding of LDPE and Nylon 66 hub gears. Subsequently, one more example on RT process selection for wax mold development was discussed, validating the proposed approach and its application in a tool room. The QFD-AHP process selection methodology will give progressively better results with a growing body of RT process knowledge. This work is a key step towards the goal of a comprehensive system for RT process selection and manufacturability evaluation, presently under development.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - To provide a systematic framework for mold designers, that can be used for rapid tooling (RT) process selection and prioritization of process parameters.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper presents a QFD-AHP methodology which has three phases. The first phase involves prioritizing the tooling requirements (driven by customer preferences) against a set of die/mold development attributes (such as product material, geometry, and die material and production order) through pair-wise comparison using analytical hierarchal process (AHP). These priority ratings are used for selecting the most appropriate tooling process using quality function deployment (QFD) in the second phase. Finally, QFD is used again for identifying critical process parameters (such as layer thickness, scan pitch and laser power) for the selected RT process.\nFindings: - The QFD-AHP methodology has been illustrated with industrial examples on RT for molded parts. The molds were fabricated using direct metal laser sintering and spray metal tooling processes, for example, 1 and 2, respectively, to prove that the methodology can be easily implemented in tool rooms. The issues noted in these experimental studies are also discussed for the benefit of researchers.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The capabilities of the RT processes presented in the paper reflect the experience of the research team in RT development. The QFD-AHP methodology will give progressively better results with a growing body of RT process knowledge.\nPractical implications: - This investigation is a key step towards the goal of developing a comprehensive system for RT process selection and manufacturability evaluation. The mold designer can use this QFD-AHP process selection methodology, prior to detailed manufacturability analysis, to better realize the benefits of RT technologies.\nOriginality/value: - The proposed QFD-AHP methodology is a new approach for the tooling process selection domain, and has not been reported earlier; this can be easily used for similar applications for any manufacturing domain.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Emergence of modern Indian retail: an historical perspective
|
[
"India",
"Retailing",
"Food and drink products",
"Modern history"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: For the third (consecutive) year, India tops [...] as one of the most attractive countries for global retailers [...] Modern retail, accounting for 2-3 percent of the market, is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 40 percent, from $8 bn. to $22 bn. by 2010. Overall India's retail sector is expected to grow from its current $350 bn. to $427 bn. by 2010 and $635 bn. by 2015 (Morierty et al., 2007, p. 9).Almost every major Indian business house are either getting into the retail space or are consolidating and expanding their presence in the retail space at a feverish pace.The food and grocery retail sector, which had been a slow starter, is currently attracting the maximum attention. Penetration of modern retail in the food and grocery retail sector is the lowest @ 0.8 per cent (Images F&R Research, 2007, p. 21). Despite an inherently low-gross margin, this low-penetration rate coupled with the huge market potential - 42.1 per cent of total consumer shopping basket - (Businessworld, 2003/2004, p. 85) makes the food and grocery retail sector very attractive for large business houses. Thus, we have today mega Indian business houses and corporate like the Reliance Group of Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Fresh & Reliance Hyper), Future Group of Kishore Biyani (Food Bazaar), RPG Group (Spencer's Retail), the Aditya Birla Group (More), ITC Ltd (Choupal Fresh & Choupal Saagar), Wadhawan Holdings (Spinach), the Godrej group (Nature's Basket & Godrej Aadhar), Subhiksha, J Raheja group (Hypercity), etc. driving the forays into food and grocery retail through different models like single-format, multi-format or integrated urban-rural model. And, to cap it all, we hope the first Bharti-Wal-Mart (franchise operations of Wal-Mart in India) stores to start operations in early 2008.It has however taken Indian retail in general and food and grocery retail in particular, years to reach this stage of development. The popular perception is that consequent to the liberalization and globalization of the Indian economy in the early 1990s and coupled with rising consumer purchasing power, modern retail took off in India somewhere in the mid-1990s. However, research shows that it was much earlier - in 1971 - when the first \"supermarket\" - the face of modern retail - was set up in India in the form of Nilgiris at Bangalore. Since then, a number of other entrepreneurs/business houses have entered (food and grocery) retail business over the years, but only a handful survived and came to be known nationally. For example, Trinetra from Hyderabad (now part of the Aditya Birla Group), Margin Free from Kerala, Foodworld from Chennai, etc. Prominent amongst those which folded up include Stop & Shop from the TVS group in South India and Nanz in North India.More than being an event (of the big retailers coming into existence), this emergence of modern retail has been a process (of evolution of traditional-format retail to self-service modern-format retail) spanning around 30 years - if we consider the real take-off to have happened at the turn of the twenty-first century. India today has got scores of smaller retailers who are single-store outlets but partly or fully self-service, who have \"traded-up\" over the years from the state of traditional counter-format shops. This paper focuses on food and grocery retail - the biggest retail business in any country and also all over the world. The work was undertaken in early 2003 to understand the evolution and growth of organized retail in India - a brief synopsis of it is being reported here. It tried to understand the different drivers of the evolution and growth of organized retail in India - specifically focusing on the roles of the manufacturers, retailers and consumers.\nTraditional retail over the years: India at the time of its independence in 1947 was in the clutches of a vicious circle of poverty - characterized by very low per capita consumption and one of the lowest income levels in the world. Retailing was focused more on the basic necessities rather than luxury. In terms of retail institutions, it was mainly mom-and-pop stores (kirana stores) run by individuals and the wet markets or bazaars. There were also the government-run public distribution shops (PDS) as well as different co-operative stores. All these stores were having counter-service - self-service was not a feasible option. Even in the early 1960s, it was reported that \"there is not a single supermarket in all of India\" (Westfall and Boyd, 1960, p. 14).Over the years, more and more counter-service format stores came up all across the country and by the turn of the century it was almost 12 million. The majority of these stores focused on food and grocery - in the form of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) items - sold at maximum retail price (MRP). Many of the stores provide credit to customers. While in terms of sheer numbers it is the grocery kirana stores which dominate, in value terms it is the wet markets which are estimated to be accounting for about 70 per cent of food and grocery retail sales (Jones et al., 2005). Wet markets typically deal with the entire range of food items as well and also in unbranded apparels, footwear, low-end durables and other general merchandise items. Other dominant retail formats include the paan-bidi shops or the traditional convenience store. And, in terms of non-store retail, street vendors or mobile vendors have been an important retail format in India. Although their numbers have declined over the years, they continue to survive and in some product categories like fresh vegetables they have grown in numbers in various parts of the country.One would also find different kinds of speciality stores in India. Many households would buy grams from the ration-shop, grind them in flour-mills (atta chakki) and get flour - rather than buying loose flour from grocery stores. Mustard oil used to be the principle edible oil in many parts of the country and many households used to procure loose mustard oil from oil mills rather than buy them from grocery shops in packaged form. Freshly milked milk used to be delivered by individual milk-men to many households everyday morning - the concept of buying packet milk from grocery stores was not in practice. In many cities and towns, egg used to be sold by individual hawkers in the wet bazaar and very few would buy egg from grocery stores. Meat was available in speciality stores - either inside the wet market or standalone stores - which still is the practice today in many parts of the country. Fish was available mostly inside wet bazaar and in very few cases in speciality/standalone stores. Bakery items, sweets and milk-based food items were also sold mostly through speciality standalone stores. Gradually over the years, as the grocery stores started expanding their product-range with growing demand for branded items in product categories like edible oil, flour, etc. there has been marked reduction in these traditional specialized food-stores.The concept of chain-store hardly came up in India in the food and grocery sector. Although the government-run PDS were in effect a chain of stores, they were never run with a retail business perspective where one measures store-level performance or profitability.\nEvolution of modern retail: When we discuss modern retail, the terms large-scale; modern-format and organized are used rather synonymously in India. However, the three terms need not necessarily mean the same thing. Large-scale refers to the scale of operation of retail business - which in turn implicitly refers to a chain of stores. Modern-format basically refers to self-service. However, many of the self-service stores which call themselves \"Supermarkets\", are in the range of 500 square feet or less in size and are nothing more than independent mom-and-pop stores. And organized retail typically means large-scale chain stores which are corporatized, apply modern-management techniques and are very likely to be self-service in nature. Most of the estimates of organized retail market size refer to only large-scale retail. For us, modern-retail in this paper means self-service in both large-scale as well as small-scale.Contrary to the popular view where-in all credit for growth of modern retail goes to the consumer and their increasing purchasing power, it is found that consumers manufacturers and retailers - all three - have been impacting the evolution process.Role of manufacturers\nEarly entrants in Indian retail business: While the above discussion throws light on the evolution of modern retail - from counter- to self-service, the following four case studies focus on the emergence of four large-scale retailers between 1971 and 2001 and throws light on their genesis and provide an idea about their business. First is Nilgiris Supermarket which came into existence in 1971 in Bangalore in South India. Then came Margin Free Supermarket which was set up in 1993 down south in Kerala. Thereafter it was Foodworld Supermarket which was established in Chennai (again in South India) in 1996. And finally, came Food Bazaar which was set up in 2001 in Mumbai in western India. Between the four of them, the different triggers for establishing large-scale retail business operations are supposed to have been captured.Nilgiris Supermarket\nConclusion: The emergence of modern retail in India has thus been a two-pronged phenomenon. One has been the evolution of traditional counter-format retail to self-service modern-format retail. The other has been successful establishment of large-format retailers. Manufacturers, retailers and consumers - all three major stakeholders in this process - have had a role to play at the macro-level. At the micro-level, the triggers were as diverse as entrepreneurial desire to provide better service, providing better price to the masses, capitalizing on emerging business opportunity, increase footfalls in existing non-food formats.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The paper seeks to capture the history of the evolution of modern-format food and grocery retail in India. Its focus is on the time period from 1971 to 2001.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The research is primarily exploratory in nature. Primary research included depth interviews, focus groups and survey through questionnaire with organized retailers, unorganized retailers, consumers, fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers, channel members and opinion-leaders. Secondary research involved a review of the existing literature on Indian retail available at that time.\nFindings: - Emergence of modern retail in India is not just a result of increasing consumer buying power - manufacturers and unorganized retailers also have an important role to play in this process at the macro-level. At the micro-level, the trigger came from diverse angles like entrepreneurial desire to provide better service to consumers, social desire to provide relief to the masses in the form of lower prices, desire to capitalize on emerging business opportunities being provided by the changing business environment, etc.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Being an early work in this area, the research was exploratory in nature and tried to understand the role of different stakeholders in emergence of modern retail in India. It does not use any statistical technique to prove or disprove any hypothesis. It is focused on the food and grocery retail business.\nOriginality/value: - The paper provides a historical perspective to academics as well as practitioners.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Modeling the efficiency of Tunisian and Moroccan banks using the SFA approach
|
[
"Banks efficiency",
"Environmental variables",
"Fourier Flexible form",
"Scale economies",
"C1",
"G21",
"G3"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Following the universally maintained financial liberalization strategy, banks have begun to look for new sources of income and new businesses or services. As a result, banking products have multiplied, making performance analysis as undertaken via traditional tools insufficient and unreliable. Such a procedure entails taking into consideration both of the economic as well accounting aspects of performance, through the implementation of new performance indicators. In this respect, efficiency and cost optimization turn out to be essential factors for assessing banks' performance.\n2. Literature review: In the economic literature, various studies appear to use different methods whereby banks' efficiency could be estimated with regard to several countries, following the parametric approach. The most recent of these research works used a Cobb-Douglas specification to model the cost function using the stochastic frontier approach, as introduced by Aigner et al. (1977) and Meeusen and van den Broeck (1977). As for Hasenkamp (1976), he documented that if the structure of (single output) production technology is more complex than its Cobb-Douglas representation, the unmodeled complexity will be revealed in the error term, and might well result in biased estimates of the inefficiency cost. In fact, ever since the mid-1980s, most studies have made use of the Translog functional form to estimate the cost efficiency as relating to the banking sector. For example, Dietsch (1993) undertook to examine cost efficiency in the French banking sector, while Lang and Welzel (1996) estimated cost economies as associated with German cooperative banks.\n3. Data, variables' measurement and methodology: 3.1 Data\n4. Empirical results: 4.1 Choice of the functional form and estimation results\n5. Conclusion: The main goal of this paper consists on estimating the efficiency levels relevant to two Maghreb countries' banking systems, by applying various statistical analyses to a data set related to both Tunisia and Morocco. To this end, various model specifications have been tested for the preferred cost mode to be reached. It has been proved, then, that the Fourier Flexible form turns out to fit better to our data set than the Translog form for a cross-country efficiency comparison to be established using a common frontier. Additionally, both environmental and bank-specific variables have been accounted for on determining an appropriate definition of a common frontier. Based on stochastic frontier analysis, this methodology proves to reveal the importance of both of the country-level and bank-level related factors, in explaining the differences perceived in cost efficiency between the Tunisian and Moroccan banks, as observed over the period 2005-2014. More specifically, the GDP growth and the high capitalization levels' banks turn out to contribute in increasing total costs. Inversely, however, the banking service quality proves to have a negative effect on total cost. In other words, banks with a greater commission income tend to display greater efficiency in cost management.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and compare bank efficiency between the two Maghreb countries, Tunisia and Morocco, over the period 2005-2014.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors follow the stochastic frontier analysis, where the preferred cost model is determined via various hypothesis tests based on the maximum likelihood estimation. Then, the first and the second derivates of the cost function are employed to determine scale elasticities, scale inefficiencies and technological progress.\nFindings: Specification tests indicate that the Fourier Flexible form provides better fit to the data set. Further, the estimated model shows that Tunisian and Moroccan banks' efficiency is positively affected by banking service quality, but negatively influenced by both bank capitalization and GDP growth. Overall, Moroccan banks are found to be the most efficient despite the decrease of efficiency levels in both countries. Additionally, foreign banks have a higher scale inefficiency and, therefore, a lower cost efficiency. Equally, the technical progress raises banking costs in both countries, providing a decrease in efficiency scores.\nPractical implications: The findings of this study provide novel insights to Tunisian and Moroccan policy makers on the relevance of the smaller banks' consolidation to improve bank efficiency by achieving unrealized economies of scale. Also, more reforms should be implemented in Tunisia to reduce non-performing loans.\nOriginality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first which offers a comparison between Tunisian and Moroccan banks to clarify the sources of inefficiency and to make strategic decisions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Eating-out and experiential consumption: a typology of experience providers
|
[
"Food marketing",
"Dining experience",
"Eating out",
"Experiential marketing",
"Food service",
"Restaurants"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The food sector has taken on an unprecedented dynamism in recent years. The processing and distribution of food, although heavily influenced by tradition, have seen intensive innovations, leading to changes in the way that individuals consume (de Rezende and de Avelar, 2011).\nExperiential consumption: One of the most important frameworks in consumer culture theory is the experience consumption or experiential marketing theories (Holbrook and Hirschmann, 1982, Pine and Gilmore, 1999, Schmitt, 1999). These theories focus on consumption as an experience that should be regarded as having symbolic meanings, aesthetics, emotions and hedonic responses.\nEating-out as a cultural and symbolic consumption experience: Food prepared outside the home makes up an increasingly large portion of the weekly diet in several countries. According to a recent survey, the expenditures of Brazilians outside the home, now accounts for 31.2 per cent of the total household food expenditure (de Rezende and de Avelar, 2011). Over the last 40 years in the UK, the eating-out market has taken on an increasing share of the total expenditure by consumers of food and beverages. Currently, one in nine meals is eaten out of the home every week in the UK[1].\nMethodology: The research carried out sought to make an understanding of the experiential environments in which eating-out is performed, as well as the experiences that it seeks to produce, and was conducted from a market-orientated ethnography.\nFindings: Six ideal models of service providers, according to the main characteristics of the experience allowed, are presented in Table I. It is clear that one restaurant can carry characteristics of more than one ideal model and that for others it is difficult to define which type of experience provider is predominant. It is also important to stress that these ideal types can overlap, especially because of consumer actions that affect the co-creation of value and may lead to changes in the previously designed servicescape.\nThe authentic environment: Food service may try to create an authentic environment which presents some distinct and unique features related to a place, a tradition or a culture, as the opposite of a functional and modern environment.\nThe relaxed environment: The relaxed environment is provided by establishments in which comfort, casualness and low service pace are the main distinct features. Food quality is usually not a differential aspect of these places. Consumers search for relaxed environments for several reasons: to have a break from work, to meet friends or to watch the time pass.\nThe \"all-you-can-eat\" environment: In service environments, such as restaurants, customers may not want a fast-paced experience. On the contrary, they might want to maximise their pleasure, with a slower pace, in order to extend their encounter (Noone et al., 2009).\n\"As-home\" environment: It is common to hear people say that sometimes they feel at home when they are in a special place. It is common to hear the expression \"make yourself at home\" expressing that even though someone decided to be out of their home, they still want to feel like they are in their home. In other words, they want to be in a special place that reminds them of home and in a place in which they would behave as if they were at home.\nEfficient environment: The efficient environments are valuable because they offer a predictable experience on a certain dimension: time is usually the most common factor, but other factors may be price, or simply standard products. These features are usually combined, as in the fast-food chains. They offer a functional service with a focus on the result: satisfied hunger. In fast-food, the service component is marginal: the most important is a highly standardised quality and a mass-customised meal.\nDistinction environment: The restaurant has become a forum for expression of individual desires and moods. Dining in restaurants has become a status symbol, a way to flaunt oneself and display a new and fashionable lifestyle. People are looking for experiences that go beyond the food itself (Gustafsson et al., 2006), and they use the restaurant as an arena where they can relax, enjoy themselves and most of all, socialise.\nConclusions: The diversity of service providers for eating-out, show that there is a wide range of experience that consumers look for when they choose a place to eat outside the home. The creation of the restaurant atmosphere is an important element that affects the emotional response of consumers and leads to different service encounters.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe generic eating out experiences that can be provided by commercial eating out establishments, presenting a typology of experience providers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research carried out sought to make an understanding of the experiential environments in which eating-out is performed, as well as the experiences that it seeks to produce, and was conducted from a market-orientated ethnography in selected markets from the UK and Brazil.\nFindings: Six ideal models of service providers, according to the main characteristics of the stimulus provided by the service encounter, were identified: authentic, relaxed, \"all you can eat\", \"as home\", efficient and distinction environment. The diversity of food service environments is somehow an answer to the diversity of customers and expectations regarding eating-out. The access of different social classes to eating-out opens the space for more variety, and the creativity that food service managers have on building an appropriate set of stimulus, is a distinctive skill.\nResearch limitations/implications: The restaurant side of experience encounters was the focus of analysis, but for a deeper understanding of experiential consumption on eating out these results must be confronted to consumer research based on psychophysical methods to assess consumer responses to eating out.\nOriginality/value: Theoretical implications of this paper rely on the understanding that there are distinct forms of service encounters, providing an alternative view of servicescapes that allows a better understanding of business strategies and host-guest relationships on food service.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The supplier and customer contribution to manufacturing flexibility: Australian manufacturing industry's perspective
|
[
"Supply chain management",
"Flexibility",
"Buyer‐seller relationships, Australia"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: The latest development of the global economic market has caused major challenges for most manufacturing companies around the world to optimize their manufacturing strategies because the demand for better quality products with shorter lead time and lower life-cycle cost forces them to be innovative and flexible, to make their management and manufacturing operations leaner. In order to meet these requirements, many manufacturers have led to the concept of integrated supply chain where basic components of integration typically include cooperation, collaboration, information sharing, trust, partnerships, shared technology, etc. The information exchange across multiple enterprises (Truman, 2000; Unal, 2000; Upin et al., 2000) and robust relationships between suppliers, manufacturers, and customers (Aggarwal, 1997; Dyer et al., 1998; Vollmann and Cordon, 1998; Whipple and Frankel, 2000) are essential. Kasarda and Rondinelli (1998) highlight the importance of quick response strategy to customers' needs which is directly linked to manufacturing flexibility saying that \" in an era of rapid, unanticipated change, the most competitive firms will be those that respond quickly and efficiently\". Based on empirical studies carried out in Australian manufacturing industries, customers in Australia and around the world will continue to demand more and more and that competition will continue to increase from all parts of the globe (Perry and Sohal, 2001; Sohal et al., 2002a, b; Kara et al., 2002; Kayis et al., 2001). Accordingly, the response to the market tends to be dramatic to cope with the ever-changing demand of customers in order to be or remain competitive. Nowadays, all the efforts of restructuring, reengineering, and reinventing are simply to make a company flexible enough to cater for fast-changing customer needs. Flexibility, another competitive weapon used in today's competitive markets, is defined as \"the ability to respond effectively to the ever-changing and increasing needs of the customer\" (Mandelbaum, 1978; Sethi and Sethi, 1990).The traditional thought was that there were so many conflicts in the multiple demands on the operations function that trade-offs were made in achieving excellence in one or more dimensions. Strategically, the dimensions of cost, quality, time and flexibility are not to be traded-off against one another but need to be simultaneously prioritized (Erenguc et al., 1999; Kara et al., 2002). Kara et al. (2002) also noted that a manufacturing organization should be considered as part of a whole supply-distribution system, then flexibility at the acquisition-processing-distribution stages must be achieved to devise the best strategy for obtaining the right and desired output, satisfying the quick design changes, broader product line, fluctuating orders, multiple quality levels, quicker deliveries, and multiple price levels. The flexibility at acquisition-processing-distribution stages can be achieved if companies use flexibility mechanisms/parameters between and within each stage to enhance their existing manufacturing capabilities and strategies (Aggarwal, 1997; O'Kane, 2000).Ultimately, companies need to make each stage of the acquisition-processing-distribution chain as flexible as possible. This can be accomplished by adding flexibility to each resource without spending too much money, while at the same time, attaining sufficient capability to satisfy all customer needs. The companies' competitive priorities are what the company strategy demands from manufacturing. The overall picture, which emerged, is that the Australian manufacturers seem to be striving for higher quality but not primarily seeking lower costs and flexibility. One interpretation of this picture is that Australian manufacturers are aiming at overcoming what they perceive to be the relative deficiencies of their manufacturing compared to their competitors since, in the very near future, the threat will be low cost-flexible manufacturing with exceptionally high quality. The successful adaptation of low cost-flexible manufacturing lies on the enhancement of existing manufacturing capabilities to develop competitive advantage.In this paper, we present the formulation of relationships involving different flexibility elements related to the total chain of acquisition, processing and distribution in order to assess the level of flexibility practiced by Australian manufacturing industries. The effect of supplier and customer contribution on manufacturing problems are analyzed in detail as well as developing a flexibility assessment framework to discuss its impact on the total chain of manufacturing.\n2 Survey structure and data collection: To achieve the aforementioned aims, a survey with telephone follow-up was conducted. The questionnaire developed for the survey was structured in such a way that questions and the categories could be interpreted broadly. The questionnaire took 3-5 minutes to complete.The population mailing list came from the Business Who's Who in Australia (2001). A sample of 249 organisations was randomly selected from the entire population, and a questionnaire was sent to each. Table I shows the distribution of the questionnaire among the sample groups. Eighty-eight of the organisations responded to the questionnaire, which, corresponds to a reply rate of 35.3 percent. Mail-out surveys tend to have low response rates, in the range of 15-25 percent, hence response rate of 35.5 percent respond rate is a relatively good response rate.\n3 Data: The overall data can be evaluated in four groups, namely the organisational structure, manufacturing practices, the supplier's contribution, and the customer' contribution.3.1 Organisational structure\n4 Formation of relationships and methodology: 4.1 Formation of relationships\n5 Analysis of results: 5.1 Effect of supplier's participation on manufacturing problems\n6 Conclusion: This study analyses how customer-supplier relationship could have an impact on manufacturing flexibility and enhances the total chain of manufacturing. The current flexibility practices of Australian industries are also assessed and a framework is suggested based on several elements taken into consideration in the analysis of gathered survey data. As the different elements under flexibility have suggested, the manufacturing flexibility of Australian industries as affected by customer-supplier participation is medium. Since flexibility is defined as the ability to keep up with ever changing and increasing demands, the industries need to keep in mind the continuous improvement methodology including maintaining flexibility. A guideline for pursuing improvement are recommended below:* Giving more attention to the demand for variation in the products from customers in the setup of manufacturing objectives enabling industries to become more flexible to respond and keep in mind of the changing in demand of customers.* Acknowledging the concept of fewer suppliers where long-term relationships could be formed and constantly cherished.* Getting more involvement from the customers, especially in terms of product and process design, where things could be allocated and designed correctly from the start, making the system more flexible for any other subsequent changes.* Training and enhancing the skills of the workforce so that they would be flexible enough to handle variety of tasks with different levels of interchange skills and the uncertainty in demand.* Planning and coordination of all suppliers and customers from the planning stage by establishing plans to ensure well established relationship as well as collaboration.* This study suggested that customer-supplier relationship could significantly affect the flexibility level within the industries under different functional areas. As a result, to achieve the \"real\" flexibility of the system, flexibility has to be built into the total chain of acquisition-processing-distribution stages, not just focusing on the manufacturing aspects only.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper seeks to present the formulation of relationships involving different manufacturing flexibility elements related to the total chain of acquisition, processing and distribution in order to assess the level of flexibility practiced by Australian manufacturing industries.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A range of published works and a detailed data gathered from a wide range of Australian manufacturing industry through questionnaires are evaluated to determine how customer-supplier relationships could have an impact on manufacturing flexibility and enhance the total chain of manufacturing. The main analysis tool used is logistic regression. The knowledge and analysis obtained are linked to evaluate the level of each type of flexibility as well as the impact of customer-supplier flexibility on the total chain of manufacturing. Finally, a performance assessment framework is developed to connect the interlinking factors and contribution regarding customer, supplier, and manufacturing flexibility of Australian industries.\nFindings: - The relationships and correlation of data displayed would enhance the available body of knowledge on the total chain of manufacturing. Consequently, the relationships found in this paper can be used to support the overall flexibility assessment of manufacturing industries. In the paper, the current flexibility practices of Australian industries are assessed and a framework is suggested based on several elements taken into consideration. As the different elements under flexibility have suggested, the manufacturing flexibility of Australian industries as affected by customer-supplier participation is found as medium. Suggestions for pursuing improvements are recommended.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The main outcome of the research is to reveal that customer-supplier relationship could significantly affect the flexibility level within the industries under different functional areas. As a result, to achieve the \"real\" flexibility of the system, flexibility has to be built into the total chain of acquisition-processing-distribution stages, not just focusing on the manufacturing aspects only. The flexibility framework developed in this paper would better assess the impact of customer-supplier flexibility on the total chain of manufacturing and give more insights for analyzing the flexibility level of customers, suppliers, and manufacturers with data gathered across the globe.\nOriginality/value: - The originality of the paper lies in its detailed analysis of the effect of supplier and customer contribution on manufacturing problems as well as developing a flexibility assessment framework to discuss its impact on the total chain of manufacturing. Its value to both body of knowledge and practitioners are emphasized in the paper.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The market performance indicator: a macro understanding of service provider switching
|
[
"Value",
"Telecommunications",
"Market performance",
"Partial least squares",
"Satifaction",
"Switching behavior"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: There has been considerable interest and debate among marketing scholars in studying service provider switching (Bendapudi and Berry, 1997; Bansal and Taylor, 1999; Jones et al., 2000; Singh and Sirdeshmukh, 2000; Colgate and Lang, 2001; Patterson and Smith, 2003; East et al., 2012). Understanding the service provider-switching process also has important commercial implications for industries such as telecommunications and subscription services, where the loss of consumers (churn) can be expensive, and it makes it impossible for marketers to build greater value in customer relationships (Fullerton, 2005; Nakamura, 2010; Grzybowski and Pereira, 2011; Lee et al., 2011). For more contractual and long-term services, such as finance and insurance, consumer switching is also a concern, as it may mean the abandonment by high-network customers and the loss of lifetime value of others (Stewart, 1998a, 1998b; Baumann et al., 2007; Lees et al., 2007; Manrai and Manrai, 2007; Winchester et al., 2008). While the factors that explain consumers leaving providers and being attracted to service alternatives are well understood, it is not that well-known why consumers may not switch, even when there are sound reasons to do so, or why they suddenly switch, even when they are satisfied with their current arrangements.\nLiterature review: Previous research on switching service providers\nMethod: A mixed-methods approach was used in the design of the study. This consisted of a qualitative study, which included seven focus groups and a longitudinal study of 971 cell phone customers, so that not only intentions but also actual switching behavior could be examined.\nResults: The data were analyzed using partial least squares (PLS) using the SMART-PLS2.0 software (Ringle et al., 2005). This included validating the measurements and testing support for the hypotheses of interest. PLS is a component-based structural equation modeling technique that has particular advantages over covariance modeling (Slotegraaf and Dickinson, 2004). PLS is a variance-based technique, which can deal well with issues of formative versus reflective measures and moderation effects and can include categorical dependent variables. PLS is not constrained by identification issues, even in complex models (Hair et al., 2012, p. 415). Maximization of variance explained (or R2 values) in all dependent variables is the primary objective of PLS (Capron and Hulland, 1999). There is wide application of PLS in many areas of the marketing literature (Hair et al., 2012), and it has been suggested that PLS is particularly useful for models of consumer behavior which include satisfaction (Mateos-Aparicio, 2011).\nConclusion: The results of this study suggest that the MPI is a convenient and valid measure, which contributes strongly to understanding of brand switching. As expected, the MPI was found to influence transactional perceptions of satisfaction and value, and was found to contribute strongly to actual switching behavior. The results also showed that an improvement in the MPI or market conditions lead to a much greater relationship between it and actual switching behavior, suggesting that there may well be important threshold level, upon which greater switching behavior occurs.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to adapt the market performance indicator (MPI), used by the European Commission to evaluate market conditions, over time, to show that the MPI explains actual switching behavior better than stated intent and satisfaction. While research on service provider switching has focused on the outcomes of service transactions and the benefits of switching, there is little research on how consumers view market conditions as being favorable or not for switching.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors used a mixed methodology of focus groups and longitudinal survey research of cell phone consumers to evaluate the effect of the MPI on satisfaction, perceptions of value, switching intentions and behavior.\nFindings: The MPI was found to influence perceptions of satisfaction and value, and was found to contribute strongly to actual switching behavior. The results also showed that an improvement in the MPI or market conditions lead to a much greater relationship between it and actual switching behavior, suggesting that there may well be important threshold level, upon which greater switching behavior occurs.\nOriginality/value: The MPI provides marketers and policy-makers with benchmarks to compare the consumer welfare of different markets in different countries. Switching studies with MPI figures can be more easily generalized to different contexts.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
MITIE Client Services is mighty good to work for: Revolutionary approach to staff development earns Sunday Times awards
|
[
"Hospitality",
"Teams",
"Training",
"Well-being"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The Client Services arm of FTSE 250 outsourcing company Management Incentive Through Investment Equity (MITIE) has been named by the Sunday Times as one of the top 100 businesses to work for in Britain, and has also received a training and development special award.\nTalking about a revolution: Debra Ward explained that, by ensuring teams are well trained, motivated and passionate, they will deliver their best possible services to clients and, in turn, their customers.\nGoing on safari: Client Services employees are also sent on what has been dubbed a five-star Safari, which sees them visiting five-star hotels in their vicinity to examine, incognito, how it feels to be on the receiving end of such excellent service.\nGiving something back: An important best-workplace factor at Client Services is the opportunity to contribute to good causes in the community.\nKeeping in touch with Twitter: The company wholeheartedly embraces social media, which allows the team to communicate. Training courses are provided about social media, outlining what people will genuinely want to read and what sort of material is powerful.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Describes how specialist provider of five-star front-of-house services MITIE Client Services is ensuring it is one of the best places to work.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Details the company culture and the various innovative training methods to support staff development.\nFindings: Reveals how team members attend a four-day experiential-training course at the Revolution Academy, and explains how staff members are helped to embrace the company vision of creating exceptional, memorable experiences - one guest at a time.\nPractical implications: Demonstrates how, as the business does not deliver a tangible product, success is gauged through the quality of interaction among the team and that training is therefore not designed to instruct but to ignite certain behaviors in people, inspiring a change in mind-set that leads to long-lasting transformations in attitude and performance.\nOriginality/value: Discusses the approach to mind-set change that develops a strong culture at the company.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Cooperative game-based profit allocation for joint distribution alliance under online shopping environment: A case in Southwest China
|
[
"Logistics operations and management",
"E-marketing",
"Gaming research",
"Physical distribution management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: E-commerce, as one of the best applications of internet, is booming in recent years and will continue to boost business-to-consumer transactions (Kaur and Quareshi, 2015). As a large number of enterprises begin to develop e-commerce, purchasing products online has grown rapidly (Lee et al., 2011). Thus, the sales of online shopping has increased from 3 percent in total of UK retail sales in 2007 to over 16.8 percent in 2015 (Cherrett et al., 2017). According to the Report on China Express Development Index 2016 and 2017 issued by State Post Bureau of The People's Republic of China, the express industry has supported online retail sales of more than 4 trillion yuan in 2016, and the amount in the first quarter of 2017 has exceeded 1 trillion yuan (State Post Bureau, China, 2017). Not just in China, the delivery amount in the Korean express service market has also increased constantly, in spite of the long-term downturn and slow growth in most of the industries (Chung et al., 2016). Despite online shopping logistics has gained further development opportunities, express service providers (ESPs) now face great challenges under the online shopping environment. With the characteristics of high frequency, small volume, multiple batches and timeliness (just-in-time) of online shopping (Park et al., 2016), transport has been intensely utilized by ESPs to meet their customers' requirements. Then less efficient and small package flows in the logistics distribution has increased rapidly, leading to a range of negative externalities, such as traffic congestion, logistic resource waste and environmental pollution (Cherrett et al., 2017), and the issues of climate change and energy price rise have attracted worldwide attention in the past few decades (Pan et al., 2013). Faced with the rising energy costs and fierce competition among carriers, improving operation efficiency and reducing costs has become a top priority to the logistics service providers (LSPs) (Xu et al., 2015). Additionally, the end-customers begin to require higher standards service (Adenso-Diaz et al., 2014), and paid more attention to green issues (Zhou et al., 2019) as well as ecological sustainability management in logistics distribution (Eskandarpour et al., 2015).\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Joint distribution alliance\n3. Cooperative game-based profit allocation methodologies: In the context of cooperative game, the most important issue is how to allocate the gains or cost savings arising from the formed alliances with various methodologies. This section attempts to provide a solution for more rational profit allocation under several schemes with the proposed cooperative game-based methodologies including the proportional method, the core theory, nucleolus and Shapley value. In addition, Shapley value has been improved by incorporating the criteria from four aspects of enterprise, customer, environment and information.\n4. Case study: When express enterprises implement a joint distribution strategy, the main hurdle is how to rationally allocate the profits or cost savings. Besides, determining the stable profit allocation scheme is also the problem that needs to be solved. Hence, a case study has been conducted to validate the acceptability and stability of the proposed methodologies.\n5. Results and discussion: The paper explores profit allocation in a JDA under online shopping where ESPs cooperate via sharing the satellites and merging the requests from entire end-customer groups. In this context, cooperative game is a natural way to model profit sharing and the classical concept of the core, nucleolus, proportional method and Shapley value have been employed. We then incorporate four criteria including enterprise operation, customer satisfaction, environmental sustainability and information technology into Shapley value to make an improvement for a reasonable allocation. Moreover, a case study based on real-world information of Southwest China has been conducted to verify the acceptability and stability of proposed allocation schemes under the core theory and PTD index as well as Loehman power index, and some results can be summarized as follows.\n6. Conclusions: Combined with the case study in Section 4 and the results and discussion in Section 5, some conclusions are drawn in this section.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: In the context of sharing economy and online shopping, establishing a stable urban joint distribution alliance (JDA) is extremely necessary for the entire logistics service market. The purpose of this paper is to rationally allocate the profits and determine the most stable allocation scheme for the urban JDA as well as provide a direction for cooperation between express enterprises and lead managers to pay more attention to the comprehensive performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Cooperative game-based methodologies including the proportion method, the core theory, nucleolus and Shapley value have been employed. Four criteria consisting of enterprise operation, customer satisfaction, environmental sustainability and information technology have been incorporated into Shapley value for improvement.\nFindings: This paper reveals that express enterprises in logistics service market can achieve more benefit from JDA than those who operate separately. Among proposed profit allocation schemes, improved Shapley value scheme shows more rationality by considering partners' asymmetric contribution. Besides, a stable alliance can be always ensured with partners' lower propensity to disrupt and relatively balanced negotiation power under improved Shapley value scheme.\nOriginality/value: This paper makes a few attempts to contribute to the literature on the improvement of Shapley value and applies the concept of \"propensity to disrupt\" into the field of logistics. Besides, this paper provides various profit allocation schemes and incorporates influencing factors into Shapley value for an improvement thus helping policy-makers make better-informed decisions on urban distribution. Additionally, a case study based on urban express enterprises in Southwest China has been conducted to verify the proposed profit allocation schemes.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Assessing new product potential in an international context: lessons learned in Thailand
|
[
"Marketing theory",
"International marketing",
"Market research",
"Culture",
"Thailand"
] |
[
{
"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.\n1. Introduction: New products are the key to corporate growth and success (Cooper, 2001). About 75 percent of the growth in sales volume in the USA is estimated to be derived from new products (Gruenwald, 1997). However, a great proportion of new products never reach the set objectives once released to the market (Crawford, 2000).The success of a new product is greatly determined by the degree to which an innovation is perceived as \"new\" based on technical, behavioral and symbolical criteria (Kuczmarski, 1988; Thomas, 1993). While technological innovativeness is based on technical changes of existing product characteristics, behavioral innovativeness refers to the degree of \"behavioral changes that are required of consumers to complete the purchase process and [to] use the product\" (Wells and Prensky, 1996, p. 496). Fashionable products incorporate symbolical innovativeness. For example, a certain hairstyle can be considered as innovative because of a new and different social meaning attached to it (Mowen and Minor, 1998).Concept testing is recommended as a tool to assess the extent to which a product's perceived level of innovativeness corresponds to consumer innovativeness. The market potential of a new product is screened by measuring prospect customers' liking, interest, willingness-to-pay as well as intent-to-buy prior to its full-scale development (Rosenthal, 1992; Gorchels, 1996; Cooper, 2001). Research has revealed that a number of socio-economic, as well as individual variables, such as age, level of education, degree of social mobility (e.g. Engel et al., 1995), consumer ethnocentrism (Shimp and Sharma, 1987), or consumer value structure (Smith and Schwartz, 1997; Steenkamp et al., 1999) affect consumer's willingness to accept new products. These factors greatly determine whether innovations diffuse in a market place (Nessim and Wozniak, 2001).Despite its potential benefits, the deployment of concept testing as part of the new product development (NPD) process has been regarded as controversial. For instance, Schnaars (1998) claims that the usage of concept tests in early NPD stages leads to nothing more than minor product modifications since consumers can only express themselves in terms of products familiar to them. The potential of radically new products can therefore not be assessed reliably (Adcock, 2000).Furthermore, concept testing in today's global environment must tolerate a number of additional challenges which may restrict the validity and reliability of the research results. The entire research process, including research design, sampling, data collection, and interpretation, has to be adapted to cultural, linguistic, economic, political, religious, historical and market differences (Keegan and Green, 2000; Terpstra and Russow, 2000), with which the researcher may not be familiar. This may jeopardize the usefulness of a concept test in making useful predictions as to whether an innovation may become a success or failure in a foreign market. However, so far only scant research exists (Takada and Jain, 1991).We argue that more insights are needed that show how practitioners manage the environmental unfamiliarity that arises in the context of international concept testing projects.The contribution of this paper is to fill this gap by reporting lessons learned gained by carrying out a concept test in Thailand. Where appropriate, we compare the adopted approach to the \"regular\" way by which the company we report about assesses the potentials of new products. The implications may serve as a basis for theoretical refinements in future research, as well as the development of useful managerial guidelines.We start by reviewing the relevant literature on concept testing. Subsequently, the context of the reported project is described. This is followed by a discussion on how the sampling method, the concept presentation, the questioning procedure, country-specific market conditions, and the assessment of learning behavior influence the degree of result validity. In a separate section, we judge the degree to which the findings can be generalized. Based on these reflections, we identify future research directives and develop managerial implications.\n2. Theoretical review: The success of a new product is a function of product and consumer innovativeness. Whether an innovation is adopted by individual consumers and diffuse across entire markets, depends on the complex interaction of a number of factors at both macro and at individual levels. In an international context, the management of such complexity becomes even more challenging as the researcher may be confronted with unfamiliar market condition. Thus, the validity of results is at high risk.Determinants of new product market success: product and consumer innovativeness\n3. The MMS project: In the past few years, the focus of the mobile telecommunication industry has shifted from traditional voice based services (i.e. making phone calls) towards data services. One of the reasons for the transition from voice to data centric mobile technologies has been an intensified competition among mobile operators leading to market saturation and commodization of basic voice services. For many mobile operators value-added data services, which potentially provide a much wider range of differentiation possibilities than voice services, are an important means for (re)positioning. However, there is still much uncertainty about \"killer applications\", i.e. the type of mobile data services that will become successful along with a few established data services, such as mobile text messaging based on short message service (SMS).At the time of investigation, enhanced messaging service (EMS) and wireless application protocol (WAP) based phones and service had already been launched in Thailand. The industry therefore focused on advanced forms of messaging services, such as multimedia messaging service (MMS). MMS technology enables, e.g. sending and receiving messages with photos, polyphonic sounds, text and even short video clips with a mobile phone. On the basis of these features, MMS technology and the respective end-user devices and services were considered as discontinuous innovations both from a technological as well as from an end-user point of view.The aim of the concept testing project was to judge the likelihood with which an early adopter or the early majority of Thai consumer would purchase an MMS phone and, subsequently, use the respective MMS data services.Concept testing in an international context: love it or leave it?\n4. Identifying future research avenues: Our experiences with concept testing in an international context lead to the identification of a stream of future research avenues.First, we encourage researchers to develop the theoretical foundations for the diffusion of discontinuous innovations. Current literature seems to suggest that a consumer behavior orientated concept test may be more conclusive if testing a person's general degree of innovativeness, rather than attempting to analyze the likelihood of adopting a particular innovation. In fact, the descriptions of the adopter categories as suggested by Rogers' (1962) may evoke the perception that consumer innovativeness is polymorphic, i.e. independent of the particular innovation in question. However, Hawkins et al. (2001) and Antonides and van Raaij (1998) suggest consumer innovativeness to be dependent on a particular product category. Also Engel et al. (1995) argue that whereas \"some people tend to be technophiles and are easy to sell a wide range of the latest techno-toys [...] [they are] unlikely to be innovators for fashion clothing, food, or other products\". However, the empirical findings in this area are conflicting (Engel et al., 1995). A good departure point for future research serves the approach adopted by Hofstede and Steenkamp (1999) who proposed segmenting international markets based on consumer-product relations. We encourage researchers to explore further the degree to which consumer innovativeness is polymorphic and to what extent this relates to product grouping and different cultures.Further research efforts should be dedicated to the categorizations of (highly) innovative products and the effect of these categories on the diffusion pattern. For example, the diffusion of an innovative product that can be utilized as a standalone is likely to be quite different from those where the presence or participation of other users is necessary (see, for example, the spreading of internet).Research on the effect of cultural variations on consumer innovativeness is rather scarce (Takada and Jain, 1991). Additionally, most studies use Hofstede's framework (1980) which has been heavily criticized due to a number of reasons. One is its underlying assumption that cultures are static and end at a nation's boundaries (Tse et al., 1989). Other authors (e.g. Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck, 1961; Maznevski and DiStefano, 2002) identify cultural values which give rise to cultural norms or to \"rules that specify or prohibit certain behaviors in specific situations\" (Hawkins et al., 2001, p. 42). Norms must however only be considered as \"boundaries within which most individuals think and act\" rather than as \"detailed prescriptions for appropriate behavior\" (Hawkins et al., 2001, p. 42). Schwartz (1994) and Triandis (1989) describe these boundaries as social reinforcement contingencies that stimulate the pursuit of those individual dispositions that fit the national cultural environment. Simultaneously, they restrain those dispositions that are incongruent with the nation's institutional structures. Whereas stimulation of a desired behavior takes place through a positive social feedback, undesired behavior is restricted by imposing sanctions or penalties that range \"from mild social disapproval to banishment from the group\" (Hawkins et al., 2001, p. 42).According to Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1961) or Maznevski and DiStefano (2002), cultures are dynamic concepts which allow for variations within cultures. They define culture \"as the pattern of deep-level values and assumptions associated with societal effectiveness, shared by an interacting group of people\" (Maznevski and DiStefano, 2002, p. 276). Based on this understanding, six cultural orientations are identified, which are not static but dynamic concepts. For example, through their perspective, collectivism is understood on a continuum which implies that collectivistic cultures have little individualism. Hence, consumers' susceptibility to particular types of risks may vary within the same culture. For example, a \"Japanese is to live always in dread of what others think of [him or her]\" - the susceptibility of Japanese consumers to a social risk can therefore be considered as very high (Wong and Ahuvia, 1995, cited in Usunier, 2000, p. 110). This particular person's uncertainty avoidance might however not be valid for other Japanese and not with respect to other types of risks. Hence, we encourage verifying whether the innovation is compatible with the culture orientation of the target group in order to assess a new product's potential based on a measurement of consumer innovativeness.The influence of the culture orientation also relates to concept presentation. The literature refers to three aspects of equivalence issues that need to be considered in an international market research project, i.e. functional, conceptual and category equivalence (Craig and Douglas, 2000; Mullen, 1995). The pre-requisite for functional equivalence is that the product (concept) studied \"serves the same purpose or function from country to country\" (Aaker et al., 2001, p. 214). For instance, in certain countries bicycles are means of transportation in every day life, whereas in other countries, they are only used for leisure activities (Usunier, 2000). Category equivalence refers to the product class in which the research construct is placed (Aaker et al., 2001). For example, in Finland beer is primarily considered as an alcoholic drink, but in Bavaria, Germany, it is considered as a part of regular diet. Conceptual equivalence deals with the individual interpretation of \"objects, stimuli, or behavior\" (Sears, 1961, as cited in Craig and Douglas, 2000, p. 158). It is dependent on the individual values that vary in different countries (Markus and Kitayama, 1991). For instance, in Great Britain engagement implies a commitment to marry, but in Spain it would simply mean having a boy or girl friend (Aaker et al., 2001).In this context it would be interesting to gain knowledge about how globalization affects equivalence issues. The more external influences a culture's orientation system allows to be incorporated, the less important equivalence issues may become. Also, they may even experience a qualitative shift. The Chinese society, for instance, is a good example on how rapidly \"new\" (i.e. Western) cultural values have been adopted into the Chinese value system without being carefully mixed with local Chinese values.Similar thoughts relate to the degree at which innovations spread across nations. It certainly would be of value to analyze the potential of new products in commercially linked country associations, such as the European Union (EU) or the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).We also recommend analyzing the effect of companies' research and development investment or vertical co-operation within industries on consumer innovativeness. Country innovativeness is predominantly measured by the country's investments in research and development as a percentage of the GDP. It can be argued that a strong demand for innovative products may lead to, e.g. increased R&D investment in that country. However, especially in export orientated countries, this type of innovativeness measurement does not necessarily reflect consumer innovativeness.\n5. Managerial implications: Based on experiences made, we are able to develop the following recommendations to cope with managerial unfamiliarity that arises in an international context.Learning 1: define the locus of control\n6. Conclusion: This article begins with reviewing the relevant literature concerning concept testing in an international environment. We report on experiences collected from a concept test carried out in Thailand which determines the potential market success of new products, and - where appropriate - compares those to \"regular\" approaches to concept tests. We then seek to identify future research avenues as they relate to further conceptual development of product diffusion models in an international context. Particularly the efforts to study the impact of culture on consumer innovativeness, adopting culture conceptualizations which realistically reflect consumer behavior are relevant. Managerial implications conclude this contribution.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Sets out to report on lessons learned by carrying out a concept test in Thailand. Where appropriate, aims to compare the adopted approach with the \"regular\" way by which the reported company assesses the potentials of new products. Based on these reflections, the authors seek to identify future research directives and develop managerial implications.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The authors present their experiences collected during a concept-testing project in Thailand. In a separate section, they judge the degree to which the findings can be generalized.\nFindings: - Describes circumstances that strongly influence the validity of the research results in an international context, in particular sampling method, the concept presentation, the questioning procedure, country-specific market conditions, and the assessment of learning behavior.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The authors suggest future research avenues as they relate to further conceptual development of product diffusion models in an international context. Particularly the efforts to study the impact of culture on consumer innovativeness, adopting culture conceptualizations which realistically reflect consumer behavior, are relevant.\nPractical implications: - The authors make recommendations as to how to cope with managerial unfamiliarity that arises in an international context: defining locus of control, being aware of where biases enter and set, the findings into the research context, defining the value-add of additional information on learning behavior.\nOriginality/value: - This paper fulfils an identified need to provide more insights that show how practitioners manage the environmental unfamiliarity that arises in the context of international concept-testing projects.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Work-life balance for native and migrant scholars in German academia: meanings and practices
|
[
"Work–life balance",
"Culture-sensitive approach",
"German academia",
"Native and migrant scholars"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: German academia, as a workplace, has a twofold reputation. On the one hand, it stands for excellence, performance, innovation and knowledge production with a high global standing. This is especially pronounced in enrolment rates of incoming undergraduates, PhD students and scholars with migration backgrounds who seek to perform further research in German scientific institutions. Germany, currently, sits third after USA and UK when ranked in terms of attractiveness for foreign students (study.eu, 2018). On the other hand, German academia arouses strong criticism for insecure working conditions and precarious career paths for scholars. This uncertainty is usually traced back to structural organisation and recent changes, which have resulted in cumulated individual risks relating to securing work.\nTheoretical considerations: Aspects of work-life balance have been elaborated by a considerable number of studies. These not only particularised specific factors aiming at reducing work-family conflict, such as kindergarten care provision or flexible working hours, but also discussed ways to further promote work-life balance on the meso or national level. However, their common denominator discloses a number of top-down policies - either offered by the state or single organisation - thus revealing several problematic issues. First, all initiatives contain mostly conventional actions, such as part-time work, paid parental leave, day-care provision, job sharing or flexible work (Smith and Gardner, 2007). These formalised policies, varying by employer, are subject to interpersonal negotiation and are rarely incorporated into national or regional mandatory policy. The degree of work-life balance thus correlates with the employer's commitment to employees' life satisfaction in a broad sense and is less dependent on individual expectations, values and readiness to claim reconciliation of work and private life.\nData and methods: Data collection\nResults and discussion: The value of work and work environment\nConclusion: This study has addressed differences in cultural understandings of work-life balance in native and migrant scholars in German academia. In order to overcome monocultural observations and running the risk of bias, the research was based on a comparative culture-sensitive methodology and focussed on native German scholars and researchers with migration backgrounds from the FSU. Results showed the heterogeneity of the ostensibly uniform status group of junior scholars and how diverse mindsets contribute to varying interpretations and practices of work-life balance. The same working conditions are perceived differently by individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds; a strong implication for further diversity policies and their evaluation. This should be addressed in order to make employment conditions in German academia more attractive for social groups representing different migration and cultural backgrounds.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address notions and practices relating to work-life balance for native German scholars and researchers who have migrated from the former Soviet Union (FSU). Issues will be explored from a cultural perspective, identifying culturally based interpretations of work-life balance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Foregrounded in a diversity approach, this empirical study draws upon explorative interviews to discuss work-life balance in German academia. To overcome monocultural observations, 25 German scholars and 11 researchers originating from the FSU were interviewed, all of whom are highly skilled female scholars.\nFindings: Findings demonstrate that individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds can perceive huge differences in identical working conditions. The study links meanings of work-life balance with individual practices and identifies key components of work-life balance within this population. It also discusses the decisions that scholars make about starting families or remaining childless for the sake of their careers.\nOriginality/value: This study is the first of its kind in Germany, and represents a strong implication for policies and their evaluation. It identifies the crucial role played by culturally rooted notions relating to work-life balance practices.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Exploration of multi-layered knowledge sharing participation: the roles of perceived benefits and costs
|
[
"Motivation",
"Knowledge sharing",
"Participation",
"Perceived benefit",
"Knowledge network",
"Perceived cost"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Knowledge sharing has been part of research and practical studies in different domains in different societal contexts for many years (Witherspoon et al., 2013; Hwang et al., 2015). One of the important societal factors that affect knowledge management (KM) processes and procedures is the economic situation of a society (Sedighi et al., 2015). This paper focuses on knowledge sharing in a resource-constrained economy, i.e. economies characterised by inefficiently working technological, legal and governance systems as can be found in many developing countries. The inefficiency increases transaction costs for organisations in their production and business processes. To deal with the uncertain economic environment in resource-constrained economies, organisations should have a more flexible internal organisation as compared with similar organisations in resource efficient economies. To make the flexible internal organisation, managers in the resource-constraints environments invest more on internal knowledge sharing among employees to increase organisational competitiveness (Osei-Bryson et al., 2014). Knowledge sharing among employees to exchange knowledge and experiences is a meaningful improvement for organisations with limited resources (Asrar-ul-Haq et al., 2016).\n2. Theoretical background: This section reviews relevant studies on knowledge sharing, participation, knowledge network and the factors that affect knowledge sharing. The scope of this section is the exploration of the influence of perceived benefits and costs of participation in knowledge networks in a resources-constrained economy.\n3. Hypotheses and conceptual research model: This section develops a research model and hypotheses to examine how different perceived benefits and costs influence the quantity and the quality of knowledge sharing. Knowledge networks provide an opportunity for participants to interact and form relations in different layers of the knowledge exchange environment. Different knowledge-sharing channels influence participants' perceived benefits and costs (Fulk and Yuan, 2013; Zhang et al., 2013). Knowledge networks differ notably from traditional KM systems. Concrete incentive systems to reinforce employees' participation no longer suffice. Participation evolves through a network between participants in which they freely choose the most appropriate knowledge exchange channels. Under such circumstances, a wide spectrum of extrinsic and intrinsic benefits and costs influencing employees' participation has been suggested. These factors are identified below in Table II.\n4. Research methodology: The proposed conceptual research model is evaluated using partial least squares structural equation modelling (SEM-PLS), a contemporary second-generation multivariate technique for exploring causal models. The SEM-PLS method is selected because the research model extends the existing KM literature with integrating different theories (Hair et al., 2011). The SEM-PLS examines relationships by evaluating measurement and structural models. A measurement model is evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to check the validity and reliability of the model. A structural model is examined by evaluating the strength of relationships between model constructs using the partial least square method. The SEM-PLS technique has been widely used in recent years in the business disciplines such as management information system, strategic management and marketing (Hair et al., 2014).\n5. Results of data analysis: The results of the data analysis are discussed below. First, results of sample characteristic and common bias test outcome are elaborated. The second section represents measurement model results. The third section illustrates structural model and overall research model results.\n6. Discussion: The analysed data verifies the relations of the research model in which perceived benefits and perceived costs influence participation in knowledge sharing. Although the b indexes are not very strong, the R2 represents that the model can interpret acceptable proportion of variances. Contrary to our expectations regarding the resource-constrained economy with a high inflation rate, material (non-monetary) rewards are not shown to have a significant effect on the quantity and quality of participation in knowledge sharing. This finding is somewhat surprising for a company, which is functioning, in the resource-constrained economy. This finding is consistent with Lin (2007b) study, which found that employees do not appreciate material rewards as much as other incentives such as reciprocity. Moreover, this finding is consistent with the results of Osterloh and Frey (2000) which show that intrinsic motivations are more effective for organisational activities than external motivations. In addition, Vuori and Okkonen (2012) have reported that material rewards are shown to have the least priority from an employee's viewpoint. This argument is also consistent with Bock and Kim's (2002) findings, in which material rewards are shown to play a temporary role but do not have a lasting impacts on attitudes regarding knowledge sharing.\n7. Conclusions: This paper combines several theories and studies from different streams of research such as social psychology and KM to understand the paradox between benefits and costs in knowledge networks in the resource-constrained economy. This paper addresses a significant gap in past research to investigate both the quality and the quantity of knowledge sharing by using an exhaustive set of knowledge sharing, influencing factors in knowledge networks. The outcomes of 282 respondents provide practical supports for most of the relations of the conceptual research model. Results demonstrate that reputation, reciprocity and altruism stand out as significant perceived benefits for the quantity of participation, whereas reciprocity, altruism, trust and knowledge self-efficacy have significant impacts on the quality of participation in knowledge networks. Both effort and time, two aspects of KM costs, have significant negative impacts on both the quantity and the quality of participation in knowledge networks. The results also show that predictors explain 46 per cent of the variance in the quantity of participation and 52 per cent of the variance in the quality of participation. These findings not only improve the previous studies of knowledge networks but also prepare a meaningful message to knowledge network designers. They can design networks to better promote participation with a better recognition of the strength of influencing factors and design effective tools to enrich specific aspects of participation aligned with their critical knowledge area. This improvement supports organisations to keep their competitive advantages and efficiently prepare products or services for customers. It can help to improve industry sector's performances and the quality of life of a society.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to explore participants' perceived benefits and costs that influence the quantity and the quality of voluntary participation in knowledge networks in a resources-constrained economy.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A conceptual model of perceived benefits and costs of knowledge sharing is designed on the basis of literature. The influence of perceived benefit and cost on perceived quantity and quality of knowledge sharing are assessed on the basis of a survey with 283 participants in a business context within a resource-restrained economy.\nFindings: The results indicate that reputation, reciprocity and altruism are perceived to benefit quantity of participation, whereas reciprocity, altruism and knowledge self-efficacy are perceived to benefit the quality of participation in knowledge networks. Effort and time have a negative impact on both quantity and quality of participation in knowledge sharing.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study provides insights into the factors that influence acceptance and use of knowledge networks and can thus influence business policies.\nOriginality/value: This exploratory study explores both perceived benefits and costs of participation in knowledge sharing in a resource-constrained economy.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Sustainable development and Buddhist economics in Thailand
|
[
"Sustainability",
"Thailand",
"Buddhist economics",
"Environmentalism",
"Economic systems"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Sustainable development and economic justice are critical concerns in many societies, fostering debate on the nature of economic systems. Religious values often enter the discussion. Pope Francis, for example, recently penned a scathing critique of the \"the new idolatry of money,\" \"a financial system which rules rather than serves,\" and the resulting extreme inequality (Francis, 2013, Chapter 2). Some interpreted this as anti-capitalist, but careful reading suggests it was more about condemnation of rampant moral failings. There are actually many versions of \"(Christian economics)\" (e.g. Beed and Beed, 2005; Kidwell and Doherty, 2015). Similarly, the Muslim world has multiple versions of \"(Islamic economics)\" (e.g. Ghazanfar, 2010; Mahomedy, 2013). Most versions of both, whatever economic system they argue, aim for high moral standards.\nFour urban middle class Buddhist reform movements: Satha-Anand uses the three divisions of the eightfold path (sila, samadhi, and panna; moral discipline, mental discipline, and wisdom; e.g. Harvey, 2000, p. 37) to summarize three movements, calling them \"the sila group (Santi Asoke), the samadhi group (Dhammakaya) and the panya group (Buddhadasa)\" (Satha-Anand, 1990, p. 405). This, of course, over-simplifies to make a point, in fact, among several other commonalities, they all aim for more rigorous ethics. Using similar terminology, Kuan Im might be designated the saddha (faith) group; saddha being the foundation upon which the three divisions of the path rest (e.g. Payutto, 2007, p. 64). Kuan Im \"provides moral and ethical practices for achieving success in life and solving hardships and difficulties\" (Kitiarsa, 2005, p. 480).\nBuddhist economics, environment and sustainable development: The Buddha himself was not primarily interested in reforming socio-economic systems, or teaching economics. However, his applied teaching style often put lessons into a context easily understandable by his listeners (e.g. Harvey, 2013), so he sometimes mentioned economic issues. The \"(system)\" behind such examples is somewhat ambiguous, thus, there is ample room for debate. Phra Payutto (1994) says:It is often asked which economic or political system is most compatible with Buddhism. [...] One might say Buddhism would endorse whatever system is most compatible with it, but economic and political systems are a question of method, and methods, according to Buddhism, should be attuned to time and place.(p. 48)\nAnalytical framework: Hopwood et al. (2005), who reviewed a wide range of work on \"(sustainable development),\" present a useful framework. They summarize their review in a graph (Figure 1, p. 41), estimating where various authors fall on the dimensions of socio-economic concern vs environmental concern.\nSustainable development in Thai versions of Buddhist economics: Reform-from-within\nConclusion: Summarizing, \"(reform-from-within)\" thinkers generally scatter around where Hopwood et al. (2005) place Schumacher, in the reform region, bordering on radical transformation. Payutto seems slightly more conservative, as do the Economists Puntasen and Piboolsravut. Sivaraksa is somewhat more radical on socio-economic issues, but Buddhadasa seems the most eco-centered. Reform-from-within straddles the boundary between reform and transformation in Figure 2. Santi Asoke fits well within the \"(radical transformation)\" category on socio-economics, but seems similar to Buddhadasa in eco-centeredness, diverging to the upper right in the figure.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine \"(Buddhist economics)\" in urban reform Buddhism in Thailand. In the West, Buddhist economics is often perceived as a specific economic system, but understanding the sustainable development debate in Buddhist countries requires recognition that there are many versions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors organize the discussion about Buddhist economics into a framework used in the sustainability debate. Current literature, largely from Thai writers, is analyzed to understand their positions on economy and environment.\nFindings: Four representative movements are discussed which show substantial differences. Status quo Wat Dhammakaya feels that Buddhist economics is mainly about improving individual moral behavior within the current capitalist system, and needs little systemic change. Santi Asoke is explicitly anti-capitalist, and its most serious adherents live simple lifestyles in collectivist agricultural communities. \"(Reform-from-within)\" seeks a mixed economy containing both capitalist and socialist elements. Kuan Im is also between the extremes, largely small business capitalist and wanting some restraints on perceived predatory big business.\nOriginality/value: Buddhist perspectives are just beginning to enter mainstream western discussion on sustainability. The most common understanding of Buddhist economics in the west is incomplete, assuming only one form of Buddhist economics. In fact, Buddhist societies, represented here by Thailand, cover the whole range of thinking on sustainability.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Gauging the collection and services of public libraries in Pakistan
|
[
"Public libraries",
"Public library system",
"Directory of public libraries",
"Public library services",
"Punjab library foundation",
"Punjab-Pakistan"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Public libraries are local gateways to knowledge, serve as community places and provide a platform for lifelong learning. They have a fundamental role in developing and nourishing a real democratic nation. Pakistan is a country where democracy is not deep rooted. One possible reason may be the poor public library system (PLS) in the country. Pakistan has a long history of proposed plans for building new and strengthening already built public libraries such as establishing, \"Board for the Advancement of Sindhi Culture (1955)\" to build new libraries, \"Demonstration Public Library\", a joint project of the Government of Pakistan and UNESCO during 1960s, a comprehensive plan for establishing organized PLS in Pakistan by technical working group and Ministry of Education, Pakistan and Technical Working Group (1984). \"Public library pilot project\" proposed by Pakistan Library Association, a proposal for the establishment and support of 50,000 \"People's Oriented Public Libraries\" in Education Policy of 1972-1980. Foreign library experts were also invited to visit Pakistan to prepare plans for the establishment and development of PLSs in the country. These included Australian expert LC Key in 1956 and an American expert Donovan in 1974 and 1984 (Haider, 1998; Usmani, 1996).\n2. Literature review: The situation of public libraries in Pakistan has been discouraging. There are various problems such as lack of infrastructure and modern facilities, deteriorating buildings, insufficient funds and shortage of professional staff (Ahmed and Sheikh, 2015; Anwar, 1996). Haider (1998) described in detail the pre- and post-independence efforts made for the development of public libraries in the sub-continent. He indicated particularly various post-independence challenges of public libraries, including lack of libraries, inadequate collection, low acquisition of library material (books, magazines, periodicals and AV material), lack of physical facilities, shabby buildings, nominal services and absence of professional staff because of budgetary constraints. With few exceptions of libraries, these challenges are still pertinent in the country. Warraich et al. (2016) conducted a study to assess the status of public libraries located in Rawalpindi District, in terms of administrative setup, collection, staff, resources and services. The findings demonstrated the overall poor outlook of public libraries and outdated book collections without proper classification and cataloguing. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure was poor. Most of the libraries were facing constraints such as low number of hours, too small in size and too many users for size of collections that resulted in inadequate services.\n3. Problem statement: This is a descriptive survey that aims to investigate the current status of public libraries in Punjab, the most populous province of Pakistan. Because of the non-availability of current data about the number of existing public libraries, their collection, staff, membership, physical and IT infrastructure, it is direly needed to conduct a baseline study on public libraries' status in the province. This study aims to fill the gap by identifying total number of existing public libraries and exploring their current status regarding collection, services, staff, users and physical facilities and IT infrastructure, along with the problems faced by these libraries. This data will be helpful for policy makers to plan and develop human resources, physical facilities and IT infrastructure, for designing better services and strengthening PLS in the province.\n4. Objective of the study: The objectives of this study are as follows:\n5. Research questions: On the basis of the objectives of the study, following research questions are formed:\n6. Research design: It is a quantitative study based on questionnaire survey. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed to collect data. Following experts consulted for questionnaire face and content validity.\n7. Data analysis and discussion: The following sections present the analysis of data. The findings are presented in tables and graphs along with the interpretation.\n8. Discussions and conclusion: In Pakistan, a PLS has never been established because of unrealistic planning, ineffective implementation of existing PLS laws and a lack of political will. Library community demands are not in line with the interest of bureaucracy and political elites. PLS is deteriorating, as many existing libraries shut down and even the functional libraries hardly come under the definition of a \"library\" with collection and services except a few. A small room with a small collection and a peon but without any budget, professional staff and services in the building of TMA are better to be called newspaper reading room instead of a public library. Library culture never prospers in the absence of LIS professionals, and current study found 78 per cent libraries without them. Delivery of effective services is impossible; even the available sources cannot be properly used without competent LIS professionals. Government authorities and civil society never pay due importance to the libraries in Pakistan. Rather they consider them a liability. In fact, organizational administrative structure of libraries is not clearly defined and independent. The future development of PLS demands coordinated serious efforts of library community and higher authorities. There is also a dire need of acquiring updated collection, purpose built building and sophisticated IT infrastructure to develop a PLS in the province.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: Public library's core function is to meet the changing needs of challenging users by providing access to library collection and services. This study aims to explore the current status of public libraries' collection, services, users, staff, physical facilities and IT infrastructure in Punjab, the most populous province of Pakistan. It further investigates the problems faced by these public libraries and puts forward practical solution.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This is a quantitative study based on questionnaire survey. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed to collect data. In total, 21 Library and Information Science graduates were employed to ensure the physical visit of all 176 public libraries in 36 districts of the province.\nFindings: The findings revealed that with a few exceptions, public libraries were mostly in a poor condition. Absence of professional staff, out-dated collections, dilapidated library buildings and lack of IT infrastructure were the major issues prevailing in the libraries. Furthermore, little interest of political leadership and higher authorities is observed in the development of public library system.\nPractical implications: This data will be helpful for policy and decision makers to plan and develop human resources, physical facilities and IT infrastructure in libraries. Findings may facilitate higher authorities for designing better services and strengthening public library system in the province.\nOriginality/value: This is a baseline study on public libraries' status in the province. It aims to fill the gap by identifying total number of existing public libraries and exploring their current status along with the problems faced by these libraries.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Gendered organizations and intersectionality: problems and possibilities
|
[
"Gender",
"Organizational structures",
"Equality",
"Equal opportunities"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Theorizing gender and organizations began in the late 1960s and early 1970s as feminist scholars criticized conventional organizational research as inadequate because it ignores the importance of gender in working life (e.g. Acker and Van Houten, 1974; Kanter, 1977). Since then, scholars have done a great deal of research on gender processes in organizations, created new concepts, including \"gendered\" and \"gendering,\" and greatly increased knowledge about how gender inequalities are produced and reproduced. But, a number of issues about how to think about gender inequalities remain unresolved. New questions will undoubtedly keep challenging this field because the empirical terrain is constantly changing. In addition, theorizing gender has become much more complicated because of \"intersectionality,\" the idea that gendered processes do not stand alone, but intersect with and are shaped by race and class processes, as well as other forms of inequality and exclusion. The papers in this issue of EDI deal with issues about theorizing gender and with issues about intersectionality, as well as with questions about how to use this conceptual approach in doing research. I will outline how I presently think about these dilemmas and discuss briefly some of the challenges to researchers in this field arising from changes in economies, technologies, the organization of work and production, and the dominance of neo-liberal market ideologies. The examples I use are primarily from research in the US Research from other fairly successful capitalist countries seems to show similar, but not identical patterns.\nSome dilemmas in conceptualizing gender in organizing: Two dilemmas stand out as important in the papers in this issue of EDI:1. how to best conceptualize the gendering of organizations; and2. how to conceptualize \"intersectionality.\"The notion of a gendered substructure of organizations is a way to begin to answer the persistent question: why do gender inequalities, including the gap between women's and men's pay and the sex segregation of jobs (IWPR, 2011), survive in spite of powerful women's movements, laws mandating equality, massive movement of women into the paid labor force, and the achievement of gender equality in college graduation? \"Gendered Substructure\" points to often-invisible processes in the ordinary lives of organizations in which gendered assumptions about women and men, femininity and masculinity, are embedded and reproduced, and gender inequalities perpetuated. The most common inequalities are the wage gap between women and men and the sex segregation of jobs, occupations, and hierarchical positions. These inequalities have been reduced, but are still widespread. Huge variation exists between organizations and across time and national contexts. Many of the articles in this issue of EDI discuss the concept of a gendered substructure. Other concepts play a part in discussions of the gendered substructure, most importantly, gendered subtext, gendered organizational logic, and the \"ideal worker\". Here I offer my present understanding of these ideas, arguing that we can distinguish between these concepts and use them to develop a complex analysis. I begin with a summary of the components of the gendered substructure and a discussion of how ideas of a gendered subtext, a gendered logic of organization, and of the abstract worker are related to each other and to the gendered substructure.Gendered substructures\nThe possible futures of gender, race, and class in organizations: Economic and organizational changes\nQuestions about gender, race, and class in changing economies: A number of researchable questions arise when we look at organizational changes that may alter inequality regimes:1. What counts as \"an organization\"? Within what boundaries do we focus investigation? Are the locations of outsourced functions part of the original organization or a different organization? In some cases, new organizations in different countries are established specifically to service the home organization. For example, recent news stories discussed the very low wages and miserable working conditions in the Chinese factories that produce the Apple iPad and iPhones (Chamberlain, 2011). These factories seem to produce only for Apple. Is Apple an employer that exploits young women workers or not? How can its inequality regime(s) be described?2. What jobs constitute the workforce of a particular employer? Does it include contingent, contract, temporary, and part time workers? Does it include all levels of employees, from the top to the bottom? This makes a difference in a description of an inequality regime. For example, many studies of higher education organizations focus only on the core professional levels, usually producing a picture of decreased gender and race inequality. But this picture is much more positive than a picture that included contingent and peripheral staff along with comparisons of their situations with those of faculty and top administrators.3. Have organizational logics changed with new forms of employment and new types of dispersed organization? How do these logics deal, or not deal with gender, race, and class inequities?4. Have new technologies of wage setting, supervision, and accountability been developed to deal with new forms of organization and new types of employment? If so, what implications do these new technologies have for race, gender, and class equality?5. Do new or strengthened ideologies of masculinity and femininity support changing organizations and proliferating forms of employment? Specifically, do media images of aggressive, competitive masculinity support organizational and employment changes?6. How can organizations increase the visibility of underlying class, gender, and race stereotypes?7. Do the new forms of employments offer possibilities of bridging the gaps between paid and unpaid work?\nSome policy proposals: The underlying schism between the paid work sector and the unpaid (domestic) work sector is a fundamental structure of capitalism and one of the most enduring gender, race and class substructures because it is critical in the reproduction of the masculine and the feminine. I find it impossible to imagine how this could be changed within capitalism or what a different system would look like. However, state measures to ameliorate the negative consequences of this division are possible and have been either partially or fully implemented in various countries. Such measures include ample, paid parental leave and widely available, low cost childcare services. These exist in Scandinavia and some other countries. Wages for stay-at-home parents could be a partial solution and paid parental leave is a move in that direction. A guaranteed, universal annual income, allowing people to work or not to work in the wage sector is another partial solution (Patemen, 2004), but a total fantasy under present economic and political conditions. Another solution, which again leaves the underlying structures unchanged, is to get men to fully accept responsibility for one half of all unpaid domestic and family tasks. While men have taken up more of certain unpaid tasks, there is little evidence that gender equality in unpaid domestic labor will be achieved in any imaginable future (Charles and Grusky, 2004). In the present economic crisis, unemployed men with working (for pay) wives may do more childcare and housework, but this probably won't continue as male unemployment drops. I see two reasons for this: male earnings are still, on the whole, higher than female earnings (IWPR, 2011), and a positive masculine self image usually includes the ability to earn an adequate income. Popular images of desirable masculinity do not yet include men as primary homemakers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
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"content": "Purpose: - Theorizing that was conceived in the 1970s about gendered processes in organizations helped explain gender inequalities in organizations. This article aims to take the opportunity to re-examine these processes - including the gendered substructure of organizations, gendered subtext, the gendered logic of organization and the abstract worker from the perspective of the original author in a present-day context.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A reflexive approach was used to consider how gender theorizing itself has become more complex as captured in the notion of intersectionality when gender process interacts with other forms of inequality.\nFindings: - The key finding is the persistence of inequality regimes despite organizational changes, which still make developments in theorizing gender processes relevant.\nOriginality/value: - This article is an opportunity to reflect on the conceptualization and development of one's theorizing over three decades, which has suggested that there are still key questions that demand answers from academics and practitioners who want to challenge these inequality regimes.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Why are experienced users of WeChat likely to continue using the app?
|
[
"Mobile social apps",
"Experienced users",
"Continuance intention",
"Trust",
"Tie strength"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Digital technology and mobile internet have risen dramatically in the past decades. Mobile media have become attractive channels that encourage effective and inexpensive one-to-one, one-to-many and mass communication (Watson et al., 2013). According to the latest report from the CNNIC (2017a), an authorized organization that manages Chinese internet network information, Chinese users of mobile instant messaging were up to 668 million as of June 2017 and covered 92.3 percent of the overall Chinese internet users, which was higher than the 557 and 638 million users as of December 2015 and 2016, respectively.\nLiterature review: Current studies on the context of mobile social apps\nResearch model and hypotheses: The model for this study is proposed in Figure 1. Trust is conjectured to play a central role in determining the continuance intention of experienced users. Satisfaction and perceived critical mass have direct effects on user continuance intention, as well as indirect effects on continuance intention through trust of WeChat. Social tie has moderating effect on the relationship between trust and continuance intention of experienced users. The impacts of driving factors on continuance intention are contingent on different levels of experience.\nMethods and collection procedures: Measurement\nData analysis: PLS approach was conducted to test the research model. As a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, PLS approach enables the simultaneous examination of measurement and structural models. Compared with covariance-based SEM, PLS has no requirement for the multivariate normality of data distributions or large samples (Gefen et al., 2011; Hair et al., 2011). Thus, it is suitable for the current study. In this research, SmartPLS 2.0.M3 was used to analyze the data. This software represents the most popular and comprehensive software implementation of PLS-SEM approach (Venturini and Mehmetoglu, 2017).\nDiscussion and implications: The increasing prevalence of mobile internet has directed scholar attention on understanding the underlying mechanisms of user behavior in the post-adoption stage of mobile social apps. Mobile social app service providers are often confronted with the problem of maintaining users. This study contributed to this line of inquiry by exploring the determinants of experienced user continuance intention in the context of WeChat. The present study addressed this issue by highlighting the role of trust and integrating the perspective of tie strength and found the essential factors to the maintenance of users with different experience. The findings of this study advanced that of prior studies on mobile social apps and use experience, thereby providing theoretical and practical implications.\nConclusion: To conclude, this study identified the underlying mechanisms of experienced user loyalty in the context of WeChat. In particular, this study explored the different impacts of antecedents of user continuance intention according to the extent of experience. This study advanced the understanding on mobile social app continuance intention by pinpointing important factors that determine user continuance intention with different experiences. Furthermore, the results may ultimately elicit future investigations on e-loyalty and experienced user behavior in the context of mobile social apps.\n",
"role": "user"
},
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"content": "Purpose: Mobile social apps permeate every facet of daily life through the pervasive use of smartphones. Customer retention with mobile social apps has become extremely important for app-related companies. The purpose of this paper is to explore why experienced users in mobile social apps (e.g. WeChat) are likely to continue using the app.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study proposed a conceptual model to identify key determinants of continuance intention of WeChat users and highlight the effects of individual experience. Data were collected from WeChat users, which is one of the most popular mobile social apps in China. The study employed partial least squares regression to test the research model based on a survey of 295 valid responses.\nFindings: Results showed that trust, which was driven by user satisfaction and perceived critical mass, played a critical role in influencing the continuance intention of WeChat users. Moreover, tie strength exerted a negative moderating effect on the relationship between trust and continuance intention. Specifically, tie strength and perceived critical mass had strong impacts on the continuance intention of low-experience users. In addition, the effect of frequency was closely associated with the continuance intention of high-experience users.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study addressed the issue of mobile social app continuance intention by providing an innovative means to explore the key antecedents of user continuance intention from the experience perspective. The findings not only prove that trust plays a central role in influencing the continuance intention of experienced users but also reveal that the determinants of continuance intention vary among users with different experience. The results provide insights into the key antecedents of experienced WeChat user continuance intention and contribute to the literature on mobile social apps and individual differences.\nPractical implications: The results provide suggestions for mobile social app practitioners to effectively plan mobile social app retention practices and to set up appropriate incentive mechanisms for retaining users with different experiences.\nOriginality/value: Although abundant studies have focused on the adoption of media users, few studies have investigated the post-adoption behavior of experienced users in the context of mobile social apps. This study revealed the key determinants of the continuance intention of WeChat users and pinpointed the different impacts of these antecedents on users with different levels of experience. It also provides useful guidelines for practitioners to effectively retain users with different levels of experience.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Receptivity of young Chinese to American and global brands: psychological underpinnings
|
[
"Acculturation",
"Globalization",
"Global brand",
"USA brand"
] |
[
{
"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: American firms are now at the epicenter of two powerful forces: declining consumer purchasing power of the middle class in the USA and increasing prosperity of consumers in emerging markets. As sales growth in the USA becomes tepid, firms are keenly looking overseas to expand sales. Western firms that have developed strong brand franchises are busy trying to maintain and grow their revenues in foreign markets such as China. To bear witness to these realties, Kraft recently split into two brand divisions: the Kraft Foods brand is for the slow-growing USA market and Mondelez International brand is for faster-growing foreign markets. Other firms have also recognized that revenues from international markets have become essential for growth. For example, Business Week reported that J. Crew has developed a new positioning strategy to popularize their brand in Asian countries such as China (Rosenblum, 2013).\nBackground: China's economic take-off is an amazing story. Prior to 1990, its economy was less developed along third-world levels. With growth exceeding 10 per cent/year, its economy doubled every seven years or less. An outcome of that growth has been an enormous increase in purchasing power and a desire to own products and brands that represent modern consumer culture. A burgeoning middle class has emerged with a thirst for consumer goods. The shopping scene has also changed dramatically, as consumers face an array of choices of domestic and foreign brands that can be acquired through their increasing affluence. Indeed, materialism has become the new patriotism in China (Tan, 2012; Durvasula and Lysonski, 2010). Hence, Chinese consumers may be more demanding and discerning when it comes to buying branded products. Research on global branding provides a foundation to examine factors such as a feeling of status that could influence global brand desires in China. Global brands offer differentiated quality and self-identify associations that local brands may lack. Globalization and the ease of trade restrictions have allowed for the growing ascendancy of global and USA brands in China.\nResearch hypotheses: Through globalization and exposure to global media and global brands, Chinese have been introduced to a consumerism that often reflects the Western or developed world. The outcome of these forces and changes has been the crystallization of a new type of culture called global consumer culture. Held et al. (1999) captures this new order this way:\nResearch method: Sample\nResults: Discriminant validity tests for dependent and independent measures\nDiscussion: As discussed earlier, global and USA firms are keenly interested in growing their revenues in China. Knowing the mindset of the Chinese consumers is a prerequisite in determining how to position and merchandise products in that country. As the Chinese continue to become more urbanized, they are leaving the countryside and joining communities in more densely populated cities. In these communities, they see how others live and consume. In this environment, they are also exposed to affluent lifestyles, an enormous array of goods and brands, ubiquitous shopping malls, international media and other influential forces that reshape their lives and their thinking. Moreover, younger consumers do not have a background of knowing another way of life; to them, urban modern lifestyle is all that they have been exposed to. The influences of globalization are, therefore, much more powerful for younger consumers, which is why this segment was examined. Younger consumers represent the future of China and a segment that multinationals eagerly wish to cultivate as consumers of their brands.\n",
"role": "user"
},
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"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to examine psychological variables of young Chinese to determine their impact on identification with global consumer culture, attitudes toward global and USA brands and intention to buy USA brands. The independent or psychological variables examined were self-monitoring, life satisfaction, brand relevance, social demonstration effect, change-seeking behavior and reference groups (interacted and non-interacted). The goal was to understand what forces drive global and USA brand preferences.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data were collected in Guangzhou, China, in 2013 through a survey administered to 152 young Chinese respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability coefficients verified the psychometrics of each scale. Subsequently, the sample was divided into high versus low groups for each of the independent variables to perform mean tests for each on each of the four dependent variables.\nFindings: The results showed that all the hypotheses were supported to some extent. The sample had a positive attitude toward all the dependent measures: identification with global consumer culture, global and USA brands and intention to buy USA brands. Self-monitoring and change-seeking behavior had the least association with the dependent variables. Brand relevance, social demonstration effect and interactive and non-interactive reference groups were all found to have strong support.\nResearch limitations/implications: The authors used an urban sample of young Chinese. Examining an older sample or one that was less urban would also be useful. Future research could also examine other emerging markets such as Brazil or Indonesia to identify the impact of the psychological variables.\nPractical implications: Multinational firms wishing to grow revenues of their USA and global brands in China must be attuned to the social aspects of positioning their brands. The implications show that brand relevance, social demonstration and reference groups can be used for positioning of global and USA brands. As China is a collectivist society, using appeals that establish a brand's desirability or relevance and its ability to allow users to socially demonstrate the brand to reference groups is likely to work well.\nOriginality/value: No study has assembled the variables in the manner investigated in this research, nor have other studies looked at young Chinese in terms of USA brand attitudes and identification with global consumer culture.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The intellectual capital of higher education institutions: Operationalizing measurement through a strategic prospective lens
|
[
"Strategic management",
"Intellectual capital",
"Higher education institutions",
"MICMAC",
"Prospective"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: HEIs should compete more openly for teaching staff, researchers, students and financial funding, while also adopting management procedures and producing reports and other informative documents that enable internal and external bodies to evaluate their performance (Sanchez et al., 2009). This has caused increased interest in application of the IC concept to HEIs (e.g. Sanchez et al., 2009; Ramirez-Corcoles et al., 2011; Ramirez-Corcoles, 2012; Veltri et al., 2014; Santos-Rodrigues et al., 2015).\n2. Intellectual capital in the context of public HEIs: Some public organisations have engaged in significant and important efforts to measure, manage and promote their IC. The existence of specific factors such as: the greater autonomy of the university system (Sanchez et al., 2009); the emergence of the third mission involving the social dimension of universities (Laredo, 2007); greater restrictions in state financing (Chevaillier, 2002); have all fostered HEIs' adoption of a new vision and management strategy deploying new tools that enable the inclusion of valuations of their intangible assets into their reports and accounts (Leitner and Warden, 2004; Sanchez et al., 2009). Other authors (including the European Commission, 2003; Leitner, 2004; Ramirez-Corcoles et al., 2007; Ramirez-Corcoles and Manzaneque-Lizano, 2015) also refer to cultural changes enacted through a new focus on the production of knowledge and the implementation of new research methods; policy changes reflected in the growing internationalisation of teaching and research; and, additionally, the pressure for greater harmonisation among the different higher education systems, for example, in the European context with the Bologna process and the launch of the European Research Space.\n3. Conciliation of the methods for measuring the HEIs organisational IC and operational proposal: The operational proposal set out below opted for the Scorecard (SCC) method. The SCC method builds up a table for evaluation, applicable due to its non-monetary methodology because, in the perspective of Bontis (1998), monetary methods cover only a limited number of intangible assets. Thus, non-monetary methods may produce more reliable results as they apply more natural measurement scales for each indicator rather than converting everything into monetary values, grouping the indicators into a consistent and coherent framework, based on the components of IC (Daniels and Noordhuis, 2005). Examples of this method include: Intangibles Assets Monitor by Sveiby (1997); and Skandia Navigator by Edvinsson and Malone (1997).\n4. Methodology: In this item, we present methods organised into two parts. In the first one, the methods of measuring IC components existent in the literature are identified, by making an innovative application to the context of HEI, since until now previous research efforts had not operationalized aggregating metrics regarding the dominant triad of IC components: human capital; structural capital; and relational capital; which form the basis of HEI's IC. In the second, the case study approach is described, presenting the case file, the questionnaire and the categorisation of the indicators, and the prospective strategic analysis using the MICMAC methodology.\n5. Presentation and analysis of results: Based on the results from completion of the MICMAC matrix, Figure 5 displays the four quadrants in the influence/dependence matrix, together with a general panorama of the direct influences of the respective indicators in Figure 6.\n6. Conclusions, implications and limitations of the study: Based on the several indicators found and recommended in the literature review, after a multiple case study, conducted in four Portuguese HEIs, 52 indicators were determined (see Table I). After a prospective analysis using MICMAC software, these 52 indicators were divided by zones, according to their importance and distribution in a prospective view, identifying 29 common indicators (input indicators, intermediate indicators, resultant indicators and clustered indicators), which should be part of the development plans of the HEIs, that is, of the so-called scorecards; and 23 specific indicators (exclusion indicators), which should be analysed in individual terms and then considered in the elaboration of the development plan according to the strategic orientation pursued by each HEI (see Table II).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative operational proposal for measuring the intellectual capital (IC) of higher education institutions (HEIs) through a strategic prospective lens of analysis.\nDesign/methodology/approach: After providing a literature review on the methods for measuring IC that focuses on the organisational IC of HEIs, four case studies applied to Portuguese HEIs are presented, using a matrix of cross-referenced impacts - multiplications applied to a classification (MICMAC) approach.\nFindings: The empirical findings reveal how human capital, structural capital and relational capital make up the core components and provide a fairly diversified list of the measurement indicators for the operational evaluation of the IC of HEIs.\nPractical implications: It contributes into the literature of strategic prospective analysis of HEIs by: analysing the measurement systems for the organisational IC interrelated with HEIs; identifying the key components to the organisational IC of HEIs and their respective measurement indicators; and draufting a new method for operationally implementing organisational IC through the systematic application of the components and indicators identified.\nOriginality/value: Through an innovative vision, the present study reconciles and systematically structures the methods already proposed by other authors before presenting an innovative operational approach and an alternative to the already existing methods. In addition, the structure of this proposal itself enables HEIs to choose from among the various indicators proposed for IC, correspondingly those that best align with the type of institution under evaluation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Segmenting CSA members by motivation: anything but two peas in a pod
|
[
"USA",
"Consumer perceptions",
"Consumer purchasing decisions",
"Cluster analysis"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Most American consumers are indiscriminate, \"buying what they want, within the limits of what they can get without asking further questions about price or quality\" with taste usurping all other preferences (Berry, 1989). Yet fresh, seasonal produce appears to be attracting a growing body of consumers who seek locally grown agricultural goods as an alternative to the industrialized food system. Several local food programs including Jersey Fresh, Virginia's Finest, and Arizona Grown cater to these types of consumers and even retailers like Wal-Mart endeavor to offer more locally grown foods (O'Mara, 2008; Philpott, 2012). Currently local, organic, and sustainable foods occupy 4 percent of the total food supply in the USA with heightened consumer interest in alternatives that emphasize local sustainable agriculture (Jalonick, 2014). As of 2013 there were more than 8,500 CSA farms in the US (McFadden, 2013) and upwards of 400,000 families subscribing to these farms (www.harvest2u.com/what-is-csa.html). Estimates predict continued growth in the number of CSAs might be attributed to increasing concerns about food safety, local sustainability, and environmental degradation (Lang, 2005).\nWhy study CSA members' motivations?: Studies of CSA tend to focus on the perspective of the farmer (Lizio and Lass, 2005; Lyson, 2004; Ostrom, 2006), though increasingly research (Conner, 2003; Lang, 2010; Perez et al., 2003; Pole and Gray, 2013) examines the opinions of CSA members ranging from what motivates them to join a CSA to whether and how they prioritize purchases. Studying membership provides an opportunity to gain greater insight into preferences of CSA subscribers[1]. Taste (87 percent) and price (87 percent) are the top influences on food purchases, however, increasingly consumers also are interested in health (66 percent), convenience (58 percent), and sustainability (52 percent) (Matthews, 2011).\nLiterature: CSAs\nData and methods: Data were generated from an online survey of CSA members, the unit of analysis, using a cross-sectional design. A cross-sectional design provides an opportunity to describe the characteristics that exist in the population at one specific point in time (Levin, 2006). The survey was distributed to members of CSA farms in New York state between November and December 2010[2]. While agriculture in New York is small, relative to larger farming states, it is nevertheless vital to the state's economy[3]. Though estimates of CSA vary, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ranks New York 13th with a total of 364 CSA farms, and Local Harvest ranks New York first with 261 CSA farms (www.localharvest.org/csa/)[4].\nData analyses: The data analyses consisted of descriptive statistics, factor analysis, cluster analysis, and ANOVA. Before segmenting CSA consumers based on their motivations, factor analysis using a principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was employed (Johnson and Wichern, 1992). The PCA method identified four distinct factors that motivate members to join a CSA: Building a Sense of Community; Local/Organic Produce; Seasonal/Fresh Produce; and Price/Convenience. Factor loadings ranged from 0.528 to 0.900, and the internal reliabilities of factors exceeded the minimum criterion of 0.60 (Hair et al., 1998).\nResults: CSA member demographics\nDiscussion: Cluster profiles\nLimitations: The study contains several limitations, which are worth noting. First, because this study focusses on CSA in New York state our ability to generalize in the US is limited not only by geography, but by the types of products offered and the length of seasons. Still New York ranks 13th out of 50 states in terms of products marketed through CSA, making it an appropriate state for study (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 2007). More importantly, many of the findings from this study, including the demographics of CSA members and reasons for joining a CSA, mirror results from other CSA studies.\nConclusion: While CSA members appear to be fairly homogenous consumers, these data suggest the motivations of members are anything but homogenous. Some members - like respondents in the No-Frills group - join for seasonal and fresh produce, and others like Quintessential Members join not only for these reasons, but the more traditional aspects of CSA such as community and support for farmers illustrated by Hinrichs (2000) and Lang (2010). These results suggest characterizing CSA as instrumental or functional (Feagan and Henderson, 2009) may in fact be misleading given the different motives of individual members. This research suggests that while some subscribers remain interested solely in the provenance and make-up of the food like Foodie Members, others like Quintessential Members embrace the idealized archetype of CSA, likely exercising a high degree of reflexivity (Johnston and Szabo, 2011). What remains unclear are the motivations of the Nonchalant Members, though ethical considerations do appear to hold some importance for this group. More research is needed to further understand this particular cluster. In the end, greater insight into specific type of CSA members equips farmers with knowledge to develop strategies to retain and recruit members and to offer customized subscriptions to meet the needs of each consumer segment. These tailored strategies may result in greater member satisfaction leading to loyalty, which in turn may have a positive, long-term impact on the farmer's financial yield and continued prosperity.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to seek to segment CSA members based on their motivations to join a CSA.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data obtained from an online survey of 565 members belonging to a New York state CSA were analyzed using a combined hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analysis.\nFindings: Based on their motivations to join a CSA results reveal four distinct types of segments among CSA members: No-Frills Member, Foodie Member, Nonchalant Member, and Quintessential Member. Results show all four clusters differ statistically across demographic characteristics including gender, political affiliation, and household income. The clusters differed across psychographic characteristics such as attitudes toward the treatment of animals, treatment of farm workers, pesticide use, the environment, food miles, and limiting factory farm purchases. Quintessential Members emerge as most concerned with food purchasing decisions while No-Frills Members are least concerned.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study employs a non-random purposive sample of CSAs in New York state. Respondents were recruited indirectly to participate in an online survey. The length and complexity of the survey, absence of an email address for respondents, levels of digital fluency, and technical glitches may result in lower participation rates.\nPractical implications: This paper offers recommendations to farmers for retaining and attracting different types of CSA members.\nOriginality/value: This is the first study that segments CSA members in the USA based on their motivations to subscribe to a CSA, and it differentiates CSA member clusters based on their demographics, psychographics, and food purchasing decisions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Electricity consumption and GDP nexus in Bangladesh: a time series investigation
|
[
"Electricity consumption",
"GDP",
"ARDL bounds test",
"Causality test"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Bangladesh has ensured its stable economic growth in the last decade, and it also has an aspiration to become a high-income country by 2,041. So, the development of energy and power infrastructure is inevitable to realize the long-term economic development. In the context of Bangladesh, the power sector is one of the largest sectors that consume primary energy. The relationship of GDP and electricity consumption has been immensely debated in the studied literature, yet their causal relationship directions are still unsolved. In the last decades, numerous researchers have attempted to address this issue and tried to investigate the association between electricity consumption and economic growth using both single-country and cross-country data. Plenty of literature exists on the causal relationship between electricity consumption and economic growth across the developing economies. Different countries, methodologies, time periods, even different proxy variables for energy consumption and income have been employed in different studies.\n2. Recent electricity scenario of Bangladesh: Economic growth of a demand-driven economy like Bangladesh has always been linked with energy (mainly electricity) consumption. Unfortunately, the infrastructure of power sector is not sufficient to meet growing demands and is managed inefficiently. Moreover, the power demand of Bangladesh is increasing rapidly along with the increase of the per capita GDP over the last decades (Table II). Installed power generation capacity was 16046 MW (including captive power) as on December 2017 and 77 percent population had access to the electricity in Bangladesh (Table I).\n3. Literature review: The association of energy consumption with economic growth is a special matter of interest and a series of literature on energy consumption and economic growth is available. The relationship between energy consumption and economic growth was first studied by Kraft and Kraft (1978), then the research works had been extended from energy consumption to electricity consumption. A short synopsis of those particular written works on electricity consumption and economic development point of view has been introduced in Table III.\n4. Data and estimation techniques: Following Mazumder and Marthe (2007) and Ahamad and Islam (2011), we used both electricity consumption and GDP data for Bangladesh in per capita form. Clearly, besides per capita electricity consumption, different factors could have extraordinary effect on economic growth. Thus, exclusion of those factors could lead to inclination of the estimation results and causality direction of the factors. In this point of view, we included government spending (GE) but in per capita form and trade openness as controlled variable to avoid omitted variable bias and simultaneity bias in our regression following Akinlo (2008) and Tang et al. (2013). Table IV provides the descriptive statistics of the studied variables.\n5. Empirical results: In this section, we present the empirical results from various approaches. Table IV demonstrates that all variables are non-stationary in their dimensions, yet they turned out to be stationary after first differencing and the results are outlined underneath.\n6. Conclusion and policy implications: This study examines the causal linkage between electricity consumption and gross domestic product (GDP) in Bangladesh. In this regard, along with two control variables (per capita government spending and trade openness), the study used essential econometric techniques to comprehend the source and direction of conceivable causal connection between them. Cointegration test result establishes the presence of long-run equilibrium relation between PCEC and PCGDP series. Moreover, the robustness of the long-run result is verified by other alternative estimators. For the validation of the causal relationship, VECM-based Granger causality test is led and the results reveal unidirectional short-run causal relationship running between per capita electricity consumption and per capita GDP, whereas bidirectional long-run and joint causal relationship also exists between per capita electricity consumption and per capita GDP, which demonstrates that electricity consumption can animate economic growth and the reverse is also true. Our study findings might have a considerable impact on the making of essential short-run and long-run policy insights.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the empirical cointegration, long-run and short-run dynamics as well as causal relationship between electricity consumption and real GDP in Bangladesh for the period of 1971-2014.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Autoregressive Distributed lag (ARDL) \"Bound Test\" approach is employed for the investigation in this study.\nFindings: Both short-run and long-run coefficients are providing strong evidence of having positive significant association between electricity consumption and GDP. Our long-run results remain robust to different measurements and estimators as well. The study reveals the unidirectional causal flow running from per capita electricity consumption to per capita real GDP in the short run. The study result also yields strong evidence of bidirectional causal relationship between per capita electricity consumption and per capita real GDP in the long run with feedback. It is suggested that both electricity generation and conservation policy will be effective for Bangladesh economy.\nOriginality/value: In prior studies, lack of causality between electricity consumption and GDP is due to the omitted variables. Combined effects of public spending and trade openness on GDP and electricity consumption are also considerable.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Transformation from Internet portal to the world's largest Internet communications enterprise
|
[
"Internet",
"Portals",
"Entrepreneurialism",
"Strategic management",
"Germany"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nThe forward-looking innovation of the WEB.DE AG: On October 1, 2002 the Karlsruhe-based WEB.DE AG broadened their previous three segment business model (Media-Sales/E-Commerce/Digital Services) with the introduction of the product \"Com.Win 1.0\" on the Internet telecommunications market. Previously, the WEB.DE AG's Internet portal WEB.DE (http://web.de) with 19 portals, around 220 subject categories, and diverse, digital fee-based services was the center of its business model. WEB.DE represented one of the most extensive online offerings in German. By 2002, every third Internet user in Germany was already a WEB.DE user.In 2002, digital fee-based services were WEB.DE's growth engine, and \"more effort will be put into this in 2003,\" according to CEO Matthias Greve. With over 300,000 paying customers, the Internet telecommunications firm earned 40 percent of its total revenue from \"Digital Services\". Matthias Greve looked optimistically into the digital future: \"We are just at the beginning, if you bear in mind that the revenue is generated by 'only' about 2.5 percent of our more than 10 million registered customers. The internationalization that we are striving for with Com.Win will clearly increase the potential once more. Along with WEB.DE's large reach and the more than 10 million satisfied users, the success of our 'Digital Services' is based on the fact that more and more users are ready to pay money for real value-added services on the Internet, as well as trust in our secure and intelligent payment system,\" Matthias Greve said.Internet telecommunications earned a special place among the \"Digital Services\" since the introduction of the product Com.Win in October 2002. Com.Win, which was available in version 1.4 in April 2003, combined the advantages of the traditional telephony (quality of speech) with that of the Internet (worldwide availability/functionality). The entry into telecommunications with Com.Win was a successful step from WEB.DE AG's view, and many more steps were to follow monthly. Since the introduction of the Com.Win product family, new versions and functions, such as synchronization with Outlook or a mobile Com.Win for use on GRPS mobile telephones, have been continually introduced to the market. The Com.Win technology as such was the cornerstone for many further products in the Internet telecommunications area. Telephony was just the beginning and the first version of Com.Win showed only 1 percent of the expected product family's potential. \"Through the expansion of our most dynamic business platform \"Digital Services\" to innovative, web-based telecommunications services, we are moving step-by-step from a classic Internet portal to our Internet telecommunications firm,\" Matthias Greve said. With the expansion of the three-segment business model the CEO expected sustained positive effects on the economic development of WEB.DE AG. While the prospects of \"paid content on the Internet\" was being debated in Germany, WEB.DE AG went forward on its own and assured themselves a deciding unique selling position in the area of Internet telecommunications. Through the introduction of further \"Digital Services\", which made simple and comfortable everyday communication possible, WEB.DE AG planned to increase the per capita revenue and to at least double the number of paying customers in 2003. The reasons for the expected strong growth of \"digital services\" in 2003 were:* the need for people to communicate;* the marketing of WEB.DE AG's technological leadership as well as its end-user products; and* the strong customer loyalty of Germany's largest independent Internet communications firm.The firm hoped to successfully continue its growth by constantly expanding fee-based services and further developing its Internet-telecommunication services, an outlook which many analysts shared.The Financial Times Deutschland, however, had some negative things to say in the article titled \"Web.de: much ado about nothing\" in the October 1, 2002 edition:As of today, Com.Win, an Internet service with which Web.de promises a lasting change in the German telephone market, is on the market. This idea did not evidently convince investors and analysts. ...The product was barely online - and the disappointment was widespread. \"I can't see the advantages,\" said Klaus Linde, analyst at SES Research in Hamburg. \"Similar applications already exist. As far as that goes, the value-added is only the linking of the applications in a user-friendly interface. All in all it is a nice idea - but it is not a revolution by far.\" Other analysts expressed similar opinions.The entrepreneurial question was: Will WEB.DE be able to manage the change from a national web portal to an international Internet telecommunications enterprise through their product Com.Win?\nThe products and technology of WEB.DE AG: WEB.DE has its roots in CINETIC (Corporation for the Development and Sale of Media Technology) GmbH headquartered in Karlsruhe, which was founded as a software development company by brothers Matthias and Michael Greve in 1987. The first achievements of the Greve brothers were well known, such as the \"Screen Machine\" and later the \"Video Machine\", a video editing machine for Macintosh that was developed with their partner at that time, Fast Multimedia AG. They were awarded the Best of Comdex Award for these achievements. No less than 34 national and international technology awards followed.In 1994 CINETIC changed its focus to the developing Internet/Worldwide web. Just in the year the business unit WEB.DE, with the focus on end-user services and services for navigating and communicating in the Internet, was brought to life. Matthias Hornberger, board member for business development, called the then web catalog the German answer to Yahoo!. In November 1995 the first commercial web catalog with around 2,500 entries was started. After one year the number of entries rose over 1,000 percent to 25,000. The brothers Matthias and Michael Greve developed the editing system COPS (Corporate Online Publishing System), which is the technical basis of the catalog used by WEB.DE since then and up until today. In 1998 the catalog added services such as news, a travel planner, and weather. The year 1998 also marked WEB.DE's entry into communications. WEB.DE went online with the e-mail service \"FreeMail\". Security was the highest priority for this e-mail communications product. The address was verified through an activator-key, which was delivered by letter. After the activation of the user's e-mail account, each user received a digital signature und encryption tool. At the end of 1999/beginning of 2000 FreeMail was expanded to a comprehensive Unified Messaging Service. With this expansion of the business model \"Catalogue\" to include Internet communications, the portal had been expanded horizontally and vertically expanded portal. Alone in 2000 about 20 new services were launched - the Product Search Engine, greeting cards and the SmartSurfer, to name a few. The software SmartSurfer, for example, lists all Internet-by-Call providers and their rates, and searched for the cheapest rate before every dial-up and then connects automatically without further set-up. At the end of 2000 WEB.DE Channels went online, this made all the information within the 18 main categories and 200 themed channels accessible with one click. \"Digital Services\" were offered for the first time at the end of 2001. These were services that are ordered, delivered, used, and paid for over the Internet. The first of these offered were logos and ring tones, the WEB.DE lottery service, SMS (text messaging service available on GSM mobile phones), and the \"01212 personal area code\". These services were further expanded successively to over 15 today, including WEB.DE Club, MyPage, SMS-Power-Rate, PowerMail Upgrade, faxing service, @email.de, and Fun-Domains, as well as short classified ads. As mentioned above, WEB.DE launched its first telecommunications service in October 2002: WEB.DE Com.Win. Since November 2002 WEB.DE has offered \"Mobile Call-by-Call\", another telecommunications service.\nThe WEB.DE AG business model: WEB.DE's business model consisted of three segments:1. \"online-advertisement\", e.g. classic banner ads;2. \"e-commerce\", e.g. commissions from enabling third party sales transactions; and3. \"digital Services\", e.g. fee-based services.The reason that these three business segments generated revenues was the portal's vast reach and a large number of loyal customers. In the year 2002 WEB.DE had more than 12 million registered users and reached almost every third home in Germany. Second to T-Online, WEB.DE reached 32.3 percent of the Internet users in Germany, positioning WEB.DE ahead of AOL.de, Yahoo.de, Lycos.de, and MSN.de. WEB.DE was the leader in \"stickiness\" (the user's length of stay) with over 67 minutes, ahead of T-Online with 61 minutes. 8 percent of the German population between 14 and 69 used WEB.DE weekly. The reasons for this high user acceptance were intuitive navigation through the WEB.DE web pages, the fastest load time because of compressed data transmission, and extremely high availability as well as award-winning user-friendliness. The quality of the FreeMail service has played an important role. In total 36 awards have been won; WEB.DE won the Stiftung Warentest's test of 24 e-mail providers. In 2002 the magazine PC Welt tested eight e-mail providers and, although they did not provide a clear winner, they made the following comments about the FreeMail service: \"FreeMail is the best address for everyone who wants a mailbox with a professional range of services. Only two megabytes are available for file attachments, however.\" Matthias Hornberger indicated WEB.DE's very specific focus on the needs of the typical German Internet user. \"We have ultimately claimed and proven that we have built a product which is a bit like Mercedes. To use that analogy, it is like Mercedes and Yahoo like Cadillac. The latter is not a bad car, but in Germany a Mercedes just sells better.\" The use of national symbols such as the Brandenburg Gate as the logo, and the simple name in comparison to Yahoo or Lycos were answers to the specific German concerns regarding Internet-based communication. The focus on data security and the possibility to have one's own Trust-Center with digital certificate, etc. concentrate on the German user's needs as well.Online advertising\nWEB.DE's competitors: Clearly defining WEB.DE's market was not simple. WEB.DE's market was fundamentally broad simply because of the three segments of its business model, \"Online Advertisement\", \"E-Commerce\", and \"Digital Services\". Competitors were in the groups general consumer portals (e.g. Yahoo.de or Lycos.de) and web-portals of Internet service providers (ISPs like T-Online.de or AOL.de), but also relevant providers of search engines (e.g. Google or Fireball), pure e-commerce portals (e.g. Amazon.de or eBay.de), providers of current news (e.g. Focus.de or n-tv.de), or e-mail service providers (e.g. GMX.de, ePost.de). A quantitative overview of audience, reach, and length of stay for each of the individual providers are shown in Table I.Measured monthly, WEB.DE reaches about one third of the Internet population. At the annual general meeting in 2002, Matthias Greve named the companies Yahoo, AOL, Lycos, T-Online, and MSN as the answer to the question of who its main competitors were. Matthias Hornberger added GMX and freenet to the list. Defining the competition was also made more difficult because, as Matthias Hornberger stated: \"a complex network of competition and cooperation can be observed.\" For example, 1&1 Internet AG and its subsidiary GMX was a direct competitor of WEB.DE, but at the same time 1&1 Internet AG placed advertisements for its broadband products on WEB.DE. On the other hand, 1&1 Internet AG was WEB.DE AG's first distribution partner for Com.Win.T-Online\nDevelopment of WEB.DE's business policy and strategy: Situation, prospects, and goal at the initial public offering in the first quarter 2000\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to give the reader an insight into the evolution of a fast-growing and innovative Internet company by helping to understand the web portal business in Germany and to identify and assess strategies to transform an Internet portal to an Internet communications enterprise.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The case is based on field research accomplished together with executives of the company.\nFindings: - The case shows that implementing a professional management structure and a continuous strategic analysis of the competitive environment are crucial for being successful in a dynamic Internet business.\nPractical implications: - Teachers can use this case study in advanced management courses for applying methodologies of strategic analysis, e.g. M. Porter's five-forces-model, value-chain analysis, concept of key success factors, SWOT-analysis. Students are expected to know basics about financial analysis, and information technologies. Managers can take the case as a best practice example for successful entrepreneurship in the Internet world.\nOriginality/value: - The paper provides insights into the strategies of an innovative Internet company.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Revisiting the trajectory of IT implementation in organisations: an IT culture perspective
|
[
"IT artefact",
"Implementation",
"Organizational culture",
"Post-implementation"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Successful information technology (IT) implementations remain a critical challenge for many organisations. Consequently, IS research has argued that much can still be learnt from studies of IT implementation and usage (e.g. Venkatesh et al., 2012; Williams et al., 2009). Culture theory has been applied in IS research to help understand how organisations make sense of the implementation, usage and integration of IT into organisational practices (e.g. Ravishankar et al., 2011; Rivard et al., 2011). These aforementioned studies provide valuable insights into how IT is incorporated into organisational structures and processes. They highlight a gradual IT acculturation process through which the meanings and purposes of work activities are socially reconstructed. In essence, organisational groups undertake a cultural learning process resulting from the introduction to, and interactions with, IT (Walsh et al., 2010). More importantly, these culture-IT studies provide insights regarding how different organisational groups may respond to and enact IT in their everyday work. Unfortunately, many of the actions of these organisational groups towards IT may lead to unsuccessful IT implementations.\nTheoretical foundation: IT implementation\nMethods: Our analytic induction approach was based on a single-case-study design. The single-case study enabled us make sense of data, without running the risk of oversimplifying and helped to provide a rich description of the investigated phenomenon (Siggelkow, 2007). The exploratory nature of a case-study approach allowed us to provide fresh insights into the IT implementation process from an IT culture perspective. Rather than treating the IT artefact as a static bundle of features, the design of which directly affects how users evaluate it, we viewed each interaction a user had with an IT as the basic unit of analysis that determined adoption and usage behaviours. In other words, we did not assume that different individuals utilised IT in the same way, or that an individual would utilise the technology in a constant manner during the implementation process.\nFindings: IT Implementation in Alpha Bank\nDiscussion: In this section, we use culture theory to explain how and why IT culture may influence the successful implementation of an MIS. Our first research question investigated the IT culture archetypes that emerge during the implementation of IT. The findings revealed the development of three different IT cultures - embracing (individuals who strongly supported Maxim), confused (individuals who were unclear about the purpose of, or need for Maxim) and complaining (individuals who did not accept Maxim) during the implementation of the technology. It is interesting to note that the identified IT culture archetypes were not specific to the functional organisational subgroups of finance, IT and operations but consisted of individuals across the organisational subgroups. This is consistent with prior research that has studied the different IT culture archetypes that emerge during the implementation of IT. For example, Kaarst-Brown and Robey (1999) identified a fearful IT culture archetype where users resisted automation, assuming and arguing that machine errors were difficult to correct and that machine processing would be inaccurate. Similarly, Walsh et al. (2010) identified a passionate IT culture archetype where users assumed that they could not go about their day to day life without using IT and a disenchanted IT culture archetype who expected IT tools to fail. Our findings suggest that following the implementation of IT, managers can expect several IT culture archetypes to become salient. Users in these culture archetype groups may be pro-active in nature and facilitate the adoption of the IT within an organisation e.g., users championing technology enabled improvements in the speed of complex data analysis and generation of sophisticated management reports. Alternatively, they may exhibit more disruptive or inhibiting behaviours, e.g. complaining about inadequacies in the IT, or not using the full functional capabilities of the IT. Thus, the findings of our study indicate that different IT culture archetypes can emerge during the implementation of an IT. They also show how these archetypes can develop reasonably quickly in line with the initial user experiences of the system, despite the implementation team attributing values of reliability and integrity to the system.\nConclusions: This study adopted the IT culture perspective and the role of IT artefact to explore how and why IT cultures influence the successful implementation of IT. Implications for IT culture, theory and practice are discussed below.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Organisational implementations of information technology (IT) normally fail due to cultural forces that inhibit the usage levels required to facilitate successful IT implementation. The purpose of this paper is to explore IT implementation from an IT culture perspective (Leidner and Kayworth, 2006). In particular, it identifies and follows the trajectory of IT culture archetypes that emerge during the implementation process and further investigates their role in facilitating successful IT implementations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This research adopts the qualitative single case study approach and draws on the implementation of a management information system in a Nigerian global bank.\nFindings: The findings illustrate three different IT culture archetypes and provide insights into their dynamic nature. The progressive weakening of two IT culture archetypes and the corresponding strengthening of the third archetype shows how initial vision conflicts can get transformed into vision agreements.\nOriginality/value: This paper extends the IT culture perspective by illustrating how a congruence relationship between IT cultures and IT artefacts can be fostered. The paper shows how diverse IT cultures can develop reasonably quickly in line with initial user experiences of a system. When IT cultures are aligned with the values embedded in IT, positive engagement and usage of the technology results strengthening the presence of embracing IT cultures.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Personality characteristics of health care satisfaction survey non-respondents
|
[
"Health services",
"Quality assessment",
"Surveys",
"Patient care",
"United States of America"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nBackground: Health care providers, researchers and evaluators have long used self-report surveys to study a wide range of health-related topics, including patient satisfaction with care. Gathering information in this fashion is convenient, cost-effective and it may allow patients to express themselves more freely than in telephone or face-to-face interviews (Walker and Restuccia, 1984; Hall, 1995; Burroughs et al., 2001; de Vries et al., 2005). Survey methods often rely on probability sampling patient populations and are best served by maximizing response rates. Less than a full response threatens the survey's inferential value because it introduces the possibility of bias: the study sample may not represent persons to whom the survey's conclusions will be generalized. Although emerging evidence suggests that only a weak relationship exists between survey response rate and non-response bias (Shahar et al., 1996; Lasek et al., 1997; Perneger et al., 2005), the effect's magnitude may depend on differential responders and non-responders' characteristics and the survey variables in question (Groves, 2006). By extension, a survey with a low response rate can be unbiased if respondents do not differ demonstrably from non-respondents, just as a survey with a high response rate can be biased if they do.Various solutions to the non-response conundrum are suggested. Survey design enhancements and administration techniques (including incentives) may improve response rates (Edwards et al., 2002). Post-survey adjustments, such as sampling non-responders and statistical weighting, have been used to account for non-response and to limit associated bias (Brogan, 1980; Lepkowski et al., 1987; Kahn et al., 2003). On a deeper level, however, a better understanding of patient factors that contribute to non-response may provide the most useful information. Although non-responder characteristics may vary by data collection mode (e.g. mail, telephone, in-person), the topic and the survey sponsor (Hox and De Leeuw, 1994), research to date suggests some generalities. In particular, surveys tend to under-represent younger people, males, minorities, lower socioeconomic and educational background people and individuals with low health status (Brambilla and McKinlay, 1987; Zaslavsky et al., 2002; Elliott et al., 2005). Relatively little information is available relating personality factors to non-response. General population survey participation has been decreasing (Curtin et al., 2005; de Leeuw and de Heer, 2002; Groves and Couper, 1998; Steeh et al., 2001), underscoring the importance of gaining a better understanding of who does or does not respond to surveys of all types. Costello et al. (2007) noted an association between survey responder personality characteristics (namely, pessimism and hostility) and physicians' negative ratings on satisfaction surveys. In our study, we evaluated personality characteristics of patients who responded or did not respond to a mailed satisfaction survey for medical outpatients. We hypothesized that personality characteristics may influence whether certain patients respond to these surveys.\nMethods: Setting and subjects\nResults: The original patient satisfaction survey was sent to 11,635 patients between March 1998 and March 1999: 8,066 patients completed and returned the survey (response rate, 69.3 percent). Archived MMPI scores were available for 1,862 patients in the surveyed group. This cohort, including 1,255 survey responders and 607 non-responders, formed our study sample.Sample characteristics\nDiscussion: Our investigation demonstrates that medical outpatient satisfaction survey non-responder personality characteristics differ significantly from responders'. Specifically, after multivariate adjustment, three MMPI clinical scales remained significantly associated with response/non-response. As scores on scales 4 - Psychopathic deviate (Pd) and 8 - Schizophrenia (Sc) increased, the likelihood of non-response increased. As scores on scale 7 - Psychasthenia (Pt) increased, the likelihood of non-response decreased. Interestingly, although previously linked to responder satisfaction ratings, higher MMPI scores on the Pessimism (PSM) and Hostility (Ho) scales were not associated with responding or not responding to the survey. The survey literature is replete with studies that describe socio-demographic and non-responders health status features (Brambilla and McKinlay, 1987; Zaslavsky et al., 2002; Elliott et al., 2005). This investigation has uniquely provided information on personality characteristics associated with non-responders to health care-related surveys.The medical outpatients comprising our study population represent the most complex type of diagnostic and management referral seen by physicians. First, these patients have sought, or have been referred for further evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment at a tertiary-care medical center. Second, one or more of the physicians involved in the evaluation evidently suspected intertwining psychological issues with the physical presentation, justifying use of the MMPI to further characterize the patients' status. Indeed, the MMPI was originally conceived and developed for this purpose (McKinley and Hathaway, 1943). The MMPI scores for patients in our study sample resembled the classic profile configuration that has characterized medical outpatients for the past 60 years (Guthrie, 1952; Swenson et al., 1973). More specifically, the mean MMPI profile for medical patients carries a modest elevation -about one standard deviation above the mean of the normative sample - on the Neurotic Triad (NTd). Historically, elevations of the first three MMPI scales (1 - Hypochondriasis; 2 - Depression; and 3 - Hysteria) comprise the Neurotic Triad (McKinley and Hathaway, 1944). Patients exhibiting this MMPI pattern are typified by reporting numerous physical and medical symptoms, both vague and specific in nature.Significantly, neither Neurotic Triad presence nor absence defined responders or non-responders in our study. Instead, they were defined by differences in other clinical scales (Psychopathic deviate; Schizophrenia; and Psychasthenia). Scale 4 - Pyschopathic deviate (Pd) gauges individuals' levels of assertiveness and nonconformity. Marked elevations on this scale are usually characterized by angry rebelliousness and a lack of identification with usual social mores. Scale 8 - Schizophrenia (Sc) is an index of interpersonal discomfort and intimacy problems. Elevated scores on this scale are associated with alienation or detachment from the social realm feelings, extending (at the extreme) to interpersonal aversiveness and frank mental confusion. Scale 7 - Psychasthenia (Pt) characterizes anxiety, tension and personal discomfort. Elevated scores on this scale often suggest excessive rumination about personal inadequacies (either real or imagined). To more fully understand the response pattern by subjects who did or did not return a satisfaction survey, we examined the MMPI subscales for each of the three scales shown to be significant in our study. Inspecting the Harris-Lingoes and Augmented Purdue subscales we found that alienation or disaffiliation expressions were present in subjects scoring higher on scales 4 - Psychopathic deviate; and 8 - Schizophrenia. Furthermore, among clusters of items endorsed, a decreased response was associated with items related to feelings of being misunderstood by people or having a lack of rapport with them.Our disaffiliation and alienation findings offer a certain psychological plausibility for how personality factors may contribute to non-response. They are congruent with nascent speculation that aforementioned downturns in survey response rates may be driven by civic disengagement or lack of social integration (Groves et al., 2000; Abraham et al., 2006). There is evidence that those who fail to participate in surveys are less likely to believe that such participation is their social responsibility and that they could influence the world around them (Cialdini et al., as referenced in Krosnick, 1999). Such worldviews could well influence response propensity. Carefully considering the operative personality factors at play may improve survey usefulness. For example, the cover letters that often accompany survey mailings are supposed to tap into a social exchange element when describing why a particular survey request is useful and important to a given prospective respondent (Dillman, 2007). If that element is truly missing in some people, more egoistic pleas (e.g. \"... this is your chance to be heard ... \" or \"... you are among a very small number of people being asked to supply this information ... \") stand a better chance of eliciting response. Additionally, using extrinsic motivators to respond, such as monetary incentives, might be effective in moving those who would otherwise not respond (Edwards et al., 2002). Finally, mixed-mode surveys (i.e. surveys that collect data using more than one method, such as mail and telephone, or mail and internet) have become an increasingly popular strategy for maximizing response rates (Brambilla and McKinlay, 1987; Dillman, 2007; de Leeuw, 2005). There is some evidence of variation in mode preferences and that different populations may respond to different modes (Siemiatycki, 1979; Brambilla and McKinlay, 1987; Link and Mokdad, 2005). If different survey modes reach different subsets of the study population, including the socially disaffected, the increase in response rate created by the additional mode or modes may well reduce bias. Such measures on the whole may be expected to improve survey response rates, and as such, the representativeness of the information obtained.Our study has notable advantages for assessing survey non-responder characteristics - namely, a large sample size and in-depth information for both respondents and non-respondents. Nevertheless, the results should be considered in the context of several limitations. We did not have access to personality data (MMPI or otherwise) for all patients originally surveyed. A more complete evaluation of the full cohort would be expected to provide the most representative information for ascertaining personality contributions to satisfaction survey non-response. The MMPI was the only form of personality assessment in this study. Although this instrument has a long history of appropriate application in the assessment of complex medical patients, it was not expressly designed to define the personality characteristics of general population individuals who are sent health care satisfaction surveys. Nevertheless, its broad-based scope, with norms defined by the general populace, is reassuring. Further study using other established personality inventories could be used to corroborate (or dispute) our findings. Finally, our study was fairly narrow - we studied medical outpatients at a single tertiary-care medical center. Therefore, the generalizability of our findings might be limited. Investigations of a similar nature in various practice settings, specialties and survey content could further clarify the factors that influence non-response.\nConclusions: Patient satisfaction surveys are important tools for evaluating service quality. Information gathered in this fashion is useful in effecting positive change for individuals and society alike. Unfortunately, survey non-response is common and has been linked to many factors. This investigation has highlighted patient personality characteristics' contribution to non-response. Specifically, individuals who feel alienated from a surveyed population in particular, or society in general, may be less likely to respond. Health care providers, researchers, and social scientists should be aware of this influence in their design, administration and interpretation of satisfaction surveys.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Patient satisfaction surveys are increasingly used to assess the quality of health care delivery. Unfortunately, survey non-response may compromise generalizability (and inferential value). Although prior studies demonstrate an association between patient socio-demographic variables and response rate, relatively little information is available linking personality factors to non-response. This paper's purpose is to define outpatient satisfaction survey non-responder personality characteristics.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory profiles of patients who completed an outpatient satisfaction survey were compared with non-responder profiles. Multivariate analysis was used to adjust for demographic and personality covariates. The study sample included 1,862 medical outpatients who were sent a satisfaction survey and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory results on record at this institution. Of these, 1,255 were survey responders and 607 were non-responders.\nFindings: - Scores on three Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scales were significantly correlated with non-response: higher scores on scales 4 - Psychopathic deviate (Pd) and 8 - Schizophrenia (Sc) predicted an increased likelihood of non-response (odds ratio [OR], 1.02; p<=0.05 for both), and higher scores on 7 - Psychasthenia (Pt) were associated with a decreased likelihood of non-response (OR, 0.98; p<=0.01).\nOriginality/value: - Prior investigations demonstrate an association between patient socio-demographic factors and survey non-response. This paper uniquely highlights patient personality characteristics' contribution to non-response. This information is an important consideration for patient satisfaction survey design, administration and interpretation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The rebirth of dependence - offering an alternative understanding of financial crisis
|
[
"Financial crisis",
"Dependency",
"Multinational organisations",
"Underdevelopment"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In recent years some banks have failed, and, in their demise, have annihilated markets, toppled governments and questioned national governance and regulatory infrastructures' capacity to monitor banking and big business. Much has been written on the causes of financial crises and the challenges for capitalism. This article considers how the capitalist system was and is understood using a proposed alternative framework of assessment.\nThe transnational capitalist class (TCC): One channel through which exposure to financial globalisation may carry a downside is increased vulnerability to financial crisis (Tong and Wei, 2011).\nDependency: Dependency is a branch of development theory suggesting the existence of a core of wealthy \"developed\" states and a periphery of poorer \"underdeveloped\" states. To bolster and sustain economic growth in the \"core\", resources are extracted from the periphery. As the core develops (through increased economic growth at the expense of the periphery's resources), the periphery underdevelops, leading to a widening inequality gap. Work in this area includes Frank's (1966, 1991) \"underdevelopment\" and Dos Santos' (1973) \"conditions of dependence\". Both can be adapted to a contemporary understanding of the world system via a modified approach to dependency, focussing specifically on the rise of the MNC and an increased focus on globalisation processes.\nProblems and criticisms of dependency: Criticisms of dependency centre round some contentious issues within the theory. Each issue dilutes the strength of the paradigm as an effective tool of analysis. Modifying the theory requires these problems be synthesised into a coherent critique, resolved or mitigated.\nModified dependency: Two insurmountable problems remained for critics. First, the failure to provide concrete typologies of core and periphery and second, dependency was concerned with nation-state relations. These issues have solutions. Under traditional dependency, some states (colonising) were considered \"core\" and others (colonised) were considered peripheral. This emphasises nation-state relations but is easily remedied by altering the actors. If the typology for \"core\" was replaced with global capital (generated by MNCs) and the \"periphery\" becomes nation states (including the EU), the potential for the theory's evolution is realised. Also, application of dependency becomes almost universal, as those countries relying on MNCs to contribute to their economy (to differing extents) can be said, under this widened interpretation of dependency, to be dependent[2].\nModified dependency's new core: 1. Origins of MNCs in dependency\nThe development of underdevelopment and the underdevelopment of development 2.0: States are no longer masters of the markets (Strange, 1996). Today, markets are the masters of the states:\nScenario 1: A company wants to make a profit on a product (P).\nScenario 2: A company wishes to accumulate profit by investing in a region (Pr).\nAfrica, new dependency, financial crisis and CSR - challenges for the future: From capitalism's birth, there has always been dependency and, there have always been dependent relationships. Dependency helps explain the emergence of crisis and future implications (Castells and Laserna, 1989). Earlier this article referred to Dos Santos' (1973) conditioning situations. Intertwining social, political and economic dependence, ideas of dependence embedded into national infrastructure can be understood.\nConclusions: The recent financial crisis highlighted shifts in our market system. These shifts provide the opportunity to re-evaluate our understanding of the global system.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This article aims to contribute to the re-evaluation of the global market system using a Marxist inspired theory of development, dependency.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This article draws on dependency theory as an alternative means of understanding global relationships. Building on existing literature, it modifies dependency to encapsulate technological developments and trends in the global market.\nFindings: Re-evaluating the global market and the relationships that underpin it, through an alternative theory, highlights the fragility of markets and associated relationships. Increasingly, nation states are becoming irrelevant. This presents a problem as the main actors in the global market today are \"above\" inter-state relations, yet the organs that regulate their behaviour still are grounded in inter-state rhetoric. The relationship between development and underdevelopment remains.\nResearch limitations/implications: The financial crisis has propagated a wealth of interest in the relationships between states, between multi-national corporations (MNCs) and between MNCs and state. Using this broad theory of modified dependency, it can be applied to a range of different relationships. In the wake of financial crisis, there is the opportunity to raise awareness of these ingrained issues and initiate discussions at national, regional and international levels to alleviate some of the conditions of dependence.\nPractical implications: Regardless of the work of national governments and NGOs to instigate development in lesser-developed regions through policy and regulations, unless there is a conscientious commitment from MNCs operating in that region to contribute to development, the result will be the development of underdevelopment and the underdevelopment of development. CSR can help alleviate the conditions of the dependence on capital generated by MNCs, but this is not a solution to an ingrained problem, capitalism.\nOriginality/value: This article introduces a modified theory of dependency for the first time. It applies the theory to the financial crisis and to the continent of Africa. It considers the role that CSR can play in alleviating the conditions of dependence.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Female expatriates' motivations and challenges: the case of oil and gas
|
[
"Gender",
"Networking",
"Careers",
"Dual career couples",
"Expatriates",
"Reward"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nWomen's expatriation: introduction to the case context: The extant literature suggests that career and skills development, role autonomy, professional challenge and living in a foreign country all factor in the expatriation decision-making process and help to make it an attractive proposition (Andersen and Scheuer, 2004; Bonache, 2005; Doherty et al., 2011; Suutari et al., 2012). International experience is considered a precursor to leadership positions (Orser and Leck, 2010) and a highly \"portable asset\", opening up opportunities external to expatriates' sending organisations (Haslberger and Brewster, 2009). The deployment of expatriates is also crucial to employing organisations building a global talent base (McDonnell et al., 2017).\nTheoretical and empirical perspectives: A wide range of theoretical perspectives can be applied to explain and predict women's expatriation (Shortland, 2009; Shortland and Altman, 2011). For example, Mainiero and Sullivan's (2005) \"kaleidoscope\" career theory predicts that relational demands during women's child-rearing years should lead to them to reject career-enhancing expatriation. Alternatively, women may attempt to maintain and maximise the outcomes from both a career and a family life through satisficing (Crompton and Harris, 1998a, 1998b). But expatriates work long hours and these intrude into their family lives (Fischlmayr and Kollinger, 2010), suggesting that satisficing may not be viable. Indeed, Corby and Stanworth (2009) suggested that women engage in career compromise. This means that women may be predicted to undertake suboptimal expatriate positions in relation to career outcomes and put their families first.\nThe oil and gas case: method: This case research drew upon two oil and gas firms, North American and Western European headquartered (Company A and Company B, respectively), employing a total of around 18,000 people worldwide, which took part in a major research project on female expatriation. Company A's expatriates comprised 3 per cent of its workforce and 8 per cent of this population were female (27 women); Company B's expatriates comprised 10 per cent of its workforce and 11 per cent of this population were female (66 women). The female expatriates represented a total of 23 home and host countries on all continents. The research method involved:\nFindings and analysis: Assignee profile\nDiscussion: implications for research and practice: There is a wide range of theoretical perspectives used within the extant literature to explain women's expatriate participation. Given this patchwork, there is a need to focus on theories with considerable promise to extend theory building (Shortland and Altman, 2011). From the oil and gas case, women did appear to satisfice (Crompton and Harris, 1998a, 1998b) to maximise as far as possible their careers and family lives, but they did compromise their careers in favour of their families when necessary (Corby and Stanworth, 2009). The oil and gas research also suggested that refinement of theory is needed to reflect women's expatriation. It showed that theoretical perspectives such as women's non-linear \"kaleidoscope\" careers (Mainiero and Sullivan, 2005) and compensating differentials as applied to women's work (Anker, 2001) applied in domestic home country settings did not necessarily fully translate to apply to women's international careers. Our knowledge of women's expatriate geographies and how these might influence theory building is also limited. Hence, theory needs to be tested in new domains as female expatriation extends beyond traditional Western sending and receiving destinations (Shortland and Altman, 2011).\nConclusion: Women undertake expatriation to further their careers, although family and financial issues also act as drivers to international mobility. Women's expatriation can be theorised using satisficing because women use strategies to maximise career and family advantages from expatriation. However, they also engage in career compromise when necessary to achieve an acceptable career and family balance. Employer interventions to increase expatriate gender diversity need to include consideration of assignment lengths and patterns, as well as the content of organisational policy that supports international mobility. Further research is needed across a variety of industry sectors, and over time, to refine both our theoretical and practical understanding of the constraints that hinder women's participation in expatriation from reaching the same level as men's.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This case study is designed as a teaching exercise and this paper aims to highlight the key issues for organisations' expatriating women within masculine industry sectors and/or into challenging international environments.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This case study draws together key published findings relating to women's expatriation in the oil and gas exploration and production sector. It demonstrates a triangulated research design, drawing upon organisational policy from two oil and gas firms, semi-structured interviews with 14 human resource professionals and 26 female expatriates, as well as from 71 female assignees' questionnaire responses.\nFindings: Career and financial drivers underpin women's motivations for accepting organisationally assigned expatriation. Women expatriates engage in satisficing and career compromise. The main challenges women face in masculine industries include access to expatriate roles because of limited female networks, family concerns, managing working time and work-life balance and coping with loneliness.\nResearch limitations/implications: The oil and gas case findings are based on a cross-sectional research design. The majority of female expatriates undertook long-term assignments; limited numbers engaged in flexpatriation.\nPractical implications: While organisational policy supporting expatriation does not usually address gendered expatriate concerns specifically, inclusion of interventions that are identified by women as helpful to their expatriate participation can assist in increasing expatriate gender diversity.\nOriginality/value: This oil and gas research case brings together and presents a summary of the motivations, problems and challenges faced by women in male-dominated expatriate environments, together with relevant theoretical approaches and organisational interventions to help us understand and increase expatriate gender diversity.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Controlling lean manufacturing in multidivisional organisations: Highlighting local interests and constraints
|
[
"Lean",
"Management control",
"Lean manufacturing",
"Control system",
"Multidivisional structure"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Since the 1990s, lean manufacturing has attracted the attention of western manufacturing companies as an approach to achieve superior performance (Hines et al., 2004; Holweg, 2007). However, despite its positive effects on manufacturing performance (Cua et al., 2001; McKone et al., 2001; Shah and Ward, 2003), lean manufacturing has always had an uneasy relation with the systems through which organisations have traditionally controlled their performance. These traditional systems rely heavily on accounting-based controls. Already in the 1980s, researchers observed that such control systems are unable to support modern manufacturing practices (Kaplan, 1984, 1989; Brimson and Berliner, 1987). They argued that these systems produce inaccurate cost price information, and ignore many of the benefits that arise from excellent performance in the areas of quality, flexibility, throughput time and customer responsiveness. Consequently, they continued, the traditional control systems make it difficult for organisations to understand which actions are needed to improve manufacturing performance.\n2. Lean manufacturing and management control in multidivisional organisations: Although lean manufacturing systems can bring many benefits, there are various hurdles which may threaten the implementation and continuance of lean in organisations (Turesky and Connell, 2010; Taylor et al., 2013). To overcome such hurdles, previous studies have generated a range of factors that have been shown to be critical to the success of lean manufacturing systems (e.g. see Achanga et al., 2006; Bhasin and Burcher, 2006; Worley and Doolen, 2006). These studies may give rise to the idea that organisations are able to avoid lean failures by carefully attending to these success factors. For instance, Turesky and Connell (2010, p. 111) observe that: \"Given that the approach to lean manufacturing initiatives is well-documented, it seems odd that consultants and their counterparts in leadership would fall victim to such threats to sustainability [of lean manufacturing]\". However, lean implementations may also be subject to extraneous constraints, which cannot be directly influenced. Bamford et al. (2015) argue that partial implementation of lean is not always the result of deliberate organisational choice or a lack of a firm belief in lean. Instead, extraneous constraints may force an organisation to implement lean in a \"more patchy, piecemeal and partial\" way (p. 703).\n3. Research method: An inductive case study (Barratt et al., 2011) was conducted. This research method is particularly suitable to understand context and practitioner experiences (Fisher, 2007). In general, such a case study approach fits well with the type of RQs as formulated in Section 2, which require a thorough understanding of the nature and complexity of the phenomenon under study (Voss et al., 2002). The cases selected for this research were three Dutch production subsidiaries, which will be referred to as Midden, West and Zuid. Some of the features of these subsidiaries are listed in Table II.\n4. Empirical findings: This section presents the findings from the case studies. It is organised around the two RQs.\n5. Discussion: The findings of this study can be used to explore how companies can increase the success of their lean implementation, by diminishing the constraints which arise from the corporate level's use of controls. This section presents the outcomes of those explorations. It distinguishes between suggestions for lean implementation strategies aimed at reducing the degree of centralisation, and a suggestion for an alternative organisational form which avoids the degree of centralisation usually associated with the multidivisional form.\n6. Conclusion: Despite various innovations, both in accounting and in production, traditional accounting-based control systems are still in use in many organisations. In the multidivisional organisations included in this study, HQ persisted in using traditional accounting information to control the subsidiaries, partly because external stakeholders held them accountable based on this information. Lean manufacturing provided a competing set of controls, which sometimes conflicted with the more traditional ones. The interferences of HQ based on information which was not consistent with lean manufacturing, constrained the subsidiaries in their efforts to follow the lean principles. In addition to constraints such as market characteristics and geographical context (Bamford et al., 2015; Moyano-Fuentes, Sacristan-Diaz, 2012), this study demonstrates that the multidivisional structure of many organisations may also introduce constraints on lean implementations; especially related to their use of centralised controls. This study provides further contributions by suggesting four different strategies to mitigate these constraints. Through these strategies, the case companies tried to adjust the system through which they were controlled, but this could only be done cautiously, to avoid any disturbances in their relationship with HQ. As such, the multidivisional setting adds extra complexities to lean manufacturing. A more radical, longer-term strategy may therefore be to introduce changes in the organisational structure.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address the impact of a multidivisional structure on the implementation of lean manufacturing. It investigates how the controls employed by the corporate level impact the local implementation of lean manufacturing.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper reports on case studies in three subsidiaries in different multidivisional organisations.\nFindings: The paper finds that lean manufacturing can be severely constrained by the accounting-based controls which are commonly in place in a multidivisional structure. Depending on the degree of centralisation, subsidiaries may be restricted to implementing lean tools in a fragmented way, rather than acting according to a coherent set of principles.\nPractical implications: Companies may have to accept that being part of a multidivisional organisation can imply that their lean implementation is more gradual and piecemeal than they prefer. The paper proposes several ways to mitigate the constraints that may arise from incompatibilities between accounting-based controls and lean controls.\nOriginality/value: This study contributes to the literature about external constraints on production innovations, such as lean manufacturing. It highlights how the organisational context creates local conditions that may be detrimental to the implementation of lean manufacturing.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The management of the domestic refrigeration: microbiological status and temperature
|
[
"Food-contact surfaces",
"Foodborne pathogens",
"Refrigeration",
"TVCs and ETCs"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: There is considerable evidence that the incidence of foodborne diseases is increasing, even though it is also a significant underestimation of the true magnitude of the problem, with as little as 2 per cent of cases of foodborne acute gastroenteritis in the community being detected by current surveillance schemes (Sharma et al., 2009).\n2. Materials and methods: 2.1 Questionnaire\n3. Results: 3.1 Questionnaire results\n4. Discussion: Outbreaks of foodborne illness, especially at the home, occur as a result of improper food hygiene practices in which cross-contamination in combination with inadequate storage or cooking was implicated in many instances (Olsen et al., 2000). The importance of domestic food handling and storage in foodborne illness is supported by epidemiological data. Outbreak investigation in Scotland suggest that most food poisoning occurs in private houses and is associated with mishandling of food (Anonymous, 1992). A sentinel study in the Netherlands (Hoogenboom-Verdegall and Postema, 1990) indicated that 80 per cent of Salmonella and Campylobacter infection were associated with domestic food preparation. Similarly, the domestic kitchen has been implicated as a major source in the high incidence of family-associated food disease in Germany and France (Guiguet et al., 1992).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide information on the consumer management of refrigerated food, establish the level and the incidence of bacterial contamination and operating temperatures in domestic refrigerators from north and centre Italy.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was designed involving 24 questions which covered three topics: the socio-demographic data, the domestic management of refrigerated food and general information about the refrigerator. The questionnaire responses were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis and further processed with the multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and cluster analysis (CA). Based on MCA and CA, 84 refrigerators were selected to assess the temperature and the microbiological status (total viable counts (TVC); Enterobacteriaceae total counts (ETC); Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp.).\nFindings: Totally, 660 interviews were carried out. The majority of respondents were female (81.4 per cent) and were married (71.4 per cent). Almost an half of them were between 31 and 50 years old (48.2 per cent) and had a secondary school degree (47 per cent). Regarding domestic management of refrigerated food, the majority of respondents (87.2 per cent) were aware of the correct temperature range (1-5degC) for retail refrigerator units, but only 18 per cent of them check the temperature. Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were not recovered; Listeria innocua was recovered (2.4 per cent). Regarding the TVC values, the 21.5 per cent of the tested refrigerators were classified as insufficient (from 100 to 104 cfu/cm2) or inadequate (>104 cfu/cm2). Consumer education should be focused in order to reduce foodborne disease. Only safety-conscious consumers can become active partners within the food safety chain.\nOriginality/value: Result obtained from the present survey revealed that consumers are not familiar with their role in the food safety chain and that they allow numerous opportunities for microbiological contamination of food. The study clearly indicates the need for greater consumer education regarding proper domestic refrigerator management. Indeed, appropriate behaviours could make the refrigerator less likely to act as a significant niche for persistence and dissemination of food pathogens.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Delivery of psychological therapies: clinical governance implications for trusts
|
[
"Clinical governance",
"Trusts",
"United Kingdom"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: There is a growing body of evidence on the effectiveness of psychological therapy summarised for example in: Psychotherapy in England and Wales (1996); (Psychotherapy Review); Roth and Fonagy (1996); Nathan and Gorman (1998); and more recently in Treatment Choice in Psychological Therapy and Counselling (Department of Health, 2001).The Department of Health (Department of Health, 2001) Treatment Choice in Psychological Therapies summarises those disorders found to benefit from talking therapies, and specifies which therapeutic approach is beneficial in which condition. Depression, anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety and phobias, post traumatic disorders, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, personality disorders, including repetitive self-harm were all found to benefit.Since then NICE Guidelines have identified psychological procedures such as Behavioural Family Therapy (BFT) as treatments of choice in schizophrenia, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) in anxiety, December, 2004, depression, December 2004, PTSD, March 2005, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, 2006 and other specific therapeutic approaches for other conditions.The demand for psychological therapies in mental healthcare is escalating, backed by the growing evidence-base, NICE guidelines, the user movement and Government Health policy. Professor Louise Appleby (Mental Health Tsar) has highlighted psychological therapies as one of the current top four priorities for service development, and this has been supported by Lord Layard in his inaugural Sainsbury Centre lecture \"mental health Britain's biggest social problem\" in September 2005. This has been followed by Condition Management Programmes (CMPs) based on socio - psychological principles aimed at helping people back into work.A recent Department of Health document \"Organising and Delivering Psychological Therapies\" (2004) provides guidance on how to organise effective delivery within a clinical governance framework. However, for most service providers the basic building blocks to meet the requirements of the document are not in place. Trusts need to be aware of this as part of their risk management strategy. The Healthcare Commission standards address the provision of effective interventions by skilled staff. Yet, psychological therapies and counselling remain an unregulated area, which continue to grow outside of an organised structure. There is evidence that practitioners do not necessarily practice approaches of proven effectiveness, and concern that ineffective provision could be costing the NHS vast sums of money.\nThe choice agenda: increasing demand: The body of evidence for the effectiveness of talking therapies is strongly supported by the push from the user movement for their increased availability. A momentum, which is increasingly, backed by Government Health Policy.Access to psychological therapies, are the single most requested choice by users. Rethink Chief Executive Cliff Prior (Health Service Journal, 2004) states that \"Everyone with a significant condition should be offered CBT by someone with a CBT qualification, and if it does not work should be referred on to a qualified psychologist\".However, waiting lists for psychological therapies remain long. The British Psychological Society (BPS) estimates that even at the current rate of expansion of training places, it will take 15 years before there will be enough clinical psychologists to meet current vacancies (not allowing for expansion) (presentation BPS Meeting, December 2004). Many clinical psychology services - one of the main NHS providers of psychological therapy services - cannot cope with the demand and are \"grappling with\" waiting lists of up to two years (Conaghan et al., 2000).Furthermore, demand does not necessarily equal need. Many may want therapy that will not benefit from it. Much has been written in the popular press about the growth in therapy as the panacea of the masses. Indeed, it may be detrimental to health to provide therapy where it is not needed, fostering the illness model of life problems, and dependency on the Health system rather than on inner/external resources.Over-stretched GPs faced with unhappy patients may pass them on to counsellors for want of any alternative.\nWhat constitutes effective therapy?: There is a huge gap between showing psychological therapy is effective in research settings and demonstrating effectiveness in mainstream clinical services. The studies upon which the evidence is based typically involve careful selection of clients who meet specific criteria, and employment of therapists who have specific systematic and in depth training in the therapeutic approach being studied, to ensure model fidelity.The SSI Mental Health Strategy web site (2000) lists 24 defined talking therapies. This is a conservative estimate, since a psychological therapy may be defined as \"a clinical procedure that uses recognised psychological methods in its execution.\" Other estimates run into hundreds. These all have their champions, regardless of the evidence. They will argue that their approach has no evidence-base simply because the research has not been done.It is not commonly known that there is no requirement for practitioners of psychological therapy to be professionally registered or monitored, so the provision of these services is often by relatively untrained staff who are not registered psychotherapists, counsellors or psychologists. They can operate without formal training or supervision.It would not be acceptable, for example, for nurse prescribers to operate without the supervision of a doctor, and yet currently anyone can practice psychological therapy without recognised training or supervision. This is a risk for Healthcare Organisations, which increasingly will be held to account by users who are educated and aware of NICE guidance. Already users are demanding their rights to effective therapy provision, and pressure is increasing for services to get their act together to provide it.Paradoxically, a lot of mental health staff may be providing counselling with no proven benefit or evidence-base, to people who will not benefit, whilst other people do not receive the appropriate service for their needs. It is impossible to estimate the cost to Healthcare Organisations (HOs) and the NHS of inappropriate therapy provision. Both the cost of therapy, being provided to those, who do not need it, and the cost of ineffective therapy provision, to those who do need it.For therapy to be effective there needs to be a good assessment, which identifies a clear problem known to be responsive to a proven approach. Therapy provision then needs to be according to the defined model by people with adequate training in that model, supervision and support.It is not enough to simply increase the number of staff trained in an approach, because, often following training people do not go on delivering services \"on model\" or even go on to use the approach at all. They need supervision and support to continue to practice effectively.There is a need to organise a system of provision that allows for the development and maintenance of effective and evidence-based care, targeted at those who need it, and will benefit from it.\nOrganisation of psychological therapies to meet demand: Recent advice from the Department of Health in the form of the document \"Organising and Delivering Psychological Therapies\" (Department of Health, 2004), talks in detail about the provision of a range of evidence-based therapies being made available as a matter of course to all service users who require them, at any point of contact.It identifies as a priority \"The development of a mental health workforce with the competence and the organisational strength to deliver effective and appropriate psychological treatments, backed by good ethical and supervisory support and within the framework of clinical governance.\"Specifically, \"The development of a clear management structure for all those who practice psychological therapies, with strong leadership and clear accountability.\"An important component of this is the systematic implementation of training, audit and supervision of therapy practice. The document provides a framework for measuring psychological therapy services against a gold standard of provision.The NHS plan has already seen the introduction of STR workers, liaison workers and graduate workers. All of these need effective training and support systems around them to work effectively and safely. So do existing staff that are working outside of their levels of training.The document is a sound ideal for the provision of effective, targeted psychological therapy services, but is outside the scope of any service that I am aware of. Most organisational structures are bound by professional boundaries. In other words, psychologists, are professionally managed, by psychologists, whilst nurses, are professionally managed, by nurses, Occupational Therapists (OTs) are professionally managed by OTs etc. Exceptions to this are Psychological therapy services who manage diverse staff employed specifically for the purpose of therapy provision. Good examples of this do exist (Shropshire psychological therapy services being one), but they are rareThis issue, and the Department of Health document, crosses professional boundaries. It is about the governance of specific skills rather than the governance of professional competencies.Yet the Government is pushing ahead with skills and competencies based agenda in Agenda for Change, which proposes a skills and competencies based framework for job descriptions, and associated rewards. In the light of this it will be important for all managers to clearly define the skills and competencies involved in all job descriptions, rather than including counselling as an add on. Clear governance arrangements for the implementation and monitoring of these skills are high on the agenda. This is clear in the new Healthcare Commission standards.\nHealthcare Commission standards: The star-rating system used by the Healthcare commission has been replaced by a set of standards. Within these there is a strong recognition of the importance of the evidence-base and the monitoring of skills. Many standards address these issues. In \"Core standard 1 Safety\", they specify:*C3 Healthcare organisations (HO) protect patients by following NICE interventional procedures guidance.In \"Core standard 2: Clinical and Cost Effectiveness\", they specify: Healthcare Organisations ensure that:*They conform to NICE technology appraisals and, where it is available, take into account nationally agreed guidance when planning and delivering treatment and care.*Clinical care and treatment are carried out under supervision and leadership.*Clinicians continuously update skills and techniques relevant to their clinical work.*Clinicians participate in regular clinical audit and reviews of clinical services.And as a developmental standard that patients receive effective treatment and care that:*Conforms to nationally agreed best practice, particularly as defined by NICE guidance, national plans and agreed national guidance on service delivery.Yet, in many organisations it seems to be accepted that nurses have these skills despite a lack of any formal training in therapeutic approaches.\nCommissioning for skills: In many HOs commissioning remains based around professional groups not skills. And yet central Government policy in the form of the modernisation agenda (role redesign) and Agenda for Change is intended to facilitate the broadening of the staff-base delivering services, and in this case psychological therapies.Both the Department of Health document and the Healthcare Commission are pushing for clearer management and governance structures around skills.\nSystematic provision of therapies: The solution to a systematic provision of psychological therapies lies in a combination of factors. The development of a systematic approach to structured provision via the use of care pathways and protocols (NICE guidance and evidence-based) initiated via an effective assessment system whereby patients are assessed and allocated to the appropriate level according to their needs and the known evidence-base. We can obtain prevalence figures for certain problem areas, e.g. depression, which can be used to extrapolate for local incidence. It is proposed that this information, together with research concerning best-evidence approaches to the treatment of mental health problems, could be used to assist in the planning of training and purchasing of services, as opposed to the piecemeal approach currently practiced.The Department of Health document provides a model of good practice in the management, training, access, choice and supervision of psychological therapists.It should be a standard that all staff in the service that are responsible for the delivery of psychological therapies should either have specific psychological therapy training or be enabled and encouraged to obtain such training, and that this should be supported by specialist supervision from a practitioner with skills in that specific area.The Healthcare Commission standards, and the Department of Health document both highlight the need for monitoring of skills, training and supervision, within an auditable framework.NIMHE has highlighted care pathways as an important system for targeting appropriate interventions. Although care pathways are increasingly available, they do not specify levels of skills needed to provide specific psychological interventions. The Department of Health document specifies that those responsible for the provision of psychological interventions need to work as part of a \"system\" of service delivery with clear lines of accountability and supervision. If we adopt this approach we can maximise the skills of the more highly skilled staff in supervision, training and more complex work, whilst empowering the staff who are already doing a lot of the work without the benefit of appropriate training, supervision and support. In this way the patient gets the service they need and does not get the service they do not need.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the clinical governance issues involved in the provision of psychological therapies within a context of massive demand and expansion underpinned by recent policy developments at the Department of Health. Raises awareness of the potential risks to Trusts involved in inadequate governance of therapy provision.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper shows an informed review of the recent policies and influences affecting the development of psychological therapies and the clinical governance issues arising from them.\nFindings: - The paper compares the realities of service provision with the ideal model of service delivery recommended by the Department of Health. Raises concerns for all those Trusts providing psychological therapies about their governance and risk management arrangements.\nOriginality/value: - The paper shows the key summary and opinion for all Trusts responsible for provision of psychological therapies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Exploring the antecedents of quality commitment among employees: an empirical study
|
[
"Quality",
"Employees",
"Leadership",
"Total quality management",
"Turkey"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: With the extensive implementation of TQM and other quality management practices in organizations around the world, the significance of quality is well understood. However what is more remarkable is the widespread change in the mindset about quality among the employees. Quality is increasingly being viewed as the paramount responsibility of the entire organization rather than being limited to a few departments. It is understood that quality should pervade all activities regardless of its relative importance in the organization. Several studies have reported this phenomenon (Sousa, 2000, Zairi, 2002). While TQM practices are widely perceived as techniques adopted by private enterprises, there has been a number of change programs in the public sector too, aiming at implementing TQM principles. For instance, the Pentagon (Nagel, 1994) and the US department of commerce (Department of Commerce, 1997) have long been implementing these principles to increase their service quality. Despite adoption of the TQM philosophy in public organizations, much of the literature examining implementation of TQM principles in service industries has concentrated mainly on private sector, profit-generating services (Redman et al., 1995). This line of research focuses primarily on high street services, financial services (Zairi and Whymark, 2000) hotels and food outlets (Sila and Ebrahimpour, 2003), or other profit oriented service industries. Implementation of TQM principles in government services however, has been relatively less researched and even a group of researchers appears to be sceptical of feasibility of such practices in the public sector (Swiss, 1992; Rago, 1994; Gaster, 1993). Some of the commentators appear to see no real implementation potential (Swiss, 1992) and some has raised serious questions about whether it is at all possible to take a true \"quality approach\" in the public sector because of \"red tape\" and subservience to \"national dictate\" (Gaster, 1993; Redman et al., 1995). Critics of TQM implementation in public sector, particularly for central and local government organizations, focus mainly on the argument that these principles were originally designed for routine processes such as manufacturing, yet most government agencies produce services rather than products (Swiss, 1992; Rago, 1994; Dewhurst et al., 1999). The main thrust of their scepticism focuses around feasibility of total quality commitment in politically driven organizations (i.e. ministries, government agencies).It is argued that quality is achieved in organizations only when managers create an organizational culture that focuses on consistently developing quality products or services and then improving them periodically. While some researchers who are sceptical of TQM implementation in government agencies highlight issues around \"organizational commitment\", yet there appears to be no empirical evidence that government agencies cannot create total quality commitment. Although there has been some extensive work on quality commitment in service industries (Parasuraman et al., 1993; Zeithaml et al., 1996), there appears to be need for empirical studies examining employee commitment in both public and private organizations. As the critics of TQM in governmental agencies focus on long term and total quality commitment aspects of TQM implementations, this study aims to examine antecedents of quality commitment in a large government ministry and a manufacturing organization to examine the concept in a comparative way. It is expected that such a research design would make a further contribution to the quality management literature in terms of implementation and effectiveness of such principles particularly in an emerging market context. Although the commitment aspect of TQM implementation has been seen as highly important for an effective implementation of the TQM philosophy, not much is known about the antecedents of quality commitment and the process through which quality commitment is engendered among employees. Here we introduce a model of quality commitment, which looks at the organizational antecedents of quality commitment for a manufacturing organization and a governmental organisation. Quality commitment is presented as an outcome of certain favourable organisational conditions, which could be created through careful management and leadership.The paper is organized as follows: the next section provides a review of the relevant theoretical literature and sets out the hypotheses of the study; research methodology is presented next, and lastly the results section, with conclusions and implications.\nLiterature review and hypotheses: Antecedents of quality commitment\nResearch methodology: Survey setting\nResults, analysis and discussions: For the main analysis, data collected from the two sets of samples were analyzed separately. In the first step, construct scores for respondents in both the samples was calculated. The construct scores are the average of the item scores comprising each construct. From the respondent construct scores, average scores for the five constructs for both the samples was calculated. The averages for the five constructs across the two samples are provided in Table V.In the next step, multiple regression was used to analyze the data with quality commitment as the dependent variable and the other four variables as independent variables. The results of the multiple regression analyses are shown in Table VI. Both the samples provided a good fit with the R2 value above 0.5 in both the cases. The F-value associated with the ANOVA was also seen to be significant. The colliniarity statistics (like VIF) showed acceptable levels of colliniarity. Table VI shows the results of the regression analysis.Table VI shows regression coefficients for both models. The regression weight for the direct relationship between the perception of leadership commitment and quality commitment among employees was found to be positive and significant in both the organizations (b=0.323 and b=0.215, p<0.001), indicating a strong support for H1. Table VI also presents the relationship between the perceived quality orientation of the organization and employee commitment. The regression weight for the hypothesized relationship between quality orientation and employee commitment was found to be positive and significant (b=0.208, b=0.249; p<0.001), confirming H2 that the quality orientation perception of the organization have a strong positive direct impact on the level of quality commitment for both organizations.Organizational quality commitment is also positively affected by team effectiveness. Regression weights were found to be positive and significant for the both organizations (b=0.357; b=0.228; p<0.001) providing a good deal of support for H3. It emerges that, while team effectiveness is significant in both regression models reported in Table VI, the strength of coefficient for the Ministry of Industry and Trade is significantly higher than the TFICO sample. Finally, our hypotheses testing procedure revealed that effectiveness of quality related communication also impacts organizational quality commitment directly thereby supporting H4 (b=0.223; b=0.104; p<0.001).For both the Ministry of Industry and Trade sample and the TFICO sample, all the coefficients are positive thereby validating all the hypotheses. However there are some significant differences in the relative strength of the coefficients of the independent variables across the two samples. In the case of the Ministry of Industry and Trade sample, \"team effectiveness\" is seen as the most important variable while in the case of the TFICO sample, \"perception about the quality orientation of the organization\" emerges as the most important independent variable even though \"team effectiveness\" emerges as the second most important independent variable in the case of the TFICO sample. Team effectiveness is basically related to the immediate work environment of the employee and \"quality orientation of the organization\" is related to the larger organization in which the employee is presently a part of. The relative importance of the \"team effectiveness\" construct in the case of the ministry of industry and trade sample can probably be attributed to the fact that the level of team effectiveness is high in the ministry of industry and trade as seen in Table V. Also, from Table V it is seen that the level of quality commitment is lower in the case of the TFICO than in the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Since both organizations have been through a re-structuring and quality improvement training (ISO-9000), it emerges that implementation of TQM principles have been more effective in the case of the ministry. This finding contradicts comments regarding the feasibility of TQM implementation and achieving organizational quality commitment in public organizations.\nDiscussion: The present study puts forth a model of quality commitment among employees. The model received reasonable support from the study conducted in two separate organizations in Turkey. The first organization was a government ministry, which has a remit of policy making, improving and governing of industrial development in Turkey. All the characteristics of a government department can be considered as present in this context. The second instance was a previously state owned, now an autonomous enterprise manufacturing chemicals and fertilizers. The two contrasting settings offer an interesting scenario in the validation of the hypothesis. The statistical support received by the model across two different samples therefore enhances the generalisability of the results.Quality commitment among employees has not received much research attention till now and hence this study contributes towards building a theoretical basis for this construct. Our findings imply that quality commitment can equally be achieved in public sector organizations. Further, although governmental agencies operate in a different context than manufacturing organizations, our findings further indicate that if the relevant training provided, given a strong leadership, implementation of TQM principles in an emerging market context is feasible. The study adds to the findings of Jackson (2004) about quality commitment. The study attempts to throw open questions related this important concept.The most important quality antecedents were found to be team effectiveness, leadership in a governmental ministry, while perception of quality orientation in a manufacturing organisation. In fact, success of TQM applications hinges on strong leadership that must be initiated by the top management. Quality improvement plans proposed by several gurus strongly emphasize the commitment of top management. The top management of the organization is directly responsible for determining an appropriate organization culture, vision, and quality policy. Top managers should also determine objectives, and develop specific and measurable goals to satisfy customer expectations and improve their organizations' performance. In order to enhance quality commitment, managers must convey their priorities and expectations to their employees through well designed communication instruments.. In public organisation in general, in governmental agencies in particular, managers do not delegate adequate power and responsibility to middle managers of the organisation. The basic justification for this lies in the researchers' impression (derived from the pilot study) that the Ministry of Industry and Trade and TFICO are both in the \"awakening\" stage as described by Crosby (1996). This appears to be a major weakness in TQM implementing particularly in public organisations, which may not be unique only to Turkey.Future studies can look more closely into quality commitment and recommend other possible antecedents as well as consequences to the quality commitment concept. The study also contributes towards the research related to issues like the role of leadership in implementing quality in organizations, team effectiveness in enhancing quality, outcomes of quality orientation of organizations and quality related communication. Future studies can consider these aspects. Future studies could also consider validating the hypotheses in other contexts especially in other emerging market economies and significantly different cultural environment.The study is not however totally devoid of limitations. Though the sample size was not low, still, the sampling process was not totally random. This could impact the validity of the results. While acute care was taken in translating the questions in Turkish, it is quite possible that some slight errors might have creped in during the translation process.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to explore the major factors that impact the quality commitment of employees in organizations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper uses a cross-sectional design and the propositions are validated through two sample surveys conducted in two separate organizations in Turkey.\nFindings: - The study presents four independent variables as the major factors affecting quality commitment of employees, viz. the leadership commitment towards quality; the quality orientation of the organization; team effectiveness and effectiveness of quality-related communication. The four hypotheses are found to be valid.\nOriginality/value: - The paper attempts to contribute towards the literature on quality commitment of employees. So far, studies on quality commitment have been quite limited and hence this effectively fills a gap in the literature. Examination of data collected from a government ministry and a manufacturing company reveals some significant findings, which contributes to quality management literature.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
How does servitisation affect supply chain circularity? - A systematic literature review
|
[
"Supply chain management",
"Systematic literature review",
"Circular economy",
"Servitization",
"Product-service system"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The circular economy (CE) concept advocates that business models should change from selling to renting, leasing or sharing technical products (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2014; Lacy and Rutqvist, 2015). These business models are considered a key enabler to the development of circular supply chains (De Angelis et al., 2018; Batista et al., 2018; Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2014; Lacy and Rutqvist, 2015). Circular supply chains are defined as \"the coordinated forward and reverse supply chains via purposeful business ecosystem integration for value creation from product/services, by-products and useful waste flows through prolonged life cycles that improve the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of organisations\" (Batista et al., 2018, p. 446). They are closely related to reverse logistics (Fleischmann et al., 2001) and closed-loop supply chains (Guide et al., 2003).\n2. Research method: This study adopts a SLR method (Tranfield et al., 2003) to select, map and assess existing studies on CE and PSS. Compared to a critical literature review, SLR provides a more rigorous and transparent review process that allows for explanatory or interpretive findings (Denyer and Tranfield, 2009). Using such an approach can reduce bias and increase the legitimacy of the data analysis, thereby leading to reliable results (Becheikh et al., 2006). To ensure the transparency and replicability of this study, a series of steps were followed (Denyer and Tranfield, 2009) and presented in a similar way to Pilbeam et al. (2012): planning; searching; screening; extraction and synthesis; and reporting. The search and selection processes are summarised in Figure 1.\n3. Descriptive analysis: This section presents the descriptive analysis of the literature review. The papers were classified in three categories: CE, PSS and circular PSS, where both themes overlapped. The CE and circular PSS papers answered the first review question, all papers answered the second and third review question. Figure 2 depicts the distribution the 67 reviewed papers.\n4. Thematic analysis: This section presents the thematic findings of the review. In the first part, the CE literature was reviewed to identify relevant circular supply chain aims, indicators and practices. In the second part, empirical PSS papers were reviewed to identify circular supply chain practices. In the final part of this analysis, contextual factors for the implementation of SCC were deduced from the CE and PSS literature. The main purpose of the review is to develop a conceptual model of SCC in PSS business models. The final framework is presented in Figure 3.\n5. Discussion and conclusion: 5.1 Research synthesis\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test the link between servitisation and circular economy by synthesising the effect of product-service systems (PSS) on supply chain circularity (SCC).\nDesign/methodology/approach: Following a systematic literature review methodology, the study identified 67 studies and synthesised them using content analysis.\nFindings: A conceptual model is developed illustrating how PSS business models impact SCC through increased product longevity, closure of resource loops and resource efficiency. It also identifies six contextual factors affecting the implementation of SCC including: economic attractiveness of SCC; firm sustainability strategy; policy and societal environment; product category; supply chain relationships; and technology.\nResearch limitations/implications: The conceptual model proposes that SCC increases with servitisation. It also proposes that the main circularity effect stems from increased product longevity, followed by closed resource loops and finally resource efficiency. The model is deduced from the literature by using secondary data.\nPractical implications: The review provides practitioners with a framework to increase SCC through PSS business models. It also gives insight into the various contextual factors that may affect how a manufacturer's servitisation strategy contributes to SCC.\nOriginality/value: This review contributes to the understanding of the relationship between servitisation and SCC by synthesising the different effects that exist. Moreover, it creates new knowledge by identifying a range of contextual factors affecting the relationship between PSS and SCC.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Conclusion: "Foresight for smart globalization" synthesis statement and recommendations
|
[
"Poverty",
"Complexity theory",
"Globalization"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants cooperated in drafting a synthesis statement of the major themes and ideas that tied together the background papers and session discussions. This current version of this statement is reproduced below, along with a selection of the recommended next steps that emerged from the workshop. The statement and next steps, however, do not necessarily indicate agreement amongst the participants, and these materials should not be attributed to any particular participant. A final version of these materials will be published in the upcoming workshop report (see Figure 1).\nSynthesis statement: Foresight is systems thinking which forges paths for action while understanding and embracing complexity. It catalyzes new insight in the minds of communities and decision makers. Foresight is invaluable for sense making and is a virtually zero cost way to test and edit alternative blueprints for action. Foresight creates a safe space for addressing unpopular and challenging issues. Foresight is an integral part of the policy process, which it informs and enhances.Poverty is itself a complex system, existing at multiple levels ranging from the global to the grassroots. Pro-poor foresight identifies and engages relationships among the complex systems that sustain poverty, while seeking to ultimately eradicate it. In this journey, the future of the wealthy and the poor in all nations is inextricably linked. Neither can avoid the shocks and discontinuities that the future may bring, such as the impact of forces that include climate change and economic crises. A first requirement for pro-poor foresight is procedural fairness, which is an indispensible pre-condition for outcome fairness. Processes must be open, equitable, and characterized by independent thinking.Pro-poor foresight is required now because we are in the midst of a unique, critical period characterized by multiple and severe flaws in existing paradigms and deep uncertainty about the consequences of present choice on future outcomes. There is a shattering of old forms underway, and this is true on both the national and global levels. Only by working with a collaborative, forward-looking mindset can these problems be effectively addressed.While there is a unique need for pro-poor foresight, there exist many barriers to its success and advancement. These include an unwillingness to effectively shape the future, an inability to see or do things differently, a myopic and exclusive focus on the short-term, and a sense of powerlessness to shape one's destiny. These barriers exist more strongly in some cultural and political systems than in others.Yet, we do continuously shape the future with our individual actions and our collective policies. If done well, foresight increases our chances of wisely and successfully structuring our future. If not, we squander an opportunity to improve our collective awareness and our global systems.However, foresight cannot do everything. Foresight should inform policy making processes by identifying strategies and directions and their implications. But, in some cases, foresight is necessary and relevant in spite of inaction on the part of governments.The desired outcome of pro-poor foresight is to expand the range of practical responses to complexity. Pro-poor foresight can be used to map, address and monitor these complex interacting systems, and it includes specific analysis of future impacts and opportunities that affect the poor.\nSelected recommendations: 1. If there is a driving, central force in the poverty-system, it is that improved governance is needed not only at the national, but at the supranational level. Pro-poor foresight must be addressed at global, regional, national and local levels.2. Foster national foresight capacity, including pilot efforts in countries willing to have involvement across ministries and regions, while involving the media and the public.3. Develop and implement large scale participatory approaches to pro-poor foresight, including:*use virtual spaces, such as wikis, to create collective knowledge for pro-poor foresight, particularly poverty reduction;*use gaming and simulations before importing solutions or policies from other countries and/or regions;*use scenarios to signal the urgency of problems, particularly for the poor;*use foresight to establish the values of different constituencies; and*create ongoing learning systems that become a living repository of collective intelligence.4. Conduct more technology road mapping specifically geared to the poor, including:*couple technology road mapping with scenario exercises to address barriers preventing development and deployment of pro-poor technologies;*address the gap around applied research for pro-poor technologies; and*use foresight to stimulate the development of leapfrog technologies for the poor.5. Map the associations of conflict with economic development to illuminate the intersection of economic geography and pro-poor foresight.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to conclude the special issue on the topic of pro-poor foresight.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper takes the form of a draft synthesis statement and selected recommendations to emerge from the \"Foresight for smart globalization\" workshop.\nFindings: - There is a need for change at all levels of governance to address the challenges of global poverty, and efforts are needed to foster and improve national foresight capacities.\nOriginality/value: - Adding poverty as an explicit dimension of existing and future foresight activities is a key component of fostering pro-poor decision making.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The ideal and the counter-ideal follower - advancing implicit followership theories
|
[
"Scale development",
"Counter-ideal follower",
"Ideal follower",
"Implicit followership theories"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Leadership and followership are two sides of the same coin. Kouzes and Posner (1990) stated that \"leadership is a reciprocal process in that it occurs between people. It is not done by one person to another.\" (p. 29). Furthermore, according to Uhl-Bien et al. (2014), \"[...] leadership can only occur if there is followership - without followers and following behaviors there is no leadership. This means that following behaviors are a crucial component of the leadership process. Following behaviors represent a willingness to defer to another in some way\" (p. 83). Thus, leadership emerges through interactions between leaders and followers, in which leaders share power and engage their followers' talents through empowerment (Hollander and Offermann, 1990). While the part of the leader in these interactions has been extensively studied, the role of follower characteristics and behavior has been investigated less often. During the last two decades, however, the follower role for forming leadership received increasing attention. Researchers began to see followers not only as passive recipients of but as active contributors to leadership (Notgrass, 2014; Oc and Bashshur, 2013). Research conducted under this focus can be summarized as follower-centered leadership research (as opposed to leader-centered leadership research, see, e.g. Carsten et al., 2010).\nThe typical and the ideal follower - two distinct approaches to studying IFTs: Junker and van Dick (2014) argued that leadership and followership prototypes can be differentiated on two dimensions. The first dimension concerns the norm of prototype, i.e. whether they represent images of typical leadership and followership or whether they represent images of ideal leadership and followership. Implicit theories regarding ideal leaders and followers depict the best possible leaders or followers imaginable for a specific goal. Followers might be seen ideal if they are most effective, best liked, or even most able to balance work and life. While it might be possible that one person fulfills all of these goals, it is more likely that three different followers provide the best fit with each of these goals. Therefore, each goal represents a different subtype or facet of a broader ideal prototype. In the past, effectiveness prototypes have been the predominantly researched ideal prototypes (e.g. Den Hartog et al., 1999; Wernimont, 1971). In the studies presented in the following, we build on the tradition of the Michigan and Ohio studies on leadership and differentiate in task and relationship aspects. We will consider a follower prototype, which is ideal to master the tasks, and a second subtype, namely, a follower who is good in building relationships. We show that these two subtypes are not identical as they are similar on some attributes, but differ on others.\nThe ideal and the counter-ideal follower - two distinct dimensions of IFTs: The second dimension proposed by Junker and van Dick (2014) is the valence of prototype. Valence means whether an attribute is perceived to be positive or negative for the respective category. Positive attributes represent desirable attributes. These are crucial for being perceived as an ideal member of the category and they are instrumental to achieving a specific goal. Negative attributes, in contrast, represent undesirable characteristics. They are hindering the achievement of a specific goal.\nThe relevance of IFTs: IFTs serve as benchmarks to categorize target persons. If a leader's IFTs (e.g. \"followers should be honest\") and the evaluated follower match (i.e. the respective follower is honest), this follower gets the label of the category (i.e. he/she is an ideal follower) and is stored in long-term memory with this label (Phillips, 1984). Subsequently, this label helps to interpret the follower's behavior and to behave adequately toward him or her (Weick, 1995). As soon as a person is categorized, a pattern completion process sets off and individuals automatically complete their image of this person by non-observed but prototype-consistent information (Shondrick et al., 2010).\nStudy 1: item generation: Method\nStudy 2: item reduction and dimensionality of IFTs: The second study served three primary aims. First, we aimed at developing a scale which comprises the image of an ideal follower that most people share. Second, we wanted to reduce the item set and to examine the underlying factor structure. Third, we wanted to show that participants' images of typical followers could be distinguished from those of ideal followers and that images of good task-performers could be distinguished from those of good relationship-builders.\nStudy 3: confirmatory analyses: Method\nStudy 4: criterion and incremental validity of the IFT measure: Finally, we aimed to test the validity of the IFT scale in a fourth study. We intended to test the construct validity with the scale developed by Sy (2010). To do so, we used the same scale introduction for our IFT scale as well as for Sy's (2010) scale. We expected to find high - but not perfect - correlations between the IFT sub-scales developed in Studies 1-3 and the Sy (2010) sub-scales. Our hypotheses are as follows:\nGeneral discussion: We developed a scale to measure ideal and counter-ideal IFTs in three studies and tested the scale's construct and criterion validity in a fourth study. We derived higher-order factors, which are in line with research on ILTs (see e.g. Epitropaki and Martin, 2005) and IFTs (Sy, 2010). The two facets that we found in both ideal and counter-ideal - i.e. task and relationship - are in line with the two leadership factors initiating structure and consideration (e.g. Judge et al., 2004). These two facets as well as our findings that images of ideal followers differ from the images of good task-mastering followers and of relationship-oriented followers show that it is worth considering other than purely performance-based prototypes in implicit research.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Research on implicit followership theories - that is, individually held assumptions about how followers are and how they should be - is still in its infancy. The few existing approaches differ in what they define as the object of these theories. The authors consider the lack of two aspects in the existing literature: first, the authors consider it important to not only focus on effective but also on ideal followers - which allows investigating follower characteristics that go beyond just performance; and second, the authors demonstrate the importance of the study of characteristics which leaders explicitly see as undesirable for followers (i.e. counter-ideal follower prototypes). The purpose of this paper is to fill these gaps and to extend the literature by introducing the concept of implicit followership theories as assumptions of ideal followers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors first present three studies conducted to develop a scale to measure ideal and counter-ideal follower prototypes, respectively. In a fourth study, the authors apply this scale and compare it to existing measures of implicit followership theories regarding their value for predicting leaders' follower ratings.\nFindings: Results show that the newly developed measure is reliable and valid, and comprises a useful tool for future research.\nPractical implications: The scale can be used for leadership development programs.\nOriginality/value: The study is among the few that provide theory and evidence for the relevance of implicit followership theories and is the first to consider the ideal follower in this regard.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Online retail returns management: Integration within an omni-channel distribution context
|
[
"Reverse logistics",
"Retail",
"Omni-channel",
"Performance",
"Product returns",
"Multi-channel"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: A necessary aspect of retailing is the acceptance of customer product returns and the processing of product returns has become a critical activity for organizations (Guide et al., 2006). While online retailing is not a new phenomenon, the increasing convergence of store and online retailing has led to the recent emergence of the omni-channel concept offering customers a seamless shopping experience across all retail formats. This seamless approach presents new challenges for product returns management as they move toward integrating returns, processes, information systems, inventories and performance measurement systems that have been typically operated as discrete entities within a multi-channel proposition. Whereas a substantive body of knowledge exists in the extant literature advancing our understanding of store-based returns management, there is an absence of discussion concerning the effects of omni-channel retailing on returns management practice.\nLiterature review and research questions (RQs): Initially, the review extant literature examines the growing importance of omni-channel retailing and the implications for the product return rates. It continues by reviewing research into product returns management in two key areas: return logistics network design and returns management processes and practices. The literature is analyzed leading to the research questions and the development of a theoretical framework.\nMethod: Much use has been made of mixed methods in social sciences research over several decades (Harrison, 2013), although as Harrison points out, there has been limited use in a business context. Similarly, Modell (2010) reflects on the value of mixed methods research as a strategy of inter-paradigmatic engagement. In the particular context of supply chains, Golicic and Davis (2012) reflect on the fact that traditionally supply chain management research has relied significantly on research designs which come from a quantitative perspective, with little research undertaken using a mixed methods approach. This is a gap in the literature that we seek to address in our paper, with the focus being on the developing practice of omni-channel retailing and the effect that this has on product returns management. In using a mixed methods approach, which gives equal weighting to both qualitative and quantitative research design (Golicic and Davis, 2012), we are coming at this from an interpretive perspective while recognizing the potential of hypothesis testing at a later date.\nFindings: From our empirical findings, we present an enriched conceptual framework, which illustrates a range of new dimensions for retail returns management within the context of omni-channel retailing.\nProcess considerations: From our participants we found two unique process challenges when dealing with omni-channel returns; processing speed and process integration.\nDiscussion: The empirical results presented in our findings provide a rich picture of product returns management practice within the omni-channel concept. The paper continues with discussing our findings in relation to the literature.\nConclusions and suggestions for further research: There has been relatively little discourse in the literature that considers the rapid emergence of omni-channel retailing and the implications for product returns management. Specifically, the managerial implications of this development and the impact on the levels of product returns have been under researched. In our paper, we sought to extend our knowledge by providing evidence of the effects on return rates, physical network design and managerial processes. We contribute to the literature via a rich empirical study of omni-channel practices in the UK Retail sector. The collection of data took place at a time when the researched organizations were engaged in the rapid development of different retail formats, in order to provide customers with a targeted seamless experience.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: With the rapid growth of consumer sales being fulfilled through omni-channel retailing, the purpose of this paper is to explore the subsequent impact on the levels of consumer retail returns experienced through online sales and the emergent returns management strategies being affected by retailers in relation to network configuration and returns management processes.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors uses a mixed methods approach from an interpretive perspective. It is appropriate to describe the approach in terms of convergent design, since the authors have collected both qualitative and quantitative data.\nFindings: Return rates for online retailing can be double those for stores, while return levels for \"considered purchases\" remain similar. The findings suggest that omni-channel returns management has yet to fully mature and the authors find challenges for network design and returns processes in offering a seamless solution.\nResearch limitations/implications: For practitioners the authors identify a number of challenges and offer insights to improve performance in returns management process, while for academic colleagues the authors propose a number of avenues for further research both in the qualitative and quantitative fields.\nOriginality/value: While a significant body of extant literature exists, in researching the generalized retail returns management process this paper make a contribution by addressing the emergent managerial implications of omni-channel retail returns.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Social production in a collectivist culture: Exploring structure and agency in the work-life balance of Indian women executives
|
[
"Structure",
"Agency",
"Bourdieu",
"Indian women executives",
"McNay",
"Social production"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The \"detraditionalising\" influences of globalization have changed social expectations. Education and employment opportunities have raised aspirations and increased the agency of women (Budhwar et al., 2005). In turn, agency has challenged and caused modifications in certain structures of society.\nReview of literature in work-life balance: work-life balance issues have been much researched in India and in the world. The sacrifices that women in managerial positions have had to make to manage their career and home demands have been examined in terms of their decisions and actions. Women sacrifice more than men, as they are primary caregivers to children, and their role at home is greater than that of men (Broadbridge, 2009). Though organizations have realized the importance of having more number of women in their workforce, and male hierarchical attitudes have declined, the atmosphere is not yet completely conducive to women at higher levels (Kannan, 2009; Naithani, 2010; Metz, 2009). Women managers have had to negotiate a complex set of pressures which slowly inhibits them from climbing the career ladder (Eagly and Carli, 2007). This has caused many women to actually opt out and settle for less demanding positions or jobs, due to work-life conflicts and organizational insensitivity to their problems (Mainiero and Sullivan, 2006). Psychologically, when careers are not compatible with family and child-rearing, the emotional costs are high (Henreksonh and Stenkula, 2009). The struggle to achieve work-life balance creates enormous stress (Davidson and Cooper, 1984). Working mothers have to, also, deal with \"guilt\" and, often, have to reframe their definition of motherhood to achieve work-life balance (Buzzanell et al., 2005). Work challenges that women executives face include the \"long hours' culture\" which interferes with family time (Waumsley and Houston, 2009; Wood and Newton, 2006). \"Coping\" strategies take many forms. A study on strategies used by women to handle stress at work, in the family and in life describes some personal mechanisms which include stress relief, self-awareness, time management and certain organizational mechanisms like support networks, flexibility in work hours and family-friendly policies and cultures (Dixon and Bruening, 2007). The study of the work-life discourse, thus, reveals that women have had to overcome social, individual and organizational barriers to succeed in their homes and careers.\nwork-life balance in India: In India, work-related stress, due to dual roles, is on the increase as a significant number of women have entered the workplace (Jawahar, 2010). Studies in this area have identified multiple factors affecting work-life balance. In a qualitative study of the work - family balance among Indian women software professionals, Valk and Srinivasan (2011), have found six major themes in the narrative of the interviewees. These are familial influence on life choices, multi-role responsibilities that need negotiation, self and professional identity, social support, organizational policies and \"coping\" strategies. More than women in the middle and junior levels, women in senior positions perceive family responsibility as a deterrent to professional advancement. Other factors oft cited are social disapproval and the lack of gender-sensitive policies at the workplace. However, the need for organizational support is more vehemently expressed at the junior and middle levels than at senior levels (Buddhapriya, 2009).\nAgency and culture in the West and in Asia: It is observed that people in collectivist and individualist cultures define themselves differently. According to Menon et al. (1999), North Americans conceive of individual persons as free agents, whereas East Asians conceptualize them as constrained and less agentic. The study concludes that cultures differ in implicit theories of individuals and groups, and in the importance they give to agency. Similarly, a study of self-construal involving five cultures (Australia, the USA, Hawaii, Japan and Korea) shows that differences between these cultures affect the extent to which people see themselves as independent agents. Gender differences are, however, differentiated by the extent to which people regard themselves as emotionally related to others (Kashima et al., 1995).\nTheoretical background: The analysis of agency poses a difficulty, chiefly because agency is so varied in its expression and stems from causes which are opaque even to the actors. It is also influenced by multiple factors. It is accessible through the subjective narrative of the actors who reflexively consider their own praxis. The sociological theories of McNay and Bourdieu provide the means to understand this complex process of social production.\nMethodology: Qualitative methods are more suitable when psychological processes, motivations and interpretations have to be understood (Cooper and Schindler, 2006). Given the nature of this study, a qualitative - interpretative approach has been adopted. Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit the experiences and views of 105 women executives from major metropolitan cities in India, i.e. Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Gurgaon (Figure 2). The interviewees were picked through snowball sampling. Existing contacts provided leads to new ones. Care was taken to disperse the samples in terms of industry, age, location and experience levels. The interviewees included women executives in the corporate sector only. Fifty-five per cent of the women executives belong to the very top level of the organization. Typical positions included VPs, MDs, Country Heads, Global Heads, Directors, CFOs and CEOs. Twenty-six per cent are general managers, associate directors and AVPs; and about 19 per cent are belonging to the upper middle level. Many of the women executives are highly educated; all of them are graduates (university level), and 74 per cent have professional degrees. Eighty-three per cent of the interviewees are married, 13 per cent of them are unmarried but have intentions to marry. About 3 per cent belong to the single mother, divorced and widowed category (Figure 3 and Table I). The women in government organizations, NGOs and entrepreneurs were excluded, as their challenges and the organizational structures are different from those in the corporate sector. This choice of corporate women was deliberately made, as this sample represents women who have \"broken the glass ceiling\". In addition, this ability to do so (agency) is the focus of this paper. Besides, the corporate sector itself is a structure which impacts their agency uniquely. The interviews were conducted in private settings - at the interviewees' workplaces, homes or over lunch-meetings. The 105 interviews were conducted in stages, over many months, as it involved travelling to different parts of India and scheduling interviews in various locations. The interviews lasted for about 45-60 minutes each. Some lasted longer than an hour. Interview topics focussed on work-life issues, gender bias and cultural concerns. Interviewees were free to ask any question and clarify their point of view. The interviews were conducted in English. They were digitally recorded and transcribed into verbatim texts for analyses.\nResults and discussion: The fact that Indian women value family over career, and are inclined to define themselves as those who will place family interests above their personal interests, is borne out in many studies (Wesley et al., 2009; Jain and Mukherji, 2010; Nathawat and Asha, 1992). Although the family is an important component of all societies, collectivist cultures tend to interpret family values differently from more individualist cultures. Women executives have to contend with structures caused by their need for social approval and dependence on others to endorse the roles played by them. (Buddhapriya, 2009). The narrative of women executives regarding work-life conflicts, and the ways in which they face it, reveals the dynamics of agency and structure. These women seem to internalize some values like motherhood or familial dominance over personal interest. At the same time, one can discern a clear note of assertion in their narrative. This autonomy speaks of their agency in one sense, as the defining and ordering of personal goals builds their personal identity (Archer, 1995). Women executives admit that work - life balance is difficult to achieve and that a compromise is inevitable but they also maintain that family has a greater significance than career. They emphasize the importance of being clear about the priorities and communicating them clearly. The verbatim narrative of women executives is given below. The titles of the positions they hold are mentioned before the text of the narrative. The identity of the interviewees is camouflaged. To keep their names confidential, they are given a covert identity in the form of a numerical code, the anonymity of the respondents being a specified prerequisite in this study.\nStructural factors (Field): Field is one of the core concepts used by the French social scientist Pierre Bourdieu. A field is a setting in which agents and their social positions are located. It is a system of social positions structured internally in terms of power relationships (Bourdieu, 1977). This paper looks at two settings, namely, macro- and micro-settings.\nThe experience of dissonance: The experience of dissonance creates the need for agency. Dissonance is caused due to role proliferation and the internal conflicts resulting from the differential status of these roles. This, coupled with the need for certain desirable social capital, drives the actor to negotiate given structures.\nThe medium of stasis and change (Habitus): The habitus plays a critical role in the adaptations that the actors make. Habitus is that part of an individual through which the doxic beliefs of the field are adopted in personal perception. Bourdieu defines it as \"a set of assumptions, habits, taken-for-granted ideas and ways of being that are the vehicles through which agents engage with, understand and move on through the world\" (Bourdieu, Outline of a Theory of Practice, 1977). The habitus influences the actor's perception of the external world and informs his/her action. So, it is \"a system of durable, transposable dispositions that mediate the actions of an individual and the external conditions of production\" (McNay, 2000, p. 36). This explains the variance in the perceptions of women executives, despite being in similar fields.\nNegotiating the constraints: The generative nature of the habitus adapts to new circumstance by modifying itself in praxis. Thus, regulated liberties allow the agent to reinterpret old values in new circumstances. Bourdieu refers to regulated liberties as a \"complex process of investment and negotiation\". Women executives negotiate their roles by changing a few elements. They extensively use hired help to negotiate their roles. They ask their mother or parents-in-law to live with them so that they can ensure that there is no lapse in the upbringing of the child, and in inculcating family values:\nNuanced agency: Society innovates, evolves and, yet, maintains some core concepts through time. These twin processes involve both social reproduction and new behaviours. The dynamic nature of the social order is what provides the basis for the concept of agency. In this context, McNay says:\nSocial production in a collectivist culture: While women executives do not attempt a radical deviance from the collective meta-narrative, they express a nuanced agency with marginal changes.\nConclusion: Limitations of the study\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to study the relationship between structure and agency of Indian women executives in the area of work-life balance in a developing and globalized context. It examines social production in a collectivist culture.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The approach is qualitative and interpretative. Semi-structured interviews of 105 senior women executives from major metropolitan cities in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai) form the rich data for this research. It uses sociological theories of McNay and Bourdieu to discuss the narratives of women executives.\nFindings: The agency of women executives in India is influenced by cultural meta-narratives of marriage and motherhood. They experience conflict in the home front and less at the work place. Their negotiations with their structures reveal a nuanced agency wherein they try to fit cultural roles and also seek self fulfillment in a career.\nResearch limitations/implications: First, it includes women executives only from the corporate sector. Second, opinions expressed by women executives alone have been taken for this study and is not cross-validated by opinions of others. This study is also limited to socio-cultural roles and expectations from women executives. Other variables that affect agency are not examined.\nPractical implications: This study contributes to the understanding of how women executives, who have a greater agency, negotiate their structural constraints and how these actions contribute to social production.\nSocial implications: It studies the societal impact of the agency of women executives in India.\nOriginality/value: The study provides a theoretical insight into structure and agency of women executives in India and thus adds an Indian perspective to the gender discourse.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Social capital of non-resident family members and small business financing: Evidence from an Indian state
|
[
"Cost of debt",
"Social capital",
"New venture debt financing",
"Political and bank connections"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: It is well-known that small businesses are financially constrained (Joeveer, 2013). The majority of start-up financing for small businesses is composed of family wealth and loans from financial institutions (Bates, 1997). Equity capital of families is initially invested into a new venture and then debt financing is arranged. However, obtaining debt capital poses obstacles because of their lack of credit ratings and collateral (Bates, 1997). Equity contribution is also limited to family wealth, which comes from personal savings, family savings, and retained earnings from existing small business. Hence, both equity and debt financing for small businesses are constrained in one way or another.\n2. Literature review: Small business firms in both developed and developing countries have been found to have less access to external finance (Beck and Demirguc-Kunt, 2006). The problems of small business finance are more severe in developing nations; however, only limited research is available on these countries (White, 1995). In India, small- and medium-sized businesses are the largest non-farm employers and account for 45 percent of manufacturing output and add approximately 3.3 million jobs per year (Sharma, 2011). However, due to the bureaucratic business environment these new ventures find it difficult to obtain debt financing without having positive connections with bankers (Sharma, 2011).\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Research design\n4. Empirical findings: 4.1 Descriptive data analysis\n5. Conclusion: It is widely accepted in the literature that small businesses face tremendous challenges in raising debt and equity financing. While many reasons could be cited, asymmetric information (or informational opacity, as some might suggest) is arguably one of the most important drivers behind the above limitations faced by small businesses. Such constraints are especially pronounced in emerging countries where financial markets are less developed and risks associated with governmental expropriation are more severe. We focus on the new venture debt financing opportunities of small businesses in the Punjab state of India to propose specific mechanisms by which small enterprises could mitigate their financing problems associated with asymmetric information. While the results are based on small businesses located in India, our findings can also be applicable to similar entities of other emerging markets.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of social capital of non-resident family members on small business debt financing. Recent literature in entrepreneurship suggests that small businesses can borrow social capital to improve their access to debt financing.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Micro-entrepreneurs from India were interviewed regarding their ability to raise capital from family members as well as their relationship with banks and politicians.\nFindings: The survey indicates that small business entrepreneurs are able to borrow social capital from non-resident Indians. Results also suggest that these small businesses are more likely to be connected to banks and politicians facilitated by their non-resident family members, which not only improves micro-entrepreneurs' access to debt financing but also reduces their cost of borrowing.\nResearch limitations/implications: This is a co-relational study that investigates the association between social capital of non-resident family members and small business debt financing. There is not necessarily a causal relationship between the two. The findings of this study may only be generalized to firms similar to those that were included in this research.\nOriginality/value: This study contributes to the literature on the factors that improve the access to small business debt financing. The findings may be useful for financial managers, investors, financial management consultants, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Does intermarriage promote economic assimilation among immigrants in the United States?
|
[
"Earnings",
"Ethnic groups",
"Immigration",
"Intermarriage"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: As many western countries experience both a steady inflow of immigrants and heated debates on immigration policies, considerable research has endeavored to understand the nature of the assimilation process, which is crucial for designing public policy intended to expedite the immigrants' transition.\n2. Background: There have been many studies of immigrants' economic assimilation. Many focus on the speed of economic assimilation (Chiswick, 1978; Borjas, 1985, 1995; LaLonde and Topel, 1991; Baker and Benjamin, 1994; Bell, 1997), and the sizable differences in economic performance among national origin groups (Borjas, 1987; LaLonde and Topel, 1992; and Funkhouser and Trejo, 1995). Among the variables hypothesized to influence economic assimilation, language proficiency has received the most empirical attention (see, e.g. Chiswick and Miller, 1992; Lazear, 1999). Far fewer studies have examined intermarriage as a catalyst for economic assimilation.\n3. Model specification: To explore whether intermarried immigrants enjoy an earnings premium relative to immigrants who are married to other immigrants, I restrict the data to married immigrant men and use a standard earnings equation that incorporates intermarriage:\n4. Data and descriptive statistics: The data examined come from the 1 percent unweighted sample of the 2000 US Census, which was obtained through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (Ruggles et al., 2010). The sample is used for comparison with Kantarevic's study and restricted to immigrant males aged 16-44[7], married to a present spouse, who do not reside in group quarters, and with non-missing information on own and spouse's place of birth, and own year of immigration. Only men are examined because analyzing women's earnings would raise additional selection problems related to their labor force participation[8]. In addition, the marriage premium literature finds weak evidence for a marriage premium among females (Kantarevic, 2004).\n5. Empirical results: 5.1. Main results\n6. Conclusion: While the economic assimilation of immigrants has attracted substantial research effort, relatively little is known about how the process occurs. This paper explores the possibility of intermarriage as one of the underlying factors.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether immigrants in the USA receive an earnings premium associated with marrying a native.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The raw premium revealed by the 2000 US Census data is suspect due to possible endogeneity and selection bias. Instrumental variables estimation, a sample selection model, and a counterfactual construction method are used to address these issues.\nFindings: Results suggest a positive and modest intermarriage premium, although the magnitude varies with the estimation technique. The evidence is particularly strong for immigrants with high English proficiency, college graduates, and immigrants older than 12 upon arrival in the USA.\nOriginality/value: It is shown that the size of intermarriage premiums varies significantly across different immigrant groups. The empirical results provide insights into the economic assimilation process and mechanisms through which intermarriage influences the labor market outcomes of immigrants.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Development of a functional food bar containing coffee
|
[
"Marketing",
"Acceptability",
"Health",
"Product"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world, and its acceptance is primarily owed to its intense aroma and distinctive flavour. Besides being highly appreciated, this beverage offers health benefits to the consumer. Studies point to its excellent antioxidant potential, stimulating the wakefulness system of the brain, increasing attention capacity, concentration and memory and reducing apathy and fatigue (Zhou et al., 2018; Poole et al., 2017).\nMaterials and methods: Raw materials\nResults: The centesimal composition of the food bars, evaluated by determining the moisture, protein, lipid, soluble and insoluble fibre, ash and carbohydrate levels in addition to the total energy value, is presented in Table II. The fatty acids found in the samples were linoleic, oleic, palmitic, stearic and linolenic acids in descending order (from highest to lowest). Unsaturated fatty acids were predominant primarily due to the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids, accounting for approximately 40 per cent of the total fatty acids in all food bars (Table III).\nDiscussion: Centesimal composition and fatty acids of the coffee-supplemented food bars\nConclusion: The food bars developed in this study can be considered as a source of fibre and significant protein content compared to similar commercially available products and previously developed bars.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a cereal bar supplemented with coffee beverage that has health benefits.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Six types of cereal bars containing raisins or prunes with different concentrations of coffee were developed. Acceptability tests and physicochemical characterizations were performed by analysis of moisture, ash, protein, lipids, fibres and carbohydrates. Moreover, the levels of phenolic compounds, the fatty acid profile and the in vitro antioxidant activity were evaluated by the DPPH free radical scavenging and iron-chelating activity methods. The bars were assessed using the check-all-that-apply (CATA) methodology. The phenolic compound and antioxidant activity data were evaluated by analysis of variance. Averages were compared by the Scott-Knott test. To verify the characteristics of the food bar per the attributes cited in CATA, main component analysis was performed using the SensoMaker software.\nFindings: The concentration of coffee did not affect the centesimal composition values. The highest percentage of scavenging activity of free radicals was observed in the food bar containing raisins, with a maximum concentration of coffee beverage equivalent to 10 mL. These values were higher in cereal bars containing raisins than in bars containing prunes with the same concentrations of coffee. The acceptance sensory test showed good acceptability ratios, ranging from 74.33 to 85.22 among different food bar formulations.\nPractical implications: The bar consisting raisins and 100 per cent coffee presented high values of protection against oxidative stress, phenolic content and satisfying acceptability, thereby making it a novel possible alternative as a differentiated product with possible health-beneficial effects.\nSocial implications: This paper provides a differentiated product, through healthy ingredients, with convenience of purchase, besides having added value and possible health beneficial effects.\nOriginality/value: The bar consisting of raisins and 100 per cent coffee presented high values of phenolic content and protection against oxidative stress, as well as satisfying acceptability, thereby making it a novel possible alternative as a differentiated product with possible health-beneficial effects.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The components and determinants of preschool teacher organisational citizenship behaviour
|
[
"Nursery education",
"Job satisfaction",
"Teaching styles",
"Israel",
"Behaviour",
"Teachers"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB) usually denote \"those organisationally beneficial behaviours and gestures that can neither be enforced on the basis of formal role obligations nor elicited by contractual guarantee of recompense\" (Organ, 1988, p. 46). In recent years, these behaviours have also gained the attention of researchers interested in the teacher's work and career (e.g. Bogler and Somech, 2004; Christ et al., 2003; DiPaola and Tschannen-Moran, 2001; Oplatka, 2006, 2009; Somech and Drach-Zahavy, 2000).While there has been considerable interest in the subject of OCB in organisational studies, as well as in the literature on teachers, there remains a paucity of research on this behaviour among preschool teachers, although there is a different role definition and context for the two groups of teachers. Whereas the foci of the teacher's work is usually on instruction taking place in large organisations under the supervision of administrators of different levels, kindergarten teachers are usually responsible for independent managerial units (Pollard, 1987).Likewise, the kindergarten teacher must perform many different tasks: lectureship, storytelling, leading group discussion, traffic direction, organising plays, management and nurturance (Katz and Goffin, 1990; Laursen and Collins, 1999). As opposed to his/her counterparts in upper grades, he/she functions, at various times, as a source of warmth and nurture, an organiser of the environment, a provider of resources, and a facilitator of learning (Feeney and Christensen, 1979).Thus, given the assumption that a kindergarten teacher's career and work differ from those of other educators, including schoolteachers, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the components of kindergarten teacher OCB. In other words, it traces kindergarten teachers' role behaviours that they perceive as discretionary and non-prescribed (i.e. behaviours that are not part of the teacher's formal role obligations). In addition, the study aimed at describing kindergarten teachers' perspectives of the personal and contextual determinants of OCB in preschool education.Understanding preschool teacher OCB may fill in gaps in our theoretical knowledge about the nature and essence of OCB among a group of employees that tends to work at small organisational settings and has a limited scope of interactions with co-workers and superiors. Furthermore, by understanding the components and determinants of OCB in preschool education, we may gain profound insight into kindergarten teachers' subjective role-perceptions in the post-modernist era of vague role-definition.\nEmployee OCB: a conceptual, theoretical and empirical review: In the early stage of research on OCB, the emphasis was on discretionary, unrewarded behaviour, for which employees do not receive training to perform (Wayne and Green, 1993). This kind of behaviour was defined by contrasting its nature with that of in-role performance. Whereas the latter include behaviours that are formally required for fulfilling the role or job and are typically assessed and rewarded through a formal performance evaluation, the former are neither part of the formal reward system, nor a part of an employee's job description.In his comprehensive definition of OCB, Organ (1988) highlighted the positive implications of this behaviour for the organisation and defined it as:An individual behaviour that is discretionary, not directly or explicitly recognised by the formal reward system, which, in the aggregate, promotes the effective functioning of the organisation. By discretionary, we mean that the behaviour is not an enforceable requirement of the role or the job description ... (p. 4).According to this definition OCB is performed with the intention of promoting the welfare of the individual, group or organisation toward which it is directed. It seems to be desired by managers who may encourage their subordinates to perform this behaviour, but cannot require them to perform.A decade later, Organ defined OCB as \"contributions to the maintenance and enhancement of the social and psychological context that supports task performance\" (Organ, 1997, p. 91). Based on Organ's revised definition of OCB, Haworth and Levy (2001) claimed that employees will enact and sustain OCBs only when they believe that their managers will fairly reward such behaviours. Needless to say, this study was impossible using the previous definition that OCB must be unrewarded.The relationships between OCB and its antecedents have been widely considered. OCB is related with employee characteristics, role and organisational characteristics and leadership features (e.g. Organ, 1988, 1997; Podsakoff et al., 2000; Smith et al., 1983). As far as employee characteristics are concerned, it was found that a belief in hard work, strong ethical values, job satisfaction, organisational commitment, perception of fairness and indifference towards rewards were found to be positively related to OCB (Kidwell et al., 1997; Organ, 1988; Ryan, 2002).Several role and organisational factors of OCB have been identified in past research; task feedback, intrinsically satisfying tasks, group cohesiveness and organisational support were positively related to OCB (Kidwell et al., 1997; Podsakoff et al., 2000). Conversely, task routinisation, role conflict, role ambiguity, bureaucratic work cultures and peer competition were negatively related to this kind of behaviour (Haworth and Levy, 2001; Thompson and Werner, 1997).The quality of the relationship between an employee and the employee's immediate supervisor (leader-member exchange, LMX), characterised by mutual trust, respect and obligation was found to be related to OCB (e.g. Wong et al., 2003). Forms of \"transformational leadership\" (e.g. vision articulation, intellectual stimulation, individual consideration), contingent reward behaviour and collegial leadership style are positively related to OCB too (Podsakoff et al., 2000).\nThe research on teacher OCB: The few studies focusing on teacher OCB worldwide revolved around the construction of this behaviour and its antecedents in teaching. For instance, it was found that Turkish elementary schoolteacher had a moderately positive perception about OCB (Yilmaz and Tasdan, 2009), while findings from USA and Portugal indicate similar perceptions of secondary teachers in these countries towards OCB in terms of helping others and serving students' needs (DiPaola and Mendes da Costa Neves, 2009).A broad conceptualisation of the components of teacher OCB, based on interviews with Israeli teachers, supervisors and principals, is suggested by Oplatka (2006). Among these components are supportive behaviours towards students and colleagues, initiation of changes and innovations in teaching, strong orientation towards the organisation and deep loyalty to the teaching profession. Likewise, teachers' emotion management is considered to be a discretionary, voluntary-based role element, rather than a prescribed one (Oplatka, 2007).Several studies have pointed to a wide variety of variables and antecedents related to teacher OCB. Thus, results from 251 Israeli teachers have pointed to various determinants for different forms of OCB. Job satisfaction was positively related to OCB at all three levels, self-efficacy was positively related only to OCBs towards the team and the organisation (Somech and Drach-Zahavy, 2000). In another study, it was found that teachers who had a high sense of status in their work tended to invest in more OCBs than other teachers (Bogler and Somech, 2004). A later study among Israeli educators identified three major determinants of teacher OCB; the school principal (e.g. participative leadership), the teacher's character (e.g. open minded), and the school's climate (Oplatka, 2006).In other parts of the world, a survey of 447 German teachers showed that OCB is expressed differently at different levels of the organisation. Christ et al. (2003) concluded that identification is an important variable that contributes to differences in OCB. Along the same line, DiPaola and Tschannen-Moran (2001), who conducted research among 1,874 teachers in public schools in Ohio and Virginia, concluded that teachers are working towards the achievement of overall organisational goals while helping other teachers and students. Likewise, the pervasive climate of a school is strongly related to OCB.\nMethods: This study employed a qualitative research methodology to collect and analyse the empirical data.Context\nFindings: The inductive analysis of the interviewees' data reveals two major aspects in the preschool teacher's work that are considered to include forms of OCB: the professional and the interpersonal. The first comprises the pedagogical-didactic and the professional community arenas, while the second includes the children, the parents and the social community arenas (Table I).The professional aspect\nSummary and implications: The results above provide an initial understanding of preschool teacher OCB and its personal and organisational determinants. Broadly, most of the elements of preschool teacher OCB indicated by the respondents in this study are consistent with major dimensions of employee OCB appearing in the international literature: helping behaviour, civic virtue, individual initiative (Organ, 1988, 1997; Podsakoff et al., 2000; Wong et al., 2003). Thus, albeit slight distinctions stemming from the particular work characteristics of kindergarten teachers, our interviewees tended to attribute instructional changes and diverse teaching methods to the non-prescribed part of their role. Similarly, and congruent with reports about teacher OCB worldwide (e.g. DiPaola and Mendes da Costa Neves, 2009; Oplatka, 2006), preschool teacher OCB includes helping others (e.g. the assistant, the substitute teacher) and serving pupils' needs. The kindergarten teachers in our study adopted a holistic view of the child and acted adequately to fulfil his/her cognitive and emotional needs regardless of their formal role-tasks and expectations.Despite some similarity between the respondents' subjective construction of preschool teacher OCB and past conceptualisations of this behaviour in and outside of the educational sector, this study found some distinctions between schoolteacher and preschool teacher OCB constructions. Notably, two central elements of preschool teacher OCB - parents and the community - arise from our interviewees' accounts that seem particular to preschool teaching, given the scant reference, if any, to these elements in past research on teacher OCB.Put differently, it was found that preschool teacher OCB is extended to and manifested in arenas that educators from higher education levels are usually absent from. Kindergarten teachers, for example, organize community events or help markedly to poor families whose one of their child is enrolled in their kindergarten (i.e. beyond the special needs of the child). These unique elements of OCB may be accounted for by the multi-dimensional role of the kindergarten teacher (Laursen and Collins, 1999; Spodek, 1978), the direct relationship between the kindergarten teacher and the parents, and the isolation of the workplace (Oplatka and Eizenberg, 2007).As far as the determinants of preschool teacher OCB are concerned, nevertheless, most of them are similar to those already identified in past research on employee OCB worldwide. For example, this study emphasised the significant role of the superior and the organisational climate in enhancing the degree of preschool teacher OCB, two elements indicated also in past research on teacher OCB (e.g. Dipola and Tschannen-Moran, 2001). The current study, though, identified a determinant that seems to be particular to preschool teacher OCB - a sense of isolation that emanates from the structural features of preschool teaching. To the best of our knowledge, this determinant has not been touched upon in past research on employee OCB.Perhaps an inclusive theoretical message of this study is that preschool teaching is a boundaryless, colourful, and messy profession, an assumption shared by many scholars worldwide (e.g. Katz and Goffin, 1990; Laursen and Collins, 1999), and any attempt to define its formal, prescribed tasks remains incomplete, leaving many teachers' professional activities and behaviours out of the preschool teacher's role definition. For example, should preschool teaching also include organising communal events? If the answer is negative, this means that many behaviours depend on teachers' discretion rather than the supervisor's decision.Evidence concerning preschool teacher OCB is extremely thin. Therefore, subsequent research on this behaviour in the preschool education seems warranted. There is a greater need for research exploring elements, determinants and outcomes of preschool teacher OCB in diverse educational systems worldwide, as well as in different educational sectors (e.g. Catholic, Islamic). Furthermore, future large-survey research among preschool teachers will increase our knowledge about particular determinants and outcomes of employee OCB in the preschool arena.On the practical level, drawing on the data gathered in the current study, it is recommended that education districts and superintendents encourage and facilitate preschool teacher OCB by promoting greater job autonomy for kindergarten teachers and forms of participative leadership among their supervisors. The supervisors need to consider providing positive feedback for those who demonstrate OCBs in order to encourage them to continue this sort of welcome behaviour. In addition, they should illuminate the personal benefits of OCBs to the teacher in terms of group relationship, self-fulfilment and educational calling.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to explore the components and determinants of preschool teacher organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB), i.e. role behaviours that are discretionary, unrewarded and beyond formal-role expectations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A total of 12 Israeli kindergarten teachers and four supervisors participated in semi-structured interviews during 2008-2009.\nFindings: - It was found that preschool teacher OCB appears in professional (e.g. instructional innovations, diverse teaching methods, helping colleagues) and in inter-personal (e.g. the children, the parents, the local community) arenas. Likewise, both personal and organisational determinants may account for the occurrence of this behaviour in preschool teaching.\nResearch limitations/implications: - It is recommended that education districts and superintendents facilitate preschool teacher OCB by promoting greater job autonomy for kindergarten teachers and forms of participative leadership among their supervisors.\nOriginality/value: - Understanding preschool teacher OCB may fill in gaps in the theoretical knowledge about the nature of OCB among a group of employees that tends to work at small educational settings and has a limited scope of interactions with co-workers and superiors.\n",
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Identifying the comparative academic performance of secondary schools
|
[
"Methodology",
"Schools‐of‐similar‐type",
"School performance",
"School improvement",
"Secondary schools",
"Performance appraisal",
"Assessment",
"New Zealand"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: One of the features of the New Zealand secondary schools system is that achievement closely reflects the taught curriculum rather than being specified by summative tests related to a set of specifications (usually translated into standardised tests). On the other hand, neither student-level data nor school level data prior to Year 11 are available in New Zealand in any systematic manner. The challenges involved in assessing and categorising levels of school performance under these circumstances are substantial.The first challenge is the decision about which student outcomes to measure. Ideally, since communities expect their schools to pursue a range of valued outcomes, multiple indicators of student performance should be used. Among the more critical and most widely agreed, are achievement performance.The second challenge concerns the decision to judge school performance in terms of absolute levels of student performance or in terms of the value added (relating to the progress students have made during a given period of schooling). The absolute measure can be defended in terms of the need for all students to achieve to a given level in order to access further education and the job market. This measure may tell us little, however, about the contribution of the school to the achievement of its students, hence the argument that some type of value-added analysis is required in addition to a measure of achievement performance.In many contexts, data sets that allow calculation of value-added scores are not available. In these circumstances a school's contribution to student achievement can be estimated by comparing it with schools that serve students from similar backgrounds. To some extent, such comparisons control for the community and student background factors that partially determine student achievement, and thus the relative school contribution can be estimated.The third challenge is how to choose and interpret multiple indicators of student achievement for a given school in terms of a category of overall school performance. Should schools be deemed low- or high-performing on the basis of failure on one indicator or a combination of multiple indicators? If the latter, what rules should be used to combine indicators in a fair and appropriate manner?The position taken in this paper is that multiple indicators of school performance are needed to fairly and accurately categorise levels of performance. This article describes how publicly available school-level data can be analysed in order to assess the relative performance levels of New Zealand secondary schools. A set of combination rules was developed to categorise schools as either high-, mid-, or relatively low-performing. In addition improving schools were identified. The analysis involved comparing schools-of-similar-type using five different indicators based on student results from 2004 to 2007 on the National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA); an achievement system that is characterised by its close assessment of the taught curriculum.The first section reviews the literature to outline six possible methods of assessing school performance. The second section describes our preferred system for using school performance data to identify improving schools and those in the high-, mid-, or low-performing categories. The third section then provides background on the New Zealand qualification system so that the rationale for the method of assessing relative school performance in the fourth section is clear to the reader. Finally, findings using this method are reported and the advantages and limitations of this approach are discussed.\nMethods of assessing and comparing school performance: At least six methods of assessing and comparing school performance are used in school effects research:1. gross productivity;2. value-added;3. regression discontinuity;4. growth curve analysis;5. multi-level modelling; and6. comparison of schools-of-similar-type.The first approach, gross productivity, attempts to assess the relative performance of schools and puts no weighting on the context of schooling. All the latter five approaches are attempts to reach fair conclusions about the effectiveness of schools (as opposed to the ability of students) by somehow taking into account the levels of prior achievement of students and their socioeconomic setting. Each of these methods is briefly outlined with some shortcomings and advantages noted, before describing how features of some of the various approaches were integrated to create a classification system that identifies New Zealand secondary schools that probably require further support and schools from which others could learn.Gross productivity\nIdentifying levels of school performance: For any given school performance indicator, rules are needed to establish the level at which a school will be judged as low-, mid- or high-performing. A short-coming of a schools-of-similar-type methodology, is the degree of arbitrariness about where the cut-off scores are established for each of those relative categories. We argue that the decision needs to reflect the purpose of analysis. It may be that the amount of resource to be allocated will determine the appropriate cut-off point. In this case, a method of making a consistent and reliable broad classification for further research purposes was required. The decision was taken to use upper and lower quartiles to categorise relatively high and low performance.When multiple indicators are used, combination rules are needed to determine the final classifications of each school. For example, if student achievement in multiple subjects is analysed, should scores on each subject be weighted equally or should differential weightings be used? Ammar et al. (2000) discussed the challenge of developing appropriate combination rules to identify lower-performing schools in New York. Decisions on the cohorts, indicators of performance, combination rules and cut-off points can cause varying lists of schools to be identified. Ammar et al. (2000) argued, however, that the use of combination rules to aggregate numerous data reduced the risk of an unreliable result, especially for schools at the margins of performance groups, as these rules could build in expert judgements and ensure they were applied impartially.Assessing improvement\nThe New Zealand education and qualification system: The National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) is a secondary school national qualification that recognises learning in both academic and vocational spheres. It was first introduced into New Zealand secondary schools in 2002 and replaced the previous national external examination system. The qualification is offered at three levels: Level 1 (usually at Year 11 for 16 year olds) and Levels 2 and 3 (at Years 12 and 13).The NCEA requires internal assessment during the year and, in most courses, an additional end-of-year examination to assess outcomes against established standards (Peddie, 1992). The NCEA allows students to gather credits from their various courses throughout the year, and it is the accumulation of an appropriate number and combination of these credits that result in a qualification (New Zealand Qualifications Authority, 2009). A typical secondary school course may offer 24 credits for a course of study (Hipkins et al., 2007; PPTA, 2008; Vlaardingerbroek, 2006) but schools can offer a variety of courses of learning to suit their students' interests and needs with varying numbers and types of credits. The number of credits offered is aligned to the expected hours of course work undertaken (PPTA, 2008). The nature of NCEA allows a richer assessment of learning over time than the more typical, sole end-of-year examination used in many other countries.Using NCEA results as indicators of performance and improvement\nDeveloping a New Zealand model for identifying relative academic performance: Sample of schools\nCross check of the categorisation: Another method of combining all five lists of ranked schools was also trialled. The total scores from all the lists (benchmark-maximum of 24, value-added-maximum of 24, the second value-added rankings-maximum of 2.0, and the two improvement indicators with a maximum of 10 each), were added and then ranked. In other words, this was a simple aggregation of all scores, which were then ranked, ignoring the rules.The top quartile of schools (high-performing) by this second method was compared to the schools categorised as high-performing by the rules method described above. Of the 26 schools identified by the second purely numerical method as high-performing, 20 were also identified by the rules method. The other six were all identified as mid-performing, but five of these six were also identified as improving by the rules method. Only one school was identified as in the mid-performing group and not also in the improving group by the rules method and this school was the 26th on the ranked numerical list; in other words, right on the cut-off point for the top quartile of the numerically aggregated result. The two methods were therefore broadly consistent, as any school in the top quartile of the improvement indicators was also considered another set of high-performing schools by the rules method.\nFindings: As Table II indicates, the low-performing schools were still more likely to be low decile schools despite two of the three performance indicators assessing the value-added as compared to schools-of-similar-type. The mid-performing group, however, comprised a fairly even spread of percentages of low, middle and high decile schools. The high-performing category was dominated by high and middle decile schools.As Table III indicates, schools in the middle and low decile bands were most likely to be improving and schools with high decile ratings were least likely. When the performance levels of schools were examined along with the improvement indicators, however, it was schools in the mid- and high-performing groups that were most likely to be on an upward trajectory rather than the low-performing schools. This trend is not consistent with Thomas et al.'s (2007) finding using a value-added approach but is consistent with their results using raw data. These data indicated that low-performing schools made little improvement relative to other schools over time. It is also consistent with Gray et al. (1996) finding that more less effective schools were in the group that improved more slowly, though the researchers made no claim as to the significance of that finding.\nDiscussion: The results from this sample of 102 schools indicate that neither high nor low decile schools are immune from lower performance levels and that, schools, regardless of their socioeconomic status, may both improve results and perform highly. Any numerical method of assessing performance, whilst appearing to provide certainty, can be readily skewed by the type of data included. The rules method, as described here, is an attempt to improve the reliability of judgements of relative school performance by using five different indicators and using data on four years of results. When schools are difficult to categorise and at the margins it seems reasonable to ask such questions as the following: Has the school managed the basics of helping students gain the minimum literacy and numeracy credits and Level 1 NCEA? If a school has room to improve, is it doing so? Is the school assisting their students to gain high qualifications? The method described here has used multiple indicators and a set of rules that makes numerical allowance for schools that are close to cut-off points by allocating one point for being close to a cut-off point and two points for being above it by 5 per cent or more. The rules method is a better system than one that is purely numerical as the latter can be manipulated by varying indicators. The rules method allows for the outcomes of various methods of numerical analysis to be compared and aggregated resulting in an assessment of value-added performance and improvement.It will always be difficult to categorise schools that are at the margins of performance groups but having the improving classification as an alternative high-performing category mitigates against the risk of missing the identification of a very good school performance because of the phase of development a school is in or the circumstances in which it operates. While a school may be low-performing in gross performance terms, it may be doing well compared to similar schools or compared to its own past performance, and this needs to be acknowledged with any system of performance categorisation.Overall, four major advantages of this system of analysis are evident. First, the method can use any number of indicators and was only limited here by the amount of data publicly available. Having said that, it is probably important not to have too complex a system of rules. Second, by using a multiple indicator system and rules, the performance of schools can be tracked to ascertain which schools improve over time and which need to be supported to improve. Third, these data can be matched to changes in principals and allow added insights into the impact of their leadership (Gibson and Asthana, 1998). Finally, because NCEA assesses the taught curriculum and deciles are closely linked to school performance levels, this schools-of-similar-type methodology provides a robust calculation of value-added school performance that can be readily utilised by researchers in New Zealand.The more obvious shortcomings of the method relate to the limitations of the indicators. The method utilised here did not recognise students gaining qualifications at year levels other than what we would call the expected level so, for example, a school would get no credit for having students in Year 12 gain their NCEA Level 1 and yet that may be a very good outcome for both the students and the school. This matter could be addressed by using a data set of school leaver qualifications, or more recently developed methods of assessing the percentage of students that can possibly attain any given NCEA level despite their year level (New Zealand Qualifications Authority, 2010).The method developed and used for this study is more defensible than a league table type of measure in that it uses the raw school-level performance data in a variety of ways to assess the higher-performing or improving schools when compared to schools of the same decile. Further, it uses four years of data to increase reliability of assessment. The longitudinal nature of these assessments add more rigour than those that are commonly used to assess schools-of-similar-type (Goldstein, 1997). The rules method also differs from other similar methods in that it recognises the positive performance of those schools that are improving outcomes for all students and for Maori students in particular, but also recognises that very high-performing schools may not have room to improve and that maintaining standards is their challenge.It has been argued throughout that if a judgement needs to be made about relative performance levels based on school-level data where there is no access to assessments of prior levels of achievement, all schools need to be compared by three criteria:1. by a performance standard;2. by their own past performance and their ability to improve; and3. by their performance compared to similar schools.This paper has sought to describe such a method; a method that could be used with any consistent standard-based achievement. Future research will address the trends in secondary schools' performance that are becoming apparent using this methodology.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: - One of the features of the New Zealand secondary schools system is that achievement closely reflects the taught curriculum. The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) directly assesses student achievement on the secondary school curriculum through a combination of criterion-based internal and external assessments. The nature of NCEA means school-level results not only reflect student achievement but also the ability of leaders to organise, deliver, and monitor a relevant curriculum for students. This paper aims to describe how NCEA data were used to develop a simple but fair system to assess the relative performance of secondary schools.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - No standardised measures of performance prior to Year 11 are available in New Zealand. Nor are student-level data available. In the absence of these, multiple indicators of gross performance, added value and improvement over time were analysed using a schools-of-similar-type methodology.\nFindings: - Results indicated that schools in the low and middle SES communities were more likely to be improving than others, but these improving schools were also more likely to be already high- or mid-performing. Low-performing schools were least likely to be improving.\nOriginality/value: - Some advantages of this methodology are its ability to be utilised with any publicly available standards-based achievement data, its validity as an indicator of leadership and organisational performance, and its ability to track school performance trends over time.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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"The Health Education Juggler" : Development of a model describing educator roles in participatory, group-based patient education
|
[
"Participation",
"Qualitative methods",
"Educational practice",
"Health education"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Previous research, particularly in the domain of diabetes care, indicates that educator support plays a key role for patients with chronic illness in managing their illness (Coleman and Newton, 2005; Renders et al., 2001; Street et al., 2009; Thorne and Paterson, 2001). Group-based education has become a widespread method of support, yet only a handful of studies have actually sought to show the kind of professional roles and competencies that are needed to implement and support participatory, group-based patient education (Scambler et al., 2012; Skinner et al., 2008). In similar vein, the literature on educator roles, such as it is, tends only to articulate a single role, e.g. as a facilitator, and thus the roles or challenges of educators are described separately, thereby obfuscating the complexity and nuances of the educator role (Thoolen et al., 2008). This is problematic since it implies that the educator role is trivial or that the actors who perform the role \"are no more than interchangeable cogs in a wheel\" (cf. Anderson and Funnell, 2008, p. 110). In reality, educators are responsible for translating abstract concepts and theories to concrete programmes tailored to the needs of very different patients (Anderson and Funnell, 2008).\nMethods: Study design\nResults: \"The Health Education Juggler is a good name [...] because that is what we are [...] jugglers\" (quote from educator).\nDiscussion: The Health Education Juggler model presents a comprehensive description of the educator roles and competencies needed to perform participatory, group-based patient education in chronic illness. The novel contribution of the model is its emphasis on four roles necessary to embrace individual as well as social learning and the ability to bring all roles to life illustrated with the juggling metaphor. Juggling is thus the ability to master the switching between the different roles to meet the needs of participants and to appropriately challenge the participants as regards content and learning styles. In the observations and the interviews it became evident that the ability to juggle the roles is an ideal that is not always achieved. To our knowledge, such a comprehensive description of educator roles in group-based patient education has not yet been available. Instead, competencies have been described separately and for provider-patient communication in one-to-one consultations (Bartunek, 2007; Thoolen et al., 2008).\nConclusion and practical implications: \"The Health Education Juggler\" model consisting of four roles and related competencies that educators need when carrying out participatory, group-based patient education sessions was developed based on empirical research. The model is based on educator experiences, needs, motivation, challenges and performed competencies.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore educator competencies and roles needed to perform participatory patient education, and develop a comprehensive model describing this.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data collection in the qualitative study proceeded through two phases. In the first phase, 28 educators were involved in exploring educator competencies needed to perform participatory, group-based patient education. The paper used qualitative methods: dialogue workshops, interviews and observations. In the second phase, 310 educators were involved in saturating and validating the insights from phase one using workshop techniques such as brainstorming, reflection exercises and the story-dialogue method. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse data.\nFindings: A model called \"The Health Education Juggler\" was developed comprising four educator roles necessary to perform participatory patient education: the Embracer, the Facilitator, the Translator and the Initiator. The validity of the model was confirmed in phase two by educators and showed fit, grab, relevance, workability and modifiability.\nPractical implications: The model provides a tool that can be used to support the focus on \"juggling\" skills in educators: the switching between different educator roles when performing participatory, group-based patient education. The model is useful as an analytical tool for reflection and supervision, as well as for observation and evaluation of participatory, group-based patient education.\nOriginality/value: The study proposes a comprehensive model consisting of four equally important roles for educators performing participatory, group-based patient education.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Variables affecting hospital length of stay: a scoping review
|
[
"Hospitals",
"Scoping review",
"Length of stay",
"Causal systems model"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Hospitals strive to perform better with the least possible resources whilst trying to achieve the best possible outcomes, without undermining the values of universal coverage, solidarity in financing, equity of access and provision of high-quality health care (Council of the European Union, 2006). Hospitals are continuously evolving organizations and various levels of care that have developed throughout the years. These organizations offer highly specialized and technical levels of care including diagnosis and treatment of disease and disability. When taking into consideration this highly specialized care, as well as the expertise and complexity required in today's health care, it is no surprise that acute hospitals worldwide constitute a major proportion of health care expenditure (World Health Organization, 2011). This has given rise to a worldwide priority to question their sustainability. One of the strategies, which has been used in the last decades to address sustainability of hospital costs, is to decrease the number of acute care beds, while scrutinizing length of inpatient hospital stay (McKee, 2004). Since the 1970s, length of stay (LOS) in hospitals has been debated and researched as a way to improve quality and to enhance performance within hospitals (Cannoodt and Knickman, 1984).\nTheoretical background: This scoping review is based on the Donabedian's (1966, 1980) model, which is known as the Structure Process and Outcome quality assessment tool, and it is a conceptual framework used for evaluating the quality of health care. According to Donabedian (1966), health care quality should be examined in three domains, namely, structure, process and outcomes. This conceptual model was used as after all these years it is still one of the dominant paradigms utilized nowadays to underscore the quality of care (Qu et al., 2010). Donabedian (1980) defined structure as the context in which care is delivered. These are relatively stable characteristics including organizational structure, human resources and other resources, namely, financing and equipment. Within a tertiary hospital, structure refers to but not limited to the facility type, qualified professionals, training and experience, and diagnostic and therapeutic equipment (Qu et al., 2010). Process is defined as the transaction between health care providers and the service users (Donabedian, 1980). Within an acute setting, the providers' activities include diagnosing, educating patients and implementing treatment, whereas, patients' activities include seeking care and complying with treatment (Qu et al., 2010). Finally, outcomes denote the effects resulting from the health care delivery, such as an improvement in health status, increase in patients' knowledge, changes in patients' behavior, as well as patients' satisfaction (Donabedian, 1980; Qu et al., 2010). Outcomes are of utmost importance since they reflect the quality of the care given and also reflect the performance of the organization. According to Donabedian's (1966) quality assessment model, the three domains should be deemed as complementary and equally important and therefore should be used collectively to evaluate health care quality. Furthermore, assessing the quality of care with an integrated framework including the three elements rather than considering them separately can provide a more accurate assessment (Qu et al., 2010). Therefore, variables that affect LOS were categorized into structure, process and outcome.\nMethodology: This review was conducted in a methodological rigorous approach to identify and summarize studies, which relate to inpatients' LOS. In line with Arksey and O'Malley (2005), this was done as a scoping review since we identified the research question, identified relevant articles, selected articles for full-text review, charted the data based on Donabedian's model, and finally collated, summarized and reported the results. Additionally, the research question was kept broad, and although we considered inclusion/exclusion criteria and extracted data, we did not fulfill all the conditions that would define this review as a systematic review (Armstrong et al., 2011).\nResults: The searches in electronic databases yielded a total of 30,350 publications. After removing 15,550 duplicates, we obtained a total of 14,800 publications to screen. After applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria to titles and abstracts, 14,576 publications were excluded. The majority of the screened publications were excluded because they were deemed not to be relevant to inpatients' LOS. Upon screening the full-text publications, eight publications were excluded, chiefly because they were deemed not to be sufficiently relevant to LOS or associated factors. This means that 46 articles were included in this review (see Figure 1). The structure model in Figure 2 represents factors impacting on LOS emerging from the scoping literature review. The various variables were first grouped into six categories, namely, health care systems' characteristics, patients' characteristics, social and family characteristics, clinical caregivers' characteristics, LOS and related complications, and patient's satisfaction. The first three categories were deemed to represent structure, the fourth represents processes, whereas the fifth and sixth categories show the outcomes of the systems model.\nDiscussion: Each systems model factor will be discussed separately in the following sections.\nConclusion: The model in Figure 2 represents factors impacting on LOS emergent from this scoping literature review and as modeled according to the Donabedian's model. Our intention was for this scoping review to provide a causal model on LOS, and to inform systematic reviews on LOS. Our intention was to keep the model parsimonious without exhausting all the potential moderating and mediating relationships involving variables in the model. This was beyond the scope of this scoping review. Furthermore, we acknowledge that there may be other variables equally important to the ones included but which did not emerge from the screened articles. Nevertheless, this model still shows the complexity that exists in the patients' pathways, as well as the multifactorial structure related to the LOS. The model also confirms the notion that tertiary-level hospitals are indeed complex systems that need to adapt to the various emerging challenges facing health systems today. This multifactorial variation can be explained as natural or artificial. Natural variations, such as the times that patients arrive at casualty or the multiple comorbidities that patients present with, are inevitable features within health care and these pose great challenges for management to handle. Artificial variation on the other hand is brought about by the way we create and manage systems and therefore is potentially preventable. These artificial variations are represented in the structure, mainly in the health care systems' characteristics, and the processes that we undertake and these would obviously be reflected in the outcomes. Supporting the hospital infrastructure by providing good primary care facilities within the community set-up and providing more long-term care beds will ameliorate the hospital turnover. This, however, also needs to be performed in conjunction to a hospital strategy which addresses deficient organizational processes which may be unnecessarily prolonging LOS. Finally, we recommend that future research needs to consider the relationship of LOS with inpatient mortality and morbidity, as well as with other hospital and patient outcomes.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Tertiary hospitals have registered an incremental rise in expenditure mostly because of the increasing demands by ageing populations. Reducing the length of stay (LOS) of patients within tertiary hospitals is one of the strategies, which has been used in the last decades to ensure health care systems' sustainability. Furthermore, LOS is one of the key performance indicators, which is widely used to assess hospital efficiency. Hence, it is crucial that policy makers use evidence-based practices in health care to aim for optimal LOS. The purpose of this paper is to identify and summarize empirical research that brings together studies on the various variables that directly or indirectly impact on LOS within tertiary hospitals so as to develop a LOS causal systems model.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This scoping review was guided by the following research question: \"What is affecting the LOS of patients within tertiary-level health care?\" and by the guidelines specified by Arksey and O'Malley (2005), and by Armstrong et al. (2011). Relevant current literature was retrieved by searching various electronic databases. The PRISMA model provided the process guidelines to identify and select eligible studies.\nFindings: An extensive literature search yielded a total of 30,350 references of which 46 were included in the final analysis. These articles yielded variables, which directly/indirectly are linked to LOS. These were then organized according to the Donabedian model - structure, processes and outcomes. The resultant LOS causal model reflects its complexity and confirms the consideration by scholars in the field that hospitals are complex adaptive systems, and that hospital managers must respond to LOS challenges holistically.\nOriginality/value: This paper illustrates a complex LOS causal model that emerged from the scoping review and may be of value for future research. It also highlighted the complexity of the construct under study.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Sales activity systematization and performance: differences between product and service firms
|
[
"Sales management",
"Business performance",
"Business model",
"B2B services",
"Information systems"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Industrial marketing and sales management literature have a long tradition of proposing salesperson-level process models for how to approach customers (e.g. Moncrief and Marshall, 2005; Davies et al., 2010). This literature has been insightful regarding how to make salespeople's activities more systematic and, thereby, more effective. Recently, however, researchers have also been urged to study what kind of systematic firm-level sales processes companies should establish in order to enhance the productivity of their selling activities. Much of the extant literature featuring conceptual discussions and anecdotal textbook evidence has been argued to fail to provide actionable tools for increasing sales process management productivity (e.g. Mantrala et al., 2008; Geiger and Guenzi, 2009). Barber and Tietje (2008), for example, explored the idea of utilizing lean management principles to carefully map, diagnose, and reconfigure the sales process between a firm and a prospective customer around such activities that improve the chances of success in a particular sales project. Firm-level process models that would go beyond single sales projects to provide guidelines about how to retain and manage a customer have been advocated (e.g. Schultz and Evans, 2002; Reinartz et al., 2004; Yim et al., 2004; Jones et al., 2005; Landry et al., 2005; Moutot and Bascoul, 2008). These models have usually been labeled customer relationship management (CRM) or key account management (KAM) process models, as they adopt a rather holistic view to the relationship-oriented processes that pertain to the \"systematic selection, analysis and management of the most important current and potential customers of a company\" (Zupancic, 2008).With their proliferation, the firm-level sales process management models (including CRM models) have been considered to represent a paradigm shift, considerably expanding the traditional focus on isolated selling activities and transactions occurring at individual salesperson's level (e.g. Jones et al., 2005; Moncrief and Marshall, 2005; Tanner et al., 2005). Nevertheless, most studies on firm-level sales management processes in industrial and B2B contexts have so far been normative or conceptual in nature. Where rarely empirical, the studies have mostly examined firms' adoption of just one or few process components (such as analysis of new vs prospective customers, sales interaction, and cross- and up-selling) and implications of such adoption on firm performance (e.g. Reinartz et al., 2004; Moutot and Bascoul, 2008). In other words, a considerable research gap exists when it comes to wider empirical surveys of systematic sales activity processes and their performance implications - ones that do not limit themselves to one or few process components.The purpose of this article is to address the aforementioned research gap by investigating, especially, the following question: the systematization of which selling activities, through systematic sales process management, contribute most to firm performance in B2B service and product firms?Moreover, in studying this question, we make the theoretically and practically important distinction between product-oriented and service-oriented firms. The systematization of sales activities or their implications on performance do not necessarily differ across product vs service firms. The service-dominant value creation logic argues for an ongoing strategic change in firms, as they gear their logic and processes toward service offerings from a more traditional focus on products (Vargo and Lusch, 2008; Gummesson and Polese, 2009; Vargo, 2009). This paper examines whether this strategic shift and change in managerial rhetoric has proliferated to the level of sales process management and sales activities. In service marketing and sales, specifically, there is a longer tradition in utilizing process-oriented customer management practices (Edvardsson et al., 2008; Bonney and Williams, 2009; Kindstrom and Kowalkowski, 2009) than in product firms, which is assumed to have repercussions on the systematization of selling activities and their performance effects.\n2. Theoretical positioning: 2.1 Conceptualizing CRM as the systematization of sales activities at the firm level\n3. Method: 3.1 Study design\n4. Results: 4.1 Key sales processes in service companies\n5. Discussion: 5.1 Sales process systematization works differently in product and service selling\n6. Implications and limitations: Our attempt to link the systematization of sales process management activities directly to profitable growth is a rough one. Intuitively, in customer management, process systematization nearly always helps, if not in immediate profitability, then at least in an increase in customer satisfaction, which was not measured in this research. Future research needs to employ a wider and/or detailed notion of performance in order to develop a more fine-grained understanding of the workings of sales process management systematization.Similarly, we acknowledge limitations in the production of the wide survey instrument and the challenge of capturing the realm of sales process management as well as performance measures with a single instrument. Because the data was obtained from a single questionnaire, the possibility of common method bias exists (Malhotra et al., 2006). Following Podsakoff et al.'s (2003) advice, however, we employed various procedural remedies related to questionnaire design. For instance, we checked whether a single factor accounts for most of the variance in the data (Podsakoff et al., 2003). This was not the case in present data, which warrants the conclusion that common method bias should not be a serious problem.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to study the impact that systematization of sales activities through sales process management has, at the firm level, on profitable sales growth in business-to-business (B2B) companies. The research aims to compare companies focusing on service offerings to those focusing on product offerings.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The study is based on survey data.\nFindings: - Despite the emergence of service-dominant logic, B2B service and product companies still differ in how sales process management contributes to firm performance.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The findings suggest that differences between service and product firms in their sales process management stem from the different underlying modes of interaction. The findings are generalizable to B2B companies.\nPractical implications: - The findings help businesses differentiate between productive sales process management practices in product and service firms.\nOriginality/value: - The study contributes to the wider need of operationalizing ideas about sales process management at the level of organizations and business units.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Reinventing product-service systems: the case of Singapore
|
[
"Singapore",
"Transition"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The integration of products and services has been gaining prevalence in the recent decade. Product companies are experiencing greater pressure than ever to add value to their current product offerings. Companies such as IBM (Ahamed et al., 2013) and Rolls-Royce (2007) (Rolls-Royce Press Release) are increasingly innovative in providing service components to deepen their engagement with customers to enhance their competitive advantage. This phenomenon of transition from product to service offerings, also known as \"servitisation\" has received much attention among engineering and management academics and practitioners.\n2. The benefits and challenges of product-service systems: The concept of servitisation was pioneered by Vandermerwe and Rada (1998) to articulate the imperative for manufacturing firms to respond to changing customer demand by adding value to their product offerings through the provision of services. Researchers have also used the term of \"product-service systems\" (PSS), to allude to the same phenomenon. Building on the concepts of service-dominant (S-D) logic in value co-creation (Vargo and Lusch, 2004; Ng and Smith, 2012), we adopt the working definition of product-service systems as: a value co-creation configuration of technology, people and value propositions that deliver services.\n3. Services in Singapore: Services are an important source of employment in Singapore. The servitisation of manufacturing firms and product companies has attracted much attention among researchers, managers and policymakers. According to Frost and Sullivan (2015), more than 75 per cent of industrial services in the future manufacturing industries would be contributed by info-communication technology-based services, reaching EUR17.5bn in revenues by 2020.\n4. Foresight study for the future of product-service systems: The Foresight project was conducted in five phases, based on the systemic foresight methodology (SFM) (Saritas, 2013). The SFM involves an evidence-based and creative process by considering human, social and industrial systems and their complex, multi-faceted and uncertain futures in a systemic perspective. The process involves the functions of initiation (scoping), intelligence (scanning), imagination (scenarios), integration (priorities), interpretation (strategies), implementation (action) and impact (evaluation) stages in an inclusive (participatory) process (Miles et al, 2016). Within this methodological framework, the process and outcomes of the Foresight study for the future of product-service systems in Singapore are presented in the next sections.\n5. Discussion and conclusions: Manufacturing and services are no longer two distinct concepts with a clear divide. Not only the manufacturing firms have become more service dependent, but also they produce and provide services for their consumers. This transformation towards servitisation implies fundamental re-organisation of the production and management practices. Furthermore, through new business models, new and loyal customers will be gained, which will in turn bring additional income, while making the companies less prone to economic and business fluctuations.\n6. Acknowledgements: The article drew materials from the Futurescape 2025 Future Service Systems project that the first two co-authors served as a panel member and panel chair in 2014. We owe substantial debts of gratitude to the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore for commissioning the Futurescape 2025 Future Service System project and granting us a permission to publish this studyarticle. We are also grateful to the other panel members, in alphabetical order, Prof Michel-Alexandre Cardin, Prof Horacio Falcao, Dr Huang Zhiyong, Dr Terence Hung, Prof Rob Kauffman, Dr Iain Tan, Prof Ted Tschang, Dr Tan Puay Siew, Ms Joanne Mosbergen, Prof Sharon Ng, Dr Adam Westerski, Mr Tommy Zheng, and those who have contributed to the Futurescape 2025 Future Service System projectdiscussions. Our special thanks go to Prof Rob Kauffman for his contributions that substantiated the discussion of future customers' needs and trends. We thank Ms Clara Teo, Ms Yap Mei Xia, Mr William Soh, and Mr Lim Zhi Hao, and Ms Lim Jia Yee, for for supporting ittheir support as the panel's Secretariat, and Mr Wan Kum Seong for facilitating the Delphi study. Our heartfelt thanks go to the industry academic experts and industry thought leaders who have participated in the industry round tables, and for the respondents who have taken having taking part in the Delphi surveys. However, all errors of fact or interpretation in this article remain ours. Prof. Ozcan Saritas' contribution in this study was made within the framework of the Basic Research Program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) Moscow, Russian Federation, and supported within the framework of a subsidy by the Russian Academic Excellence Project '5-100'.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to discuss a foresight study conducted in Singapore's national R&D agency to help science and technology decision makers identify key capability areas of R&D investment to support the manufacturing industry's growth in the country and the region.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using horizon scanning, scenario analysis and expert opinion, nine capabilities are identified as core areas to be developed to support the country's future growth of product-service systems.\nFindings: The results of a Delphi survey involving 30 industry and academic thought leaders recommend priorities of these capabilities. This paper concludes with a discussion of the study implications for theory, research and practice in the domain of servitisation and product-service systems.\nResearch limitations/implications: The foresight study presented here on the future of servitisation in Singapore demonstrates one of the first fully fledged applications of foresight in constructing a coherent vision of future product-service system markets. In this study, the authors applied systemic foresight methodology (SFM) comprising the first six phases: initiation (scoping), intelligence (scanning), imagination (scenarios), integration (priorities), interpretation (strategies) and implementation (action).For future research, an ideal step would be to proceed with the final phase of the SFM, impact, to develop indicators for servitisation and to monitor and evaluate the transition process.\nPractical implications: Manufacturing and services are no longer distinct concepts with a clear divide. Manufacturing firms not only become more service dependent but also produce and provide services for their consumers. This transformation towards servitisation implies fundamental re-organisation of the production and management practices. Furthermore, through new business models, new and loyal customers will be gained, which will in turn bring additional income, while making the companies less prone to economic and business fluctuations.\nSocial implications: The results of this study have practical implications for policymakers of public and private sectors that are interested in playing a key role in future product-service system innovation. These have implications for developing the human and intellectual capital that are required for supporting the future innovation. Institutes of higher learning and vocational institutes should also consider incorporating new curricula and modules to build the capabilities for knowledge creation and transfer.\nOriginality/value: The findings of the present study on strategic growth areas and relevant critical capabilities provide new directions for research in the field of servitisation. Among the nine capabilities identified, the top three were advanced customer intelligence capability, socio-physical service quality, traceability and maintainability and integrated strategic decision-making. From the results, it is apparent that advanced customer intelligence capability is both an area of importance to Singapore and the world.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Developing the strategic resources of Chinese entrepreneurial firms
|
[
"China",
"Entrepreneurialism",
"Social values",
"Resources"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Today, ongoing pressures push both public and private sector organizations to streamline activities, improve efficiency and achieve demanding organizational goals. The ability of top management teams to understand the culture and dynamics of organizations and to deliver strong leadership during periods of change could make a difference between organizational failure and success in this context. Thanks to many governmental policies, private sector companies in China, especially entrepreneurial firms, are in the same context mentioned above struggling to grow or even survive since they face difficulty getting access to vital resources. Entrepreneurial firms typically have limited financial capacity, which hinders their acquisition of strategic resources that yield a competitive advantage. Though entrepreneurs have become more valued in China in recent years, indeed small- and medium-sized enterprises provide 60 percent of the gross national product and 40 percent of profits and taxes (Anderson et al., 2003), many Chinese governmental policies continue to challenge the survival of small private businesses (Carlisle and Flynn, 2005). These entrepreneurial firms will struggle to grow and thrive if they lack resources, legitimacy, and governmental support.In this study, we provide implications for senior managers of entrepreneurial firms in China and scholars in the leadership and organizational development field by integrating the theory of cooperation and competition with social capital and performance concepts. Based on a sample of 120 entrepreneurial firms in Shanghai, China, we found that entrepreneurial firms can obtain social capital (i.e. trust and reciprocity) by developing cooperative instead of competitive and independent goals with other companies. Such cooperative relationships may then enhance the firm's strategic resources including corporate reputation and market access.Our research also contributes to both social capital and strategic management literatures. Extensive research suggests that firms gain value capital by working with their partners (Dyer and Singh, 1998; Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998; Adler and Kwon, 2002). Less empirical research has examined the effects of social capital on firm-level outcome, especially how social capital influences business strategy and performance (Hitt et al., 2006). To address this gap, the present study examines the implications that social capital has on the acquisition of strategic resources by entrepreneurial firms in China. Moreover, this study serves as an empirical test of the universal aspirations of the theory of cooperation and competition, specifically its application at the organizational level. This work provides an initial step in elucidating the utility of applying the theory of cooperation and competition for developing social capital and managing it for fostering strategic resources.\nTheoretical background and hypotheses: Strategic resources for entrepreneurial firms\nMethods: Participants\nResults: Correlation analysis was used to test the hypotheses linking goal interdependence, social capital, and strategic resources. As summarized in Table I, the observed correlations among the scales support the overall framework that how firms' goals interact with network ties' affects social capital and the resultant outcomes.A vigorous examination of the hypotheses employing structural equation analysis in which the goal interdependence (cooperation, competition and independence) were specified as exogenous variables revealed that goal type affected the company's pursuit of social capital, which in turn may affect the strategic resources of the company. The proposed mediating effects model was compared to the direct effects model. The direct effects model posited that goal interdependence impacts outcomes directly, whereas the mediating effects model proposes that social capital mediates between goal interdependence and outcomes. Table II shows the path estimates for the models tested herein.We compared the mediating effects model, our hypothesized model, the saturated model, and the direct effects model, and found that among these models the hypothesized model provides the best fit for the data (Table II). The kh2 of the mediating effects model was 20.88 (df=6, p < 0.01). The difference between the kh2 values for the mediating effects model and the direct effects model was significant (kh2 difference=75.33), indicating that omission of the mediating effects of social capital significantly deteriorated the validity of the mediating effects model. The results of the model comparison suggest that the mediating effects model is acceptable for the data.Our path coefficient findings provided generally good support for the study's hypotheses (Table II). H1a and H1b were well supported in that trust was positively and significantly related to both corporate reputation (b=0.63, p < 0.01) and market access (b=0.49, p < 0.01). H2a and H2b were rejected in that reciprocity was negatively and significantly related to corporate reputation (b=-0.19, p < 0.05), and not significantly related to market access (b=0.14, p=ns). The results also supported H3a and H4a in that cooperative goals had positive and significant effects on trust (b=0.56, p < 0.01) and reciprocity (b=0.20, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, competitive and independent goals did not consistently have statistically significant negative effects on trust and reciprocity among network associates. Therefore, H3b, H3c, H4b and H4c were not supported.\nDiscussion: Strategic resources are key sources of a firm's competitive advantage, but entrepreneurial firms typically have considerable difficulty obtaining and maintaining these resources. Previous work suggested that social capital may help these firms increase their strategic resources and reduce organizational costs (Watson and Papamarcos, 2002). Consistent with this reasoning, the present results support the study's hypothesized model that by strengthening cooperative goals with organizations in their network, entrepreneurial firms can augment their social capital in terms of trust, which in turn may enhance their strategic resources of reputation and market access. Unexpectedly, however, the findings suggested that social capital in terms of reciprocity is not conducive, and may even impede, reputation development. These findings question the popular assertion of the value of social capital in that they suggest that the dimensions of social capital may have different and not uniformly positive consequences. More generally, the findings indicate that social capital has to be effectively managed, not simply augmented.Consistent with our hypotheses, our results indicate that trust between entrepreneurial firms and other organizations in their network can increase their strategic resources of firm reputation and market access. These findings provide empirical support for the view that it is worthwhile to develop social capital, at least in terms of strengthening trust. The trusting relationships among entrepreneurial firms appear to be quite constructive because they foster interaction that facilitates enhancement of entrepreneurial firm reputation and market access. Developing aspects of social capital such as trust seems to offer entrepreneurial firms an approach to develop their strategic resources without a large financial investment.The present results challenge the assertion that trust and reciprocity are key constituents of social capital that work in tandem to add value (Lorenzoni and Baden-Fuller, 1995). Instead, the findings suggest that rigid reciprocity might be destructive to the corporate reputation of entrepreneurial firms. Reciprocity that requires firms to do favors for other companies, even though doing so is costly, demonstrated a negative relationship with firm reputation and no significant relationship with market access in the structural equation analysis. These findings are consistent with the view that social capital can be both an asset and a liability (Adler and Kwon, 2002), and that it does not necessarily result in competitive advantages (Hitt et al., 2006). Distinct dimensions of social capital may differentially affect firm performance (Koka and Prescott, 2002); it is important to investigate potentially negative impacts of social capital on a firm's assets and performance (Wu and Leung, 2005).Previous researchers have offered insights into why reciprocity may be counter-productive. Coleman (1988) has argued that the obligations of reciprocity embedded in social capital may place those organizations inside the social network boundary in more problematic situations and lead to unproductive risk-taking. Given this possibility, reciprocity might not always be a useful scheme for the strategic resource development of entrepreneurial firms.Trust appears to lead to the useful, mutual exchange of resources, but rigid reciprocity may oblige the expenditure of both money and time, and may reduce a firm's flexibility in the development of its own corporate reputation and market access. Thus reciprocity that requires actions that obstruct the actor appears to be counter-productive in the long-term. Firms benefit from one another's information and abilities, but they should principally use these resources to develop their own business. Future research can explore the extent to which trust leads to flexible, mutually profitable exchanges, whereas rigid reciprocity that requires self-sacrifice hampers the performance of network firms.Developing social capital\nLimitations and future research: Naturally, the sample size and operations limit the results of this study. Because the data are self-reported, they are inherently subject to biases; though some research suggests that self-reported data are more accurate than commonly expected (Spector, 1992). The data from this study are also correlational and thus do not provide direct evidence of causal links between goal interdependence, social capital, and strategic resources. Spector and Brannick (1995) have argued that the most effective way to overcome recall and other methodological weaknesses is to test ideas with different methods.The immediate applications of these findings may be limited to China and societies heavily influenced by Chinese culture (Kirkbride et al., 1991; Westwood et al., 2004). Nevertheless, they are still of broad interest because entrepreneurial firms in China are becoming a formidable economic force that is changing the face of China's economic reforms and, to some extent, business development internationally through their increasing integration into global production value chains (Wu and Leung, 2005).It will be of interest for future research to investigate the reasons why reciprocity may frustrate reputation development as well as to test whether reciprocity has a comparable negative effect with established firms and in other cultures. Replication of this work could further elucidate the poorly understood value of social capital for strategic resources and firm performance (Hitt et al., 2006).Implications for leadership and organizational development\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Applying the theory of cooperation and competition, this paper proposes that entrepreneurial firms can obtain social capital in terms of trust and reciprocity by developing cooperative goals with other firms, rather than competitive and independent goals. Such cooperative relationships may then enhance the firm's strategic resources, including corporate reputation and market access.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Results were obtained from structural equation modeling of data from 120 entrepreneurial firms in Shanghai, China.\nFindings: - The hypotheses were supported, except that reciprocity was found to affect corporate reputation negatively. The results suggest that cooperative interdependence and trust in the network of entrepreneurial firms, not self-sacrificing reciprocity, can foster a firm's business development.\nOriginality/value: - Although there is evidence in the literature suggesting that social capital influences the performance of entrepreneurial firms both directly and indirectly, there is less evidence addressing the mechanisms by which entrepreneurial firms can acquire and maintain social capital. This study addresses this research gap.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Mind your language training
|
[
"Language learning",
"Business English",
"Globalization",
"Online learning",
"Language skills",
"Learning",
"Languages"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: It is not just the world's biggest - global - companies that deal daily with people of different nationalities and backgrounds. Whether they are big or small, companies are now selling and buying globally - and there are no boundaries to competition.\nCorresponding author: Bob Little can be contacted at: bob.little@boblittlepr.com\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Globalisation has made English today's international business language. This article aims to explore what this means for suppliers of English language training - and how corporate buyers of this training can get value for money from them.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The article outlines research by goFLUENT - a leading provider of Business English training.\nFindings: - Companies are looking for employees who can perform well in today's multi-cultural, multi-lingual business environment. For those speaking another language there will be more job opportunities, higher pay and faster careers. Increasingly, companies require or give higher priority to employees who speak a second or even a third language - and that is making language learning essential to one's professional growth.\nPractical implications: - Because of the variety of products and services available, it is helpful for suppliers to respond to companies' RFP requirements in free form and through their own company brochures and materials. However, in order for respondents to understand these companies' scoring systems - and for suppliers to be able to make equivalent comparisons across criteria - suppliers should ask them to answer specific questions.\nSocial implications: - Only 400 million or so of the world's seven billion people speak English as their native tongue but, currently, it is the Chinese who are learning English. Despite the rise of India and China as global economic powers, over two billion people speak English in these countries alone - and the demand for English speakers continues to grow. With emerging markets, there is an appreciable influx of speakers of Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish and Portuguese but, for these people to work on an international scale, proficiency in English is the inevitable standard.\nOriginality/value: - This article focuses on a theme for which there is currently little information of any real substance.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Benchmarking the service quality of airlines in the United States: an exploratory analysis
|
[
"Benchmarking",
"Service quality"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: After losing $16 billion in 2008 and $9.9 billion in 2009, the US airline industry has experienced a rare turnaround in 2010 by registering a profit gain of $15.1 billion in 2010 (Zacks Equity Research, 2011). Despite this short turnaround and a growing optimism, the US airline industry continues to struggle with chronic industry problems exacerbated by skyrocketing fuel prices, instable yields, weak traffic volumes, security hassles, weather disruptions, and increased taxation for the last few years. To make it worse, the competition in the global airline industry gets tougher after a series of deregulations and multilateral \"open skies\" agreements across the world that liberalized commercial aviation services and then opened up international airports and transcontinental routes to full competition. In addition, intense security measures introduced by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001 might have cost the airline industry billions in lost ticket revenue. Reflecting this difficult industry structure, from 2001 to 2009, US airlines experienced slim profit margins ranging from -18 percent to a peak of 11 percent, with an average of -4.8 percent throughout the nine years, and only 0.4 percent for 2011 (Houriani, 2012). To survive in this fiercely competitive industry with little margin for error, many commercial air carriers seek for ways to improve their cost efficiency and service productivity. One of such ways includes a \"no-frills\" approach which allows airlines to control their operating expenses to a minimum and transgress into a lower price-point airfare. However, this no-frills approach can backfire, since it may undermine the airline service quality and put some airlines in less competitive positions.\n2. Relevant literature: Since deregulation of the US airline industry in 1978 which gave carriers greater freedom to operate on any routes and fares whatever the market would bear, a dramatic restructuring of the US airlines industry has occurred. This restructuring led to the reformulation of airlines' business strategies that can better cope with unfettered free competition, elimination of route restrictions, and flexible airfares. The increasingly popular business strategies adopted by the US airline industry include: the focus on low-cost niche markets; discount pricing; the development of hub-and-spoke networks; mergers and acquisitions among competitors; and airline alliances through code sharing. Despite the popularity and benefit potentials of these strategies, these strategies might have backfired due to their emphasis on cost cutting measures without guaranteeing acceptable service quality. Indeed, concerned with deteriorating airline service quality, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) recently introduced the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights including a so-called \"Tarmac\" rule that could impose a penalty of $27,500 per passenger if a boarded commercial plane sits on the runway for more than four hours. Also, airlines are required to prominently post bag, meal, cancellation, and other formerly hidden fees on their web sites and compensate bumped passengers at least double the price of their tickets, provided the airfare is less than $650 (Burmon, 2011). This Airline Passenger Bill of Rights was further codified by the recent passage of the FAA Modernization and Safety Improvement Act of 2012 which secured a comprehensive set of airline passenger protections and welfare (Hanni, 2012).\n3. Service attributes relevant to airline service quality: The benchmarking process begins with the establishment of service standards through identification of service attributes that comprise service standards. Since serving airline passengers better is the ultimate goal of benchmarking, we first identified service attributes that are most important to airline passengers. These service attributes are derived from determinants of airline service quality identified by the prior literature such as Gardner (2004), Gursoy et al. (2005), Pakdil and Aydin (2007), Chau and Kao (2009), and Bowen and Headley (2012). Examples of these include: air safety, baggage handling, on-time arrival/departure, employee courtesy, airplane cleanliness, amenity, flight schedules, and the alternate flight arrangements for a missing flight. In addition, this list includes prior service that may influence perceived customer satisfaction and the subsequent service quality, since it can shape up prior expectations of what will and should transpire during the previous service encounter (Boulding et al., 1993). We initially identified more than 20 potential service attributes that might impact airline service quality. To avoid redundancy and the inclusion of attributes which may not reflect recent service trends (e.g. on-line booking, airline kiosk check-in service), we conducted a pre-test of the questionnaire through focus-group interviews with five frequent fliers who traveled at least three times a year via at least three airlines under evaluation. These interviews revealed that direct reservation/booking through the airline became rare with the presence of many on-line travel services (e.g. Orbitz.com, Travelocity) and the frequent use of kiosks for ticketing. Thus, several attributes such as airline reservation/booking and ticketing services were eliminated from the questionnaire list. Also, since the airline's handling of customer complaints seems to be redundant with the airline's follow-up on service failures, it was dropped from the final list of the service attributes. The contribution of selected attributes to overall customer satisfaction (or overall service quality of the airline) was measured by the customer feedback that we solicited through the questionnaire survey.\n4. The comparative evaluation of airline service performances: To stay competitive, an airline must establish proper service standards in relation to its customers' needs and expectations. With this in mind, the survey participants were asked to rate on a five-point Likert scale the service performance of the 11 airlines with respect to 18 attributes listed in Table I. These airlines are: Delta, Continental, United, American, US Airways, Southwest, AirTran, Spirit, Frontier, JetBlue, and Hawaiian. With an exception of AirTran, all of these airlines ranked one of the top 13 airlines in North American with respect to their number of passengers, fleet size, and number of destinations. Among these, with an exception of United and US Airways which belong to the same Star Alliance code-sharing program, none of these are aligned with each other for code sharing. A rating of the service performance of the airlines was used to determine a leading airline (benchmark) which best exhibits each service attribute and provides its passengers with the highest overall service quality. As summarized in Table III, Delta is considered the overall service leader followed by Southwest. Thanks to its high level of perceived service quality, Delta has become the most frequently used airline and most reputable airline (see Tables IV and V). As a matter of fact, the overall perceived service quality of the airline is correlated with its popularity and word-of-mouth reputation. In other words, the greater the level of passenger satisfaction, the higher the likelihood an airline would retain or attract more passengers. However, it is intriguing to note that the passenger's perceived service quality does not necessarily reflect the airline's actual service performances with respect to its actual on-time arrival/departure record, denied boarding, mishandled baggage, and customer complaints (see Table III). For example, Hawaiian Airlines which has the lowest perceived service quality rating based on our survey is regarded as the second best of all US airlines rated for airline quality rating (AQR) in 2011 (see Table III). In terms of on-time arrival/departure (Hawaiian's 94.7 percent on-time performance as compared to the industry average of 83.4 percent), it was the very best among the US airlines in 2012 (Trejos, 2012). The possible explanation for such discrepancy is that air travelers who never or rarely travelled using the Hawaiian Airlines tended to judge its service quality strictly based on the word-of-mouth reputation or the level of familiarity. Thus, the more obscure the airline is, the lower its service quality rating is.\n5. Conclusions and future research directions: Although recent multiple mergers in the airline industry limited competition on some routes and air travel demand began to rebound in 2012, the airline industry is still on the shaky ground due to fast rising fuel cost, safety compliance costs, and the US DOT's broader restrictions on some airline practices such as tarmac delays, flight cancellation windows, and an unfair method of competition. To survive and thrive in the fiercely competitive and high-expense industry, the airline industry needs to achieve service excellence by constantly improving service performances and diversifying their service offerings to the liking of more demanding passengers in a dynamic airline market. Airlines cannot improve service performances unless they understand what the leading competitors do in the market and what level of competitive gaps exists between current performances and best practices. Thus, we proposed competitive benchmarking strategy as an effective way of sustaining service excellence and winning the hearts of existing and prospective customers. This section summarizes several major findings of the current benchmarking study conducted in the USA, expounds the managerial implications of those findings, and develops practical guidelines for continuous service improvement and service customization.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to help airlines gain a better understanding of passengers' service concerns, identify opportunities for continuous service improvement, and then develop service benchmarking standards that can be a yardstick for the airline's competitiveness.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper develops a set of target performance standards that helps airlines monitor their service delivery process, identify relative weaknesses, and take corrective actions for continuous service improvements using exploratory data analysis and competitive gap analysis.\nFindings: This study reveals that a service attribute considered most important to the airline customers' impressions of service quality are air safety. This result reflects a growing concern over potential terrorism against airlines in the wake of the September 11 incident. The authors also found that proper baggage handling, competitive airfare, and on-time arrival/departure were next most important service attributes, whereas frequent flier and code-sharing programs were least important. Furthermore, the authors discovered that airline passengers' perceived service quality influenced their choice of airlines. That is to say, airline service quality can be an important gauge of airline market share and revenue.\nResearch limitations/implications: The current study is limited to the evaluation of comparative service quality of airlines in the USA. Thus, this study cannot be generalized to the airline passengers' perceived service quality in other countries or different cultural settings. Also, this paper focuses on the performance aspect of benchmarking rather than the strategic aspect of benchmarking.\nPractical implications: With rising costs of fuel, labor, maintenance, and security, many airlines are at a crossroads where they have to decide between succumbing to restructuring pressures in a form of mergers/acquisitions and reinventing their service offerings. One viable means of reinventing airline service offerings is to learn more about what airline passengers truly value and appreciate in terms of service offerings and then figure out what it takes to win the hearts of customers and then how the airline can differentiate its service offering from those of its competitors. With this in mind, this paper develops viable service improvement strategies for the airline that can enhance its competitiveness in the struggling airline industry.\nOriginality/value: This paper is one of a few attempts to identify a list of service attributes most important to airline service quality based on the actual survey of airline passengers, and then develop a benchmark standard of airlines in the USA from a customer (passenger) perspective.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
De-risking or recontracting - the risk dilemma of EU money laundering regulation
|
[
"Financial inclusion",
"Anti-money laundering",
"Legitimate economy",
"De-risking",
"Sustainable finance"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Following the demands of the fourth directive on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing (4AMLD - EU DIRECTIVE (2015/849), (2015), hereinafter 4AMLD), which was to be implemented in national member state regulation by June 27, 2017, the concept of de-risking related to anti-money laundering has increased significantly. Recent cases such as the withdrawal of Deutsche Bank from the financial markets in Latvia and Malta (Times Malta, 2019) and the closure of Danske Bank branches in the Baltic region (Danske Bank, 2019) are examples of the overall de-risking taking place within the European Union (EU). Multiple financial institutions are reshoring operations around the world as well as within the EU owing to the risks related to money laundering and terrorist financing. For that reason, this article will limit its scope toward the regulation of the financial market in the EU and therefore align the market analysis accordingly. Furthermore, this paper will only analyze corporate clients and no private clients.\n2. Reasoning and aim of regulation: 2.1 Externality of money laundering\n3. De-risking: 3.1 Definition of de-risking\n4. Solutions to the externality problem of de-risking: 4.1 Regulation vs negotiation\n5. De-risking or recontracting - the modeling: 5.1 Threshold model\n6. Discussion: 6.1 De-risking or recontracting\n7. Conclusion: Recent developments in the financial sector in the EU show a raising tendency of de-risking corporate clients. The incentive behind the de-risking can be argued from a range of factors such as perception or assessment of risk, client profitability, increased compliance costs, increasing risk of sanctions, reputational risk, individual and corporate criminal accountability. No matter which of these de-risking drivers is used as an argument from the financial institution, the effect is - sadly - the same. When corporate clients are terminated, they seek to financial institutions with lesser anti-money laundering controls, outside the regulated financial sector (shadow economy) or even to the illegitimate financial sector (black economy). The effect on society is that there no longer is any anti-money laundering controls with these clients, thereby enhancing the risk of money laundering. The solution for the financial institutions to limit their own money laundering risks enhances not only the externality problem of money laundering but also creates another externality problem of financial exclusion. It has therefore been the aim of this paper to analyze and discuss the possible solutions to these problems based on theories by Coase and Pigou.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Recent research and market effects within the European Union (EU) show a rising concern toward the de-risking of certain sectors/actors owing to the increased anti-money laundering regulation. Because of the enhanced due diligence and monitoring costs related to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulation by the AMLD4 and AMLD5, several financial institutions now turn to de-risking their corporate client base to minimize not only costs from monitoring and onboarding but also the risks of sanctions and reputation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the incentives behind de-risking and the relevant solution models to the de-risking \"crisis.\" Overall, to find, to what extend de-risking is efficient and when it is not and how to mitigate the concept.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper applies a functional approach to law and economics with the aim of reaching a higher level of efficiency in combatting money laundering through analyzing present regulatory and economic conditions.\nFindings: It is found that de-risking within the EU opposes the aim of the present regulatory scheme regarding anti-money laundering. The paper finds that it is needed to divide the analysis of de-risking to a national and regional/union level. In addition, this paper establishes that the present strategy of de-risking at national level eventually will result in enhanced regulation to fulfill the aim of the present regulatory framework, which is why a proactive approach by recontracting the client base is recommended. At a regional level, it is found that de-risking is valid, why a solution needs to come from the EU enhancing control, monitoring and sanctions to establish trust and the possibility for financial inclusion.\nOriginality/value: Most of the recent research within the field highlights the problem of de-risking and therefore presents a range of initiatives to regulators and financial institutions at a global level. This paper solely focuses on the EU and shows that the de-risking dilemma demands financial institutions to take a proactive approach to contracting if unnecessary regulation is to be hindered. Furthermore, this paper shows that the concept of de-risking cannot be analyzed nor mitigated as one singular concept, but it needs to be addressed according to different levels of activity and geography.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The pains and gains of blended learning - social constructivist perspectives
|
[
"Culture",
"Blended learning",
"Online",
"Face-to-face",
"Cross-cultural management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: As the global landscape becomes increasingly borderless and multi-cultural, there is a realisation that technology becomes an important success criterion in managing across borders and cultures. This is also the case in management education, with the higher education industry maintaining that universities would die if they did not adapt to the rapidly evolving web technology. We argue that although technology aided learning is a transformational model that is intended to dramatically change the strategic direction of higher education institutions; face-to-face classes have the advantage of enhancing student classroom experiences in a cross-cultural setting. Over the years, an abundance of literature has emerged on the most effective modes of teaching and learning within institutions of higher education. This lends itself well to demarcation into three fairly distinct categories, occurring across a continuum. Whilst the traditional (face-to-face) method lies at one end, fully online modes are located at the opposite extreme, and, between the two, a hybrid of these extremes, namely blended learning (BL) (Graham, 2006).\nA conceptual overview of BL: The extant literature suggests that the technology enhanced online and BL methods have evinced more interest of researchers and academia than has the traditional face-to-face mode. The literature on the latter is briefly examined first, being relatively scarce and more conspicuous in cases involving comparisons between the traditional vs the other two modes.\nThe role of culture in online learning: The higher education landscape is becoming increasingly heterogeneous in terms of the demographic composition (Pillay and James, 2012). Hence, we argue that the pervasive influence of culture should be regarded as a significant concern in the design of technology-enhanced learning systems. We maintain that cultural influences merit serious consideration in designing and planning conducive and effective student-centred learning environments (Chen et al., 1999). Consistent with this line of thinking are arguments arising from various cross-cultural studies, that there are differences in the manner in which people learn, and also the varied cultural learning models in existence (Fang, 2007; Brislin et al., 1975; Jin, 2002; Charlesworth, 2008).\nMethodology: The primary aim of the study was to investigate students' perceptions of BL in a cross-cultural setting. The data for this study are based on students' perceptions and experiences taking a BL unit offered in a masters program of an Australian University. The primary aim of this unit is to consider the issues of cross-cultural management for people working in the area of international management and diversity. In preparing to develop a theoretical and practical knowledge of managing people across cultures, this unit explores new and emerging developments that have changed what international managers are currently facing and likely to face in the coming years. Students bring with them a great deal of experience and knowledge, which constitute a highly important resource for this highly culturally diverse course. As the study was based on a cross-cultural context, BL required a re-conceptualisation and re-organisation of the learning system. The unit was therefore designed to include a blend of face-to-face and pure online sessions. Online learning resources (case studies, videos, blackboard discussion forums, online quizzes) together with recorded Camtasia lectures were made available (hence no face-to-face contact). Face-to-face sessions included experiential activities, case studies, presentations and class discussions. The study was designed to investigate students' perceptions regarding BL in a cross-cultural setting. As the MAC class is highly diverse in their national cultural orientation, we were also interested in whether demographical variables influenced students' responses. With the global university community becoming increasingly borderless, the demographic profile of students is changing significantly to become more diverse and multi-cultural (Ashong and Commander, 2012; Mingus, 1999; Hebert and Reynolds, 1998). This in turn affects educational requirements and learning preferences. Studies such as Ashong and Commander (2012), aimed at examining the effects of demographics of student perceptions of online learning revealed significant effects for gender and ethnicity.\nResults: The data were analysed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations (SD) of students' responses to each Likert-scale survey item). Table III shows the mean and SD of 13 perception dimensions and satisfaction. These results indicate that the overall satisfaction of learners of BL was stronger towards face-to-face methods of learning as compared to blended methods of learning. The same is true for the seven perception dimension \"general views about blended learning\" (see Table IV).\nDiscussion: In this exploratory study we examined the perceptions of students in a cross-cultural setting towards BL. While the literature presents a strong case for the increased adoption of e-based technologies within education, with the more vocal advocates even proposing a replacement of face-to-face delivery modes with internet-based online technologies, our cross-cultural context findings suggest that diversity has a pervasive impact. What seems apparently largely glossed over, barring a few exceptions (e.g. Selinger, 2004; Chen et al., 1999; Collis, 1999; Qubenaissa et al., 2002; Hoover et al., 2010), is the all important aspect of the context within which educational activity takes place. Linked into this, and also rather scantily addressed, seems to be the vital aspect of culture.\nLimitations: One major limitation of the current study is perhaps the disparity in the number of participants from each cultural group. Such unequal distribution of sample sizes present challenges when undertaking certain statistical analysis such as ANOVA. Second, at the time of the study, the use of synchronous media rich real time collaboration tools was limited which may have also affected the participants' perception towards BL. While studies such as those of Ashong and Commander (2012) have justified the importance of examining how cultural background influences learning styles, we acknowledge that this is an area of research worth pursuing within the context of learning outcomes.\nConclusions and directions for future research: Our study revealed that, within a specific context, a more interactional model of study through face-to-face receives greater success. Our findings suggest that when learning from cross-cultural experiences, cultivating and understanding relationships and dynamics from classroom experiences are more likely to happen than through web-based learning. While it was beyond the scope of this study, we maintain that the efficacy of incorporating technology in developing cross-cultural skills and competency needs to be further evaluated and researched longitudinally. Such research would allow for a better assessment of the value of web-based learning in a cross-cultural setting. Second, variables and moderators related to such contexts should be explored in further research. Are demographics, personality, cultural orientations and learning styles reliable predictors of the success (or not) of hybrid learning methods? Third, future research needs to identify long-term success factors associated with skill improvement in cross-cultural management and international management. We maintain that appropriate pedagogy and cross-cultural skill acquisition will be positively associated with successful job placement. The identified terrain of cross-cultural management is complicated and subject to constant change. The new heartland of cross-cultural management, both as an operating domain and as a conceptual tool for which both practitioners and academics need new competencies and more conceptual tool, respectively, is to manage the shaping forces and influences on management thinking, attitudes and behaviour in a globally connected world.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Using the case of a cross-cultural setting, the purpose of this paper is to compare perceptions of students towards face-to-face learning and blended learning. A social constructivist perspective is used which implies that cultural data are in fact social constructs made on the basis of the participants' own cultural thought patterns and the concepts and categories to which they are socialised within learning organisations. This paper aims to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Perceptual evidence forms the primary qualitative and quantitative data for this study. The paper uses social constructivist approach with empirical data in developing the notion that cross-cultural management is a process whereby people, through social interactions, acquire participative competence for working in cross-cultural settings.\nFindings: Perceptual data emerging from this study point out that considering the learning objectives of a cross-cultural context are paramount when engaging in cross-cultural management curriculum and teaching design. Such social contexts, while complex and challenging, is often a perfect opportunity where cross-cultural competence can be developed.\nOriginality/value: The value of the study lies in the original insights it offers into student experiences and the challenges to adopt a \"one size fits all\" strategy in a cross-cultural setting.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Key strategies for the successful involvement of customers in the co-creation of new technology-based services
|
[
"Customer orientation",
"Customer relations",
"Product development",
"Service levels"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Even the most ingenious invention will be a market failure if it does not meet the needs of the customers. To ensure that customer needs are met and that such market failures are avoided, companies are seeking market-oriented methods of developing new products and services. An increasingly popular means of doing so is to involve users in the early stages of the new product development (NPD) process by inviting them to suggest ideas for innovative products and services.According to Kristensson et al. (2004), involving users as co-creators during NPD produces ideas that are more creative, more highly valued by customers, and more easily implemented. Such customer co-creation during innovation processes appears to have become increasingly popular in recent years (Vargo and Lusch, 2004); however, there is a paucity of research on the theory and practice of user involvement (as one form of co-creation) during both new product and service development. In particular, there is a lack of a firm theoretical foundation on which to base an understanding of the strategies (e.g. antecedents and critical processes) which are required for success during the co-creation of services.In the Marketing Science Institute ranking of research priorities, the issue of \"... ensuring customer-relevant innovation in all stages of new product/service development\" is now on the top tier of all research interests (MSI, 2004; MSI Research Priorities 2006-2008). One topic specifically pointed out as important concerns the development of new tools required for a proactive understanding of customers. Consequently, the aim of the present study is to suggest key strategies for the effective management of user involvement - thus facilitating successful market-oriented NPD.Much of the previous research in this field has focused on the outcomes of co-creation; in contrast, the present study concentrates on the conditions that lead to these benefits. Through our attempt to demonstrate the key strategies required when managing user involvement, benefits to both theory and practice are addressed: In terms of theory, the identification of various research propositions is likely to provide insights that can guide and stimulate future research in this field. In managerial terms, managers will be able to utilize such strategies when implementing a market-orientated NPD[1] process.\n2 Literature review: 2.1 Co-creation versus customization\n3 Methodology: 3.1 Case background\n4 Results and discussion: During the four trials 38 participants generated 106 ideas for future mobile phone services. The telecommunications companies categorized all these ideas according to different types of services and the expected end-value of each idea. At five subsequent project meetings, key strategies for user involvement emerged.As a result of this research, seven key strategies for user involvement during innovative NPD were proposed. These strategies are described and illustrated in relation to existing theory and presented as research propositions (Figure 2).4.1 RP1: derivation from user situation\n5 Conclusions: The present study has investigated an issue that is of increasing interest: key strategies to be considered when companies involve users in NPD for the purposes of market-oriented innovation.Identifying key strategies when involving users in NPD is important for several reasons: first, although many scholars and practitioners speak about \"the involvement of users,\" there appears to be no consensus about what this really means (Matthing et al., 2004). Some studies have claimed that user involvement has positive effects, especially in terms of generating superior product ideas (Alam and Perry, 2002; Kristensson et al., 2004), but there are no studies that provide explicit details of the strategies required to achieve these desirable results. Secondly, although the concept of market orientation (Kholi and Jaworski, 1990) has attracted great interest, and although the measurement of this construct has evolved to include dimensions that reflect aspects of innovation, the notion of \"market-oriented NPD\" remains nebulous (albeit popular) (Kok et al., 2003). It is reasonable to suppose that the involvement of users in NPD might be conducive to a better understanding of what the elusive concept of \"market-oriented NPD\" might mean. Thirdly, research by von Hippel (1986) has shown that users are capable of innovation. However, a general perception of the research carried out by von Hippel (1986, 1994) is that the emphasis of this research stream has been on confirming that users actually do innovate and not to provide insights and suggestions as to how companies that attempt to innovate can proceed to capture the important abilities that reside within a user. The management of user involvement may provide us with such guidance.The empirical data gathered during the present study suggests that a user involvement project during NPD should consider the following key strategies (research propositions):1. users identifying needs in their own setting of use;2. users identifying needs in their various roles;3. providing users with analytical tools;4. motivating users via the apparent benefit to be gained from their involvement;5. non-reliance on brainstorming when generating ideas;6. users not having too much knowledge of technology; and7. the involvement of a heterogeneous group of users to ensure that a diversity of ideas is provided for future services.Several studies have shown that user involvement leads to innovative ideas (Kristensson et al., 2002). In particular, user involvement is reported to be useful for capturing the latent needs of consumers that are so important to successful NPD. The key strategies presented here as propositions indicate that user involvement can facilitate the identification of latent needs because users identify their own needs as and when they occur (1). Furthermore, the second key strategy suggests that users should adopt the full range of roles that they play in life (2). Neither of these criteria is likely to apply if a company employs reactive market orientation, e.g. short-term focus groups or large-scale surveys. It is also proposed that it is important to ensure that the contributions of users are created with their own personal needs in mind (4 and 5), thus enhancing the originality and value of ideas for future services. Another key strategy proposes that, although participants do need some knowledge of what might be feasible (3). Too much technical knowledge might actually inhibit individuals from producing truly innovative ideas (6). Finally, the last proposition (7) suggests a key strategy whereby a heterogeneous set of users will promote the production of ideas that will serve a variety of market segments.Co-creation in terms of user involvement forces a rethink of much of the traditionally-accepted strategies when a company attempts to collect knowledge about customer value. As the key strategies described above suggest, it is no longer an advisable logic for companies to try to produce value in products and believe that this can later be exchanged to their customers (Michel et al., 2008). Rather, the service-dominant logic prescribes that customers should be invited to share all kinds of experiences and knowledge when co-creating (Lusch et al., 2007). Such a form of co-creation is more likely to lead to the discovery and understanding of latent needs, and would thus seem more appropriate to effective market-oriented NPD. As implied, the key strategies proposed are predicated on the contention that market-oriented NPD requires more than an annual survey to be conducted by firms regarding how their customers perceive recent products and services (Zaltman, 2003). Rather, market-oriented NPD requires firms to identify and understand the latent needs of their users. This involves more than merely listening to customers' retrospective accounts of their supposed needs; it also requires active collaboration with the users in a way that leads to a clear understanding of their latent needs.The major contribution of the present study is the delineation of seven key strategies for user involvement during NPD - a concept that is often mentioned in the literature, but which has hitherto lacked any declaration of content. In terms of service management theory, this study suggests that the perspective of understanding customers retrospectively, by means of surveys, as in customer satisfaction scales, should be changed into constructs which better capture the customers' value-in-use (Michel et al., 2008).The limitation of this study lies in its exploratory nature, with the present findings requiring confirmation in other settings by other researchers, including quantitative large-scale studies. In particular, future studies need to explore how the suggested key strategies relate to the degree of newness of a product and whether or not financial factors affect the suggested key strategies.The implication of this paper for managers concerns the call for discovering innovation opportunities which are not related to findings made in the R&D laboratory (Michel et al., 2008) but at places far away from the company where, and when, ordinary people use certain services. The obvious managerial implication is that user involvement can be a valuable tool for implementing market-oriented NPD for technology-based services. It is apparent that companies in this line of business should include user involvement in their NPD, and that the seven key strategies suggested here should receive due attention when doing so.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The aim is to propose a conceptual framework consisting of research propositions concerning the key strategies required for the successful involvement of customers in the co-creation of new technology-based services.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The methodology involves a single case study from which data are derived and analyzed using the grounded theory methodology of \"constant comparative analysis.\" User-generated ideas for future mobile phone services are collected from four user involvement projects and analyzed at several workshops attended by senior managers from telecommunications firms.\nFindings: - Seven key strategies are identified as being essential for successful user involvement in new product development. Each strategy is described and illustrated in relation to existing theory and presented as a research proposition.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The exploratory nature of the research means that the findings are tentative and need to be confirmed in other settings by other researchers, including quantitative large-scale studies.\nPractical implications: - The results of the study provide management with guidelines for organizing successful user involvement projects with a market-oriented approach.\nOriginality/value: - Despite the increasing popularity of user involvement, little research has examined the conditions required for successful user involvement in new product development. This study makes an original contribution by proposing strategies critical for a successful outcome.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Benefits; drawbacks and boundaries to deliver JIT: Re-thinking the UK automotive industry operations supply strategy
|
[
"Lean production",
"Just-in-time"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction and literary background: 1.1. Supply chain management\n2. Research method: An exploratory research design was adopted which comprised of a multi-method approach to understand the different forms of associated supply (Yin, 2003). The data and insight for this multiple case approach comes in part from the literature review of research and practitioner papers. In addition, studies to survey logistics integration models and practice have been used. To undertake an in-depth study the sample size was restricted to seven information rich cases. A case approach requires a combination of rigour, relevance and pragmatism (Darke et al., 1998). The choice for the seven interviewed cases was opportunistic and determined by access to the respective facilities as one of the authors had spent 12 months working within a supplier directly connected to the network under study. The primary study comprises of seven site-specific surveys of logistics and operations executives within the said network of UK automotive suppliers, and a UK VM. The intention here was to gain a reality understanding as to what is actually happening within the case study network investigated.\n3. Research boundaries and constraints: 3.1. Introduction to the main case study organisation: Manufacturer F\n4. Findings from the supply chain: The findings for this research were born from application of the research method that was explained in the previous section. As identified, interviews were carried out as a method of primary data collection. Three of the interviews, F1; F2 and F3 were carried out in person during March 2011 through visit's to the location of the case study organisation. All of these interviews were recorded using a Dictaphone. The remaining four interviews were sent and returned electronically via e-mail.\n5. Conclusions: Some of the generic findings are summarised in Table II.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to carry out case study research to analyse the current situation at a world class vehicle manufacturer (VM), the main case organisation. This paper aims to conclude whether there is scope for further inbound JIT supply focus to the case study organisations within this research.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The data and vision for this paper comes from a literature review and practitioner papers and case studies to survey inbound supply of JIT theory and practice in a UK automotive supply network. Primary data are collected through case study research and site visits.\nFindings: This paper presents the findings of recent research into a UK automotive industry supply network and identifies the benefits, drawbacks and boundaries of delivering JIT. The sub-element of this paper identifies whether there is scope to make a more focus inbound supply JIT into the main VM case study organisation.\nResearch limitations/implications: This research looks at one network over three tiers of a supply chain. However this research creates a case study hub and looks at whether there is potential to increase the level on inbound and outbound JIT supply to and from the main case organisation.\nPractical implications: This case study research directly gains primary research form operational supply organisations working in a supply hub network in the UK automotive industry.\nSocial implications: Social implications here allow an improved understanding of efficient JIT and supply chain issues.\nOriginality/value: This research considers the enhanced relationship amongst automotive supply chain members to ensure a clear understanding and position the importance of a JIT; lean and agile approach in practice.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Web services in interlibrary loan transactions: the Spanish GTBib network
|
[
"Interlibrary loan",
"Interoperability",
"Academic libraries",
"Spain",
"Web services",
"SOAP",
"ISO10160/10161",
"NCIP",
"Protocols"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Spanish university libraries form regional networks: the Consortium of Academic Libraries of Catalonia (CBUC), the Consortium of Universities of the Region of Madrid (MADRONO), the Andalusian Consortium of University Libraries (CEBUA), the Consortium of University Libraries of Galicia (BUGALICIA) and the Consortium of University Libraries of Castilla-Leon (LOOP). Nationwide, these consortia form the Spanish University Library Network (REBIUN).In terms of automation, the system is decentralized, each library having its own automation program and sending its bibliographic records to the regional union catalogues and to the REBIUN catalogue. The situation for interlibrary loan (ILL) is similar: none of the union catalogues has incorporated ILL management modules, so each library has a local application. For more details of the Spanish interlibrary loan automation, see Echeverria and Jimenez (2011) and Rodriguez-Gairin (2012).Currently over 90 percent of Spanish universities have an automated ILL service using the GTBib-SOD system. This program is also used in the Spanish National Library (Albelda and Abella, 2010) and the Library of Catalonia, in addition to several public libraries, medical libraries, and libraries of pharmaceutical companies. On the other hand, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), which comprises more than 100 libraries in Spain, uses the Aleph integrated library system to automate its ILL service.In 1991, the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC) started a library service modernization programme called Leibniz, which included the improvement of document retrieval services and ILL. In this context work started on the development of GTBib-SOD, a computer program for automating all the tasks involved in managing access to documents.GTBib-SOD was initially a DOS application developed in Clipper (a dBase III compiler developed by Computer Associates Inc). In the 1990s it managed transactions using email (Duarte and Olive, 1996), in addition to printing IFLA forms and generating files for automatic transmission to the British Library's ARTemail. However, as it ran on a personal computer, it offered no capacity for interconnecting systems.In 1995 the application was completely rewritten using client-server technology. Instead of developing a Windows application it was decided to use a CGI (Common Gateway Interface) implemented in Visual Objects (Computer Associates Inc) in order to maintain compatibility with existing dBase tables. This new version was managed from a standard browser and the information was hosted on a web server, so services could potentially be interconnected. However, most administrators chose to install it on an intranet and to continue to use email as a data exchange mechanism.In 2004 a version in PHP/MySQL was developed and the marketing company offered a hosting service for the application. This option allowed libraries to reduce the need for computer support and to share information on a central server, though they were initially reluctant to do so because of the cost, concerns about data confidentiality, or simply resistance to change. The university libraries that continued to maintain the application locally were urged to open them to the Internet to facilitate system interoperability.\nThe problem: As many of the programs were isolated on an intranet, e-mail requests had to include mechanisms for transferring bibliographic data from the message to the application. The initial solution was to include an attachment in HTML and several JavaScript sequences to allow the library receiving the request to capture the data.The increase in email led to the appearance of spam and many universities began to use spam filters and antivirus programs on their mail servers. These applications were particularly strict with attachments, and especially JavaScript, which was blocked or removed, thus hindering the data input. Sometimes the messages were marked as spam, preventing the request from reaching its destination.The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) also prevented libraries that had used an outsourced service from continuing to use the email address of their institution because the messages were issued from an external machine and were therefore considered as phishing. Solutions included replacing the original addresses with ones using the domain of the hosting company and adjusting the DNS entries, but these options were not always easy to adopt because they involved the central computer services and did not meet the general safety policies of the institutions.A third problem appeared when the document was sent to the requester. Many of the files were in PDF format and thus exceeded the maximum size authorized for attachments (often 2 to 10 MB), making it necessary to split the files and send them separately.\nThe first solution: OpenURL: The dominant position of GTBib in Spain led the CSIC and other libraries with proprietary systems (such as the Complutense University of Madrid and the ILL17 health science interlibrary loan system) to develop compatible request processing modules.GTBib included formats compatible with ARTEmail, the format requested by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information (INIST) and the University of Delft. However, the developers were aware that facilitating transactions internationally involved adopting standards, and in particular NISO's OpenURL.For example, OpenURL enables a user who has retrieved a bibliographic reference from a database to access the electronic copy through the SFX link server. However, if the copy is not available, the SFX link server can send the data to ILL programs following the OpenURL standard (National Information Standards Organization, 2004). The first objective was therefore to adapt the application to accept data following this standard. A user querying a database or catalogue is thus redirected, after validation, to the ILL form with the bibliographic data already filled in. This option is convenient for users, avoids typing errors and provides statistically useful information; for example, the ISSN field, which is not always filled in by the users, is filled in automatically in these queries.Furthermore, GTBib generates OpenURL links for making requests in other systems so that ILL staff do not have to re-enter data in the remote forms. Examples are the services of the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) and SUBITO (www.subito-doc.de/).Using the same technology, GTBib can send OpenURL queries to the SFX server of the institution to find out whether the document is available. When a user enters bibliographic data and sends the request to the ILL service, an agent is activated and checks the availability of the document in the catalogue or on the link server, and informs users when they can access the document directly without ILL.These agents can be activated by remote systems that support OpenURL and Z39.50 and inform librarians of the possible location of documents, thus decreasing the time needed to locate them (Rodriguez-Gairin and Somoza-Fernandez, 2005).\nThe next step: ISO 10160/10161, NCIP, and SOAP web services: The ISO 10160 standard (International Organization for Standardization, 1997a) was established in 1990 to define the procedures of interlibrary loans for software developers and the loan services themselves. The aim of the standard was not to introduce new ILL methods but to reflect the practices existing at that time. The ISO 10161 standard (International Organization for Standardization, 1997b), also established in 1990, complements the previous one, defining the protocol to follow in these procedures and establishing the relationships and behavior of each organization involved in the ILL transaction.The NISO circulation interchange protocol (National Information Standards Organization, 2012), approved in October 2002 and revised in 2012, defines the operations involved in the circulation of documents. It is generally applied to the circulation of locally owned library materials, such as check-outs, renewals and check-ins (Alonso, 2005; Nye, 2004) but it can obviously be extrapolated to ILL operations.A web service is basically an application that uses a set of standards and protocols to exchange data between systems. The data are usually structured in XML and one of the most common protocols for establishing the interchange is the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP).The redesign of GTBib-SOD in 2004 created the technological infrastructure to implement web services and to apply ISO 10160 and NCIP to the fullest extent possible. NCIP defines three types of data interchange service between applications:1. the lookup service, which allows information on agencies, items and users to be retrieved;2. the update service, which allows information on agencies, items and users to be created, edited and deleted; and3. the notification service, which provides information on updates regarding agencies, items and users and on notifications regarding transactions.GTBib-SOD implements all three types of service, as detailed below.Lookup services\nDelivery versus depositing of electronic documents: Sending the electronic document in PDF format as an attachment to an email message has been standard practice for delivering the document to the requesting library and the end user. In addition to the uncertainty of receipt of the message, associated problems include the size of files and antivirus filters.The first step was to create a password-protected space on the application's server that acts as a user folder where the administrator deposits the document via HTTP and the user collects it through a web browser. However, the requester still has to be notified by email that the document is available for download. A second step allowed notifications to be made through web service messages if the requester is a library that has GTBib, or through RSS feeds if the requester is an end user. In the latter case, the RSS feed supplements the email message. In 2009, a third step allowed documents to be automatically transferred between the application of the supplying institution and the requesting institution through web services using CURL calls. This system eliminates the need for the requesting library to download the document from the supplier's server and then upload it to its own server to make it available to the end user.\nSome data: We analyzed data from 108 institutions managing interlibrary loans with GTBib. Interlibrary loan requests increased progressively (Figure 4) from 16,282 in 1995 (nine libraries) to 148,071 in 2002 (45 libraries) and 187,115 in 2012 (108 libraries). The apparent slowdown in the increase in requests can be explained by the fact that the institutions incorporating the programme between 1995 and 2002 were large (university libraries such as those of the University of Barcelona and the Autonomous University of Madrid), whereas those incorporating it between 2002 and 2012 (hospital libraries and libraries of private universities) were smaller.Use of web services to send requests increased from 408 in 2005, when they were first used, to 87,164 in 2012 (Figure 5). In the same period requests made by email fell from 150,363 to 81,918. It should be borne in mind that web services could only be used in the requests made between institutions using GTBib and that the nearly 82,000 requests that were still being made by email in 2012 were transactions with institutions abroad or with other national institutions that used other applications.In 2009 the system incorporated the capacity to transmit electronic documents (normally in PDF format) between library servers, thus replacing the traditional sending of email attachments. In 2012 a total of 26,529 documents were transmitted by 47 institutions using this system (Figure 6).\nConclusions and future proposals: Although the current economic crisis has undoubtedly affected document access and ILL services, the data indicate that, despite a certain slowdown, the number of requests has increased overall. We can assume that adjustments in local collections may favor demand, especially for titles whose use does not justify maintaining the subscription.The incorporation of web-based technologies for transmitting requests and electronic documents seems to have been well accepted by the institutions. These systems have solved the problems associated with the use of email in these transactions (uncertainty of transmission, spam, attachment size, the SPF, etc.). Likewise, the implementation of NCIP and ISO 10160/10161 have improved communication between institutions and between institutions and end users, leading to an increase in satisfaction with the service. The next goal is to apply this technology to the automatic gathering of statistics as a complement to the manual process that is now used by library consortia to draw up their annual reports.\n",
"role": "user"
},
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"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of web services to transmit requests and documents in the interlibrary loan (ILL) services of Spanish universities.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper describes the problems involved in the use of email for communication between ILL services and presents a solution based on SOAP/XML technologies using standard protocols such as ISO 10160/10161, the OpenURL protocol and the NISO circulation interchange protocol (NCIP).\nFindings: - The solution presented provides real data on ILL transactions and on the use of options for communication between services, and will be used to further develop the gathering of statistical data on the service.\nPractical implications: - This technology provides instant confirmation of receipt of messages, eliminating the uncertainty of using email. It also synchronizes the status of requests between the requesting and supplying institutions at all times.\nOriginality/value: - Although the use of web services in ILL transactions is suggested in the NCIP, their practical application has been limited and isolated. This paper describes their implementation in Spain in practically all university libraries, the National Library and many medical libraries.\n",
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Engaging with arranged marriages: a lesson for transnational higher education
|
[
"United Arab Emirates",
"Research paper",
"Education policy",
"Transnational higher education",
"Arranged marriage",
"South Asian men"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Often the notion of arranged marriage is seen in western cultures as a predominantly Islamic construct. However, arranged marriage is a cultural conceptualisation that also includes Christianity, Hinduism and Jainism, and features strongly in South Asian societies (Bowman and Dollahite, 2013). This paper adds value because it looks at male students' attitudes where, typically, female attitudes are most often sought.\nTypes of marriage: At a simple level, marriage can be broadly defined in terms of two forms of marriage: either \"love\" or \"arranged\" marriages. \"Love\" marriages tend to be more of a western construct, where partners are free to choose each other (Munshi, 2014), whereas a traditional arranged marriage is one that has been organised by the family on behalf of the couple (Bowman and Dollahite, 2013). There is also much written about arranged marriage and romance (e.g. Mody 2008; Jamieson, 2011) but the emphasis in this paper falls on male responses to arranged marriage in the context of understanding its broader linkage to educational timetabling and ethos as opposed to crafting a deeper sociological understanding of intimacy. It is intended that future research will develop those themes.\nPrevalence and characteristics of arranged marriages: In terms of prevalence, \"arranged marriages have existed for millennia, and are widely instituted among many cultures around the world\" (Bowman and Dollahite, 2013, p. 207). Arranged marriages are a common feature in South Asia (Ahmad, 2012; Allendorf, 2013; Myers et al., 2005), the Middle East (Alsuwaigh, 1989; Nasser et al., 2013) and Africa (Munshi, 2014). This is further confirmed by Harkness and Khaled (2014, p. 589) who state that \"marriages in which spousal choice is arranged by parents or other family members have long been normative in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia\". Alsuwaigh (1989) noted that a new, hybrid version of \"semi-arranged marriage\" has been growing in popularity, whereby the couple may originally find their spouse but only marry them with the joint approval of both families. Arranged marriages are not just between the couple, but also between their two respective families; therefore, it is important that the process considers the \"interests of the individuals concerned against the needs of the families as a whole\" (Hense and Schorch, 2013, p. 107). The authors reported that in arranged marriages, the families choose the criteria which they deem to be precursors for successful lifelong relationships; love does not play a significant role in the selection criteria. Typically, the couple are of the same caste and religion (Allendorf, 2013). It is not unusual for the couple to only meet a few times before the nuptials (Allendorf and Ghimire, 2013).\nArranged marriage dichotomy and its reflection of collective societies: Early writing on marriage seemed to promulgate that love marriages for those from South Asian backgrounds presented a \"struggle between tradition and modernity\" (Harkness and Khaled, 2014, p. 589). This dichotomy has been depicted through the lenses of western and Eurocentric biases, which portray this form of matrimony as \"duty-bound systems that suppress individual freedoms and subjugate women\" (Ahmad, 2012, p. 194). Little has been researched from the point of view of the groom. However, it is important not to get drawn into an individualistic account of marriage, or lose sight of the situated cultural practices in which arranged marriages are negotiated.\nReligion and marriage: The power that women potentially hold within the role of mother or mother-in-law in the decision-making process of arranged marriages cannot be decontextualised from religious doctrine. For example, marriage is viewed as both obligatory and sacramental in Hinduism. This concept creates a union between both families, as marriage is considered a lifelong commitment (e.g. Allendorf and Ghimire, 2013; Banerjee, 1984; Majupuria and Majupuria, 1978; Pothen, 1989). Divorce is not permissible in Hinduism nor is the remarriage of a widow or inter-caste marriage (Pothen, 1989). Hinduism also provides guidance on hierarchy relating to gender and respect for elders (Banerjee, 1984).\nDowries: Dowries are part of the organising principles within arranged marriages. These payments are essentially the \"transfer of wealth made by the family of the bride to that of the groom at the time of marriage\" (Munshi, 2014, p. 4). Dowry payments are common in South Asia (e.g. Anderson, 2007; Botticini and Aloysius, 2003; Caplan, 1984; Rozario, 1998; Waheed, 2009).\nDesired characteristics of potential spouses: It is worth pointing out that even when single adults welcome their parents taking the lead on arranging their marriage, the bride or groom-to-be still have a list of requirements that their parents are likely to take into account. Equally, there are key factors that are almost non-negotiable requirements, such as the same religion and caste (Bowman and Dollahite, 2013). In contrast, Apostolou (2013) reported that the beauty of a prospective spouse is more important to the candidate who will marry them than to the candidate's family. In the Bangladesh context, Goni and Rahman (2012) indicated that a lack of educational attainment was correlated with younger age at marriage. In their study, it was suggested that whilst Muslims were more likely to marry at a younger age, there was little to distinguish this from the Hindu and Christian religions.\nHigher education: In the context of studying South Asian women in the UK, Bhopal (2000) attested that higher levels of education led to women rejecting arranged marriages. However, her study also indicated that there were just as many women who aligned themselves with the traditional South Asian marriage practices than those who did not, despite living within the UK. Nonetheless, Bhopal (2000, p. 45) mentioned that \"education is an important variable which affects South Asian women's participation in arranged marriages and dowries\". Ahmad (2012) interviewed British Muslim women and found evidence of a correlation between social class, higher educational attainment and the choices these women made regarding marriage options. The consensus was that the attainment of a degree provided enhanced options which extended beyond the parameters of an arranged marriage.\nDifferences in criteria between daughters and parents: Ahmad (2012) found that women prioritised financial security and stability of prospective marriage partners. In addition to these attributes, parents also sought similar family backgrounds, educational attainment and were more concerned with the groom's profession. Daughters seeking grooms further commented that intellectual compatibility and pleasing personality were significant (Ahmad, 2012). By the time a woman was in her 30s, and still seeking a spouse, the level of educational attainment that the candidate possessed was deemed less important (Ahmad, 2012).\nEngagement ceremonies: The engagement ceremony is a formal requirement and a precursor to nuptials. This is the time where both families ritualise and formalise the engagement, and often also select the most auspicious date for the wedding, depending upon astrological positioning of the stars (Netting, 2010). There are various customs which differ in religions and regions, but the ceremony has great significance and is seen as a prequel to the main wedding. Moreover, weddings are now exhibited as an extension of Bollywood culture industry with high expectations and cost (Kapur, 2009). Any form of traditional ceremonies such as engagements and weddings are likely to come into temporal conflict with higher education timetables. There is no literature on how this impacts on Indian men, but although based on Muslim women in a British context, Mohee (2011) observes that parents put their children under pressure to maintain family responsibilities whilst at university. This can result in some students not being allowed to engage in any form of extra curricula activity at university. Conversely, the pressures of fixed university timetables often disrupt family celebrations, and that can bring students into conflict with their parents.\nMethodology: The research here is based on data gathered from semi-structured interviews with 25 participants. Prior to this, four unstructured interviews (two women and two men) were conducted as part of a pilot study that helped inform the questions asked in the subsequent interviews. An introductory question was:\nFindings and analyses: Open to arranged marriage\nConclusion and recommendations: The results of these interviews are important because they impart the views and lived experiences of tertiary educated men in a transnational context. They have significance when we consider that TNHE policy tends to adopt a \"one-size-fits-all\" approach across all international settings, thus failing to recognise the importance of cultural preservation and sensitivity. This study indicates that the incidence of arranged marriages in students attending TNHE is still high, and therefore there are several issues that need consideration by educational policy makers. With one-fifth of the participants in this study specifying that higher education had the potential to impact on their own arranged marriage prospects, there is a role here for reflection on what TNHE managers should do with that information. It also appears that, for men, there is a more pressing desire to be better educated than their potential spouses. Also, if women are hoping to unleash potential opportunities from their own educational attainment, as per previous research, it would be prudent to take stock of the differing student aspirations and ascertain what role, if any, education should philosophically have in these differing objectives. For example, educational administrative policies do not seem to support non-western cultural practices. With so many TNHE institutions using their internationalisation and globalisation as a branding differentiator to lure in international students, the lack of cultural awareness has equal potential to backfire and alienate many students.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: High levels of absenteeism have been observed amongst male students attending two transnational higher education (TNHE) institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). One reason offered is an obligation to attend engagement ceremonies. Many ceremonies are linked to arranged marriages. The purpose of this paper is to contradict assumptions that suggest that higher education reduces arranged marriages, and to highlight that university policies overlook cultural nuances.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 male postgraduate students aged between 22 and 45. Content analysis was used to analyse and interpret the data.\nFindings: Several interviewees chose to have an arranged marriage and some saw their postgraduate studies as an opportunity to have a better chance of securing a wife. Equally, several students felt that university policies were unsympathetic to cultural obligations.\nResearch limitations/implications: This research was restricted to male students from two TNHE institutes in the UAE.\nPractical implications: This research provides insight for TNHE managers by providing student-centric research into cultural reasons that prevent student attendance.\nSocial implications: TNHE is not fully responsive to familial obligations within collective societies. In consequence, there has been a lack of sympathy within policies regarding students' requirement to fulfil cultural commitments.\nOriginality/value: The paper explores the challenges of creating culturally sensitive educational policy and practices.\n",
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Inter-organizational knowledge management in complex products and systems: Challenges and an exploratory framework
|
[
"Knowledge management",
"Information transfer",
"Complexity theory"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: To achieve a long-term competitive success, a firm needs to have the capacity of generating knowledge and applying it in the form of innovation (Drucker, 1993). A new product is developed by modifying previous ones, reusing past designs and combing previous partial solutions. Most products from computers to airplanes follow this process (Barthes and Tacla, 2002). Therefore, the process of product innovation can involve a project for consumer products or complex systems in which various inter-connected components are integrated for capital goods.From a knowledge-based view, innovation processes can be described as the interchange of knowledge flows. Knowledge is becoming increasingly more useful because management is taking creativity and innovation into consideration (Carneiro, 2000). The innovative firms identify a market opportunity and relevant technology, generate product concept, combine the knowledge which is needed, and try to realize sense-making of this of knowledge by making it work in the ongoing accomplishment of the new product (Dougherty et al., 2000). Accordingly, knowledge management (KM) is typically presented as a catalyst for innovation processes, responding to the shifting context (Scarbrough, 2003). On the other hand, new knowledge is often generated during the innovation processes, which contribute to the corporate competitive advantages and further innovation. Thus, KM is also presented as a part of the outcomes of the innovation process. Given the potential of KM as the source and gatekeeper of innovation and renewal (McAdam, 2000), business strategies are getting more and more focused on these issues.According to Hobday and Rush (1999) and Hobday et al. (2000), complex products and systems (CoPS) are high cost, engineering-intensive products and systems, tailor-made for specific clients with highly customized subsystems and components. The CoPS projects are often developed under an innovation network which involves the integrators contractors, buyers, suppliers, and in most cases, the government (Hobday and Rush, 1999). In this kind of innovation network emphasis is focused on coordination mechanism, and linkages between participant firms differ from those found in traditional innovations which focus on individual firms with clear boundaries and transactions between their operations, working in a purely buy-sell relationship (Gann and Salter, 2000). As a consequence of inter-organizational collaborative innovation, transferring knowledge through socialization is problematic and costly (Galunic and Rodan, 1998), especially as for the tacit know-how, one explanation of which is that the interaction of knowledge requires some shared system of meaning among innovative participants so that transferred knowledge can be understood and applied in specific context (Nonaka, 1994). How to assimilate and integrate knowledge from sources across borders becomes an emergent issue in KM and product innovation research (Lynn et al., 2000).In this paper, we discuss the challenges faced by CoPS manufacturers when they try to manage knowledge from the innovative network. Furthermore, we develop a framework derived from literature about mass product innovation, extending KM processes into inter-firm collaborative network for CoPS development. Our objective is to provide some preliminary insights for managers that might help to improve inter-organizational KM in CoPS development. The framework suggests the experiences from mass product innovation can be adjusted to a CoPS context, describing the role of inter-firm KM processes in CoPS development and explaining how CoPS integrators can organize KM processes to facilitate development activities in CoPS conditions.\n2 Literature review: 2.1 Inter-organizational collaboration\n3 Inter-organizational KM in CoPS: challenges and research framework: 3.1 Inter-organizational KM: challenges for CoPS integrators\n4 Discussion: In traditional innovation framework, relatively clear boundaries make enterprises prefer in-house development and manufacturing. Even other relevant actors involved in product development and manufacturing are actually excluded outside the entity. In most cases, the firms developing new products do not deal with customers directly. These sets of theories fail to address the challenges facing CoPS because of the inter-organizational nature of innovation and production activities in CoPS (Gann and Salter, 2000; Hobday and Rush, 1999). In CoPS development, all actors meet together regularly to report and review their progress in latest developments. Frequent joint reviewing and discussing past lessons, learnt experiences, and in-house documents help partner firms define their roles and decide their next moves to make the whole system development consistent.KM within an intra-organizational context is not sufficient to adequately capture the nature of CoPS innovation, since it does not fully link KM activities to interactions with collaborators. The inter-organizational network can cope with complexity because it effectively combines individuals and firms that possess the knowledge and skills essential to innovation (Singh, 1997). Network relationships are often very complicated. Not only are there various formal contracts and licenses, but also informal knowledge interactions occurring in an inter-organizational network (Sobrero and Roberts, 2002). Among organizational boundaries, informal networks often serve as channels for valuable information and knowledge flow facilitating NPD. To establish a stable and flexible network, high levels of trust and reciprocity are necessary, which in turn contributes to communication and learning. As for the detailed methods, both IT-based approaches and personalization approaches should be adopted as vehicles for inter-organizational KM. According to Marshall and Brady (2001), typically, continuous face-to-face communication and advanced information technologies (IT) that can realize direct knowledge exchange are especially suited to the joint search for solutions in CoPS environments, because they permit sufficient density and iterability to knowledge integration.Knowledge and skills related to structuring and configuring collaborative KM have been considered by many companies, including CoPS manufacturers, because they respond to the strand of managing across borders and dealing with turbulent environments and complexity (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1989). CoPS development is further characterized by a large number of inter-connected components/sub-systems, multi-firm collaboration and multi-disciplinary knowledge input. Under these circumstances, inter-organizational KM often requires the integrator to gain detailed knowledge about functionality requirements from users and develop a general image of the business and technical dynamics of partners in the network. The acquired knowledge must be applied and exploited to find out the reasons and solutions for unexpected technical problems occurring in the development process, in which new knowledge will be generated and lessons will be learnt. This new knowledge and lessons in turn help sub-contractors and users gain a comprehensive understanding of activities by the integrator, such as system structure design and system integration, thus helping to achieve consistency and the compatibility of all sub-systems.\n5 Conclusion: This paper argues that KM processes based on inter-organizational collaboration has received little attention in prior studies, especially in CoPS conditions. Furthermore, most KM wisdom is from mass product innovation and at intra-organizational level, which has failed to address the challenges faced by CoPS integrators when attempting to deal with complex knowledge under an inter-organizational environment. In this paper, a framework is proposed to explore this issue, responding to a call for more concern about the cognitive processes of CoPS innovation (Hobday et al., 2000). This paper develops an inter-organizational KM mechanism within a CoPS context, trying to account for knowledge-related activities involved in CoPS development. On the other hand, the offered framework just proposes some preliminary insights of knowledge-related issues in multi-firm network for CoPS development. This proposed framework will be validated by empirical researches such as data analysis and case studies. In future work, we strongly support the continuation of attempts to provide further exploration on a more thorough understanding as a necessary corrective to the obsession with inter-organizational KM in CoPS environment.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: - The vast majority of evidence about knowledge management (KM) is based on studies within a mass-producing context and at intra-organizational level. Little has been reported in the complex products and systems (CoPS) literature about KM processes across firm boundaries. To contribute to this gap, this paper reviews the literature of CoPS, inter-organizational collaboration and KM, discusses some challenges of inter-organization KM faced by CoPS manufacturers, and explores a research framework which is helpful to provide a preliminary understanding of inter-organizational KM within a CoPS context.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Literature review and research experience are presented.\nFindings: - The study has identified some challenges faced by CoPS manufacturers when they try to manage knowledge from an innovative network, and developed a framework extending KM processes into an inter-firm collaborative network for CoPS development. Both, project level collaboration and firm level linkages need to be taken into consideration when attempting to implement KM at inter-organizational level. Knowledge acquisition from network, knowledge integration, and knowledge sharing in the network are the main inter-organizational KM activities in a CoPS context.\nOriginality/value: - As KM based on inter-organizational collaboration has received little attention in prior studies, especially in CoPS conditions, this study is an exploratory discussion of KM issues within a CoPS context, combining the cross-school theories of inter-organizational linkages, KM and CoPS innovation. This paper tries to account for knowledge-related activities involved in CoPS development, identifying some challenges in CoPS innovation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Global governance, health systems and oil and gas exploration
|
[
"Governance",
"Health risks",
"Oil and gas exploration"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Life is a very rare phenomenon; delicate mechanisms of life cycle were established for long eras and carbon imprisoned on the crust. Human societies in their impetus of development changed this delicate balance and broke the cycle of nature not considering the engine of life and its intrinsic linkage.\n2. Risks, benefits and impacts of oil and gas colonization on human communities' health: Every new discovery of oil and gas reserves creates a sense of hope. Hope of revenue, hope of energy access and hope of development and prosperity.\n3. The impacts of oil and gas exploration on the environment: Oil and gas exploration processes and accidental contamination creates serious hazards to the local environmental systems. The extent of these polluting processes is influenced fundamentally by the geographical conditions of the site and by the environmental practices and technologies used by the oil and gas companies.\n4. Governance and legal framework for the oil and gas sector: This study examines risks and opportunities of oil and gas exploration and a range of impacts related to health and environmental dynamics, technological aspects and their implications. It is equally relevant to outline a macro-perspective by examining the social impacts and the role of the legal framework and governance standards on the mitigation of negative impacts of this sector.\n5. The role of environmental management to minimize the impacts of damaging natural resources exploration: Co-operation between governments, corporations and communities have become more necessary as human populations expand and operational and technological impacts increase, but it is necessary to work on a different dynamic of training and re-education for stimulating more collaborative standards of actuation and governance under an integrated and measurable system.\n6. The role of a revisited paradigm of governance and development as a macro-perspective to reorient management systems and minimize risks: The potential risks of the twenty-first century economic system can only be prevented by avoiding the inefficiencies of the past. To achieve that, it is crucial to look at a new approach to the challenges of the twenty-first century, where the threats do not come from one or two physical sources but from intangible and diffuse multiple different sources.\n7. Conclusion: The aim of this study is to inspire a macro-reflection on the role of environmental management, new patterns of governance and models of development through the backstage examine of the impacts of oil and gas exploration on human health and ecosystems. The utility of this reflection may inspire the search of a deeper comprehension of the concept and characteristics of sustainable development and its premises to stimulate an engagement of environmental managers in adopting effective strategies to minimize the risks of natural resources extractive industry. By understanding the extent of the impacts of oil and gas exploration on health and environment, as well as the role of environmental management to mitigate these impacts, managers and governments will be able to assess oil dependence costs and decision-making. We advocate the diversity of the energetic matrix by reserving oil for noble uses and stimulating the use of renewable energy and clean technology to mitigate the extraction risks.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The aim of the article is to explore the central risks, benefits and impacts of oil and gas exploration on human communities' health and environment worldwide. It suggests a new model of governance to a more effective and coherent environmental management framework.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The article uses a case-based approach, utilizing a review of past literature as a vehicle to discuss possible new approaches and paths for the development of an innovative model of environmental governance relating to oil and gas industry.\nFindings: The article demonstrates the necessity of improving the current governance patterns, economic theory and current models of development trying to align them with innovative effective mechanisms of risk management on sectoral industry dealing with highly risky resources exploration at a global platform.\nPractical implications: The article provides a fresh illustration of the challenges of the oil and gas industry and environmental management by trying to point out the health impacts at the same time that suggests a profound reflection on new patterns of integrative and realigned governance.\nSocial implications: The examine of the balance of risks and benefits associated with unarticulated and unaligned models of development, or sometimes the absolute lack of these models.\nOriginality/value: The article is original in its development of a new framework of governance aligned to revisited management systems, processes and infrastructure needed for a more efficient exploration of resources base of our economic system.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Variables influencing preferences for stocks (high risk investment) vis-a-vis fixed deposits (low-risk investment): A comparative study
|
[
"Stocks",
"Comparison",
"Fixed deposits",
"Individual investors",
"Paired sample t-test",
"Weighted average scores"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Investment decisions are about making choices: Will income be spent or saved? And when the choice comes for saving, the saver must decide where to invest. In effect, investor needs to decide on a portfolio of assets to own. Individuals making investing decisions face a daunting task (Ackert and Church, 2006). Today, the financial services and the economic sector are highly diversified than ever. This diversification implies that the individual investors have a wider range of investment instruments to invest in and there is much greater choice for them on how to invest their money (Warren et al., 1990).\nLiterature cited: Lease et al. (1974) focussed on finding out who the individual investor is, how he makes his decisions, his dealings with his broker and analysis of his asset portfolio among the US investors. With the help of a questionnaire, the investment strategies followed by investors were determined. The responses portrayed that the investors followed a fundamental approach preferring a balanced and well-diversified portfolio of income. It was found that investors preferred long-term capital appreciation securities with dividend income instead of short-term gains. The decision framework of investors revealed by their responses was that the groups preferred journals and newspapers as sources of information. The factors such as age, income level and sex (in descending order) were found as dominant elements in effecting individual investor's behaviour regarding taking investment decisions and forming strategies.\nNeed of the study and objectives: The need for the study arises, as in Punjab, the research focussing on identifying the variables that influence the preferences of investors for stocks vis-a - vis fixed deposits and make a comparison of preferences on the basis of the studied variables, has not been researched so far. So, the present study aims to fulfil the gap with the following objectives:\nMethodology: The present study is based on responses of 241 individual stock investors of Punjab. The total primary data were collected from 607 individual stock investors from three major cities of Punjab, i.e. Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. The investors were interviewed through a pre-tested, well-structured questionnaire which was administered personally. Convenience cum judgmental sampling technique along with simple random sampling has been used. Convenience cum judgmental sampling technique has been used to select stock broking houses in three districts of Punjab. Further, simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents' list of regular investors that were taken from each broking house and regular investors were selected from the list provided using a chit method. Further, the process was repeated using the chit method unless required sample was not fulfilled. The lists included the name and contact number of the individuals. It is worthwhile to mention here that the individual investors were residents of the cities surveyed and the study is confined to the octroi limits of the mentioned cities. Out of 710 questionnaires distributed, 607 complete and usable responses were used for analysis purpose.\nResearch instrument (questionnaire): Twenty eight variables were retrieved from the review of literature to identify the variables that influence the purchase decisions of investors for stocks vis-a-vis other investment. The responses of the respondents were sought on a five-point Likert scale ranging from most important to least important. To analyze these responses, weights were assigned to these responses (5 for most important, 4 for important, 3 for indifferent, 2 for unimportant and 1 for least important).The investors were asked to rate for 28 variables that influence them to invest in stocks. Likewise, the investors were asked about one of the highly preferred low- or medium-risk investments by them and then rate variables on a similar scale of 28 variables of most important to least important that influence their preference.\nDiscussion, implications and conclusion: A successful investor is not the one who makes short-term huge profits but the one who sets the clear-cut investment objectives, decides the time and period of investment, studies the market, understands his risk taking ability along with the expected rate of return and also determines the major assets traded on the financial system. Investments can range from simple bank savings accounts to complex stock and bond portfolios. An investor should know each of the investment avenues and its characteristics to make a trade-off between risk and return. Several investment avenues available in the market differ in various attributes such as liquidity, marketability, maturity, risk, return and tax concessions. Moreover, investors also differ in their attitudes towards such attributes, and each investor chooses an investment as per his requirements, demographics and psychographics as well. So, investors should have a more diversified portfolio as per saying \"do not put all your eggs into the same basket\".\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The paper, an exploratory attempt, aims to analyze the perception of individual investors of stock market of Punjab towards investing in stocks vis-a-vis fixed deposits. For the purpose, the most and least influencing variables affecting the decisions of individual stock investors to invest in stocks and fixed deposits were gauged and the comparison for such variables influencing their preferences was conducted.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A pre-tested, well-structured questionnaire which was administered personally and the responses of 241 respondents were analyzed. The responses have been analyzed with the help of weighted average scores method used to identify the most and least influencing variables and paired sample t-test is applied to the data to identify if there exists any significant difference in the variables influencing the investment preferences for stocks (high-risk investment) vis-a-vis fixed deposits (low- and medium-risk investment).\nFindings: High returns was found as the most important variable while investing in stocks and stability of income as the most important variable while investing in fixed deposits. Religious reason is the only variable found as the least influencing variable for individual investors in Punjab while investing in both avenues, i.e. stocks and fixed deposits. Statistically significant difference exists in perception of individual investors for 22 variables towards the preference for stocks vis-a-vis fixed deposits.\nPractical implications: The current research will be helpful for financial service providers in understanding the investment preferences of the individual stock investors on the basis of variables influencing such preferences and suggest them investment options as per their perceptions and needs.\nOriginality/value: This paper is a first of its kind to empirically compare the variables influencing the preferences for high-risk investments vis-a-vis low-risk investments of individual investors of Punjab, India and contributes to the understanding of the investor behaviour.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Crisis management at the government offices: a Swedish case study
|
[
"Leadership",
"Government",
"Emergency response",
"Crisis management",
"Natural hazard"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The present case study focusses on how the Swedish Government offices managed the crisis following the ash cloud from the Islandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull in 2010. Although not immediately life threatening, the handling of the event involved several nations, public and private organizations, and individual actors. The immediate challenge involved the assessment of the problem (the sense-making phase of crisis management) and the allocation of responsibilities in a regulatory and risk governing system that is both internationalized and tightly coupled (Boin et al., 2005; Perrow, 1999). The ash cloud made flying risky and all civilian airlines were prohibited from flying over a large part of the European continent for several days. Air traffic was thereafter restricted and specifically rerouted for over a month after the eruption. As a result of the passenger decline, airline companies, airports and tour operators suffered heavy economic losses.\nMethod: Selection of organizations and informants\nResults: The results will be presented in the following three sections: the Crisis Coordination Secretariat, the ministries, and the agency.\nDiscussion: The aim was to gain a deeper understanding of crisis management the Swedish Government offices level in an international crisis by using a multiperspective approach, and paying particular attention to factors contributing favorably to the crisis management process. Overall, the handling of the ash cloud crisis by the Swedish Government offices was regarded as satisfactory by all informants, as well as by the media during the crisis. However, the International Air Transport Association complained against the air traffic regulations, accusing European governments of exaggerating the threat and imposing rigid air traffic regulations (www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/Pages/2010-04-19-01.aspx).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of crisis management at the Swedish Government office level in an international crisis by using a multiperspective approach, and paying particular attention to factors contributing favorably to the management process.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption on Iceland in 2010 was accompanied by an ash cloud that caused serious air traffic problems in large parts of Europe. Interviews were conducted with seven high-level informants at the Swedish Government offices and two informants at the Swedish Aviation Authority. An interview guide inspired by governance, command and control, and leadership perspectives was used.\nFindings: A Crisis Coordination Secretariat, organizationally placed directly under the prime minister, coordinated the operation. A combination of mandate (hard power) and social smoothness (soft power) on part of the Crisis Coordination Secretariat contributed to confidence building and a collaboration norm between the ministries, and between the ministries and their underlying agencies. Preparatory training, exercises and a high level of system knowledge on part of the Crisis Coordination Secretariat - contextual intelligence - also contributed to a favorable crisis management.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study relies on retrospective self-report data only from a limited group of informants making generalizations difficult.\nPractical implications: The organizational positioning of the Crisis Coordination Secretariat directly under the prime minister gave its members formal authority. These members in turn skillfully used social flexibility to build confidence and a will to collaborate. This combination of hard and soft power is recommended.\nOriginality/value: The multiperspective approach used when designing the interview guide and when interpreting the responses was new as well as the focus on factors contributing to crisis management success.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
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