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Evaluation of oxidative quality parameters in imported edible oils in Iran
|
[
"Edible oils",
"Iran",
"Imports",
"Peroxide value (PV)",
"P‐anisidine",
"Total oxidation value",
"Quality assessment"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Fats and oils in foods are oxidized during processing, circulation, and preservation. This reaction causes deterioration in taste, flavor, odor, color, texture, and appearance, and a decrease in the nutritional value of the foods (Frankel, 1998). Although the mechanisms of such processes are basically the same in different fats, the rates at which different fats undergo deteriorative reactions vary (Che Man et al., 1999). The hydrolysis of lipids, containing short-chain fatty acids, results in the formation of unpleasant taste and aroma, whereas the presence of long-chain fatty acids does not cause any detectable change in sensory features of the product. Free fatty acids (FFAs), which appear as a result of hydrolysis, can further undergo oxidation reactions. Peroxides and hydroperoxides are compound forms in the presence of oxygen (Gotoh et al., 2006). These primary products are rapidly decomposed to form a variety of secondary products, such as aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, hydrocarbons and polymers (Hamilton, 1994; Takeoka et al., 1996). Monitoring the concentration of primary or secondary oxidation products is generally used to determine the rate at which the oxidation process proceeds. The peroxide value (PV) test is based on the quantitation of the primary oxidation products (mainly hydroperoxides) from unsaturated fatty acids. The secondary oxidation products, aldehydes (mainly 2-alkenals) are measured as the anisidine value (AV). The sum of 2PV and AV is known as the total oxidation value (TOTOX), and is an indicator of the overall oxidation state and quality of the oil (Saad et al., 2007).Changes in lipids influence their nutritive value. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are degraded, toxic compounds may appear and as a result absorption of some other food constituents may be limited (Ziemlanski and Budzynska-Topolowa, 1991). Several studies have reported food poisoning epidemic caused by the degradation of the fat and oil in instant noodles and developing of acute symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, emesis, abdominal pain, fatigue, and headache in different regions of the world (Tovar and Kaneda, 1977; Frankel et al., 1984; Lamboni et al., 1998). Therefore, the quality of frying fat is of great importance as fried products always absorb a certain amount of fat. The control of the oxidation of fats and oils in food is important to prevent against the deterioration of foods and protect human health. Therefore, from a food quality and safety perspective, this oxidation reaction must be suppressed, and be ensured from the healthy products. Peroxide value (PV), an index to quantify the amount of hydroperoxide, was chosen to control food safety and quality (Gotoh et al., 2006; Frankel, 1998; Shiozawa et al., 2007).Fried or deep fried foods are one of the common items of the Iranians' diet. A portion of the edible oils in Iran are imported from other countries. ISIRI has set PV for different oils produced in and imported to the country. In addition, cooking oil, used for frying of the local foods at restaurant and food stalls, are re-sued for several times and usually kept in unsuitable environment such as in contact with air, heat and light. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to determine the levels of PV in imported edible oils and also oils used to deep-fry different traditional foods called \"sambuseh\" and \"falafel\" in Boushehr, the major port for importing oil in south west of Iran, which is a hot and sultry place.\nMaterials and methods: Chemicals\nResults and discussion: In this study, PVs in different imported oil and used oil from deep-fried foods were determined. Institute of Standard and Industrial Research of Iran has set maximum acceptable limits of PV for port and consumption in different edible oils (ISIRI 1446, 2010; ISIRI 1447, 2006; ISIRI 8920, 2006). The adopted maximum acceptable limits of PVs in oils for consumption are usually higher compared to port.Table I shows min, max, mean and SD of PVs in the oil samples. The PVs ranged from 1.38-13.74, 3.90-20.00, 0.83-2.99, 0.67-11.95 and 0.00-9.96 mequiv/kg in refined olive oil, virgin olive oil, canola oil, grape-seed oil and corn oil, respectively. There was significant difference between PVs of different oils (p<0.05). Among the oil analyzed, lowest PV was recorded for canola oil with a mean of 1.34 mequiv/kg. The highest PV was for virgin olive oils with a mean of 10.61 mequiv/kg. However, PVs of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil were below the maximum acceptable limits set by ISIRI for port and consumption. About 8.69 percent of canola oil samples, 12 percent of grape-seed oil samples and 27.71 percent of corn oil samples exceeded the maximum acceptable limits set by ISIRI.According to Naz et al. (2005), unsaturated fatty acids of corn oil have high relative reaction rates with oxygen. This fact may explain broad range of PV in corn oil samples determined in the current study. In contrast with List and Erickson (1985), olive oil in this study showed high reactivity with oxygen. The study performed by Vaisey-Genser et al. (1994) showed little or no change in odor intensity in canola oil during storage at high temperatures in the dark.There was significant difference between PVs of each types of oils collected during hot and cold season (p<0.05) (Figure 1). Samples collected during hot season (March-August) showed higher PVs. Imported oil containers are stored at inappropriate Depository with high temperature and humidity at the custom for a few days until being released. They may also be kept in outdoor places under sunlight, in case of huge loads of consignments imported. Therefore, unsuitable storage could facilitate deterioration of oils. Packaging can also affect oil oxidation during storage. In most cases the oil bottles were transparent, except for canola oils and grape-seed oil which were kept in dark bottles. This may possibly explain the lower PV in canola oils. The amount of oxygen dissolved in the oil when bottled and in the bottle headspace, oxygen permeation through the walls, light, temperature, humidity, pro-oxidant trace metals (copper and iron), the chemical composition of the oil and natural antioxidant content are the key factors that most influence the level of oxidation (Cecchi et al., 2010). Therefore, which we cannot precisely state that main reason of high PVs in some oils.Changes in PV of the corn oil were also examined and after being used for deep-frying of local foods at 180degC. The PV ranged from 1.00-30.00 mequiv/kg which far exceed the maximum acceptable limit of 5 mequiv/kg. Color of the oil samples with higher PV was darker and they smelt rancid. There are numerous reasons for high PV in the oil samples from restaurants'. They usually re-use the oil to fry the food for several times, without changing the oil or they simply top up the used oil with fresh oil. Moreover, the oil containers are usually kept under the light and beside the stove at high temperatures which can promote oxidation reactions in these oils.Pourmahmoudi et al. (2006) examined the PV of edible oils used in restaurants and sandwich shops in another part of Iran (Yasuj city). Their findings showed that at least 50 percent of oils used in restaurants and 70 percent in sandwich shops were unfavorable and PVs were greater than the maximum acceptable limit. In our study, PVs of 18.37 percent of imported oil and 62.96 percent of frying oils from restaurant were higher than the acceptable limits.Table II presents the p-anisidine and TOTOX value of different oil samples. p-anisidine value, which generally shows the magnitude of aldehydic secondary oxidation products in oils, ranged from 0.89-27.56 mequiv/kg in imported oils and 2.21-30.76 mequiv/kg in frying oil from restaurants. The differences in the p-anisidine values between the different types of oil were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The highest value was determined in frying oils samples from restaurants. The higher amounts of p-anisidine in these samples might be owing to the formation of secondary oxidation products in light and high temperature exposed oils which might be due, in part, to the enhanced rate of oxidative deterioration (Khan and Shahidi, 2002).A TOTOX value gives an overall indication of the complete oxidation status of oil.The TOTOX value increased linearly with peroxide values and p-anisidine values. The highest value was presented by frying oil samples from restaurants and the lowest canola oil. The lower the TOTOX value, the better the quality of oil. This demonstrates that under same storage condition, canola oil shows the lowest rate of deterioration while virgin olive oil and frying oil shows the highest.Current study shows that monitoring oil deterioration in imported and consumption oils is important to protect against food poisoning. PV, p-Anisidine and TOTOX values is proved to be appropriate indicators for oil deterioration. Frying Oils used in restaurants are much undesirable and may contain toxic substances. Authors suggest further research on consumption oils, public education and control restaurants and food courts. Since light and humidity strongly affect the degradation of fat and oil, there is a need to control the condition of places used to store imported oils. Further research is needed to be done on effects of inappropriate storage conditions on quality of edible oils for different storage times.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to determine the peroxide value (PV), p-anisidine and total oxidation value (TOTOX) values of imported edible oils in Iran.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A total 196 oil samples of different origin and types (corn, olive, canola and grape-seed oil) were collected randomly from Boushehr port of Iran and a total 27 oil samples were also collected from frying pans used to deep-fry local food items at different restaurants in Boushehr city.\nFindings: - The PVs ranged from 1.38-13.74, 3.90-20.00, 0.83-2.99, 0.67-11.95 and 0.00-9.96 mequiv/kg found in refined olive oil, virgin olive oil, canola oil, grape-seed oil and corn oil, respectively. The results showed that PVs of 18.37 percent of imported oil and 62.96 percent of frying oils from restaurant exceeded the maximum acceptable limits set by Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI) (2-20 mequiv/kg for different types of oils). P-anisidine value ranged from 0.89-27.56 mequiv/kg in imported oils and 2.21-30.76 mequiv/kg found in frying oil from restaurants. The TOTOX value increased linearly with peroxide values and p-anisidine values. It ranged from 0.89-76.62.\nOriginality/value: - Fried foods are very common in Iranians' diet. A major portion of the edible oils in Iran are imported from other countries through Boushehr port. ISIRI has set maximum acceptable limit for PVs in different oils imported to the country. The possible effects of storage on oil oxidation are the original criteria of this research. The results of the study indicate that inappropriate storage of edible oils and their use in frying applications at restaurants facilitate oil oxidation and deterioration.\n",
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Researchers' attitudes towards the use of social networking sites
|
[
"Social networking",
"Behaviour",
"Profile",
"Attitudes",
"Researcher",
"Data reuse"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Today, academic standing may be linked to online standing: a researcher's online presence is an important channel for dissemination of expertise and achievements (Genoni et al., 2005; Mas-Bleda and Aguillo, 2013). Many researchers feel it is important to have a strong online presence in addition to having high-quality publications in order to make a scientific impact. Researchers use these sites \"to build, promote, and measure reputation\" (Nicholas et al., 2015, p. 171), and to gain and maintain an \"online academic identity\" (Jordan, 2014, para 2). Researchers reported that the use of social media increases the chances of their research being noticed (Weller, 2015) and they use, for example, Twitter as a professional medium for sharing and discussing publications. The more marketing researchers do, the more likely it seems that their research is noticed and cited (Eysenbach, 2011). Hyland (2011, p. 288) goes so far as to call it \"almost obligatory for academics to maintain some kind of online presence.\"\nDefinition of SNS: SNS are \"web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system\" (Boyd and Ellison, 2007, p. 211). Some SNS are specifically aimed at the scientific community, for example, Academia.edu. They provide additional features like sharing research papers, collaborating with colleagues or tracking citations. For these specialized sites, the term academic social networking sites (ASNS) is often used (Gruzd and Goertzen, 2013; Jeng et al., 2015). In what follows, we use the more general term SNS to include both academic and non-academic sites in our analysis, and we use the term \"profile\" only to refer to academic profiles, i.e. profiles for professional academic use.\nMethod and data description: The present qualitative study analyzes participants' experiences of and attitudes toward having a profile on and using SNS for academic purposes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in the field to reuse qualitative interview data for which the authors had no influence on the sample design and the interview questions. Calls for data reuse are various (Kratz and Strasser, 2015; Tenopir et al., 2011), but few studies have actually reused data (Wallis et al., 2013), and much less qualitative data which depend strongly on context, the questions and the skill of the interviewer. Our study shows how data reuse makes new and important insights possible, but we also discuss limitations.\nResults: Theme 1: experiences with profiles on SNS for professional academic use\nLimitations of the study and reuse of qualitative data: This study has limitations that should be taken into consideration. The first one is that it reuses qualitative interview data originally collected with the aim to gather insights to inform and support the development of a tool available in Mendeley. This means that questions asked during interviews were mostly directed to explore this specific SNS and gain insights related to usability and design. In addition, the authors of the paper were not the ones conducting the interviews; therefore, we could not reframe or add questions to specifically unpack comments related to attitudes, feelings or the use of SNS in academia. Since part of the recruitment used Mendeley users, Figure 2 shows that their profile on Mendeley was not present on researchers' minds. It is therefore likely that participants have profiles on other sites than the ones they mentioned but these leads may not have been pursued further because they were not relevant for the initial purposes of the study. The results show the profiles that were present on participants' minds.\nConclusion: This paper started out by questioning the general consensus that the future researcher will have a profile or would be interested in having one on SNS. Previous studies imply that researchers may not have fully adopted SNS, but they predict that the time has come and that researchers will soon embrace SNS for their academic work. Furthermore, the literature review revealed that content analyses and questionnaires were the dominant approaches to gather data. While the majority of publications present how and how much researchers have already adopted SNS, a few gave voice to concerns expressed by researchers. Reasons behind the concerns were lacking or not explicitly stated.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to better understand why many researchers do not have a profile on social networking sites (SNS), and whether this is the result of conscious decisions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Thematic analysis was conducted on a large qualitative data set from researchers across three levels of seniority, four countries and four disciplines to explore their attitudes toward and experiences with SNS.\nFindings: The study found much greater scepticism toward adopting SNS than previously reported. Reasons behind researchers' scepticism range from SNS being unimportant for their work to not belonging to their culture or habits. Some even felt that a profile presented people negatively and might harm their career. These concerns were mostly expressed by junior and midlevel researchers, showing that the largest opponents to SNS may unexpectedly be younger researchers.\nResearch limitations/implications: A limitation of this study was that the authors did not conduct the interviews, and therefore reframing or adding questions to specifically unpack comments related to attitudes, feelings or the use of SNS in academia was not possible.\nOriginality/value: By studying implicit attitudes and experiences, this study shows that instead of being ignorant of SNS profiles, some researchers actively opt for a non-use of profiles on SNS.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Regional document supply networks and their influence on national document supply networks in China
|
[
"China",
"Interlibrary loan",
"Document delivery",
"Regional document supply network"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nOverview of regional document supply networks in China: Document supply service, one of the most effective forms of resource sharing, comprises both interlibrary loan for returnable resources and document delivery for non-returnable resources. Regional document supply networks in China normally consist of libraries in the same general area, affiliated with the same social organization, having similar social and cultural backgrounds, which makes it easy for them to form a common ground. As a matter of fact, regional document delivery networks have become the most important component of and complement to the nationwide document supply networks. There are three main forms of regional document supply networks in China which serve as document resource sharing cooperation networks within provinces, cities and university towns.\nFramework of regional document supply networks: Generally speaking, a regional document supply network is composed of a management center, central libraries and member libraries (Yang, 2010). The management center is normally a virtual institute led by the local education commission and/or library committee and is made up of directors of member libraries. The responsibilities of management center are:\nILL/DD system used by regional document supply networks: In my opinion, the ILL/DD system is the main factor that determines the service mode of document supply networks. There are two kinds of ILL/DD systems that are widely used in regional document supply networks in China. One is CALIS ILL/DD system, while the other is a commercial ILL/DD system.\nService mode: Distributed mode prevails over centralized mode\nInfluence to nationwide document supply networks: Regional document supply networks are a crucial component of the national document supply network. On one hand, they rely on national document supply networks to a great extent. On the other hand, they have their own advantages not found in national document supply networks. Those advantages include comprehensive regional coverage, fine and timely service and so on, which enable them to exert helpful influence over national document supply networks.\nSuggestions for improvement: Regional document supply networks have been making progress in recent years, and they have been an important component and complement to national document supply networks. However, there's much room for improvement.\nConclusion: Regional document supply networks have been changing continuously with the development of technology and users' needs, especially in the most recent three years. Their framework, ILL/DD system and service mode are all influenced deeply by national document supply networks. Meanwhile, regional document supply networks are taking advantage of their unique roles to affect and contribute to national document supply networks. If regional document supply networks can learn from others' strong points to offset their weakness, they can work better and better in the future.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to describe typical regional document supply networks in China through detailed discussion of their framework, service mode and influence on the nationwide document supply networks.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper highlights various kinds of regional document supply networks in China that serve as document resource sharing cooperation networks within provinces, cities and university towns. Their framework, service mode and influence on the nationwide document supply networks are discussed, followed by suggestions for improvement.\nFindings: Regional document supply networks have their natural advantages in local financial support and extensive local coverage and are capable of providing fine service to meet various user needs timely and economically. They become an important part and beneficial supplement to nationwide document supply networks.\nOriginality/value: This paper studies regional document supply networks in China which has rarely been addressed in the international library literature.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Assigning Eurozone sovereign credit ratings using CDS spreads
|
[
"Forecasting",
"Credit ratings",
"Big three",
"CDS spread",
"Sovereign credit risk"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: It became evident during the credit crisis of 2008 that there were several major issues with sovereign credit ratings issued by the Big 3 (S&P, Moody's and Fitch). The main issues were a misuse of their position, as they control 95 per cent of the market (Klein, 2004; Eijffinger, 2012; Taylor et al., 2011), a conflict of interest (EC, 2013; Larosiere et al., 2009; Ozturk et al., 2016), not being transparent about the rating procedure (Iyengar, 2010; Katz et al., 2009; Benmelech and Duglosz, 2009) and a slow response to market changes (Eijffinger, 2012; Ozturk et al., 2016). Due to these issues, the sovereign credit ratings that were issued did not reflect the true credit risk faced by a sovereign adequately.\n2. Literature review: Our work is primarily related to the literature on assessing sovereign credit risk. More specifically, we contribute to the literature on assessing sovereign credit risk using CDS spreads.\n3. Data: Our investigation covers the period from April 2007 to April 2013. We collect the CDS spreads, and financial and macroeconomic data over this time period for eight countries in the Eurozone. We split the six-year time span in to a calibration period and a testing period. The calibration period is set to 3.5 years, from April 2007 to September 2010. The model parameters obtained from the calibration are tested on the remaining 2.5 years of data. Below we discuss some characteristics of the collected data.\n4. Framework: In this section, we first explain the backward looking model developed by Ang and Longstaff (2013), which forms the base of our framework and model. We calibrate it using data from 2007 to 2010 and test its performance on data from 2010 to 2013. Seeing the deficiencies in the AL-CDS model's performance, we develop an alternative model, explained in Section 4.2.\n5. New rating scheme and comparison with the Big 3: To be able to compare the outcome of the forecasting model with the ratings assigned by the Big 3, a classification scale has to be designed to assign a rating based upon the estimated default probability. However, there are a couple of issues to notice. First, the Big 3 do not release information regarding what default probability is assigned to a credit rating. There is a qualitative definition for each rating, but no quantitative expression in terms of default rates or default probability over time. As the rating procedures used by the Big 3 are different, different ratings are issued for the same sovereign. Furthermore, data from S&P [Standard & Poor's (S&P), 2012] and Moody's (Moody's, 2008) show a discrepancy between the sovereign credit rating assigned by a credit rating agency and the default rate that is observed over time by the credit rating agency. One would assume that a higher rating would result into a lower default rate, but the opposite situation can be seen. These observations show that is it not clear what the quantitative impact is of a rating in terms of the observed default rate.\n6. Conclusion: The credit ratings assigned to sovereigns play a crucial role in indicating the financial health of these sovereigns. The inadequacies of the ratings assigned by the Big 3 (S &P, Moody's and Fitch) became apparent during the financial crisis of 2008. The manner in which these firms assign their ratings lacks transparency. Furthermore, the fact that these firms receive payments from the sovereigns they assess and assign ratings to leads to significant conflicts of interest issues. More crucially, as was evidenced during the financial crisis, the ratings assigned by the Big 3 are slow to respond to market changes. The current financial climate is one in which many sovereigns are vulnerable to shifts in the geopolitical landscape. Given the vital role played by sovereign credit ratings, there is an urgent need for a transparent and rigorous model that can assess the creditworthiness of a sovereign and assign ratings that are accurate and respond quickly to market changes. In this paper, we develop a framework using the CDS spreads of a sovereign to assess its creditworthiness and assign a credit rating. The framework is centered on a regression-based model to estimate the CDS spreads of sovereigns. The model adopts the notion that sovereign credit risk is composed of both systemic and idiosyncratic risk and uses historical CDS data and data on other financial and macroeconomic variables to estimate the CDS spreads of sovereigns. With these estimates, the values of the systemic and idiosyncratic risk intensity processes can be calculated. These values in turn yield estimates of the default probability of a sovereign. A ratings scale based on these estimated default probabilities is then used to assign credit ratings to the sovereigns. We tested our framework on data from eight Eurozone countries during the peak of the financial crisis. Our results show that our framework provides good estimates of CDS spreads. Furthermore, the credit ratings assigned to sovereigns using our framework and ratings scheme reflect reality better, as opposed to the credit ratings issued by the Big 3. The proposed framework is generic and readily allows for modifications in the input data. Users can adjust factors and/or add new information easily. Due to the modular nature of the framework, users can use more sophisticated models to estimate default intensities and default probabilities. For example, a non-linear regression model might be used. A dynamic factor model, with parameter estimates obtained using a Kalman Filter, in conjunction with simulation could also be used. The framework is also demonstrably accurate and responsive. The framework is also transparent in the assessment of sovereign creditworthiness and assignment of credit ratings. Furthermore, the model also allows for stress testing to be performed, a key requirement for financial models in current economic conditions.\n",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "Purpose: The credit ratings issued by the Big 3 ratings agencies are inaccurate and slow to respond to market changes. This paper aims to develop a rigorous, transparent and robust credit assessment and rating scheme for sovereigns.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper develops a regression-based model using credit default swap (CDS) data, and data on financial and macroeconomic variables to estimate sovereign CDS spreads. Using these spreads, the default probabilities of sovereigns can be estimated. The new ratings scheme is then used in conjunction with these default probabilities to assign credit ratings to sovereigns.\nFindings: The developed model accurately estimates CDS spreads (based on RMSE values). Credit ratings issued retrospectively using the new scheme reflect reality better.\nResearch limitations/implications: This paper reveals that both macroeconomic and financial factors affect both systemic and idiosyncratic risks for sovereigns.\nPractical implications: The developed credit assessment and ratings scheme can be used to evaluate the creditworthiness of sovereigns and subsequently assign robust credit ratings.\nSocial implications: The transparency and rigor of the new scheme will result in better and trustworthy indications of a sovereign's financial health. Investors and monetary authorities can make better informed decisions. The episodes that occurred during the debt crisis could be avoided.\nOriginality/value: This paper uses both financial and macroeconomic data to estimate CDS spreads and demonstrates that both financial and macroeconomic factors affect sovereign systemic and idiosyncratic risk. The proposed credit assessment and ratings schemes could supplement or potentially replace the credit ratings issued by the Big 3 ratings agencies.\n",
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A cognitive organization theory (COT) of organizational change: Measuring organizational texture, audience appeal, and leadership engagement
|
[
"Scale development",
"Organizational change",
"Organizational ecology",
"Cognitive organization theory"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In the 2000s, organizational ecology (OE) took a cognitive turn, emphasizing subtle micro-level processes emerging within organizations and their populations (e.g. Hannan, Polos, and Carroll (or HPC), 2007). OE was launched as a macro organization theory, focusing on population-level analyses of evolutionary processes, and the vital events of founding and mortality (Hannan and Freeman, 1977). The key micro theory of OE centers on relative and structural inertia, arguing that organizational inertia is both a condition for and outcome of population processes of selection (Hannan and Freeman, 1984). The central prediction of OE's inertia theory is that changes in an organization's core increase this organization's mortality likelihood. This claim is further developed in cognitive organization theory (COT).\nCOT in a nutshell: HPC (2007) argue that change takes place in an organizational context featuring four key attributes: asperity, intricacy, opacity and viscosity. Asperity refers to the restrictiveness of culture with respect to architectural features. Cultural codes are formed around the organization's architectural codes, which restrict the architectural features that are tolerated and allowed to change. Changes to the organization's identity are especially problematic and result in strong opposition, because this implies a violation of default codes and produces normative reactions and sanctions. Intricacy relates to intra-organizational interconnectedness. Changes to organizations with an intricate pattern of subordinations typically generate longer change cascades. One unit dominates another architecturally if the feature values of the former act as constraints (or codes) for the latter. Changes in the dominant unit induce code violations in the subordinate units. Opacity involves the structural limits on foresight of those initiating organizational change. This implies an underestimation of the length of the cascades, and of the costs and risks of change. A unit is structurally opaque to the extent that its connections cannot be readily observed from other units. Viscosity refers to the length of time a unit takes to correct induced code violations. Due to the opportunity costs associated with reorganizations, increasing the reorganization time necessarily increases the cost of the change.\nMethodology: We aim to develop reliable and valid survey measures of COT's key constructs. We followed a three-step procedure (e.g. Hinkin, 1998; Ferris et al., 2008). In step 1, we constructed scales with survey items by: using OB scales to proxy for COT constructs, to the extent available; and creating self-developed potential items and scales for remaining constructs (consulting with COT experts), to maximize pre-test face validity. In step 2, we applied factor analysis to determine the convergent and discriminant validity of our scales, in the process engaging in item reduction, and the reliability of the remaining scale items is assessed with Cronbach's a. In step 3, we estimate a structural equation model (SEM) to evaluate external validity, exploring whether the measures have the effect hypothesized in COT.\nMeasurement model: We constructed self-developed items to develop scales for the four organizational texture features (Table I, which includes self-created measures of change magnitude and change cascades, being critical control variables).\nPsychometric analysis: All items are assessed using a seven-point Likert scale. We applied exploratory factor analysis (using STATA 12) to self-developed and confirmatory factor analysis to established scales to determine convergent and discriminant validity (Tables VI-IX). Asperity, opacity, and viscosity lack both convergent and discriminant validity in all samples, failing to sufficiently load onto one single factor. Intricacy does have convergent validity, as both items have a high factor loading. However, the discriminant validity of this scale is not entirely satisfactory, as the third item of opacity (OPAC3) and the second item of change magnitude (CF_TYPE2) have a factor loading above 0.40 on factor F5 in the UK sample. Intrinsic appeal (EXPECT* and NORM*) reveals both convergent and discriminant validity. Change magnitude (CF_TYP*) has good convergent validity, but the discriminant validity is not entirely satisfactory due to the high loading of its second item on factor F5 in the UK sample. Change cascade (CASC*) has good convergent and divergent validity.\nExternal validity: We explore criterion-related and external validity by running SEM analyses on the pooled data, with intrinsic and actual appeal (attitude, behavior, and evaluation) as the dependent variables. The Chow statistic is significant for all models, except when indicated, suggesting that the data from Belgium and the UK may be pooled, as regression coefficients for the two countries tend not to differ significantly. For all Likert scales, we took the across-item average (after re-coding all reverse-coded items), applying path analysis in the form of a series of Ordinary Least Squares regressions (using STATA 12). We estimate the standard errors using the Huber-White sandwich estimators, and cluster standard errors on the level of the police unit (Table XI). In light of the numbers of parameters in the different parts of our regression (i.e. 29, 50, 53, and 51 for the intrinsic appeal and actual appeal attitude, behavior and evaluation regressions, respectively), our sample size (629) is adequate (ranging from 12 to 22 observations per estimated parameter).\nDiscussion: We re-conceptualize COT in combining micro OB with macro OE reasoning, applied to internal processes of organizational change at the individual level. Furthermore, we develop a number of survey-based measures to proxy COT's key theoretical constructs, and estimate a COT-inspired SEM with police force data from Belgium and the UK. A few organizational texture variables are significantly associated with intrinsic appeal. Asperity and opacity are of relatively greater importance than intricacy or viscosity. Additionally, relational identity, intrinsic appeal, collective identity, change support, and change revision are structurally significant. Intrinsic appeal is strongly related to actual appeal. Relational identity, collective identity, change support, and change revision are relatively important engagement variables, affecting actual appeal. The results are promising, proving evidence as to the criterion-related validity of our measures of COT constructs. From the total of 39 coefficients of COT-inspired independent and control variables, 22 are significant.\n",
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},
{
"content": "Purpose: In this paper, the authors develop a cognitive organization theory (COT) of organizational change. COT was developed in the 2000s, by taking insights from cognitive psychology and anthropology to rebuild the foundation of organizational ecology (OE), grounding macro processes of organizational legitimation, inertia and mortality in micro processes of appeal and engagement. COT also explored the micro-level process of organizational change, arguing that four features (i.e. asperity, intricacy, opacity, and viscosity) of an organization's texture impact the appeal of organizational change. However, to data, empirical studies of a COT of organizational change are absent. An important reason is that many of the new COT constructs are not linked to empirical measures. The purpose of this paper is to develop reliable and valid survey measures of COT's key constructs.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors follow a three-step procedure to develop reliable and valid survey measures of COT's key constructs. First, the authors construct survey measures by using existing organizational behavior (OB) scales and develop new scales in consultation with COT experts. Second, the authors apply factor analysis to evaluate convergent and discriminant validity and use Cronbach's a to determine the reliability of the scales. Third, the authors estimate a structural equation model to determine external validity, by exploring whether the measures have the effect hypothesized in COT.\nFindings: The authors find that existing OB scales can be used to proxy for COT's key constructs of appeal and engagement. The authors also find that two organizational texture variables (i.e., asperity and opacity) are significantly associated with the appeal of organizational change, further confirming the validity of applying a COT to organization change. The results are promising, proving evidence as to the criterion-related validity of the measures of COT constructs. From the total of 39 coefficients of COT-inspired independent and control variables, 22 are significant.\nResearch limitations/implications: The authors' findings illustrate that micro OB and macro OE can be effectively combined in a COT of organizational change. However, the authors' contribution is only a first step, requiring further theoretical and methodological refinement. Theoretically, OB and OE can be integrated further, by linking together more concepts and constructs from the two streams of literature. Methodologically, the link between constructs and empirical measures can be refined, by adding extra scales and items, and collecting more data to validate them.\nOriginality/value: In this paper, the authors develop a COT of organizational change and link its central constructs to empirical measures, by connecting them to existing OB constructs and developing new scales and items. This opens the door to empirical studies on a COT of organizational change, hereby providing a stepping-stone for further integration of micro OB and macro OE.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A hybrid SD-DEMATEL approach to develop a delay model for construction projects
|
[
"Construction management",
"System dynamics",
"Causes of delay",
"Construction delay",
"DEMATEL method",
"Iranian construction industry"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: A construction project is commonly acknowledged as successful when it is completed on time, within budget, and in accordance with the specifications (Olawale and Sun, 2013). Delays happen in most construction projects, whether simple or complex (Sweis et al., 2008) and can have negative effect on the other objectives of the project such as cost or quality. Construction delay could be defined as the time overrun either beyond the contract date or beyond the date that the parties agreed upon for the delivery of a project (Assaf and Al-Hejji, 2006). In other words, delay is an act or event which extends the required time to perform or complete work of contract and manifests itself as additional days of work (Zack, 2003). The construction industry has a very bad reputation for coping with delays, and project managers usually ignore the delay analysis or simply pass it just by considering a contingency plan based on their subjective appraisal in the schedule. On the other hand, analyses of delays are characterized as complex and difficult due to the large number of activities that have to be dealt with in any construction project (Shi et al., 2001). As a result, many major projects fail to meet schedule deadlines (Duran, 2006) and the history of the construction industry worldwide is full of projects that were not completed within significant time and estimated cost (Amehl et al., 2010). Nowadays, even with modern advanced technology, and managers' knowledge of project management techniques, construction projects continue to suffer delays and project completion dates still get pushed back and delay has become an integral part of the project's construction life (Stumpf, 2000). Increased costs, disruption of work, reduced productivity, increased conflicts and claims or termination of the construction contract are among the most important consequences of the delay. Therefore, delays in construction projects lead to dissatisfaction of all involved parties (Majid, 2006) and it is necessary to investigate causes of delay and its consequences in construction projects.\n2. Literature review: Based on the perspective of this study, two main categories can be assumed for research studies related to construction delay: studies which proposed a method for analyzing delay and studies which investigate the causes of delay.\n3. Research methodology: Different methodologies have been used in this research and the proposed method are explained briefly below.\n4. Questionnaire design and population characteristics: As mentioned before, several studies have been conducted to identify the factors causing delays. To identify the most important factor, two cases should be considered:\n5. Dynamic modeling of delays: Figure 4 illustrates the integrated dynamic model for these factors .This section is going to review each of causal loops briefly. Note that, to have better understanding of the model, the auxiliary variables such as the work done and remaining work in each loop are considered, which were not mentioned in Table II. Since, based on the SD principle, the normal sense of direction of variables should be positive (Sterman, 2000), the name of some variables were also changed in the causal loop diagrams.\n6. Rankings of the factors based on the proposed method: Understanding the dynamic relations among the factors interacting with delay, based on the causal loop diagrams contributed by SD, at this stage, we are going to use them to identify the most significant ones influencing and influenced by delay through employing the DEMATEL method.\n7. Discussion and recommendations: In the follow, we will discuss the top five and three factors (illustrated in Tables IV and V) briefly. Moreover, causes of each factor are to be investigated in this section.\n8. Conclusion: This study was conducted to investigate and analyze the causes of the delay in construction projects through combination of SD approach and the DEMATEL method. Reviewing the literature and seeking opinions of the experts selected from the Iranian construction industry, 58 delay factors were identified and categorized in six major groups, including client-related, consultant-related, the contractor-related, the labor-related, equipment and-materials-related, and external-related factors. The interrelations among these factors were modeled based on the SD. Then, using the causal loop diagrams resulted from SD and applying the DEMATEL method, the most important factors influencing and influenced by delay were identified. According to the results, labors and consultant workforce rework, operation suspension, delay in progress payments, ineffective project's planning and scheduling, and low productivity level of labors are the most important influencing factors on delay. And costs of execution, acceleration in conduction of biding and notification of contract and schedule pressure are the most important influenced factors by delay. The impact of factors on each other was determined based on opinions of 63 experts selected from the Iranian community of consultants, contractors and clients. The study also concluded that factors related to the labors are the most important and influenced factor by other factors. Factors related to the client are the most influencing factors, and external-related factors are the least important factors in the field of delay analysis. Finally, some recommendations in order to reduce variation of delay in the construction projects were also presented. It should be admitted that there exist limitations in the proposed approach as follows:\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for complex interconnected structure of various factors interacting with delay in order to identify the most important factors influencing and influenced by delay based on their interrelations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Reviewing literature and interviewing with local experts selected from the Iranian construction industry, top 58 delay factors were identified and categorized into six major groups. The interrelations among these factors were, then, modeled using the system dynamics (SD) approach. The resulting causal loop diagrams obtained from SD were used subsequently for identifying the most significant factors influencing and influenced by delay through the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The impact of factors on each other was finally determined based on the opinions of 63 experts selected from the Iranian community of consultants, contractors, and clients.\nFindings: According to the analysis, eight out of the 58 factors were identified as the most influencing factors on delay, and nine factors were found to be the most influenced factors by delay in the field of delay analysis. The study also concluded that factors related to labors are the most important and influential factors. In addition, factors related to client were the most influencing factors and external-related factors were the least important ones. At the end, some recommendations to reduce variation of delay in the construction projects are presented as well.\nOriginality/value: Considering the interconnected structure of the factors, the paper identifies the most important factors interacting with time delay in construction projects.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Drivers of change: a contemporary model
|
[
"Change management",
"Cross‐cultural management",
"Leadership"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: This paper introduces a new change management model developed by ChangeTracking Research (CTRE), a management consulting firm based in Sydney, Australia. The model was developed after surveying employees in 146 organizations worldwide to gain an understanding of issues that mattered in the management of change. Managers and consultants will find this paper useful because it introduces a new perspective in understanding the impact of national culture on change management initiatives.\nCTRE's model: ChangeTracking Research (CTRE) commenced a major research project in 1998 to identify the factors that need to be measured to determine whether a change management project is on track. Towards this end it developed \"ChangeTracking Survey(r)\" (CTS) which is a proprietary survey instrument that measures employees' perceptions of organizational change as well as capturing their experiences when change takes place in their organizations. Using a data-cenetred approach to change management, a comprehensive benchmarking database was built from responses from employees involved in or affected by organizational change projects in over 250 organizations across a variety of industries, nationalities and languages.All aspects of change were systematically analyzed across various types of change, such as growth, restructuring, cost reduction and the implementation of new technology. A full range of change dynamics were explored in relation to various factors, i.e. complexity of the change project, available resources, training, etc. The items that were taken into account also covered an extensive range of \"people factors\", from feelings to communications, involvement, accountability, leadership, clarity of direction, management competencies and organizational values. Success and failure of the change projects were tracked across time. Links to hard financial and outcome data have been established in longitudinal studies, and the impact of change interventions on company results has been examined.Adopting a behavioral focus in questioning requires clarification of the focus of the questions. For example, role clarity can be measured by asking the individual \"How clear is your role?\" The individual in this case is the best person to assess role clarity. On the other hand, questions with a strong social desirability component, for example the assessment of accountability, require a systemic approach with the focus being the primary work group instead of the individual. In the latter case we ask \"To what extent are people in your team held accountable for achieving their objectives?\"CTS uses a seven-point Likert scale, asking respondents to what extent a certain item is present within the organization, ranging from \"not at all\" to \"very high.\" The objective is to capture perceptions and to separate those from value judgments. Extensive statistical testing was conducted on an ongoing basis in order to empirically analyze the underlying factor structure of the data, which provided the foundation for the development of the ChangeTracking model (Figure 1).From the initial survey, a database containing 63 nationalities was set up. However, only 27 nationalities with sample sizes greater than 200 were included in the initial study. Only data samples in which each culture had over 200 respondents and at least three companies were used in the analysis. The final sample consisted of 108,951 respondents from 146 companies situated in 27 countries (Table I).Nationality is defined as the country where the respondent completed the CTS survey but does not take into account that respondents might originate from a different country. For example, an American working in Finland on a project would be in the category \"Finland.\" Nationality is incidental to the location of the survey site but was not collected as a specific demographic. The CTS survey is currently administered in 17 different languages. The translation is carried out by professional translators and the questions have been validated and modified on multiple occasions by local consultants and local country staff to ensure an accurate translation of the meaning of the original question.The survey identified six critical drivers that moderate the impact of change on performance:1. turbulence;2. resources;3. aligned direction;4. change leadership;5. work roles; and6. emotional energy.These performance drivers were further refined into clusters to provide a common language for effective communication. From this emerged a model (see Figure 1) that had two performance outcomes and a number of critical drivers. The performance outcome variables are \"Realising business benefits\" and \"Improving business performance.\"\"Realising business benefits\" is defined as the extent to which elements of the business case for change have been achieved or will be achieved. CTS measures the extent to which planned functionality and/or capability has been achieved and whether or not people see that business benefits have been realized. \"Improving business performance\" is defined as the improvement in performance while change is taking place as opposed to a decline, in effectiveness, cost management and customer service in the organization. The performance questions measure whether or not performance increases or decreases in the day-to-day operations of the organization. The paper uses Hofstede's work (1980, 2000, Hofstede et al. 2010) as a basis for analyzing differences in the perception of change management initiatives between cultures and exploring potential relationships to Hofstede's cultural dimensions.Turbulence\nFurther development: CTS is frequently undertaken by large multinationals undergoing a global change initiative and may include, for example, employees in subsidiaries in different countries simultaneously undergoing a company-wide SAP implementation. As more companies participate in the CTS project, the model will probably be refined. However, at this stage, the CTS model of change presents some useful new perspectives and enhances the richness of knowledge in the area of organizational change management.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper introduces a contemporary model developed by a Sydney-based consulting firm, ChangeTracking Research. The model was developed through an initial survey of 146 companies based in 27 countries.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The authors present a change development model which uses Hofstede's work as a foundation for understanding cross-cultural differences in organizations from across the world and how that affects change management in these cultures. The model is informed by initial surveys of employees from 27 nationalities in 146 companies working in a variety of industries.\nFindings: - The paper presents a model that identifies six key drivers arising from different cultural dimensions that determine success in change management projects.\nPractical implications: - The model developed in this paper introduces new knowledge of the cross-cultural dynamics in change management projects which would prove useful to change managers throughout the world.\nOriginality/value: - The paper presents a unique model that presents six key drivers that determine the success of change management. A subset of clusters under each driver presents an in-depth understanding of the critical issues to be recognized and managed in differing cultural contexts.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Personality, social comparison, consumption emotions, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions: How do these and other factors relate in a hotel setting?
|
[
"Social comparison",
"Consumption emotions",
"Personality",
"Guest satisfaction",
"Intentions",
"Consumption",
"Hotels"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The relationship between customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions in the hotel and hospitality sector has been a source of concern for both practitioners and academicians due to its positive impact on hospitality-business profitability (Han and Back, 2008; Han et al., 2010; Ryu et al., 2010). In an effort to understand the relationship better, researchers have located and reported on the separate factors that influence the association between these two constructs to include cognitive evaluation and affective or emotional responses as major factors (Bigne et al., 2008). Variations in these two major factors depend on image and perceived value (Ryu et al., 2008), service quality (Wong, 2005), physical environment (Ryu and Jang, 2008), and service encounters (Price et al., 1995). However, despite cognition and affect factors' being dependent on individuals' personality traits (Pervin and Cervone, 2010), few studies have utilized personality in explaining cognitive evaluation and affective responses in hospitality (Gountas and Gountas, 2007) settings.\nLiterature review: Explication of constructs\nMethods: Research instrument\nResults: Reliability and validity testing\nDiscussion: This study sought to test the relationship among the Big Five personality traits and hotel guests' satisfaction, consumption emotions, SC, and behavioral intentions. The results indicated that openness to experience was less useful in explaining the two consumption emotions and SC, while conscientiousness influenced only SC in the hotel environment. Extraversion had a significant influence on positive consumption emotions and SC. Agreeableness had a significant influence on both consumption emotions, while neuroticism had a significant influence on SC and negative consumption emotion. The results indicated that SC had a significant influence on the two consumption emotions as well as on guest satisfaction level. The two consumption emotions had a significant influence on guest satisfaction, with positive consumption emotions having an extended direct influence on guests' intentions to revisit and spread positive word-of-mouth.\nConclusion: Under the highly competitive lodging market, the challenge for hotel researchers and practitioners is to find the efficient way to generate guests' favorable behavioral intentions, which are particularly critical for the success of hotels. The findings of the present study help researchers and practitioners in the lodging industry acquire the empirical evidence showing the significance of individuals' personality, SC, emotions, and satisfaction in inducing positive decisions to revisit and recommend. In the present study, the complicated interrelationships among the study constructs in decision formation have been also fully identified. Overall, the findings of this study, evoked from a field survey at luxury hotels, indicated that hotel practitioners should pay special attention to guests' personality, affective responses, SC, and satisfaction evaluation in order to achieve positive behavioral intentions.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This study attempts to answer the following questions: can the Big Five factors (BFF) of personality facilitate a social comparison (SC) of hotel guests? Can the BFF explain the emotional responses of hotel guests? Do SC and consumption emotions mediate the influence of personality on hotel guests' levels of satisfaction?\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data from a survey of hotel guests, which yielded an effective sample of 564, was subjected to a series of multiple regression analyses. The Baron and Kenny approach was employed to test mediating impacts.\nFindings: The five factors of personality explain significant variations in consumption emotions and SCs of hotel guests. Apart from consumption emotions, SC was found to influence hotel guests' satisfaction significantly. Further, greater guest satisfaction was a partial mediator of the effect of positive consumption emotion on revisit and word-of-mouth intentions but constituted only a partial mediator of negative consumption emotions on word-of-mouth.\nResearch limitations/implications: The results offer managerial insights into marketing strategies, design, and operational and human-resource management.\nOriginality/value: Few studies have integrated personality and customers' consumption emotions with satisfaction and behavioral intentions. This research gap has been compounded by a lack of research on SCs that might further explain personality-customer responses and behavioral intentions. This study fills this gap by reporting on a survey of hotel guests that provided data on these relationships. Theoretically, the findings justify the value of personality and SCs in hotel settings.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Assessing differences in customers' personal disposition to e-commerce
|
[
"E-commerce",
"Generation",
"Gender",
"Hedonic purchase",
"TRI 2.0",
"Utilitarian purchase"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Almost 30 years after its emergence e-commerce is still a global phenomenon. However, the expectations in its development have not been fully met; in fact, there are still significant differences between online and offline purchases. For example, in the USA, more than 90 percent of consumer spending continues to occur offline (Glueck, 2017). Given this fact, to explain in a better way what motivates people to make online purchases is a relevant issue, even more so in the current hyper-technological context.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Hedonic and utilitarian purchases\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Sample\n4. Results: 4.1 Goodness of model fit\n5. Discussion: The results obtained in this study successfully support the objective set. In general terms, we found that discomfort and innovativeness personality traits affect both types of purchases, hedonic and utilitarian (H2a, H2b, H3a and H3b). Innovativeness is the most influential construct in both types of purchases. This result appears both in the PLS analysis, which assumes that there is a linear relationship among the variables, as well as in the ANN analysis, which has the capability to capture linear and non-linear relationships among the variables and to evaluate the importance of a set of factors. That is, the greater the degree of innovativeness, the greater the likelihood of making any purchase. Conversely, discomfort has a negative relationship with purchases and it is of less intensity than those of innovativeness; specifically, the greater the level of discomfort an individual has, the less the probability of making online purchases. Even though we did not find support for hypotheses H1a and H1b, we discovered some important underlying relationships. The optimism personality trait influences hedonic online purchases only for younger people from Generations X and Y. On the other hand, optimism influences utilitarian online purchases only for females belonging to the baby-boomers generation. Surprisingly, the results show that high levels of optimism reduce hedonic purchases in this group.\n6. Implications for theory and practice: From a theoretical point of view, the contributions of this study are threefold. The analysis of personal traits and the type of purchases contribute to the existing literature on consumer behavior and e-commerce, and provide some insights for marketers to identify segmentation strategies by analyzing the gender and generation of individuals. Second, this study contributes to examining the stability and invariances of the TRI 2.0 instrument, which has not been fully revised in less developed countries. Third, this study adds to the existing body of research that argues that demographic variables are not sufficient to understand technology adoption by individuals by including psychological variables. That is, we found that the personal characteristics of individuals, both demographic and psychographic, affect their purchasing behavior. Particularly, we found that personality traits related to technology and measured by TRI 2.0, affect consumers in their hedonic or utilitarian purchases. These types of traits still remain understudied in the literature, especially with the use of the TRI 2.0 scale (Parasuraman and Colby, 2015). In addition, our work covered a wide range of ages, which is especially interesting. Divergences in behaviors explained by age appear, especially, when the age difference among individuals is wide (Chua et al., 1999). From the gender point of view, we also found differences in purchasing behavior, although these differences do not usually appear within the same generation. Our results indicate that the differences in shopping behavior appear, mainly, when the distance in both gender and age widens.\n7. Conclusion: This paper determined differences in customers' personal disposition to online shopping. Data were collected in Chile through a face-to-face survey. In addition to demographic characteristics such as age and gender, and to deeply understand the motivations that lead individuals to engage in online purchase behavior, psychological characteristics were taken into account. Innovativeness, optimism, discomfort and insecurity, which characterized individuals, were obtained from the TRI to validate whether they have an effect on participating in online shopping.\n8. Limitations and future research: Even though the study followed a rigorous research methodology, it is not without limitations. Data were gathered from only two regions of the country, which may limit the generality of the results. However, these regions are important urban centers in the north and south of Chile. Additionally, the non-probabilistic sample may limit the generalization of the study findings. On the other hand, given that results indicate a weak predictive power of the research model, future studies should explore three possible ways to increase this predictive indicator. First, to use statistical methods that allow analysis of non-linear relationships. Second, to incorporate new antecedents of online purchase, such as personal income and electronic word-of-mouth, among others. Third, to focus on generation/gender segments for a specific product or service, for example, online purchase of air travel by females belonging to the baby-boomers generation.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine differences in customers' personal disposition to online shopping.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research model was proposed based on two types of purchases (hedonic vs utilitarian) and on personal traits of individuals against technology throughout the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) 2.0. Generation and gender were considered to evaluate their impact on the type of purchases. Consumers' data were collected in Chile through 788 face-to-face surveys. The partial least squares approach was used to test the research model.\nFindings: The findings show that optimism and discomfort influence online shopping. Moreover, generation and gender moderate the relationship between the dimensions of the TRI and online purchases.\nOriginality/value: The contributions of this study are threefold. The analysis of personal traits and the type of purchases contribute to the existing literature on consumer behavior and e-commerce, and provide some insights for marketers to identify segmentation strategies by analyzing the gender and generation of individuals. Second, this study contributes to examining the stability and invariances of the TRI 2.0 instrument, which has not been fully revised in less developed countries. Third, this study adds to the existing body of research that argues that demographic variables are not sufficient to understand technology adoption by individuals by including psychological variables.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Teachers' perceptions of fairness, well-being and burnout: A contribution to the validation of the Organizational Justice Index by Hoy and Tarter
|
[
"Job satisfaction",
"Teacher",
"Well-being",
"Organizational justice",
"Burnout",
"Validating scales"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The study of organizational justice perceptions has received great attention from the researchers and has become a relevant topic in organizational psychology, human resource management, and organization behavior studies (Cropanzano and Greenberg, 1997). Building on Adams' (1965) equity theory, the concept of organizational justice has become an important element in understanding how people respond to organizational demands (Luo, 2007). The employees' evaluation of their working environment determines their willingness to continue working with the organization (Workman, 2009). Usually, employees are attentive to justice of events and situations in their daily lives and across a variety of contexts (Li and Cropanzano, 2009). They act and react based on their perception of fairness, and if they perceive that are treated fairly by their organization tend to develop and maintain communal relationships with the organization (Kim, 2009). Organizational justice has attracted attention as a potential predictor of employees' mental health (Maslach et al., 2001). It is well-established in the literature that there is an important association between justice perceptions and job satisfaction, and performance (Bakhshi et al., 2009). Justice perceptions have been found to be positively associated with psychological well-being, and negatively with psychological distress (Cropanzano et al., 2005; Judge and Colquitt, 2004), absenteeism (Lam et al., 2002), emotional states, depression, and anxiety (Kalimo et al., 2003; Spell and Arnold, 2007). Accomplished researches showed that organizational justice is a predictor of many of the organizational variables. Colquitt (2001) contended that employees who are treated fairly have trust in their managers. Extending from this line of research, Workman (2009) showed as organizational justice interacts in the relationship between self-efficacy and attitudes. Furthermore, when employees perceive that they have self-efficacy in their work, and that organizational processes are fair and effective, then they have more positive attitudes (Mayer et al., 2007). Organizational justice is also an important precondition for increasing activity that is not formally part of any reward or compensation scheme, but does, however, promote the organization (Erkutlu, 2011).\nAims and hypothesis: In two studies, we aimed to evaluate the validity of the Italian version of the OJI (Hoy and Tarter, 2004), examining the structure, reliability, convergent and divergent validity (Studies 1 and 2), and invariance for group (Study 2). A further aim of the present research was to expand the original study analyzing the relation between OJI and some criterion variables such as teacher self-efficacy, teacher collective efficacy, and psycho-social well-being (Study 2).\nStudy 1: The purpose of Study 1 was to exam the structure of the scale and convergent and divergent validity.\nResults: CFA\nStudy 2: The purposes of Study 2 were to: re-confirm the structure of the Italian OJI, involving a broader sample; test the convergent and divergent validity using measures (job satisfaction, school climate, burnout) different from Study 1, and exam the relationships between OJI and some criterion measures such as teacher's personal and collective efficacy, and mental health; evaluate the invariance of the OJI for type of teachers' contract (permanent vs temporary teacher).\nResults: Descriptive statistics and CFA\nDiscussion and conclusion: Organizational justice is concerned \"with the ways in which employees determine if they have been treated fairly in their jobs and the ways in which those determinations influence other work-related variables\" (Moorman, 1991, p. 845). Several studies demonstrated that perceived organizational justice explains the attitudes and behaviors of customers and worker (Cohen-Charash and Spector, 2001; Colquitt et al., 2001). In school setting, recent studies highlighted as teachers' perceptions of their jobs was significantly correlated with perceptions of their students (Nojani et al., 2012). Expanding these findings, an association between teachers' justice beliefs and students well-being has been found (Petrillo et al., 2012). On the other hand, perceived injustice is considered a critical psycho-social stressor in organizational settings (Moliner et al., 2008). It is lead to feelings of resentment and suspect in organizations: unfair situations can indicate exploitation, lack of control, or social exclusion, thus increasing stress (Judge and Colquitt, 2004), and burnout (Kausto et al., 2005). Perceptions of unfair or unjust treatment have been associated with many harmful effects including negative behaviors (Pinder, 2008).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the validation of the Organizational Justice Index (OJI) by Hoy and Tarter (2004), a self-report questionnaire for teachers' perceptions of fairness in the operation and administration of schools.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In two studies the authors validated the Italian version of the OJI. Study 1 included 164 Italian high school teachers (76.8 percent were female) to test structure and construct validity. Study 2 involved 200 teachers (permanent and temporary teachers) to confirm the structure of the scale, test the construct and criterion validity, and invariance.\nFindings: Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the one-factor solution and that the structure of the scale was the same across teachers. Results revealed high internal reliability. The OJI correlated positively with equity, school climate, and job satisfaction, and negatively with depression and burnout.\nResearch limitations/implications: Since the research approach could lead to common method variance issues, it will be important to determine the associations of OJI with non-self-report assessments.\nPractical implications: The OJI can be applied optimally to: assess potential organizational problems prior to conducting major interventions; investigate school dynamic problems; target interventions designed to enhance perception of organizational justice; incorporate evaluation of organizational justice as part of regular employee assessments.\nOriginality/value: Overall findings fill the need of standardized measures of organizational justice for specific context. The OJI is a valid instrument to measure organizational justice in school, involving different type of teachers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Understanding emotional customer experience and co-creation behaviours in luxury hotels
|
[
"Hotels",
"Customer co-creation behaviours",
"Emotion triggers and constructors",
"Emotional customer experience"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Memorable service experience cannot be sold \"to\" customers, but must instead be co-created \"with\" them (Chathoth et al., 2016). Customer experience is defined in terms of customers' multi-dimensional (e.g. cognitive, emotional, physical, sensorial and social) responses to direct or indirect interactions with a service provider throughout their consumption journey (Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). While customers increasingly engage in the processes of service co-creation (e.g. personalised Starbucks coffee, Lego ideas), customers have more opportunities to co-create better experiences with service providers (Ramaswamy and Ozcan, 2013). Service providers are facing increasing challenges to create, manage or even control customer experience within service settings. In response to such challenges, understanding and co-creating positive customer experience has been identified as an emerging priority for research (MSI, 2016; Ostrom et al., 2015).\n2. Theoretical background: 2.1 Emotional customer experience based on the appraisal theory\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Research design and data collection\n4. Results: 4.1 Customer review profile\n5. Discussion and conclusions: 5.1 Conclusions\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: A holistic understanding of sources that evoke customer emotions is essential for creating a positive emotional customer experience (ECX). Despite a significant focus on the cognitive aspect of customer experience and traditional customer behaviours (e.g. loyalty and satisfaction), limited attention has been paid to ECX and co-creation behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to address this important knowledge gap by identifying different emotions and prominent sources of ECX (i.e. emotion triggers and constructors) during service interactions. By doing so, key customer co-creation behaviours are also identified, which help enhance positive customer experience.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A combined application of the appraisal theory and thematic analysis was used to explore ECX, its sources and co-creation behaviours as observed from 1,063 TripAdvisor customer reviews of luxury hotels in Ireland.\nFindings: The results show that a single service interaction can evoke multiple emotions during the interaction process. The findings capture prominent emotions that customers experience and various important emotion triggers (physical environment, service management and offerings and human interaction) and constructors (customer expectation, accumulated service experience and culture fusion and authenticity). Three main customer co-creation behaviours (reinforcing intention, active and resourceful behaviours), which help facilitate the co-creation of positive customer emotions, are also identified.\nOriginality/value: The study proposes a new framework that provides unique insights into ECX to guide service improvement and innovation. A novel approach of applying the appraisal theory to a netnographic study is used to develop an ECX framework, which integrates various emotion triggers and constructors, and subsequent customer co-creation behaviours in the hotel industry.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Achieving metacognition through cognitive strategy instruction
|
[
"Metacognition",
"Self-actualization",
"Self-reflexivity",
"3A approach",
"Bloom taxonomy"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Learning is an essential part of human life, especially at a young age. We start learning on an instinctive level with our first breath, but only later do cognitive processes develop both naturally, through contact with the external environment, and explicitly, through structured instruction in various educational institutions. These institutions intend to accelerate and improve on the natural learning process. In order to assess the effectiveness of learning, scholars in the educational field have developed a taxonomy (Anderson and Krathwohl, 2001), which presents the learning process as a progressive acquisition of knowledge and skills starting from the remembering and understanding of new information - to the application, analysis and evaluation, and finally, creation of new knowledge which culminates Bloom's learning pyramid (see Figure 1).\nLiterature review: Metacognition is generally defined as a higher-order thinking which involves active control over your own individual cognitive processes engaged in learning (Bransford et al., 2000); in other words, it is \"thinking about thinking.\" Metacognitive activities include setting up your own learning goals, planning how to approach a given learning task, monitoring comprehension, and evaluating progress. Metacognition helps us to become successful learners, and is associated with intelligence (Borkowski et al., 1987), making it an important subject to study, which could help determine how students can learn to apply their cognitive resources better through a metacognitive control.\nCSI: In addition to the full spectrum of the interactive teaching techniques mentioned in the introduction (flipped classroom, peer instruction, etc.) that can be together labeled as \"an integrative approach,\" which combines cognitive and behavioral learning (Inkpen and Crossan, 1995), the first author has introduced CSI in her teaching of a three-credit undergraduate class on strategic management (BUSS249) at the American University of Beirut (AUB). CSI is an instructional approach which emphasizes the development of thinking skills to enhance learning, helping all students to become more strategic, self-reliant, flexible, and productive in their learning; in other words, to teach all students the abilities previously believed to be utilized by only the brightest few (Borkowski et al., 1987). The CSI approach was developed in addition to the integrative learning method, which combines cognitive and behavioral learning (Inkpen and Crossan, 1995), as scholars found that simply providing knowledge without experience is not sufficient for the development of metacognitive control (Livingston, 1996).\nHypotheses development: According to Bransford et al. (2000), metacognitive practices increase students' abilities to transfer or adapt their learning to new contexts and tasks. Accordingly, we expected the students to be able to effectively apply strategic management course concepts such as PSA and strength/weaknesses/opportunities/threats (SWOT), which they had practiced on themselves during case solving exercises involving organizations, introspectively. Moreover, we expect them to do a better job (more detailed, more profound responses). More so than the control group which was not exposed to the CSI method:\nMethod: We used qualitative interpretivist approach method (Garfinkel, 1967) in this study. This approach relies heavily on naturalistic methods such as observation and text analysis and ensures that the researchers interact with study participants in order to collaboratively construct a meaningful reality. As a result, the meaning is emerging from this process. Mainly, we used content analysis technique described in the following sections to arrive at this meaning.\nData collection: To test whether the students indeed reached the top level of Bloom's and Maslow's pyramids, a \"blank page\" exam was administered at the end of the semester. While the course covered strategic management in organizations, and PSA and SRE were applied to the issues pertaining to organizational context during the whole semester, the final \"blank page\" exam required students to think about themselves. Suddenly, they had to apply organizational concepts to their own lives. For some, it was quite a shock. Several reported that it was \"eye-opening,\" \"revealing\" and, generally, was not easy. This final exam asked the students to be inquisitive, self-aware, and systematic about personal values, judgment criteria and personal issues they were facing at the time of graduation from an undergraduate program. Students were presented with a blank paper and the following questions on the auditorium screen:\nData coding and analysis: We used content analysis in this research. Content analysis is defined as a systematic, replicable technique for compressing many words of text into fewer content categories based on explicit rules of coding (Berelson, 1952; Stemler, 2001; Weber, 1990). Content analysis enables researchers to sift through large volumes of data with relative ease in a systematic fashion (Stemler, 2001). It can be a useful technique for allowing us to discover and describe the focus of individual, group, institutional, or social attention (Weber, 1990). Content analysis is also useful for examining trends and patterns in documents. It also allows inferences to be made which can then be corroborated using other methods of data collection. It has the attractive features of being unobtrusive, and being useful in dealing with large volumes of data.\nResults: Main conceptual findings of this study were synthesized using the content analysis method described in the previous section, while proposed hypotheses were tested using a variation of means between the study group and the control group. We present the results of this analysis below.\nDiscussion: Limitations\n",
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"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present hands-on techniques that could help achieve higher forms of cognitive work of Bloom's learning taxonomy and progress toward self-actualization, the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. These results can be achieved by the combination of Apaydin's 3A approach and integrative learning.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The results of the exploratory study of student self-inquiry are analyzed using content analysis method.\nFindings: The results indicate that students who underwent through metacognitive instruction exhibit higher cognitive skills than the control group. These skills were manifested in more detailed and extensive responses, more long-term orientation, and higher thrive toward self-development. The study also identified significant gender differences.\nResearch limitations/implications: Only two raters reviewed the categories. Increasing the number of raters would potentially increase the reliability and validity of this study. The data were collected in one university in one country. Similar studies conducted in different settings could produce different results. Since the control group was self-selected, it might lead to a performance bias in this group.\nPractical implications: This research has practical implications for improving self-awareness and metacognition of the students. The addition of an unexpected self-applied perspective and application of Problem Solving Algorithm (PSA) to themselves enables the students to see the value of otherwise abstract concepts presented in the textbooks and forgotten immediately after the semester is over.\nSocial implications: The students can be socially more prepared to become self-aware professionals and thus improve their career options.\nOriginality/value: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study in the educational research which investigates the impact of implementation of metacognitive instructional techniques on student self-awareness and performance, which has immediate practical implication for student learning and success.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The quasi-moderating role of organizational culture in the relationship between rewards and knowledge shared and gained
|
[
"Knowledge sharing",
"Innovation",
"Organizational culture",
"Knowledge creation",
"Knowledge transfer",
"Rewards",
"Knowledge gained"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Organizational knowledge is a highly strategic asset because it is valuable, scarce, and hard to imitate by competitors (Davenport and Prusak, 1998). Therefore, an organization's ability to consistently create, disseminate, and apply knowledge to every aspect of business functions is vital for attaining competitive advantage (Gagne, 2009; McEvily and Chakravarthy, 2002). Correspondingly, in an effort to reap the expected benefits from organizational knowledge, numerous firms have invested in knowledge management systems, e.g. initiatives that include new information systems such as product lifecycle management systems (Davenport and Prusak, 1998), new organizational structures (Wenger and Snyder, 2000), or new human resource management policies designed with the main purpose of leveraging the collective knowledge of employees (Cabrera et al., 2006). Unfortunately, in spite of this interest and the increasing number of studies about the subject, the knowledge management efforts of many firms have not achieved their objectives (Gilmour, 2003). Consequently, there is a growing sense of disenchantment about enhancing organizational knowledge (Lai and Lee, 2007).\n2. Literature review: Knowledge has been defined in different, and often controversial, ways. One set of definitions distinguishes it from information. Information is commonly seen as the conversion of an unorganized mass of data, which are just raw facts, into relevant and purposeful pieces. Knowledge, on the other hand, is the subjective organization and storage of aggregate information into meaningful forms (Al-Alawi et al., 2007). In this paper, we conform to the following definition of knowledge: \"a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insights that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information\" (Davenport and Prusak, 1998, p. 5). As such we conceptualize knowledge as the result of interpreting information based on one's own understanding and being influenced by the beliefs, values, prior knowledge and personality of its holder (Lee and Yang, 2000). Knowledge can be drawn from resources within the firm and by integrating with sources beyond firm boundaries (Droge et al., 2012); this study focuses on the former.\n3. Hypotheses development: 3.1 The effect of organizational rewards on knowledge shared and gained\n4. Method: 4.1 The sample and procedure\n5. Analysis and results: Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. With this method, the order in which variables are entered can be specified and the spurious relationships can be removed before checking the contribution of independent variables against the explanation of the dependent variables (Cohen and Cohen, 1983). We performed the hierarchical regression analyses for the two dependent variables (knowledge shared and knowledge gained) separately. The results of these analyses are presented in Table IV.\n6. Discussion: The ability to leverage a firm's knowledge can lead to a competitive advantage through reduced costs and increased productivity. The trend toward knowledge-based firms demands solutions for increasing knowledge transfer in organizational environments. However, because a company's members may be reluctant to share their knowledge for reasons such as losing power or lack of motivation, the quality of knowledge transfer may not be as high as the organization desires. Consequently, knowledge shared may not become knowledge gained, resulting in an incomplete knowledge transfer. Accordingly these two concepts, \"knowledge sharing\" and \"knowledge gaining\", have become important fields in the management literature. While there are many studies covering these topics, scholars tend to treat them from the standpoint of different disciplines. Our study combines these two bodies of literature by focusing on the two constructs in one study and identifying the importance of organizational culture and rewards in facilitating knowledge sharing and gaining. Moreover, we propose that an organizational culture of knowledge sharing serves as a context to tighten the relationship between rewards and knowledge shared and gained.\n7. Conclusion: To briefly reiterate, this study found that controlling for several factors, organizational culture and rewards were positively associated with both knowledge sharing and gaining. Furthermore this study confirmed the moderating role of organizational culture and rewards on knowledge gained, but found no support for the moderating role in regards to knowledge sharing.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to clarify the role of organizational culture and rewards in stimulating the sharing and gaining of knowledge.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Hierarchical regression using survey data.\nFindings: The analyses show that rewards and organizational culture of knowledge transfer influence the knowledge shared and knowledge gained. Moreover, culture and rewards interact to influence knowledge gained, but not knowledge shared which leads to the conclusion knowledge gaining can be induced by rewards, even in the absence of a supportive culture.\nResearch limitations/implications: The findings are consistent with socio-technical theory (STT) and the discussion positions this perspective as useful for future knowledge management studies. This research confirms that knowledge sharing and gaining are uniquely different activities that respond differently to culture and rewards.\nOriginality/value: This study combines the work of different fields by focusing on knowledge sharing and gaining in a single study. Through this process, a bridge between organizational learning theory and STT is revealed.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Two facets of pride and helping
|
[
"Organizational behaviour",
"Pride",
"Helping",
"Positive discrete emotions"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Helping co-workers is one of the most critical organizational citizenship behaviors in organizations (Podsakoff et al., 2000). It increases work unit outcomes (Kizilos et al., 2013) and organizational performance (Podsakoff et al., 1997). Because it is often reciprocated, it can aid in creating healthy communication patterns, fostering team spirit, and ultimately, engendering individual task performance (Tsai et al., 2007). Considering these positive consequences and that helping cannot be formally required, identifying its antecedents is central for researchers and practitioners alike (Van Emmerik and Euwema, 2007).\nPride and helping: According to attribution theory there are three causal properties that determine the resulting emotions and behavioral reactions in response to success and failure: locus, i.e., if the location of a cause for success or failure is inside or outside of an actor, stability, i.e., if the cause is durable, and controllability, i.e., if the cause is subject to volitional alteration (Weiner, 1985). With regard to the locus of causality both authentic and hubristic pride are expected to arise from locating a cause inside of an actor (Lewis, 1992; Tracy and Robins, 2007). But whereas authentic pride is expected to arise from attributing success to own effort, i.e., an instable and controllable cause, hubristic pride is assumed to arise from own ability, i.e., a stable and uncontrollable cause (Tracy and Robins, 2007). In addition to determining the affective reactions, attribution theory further assumes that these affective states orient individuals toward behaviors in anticipation of the same attributions in future successes and failures (Weiner, 2000).\nStudy 1: Participants\nStudy 2: In Study 1, we demonstrated that manipulation of hubristic pride resulted in significantly lower levels of intention to help a fellow student compared to manipulation of authentic pride. Although emotion-inducing experiments have been shown to generalize from lab to field settings (De Vader et al., 1986), we subjected our reasoning to an additional test in a field context in Study 2. Following emotion research (Shiota et al., 2006), we were interested in whether facets of pride assessed as traits would relate to reported helping behaviors toward colleagues. Thus, rather than compare hubristic pride with authentic pride in experimental conditions, we separately examined their influence on helping. Following our argument on the opposing influences of authentic pride and hubristic pride, we hypothesized:\nDiscussion: This study set out to find experimental and field evidence for the differential influence of pride - authentic and hubristic - on helping behavior in organizational settings. Comparing the two facets in an experimental setting, hubristic pride led to lower levels of helping than authentic pride. Comparing the impact of the two facets of pride at the trait level, hubristic pride was negatively associated with helping; authentic pride was positively associated with helping.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the influence of two different facets of pride - authentic and hubristic - on helping.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Hypotheses were tested combining an experimental vignette study (n=75) with correlational field research (n=184).\nFindings: Results reveal that hubristic pride is associated with lower levels of intended helping compared with authentic pride when experimentally induced; further, trait hubristic pride is negatively related with helping, whereas trait authentic pride is positively related to helping, while controlling for alternative affective and cognitive explanations.\nResearch limitations/implications: The use of vignettes and self-reports limits the ecological validity of the results. But when considered in combination, results provide important indications on how helping can be fostered in organizations: by emphasizing successes and the efforts that were necessary to achieve them.\nOriginality/value: The results highlight the differential effects of discrete emotions in organizations.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Does foreign aid help alleviate income inequality? New evidence from African countries
|
[
"Income inequality",
"Corruption",
"Panel data",
"Foreign aid",
"African countries",
"Government spending",
"C23",
"D63",
"F35",
"O55"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Since the past few decades, there has been an intense debate on the effectiveness of foreign aid on fighting poverty/inequality and promoting development, and particular interest has been paid to the issue of what role foreign aid plays in IIQ alleviation? This issue is a critical one, especially for developing countries - where combating poverty/inequality and promoting development are the 2030 development agenda of the United Nations millennium development goals (MDGs). However, one of the eight MDGs that aimed to achieve, in 2015, in the developing world is the fighting of both poverty and IIQ. That objective, which was fixed by several international organizations and member's nations, will be achieved if everyone gets a fair income so that it will be spent to satisfy biological needs and improve the standard of living. The donor countries or organizations accepted to help the poorest counties which were mentioned in the aid recipients list in order to fight poverty/inequality in its various dimensions.\n2. Brief literature review: The link between foreign aid and IIQ has received considerable attention in recent years. Many papers focused on a specific country, while others relied on a group of countries within a panel data framework using various econometric methodologies and time period. The literature on this issue can be divided into two strands. One strand of literature found a positive relationship between foreign aid and IIQ, while the second strand highlighted a negative relationship. However, the empirical analysis of Nakamura and Mcpherson (2005) showed that foreign aid has no significant impact on poverty reduction in 49 developing countries including Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This fact left SSA far from achieving the MDGs suggested in 2015 to reduce poverty. Similarly, by using a cross-country data analysis, Ijaiya and Ijaiya (2004) examined the effect of foreign aid on poverty reduction in SSA. Their empirical results showed that foreign aid has no significant effects on poverty reduction.\n3. Data and method: 3.1 Data and variable identification\n4. Results and discussions: 4.1 Regression results\n5. Conclusions and policy implications: This paper contributes to the literature on foreign aid effectiveness by examining its effects on IIQ for an unbalanced panel data set covering 16 African countries from 19\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between foreign aid and income inequality (IIQ) reduction for 16 African countries using unbalanced panel data covering the period 1990-2011. This paper attempts to answer the critical question: does foreign aid lead to IIQ reduction?\nDesign/methodology/approach: To examine the effect of foreign aid on IIQ, this paper uses an RE model with robust OLS regression and system-GMM estimator, which are useful in dealing with the endogeneity problems.\nFindings: Results of RE model indicate that foreign aid, foreign direct investment, trade openness as well as corruption have a positive and statistically significant effect on IIQ. Government spending and inflation have a negative and statistically significant effect on IIQ, while GDP per capita growth has a negative but statistically insignificant relationship with IIQ. The results are robust by using system-GMM dynamic panel model which confirms that the coefficients of all considered variables remain same sign and significance.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study implies that an increase in foreign aid is associated with an increase in IIQ. As an effective strategy to foreign aid, this paper suggests that improving of financial sector development, and institutional quality and policies can reduce income inequalities and stimulate economic growth.\nOriginality/value: This paper is the first of its kind to empirically explore the relationship between IIQ and foreign aid measured here by net aid transfers as a share of GDP in African countries, using modern econometric techniques, time period and a variety of control variables.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A new risk assessment model for agricultural products cold chain logistics
|
[
"Agricultural products cold chain logistics",
"Improved catastrophe progression method",
"New maximum deviation method",
"Risk assessment model"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In recent years, with the overall improvement of people's living standards, consumers demand for the market of fresh agricultural products has been expanded rapidly and food safety issues has also been a great deal of attention. Fresh agricultural products have some characteristics, such as a short shelf life, great demand of the market, high requirements for storage and transportation technology, so the appropriate operation mode and efficient information management system play an important role in ensuring products quality, especially in the stage of cold chain logistics (Manning et al., 2006; Jin et al., 2013). As the intermediate links of consumers and suppliers, cold chain logistics play a very important role in terms of quality of agricultural products. However, there is a big risk in the logistics operation of each link since fresh agricultural products in the process of the cold chain logistics operation are not completely under the certain specific environment, so it is vital to study how to assess the risk of cold chain logistics objectively and accurately and avoid the risk effectively.\n2. Methodology: an improved catastrophe progression model: 2.1 The basic principle and steps of catastrophe progression method\n3. Assessment index system of agricultural products cold chain logistics risk: 3.1 The basic principles of assessment index system construction\n4. Empirical research and discussion of findings: 4.1 Sample selection and calculation\n5. Conclusions: This paper contributes to provide a new risk assessment model for agricultural products cold chain logistics by introducing an improved catastrophe progression method which is a combination of catastrophe progression method and a new maximum deviation method. In addition, the risk assessment index system of agricultural products cold chain logistics designed in this paper also can reflect the key risk factors of agricultural products cold chain logistics system objectively and reasonably. This paper not only has great academic contribution, but also a good practical significance. On the one hand, this paper research on agricultural products cold chain logistics from the perspective of risk assessment, and a new quantitative calculation model is put forward. The content and method discussed in this paper can enrich existing academic research system of cold chain logistics and agricultural products cold chain logistics. On the other hand, by adopting this new risk assessment framework model, firms engaged in fresh agricultural products cold chain logistics can get on a periodic risk assessment to reduce their risk of cold chain logistics. This assessment framework model also has several implications for practitioners, especially for cold chain logistics managers, relevant management departments, and cold chain logistics management consultants.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a quantitative risk assessment method for agricultural products cold chain logistics to assess the condition of the fresh agricultural products cold chain process objectively and accurately.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A risk assessment index system of agricultural products cold chain logistics is designed on the basis of the risk identification for the process of agricultural products cold chain logistics. This paper first uses catastrophe progression method and a new maximum deviation method to build an improved catastrophe progression assessment model for agricultural products cold chain logistics. In order to verify the reliability and validity of the model, two representative enterprises are selected as the case in the study.\nFindings: The results in the empirical research indicate strong support for the assessment model and coincide with the reality. The risk assessment index system can also reflect the key risk factors from agricultural products cold chain logistics scientifically. In addition, the improved catastrophe progression assessment method proposed in this paper can be scientific and reasonable to predict risk.\nResearch limitations/implications: This paper contributes to provide a new risk assessment model for agricultural products cold chain logistics. The new model overcomes the limitation of subjective empowerment and it increases the objectivity and scientificity in the process of cold chain logistics risk assessment. This paper also shows that practitioners involved in the field of products cold chain logistics can manage the potential risk by a set of scientific methods for assessing the risk before the accident.\nPractical implications: The paper provides a practical guideline to practitioners, especially for cold chain logistics managers, relevant management departments, and cold chain logistics management consultants. It is proved that the new risk assessment method and the risk assessment index system of agricultural products cold chain logistics can help them assess the risk scientifically and reasonably.\nOriginality/value: Although the calculation is simple, the new model can overcome the limitation of subjective empowerment scientifically and reasonably, and thus has important practical value.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Differential relationship of challenge and hindrance demands with employee engagement: The moderating effect of job resources
|
[
"Employee engagement",
"Job demands",
"Job resources",
"Moderator",
"Challenge demands",
"Hindrance demands"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: As a result of increasing work-related stressors, the effect of job demands on individual and organizational outcomes is increasingly a significant issue for workforce and organizations. Job demands are \"the things that have to be done\" (Jones and Fletcher, 1996, p. 34) at the job. The job demands-resources model (JD-R) has defined job demands as \"those physical, psychological, social or organizational aspects of the job that require sustained physical and/or psychological (cognitive and emotional) effort or skills and are therefore associated with certain physiological and/or psychological costs\" (Demerouti et al., 2001, p. 501). The JD-R theory has assumed job demands as health impairing since it \"exhaust employees' mental and physical resources and may therefore lead to the depletion of energy and to health problems\" (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007, p. 313). However, some scholars (e.g. Lepine et al., 2005; Podsakoff et al., 2007; Van den Broeck et al., 2010; Crawford et al., 2010; Ozer et al., 2014; Tadic et al., 2015) have differentiated among job demands and identified positive and negative attributes of job demands. For instance, following the transactional stress premises (e.g. Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus et al., 1980; Lazarus and Folkman, 1984), LePine et al. (2004) have distinguished rationale for making distinction among job demands and stated that \"individual's psychological response reflects emotions that occur as the situation is appraised with respect to whether it is potentially challenging - beneficial or threatening - harmful. The psychological response is also a function of elevated levels of information processing focused on appraising and coping with the situation\" (p. 883). These scholars have suggested that the association of job demands with work-related outcome depend on the nature of job demands. Drawing on these rationales, the present study has differentiated job demands as hindrances and challenges. Along these lines, it is attempted to extend JD-R theory through incorporating challenge-hindrance distinction in the existing framework. It is assumed that inconsistencies in the linkages of job demands with job-related consequences might be explained by distinguishing among job demands.\nSignificance of the study: Despite a great deal of research on JD-R model over the past decade, there has been few research intended to differentiate among job demands while exploring the moderating role of job resources between demand-engagement relationship. Due to this gap in literature, researchers do not have an adequate theoretical understanding of the role of distinguished forms of job demands in predicting employee engagement as well as moderating role of job resources between the relationships of different kind of job demands with engagement. Reaching a consensus on the underlying mechanism linking different types of job demands, employee engagement and job resources is crucial for theoretical and practical reasons. From a theoretical perspective, understanding regarding job demands will be incomplete until the relationship of diverse kind of job demands with individual outcomes is explained. However, recent studies have linked challenge-hindrance framework with employee outcomes like presenteeism, employee creativity, work motivation (Zhang et al., 2018; Liu and Li, 2018; Yang et al., 2018), yet the linkage is not much studied in relation with engagement. Further, exploring the moderating role of job resources between the linkages of different job demands and individual outcomes (especially employee engagement) is equally important which is not adequately studied. From a practical perspective, a better understanding of the role of job resources in handling different (i.e. positive and negative) effects of job demands will be constructive in efficient utilization of resources at workplace because such knowledge could potentially be applied to enhance the effectiveness of job resources in managing job demands for engagement of employees.\nIndian banking industry: Considered to be the backbone of the Indian economy, banking industry comprises commercial and cooperative banks, majority assets (more than 70 percent) of which are held by the former. Commercial banks comprise both scheduled and non-scheduled commercial banks. Along with private and foreign banks, scheduled commercial banks include nationalized banks, State Bank of India (SBI) and its associate banks, regional rural banks and local area banks.\nOrganization of the manuscript: The subsequent section would deal with a comprehensive review of the concept of challenge and hindrance demands followed by rationales for drawing the hypotheses assuming direct association among these demands (i.e. challenge and hindrance demands) and employee engagement along with the moderating role of job resources in such associations. The second section details research methodology adopted in this study, along with information on population, sample, measures and instruments. Next sections present analysis of data collected and conclusions are drawn therefrom. At the end, practical implications of the results, limitations of present research and scope for future studies have been highlighted.\nJob Demands: Job demands are \"physical, psychological, social or organizational aspects of the job that require sustained physical and/or psychological (cognitive and emotional) effort or skills and are therefore associated with certain physiological and/or psychological costs\" (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007, p. 312). Initially, JD-R scholars have assumed job demands as negative and health impairing. However, some researchers reported positive relation between job demands and employee engagement (e.g. Bakker et al., 2005, 2006). To explain these unexpected results, scholars (Podsakoff et al., 2007; Van den Broeck et al., 2010) have suggested the qualitative differentiation between different types of job demands, that is, job hindrances and job challenges.\nJob resources: Job resources are \"physical, psychological, social, or organizational aspects of the job that are either/or: functional in achieving work goals, reducing job demands and the associated physiological and psychological costs, stimulate personal growth, learning, and development\" (Bakker and Demerouti, 2008, p. 312). According to JD-R model, job resources might be located in the organization at large, in interpersonal and social relations, at task level or organization of work (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007). Job resources instituted at organization and interpersonal/social relations level have been in particular selected for this study. It is revealed from the abstract list of job resources derived from earlier published research studies that financial rewards (mostly pay) have been studied whereas non-monetary components have been relatively less researched. Social support is as a component of job resources is widely established in extant literature yet organizational support as a constituent of support at workplace does not appear to be investigated scholarly in past. In line with the these identified issues, this study has chosen to test total rewards (with both monetary and non-monetary dimensions), support at workplace (including organizational support, supervisor support and co-worker support) as job resources component. The conceptualization of the job resources components has been given in measures section of this study.\nMethod: Sample and procedure\nMeasures: This study measured the constructs challenge demands, hindrance demands, job resources (i.e. total rewards, support at workplace including organizational support, supervisor support and co-employee support) and employee engagement, on a five-point Likert-type scale with anchors ranging from (1) \"strongly disagree\" to (5) \"strongly agree\". Following is the description of the scales adopted for measuring the constructs of the research.\nDescriptive statistics and correlations: Table I shows the means, standard deviations and zero-order correlations among the study variables. Job resources is significantly and positively correlated to employee engagement (0.807 at p<0.01) and challenge demand (0.227 at p<0.01). Employee engagement is found to be positively correlated to challenge demands (0.262 at p<0.01). Hindrance demand is negatively correlated to job resources (-0.153 at p<0.01) and employee engagement (-0.351 at p<0.01). There is no significant correlation has been found between challenge and hindrance demands. Cronbach's a values confirm the reliability of all the measures used in this research. All values satisfy the cut-off of 0.70 recommended by Nunnally (1978) (see diagonal values against each construct in Table I).\nTesting of hypothesis: H1 and H2 assuming direct linkages of challenge and hindrance demands with employee engagement have been tested through hierarchical regression analysis. SPSS MACRO command is used for testing H3 and H4 examining buffering (challenge demands and employee engagement) and boosting (hindrance demands and employee engagement) role of job resources.\nDiscussion: The study aimed to integrate the propositions of the JD-R theory with the challenge-hindrance stressor framework. First, following the challenge-hindrance stressor framework, the differential relationship of challenge and hindrance demands with employee engagement is investigated. Results of the analysis revealed a positive relationship between challenge demands and employee engagement whereas the negative relationship between hindrance demands and employee engagement. Second, this study attempted to extend the JD-R theory through exploring how job resources moderate the association of challenge and hindrance demands with employee engagement. Specifically, it was predicted that job resources would enhance the positive relationship between challenge demands and employee engagement and testing of hypothesis supported the boost up mechanism. Further, it was hypothesized that negative relationship between hindrance demands and employee engagement would be buffered by job resources. The findings approved hypothesized mechanism by substantiating decrease in the negative linkage between hindrance demands and employee engagement after enhancement in a level of job resources.\nPractical implications: The current study has provided insights on the various underlying mechanism of interaction between different types of job demands and job resources through offering empirical evidence on buffering and boost up processes. The results highlighted the situations that may foster or thwart engagement of employees. Various inconsistencies in direction of relationship between job demands and employee engagement could be answered on the basis of present empirical evidence. Present findings could be guiding in several ways for designing interventions to enhance employee engagement. Results of the study suggested the potential role of challenge demands in enhancing engagement of employees. Hence, availability of challenge demands should be ensured at job profiles to engage employees. The boosting mechanism establishing job resources as a positive moderator between challenge demands and employee engagement highlights the necessity of job resources at work. Hence, focusing on job resources is equally important along with ascertaining challenge demands at the job. Organizations should also design training interventions to enable employees to create and reinforce their own job and personal resources. Recently, job crafting is an emerging tool in this regard.\nLimitations and scope for future research: The present study had a few limitations that could be attended by future researchers. First, the current research is based on cross-sectional research design, which does not allow for any causal interpretations among variables. Future studies could apply longitudinal design to develop and test models hypothesizing relationship among challenge demands, hindrance demands and employee engagement over time to evaluate potential causal associations. Second, the present research is based on the experiences of employees which might be subjective. Future research may use some objective data collected from multiple sources to avoid common method variances. For instance, assessing challenge and hindrance demands through objective measures could bring more precise results about the present hypothesized relationship. Third, hypothesized model of this study has tested direct and moderating mechanisms for employee engagement only. Present findings could be further verified by investigating the differential (i.e. buffering and boost up) roles of job resources between the association of different job demands (i.e. challenge and hindrance demands) and other work outcomes, such as job performance. Some negative outcomes such as burnout, exhaustion may also be studied to assess the moderating role of job resources between the relationship of challenge and hindrance demands with adverse outcomes.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how job resources may moderate the relationship of two types of job demands (i.e. challenge and hindrance demands) with employee engagement. It is hypothesized that job resources can buffer the association of job hindrances with employee engagement while job resources may escalate engagement in the condition of challenge demands.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The population of the study is Scale-I officers of Indian public sector banks (PSBs). The sample included 608 Junior Management Grade-Scale I officers employed in Indian PSBs.\nFindings: Results of the analysis revealed a positive relationship between challenge demands and employee engagement whereas the negative relationship between hindrance demands and employee engagement. Enhancement in the positive conditional effect of challenge demands on employee engagement with the increase in values of the job resources evidenced the boosting role of job resources. Further, condition effect of hindrance demand on employee engagement at different levels of moderator showed that the negative relationship between hindrance demands and employee engagement get weakened with the increase in the level of job resources.\nPractical implications: The results highlighted the situations that may foster or thwart engagement of employees. Present findings could be guiding in several ways for designing interventions to enhance employee engagement using job demands and job resources.\nOriginality/value: This study adds to literature through incorporating challenge-hindrance theorization in propositions of job demands-resources model and by exploring two diverse mechanisms (buffering and boost up) which are elicited after interaction of job resources with challenge and hindrance demands in a diverse way.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
BIM business value for asset owners through effective asset information management
|
[
"Value",
"Asset management",
"Information",
"BIM",
"AIM",
"Asset",
"Management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Asset owners are continuously seeking opportunities to access accurate, comprehensive and reliable asset information to support the effective and efficient execution of building operations (Matarneh et al., 2019). For many asset owners, the management of built assets alongside other physical assets such as plant and equipment can be an arduous undertaking. The increased adoption of building information modelling (BIM), computer maintenance management systems (CMMS), computer aided facilities management (CAFM), integrated workspace management systems (IWMS) and common data environments (CDE) in asset management (AM) offers opportunities to improve asset information management (AIM) by providing an integrated platform for asset operations through data (Codinhoto and Kiviniemi, 2014; Guillen et al., 2016; Matarneh et al., 2019). Furthermore, the application of BIM has extended to the internet of things (IoT), which is the connection of physical devices embedded with electronics, internet connectivity and automated identification and data capture (AIDC) technologies in asset operations (Dave et al., 2018). However, the diverse nature of these information systems poses a challenge for asset managers who need to efficiently view, operate and manage asset data (Eastman et al., 2011; Teicholz, 2013).\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Building information modelling (BIM)\n3. Methodology and research question: 3.1 Research questions\n4. Results: case study: 4.1 Introduction of the case\n5. Discussion: BIM-based initiatives are largely focused on the design and construction phases. However, there is considerable potential for asset owners to obtain business value from BIM during asset operations. The main contribution of this study is to demonstrate that value can be derived from the effective management of information assets within an organisation. Also, issues surrounding AIM for asset owners such as strategy, information management, reporting process and business value have been addressed in this study. The study identifies:\n6. Conclusion: The purpose of the study is to evaluate how asset information is collected, organised, stored, controlled, analysed, secured, shared and reported within a virtual AIM system for strategic management-based decisions. The study findings show that there is huge potential for BIM to deliver business value in AM. The study critiques the definitions of BIM and identifies AIM strategies within the literature, noting a lack of consensus on the true value of information. The study identifies the key techniques of managing asset data and how those data are reported for critical decision-making. Furthermore, the findings in this study can lead to three main conclusions. First, there is real value to be derived by the asset owner from the effective management of asset information. This helps to clarify doubts on whether there is value in implementing BIM in AM. Second, the research highlights that the value of BIM is not inherent but instead requires many other processes to deliver value to the organisation. The study has shown that there is the potential to conduct a wide range of analyses using building automation systems, AIM and BIM systems for asset optimisation, and that value lies at the end of the process. Finally, the research identifies six dimensions of value that BIM contributes to AM: management, commerce, efficiency, industry, user and technology value.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the processes, tools and techniques of strategic asset information management (AIM) for built assets, and how the asset information content enhances the proficiency of asset managers to effectively manage their assets throughout their life cycle by utilising building information modelling (BIM) and asset management (AM) systems. For most asset managers, the problem is not the lack of information about their assets, but the abundance of it, and most especially the absence of established processes and protocols to effectively manage large sets of asset data. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a strategy to control and manage this information in order for asset managers to harness its potential and realise value from their organisation's information assets..\nDesign/methodology/approach: A qualitative case study strategy was used to investigate the effective management of asset data in an AIM system. Seven sets of interviews were conducted and nine respondents were interviewed. These were analysed through qualitative thematic analysis using the NVivo software.\nFindings: The paper identifies six dimensions of value that BIM contributes to AM, which are: management, commerce, efficiency, industry, user and technology value. Also, the paper demonstrates that there is real value to be derived by the asset owner from the effective management of asset information. The study highlights that the value of BIM is not inherent but would require many other processes to deliver value to the organisation.\nOriginality/value: The key value of the paper is that it identifies important techniques for managing asset data and how asset information is collected, organised, stored, controlled, analysed, secured, shared and reported within a virtual AIM system for strategic management-based decisions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The role of salesperson brand selling confidence in enhancing important sales management outcomes: a social identity approach
|
[
"Sales force outcomes",
"Salesperson performance",
"Brand selling confidence",
"Salesperson - Brand identification"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Salesperson self-efficacy, the belief (or confidence) in one's ability to perform a specific selling task within a given context (Bandura, 1986, 1997; Stajkovic and Luthans, 1998), has received considerable attention from both academic researchers and practitioners owing to its importance in influencing key sales outcomes (Wang and Netemeyer, 2002; Ahearne et al., 2005b; Arnold et al., 2009; Krishnan et al., 2002; Jaramillo and Mulki, 2008). For example, existing research shows the positive effect of higher levels of salesperson self-efficacy on their selling intentions of a new product (Fu et al., 2010), job satisfaction (Arnold et al., 2009; Lai and Chen, 2012), sales efforts (Krishnan et al., 2002; Jaramillo and Mulki, 2008) and sales performance (Ahearne et al., 2005b; Krishnan et al., 2002), among other outcomes. Understanding the factors that influence salesperson self-efficacy and confidence is important given its potential payoffs (Krishnan et al., 2002; Jaramillo and Mulki, 2008). Existing research investigates some of the organizational and individual level factors that promote salesperson self-efficacy (Ahearne et al., 2005b). For example, a number of factors such as leadership empowerment behaviors (Ahearne et al., 2005b) and leader's supportive style (Jaramillo and Mulki, 2008) have been shown to enhance salesperson perceived self-efficacy and selling confidence. Individual differences represent another important type of salesperson self-efficacy. For example, Yang et al. (2011) examined the role of salesperson conscientiousness and extraversion as antecedents of their self-efficacy. Other organizational factors and individual differences may also play a key role.\nLiterature background: Social identity theory and identification\nResearch hypotheses development: Brand image strength and salesperson-brand identification\nResearch methodology: Sample\nDiscussion: First, we introduce the notion of brand selling confidence. This salesperson confidence in ability to represent the brand has not been previously studied in the sales literature and can help us to better understand the connection between the brand and salesforce, two critically important marketing tools in the marketplace. Further, we identify that brand strength and brand identification affect brand selling confidence. These findings help us to understand how perceptions of the brand and actual sales outcomes relate to each other. This understanding is important to connecting marketing strategy to sales management practice. We are also able to demonstrate the mediating role of brand selling confidence, which helps to both extend and better understand the work already done on brand and salesperson (Gammoh et al., 2014a, 2014b).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of the study is to address the gap in understanding how the brand influences sales outcomes by focusing one's attention on the salesperson perceptions of the brand and the salesperson brand selling confidence.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study uses a cross-section survey of professional salespeople. SmartPLS was used to estimate the measurement model and test the hypothesized path relationships.\nFindings: The study's results indicate that salespeople who believe in the strength of the brands they represent are more likely to identify with the brand, are more confident in selling the brand and, overall, tend to perform better, have higher job satisfaction and are more committed to their companies.\nOriginality/value: This paper contributes to the sales literature by further exploring the relationship between the brand and sales function in the firm. This area has recently received academic attention but has not yet considered the mediating processes that connect the two areas. This study identifies perceptions of brand strength and brand selling confidence as mechanisms that mediate the impact of brand on sales outcomes.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Institutional judo: how entrepreneurs use institutional forces to create change
|
[
"Entrepreneurship",
"Institutional change",
"Legitimacy",
"Institutional theory"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: There is growing interest in the nexus of institutional change and entrepreneurship. This qualitative study explores how one entrepreneur attempted to \"gain much-needed support and legitimacy\" (Cornelissen and Clarke, 2010, p. 539) in the process of legitimizing a new venture (Ahlstrom and Bruton, 2001; Aldrich and Fiol, 1994), in this case, a new type of financial instrument to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). We combine a case study method (Yin, 1984) and narrative analysis (Pentland, 1999) to understand the process of legitimation in a multiple institutions setting (cf. Koene, 2006). Focussing on the actual conduct of institutional work (Lawrence and Suddaby, 2006), we provide a much more micro, practice-oriented (Jansson, 2013; Jarzabkowski, 2005), highly contextualized examination of the entrepreneurial process (Jennings et al., 2013, p. 2).\nTheoretical perspectives: Institutional contexts are complex, and there are occasions where the institutional structures pressure and constrain actors and occasions when actors are able to change institutional structures or practices, often simultaneously. These institutional work efforts occur in a multiple institutions environment (Kraatz and Block, 2008). An institutional work perspective focusses attention on the creation, maintenance, or change of institutions (Lawrence and Suddaby, 2006). Such institutional change efforts overlap with institutional entrepreneurship (DiMaggio, 1988), which involves an actor's efforts to create new institutions or to transform existing ones' (Maguire et al., 2004, p. 657). The aim in either perspective is to gain institutional legitimacy for the newly created forms (Aldrich and Fiol, 1994). And both face the challenge of embedded agency, where agents mired in an institutional setting struggle to change the very institutions pressuring them to conform (Holm, 1995; Seo and Creed, 2002).\nMethodology: We combined narrative analysis and a case study to produce a process theory (Langley, 1999; Pentland, 1999). A narrative approach shares important properties with process research. Narrative data are sequenced in time, have a focal actor, reveal values and assumptions, and describe characteristics of the context in which the focal actor is working. Pentland (1999) shows how narrative data can be used to build process theory by moving from text to a description of the overall generating mechanism involved in a process, for example, by moving from an account of a subject's hiring to a description of the overall recruiting process.\nCase study: Our case involves the creation and introduction of a new type of financial instrument. Bob Drummond (pseudonym) has the intention to get Royalty Exchange Contracts (RECs), traded on the NYSE. RECs entitle holders to a percentage of annual revenues, as opposed to a share of the firm's total value. For firms that do not want to issue stock or go public, it gives them a more flexible way to raise capital. This financial instrument poses unique challenges because its adoption and implementation implies a change in the financial system and a possible new classification of financial instruments, which are mainly equity and debt models. Also, in order for this financial instrument to succeed, other actors beyond our entrepreneur would need to adopt this type of instrument. Thus, Bob needed to gain legitimacy for this new product so that it would be accepted in financial institutions like the NYSE. Our aim was to capture and analyze the actual institutional change efforts of an entrepreneur. We explored not only actions performed by Bob (the actor), but also described the multiple institutional contexts in which the actor is embedded.\nResearch setting: a multiple institutions context: Global financial capital market\nData collection: We conducted a series of interviews and collected data from multiple archival sources. We also observed Bob pitch his new product. Our direct contact included face-to-face interviews, informal conversations, a recorded videoconference interview, and correspondence over e-mail. After an informal initial meeting, we conducted two formal face-to-face interviews that each lasted over two hours. These ethnographic interviews (Spradley, 1979) explored the actions he took in attempting to gain legitimacy for the new financial instrument. We wanted to reveal the underlying logics at play and how those logics guided (both enabled and constrained) his actions. In addition to generating an account of various events and actions (by Bob, institutions, and others), our qualitative interviews were intended to reveal implicit norms, assumptions, and understandings.\nData analysis: In analyzing the data, five researchers went through the interview transcript and e-mail exchanges independently and coded for meanings that comprised institutional logics or attempts to gain legitimacy. For example, one institutional work effort (a single action to attempt change) might be guided by institutional logic that recognized a constraint as well as agency to accomplish a more general aspiration.\nFindings and discussion: What emerged from the empirical data were an intricate illustration of an entrepreneur's attempts to gain legitimacy in the process of creating and commercializing a new venture. While many coincided with Suchman's (1995) strategies to gain legitimacy, new findings allowed us to extend theory and introduce a new legitimation strategy, institutional judo, where actors rely on institution-to-institution pressures to gain legitimacy.\nGaining legitimacy through institutional judo: Previous literature suggests several strategies to gain legitimacy. Suchman (1995) offered three clusters of strategies at firm level: first, conform to the dictates of stakeholders within the current environment; second, select among multiple environments to pursue one that accepts a firm's current practices; and third, manipulate the environment by creating new stakeholders and/or beliefs. Manipulation is the least explored strategy in the literature to date. While could categorize institutional judo as a manipulation strategy since it changes beliefs about a new institutional form or practice, institutional judo differs from manipulation as described by Suchman (1995). \"Institutional judo\" is a strategy where embeddedness in one institution serves as a resource for change in another institution. Below we demonstrate how he conformed to one institution in selecting a decoy institution to grant him legitimacy, while hoping to manipulate another institution through mimetic tendencies.\nImplications and future research: One of the main implications of our research is that there may be more new strategies and tactics institutional entrepreneurs use to change institutions. We would also encourage a multiple institutions perspective and more inquiry into the ways that institutions affect one another.\nConclusion: Our study revealed some interesting aspects regarding legitimacy and institutional change. One of the main contributions of this empirical study was the concept of institutional judo, which provides a nuanced description of what entrepreneurs actually do to gain legitimacy and change institutions (Suddaby et al., 2013). Our study also answered calls for more qualitative and process-oriented research in both entrepreneurship and institutional theory, and applied a multiple institutions perspective (Kraatz and Block, 2008).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine an entrepreneur's attempt to gain legitimacy and change institutions in a multiple institutions setting.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a qualitative case study to track an entrepreneur's efforts to create a new financial instrument and get it accepted and traded on the New York Stock Exchange.\nFindings: The authors introduce the concept of institutional judo, analogous to the martial art where a fighter uses his opponent's forces against him. While institutional theory has focussed on how institutional pressures force actors to conform, the term judo refers to an actor using institutional pressures to their advantage in changing those very institutions.\nResearch limitations/implications: This qualitative research involves a single case study, but is most suited to revealing extensions of theory and subtle processes.\nPractical implications: The approach allowed the authors to provide a nuanced look at the actual change efforts by an entrepreneur to gain legitimacy.\nSocial implications: This study provides a nuanced look at actual attempts to change institutions.\nOriginality/value: Institutional judo offers a new change mechanism within institutional theory.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Negative behaviours in the workplace: A study of two Primary Care Trusts in the NHS
|
[
"Employee behaviour",
"Workplace",
"Bullying",
"National Health Service",
"National Health Trusts",
"United Kingdom"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Since the 1990s, much attention has rightly been paid to understanding and preventing bullying in the workplace (Leymann, 1996; Rains, 2001; Raynor, 2002 Raynor, 2005; Spurgeon, 2003). This is not just because bullying can have a severe effect on the well-being and effectiveness of those who are the targets of bullying, but also because it can undermine the effectiveness of the organisation (Einarsen et al., 2003). It should be acknowledged that the term \"bullying\" is somewhat imprecise and there is a lack of consensus as to how it should be defined (Hoel and Cooper, 2000).Regardless of the imprecision though, it is clear that any good employer would wish to take steps to prevent or eliminate bullying in their organisation. However, there is a whole raft of negative workplace behaviours which perhaps because of their nature or infrequency may not be classed as bullying, and for that reason tend to be either ignored or treated as part of the rough and tumble of organisational life (Pearson et al., 2001). Indeed, two recent large studies (Hoel and Cooper, 2000; Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying, 2001) found that the majority of negative workplace behaviours were of a lower frequency (\"now and then\" and \"occasionally\" respectively). Under most definitions, such behaviour would not be classed as bullying because of its low frequency. Nevertheless, the studies also found that these behaviours did have an adverse effect on the well-being and performance of those who were the target. Furthermore, Pearson et al. (2001) researching what they described as the lower intensity behaviour of incivility found that this type of behaviour was a substantial, common and costly problem both to the individual and the organisation.In terms of the incidence of negative workplace behaviours in the UK, there is a lack of consensus, with studies varying between 10 per cent and 50 per cent of staff experiencing/witnessing such behaviours (UNISON, 1997; Zapf et al., 2003; Quine, 1999, 2001). There could be a number of reasons for this, such as the use of different definitions of negative behaviours, whether researchers are examining people's short-term or long-term experiences, and variations between different industries and sectors. In this latter respect, research appears to show that, on balance, the incidences of negative behaviour appear to be higher in the public sector in the UK than the private sector (Hoel et al., 1999; Hoel et al., 2004; Zapf et al., 2003). Of the public sector, the National Health Service (NHS) appears to experience one of the highest levels of negative behaviours with, in some surveys, over 50 per cent of staff experiencing/witnessing negative behaviours (CPHVA/MHNA, 2003; Quine, 2001; Stein et al., 2002). Why the public sector, and particularly the NHS, should be more prone to negative behaviour than other sectors is difficult to say. Zapf et al. (2003) point to such factors as low job mobility and a high degree of personal engagement which, they argue, can make people more vulnerable to bullying. Leymann (1996) observes that the bureaucratic and impersonal nature of public sector organisations, together with the low priority traditionally given to management skills, might account for the apparently high level of bullying. In terms of the NHS, the findings of a review of the literature on bullying conducted by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (1997) are interesting. It found that the incidence of bullying tended to be related to factors such as a highly competitive work environment, an authoritarian management style, organisational change, impossibly tight deadlines and aggressive behaviour as a deliberate management tactic. For many observers, this might well be a description of life in the NHS (Lilley, 2003; Newdick, 2005).The main objective of our research was to investigate the effects of incivility, aggression and lower frequency behaviours in terms of their impact on individuals and organisations and to assess the relationship of the behaviours to the perception of bullying. A secondary objective was to assess whether the incidence of negative behaviours in the NHS is as high as previous studies appear to show. In order to address these objectives, this paper will firstly review the literature on negative behaviours in organisations. It will then describe the methodology used in our empirical research in the NHS. This is followed by a presentation and discussion of the findings from our empirical research. The findings show that, in the two NHS trusts studied, over 50 per cent of staff experienced/witnessed negative behaviours. This appears to confirm what other researchers have found in terms of the high incidence of negative behaviours in the NHS. The findings also show that though most of the behaviours were at the lower \"now and then\" frequency, they had a similar impact on the individuals concerned as higher-frequency behaviours. Also, whilst many of the incidents were classed as incivility, but not as bullying, they nevertheless, had a similar adverse effect on the well-being of those concerned and on the performance of their organisations as behaviours defined as incivility and bullying. Aggressive behaviour was shown to have higher levels of effect and was always classed as bullying. The article concludes by arguing that focusing purely on bullying in the workplace has led researchers and practitioners to ignore or play down the damage done to both individuals and organisations by negative behaviour not classed as bullying. Therefore, to focus on bullying alone is to be sidetracked from tackling the full range of damaging behaviours in the workplace.\nNegative behaviours in the workplace: Terms and definitions\nMethodology: As stated earlier, the objectives of our research were: to investigate the effects of incivility, aggression and lower frequency behaviours in terms of their impact on individuals and organisations and to assess the relationship of the behaviours to the perception of bullying; and to assess whether the incidence of negative behaviours in the NHS is as high as previous studies appear to show. As Yin (1994) maintains, the choice of research methodology is a function of the nature of the research being conducted. Given that we were attempting to quantify the frequencies and impacts of different forms of negative behaviours, a quantitative approach using a self-administered postal questionnaire appeared to be the most suitable approach. However, whilst quantitative methods have their benefits, they also have their drawbacks (Tuchman, 1998). In addition to quantifying the occurrence of negative behaviours, we also wished to give the respondents the opportunity to state in their own words how experiencing/witnessing negative behaviours impacted on them. Therefore, this required a qualitative element to our research (Denzin and Lincoln, 1998). As a consequence, as will be described below, we used a mixed-method approach to data gathering (Creswell, 2002). Our main data gathering approach was quantitative but we also collected qualitative data as part of the questionnaire and gathered other qualitative evidence from data collected within the organisations concerned. As Bryman (2006) notes, there are number of reasons to combine quantitative and qualitative research methods. In our case we used a mixed-method approach both to triangulate our findings - i.e. to cross-check our quantitative findings against the qualitative data, and to complement the quantitative findings - i.e. to use the qualitative data to illustrate and elaborate the quantitative findings.Our research was undertaken in two NHS Primary Care Trusts. The provision of primary care, such as doctors and dentists operating in the community, accounts for some 80 per cent of the NHS's budget. Primary Care Trusts, often covering large geographical areas, are responsible for both commissioning and providing health care in the community and are separate from acute hospital care and cover. PCTs also work closely with local authorities and other agencies that provide health and social care locally.The two Primary Care Trusts in our study covered a large, mainly rural geographical area with units of greatly varying size including several community hospitals. Trust A had at that time approximately 585 employees and Trust B 1,250 employees. Trust B included some mental health employees as well as staff providing physical services. The random samples (obtained electronically) were drawn from staff with substantive contracts, both full- and part-time across all grades of staff. The following staff were excluded from the research: general practitioners with clinical assistant contracts, \"bank only\" staff, training participants who did not have an internal base, board members and any staff groups that had contracts with the Trusts, but were managed by an outside organisation.Questionnaires were sent to 100 people in Trust A (18 per cent, after exclusions) and 120 in Trust B (10 per cent, after exclusions). In Trust B the final figure was 116 for analysis purposes as four people in the sample population had left the Trust. The reason for the different sample sizes was that, historically, staff in Trust A had been poor responders to surveys. The samples were stratified in order to provide a representative sample of both manager/team leader groups and non-manager groups. Prior to being sent out, the questionnaire was discussed and piloted with a small group of staff drawn from the two Trusts.The pilot group identified that incivility could be perceived as bullying and that people were moving jobs within the organisation to avoid negative behaviour. They also identified the existence of group bullying, i.e. groups of women, such as experienced nursing assistants, picking on men. Exclusion was seen as a key behaviour and one incident was identified as having a huge negative effect on an individual. The pilot group resulted in questionnaire modification for reasons of clarity of questions and confirmed the direction of the research.In order to assess the incidence and impact of incivility and less-frequent negative behaviours as well as bullying and aggression, negative behaviours were divided into three categories and defined in the following manner.Workplace incivility\nFindings: This section presents the findings from both the quantitative and qualitative components of the research. In particular, it examines the prevalence and types of negative behaviours in the two NHS Trusts, their effects on those concerned, the impact of incivility, aggression and bullying, the significance of the frequency of such behaviours and the relationship of incivility and aggression to the perception of bullying.Prevalence and types of negative behaviours\nDiscussion: redefining negative behaviour in the workplace: In our earlier examination of the literature on workplace behaviours which could have a negative effect on the well-being of staff, it was argued that a term such as bullying was too narrow and excluded other behaviours, such as incivility, which might have a significant negative effect on those concerned. The literature review also questioned the tendency to assume that low-frequency behaviours could be seen as inherently less harmful than high-frequency behaviours. The findings from our research support the case for taking a broader view of what constitutes negative behaviour in the workplace, and for questioning the supposed correlation between the frequency of a negative behaviour and its impact. As Figure 3 shows, both incivility and incivility also considered as bullying appear to result in similar levels of negative effects. Also, as Figure 4 shows, lower-frequency behaviours (now and then) do not appear to have any less impact than higher-frequency behaviours. Nevertheless, as Figure 5 shows, the presence of more aggressive behaviour (with perceived intent to harm) does indicate higher levels of effect.Drawing on both the literature review and our own findings, there is clearly a need to redefine what is meant by negative behaviours in the workplace. We would suggest that this is best achieved by building on and adapting the work of Pearson et al. (2001) which was presented earlier in Figure 1. As Figure 6 shows, we suggest that the various behaviours should be re-labelled. What they call \"antisocial behaviour\" should be termed \"negative behaviour\"; the reference to deviant behaviour should be dropped (as argued in the literature review, one organisation's deviant behaviour may be another organisation's normal behaviour); and the terms \"aggression\" and \"incivility\" should be kept, and defined as follows:* Negative behaviour. Any behaviour that is disrespectful and undermines/violates the value/dignity of an individual. It is behaviour that harms individuals and organisations.* Incivility. Rude or disrespectful/discourteous behaviour with ambiguous intent which may or may not be defined as bullying by those who experience/witness it.* Aggression. Behaviour with the clear intention of harming the target. This is seen as being less common than negative behaviour in general or incivility in particular, but it is always classed as bullying.\nConclusion: The findings from any one study should be treated with a degree of caution, unless, as in this case, they give support to and draw support from previous research. We believe that, when taken together with the evidence presented in the literature review, the findings from our research do have potentially significant implications. The findings indicate that:* Focussing solely on bullying misses out a whole raft of negative behaviours, especially incivility, which are harmful to individuals and organisations. Instead, what is needed is the drawing together of the research and practice which deals with workplace incivility, aggression and bullying under the broader heading of negative behaviours.* The perception of negative behaviour classed as bullying as being more harmful than behaviour not classed as bullying needs to be questioned. Our findings show that instances of incivility which was not perceived as bullying by those who experienced/witnessed it had similar negative effects to incivility which was perceived as bullying. However, where aggression was involved, i.e. where there was a clear perceived intent to harm the target, the level of negative effects was much higher, and the respondents always classed aggressive behaviour as bullying. All aggression involved bullying, but not all reported cases of bullying involved aggression; in fact most did not.* There is a need to reconsider how the term \"bullying\" is defined. Our findings suggest that it is not necessarily the frequency with which a negative behaviour occurs which matters, but the effect on those concerned. Also, some incivility, behaviour with ambiguous intent, was also classed as bullying. Therefore, definitions of bullying need to take account of the impact on those who experience and witness the behaviours and it should not be defined solely by reference to frequency, persistence, duration or intent.* As argued by other researchers (CPHVA/MHNA, 2003; Quine, 2001; Stein et al., 2002), employees in the NHS appear to experience/witness a much higher incidence of negative behaviour than employees in the private sector. There is little doubt that by the nature of their work, NHS employees operate under a great deal of pressure. The NHS is also an organisation which attracts a great deal of public scrutiny, especially when it is seen to fail or make mistakes. In addition, it has also gone through and is still going through an enormous number of changes (Lilley, 2003; Newdick, 2005). Whether these cause or contribute to the high incidence of negative behaviours is difficult to say. However, our research does indicate that the high incidence adds to the pressure under which staff work and is detrimental to their and the NHS's effectiveness.In conclusion, therefore, our findings support the argument that bullying and aggressive behaviours are damaging to both individuals and organisations. However, they also show that concentrating only on bullying and aggression is counterproductive, because it misses out the wider damage done by more prevalent forms of negative behaviours such as incivility.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the need to treat negative workplace behaviours which are not perceived as bullying as seriously as those which are. The paper also aims to examine whether or not the National Health Service (NHS) appears to experience a higher level of negative behaviour than private sector organisations and whether lower frequency behaviour has similar levels of effect as higher frequency behaviour.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A mixed-method approach is used whereby a mainly quantitative questionnaire is complemented by the inclusion of qualitative questions and the collection of qualitative data collected within the two NHS Trusts concerned.\nFindings: - The evidence collected draws attention to the considerable impact that workplace incivility, which may or may not be classed as bullying, has on the well-being of employees and the effectiveness of organisations. Where aggression is present, the levels of effect are shown to be higher and the behaviour is always classed as bullying. The evidence also shows that the NHS does appear to experience a higher level of negative behaviour than private sector organisations, and that lower frequency behaviour does indeed appear to have similar levels of effect as higher frequency behaviour.\nOriginality/value: - This article shows that the focus placed by many researchers and organisations on countering/eliminating behaviour purely perceived as bullying is unlikely to be effective unless they also adopt a similar approach to the full range of negative behaviours that employees experience/witness in organisations.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The innovation challenge in micro and small enterprises (MSE): An exploratory study at Sao Paulo metropolitan region
|
[
"Innovation",
"Degree of innovation",
"Micro and small enterprise"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: This article aimed to identify the practices and degree of innovation of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) based on the assumption that innovation contributes to improve competitiveness and, consequently, the longevity of smaller companies.\n2. Theoretical background: 2.1 Innovation\n3. Methodological procedures: This is a descriptive research, with the basic objective of presenting an exact characterization of a group - MSEs in the metallurgy sector - (Neuman, 1997), and a quantitative study, since data collected were significant (203 cases) and submitted to a descriptive statistical analysis. The chosen method was a survey, whose goal was declared by Freitas, Oliveira, Saccol and Moscarola (2000, p. 105) as \"to produce quantitative descriptions of a population by using a pre-defined instrument\".\n4. Results: The survey carried out with the 203 MSEs of the sample showed a higher incidence of firms located in the West metropolitan region (Table V), comprised by the cities of Osasco, Barueri, Carapicuiba, Santana de Parnaiba, Cotia and Taboao da Serra (61 per cent), compared to the Southwest metropolitan region. This is explained by the concentration of industrial poles in the western region.\n5. Discussion of results and final remarks: The results of the study showed that MSEs in our sample are not systemic innovators. We ranked most of them as little innovative (96.43 per cent), and a very small number as occasional innovators (3.57 per cent).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This study aims to measure the degree of innovation of micro and small industrial companies in the West and Southwest metropolitan regions of the city of Sao Paulo, through a survey with 203 firms in the metallurgy sector.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research had a quantitative and descriptive focus and used as methodology the validated and international approach known as Innovation Radar.\nFindings: The degree of innovation in these micro and small companies is low; thus, the authors could not characterize them as systemic innovators. Most of them are little innovative, although some were classified as occasional innovators. The dimensions organization, processes, presence, supply chain and added value were the least developed.\nResearch limitations/implications: To carry out similar studies in other Brazilian regions, to compare results and draw new conclusions, or even check if the degree of innovation present in micro-firms of these regions would not be even lower; to monitor the evolution of companies through a longitudinal study, to detect improvements in the degree of innovation; and to conduct a qualitative research that can deepen questions on the results of our study, such as the reasons why this type of company does not adopt innovative practices, or even the real suitability of the Innovation Radar model for micro and small enterprises (MSEs). We observed that some dimensions proved to be too sophisticated for these companies, such as R&D investments and the adoption of technological advances.\nPractical implications: The study shows that the degree of innovation measured by the Innovation Radar is a useful and initial measure to check an innovative attitude in micro and small companies. It can also drive the actions that should be prioritized to stimulate the culture of innovation in SME. However, it does not allow to answer why this type of organization does not adopt innovative practices as a management attitude. Regarding its contribution, the authors expect that the paper may bring an awareness of managers and owners of micro and small companies for the need to foster innovative practices that can help increase the competitiveness and survival of this type of organization.\nSocial implications: In Brazil, despite the fact that MSEs represent 98 per cent of the existing companies, and are mainly responsible for job creation, their leaders have a low concern for innovative practices.\nOriginality/value: The study contributes to identify the degree of innovation of these firms, which comprise a representative and strategic segment of the city's economy, by checking to what extent an innovative attitude is effectively present in this sector. The theoretical contribution of this study regards the appropriateness of mechanisms or methodologies created to measure the degree of innovation in large organizations. Dimensions such as technological platform, brand, innovative ambience, degree of organization or systematization of processes, which are frequently considered for companies in general, and especially for large ones, are not sufficient or, instead, too sophisticated to allow an effective measurement of the degree of innovation in MSE. Thus, this study provides information for designing more effective ways to evaluate the degree of innovation that take into account MSE's specificities, which can be considered innovation efforts, such as simple process improvements, professional development of teams, and actions to seize ideas and opportunities, among others.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Winning companies; winning people: enabling average people to emulate the approaches of high performers
|
[
"Critical success factors",
"Behaviour",
"Performance management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Do members of the training and development community help or hinder the spread of the distinctive approaches of high performers? Paradoxically while in most companies there appears to be enormous potential to raise average levels of performance those who champion the need to increase understanding often impede rather than encourage developments that would make this happen, particularly where certain critically important workgroups are concerned.\nThe research program: The \"winning companies; winning people\" research program seeks to understand why certain groups out perform others in areas critical to corporate success, such as bidding for business, building customer relationships, and creating and exploiting know-how. The aim is to identify critical success factors, profile successful approaches and determine practical ways of improving performance in those activities that contribute most to achieving corporate objectives, competing and winning.In total, over 4,000 organizations have participated in projects within the research program. Among the outputs produced, over 50 books and research reports have been published, the latest of which (Coulson-Thomas, 2006)[1] summarizes the main differences between winning and losing approaches to business development. Desk research, visits to representative companies and/or expert consultation are undertaken to identify apparent success factors. This initial research is followed by questionnaire surveys and follow-up interviews. Companies surveyed range from large companies to smaller enterprises.Typically, the outcomes achieved by participants are ranked and the approaches of those above/below average; in the top/bottom quartiles or above/below the mid-point in the range of achievement are compared, depending upon statistical considerations for determining reliable findings, to identify critical success factors. Over 2,000 businesses have participated in specific projects to compare and contrast winning (successful) and losing (unsuccessful) approaches.\nCritical success factors: Most of the critical success factors that have been identified are attitudinal and behavioral. While there may be arena specific issues to address, most critical success factors and the main differences of attitude, approach and behavior between winners and losers appear independent of commercial sector and company size. Many are also applicable to public sector and voluntary organizations, where \"leaders\" and \"laggards\" may be more appropriate comparison terms than \"winners\" and \"losers\".Encouragingly, many of the identified critical success factors and winning approaches are independent of each other. Success increases with the number of them that are put in place. However, many organizations devote enormous effort to excelling in a wide range of non-critical areas while blissfully ignoring key success requirements they have not understood. Some \"winners\" simply happen to be better at certain activities that are critical success factors even though they may not have been recognized as such.Intriguingly, organizations that score highly in certain studies generally rank poorly in others, which limits their overall performance. Many people also misjudge how good they are in the areas examined. Participants often feel they are much better or worse than the comparative data suggests. Disturbingly, most companies have not themselves identified the critical success factors in the individual areas examined. Significant resources, management attention, consultancy, training and development are therefore devoted to areas that make little if any contribution to improved outputs.In some of the areas examined, even the most successful companies - those in the top quartile of attainment - are only very effective at less than a half of the critical success factors that have been identified. Hence, there is enormous scope for improvement. Opportunities have been identified to improve the performance of every survey participant by introducing a change of attitude, behaviour or approach independently of corporate systems, processes and HR policies. The lead times for improvements can be as short as the time taken to approach and undertake a particular activity in a winning way.\nHigh performers: Perhaps because of their focus upon low achievers and bringing those who are below par up to standard many members of the HRD community have not identified high performers within important workgroups. Nor do they understand what these \"superstars\" do differently. The emphasis is often upon spreading the adoption of standard or \"official\" ways of working rather than discovering better alternatives.Those building support tools often find particular individuals who have a far better way of tackling certain problems than the approach set out in the firm's manual. In some cases such people either remain unrecognized, or they attract criticism for breaking the rules. Smart companies capture what higher performers do differently and look for ways of enabling others to emulate their success.The approaches of the people who are most successful at the activities that have been examined are generally significantly different from those of their under performing peers. High achievers are not necessarily harder working or more committed. They just do things differently. Building both critical success factors and the approaches of high performers into key activity processes and the support tools used by important workgroup can enable average performers to raise their game by adopting the practices of superstars and emulating their achievements.\nTraining and development professionals: Within every organization that has been examined there is considerable potential for performance improvement. Yet individuals other than HRD professionals champion, commission and develop the observed support tools that are enabling average performers to emulate the behaviors of high performers and adopt their winning ways. The training and development community are invariably bystanders or opponents.In many organizations trainers and developers allocate their resources widely to reach as many people as possible. Greater contributions to business development can often be achieved by concentrating management attention and development activities upon critical success factors in areas that contribute most to the achievement of corporate objectives. Prioritization and focus are required.Some HRD professionals resist the notion that behavior can be easily changed and new approaches adopted without the need for \"incentives\". Yet successful applications incorporate critical success factors, and use pointers and blockers to ensure users adopt the approaches of high performers. By making it easier for people to do their jobs rapid take up is achieved and \"management of change\" problems avoided.Other trainers and developers view solutions as prescriptive when their adopters consider them liberating. By building controls to avoid commercial risks, unworkable solutions, miss-selling and regulatory issues into support tools, people can be both trusted and enabled to develop bespoke responses. Automating the more routine aspects of tiresome tasks can free up time for more creative and value adding activities such as differentiating or tailoring to particular requirements. Higher prices and/or more satisfied staff and customers generally result.One should not be surprised to encounter a degree of wariness about what may be perceived as technology based solutions. Early generations of IT based tools often deskilled those who used them. Support tools can be - and are now being - constructed so that people learn each time they are utilized and hence become more capable.\nEffective support tools: The key to success is to understand the relevant critical success factors and winning ways. Technology is merely a delivery vehicle, albeit a very cost-effective one, particularly the larger the number of people to be supported (Coulson-Thomas, 2003b). Costs per person supported will be less where greater numbers of people are working upon more homogenous tasks.The most effective support tools make use of relatively simple approaches. Processes are improved by incorporating relevant critical success factors and winning ways before they are built into support tools. When supporting people in customer facing roles the best results have been achieved with applications that help customers and prospects to better understand what they require, and make it easier for them to purchase a bespoke response.Smart champions focus upon applications with the greatest potential impact in areas in which critical success factors and winning ways have been identified. They also ensure that support arrangements and tools are regularly reviewed, maintained and kept up to date. Standards of attainment may be continually rising as alert competitors endeavor to identify and copy each others winning approaches. Support tools can be automatically updated as and when users log on, thus ensuring that a community of users remains current.HRD professionals need to understand that processes and support tools incorporating both critical success factors and how high performing superstars operate can enable average performers to undertake more complex tasks and significantly raise their game. Job satisfaction, prospects and performance can all improve offering a route to development that benefits both individuals and the organization. Business development and personal growth can both occur.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this article is to share some high level findings of a continuous program of research designed to identify critical success factors for important corporate activities such as bidding, building relationships, purchasing and pricing.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Survey participants are ranked in terms of outcomes attained and the activities and approaches of high and low achievers are compared to isolate factors that account for the differences in results secured.\nFindings: - The investigation reveals that critical success factors can be determined and built into processes and support tools. Most of the identified critical success factors are attitudinal and behavioral.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The implications of the research are that average performers can be enabled to emulate and adopt the approaches of high performers. However, many training and development professionals oppose rather than support related developments. Future research might usefully examine their reservations and inhibitions and consider ways in which these might be overcome.\nPractical implications: - Many practitioners may need to devote greater attention to putting additional critical success factors in place and encouraging the adoption of winning ways.\nOriginality/value: - The paper highlights a significant opportunity to improve individual and corporate performance and deliver both higher commercial returns and greater personal fulfillment.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Replicate or adapt? Franchising and organizational routines
|
[
"Franchising",
"Knowledge transmission",
"Strategy",
"Structural equation modeling",
"Organizational routines"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Organizational routines are patterns of sequential tasks that emerge when organizational members use existing knowledge and repetition to produce anticipated and consistent outcomes (Feldman and Pentland, 2003; Wohlgemuth and Wenzel, 2016). Routines are created, adjusted and fine-tuned by \"doing\" and \"re-doing\" tasks (Winter and Szulanski, 2001), and they are often written and codified as an important source of organizational knowledge (Helfat and Peteraf, 2003). Routines can be a source of value because the knowledge stored in them is intrinsic to the way firms create products and services (Kostova, 1999). Because of their path-dependent nature, routines are unique to each firm and thus difficult for competitors to copy (Szulanski, 1996). Even written and codified routines can be hard to copy because recipients lack the understanding and discipline needed to follow them profitably (Knott, 2003). Thus, as valuable, heterogeneously distributed and difficult-to-copy resources, routines can be an important source of competitive advantage (Bapuji et al., 2019; Winter et al., 2012).\nTheoretical background: Replication versus adaptation of organizational routines\nHypotheses: The franchising context\nMethods: Sample and data collection\nResults: Means, standard deviations (SDs) and correlations are given in Table I. Significant correlations are in expected directions. For example, older franchisors have more outlets, larger outlets and are more likely to adopt plural form strategies. Consistent with our theory, plural form franchisors seek experienced franchisees who want multiple outlets and who will not experiment. In contrast to our theorizing, however, plural form franchising is positively related to local market knowledge. Most bivariate correlations were relatively small (r < 0.30) with the exception of the correlation between international and firm size (r = 0.43), which is not unexpected given that large firms are often large because they have expanded internationally.\nDiscussion: Does strategy influence managers' preferences for replication versus adaptation? In the franchising context, the results suggest that those pursuing plural form strategies select franchisees with traits that foster replication, such as prior managerial experience and the desire to have multiple outlets (that they get by replicating), and franchisors pursuing turnkey strategies look for franchisees with a willingness to experiment and adapt. These results are consistent with evidence that franchisors benefit from carefully considering which decisions, such as advertising, pricing and human resources, to allocate to franchisees (Lopez-Bayon and Lopez-Fernandez, 2016) and how contracts are designed and enforced to encourage routine compliance (Kashyap and Murtha, 2017). These results add franchisor strategy as a new consideration in this context and imply that, beyond this context, strategy is a potentially important determinant of whether routines are replicated exactly or adapted.\nConclusions: At its core, franchising involves transferring a set of organizational routines to local managers. Accordingly, the franchise context has implications for a central question regarding organizational routines: When should routines be replicated exactly versus adapted to local conditions? The central insight here is that organizational strategy can influence this choice. Results suggest that turnkey franchisors who rely on franchisees for adaptation seek franchisees who appear willing to experiment. Plural form franchisors need greater standardization and seek franchisees who appear eager to replicate routines. This study only scratches the surface in that strategy probably interacts with other factors, and it seems likely that not all routines should be treated the same. Hopefully, this research opens avenues for deeper theorizing and more detailed tests that can guide managers as they grow organizations by transferring routines .\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce strategy as a factor that explains when franchisors - through the franchisees they select - seek to replicate routines exactly versus allow local adaptation of routines.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Combined archival and survey data from 248 US and Canadian franchisors actively seeking franchisees were used to test hypotheses via structural equation modeling. The robustness of results was comprehensively explored.\nFindings: As hypothesized, results suggest that franchisors pursuing plural form strategies select franchisees with traits that foster replication, such as prior managerial experience and the desire to become multi-outlet franchisees. Those franchisors pursuing turnkey strategies seek franchisees who exhibit a willingness to experiment and adapt. In contrast to expectations, plural form franchisors were more likely to seek franchisees with local market knowledge.\nOriginality/value: Strategy influences whether franchisors select franchisees who will replicate versus adapt organizational routines. The authors introduce strategy as a factor affecting the extent to which routines are replicated exactly versus adapted locally. For franchising research, they challenge prior theory by explaining why franchisors invest in franchisee selection rather than waiting for the best franchisees to self-select into franchising.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Dependability modeling and analysis of hybrid redundancy systems
|
[
"Modelling",
"Transient response",
"Systems analysis"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The history of voting systems began with the work of some illustrious mathematicians of the twentieth century as outlined by Pierce (1965). John Von Newmann developed the basic idea of majority voting (Newmann, 1956). It was widely used in software fault tolerance (Zhang et al., 2006a, b) and reliability applications (Wakerly, 1976; Ezhilchelvan et al., 2000; Yu and McCluskcy, 2001).Triple modular redundancy (TMR) is a commonly used form of fault masking in which the circuitry is triplicated and voted. The voting circuitry can be triplicated so that a voting process can also correct individual voter failures. A TMR system fails whenever two modules in the redundant triplet cause errors so that the vote is no longer valid.Pham (1993) has addressed the design issue for the optimal number of spare units in a TMR system with spare units, including fault coverage and common cause failures. Zhang et al. (2006a, b) have developed a model for triple modular redundancy with standby (TMRSB) systems for field programmable gate array (FPGA) logic devices. They have shown that a TMRSB system is superior to a standby system or a TMR system with component time to failure following an exponential distribution (Zhang et al., 2006a, b).The N-modular redundancy (NMR) system provides a powerful approach of improving reliability and fault tolerance of digital systems. In NMR systems, there are N functional modules, N=2m-1 for some integer m>1, which are implemented identically. Each module performs concurrent computation of identical tasks. Their outputs are provided to a majority voter to obtain a fault free output whenever at least m modules and the voter are functioning correctly.The configuration of the proposed hybrid redundancy system is shown in Figure 1. In this scheme each module of the NMR has access to k cold spares and a repair facility.Markov analysis of TMR or NMR systems has been studied by various researchers (Lombardi et al., 2001; Shooman, 2002; Siewiorek and Swartz, 1982). However, the semi-Markov analysis of such systems has received scant attention in the literature. The main advantage of the semi-Markov processes is to permit non-exponential distributions for transitions between states and generalize several kinds of stochastic processes (Cinlar, 1975; Limnios and Oprisan, 2000). This becomes very important in many real life situations where the life time and repair times are not necessarily exponential.This paper presents the transient analysis of the hybrid redundancy system. To our knowledge, no other research has obtained the transient solutions of the hybrid redundancy systems. Our contribution is in obtaining the transient solutions of hybrid redundancy systems and to demonstrate that the hybrid redundancy systems have greater advantage compared to the conventional NMR systems.The organization of the paper is as follows: first semi-Markov model and the research methodology are presented. This is followed by numerical illustrations that are obtained using MATLAB to validate the model solution. Finally we give the comparison of hybrid redundancy systems with the conventional NMR systems.\n2. Model description: In this section a semi-Markov model of the hybrid redundancy system is described based on several assumptions. The state transition diagrams of the hybrid redundancy system are shown in Figures 2 and 3 with a perfect switch and an imperfect switch respectively.The following are the assumptions:* All active modules are independent and identically distributed (iid) following the exponential lifetime distribution.* A single repair facility is available to repair a failed module and the switch. The switch has a higher priority than the failed module for repair.* The time to repair any failed module follows arbitrary distribution G(t) and the time to repair a switch follows arbitrary distribution Gs(t).* No load-sharing effect. i.e. active module's failure rate does not change at different load levels.* If the switch is working at the time of need, then the activation is perfect.* The repaired module and repaired switch are as good as new.* Whenever the operative module fails, a switch is used to activate a cold spare. Probability of the switch being good at the time of need is p=(1-q).* The probability that two or more modules are restored to the working condition or become failed in a small time interval is negligible.* When a failed module completes repair, it is treated as a cold spare.* There is only one sensing and switching device.* The voting device operates perfectly.* While the system is down, no further modules can fail.Notations\n3. Methodology: The semi-Markov processes are the generalization of Markov processes. In a semi-Markov process, the sequence of consecutively occurring states forms a time-homogeneous Markov chain, just as with Markov processes. However the sojourn time in a given state Zi is a positive random variable tij whose distribution depends on Zi and on the following state Zj, but, in contrast to Markov processes, this sojourn time is arbitrarily distributed.To define the semi-Markov processes, let x0,x1, ... be the sequence of consecutively occurring states, i.e., a sequence of random variables taking values in {Z0,...,Zm} and e0,e1,... the sojourn times between consecutive states. A stochastic process x(t)with the state space {Z0,...,Zm} is a semi-Markov process if for n=1,2,..., arbitrary i,j,i0,...,in-1[?]{0,...,m} and arbitrary positive numbers t0,...,tn-1, Equation 34 The functions Qi,j(t) in the above equation, defined only forj[?]i, are the semi-Markov transition probabilities: Equation 35 Equation 36 Equation 37 Equation 38 From equation 32, the consecutive jump points at which the process enters Zi are regeneration points. This holds for any i[?]{Z0,...,Zm}. Thus, all states of semi-Markov process are regeneration points. The renewal density of the embedded renewal process of consecutive jumps in Zi will be denoted as hi(t).The initial distribution, i.e. the distribution of the vector (x(0),x1,e0) is given for the general case by: Equation 39 with Pi(0)=Pr{x(0)=Zi},pi,j according to equation (35), and Fi,j0(t)=Pr {residual sojourn time in Zi<=t|(x(0)=Zi[?]x1=Zj)}. x(0) is used for clarity instead of x0.The sequence x0,x1, ... forms a Markov chain, embedded Markov chain, with transition probabilities pi,j according to equation 35 with pi,i=0 and initial probabilities Pi(0),i=0,...,m. Fi,j(t) is the conditional distribution function of the sojourn time in Zi with consequent jump in Zj (as next state to be visited).A finite state semi-Markov process is completely defined when the semi-Markov matrix Qi,j(t) and the initial distribution vector are given. In this paper, a method for evaluating the transition probability of semi-Markov process developed by Limnios is used (Limnios and Oprisan, 2000). The transition probability function is obtained in terms of Qi,j(t). The Markov renewal equation is: Equation 40 where hi(.)=1-[?]kQi,k(.) with I=0 for j[?]i, I=1 for j=i or in matrix form: Equation 41 where P(.)=(Pi,j(.)), is a square matrix function and h(.)=diag(hi(.)) a diagonal matrix function.When function h(.), in equation 38, is element wise Riemann integrable, the solution of equation 38 is: Equation 42 where I=I(t), a diagonal matrix.The matrix (I-Q(t))(-1) is obtained by explicit inversion within the convolution algebra (Limnios and Oprisan, 2000). In the direct inversion method, (I-Q(t))(-1) is calculated directly. This is obtained as usual, expect for the computation of the determinant where the ordinary product is replaced by the convolution product.\n4. Numerical illustrations: In this section, the system dependability measures are presented. The illustrations are given, first assuming repair time distribution as exponential and next assuming repair time distribution as two-parameter Weibull.The reliability, mean time to failure, availability and steady-state availability are computed numerically using the following definitions.Reliability\nConclusions: In this paper, a semi-Markov model for the hybrid redundancy system is presented. The transient solutions of the hybrid redundancy system are obtained. Some dependability measures like availability, reliability, mean time to failure and steady-state availability are computed. The comparison of the hybrid redundancy system (TMR with two cold spares and repair) with the TMR systems (Shooman, 2002) is given. As shown in Figure 20, the hybrid redundancy system design is superior to the conventional TMR system designs as there is a significant increase in system reliability. For instance, in Figure 20, hybrid redundancy system reliability is 29.6 per cent greater compared to the repairable TMR system reliability and 67.2 per cent greater compared to the TMR system reliability at time t=10 hours. This may be very important in the mission critical applications such as space shuttle control systems (Shooman, 2002), digital flight control systems (Yeh, 1996) as the NMR systems are utilized to achieve very high reliability. Also in Figure 21, it is observed that the hybrid redundancy system (5MR with one spare and one repair facility) is superior to the conventional 5MR systems as there is a significant increase in system reliability.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The aim of this study is to demonstrate that hybrid redundancy systems are superior to the conventional N-modular redundancy (NMR) systems.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The hybrid redundancy system is a synthesis of the NMR system and the standby redundancy. Each module of the NMR has access to k cold spares (k<N) and a repair facility. A semi-Markov model for the hybrid redundancy system is developed and transient analysis is performed.\nFindings: - Some dependability measures such as availability, reliability, mean time to failure and steady-state availability are obtained.\nOriginality/value: - This paper presents the transient analysis of the hybrid redundancy systems. The results obtained will be useful to reliability engineers and reliability practitioners.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Evidence of transactional capability in two different countries
|
[
"Firm",
"Transaction cost",
"Financial system",
"Transactional capability"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The economics of organizations, as a field of study, seeks primarily to understand aspects such as the existence, boundaries, structure and nature of the firm (Coase, 1937; Demsetz, 1968; Madhok, 1996; Williamson, 1999). Within this field of study, two perspectives are highlighted: transaction cost economics and capabilities.\n2. Transactional capability: The transactional capability construct arises from the need to integrate two widely studied perspectives in the field of the economics of organizations: transaction cost economics and the capabilities of the firm. The differences between both perspectives allow for a more thorough analysis in that the contributions of one can complement the other.\n3. Dimensions of transactional capability: The literature that has explored the transactional capability construct is diverse (Argyres and Mayer, 2007; Cannon and Homburg, 2001; Dyer, 1997; Langlois and Foss, 1999; Loasby, 2002; Madhok, 1996; Mayer and Salomon, 2006; Poppo and Zenger, 2002; Tello-Gamarra and Zawislak, 2013); however, despite stressing the importance of transactional capability, scholars have not developed a robust definition for it.\n4. Method: The aim of this article is to identify and analyze empirical evidence that proves the existence of the transactional capability construct in financial system firms in different countries (Peru and Spain) and to obtain evidence that may be generalizable to other contexts.\n5. Results: When analyzing the information contained in the financial firms, varied results were obtained that show the relevance of the theoretical proposals to the drafting of firm-customer financial loan contracts. Table III outlines the main results of the analysis, where the variables referring to the dimensions (and sub-dimensions) of transactional capability are grouped and aligned with the contract information as qualitative variables. Then, the main empirical findings on transactional capability in both financial systems (Peru and Spain) will be presented through the three theoretical dimensions of the construct.\n6. Possible explanations: The Peruvian and Spanish financial systems are characterized by the existence of different categories of financial institutions (banks, financial entities, savings institutions and EDPYMEs). These entities differ in their characteristics when both within-country and between-countries comparisons are made.\n7. Final considerations: The joint study of the transaction costs economics and the capabilities perspectives (Hodgson, 1998; Langlois, 2007) has enabled significant theoretical and empirical advances (Argyres and Mayer, 2007; Langlois and Foss, 1999; Loasby, 2002; Mayer and Salomon, 2006; Poppo and Zenger, 2002; Tello-Gamarra and Zawislak, 2013); however, further studies are still needed given the importance and complexity of the economics of organizations.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify and analyze empirical evidence, which verifies the existence of the transactional capability construct in firms of financial systems in two different countries.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study investigates how the dimensions, and sub dimensions, of the transactional capability construct are reflected in the design of contracts. When analyzing the information from personal consumption loan contracts of nine Spanish firms and ten Peruvian firms in the financial system of each country, generalizable evidence of the transactional capability can be identified.\nFindings: The main result of this study is the identification of empirical evidence that proves the existence of transactional capability in financial markets with different characteristics.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study was limited by a lack of similar research, which hampered the task of identifying and defining the dimensions that form the transactional capability construct.\nOriginality/value: The identification of transactional capability was based on the analysis of contracts of personal credit consumption in the Peruvian and Spanish financial systems.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A sector-level analysis of output club convergence in case of a global economy
|
[
"Per-capita output",
"Sectors",
"Club convergence",
"Phillips and Sul convergence",
"Cross-country",
"C33",
"O47"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: This research aims to examine the convergence hypothesis of per capita output for aggregate along with three broader sectors of the economy (agriculture, industrial and service) with regard to 120 countries. The rationale behind addressing this question is that the per capita output heterogeneity and rapid fluctuations in economic growth across the globe experienced in the last two decades allow one to reassess the discussion of output convergence - that is, whether poor countries incline to \"catch up\" with rich countries.This research question has gathered much scholarly attention beginning with seminal works of Baumol (1986), Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1992), Mankiw et al. (1992), Islam (1995) and Durlauf et al. (2005); these all are related to the neoclassical growth theory (Solow, 1956). The concept of cross-sectional convergence talks about unconditional convergence in the neoclassical growth theory and assumes that there exists only a single steady-state of per capita output, which implies that all countries converge to that steady state. In a steady-state scenario, the poor countries tend to grow faster in terms of per capita income or output as compared to rich countries owing to the diminishing returns of capital. In contrast, conditional convergence infers the equilibrium that varies from economy to economy where each particular economy congregates its own but will have a single steady-state (Islam, 2003). Baumol's (1986) study suggests that the convergence of output per capita convergence is found among developed countries, while it is not observed in the case of less-developed economies.Despite the existence of a plethora of studies in mainstream convergence literature, the empirical validity of the conclusions through the common cross-country growth regression is mixed because of different assumptions on the notion of convergence hypothesis, different country groups, inclusion of different explanatory variables in determinants of economic growth model, and different time periods (Dobson et al., 2002; McCoskey, 2002; Mello and Perrelli, 2003; Fuente, 2003; Barro; Sala-i-Martin, 2003; Wane, 2004; Azomahou et al., 2011; Prochniak; Witkowski, 2013; Vollmecke et al., 2016; Chapsaa et al., 2015; and Li et al., 2016)[1].Though there is evidence of output or income convergence in case of some of the advanced countries (see for example Baumol, 1986; Ben-David, 1994; Bernard and Durlauf, 1995; Ben-David, 1996), studies regarding per capita output convergence both at aggregate and sectoral level convergence is scanty. The poor countries' per capita output might converge with per capita output of rich countries at the aggregate level, but it does not necessarily guarantee that poor countries will catch up rich countries in all three major sectoral levels (agriculture, industry, and service) (see, for instance, Ghosh et al., 2013). Moreover, the examination of output convergence at the sectoral level using data from recent years for a large set of countries is conspicuously missing from mainstream convergence literature.This paper makes an attempt to analyze this issue from the perspective of per capita output convergence by emphasizing on three major sectors of the economy. It is well-explained in the literature that output or GDP growth of a country depends on output contribution from three major sectors, namely, agriculture, industry, and services. Therefore, it is imperative to know whether per capita output convergence or divergence between countries at the aggregate level leads to similar findings at the sectoral level. Suppose, we hypothetically define two countries \"X \" and \"Y\", and X is a poor country and Y happens to be a rich country. If X's per capita output converges with Y's then can we say: (1) per capita output of each sector (mainly three major sectors as mentioned above) of \"X\" also converges with per capita output of each sector of \"Y\", (2) if not then we define which sector's of \"X\" (agriculture or industry or service) per capita output leading to per capita output convergence of \"Y\" at aggregate level.Therefore, the present study contributes to the existing literature in three ways. First, while bulk of studies in empirical literature examine the convergence by regressing growth rates of income or output of a group of countries on initial level income, we, instead, use the concept of \"club\" convergence in which the \"convergence\" is examined based upon a nonlinear time-varying factor model that capture the common transition paths by slotting similar group of countries into clubs.Second, it is widely believed that sector-level performance always helps boost overall economic performance, and the total output of a country depends upon three broad sectors such as agriculture, industry, and service sector. Therefore, it is indispensable to examine the output convergence at the sectoral level. As the data[2] show global service sector output growth has increased from 3.36 percent in 1996 to 4.2 percent in 2007 and around 2.75 percent in 2015. On the other hand, global industrial output growth increased slightly from 1995 (3.25 percent) to 2015 (3.29 percent). During the crises period 2008-2009, the output growth of the industry sector was negative (-4.61 percent), and it increased steeply in 2010 (7.16 percent). Similarly, we also observe a declining trend in the global agriculture sector's growth from (1.94 percent) in 1995 to (1.82 percent) in 2015. We not only examine the convergence hypothesis of three sectors but explore the critical question, that is, \"which sector leads to the overall output convergence across countries?\"Third, this study uses the Phillips and Sul (2007, 2009) panel convergence technique, which adds a methodological contribution to the existing research on output convergence. The reasons for selecting Phillips and Sul (hereafter PS, 2007, 2009) approach are as follows: first, it helps to analyze the overall absolute convergence of per capita output across the countries by clustering the group of economies who have same growth characteristics (or transition path). These groups are also called the club which is determined endogenously in a time-changing regression model. Second, traditional studies typically divide countries into sub-groups based on prior information. However, PS developed an algorithm to identify clusters of convergence in subgroups, which makes it more appropriate over others.Our approach based on PS convergence method offers the following insights. First, the empirical results based on full sample (120 countries) over the period 1995-2015, show a divergence of per capita output. Second, results based on three sectors also reveal the evidence of output divergence for the full sample. Third, once 120 countries are segregated into different clubs based on PS clustering algorithms, the results reveal the convergence of per capita output both at the aggregate level as well in case of three major sectors. Finally, our results highlight that the industry's per capita output is the main drivers for aggregate per-capita output club convergence in case of club 1. For club 2, agriculture's per capita output is a primary source for aggregate per capita output club convergence. Similarly, in the case of clubs 3 and 4, we find the service sector's per capita output is the main driver for aggregate per-capita output club convergence. On the overall, our findings indicate that all the three sector leads to aggregate output convergence. However, we notice a relatively higher number of common countries for industry and service sectors as compared to the agriculture sector.The remainder of this study structured as Section 2 describes the econometric methodology used for this study, Section 3 presents the data, Section 4 illustrates the empirical results, and Section 5 gives the concluding remarks.\n2. Econometric methodology: 2.1 Club convergence\n3. Data sources and measurement variables: This study uses GDP (at constant 2010 USD) which is considered as a proxy output for 120 countries for the period 1995-2015. Similarly, we also consider three broad sectors' (agriculture, industry, and service) gross value added (at constant 2010 USD) as an output. All indicators are in per capita terms. We have collected data from the World Development Indicators database published by the World Bank. The sample of the countries considered study is based on available data.\n4. Empirical results: The per capita output of countries varied across sectors. Table II shows the summary statistics. The results indicate that the mean per capita output of the service sector is significantly higher than the mean per capita output of agriculture and industry sectors. This implies that the mean aggregate per capita output is mostly contributed by the service sector. The values of standard deviation also show that the cross-country's variation in per capita output from its mean value is high in service sectors as compared to other two sectors. 4.1 Convergence at the aggregate and sectoral level\n5. Conclusions: The aim of this study was to examine the per capita output convergence across countries by giving special attention to convergence at the sectoral level. In order to achieve this, our paper used annual data for 120 countries for the period 1995-2015. We then used a relatively recent panel club convergence technique developed by Phillips and Sul (2007, 2009). The results based on Phillips and Sul (2007, 2009) demonstrated the evidence of divergence by considering a full sample of 120 countries. However, once this approach formed different clubs using algorithms, we found the evidence of club convergence for per capita output for aggregate and three major sectors. Further, our results revealed that countries do not have a single steady-state; rather, they followed multiple transition paths based on their per capita output. Finally, our results revealed that all three sectors lead to aggregate output convergence. However, we notice a relatively higher number of common countries for industry and service sectors as compared to the agriculture sector.Our results offer the following policy insights. First, rejection of null of convergence by combining many countries without knowing their transition path misleads the inference about the notion of output convergence. Therefore, it is ideal for examining the per capita income or output convergence by forming countries into different clubs based on their per capita output growth not just by making the groups based on geographic regions. Second, our study also reveals that the aggregate per capita output convergence of group countries may not be fruitful without sectoral convergence. That means if the sectoral output of poor countries \"catches up\" with that of the advanced countries' sectoral per capita output, then there is a high likelihood of obtaining overall per capita output convergence between poor and rich countries. Therefore, sector-related policies should be considered by lower-income category countries to boost per capita output growth within three major sectors, which would essentially help them speedily \"catch up\" with rich countries and make them equally efficient.\n",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "Purpose: This paper investigates the per-capita output club convergence in case of 120 countries for the period 1995-2015. Further, we disaggregate per-capita output into three broad sectors such as agriculture, industry, and service and investigate the convergence hypothesis.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper tests this hypothesis using the Phillips and Sul panel club convergence technique.\nFindings: Our findings are as follows: (1) our results indicate the evidence of output divergence for the full sample; (2) when countries are divided into different clubs, the results exhibit the sign of per capita output club convergence both for aggregate and three major sectors. Further, this study confirms that industry's per capita output is the main driver for aggregate per-capita output club convergence in case of club 1. For club 2, agriculture's per capita output is a primary source for aggregate per capita output club convergence. Likewise, in the case of clubs 3 and 4, we find the service sector's per capita output is the main component for aggregate per-capita output club convergence; (3) both the service and industry sectors are major drivers for aggregate per-capita output club convergence.\nPractical implications: This study suggests to the policymaker that sector-specific policies need to be adopted to boost the per-capita output growth by improving the performance of each of the sectors across the countries.\nOriginality/value: Notwithstanding, there are many studies that examine the output convergence using a notion of beta and sigma convergence, but studies regarding per capita output club convergence both at the aggregate and sectoral level are scanty.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Institutions as resource context
|
[
"Institutional complexity",
"Institutions",
"Resources-in-context",
"Service ecosystems",
"Value co-creation"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Since the publication of the initial work focusing on the collaborative, customer-centric nature of value creation at the turn of the millennium (Normann, 2001; Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2002, 2004; Vargo and Lusch, 2004), the phenomenological and contextual view on value has received increasing attention (see, e.g. Helkkula et al., 2012; Ng and Smith, 2012; Schau et al., 2009; Vargo et al., 2008). Service-dominant (S-D) logic (Vargo and Lusch, 2004) and its service ecosystems perspective (Lusch and Vargo, 2014; Vargo and Lusch, 2011) build on and extend this collaborative and contextual view of value creation by highlighting the systemic nature of value: value is co-created by multiple actors connected through the exchange, integration, and application of resources (Lusch and Vargo, 2014). The collaborative, contextual and systemic nature of value creation implies that resources are always integrated in the context of other resources (Lusch and Vargo, 2014; Vargo and Lusch, 2004, 2011). This means that \"resourceness\" - i.e. the ability of potential resources to facilitate the accomplishment of something desirable - is determined by the availability of other, complimentary and inhibiting potential resources, including the actors' ability to integrate and apply these resources (Lusch and Vargo, 2014; Vargo and Lusch, 2011). Hence, we conceptualize a resource, not as a substance or thing, but as an abstraction that describes the function that a substance or an idea can contribute to the achievement a desired end (cf. Lusch and Vargo, 2014). Therefore, not only value, but also resources are contextual and \"becoming\" (Vargo and Lusch, 2004; Zimmermann, 1951) and the process of potential resources gaining their \"resourceness\" requires further attention in service, and more generally market, theory.\nContextual nature of resources: Academic research on resources has long traditions. One of the earliest works on the subject is Malthus' (1798) analysis of world resources. For him \"resources\" referred to natural resources that were static and to be captured for an advantage. These resources were considered scarce and, with increasing population growth, estimated to become depleted fairly quickly. However, against all the gloomy predictions, the world has not run out of resources. On the contrary, there are more resources available now than ever before, despite of the increasing size of the human population (Ridley, 2010). However, over time, views on resources have emerged that not only recognized resources as static and fixed \"stuff,\" but also as intangible and dynamic functions of human ingenuity, such as skills and knowledge (Penrose, 1959; Zimmermann, 1951). In other words, these views emphasize that \"resources are not; they become\" (Vargo and Lusch, 2004, p. 2; Zimmermann, 1951).\nService ecosystems perspective on resources-in-context: Actors specialize in providing different kinds of (applied) resources (i.e. service) for one another (Vargo and Lusch, 2004) and, due to this specialization, are highly dependent on each other (Lusch and Vargo, 2014). As individual actors cannot create value on their own, but must integrate and exchange resources with others, they can be understood as parts of value-co-creating exchange systems (Vargo and Lusch, 2011). In other words, resource-integrating actors \"come together\" in service ecosystems (Vargo and Akaka, 2012; Vargo and Lusch, 2011). Service ecosystems are conceptualized as \"relatively self-contained, self-adjusting system[s] of resource-integrating actors connected by shared institutional arrangements and mutual value creation through service exchange\" (Vargo and Lusch, 2016, pp. 10-11)[1]. The service ecosystems perspective, therefore, emphasizes the co-created nature of value, the dynamic integration of resources, and the importance of institutions - shared \"rules of the game\" - in interrelated systems of service-for-service exchange (Vargo et al., 2015). Together, S-D logic and its service ecosystems perspective offer a revised logic for understanding value creation by rethinking the meaning and process of resource- integration in context (Chandler and Vargo, 2011; Lusch and Vargo, 2014; Vargo and Akaka, 2012; Vargo and Lusch, 2004, 2008, 2011).\nThe role of institutions in the process of resources-in-context \"becoming\": In service ecosystems, shared institutions and institutional arrangements - assemblages of interrelated institutions - guide actors' actions and interactions in value co-creation (Lusch and Vargo, 2014; Vargo and Lusch, 2016). That is, institutions represent the \"rules\" of resource integration and coordinate actors' efforts to make joint value co-creation possible. Institutions are humanly devised schemas, norms and regulations that enable and constrain the behavior of social actors and make social life predictable and meaningful (DiMaggio and Powell, 1991; North, 1990; Scott, 2014). In other words, institutions are the prescriptions that humans use to organize all forms of repetitive and structure interactions including those within families, markets, firms and governments at all scales (Ostrom, 2005). Institutions, as \"the rules of the game\" (North, 1990; Williamson, 2000), therefore, provide the structure and context for value co-creation and resource integration in service ecosystems by shaping the ways in which actors integrate resources and create as well as evaluate value (Edvardsson et al., 2014; Lusch and Vargo, 2014; Vargo and Akaka, 2012). Stated differently, institutions are seen as the coordinating elements that influence value co-creation efforts and also provide the reference base for value assessments (Edvardsson et al., 2014). Institutions should not be confused with organizations, which can be seen as one type of an actor who participates in making the rules and playing in accordance with them (North, 1990).\nDiscussion and theoretical implications: This systemic and institutional perspective highlights the contextual nature of resources and can be used to examine the process of resources-in-context \"becoming\", that is, in gaining their \"resourceness.\" It especially draws attention to the crucial role of institutions and institutional complexity in this process. With some exceptions (see, e.g. Wieringa and Verhoef, 2007; Wittkowski et al., 2013), there are relatively few approaches to service thinking that draw from institutional theory. On the other hand, S-D logic and its service ecosystems perspective has recently introduced institutions and institutional arrangements as one of its axioms (Vargo and Lusch, 2016). By drawing on a service ecosystems perspective (Chandler and Vargo, 2011; Lusch and Vargo, 2014; Vargo and Lusch, 2011; Vargo and Akaka, 2012) as well as institutional theory (Friedland and Alford, 1991; Jarzabkowski et al., 2009; Scott, 2014; Thornton et al., 2012), this paper extends this thinking by combining the process of resources \"becoming\" with institutionalization and conceptualizing institutional arrangements - and the unique sets of practices, symbols and organizing principles they carry - as the sense-making frames of the \"resourceness\" of potential resources.\nManagerial implications: The key contention of this paper, namely that numerous institutional arrangements work simultaneously as sense-making frames for actors in the process of potential resources gaining their \"resourceness,\" has also several managerial implications. As value is not something that can be produced and delivered by one actor to another actor (e.g. a firm to a customer), a key opportunity for sustainable business is to identify novel ways of co-creating value with other actors. To be part of the joint value-co-creation efforts, an actor needs to be able to serve other actors in a way that they will find useful for attaining their purposes. This means that the service (i.e. applied resources) that one actor is providing must have \"resourceness\" in the eyes of the other actors. In other words, the \"resourceness\" of an offering must be perceived as such by a service beneficiary before the offering is considered relevant.\nConclusions: The purpose of this paper has been to examine how resources get their \"resourceness\" by drawing from S-D logic and its service ecosystems perspective (Chandler and Vargo, 2011; Vargo and Akaka, 2012; Vargo and Lusch, 2004, 2011) and institutional theory, focusing especially on the contributions emphasizing the existence of institutional complexity (see, e.g. Greenwood et al., 2011; Friedland and Alford, 1991; Thornton et al., 2012). S-D logic and its service ecosystems perspective imply that the \"resourceness\" of potential resources depends on the multidimensional context in which they are embedded (Chandler and Vargo, 2011). This paper suggests that service ecosystems can be seen as an interinstitutional system in which the multidimensional context, comprising various institutional arrangements, is framing individual actors and resources on multiple \"levels\" at any given moment. This means that partially conflicting institutional arrangements are influencing on resource-integrating actors simultaneously. Actors can use the contradictory institutional arrangements, which distinguish unique sets of practices, symbols and organizing principles, as frames to make sense of the \"resourceness\" of potential resources and create new instances of \"resourceness.\"\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of institutions and institutional complexity in the process through which resources-in-context get their \"resourceness.\"\nDesign/methodology/approach: To shed light on the process of potential resources gaining their \"resourceness,\" the authors draw from two streams of literature: the service ecosystems perspective and institutional theory.\nFindings: The authors combine the process of resources \"becoming\" with the concept of institutions and conceptualize institutional arrangements, and the unique sets of practices, symbols and organizing principles they carry, as the sense-making frames of the \"resourceness\" of potential resources. In service ecosystems, numerous partially conflicting institutional arrangements co-exit and provide actors with alternative frames of sense-making and action, enabling the emergence of new instances of \"resourceness\".\nResearch limitations/implications: The paper suggests that \"resourceness\" is inseparable from the complex institutional context in which it arises. This conceptualization reveals the need for more holistic, systemic and multidisciplinary perspectives on understanding the implications of the process of resources \"becoming\" on value co creation, innovation and market formation.\nPractical implications: As the \"resourceness\" of potential resources arises due to the influence of institutions, managers need a more profound understanding of the complimentary and inhibiting institutional arrangements and the related practices, symbols and organizing principles that comprise the multidimensional context in which they operate.\nOriginality/value: This paper is one of the first to focus specifically on the process of resources \"becoming,\" using a systemic and institutional perspective to grasp the complexity of the phenomenon.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Dual mechanisms of reinforcement reward and habit in driving smartphone addiction: The role of smartphone features
|
[
"Habit",
"Smartphone addiction",
"Dual-process theory",
"Reinforcement reward",
"Smartphone feature"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Along with the increasing popularity of smartphones, smartphone addiction has recently emerged as a prevalent problem worldwide (Lin et al., 2017). Smartphone addiction is one form of information technology (IT) addiction, which reflects users' strong maladaptive dependency on using an IT artifact (Vaghefi and Lapointe, 2013). In this circumstance, users may ineluctably suffer from physiological and psychological disorders and encounter conflicts with work and daily life (e.g. Samaha and Hawi, 2016). Given the serious consequences of smartphone addiction, the information systems (IS) community should be vigilant against the dangers of using smartphones and should attempt to reduce the addictive use back to healthy levels. Smartphone addiction is a relatively new issue in the IS field, and the relevant scientific understandings are still evolving. Considerable IS research efforts should be continually devoted to enhancing theoretical understandings on how desirable smartphone usage changes to the worrisome level of addiction.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Smartphone addiction\n3. Research model and hypotheses: Building on the abovementioned theoretical background, our theoretical model (as shown in Figure 1) is developed such that the relationship between the two formation mechanisms of smartphone addiction is interpreted. Perceived enjoyment and mood regulation, respectively, reflect positive and negative reinforcement reward, whereas habit reflects the automatic mechanism. Our research model also incorporates smartphone features, involving value-added function and convenience.\n4. Research method: 4.1 Data collection\n5. Data analysis: Our research model was assessed with structural equation modeling approach. In particular, we used SmartPLS 2.0 to analyze the collected data by following a two-step procedure, namely, the measurement and structural model (Hair et al., 2009).\n6. Discussion and implications: This study adopts the dual-process theory to investigate the relationship between the two underlying mechanisms of smartphone addiction, and the differences of smartphone features in activating the two formation mechanisms to advance the literature on smartphone addiction. Our results reveal that users with perceptions of perceived enjoyment and mood regulation in smartphones usage have a great chance to become addicted to smartphones. Mood regulation (positive reinforcement) demonstrates the stronger driving effect on addiction than perceived enjoyment (positive reinforcement). When people use smartphones to reduce their negative affect (i.e. negative reinforcement), they have high risks to become addicted. Therefore, this study offers empirical support to the importance of negative reinforcement in the addictive use of ITs. The automatic habit can significantly strengthen the link between reinforcement rewards (perceived enjoyment and mood regulation) and smartphone addiction. At the same level of reinforcement reward, smartphone users who have the habit of using smartphones are more likely to develop addictive behaviors. The positive moderating effect of habit implies that the automatic mechanism of smartphone addiction can enhance the influence of conscious mechanism. Contrary to our expectation, the direct impact of habit on smartphone addiction is insignificant. One possible explanation is that, when reinforcement reward and habit function together, the influence of reinforcement reward may be much stronger than that of habit. Thus, the predictive value of the automatic habit may become insignificant. The conscious mechanism of reinforcement reward, rather than automatic mechanism of habit, dominates in smartphone addiction. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that smartphone features activate different formation mechanisms. Value-added function leads to the conscious mechanism, while convenience activates the automatic one.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: In the limited existing research on smartphone addiction, reinforcement reward and automatic habit have been identified as two distinct underlying mechanisms. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the interaction between these two mechanisms, as well as role of smartphone features in activating different formation mechanisms.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An online survey with 379 samples was conducted to empirically validate the model. The data were analyzed by structural equation modeling approach.\nFindings: The automatic habit strengthens the driving effects of reinforcement rewards (i.e. perceived enjoyment and mood regulation) on smartphone addiction. Smartphone features activate distinct underlying mechanisms. Value-added function facilitates the perception of reinforcement rewards, while convenience promotes the habit formation.\nOriginality/value: This study is one of the first ones that assess the interplay between the two formation mechanisms in the extant literature on smartphone addiction. This study also reveals the dangers of smartphone features which have always been regarded as advantages. The findings contribute to the current understandings of smartphone addiction.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Antecedents and consequences of buyer-seller relationship quality in the financial services industry
|
[
"Buyer‐seller relationships",
"Financial services",
"Relationship marketing"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In an age of increased depersonalization and automation impacting upon financial service quality and delivery, the relevance of the \"relationship\" concept could be brought into question (O'Loughlin et al., 2004). Also, not all customers prefer to engage in a close relationship with their current service provider (O'Loughlin et al., 2004; Shekhar and Gupta, 2008). Therefore, it may be neither possible nor profitable to create close, personal and long-term relationships with all consumers (O'Malley and Tynan, 2000) and a combined transactional and relationship marketing approach may be necessary in order to recruit new customers and retain existing ones (Walsh, 2002; in O'Loughlin et al., 2004).However, the literature proposes that the relationship marketing approach still takes a preponderant place in the financial services context (Athanassopoulou, 2006; O'Loughlin et al., 2004). Both academics and practitioners have given credit to the concept of relationship marketing during the last decade (Srinivasan and Moorman, 2005). Relationship marketing stresses the development and maintenance of long-lasting relationships between the firm and its customers (Sheth and Parvatiyar, 1995). Long-term customer relationships are considered to be one of the most important business assets for business organizations (Collier and Bienstock, 2006). Many studies (Crosby et al., 1990; Morgan and Hunt, 1994; De Wulf et al., 2001) state the positive impact of relationship marketing on seller's performance as the increase of selling, market share and profit.Owing to the intangibility and complexity of the characteristics related to service delivery, it is important to manage adequately the relationships with customers in the financial services sector (Eisingerich and Bell, 2007; O'Loughlin et al., 2004; Shekhar and Gupta, 2008). Even though the clients may be affected by their relationship with the firm, they are even more affected by their interpersonal relationship (Palmatier et al., 2007).Relationship quality is considered as an overall assessment of the strength of a relationship (Garbarino and Johnson, 1999) and captures the essence of relationship marketing (Jap et al., 1999, Ural, 2007). It plays a critical role in the study of long-term relationship maintenance (Finn, 2005). A strong relationship is an intangible asset, which cannot be easily duplicated by competitors (Wong et al., 2007).The financial services sector is a competitive sector, which needs to strengthen the relationship with the clients in order to dissociate from the other companies. Financial advisors should more than ever develop a good and sustainable relationship with their clients. Indeed, mutual benefits result from maintaining good relationships. From the customer's perspective, the positive benefits of relationship marketing can only be carried out if customers are willing to engage in long-term relationships (Gwinner et al., 1998). For financial services companies, since researchers have concluded that it is five times more expensive to acquire new customers than to keep existing ones (Athanassopoulou, 2006), the development of a strong customer relationship can improve customer loyalty, which in turn leads to increased profits for the firm (Reichheld, 1993, Athanassopoulou, 2006).The objective of this study is to investigate the antecedents affecting relationship quality and its consequences between financial advisors and their customers. Comprehending the essentials of what determines relationship quality can provide useful management insights into developing effective strategies that allow financial services companies to retain customers. To best of our knowledge, this study is the first to consider both perceptions (financial advisors and clients) in order to reach our goal.The rest of the article proceeds as follows: in the next section, we describe the concept of relationship quality. Then, we overview the hypotheses development. Further, we present the methodology followed by the results. Finally, we discuss the results and offer conclusions including future research directions.\nRelationship quality: The relationship marketing literature is abundant (e.g. Berry, 1983; Morgan and Hunt, 1994) and particularly in the banking sector (e.g. Perrien et al., 1993; Ricard and Perrien, 1999). Regarding the literature of relationship quality in the financial services (see Table I), Crosby et al. (1990) were the pioneers followed by Wray et al. (1994). The latest study that encompassed the subject was conducted by Wong et al. (2007) in Hong-Kong. We also incorporate in Table I some studies from \"experience-based\" services sector (e.g. restoration, airlines) in order to compare with the financial services sector which is inherently \"credence quality\". Financial products as complex services are different from standardized services such as those offered by hotels and airlines (Materson, 2008). Customers may, for example, expect the same level of service from hotels and airlines from one period to another. On the contrary, they are harder to please regarding mutual funds or stocks (Materson, 2008). Therefore, the generalization of findings from standardized services to complex services is questionable. We then mostly dwell on the three studies (shaded in Table I) in the financial services.Relationship quality has been defined as a bundle of intangible values resulting in an expected long-term relationship between related parties (Levitt, 1981; Zineldin, 2000; Fruchter and Sigue, 2005). Hennig-Thurau and Klee (1997, p. 751) described relationship quality between customers and firms as the degree of appropriateness of a relationship to fulfill the needs of the customer associated with the relationship. This notion is generally recognized as a higher-order construct (Ural, 2007). Crosby et al. (1990) suggest that relationship quality consists of two dimensions: trust in the salesperson and satisfaction with the salesperson. In addition, there seems to be an agreement on defining this concept as a second-order factor of trust and satisfaction in the banking literature (Crosby et al., 1990; Wray et al., 1994; Wong et al., 2007) but also in different context such as restoration, airline relationship, hair salons (Shamdasani and Balakrishnan, 2000; Kim et al., 2006; Macintosh, 2007; Cheng et al., 2008).The literature has brought trust as one of the main factors which play an important role in influencing a customer to develop and maintain relationship with the service provider (Liang and Wang, 2006; Shekhar and Gupta, 2008). It is generally thought to be a key determinant of the quality of buyer-seller relationships (Ndubisi, 2007; Swan et al., 1999). Ganesan (1994) and Doney and Cannon (1997) contends that trust engulfs two dimensions:1. objective credibility, defined as the belief that the other has the expertise to perform the job; and2. benevolence, defined as the belief that the other has motives beneficial to the target when new conditions arise for which a commitment was not made.In addition, satisfaction with the relationship is regarded as an important outcome of buyer-seller relationships (Liang and Wang, 2006). Nowadays, customer satisfaction still represents an imperative cornerstone for customer-oriented business practices across a multitude of companies operating in diverse industries (Szymanski and Henard, 2001) and can be considered the essence of success in our highly competitive business world (Jamal and Naser, 2002). Relationship satisfaction is defined as a consumer's affective state resulting from an overall appraisal of his or her relationship with a retailer (Crosby et al., 1990; Liang and Wang, 2006). Jap (2001) described relationship satisfaction as a positive affective state resulting from the appraisal of all aspects of a working relationship. Geyskens et al. (1999) conceptualized two dimensions of satisfaction: non-economic (e.g. communication skills, expertise) and economic (e.g. sales, return on investment).However, there is no consensus concerning the antecedents and the consequences of the relationship quality. In Crosby et al. (1990) study, the consequences of relationship quality were not significant. Also, Wray et al. (1994) did not consider the relationship quality consequences. Finally, although the consequences of relationship quality were covered in Wong et al.'s (2007) work, only the information sharing was treated as an antecedent. Therefore, this study fills the gap by considering most of the antecedents and consequences by adapting Crosby et al.'s model. Furthermore, relationship quality, from the customers' perspective, has received attention by researchers during the last decade but no study has dealt with this issue from the financial advisors' perspective.\nHypotheses development: Antecedents\nMethod: In this research, the financial services sector is used as the arena for investigating the antecedents and consequences of perceived relationship value in buyer-seller relationships. We collected data from financial advisors and their clients1.Measures\nAnalysis and results: Reliability and validity\nDiscussion and implications: This paper has described the antecedents of relationship quality and its consequences in the financial services sector, more exactly between the financial advisors and their clients. To our knowledge, it is the first study to examine at the same time both entities' perceptions of the relationship quality.Customer orientation is the only antecedent, which has a significant impact on relationship quality for both financial advisors and clients (see Figure 2). This result validates Kim et al.'s (2006) study in luxury restaurants or Cheng et al.'s (2008) paper in airline relationship quality. Likewise, the results corroborate Wray et al.'s (1994) work on relationship quality in financial services. Consequently, financial advisors should have customer-oriented attitudes and behaviors. They should maintain their relationships with their clients by taking time to meet their needs and personalizing the offer. Customer-oriented employees should always keep clients' interests in mind, take steps to clarify their needs and expectations, and engage in activities and behaviors to satisfy the clients' needs in a helpful way. Promoting customer orientation among the personnel can be fruitful, coming from the person in charge of the financial advisors. Also, during the recruitment stage, it is worthy to consider the employees' customer orientation aptitudes such as being empathic. Finally, some coaching or training focusing on improving employees' customer orientation can be appropriate. Doing consulting simulations or being supervised can help the employees to improve their skills.Surprisingly, there is no significant link between similarity and relationship quality according to both financial advisors and clients. Contrary to the results of Crosby et al. (1990), similarity does not constitute an antecedent of relationship quality though we based our scale on items provided by these authors. Similarity may be an important issue during the beginning of a relationship between financial advisors and their clients; but after a while (the average length of relationship being four years in our study), it would not be considered as a major factor.We could also emphasize some interesting results related to the influence of client knowledge and expertise on relationship quality. Whereas we found an impact of client knowledge and expertise on relationship quality according to financial advisors, the results are different for clients. Again, we could explain this non-significant influence of client knowledge and expertise on relationship quality by the relationship duration (average of fours years). In fact, duration may reassure the clients while reducing their fears of financial advisors' incompetency and of lack of knowledge.Our study empirically supported the link between relationship quality and purchase intention and thus confirmed the findings of Wong et al.'s (2007) study in Hong-Kong financial services. Also, we found that word-of-mouth is linked to relationship quality. In conclusion, relationship quality, a higher order construct made up of trust and satisfaction, strengthens buyer-seller relationship. It improves customer purchase intention, which in turn leads to increased profits for companies. Clients will have a long-term relationship with their respective financial advisors and will be prone to provide referrals.\nConclusion, limitations and research opportunities: This research adds to the relationship quality literature by focusing on the perceptions of both entities. As expected, customer orientation constitutes a principal antecedent of relationship quality. In this study, the buyer-seller similarity does not show a significant influence on relationship quality.Our study also has limitations that suggest avenues for further research. First of all, the word-of-mouth construct for financial advisors was not reliable8 and presented a lack of discriminant validity with customer orientation construct. In addition, we consider purchase intention as a consequence of relationship quality but not loyalty, which is more common in the literature. Then, we can extend the current model in including other antecedents such as relationship value9 (Ulaga and Eggert, 2006), communication, or length of relationship. We could also attempt to find out if there is a significant link between relationship quality and financial advisors outcomes.Future research could fruitfully examine potential differences in male-male, male-female, female-male, and female-female financial advisors-clients relationships. Such study could reveal and make us understand possible barriers to effective buyer-seller relationships. Finally, we could consider a multilevel analysis (with clients in level-1 and financial advisors in level-2) as we asked the financial advisors to give the questionnaire to their four clients. We sincerely hope that the results and insights presented in this research will be used as a spring-board for future research in a domain growing in theoretical and practical importance.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this study is to develop a model that investigates the antecedents and the consequences of buyer-seller relationship quality in the financial services.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Data were collected from a survey of more than 400 dyads (414 financial advisors and 772 clients in Canada) and were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).\nFindings: - The results notably show that, for both financial advisors and clients, customer orientation has an impact on buyer-seller relationship quality, whereas buyer-seller similarity does not. The link between relationship quality and both consequences (purchase intention and word-of-mouth) is significant for the two samples.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Limitations and research directions refer to the measure of word-of-mouth construct, which is only weakly reliable, and the need to consider a multilevel approach.\nPractical implications: - The study can be helpful for financial advisors to build effective strategies for enhancing their relationships with clients.\nOriginality/value: - The study is one of the few to consider both perceptions (financial advisors and clients) in order to analyze buyer-seller relationship quality in the financial services sector.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
When queen bees attack women stop advancing: recognising and addressing female bullying in the workplace
|
[
"Skills",
"Mentoring",
"Organization development",
"Organizational change and learning",
"Team development",
"Management development"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Madeleine Albright, Former US Secretary of State, famously said, \"There is a special place in hell for women that don't help each other\". Women not supporting other women is a significant contributor toward women not advancing in the workplace. I recently conducted a cross-industry survey of 100 UK women between the ages of 25 and 50, working in roles that varied from interior design to marketing to tech. It looked at the negative experiences with other women in the workplace, and found that approximately 70 per cent had been the victim of either workplace bullying or covert undermining by a female boss.\nQueen Bee syndrome: There is a name for this, and it is called the Queen Bee syndrome. The Oxford Dictionary's definition for the informal use of Queen Bee is \"A woman who has a dominant or controlling position in a particular group or sphere,\" but this fails to fully capture the negative side to a Queen Bee. In short, Queen Bees are women in the workplace who treat colleagues in a demoralizing, undermining, or bullying manner. This isn't to confuse them with strong, ambitious women in the workplace who may have to assert themselves and perhaps ruffle a few feathers along the way.\nMy own experience: Perhaps this is what has spurred my own interest in the subject, as I have had female bosses that would support you as long as you were the underdog and in their shadow. However, if you started to shine, their behavior would change.\nRemoving the sting: Queen Bees can exist at all levels of an organization, and employees are likely to experience working with one. The question is, what can one do to neutralize a Queen Bee and not be victimized? As an individual, some ways to handle the situation include the following:\nBreaking the cycle: What if you are reading this and wondering if you are a Queen Bee? Or perhaps you are a manager with a Queen Bee working within your team. Recognizing the Queen Bee syndrome is the first step to addressing the problem. Here are some ways you can work on changing your behavior:\nOrganizational impact: The Queen Bee syndrome can also have a negative impact on organizational performance and bottom-line results. Because women have \"attained a critical mass in the professional and managerial ranks of a significant percentage of companies, especially financial and services organizations\", management should be particularly concerned about issues of abusive conduct by and toward women (Levin and Mattis, 2006).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to look at the implications of the \"Queen Bee\" syndrome in the workplace: its impact on women at work and the perception of women at work.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper draws on the author's practical experience, observations, and studies.\nFindings: The Queen Bee syndrome can have a negative impact on organizational performance and bottom-line results as well as individuals.\nResearch limitations/implications: The author calls for more work to done in this area to raise awareness and provide solutions.\nPractical implications: This paper offers insight to help managers and organizations assess how much the Queen Bee syndrome may be at work in their own organization. It also invites women to self-reflect on their own behaviors.\nOriginality/value: This paper highlights an issue that can be ignored in organizations - how negative woman-to-woman behavior and/or bullying can be detrimental to individual and organizational performance.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Estimation of VaR in conditional heteroscedastic models for principal-protected notes
|
[
"Financial modelling",
"Investments",
"Risk analysis"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Principal-protected notes can protect investors' profits in recession, and become a popular instrument in financial markets. Their value can be linked to stock prices, interest rates, exchange rates and commodities. Stock-linked and principal-protected notes (SPIN) started in 1986 and were issued by Salomon Brothers Inc. Their value is linked to S&P500. A year later, Chase Manhattan Bank first launched a market index linked to certificates of deposit, named by MICD. In 1991, Goldman Sachs & Co. developed SIGN linked to S&P500 in Australia.In Asia, Hong Kong Investment Funds Association reported the increase percentage of principal-protected notes had accounted from 2.94 to 84 percent in the 2001-2002 period. In Taiwan, principal-protected notes started in 2003 on account of legal restrictions. Winbond Electronic Co. first issued the principal-protected notes linked its stock price in the Taiwanese financial markets.\nPrevious studies: The seminal academic research of principal-protected notes by Brennan and Schwartz (1976) ushered in the concept of convex products and protected put products. The convex products offer investors' payoff at maturity as a combination of the insured amount and a call option. Protected put products are another financial products. Their payoffs are equal to underlying assets along with a put option.The research of convex products can be traced to Gerber and Pafumi (2000), and Imai and Boyle (2001). They investigate the dynamic hedging strategy for principal-protected notes in continuous time. The literature in the framework of protected put products follows the line of Chance and Broughton (1988), Chen and Kensinger (1990) and Chen et al. (1996). Chance and Broughton (1988) and Chen and Kensinger (1990) set the floor for stock growth rate and calculate the fair price of the MICD in the absence of the maximal payoff. Chen et al. (1996) demonstrates the value of investment funds linked to the Asian and Latin American stock indices.On the other hand, the majority of the empirical studies focus on the relationship between the theoretical and actual prices of principal-protected notes. For example, Chen and Sears (1990) analyses the difference of the theoretical and actual prices of SPIN. Burth et al. (2001) computes the difference of the two prices of the two Swiss structured products based on the root mean squared errors. In addition, Wilkens et al. (2003) estimates the impact of actual price differentials and maturity date on the average price differential by means of regression analysis on reverse convertible bonds and discount certificates.Above all, no literature of principal-protected notes focuses on the downside risk for investors. But, managing downside risk is important for individual and institution investors. The VaR is mainly concerned with the downside risk and has become a standard measure of financial market risk that is increasingly used by investors. VaR can be also regarded as a function of forecast volatility.Previous studies, such as Akgiray (1989), Pagan and Schwert (1990), Baillie and Bollerslev (1992), West and Cho (1995), Brooks (1998), and Taylor (1999) generally evaluated volatility by different time series models and measure the accuracy by mean squared errors (MSE) and mean absolute errors (MAE) of volatility. In all these studies, the errors are represented as the absolute gap between actual volatility (measured by a squared daily return) and model volatility. A general conclusion from these studies is that GARCH models tend to perform better in measuring volatility than other time series model.In contrast to MAE and MSE tests, the Diebold and Mariano (1995) test allows for forecast errors that can be non-Gaussian, nonzero mean, serially correlated, and contemporaneously correlated. Hence, we examine forecast accuracy of GARCH by the Diebold and Mariano test and the backtesting test to provide evidence from principal-protected and path-dependent notes.\nProperties of principal-protected and path-dependent notes: Principal-protected and path-dependent notes have several properties. First, suppose their initial (notional) par value is N0 (a unit). The issuer promises at expiration (T) to deliver capital gains (NT-N0), and (1 + a) of initial par value if the par value at maturity NT is no fewer than N0, where a is a constant guaranteed rate. Second, issuers pay (1 + a) of the initial par value if the par value at maturity is less than the initial par value. Thus, the final payoff of the note, denoted by PT can be written as: Equation 1 Third, the par value of the notes monitored at time ti, Nti, depends on the rate of stock return at observed times, ti for i=1,2,... n. The every time interval of [ti-1, ti] is set to be equal. Note that tn=T and t0=0. Within this framework, the rate of stock return at time ti is specified as below: Equation 2 where Sti is the price of the stock at time ti, and b is a constant capped rate. Fourth, the par value at every time is affected by the previous par value. Thus, the par value at maturity is defined as: Equation 3 The participation rate is denoted by g. Therefore, the final payoff of the note is expected to be: Equation 4 This note is called a principal-protected and path-dependent note.Consider the NQL note, which is linked to the Nasdaq 100 index. It was traded on the American Stock Exchange and was issued on 24 July 2002. Its maturity date is 8 March 2006. The initial par value of NQL is $10 valued in US dollars, the participation rate is 1, the capped rate is 8 percent, and the guaranteed rate is 10 percent. So the payoffs of NQL are as follows: Equation 5\nModel fitting: The samples obtained from the website of www.bigcharts.com in this study span from 24 July 2002 through 8 March 2006, or 912 daily log returns of NQL are obtained. The returns are computed using the following formula: Equation 6 where Pt is the market value of NQL at time t.In Table I, Panel A shows the sample autocorrelation function (ACF) of the returns suggests no significant serial correlations at significant level of 5 percent, while the sample ACF of the squared returns demonstrates that the returns are not independent and have some ARCH effects as illustrated in Panel B. This also means large shocks tend to be followed by another large shock. The feature implies that the volatility of the asset returns exists heterogeneity. Hence, we employ some conditional heteroscedastic models - ARCH and GARCH-type to perform model fitting. These models can be written as:ARCH(q): Equation 7 GARCH(p,q): Equation 8 EGARCH(p,q): Equation 9 Then, we determine the order of these models by means of AIC and BIC. AIC and SBC denote Akaike information criterion and Schwartz Bayesian information criterion, respectively. As stated in Table II, ARCH(4), GARCH(1,1), GARCH(2,5), EGARCH(1,1) and EGARCH(2,1) are adequate for NQL because their AIC or BIC is the smallest. Also, the estimation of the models is shown in Table III. In next section, we will use the five selected models to measure VaR.\nVaR measurement and implications: The VaR can be defined as the maximal loss over a target horizon (k) with a given probability (a). Assuming normal returns of the asset, it can be written as: Equation 10 where E[rt(k)] denotes the expected return over a k-period horizon; Za stands for a critical value with a given probability a; and st(k) is the forecast volatility of returns. In this section, we apply the selected models discussed in the previous section to produce one-step-ahead return forecasts and one-step-ahead volatility forecasts of NQL. The computation of VaR is based on a one-day-ahead horizon and a 99 percent confidence level for a long position investor. These empirical results are summarized in Table IV.Table IV indicates that the VaR based on EGARCH(1,1) is the smallest. This implies that the worst potential loss in the EGARCH(1,1) model is the largest where the need of a minimum solvency safety margin in EGARCH(1,1) is the greatest and greater capital charges for banks are imposed by central banks. Thus, the VaRs based on EGARCH(1,1) are more conservative than other time series models. Its default risk can fall because of sufficient capital requirement. In contrast, the need is the smallest in GARCH(1,1). Its capital requirement is smaller than the others.\nModel evaluation: Diebold and Mariano test\nConclusions: This paper addresses the issue of using VaR for individual and institutional investors. VaR is a measure of market risk used to estimate the maximum trading loss that a bank can encounter. It measures an economic capital for a bank. If commercial banks fail to meet VaR, they are required to have higher capital charges as a penalty. So it is important for banks to evaluate VaR accurately.Because VaR is a function of volatility, volatility forecast is the main issue of VaR. In this paper, the Diebold and Mariano test and backtesting test are used to evaluate the accuracy of volatility and VaR, respectively, in conditional heteroscedastic models, respectively. It is worth noting that the performance of GARCH is no better for principal-protected and path-dependent notes. Additionally, the capital requirement of GARCH is fewer than the others. In recession, when financial managers employ GARCH to conduct the financial risk of principal-protected notes, the default risk of the firm perhaps rises owing to insufficient capital requirement. Thus, we do not suggest GARCH to measure the VaRs of principal-protected notes.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The aim of this paper is to examine the accuracy of GARCH and provide a comparison of GARCH-type and the other time series models in financial commodity markets.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - First, a model fitting is performed to choose suitable models with conditional volatility for principal-protected and path-dependent notes by means of Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Schwartz Bayesian information criterion (SBC). Second, this paper adopts the backtesting criteria and the Diebold and Mariano test to compare the performances of the selected time series models.\nFindings: - The empirical results show that the performance of GARCH is significantly worse than EGARCH(1,1) based on the Diebold and Mariano test criteria. By backtesting test criteria, the null hypothesis that a given confidence level is the true probability in ARCH(4) cannot be rejected. The interesting results are different from past studies.\nOriginality/value: - There is little literature of principal-protected notes that focuses on the downside risk for investors. But, managing downside risk is important for individual and institution investors. This paper offer new insight into the literature of principal-protected notes.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The contradiction of trust and uncertainty from the viewpoint of swift guanxi
|
[
"Uncertainty",
"Repurchase intentions",
"Trust",
"Swift guanxi"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: According to the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC, 2013), online shopping impacts the C2C online market auction. Main reasons consumers have for online shopping are price, convenience, and premiums offered by vendors (MIC, 2013). Eagleeye (2015) distinguished Yahoo Kimo shopping center and PChome as the two top platforms for online shopping marketplaces for Taiwanese. Yahoo! Online auction is embedded in the Yahoo Kimo shopping center. McKinsey Company (2012) pointed out that retailer industries are in the era of retailer 4.0 to indicate both a physical and a virtual channel. The online marketplace impacts the C2C online market auction by integrating the B2C shopping ethology. It provides a communication channel between a seller and a buyer as well as an informal interaction channel through computer aided tools such as computer-mediated communication (CMC) to facilitate transactions and reduce the unfamiliar environment of virtual shopping for consumers during the process of online auction. In addition, it can also increase consumers' social presence for online shopping through e-mail and social networking sites where online consumers generate swift guanxi in online shopping through auxiliary tools (Jarvenpaa and Leidner, 1998; Jarvenpaa and Shaw, 1998; McKnight et al., 1998; Meyerson et al., 1996). Guanxi is a pervasive interpersonal relationship with high-quality social interactions and mutual benefits with reciprocal exchange for Chinese (Ou et al., 2014). For buyer-seller transactions, guanxi is a key ingredient (Arias, 1998; Lee et al., 2001; Xin and Pearce, 1996) and facilitates business transactions by lubricating relationships with personal social connections as well as playing a unique role in Chinese social and business life (Ou et al., 2014). This study adopts Ou et al.'s (2014) concept of swift guanxi and defines it as the buyer's perception of a swiftly formed interpersonal relationship with three dimensions: mutual understanding, reciprocal favors, and relationship harmony to extend traditional guanxi in the context of online marketplaces. The primary driver of interpersonal relationships to conduct online transactions occurs because of the brittle institutional protection for consumers and the lack of institution-based trust in the Chinese society (Martinsons, 2008). Chinese rely mainly on guanxi in the scarcity of well-ordered regulations to mitigate the risk of online transaction (Martinsons, 2008). Swift guanxi eases online transactions and buyers do not have to spend time establishing a profound relationship with sellers in online marketplaces. Swift guanxi can make both sellers and buyers reach a mutual understanding, reciprocal favor, and relationship harmony that facilitate customers' repurchase intention (Ou et al., 2014). The buyer-seller relationship pays attention to consumers' favorite goods and provides services needed by customers to retain them (Crosby et al., 1990). Consumers generate loyalty to vendors as a result of the behavior obtained from the eastern culture that compels them to reduce an occurrence to switch to another brand and increase their continuance repurchase intentions (Wong and Oswald, 2000). There has been some research on the relationship between guanxi and sales performance (Ambler et al., 1999). However, it is the lack of further exploration of switch guanxi that creates the first motivation of this study. Trust was the common construct when studying relationship marketing and guanxi. Crosby et al. (1990) considered that major components of any relationship quality are trust and satisfaction. Other researchers of the Chinese society also contemplated that trust is the foundation between buyer-seller relationships (Chen and Chen, 2004; Wong, 1998). The cultural framework in the Chinese society and the western society is markedly different. McKnight and Chervany (2002) found that western researchers established the trust theory based on individualism. However, said relationship in the Chinese society is not necessarily based on individualism. On the contrary, Peng (1998) argued that relationship operation is the main mechanism for building up trust among Chinese. Owing to the difference of the relationship operation between the Chinese society and the western society (Huang et al., 2011; Wang, 2007), it is worth to investigate the issues around swift guanxi and trust of online shopping in the context of a network environment. Another issue that deserves further attention is consumers' perceived uncertainty of the relationship between swift guanxi and repurchase intentions. Most researchers focused on the western market, such as the technology acceptance model, website design, shopping frequency, and user acceptance. There has been no research on this relationship from the perspective of the Chinese market. The seller-buyer relationship is an important element within any general transaction in the Chinese society. The extant research on guanxi investigates issues related to trust, perceived information asymmetry, fears of seller opportunism, information privacy concerns, information security concerns, and perceived uncertainty in online buyer-seller relationships (Pavlou et al., 2007). There is however no research on the relationship between swift guanxi and uncertainty. Therefore, this study also investigates the relationship between swift guanxi and repurchase intentions from the perspective of a double-edged sword of trust and uncertainty. This study addresses the following questions in order to fill the current research gap:\n2. Theoretical background, research model, and hypotheses development: 2.1 Theoretical background\n3. Research methodology: Mutual understanding, reciprocal favor, and relationship harmony are three components of swift guanxi between buyer-seller in online marketplaces (Ou et al., 2014). Trust includes two dimensions: trust in vendor (Qureshi et al., 2009) and trust-getting information (Pavlou and Fygenson, 2006). Product uncertainty and seller uncertainty are two major components of uncertainty (Pavlou et al., 2007). This study tests the research hypotheses through a survey. Figure 1 shows the research framework.\n4. Analysis and results: 4.1 Measurement model\n5. Discuss and implications: 5.1 Key findings and contributions\n6. Conclusions, limitations, and future research directions: The establishment of swift guanxi enhances buyers' trust and effectively reduces transactions uncertainty which in turn influences buyers' repurchase intentions. Online auction sellers can adopt the way of TW.Shop.com action to improve the relationship management between buyers and sellers. Even though TW.Shop.com is a direct marketing company, its application to managing the buyer-seller relationship provides a good example and implementation for C2C sellers. Buyers can ask any question to the representatives of TW.Shop.com when they become interested in a particular product. Besides, the representatives of TW.Shop.com will deal with any issues regarding the delivery of the merchandise or problems and notify its customers through e-mail or instant messages when it launches new product. Such approach enhances the understanding between buyers and TW.Shop.com by actively contacting and providing services to customers. It is especially important in the Chinese culture to improve mutual understanding, help each other, and sustain the harmony relationship with customers to increase trust and reduce uncertainty during the transaction process. In turn, it establishes long-term relationships, creates word-of-mouth, and increases repurchase intentions. This study proposes to increase the number of websites for collecting a wider array of samples and provide better incentives for respondents to raise the contact opportunities with different online auction buyers to more objectively investigate various behaviors. Future researchers would be inclined to adopt the longitudinal study proposed here to further explore online auction buyers' long-term behaviors and seek alternative constructs as the antecedents of trust and uncertainty to build an alternative research framework in terms of predictability.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between e-buyers and e-sellers in the context of the Chinese culture. It examines the relationships among swift guanxi, trust, uncertainty, and repurchase intentions. This study probes the possible mediation effects caused by the process where consumers form their thoughts and actions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study developed a theoretical model to examine how swift guanxi, trust, and uncertainty influence repurchase intentions of online auction consumers. The mediation effects of trust and uncertainty were also examined. This study gathered 455 valid samples and analyzed data by applying a structural equation modeling.\nFindings: The results confirm that swift guanxi has significant and positive effects on trust and repurchase intentions, but swift guanxi has a significant and negative effect on uncertainty. In addition, trust has a significant and positive effect on repurchase intentions. On the other hand, uncertainty has a significant and negative effect on repurchase intentions. Finally, both trust and uncertainty have partial mediation effects between swift guanxi and repurchase intention.\nResearch limitations/implications: The findings extend the current state of knowledge about the relationships among swift guanxi, trust, uncertainty, and repurchase intentions, as well as reveal the psychological mechanism of the effects of trust and uncertainty on repurchase intentions.\nPractical implications: The findings provide a deeper understanding of the effect of customers' swift guanxi on repurchase intentions under different perspectives of the double-edged sword of trust and uncertainty in Yahoo! Online auction.\nOriginality/value: This study decomposes the constructs of swift guanxi, trust, and uncertainty into various dimensions and investigates the relationships between these dimensions and repurchase intentions. It has not been done in this way previously. The results contribute to the understanding of online auction customers' behaviors.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Corporate governance: a conscious approach for Asia and emerging economies
|
[
"Corporate governance",
"Board of directors",
"Asia and emerging economies",
"Publicly listed companies",
"Small and medium enterprises",
"State owned enterprises",
"Conscious governance"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: This paper examines and compares Anglo-American, Continental European Union (EU) and the Asian corporate governance systems and proposes an alternative framework for Asian and emerging economies. Corporate governance is defined as an umbrella that covers concepts related to the theories and practices of the board of directors and the relationship between \"board of directors, stockholders, top management, regulators, auditors and other stakeholders\" (Cochran and Wartick, 1988). Shleifer and Vishny (1997) described corporate governance as an instrument used by the supplier of finance to ensure return for their investment. Ireland et al. (2011) defined corporate governance as the set of mechanisms used for the purpose of managing stakeholders' relationships and to maintain control over the organization's strategic direction and performance. European Commission Internal Market Directorate General (2002) defines corporate governance as the framework of \"laws, rules, and procedures that regulate the relationships between owners, board of directors, senior managers and other parties that play role in decision making process\". A broader definition is given by the Cadbury Committee (1992) as a \"system by which companies are directed and controlled\". According to OECD (2004), corporate governance involves \"set of relationships between a company's management, its board, its shareholders and other stakeholders, and provides structure through which goals are set and monitored\". A similar definition is given by the World Bank (2009) as: \"the structures and processes for the direction and control of companies, which concerns with the relationship between management, board of directors, controlling shareholders, minority shareholders and other stakeholders\".\nBackground: The modern corporate governance has roots in eighteenth and nineteenth century capitalist system. In short, capitalism is a set of self-interest or group or social institution that facilitates the production, accumulation and reproduction and redistribution cycle of capital. Capitalism has evolved through Adam Smith's economics ideas into three regions of \"liberal capitalism\" (UK/USA), \"coordinated capitalism\" (Europe) and \"collective capitalism\" (Japan and Korea). The fourth version of the continuum has evolved through Karl Marx's ideas of class struggle as \"state capitalism\" (China and former USSR). The key characteristic of all four regions is the state intervention in the production cycle as the regulator and protector. However, the difference here is on the type and degree of government's intervention. Liberal market minimizes government's involvement in the production and distribution of capital, whereas state capitalism enables party and the state to take full control of the entire situation. Narrowing down, at the corporate governance level each system is led by its own view of production, accumulation and distribution of capital. The dominant method so far has been the dualistic approach of liberal-market-shareholder capitalism on the right and the coordinated-collective-stakeholder capitalism on the left side of the dualistic continuum, with a number of lighten versions of the two in between. After the collapse of USSR, the state capitalism is no longer one of the dominant poles but still maintains its position through fewer representatives (i.e. China and Cuba) with key characteristics of value maximization for the state/party with consideration of social welfare.\nCorporate decision-making: Business decision-making is the act of choosing one alternative from a list of available alternatives, in which the process includes \"recognizing and defining the nature of decision situations, then identifying and choosing the best alternative, and finally putting it into action\" (Griffin, 2011). Fama and Jensen (1983) formulated the corporate decision-making in following four steps:\nIntegrated board structure: The one-tier governing body is a single governing board that is responsible for both decision management and decision control. Figure 1 below illustrates the model.The one-tier board model is largely practiced by Anglo-Saxon corporations. Most US corporations have adopted a more conservative approach of one-tier model by combining the role of Chairman and CEO and assigning it to a single leading executive. This mechanism simply hands too much decision power to a single person. However, due to the recent corporate scandals, the commission on public trust and private enterprise suggested splitting the office of Chairman and CEO. This does not mean conversion to the EU two-tier model, rather a slight shift to the UK one-tier system (Yeoh, 2007; Ooghe, and Langhe, 2002).\nSeparated board structure: The continental EU two-tier and quasi two-tier models separate decision management from decision control either completely or to a suitable degree. The pure two-tier is the continental European model that has received large acceptance by a number of its member states. Figure 3 below illustrates the two-tier board model.Under the two-tier style, the decision management process is assigned to the CEO/Managing Director in charge of the executive management board or executive committee. And, the decision control is delegated to Chairman/non-executive directors on the supervisory board. The two-tier system is by law mandatory for structure corporations in The Netherlands, Germany and Austria; however, The Netherlands has legalized the one-tier system as of 2013. Other EU countries, including France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Greece use both two-tier and one-tier models (Yeoh, 2007; Maassen, 2002).\nBoard composition: The board representation is the other significant difference between the continental EU and Anglo-American norms. The board representation is the key indicator of stock and stakeholders' weight and their influential power over the corporate governing body. The key influential groups are as follows.\nCorporate governance in Asia: Asia is highly diversified and divided. The Asian socio-economic environment is the indicator of continental-wide forces for differentiation that adds to its complexity. Some Asian countries experience slow emerging market, while some others are in economic transition or already developed. Asia as a whole is under the economic development so its corporate governance. The situation within the leading Asian economies is diverse, for example up to 97 per cent of Japanese favor collective-stakeholder interest; Chinese legal system forces the firms to consider the interest of state/party and social welfare, while both Malaysia and Singapore use special purpose vehicles program that promotes ownership rights in favor of shareholder capital maximization. Thailand from the other hand is the first emerging economy to shift to a more stakeholder approach with a two-tier structure creating a significant gap across the continent (Cheung and Chan, 2004). The Indian corporate governance falls under the pure Anglo-Saxon standard. Traditionally, board of Indian corporations consisted of majority of inside familiar directors and CEO/Chairman duality - a conservative version of US model; however, recent reform forces listed companies to have 50 per cent outside directors with CEO/Chairman duality structure or a full time Chairman with one-third independent directors (Jackling and Johl, 2009), which is the indicator of slight shift to the UK version of Anglo-Saxon model. Further with the discussion, the following sections will narrow down to specific business domains covering Asian corporate governance of small and medium enterprises (SME), large and publicly listed companies (PLC) and the state-owned enterprises (SOE).\nAccounting, audit and regulation: Accounting and audit is also a common issue and a major concern among Asian companies. Some countries such as Singapore have taken action to address accounting issues by introducing the adoption of audit committee in 1989, which was followed by Malaysia in 1994 and Thailand in 1998, and South Korea in 1999; also, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and respectfully China have adopted the UK accounting system and legal mechanism (Cheung and Chan, 2004). International investors and PLCs have found Japanese accounting and reporting systems as well as their high legal fees a major concern affecting their decision on investing or listing on a Japan's stock exchange (Misawa, 2005). In general, Asian countries have adopted or customized various versions of localized accounting and legal standards which differ among countries and regions making cross-border investments more difficult (Jobst, 2008).\nGlobal convergence: Asia's situational analysis is the indicator of extensive complexity, risks and challenges involved in continental-wide development of corporate governance models. Past experiences show that the extreme strategies of ignoring or imposing of Western systems is not in the best interest of developing and emerging economies of Asia. Under the current situation, the Anglo-American \"one-tier\" corporate structure is being promoted across the continent; however, the question is whether the model has carefully been analyzed against the forces for differentiation? These forces for differentiation such as history, beliefs, ethics, legal processes, ownership structure, competition, wealth of nations and the capital and stock market structure are strong enough to reject those in favor of total convergence that impose or copy foreign models. On the other side of the pole, those in favor of total divergence are required to pay attention to forces for convergence such as globalization, international stock exchange, global private equity funding, international merger and acquisitions, global trades and international accounting standards. These forces are also in conflict with isolated divergence system, leaving us a middle alternative solution of conscious convergence that paves its path through rational divergence toward meaningful convergence.\nDiscussion and recommendations: All four capitalism systems of free market, state control, collective and coordinated exist within the Asian emerging economies. What is interesting is the adoption of integrated decision management with decision control approach across all four systems within the Asian context. Major enterprises in different parts of the world issue dual-class share with no or very limited voting rights to the public and keep controlling shares for themselves. By doing so, they maintain controlling position, raise capital and prevent public shareholder pressure, while hold a better bargaining position in case of bankruptcy. This has become a routine practice among US-listed enterprises, which is also adopted by the Asian PLCs. Although the three Asian business domains of SME, SOE and PLC differ in terms of size, ownership and capitalization, interestingly they share a common base for corporate governance. The key continental-wide common base corporate governance across the domains is the \"integration of decision management and decision control\". This is the core base that the Asian version of corporate governance has in common with Anglo-American one-tier model. Reddy (2009) argues that the Asian version of corporate governance sits somewhere between the Anglo-American and continental EU systems; however, the core similarity of integration of decision management with decision control is the indicator of Asian corporate governance being a version of Anglo-American with variety of flavors from the continental EU in some cases. Arguably, the adoption of integration of \"decision management and decision control\" across SMEs is understandable due to SMEs size and ownership structure; what is questionable is its vast practice across SOEs and PLCs and large privately held firms? The economic and financial reality and the size of SOEs and PLCs and major enterprises do not support the integration of the decision management and decision control. This is mainly due to the deep political and cultural influences. In addition to these influential factors of culture and politics, one should not undermine the critical role of globalization and the international organizations. The 1997 Asian financial crisis triggered the concerns on corporate governance, and later in 1999, the OECD issued principles on corporate governance, which was later revised in 2004. In parallel, the World Bank executed the Report on Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) program to assess corporate governance within the developing economies (Cheung and Chan, 2004). Both OECD and ROSC principles were based on the idea of liberal market, and as a result, shareholder primacy and shareholder wealth maximization was promoted with a degree of respect to stakeholders' rights (OECD, 2010; Cheung and Chan, 2004).\nConclusion: Corporate governance plays a key role in business success or failure and firm's accountability and transparency or scandal and corruption. It also plays significant role in the economic and financial crisis promotion or prevention. Considering its importance, a right design, implementation and regulation of a corporate governance model is a must. So far, the Anglo-American model with its scandals, business failures and economic declines followed by continental EU have proved to be far from universal norm; this is while the diverse and dynamic environment of Asia and the emerging economies add to the complexities and challenges. Therefore, the Asian experience of copy pasting Western models is more of a simplification of tasks based on political, cultural and globalization needs rather than regions' economic/financial/social reality and its smooth transition. This paper critically reviewed the existing methods and argued that the effective and smooth development and transition of Asia and emerging economies to a fully developed status highly depend on four fundamental enablers of increased economic values, enhanced social and environmental welfare, improved stakeholder value maximization and amplified transparency. Giving this foundation the report further proposed a conscious governance framework consisting of conscious government intervention and conscious corporate governance as instruments that best support the four enablers that are key to successful transition and achievement of region's vision. Finally, further examination and assessment of the proposed conscious governance framework is recommended.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Asian economy in transition is facing great deal of challenges, so its corporate governance. This paper investigates the dominant corporate governance models practiced under the liberal market capitalism, cooperative capitalism, collective capitalism and the state capitalism across the continents and proposes conscious governance approach for Asia and emerging economies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper explores and compares Anglo-American and Continental European corporate governance models. The report further investigates the development of corporate governance across Asian publicly listed companies, state-owned enterprises, small and medium enterprises and other privately held large enterprises, and raises questions and concerns and derives conclusion.\nFindings: The Asian experience of imposing Western corporate governance models is more of a simplification of tasks based on political, cultural and globalization needs rather than the regions' economic, financial and social development reality.\nPractical implications: The unique proposition of conscious corporate governance aligns corporate governance practice with Asian socio-economic transition vision and helps with further development and reforms.\nOriginality/value: The paper adds to the existing efforts and triggers a fresh view to the Asian and emerging economies corporate governance research and strategy.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Prevalence of teen dating violence and the associations with substance use and externalizing behaviors in Nicaraguan early adolescents
|
[
"Teen dating violence",
"Adolescents",
"Substance use",
"Externalizing behavior",
"Nicaragua"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Dating violence is a significant public health issue with potentially severe mental, physical and psychosocial health consequences (Shorey et al., 2015; Vagi et al., 2015). Dating violence, or teen dating violence, is a type of intimate partner violence - physical violence, sexual violence, stalking or psychological harm by a current partner or spouse (CDC, 2018) - that occurs in youth. Studies show 9-46% of adolescents report having ever experienced dating violence as a victim or perpetrator (Garthe et al., 2016; Wincentak et al., 2017). Although prevalence varies across samples and methodology (Stonard et al., 2014), the immediate and long-term adverse health outcomes of teen dating violence are clear. Both victims and perpetrators of dating violence are at higher risk for mental health problems such as depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation (Nahapetyan et al., 2014; Temple and Freeman, 2011), physical health problems such as sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy and physical injury (Foshee et al., 2013), and behavioral health problems such as substance use, delinquent behavior, poor academic performance and antisocial behaviors (Exner-Cortens et al., 2013; Temple and Freeman, 2011). In addition, exposure to dating violence during adolescence has been linked to future intimate partner violence in adulthood (Gomez, 2011; Lu et al., 2019; Sunday et al., 2011).\nMethods: Data were collected as part of a larger study to develop, deploy and evaluate drug and violence prevention programing in Nicaragua. The larger project, named Dale se REAL (DsR), involved culturally re-grounding (Colby et al., 2013) two evidence-based programs - keepin' it REAL (Hecht et al., 2006) and the Fourth R (Wolfe et al., 2009) - for the Nicaraguan adolescent context. Both programs cohere around training skills for youth that can prevent problem behaviors and align with the mission of producing public health impact through global prevention efforts (Catalano et al., 2012). This study uses the baseline data of this intervention study.Participants\nResults: Prevalence of in-person dating violence, cyber dating abuse, substance use and externalizing behaviors are shown in Table 1. The prevalence was 41% for in-person dating violence victimization and 39% for in-person dating violence perpetration and 30% for cyber dating abuse victimization and 26% for cyber dating abuse perpetration. The majority (56%) of adolescents reported engagement in externalizing behavior, but the prevalence of substance use was relatively low, ranging from 1-9% depending on the substance type. Table 2 provide an item-by-item frequencies and percentages of participants who endorsed each cyber dating abuse behavior.We also examined the prevalence of teen dating violence by gender. With regard to in-person dating violence, significant gender difference was detected for victimization, kh2 (1, N = 1,425) = 11.165, p = 0.001, with 269 female (14.9%) and 330 male (18.5%) students reporting in-person dating violence victimization. However, no statistical significance was detected for in-person dating violence perpetration, kh2 (1, N = 1,424) = 0.010, p = 0.921, with 289 female (16.1%) and 286 male (15.9%) students reporting perpetration. No significant gender difference was found for either cyber dating abuse perpetration, kh2 (1, N = 1,469) = 1.280, p = 0.176, or cyber dating abuse victimization, kh2 (1, N = 1,463) = 2.195, p = 0.235. Of the 1,799 participants, 207 females (11.5%) and 220 males (12.2%) reported cyber dating abuse perpetration, while 243 females (13.5%) and 262 males (14.6%) reported cyber dating abuse victimization.Bivariate Pearson correlations among main variables are shown in Table 3 and multivariate regression results in Table 4. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that in-person dating violence perpetration was significantly related to all substance use in the past 30 days. That is, in-person dating violence perpetrators were 1.32 times (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12, 1.56) more likely to use alcohol (Cox and Snell R2 = 0.09), 1.71 times (95% CI: 1.34, 2.17) more likely to use cigarette (Cox and Snell R2 = 0.18), 1.60 times (95% CI: 1.08, 2.38) more likely to use marijuana (Cox and Snell R2 = 0.20) and 1.33 times (95% CI: 1.05, 1.68) more likely to use e-cigarettes (Cox and Snell R2 = 0.13) in the past 30 days compared to non-perpetrators. The associations between in-person dating violence victimization and use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana and e-cigarettes were not significant.Finally, based on multivariate linear regression, dating violence perpetration and victimization were significantly associated with externalizing behaviors, F (4, 1,027) = 50.19, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.17. Adolescents who reported engaging in dating violence perpetration were more likely to engage in externalizing behaviors (b = 0.16, p < 0.001), relative to their nonviolent counterparts. Similarly, adolescents who reported being victimized in their dating relationship were more likely to engage in externalizing behaviors (b = 0.07, p < 0.05), relative to their non-victimized counterparts. All variation inflation factors (VIFs) were smaller than 2.57, indicating there was no collinearity issue.\nDiscussion: This is the first study to examine the prevalence of in-person and cyber dating abuse among Nicaraguan adolescents. In addition to establishing a prevalence of dating violence in this understudied population, we identified the associations between in-person dating violence with externalizing behaviors and substance use.Prevalence of teen dating violence\nConclusions: This study is the first to examine the prevalence of teen dating violence (both in-person and cyber), distinguish between victimization and perpetration of dating violence by gender and examine the substance use and externalizing behaviors correlates of dating violence in Nicaraguan early adolescents. The use of the CADRI measure for in-person dating violence makes the results comparable to dating violence studies in other adolescent populations (Temple et al., 2013; Wolfe et al., 2001). The scale reliability issue in measuring cyber dating abuse highlights the need for developing a culture-specific understanding of risk behaviors. The identified associations between in-person dating violence with substance use and externalizing behaviors point to the importance of prevention programs targeting dating violence and related risky behaviors in school settings. School teachers and administrators should be aware of the prevalence of teen dating violence as well as the heightened risk for other behaviors and advocate for prevention and education efforts in their schools.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Despite being a significant public health problem, teen dating violence and related risk behaviors are yet to be examined in Nicaragua. This study aims to examine the prevalence of in-person dating violence and cyber dating abuse and to test the associations between teen dating violence and substance use (i.e. alcohol, cigarette, marijuana and e-cigarette) as well as externalizing behaviors.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Survey responses were collected from a school-based sample of 1,799 Nicaraguan early adolescents (average age = 13.04 years).\nFindings: The prevalence was 41% for in-person dating violence victimization, 39% for in-person dating violence perpetration, 30% for cyber dating abuse victimization and 26% for cyber dating abuse perpetration. The majority (56%) of the adolescents reported engagement in externalizing behaviors, but substance use prevalence was relatively low, ranging from 1-9% depending on the substance type. Multivariate regression analyses suggest that in-person dating violence perpetration was positively associated with all types of substance use and externalizing behaviors, while victimization was only associated with externalizing behaviors.\nOriginality/value: Despite the descriptive nature, the study is the first to examine the prevalence of teen dating violence and its relationships with other risk behaviors in Nicaraguan adolescents and have important health implications.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The impact of job isolation on new principals' sense of efficacy, job satisfaction, burnout and persistence
|
[
"Principals",
"Isolation",
"Persistence"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: While the concept of isolation is often discussed as an issue for school leaders, there are few systematic research studies of principal isolation (Beaudoin and Taylor, 2004; Norton, 2003; Painter, 2000; Zoul and Link, 2007). As the role of the principal has changed from that of a manager to an instructional leader that takes responsibility for all aspects of the school program (Casavant and Cherkowski, 2001; DiPaola and Tschannen-Moran, 2003; Goldring et al., 2012; Grissom and Harrington, 2010; Robinson et al., 2008; Tschannen-Moran and Gareis, 2004; Williams, 2000), the impact of isolation seems likely to increase in importance. The focus on the virtues of distributed leadership would seem to place a premium on fostering professional growth of others through frequent interaction, appropriate task delegation, and collaboration (Camburn et al., 2003; Gronn, 2008, Spillane et al., 2001). Robinson et al. (2008) show that five instructional leadership behaviors have a potent (if indirect) impact on the students' learning, including promoting and participating in teacher learning. The import of this factor would also suggest that the interaction between the principal and his/her fellow educators within the building would be vital to the effectiveness of the school. If the contemporary role of an effective principal involves more numerous and varied social interactions with teachers, students, parents, etc., the degree to which principals feel isolated may have a severe impact on their abilities to serve as instructional leaders. Further, isolation may impact their quality of work life, the school's work environment, the overall effectiveness of school leaders, and perhaps principals' persistence or intention to remain in their job.\nPurpose: There is little existing theory framing the role of isolation in predicting the various outcomes relating to the quality of work life of school principals. In previous research (Bauer and Brazer, 2010, 2013; Stephenson and Bauer, 2010), we attempted to address this void by examining the role of isolation as a possible mediating factor, linking variables reflecting the quality of new principals' work experience and specific work outcomes. We found support for the role of isolation as a mediating factor between such indicators of the quality of work life as role ambiguity and social support on the one hand, and outcomes like job satisfaction, burnout, and leader efficacy on the other. More recently, we extended this work to examine the impact of isolation on the principals' intention to leave (Bauer et al., in press).\nReview of literature: First, it is worth commenting about why we focus on the first-year principals and their persistence as the key outcome of interest. There is a paucity of research on the experience of first-year principals; anything we can add to the understanding of their work experience may be valuable. Second, and perhaps much more important, there is a shortage of qualified principals - not because teachers are not completing programs, but because the challenges of the position are seen to outweigh the benefits (Myung et al., 2011). As Barnett et al. (2012) report in their analysis of job realities of assistant principals, teachers shy away from consideration of the position because of \"role overload and stress, limited contact with students, inadequate funding, fear of failure and public disclosure of mistakes, uncertainty of their own ability to perform the role, and lack of time with family\" (p. 97). Feelings of isolation and psychological intensity, taking on the standards movement, and working in schools with a strong focus on accountability may make the job seem impossible (Casavant and Cherkowski, 2001; DiPaola and Tschannen-Moran, 2003). Because of the energy, efforts, and time commitment required to become a school administrator, fewer teachers seem to be entertaining the idea of becoming principals (Adams and Hambright, 2004; Cooner et al., 2008).\nMethods: A path model was used to test both the original Federici and Skaalvik (2012) model and our extension of this model including isolation as a precursor (see Figure 2). The following hypotheses were framed based on our prior studies:\nResults: Two models were run, the first replicating the original Federici and Skaalvik (2012) model with our sample of first-year principals, and the second adding the measure of isolation to determine its role in predicting self-efficacy, job satisfaction, burnout, and intention to leave. Each model had good fit; model fit statistics are presented in the Appendix to the paper.\nDiscussion: At the outset of this paper, we noted that the research dealing with the topic of isolation has been relatively sparse, in general, and especially so when focusing on the role of school principal. Many have bemoaned the egg-crate structure of schools and the difficulty teachers have in their professional lives finding time to collaborate with others. Yet, aside from an occasional admission that \"it is lonely at the top,\" how isolation affects the quality of work life and consequently the effectiveness and persistence of school principals has not received much scholarly attention. This seems especially troublesome given the focus in recent years on the topic of distributing leadership, which would seem to necessitate more interaction between principals, teachers, and possibly others in schools, and the popularity of collaborative teacher teams and learning communities.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test the model first presented by Federici and Skaalvik (2012) involving the relationships among four attributes of principals' work: self-efficacy, burnout, job satisfaction, and intention to leave (persistence). The model is then extended to test the role of isolation as a precursor.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Path analysis is used to test the models, based on responses from an electronic survey of first-year principals in a southeastern US state, using established measures of each construct.\nFindings: First, the results show support for the model presented by Federici and Skaalvik, supporting their original hypotheses. Second, the authors show that isolation is an important predictor of all four constructs in the model, and that when included as an antecedent factor, isolation represents the most potent predictor of new principals' intention to leave.\nResearch limitations/implications: The analysis involves a sample of new principals from a single setting, thus limiting generalizability. Additionally, the exclusive use of self-reported data in this study raises the possibility that the results are influenced by single-source bias.\nPractical implications: The findings showing that isolation is a significant predictor of work outcomes, such as efficacy and satisfaction, and an important predictor of persistence suggest that scholars and practitioners alike need to consider ways to understand and mitigate the sources of isolation experienced by school leaders.\nOriginality/value: Isolation is largely neglected in empirical studies of principals' work. This study adds to what is known and raises questions about the study of isolation experienced by school leaders.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Employment relations over the last 50 years: confrontation, consensus or neglect?
|
[
"Employee relations",
"Public policy",
"Social partnership",
"Human rights",
"Employee voice",
"Individual conflict"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Looking back at employment relations in the UK over the last 50 years, and comparing the situation at the beginning of the period with where we are now, is to be aware how dramatically the world has changed. The history of industrial relations over the earlier part of the period is in important respects the history of the country's political life: the economic and industrial relations policies pursued by governments were in practice intimately connected. The over-riding need to tackle inflation led to repeated high-profile attempts to build a stronger legal framework around collective bargaining, and to intensifying incomes policies which brought governments into frequent conflict with the trade unions. The 1970s saw governments fall on the back of their failure to achieve industrial peace; while it was the \"social contract\" with the trade unions that sustained Labour governments through most of the period from 1974 to 1979.\nConclusion: This brief review has underlined how dramatically employee relations in the UK have changed over the last 50 years. In the 1970s and 1980s, Government was a key player and had a hands-on role. Leap-frogging pay claims led to \"wage push\" as the primary source of inflation; union resistance to industrial restructuring posed recurrent threats to the UK's economic well-being; inevitably governments were drawn into both ongoing dialogue and conflict with the trade unions. The economic background to today's employee relations is utterly different: private sector employment and pay levels are driven largely by the market, while industrial action is measured in days or hours rather than months or even years.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss significant changes in the concept and practice of employment relations over the last 50 years. It does so from both public policy and management perspectives and highlights the continued failure to align these two perspectives.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper draws on the author's research as an adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and his previous experience as a civil servant in the Employment Department. A range of published sources are relied on, including quantitative, survey based and qualitative, case-study and other evidence.\nFindings: The over-riding need to tackle inflation led governments in the 1960s and 1970s to make repeated attempts to build a stronger legal framework around collective bargaining, and to intensifying incomes policies which brought governments into frequent conflict with the trade unions. This was followed by incremental reform of trade union legislation under Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, to which there has subsequently been no serious challenge. The question is posed whether the author is nearing the end of the road for trade union voice in the UK, or whether there is scope for a \"new deal\" under which trade unions can join with other key stakeholders in making a positive contribution towards economic regeneration. Looking forward, the paper discusses shifts in trade union approaches to industrial action and major challenges for employers, including managing individual conflict and employee voice.\nOriginality/value: The paper suggests that the ambiguity of the term \"employee relations\" means the author needs to ask what are the specific challenges facing employee relations practitioners today. Employee relations managers are undertaking a wide range of jobs. Their current focus on employee relations reflects a shift from the defensive attitudes that characterised the earlier part of the period to a more positive one. The paper concludes by arguing the case for a national forum bringing together employers, trade unions and other key stakeholders to advise government on workplace issues.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Maritime Cluster Attractiveness Index
|
[
"Index",
"Clusters",
"Attractiveness",
"Maritime"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Maritime industry is considered to be a basic industry with a guiding role in regional and global economic development. Business processes rely on shipping for the transportation of commodities and finished goods to the consumption and production areas (Lee et al., 2014). Extra significance is also obvious according to IMO's estimations, which suggest that 90 per cent of global trade volumes is transported by sea, implying the significant transportation role of shipping. The complex nature of the maritime industry, which includes key players, such as, ports, shipping management companies, forwarders, distribution companies and logistics companies (de Langen and Haezendonck, 2012), makes clear the necessity for a systematic and thorough performance analysis of those companies serving this industry. When companies are interconnected and have a common labour pool, they are considered to form a cluster (Porter, 1998).\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Cluster definition\n3. Methodology: The proposed framework enables cluster stakeholders to evaluate the weaknesses and strengths of a cluster, especially in highly competitive cases as is the maritime cluster, where according to Leonard and Swap (2000), skills such as management and knowledge techniques are necessary for the cluster to support its activities.\n4. Case study: 4.1 Sample profile\n5. Conclusions: This present study focuses on measuring the attractiveness of a maritime clusters via the creation of a methodological framework. The study has reviewed in depth the methodologies present in the cluster literature, emphasising on maritime clusters, and is proposing a new robust theoretical framework which facilitates the evaluation of the attractiveness of maritime clusters, assisting stakeholders to devise strategies, which will attract companies.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The role of clusters in the development and growth of local and national economies has been extensively studied and discussed in global literature. Different methodologies are used for analysing the impact these have in national and regional economies, such as the input-output (IO) and gravity models. This paper aims to detail the methodologies present in the literature and propose a new robust theoretical framework, which facilitates the evaluation and comparison among maritime clusters in terms of attractiveness assisting stakeholders to devise strategies, which will attract companies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An index is created composed of five key categories, namely, infrastructure, financing, governance, manpower and institution/legislation. For the analysis of the index, multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) is used as a tool to evaluate the importance and performance of the different attributes using both quantitative and qualitative criteria. The methodology has been tested via the use the Piraeus maritime cluster.\nFindings: The framework has been tested on its robustness and friendliness to the user providing useful insights to the stakeholders. Among the results has been the importance of the finance, manpower and infrastructure attributes, which appear to promote the cluster's attractiveness. In addition, legislation and institutional partnerships, along with Government support, need to take place improve the performance of the cluster.\nResearch limitations/implications: A key limitation is the fact that the methodology has been tested in a single case. Applying the methodological framework in a wider sample of clusters will significantly improve the present work.\nOriginality/value: The proposed model takes further existing research in the field via adopting the philosophy of the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index. Among the benefits of the proposed index is that it offers the flexibility and robustness to compare among different maritime clusters globally and can be readily used as a benchmarking policy tool at national, regional and global levels at any given point in time and attribute dimension.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The role of top management in supply chain management practices
|
[
"Supply chain management",
"Senior management",
"Retailing",
"Sweden"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: In today's logistics environment, supply chain management (SCM) is a well-known phenomenon, which can be defined as:[...] the systemic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions and the tactics across these business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole (Mentzer et al., 2001, p. 18).The core purpose of SCM has been, since it was established more than two decades ago (Houlihan, 1985; Stevens, 1989), to break down functional silos and cooperate within the same logistics system, with the common goal being to serve the end customers with a smooth, flexible and cost efficient flow of goods (Mentzer et al., 2001).Despite the many obvious advantages of adopting an SCM-based approach, SCM as described in theory is a rare occurrence in today's business environment (Fawcett and Magnan, 2002; Sandberg, 2007; Marien, 2000). In SCM literature today, there is an ongoing debate about the reasons for the poor adoption of SCM and how to overcome the difficulties. The latter theme is approached from a long list of different perspectives, using different methods and theoretical foundations. For example, different technically oriented barriers concerning information technology (IT) (Jharkharia and Shankar, 2005; Marien, 2000) has been discussed as well as cultural ones such as lack of trust (Khalfan et al., 2007).This paper focuses on the role of top management as a key enabler for SCM. Top management should here be understood as the group of people that together constitute the highest management executive authority in a company. Typically, this team includes a chief executive officer (CEO), chief operations office (COO), purchasing manager, production manager, logistics or warehouse manager, chief financial office (CFO), marketing manager, etc. Not included in the top management expression as it is understood here is the board of directors. That function is organisationally situated above, and hence, outside the company boundaries.The importance of top management support for successful SCM implementation has for a long time been recognised in the SCM literature (Lancioni, 2000; Matchette and Lewinski, 2005; Gibson et al., 2005; Lambert and Cooper, 2000; Andraski, 1998; Moberg et al., 2003; Mangan and Christopher, 2005; Slone et al., 2007). The need for top management support is also well established among practitioners. In a recently conducted survey (Larson et al., 2007) among senior members of the council of supply chain management professionals, top management support is identified as the most important facilitator for implementation of SCM.Despite its obvious importance, the understanding, presence and commitment for SCM issues from top management is however far from always there (Fawcett et al., 2006; Sandberg, 2007; Fawcett and Magnan, 2002). Top management seldom has an active role when it comes to SCM issues; in Eisenstein and Thompson's (2006) survey on CEO perspectives on SCM, only 23 per cent of the responding CEOs were responsible for driving development and execution of a supply chain strategy. Fawcett and Magnan (2002) report similar findings from their survey where supply chain/logistics managers consider SCM more important than their CEOs. The same is concluded in a multiple case study by Gibson et al. (2005), where it is stated that C-level executives (i.e. CEO, CFO and COO) do not recognise the importance of logistics and SCM for their overall company strategy. C-level executives only care sporadic about SCM and have limited time for SCM issues (Gibson et al., 2005).Despite a massive call for top management support, existing SCM literature avoids going into detail on the subject. Normally, SCM authors acknowledge top management's role by concluding the importance and/or need for, e.g. top management support, but do not take the discussion further and therefore surprisingly little in-depth research on top management involvement in SCM has been published. The role top management plays - or should play - in SCM is an important piece of research that is not yet fully completed.The purpose of this paper is therefore to explore the role of top management in two Swedish retail companies that successfully utilise opportunities given by SCM practices. The role is described by introducing four archetypes for the role top management plays in the companies. The case companies are Dustin Group AB and Clas Ohlson AB. Dustin Group AB (Dustin), is the market leader of computer peripherals in Sweden while Clas Ohlson AB (Clas Ohlson), is one of Sweden's top suppliers of DIY products. Without their own production, patents or any other specific attributes, yet operating on commodity markets, they have grown extensively over a number of years, with above-normal profit in comparison to competitors. It is argued here that their success is based on their adoption of SCM practices, where logistics is key for corporate strategy. As a result, committed top management teams constantly have logistics and SCM issues on their agenda.\n2 Research methodology: This research takes a case study approach based on, e.g. Yin (2003) and Eisenhardt (1989), where emergent patterns in two companies' SCM practices are explored and empirically discovered (Meredith, 1989). For the purpose of this study, the two case companies have been chosen with theoretical sampling (Eisenhardt and Graebner, 2007) in mind, meaning that they are not to be considered as representative for companies in general. Instead, they have been chosen since they are expected to replicate or extend the emergent theory (Eisenhardt, 1989). It has therefore, as argued above, been a conscious choice of the researcher to select two retail companies of commodity products where logistics and SCM issues naturally come into focus for the company. As Eisenhardt and Graebner (2007) argue, the selected companies are particularly suitable for the illumination and extension of relationships and logic among theoretical constructs. In a similar way, Flyvbjerg (2006) argues that a random case selection within a given sample may not be the most appropriate strategy. Instead, cases with rich, informative content should be selected and these cases often represent some kind of extreme. These cases better facilitate a deeper understanding of causes behind a given problem, and since this is desired more than the description of the symptoms, extreme cases are often preferable (Flyvbjerg, 2006).The empirical data collection has been conducted over a period of almost two years, with several visits to the companies' headquarters and central warehouses. At first, a major empirical collection in the form of interviews with top management teams, including the CEOs, was conducted during Winter 2006-2007. Thereafter, secondary material such as annual reports and newsletters have been collected and studied on a continuous basis until a second round of interviews with members from the top management teams were conducted during August and September 2008. To further strengthen the empirical material, a number of other employees, all typically in middle management positions in the companies, have also been interviewed about their own, and above all, their top management's role concerning SCM practices. All interviews can be described as semi-structured, where the companies' strategy, naturally centred on logistics issues, were focused. All interviews were typed and later transcribed.The analysis has been conducted in two steps where first an individual analysis of each case was done in order to let the characteristics of each case emerge (Eisenhardt, 1989). As a second step, a cross-case analysis was carried out. The development of the four archetypes presented in this paper can be described as an iterative process where the archetypes have emerged during the analysis. They should be seen as a result of an explorative study aimed at better understanding for the role of top management in SCM practices.\n3 Literature review: Despite a highly recognised area in other disciplines, e.g. the strategic management field, SCM scholars have not included the role of top management in their research more than on a general level. At this level, two themes, though overlapping each other, are discussed; top management as a coordinating function and as a driver for logistics change.As a key factor for SCM, the matter of coordination also becomes the main challenge from top management's point of view (Lancioni, 2000). The nature of SCM needs a force standing above the functional silos and focusing on the complete \"horizontal organisation\" (Mangan and Christopher, 2005). Top management has this position in the organisation and should therefore be the main enabler for SCM initiatives. Top management can overcome the walls between historically separated functions such as demand functions (e.g. marketing and sales) and supply (Matchette and Lewinski, 2005). To increase coordination, typical activities for top management to be involved in and take personal responsibility for are the supervision of increased information sharing across company borders and develop stronger supply chain relationships (Moberg et al., 2003). In this work, supply chain technologies is an important tool that top management must take time for, and understand (Slone et al., 2007).Apart from coordinating supply chain activities and functions, top management is also discussed as an enabling force for logistics change. Matchette and Lewinski (2005) state that SCM is a strategy which requires distinctive, hard to replicate capabilities, which can be a key to executing excellence as well as market creation. They stress the importance of flexible supply chains that can change in order to meet new customer demands:Therefore, companies must adopt new supply chain practices, technologies and organization structures that enable them to quickly capitalize on new revenue opportunities [...] In short, companies must be able to continuously refresh and renew their distinctive capabilities to maintain their competitive essence (Matchette and Lewinski, 2005, p. 4).In a similar way, D'Avanzo et al. (2003) argue that it is important to continuously develop and improve the supply chain practices a company performs. Leading supply chain companies:[...] understand that successful execution is a journey that combines focused completion of everyday tasks with continual supply chain innovations. Put another way, they recognize the importance of continuous improvement and innovation, but never at the expense of smooth, ongoing execution (D'Avanzo et al., 2003, p. 45).It is in this work top management plays a key role as a facilitator and driver for change. It is argued that top management should function as a driver for an SCM-friendly culture in the company along with proper measurement that facilitates SCM initiatives (Matchette and Lewinski, 2005; Slone et al., 2007). Here, for instance investments in training and education is an important issue for top management to encourage and amplify (Moberg et al., 2003).The change should tightly be aligned with a company's overall goals and strategy. Based on a growing amount of research on the link between SCM/logistics performance and strategic management (Hult et al., 2007; D'Avanzo et al., 2003), it can be argued that top management is expected to take an active part when it comes to the realisation of the strategic potential of SCM practices. The link between SCM practices and business overall strategy, and how to change logistics operations therefore becomes an issue for top management. Related to this is top management's support in order to overcome the Wall Street short-term thinking. Investments in SCM practices, such as relationships and IT systems, are typically long-term and top management must therefore demand patience of shareholders and other stakeholders and guard against the quarterly pressures (Slone et al., 2007).Behind top management's role as a driver for change, the importance of top management's individual, personal commitment to SCM is discussed. Without commitment and in-depth understanding of SCM and its potential, few initiatives to SCM development will occur (Marien, 2000) and top management commitment and understanding is therefore an obvious starting point for SCM (Fawcett et al., 2006). As outlined by Slone et al. (2007), only updated, SCM-skilled CEOs will be able to judge supply chain performance in a correct manner.\n4 The case companies: Before entering the discussion on the role of top management, the case companies and their businesses are presented. As argued above, the companies have been chosen for the large logistics content in their strategies and their documented ability to grow with sustained profit. Dustin has had a profit margin between 3 and 7 per cent in the last five years, while two of their main competitors (Atea and inwarehouse) have had between 0 and 3 per cent. Similar figures can also be seen in the case of Clas Ohlson where the competitors Jula and Biltema have had a profit margin of about 10 and 3 per cent, respectively, while Clas Ohlson has had an average profit margin of 13.5 per cent in the last five years. When it comes to growth, the companies' growth rate in recent years is impressive: Dustin has grown by about 15 per cent in the last five years while Clas Ohlson has managed to grow on average 17 per cent.4.1 Dustin\n5 The role of top management: From the analysis above, it can be concluded that Dustin and Clas Ohlson, despite different products and different market channels, rely heavily on their logistics and SCM performance. Indeed, logistics and SCM operations are considered to be the main strategic weapon vis-a-vis competitors. This section goes into detail on the role of top management in the case companies. The findings are presented in the form of four archetypes. Table II shows the most important empirical findings that supports the different archetypes.5.1 The supply chain thinker\n6 Final comments: Despite its often-stated importance, we know little about top management's role in SCM practices. This explorative study attempts to describe the role top management has in two retail companies that successfully utilise opportunities given by SCM practices. This research adds to our overall understanding of how to manage SCM, and to our understanding of what is needed to implement more SCM practices in real existing companies and supply chains. In the future, more rigorous case studies as well as quantitative statistical studies are needed for further understanding and theory building about the role of top management. As an example for issues worth more attention in the future, it should be noted that the members of the top management teams have in this study been dealt with as a unified, homogenous entity of people. More research on individual human presence in SCM practices would therefore be appreciated in the future.As managerial implications from the study follows that the presented four archetypes should be seen as equally important and are not exclusively independent from each other. Indeed, they are linked to each other and in order to establish real existing SCM practices, it is believed that top management must act so that all four archetypes are present. Whether all members of a top management team must have all archetypes, and if so, to what extent could be the focus of future research.\n",
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"content": "Purpose: - Despite the often stated importance, little about top management's role in supply chain management (SCM) practices is known. The purpose of this paper is therefore to explore the role of top management in two retail companies that successfully utilise opportunities given by SCM practices.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - As an empirical basis for the research, two Swedish retail companies are explored. Members of the top management teams have been interviewed about their role in the company and their priorities.\nFindings: - The top management role is described by introducing four archetypes; the supply chain thinker, the relationship manager, the controller and the organiser for the future.\nOriginality/value: - This paper adds to existing theory by giving a more detailed description of top management's role in SCM practices, i.e. how SCM practices could actually be managed, and, in the extension, to the understanding for what is needed to implement more SCM practices in real existing companies and supply chains.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Information available on a web site: effects on consumers' shopping outcomes
|
[
"Information media",
"Customer satisfaction",
"Shopping",
"Internet shopping",
"Consumer behaviour"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In relation to enhancement of web site quality, much research has focused on amount of information available on a web site (e.g. Ballantine, 2005). For example, in the context of hotel web sites, sites with a greater number of features received significantly higher scores on attitude towards the site than those with fewer features (McMillan et al., 2003). In this paper, amount of information is understood as the number of information attributes provided by an online web site. Although the number of online shopping consumers has been increasing, consumers still have fears about internet security and misuse of personal information, as well as the inability to see, touch, and try on products when shopping online (Internet Retailer, 2005). In relation to risk concerns, Biswas and Biswas (2004) indicated three types of perceived risks within the context of online retailing: performance risk, financial risk, and transaction risk. Compared to shopping in a physical store, shopping online is more highly related to the three dimensions of perceived risk that have been emphasized in e-service related studies. Therefore, the information examined in this study is limited to those three dimensions of perceived risk.Amount of information available from the online environment is an important factor in determining the success or failure of electronic commerce (Yang, 2001). Consumers' lack of opportunity to examine products prior to purchase (e.g. performance risk), risk associated with loss of money in relation to distrust of online retailers (e.g. financial risk), and privacy/security considerations (e.g. transaction risk) have been identified as important factors deterring consumers from purchasing items online. Providing sufficient information that reduces risk perceptions might be a key way to decrease consumers' perceived risk in online shopping, increase levels of consumer satisfaction, and facilitate greater shopping responses. Supporting this idea, Park and Stoel (2005) indicated a negative relationship between amount of information and perceived risk in online retailing. Although previous research indicated the importance of information availability on a web site (e.g. Peterson and Merino, 2003), little research has empirically examined the effect of amount of information provided on a web site. Thus, there is a need to examine how different amounts of information influence consumers' perceptions of risk, satisfaction, intention to revisit, and purchase intent. Online retailers need to fully understand consumers' perceptions of online web site in relation to their purchase and revisit intent in order to provide effective retail web sites. The purpose of the study is twofold:1. to examine the effect of amount of information on consumer's perceived risk and satisfaction; and2. to examine the relationships among perceived risk, satisfaction, and shopping responses (i.e. intention to revisit and purchase intent).\nTheoretical framework: The stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) Paradigm adapted by Eroglu et al. (2001) based on Mehrabian and Russell's (1974) study was used as the theoretical framework for this study. Mehrabian and Russell (1974) presented a theoretical model outlining the effects of the physical environment on consumer behavior. Eroglu et al. (2001) adapted the S-O-R model for the online context.Compared with traditional retail stores, web sites lack certain properties of traditional retail stores such as tactile and olfactory cues (Eroglu et al., 2003). Eroglu et al. (2001) define environmental stimuli (S) in the online retailing context as \"the sum total of all the cues that are visible and audible to the online shopper\" (p. 179). Organism (O), located in the second stage in the S-O-R paradigm, is represented by internal states of affect and cognition. In the context of online shopping, web site cues (e.g. stimuli) lead to affective and cognitive internal states, which affect consumer responses (R) during site visits, such as approach or avoidance behaviors (Donovan and Rossiter, 1982; Eroglu et al., 2001). Applying the S-O-R model in the online context, several environmental stimuli have been examined in atmospheric related studies (e.g. Ha and Lennon, 2006; Kim et al., 2009). For example, Kim et al. (2009) investigated the effects of visual product presentation and music on consumer shopping outcomes. Based on the model, this study examined how amount of information (online stimuli) affects consumers' perceived risk and satisfaction (cognitive/affective states) and consequently influences consumer intention to revisit and purchase intent.\nConceptual background: Online apparel retailing\nMethod: Research design\nResults: Sample\nDiscussion: One portion of the findings included the relationship between two levels of amount of information and two dependent variables: perceived risk and satisfaction. Participants in the high amount of information condition perceived less performance, financial, and transaction risks with the web site than those in the low amount of information condition. This result is consistent with previous research that indicated a negative relationship between amount of information and perceived risk (e.g. Kim and Lennon, 2000; Park and Stoel, 2005). Perceived risk is an important factor that influences positive shopping responses (Choi and Lee, 2003). Compared to shopping in a physical retail store, consumers heavily rely on the information provided on the site when making a purchase. Thus, online retailers should pay attention to the information available on their web site to reduce perceived risk.In this study, participants were more satisfied with the web site when a high amount of information was provided compared to when a low amount of information was provided. This result is consistent with previous research which indicated that increased amount of information on a web site results in greater consumer satisfaction (e.g. Ballantine, 2005). Customer satisfaction is a fundamental indicator of a firm's performance (Johnson et al., 2005). From retailers' point-of-view, with minimum costs, online managers can easily provide this necessary information on their web sites.Another part of the findings included relationships among six latent variables (i.e. perceived performance risk, financial risk, transaction risk, satisfaction, intention to revisit, and purchase intent). The result of SEM indicated that perceived performance risk and transaction risk had negative effects on consumer satisfaction and consumer satisfaction had a positive effect on intention to revisit. Online retailers need to think about reducing perceived risk to contribute to customer satisfaction. This study demonstrates that satisfaction can be enhanced by reducing performance and transaction risk.Results of study indicated that perceived performance risk negatively influenced intent to revisit and purchase intent. The results of SEM also revealed that perceived financial risk had a negative effect on purchase intent. This is consistent with previous research that indicated a positive relationship between reduced risk perception and purchase intent (e.g. Vijayasarathy and Jones, 2000).Extrapolating from results of the MANOVA and SEM, detailed product, company, and customer service information reduces risk, which in turn leads to intention to revisit and purchase intent. If consumers cannot trust an online retailer and the retailer does not provide in-depth information, consumers might not be willing to purchase items from the web site. Overall, the findings of this study are consistent with the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model suggested by Eroglu et al. (2001) in an online setting.\nConclusions: The purpose of the research was to investigate how different levels of amount of information affect consumer risk perception and satisfaction, and the relationships among perceived risk, satisfaction, intention to revisit, and purchase intent. The major conclusion of this study was the importance of providing detailed information on a web site to reduce risk and increase satisfaction. Web site quality related studies have emphasized the importance of information availability on a web site (e.g. Kim et al., 2006). Although research emphasizing the importance of information in the online setting is growing in quantity, comprehensive understanding of how different levels of amount of information essentially affect consumers' shopping outcomes has not yet been investigated. This study shows that providing detailed product, company, return/exchange, and security/privacy information is important in affecting perceived risk and satisfaction.Of the three dimensions of perceived risk, perceived performance risk seems to play the most dominant role in affecting consumers' satisfaction, intention to revisit the store, and intention to purchase apparel. Providing sufficient product related information including detailed verbal descriptions of a product and a variety of visual presentations could influence positive shopping experiences by reducing perceived risk. Consumers cannot physically examine products online. Providing detailed verbal information about a product could make consumers feel more knowledgeable about the product thus reducing perceived risk with the purchase they make. According to Ballantine (2005), detailed product information provided on a web site enables consumers to make better quality decisions and eventually enhance consumer satisfaction. Multiple visual product presentations along with detailed verbal product information is also critical for consumers, since they cannot examine the garment before purchasing. According to Kim et al. (2006), most apparel companies provide garments in only one view. Less than 20 percent of companies analyzed in that study provided different images of a product such as close-ups, back view, and zoom function. To reduce uncertainty in relation to garments' fit, providing an accurate size chart on the web site could also be important. This study's findings would be especially useful to pure online retailers. Compared to purchasing from brick-and-mortar retailers, purchasing from pure online retailers is likely to evoke higher perceptions of risk since consumers cannot physically check the merchandise at a store before purchase. Thus, pure online retailers especially should focus on product information, so that consumers can do more in-depth product examination before purchasing. This can help consumers feel more secure and reduce risk perceptions in relation to online purchases.Interestingly, in this study, transaction risk had no direct effects on intent to revisit or purchase intent. A possible explanation for this non-significant effect may come from Yang and Fang's (2004) argument. According to Yang and Fang (2004) consumers may pay less attention to security issues if they have never experienced problems with privacy and security. The participants in this study are highly involved in online purchasing. They might feel comfortable using the internet as a shopping tool so that they might be comfortable with providing credit card information online and have less fear of credit-card fraud and misuse of personal information. To clarify this issue, researchers need to further examine the relationship between perceived transaction risk and frequent site visits or time spent the site. This would be necessary to more clearly understand the relationship between transaction risk and consumer shopping responses.\nManagerial implications: The results of this study provide several practical implications to online apparel retailers and academic researchers. In this study, the focus was on the effect of company, product, security, and certain customer service information such as return/exchange on perceived risk, satisfaction, intention to revisit, and purchase intent. Based on these findings future research might focus on which specific types of information affect outcomes (e.g. is product information more important than information about return policies in affecting purchase intent?). This study could be a starting point for future research regarding how other information provided on the retail web site could affect overall consumer shopping outcomes. As indicated in this study, providing detailed information might be a way to succeed in the current severely competitive online market place by effectively improving web site quality. Online shopping is growing into a vital retailing channel (DMNews, 2006). It has many advantages since consumers do not need to leave their homes but can simply obtain merchandise by browsing online for items. The results of this study revealed a significant effect for amount of information on perceived risk and consumer satisfaction and causal relationships among perceived risk, consumer satisfaction, intention to revisit, and purchase intent.In this study, the S-O-R model was successfully applied by showing that amount of information (online stimuli) affects emotional/cognitive states (i.e. satisfaction and perceived risk) and consequently influences intention to revisit and purchase intent. In the context of traditional retail setting, many studies have examined the effect of environmental cues based on the S-O-R model. However, in the context of online settings, few online stimuli have been examined. Thus, various online stimuli which can influence consumers' internal states and eventually affect consumer shopping behaviors should be further examined.\nLimitations of the study: Generalizing the findings of this study is limited by the use of only college women participants. The use of only college women does not represent of a wide range of consumer populations. Depending on different demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and race, the effect of environmental cues may differ. Therefore, examining the extent to which these findings can be generalized across varied samples is required.Also, generalizability of the findings of this study is limited by the focus on online apparel retailing. Thus, these research findings are not generalizable to other types of online retailing. Therefore, future research needs to be conducted in a variety of online retail product types to improve generalizability.\n",
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"content": "Purpose: - This research aims to examine how the amount of information provided on a web site affects consumers' perceived risk, satisfaction, intention to revisit, and purchase intent.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A convenience sample of 220 female college students participated in an online experiment. Confirmatory factor analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and structural equation modeling were conducted.\nFindings: - Significant main effects were found for amount of information on consumers' perceived risk and satisfaction; significant causal relationships were found among perceived risk, satisfaction, intention to revisit, and purchase intent.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Generalizing the findings of the study is limited by the use of only female college student participants and the use of a single type of online retailing. Therefore, future research should consider varied samples and a variety of types of online retail settings to generalize the findings.\nPractical implications: - The study demonstrates the effect of amount of information on consumers' online shopping behaviors. To reduce risk perception and impact positive consumer shopping behaviors, online retailers should pay attention to the amount of information available on their web sites.\nOriginality/value: - The study provides valuable practical insights to online retailers and academic researchers by suggesting the importance of providing sufficient amounts of information on a web site.\n",
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The choice of the necessary: class, tastes and lifestyles: A Bourdieusian analysis in contemporary Britain
|
[
"Attitudes",
"Inequality",
"Consumption",
"Class",
"Social policy"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: \"Taste classifies, and it classifies the classifier\" according to Pierre Bourdieu (1984, p. 16). In his seminal work Distinction: A Social Critique of Taste (originally published in French, Bourdieu, 1979), Bourdieu rejects Immanuel Kant's view that there is an independent, objective validity and judgement of taste. Instead, he argues that our cultural preferences are socially shaped, and in the course of everyday life, we classify ourselves through our tastes. As consumers, we make choices, and in the very act of choosing, we often give away our position within the social structure of society. In this paper, we consider some of Bourdieu's (1984) ideas relating to the \"the taste for necessity\" (p. 374), which, he argued, governs many aspects of working-class life. Continued empirical testing of Bourdieu's theory of cultural production, set out in a series of works dating from 1968 (Bourdieu, 1993), remains important in the face of reflexive social theory which contends that \"class\" is now \"too soft a category\" for understanding life in the twenty-first century (Beck, 2012, p. 7, original emphasis).\nDistinction and the taste for necessity: In La Distinction, Pierre Bourdieu examines the role and function of social necessity in shaping working-class culture: an important aspect of Bourdieu's more general theory of class and culture. Bourdieu argues that the real principle of our preferences is taste; for working-class families, this is a virtue made out of social necessity. Working-class lifestyles and taste follow the aesthetics of necessity, as opposed to the more refined and distanced taste of the middle class. Taste is a reflection of the class hierarchy; ideas of \"good\" or \"bad\" taste are largely determined by members of the middle class, who use their dominant class position and socio-economic advantage, including the various forms of \"capital\" (social, economic, and cultural) to impress their worldview on society as a whole. Bourgeois taste contrasts with working-class taste. Working-class families are resigned to necessity, \"the choice of the necessary\", which for Bourdieu is the basis of \"the taste of necessity\" (Bourdieu, 1984, p. 380). For working-class families, this is a \"forced choice\", however, produced by the conditions of existence (Bourdieu, 1984, p. 178). \"Necessity imposes a taste for necessity\", he argues, which implies a form of adaptation to, and consequently acceptance of, the necessary (Bourdieu, 1984, p. 372).\nEmpirical strategy: data and methods: Attitudinal data relating to social necessity are taken from a national social survey of the British adult population undertaken by the United Kingdom's national statistical agency (ONS, 2002)[1]. The results from this survey provide a rich source of data for exploring public attitudes towards social necessity in contemporary Britain. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews with 1,855 adults (aged 16 or over) living in private households. The survey uses multi-stage stratified random sampling procedures to gain a representative picture of the national population. Statistical weights derived from the UK Census of Population were applied to ensure findings are representative of all British adults. The questionnaire consists of two elements: core questions covering demographic information and the modular section on social attitudes.\nResults: class fractions and distinctions in taste: Following Bourdieu, findings are presented thematically. We explore the idea of social necessity in relation to lifestyles, social conformity and identity, ordinary social customs, activities and relationships, including family and community life, preferences for food and diet, the family home and class trajectories. We draw parallels from recent qualitative studies of British working-class life in the analysis.\nDiscussion: This paper considered class position and lifestyle \"choices\" that are located in necessity. Based on our Bourdieusian empirical analysis, we observe some of the social parameters of reflective judgement. We find that necessity plays an important role in the cultural fraction of the dominated class, as Bourdieu suggests. Working-class families in Britain and those with low education tend to regard many personal items and consumer durables as necessity; and more aspects of family and community life, particularly compared to the representatives of other classes. Moreover, if we compareunskilled manual workers in Class V with low education and professionals with high educations the distinctions appear even more pronounced, as might be expected according to Bourdieusian social theory (Table III, column V). These findings are doubtless interesting and provide support, at least to a degree, for Bourdieu's \"practical theory\", the concept of the habitus and his claim for social necessity in working-class culture.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: Our attitudes, values and tastes are shaped by our position in social space. At least, that was the argument Pierre Bourdieu set out in his seminal work, La Distinction. The purpose of this paper is to consider Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction and his argument that working-class families exhibit cultural attitudes and tastes for social necessity.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Attitudinal data relating to social necessity are taken from a national social survey of the British population. The results provide a rich source of data for exploring classed attitudes towards necessity in contemporary Britain.\nFindings: Bourdieu's original claims for working-class \"choice of the necessary\" and working-class \"taste for necessity\" are based on his observations grounded in social survey evidence drawn from 1960s French society. Analysis of contemporary British social survey and attitudinal data also reveals sharp contours and differences in attitudes and tastes according to class fractions. These are evident in classed tastes and preferences for food, clothes, the home and social life.\nSocial implications: Within the Bourdieusian theoretical framework, we understand that the tastes of necessity are preferences that arise as adaptations to deprivation of necessary goods and services. La Distinction and Bourdieu's approach to unmasking inequalities and structures in social space continue to be relevant in contemporary Britain. More generally, study findings add to the growing evidence that casts some doubt on current arguments concerning \"individualisation\", claiming that social class has ceased to be significant in modern societies.\nOriginality/value: This paper sheds fresh light on the empirical validity and continuing theoretical relevance of Bourdieu's work examining the role of social necessity in shaping working-class culture. Bourdieu argues that the real principle of our preferences is taste and for working-class families, this is a virtue made of necessity.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Consumer perceptions of food quality and safety and their relation to traceability
|
[
"Consumers",
"Perception",
"Food products",
"Quality",
"Food safety",
"Europe"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Quality and safety are two important elements in consumer food perceptions and decision making associated with food choice (Grunert, 2005; Rohr et al., 2005). Consumers are believed to generally prefer products of high quality. However, the underlying cognitive determinants of \"quality\" and \"safety\" are not sufficiently understood within the area of consumer behaviour. Furthermore, the relationship between the two concepts has not been the subject of extensive empirical investigation. Previous research has frequently treated the concepts of quality and safety as separate entities, and, as a consequence, addresses only one or the other of the two concepts in the development of research questions. In addition, food quality and safety are usually studied in relation to specific products or product categories rather than in more general terms. The current investigation aims to examine the role of consumers' perceptions of food quality and safety in their decision making in general, and at the same time to examine their possible interrelationship. Moreover, we will examine the relationship between quality, safety and traceability, because traceability potentially has an impact on consumers' perceptions of both food safety as well as food quality (European General Food Law; EC directive 178/2002).Food quality and food safety\nMethod: Participants\nResults: Consumers' definition of quality and safety\nDiscussion: Quality and safety\nConclusions: Since consumers' definitions of quality and safety overlap, a strict separation between consumer judgments about, and perceptions of, food quality and food safety cannot be made. Hence interpretation of research examining consumers' perceptions of food quality and/or safety needs to take into account their interrelationship. In addition, the results did not confirm the existence of clear cross-cultural distinctions consumer preferences for quality or safety as a food choice priority.Further implications of the results are that communication about food safety and quality issues means developing messages that focus on the attributes that consumers associate with quality and safety rather than speaking about these terms in the abstract. For example, discussion about the about the freshness or healthiness of the product may be more relevant to consumers than discussion about quality or safety. Given that quality is linked to safety in the mind of the consumer, consumers demand for a better quality product is likely to mean that they also want safer product. Finally, it is necessary to reduce consumer uncertainty about safety and quality issues associated with products by providing relevant information in an understandable form (for example indication through trusted quality labels such as PDO/PGI).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The research presented here aims to gain understanding of consumers' perceptions of the concepts of food quality and safety, two concepts that play an important role in how consumers perceive food, and that are used in decision making.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Qualitative semi-structured interviews (n=163 consumers) were held in four European countries (Germany, France, Italy and Spain). Consumers' own definitions of the two concepts of food quality and safety were examined, together with the perceived interrelationship between quality and safety, and whether these concepts were linked to improved food chain traceability.\nFindings: - The results indicate that most consumers see food quality and food safety as interlinked concepts, which becomes evident in their partly overlapping definitions of the two concepts. Consumers believe both food safety and quality are important to food in general, but pay relatively more attention to food quality when purchasing a product. Traceability was linked not only to food safety, but also to food quality in the mind of the consumer.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Future research on consumer perceptions of food quality and safety will need to take account of the observation that these concepts are strongly related in consumers' minds, and therefore cannot be easily separated in explaining consumer choices.\nOriginality/value: - Instead of investigating consumer perceptions of food quality and safety in relation to specific products, consumer perceptions of food quality and food safety in general, and how these were related to each other, were studied. Further understanding was gained of how consumers might use these concepts in judgements about food, which, in turn may influence their purchase decisions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Software makes the right connections for BT's pay-review team: Web-based system improves information flow and accuracy
|
[
"Telecommunications industry",
"Remuneration",
"Information-technology application"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Web-based software is helping telecommunications giant BT to manage its global pay-review process for more than 38,000 staff across all lines of business and in over 60 of the countries within which the company operates.\nMonths of planning and preparation: The company implements its pay review in June each year after months of planning and preparation. The software helps to ensure that tight deadlines are met each year. The software streamlines the complex process through technology that automates much of the process and keeps administrative tasks to a minimum.\nMonitoring progress in real time: BT has optimized its pay-review process through:\nError reduction, a clear audit trail and greater transparency: Sue Fry commented: \"Working with Talentia Software has facilitated a different way of working for us. The intuitive web-based pay-review solution is a huge transition from the days of spreadsheets and gathering information from thousands of managers across business units and across the globe. It has resulted in error reduction, a clear audit trail and greater transparency across the business. We could not deliver what we do without it.\"\nNote: David Pollitt, Human Resource Management International Digest editor, wrote this article.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Observes how software is helping telecommunications giant BT to manage its global pay-review process for more than 38,000 staff across seven lines of business and in over 60 of the countries within which BT operates.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Considers the reasons for the system, the form it takes and the advantages it has brought over the years.\nFindings: Charts how BT has optimized its pay-review process through: a workflow-driven process that enables senior management to approve budgets and monitor progress in real-time; the facilitation of BT's share-incentive plans for staff; and a thorough approval process that offers the opportunity for management to see how pay is distributed and whether increases are justified.\nPractical implications: Explains that the web-based pay-review system has resulted in error reduction, a clear audit trail and greater transparency across the business.\nSocial implications: Highlights a way in which companies can benchmark their pay rates against those in organizations across the world.\nOriginality/value: Gives the inside story of how software enabled BT improved the efficiency and accuracy of its pay-review system.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Institutions, situated rationality and agency in management accounting: A research note extending the Burns and Scapens framework
|
[
"Management accounting change",
"Institutions",
"Agency",
"Logics",
"Situated rationality"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Recent work using the institutional logics perspective (see Thornton et al., 2012) has explored how multiple, and at times competing, institutional logics can lead to \"practice variations\". Such work sees social order as created through a network of interrelated logics, both at the level of society generally and at the level of particular organisational fields. Studies in organisations theory have tended to focus primarily on institutional logics at the organisational field level. However, there have been recent calls (Pache and Santos, 2010; Zilber, 2016; see also Besharov and Smith, 2014) for research to understand how institutional logics at the organisational field level interact with each other within individual organisations. Some recent management accounting studies (see e.g. Amans et al., 2015 and Carlsson-Wall et al., 2017) have explored how institutional logics shape management accounting practices within specific organisations. In other words, these studies explore how \"broader\", i.e. field level, institutional logics combine and/or interact within organisations. However, it has been argued that the institutional logics perspective underplays the extent to which institutions and logics[1] emerge through, and are situated in, the practices of individual organisations (see for instance Quattrone, 2015). This suggests that we need to look more closely at the situated nature of the institutions which are embedded within organisational practices.\n2. Studies using the B&S framework: The B&S framework is set out in Figure 1. At the top there is the realm of institutions, defined as the \"shared taken-for-granted assumptions\" (Burns and Scapens, 2000, p. 8), while at the bottom there is the realm of action, comprising actions carried out over time by individual organisational actors. Implicitly, the realm of institutions in this framework relates to what we referred to above as internal institutions. Rules and routines provide the link between the actions and the institutions. The rules and routines encode the institutions (i.e. the taken-for-granted assumptions) and are enacted through the actions. Although the actions follow, and thereby reproduce, the rules and routines, they may nevertheless lead to changes in those rules and routines. As the actors repeatedly undertake actions over time, the rules and routines can change relatively quickly, but institutions tend to be much slower to change as new rules and routines take time to become institutionalised. As can be seen in the figure, the framework maintains a clear separation between the institutional realm and the realm of action. This has a parallel with Giddens' (1984) notion of structure which is instantiated in practice, but exists only in memory traces - i.e. outside time and space (p. 25).\n3. Theoretical developments: As the B&S framework draws explicitly on old institutional economics (OIE), whereas the institutional logics perspective emerged out of new institutional sociology (NIS), it is important to recognise some differences in terminology, not least in the definition of institutions. OIE has its origins in the work of Veblen (1898, 1919) and other institutional economists at the beginning of the twentieth century (see Hodgson, 1989; Langlois, 1989). However, B&S drew on the work in OIE in the late twentieth century (see, for instance, Hodgson, 1988, 1993a, 2004; Langlois, 1989; Rutherford, 1994)[7]. Nevertheless, in defining institutions B&S referred to the early institutional economists and, in particular, to Veblen (1919) who saw an institution as the \"settled habits of thought common to the generality of man\" (p. 239) and to the early institutional economists whose work was later summarised in an Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences, which defined an institution as:[...] a way of thought or action of some prevalence and permanence, which is embedded in the habits of a group or the customs of a people.(Hamilton, 1932, p. 84)\n4. Extended framework: Rules and routines provide the link between actions and institutions in the B&S framework. Whereas rules are \"the formalised statement of procedures\", routines are \"the procedures actually in use\" (Burns and Scapens, 2000, p. 7). While rules are normally set by senior members of an organisation (i.e. those with hierarchical power), various individuals and groups within the organisation can shape the routines which put those \"rules\" into everyday practice. The rules may be expressed in formalised procedure manuals, or they may be expressed verbally by the senior members of the organisation. However, as these rules have to be made to work in specific situations in practice, routines will emerge and, in so doing, over time the routines may deviate from the rules, for example, when modifications are needed to adapt rules to specific local circumstances, or when certain rules are no longer appropriate in day-to-day practice. As such, routines emerge out of the application of rules, but in another way routines can influence the rules as established routines may be codified in new rules.\n5. Illustration - performance measurement in universities: Although we will use our previous research on performance measurement in the A&F Groups in Groningen and Manchester to illustrate the extended framework, it is important to note that it is not our intention to provide in-depth case studies of the two universities or even of their A&F Groups[11]. Rather, we will use that research to illustrate how the elements of the extended framework could be applied in a specific context. Before doing so, we must emphasise that the elements in the framework are conceptual terms which are useful in thinking about and understanding, in this case, performance measurement in universities[12]. However, it may be very difficult to clearly identify and distinguish all the individual elements in each specific case. For example, as institutions are \"shared taken-for-granted assumptions\" they exist in the minds of the individuals being researched and, as such, cannot be directly observed. It is only by discussing with those individuals how they take decisions, and how they rationalise their actions, that we can infer their institutions. This also implies that, as the forms of rationality are embedded within the institutions, it will be very difficult to separate the two elements, although it should be easier to identify the situated rationalities (by discussing with individual actors how they come to take particular actions), than to identify (directly) the underlying institutions. Nevertheless, as we will illustrate below, the concepts are useful for studying performance measurement in the A&F Groups in Groningen and Manchester. However, as local institutions and the situated rationalities are likely to have been shaped by history and experience, we need to briefly sketch the historical context of the two universities and their experiences with performance measurement systems (for more details see ter Bogt and Scapens, 2012).\n6. Concluding comments: Although a number of the issues discussed in this research note were implicit within the original B&S framework, the extended framework makes them explicit. But more particularly, the extended framework provides a basis for studying the situated nature of management accounting change. By explicitly including \"rationality\" in the framework we can explore the situated rationalities of different groups within the organisation and distinguish situated rationality from the more general forms of rationality embedded in the institutional logics discussed in the NIS literature. While both the original B&S framework and the extended framework seek to show how institutions can shape accounting change and/or create resistance to accounting change, the B&S framework has tended to be used mainly to study the \"power of institutions\" to resist change (Scapens, 2006). Consequently, it has provided essentially structural explanations of resistance to accounting change, although agency has been discussed by some of the researchers who have used the B&S framework (see Section 2).\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: Drawing on recent research, which recognises the situated nature of accounting practices, the purpose of this paper is to extend the Burns and Scapens (B&S) framework and to illustrate its potential for studying the situated nature of management accounting practices. The extended framework distinguishes field-level institutions (which the authors term broader institutions) and institutions within the organisation (which the authors term local institutions). To extend the B&S framework the authors draw on recent debates in institutional theory, both new institutional sociology, where the focus is now on the institutional logics perspective, and old institutional economics, where there has been debate about the relationship between institutions and actions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: While the B&S framework focussed on institutions within the organisation, the extended framework explicitly recognises institutions which extend beyond the boundaries of the organisation. It also recognises the way in which rationality and deliberation are related to human agency, as well as the power of specific individuals and/or groups to impose new rules. To illustrate the usefulness of the extended framework the research note draws on a recent study of performance measurement in the Accounting and Finance Groups of the Universities of Groningen and Manchester.\nFindings: It is argued that local institutions within the organisation combine with the broader institutions to shape the forms of situated rationality which are applied by individuals and groups within the organisation. Different groups within an organisation (e.g. engineers and accountants) can have different forms of situated rationality, and contradictions in these forms of rationality can be a source of institutional change or resistance to change within the organisation, and can explain why accounting changes can by implemented in different ways in different organisations and also in different parts of the same organisation.\nOriginality/value: The extended framework will be useful for studying: (1) how situated rationalities evolve within an organisation, more specifically how they are shaped by both local and broader institutions; and (2) how prevailing situated rationalities shape the responses to accounting change.\n",
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Gender equalities work in health organisations in England
|
[
"Public-sector organizations",
"Gender health equalities",
"Gender mainstreaming",
"Gendered health policy",
"Men’s health",
"Women’s health"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Gender mainstreaming based on top-down policy processes can mean that \"gender-rich policies [...] turn into gender-poor practice\", reinforcing and perpetuating the inequalities mainstreaming policies seek to address (Van Eerdewijk, 2014, p. 345). Analysis of the \"failure\" of gender mainstreaming in practice frequently stresses a disjuncture between the transformative ideals embedded in gender mainstreaming and what happens once gender equalities strategies are translated into practice (Hankivsky, 2005). Policy implementation is an important aspect of the policy process in relation to the success and failures of gender mainstreaming, but has less often been addressed from a feminist perspective (Callerstig, 2014).\nTheoretical framework: Gender mainstreaming has been the subject of intense scrutiny as a number of writers have questioned what is meant by gender mainstreaming, and why it appears to have underachieved on its early promise (Van Eerdewijk and Davids, 2014). This debate highlights both pragmatic barriers such as a lack of gender disaggregated data, training and capacity (Theobald et al., 2005) together with political lack of will (Van Eerdewijk, 2014).\nGender equality policy in the UK: A number of countries have introduced strategies to address gender inequalities in health, including the UK which in 2006 adopted a proactive approach requiring all public authorities to promote gender equality in their activities. This followed a \"window of opportunity\" in 1997-2010, under the Labour government, which reflected the need to appeal to women voters, the significance of feminist activists within the party and in Parliament, and pressure on national governments from the EU and UN to adopt gender mainstreaming principles (Annesley et al., 2010). These factors enabled key actors to engender the policy agenda across various departments. Changes introduced during this period included the creation of a cabinet-ranking Minister for Women, a Women's Unit and equality targets in Public Service Agreements between Ministries and the Treasury (Annesley et al., 2010).\nMethods: The paper is based on a small-scale exploratory study of equalities work in commissioning bodies in the NHS. The goal was to identify perceptions of those working as equalities leads within the health sector, in relation to the significance of their work and the barriers they encountered. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the ethics committee at the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol, which conforms to guidance of the Social Research Association. Ethical approval from NHS Research Ethics Committee was not needed in line with national guidelines on work of this nature.\nFindings: equalities leads and policy implementation: Equalities leads as agents of change\nDiscussion: A number of studies have shown that the transformative potential of gender mainstreaming \"gets lost in the micro politics of practice\" (Van Eerdewijk and Davids, 2014, p. 309), and the discussion here of the work and perceptions of equalities leads helps to flesh this out. Some of the reasons why equalities policies are limited in practice reflect more general implementation problems identified by Exworthy et al. (2002) - organisational and policy change and workloads, for example. But data presented here highlight a number of problems for gender policies which add to our understanding of why gender mainstreaming often fails in practice.\nConclusions: barriers to gender equality work in practice: This paper has drawn on interviews with equalities leads in the health sector in England to explore their background, the barriers they face and their perceptions of implementing gender equalities policies developed at national level. While a small number of interviews can offer only tentative conclusions, it appears that the implementation of gender equality policies in the health sector is limited by resources, a lack of \"deep knowledge\" and gender expertise. It is also affected by organisational change, which opens up opportunities to embed equalities work into emerging cultures but can also mean that equalities objectives lose out to other needs and priorities, particularly in the context of pressures created by new demands. In addition, the translation of national-level policies into local practice is often accompanied by a reliance on bureaucratic solutions and tools, which encounter resistance from within the organisation. This in turn helps to marginalise equality as something that is dealt with elsewhere, rather than being part of the mainstream agenda, while gender equality can start to be seen as less important than other equalities within an increasingly integrated approach.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: An increasing number of countries have introduced duties for public-sector organisations who, in addition to addressing discrimination, are now also required to promote equality of opportunity between different groups. The purpose of this paper is to explore the limited progress of gender equality policies, through a study of the local implementation of equalities policies. The authors highlight the role of equalities leads in the public sector as local \"agents of change\", and explore explanations of the implementation gap between policy and practice.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper reports on a small-scale qualitative study with equalities leads in the health sector in England. The study comprised semi-structured interviews with equalities leads from nine health organisations which were purposively selected to include a mix of areas and populations. The interviews focused on the leads' backgrounds and their perceptions of barriers to their work.\nFindings: The equalities leads had a range of experience prior to their current post, though most had little formal subject-specific training. They highlighted a number of barriers to effective implementation of gender equality strategies, including resource issues, the impact of organisational change, the increased the number of equalities they were expected to address, organisational perceptions that gender was no longer a priority and resistance to what are seen as \"tick box\" exercises.\nOriginality/value: The value of this paper is that it adds to the understanding of the challenges facing the implementation of gender equalities policies in the health sector, the reasons for these and the role of local policy implementers in the effectiveness of national equalities policies.\n",
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] |
A profile of older green tea consumers in the USA
|
[
"USA",
"Consumer profile",
"Green tea",
"Older adult"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: There is a substantial interest among American consumers in managing their health through \"prescriptive eating\" - selecting foods based on their health benefits (Crowe and Francis, 2013; Reinhardt Kapsak et al., 2011). When assessing the value of food products, health-conscious American consumers consider more than the macro- and micro-nutrient content (Crowe and Francis, 2013) and believe that some foods offer benefits beyond basic nutrition (International Food Information Council, 2011). Food products that may have a potentially beneficial effect on health, when consumed as part of a healthy diet, are termed functional foods (FF) by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Crowe and Francis, 2013).\n2. Methods: 2.1 Sample\n3. Results: 3.1 Sample description\n4. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the demographic and psychographic characteristics of older green tea consumers in the USA. The odds are greater that a woman who identifies as black, Hispanic, or another non-Hispanic race/ethnicity consumes green tea. She believes that she is informed about diet and health, and is familiar with the green tea cancer relationship. She reports good health and has made a dietary change in the past year to address a health-related concern.\n5. Conclusions: Understanding the older green tea consumer is important for health educators, regulators, and marketing professionals who tailor messages to help clients and consumers to successfully attain their health goals (Glanz et al., 2008; Reinhardt Kapsak et al., 2011). Our study demonstrates that these consumers in the USA, \"baby boomers,\" are knowledgeable about nutrition, including the green tea cancer relationship, and are engaged in behaviors to maintain their health as they age.\n",
"role": "user"
},
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"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the demographic and psychographic characteristics of older green tea consumers in the USA. By understanding this segment's background, perceptions, and behaviors, health and marketing professionals can tailor messages to reach clients and consumers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An online survey was completed in January 2014 with 1,335 older adult consumers (=55 years old). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binomial logistic regression.\nFindings: More than half (n=682, 51.2 percent) of respondents drank green tea. Most green tea consumers in this sample are college-educated and employed female home owners. The odds for green tea consumption are greater if a respondent is in good health, was informed about diet and health, or made a health-related dietary change in the past year. There are greater odds of consumption if the respondent is familiar with the relationship between drinking green tea and the reduced risk of cancer however, the importance of health statements on product labels are not predictive of consumption.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study was conducted in the USA and with older adults. Future research should explore characteristics of younger consumers, i.e. 18-54 years old.\nPractical implications: Health educators, regulators, and marketing professionals may use this profile to tailor messages that speak to consumers and client's values and motivations.\nOriginality/value: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first profile of older adult green tea consumers in the USA.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Service quality in health care setting
|
[
"Quality",
"Service quality assurance",
"Hospitals"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In past years, the concern for service quality reached unprecedented level in various sectors. Service quality has been increasingly identified as the main factor in distinguishing between services and building competitive advantage. However, health care services have a unique position among other services due to its very nature of the highly involved risks. This makes conceptualizing and measuring customer satisfaction and service quality in a health care setting more important and simultaneously more complex (Taner and Antony, 2006). In the health care sector, patients' perception of service quality greatly influences choice of health care provider (Woodside et al., 1989). Quality has proven to be a vital element in the consumer's choice of hospitals (Lynch and Schuler, 1990). Thus, to achieve service excellence, hospitals must strive for \"zero defections\", retaining every customer that the company can profitably serve (Reichheld and Sasser, 1990). According to Lim and Tang (2000), \"zero defections\" require continuous efforts to improve the quality service delivery system. Nevertheless, quality will not improve unless it is measured since service quality is an elusive and distinctive construct. Its intangible, variable and inseparable characteristic is unique to services (Zeithaml et al., 1990).\nService quality: Many definitions of service quality revolve around the identification and satisfaction of customer needs and requirements (Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Parasuraman et al., 1988, 1985). Parasuraman et al. (1985) argue that service quality can be defined as the difference between predicted, or expected, service (customer expectations) and perceived serviced (customer perceptions). \"Expectations\" are the wants of the consumers that they feel a service provider should offer. \"Perceptions\" refer to the consumers' evaluation of the service provider (Lim and Tang, 2000). Research divides service quality into two categories: technical quality and functional quality (Gronroos, 1984; Parasuraman et al., 1985; Lewis and Mitchel, 1990; Lewis, 1991). The distinction between these two aspects is extensively accepted (Asubonteng et al., 1996; Babakus and Mangold, 1992; Parasuraman et al., 1985, 1991) although diverse terminology is occasionally used.Technical quality refers to the basis of technical accuracy and procedures. In health care context, it is defined on the basis of the technical accuracy of the medical diagnoses and procedures or the compliance of professional specifications (Lam, 1997). Technical quality also refers to the competence of the staff as they go about performing their routines. These include the clinical and operating skills of the doctors, the nurses' familiarity with the administration of drugs and the laboratory technicians' expertise in conducting tests on blood samples (Tomes and Ng, 1995).Functional quality refers to the manner in which service is delivered to the customer. In health care setting, patients usually rely on functional aspects (facilities, cleanliness, quality of hospital food, hospital personnel's attitudes) rather than technical aspects when evaluating service quality. Research has shown that technical quality is not the useful measure for describing how patients evaluate the quality of a medical service encounter (Bowers et al., 1994). Even though technical quality has high priority with patients, most patients do not have the knowledge to evaluate the quality of the diagnostic and therapeutic intervention process effectively. In fact, they are unable to evaluate the technical quality due to lack of expertise (Babakus and Boller, 1991; Lanning and O'Connor, 1990). Soliman (1992) found that non-technical interventions influenced patients' ratings on the overall quality of health care and perhaps more important than technical aspects. Although various techniques such as peer review or medical protocols have been recommended for evaluating technical quality, this information is not generally understood or available to patients. As a result, patients base their evaluation of quality on interpersonal and environmental factors, which medical professionals have regarded as less significant (Lam, 1997). In such cases, most patients cannot distinguish between the \"caring\" (functional) performance and the \"curing\" (technical) performance of medical care providers (Ware and Snyder, 1975).When a patient receives medical treatment, functional quality produced will influence his or her perceptions of service quality. This is due to the patient's comparison of his or her perception of the medical service encounter experience with his or her pre-encounter expectations (Gronroos, 1984). Thus, a medical service encounter achieves quality in perception when it meets or exceeds the level of patients' expectations (Lam, 1997). The perception of service quality could occur at multiple levels in an organization, e.g. with the core service, physical environment, interaction with service providers and others. On the other hand, the customer's overall satisfaction with the services organization is based on all the encounter experiences of the customers with the organization (Sureshchandar et al., 2002).\nA conceptual model of service quality: The well-documented \"service quality\" model of Parasuraman et al. (1985) is widely used as a conceptual framework for measuring service quality delivery in health care services (see Figure 1). The service quality model indicates that consumers' quality perceptions are influenced by a series of four distinctive gaps occurring in organizations. These gaps on the service providers' side, which impede delivery of services that consumers perceive to be of high quality, are:1. Differences between patient expectations and management perceptions of patients expectations.2. Differences between management perceptions of patient expectations and service quality specifications.3. Differences between service quality specifications and service actually delivered.4. Differences between service delivery and what is communicated about the service to patients.5. Differences between consumer expectations and perceptions, which in turn depends on the size and direction of the four gaps associated with the delivery of service quality on the service provider's side.Service quality occurs when expectations are met (or exceeded) and a service gap materializes if expectations are not met (Parasuraman et al., 1985). The gap score for each statement is calculated as the perception score minus the expectation score. A positive gap score implies that expectations have been met or exceeded and a negative score implies that expectations are not being met. Gap scores can be analysed for individual statements and can be aggregated to give an overall gap score for each dimension. According to the Accounts Commission for Scotland (1999a), SERVQUAL results can be used in varied ways:* understanding current service quality;* comparing performance across different customer groups;* comparing performance across different parts of the service;* understanding the internal customers;* comparing performance across services; and* assessing the impact of improvement initiatives.However, Conway and Willcocks (1997) propose a conceptual model, incorporating many of the relevant features of service quality identified in the literature, which are applied in the health care context. This model describes how patient perceptions are formed and developed. The proposed model shown in Figure 2 encompasses four key elements, namely, expectations; experience; expectation confirmation; and degree of patient satisfaction. In this model, patient satisfaction/dissatisfaction occurring in a single transaction feeds into an element known as \"influencing\". Many of these may independently influence patient expectations at the outset, but the degree of patient satisfaction experience also influences patient expectation in the future. Hence, the process continues as a \"loop\".\nDimensionality of health care quality: Over the years, several models of service quality have evolved in health care setting. SERVQUAL has been widely applied and frequently reported in the literature. The development of the SERVQUAL scale by Parasuraman et al. (1988) provided an instrument for measuring functional service quality applicable across a broad range of services. There are five dimensions of service quality that are applicable in general to a service-providing organization. These dimensions are:1. Tangible: physical facilities, equipment and appearance of personnel.2. Reliability: ability to perform the promised service reliable and accurately.3. Responsiveness: willingness to help customers and provide prompt service.4. Assurance: knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence5. Empathy: caring, individualized attention provided to customers.In its original form, SERVQUAL contains 22 pairs of Likert-type items. Each statement appears twice. One measures customer expectations of a particular sector. The other measures the perceived level of service provided by an individual organization in that sector. A seven-point Likert scale ranging from \"strongly agree\" (7) to \"strongly disagree\" (1) accompanies each statement.The SERVQUAL scales has been used in a wide array of studies in healthcare to assess customers' perceptions of service quality in a number of service categories for example: patient satisfaction (Bowers et al., 1994), acute care hospital (Carman, 1990); independent dental offices (McAlexander et al., 1994); at AIDS service agencies (Fusilier and Simpson, 1995); public university health service (Anderson, 1995) with physicians (Brown and Swartz, 1989); (Walbridge and Delene, 1993) and nurses (Uzun, 2001); hospitals (Babakus and Mangold, 1992; Vandamme and Leunis, 1993; Youssef et al., 1995; Alakavuk, 1996; Sewell, 1997; Camilleri and O'Callaghan, 1998; Tengilimoglu et al., 1999; Lim and Tang, 2000; Taner and Antony, 2006).The advantages of SERVQUAL include the following (Buttle, 1994):* it is accepted as a standard for accessing different dimension of service quality;* it has been shown to be valid for a number of service situations;* it has been known to be reliable;* the instrument is parsimonious because it has a limited number of items. this means that customers and employers can fill it out quickly; and* it has a standardized analysis procedure to aid interpretation and results.Even controversies regarding the validity and reliability of SERVQUAL (Teas, 1994; Newman, 2001) arises, the application of SERVQUAL can be found in healthcare. Some researchers have modified the SERVQUAL dimensions to fit their research purposes. Lim and Tang (2000) add in \"accessibility/affordability\" while Tucker and Adams (2001) introduce \"caring and outcomes\". In the case of Johnston (1995), he sees the need to increase SERVQUAL to 18 dimensions but Reidenbach and Sandifer-Smallwood (1990) differ in that they suggest that it is necessary to reduce it from ten to seven dimensions; \"patient confidence\", \"empathy\", \"quality of treatment\", \"waiting time\", \"physical appearance\", \"support services\" and \"business aspects\". Several authors have derived measurement scales, which attempt to quantify the quality of service provided by a hospital (Hulka et al., 1970; and Fitzpatrick, 1991). Hulka et al. (1970) used statements based on just three dimensions: \"personal relationship\", \"convenience\" and \"professional competence\". Thompson (1983) based his work on seven dimensions: \"tangible\", \"communications\", \"relationships between staff and patients\", \"waiting time\", \"admission and discharge procedures\", \"visiting procedures\" and \"religious needs\" while Baker (1990) concentrated on \"consultation time\", \"professional care\" and \"depth of relationship\". Other researchers, Tomes and Ng (1995) conducted a content analysis of in-depth interviewing with a total of eight dimensions and renamed the dimension as \"empathy\", \"understanding of illness\", \"relationship of mutual respect\", \"dignity\", \"food\", \"physical environment\" and \"religious needs\".Camilleri and O'Callaghan (1998) consider the following dimensions appropriate in measuring hospital service quality such as \"professional and technical care\", \"service personalization\", \"price\", \"environment\", \"patient amenities\", \"accessibility\" and \"catering\". Andaleeb (1998) on the other hand, limits his set of variables to only five dimensions: \"communication\", \"cost\", \"facility\", \"competence\" and \"demeanor\". Jun et al. (1998), conducted focus group interviews, identify the following 11 dimensions: \"tangibles\", \"courtesy\", \"reliability\", \"communication\", \"competence\", \"understanding customer\", \"access\" \"responsiveness\", \"caring\", \"patient outcomes\" and \"collaboration\". Another five dimensions identified by Hasin et al. (2001) are \"communication\", \"responsiveness\", \"courtesy\", \"cost\" and \"cleanliness\". Yet, Walters and Jones (2001) introduce several elements to be measured in hospital service quality such as \"security\", \"performance\", \"aesthetics\", \"convenience\", \"economy\" and \"reliability\". John (1989) recommends four dimensions of health care service quality: \"curing\", \"caring\", \"access\" and \"physical environment\". Jabnoun and Chaker (2003) compare the service quality rendered by private to public hospitals in the UAE. They use the ten-dimension instruments: \"tangibles\", \"accessibility\", \"understanding\", \"courtesy\", \"reliability\", \"security\", \"credibility\", \"responsiveness\", \"communication\" and \"competence\". In similar term, Taner and Antony (2006) examine the differences in service quality between public and private hospitals in Turkey\nService quality problem in health care setting: In health care sector, the quality level of hospitals influences the consumer's choice of hospitals. In fact, Fleming (1991) proposed that improving the level of quality reduces operating costs. In the process to control insurance costs, many businesses are approaching hospitals to improve quality (Burke, 1992). Moreover, Breedlove (1994) reports that hospital financial managers rely on the improvements of quality programs as a key to survival.There are many problems associated with service quality in health care that can be categorized into three aspects: service elusiveness, employee diversity and interrelatedness (O'Connor et al., 1988).Service elusiveness\nConclusion: The nature of health care setting encourages patients to demand the highest possible quality. In order to achieve this, it is essential to capture information on patient needs, expectations and perceptions (Drain, 2001; Accounts Commission for Scotland, 1999a) because for \"too long people have been made to fit the services rather than services being made to fit the people\" (Scottish Executive Health Department, 2001b). As patients are unattainable to assess the technical quality of health care, the quality attributes associated with delivery of health care have been utilized by the patients. Thus, the measurement of hospitals' service quality has to be based on perceived quality rather than objective quality. It is because service quality is intangible, heterogeneous and its consumption and production occur in tandem (Lim and Tang, 2000).It would be reassuring that service quality becomes the most critical consumer issue in health care setting. From various studies, SERVQUAL appears to be a consistent and reliable scale to measure heath care service quality. In principle, together with the information relative significance of service quality dimensions, it helps health care organization to identify where, and to some extent how, to improve the service they offered to patients. Given the importance of functional aspects of care, the SERVQUAL instrument has a useful diagnostic role to play in assessing and monitoring service quality in health care, enabling the organization to identify where improvements are needed from the patient's viewpoint.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper attempts to explore the concept of service quality in a health care setting.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper probes the definition of service quality from technical and functional aspects for a better understanding on how consumers evaluate the quality of health care. It adopts the conceptual model of service quality frequently used by the most researchers in the health care sector. The paper also discusses several service quality dimensions and service quality problems in order to provide a more holistic conception of hospital service quality.\nFindings: - The paper finds that service quality in health care is very complex as compared to other services because this sector highly involves risk.\nOriginality/value: - The paper adds a new perspective towards understanding how the concept of service quality is adopted in a health care setting.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
To use or not to use: which type of property should you choose? Predicting the use of activity based offices
|
[
"Corporate real estate",
"Added value",
"Bayesian belief network",
"Employee behaviour",
"Office concepts",
"Portfolio decisions"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Corporate Real Estate (CRE) is a costly resource, often the second largest behind labour cost (Oladokun, 2010; Pole and Mackay, 2009). It is also a risky asset (Liow and Ooi, 2000), especially in times of crisis. As organizations are striving for more value added, the pressure to achieve a more effective CRE asset management has increased (Liow and Ooi, 2004). As Liow and Ooi state: \"This means that existing real estate assets would be subject to more frequent and rigorous evaluation to justify their continual inclusion in the firm's asset portfolio\". Others (Mc Donagh and Nichols, 2009; Bouri et al., 2008; Roulac et al., 2005) have also stressed the necessity to manage CRE more strategically.\nOffice environment and work activities: History has brought forward three main office types that are most common these days. De Been and Beijer (2014) labelled these \"individual and shared room offices\", \"combi offices\" and \"flex offices\" and distinguish them based on the two dimensions layout/design and use. The first are buildings with more enclosed rooms with assigned seating and additional enclosed meeting rooms, plus some shared facilities. The combi office has open and transparent spaces with assigned workstations for everybody, with additional back up areas for specific concentrated activities. The flex office, also called the activity-based office, is designed like the combi office but has no assigned workstations. This means that all users, from employee till general management, can choose to work at all available workplaces and collective facilities, and nobody is allowed to claim their own workplace (Appel-Meulenbroek et al., 2011). Because work activities in this office type can theoretically take place at all available facilities, not only at workplaces, from here on we will also speak of facilities rather than workplaces. Bodin-Danielson and Bodin (2009) further distinguish office types by adding three sizes of purely open plan offices. Van Koetsveld and Kamperman (2011) stick with the main three office types, placing them in order of appearance through time (from individual/shared room offices, through combi offices towards activity-based working (ABW)).\nResearch approach: Data collection\nResults: Data description\nPredicting office use: Now that the data have been placed in a network connected by arrows, it is possible to generate probability (CP) tables to give a prediction of user behaviour at the office. This information can be used to support decision making on the portfolio as a whole. Figure 2 shows the \"user\" network including the probability tables. The bar diagrams show for each variable the probability distribution across the categories of the variable, based on relationships with the parents in the network. So, for example, if the organization maintains this distribution of activities and employees, 69.3 per cent of the activities would take place in open areas, 9.8 per cent in semi-open and 20.9 per cent in closed areas. Such an organization would probably see a lot of use of clusters (small 17.9 per cent, large 49.8 per cent), meeting facilities (13.9 per cent) and concentration facilities (9.3 per cent). The activities would take place in very diverse area sizes, although medium sized areas (10-250 m2) are used most. This information can be used to evaluate the layouts in the current portfolio and might perhaps lead to significant changes, like divestment of assets which are largely unsuitable for the main type of activities of the employees. Or maybe a reshuffling of personnel can create a better alignment between CRE and the organization and thus add more value.\nConclusions and recommendations: This paper provides information for CRE managers on how to gain more knowledge on office use in activity-based offices by using a BN modelling approach. The resulting network model shows the relationships between facility characteristics, characteristics of the use, office design variables and characteristics of the users of the work environment and helps to get a better insight in how various aspects influence office use in modern working environments. The BN network approach provides insight in where added value can be increased for future scenarios of organizational change by looking at the predictions for the use of the offices. It shows specifically where more value can still be added, both direct (which types of facilities in which offices will be vacant more often and can thus in general be decreased in numbers) and indirect (which facilities do employees with certain activities prefer to use, and should thus be offered in adequate numbers). This helps with strategic asset management, as it goes beyond the single snapshot view that is usually taken when reducing costs is the main focus.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Corporate real estate (CRE) is a costly and risky asset in need of more rigorous evaluation methods to support strategic decision making for portfolio and asset management. Especially the indirect added value on organizational revenues is hard to quantify, while it is gaining importance. The purpose of this paper is to describe a quantitative technique that predicts office use as input for CRE management (CREM) decisions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: After a literature study to identify relevant aspects influencing office use in modern work environments, a Bayesian belief network (BN) is constructed from a large database of 80,907 observations of office use in three organizations in Belgium and the Netherlands. Next specific evidence from future scenarios of organizational change is entered to discuss the application of BN for CRE decision-making processes.\nFindings: This study showed that the use of activity-based offices might be influenced by a complex network of office design variables and user characteristics. The use of the predicting possibilities of a BN model can help CRE managers identify employee behaviour inside their offices. That information is valuable input for future workplace decisions and strategic CREM activities.\nPractical implications: This study provides CRE managers with a model to gain knowledge on office use to get a better grip on how to add value with activity-based office concepts. The results obtained through using such a model can help support decision making on their office layouts.\nOriginality/value: Bayesian BNs have not been used in this area of research before. This paper provides both academics and practitioners with valuable insights in the possibilities of this methodology for the field.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Sales technology usage: Modeling the role of support service, peer usage, perceived usefulness and attitude
|
[
"Attitude",
"Perceived usefulness",
"Peer usage",
"Sales technology",
"Support service"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The role of salespeople in selling process is continuously evolving due to advances in internet, social media and other enabling technologies (Rodriguez et al., 2014); thus, fueling interest of researchers in field of technology adoption. Sharma and Sheth (2010) suggested that the influence of technology-mediated selling will change the personal selling process as well as sales management. Sales technology (ST) is defined as information technology that can facilitate or enable the performance of sales tasks (Hunter and Perreault, 2006). Garcia and Diez (2013) witnessed an elevated use of mature technologies such as mobile phone, computer and e-mail, an average use of databases, and a lesser use of more current technologies, such as CRM, Web 2.0 and social networks. Salespeople underestimate the importance of their customers' technology expectations (Rocco and Bush, 2016).\nTheoretical background: Existing theories and models\nResearch method: This section discusses the sample design, data collection and measurement used to conduct the research. Broadly, the research design used is conclusive research, and the primary data collection is through a survey. The participants were contacted personally as well as online. The target population for the present study is sales professionals working in four industries, namely, pharmaceutical, banking and finance, insurance and information and communication technology (ICT). The questionnaires used as data collection instruments include dichotomous, multiple-choice, close-ended questions, using Likert scale and semantic differential scale.\nData analysis and results: Structural equation modeling is used for validating the proposed model (Figure 1).\nDiscussion: This study was framed in order to address the gap identified during literature review. There is paucity of studies focusing on predictors, and their effect on technology usage and performance, in a single comprehensive and parsimonious model. Findings of this study are presented, argued and discussed in light of the previous studies in past in the following paragraphs.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to model the key influencers or predictors for usage of technology by sales professionals in India.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study examines the effect of individual, organizational and social factors on the use of technology. The method used for primary research is survey, and data have been collected from 556 sales professionals from across four industries in India. The empirical analysis consists of confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling.\nFindings: Confirmatory factor analysis has been used to validate the constructs, namely, peer usage, support service, perceived usefulness, attitude, usage and performance. Based on the results, it has been concluded that attitude and peer usage have a direct effect on the use of technology. Support service affects peer usage and perceived usefulness affects attitude. This model helps us understand the direct and indirect predictors of use of sales technology (ST), and its effect on sales performance.\nResearch limitations/implications: The limitation of this study is that data pertain to India only.\nPractical implications: The findings of this paper will help sales managers and organizations develop strategies to increase the acceptance and use of new technologies, and also strengthen their arguments for convincing the various stakeholders about the benefits and relevance of the ST.\nOriginality/value: The paper attempts to build and validate a parsimonious model taking into account peer usage (social factor) and support service (organizational factor) in addition to perceived usefulness and attitude.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
An emergent understanding of influences on managers' voices in SMEs
|
[
"Job satisfaction",
"Employee engagement",
"Voice",
"Openness to ideas"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The study of employee voice has experienced a surge in the academic literature. Employee voice, the ubiquitous and discretionary sharing of information in organizations, is directed from an individual employee to someone in a higher position to express opinions, concerns, or ideas about work-related issues (Liang et al., 2012). Whether studied from a human resource development perspective, focused on an individual's ability to report problems (Hirschman, 1970), or from an organizational behavior framework, where employees speak up to share improvements (Van Dyne and LePine, 1998), the practice of upward vertical communication in the workplace has received rising attention. The renewed interest in employee voice is perhaps due to the barrage of news reports focused on incredulous workplace behaviors (e.g. a United Airlines passenger being drug from a plane, the Veteran's Administration patient care delays, or the Volkswagen emissions control scandal). On the other hand, renewed interest may be due, at least in part, to the general belief that organizational performance will improve only when employees, including middle and senior level managers, are willing and able to voice fresh ideas and opinions (Detert et al., 2013).\nLiterature review and hypotheses: The definition of voice has been debated over the last decade. Scholars from different fields of study have opted to consider the concept of voice from different lenses. In an effort to leverage the body of knowledge from multiple fields, we opted to view employee voice broadly, as to cover both employees who register complaints (prohibitive voice) as well as employees who offer ideas (prosocial voice). This thinking aligns closely with Bashshur and Oc's (2015) definition of voice as: \"the discretional or formal expression of ideas, opinions, suggestions, or alternative approaches directed to a specific target inside or outside of the organization with the intent to change an objectionable state of affairs and to improve the current functions of the organization, group or individual\" (p. 1531).\nSMEs: building the context: SMEs are complex, but often simplistically portrayed as either \"bleak\" or \"beautiful\" employment scenarios for workers (Wilkinson et al., 2007). Sameer and Ozbilgin (2014) maintain that due to their size, voice patterns in smaller organizations differ from their larger counterparts. Contributing factors may be the lack of unionization in SMEs, more informal employment practices, or the access and closeness between the owner-manager and the employees (Prouska and Psychogios, 2016; Sameer and Ozbilgin, 2014). A case study of five small firms in the UK carried out by Gilman et al. (2015) examined how and why employee voice operates in SMEs. These scholars found that operational matters were the most likely areas to surface, but that it was managerial prerogative that determined the breadth and depth of voice. Prouska and Psychogios' (2016) qualitative study of employee voice in 48 small enterprises in Greece found that during turbulent economic times a new form of silence develops, social empathy silence. Influenced by the dominant worldview portrayed in the media, social empathy silence is learned and then shared between employees creating an emotional reaction of \"I am silent because everyone is silent\" (p. 25). While informative, these studies, set in the UK and Greece, rely on qualitative exploration to gain greater understanding of influences on employee voice in SMEs. Despite the applicability of this work, there remains a lack of exploration on employee voice within the SME context using broader quantitative data collection methodology.\nMethodology: Sample\nResults: EFA\nDiscussion: As hypothesized, supervisor openness required a facilitating variable for stimulation, which, in the case of our study was employee engagement, and not job satisfaction. This extends the limited work on the connection between engagement and voice, but provides a different positioning and a unique context. Specifically, in contrast to Rees et al. (2013), our findings indicated that engagement might be best positioned as an antecedent of voice due to its motivational state. Our findings are supported through past research (Ashford et al., 1998; Tangirala and Ramanujam, 2012), which indicated that the presence of certain factors are required before supervisor openness leads to voice. In other words, voice does not happen in a vacuum; it must be preceded motivationally.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the effect of supervisor openness on employee voice among middle management employees in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors develop a model to examine the mediating role of job satisfaction and employee engagement in the SME context.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data from respondents who worked in SMEs (N=202). Exploratory factor analysis was used for dimensionality assessment of the voice measure. Mediation analysis was used to examine a two-mediator model to investigate the effects of engagement and job satisfaction on voice, and the degree these variables mediated the relationship of supervisor openness to ideas with employee voice.\nFindings: Results revealed that supervisor openness is positively associated with job satisfaction and employee engagement, but only engagement was a facilitating variable that stimulated employee voice.\nResearch limitations/implications: Middle management members can be a conduit or inhibitor of the free flow of information. Yet, research has tended to ignore the role of middle managers in voice research. Moreover, within the specific organizational context of SMEs, greater understanding of both the antecedents and mediators to voice behavior is likely to impact the development of specific HR practices that focus on engagement and better facilitate two-way communication between supervisors and employees.\nOriginality/value: This work refines the understanding of the role employee engagement has on employee voice in the context of SMEs.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The drivers of corporate governance disclosure: the case of Nifty 500 Index
|
[
"India",
"Disclosure",
"Corporate governance",
"Agency theory",
"M40",
"M48",
"M14"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Corporate scandals such as Enron, Worldcom and Lehman Brothers pushed companies to publish information as the corporate trust has been affected negatively (Bauwhede and Willekens, 2008). In recent years, corporate transparency is a signal for the management quality and ability for the management to grow profitably (Bhat et al., 2006; Daub, 2007; Eccles et al., 2011). Ample of researches have investigated determinants that affect the corporate transparency level mostly via disclosures, such as corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure (Saleh et al., 2010; Said et al., 2009; De Villiers and Marques, 2016), voluntary disclosure (Al-Akra et al., 2010), social and environmental disclosure (Haniffa and Cooke, 2005; Tagesson et al., 2009; Siregar and Bachtiar, 2010; Alrazi et al., 2016), triple bottom-line disclosure (Jennifer Ho and Taylor, 2007), sustainability disclosure (Michelon and Parbonetti, 2012) and governance disclosure (Sharma, 2014). This study focuses on the corporate governance disclosure (CGD), as it is considered a pivotal component of corporate strategy as well as overall effective corporate governance in current business global context (Cheung et al., 2010).\n2. Literature review: The country of the company's origin is an important aspect of corporate governance and more particularly of CGD (Smith et al., 2005). India is regarded as a developing economy based on customary law which means that customs are recognized as the principal source of law (Holden, 2003; Francis et al., 2003; Kansal et al., 2014). In particular, India's law is considered to have been affected by common law, as India was a British colony. The legal system in India can be considered as a prominent example of a mix legal system as customary, personal and religious laws well known as customary law are incorporated (Holden, 2003; Ibrahim, 2007). Prieto-Carron et al. (2006) pointed that the main challenge for India is that companies have to implement their legal obligations signaling low level of non-mandatory disclosure initiatives.\n3. Hypotheses development: This section presents the analysis of hypothesis development regarding the extent of CGD and its determinants through the Agency theory. In total, eight explanatory variables are adopted divided into two categories: board of directors and corporate characteristics. The role of a board of directors is very crucial, and it is considered the core of the governance system. Specifically, it provides accountability to shareholders, strategic orientation of the company, management control and leadership (Kumar Mangalam Birla Committee, 2000; Cadbury, 1992). For this reason, four explanatory variables are used regarding the corporate board: CEO duality, board size, women's presence on board and number of board meetings. The second category incorporates four company's characteristic Tobin's Q, financial performance, company's size and financial leverage.\n4. Methodology: 4.1 Sample\n5. Results: 5.1 Descriptive results and correlation matrix\n6. Conclusions: The association between corporate characteristics and voluntary disclosure has been examined extensively over the past decade. However, there are limitless studies that intend to examine the determinants that set the dissemination level of governance information. Based on Agency theory, it is investigated what factors influence the information asymmetry between shareholders and managers. The study focuses on CGD, as it is a significant mean for companies to address agency conflicts that can be aroused between ownership and corporate managers (Gaa, 2009; Sharma, 2014; Henry, 2010). The novelties introduced in the study, is the incorporation of Bloomberg's GDI as a proxy for the dissemination level of governance information. Even if the Indian economy is among the most powerful economies in the world, little attention has been paid to CGD; thus, leading Indian companies are incorporated on the sample of the study. Finally, a six-year period data is considered from 2009 to 2014 by developing a fixed-effect model. In total, eight variables are used to explain the corporate governance information level: CEO duality, board size, number of board meetings, women's presence on board, corporate size, profitability, company's value and financial leverage. The fact that there has been no similar thoroughly developed study in this issue in the Indian context makes the results significant to policy makers and users of company information, such as shareholders, investors and other stakeholders.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Based on agency theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants on the dissemination level of corporate governance disclosure (CGD).\nDesign/methodology/approach: The sample of the study incorporates listed companies in Nifty 500 Index for the period 2009-2014. The Governance Disclosure Score calculated by Bloomberg is used as a proxy for the dissemination level of corporate governance information. In total, eight explanatory variables are uses, namely, board's size, number of board meetings, CEO duality, presence of women on the board, company's size, financial performance, Tobin's Q ratio and financial leverage.\nFindings: The results of study suggest a need for improvement in CGDs by Indian companies, as they fail to comply the majority of the proposed disclosure items. Furthermore, it is revealed that the number of board director, the value of company, the financial leverage and the presence of women affect negatively the dissemination level of corporate governance information. While, the size of company is the only determinant that positively affects the extent of CGD.\nPractical implications: The results are valuable because they reveal the attributes that determines which companies needs less or extra monitoring by shareholders and investors regarding the applied corporate governance practices. In addition, the study can be valuable to policy makers responsible for the regulation of company's accountability in relation to corporate governance practices.\nOriginality/value: The study extents previous studies by incorporating for the first time Bloomberg's rating approach regarding the dissemination level of CGD in Indian context.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Integration of online and offline channels: a view of O2O commerce
|
[
"Perceived value",
"Halo effect",
"Information systems success model",
"O2O commerce",
"Multichannel"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: With the development of the internet, the integration of online and offline channels for businesses has received increasing attention. Growing numbers of enterprises sell products or services through both online and offline channels. For example, the retailing and banking industries have extended their businesses with online channels and encouraged their customers to use online services by improving customers' offline experiences. Thus, offline channels can increase the usage of online channels. This mode of offline-online integration has been widely applied in the multichannel context (Bock et al., 2012; Jin et al., 2010; Yang et al., 2013).\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Multichannel integration\n3. Research hypotheses and model: System quality in this study refers to the desirable characteristics of the OTA website. Adaptability, availability, reliability and response time are used to measure system quality (DeLone and McLean, 2003). When customers want to book hotels, they use the various functions of OTA websites, such as inquiry, booking and payments. If OTA websites supply good system quality, the satisfaction of customers who use such websites is increased. Information quality in this study refers to the desirable characteristics of the OTA website outputs. Its measures include completeness, ease of understanding, personalization, relevance and security (DeLone and McLean, 2003). When using OTA websites, customers check hotel information, such as price, star rating and review ratings, and subsequently book a hotel. When the information quality of the OTA websites is perceived to be high, customer online satisfaction is correspondingly high. Service quality in this study refers to the quality of the service or support from the OTA website. Service quality measures the assurance, empathy and responsiveness of the OTA service. When booking hotels via OTA websites, customers might need extra assistance from OTA service support. OTAs can supply the necessary expertise and knowledge to help customers effectively book hotels. Thus, customer online satisfaction is increased via the service quality of OTA websites. Several studies on e-commerce have supported the relationships among these three qualities and customer satisfaction (Xu et al., 2013; Zhou et al., 2009).\n4. Research methodology: 4.1 Instrument development\n5. Results: Compared to the covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM), the component-based partial least squares (PLS) has fewer demands on the sample size and distribution (Gefen and Straub, 2005). In general, the PLS approach is suitable for predicting the validity of models. This study uses the PLS-SEM approach to analyze data because PLS allows researchers to use a small sample size to examine a complex model (Chin, 1998). In this study, 241 samples were collected, and the model includes several cross-channel relationships to be investigated. The SmartPLS tool was used to test the measurement and structural models. The measurement model examines the convergent validity and discriminant validity for our items and constructs. The structural model examines the hypothesized relationships among the constructs in the research model. We also conduct non-response bias and common method bias analyses to examine potential bias during the data collection process.\n6. Discussion: This study aims to investigate the integration of online and offline channels in the context of the travel industry. The factors that increase online and offline satisfaction are from IS success model and perceived value. Furthermore, the effects of online and offline satisfaction on behavioral intentions toward online and offline channels are based on the halo effect. According to the data analysis, nine hypotheses are supported and four hypotheses are not supported. The results contribute to understanding of online-offline integration between different business entities.\n7. Implications for Theory and Practice: 7.1 Implications for theory\n8. Conclusion: This study is the first to examine how online and offline channels can be integrated to enhance business success. To explain this phenomenon, IS success model is applied to explain the factors that determine online satisfaction, and perceived value is adopted to describe the factors that dictate offline satisfaction. The positive influences across the channels are primarily described by the halo effect.\n9. Limitations and future research: This study contains certain limitations that require further examination and additional research. First, this study was cross-sectional. Future research can attempt to develop a longitudinal investigation. Second, the data were collected from China. Researchers are encouraged to examine cultural differences and even conduct a cross-national analysis to test whether the effects are different in different countries. Third, behavioral intentions were measured, but actual behaviors were not. Future research could examine customers' actual behaviors toward online and offline channels.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This study uses the travel industry as the research context and investigates online-offline integration between the different business entities of hoteliers and online travel agencies (OTAs). The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to examine cooperation between hotels and OTAs; second, to examine how online and offline satisfaction increase behavioral intentions toward online and offline channels; and third, to investigate the factors that increase online and offline satisfaction.\nDesign/methodology/approach: To investigate customers' behavioral intentions toward online and offline channels, the authors collected 241 data points from ten hotels from four well-known chains. The partial least squares structural equation modeling approach was used to test the research model and the 13 hypotheses.\nFindings: The results show that system quality, information quality and service quality of OTA websites increase online satisfaction. Online satisfaction further increases behavioral intentions toward online channels but has no significant effect on offline satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward offline channels. Emotional value and social value offered by hotels increase offline satisfaction. Offline satisfaction further increases behavioral intentions toward online and offline channels. Finally, behavioral intentions toward online channels indeed reinforce behavioral intentions toward offline channels.\nOriginality/value: Some prior studies have focused on the effects of offline channels on online channels, whereas others have examined the influences of online channels on offline channels. However, in previous studies, the online and offline channels were both owned by the same business entities. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to examine how online and offline channels belonging to different business entities can work together to increase customer intentions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Ecological regional analysis applied to campus sustainability performance
|
[
"Metrics",
"Campus sustainability",
"Ecoregions",
"Performance data analysis",
"Regional analysis"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Higher education has often been a catalyst in driving both national and global innovation and sweeping shifts in cultural norms (Wallenstein, 2008). Many college and university campuses have committed to leadership in the global sustainability movement by setting aggressive operational and academic targets and tracking various metrics to demonstrate progress. There is also a desire to demonstrate repeatable and scalable campus-based solutions, distinct from the target setting process. Yet there is evidence that sustainability planning underemphasizes impact assessment (White, 2014) and that standard sustainability metrics are disconnected from a meaningful impact locally and regionally where global challenges manifest (Anderberg et al., 2009; Bailey, 2002; Bailey, 2014; Bouma et al., 1995; Fisk, 1983; Lang, 2015; Lyle, 1994). The higher education sustainability implementation field also underemphasizes the need for collective, collaborative approaches among institutions. Indeed, the very concept of collective impact (Hanleybrown et al., 2012) among campuses at the regional scale has not yet been considered as a mechanism for recognized sustainability leadership in North America.\nMethodology: The first step in our study is an evaluation of the status of higher education performance given commonly applied metrics. Next, the authors illustrate significant patterns that emerge at three sub-continental ecoregional scales to confirm which scale is most applicable for campus sustainability planning. The third step was to assess whether or not current campus targets are aligned with water scarcity conditions. Finally, the authors suggest how goal setting and metrics can be better aligned with regional conditions, and next steps in developing defensible regional targets.\nResults and discussion: Aggregate North American performance\nConclusion: As this study demonstrates, there is substantial work to be done in refining definitions that underpin various standard performance metrics so they more accurately measure against the desired impact. Interestingly, while a number of robust regional frameworks exist, including those that map the ecological characteristics and water scarcity factors included in this study, the campus sustainability field in North America has largely avoided regional context in its goal setting. This is somewhat surprising given the extent of the literature clearly integrating regional concerns with sustainability goal setting in other sectors, and in other parts of the world (Graymore et al., 2009).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Sustainability performance in higher education is often evaluated at a generalized large scale. It remains unknown to what extent campus efforts address regional sustainability needs. This study begins to address this gap by evaluating trends in performance through the lens of regional environmental characteristics.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Four sustainability metrics across 300 North American institutions are analyzed between 2005 and 2014. The study applies two established regional frameworks to group and assess the institutions: Commission on Environmental Cooperation Ecoregions and WaterStat (water scarcity status). Standard t-tests were used to assess significant differences between the groupings of institutions as compared to the North American study population as a whole.\nFindings: Results indicate that all institutions perform statistically uniformly for most variables when grouped at the broadest (Level I) ecoregional scale. One exception is the Marine West Coast Forest ecoregion where institutions outperformed the North American average for several variables. Only when institutions are grouped at a smaller scale of (Level III) ecoregions do the majority of significant performance patterns emerge.\nResearch limitations/implications: This paper demonstrates an ecoregions-based analytical approach to evaluating sustainability performance that contrasts with common evaluation methods in the implementation field. This research also identifies a gap in the literature explicitly linking ecological sub-regions with their associated environmental challenges and identifies next research steps in developing defensible regional targets for applied sustainability efforts.\nPractical implications: The practical implications of this research include the following: substantive changes to methodologies for rating sustainability leadership and performance, a framework that incentivizes institutions to frame sustainability efforts in terms of collaborative or collective impact, a framework within which institutions can meaningfully prioritize efforts, and a potential shift toward regional impact metrics rather than those focused solely on campus-based or generalized targets.\nOriginality/value: The authors believe this to be the first effort to analyze North American higher education sustainability performance using regional frameworks.\n",
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Organizational planning for quality management in the digital age
|
[
"Total quality management",
"Organization",
"Planning",
"Quality management",
"Organizational development"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Manufacturing enterprises have always had to adapt to changing environments. Mega trends of the twenty-first century include globally linked value chains, fierce market and resource competition, shortened product life cycles, digitization and a demographic development toward an elderly society (National Intelligence Council, 2012). In this dynamic and increasingly competitive environment, quality is a key factor for staying competitive and successful in the long run. Hence, it has become essential to create new advantages through active anticipation of future developments such as changing customer requirements, norms and regulations, technological advances as well as socio-political changes. Timely actions have become a critical success factor (Krystek and Muller-Stewens, 2006).\n2. The foundational QMO planning method: While planning the QMO, quality managers must take a substantial range of organizational aspects into account. Existing planning methodologies often describe only a very generic approach (e.g. Schreyogg, 2010) or aim at specific organizational challenges (e.g. Schaefer and Streitferdt, 1997). A holistic approach that specifically supports quality managers in this highly important task of planning the QMO is missing thus far. Findings from an empiric study (Behmer et al., 2016) show that the importance of a pro-active planning approach is recognized across manufacturing industries, but this insight has not been transferred into practical actions yet. This was confirmed in consecutive interviews with QM practitioners conducted between 2015 and 2016 that aimed to reveal the requirements toward a suitable planning method (Behmer and Jochem, 2016).\n3. Development of a web application that supports the planning method: The development process followed three major phases: first came the analysis of specific requirements toward an application that can implement the suggested tools appropriately. This was followed by initial development decisions based on the initial requirement analysis. Third, the software modules were developed.\n4. Use case description: An international technology enterprise supported the validation of the web application with an exemplary use case within one of their business unit for energy management products. After an initial phase of decentralizing quality management functions there is now movement toward centralization, which requires systematically planned restructuring and organizational development. The affected business unit manages three production sites for a specific product in high-voltage energy management.\n5. Summary and outlook: Overall, the postulated requirements (Chapter 2) are fulfilled to a high degree by the web application developed. It is versatile enough to expand planning beyond the QMO and it is capable of covering all perspectives from the organization, including structural and socio-cultural aspects. The organizational context is considered through the Product and Technology Roadmap, which additionally takes time and interrelationships into account. The use case showed that QM practitioners appreciate the support of having the planning process structured with sequential data entries and automated documentation along the way.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Quality managers today require a holistic, overreaching view on the organization and its goals in order to plan the quality management organization (QMO) effectively. The purpose of this paper is to present the concept of a web application that aims to support quality managers in organizational planning tasks. The basis for the implementation is a previously developed planning method that builds on Product and Technology Roadmapping as well as Quality Function Deployment. It supports the QMO's strategic development in line with the organization's overall strategy.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Based on previous research that systematically identified the requirements toward a suitable planning method and a consecutively designed framework, a web application was developed. This process followed agile software development approaches, including test-driven iteration cycles and validation through a case-based user trial.\nFindings: Standardized quality criteria for software development together with identified requirements for a suitable planning method provided a specified guideline to develop a web application. This application enables quality managers to effectively deploy the previously developed planning method. It proved successful in an initial field trial and creates a basis for integrated, computer-aided QMO planning.\nOriginality/value: With an integrated planning method that was implemented through a web application, quality managers could be effectively supported in developing the QMO in line with the overall strategy. As organizational planning tasks are reoccurring but not day-to-day business, moderated workshops that use the web application as a guiding tool and enable quality managers to focus on delivering information inputs appear to be a highly promising approach.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A study on the promotional mix of pre-service in the view of service design
|
[
"Service design",
"Marketing communication mix",
"Service interaction pattern",
"Promotional advertisement",
"Pre-service phase"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: With the development of e-commerce and artificial intelligent, many related industries are searching for breakthroughs and transformations, which lead to a discussion of their marketing communication mixes (MCMs) and service interaction patterns. Service is a dynamic process that occurs throughout a certain period. Every service follows the stages of preservice, service and post service (Stickdorn and Schneider, 2011). The most crucial topic in service design at present should be the value and nature of interactions between people and people, people and products, people and systems, and systems and other systems (Stickdorn et al., 2011). Conventional industries, such as electronic home appliance stores, emphasize the relationship among people, products and the environment. Emerging service industries, such as remote care, focus on tangible environments and intangible systems. The advancement of technology has affected the services of these two industries to varying degrees, generating new changes that might concern pre-service communication strategies and interaction methods, both of which often affect subsequent service. In the pre-service phase, marketing communications are the first contact consumers have with a service. Pre-service touchpoints arouse consumer expectations toward a particular service or product regardless of whether these touchpoints involve direct contact between consumers and service personnel. Reviews indicate that these touchpoints contain all relevant marketing communication or indirect contacts (Stickdorn and Zehrer, 2009). Therefore, this study targeted two industries, electronic home appliance stores, an industry with which customers are familiar, and remote care, an emerging industry with which they are unfamiliar, to investigate the use of MCMs and service interaction patterns to move the focus on customers from preservice to service.\n2. Literature review: To understand the definition of service design, service interaction patterns, and the types of marketing communication models, the literature on these topics and marketing communication mix was thoroughly reviewed.\n3. Methods: In this study, two patterns of service interaction used in the service industry were selected as research subjects after a literature review. Various marketing approaches were collected through interview, after which thematic analysis coding and customer journey map were used to classify the MCMs for electronic home appliance stores and remote care service. The attractiveness of these MCMs among the users and the relationship between different services patterns were further verified through customer questionnaire.\n4. Results and discussion: 4.1 Results of the interview\n5. Conclusion and suggestions: This study explored current MCMs for electronic home appliance stores (face-to-face interaction) and remote care (interface-mediated interaction), to propose marketing strategies from the perspective of service design, the results of which can serve as a reference for marketers. Specifically, the MCMs in these two industries were identified through interviews and customer journey maps. The MCMs were further explored to verify differences in attractiveness to customers. According to the results of the questionnaire, customers exhibit different preferences for MCMs in electronic home appliance stores; promotions (ES-3) are considered the most attractive by electronic home appliance stores customers, whereas public relations through promotions (ES-4) is considered the least attractive. This result indicates that marketers for electronic home appliance stores services are more likely to attract customers through seasonal events and \"super\" sales than through organizing press conferences in the pre-service phase. For remote care customers, personnel selling (RC-1) was considered the most attractive. Therefore, marketers for remote care should invite village chiefs or doctors to advise their customers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore current marketing communication mixes (MCMs) in two industries, electronics home appliance stores (face-to-face interaction) and remote care (interface-mediated interaction), to propose marketing strategies from the perspective of service design and determine the relationships between service interaction patterns and MCMs in the pre-service phase.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Six industry experts in marketing were interviewed through semi-structured interviews, the topic of which focused on the details of five MCMs and their correlations were analyzed using a customer journey maps. Finally, the MCMs were further explored to verify differences in attractiveness to customers, respectively.\nFindings: The result showed that the most attractive activity for the electronics home appliance stores customer is the promotion. And the four face-to-face service interaction patterns and MCMs exhibited a low correlation. In addition, the customers of remote care service argued that the personnel selling was the most attractive MCMs to them. For customers who utilize smart devices to communicate with advertisement exhibited the highest correlation coefficient.\nResearch limitations/implications: The limitation of this study is that the research only conducts interview research on two service industries.\nPractical implications: This study was expected to develop improved marketing communication strategies to remedy the sales predicament induced by virtual channels and to increase people's acceptance of remote care service.\nOriginality/value: The value of this paper is to analyze the correlation and difference of MCMs and service interaction patterns between electronics home appliance stores and remote care, and propose a structural model of MCMs for two different industries.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Austerity to materialism and brand consciousness: luxury consumption in India
|
[
"Luxury consumption",
"Social value",
"Materialism",
"Luxury consumers",
"Symbolic value",
"Brand consciousness"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The growth of the Indian luxury market indicates changing Indian luxury consumers. There is also an increase in the number of high net worth households (HNHs) at a compounded annual growth rate of 16 percent in the last five years. The major portion of the income of HNHs is allocated to the non-discretionary expenses and nearly half of the HNH's population is below 40 years (Kotak Wealth Management, 2016). This signals that the presence of young spendthrift consumer base with increased disposable income is driving the luxury consumption in India. The Indian luxury market once considered as impenetrable has become an attractive destination for the marketers (Das, 2015). Engagement in lavish lifestyles and aspirations to join their western counterparts by owning and possessing internationally famous brands to maintain their global consumption standards have resulted in the rise of luxury consumption in India.\nLiterature review: \"Luxury is particularly slippery to define\" (Cornell, 2002). Nueno and Quelch (1998) described luxury brands as those whose ratio of functionality to price is low while the ratio of intangibility and situational utility to price is high. The object is the source of intrinsic pleasure due to its multi-sensory nature, which distances it from the purely functional world of constraints, of price-quality ratios, and usage value (Kapferer and Bastien, 2009).\nHypothesis development: Materialism\nMethodology: Data collection\nResults: In the preliminary data analysis, mean values, standard deviation and correlations are calculated. Attitude toward buying luxury brands has a positive correlation with Materialism (Pearson correlation coefficient, r=0.38) and brand consciousness (Pearson correlation coefficient, r=0.555). Table II shows the descriptive statistics of the psychological constructs and the attitude toward luxury brands.\nDiscussions: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of materialism and brand consciousness with luxury consumption among the young Indian consumers. As attitudes and intentions serve as precursors of luxury consumption, we have referred to luxury consumption to indicate the effect of materialism and brand consciousness on both of these variables in a general sense. The proposed hypotheses of the study tested this relationship using regression analysis. All the hypotheses, i.e. H1, H2 and H3 were supported proving that materialism and brand consciousness are significant predictors of luxury consumption in India.\nImplications: The findings of this study provide a theoretical contribution to the literature of materialism, brand consciousness and luxury consumption in India. First, the key contribution of the study is the establishment of materialism and brand consciousness as important antecedents in the development of attitude towards luxury brands among the young Indian consumers. Second, the study has highlighted the social and symbolic dimension of consumption motivation of luxury brands. Apart from that, the luxury brands communicate a new identity to the self and to the others also enabling the association to the desired people or group.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of materialism and brand consciousness in determining the luxury consumption among the young Indian consumers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In order to measure materialism, brand consciousness, attitude toward luxury brands and purchase intention, pre-established scale items were used to design the self-administered questionnaire. A valid sample of 342 respondents was collected through mall intercepts, in-store intercepts, luxury brands exhibitions and festivals and international airports. The relationship was tested using regression analysis.\nFindings: The findings support that the materialism and brand consciousness are positively related to the luxury consumption in India and play an important role in predicting the behavior of the young luxury buyers. The Indian youth is buying expensive luxury brands as symbols of status success and wealth in order to fulfill their materialistic goals. The desire to own and possess the well-known and expensive brand names demonstrates the importance the consumers attach to the social and symbolic value of the luxury brands.\nPractical implications: The study reveals that the young Indian luxury buyers choose to buy brands that are most advertised. Creative advertisements enhancing luxury brands' symbolic and social value can be effective. The study has implications for the international luxury brands, as they are expensive, well known and famous among the global consumers.\nOriginality/value: The key contribution of the study is the establishment of materialism and brand consciousness as important antecedents in the development of attitude toward luxury brands among the young Indian consumers.\n",
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] |
Quality assurance: a study of the primary poultry producers' perspective
|
[
"Benchmarking",
"Performance measures",
"Quality assurance",
"Poultry",
"Supply chain management",
"United Kingdom"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: QA schemes are becoming increasingly important in integrated food supply chains, from primary production to the consumer (Turner and Davies, 2002). Indeed, some researchers have put forward the proposal that QA approaches are the future for agriculture especially as organisations \"move away from commodity markets and into the more profitable specialty products\" (Sparling et al., 2001). Generally, QA schemes are promoted by stakeholders, trade organisations, industry bodies, or are private systems. The schemes can be, either regulated by the operator (1st party), audited by the purchaser (2nd party), or independently certified using agreed protocols (3rd party) (Manning et al., 2006). The Farm Animal Welfare Council, (FAWC, 2001) proposed that farm assurance schemes can define baseline welfare standards, be a market driver to raise welfare standards, provide a means of differentiation for consumers that wish to purchase meat raised to a higher welfare standard, and if they provide sufficient transparency aid the consumer to make informed decisions when purchasing food. In November 2001, the Food Standards Agency (FSA, 2002) announced a review of food assurance schemes following research for its submission to the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food (2002) for England. The research indicated that there was low awareness among consumers of the schemes and confusion over their implications and the FSA felt this prevented consumers from making \"informed choice\" when purchasing food. It also drew a distinction between two levels of UK market scheme: \"baseline\" and \"higher level\" or \"premium\" schemes. The Red Tractor Umbrella schemes were deemed as baseline schemes that aimed at majority participation in each sector by being standards of the industry as a whole. The Policy Commission Report commented that:The Red Tractor can only be a baseline scheme, however, if it is to remain inclusive and become the industry norm. It cannot add undue cost, and there will continue to be a difficult balancing act to maintain between delivery of meaningful standards and maintaining the support of retailers and consumers.In 2001, Which? undertook a survey in the UK to determine the key considerations of those purchasing food (Which?, 2005). Consumers stated that taste, quality, safety and price were the most important factors (Table I). The FSA also surveyed consumer attitudes to a range of food issues (Which?, 2005). The results (Table II) indicated that concern on issues such as conditions in which livestock were raised, antibiotic levels in meat and the feed given to livestock was raised by between 39 per cent and 41 per cent of respondents. Duffy et al. (2005) undertook consumer research in July/August 2003 (number of respondents 846) which identified that whilst many consumers were interested in food production issues, the fragmented communication messages that they receive were not giving them a clear reason to consider the implications of their purchases for the British farming industry, animal welfare and the environment. The responses to their survey are summarised in Table III. The level of interest shown in the Duffy study was much higher with regard to livestock production issues than in the FSA study but also identified a distinct group of consumers (between 13.3 per cent and 27.3 per cent) who had no interest in how their food was produced, animal welfare, what animals were fed or the effect of farming on the environment.The English Farming and Food Partnership report supports this research. Their study of long-term trends affecting the farming industry (EFFP, 2005) stated that:The picture facing the industry is that food safety will be treated as \"a given\" by consumers underpinning all other product attributes. Price or value for money will continue to be the key driver with the \"mega trends\" of convenience, provenance and health issues rising up the agenda.They further assert that:Other issues of \"integrity\" will then become purchasing drivers based more on individual preferences requiring a greater range of products more directly targeted towards the fulfilling the needs of the individual such as provenance (local), ethnicity and organic foods.The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Seventh Report (2005) highlighted that the UK Assured Food Standards \"little red tractor\" scheme had a 47 per cent recognition level among the public. The Committee concluded that it was not readily apparent that food assurance schemes were providing useful and meaningful information to consumers, and the proliferation of such schemes was adding to the confusion:Few consumers are in a position to inquire into the veracity or reliability of the schemes' claims. Furthermore, even where schemes are sound, they may certify nothing more than that required minimum standards have been met - something consumers should be able to take for granted without the need for assurance by an external, private body.According to Defra statistics, (Defra, 2004) between 1973 and 2003, UK agricultural productivity grew by 47 per cent and total yields by 22 per cent, whilst production related inputs fell by 18 per cent. The types of technology used in agriculture during this time period were wide-ranging and had impacts across all sectors. Apart from having direct impacts on the quality and productivity of food production, The English Food and Farming Partnership propose that this has also had indirect implications upon both agricultural energy needs and labour requirements (EFFP, 2005). This study into the long-term trends affecting the farming industry raises the issue that:Price or value for money ... continues to be the major driver of consumer purchasing habits and sales uplift. Retailers continue to push to be top of the cheapest supermarket league as they are well aware that for consumers the store that offers them the best value for money attracts the greatest footfall...They further assert that:Price will likely continue to be a main driver, if not the main driver of consumer purchase in the future leading to continued price pressure on producers.During the 1990s, the total value of UK expenditure on food rose by more than 50 per cent to over PS110 billion in 2004. This growth in the food market, however, has not been reflected in the value of UK agricultural output which has largely remained static (Table IV). The figures demonstrate that it has been the manufacturers, retailers and foodservice companies that have benefited from this growth by developing and selling added-value products. At the same time, it could be argued that rationalisation in the food industry has further weakened farmers' position in the chain as they find themselves operating in a supply chain made up of an increasingly small number of large, often multinational businesses (EFFP, 2005).Stakeholders in the agricultural industry have some very specific or even conflicting interests, in terms of business performance, food safety, animal welfare, environmental protection and even public access and this too is having a significant impact. It is within this context that the supply of poultry meat should be considered. This research focuses on the Assured Chicken Production (ACP) Scheme which is part of Assured Food Standards. The ACP Scheme was established in April 2000 with the support of the British Poultry Council (BPC), the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the National Farmers Union (NFU). ACP is an independent company limited by guarantee that owns and develops the assurance standards for poultry. The scheme (ACP, 2006) has been designed to:* assure consumers of high standards of food safety and animal welfare;* encourage the consumer to recognise and demand chicken grown to these standards;* encourage all staff to adopt and maintain the highest standards of practice; and* help \"benchmark\" production sites within a company.The aim of the research study was to investigate the attitude of primary poultry producers to QA schemes and in particular to ACP. The key questions which it sought to address were:1. What are the attitudes of primary producers to QA schemes?2. Have those attitudes changed between November 2003 and January 2006?3. If they have changed, in what way?The limitations of the research were as follows:* the respondents all operate to farm assurance standards so there has been no evaluation of views from producers supplying to non- farm assured markets;* the respondents are complying with \"Red Tractor\" rather then higher level standards so the results of the study cannot be attributed to producers growing to other schemes; and* the respondents who did reply to the survey may have responded because they have \"strong\" views on QA and some of these views may be polarised and not reflect the individuals who did not respond.Therefore, there can be no claim that the sample group represent all poultry producers but it does give a clear insight to the views of those producing to comply with commodity, baseline standards.\nMethodology: Data collection\nResults and discussion: The data is contained in Appendix 1. Only the results that have shown a strong difference between responses in 2003 and 2006 have been discussed and this has been summarised in Table V. Sheppard and Edge (2006) undertook a study, which built on earlier work in 2002 and determined the cost of producing a broiler chicken in early summer 2005. It was estimated that the financial return was a margin of 1.9 pence/bird in 2005 compared with 3.0 pence/bird in 2002. 12.4 per cent of the original holdings had gone out of production between January 2003 and the further survey in 2005. They determined that for a typical broiler unit producing 600,000 birds per year, a total net margin would be reduced from PS17,800 to PS11,500 per annum. It is within this financial context that the research study has been undertaken. Whilst there is an ongoing pressure on retail price, increasing standards without a financial return to provide for the cost of those increased standards at the primary producer level means that financial margins will continue to be squeezed. Fearne and Walters (2004) concluded in their study on the costs and benefits of farm assurance to livestock producers in England that \"incurring costs, even when they are relatively small, to stay ahead of the competition delivers little benefit if the customer is unwilling to pay\". They further conclude that retailers have argued that consumers are not interested in farm assurance and are pre-occupied with price at the point of purchase as has previously been discussed in this paper (Table V).Producers in this study expressed their view very strongly that there should be cross-over between QA and farm assurance, feed mill and manufacturing/processing standards to ensure there are not any weak areas in the supply chain where the process is not addressed by a QA programme or there is poor control at the interface between one supply chain standard and another. Although 52.4 per cent of respondents in 2003 considered that a farm assurance scheme should contain measurable performance indicators this had fallen to 43.5 per cent in 2006. Producers also responded that farm assurance standards must be developed to ensure that producers can comply and still be commercially viable. When asked if a farm assurance scheme should produce data which is freely available to demonstrate the improvements it has brought about the respondents answered more negatively in 2006. This may be due to a concern over how such data would be used by external stakeholders and how it would be presented to the consumer.Producers generally agreed that a QA model or benchmarking model could assist producers to improve their performance, and agreed that they had all the information they required in terms of food safety and quality standards, business performance, bird welfare, health and safety. The results also indicated that there was a significant difference between the responses in 2003 and 2006 with regard to animal welfare standards. 34.7 per cent of respondents in 2006 determined that animal welfare standards should not exceed legislation. There had also been a significant change in respondents' views on whether a farm assurance standard should address environmental concerns. In 2003, 66.7 per cent of respondents agreed they should be addressed compared with 41 per cent in 2006. The responses indicated that 66.7 per cent of correspondents in 2003 and 90.5 per cent of correspondents in 2006 felt that farm assurance standards actually gave an assurance of farm production methods rather than the inherent quality of the finished product. Producers implied that they were members of a farm assurance scheme to secure or maintain the market for their poultry products as market access was only possible for those compliant with the scheme. Over 50 per cent of respondents felt confident that being a member of a farm assurance scheme would continue to maintain the market for their products in the future. However, only 21.8 per cent of the respondents in 2006 had felt they had seen a positive benefit to their business as a result of complying with a farm standard. Producers indicated (as has been demonstrated in other studies) that at the point of purchase whilst food safety and value for money were important considerations for consumers, only 13 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed in 2006 with the statement that compliance with farm assurance standards was an important consideration for the consumer which had reduced from 31.8 per cent of respondents in 2003. Therefore, this study suggests that in the current UK commodity poultry meat market, organisational or financial benefits have yet to be realised by primary producers from membership of poultry farm assurance schemes other than being able to continue to supply retail customers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Quality assurance (QA) is considered to be a proven mechanism for delivering quality of product and service. This paper seeks to analyse how poultry producers view the benefits of the implementation of QA mechanisms in the poultry supply chain.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Initially, an information audit was undertaken to examine the recent developments in the area of research. The second stage involved qualitative and quantitative primary research. The poultry producers' attitudes were collected by means of a questionnaire. Attitudes were studied on two occasions. The data obtained from the study was analysed by a comparison of two means and then calculating the standard error of the difference in means.\nFindings: - This research has demonstrated that producers are primarily complying with farm assurance standards in order to maintain market access. In general, they have to date seen no other organisational or financial benefit of compliance other than continuing to supply their retail customers.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Limitations concerning sample size, and possible skewing of respondent responses are discussed.\nOriginality/value: - This research is of academic value and of value to those working in the food supply chain.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Improving garment fit and function through ease quantification
|
[
"Textile making‐up processes",
"Modelling",
"Garment industry",
"Computer aided design"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Fit and function of garments, whether for performance or fashion, is of paramount importance. When this is not satisfied correctly garments may be uncomfortable, or in some situations hazardous, for instance by impeding the movement of the wearer. When a pattern is used to determine cut fabric pieces, ease is primarily established at the pattern construction stage. The sizes of the pattern pieces are based on body measurements/dimensions, with the addition or subtraction of an extra dimension, which is commonly referred to as ease (Beazley, 1999; Chen et al., 2008; Rasband and Liechty, 2006).This paper provides an argument for a theoretical model for understanding ease, supported by a critical analysis of current knowledge, regarding what contributes to determination of pattern/garment dimensions. Pattern construction represents the most structured and controlled method for determining dimensions of the garment. This is therefore, the most suitable format for considering and modelling the underlying theory of determining clothing dimensions, in garment development. The following analysis provides a foundation for the theoretical model and proposes a more effective consideration of the garment/pattern dimensions, including the important role of ease within them. Ease can be shown to be the numerical difference between the dimensions of the pattern and those of the subject (Jay, 1969) at all the points where the two relate (Gill, 2009). Using this definition of ease and the proposed theoretical model, it is possible to consider ease and its determination in more detail, prior to the garment fitting stage. The theoretical model indicates the recognised constituent parts of ease, so they may be investigated and established, to provide more insightful control over the garment development process. This is especially important with the developing CAD/CAM technologies employed in construction, manipulation and fitting of the garment/pattern. Development of the model is grounded in the current understanding of pattern construction, established through synthesis of research, into different aspects of the process. This is coupled with consideration of the implications of the model with reference to methods of pattern construction. The intentions of this paper are to indicate where knowledge is required to better control pattern construction and to provide a foundation for a more scientific consideration of the process.\n2 Literature review: 2.1 The role of ease in pattern construction\n3 Developing a unified understanding of ease variables: 3.1 A critique of current understandings of ease\n4 Results: a new model for understanding ease: Recognising the increased variables contributing to ease from the formula proposed by Jay (1969) this paper suggests an updated model. This model indicates a new algorithm, which relates directly to representing ease in the process of pattern construction and clearly defines how these variables relate to each other. Using this model the attendant parts of ease can be seen and either determined pre-pattern construction or post, using reverse engineering, to provide greater objective control of the pattern construction process.4.1 Understanding the coincident variables of ease\n5 Discussion: relating the model to pattern construction: To understand the benefits of applying a model to allow greater control when defining pattern/garment dimensions, the following sections provide examples of the application of ease in pattern construction. First, ease related to styling is considered and then the coincident variables referred to here under the heading basic ease are discussed. The methods of Aldrich (2008), Haggar (2004) and Shoben and Ward (1987) are used in the analysis, as they are widely avaiable and provide pattern construction methods for different fabrics and fit requiremnts to the body. Measurements are restricted to the bust and waist, as they are classified as primary dimensions for sizing communication (Winks, 1997). These measurements are also specified in pattern construction methods and require ease be added (Gill and Chadwick, 2009). This section is intended to indicate how the model relates to current practice and how it could be improved through its application.5.1 Styling as the addition of ease\n6 Conclusions: The process of pattern construction develops the pattern shape through the plotting of a geometric outline, by defining points joined by straight or curved lines, within a 2D Cartesian coordinate system. This process can be modelled numerically and all manipulation expressed as numerical positioning of points, as either X or Y, or X and Y amounts, relative to each other and a zero point. Pattern construction can be seen to have two variables, the dimensions of the wearer and the level of ease applied, which combined together result in the dimensions of the pattern. This approach requires that the numeric nature of the pattern be recognised and the algorithm presented provides a suitable method for its communication. Ease can be considered as a positive or negative amount and is determined based on a combination of coincident variables, including fabric characteristics, functional requirements and wearer comfort perceptions. However, these may not be recognised fully using current pattern construction methods. This paper highlights the importance of establishing ease and recognising the variable contributing factors to provide greater informed control over the pattern construction process, both in industry and education. This research suggests that to provide well fitting and functioning garments requires not only determination of dimensions of the wearer, but the definition of the levels of ease, which control pattern dimensions. Therefore, there is a need to move on from primarily using body measurements to improve garment fit and function, towards establishing the ease requirements which determine the size of the pattern/garment. The model proposed in this paper provides an indication of how pattern dimensions can be viewed to enhance understanding. This also indicates how different areas of research can be combined to fully inform ease requirements within the garment. This is especially important with the enhanced control afforded using CAD technologies for pattern construction, manipulation and virtual fit. It is important to highlight that no existing knowledge suggests ease is a tolerance and that variation of its inclusion will affect the variables recognised in this work. It is evident that to gain the greatest control over satisfying garment fit, that ease be treated in the same manner as body dimensions, when constructing and manufacturing the garment. By applying the proposed model current applications of ease can be recognised for their constituent parts and greater understanding brought to bear in clothing fit and function.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical model for considering ease numerically in the clothing pattern. Classifying the pattern as a geometric Cartesian coordinate system, this model proposes the need to quantify the partly coincident variables of ease, which will enable greater control over garment fit and function, using traditional or CAD/CAM methods.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The principles of pattern/garment dimensions are considered with support from analysis of literature and contributing factors to the variables of ease are categorised. These principles support a proposed theoretical model for considering pattern/garment dimensions, in the numeric format that they exist within the context of pattern construction.\nFindings: - Pattern construction occurs in a 2D Cartesian coordinate system, guided by body dimensions and ease. This can be modelled in the form of an algorithm relating to the placement of cardinal points defining the pattern outline. Recognition of the numerical nature of the pattern, suggests the need to quantify the coincident variables of ease, to achieve greater control over garment fit and function.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Few sources exist enabling the recognition of ease requirements in the pattern/garment and when guidance on ease is presented, there is little rationale as to how it has been established, or what contributes to its definition.\nOriginality/value: - The paper shows how current methods of pattern construction can be modelled more effectively, recognising the geometric nature on which they are based. Modelling these relationships highlights where quantification can be provided, by existing knowledge or future research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Evaluation of brand relationship quality using formative index: a novel measurement approach
|
[
"Brand loyalty",
"Brand relationships",
"PLS modelling",
"Formative measurement",
"Index construction"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: From the brands' perspective, retaining a loyal customer is the utmost priority- as average product costs are strikingly high and the replacement cycle generally takes four or more years (Forbes, 2011). Prior researchers suggest relationship marketing as a comprehensive way to enhance customer loyalty (Blackston, 2000; Jena et al., 2011; Fetscherin, 2014; Giovanis, 2016; Xie et al., 2017). In this perspective, loyalty theory holds much value in understanding the intricacies of customer-band relationships. However, Fournier's (1998) qualitative study proposed that all brand relationships are not similar; considering the aspects of strength or character. Hence, the brand relationship quality (BRQ) model instrumentally captures depth and strength of the association between customers and brands. This model offers conceptual richness over the existing notions of loyalty grounded on traditional loyalty perceptions.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Brand relationship quality\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Sampling and data collection\n4. Discussion and contributions: Prior researchers carried out empirical attempts to evaluate brand relationship quality for automobile brands using pre-defined scales involving multiple constructs and sub-constructs, therefore, enhancing the complexities of usage and interpretation. Additionally, such scales comprising of reflective indicators often attract criticisms, imputable to clear lack of distinction among indicators measuring each construct. To address this methodological lacuna, the present research aimed at creating a simplified ABRQ index grounded on highly-refereed BRQ model, developed by Fournier, (1998), which comprised of multiple dimensions, measured using reflective indicators. The prime objective was to formulate an easy-to-use index, simultaneously, ensuring appropriate concept coverage without any deviation from the nature and meaning of the construct. Following standard procedures for index construction, this research ensure the conceptual meaning of brand relationship quality remains intact with fewer indicators, also, provides evidence that prior scales were complicated and could have been used judiciously (less no. of indicators). To address this issue, we examine the indicators of ABRQ model through formative index, which considers elements to be unrelated and provides a strong base for explaining the cause-effect relationship between the dimensions and brand relationship quality. Based on the findings, six indicators relating to different dimensions, represent the ABRQ index in a parsimonious manner. Further, the impact of individual indicators on ABRQ index can be measured, as it is modeled as a composite variable. The results of the research model external validity and nomological validity shows indicators IN1, SC1 and PQ4 have highest standardized path weights. Subsequently, customers associate strongly with automobile brands that are dependable, caring and share common values, in turn, enhancing brand relationship quality. However, standardized path weights of all the six indicators contributing to ABRQ are statistically significant; hence, it seems unjustifiable to overlook their importance in the process.\n5. Limitations and avenues for further research: Like all research studies, the present study also bears some limitations that warrant a careful and methodological interpretation of the results. First, the present research was carried out in the Indian context, therefore, the results cannot be generalized and might not hold true in the case of other countries. Future researchers are encouraged to conduct cross-country studies, which can broaden the understanding of the pertinence of ABRQ index. Second, the sample size used in this research was sufficiently large, still, unidimensionality of sample (young adults), to some extent, limits the understanding. Hence, future researchers can investigate the variation in gender differences by considering different age-groups through conducting multi-group analysis, which would offer remedial measures for handling observed and unobserved heterogeneity issues. Third, the study mainly focused on six sub-dimensions of brand relationship quality, as suggested by Fournier (1998). However, additional research can include other sub-dimensions such as nostalgia, affinity and consistency in the ABRQ index and carry out empirical tests to yield newer insights. Finally, the authors recommend for qualitative interviews with automobile customers, to render novel insights regarding the multidimensional nature of brand relationship quality.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to develop a parsimonious and robust formative index for evaluating and measuring the brand relationship quality of automobile brands.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Survey questionnaires were used to collect empirical data from 395 car owners, out of which 362 samples were included in the final analysis. Partial least squares technique was used for index construction.\nFindings: The empirical findings exhibit that the automobile brand relationship quality (ABRQ) index based on the final set of six indicators effectively captures the conceptual domain of brand relationship quality. In addition, the external validity check affirms positive and significant influence of ABRQ index toward enhancing customer loyalty.\nPractical implications: ABRQ index can assist the brand managers and academicians for benchmarking and market strategy formulation while contributing to the limited literature on brand relationship quality. Also, this index having six-indicators can considerably reduce the time and effort of respondents for filling the questionnaires, in turn, improving response rates.\nOriginality/value: This study represents a novel attempt to formulate a brand relationship quality index using formative measurement indicators, and as per the authors' knowledge, has not been attempted by prior researchers in this domain.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Missing or seizing the opportunity? The effect of an opportunity hire on job offers to science faculty candidates
|
[
"Affirmative action",
"Gender equality",
"Dual-career accommodation",
"Women in science"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Social justice is just one of many very good reasons to care about diversifying the academic workforce (Byars-Winston, 2014; Cech, 2014; Chesler et al., 2005). Diversity in academic science lends itself to more creative and innovative discoveries (Hong and Page, 2004; Page, 2008; Valantine and Collins, 2015), provides role modeling of multiple ways of knowing that appeals to underrepresented students and breaks down stereotypes (Young et al., 2013) and fosters a more inclusive work and social climate for everyone (Pande and Ford, 2011). Knowing these benefits of a diverse working and learning scientific community, universities must grapple with the reality that universities are highly gender and racially homogenous, with white men disproportionally represented as faculty in most science fields in higher education (National Science Foundation, 2017). Efforts to transform academic science into a more gender diverse and inclusive workplace must include scrutinizing university policies and programs aimed at rectifying the gender inequity, which have remained a focus of the National Science Foundation's ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grants (Mitchneck et al., 2016). In this study, we examine two of the ADVANCE-recommended hiring practices, dual-career and affirmative action hires, aimed at broadening the participation of women in academic science.\nLiterature review: Universities are realizing that to recruit academic women in science, hiring practices must move from a \"two-body problem\" to a proactive \"two-body opportunity\" (American Association of University Professors, 2010; McCluskey et al., 2016; Schiebinger et al., 2008). The number of dual-career couples in academia is difficult to determine, as existing evidence is mostly anecdotal (Chronicle of Higher Education, 2011; Simmons, 2012). The best (albeit decade old) research by Schiebinger et al. (2008) revealed that over one third of faculty (36 percent) partner with or marry other faculty, and compared to men, women are especially likely to have academic partners (40 percent vs 34 percent, respectively). These data also show that dual-career couple rates are highest in academic science, with 54 percent of men and 83 percent of women scientists having a partner who is also in academic science. This means that to recruit women in academic science, university hiring committees must consider dual-career needs. The American Association of University Professors (2010) summarizes the issue as follows: \"In the absence of such [dual-career] accommodations, academic couples may find themselves faced with long-distance relationships or the subordination of one career to the partner who succeeds in securing a position. Evidence, such as the high proportion of women in part-time and contingent positions, and the relative lack of women in tenure-track positions in research universities, suggests that the lack of such arrangements may be having an adverse impact on the careers of academic women\" (p. 82).\nOverview and hypotheses: The purpose of the present research was to examine whether and how two hiring practices, dual-career hiring and affirmative action hiring, help or hinder women's participation in academic science. We assessed both non-zero-sum evaluations of the candidate's perceived competence and hireability as well as zero-sum recommendations for compensation and resources. We conducted two studies to test this question with a nationwide sample of tenure-track faculty members across different science fields: chemistry and Kinesiology. In Experiment 1, we focused on how a solo-candidate (male or female) fares compared to the same candidate who makes it known that he/she has a partner and would require an academic dual-career accommodation. In Experiment 2, we focused on the experiences of candidates identified as the \"opportunity candidate\" (i.e. the partner of a primary candidate or an affirmative action candidate) compared to a primary-solo-candidate.\nExperiment 1: Method\nExperiment 2: Experiment 1 demonstrated that qualification reviews and resource recommendations by Chemistry Department Chairs were not significantly influenced by information about the candidate's need for a partner accommodation. Experiment 2 set out to investigate whether being the opportunity hire resulted in shifting standards or not. We investigated effects using a different male-dominated science discipline (Kinesiology) to provide generalizability. A recent study of Kinesiology department chairs indicated that most were Caucasian (92 percent) and male (61 percent); Kinesiology faculty, although slightly more diverse than department chairs, are still predominately Caucasian and male, especially among tenure-track positions (Ransdell et al., 2018). We, thus, extended reviewer invitations to a random, nationally representative sample of men and women faculty members at all ranks in Kinesiology who may be involved in hiring decisions. Further, we explicitly set out to test the role of evaluator gender. As such, the design of Experiment 2 was a 3 (type of candidate: affirmative action candidate, partner candidate, primary-solo-candidate)x2 (evaluator gender: male, female) between-participants design.\nGeneral discussion: Dual-career and affirmative action policies and practices are often part of a \"promising practice\" approach to transforming universities into more gender equitable places for women in science (American Association of University Professors, 2014a, b). To our knowledge, ours is the first set of experiments to systematically test for the possibility of shifting standards in dual-career and affirmative action hiring practices. We tested whether job offers depend on if the candidate provides the opportunity candidate (has an academic partner, Experiment 1) or is the opportunity candidate (is the partner of another candidate or an affirmative action candidate, Experiment 2).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: As universities grapple with broadening participation of women in science, many ADVANCE funded institutions hone in on transforming search committee practices to better consider dual-career partners and affirmative action hires (\"opportunity hires\"). To date, there is a lack of empirical research on the consequences and processes underlying such a focus. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether and how two ADVANCE-recommended hiring practices, dual-career hiring and affirmative action hiring, help or hinder women's participation in academic science.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In two experiments, the authors tested what happens to a science candidate's evaluation and offer when that candidate reveals he or she has a dual-career partner (vs is a solo-candidate, Experiment 1) or if it is revealed that the candidate under review is the dual-hire partner or is a target of opportunity hire (vs primary candidate, Experiment 2). A random US national sample of academic scientists provided anonymous external recommendations to an ostensible faculty search committee.\nFindings: Evaluators supported the job offer to a primary candidate requiring a heterosexual partner accommodation. This good news, however, was offset by the results of Experiment 2, which showed that support for the partner or affirmative action candidate depended on the evaluator's gender. Taken together, the research identifies important personal and contextual features that sometimes do - and sometimes do not - impact hiring perceptions of women in science.\nOriginality/value: The authors believe the effects of such an emphasis on opportunity hires within ADVANCE funded institutions may be considerable and inform changes to policies and practices that help bring about gender equality.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The causal relationships between stock returns, trading volume, and volatility : Empirical evidence from Asian listed real estate companies
|
[
"Granger causality",
"Asia",
"Listed real estate company"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Asian markets have attracted significant investor attention as they have grown rapidly in recent years. Real estate investment is particularly favored in Asia because of the high real estate values in the region, resulting from the high population density in most Asian countries. This makes real estate markets in Asia more energetic than, and as a result preferred to, those in the USA and Europe. Thus, studying Asian listed real estate companies could help to improve investment strategies by assisting with portfolio selection and asset allocation choices.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Contemporaneous relationship\n3. Data: In order to examine the causality between the stock returns, trading volume and volatility of listed real estate companies, we construct real estate portfolios for each Asian country investigated. The portfolios include all of the publicly listed real estate firms included in DataStream. The sample contains 314 real estate firms from seven economies, namely, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, during the period from 1998 to 2007.\n4. Methodology: 4.1 Contemporaneous relationships\n5. Empirical results: 5.1 Contemporaneous relationships\n6. Conclusion: In this research, we investigate the contemporaneous and causal relationships between stock returns, trading volume and return volatility, both within and across different countries' markets. We use daily data from seven Asian listed real estate markets - Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand - to examine the relations.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The real estate markets in Asia have attracted significant investor attention as they have grown rapidly in recent years. Both local and foreign investors continue to display a strong appetite for Asian real estate investment projects. Given the different characteristics of listed real estate stocks, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the causal relations between the financial variables of these stocks. This financial analysis can help investors to understand the characteristics of listed real estate companies, provide implications for optimal asset allocation decisions, and also increase the predictability of portfolio returns.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In this research, the paper investigates the contemporaneous and causal relations between stock returns, trading volume and volatility in a domestic market context and between different national markets for listed real estate companies in seven Asian economies.\nFindings: The paper finds that there are positive contemporaneous relations between trading volume and both returns and absolute returns. When the paper examines the causal relations between the financial variables, the evidence implies that current trading volume helps to explain the returns indirectly by leading return volatility; however, trading volume does not help to explain future returns directly. Extending the causality test to international markets, the listed real estate portfolios of the four Southeast Asian countries are found to be more closely correlated than those of the other three countries studied here. Among the four Southeast Asian countries, Singapore, the only developed country, is found to play an influential role, its current financial variables having predictive power for the other countries.\nOriginality/value: This research provides global investors with a better understanding of the Asian listed real estate market, showing that trading volume contains important information regarding returns, that the characteristics of listed real estate companies are closer to those of the financial market than those of the real estate markets, and that the markets of the major economies have extensive influence over the smaller markets. Moreover, given the scarcity of research on the performance of Asian listed real estate companies themselves, this study improves the completeness of the academic literature.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Suitability of procuring large public works by PPP in Hong Kong
|
[
"Partnership",
"Procurement",
"Hong Kong"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Public-private partnership (PPP) has become a popular choice for procuring public works projects. Success in countries such as Australia and the UK has been witnessed by the world. Australia has less experience in PPP projects compared to the UK, but the revolutionary PPP procedures and processes adopted, particularly in the state of Victoria, have become world renowned. Although PPPs have been used by many, it was the UK that first found success in the form of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). It was not only found that public services and facilities could be delivered differently, but that there were also certain benefits for all parties involved, as well as the general public. After these success stories, many countries have been keen to adopt the practice.Hong Kong has a long history of launching PPP projects. The first and most famous PPP project in Hong Kong is the Cross Harbour Tunnel, which was delivered by a build-operate-transfer model in the late 1960s (Chan et al., 2007b). Although this project experienced immediate success, a few other less successful attempts suggested that this model was not easy to follow. Hence the government slowed down as there was not too much financial urge to adopt PPP in Hong Kong. In recent years, PPP has been popularly used worldwide. Apart from the obvious financial advantages of adopting PPP, other attractive factors of this relatively new approach can also be observed. As such, the Hong Kong government has been increasingly more interested in pursuing public projects via PPP schemes. Recently, a number of massive public sector projects have been confirmed, and the PPP model will be used for their procurement. These projects include the Cross-delta bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau (Lam, 2008). The idea for this bridge was first proposed 25 years ago. It will span 29.6 km and shorten the usual one-hour journey to approximately 15 minutes. Another recent project is the Shatin to Central rail link and the Kwun Tong rail extension. The new metro line will consist of nine stations. Construction will start in 2010 and the two phases of the line will be completed by 2015 and 2019 (Information Services Department, 2008).Hong Kong has many unique features. Although it is part of China, under the \"one country, two systems\" policy, the practice and experience of conducting PPP projects in these places are quite different. Hong Kong was governed by the British for a long time. During this time the Western practices of running projects proactively were assimilated by the local government. Hong Kong is indeed a metropolis where East meets West.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Attractive factors of adopting PPP\n3. Research methodology: 3.1 Questionnaire template\n4. Discussion of survey results: The attractive and negative factors for adopting PPP were assessed from different perspectives of the Hong Kong, Australia and the UK (results obtained by Li, 2003) respondent groups. The means each administrative system was calculated and ranked in descending order of importance, as shown in Tables I and II.4.1 Ranking of attractive factors for adopting PPP\n5. Conclusions: This paper presents the findings of an empirical questionnaire survey undertaken in Hong Kong, Australia and the UK to study the attractive and negative factors of conducting PPP projects. The survey respondents were asked to rate 15 attractive factors and 13 negative factors. The results gained from these three administrative regions were analysed and compared. The results found that the top three attractive factors in Hong Kong were:1. \"Provide an integrated solution (for public infrastructure/services)\".2. \"Facilitate creative and innovative approaches\".3. \"Solve the problem of public sector budget restraint\".Similar results were found in the survey conducted in Australia. Efficiency related factors appeared to be more attractive to the respondents from Hong Kong and Australia, whereas in the UK economic related factors were rated higher. The finding for Hong Kong coincides with the fact that the local government has been enjoying a budget surplus in recent years, and has therefore not been pressured to deliver public projects with its own financial reserves.The top three negative factors ranked by the respondents from Hong Kong were:1. \"Lengthy delays because of political debate\".2. \"Lengthy delays in negotiation\".3. \"Very few schemes have actually reached the contract stage (aborted before contract)\".The top negative factor was ranked of medium importance by the Australians and the British, showing that they do not face the same concerns as Hong Kong. In Hong Kong this negative factor has been shown to be a problem, as demonstrated by the West Kowloon Cultural District project, which was delayed mainly due to political debate. The second negative factor ranked in Hong Kong was also ranked highly by the Australians and the British. This negative factor was therefore seen to be important irrespective of the geographical differences and could be considered a negative factor specifically for PPP projects. The third negative factor was ranked bottom by the Australians and British showing a high level of controversy to the ranking in Hong Kong. This factor appears to be more of a concern to the Hong Kong respondents. Some delayed projects as discussed previously are causes towards the low confidence experienced. Whereas in Australia and the UK, they are much more experienced at conducting PPP projects and hence more confident with this type of procurement.The results also found that in general the Hong Kong respondents ranked the attractive factors higher than the negative factors. Similar results were found in Australia and the UK, indicating that the adoption of PPP is feasible and preferred in these places. Therefore the suitability of procuring large public works by PPP is affirmed and future research endeavours should be directed to ensure successful implementation of PPP initiatives.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (hereinafter referred to as Hong Kong) is an international leading commercial hub, particularly in Asia. In order to keep up its reputation a number of large public works projects have been considered. Public-private partnership (PPP) has increasingly been suggested for these projects, but the suitability of using this procurement method in Hong Kong is yet to be studied empirically. The purpose of this paper is to specifically consider whether PPPs should be used to procure public works projects in Hong Kong by studying the attractive and negative factors for adopting PPP.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - As part of this study a questionnaire survey was conducted with industrial practitioners. The respondents were requested to rank the importance of 15 attractive factors and 13 negative factors for adopting PPP.\nFindings: - The results found that in general the top attractive factors ranked by respondents from Hong Kong were efficiency related: these included \"Provide an integrated solution (for public infrastructure/services)\", \"Facilitate creative and innovative approaches\", and \"Solve the problem of public sector budget restraint\". It was found that Australian respondents also shared similar findings to those in Hong Kong, but the UK respondents showed a higher priority to those economic driven attractive factors. Also, the ranking of the attractive and negative factors for adopting PPP showed that on average the attractive factors were scored higher than the negative factors.\nOriginality/value: - The results of this research have enabled a comparison of the attractive and negative factors for adopting PPP between three administrative systems. These findings have confirmed that PPP is a suitable means to procure large public projects, which are believed to be useful and interesting to PPP researchers and practitioners.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Segmenting luxe-bargain shoppers using a fuzzy clustering method
|
[
"Luxury",
"Segmentation",
"Bargain",
"Fuzzy clustering",
"Luxe-bargain shopper"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The luxury market is experiencing a new phenomenon: the consumption of luxury goods now reaches a wider consumer base. This phenomenon can be represented by the term \"democratization of the luxury market\" (Truong et al., 2009, p. 376). Luxury goods are far more accessible and affordable to a wide range of consumers than in the past. That is, luxury goods are increasingly purchased by consumers in a modest social class (Truong et al., 2009) who seek bargains in their luxury shopping. Today, it is not surprising to find deep-discounted luxury items in online stores (e.g. Bluefly.com and Overstock.com), factory outlet malls (e.g. Chelsea premium outlet malls), and upscale department outlet stores (e.g. Off 5th by Saks Fifth Avenue and Last Call by Neiman Marcus). Increased bargain shopping for luxury goods has led to the identification of a new shopper type, which we refer to as the luxe-bargain shopper.\nResearch backgrounds and conceptual frameworks: The notion of conspicuous consumption, wherein wealthy individuals consume expensive luxury goods in order to display their wealth and obtain greater social status, has been the prevailing framework to explain such consumption behavior. In this perspective, research on consumption behavior of luxury brands has focused on symbolic meanings of luxury possession (Vickers and Renand, 2003; Wong and Ahuvia, 1998), emotional and hedonic values attached to luxury brands (Tynan et al., 2010; Wiedmann et al., 2007;), and consumer characteristics related to luxury consumption such as materialism (Richins, 1994), need for uniqueness (Park et al., 2008; Zhan and He, 2012), and self-gift giving (Tsai, 2005). In addition, research on strategic management of the luxury goods market has identified constituents of luxury goods such as heritage, iconic product design, flagship stores (Beverland, 2004; Moore and Birtwistle, 2005), and premium pricing (Groth and McDaniel, 1993).\nConsumer characteristics of luxe-bargain shoppers: Based on the notion of acquisition-transaction value, this study identifies four consumer characteristics as segmentation bases to reflect luxury consumption (i.e. prestige sensitivity and fashion leadership) and the bargain shopping process (i.e. price mavenism and sale proneness). In identifying luxe-bargain shopper characteristics related to luxury consumption, this study focuses on social dimensions of luxury and fashionability. Consumers may use luxury goods to enhance self-image, communicate information about the possessors, and develop social relationship with reference groups (Wiedmann et al., 2007; Zhan and He, 2012). As Vignernon and Johnson (1999) state, social value of luxury is motivated by a bandwagon effect, and reflects individuals\nMethods: Fuzzy clustering method\nConfirmatory factor analysis: Confirmatory factor analysis using Amos 16.0 was conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the measurement model with scale items of segmentation bases (i.e. prestige sensitivity, fashion leadership, price mavenism, and sale proneness). For all 27 observed variables, skewness and kurtosis were less than the threshold value of +-3.0 (Bollen, 1989). Six items (one item from prestige sensitivity, three items from fashion leadership, and two items from sales proneness) were eliminated due to low lambda weights and high standardized residual covariances. Factor loadings of all items ranged from 0.674 to 0.913 and all paths were significant (p\nFuzzy clustering analysis on luxe-bargain shopper characteristics: Fuzzy clustering analysis using NCSS 2007 was employed to group respondents into distinct segments based on consumer characteristics. Fuzzy clustering attempts to minimize within-group variation and maximize between-group variation. Within-group variation is measured by average distance and average silhouette value is used as a measure of cluster quality. Lower average distance and higher average silhouette values suggest good clusters. In order to measure the degree of fuzziness, the normalized Dunn\nDiscussion and implications: This study demonstrates that a growing segment of the marketplace, luxe-bargain shoppers, can be segmented based on consumer characteristics such as prestige sensitivity, fashion leadership, price mavenism, and sale proneness. The importance of this study lies in examining the new phenomenon of luxury bargain shopping in a more fine-grained manner. That is, studies which examined luxury shopping tend to focus on the affluent shopper (e.g. Vigneron and Johnson, 2004; Wiedmann et al., 2007), ignoring most others, perhaps based on a belief that the luxury goods consumers are a homogeneous group. At full price, this belief may be true. Recent research, however, reveals the types of luxury goods shoppers to be much more varied (Truong et al., 2009), due mostly to the increased availability of luxury goods through multiple channels. The current study helps fill this knowledge gap, confirming that luxury goods are purchased by a wider variety of shoppers than previously identified, driven in part by a proliferation of luxury goods at less-than-full price. What has not been revealed in prior research is how and why these different groups consume luxury products, and what drives the purchase behaviors exhibited? That is, how prevalent is the purchase of luxury goods at less-than-full price, and can behavioral tendencies be found which identify these different luxury goods-buying consumers? The current study provides additional insight into these varied consumer groups. The fuzzy clustering method allows for grouping luxury consumers in classes that are as similar as possible, and is especially helpful when groups have many overlapping characteristics such as those in this study.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This study aims to identify consumer segments among luxe-bargain shoppers using a fuzzy clustering method based on psychographic variables related to both luxury consumption and bargain processes and profiles the identified segments in behavioral tendencies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The sample consists of 500 consumers who purchased a luxury brand at a bargain. The analyses involve running a confirmatory factor analysis, a fuzzy clustering analysis based on psychographic variables, and ANOVA for profiling the segments.\nFindings: A fuzzy clustering analysis identifies four distinct segments: deal hunters, sale-prone shoppers, active luxe-bargain shoppers, and royal shoppers. Each consumer segment exhibits differences in consumer characteristics, demographics, and behavioral tendencies. The study provides insight into varied luxury consumers.\nResearch limitations/implications: In an effort to fill the gap between traditional framework in luxury research and today\nPractical implications: The results provide marketing suggestions for each segment of luxe-bargain shoppers.\nOriginality/value: There is virtually no luxury study conducted in the context of bargain shopping. By examining luxe-bargain shoppers using a robust fuzzy clustering method, this study extends our knowledge of luxury consumption as well as provides a new perspective to segmentation research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Consumer search and satisfaction with mental health services
|
[
"Satisfaction",
"Information sources",
"Information searches"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Scholars have long recognized the importance of understanding how consumers select health-care services (Dobele and Lindgreen, 2011; Fisher and Anderson, 1990; John, 1994; Woodside et al., 1987), with findings suggesting that there is substantial value for consumers to choose a health-care provider on one's own or through obtaining personal or professional referrals (Dobele and Lindgreen, 2011; Woodside et al., 1987). Although these discoveries are insightful, service researchers have largely focused on physical health and have overlooked the context of mental health services. Understanding how consumers select mental health providers is important, because consumers tend to have lower levels of mental health literacy (e.g. knowledge about mental disorders and therapeutic approaches), as compared to health-care literacy (Jorm, 2000, 2012). Unlike other medical fields where providers must obtain a comparatively uniform degree and provide treatments that are generally accepted as standard for a particular ailment, providers of mental health care maintain diverse degrees and practice a broad set of therapeutic approaches that may not be well understood by a layperson (Dy and Kay, 1980). In addition to the complexity inherent in the mental health field, there has been a shift in how consumers search for health-care providers. A growing number of consumers are bucking the tradition of receiving a referral and instead utilizing the internet to personally select the doctors and specialists that they believe will be best suited to deal with their particular medical issues (Dolan, 2012). The distinctions between mental and physical health care, along with the significant changes in how consumers search for service providers, give rise to an understanding of how consumers select a mental health provider and the consequences of relying upon different information sources.\nLiterature review and hypotheses: Changes within the consumer information search\nStudy 1: To test H1-H3, a call was put out for survey participants through Amazon.com's Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing website, specifying the need for participants in the USA who had visited a mental health professional within the past five years. Participants were first told that they would be participating in a study on health services and would be compensated regardless of their responses. They were presented a screening question on whether they had seen a mental health specialist within the past five years. In total, 30 participants who indicated not visiting a mental health professional were redirected to an unrelated study and compensated, leaving 510 usable responses.\nStudy 2: A second study was conducted to replicate the effects found in Study 1, identify the conditions in which information source has a stronger or weaker impact on satisfaction (i.e. moderation; H4) and to empirically examine the impact of patient satisfaction on two measures of well-being: life satisfaction and self-disappointment (H5 and H6).\nStudy 3: To corroborate the findings from the first two studies, the researchers investigated mental health providers' ratings of information sources utilized by patients and providers' perceptions of patient decision-making. A request for participation was sent out through the listserv of two state psychological associations (one in New York, the other in California), with permissions obtained through the regulators of these private professional membership groups. Data were collected from 189 licensed mental health professionals. The average number of years in practice was 18, although providers ranged from new practices open less than one year to established practices operating for up to 50 years.\nGeneral discussion: The current research investigates the relationship between a patient's primary information source utilized and satisfaction with a mental health-care provider, along with conditions that strengthen this relationship and the subsequent impact on patient well-being. In addressing this issue, our research makes three key contributions. First, our research identifies how consumers select mental health providers and how their search process affects patient satisfaction and well-being. We find that some consumers are using the internet as a primary means of selecting a mental health professional, and, when doing so, they often give more weight to mapping information than to information that could enhance their quality of care (i.e. provider's education and type of therapy offered). Not surprisingly, these consumers experience lower levels of patient satisfaction than consumers selecting a mental health provider based upon professional or personal referrals. This has meaningful implications for consumer well-being, as we find that patient satisfaction positively impacts life satisfaction and reduces self-disappointment with their provider selection. Second, we contribute to the literature by deepening our understanding of when a patient's primary information source has a stronger effect on satisfaction. Patients who have difficulty or worry about telling others about their mental health problems are more strongly impacted by the information source relied upon to select a mental health provider. This suggests that using a trusted agent referral can protect against perceived stigma, whereas self-selecting a provider can exacerbate the negative effects of perceived social stigma. Third, by gathering data from mental health providers, the current research provides a more complete account of how providers evaluate the different information sources available to patients and the frequency in which providers perceive their patients utilizing each source. Results from mental health providers confirm the influence the internet has on patients searching for and selecting mental health providers, as many providers (56.4 per cent in our sample) maintain a website and estimate that roughly one-third of their patients result from online traffic. Providers recognize that patients place significant value on information obtained via the internet; yet, only a very small percentage consider the internet as the most valuable source of information for patients. The majority of health professionals rated professional referrals as the most valuable source of information, followed by recommendations from relatives and friends. These findings indicate that as the consumer information search moves online, service providers run the risk of overlooking the significance of how consumers select providers, and consumers themselves run the risk of sub-optimal decision-making based on low-value information, as nearly the same percentage of patients in our studies are utilizing internet searches as are taking personal referrals. These findings highlight meaningful implications for researchers and practitioners, which we discuss next.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Recent evidence on consumer decision-making suggests that highly complex choice scenarios lead consumers to use simplistic decision heuristics, often resulting in suboptimal decision-making. This study aims to investigate the relationships among consumers' primary information source, patient satisfaction and patient well-being, specifically focused on the search for mental health professionals. The selection of a mental health provider is of interest, because practitioners work from a highly diverse set of theoretical bases, may hold a wide range of different credentials and provide drastically different therapeutic approaches, therefore making the selection complex and difficult for consumers to self-navigate.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Three studies were undertaken, with data sampling from both patients of mental health services and practitioners.\nFindings: Consumers selecting a provider based on self-performed searches, rather than receiving external input (referrals from physicians, relatives or friends), report lower satisfaction with their mental health provider. In turn, patient satisfaction positively impacts patient well-being. Practitioner data corroborate these findings, revealing that a large percentage of patients stem from a self-performed internet search, though mental health providers recognize that external referrals are likely to lead to better outcomes.\nOriginality/value: The results reveal the importance of understanding the consumer search and, particularly, the use of the internet as a search tool. The results present several implications for service providers, including the need to identify patients' primary source utilized within an information search, as it can adversely impact patient satisfaction.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
School effects research provide new and stronger evidence in support of the health-promoting school idea
|
[
"Health education",
"Schools",
"Behaviour",
"Students"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The concept of the health promoting school (HPS) is based on a whole-school approach to pupils' health, extending well beyond specific health education programmes to incorporate the school's physical environment, ethos, facilities and provisions, and \"hidden-curriculum\". It is widely believed, particularly among its advocates who have championed the cause for nearly two decades now, that the HPS is effective in promoting health, and more effective than health education alone. Judging by recent developments, this is also a view shared by governments in the UK and elsewhere. In England, although the term HPS is not used, the approach is implicit in the \"National Healthy Schools Standard\" (DoH, 2005) with new targets set for all schools to achieve \"national healthy schools status\" by 2009. In Scotland, where the HPS agenda is more explicit, the Executive established the \"Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit\" to provide strategic support for the aim that all schools should become \"health promoting schools\" by 2007 (SHPSU, 2004).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine evidence from an emerging body of \"school effects\" research on pupils' health and health behaviours like smoking, and how this in turn may contribute to the evidence-base for the health promoting school concept.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Following on from educational research which demonstrates how schools can impact on pupil attainment over and above the characteristics of pupils attending them, this paper examines whether there is evidence for a similar \"school effect\" on pupils health and health behaviours.\nFindings: - The research shows that pupils' health does vary between schools in the same way as attainment; that this is not explained by pupil characteristics such as social class or deprivation, and that school ethos is a key factor distinguishing \"healthy\" from \"less healthy\" schools. Most studies have focussed on health behaviours, notably smoking where the evidence for a \"school effect\" is particularly strong.\nOriginality/value: - The evidence from \"school effects\" research on pupils' health, while falling short of the gold-standard RCT, is supportive of the health promoting school concept, and that governments are on the right lines in doing so. This paper will be of interest to those in the fields of health and education.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Job characteristics, work involvement, and job performance of public servants
|
[
"Malaysia",
"Public sector",
"Job characteristics",
"Job performance",
"Public servants",
"Work involvement"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The Malaysian Public Service has assumed a key role in the economic and social development of the country. Most importantly, it is to the interest of the nation and the public at large that the public service has to remain strong and competent at providing their services. Jabroun and Balakrishnan (2000), Sanderson (1996), Sarminah (2005) have concurred to the notion that the public service agencies' performance is a heavy-weight component of the national economy. In light of this, the Malaysian Public Service has to be responsive to the changing environment. It has to stay relevant by continually transforming itself to execute the entrusted roles to the satisfaction of its stakeholders and customers.\nLiterature review: The conceptualization of job characteristics and its underlying theory\nHypotheses of the study: Job characteristics and job performance\nMethodology: Sampling, procedures and measure\nResults: Demographic profiles of the respondents\nRecapitulation of research findings and discussions: The results reported that task significance and feedback have significantly influenced work involvement, which in turn impacted job performance of the public servants in this study. Interestingly, there is a direct link between skill variety and job performance of public servants. The results, however, failed to substantiate the influence of task identity and autonomy on job performance among public servants.\nImplications, limitations, recommendations for future research and conclusion: Job characteristics are particularly important at the individual level because each of its dimension has a strong influence on various attitudinal and behavioural outcomes. Theoretically, this study provides additional empirical evidence in the domain of the job characteristics theory. In terms of practical ramifications, human resource practitioners in the public sector should focus on developing a more enriching and fulfilling type of job with high levels of skill variety, task significance and feedback. This could be a useful basis so as to enhance public servants' work involvement as well as job performance.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to assess the predicting role of job characteristics on job performance. Dimensions in the job characteristics construct are skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback. Further, work involvement is tested as a mediator in the hypothesized link.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A total of 256 public servants reported on their job characteristics and work involvement while supervisory ratings were used to assess their level of job performance. SPSS version 14 and AMOS 16 were used for statistical analyses of the data. A hypothesized structural equation model was tested to examine both direct and indirect influence of job characteristics on job performance.\nFindings: The findings revealed that task significance and feedback significantly influence job performance and the relationships are mediated by work involvement. Skill variety, however, has a significant and direct influence on public servants' job performance.\nResearch limitations/implications: The research results have provided support for the key theoretical propositions. Specifically, this study has managed to substantiate some empirical evidences in partial support of the job characteristics theory.\nPractical implications: As for practical implication, the significant and positive impact of skill variety, task significance and feedback on job performance suggests the importance of these job characteristics dimensions in promoting high level of job performance among public servants.\nOriginality/value: This study aims to provide additional empirical evidence in support of the job characteristics theory. The theoretical framework of this study managed to substantiate empirical evidence in partial support of the job characteristics theory.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Carnivalization as a new mode of collaboration
|
[
"Collaboration",
"Artifact",
"Carnivalization",
"Chronotope",
"Conflict of motives",
"Object"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Bakhtin (1984) introduced the notion of carnivalesque, which is a literary mode in which the traditional world order is turned upside down. The carnivalesque, which is derived from the tradition of the carnival, is marked by a contesting or subversion of the dominant order, style of narration and social hierarchy of the participants by the voice, humor and chaos created by usually suppressed parties. Organization studies have showed an interest in the notion of the carnivalesque, but it is still seldom applied in this study field (Boje, 2001; Engestrom et al., 2015). We are especially interested in exploring new forms of collaboration which may help to transform an activity in which a historically established, stabilized script strongly dominates the interaction. The aim of this article is to analyze the key features of carnivalization and to explore what significance it may have in the tightly scripted work activity of municipal home care.\n2. Research site: home care encounters in a client couple's home: The research site of the study is five municipal home care visits at one client couple's home in Finland. Subsidized municipal home care is a service for Finnish elderly people in their homes. Supporting the elderly to live at home as long as possible is cost-efficient for society in comparison to institutionalization. Cost-efficiency pressures currently push health care workers to provide care with limited human and financial resources for numerous clients with increasingly complex and multiple illnesses, weakened physical states and memory loss. The home care activity is task-oriented and based on what can be called scripted coordination. The script is a care plan in the home care visit which consists of predefined tasks, for example measuring blood pressure and managing medication (Engestrom, 2004). Many of the workers acknowledge the need to develop a more holistic approach to their work. Although this work supports a high quality of life for the elderly at home, the clients' desire to be seen as more active collaborators with expertise in their own life (Engestrom et al., 2012, 2014).\n3. The conceptual framework: To trace the key features of a new mode of collaboration, we use the notion of carnivalization from Bakhtin's (1984) concept of the carnivalesque (Kristeva, 1980, 1986). According to Bakhtin, (1984, pp. 122-127), the carnival act represents \"the reverse side of the world\" and a worldview where \"life gets turned inside out\". In this act, all distance between people is suspended and everyone is an active participant \"living in it\". The structure, customary order, etiquette, authority and socio-hierarchical positions of the actors get shifted and renewed.\n4. The data and methods of research: In this section, we will present the data and the methods of data collection and data analysis. The data for this paper comprise five visits of home care workers (a nurse and an occupational therapist) to an elderly client couple's home. The home care workers do not change between the visits. The data consist of audio and video recordings of the home care encounters at the client couple's home, interviews, and artifacts artifacts mediating the interaction, such as photographs, painting, drawings, the Mobility Agreement and the care plan of the client couple. This study is part of a larger research and development project aiming at helping elderly home care clients to live safely and autonomously at home in the city of Helsinki. For this project, data on 39 home care visits to 16 clients' homes during the years 2013-2014 were collected.\n5. Tracing the carnivalization mode of collaboration in the home care encounters: In the following, as results of the data analysis, we present the proceeding of three home care encounters to the client couple Hannah and Thomas's home. In these encounters, carnivalization, or at least its limited version, emerged. These three encounters include key features of carnivalization, namely the conflict of motives between the actors, client initiatives, multiple chronotopes, artifacts and role of mediation, different modes of collaboration and the intertwinement of seemingly disconnected objects of collaboration. These key features of carnivalization co-exist and intertwine in the encounters providing possibilities for a new type of collaboration. During the second and the fourth encounters, client initiation and multiple chronotopes also emerged and developed in the discourse of the actors; yet, the other key features of carnivalization were not visible. Thus, we decided to leave these encounters out of the presentation.\n6. Discussion: In this paper, we analyzed the key features of carnivalization in five home care visits and will here discuss what significance carnivalization may have in the tightly scripted work activities. In this study, we combined the discoursive analysis of carnivalization, focusing on chronotopes and initiatives with the activity-theoretical analysis of the conflict of motives, artifacts and the role of mediation, and the different modes of collaboration and objects of collaboration.\n7. Conclusions: Carnivalization is an understudied mode of collaboration in organizations where historically established, stabilized scripts strongly dominate the interaction. Carnivalization seems to be rare, and it qualitatively differs from scripted coordination. It may include features of cooperation and reflexive communication modes of interaction (Engestrom, 2008; Engestrom et al., 1991; Raeithel, 1983), but as our findings indicate, these are not its only prerequisites. In carnivalization, scripted coordination, understood as the predefined division of roles and planned sequences of actions, starts to fall apart, but the parts still seem to feed one another and form novel patterns. Although the situation looks chaotic, it has recognizable dynamics which are tacitly appreciated and enacted by the participants. It is a mode of interaction that facilitates breaking away from stagnant coordination and enables the emergence of something unexpected.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model of carnivalization. The paper aims to widen the understanding of client initiated attempts to break away from a conflict of motives between conventional models and new ways of acting in service provision. Carnivalization emerges when the standard script falls apart and the actors start to construct unexpected meanings for the activity and create innovative solutions for the conflict of motives, which leads to new mode of collaboration.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study analyzed the key features and significance of carnivalization in home care service encounters. The theoretical-methodological framework of the study draws on Bakhtin's dialogical theorizing and cultural-historical activity theory. The analysis traces the processual movement from standard script toward carnivalization.\nFindings: The key features of carnivalization involve conflict of motives between the actors, client initiatives, multiple chronotopes, artifact and role mediation, different modes of collaboration and the intertwinement of seemingly disconnected objects of collaboration. The findings indicate that carnivalization can enhance a new type of client-service provider collaboration. It can become an especially significant mode of collaboration for transforming an activity in which a historically established, stabilized script dominates the interaction. This paper suggests that the carnivalization type of collaboration should be deliberately fostered via organizational interventions to develop client-centered services.\nOriginality/value: As a consequence of the study, a new conceptual model is proposed for the analysis and promotion of carnivalization that can be applied in different organizational contexts.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Information sharing practice in multi-agency working
|
[
"Knowledge sharing",
"Information services",
"United Kingdom"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Information and knowledge sharing has been recognised as being increasingly important in the public sector (e.g., Fowler and Pryke, 2003; Gorry, 2008; McAdam and Reid, 2000). Interest in knowledge management in the public sector has typically been driven by goals at the heart of new public management, such as those associated with improved service quality, efficiency, and resource utilisation. The focus of most previous research in this area has been on providing better customer service and \"business efficiency\" (McAdam and Reid, 2000) or policy development (Riege and Lindsay, 2006). This study takes a rather different focus and explores the sharing of information about customers (citizens) as data subjects. Such data have important associated privacy and confidentiality agendas, which have, in turn, led to legislation, such as the Data Protection Act, 1998 and the Human Rights Act, 1998. Information sharing practice in relation to personal data is not only impacted by the availability of and successful use of information technology tools, and staff attitudes to knowledge and information sharing, but also by the legislative and regulatory framework under which the information sharing takes place. This paper reports on a research study that offers some useful insights into attitudes, facilitators and barriers to information sharing in children's services, which is also a context in which there has been widespread promotion of the value of multi-agency working.Within the children's services arena of public services, personal data are held relating to children, young people and families. Each organisation or team that works with a child, young person or family will hold their own information and use this to work with them. There may be, however, more than one organisation or team working with a child, and this currently means that there is more than one file of personal data held on them. Over the years it has been recognised by independent reviews of child abuse cases, such as that of Maria Colwell (HM Government, Department of Health and Social Security, 1974) and Victoria Climbie (Laming, 2003), that the sharing of information between the different agencies working with a child could help in preventing serious harm. Thus, the necessity of and the processes whereby information is shared are regarded as very important. Specifically, the Every Child Matters Green Paper places a duty on children's services to have in place information sharing arrangements, including the Common Assessment Framework, and participation in the national information sharing index, ContactPoint. It has also recommended multi-agency working as a way of providing more joined up, integrated services to meet a child's needs holistically.The aim of this article is to examine information sharing practice in multi-agency working, and to identify any potential barriers and facilitators that may be faced in a children's services directorate. More generally, this paper seeks to make a contribution to the literature on knowledge sharing in the public sector. The research reported has been conducted in Trafford Children and Young People's Service, a local authority department in Manchester, UK.In order to identify the theoretical context within which the research sits, the next section commences with a review of the literature on knowledge and information sharing in the public sector, and, more specifically, in a multi-agency public sector context. The section then offers a summary of the legislation and regulations governing the processing of information in children's services. This is followed by an outline of the survey methodology used in this research. The results of the survey are detailed in the findings section. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for both practice and further research are offered.\nLiterature review and context: This section first reviews relevant previous research on knowledge management and knowledge and information sharing in the public sector, and then on the role of information sharing in multi-agency working. The final part of this section provides insights into the legislative and regulatory context in which information sharing must occur for children's services in the UK, in order to demonstrate the complexity of the legislative and regulatory framework.Knowledge management and information and knowledge sharing in the public sector\nMethodology: The aim of this research is to understand the processes associated with information sharing and the challenges to successful implementation in children's services; a context where information sharing is both constrained by complex legal and regulatory frameworks, and where information sharing is pivotal to effective multi-agency working towards the support and safeguarding of children, young people, and families. In pursuing this aim, this research sought to:* understand and summarise the legal and regulatory framework which surrounds information sharing in children's services;* investigate children's workers confidence regarding the effectiveness of information sharing; and* gather opinions on potential barriers and facilitators to effective information sharing.The research has been conducted in Trafford Children and Young People's Service (TCYPS). Trafford is a local authority in Greater Manchester in the North West of England, with a population of just over 210,000 people. Of these 52,500 are aged 0-19 (Office for National Statistics, 2004). TCYPS has been chosen as the case study context for this study because:* The work that it is doing towards improved multi-agency information sharing in children's services is in response to national UK initiatives, policies, and strategies. It is therefore likely that a case study investigation in one children's service may generate insights that might inform practice in other similar services, and contribute to the creation of an evidence and knowledge base in the area of information sharing of personal data in the public sector.* One of the authors was working as Implementation Officer (Information Sharing) within TCYPS. This presented an opportunity in which the researcher was able to bring a deep understanding of the case study context to the research, encourage a high level of response, and utilise the research findings to inform and influence management practice and decision making.A questionnaire-based survey was used in order to collect details about feelings and attitudes towards information sharing. A questionnaire was chosen as a data collection instrument since questionnaires are a relatively simple way of discovering \"attitudes, values, beliefs and motives\" (Robson, 2002, p. 233). In addition, using a questionnaire gives the research confidentiality in that people do not have to admit to their opinions face to face. The questionnaire had three sections. The first section gathered demographic data about the respondent; the second section looked at the respondents' opinions about their confidence surrounding issues in information sharing; and, the third section asked for opinions on potential barriers to information sharing. Most of the questions used a semantic differential scale as the respondents were asked for their feelings about a topic on a scale of 1-5 (Denscombe, 2003).The questionnaire was piloted informally with professional researchers. Slight adjustments were made to the labelling of the scales, but otherwise both researchers were satisfied that the questionnaire was clear, easy to understand, and easy to answer. Second level piloting was conducted with Children's Centre staff. Once they had filled in their questionnaires, a meeting was held with them and the process discussed; this established that the questionnaire was relevant and clear, and easy to complete.In order to distribute the survey to as many people as possible, use was made of the internal e-mail system. E-mails were distributed via the distribution group for sending email to senior managers in the Children and Young People's Service, with a request to managers to cascade the email further to their teams. Potentially this has the ability to reach all CYPS staff, but its success does rely on a third party to disseminate the questionnaire to the practitioners. An electronic version of the questionnaire was created and placed on the Trafford Council intranet and the Trafford Council web site. The requests to managers included links to both the intranet and website versions, and a copy of the word document in order that staff might choose their preferred method of return. To supplement this approach, a supply of paper questionnaires was taken out to a variety of teams and organisations.The population for the research potentially included all staff working in children's services in Trafford. It is difficult to define this population as children's services covers not only those staff in the Children's Services Directorate (CYPS) directly, but also includes healthcare professionals, education professionals, and a wide range of staff and volunteers in voluntary services including leisure as well as professional services. A piece of work analysing the workforce of Trafford CYPS has been undertaken as part of a project to implement the use of the ContactPoint database in Trafford, and this has identified a workforce of 2,791 staff across the council, schools, health and the voluntary sector in Trafford. However, this is just a guide as it is not a complete list of all teams.The sampling approach adopted in this study used a mixture of convenience and quota sampling, to ensure representation from key groups (Robson, 2002, p. 264). While the initial approach to managers ensured coverage of all groups, this will only work if all managers forward the questionnaire to all staff, and then at least one member of staff from each team responds. Accordingly, in order to ensure that the sampling was representative, the basic quota sampling was supplemented with snowball sampling in the delivery of print questionnaires by hand. Denscombe (2003) describes snowball sampling as an effective technique for identifying a good-sized sample, as the numbers of potential respondents will build very quickly. This research was undertaken in Trafford Children and Young People's Service (CYPS), between February and July 2008, with the questionnaires being completed in June 2008.Data were entered into an Access database, and analysed by running queries in the database, and where necessary exporting data into Excel. Quantitative analysis of closed questions was conducted to generate a profile of attitudes. Content analysis was conducted on the responses to open questions. Each question was looked at in turn, and key words, phrases and ultimately themes were identified. Once the key themes from the responses had been identified, further analysis was performed to establish the frequency with which these themes appear.\nFindings: This section outlines the results of the survey, and reports, in turn, on each section of the questionnaire. Subsections include: sample demographics, attitudes towards information sharing, and potential barriers and facilitators to information sharing.Sample demographics\nDiscussion and conclusions: The research reported in this article set out to both make a contribution to the understanding of knowledge management and knowledge sharing in the public sector, and to provide some insights that might inform management practice within the specific case study organisation in which the research was conducted. Its aim was to understand the processes associated with information sharing and the challenges to successful implementation in a children's service, a context in which information sharing across agencies is constrained by complex legal and regulatory frameworks.The findings from the research are, in many respects, consistent with findings from previous research into information sharing in public sector contexts. As such, they play a useful role in confirming that findings from research in different parts of the public sector are to some extent transferable. Key themes to emerge from this research are:* Workers recognise the importance of inter-agency information sharing to their job roles.* There is a strong propensity towards knowledge sharing among children's service workers.* There is enthusiasm for developments that might improve the quality of information sharing, even in the face of the difficulties posed by time pressures and heavy workloads.This commitment to information sharing is consistent with findings from previous research (McAdam and Reid, 2000; Gorry, 2008). Gorry (2008) also comments on the importance of leadership to effective information sharing. These respondents acknowledged that management was committed to information sharing, and that there was both policy and strategic support for relevant activities.Taken together, these attitudes suggest that information sharing is integral to the culture of the case study organization, and this augers well for the success of knowledge sharing policies and strategies (Riege, 2005; McDermott and O'Dell, 2001).Echoing Gorry's (2008) findings, the issue of information systems is one that continues to present some challenge. These include:* the mix of formats for case files, with some files being paper-based, others being electronic, and others being available in both formats;* suitability and usability of computer software; and* development of appropriate levels of IT skills.The case study context provided an additional perspective, which has not been addressed in earlier studies. A legislative and regulatory framework constrains information and data sharing to varying extents across all public sector organizations, and should therefore not be overlooked in discussions of information and knowledge sharing in the public sector. In the context of this case study organization, the framework is particularly complex, in large part because the different agencies between which information sharing needs to take place are subject to different laws and regulations. For the respondents in this study this is a source of some confusion and some erosion of confidence in relation to which personal case information they may share, with who, and under what circumstances.In summary, then, this paper offers a useful contribution to the limited literature on information and knowledge sharing in the public sector. It demonstrates that, knowledge sharing, while involving individual choice, is influenced by a complex mix of cultural, technological, organizational, legal, and regulatory factors, which are typically unique to specific contexts. On the other hand, this research confirms earlier research that suggests that public sector organizations tend to have an endemic knowledge sharing culture.\nRecommendations for practice and research: There is a widespread recognition that information and knowledge sharing is central to effective working within the public sector; this research offers some additional insights in relation specifically to children's services where supporting and protecting children and families involves a number of different agencies working effectively together. On the basis of this research it is recommended that public sector organizations:* seek to capitalize on embedded information sharing cultures;* recognise the significance of leadership in information sharing, and take steps towards overt acknowledgement of the importance of knowledge sharing, and the alignment of information sharing agendas with policy and strategy;* manage information systems so that they help rather than hinder knowledge sharing, and continue to work on issues of compatibility and usability;* offer in-context training and support in the use of information systems to develop both it skills and confidence in the use of information accessible through databases; and* manage differences in legislative and regulatory frameworks that apply to different public sector agencies, in the short term through use of protocols and training to increase awareness and confidence, and in the longer term, through promoting changes that will form a basis for greater alignment between the frameworks for different agencies.There is also considerable scope for further research on knowledge and information sharing in the public sector. More specifically this might focus on:* knowledge and information sharing cultures, and facilitators and barriers to effective knowledge and information sharing;* comparative research across different public sector agencies to determine the extent to which cultures and facilitators and barriers are consistent between different public sector agencies; and* benchmarking of knowledge sharing infostructures, including knowledge sharing systems, and processes, and associated support and training within one sector (say, children's services), both nationally and internationally.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper seeks to make a contribution to understanding of knowledge sharing in the public sector, with specific reference to a context in which multi-agency working is important, and the information being shared is personal case information.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A literature review summarises previous research on knowledge management and knowledge and information sharing in the public sector, multi-agency working and information sharing, and the legislative and regulatory context relating to information sharing. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted within the Trafford Children and Young People's Service workforce in order to explore attitudes toward the sharing of personal information.\nFindings: - Workers recognise the importance of information sharing to their job role and are willing participants, despite busy work schedules; they also acknowledge that management is committed to information sharing. On the other hand, information systems continue to present challenges in terms of mixed case file formats, suitability and usability of computer software, and the development of staff information technology skills. In addition, the complex legislative and regulatory context guiding information sharing is a source of some lack of confidence in relation to which personal case information may be shared, with who, and under what circumstances.\nOriginality/value: - This research contributes to the limited knowledge on information sharing in the public sector. It is unique in its focus on the sharing of case-based personal information, a context in which the legal and regulatory framework is an additional factor in information sharing.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
CHALCO: building a global brand while passing industry crisis
|
[
"China",
"Global brand"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Striving for Excellence and Strength through Hardworking and Innovation - CHALCO Management philosophy.\nCHALCO - China Aluminum Corporation: China Aluminum Corporation Limited (CHALCO) was established as a joint stock limited company in China in September 2001 by Aluminum Corporation of China (CHINALCO), Guangxi Investment Group (GIG) Co., Ltd and Guizhou Provincial Materials Development and Investment Corporation. CHALCO was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in December 2001 (stock code: Hong Kong: 2600, New York: ACH)[3].\nThe legend of CHALCO: To put corporate spirit in action, \"Striving for Excellence and Strength through Hardworking and Innovation,\" all the staff at the affiliated enterprises are required to learn about and effectively implement the tasks set by top management, drawing on the practice of the reform and development set by the company. From its inception, CHALCO has set certain requirements to increase the company's competencies. First, all employees should have a thorough understanding of requirements and tasks to implement their duties. Managers should be well equipped to improve adaptability and work standards as a whole. Managers should make more efforts to better predict market risks, form effective responsive plans, and implement workable measures. CHALCO's mission is focused on enhancing the quality of its products and services, meeting customer needs, and improving the working and neighboring environment.\nCHALCO products: To face market needs efficiently, CHALCO has launched a professional marketing management strategy that is administered directly by top management. As a result, the marketing division is located at the main headquarter, whereas sales units in subsidiaries, and sales offices in major consuming districts. This set up leads to the establishment of a widespread domestic sales network. At present, there are 18 sales divisions in districts and territories, and three sales companies in China, dedicated for marketing, sales, service, and customer support. China Aluminum International Trading Co Ltd (\"CHALCO Trading\") and its affiliated companies together establish the import and export network of CHALCO, taking charge of market development, distribution, and customer support in the global domain. \"Top Service Foremost Based on Honesty\" represents the marketing philosophy of CHALCO, which demonstrates a strong market orientation by providing customer service before, during and after sales. CHALCO considers this philosophy the foundation to building customer value and achieving full customer satisfaction for long relationships. CHALCO supplies the following products to market[4].\nAluminum industry in China: In 2011, investment in China's aluminum industry experienced a sharp growth[6], with investment concentrating on high-precision aluminum sheets and strips, and packaging foils. As a result of this significant investment in projects, the share of high value-added products is expected to increase dramatically over the next few years. In 2012, China's production of aluminum sheets and strips exceeded 10 mt, and the annual capacity has reached 7.8 mt, with the capacity consumption rate of 75 percent. The aluminum foil capacity has hit 3.22 mt, and the annual production has reached 2.5 mt, with a capacity utilization rate of roughly 78 percent. The global production of the aluminum used in packaging and transport has consistently outweighed demand, leading to a buildup of inventories and reduced prices in 2013[7]. The following companies represent the major three players in the Chinese aluminum industry[8].\nWorld aluminum industry: Market distribution\nAluminum industry crisis: BRIC countries control more than 40 percent of bauxite output, whereas alumina production has shifted towards bauxite-rich countries and away from industrial countries. Due to increased energy cost and pressure from environmental government procedures, the leading production facilities in the USA, Japan and Europe have been replaced by new production facilities in China, Russia, Brazil, and India. The lead to intensive competition fueled by the presence of various strategic partners with different economic interests.\nCHALCO transformation strategy: At local level\nWorld reaction to CHALCO strategy: China is still of great interest to the aluminum industry since it produces almost half of the global aluminum supply while market demand continues to show large growth rates. In the event that China is not able to remain self-sufficient in aluminum it may become an important market for global aluminum suppliers and thereby impact the global aluminum market by turning into a more stable buyer of the metal. The aluminum crisis driven by Chinese Government and CHALCO strategy to increase primary aluminum capacity created challenges for demand and supply of primary aluminum. This strategy is built on following the priorities of the Chinese Government policymakers, who focus mainly on the national and regional economic development.\nCHALCO brand strategy: Generally, the preferred branding strategy is based on market research and management best judgment. Because the CHALCO brand name has been little known outside Asia, the new expanding company is facing a challenge in building an international brand from scratch while making the most out of its leading role in the Chinese market. CHALCO made 70 percent of its revenue in the Asian market and 30 percent revenues around the world. During the Turin Olympics Events in China, CHALCO participated in serving the construction sector, a brave move that provided the new company a foundation to demonstrate its capabilities to the world as reliable supplier of quality products. Currently, CHALCO is publically traded on three stock exchanges, giving it considerable professional public visibility and master brand awareness.\nBuilding the CHALCO master brand: The company is focusing on a straightforward strategy[3], a \"one-two punch\" with two components: develop CHALCO as a strong master brand and remain to support the sub brands. As a result, CHALCO had selected its brand attitude and the product groups its brand could be expanded to. To support this strategy, CHALCO were seeking more innovation to reach better quality and reliability. The question then became how to differentiate CHALCO from other competitors that focused on innovation. The answer could be in utilizing CHALCO's efficient base in China where CHALCO feels it has the capability to merge efficiency and innovation. That is why CHALCO is concentrating its activities on innovation to produce affordable products for consumers. To implement this strategy CHALCO prepared substantial collaboration contracts with other state-owned companies to launch new products. This strategy will help CHALCO in building advertisement plans to develop a master global brand that stands for quality and innovation.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the strategies that companies could adopt to build a global brand during industry turbulence. CHALCO company was selected as a case study to conduct this research.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A multi-faceted approach to data collection is used to demonstrate that a company strategy in the form of targeted global branding is the main factor behind success. CHALCO annual reports and public announcements were collected and analyzed. Different secondary sources are exploited to confirm the research results and explore industry structure.\nFindings: Results show that CHALCO is building a global brand by adopting master brand Strategy, in which the company is focusing on a straightforward strategy with two components: develop CHALCO as a strong master brand and remain to support the sub-brands. To achieve this strategy, CHALCO were seeking more innovations to reach better quality and reliability.\nOriginality/value: The literature reports considerable research that investigates global branding. However, this case study presents practical example of how companies can build global branding in turbulent environment.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Lessons from benchmarking environmental performance at automobile assembly plants
|
[
"Benchmarking",
"Environmental management",
"Waste",
"Pollution",
"Process efficiency",
"Automotive industry"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In the past, environmental pressures on manufacturing plants arose mainly from government mandates. Citizens interested in protecting themselves from visible types of pollution (fish kills, dirty smoke) turned to government for protection. Compliance with applicable regulations was considered \"good\" environmental performance. In the last 15-20 years, the types and complexity of environmental concerns have grown. Pollution concerns have expanded to include less visible sources of pollution. General concern for visible smoke has given way to ozone-forming CFC's and concern with visible \"dirty\" water now includes toxic metal content.An environmental concerns have grown, so to has the number of stakeholders a manufacturing plant must respond to about these concerns. Stakeholders now devoting attention environmental issues include many non-governmental organizations, shareholders, consumers, employees, business partners, and suppliers. Many of these stakeholders are interested in benchmarking environmental performance among firms. Firms are finding they need a mechanism to prove to themselves and to stakeholders their environmental performance over time.At the same time, firms are starting to see environmental performance as a key aspect of their competitive profile. Setting environmental goals and tracking performance for continuous improvement is a standard part of most environmental management systems (EMSs). Many firms have or are in the process of developing benchmarking measures for internal purposes, in addition to external demands for accountability.Unlike quality, environmental performance for a manufacturing facility cannot be easily measured through a market driven feedback such as product sales and quality perception. A number of different mechanisms have evolved to assess environmental performance of manufacturing facilities. In the US, toxics release inventory data (TRI, under SARA Title III) require plants to release data on total usage of certain chemicals to the public. Both the public availability of emissions data and the number of stakeholders using this data have increased. Yet, a definition of environmental performance has not been agreed upon. There is a variety of opinions of what constitutes \"good\" environmental performance. Environmental performance can now include such things as which inputs a facility chooses or how efficiently natural resources are used during production.Another complicating factor is the actual physical measurement of desired data. Like other alternative images of plant performance (e.g. quality), choosing variables that represent to employees and external stakeholders an image of \"good\" environmental performance is challenging. The challenge comes from choosing which variables to measure, how to physically measure them, and, if they cannot be physically measured, what other variables are close enough to stand in as a proxy for the desired variables. As stakeholder pressure increases to demonstrate environmental performance, the interpretation and relevance of these variables becomes more important.This paper shares the experience of a research program trying to develop environmental benchmarking measures for the automobile industry. In order to understand more fully the environmental performance and management practices of automobile manufacturing plants, the International Motor Vehicle Program (IMVP) extended its benchmarking work on quality and productivity, as found in The Machine that Changed the World, to include environmental performance. This was done through several rounds of surveys and interviews of plants worldwide. Developing the appropriate benchmarking measures was not an easy task. Through a repeated set of interactions with automobile companies and environmental experts worldwide, a framework was developed for understanding the range of options for environmental benchmarking, and the benefits and problem with each type of benchmarking. In this paper, we will give some basic background on the industry and the study. We will then discuss the four types of environmental benchmarking which emerged from industry discussions, and describe the ways in which manufacturers can define environmental performance, both now and in the future. Finally, we discuss management implications.\nBackground: Environmental issues in automobile assembly\nMethodology: Data from this paper come from interviews with and feedback from major automobile companies and their stakeholders while developing the Environmental Practice Survey. We found that deciding how to measure environmental performance was much more difficult than expected. Therefore, we undertook an extensive investigation into the various ways to measure environmental performance. Feedback was received from all three (at the time) US-owned automobile manufacturers, two Japanese transplants (who communicated with environmental staff in their Japanese headquarters), and four European automobile manufacturers. Much of this feedback was acquired through visits to plants and corporate headquarters. To better understand technical paint shop questions, two paint suppliers were consulted. In order to deal with some of the complicated regulatory issues, government representatives in the United States and Europe were also consulted. Notes or transcripts were made for all interviews.Overall, development of the benchmarking measures took about a year and a half. During this process of development, found that different companies and stakeholders advocated benchmarking different \"measures\" of environmental performance. As we gathered information on benchmarking environmental performance and automobile assembly plant environmental performance, we began to categorize the different perspectives. As outlined in this paper, benchmarking approaches emerged into four basic categories, each of which has its own benefits and problems.\nDiffering perspectives on environmental performance: Environmental benchmarking can be split into the four following categories: regulatory, gross emissions, efficiency, and life cycle. A summary of these categories can be found in Table I.Regulatory\nDiscussion and conclusion: In this paper, we discuss what we learned while benchmarking environmental performance in automobile assembly plants word wide. One of our key findings was that there is no \"one\" approach to environmental benchmarking. We were able to distinguish four distinct approaches to environmental benchmarking. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, and provides different insight into the environmental performance of a plant or firm.We found that firms emphasized different approaches to benchmarking depending upon regulatory context and company strategy. Product type, corporate and national culture, resource costs, stakeholder demands also all played a role in influencing their preferred benchmarking approach. This brings to light the potential biases that decision-makers can have when making decisions about benchmarking metrics. Different metrics can give very different pictures of how a firm or plant is doing. When looking at an environmental benchmarking program, those comparing metrics must be acutely aware the aspects of environmental performance a particular program approach might miss. This is important for managers trying to gain an \"objective\" view of how their firms compares to others, as well as other stakeholders who are interested in comparatively assessing a firm's environmental performance across cultures.Our second key finding is that the most robust environmental programs will incorporate elements of all four approaches. As pressures for accountability and stakeholder diversity increase, choosing the approach with which a given firm will look the best is not enough. Firms must supplement strong EMS systems with their benchmarking strategy. Using all four provides a more balanced benchmarking effort, and minimizes limitation that single measure of environmental performance present. Each measure reveals different aspects of a firm's operations and performance, and each measure may appeal to different stakeholders.It is important to note that our findings are limited. The primary limitation was that we were looking at only one industry. While we attempted to create generic categories that would carry across industries, it is possible that there are differences not captured in our categorization. Each industry has its own unique set of environmental issues. This might require a modification in the types of benchmarking outlined. More likely, it might also lead to a different set of problems and benefits.Another limitation of this paper is that it is focused primarily on performance benchmarking. Our research, however, also revealed an interest in the benchmarking of management practice itself. Numerous management standards, such as ISO 14000 and EMAS, also illustrate the growing interest in management benchmarking. Most management benchmarking is organized within the framework of an EMS (Matthews, 2003). Critical management variables include environmental policies, employee environmental training, environmental goals, and tracking of environmental data. One primary criticism of EMS benchmarking is that its focus only on the management system does not accurately reflect a firm's actual environmental impact (Coglianese and Nash, 2001; King and Lenox, 2000; Klassen and McLaughlin, 1996; Montabon et al., 2000). Therefore, no matter how popular the use of management benchmarking becomes, it is likely that stakeholders and firms will continue to use performance benchmarking, in all of its forms.Given the findings in this paper, there a number of areas in which future research is required. First, additional research needs to be done to understand the factors that influence a firm's choice of benchmarking metrics. Second, more empirical data are needed to better understand the relationship between the different aspects of environmental performance benchmarking. We argue that each form of benchmarking leads can lead to different views of performance. Research needs to be done to confirm the extent to which this is true. Similarly, research is needed to better understand the relationship between performance and managerial benchmarking. By understanding how firms chose benchmarking metrics, and how these metrics relate to one another, we can build benchmarking system that are more effective for firms and their stakeholders.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to better understand benefits and problems with different approaches to benchmarking environmental performance in manufacturing.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper shares the experience of a research program developing environmental benchmarking measures for the automobile industry.\nFindings: - In this paper, we categorize these options into four general categories: regulatory, gross emissions, efficiency, and life cycle. We found that firms emphasized different approaches to benchmarking depending upon regulatory context and company strategy. Product type, corporate and national culture, resource costs, stakeholder demands also all played a role in influencing their preferred benchmarking approach. Overall, the most robust environmental programs will incorporate elements of all four approaches.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The primary limitation of this study is that it draws its data from only one industry. Another limitation of this paper is that it is focused primarily on performance benchmarking. Additional research needs to be done to understand the factors that influence a firm's choice of benchmarking metrics, the relationship between the different aspects of environmental performance benchmarking, and the relationship between performance and managerial benchmarking.\nPractical implications: - Firms must supplement strong environmental management systems with their benchmarking strategy. Using all four provides a more balanced benchmarking effort, and minimizes limitation that single measure of environmental performance present.\nOriginality/value: - For manufacturing firms, this paper offers a framework to think about the costs and benefits of a range of environmental benchmarking strategies. For researchers, it outlines a number of areas for future research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Exploring KM practices in Malaysian R&D firms
|
[
"Malaysia",
"KM processes",
"Knowledge quality",
"KM practices",
"KM-centred strategies",
"R&D firms"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on 27th September 2017, ranked Malaysia 23rd out of 137 economies with a score of 5.17 improving two positions as compared to 25th position out of 138 economies with a score of 5.16 previously (MPC, 2017). This marks a tremendous improvement in the progress of the country towards research, development and innovation. The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) reported that the total investment in R&D projects made by Malaysian R&D firms amounted to RM374m (US$89m), 33.6 per cent higher than 2016 (MIDA, 2017a, 2017b). The services sector continued to lead with investments of RM121bn or US$29bn (61.4 per cent), followed by the manufacturing (32.3 per cent) and primary sector (6.3 per cent) (MIDA, 2017a, 2017b).\nLiterature review: Knowledge quality\nMethodology: Sampling\nFindings: Knowledge management activities\nDiscussion and implications: Overall, the findings reflect the nature of R&D firms as knowledge-intensive organisations. The use of a validated and reliable instrument administered on engineers as knowledge workers in the firms further confirmed the accuracy of the findings obtained.\nConclusion, limitations and suggestions for future research: In conclusion, this study has achieved its objectives of exploring KM implementation in the Malaysian R&D firms. There is a high tendency in implementation of knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation activities within the R&D firms. Majority of the firms have moderately implemented the three KM processes in which constructing new knowledge appears to be the most implemented process because of the nature of the R&D firms. There is also agreement among R&D firms on the value of knowledge possessed by their team members which are represented by contextual, intrinsic and actionable knowledge quality. Knowledge-centred culture was the highest evaluated KM-centred strategies followed by leadership and HR practices. The findings also show that R&D firms do not face major constraints and they are positive about sharing their knowledge.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore how current implementation of KM practices, KM processes and KM-centred strategies among Malaysian R&D firms contribute to improving their knowledge quality. In addition, the KM practices investigated are supported by ways of how the R&D firms are motivated to share knowledge and what are the constraints inhibiting such sharing.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A total of 320 questionnaires were disseminated to Malaysian R&D firms and the response rate was 47 per cent. Descriptive analysis such as percentage, mean values and indexes were used to analyse the data.\nFindings: Overall, the findings reflect the nature of R&D firms as knowledge-intensive organisations. KM practices show that there is a very high tendency of implementation of knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation activities. In all, 90 per cent of more firms have implemented the three KM processes with constructing new knowledge appears to be the most implemented process. Knowledge-centred culture scores the highest overall mean, followed by leadership and HR practices.\nPractical implications: This study provides an identification of KM practices that serves as a starting point for R&D managers to determine the gaps and appropriate actions to collectively achieve the desired R&D results and national innovation.\nOriginality/value: This study serves as a careful examination in exploring the extent to which KM practices, KM processes and KM-centred strategies are implemented in improving the knowledge quality in the Malaysian R&D firms. It helps R&D firms to frame their KM activities to drive the capability of creating and retaining a greater value onto their core business competencies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Managerial competencies and organizational structures
|
[
"Knowledge",
"Top management",
"Management",
"Organization",
"Model",
"Decision"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Fundamental elements that should lead to business success require continuous monitoring of customers' expectations and desires, changing approaches to the organization of work and staff that subsequently lead to constant organizational changes (Vermeulen et al., 2010; Biloslavo et al., 2013).\nLiterature review: Organizational structures\nResearch methodology: The purpose of the research was to analyse the relationship between MC and the evolution/presence of contemporary horizontal OST and finally how important both phenomena are for a company's performance.\nResults: Among 102 top managers that actually responded to our survey, there were 45 managers of mid-sized and 57 managers of large-sized Slovene companies. These companies were operating within different fields of economic activity: financial and insurance activities, mining, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, transportation, professional, scientific, and technical activities, and public administration. However, the majority of them (42 out of 102 or 41.2 per cent) were from the manufacturing business field. Considering the majority of companies were established 50 years or more ago (47.1 per cent), we can consider them being mostly mature companies with long-standing tradition within the fields they operate.\nDiscussion: The model in this study was developed for the purposes of this research and together with the hypotheses, we found: important impact of MC on OST; the effect of a modern, horizontal OST on a company's performance and growth on the market that enables the achievement of a higher value added, as well as a direct impact of MC on a company's performance. MC have been studied by several authors who noted a lack of skills and competencies of contemporary managers (Horne and Steadman Jones, 2001; Porter and Ketels, 2003; Charlesworth et al., 2003). In addition, various research studies show a significant influence of MC on a company's performance, which is seen in increased employee morale, greater responsibility and flexibility of management, quality improvement, greater loyalty towards customers, and readiness for new business opportunities (Mabey and Ramirez, 2004; Hau and Thum, 2010; Nienaber, 2010). Furthermore, our research study revealed a statistically significant direct impact of action competencies of top managers with regard to performance on the market. This was measured through customer satisfaction and a statistically significant indirect impact of action competencies of top managers on sales and revenues growth through the factor of performance on the market.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine whether there is a relationship among leadership, action, social, and personal competencies of managers in modern organizational structure types and whether a relationship exists between a company's organizational structure and performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was carried out among top managers in Slovene mid- and large-sized companies. The relationship among managerial competencies, the choice of organizational structure type and the company effectiveness were measured with a value-added approach. The method of structural models was used for establishing the affect among individual variables.\nFindings: The results support the hypothesized effect of managerial competencies on a company's organizational structure type. The effect of a modern, horizontal organizational structure on a company's performance and growth on the market facilitates the achievement of higher value added as well as has a direct impact of managerial competencies on a company's performance.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study was limited to mid- and large-sized companies in Slovenia. Only top managers were included in the study as they are the ones that are responsible and have the largest influence in creating a company's organizational structure.\nPractical implications: The paper includes implications to those organizations in the process of restructuring and for those companies that are prepared to modify traditional principles of management participation.\nOriginality/value: To the authors knowledge no research studies were found that examined the affect and relation of top management competencies with respect to different organizational structures.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Seven biggest problems with performance appraisals: and seven development approaches to rectify them
|
[
"Performance appraisal",
"Performance evaluation",
"Performance review",
"Training"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nThe performance appraisal: Appraising employee performance demands a considerable investment of the business' time, energy and money. In many instances pay increases, bonuses and promotions hinge on the outcome of a performance review. Because of this, organizations should ensure their appraisal systems and processes are beyond reproach. However, a great deal of research strongly indicates that this is not the case.The benefits of quality appraisal processes have been known for many years. Boice and Kleiner (1997), for example, argue that effective appraisals play an integral role in building a motivated and committed workforce. Conversely, poorly developed and administered appraisals result in diminished levels of employee satisfaction (Ducharme et al., 2005), demoralization and poor teamwork (Harrington, 1998).Appraising employee performance is important. Most private sector organizations remunerate on pay-for-performance, so differentiating good and poor performers is necessary to pay employees fairly according to policy. It is not the concept but the management of performance appraisals that is the problem and current approaches to managing performance appraisals are largely lacking in integrity and validity (Cook, 1995).\nSeven appraisal problems: This paper condenses the findings of a literature review on performance appraisals of over 300 articles published between 1980 and 2010. The review discovered seven common and persistent failures of performance appraisals that undermine their value and reliability. The seven problems are:1. Direct bias.2. Indirect bias.3. Competency.4. Devolution.5. Authoritarianism.6. Informal, incidental and ongoing appraising.7. Information collection.Direct bias\nDevelopment solutions: It is not novel to propose development and training as a way to improve performance appraisal outcomes. The value of training to performance appraisal processes has been highlighted in the literature (May and Gueldenzoph, 2006; Coutts and Schneider, 2004). However, its full potential seems not to have been appreciated. It is mostly consigned to a perfunctory role; used in a very functional way to train on appraisal procedures or form-filling. This under-utilizes the possibilities offered through development and fails to address the real problems. Training can be an effective and inexpensive solution to the problems inherent in performance appraisal systems that have been highlighted. For example:*Managers should be made aware of the biases that can come into play during appraisals. Training could raise their consciousness about how bias can influence the outcomes of performance evaluations. A two hour session could be used to highlight biases that people have about others through completing a self-assessment. Based on the self-assessment results a facilitated discussion could explore ways to help managers check their biases during an evaluation.*Small groups can look at different environmental factors that impact on appraisals and devise strategies to counter these. The facilitator can lead a full group discussion and share good ideas. The objective is to acknowledge environmental factors, accept their inevitability and provide strategies to minimize their impact.*All employees should be trained on how to participate in a performance evaluation session before they are required to do so. Training should focus on topics including open communication; listening skills; collaboration; reaching agreement; negotiation skills; establishing mutual trust and devising a joint action plan. All parties should understand their role and responsibilities for making the appraisal session productive. Instead of focusing on procedures the attention should be on relationship building.*Line managers need support to ensure there is consistency across the organization on how to conduct appraisals. Line managers should be brought together to suggest ways to improve processes and bring to the attention of HR their needs and challenges. Informal learning, such as a collegial network, could be established to encourage line managers to learn best practice from one another. More experienced line managers could mentor new line managers the first time they conduct appraisals.*Managers should receive training on strategies to maximize the involvement of the employee during evaluation. Managers could learn what it means to be a facilitator in the process; how to ask different types of questions; how to give negative feedback constructively and how to encourage the employee to provide the solutions to poor performance.*Coaching could be provided to managers on ways to give incidental, ongoing and informal performance feedback to team members. Role playing or discussion of scenarios could be used to practice skills and generate original ideas. Managers especially would benefit from coaching on how to give unwelcome and difficult incidental feedback where a formal performance review is still some way off. Skills such as active listening; empathy and positive reinforcement should be focused on.*Training should be provided to all employees on how to provide and collect anonymous feedback that is balanced, relevant and constructive. Managers should be given training on how to ask meaningful questions; how to decipher what is pertinent to an appraisal and how to positively convey this feedback to employees especially when it could spark confrontation or distress.\nSummary: Performance appraisals are important to employees and organizations; a lot is invested in the process. However, the quality and integrity of appraisals are compromised by persisting problems. These problems can be addressed effectively and inexpensively through training and development. By focusing on developing skills through learning, organizations can improve employee commitment to the appraisal process and the value of appraisal outcomes to the organization.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to highlight the common failures of performance appraisals and describe how training can help overcome these failures. Further, to propose some practical strategies on maximizing the effectiveness of appraisal systems.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper is based on, and is a synthesis of, a comprehensive literature review of over 300 articles published between 1980 and 2010.\nFindings: - The design, management and implementation of performance appraisals have been hampered for many years by several common strategic and operational mistakes. Training and learning has a big role to play in addressing these mistakes and improving appraisal outcomes for individuals and organizations.\nPractical implications: - Organizations invest a great deal of time and money every year into conducting employee performance appraisals. However, they are missing simple opportunities to get more value from the process and increase the integrity of their appraisal systems. Organizations can adopt the strategies presented here to improve practice.\nOriginality/value: - This paper provides a summary of an exhaustive literature review covering 30 years. It succinctly highlights several major problems with appraisals and provides practitioners with realistic strategies they can introduce to their organizations.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Restructuring degree roadmaps to improve timely graduation in higher education
|
[
"Higher education",
"Metrics",
"Simulation",
"Timely graduation",
"Degree roadmaps"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction and literature review: With the aspiration of transforming American higher education and economy, President Obama introduced the American Graduation Initiative in Summer 2009 which calls for 5m additional graduates by 2020 in order that the USA will have the highest graduation rate among nations in the world (Brandon, 2009). According to a study by the Public Policy Institute of California, California will have a shortage of 1.1m college graduates to meet its economic needs by 2030 (Bliss and Pottinger, 2015). The projected workforce shortage is expected to have an adverse impact on California's future economic development. In the last decade, considerable institutional resources were spent on boosting the graduation rate and some higher education institutions have even implemented intrusive advising programs to achieve this goal. Nonetheless, the national data paint a grim picture of the four-year graduation rate. The US National Center for Education Statistics (Ginder et al., 2018) reports that the four-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time undergraduate students seeking a baccalaureate degree at four-year degree-granting institutions in the 2009 starting cohort was 34 percent at public institutions and 53 percent at nonprofit private institutions. The four-year graduation rate at the national level has remained relatively stagnant all the way back to the 2000 starting cohort. Most strikingly, California State University's (CSU) four-year graduation rate is one of the lowest in the nation, an alarming 19 percent.\n2. Assessing the aggregate capacity: As the largest public university system in the USA, CSU system enrolls almost half million students. Because state funding support has declined dramatically as a share of the total budget in the past four decades, CSU constantly faces budget challenge. To fulfill its mission to provide high-quality and affordable education to California people, tuition increase is in general not a viable option. Such shift has increasingly created more pressure on each campus and forced administrators to manage capacity and enrollments more effectively. While not desirable the limited budget has led to higher enrollment caps and higher class fill rates.\n3. Structural demand and degree roadmap: Since course capacity at the aggregate level is very tight, we need to dig deeper into the structure of the demand for courses so that we can better utilize limited capacity. Students in different majors often need the same subset of courses to fulfill their degree requirements. We call them the \"common core courses.\" For instances, in the Colleague of Business, there are ten such upper division common core courses, and usually, those courses become full quickly after registration window opens. On an ongoing basis, academic advisors hear from multiple students the same story that a graduating senior just needs one last class before degree but could not get a seat. Academic advisors often petition on students' behalf to request instructors to add students beyond class cap. Other times, they request administration to open one more session of that class. When department chairs open the same number of sessions for the following semester, they often find out that too many seats are offered and some classes do not fill. They call it demand waves. When we closely examine the enrollment in a full class with a waiting list, we find that some students on the waiting list need that class badly/immediately for graduation on time, while other students who are already enrolled, although also need the class, do not need the class immediately. They can actually wait one, even two or three semesters without delaying their degree.\n4. Graduation rate model and simulation: Given a roadmap, there are two factors that determine students' timely graduation. The first factor is the probability of successful course enrollment. It correlates with course accessibility, and can be estimated based on factors such as number of seats available, diversity of time slots during which those seats are offered, as well as the frequency at which the course is offered, i.e., every semester, once a year, every other year, etc. The second factor is the probability of successful course completion, i.e., getting a passing grade instead of D, F or W. Note that W stands for withdrawal. We aim to find out, given the current degree roadmap, what is the theoretical upper bound of four-year graduation rate.\n5. Sensitivity analysis and recommended solutions: The Monte Carlo simulation model proposed above also allows us to perform what-if analyses by evaluating the impact of various factors that affect graduation rate, hence shedding lights on the effectiveness of various initiatives administration may choose to undertake. For example, administration can change registration policy to increase the likelihood that students can access certain critical courses in a timely manner. Likewise, administration can allocate more resources to enhance tutoring services for certain critical path courses to improve successful course completion rate. We can also analyze the graduation rates under various \"hypothetical circumstances,\" for example, removing the prerequisite requirements for a particular course, moving a course to an earlier/later semester on a degree roadmap. Such technique will allow us to see the \"immediate outcome\" if a particular action is taken. By comparing the outcome associated with different possible actions, we can identify the most effective action, say, improving the success rates in class X will lead to a 10 percent increase on graduation rates while improving the success rates in class Y only leads to a 3 percent increase on graduation rates. This will greatly help the university administrators determine where the limited resources should be allocated to accomplish the best results.\n6. Conclusion and future research: Statistics show that less than half of America's college students ever graduate. Poor retention rate and extremely low graduation rate at US's large public schools have been draining state budget and causing concerns about the ever shrinking availability of affordable education to average Americans. Viewing the higher education institution as an operations system, our research applies operational research techniques to analyze and improve the processes on which students proceed to degree. We examine both demand and capacity of this system. On the capacity side, we find CSULB has a much tighter long-term aggregate capacity than its peers, as indicated by the significantly higher average class fill rates and the skewed distribution of fill rate toward overloaded courses. The tightness of aggregate capacity means that students cannot enroll in the courses they need due to insufficient seats. On the demand side, students have great difficulty navigating college without a clearly charted degree roadmap. On the flip side of the coin, due to the lack of patterns in students' course enrollments, the institution has no means to predict time-phased demand for courses, hence cannot proactively plan structural capacity to make the right seats available at the right time. All these three factors lead to the low probability of success course enrollment, and hence low timely graduation rate.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Faced with declining government funding support and rising student loan debt, recently timely graduation in higher education has become a focal point of discussion at many institutions, particularly public universities. Timely graduation requires a student to successfully enroll in and complete a set of required and elective courses, the relationship of which is bound by the courses' prerequisite requirements. However, due to the fact that class capacity is oftentimes limited and wrongly timed, many students find it challenging to stay on track. A well-structured degree roadmap that takes all factors into consideration and specifies the right courses to take by semester will better guide students' course selection and thus increase their chance of earning their degrees within the four-year time window. Additionally, it will also allow administrators to do better capacity planning, and hence increase course accessibility to students. The paper aims to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In this research, some operational techniques such as line balancing and simulation are applied to restructure and improve degree roadmaps, and assess the resulting outcomes. Some innovative methods are proposed to improve the processes on which students proceed to degree.\nFindings: The results based on historical data that contains millions of student records spanning over eight-year time window demonstrate that the improved degree roadmaps can substantially increase students' chance of completing the degree in a four-year time window. The research findings provide university administrators with cost-effective solutions.\nOriginality/value: This research breaks a new ground in literature due to its unique approach and focus. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is one of the first attempts to systematically study the impact of degree roadmap on timely graduation. This research focuses on finding solutions that are within the institution's control, hence the proposed solutions are implementable and will provide university administrators with new tools and perspectives to enhance student success.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Ideology at work: reconsidering ideology, the labour process and workplace resistance
|
[
"Work",
"Call centres",
"Resistance",
"Ideology",
"Collective worker",
"Labour process theory"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The workplace, despite increasingly moving to the margins of sociology, remains uniquely positioned to connect macro-, mezzo- and micro-level issues and integrate social theory with empirical data (Strangleman, 2005). This paper integrates empirical data with theoretical discourse on the nature of ideology whilst offering critical analysis of a number of existing theoretical frameworks. One of the most fruitful areas of debate within the sociology of work has proven to be employee resistance (Blauner, 1964; Braverman, 1974; Beynon, 1975; Ackroyd and Thompson, 1999; Taylor and Bain, 1999; Mulholland, 2004). Braverman's (1974) Marxist analysis of the industrial workplace and exploitation at the point of production suggested that labour process theory (LPT) could explain employee resistance at work and also point the way towards a radical political agenda to overhaul capitalist social relations that alienate the worker. Critics rejected Braverman's thesis for ignoring the \"subject at work\" (Knights, 1990), focussing on objective conditions without explaining the role agency or subjectivity plays in the work process. These critics repositioned the workplace in light of the individualisation of subjects seeking a stable self-identity and self-disciplining their behaviour at work (WIllmott, 1990, see Tinker, 2002 for an overview). Resistance became less institutionalised and more individualised as workers chose to accept the conditions of their employment in order to stabilise a sense of self.\nLPT and \"the subject at work\": LPT largely focussed on the dialectic between control and resistance within an organisation, at the point of production (Thompson and Smith, 2009). Most literature agrees that LPT stems from Braverman's (1974) Labor Monopoly and Capital. Braverman (1974) rejected the prevailing wisdom that work was becoming more skilled and alienation subsiding. By returning to analysis of the labour process, breaking it down into its constituent parts, Braverman suggested that work was de-skilling, that Taylorist \"scientific management\" degraded the work undertaken by employees and made labour power a commodity increasingly cheapened by the capitalist mode of production (1974, p. 57). The more control exerted over the labour process by management, the more resistance emerged from disgruntled and alienated workers. Employees become acutely aware of the diminution of the skill required in the labour process and resisted scientific management through the trade union movement. Resistance, in this context, was clear. The labour process was alienating and oppressive therefore collectivism was required in order to liberate employees from the desultory conditions of their employment. In this context, the trade union movement makes sense; collective action, aimed at reforming and improving the material conditions of working life was a vital bulwark against the iniquities of capitalist profit-making.\nMethodology: The data presented below comes from an ongoing ethnographic study of the service sector in Middlesbrough, in the North East of England. Specifically, this paper is drawn from a six-month covert ethnography of a call centre anonymised here and elsewhere as Call Direct. The author was employed as a customer service representative (CSR) for six months by Call Direct, an outsource call centre providing facilities and staff to manage overflow calls for Internet Plus, a broadband supplier. This data is supplemented with semi-structured interviews with Call Direct employees and other call centre employees. In total, 30 informal discussions and 15 recorded interviews took place. All informants were characterised as either British white or British Asian, reflecting local demographics, split almost 50-50 across gender lines (reflecting the gender divide at Call Direct but not representative of the industry as a whole), aged predominantly between 18 and 30, and corresponding to what would traditionally have been called \"working class\" but perhaps most appropriately fits \"precariat\" or \"emerging service workers\" in Savage et al.'s (2015) new class configuration.\nResistance at call direct: At Call Direct, several forms of disobedience were observed and employees outlined their reasons behind participation in such activities as \"taking back time\", \"ready-release\" and closing customer accounts. Resistance existed outside of the automated work process; new employees spent their first two days of training learning about the company and its values. Identifying with the owner and her aims and ambition for the company was seen to be important. Management literature suggests that this form of \"hearts and minds\" training facilitates employee identification with the company, investing themselves in the workplace and therefore less likely to resist what otherwise might be regarded as oppressive working conditions (Van den Broek, 2004). Brand values such as \"passion for service\" were painted on the walls to remind employees of their \"mission\". When asked about identifying with the brand values, respondents were cynical and mocking. Darren, a 31-year old team leader, replied:Oh, not one bit. I'd be surprised if anyone does. Like I said earlier, there's perceptions and how the company portrays itself to impress the clients, the job centres, job fairs, and then there's us who've worked there for a while. Speaking for myself, I don't know about you, when you join, it's painted as a really, really good place to work and you get bitten by the bug when you first start and you think it's not actually a bad place because they try to embellish the fact, they try to make, they are good at taking ten strangers and forming a team over two or three weeks of training, but when you hit reality of the floor and you've got targets and that, people then go to work to serve themselves and not the company. The brand values go out of the window.\nIdeology: Marxist scholars suggest ideology works at the level of false consciousness (Eagleton, 2007). Ideology works as an illusory representation of reality, masking the true nature of reality in an illusion located in knowledge (Eagleton, 2007); once we become cognisant of the illusion, the veil of false consciousness falls and we attempt to change our material conditions. Of course, this signals the basis for the proletarian revolution (Marx and Engels, 1998). LPT follows this line of ideological thinking. Informal acts of disobedience and resistance to the work process, shared amongst co-workers, indicate their collective exploitation and form the basis for potential co-ordinated resistance. The data presented here from Call Direct could also be interpreted in this way; the informal acts of disobedience against the work process demonstrate the existence of a \"collective worker\" that suggests an optimistic hope for future struggle.\nConclusion: It is clear from the data presented above that there is disobedience, misbehaviour and resistance occurring in the workplace, as it has done throughout the entirety of sociological analyses of working life. In many ways, the disobedience demonstrated at Call Direct is a continuation of the practices embodied in industrial labour (Beynon, 1975; Braverman, 1974). LPT attempts to reconnect resistance with the work process in the hope of identifying avenues for change in the relationship between capital and labour, employer and employee but is ultimately misguided in its theoretical framework.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to consider existing debates within the sociology of work, particularly the re-emergence of labour process theory (LPT) and the \"collective worker\", in relation to resistance at work. Through presentation of primary data and a dialectical discussion about the nature of ideology, the paper offers alternative interpretations on long-standing debates and raises questions about the efficacy of workplace resistance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The design of this methodology is an ethnographic study of a call centre in the North-East of England, a covert participant observation at \"Call Direct\" supplemented by semi-structured interviews with call centre employees.\nFindings: The findings in this paper suggest that resistance in the call centre mirrors forms of resistance outlined elsewhere in both the call centre literature and classical workplace studies from the industrial era. However, in presenting an alternative interpretation of ideology, as working at the level of action rather than thought, the paper reinterprets the data and characterises workplace resistance as lacking the political potential for change often emphasised in LPT and other workplace studies.\nOriginality/value: The original contribution of this paper is in applying an alternative interpretation of ideology to a long-standing debate. In asking sociology of work scholars to consider the \"reversal of ideology\", it presents an alternative perspective on resistance in the workplace and raises questions about the efficacy of workplace disobedience.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Fuzzy AHP for forest fire risk modeling
|
[
"Geographic information systems",
"MCDA",
"Index modelling",
"Cumulative Fire Risk Index",
"Forests",
"Fire",
"Risk management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Wildland fires are those fires, which burn vegetative cover (Garner, 1989). As fire is a threat to the forest sector economy at a regional or even national level, the last step is the inclusion of fire risk in broad-scale scenario analysis (Gadow, 2000). Worldwide, specifically tropical areas, the loss of natural forests through forest fires has lead to destabilization of soil-water conservation and climatic regulation of the forest ecosystems (World Research Institute (WRI), 1997). Fire can be considered a natural element of the Mediterranean forest, determining its species composition and landscape structure (Trabaud, 1994). Olabarria (2006) applied fire occurrence model and fire damage model to study the forest fires of Catalonia which revealed their effect on the environmental, economical and social values. Numerous models for assessing fire risk have been developed throughout the world (Chuvieco and Congolton, 1999). While the earliest models were non-spatial, recent advances in geographic information systems (GIS) have allowed for the development of spatial fire risk models (Hirsch et al., 2001; Loehle, 2004). According to a Forest Survey of India (2003) report, about 50 percent of forest areas in the country are fire prone. Along with various factors, forest fires are a major cause of degradation of Indian forests (Roy, 2000). People studied forest fire risk zone (FFRZ) with a variety of mapping methods by directly using remote sensing and GIS that contain topography, vegetation, land use, population and settlement information (Chuvieco and Salas, 1994; Jaiswal et al., 2002). India witnessed the most severe forest fires during the summer of 1995 in the hills of Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh.A common practice was that FFRZs were delineated by assigning knowledge base weights to the classes of all the layers according to their sensitivity to fire or their fire-inducing capability. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) (Saaty, 1980, 1988) is an useful technique in decision making that has been widely used as a efficient multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tool or a weight estimation technique in different cases (Vaidya and Kumar, 2006). Researchers made the Saaty's AHP (crisp AHP (CAHP)) modified and fuzzified to formulate and control uncertainty. Hence, trapezoidal membership function for comparison ratios in AHP has been formulated (Buckley, 1985) and a new approach for triangular case has been developed (Chang and Wang, 2009). Triangular fuzzy number is a special class of fuzzy number whose membership is defined by three real numbers (Vahidniaa et al., 2008). The mathematics of fuzzy set theory is described in Fuzzy Sets (Zadeh, 1965). Use of fuzzy AHP (FAHP) in GIS and its different methods and applications has been well defined (Vahidniaa et al., 2008).Many factors have been considered to explain the variation in the fire regime in recent decades in climate change (Pinol et al., 1998), changes in landscape configuration (Badia et al., 2002), other aspects related to the land uses (Velez, 2002), changes in the ignition causes (Vazquez and Moreno, 1995) and even the success of the predominant fire suppression policy in Spain (Terradas et al., 1998; Pinol et al., 1998). A precise evaluation of forest fire problems and decisions on solutions can only be satisfactory when a forest risk zone mapping is available to the management authority (Jaiswal et al., 2002).\nStudy area: Taradevi forest range of Shimla Forest Division (Himachal Pradesh) has been taken for the current study, having an area of 1564.90 ha and spatial extent lies between 76deg59'12.66''E to 77deg11'16.96''E and 31deg01'15.59''N to 31deg10'45.42''N (Figure 1). The area has hilly terrain with the elevation ranging between 900 and 2200 m. The area is covered with thick forest cover which constitutes mainly Chil (Pinus roxburghii), Blue pine (Pinus wallichiana), Ban oak (Quercus leucotrichophora) and Deodar (Cerdus deodara) with variety of broad-leaved trees along with shrubs and grasses. The relative humidity remains high around 80 percent. Temperature also falls between 15 and 22degC. The average total annual precipitation is 1520 mm.\nMethodology: Satellite and ancillary data\nResults: Criteria in GIS-MCDA for forest fire risk modeling\nDiscussions: Geospatial data and expert knowledge in GIS domain can be effectively integrated in MCDA to be implemented in FFRZ modeling. AHP provides an efficient method for determining the importance of the factors responsible for the forest fire active at site and weights thus generated through CAHP and FAHP are integrated in GIS. The results pointed out that 6.89 percent of the area is under very high-risk zone; however, AHP method suggest the value to be around 9 percent. The increased level of uncertainty in the study is implemented solely to use greater degrees of fuzziness or uncertainty in real-world applications. This seems to provide much more specific results though further increase in fuzziness might give rise to erroneous output; which is kept beyond the scope of the study. The information generated in this study would be of immense use if linked to other management and policy-making strategies, such as forest management, land-use planning and sustainable management of natural resources. Emergency managers play important role in prevention, control and management of disasters with in a quick time period. They have to be prepared for fighting the forest fire in case it happens. The study result shows the regions with high, moderate and low susceptible to forest fire with AHP and knowledge-based factors.In the hilly regions, topographical and other features add favorable conditions to forest fire occurrence, where these findings can help emergency managers to find high-risk places easily and take proper actions to take preventive measures, minimize or cope with frequency of forest fires and avoid damage. Thus, emergency managers will save human life, natural resources and properties.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of study is linked to management and policy-making strategies, such as forest management, land use planning and sustainable management of natural resources. It aims to help prevent forest fire by taking precautions. It also aims to be helpful for authorities coping during the event of occurrence of fire.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The methodology paradigm applied here is based on knowledge-based and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) techniques. Knowledge-based criteria involve topographic and different themes for risk assessment. The assignment of value given to equation is significant due to its importance.\nFindings: - Results are in strong agreement with actual fire occurrences in the past years. The risk zones are identified according to past occurrence of fire. The gradients of low- to high-risk zones are according to fuel, topographic features and weather conditions. Direction and aspect value were taken accordingly.\nOriginality/value: - The paper presents forest fire risk zones designed on knowledge-based information. Crisp and fuzzy AHP approaches were applied to improve the efficacy of the model. The mapping results were in accordance with actual fire occurrences in the past years.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The relationship of schedule flexibility and outcomes via the work-family interface
|
[
"Flexible working hours",
"Job satisfaction",
"Family friendly organizations",
"Gender"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: There is considerable interest in flexible work arrangements in the business community. Recent evidence from the National Study of Employers (Galinsky et al., 2008) indicates significant increases between 1998 and 2008 in the percentage of employers offering various flexible alternatives, including schedule flexibility such that employees are allowed to change their starting and quitting times daily. Whereas 24 percent of employers reported providing this benefit to some employees in 1998, the corresponding percentage in 2008 was 31 percent. The rationale underlying much of this interest is that flexibility offers organizations a competitive advantage in the marketplace and helps in attracting and retaining high quality employees. Indeed, a recent report endorsed by Corporate Voices for Working Families (2005), a consortium of over 50 employers, 70 percent of whom are listed in the Fortune 500 (p. 27), concludes that:... whether in driving financial performance or leveraging human capital, flexibility contributes powerfully to business success. But the positive benefits of flexibility cannot be realized until it is expanded to more workplaces with more varied and effective implementation. It is time to take action to unleash the power of flexibility and accomplish its expansion.\nBackground: Theoretical foundation\nMethod: Sample and procedure\nResults: Means, standard deviations, and correlations for all variables appear in Table I. As shown in Table I, schedule flexibility was significantly related to all of the variables of interest except job performance and the control variables of marital status and children living at home. Conflict and enrichment were significantly related to all of the dependent variables, and in the direction expected.While the majority of our correlations were moderate, a few exceeded 0.50. Thus, to examine the discriminant validity of our scales we followed the procedure outlined by Fornell and Larcker (1981) and calculated the square root of the average variance explained for all scales in our study. To demonstrate discriminant validity, this value (presented on the diagonal in Table I) must exceed the corresponding latent variable correlations in the same row and column. If this condition is met, then we have evidence that the variance shared between any two constructs (i.e. the correlation) is less than the average variance explained by the items that compose the scale. As shown in Table I, this condition is met for all variables in our study.Treatment of common method variance (CMV)\nDiscussion: The goal of this study was to develop a better understanding of the mechanisms linking schedule flexibility with valued family and organizational outcomes. We argued that flexible work arrangements, specifically schedule flexibility, contribute to enhanced performance and satisfaction at work and in the family by minimizing work-family conflict and promoting work-family enrichment. This basic reasoning has been used in previous research (Anderson et al., 2002; Casey and Grzywacz, 2008; Thomas and Ganster, 1995); however, our paper marks the first attempt to incorporate both positive and negative features of the work-family interface. Our expanded view of the work-family interface required new theorizing because models of work-family conflict are poorly equipped to explain the putative causes and consequences of work-family enrichment (Frone, 2003). Our predictions were therefore based on a conceptual model reflecting the integration of theorizing from the most recent models of the work-family interface with broaden and build theory.This research contributes to our understanding in a number of ways. First, while there has been inconsistent evidence linking schedule flexibility with outcomes, this research demonstrates that for many outcomes the work-family interface is a linking mechanism between schedule flexibility and outcomes that may help explain this process. Second, this research was one of the first to consider work-to family enrichment in this process. This study supports other research that suggests that enrichment plays a significant role in the work-family interface. More specifically, it was one of the first studies to link work-family enrichment with organizational outcomes such as satisfaction and performance. Finally, this study supported the notion that flexible work arrangements play a stronger role for women in regard to the work-family interface.Predictions from our integrated conceptual model were supported in most cases. As predicted work-to-family conflict and work-to-family enrichment fully mediate the relationship between schedule flexibility and family performance and job satisfaction. Consistent with our theorizing we found that the relationship of schedule flexibility with family satisfaction was partially mediated by work-family enrichment, but not work-family conflict. Work-family enrichment and conflict were independently associated with job performance; however, they could not be viewed as viable mediators because, contrary to our theorizing, job performance did not differ by schedule flexibility. Collectively, this evidence suggests that experiences at the work-family interface link work-related resources like schedule flexibility to valued behavioral and affective outcomes in both the work and family domains.The entire pattern of results of this study is consistent with previous research. The mediating role of experiences at the work-family interface is consistent with previous research focused exclusively on work-family conflict (Anderson et al., 2002; Thomas and Ganster, 1995) and more recent research on generalized work-family balance (Casey and Grzywacz, 2008). Shifting attention to the outcomes of this study, our results are consistent with a growing body of research suggesting that work-family conflict and work-family enrichment are distinct concepts (Greenhaus and Powell, 2006; Grzywacz and Butler, 2005; Grzywacz and Marks, 2000; Wayne et al., 2004). Work-family enrichment was independently associated with each role-specific outcome while controlling for work-family conflict, and in some cases the relationship with enrichment was substantially stronger than that for conflict. These results suggest that work-family enrichment is distinct from conflict and that, in some cases like job satisfaction enrichment may play a more pivotal role in shaping desired outcomes. Finally, although our results indicating that schedule flexibility is more strongly associated with conflict than enrichment is inconsistent with previous research (Grzywacz and Butler, 2005; Voydanoff, 2004), the pattern of results is consistent with the argument that job-related resources play a different role in shaping work-family enrichment and conflict.Although the observed results were consistent with our model and existing literature, there was a noteworthy divergence in the results by domain. In the work domain, schedule flexibility had a null association with job-related performance. However it is important to note that work-family conflict and enrichment both were related to task performance. Further, schedule flexibility had a strong and completely indirect association with job satisfaction through work-family conflict and enrichment. By contrast, schedule flexibility was robustly associated with each outcome in the family domain, but the indirect pathway was most clearly evidenced for family-related performance. In fact, the association between schedule flexibility and family satisfaction was only partially mediated by work-family enrichment. These results are noteworthy for several reasons. First, results indicating that family performance was more strongly associated with conflict and enrichment than job performance were expected recognizing that work-to-family experiences were measured and modeled. Next, the fact that work-to-family conflict was unassociated with family satisfaction but robustly associated with job satisfaction suggests that individuals may attribute responsibility for work-to-family conflict to the source, and this attribution undermines job satisfaction. However, it is also interesting to note that work-to-family enrichment was more strongly correlated with job satisfaction (b=0.610) than with family satisfaction (b=0.344) suggesting that when workers recognize the benefits their family receives from their work, they attribute those synergies to the source which benefits job satisfaction.Finally, a moderating role of gender was found on the schedule flexibility to work-family conflict relationship such that it was stronger for women than men. This is consistent with previous research that suggests schedule flexibility, which has often been found to be more relevant for women, plays a greater role in reducing conflict than it does for men. Again this is not surprising as women bear more of the family demands and are more likely to experience conflict and thus providing a resource to deal with the competing demands is more likely to be beneficial for those carrying the burden. Likewise there was not a significant moderation with enrichment. Although very little research has been done on the positive side of the work-family interface, to date no real gender effects have been found. Thus, there is no evidence to support the notion that men and women should experience the enrichment process differently. Furthermore, our findings support prevailing research which suggests that conflict and enrichment are indeed two separate constructs and operate in unique ways (Frone, 2003; Grzywacz and Marks, 2000; Kirchmeyer, 1992).Implications for theory and practice\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of schedule flexibility with performance and satisfaction in the work and family domains, and whether these associations are mediated by the work-family interface. Possible gender differences in the putative benefits of schedule flexibility are also to be explored.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Using a sample of 607 full-time employees in either schedule flexibility or traditional working arrangements the authors tested a moderated-mediation model. Regression was used to test the mediation of work-family and the moderation of gender to the schedule flexibility to work-family path.\nFindings: - Both work-to-family conflict and work-to-family enrichment are mediating mechanisms in the relationship of schedule flexibility with outcomes. More specifically, full mediation was found for job satisfaction and family performance for both enrichment and conflict while partial mediation was found for family satisfaction with enrichment only and mediation was not supported for job performance. Finally, gender moderated the schedule flexibility to work-family conflict relationship such that women benefited more from flexible working arrangements than men.\nOriginality/value: - The paper adds value by examining a mediation mechanism in the schedule flexibility with the outcome relationship of the work-family interface. It also adds value by including work-family enrichment which is a key variable but has little research. Finally, it adds value by demonstrating that schedule flexibility plays a stronger role for women than men regarding the work-family interface.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Risk analysis of schedule delays in international highway projects in Vietnam using a structural equation model
|
[
"Construction",
"Engineering",
"Risk management",
"Methodology",
"Project management",
"Construction planning"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: As an important part of modern transportation systems, highways represent an essential infrastructure for the rapid delivery of people and goods to meet the demands of regional economic development. Compared with developed countries that already have mature traffic networks, developing countries have experienced higher demands for highway construction in recent years.\nLiterature review and theoretical analysis: Thomas et al. (2006) pointed out that the identification and assessment of risk factors are both the most important and the most difficult steps when studying the risk management process for a construction project. The factors that can influence SDs of construction projects have been studied by many researchers. The background of the research field is reviewed below.\nQuestionnaire design and data collection: In order to determine which risk factors on the list appeared to have a significant influence on Vietnam highway construction projects, this study used frequency statistics, a survey questionnaire, and expert inquiry for three rounds of risk identification, as depicted in Figure 2.\nData analysis: The data analysis was conducted in three stages. First, the exploratory factors were analyzed using SPSS20 software. Second, the SEM of the AMOS20 software was used to check the selected measurement indexes of the model. Finally, the correlation between variables was verified by testing the structural model and the regression results.\nDiscussions and suggestions: Figure 3 shows that the path coefficients are consistent with the hypotheses summarized in Table X in the preceding section. The values of eight main factors are proportional to CSD; thus, all loading values are positive. Further, the results with respect to impacting effect of each factor on CSD are also shown. To obtain an insight into the impact of the factors, the influencing mechanism of these factors in SEM on CSD is discussed below.\nConclusions: This research was conducted from the perspectives of stakeholders and the external environment. Combining an analytical method and an expert inquiry method, we established an index-based system with which to evaluate the risks to the schedule of a typical Vietnamese highway project. This was then assessed empirically by means of questionnaire data combined with an SEM to verify the hypotheses and estimate the effects of the different factors, as well as their influencing paths. The results obtained showed that the comprehensive effect factors for the SD risk of highway project construction in Vietnam ranked from high to low as follows: OFA, PI, OMA, CFC, SDA, SMS, EC, and SA. We identified that OFA and PI play the most prominent roles in highway projects, and that they are indeed issues in Vietnam, whereas the technology factor has minimal impact. The corresponding measures by which international contractors can deal with these risks are discussed in considerable detail, based on the empirical results. This study presents recommendations to strengthen engineering contract management in order to cope with such problems.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: As in other developing countries, increased highway development in Vietnam provides enormous opportunities for international construction companies (ICCs). However, a prolonged schedule delay (SD) can have an extremely detrimental impact on a project's efficiency, cost and investment reputation. The purpose of this paper is to identify potential SD risk factors in international highway projects (IHPs) in Vietnam, and to explore the effects of and influences on such factors. A specific risk management framework is proposed as a useful tool for ICCs.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A system of SD risk indicators is presented for IHPs in Vietnam through a questionnaire survey. The system comprises 50 indicators that are grouped into 12 main factors. A structural equation model (SEM) is then used to assess the influences and mechanisms of these factors. Based on the obtained results, corresponding suggestions for preventing SD risks are presented and discussed.\nFindings: First, among the 12 aforementioned major factors, the authors identify eight facors that have significant effects on IHP SDs. Second, the SEM analysis reveals that policy flaws and the fiscal ability of the owner play the most important roles, on account of their direct and indirect influences on SDs.\nOriginality/value: Considering stakeholders and external environmental effects, a system of indicators is introduced to explore SD risks to IHPs. In particular, an SEM is used to assess the effects of potential SD factors and characterize their interacting influences. This study could help ICCs to avoid or mitigate project delays and cost overruns in Vietnam, and also provide valuable lessons for other developing countries.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Can artificial neural network models be used to improve the analysis of B2B marketing research data?
|
[
"Artificial neural networks",
"Small samples",
"ANN models",
"B2B marketing research",
"Model comparisons"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction and background: The analysis of quantitative data stemming from B2B marketing research projects is often quite challenging. Each research project has its unique features, and the marketing researcher's analytical skill set is required so that the data are analyzed in an optimal way so that the maximum output can be gleaned from each project. The quality of the outcome of the research, the theoretical contributions, and the managerial interpretation and actions of B2B marketing research depend upon the researcher's ability to use the most appropriate data analysis techniques for each project undertaken. The importance of the appropriate use of analytic tools has recently been emphasized in several published articles and books that focus on marketing in general (Abbott, 2014: Foreman, 2014; Wedel and Kannan, 2016; Winston, 2014) and in B2B marketing in particular (Lilien, 2016; Cortez and Johnston, 2017) among many others.\nLiterature review: The structure of ANN models is inspired by the interworking of the human brain, where neurons are passed back and forth within the brain in a way that encourages human learning. Because they are complex and thus more flexible than traditional statistical data analysis methods, ANN models are quite powerful and can be applied to a variety of problems where other more traditional methods might not be so successful (Wendler and Grottrup, 2016, p. 844). ANN models have an advantage of incorporating AI methods that come from the machine learning discipline. With the availability of increased computer power and advancements in computer software in recent years, ANN models are much more available than in the past. Because ANN models are part of the trend toward AI applications, the authors believe that this approach should be carefully evaluated for use in empirical model-building applications in B2B Marketing.\nThe small sample size issue: B2B marketing researchers must cope with unique characteristics of their research projects that often distinguish B2B marketing research from B2C marketing research. Among other challenges (see Cortez and Johnston, pp. 92-3 for a discussion), it has long been recognized that in many instances B2B populations tend to be quite a bit smaller than B2C populations (Gentry and Hailey, 1981). In addition, response rates tend to be lower in B2B research than in B2C research (Rindfleisch and Antia, 2012; Gentry and Hailey, 1981; Srinivasan, 2012). The combination of these two important factors - small populations and low response rates - can have a major impact on B2B research and often result in smaller sample sizes than would be desired.\nHow artificial neural network models work: ANN models are similar to regression-type models in that there are multiple input variables that attempt to predict a dependent variable. However, ANN models make no a priori linearity assumptions and they are not affected by collinear independent variables. One huge advantage of ANN models is that they use a learning algorithm to go through several iterations to attempt to improve the prediction or classification process as much as possible. The dependent variable either can be metric (continuous) data or non-metric data (categories), thus these models can be used as an alternative to multiple regression models (which have a metric dependent variable) or as an alternative to logistic regression models or discriminant analysis models (which have a non-metric dependent variable). The independent variables (which can be metric or non-metric) move through the ANN model in stages. Each stage uses a non-linear \"activation function,\" (a flexible, continuous, non-linear curve), to adjust the fit of the model so that the model predictions are improved as the neurons or \"nodes\" move from stage to stage.\nEmpirical research methods: Model testing environment\nResults: Overall model comparisons\nConclusion and discussion: The results of the empirical research comparing ANN models with logistic regression model results and multiple regression results definitely provide some interesting and useful evidence as to the viability of using ANN models going forward. The authors' conclusions are as follows:\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Artificial neural network (ANN) models, part of the discipline of machine learning and artificial intelligence, are becoming more popular in the marketing literature and in marketing practice. This paper aims to provide a series of tests between ANN models and competing predictive models.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A total of 46 pairs of models were evaluated in an objective model-building environment. Either logistic regression or multiple regression models were developed and then were compared to ANN models using the same set of input variables. Three sets of B2B data were used to test the models. Emphasis also was placed on evaluating small samples.\nFindings: ANN models tend to generate model predictions that are more accurate or the same as logistic regression models. However, when ANN models are compared to multiple regression models, the results are mixed. For small sample sizes, the modeling results are the same as for larger samples.\nResearch limitations/implications: Like all marketing research, this application is limited by the methods and the data used to conduct the research. The findings strongly suggest that, because of their predictive accuracy, ANN models will have an important role in the future of B2B marketing research and model-building applications.\nPractical implications: ANN models should be carefully considered for potential use in marketing research and model-building applications by B2B academics and practitioners alike.\nOriginality/value: The research contributes to the B2B marketing literature by providing a more rigorous test on ANN models using B2B data than has been conducted before.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Service learning in an Indigenous not-for-profit organization
|
[
"Higher education",
"Management education",
"Australia",
"Autoethnography",
"Service learning",
"Indigeneous peoples"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: In business school postgraduate education, service learning is an educational pedagogy that uses community-learning activities to embed learning and supplement the business course content (Collins and Kearins, 2010) and has been found to be successful in broadening students' experiences. Billing (2002, p. 184) defines service learning as:\nContext: Indigenous peoples of Australia\nMethodology: Reflexive ethnography\nHost organization: The Indigenous organization was selected to be involved as a host organization as it is not a typical work placement that business students seek. In the traditional business school internship placements, students are posted in for-profit organizations where they gain business skills often in discipline-specific areas, such as accounting or law. In contrast the not-for-profit organization where the intern was placed works with Indigenous peoples in year 11 and 12 of high school. They seek out ambitious young Indigenous students and offer them the possibility to work in organizations concurrently with undertaking a course of study, called a traineeship certificate.\nThe service learning process: The first step in the engagement process is a session at the University provided by Indigenous employees on the topic of Indigenous culture, to provide the students with basic knowledge of the context and issues facing Indigenous Australians. This is followed by a two weeks internship, where, in the case of this work placement, the task was to provide an environmental scan, shadow the Victorian Manager and make recommendations about improvements to her leadership approach and style. To combine knowledge of the practicalities of the internship and the academic and educational knowledge, the students complete two reports: one pre-placement as a research paper on the context of Indigenous Australians and the role of the organization in the community; and the second, a project report to the organization on a specific project task which in this case was on the leadership and communication style of the manager. In addition to the reports, the students complete a learning journal/diary that serves as a way of concretely considering their own values, their assumptions, and their role in the host organization. It also provides an avenue to understand the experiences and knowledge the student gains through this experience, and the benefits obtained.\nFindings: service learning pedagogy and cross-cultural understanding: Pedagogy\nDiscussion: This paper has discussed a service learning activity between a student, university and a not-for-profit organization. The case is provided as an example of a service learning pedagogy that assisted in building cross-cultural understanding, but does not aim to propose ways to address indigenous disadvantage. The service learning internship has broadened the student's and university co-ordinator's experience. For the organizations their own practices and activities have been developed, thus maximizing impacts for all three parties (as per Billing, 2002).\nConclusion: In conclusion, key to success of the internship was time spent on relationship building between the parties, clear documentation of roles and responsibilities, the selection and matching process, the orientation session, and open communication between all parties. Learning occurred by all parties although not necessarily in areas and ways first supposed prior to the internship being conducted. Hence the service learning pedagogy provided a platform for all parties to be transformed in ways not envisaged and, in doing so, build cross-cultural understanding. For business students such an approach builds empathy, enables them to learn from \"others\", and provides them with learning to build bridges between the business world and community. In practical terms it provides students with different career opportunities such as in the not-for-profit sector or in advocacy work. Service learning pedagogy enhances graduate capabilities, across many areas including problem solving, values development and community engagement and thinking of the \"other\".\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of how service learning pedagogy assists in student and organizational learning.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors use case study reflection and ethnography approaches.\nFindings: The key to the success of the internship was time spent on relationship building between the parties, clear documentation of roles and responsibilities, the selection and matching process and open communication between all parties. Using Mezirow's (1991) transformational learning approach, and Kolb's (1984) learning framework, it demonstrates an example of perspective transformation where the \"unfamiliar\" helps participants to question the \"familiar\"; through embedding learning in relation to culture, values, ownership and identity. Service learning relies on collaborative pedagogy where reflection and relationships with community and educators provide a platform to test students' values and moral reasoning and build community cultural understanding.\nResearch limitations/implications: The paper includes a single case study and autoethnographic research methodology only.\nPractical implications: Community-learning activities supplement the course content and embeds learning, broadening the students' experiences, providing them with an understanding of context, and dealing with complexity to question their own cultural values. In practical terms it provides students with different career opportunities such as in the not-for-profit sector or in advocacy work. Service learning pedagogy enhances graduate capabilities, across many areas including problem solving, values development and community engagement and thinking of the other.\nOriginality/value: The paper reports on and analyses the learning of a service learning internship between a business school and an Indigenous organization. The paper uses a reflection methodology and is written by the University internship co-ordinator (teacher) and an international student intern, whilst drawing on reflections of the Indigenous leader of the not-for-profit organization.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A study of the non-legal factors that may affect the quantum of land compensation in the Lands Tribunal in Hong Kong
|
[
"Land",
"Law",
"Decision making",
"Hong Kong"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In any country where land is private-owned, there are often occasions where the government, in the public interest, may acquire or resume private property for public purposes. Despite the laissez-faire tradition and the time-tested economic policy of positive non-interventionism, Hong Kong is of no exception to this general situation. Indeed, the substantial increase in population in Hong Kong after the World War II and the rapid development thus followed have made resumptions of private land inevitable. Through land resumptions land is obtained for the development of new towns; the construction of schools, hospital, and other institutions; the improvement of transport facilities; and the upgrading of other elements of the infrastructure. Whenever land is compulsorily resumed, compensation may be payable to parties who have an interest in the land which is resumed under the law. Under the law there is no right provided for appeal against the government's decision to resume land although there is legal mechanism to appeal against the amount of compensation offered by the government. Disputes between the government and the applicant often arise in the amount of compensation. The Lands Tribunal acts as the judicial body to resolve the disputes and determine the amount of compensation that is payable to the applicant (Cruden, 1999). In ascertaining the amount of compensation payable, professional valuation is involved. As valuation surveyors often claim, valuation is an art, not a science, and hence there is inherent subjectivity or human bias in the process.Objectives\nHypotheses and methodology: Hypotheses\nEmpirical results: Descriptive statistics\nAnalysis: From the empirical result it is found that only \"the ratio of the applicant's claim to the government's offer\", \"the appointment of counsel by the applicant\", and \"the seniority of counsel for the applicant\" are statistically significant, though they differ in confidence level as well as their possible effects on compensation determined by the Lands Tribunal. The appointment of qualified general practice surveyor as expert witness and his/her respective seniority is statistically not significant. In the following section the implications of this study with regards to the empirical result will be analyzed.Ratio of the applicant's claim to the government's offer (PAG)\nConclusion and recommendation: This section aims at giving a review of the study and summarizing the findings from the empirical result generated with the regression model. The significance and limitation of the research will be discussed. Recommendations on areas for further study will be suggested for the purpose of providing insights in further development of this research territory.Summary of findings\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - To identify the non-legal factors that may affect the quantum of compensation determined by the Lands Tribunal and to examine the impacts of the non-legal factors identified on the quantum of compensation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Data are chosen from judgments made by the Lands Tribunal from 1980 to 2005. A total of 52 cases are studied. The amount of compensation granted is treated as the dependent variable. A number of factors such as the size of the claimant's claim in relation to the government's offer are used in turn as independent variables. Multiple regression analysis is then used in studying the functional relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable. The expression demonstrates whether the independent variables are positively or negatively correlated with the dependent variable, as well as the extent of the correlation.\nFindings: - It is found that the factors: the ratio of the applicant's claim to the government's offer, the appointments of counsel and theirs seniorities are significant factors affecting the amount awarded by the Lands Tribunal, while the appointment of qualified general practice surveyor as expert witnesses and their respective seniorities are insignificant factors. Among the three significant factors, the ratio of the applicant's claim to the government's offer and the seniorities of counsel have positive impacts on the amount awarded by the Lands Tribunal as expected while surprisingly, the appointment of counsel has a negative impact on the quantum of compensation awarded by the Lands Tribunal.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The first limitation is the relatively small sample size. Hence, there is a question of representativeness of the empirical result. Secondly, the variability of some of the factors is also insufficient, such as the seniority of counsel. Thirdly, there is a possibility of other forms of human bias in the decisions of the Lands Tribunal, which may not be possible to be quantified and taken into account in the model.\nPractical implications: - The paper will surely arouse the interest of legal academics and practitioners in the study of judicial behaviour which is a most non-existent in Hong Kong and rare in UK.\nOriginality/value: - The paper is the first one in the area relating to courts in Hong Kong. It is expected to be controversial amongst the judiciary, the legal and the surveying profession and has started a page in the study of judicial behaviour in the Lands Tribunal.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Evaluation of the shelf-life extension of fresh-cut pineapple (Smooth cayenne) by application of different edible coatings
|
[
"Quality",
"Microbiological analyzes",
"Natural gums",
"Physical-chemical analyzes"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Minimally processed fruits are any fresh fruits that have been physically altered from their native state but remain in a fresh form (Gomez-Lopez et al., 2009). Due to the change in consumer tendencies for the demand of fresh, healthy and convenient foods, the consumption of minimally processed foods has increased steadily worldwide over the years. In today's busy lifestyles, minimally processed fruits and vegetables constitute a suitable meal, as they do not require extra preparation and offer a range of minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals essential for human health (Ramos et al., 2015). In fact, the minimally processed fruits and vegetables is one of the rapidly expanding sectors of the food industry and a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide (Francis et al., 2012).\n2. Material and methods: 2.1 Material\n3. Results and discussion: 3.1 Physical-chemical and microbiological analysis\n4. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the different coatings used in this study were efficient in the conservation of minimally processed pineapples, when compared with the control sample. Concerning the evaluated coatings, the treatment with tara gum (T3) associated with citric acid, ascorbic acid, calcium chloride and glycerol was the one that presented the best results, showing that they were able to reduce the mass loss and microbial growth. The use of tara gum and xanthan gum was efficient to maintain the sensory attributes of minimally processed pineapples for a longer time compared to the other treatments.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the shelf-life of minimally processed pineapple when subjected to the use of different edible coatings.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The pineapples were peeled and cut into cubes. The gums were prepared by dissolving them in distilled water and then heated to total dissolution. After calcium chloride, citric acid and ascorbic acid and glycerol were added in the solutions. The pieces of pineapple were completely submerged in the respective solutions and then drained. Four treatments were obtained, namely: T1 - control treatment (pineapple without coating); T2 - pectin; T3 - tara; T4 - xanthan. The cubes were stored in PET by 12 days at 4+-1degC. Analyzes were carried out of mass loss, pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, microbiological and sensory analysis.\nFindings: It was possible to observe that the use of evaluated coatings was efficient to maintain the conservation of minimally processed pineapple in all analyzes, when compared with the control sample. The treatment with tara gum showed the best results to those obtained by the other studied gums.\nPractical implications: The study may help small-scale establishments to increase the shelf-life of minimally processed pineapple.\nOriginality/value: Tara gum reduced the mass loss, delayed the microbial growth and maintained the sensorial quality of minimally processed pineapples for a longer time.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Strategic practices of subsidiary positioning in business networks
|
[
"Positioning",
"MNC",
"Business network",
"Subsidiary",
"Strategic practices"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Multinational companies (MNCs) build their growth on global operations. By definition, an MNC consists of the headquarters and the subsidiaries operating in the cross-border business networks (Hedlund, 1986). Despite being part of the same organization, the strategic practices of two subsidiaries are often very different from each other (Birkinshaw and Hood, 1998; Ljung and Pahlberg, 2015). The differences have been seen connected both to the organizational design choices (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1989; Pedersen et al., 2014) and to the characteristics of the local market networks (Andersson et al., 2002; Ljung and Pahlberg, 2015). The interactions within the MNC internal networks condition the strategic practice of the subsidiary as much as the interactions in the local markets. This makes network positioning one of the core realms of strategic decision making in the MNC context.\n2. Strategy as a practice of subsidiary positioning in business networks: As all markets are networks, upon entering a new market, a firm faces the strategic challenge of positioning itself among the pre-existing members of the network (Thorelli, 1986; Johanson and Mattsson, 1988/1997). Therefore, the actions of firms have been suggested as well-explained in terms of their positions that both facilitate and constrain their actions (Powell and Smith-Doerr, 1994, p. 369). Furthermore, networks are constantly shaped by the interactions with other actors to influence and change the network positions (Hakansson and Snehota, 1989). Strategy-making in a network context is thus interactive by its nature, and the strategy itself is an emerging pattern of activities both with and without managerial intention in its creation (Baraldi et al., 2007; Juttner and Schlange, 1996; Cheng and Holmen, 2015).\n3. Research methodology: We adopt a critical realist epistemological orientation (Easton, 2010; Tsoukas, 1989) and see that there exists a reality independent of us to be discovered. The reality is, however, not obvious or transparent, but the researcher must define the causal powers in action to determine the examined phenomenon (Tsoukas, 1989). Individuals having experienced the phenomenon are seen to be able to tell about the reality by describing the events and their experiences of them, but the revealing of the mechanism requires analytic processes such as retroduction, judgmental rationalism and identification of the boundaries of explanation (Ryan et al., 2012).\n4. Practice-based network positioning in the forest machine industry: The MNC has operated in the forest machine industry since 1970. The company started up with the aim of making a forest machine that would be more durable than the machines in the market at the time. As of now, it designs, produces and sells forest machines for the CTL method and related information systems enabling logistics control and measurements for the harvesting chain. An important business area is the maintenance services that are offered throughout the lifetime of the machine. Originally, the forest machines and information systems were developed for Scandinavian conditions, but the portfolio has been developed to match the diverse needs and demands of forest machine entrepreneurs globally: nowadays different tree species, climate conditions and terrains are considered in the design. Almost every machine is manufactured on order, and 70 percent of the components are made in-house.\n5. Discussion: The results of the analysis reveal that a network position of a subsidiary (and the MNC) is not something static or fixed, even though it might be considered as stable for lengthy periods of time. The relationship between strategy and positioning from the network view is intriguing. Even though \"position\" and \"positioning\" are concepts used in the \"positioning school\" of strategic management (Porter, 1980; Mintzberg et al., 1997), the network view of positioning is profoundly different because the networks and relationships are the basis of analysis, not an individual firm (see Baraldi et al., 2007).\n6. Conclusions: The aim of our study was to understand how the positioning of a subsidiary emerges through strategic practices in the dynamic business networks of an MNC. Our findings hold two key notions. First, we build on the existing literature on strategy in business networks (e.g. Juttner and Schlange, 1996; Holmen and Pedersen, 2003; Baraldi et al., 2007; Harrison and Prenkert, 2009; Hulthen and Torvatn, 2014; Cheng and Holmen, 2015; Mota et al., 2016; Szalkai and Magyar, 2017) and show how positioning of a subsidiary in its local markets is more than a question of internal organizational design (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1989) or of handling the external relationships (Andersson et al., 2002). Instead it is a question of strategic practices, i.e., the logic of acting and interacting and routinized patterns of actions at the interactive spheres between individuals in the connected companies (Chia and MacKay, 2007; see also Baraldi et al., 2007). Hence, we draw on and elaborate the notion of network position (Johanson and Mattsson, 1988/1997) by viewing the position as constantly evolving and embedded (see Schepis et al., 2014). It is not planned or managed by any individual actor, but relates with the conscious and unconscious activity of people in influencing the network parties.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine subsidiary positioning within the dynamic business networks in the context of multinational companies (MNCs). The research question of the study is: How does the positioning of a subsidiary emerge through strategic practices in the dynamic business networks of an MNC?\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study relies on the IMP view on strategy with a focus on market positioning activity and the strategy-as-practice approach. Positioning is seen as a question of strategic practices in the interactive spheres of the subsidiaries. In the empirical part of the study, the authors examine the practices of a forest machine industry multinational through longitudinal interview and archival data on three of its sales subsidiaries in Sweden, Russia and the USA.\nFindings: The study defines core tensions in subsidiary interactive spheres and the related strategic practices that shape the positioning of the subsidiaries. The study models the practice-based network positioning of MNC subsidiaries as a dynamic play of relationship tensions.\nOriginality/value: Prior research has focused either on the internal organizing of the MNCs or embeddedness of subsidiaries in their local environment. Less attention has been paid to the practices of positioning through which the subsidiaries deal with the inevitable tensions at the intersection of the internal and external networks.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
CIO to CEO: a difficult transition?
|
[
"Public sector",
"Information management",
"Chief executives",
"Chief information officer",
"Chief executive officer",
"Innovation",
"Information technology",
"Systems and management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The chief information officer (CIO) is a fairly recent but also very prevalent role in modern organisations today. This is due to the emergence of computerised information technology, information systems and information management (ITSM) in the 1960s and the expansion of the information age in the 1980s, together with the explosion of the digital age in recent years up to the present day. However, with the notable and obvious exception of the ITSM industry itself, CIOs are rarely appointed to the post of chief executive officer (CEO) in organisations. This is particularly the case in the UK public sector, where CEOs tend to be from the legal or finance profession.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to discuss the changing role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and illustrate how it now resonates with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) role, especially in the public sector.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper identifies where and how this has developed in terms of the correlation between the skill sets of the two groups.\nFindings: - It is suggested that CIOs should rise to the challenge and aim for CEO positions in organisations.\nOriginality/value: - The paper brings together some of the recent discussions within the business, computing and information management press on the role of the CIO and CEO, especially in the public sector.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Is innovation needed in the Old World wine market? The perception of Italian stakeholders
|
[
"Innovation",
"Tradition",
"Stakeholders’ perception",
"Qualitative approach",
"Italian wine chain"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Today, global wine markets are dynamic and complex also because they offer infinite varieties of products (Spahni, 1998). The wine market is extremely volatile, mainly because of variations in demand. During the past three decades, wine systems have undergone profound changes in production (including import-export flows) and consumption (Barber et al., 2006; Anderson and Nelgen, 2011; de Magistris et al., 2011; Lockshin and Corsi, 2012; Mariani et al., 2012). Globalization has boosted competition between Old World and New World producers; Old World producers (e.g. France, Italy and Spain) no longer dominate the production, export and marketing of wine, and New World producers (e.g. Australia, South Africa and the USA) are rapidly expanding their markets (Aylward, 2003; Campbell and Guibert, 2006; Giuliani et al., 2011; Koutroupi et al., 2015). Wine production and demand are falling in the Old World, while for New World producers the situation is the opposite. This market dichotomy finds its origin in a different approach toward innovation, even though the wine sector is not considered to be high tech.\n2. The Italian wine market: Italy has a long tradition of wine production and consumption, which play a highly important role in the Italian lifestyle and diet. In Italy, wines are closely associated to the locality territory and have strong historical and symbolic ties with their place of origin. This is demonstrated by the definition of \"wine\" given in art. 1 under Law 238 of December 12, 2016: \"Wine, Vineyards and Wine producing areas, as the result of labour and tied to skills, knowledge, practices and traditions is a cultural heritage that has to be protected and promoted in its social, economic, productive, environmental and cultural sustainability aspects.\"\n3. Material and methods: We adopted an exploratory research approach to identify the situation within the Italian wine market and the perception of stakeholders toward innovation in the Italian wine production and supply chain. In this case, we decided to use a qualitative method, with the aim of being able to understand complex issues that are not explicit in surface responses (Myers, 2009), as this type of method has been successfully used in the study of innovation and perception in the wine markets in Europe and Italy (e.g. Beverland, 2004; Harrington and Ottenbacher, 2008; Bregoli et al., 2016). The aims of this exploratory research approach are to examine a relatively under-investigated area and provide hypotheses and input for future research, based on quantitative approaches (Myers, 2009). Therefore, we did not impose a theoretical model or framework of innovation on the data collection or analysis.\n4. Results: This section summarizes the main findings focusing on the supply chain actors' and consumers' perceptions toward innovation in the wine business, the usefulness of innovation in the wine business, opportunities for and hindrances against the adoption of innovation in the Italian wine business, and factors which influence the Italian consumers' decision to purchase wine. The participants' discussions regarded their opinions toward medium quality wine[3] results from this study are more adapted to the situation in the medium quality wine market.\n5. Discussion and conclusions: In the last few decades, the Italian wine market has been through several changes. Wine production and consumption has decreased compared to 30 years ago, but the quality of the product has increased (Corduas et al., 2013). Due to changes in consumers' lifestyles and preferences, young consumers in particular tend to drink wine for pleasure rather than as part of a meal as in the past (Lockshin and Corsi, 2012; Winemonitor-Nomisma, 2014). Hedonistic aspects have become an important aspect of wine consumption (Alba and Williams, 2013), as wine is consumed on special occasions and for socializing both outside and in the home. Consequently, those in the wine market chain need to adopt business strategies to maintain their competitiveness in a market where innovation would seem to be crucial.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The wine market in Italy has been through several changes in the last decade. Actors in the supply chain need to find new strategies or tools in order to remain competitive in what has become a fiercely competitive sector. Innovation is one of the tools which have been successfully used in the New World wine market, hence innovation might also be a useful resource for actors in the Old World wine market, such as in Italy. The purpose of this paper is to explore stakeholders' perception of such innovation, including how its usefulness in the Italian wine production and distribution chain is perceived.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were carried out in Emilia-Romagna with a wide range of actors in the Italian wine chain and consumer focus groups and the resulting data were analyzed using the content-summarizing approach.\nFindings: These stakeholders agreed that innovation is needed for production and processing as well as in quality control, but only on condition that it should maintain the quality and value of traditional wines. Innovative wine products tend to be unacceptable to consumers. Most stakeholders associate innovation with communication as producers and distributors seek innovative ways to convey information regarding the value of wines to final consumers.\nResearch limitations/implications: The findings are qualitative and based on a small group of Italian wine industry players and consumers who operate mainly in a domestic context.\nPractical implications: The paper provides industrialists with information useful in the search to find the right strategies to make them more competitive in the Italian wine market. It is crucial to find and adopt innovative approaches toward communication throughout the chain. Information appealing to tradition and sentiment could be highly effective ways to reach the consumer.\nOriginality/value: This is the first in-depth study of the perceptions of all stakeholders (from producers to consumers) regarding innovation in the Italian wine chain; of particular importance as the industry is currently in transition toward globalization.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Measuring food and beverage service quality in spa hotels: A case study in Balikesir, Turkey
|
[
"Hotel",
"Service quality",
"Food and drink",
"Consumer attitudes",
"Hospitality services"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The pressure associated with modern lifestyles can negatively impact on health and may result in high stress levels from which individuals seek relaxation opportunities. Health tourism, particularly spa tourism, is one of the major choices for people who want to counter the stress of their daily lives or treat specific illnesses (Vajirakachorn, 2004). Demand for spa tourism has been increasing globally for over 20 years (Gligorijevic and Petrovic, 2010; Madanoglu and Brezina, 2008). Spa tourism is currently one of the fastest-growing sub-sectors of health tourism (Mak et al., 2009).\nLiterature review: Food and beverage service and its characteristics in spa hotels\nMethodology: Development of an instrument to evaluate service quality of spa hotel food and beverage provision\nResults: The results will be discussed under three headings. First, factor analysis of the data for each of the items of service quality to identify a smaller number of key dimensions on the basis of customer expectations. Second, customer expectations and the spa hotels' performance towards these expectations. Third, the particular findings in relation to the food and beverage service quality in the hotels participating in this study.\nDiscussion: This study had three aims: first, to develop an instrument to evaluate food and beverage service quality in spa hotels; second, to identify the aspects of service quality of food and beverage of which customers had the highest expectations, i.e. the key dimensions of food and beverage service quality in spa hotels; third, to measure customer perceptions of the spa hotels in this study and those dimensions with the largest gap between customer expectations and perceptions. Each of these aims will be discussed in turn.\nConclusions and practical implications: Customers visit spa hotels for health and well-being reasons and the service quality of food and beverage provision in spa hotels is vitally important. Measuring customer expectations and perceptions of the service quality of food and beverage provision allows spa hotel managers to understand how the services they provide are perceived by the customers. This study identifies six key dimensions of service quality related to customer expectations of food and beverage provision: \"assurance and employee knowledge\"; \"healthy and attractive food\"; \"empathy\"; \"tangibles\"; \"responsiveness of service delivery\"; \"reliability\". Focusing on these six key dimensions could help spa hotel managers to increase the perceived service quality of the services they offer to their guests. Having measured customer expectations and perceptions of the service quality of food and beverage provision on these six key dimensions in four Turkish spa hotels some recommendations can be given to the spa hotel managers to help them improve perceptions of the service quality of their food and beverage provision and promote customer satisfaction.\nLimitations of the study and suggestions for further research: This study has several limitations - most notably it only focuses on four spa hotels in the Turkish city of Balikesir. Although the 29-item instrument should be applicable for studying service quality of food and beverage provision at other spa hotels, the specific findings in relation to the performance of the spa hotels studied cannot be generalised to all spa hotels in Turkey or beyond Turkey to other countries.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The aim of this study was three-fold: first, to develop an instrument to evaluate food and beverage service quality in spa hotels; second, to identify aspects of food and beverage service quality of which customers had the highest expectations, i.e. the key dimensions of food and beverage service quality in spa hotels; third, to measure customer perceptions of the spa hotels in this study and to identify those dimensions with the largest gap between customer expectations and perceptions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to 331 customers at four different spa hotels in Balikesir, Turkey. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify service quality dimensions. Cronbach Alpha indicated the reliability of the factors identified. Customer expectations, perceptions and gaps between expectations and perceptions for each dimension were measured.\nFindings: Factor analysis revealed six quality dimensions: \"assurance and employee knowledge\"; \"healthy and attractive food\"; \"empathy\"; \"tangibles\"; \"responsiveness of service delivery\"; \"reliability\". Customer expectations were highest for \"tangibles\" and \"assurance and employee knowledge\". The largest gaps between perceptions and expectations were for \"healthy and attractive food\" and \"tangibles\".\nPractical implications: Key dimensions for food and beverage service quality in spa hotels were identified and a reliable instrument for measuring provision was developed. This should be applied by managers on an ongoing basis to evaluate their performance and give them a better understanding of food and beverage service quality in spa hotels. The study provides specific information on the performance of Turkish spa hotels in relation to food and beverage service quality.\nOriginality/value: This research addresses the paucity of research on customer perspectives of food and beverage provision in spa hotels and contributes to enhanced understanding of spa tourists and their expectations and perceptions of the service quality of food and beverage service quality.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The impact of ISP, BPR, and customization on ERP performance in manufacturing SMEs of Korea
|
[
"Enterprise resource planning (ERP)",
"Small medium-sized enterprises",
"Information strategic planning (ISP)",
"Business process reengineering (BPR)",
"Balanced score card (BSC)"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is defined as a company-wide information system that incorporates major business functions such as accounting, human resources management, production and marketing. Introducing ERP allows companies to enjoy financial and non-financial benefits, including inventory reduction, data integration and cost reduction (Jin et al., 2012; Lee et al., 2003; Holsapple and Sena, 2005; Gefen and Ragowsky, 2005; Aloini et al., 2007; Nah et al., 2007; Sammon and Adam, 2010). Initially used for internal integration, ERP is now applied toward external integration with management executive systems and supply chain management. In fact, ERP is increasingly being recognized as a business strategy tool for improving corporate competitiveness, and more and more small- and medium-sized manufacturers have been adopting ERP systems (Choi et al., 2013).\n2. Literature review on measuring ERP performance: Various studies have been carried out to ensure successful ERP implementations. The major areas of research regarding successful ERP are divided into two categories: critical success or failure factors and ERP performance measurement. The former, which initially focused on large companies, has expanded to focus on SMEs (Costa and Gianecchini, 2006; Buonanno et al., 2005). Studies on major success factors have useful implications for ERP implementation problems (Liang and Xue, 2004) and provided practitioners with guidelines for successful ERP implementations. In addition, Kim and Park (2006) investigate if BPR has a moderator effect on ERP performance in Korea SMEs. With the analysis of 77 valid questionnaires, they concluded that BPR is the most important factor for ERP success.\n3. Research hypotheses: 3.1 Hypotheses on ISP implementation and ERP performance\n4. Data analysis: To collect data, a survey was carried out on SME manufacturers that have adopted and run ERP systems in Korea. Before a t-test was conducted to verify the hypotheses, validity and reliability tests were performed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows 14.0 was used for the data analysis.\n5. Results of hypotheses test: To verify the hypotheses, independent t-tests were performed to analyze differences in ERP utilization by ISP and BPR implementation, and one-way ANOVA was conducted to analyze ERP performance according to customization levels.\n6. Conclusions: 6.1 Contributions to research and practice\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to assess how enterprise resource planning (ERP) performance of Korean small and medium enterprises in manufacturing differs according to different levels of business process reengineering (BPR), information strategic planning (ISP) and ERP customization.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was carried out in this research. Responses from 96 small and medium manufacturing companies that have adopted ERP systems were analyzed.\nFindings: The results of this study suggest that ISP and BPR implementation are positively correlated to ERP performance.\nOriginality/value: While consulting and customization costs have positive impacts on ERP performance, the level of customization does not influence performance. As one of the pioneering studies that investigate the impact of BPR, ISP and ERP customization on small and medium manufacturing companies, this research contributes to both theory and practice.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Consumer shopping value, satisfaction, and loyalty for retail apparel brands
|
[
"Customer satisfaction",
"Customer loyalty",
"Retail trade",
"Brands"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Competitive intensity forces retailers in the US and abroad to formulate strategies that will insulate and increase profit. Given the increasing number of shopping venues available (i.e. brick and mortar stores, catalogs, television, internet), deciding where to shop is becoming a key decision for consumers (Nevin and Houston, 1980; Kirkup and Rafig, 1999). Therefore, the retailer's ability to differentiate itself from competitors is crucial to long-term profitability (Samli, 1998).The development of in-house retail brands is a differentiation strategy that continues to gain popularity (Abend, 2000; Corstjens and Lal, 2000; Ailawadi, 2001). Retail brands are defined as \"the merchandise owned, controlled, and sold exclusively by a retailer, wholesaler, or distributor\" (Fitzell, 1982), and provide retailers with the opportunity to sell more merchandise at full price, thereby avoiding markdown cycles that erode profit (Fitzell, 1998; Corstjens and Lal, 2000; Ailawadi, 2001). Previous research indicates that retail brands offer retailers a means to achieve differentiation, loyalty, and profitability (Fitzell, 1998; Corstjens and Lal, 2000).Retail branding allows the retailer to establish a market-based relational asset (customer loyalty) which provides a source of competitive advantage (Srivastava et al., 1998). In turn, customer loyalty likely results in increased profit for the retailer because consumers purchase a higher percentage of merchandise from the retailer (Corstjens and Lal, 2000; Ailawadi, 2001). Therefore, understanding the antecedents and outcomes of customer loyalty is important for retail branding strategy.The success of the strategy is dependent upon several factors, the most critical of which is the company's (brand's) ability to fulfill its promises to the consumer. The continued fulfillment of promises usually leads to a long-term, profitable relationship between the retailer and the consumer. The retail brand's promises are related to the shopping benefits (i.e. utilitarian and hedonic) it offers consumers. These benefits are derived by the consumer with each shopping trip for the brand. The consumer benefit/loyalty framework is developing in the literature (Macintosh and Lockshin, 1997; Reynolds and Beatty, 1999; Reynolds and Arnold, 2000; DeWulf et al., 2001); however, previous research has been concerned with aspects of consumer benefits on salesperson, store, and company loyalty. In contrast, this study was concerned with situations where the retail store name and the brand were synonymous. In this case, the store is the brand; therefore, the brand name is associated with the retailer's name and its entire inventory.This study seeks to explain the effect of consumer shopping benefits (i.e. utilitarian and hedonic) on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and word of mouth communication in a retail branding context. By developing a conceptual framework for this phenomenon and subsequently testing the proposed hypotheses, this research offers a better understanding of some of the determinants of retail brand satisfaction and loyalty. Therefore, the current study addresses the following question: Are consumer shopping benefits (i.e. utilitarian and hedonic) derived from the experience of purchasing retail branded products linked to customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and word of mouth communication? The results of this study provide future research directions for academicians as well as prescriptions for practitioners who choose to utilize retail branding strategies.\nReview of the literature: Utilitarian and hedonic shopping benefits\nTheoretical framework and hypotheses: The theoretical framework for the study was adapted from the Reynolds and Beatty (1999) model, based on its past success in the study of consumer benefits, satisfaction, and loyalty in the retail context. The adapted framework is shown in Figure 1. Utilitarian and hedonic shopping benefits served as the exogenous variables, while customer satisfaction, customer loyalty (attitudinal loyalty), and word of mouth communication (behavioral loyalty) were the endogenous variables. Drawing on theory and empirical findings discussed in the previous section, the following hypotheses were examined:H1. A significant, positive effect exists between utilitarian shopping benefits and customer satisfaction in the retail branded shopping context.\nResearch design: Store format and retail brand selection\nMethodology: The data were collected using a survey methodology. The administrator of the survey personally collected the data in classrooms at a large university in the Southeastern US. Respondents were instructed to answer the questions based on their most recent purchase experience with one of the six retail brands selected for the study. The survey instrument included a screening question to ensure that respondents had purchased at least one product (during the past six months) from one of the retail brands included in the study.Pretest\nResults: Sample characteristics\nLimitations, conclusions, and future research: This research has a number of limitations that must be acknowledged. First, the sample used for this study consisted entirely of college students and was mostly female. Therefore, these results may not be applicable to the wider population in general. Secondly, the results of this study are limited to a specialty apparel retail branded purchasing context. Lastly, it must be acknowledged that there may be numerous other variables that contribute to the development of customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and word of mouth communication. In addition to utilitarian and hedonic shopping benefits, there may be other types of benefits that contribute to the process.The primary objective of this study was to answer the question: \"Are consumer shopping benefits (i.e. utilitarian and hedonic) derived from the experience of purchasing retail branded products linked to customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and word of mouth communication?\" The findings of the study indicate that consumer shopping benefits do influence these outcomes. Therefore, the knowledge gained from this research should provide useful information and guidance to both academicians and retailing practitioners.All of the hypotheses in the study were supported by the data. The hypothesis test results indicated that both utilitarian and hedonic shopping benefits have a positive effect on customer satisfaction. The results also indicate that customer satisfaction is positively associated with customer loyalty and word of mouth communication. Testing the rival model demonstrated the effect of customer loyalty as a mediator between customer satisfaction and word of mouth communication. Therefore, the results of the hypothesis tests were consistent with previous research examining the relationships between these constructs in other contexts.This study has contributed to extending the consumer benefit/loyalty framework to the retail branding context. However, an important distinction was made through the use of the rival model. Customer satisfaction is an antecedent of word of mouth communication, but customer loyalty (favorable relative attitude) must be present to mediate the relationship. This finding is important for theory building in this and other marketing and consumer contexts.In the increasingly competitive environment faced by today's retailers, the pursuit of consumer loyalty is paramount. In order to be competitive, retailers must identify the key ingredients of consumer loyalty and the relationships between the benefits delivered to the consumer and important outcomes (i.e. satisfaction, loyalty, word of mouth communication). The findings of this study contribute in the development of an organizing framework for those relationships, which is exceptionally important in an applied discipline such as retailing.This study identified two types of benefits desired by the consumer: utilitarian and hedonic. Retailers should understand this if they expect to provide utilitarian benefits to consumers by way of having the right product on hand at the right place and time. In addition, they must recognize that the consumer also desires a hedonic benefit in terms of the shopping experience. The results of this study indicate that consumers expect the purchase experience to offer hedonic qualities such as excitement, entertainment, escapism, fantasy, and fun. Retailers that utilize the store-as-the-brand strategy should recognize this and work to deliver hedonic value throughout the purchase experience. In addition, retailers should recognize that their performance in the delivery of these consumer benefits is linked to important outcomes such as satisfaction, loyalty, and word of mouth communication.Another important finding of this study indicated that consumer satisfaction is linked to attitudinal loyalty. Although one could argue that other variables not examined in this study contribute equally to attitudinal loyalty, satisfaction appears to be an important antecedent. Therefore, retailers should recognize that in order to create a loyal customer base, they must satisfy the desires and needs of the consumer. One way that retailers can provide satisfaction to the consumer is through the delivery of value in the form of utilitarian and hedonic benefits associated with the purchase experience. Retailers should recognize that they must meet or exceed the consumer's expectations in terms of the benefits the consumer is seeking. It is also important for retailers to understand the link between satisfaction and other important outcome variables (i.e. attitudinal loyalty, word of mouth communication) because satisfaction contributes to these outcomes.The findings of this study indicated that attitudinal loyalty serves as a mediator between consumer satisfaction and consumer word of mouth communication. It seems reasonable that attitudinal loyalty would mediate the relationship between these constructs because it is a more enduring concept when compared to consumer satisfaction. In their pursuit of customer loyalty, it is important for retailers to understand this relationship and the associated implications. The results of this research indicate that delivering a satisfying purchase experience can lead to attitudinal loyalty, and in turn, that attitudinal loyalty can lead to the consumer engaging in word of mouth communication about the retail store brand.The extant body of literature on the consumer benefits/loyalty framework is in an early stage of development. The primary goal for future research should be to identify and examine the various types of consumer benefits that influence consumers' satisfaction, loyalty, and word of mouth communication. In-depth qualitative research in the form of personal interviews and focus groups would provide a better understanding of the benefits desired by consumers. This qualitative research would, in turn, contribute to the development of better measures to capture each type of benefit. In turn, it is important to continue to examine the relationships between consumer benefits and outcome variables that are crucial to the success of the retail firm (e.g. customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and word of mouth communication). A particularly important area of investigation is the role of attitudinal loyalty as a mediator between customer satisfaction and word of mouth communication.Future research should also focus on replicating this study with a different target respondent. A large survey of consumers of various backgrounds in various geographic areas could help to make the findings of this study more generalizable to the overall population. In addition, replicating the study using a different store format (e.g. department store) would contribute to generalizability across various retail categories.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - To examine the effect of utilitarian and hedonic shopping benefits on customer satisfaction, loyalty, and word of mouth communication in a retail branded context.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A sample of young adult consumers (N=276) was surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical techniques (confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling) were used to evaluate the data.\nFindings: - Statistical models indicate support for significant, positive relationships between utilitarian and hedonic shopping benefits, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and word of mouth communication.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Limitations of this study include the use of a college student sample and confinement to the specialty apparel retail branded purchasing context. The findings are useful because links between the delivery of shopping benefits (e.g. hedonic and utilitarian) and important outcome variables (e.g. customer satisfaction, loyalty, and word of mouth communication) are demonstrated.\nPractical implications: - In the increasingly competitive environment faced by today's retailers, the pursuit of customer loyalty is paramount. In order to be competitive, retailers must identify the key antecedents to customer loyalty and the relationships between the benefits delivered to the consumer and important outcomes (e.g. satisfaction, word of mouth communication). The findings of this study contribute to the development of an organizing framework for such relationships, which is exceptionally important for retailers.\nOriginality/value: - This paper undertakes an empirical examination of the effect of shopping benefits on several outcome variables. The paper is unique because of the relative newness of the context in which the study was conducted (retail branded products).\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Confirmatory factor analysis of the equity preference questionnaire
|
[
"Equity theory",
"Factor analysis",
"Gender"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Equity sensitivity was originally described as an attitudinal construct (Huseman et al., 1985) and later as an individual difference whereby people have differing sensitivity (Huseman et al., 1987), tolerance (King et al., 1993), or preference (Sauley and Bedeian, 2000) for levels of unfairness in the workplace. Equity sensitivity is a direct corollary of equity theory (Adams, 1963, 1965), which, in turn is essentially a special case of cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957). Sauley and Bedeian (2000) developed the equity preference questionnaire (EPQ) to overcome some measurement shortcomings of the equity sensitivity instrument (ESI) (Huseman et al., 1985) and to further develop and refine the nomological network in which equity sensitivity is placed. Specific objections by Sauley and Bedeian (2000) to the ESI include issues associated with the content domain for the items in the scale, sample specific scoring, and the associated problem of using cut scores to artificially trichotomize an otherwise continuous measure.\nTheoretical framework: Festinger's (1957) cognitive dissonance theory states that dissonance (usually manifested by anxiety) can be viewed as an antecedent condition leading to activity that is oriented toward dissonance reduction. Dissonance is a key aspect of equity theory (Adams, 1963, 1965), which posits that individuals evaluate their own ratio of work outcomes to work inputs and compare their ratio to that of some referent other. Inputs and outcomes are perceptual in nature. Inputs can include physical abilities, cognitive abilities, education, experience, training, skill, seniority, age, social status, and effort. Outcomes can include pay, rewards intrinsic to the job, benefits, job status, and a variety of perquisites. A state of inequity or anxiety exists when a person's ratio of outcomes to inputs is inequivalent to what they perceive to be their referent other's ratio of outcomes to inputs (Adams, 1963, 1965).Most people strive for fairness in the workplace and are therefore equity sensitive (Huseman et al., 1987). However, those less sensitive to inequity in the workplace (i.e. those with benevolent tendencies) are not as outwardly focused on what outcomes they garner from the organization as are persons who are more sensitive to workplace unfairness (i.e. those with entitled tendencies; Huseman et al., 1985). More specifically, entitlement is a characteristic of individuals who prefer to get more from their workplace than they give, whereas benevolence is a characteristic of individuals who prefer to give more than they receive. This predisposition is proposed to be trait-like rather than state-like because such preferences for fairness are supposed to be time and context independent (King et al., 1993; King and Hinson, 1994).Stone and Stone-Romero (2002) suggest that conceptions of equity, fairness, or justice commonly arise out of religious and moral teachings and in western societies are based upon the allocation rules of proportionality, equality, or need which suggests that rewards should either be distributed according to the proportion of one's contributions, equally amongst all regardless of one's contributions, or to those with the greatest needs, respectively (Buchanan and Mathieu, 1986; Leventhal, 1980). These allocation rules not withstanding, Lerner's (1980) just world hypothesis suggests that most persons get what they deserve in life: bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people. From an equity theory perspective, one can cognitively distort one's perception of their input-to-outcome ratio such that they are able to bring it back into equivalency with that of their comparison other. If the world is truly just, then entitled persons must be more predisposed toward such distortion since they believe that they simply must receive more than everyone else. They tend \"to view life as unfair for denying him [sic] that to which he [sic] is entitled\" (Mosak, 1971, p. 78). At the root of entitlement are overly permissive childrearing practices which encourage children to get without giving (Mosak, 1959). These children grow to become entitled adults who are more predisposed toward dissatisfaction and anxiety in the workplace (Huseman et al., 1987), except when they are receiving an inordinately large piece of the proverbial pie. Benevolence has been proposed as the antithesis of entitlement (Huseman et al., 1985, 1987; King et al., 1993) and therefore as the other endpoint of a unidimensional construct (Huseman et al., 1985; Sauley and Bedeian, 2000). The allocation of rewards, and the anxiety or dissonance that arises from unequal allocation, is at the heart of the individual difference conceptualized of as equity sensitivity. Equity sensitivity thus plays a role in predicting reactions to reward allocation decisions, as a precursor to the anxiety associated with inequity in the workplace, and as a moderator of the relationship between fairness and satisfaction. As an individual difference, its relationship with other personal characteristics is of paramount importance in understanding its place in the nomological network and in establishing the construct validity of its measurement.\nCorrelates of equity sensitivity: Empathy\nMeasuring equity sensitivity: Equity sensitivity instrument (ESI)\nMethod: Participants\nResults: Confirmatory factor analysis results\nDiscussion: Factor structure of the EPQ\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the factor structure of the equity preference questionnaire (EPQ).\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Individual level data are collected from two samples (n1=382, n2=455) and subjected to confirmatory factor analysis of an a priori two-factor structure for equity sensitivity. Sample two is randomly split and one half subjected to structural equation modeling.\nFindings: - Superior fit in both samples is found for a two-factor structure compared to a one-factor structure. Additionally, in sample two empathy, positive affectivity, and feminine gender role identity related differentially to the factors of entitlement and benevolence.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Samples are comprise of college students. However, the average level of full-time work experience (sample one 45.6 percent > 1 year, sample two mean 23.57 months) is large and the racial groups in sample two are diverse (76 percent non-white). Additionally, the data are collected cross-sectionally so causality cannot be inferred.\nPractical implications: - Entitlement and benevolence seem to be two different components of equity sensitivity. Thus, people can be high or low on one or both by choosing different comparison others in different situations.\nOriginality/value: - Previous research has not used a confirmatory framework to analyze the EPQ, but rather it focuse on the relationship between scores on the EPQ and other variables or used exploratory factor analysis.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The fiscal system of China under the New Normal: trends and changes
|
[
"Economic New Normal",
"New trends and changes",
"Revenue and expenditure",
"Fiscal policy",
"Reform of fiscal and taxation systems"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nChange (trend) 1: revenue growth experiences a sharp downward trend, while tax elasticity declines rapidly: The basic theory of economics tells us that there is a substantial correspondence between economic growth and revenue (Romer and Romer, 2007). In addition, judging from the development of other related countries, it can be seen that economic growth will lead to a greater revenue increase and that an economic downturn will bring about a sharper revenue decline (IMF, 2015). Over the past few years, it is this kind of trajectory that China's revenue has followed.\nChange (trend) 2: fiscal expenditure rises, while the rigidity of expenditure strengthens: Meanwhile, the fiscal expenditure rises against the tendency. In general, expenditures in all areas have not gone beyond the general trajectory of declining correspondingly with the decrease of disposable financial resources (Romer and Romer, 2008). As the economy slows down, there is a significant demand for expenditure growth in maintaining steady growth, adjusting the structure, promoting the reform, improving people's lives and guarding against risks. In addition, with the effect of inertia, there is a marked tendency toward the increase in the cost of social security including pension and medical care, and the stress of medium-term and long-term expenditures is also high.\nChange (trend) 3: the government budget changes from \"surplus\" to \"short of revenue\" and the non-general public budget plays a more important role in the full budget: In the past years, one of the daily tasks confronting China's budget management was how to allocate and use \"surplus\" revenue from budget implementation. Due to the large scale and regularity of \"surplus,\" not only does the decision to allocate and use \"surplus\" gain much attention, but also problems associated with this process, including the decision-making mechanism and its economic and social impact, have always been controversies.\nChange (trend) 4: the fiscal policy expands cyclically, highlighting the significance of the full-caliber effect assessment: Our fiscal management has always been done cautiously. The cautiousness is shown in the decisions regarding fiscal policy direction. In the past, an expansionary fiscal policy, tight fiscal policy or the extent of expansion or tightness was generally discussed once a year. Even if the new fiscal policy structure was the same as the original one, it must be expressed in the Central Economic Work Meeting held at the end of each year that it is to continue to implement proactive fiscal policy or to continue to implement prudent fiscal policy next year.\nChange (trend) 5: the centralized system exhibits a trend of loosening, showing the sign back to the tax distribution system: Historical experience tells us that the relationship between the central fiscal system and the local fiscal system resembles the financial exchange between two generations within a family. If parents are financially healthy or have sufficient financial resources, with an ability to fulfill the needs of their children by giving them money, then it is natural and regular to directly meddle in or strictly control their children's financial arrangements. However, once the parents' financial situation gets worse or their financial resources are inadequate, they no longer have the ability to satisfy the needs of their children as before. As a result, as financial support for their children declines, the intervention and control will be reduced, even if they do not want that.\nChange (trend) 6: fiscal difficulties force continued reform of fiscal and taxation system, resulting in a new dynamic: The history of the fiscal and taxation systems' reforms in ancient and modern China, and abroad shows that every significant financial and taxation system reform takes place during difficult financial periods, instead of periods of ample finance. The greater the gap between revenue and expenditure is, the more challenges the fiscal balance will face. The more limits public finances suffer, the more dynamic and vital the reforms will be, and the less obstacles the reforms will face. And it will be easier to launch the proposed fiscal and taxation reforms.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: More and more statistics have repeatedly shown that as the economic development has entered the New Normal, the Chinese fiscal system has experienced tremendous changes. Although chance cannot be ruled out, much of those changes indicate trends, and they can even be said to be the result of the law of economic development. These trends and changes have repeatedly demonstrated that, as a reflection and an inevitable result of the economic developing speed shift, structural adjustment and energy conversion, the Chinese fiscal system, far from the conventional operating state, has progressed on a new path. The paper aims to discuss this issue.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper systematically analyzes several new trends and changes in the Chinese fiscal system under the New Normal. First, revenue growth has experienced a sharp downward trend, while the tax elasticity coefficient has declined rapidly. Second, fiscal expenditure has risen against the tendency, while the rigidity of expenditure has kept on increasing.\nFindings: Considering the present fiscal and taxation system reform with the analysis above, it can be seen that if the reform's progress for the past two years is slower than expected - thus, preventing the effects of all aspects from a timely achievement - then, in the recent period, the agreement on the fiscal and taxation system reform will be reached and challenges entirely different from the past, including sharp slowdown in revenue growth rate, fiscal expenditure rising against trend and increases in fiscal deficit and government debts will be faced. The factors encouraging the reform are gathering gradually. The growth of the strength to push the reform forward is speeding up. And the pace of the reform in relevant areas is quickening.\nOriginality/value: In the face of those trends and changes, on the one hand, the authors should deeply understand and accurately grasp them through a comprehensive summary and systematic analysis. On the other hand, a series of conventional ideas, thoughts and strategies should be adjusted comprehensively and duly. Taking a train of new ideas, thoughts and strategies, the authors ought to actively adapt to and initiate a new Chinese fiscal structure under the New Normal of China's economy.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The contribution of working conditions and care recipient characteristics to work-related abuse and exploitation of migrant home care workers
|
[
"Workplace",
"Employee relations",
"Home care",
"Migrant workers",
"Abuse",
"Older adults",
"Rights",
"Violence",
"Immigration",
"Long-term care"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Over the past few decades, the developed world has become increasingly dependent on the cheap labor force of migrant workers. The most important reasons for the \"import\" of migrant workers are an increase in life expectancy and a decline in birth rate resulting in a shortage of workers, as well as the insufficient number of local residents willing to undertake dreary and demanding jobs (World Health Organization, 2016). These jobs tend to jeopardize the worker's health and general well-being. At times, migrant workers are patronized and are often treated with suspicion (Ahdut and Amit, 2010). Within the vulnerable group of migrant workers, those who are likely to face abuse and exploitation are the care workers, as demographic, situational and contextual factors are tied together to create a multi-layer vulnerability.\nThe special vulnerability of migrant care workers: when gender, race, and social status meet isolation and dependency: The first layer in this aforementioned multi-layer vulnerability of the migrant care worker is his or her demographic profile. Care work, similar to other forms of non-reproductive labor (such as cleaning, cooking, and child rearing), has a gendered, racialized history, which makes cares particularly vulnerable (Doorn, 2017). A theoretical framework that has been widely applied is the notion of the \"care chain\" (Parrenas, 2012), in which people are connected via the work of care. In the USA, paid care workers will generally be black, Latina, or Asian American women (Doorn, 2017), whereas in Europe, these women are mainly ethnic minorities (ILO, 2013). In other words, the people who supply the \"dirty work\" are mainly women who are at the bottom of the social hierarchy, whereas the recipients have a higher class (Anderson, 2015). As Glenn (1992) noted, these gaps between the worker and the employer are used to justify exploitation, and explain structural violence. These gaps might be further intensified in the case of migrant care workers, who are seen as suitable to do care work also because ethnic \"others\" are often considered appropriate to deal with dirty jobs like cleaning and home care (Anderson, 2000). Cox (2014) further explains that distance from \"dirt\" is a sign of status - as immigrants are seen dirtier than local people, they are considered to better suit this kind of work. In King's (1988) words, the demographic profile of migrant care workers will probably cause them to suffer from multiple jeopardies as \"racism multiplied by sexism multiplied by classism\" (p. 47).\nThe Israeli case: Israel, as the country with the second largest ratio of migrant care workers to citizens within the OECD countries (Natan, 2011), makes a unique case study. While migrant care workers represent only a fifth of the total long-term workforce in Canada and the USA, they represent about 50 percent of Israel's workforce. Currently, there are about 92,000 migrant home care workers (20 percent working illegally; CIMI, 2016). As in other OECD countries such as the UK, the USA, and Canada (O'Shea and Walsh, 2010), the majority of migrant home care workers in Israel are Filipino women (CIMI, 2016). Women outnumber men by a ratio of 6 to 1 (Embassy of the Philippines in Israel, 2017).\nMethods: Participants\nResults: Overall, more then half (55 percent) of the migrant home care workers reported that they had been exposed to at least one type of work-related abuse while in Israel. About a third of the participants reported they were exposed to current abuse by their employer. Emotional and physical abuses were prominent, and sexual abuse was the least reported.\nDiscussion: In many Western countries, round-the-clock home care is mostly provided by migrant workers (O'Shea and Walsh, 2010). Because migrant workers are recognized as a deprived and disempowered group, it is important to evaluate its working conditions. This study identifies which characteristics of the migrant home care workers, the care recipients and the work conditions are linked with work-related abuse of migrant home care workers in Israel.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Migrant home care workers constitute a vulnerable group in society, which is often exposed to work-related abuse. The purpose of this paper is to explore which characteristics are linked with their abuse.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Overall, 187 Filipino home care workers who work in Israel were recruited via snowball sampling and filled an anonymous questionnaire regarding work-related abuse incidents and working conditions.\nFindings: More than half of the participants reported exposure to abuse (e.g. sexual, physical, or emotional) or exploitation (e.g. asking to do more than job requirements). Particularly vulnerable were migrant workers during their first year in the host country and those who were taking care of an older adult with cognitive impairment. Interestingly, men who served as care workers were more susceptible to abuse than women.\nOriginality/value: The findings point to specific characteristics which make home care workers more susceptible to abuse illustrate the need for a closer supervision on the working conditions of home care workers, especially during the initial period of their work. Training migrant home care workers in the area of dementia care is also important.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A sales process framework to regain B2B customers
|
[
"Attribution theory",
"B2B customer reacquisition",
"Justice theory",
"Lost customers",
"Sales process",
"Win back"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Sales executives constantly search for opportunities to gain, retain and grow business opportunities for their firms. Yet no matter how effective a company's sales process or customer relationship management (CRM) program is, inevitably, some customers will defect and switch to other suppliers. Although there are well-established sales processes and frameworks to guide salespeople when acquiring new accounts and maintaining customer relationships, there are remarkably few studies or formal systems in place to guide customer reacquisition efforts. More research exploring reacquisition strategies and the development of proven frameworks is needed to provide salespeople the tools to evaluate reacquisition opportunities and execute reacquisition strategies. Left without these frameworks and tools, salespeople may engage in reacquisition activities that are either ineffective or inefficient, or worse, they may participate in activities that run counter to the CRM goals of their sales firm.\nLiterature review: In B2B sales, both the buyers and sellers are engaged in a value co-creation process for economic exchange (Dixon et al., 2012). These exchange and sales processes are complex, dynamic and constantly evolving. As the marketplace becomes increasingly competitive and customers more value conscious, relationships and loyalty will likely be challenged. Changes in a customer's cost structure, personnel, purchasing motivations and goals, changes in the sales organization's personnel and processes and competitors' actions can strengthen or deteriorate an established relationship (Dwyer et al., 1987). As salespeople often manage customer loyalty in B2B relationships, salespeople play a vital role in reducing customer defection, regaining business, rebuilding value and repairing relationships (Palmatier et al., 2007; Johnson et al., 2001).\nConceptual framework - a reacquisition sales process: One of the oldest and most fundamental models within the sales discipline is the seven-step selling process (Moncrief and Marshall, 2005). Traditionally, this selling process consists of: prospecting, pre-approach, approach, presentation, overcoming objections, closing and follow-up activities (Dubinsky, 1980/1981). Given the rapidly changing sales environment, there have been numerous calls for modernizing and enhancing this process. For example, Marshall et al. (1999) identify new selling activates stemming from technology use. Moncrief and Marshall (2005) propose an updated selling process that takes into account a relationship selling approach centering on assessing and creating value while utilizing databases to facilitate the sales process. Plouffe et al. (2013) argue that refinement of the sales process is most needed in the later stages as competition becomes more formidable and selling cycles are elongated. They develop and test a model that incorporates negotiation practices into the sales process. Although these studies all enhance our understanding of what today's salespeople do to facilitate sales, they only examine a sales process that spans from prospecting, to customer acquisition, to account management. They do not examine lost customers and the process of reacquisition. Because reacquisition activities are likely very different from acquisition activities, a comprehensive sales process needs to include the examination of reacquiring lost customers (Stauss and Friege, 1999). To this end, we develop a framework of the reacquisition sales process.\nMethodology: The goal of this research is to develop a framework illustrating how sales executives attempt to reacquire lost customers. To gain in-depth knowledge of customer reacquisition, we conducted critical incident in-depth interviews. Critical incident technique (CIT) involves the use of specific stories and examples (i.e. incidents) that are content analyzed with the purpose of uncovering emergent themes, patterns and categories. As a qualitative methodology, CIT has been found to be particularly valuable at identifying categories and typologies (Bitner et al., 1990). Respondents for this study are B2B salespeople identified from a convenience sample developed from a major university's network in New Zealand. Therefore, our unit of analysis is a reacquisition incident. We pre-screened respondents to ensure that appropriate and knowledgeable individuals were selected to participate in the interviews (Johnston et al., 1999). No attempt was made to identify salespeople in specific industries. Therefore, there is ample variability with respect to the goods/services make-up of the products sold and the degree of product customization required by customers. Each followed the same interview protocol.\nFindings: Sample characteristics\nManagerial implications: Although CRM literature historically emphasizes the best practices and processes to acquire and retain customers, effective sales organizations must also be prepared to deal with lost customers and be able to win them back. To this end, the current study constructs a sales reacquisition process framework by integrating literature on consumer defection, attribution theory, service recovery strategies and justice theory. The findings show that customer reacquisition is an integral part of CRM and that analyzing and resolving customer defection is an important CRM issue. The results provide strong support for the B2B sales reacquisition process framework and suggest that sales executives need to manage customer reacquisition with a systematic process.\nLimitations and future research: The qualitative and exploratory nature of this research brings with it accompanying methodological strengths and weaknesses. Although the qualitative CIT allows for the capture of rich information fundamental to theory development, it is less effective at delivering findings that are highly generalizable and prescriptive. So while business practitioners often highly value case-based and qualitative research (Batt, 2012; Johnston et al., 1999), we acknowledge its limitations. However, this study can serve to stimulate interest and further research on this topic.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a sales process framework to facilitate business-to-business (B2B) customer reacquisition. A comprehensive CRM process needs to include reacquisition strategies. Yet, very few firms have formal procedures to guide reacquisition efforts. This gap in the sales process reflects the relatively sparse literature on B2B customer reacquisition models. The present research intends to fill this gap and creates a sales process model to guide salespeople to regain B2B lost customers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using critical incident technique (CIT), this study conducted in-depth interviews with 54 B2B salespeople. Each salesperson reported one successful and one unsuccessful reacquisition incidents. A total of 108 critical incidents were collected for analysis.\nFindings: A four-step sales process model to regain B2B customers was developed and empirically supported, including: Segment lost customers; Assess reasons for loss; Develop reacquisition activities; and Implement reacquisition strategies.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study is qualitative and exploratory in nature; future research should develop dyadic surveys to validate the results.\nPractical implications: This four-step reacquisition process allows sales firms to identify essential elements and establish protocols/policies to train and motivate salespeople. The framework can facilitate salespeople develop problem-focused solutions to correctly diagnose the situation and effectively re-negotiate with defected customers. Thus, this process may help reduce inefficiency in the reacquisition process and increase reacquisition ratios.\nSocial implications: By considering justice/fairness from customer's perspective, sales firm may properly recover lost business relationship, and do so in ways that are considered both just and ethical.\nOriginality/value: This is one of the first studies to examine the reacquisition of lost B2B customers. It expands on the traditional sales process to include four steps that enable a sales reacquisition process.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Understanding advertising clutter and the real solution to declining audience attention to mass media commercial messages
|
[
"Advertising",
"Television commercials",
"Advertising media",
"Advertising effectiveness"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Consumers were always able to avoid mass media advertising. Television breaks would be the time to make snacks or go to the toilet, magazine readers could turn the page and newspapers could have entire sections tossed aside. Since the advent of preset buttons on car radios five decades ago, commuter audiences would shift between alternative stations as the string of commercials outran the listener's ability to tolerate the repetitive messages. And today, advertising avoidance becomes increasingly easy. Televisions all have remote controls, many people watch only shows that were recorded earlier so the commercials can be skipped, or many broadcast services are now by subscription and commercial-free.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - In all mass media advertising, the increasing advertising to editorial ratio is causing audience inattention and consumer complaints. The usual solutions are more creative advertising or better hiding of the messages within the editorial content. This discussion aims to describe the real solution, first predicted by Howard Gossage five decades ago, which requires understanding the problem in historical perspective and maybe a shift back to some older practices.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Uses a historical perspective plus the wisdom to Gossage to point out the potential salvation and future for effective advertising.\nFindings: - More effective advertising would mean that there would be less of it.\nOriginality/value: - Abuse of audiences by intrusive advertising lowers the effectiveness of the entire communications form. For better advertising, there should be less of it and more targeted both in placement and content. This offers a more realistic statement of how advertising can maximize its persuasive power in the future.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Managing construction waste on-site through system dynamics modelling: the case of Hong Kong
|
[
"Waste management",
"Construction industry",
"Hong Kong"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Construction and demolition (C&D) waste management has become one of the major environmental problems in both developed and developing countries. It has been a pressing issue in Hong Kong since the late 1990s. Tremendous amounts of C&D waste have been generated from ongoing new construction works, as well as renovation and demolition works. The C&D waste has been increased which has been resulted from the extensive building and infrastructure development projects as well as redevelopment of old districts. The quantity of construction waste has increased from 8,000 tonnes in 1991 to 20,000 in 2004 (EPD, 2005).In this situation, not only a large amount of money is paid to handle C&D waste, but also valuable land is consumed for C&D waste disposal. It is reported that C&D waste has been costing the government more than HK$ 200 million per year for disposal and taking up valuable landfill space at a rate of about 3,500 m3 per day. Keeping with the rate, our landfills will run out around 2015. Waste forecasting is a complex learning process, involving both objective methods and subjective interpretation of data. Nevertheless, it is necessary to forecast C&D waste quantities on-site by using a method to be in line with the changes.The main aim of the research described here is purpose of the study is to develop a model by using system dynamics to forecast construction waste on-site. This is an extended study specialising on a sub-model under the general C&D waste management model (Hao et al., 2007) focusing on construction site. The aim is to be achieved by using the model to study C&D waste generating factors and to forecast C&D waste levels.\nMethodology by using system dynamics: A waste management mapping model has been developed based on some cases in Hong Kong for guiding the waste controlling procedures (Shen et al., 2004). However, wastage factors and waste handling procedures involved in C&D waste management have been viewed separately. No one has considered the inter-relationships between major decisions makers involved in C&D waste management. The whole business of waste management can essentially be viewed as one system all linked to the physical waste process because it involves different decision makers, disciplines and activities. With this in mind, waste management can be considered as a complex system, with inherent characteristics for planning, organising, and co-ordinating all activities.System Dynamics (SD), originated by Forrester (1958), is a system analysis approach that is concerned with creating models or representations of real world systems and studying their dynamics. The modelling approach focuses upon an understanding of feedback and feed forward relationships, and the model construction requires the analyst to construct the relationships between the various stage variables and rate variables. As a result, system dynamics is often used as a methodology for improving the soundness and effectiveness of the decision-making process and, in recent times, has become a popular technique for modelling construction project management (Sterman, 1992; Rodrigues and Bowers, 1996; Hao and Scott, 2001). It can be seen that by using the similar approach and methodology will throw some light for C&D waste management. Although system dynamics has been widely used in different fields of project management, the area of C&D waste management has not benefited enough from this modelling approach. Only a few published articles can be found.Mashayekhi (1993) carried out a comprehensive study on the transition in New York State solid waste system, which incorporated qualitative analysis in its system dynamics model. Sudhir et al. (1997) further identified the difference of solid waste management system between developed countries and developing countries. It was suggested that both formal and informal systems operate at the same time in the developing countries. Therefore, a system dynamics model relevant to the issues in developing countries, specifically to the Indian context, was developed. Karavezyris et al. (2002) applied system dynamics to forecasting of municipal solid waste. In order to incorporate qualitative variables used for modelling exogenous elements like influences and thresholds, fuzzy logic was integrated with the system dynamics tool. To resolve the scarcity of complete historical records of solid waste, a system dynamics model based on grey dynamic model was developed for prediction of solid waste generation in a fast-growing urban area (Dyson and Chang, 2005). From the view of the whole life cycle of a construction project, Hao et al. (2007) developed a simulation model based on system dynamics methodology for strategic planning of C&D waste in Hong Kong.\nC&D waste management for construction on-site: One of the most effective means is on-site sorting of C&D waste (Poon et al., 2001). C&D waste usually involves two types of material: the inert waste, which comprises mainly sand, bricks and concrete, and the non-inert waste, consisting of materials such as bamboo, plastics, glass, wood, paper, vegetation and other organic materials. By separating the inert waste from the non-inert waste, the inert waste could be used for land reclamation and only the non-inert waste will be disposed of at landfills. The strategy minimizes the amount requiring final disposal so that the life span of the landfills can be extended.However, the strategy is not fully implemented by construction companies. The major barriers attributes to increase in management and operation costs, lack of trained staffs and expertise, lack of government legal enforcement, and so on (Shen and Tam, 2002). Increase in cost may be the most concerned factors of contractors and other stakeholders. A recent survey of the Hong Kong construction industry also showed that the conception that environmental management results in many more costs than benefits is prevalent among contractors (Shen and Tam, 2002). As companies always seek to maximize profits, it is natural that contractors are reluctant to adopt environmentally friendly measures of waste management.In 2004 the Legislative Council passed a bill, The Waste Disposal (Amendment) Ordinance 2004, which is the enabling legislation for the Charging Regulation and the Designated Waste Disposal Facility (DWDF) Regulation and provided the statutory basis for the introduction of the construction waste disposal charging scheme. The Charging Regulation and the DWDF Regulation set out the details of the construction waste disposal charging scheme, including the charges for the disposal of construction waste at landfills, sorting facilities and public fill reception facilities and their calculation. The Charging Regulation sets the disposal charges at HK$125 per tonne at landfills for waste that contains less than 50 per cent inert material, HK$100 per tonne at sorting facilities and HK$27 per tonne at public fill reception facilities in order to fully recover the capital and recurrent costs of the facilities according to the polluter pays principle (EPD, 2006). The charges scheme will come into effect on 20 January 2006.Waste generation\nSimulation model formulation: The most popular system dynamics software is Stella(r). It is a multi-level, hierarchical environment for construction and interacting with models. The software enables users to model interrelationships, which constitute a process, a strategy or an issue, by user-friendly visual tools on the interface. The modelling and simulation capabilities of the software are ideally suited for capturing the operational dynamics and complexities of management issues depicting them as a flow chart or schematic.The model depicting the construction waste management for construction on-site is developed using the abovementioned software package. As shown in Figure 1, C&D waste is generated from building construction activities. The quantity of C&D waste is determined by the quantity of purchased building material and waste ratio. The quantity of purchase building material varies with construction schedule. It can be calculated by adding the needed materials of all activities implemented simultaneously according to project schedule.There are two ways to handle the generated waste. One is to transport the waste directly to sorting facilities with the charge of HK$100 per tonne. The other way is to adopt the on-site sorting before disposal at landfills or public fillings, because the landfills do not receive the waste that contains more than 50 per cent inert material. The ratio of waste further moved to on-site sorting is in relation with the availability of site space, because the implementation of on-site sorting is restricted by the site space. For congested building sites in urban areas, it is difficult to find enough space for setting up sorting facilities and equipment. Moreover, the sorting process may interfere with normal construction activities and result in delay of completion date and increase in cost. So, the more limited the site space is, the more low the ratio of on-site sorting is.On-site sorting involves labours and facilities such as containers, rubbish bins. Different construction waste sorting schemes need different quantity of the labours and facilities. For example, only a few of the containers are set up on-site for separate collection of the inert waste and non-inert waste in a simple sorting scheme. The scheme only results in a little increase in investment including the cost of containers and the fee of training frontline workers. However, the separation is usually not complete due to lack of management and guideline. To improve the separation percentage of inert waste to the total waste, manual sorting is needed to further separate the inert waste from the non-inert waste. The corresponding cost of sorting is augmented at result of increment in skilled labours. Thus, in this model the ratio of separated inert waste is determined by the unit cost of on-site sorting. After separated through on-site sorting, the inert waste is transported to public filling with the charge HK$27 per tonne. Whilst the remained non-inert waste or mixed waste that contains less than 50 per cent inert material is delivered to landfill with charge HK$125 per tonne.\nData input: As aforementioned, waste generation depends mostly on the performance of the construction operation and the schedule. The simulation model incorporates the construction schedule in relation to the generation of waste. The quantity of C&D waste is determined by the quantity of purchased building material according to the schedule and waste ratio. It is estimated that 10 per cent of the materials is the waste generated from new construction projects in this research. The monthly quantity of purchased building material according to the construction schedule is shown in Figure 2. The construction duration is 12 months, and the quantity unit of the material is 1000 tonnes per month.Ratio of on-site sorting determined by site space limit is a number in scale of 0 to 1. If there is no space for placement of waste containers and operation of on-site sorting, the ratio of on-site sorting is 0. By contrary, the space is large enough to adopt the on-site sorting; the ratio of on-site sorting is 1. Sometimes the ratio of on-site sorting is a number between 0 and 1 because the site space is congested and only a fraction of needed space is supplied. The ratio of on-site sorting may vary with construction schedule, too. Once the ratio of on-site sorting is determined, the ratio of transporting to sorting facility is calculated as: Ratio of transporting to sorting facility = 1 - ratio of on-site sorting.As aforementioned, unit cost of on-site sorting is different in various waste sorting schemes. More cost has to be paid for a scheme with a higher separation percentage of inert waste to the total waste (namely, ratio of transporting to public filling). In this paper, two sorting schemes are considered.1. Only on-site sorting facilities and training for frontline workers are adopted. The unit cost of on-site sorting is HK$5 per tonne and ratio of transporting to public filling is a random number scale from 70 per cent to 80 per cent.2. Apart from on-site sorting facilities, the manual sorting is also adopted. The unit cost of on-site sorting is HK$15 per tonne and ratio of transporting to public filling is a random number scale from 80 per cent to 90 per cent. Similarly the ratio of transporting to landfill is calculated as Ratio of transporting to landfill = 1 - ratio of transporting to public filling. In addition, the unit charges of sorting facility, landfill and public filling are respective HK$100, HK $125 and HK $27.\nAnalysis of simulation results: After all the variables are determined, simulation can be performed. Figure 3 shows the variation of total cost of waste disposal depending on the ratio of on-site sorting. From the figure, it is obvious that the implementation of on-site sorting can dramatically decrease the waste disposal cost when the charge scheme takes effect. If the on-site sorting is completely adopted, the C&D waste disposal cost is only HK$ 2.36x105. Whilst the C&D waste disposal cost is up to HK$ 5.32x105, 2.25 times as the earlier, when on-site sorting is not implemented. In other point, the result reveals that the charge scheme will be effective to promote the reasonable disposal of C&D waste.As mentioned above, the ratio of on-site sorting is restricted by the limited site space. As the vacancy site space commonly varies with construction schedule, the ratio of on-site sorting is variable during construction process. To gain more practical result, the variation of the ratio is further taken into account in the simulation. As shown in Figure 4, the ratios of on-site sorting are 1.0 in months 1-2 and 10-12, and decline to 0.7 through months 3-9 when a bulk of construction activities are implemented simultaneously and site space is congested. Accordingly, the total cost increases to HK$ 3.05x105. At the same time, the monthly quantity of waste disposal at sorting facilities, landfill and public filling are generated, which give the contractors more information to arrange the waste management plan.From the simulation shown above, the on-site sorting scheme 1 is adopted. Subsequently the on-site sorting scheme 2 will be simulated for comparison. As shown in Figure 5, the total cost is HK$ 3.10x105, higher than that of scheme 1. Although the higher percentage of inert waste separation is achieved, more wages have to be paid to workers for manual sorting than the saving of disposal cost. In term of cost, the scheme 2 is better. After simulation, it is found that the implementation of on-site waste sorting is profitable for construction contractors for it decreases the total waste disposal cost dramatically. Furthermore, the on-site sorting scenario 1 is recommended because it costs less than scenario 2.\nConclusion and recommendation: Site participants will increasingly be required to evaluate the environmental impact of construction sites. Managing construction waste on-site is difficult and challenging. In this work, a simulation model is developed to capture the complex dynamics of construction waste management on-site. Therefore, using system dynamics to develop the simulation model is appropriate. The simulation model is holistic as it has demonstrated that increasing on-site sorting does have positive impact on the public filling. If these strategies change at any time in the future, the model parameters will be changed accordingly. With the simulation model, contractors can gain deep insight into the C&D waste management system and make an optimum decision about the waste management scheme.Since the model allows the users to fine-tune the input parameters, it is flexible to adjust the model to better reflect the reality according to different conditions. The model represents a relatively powerful tool for planning and policy analysis using available data. This is a well claimed advantage over other static models. The outcome of this study is more focused into planning and management where information about the future trend is for better decision making. Therefore, it is very encouraging for the use of the approach to be further developed and extended to be applied to Pearl Delta River Region as Hong Kong is to integrate with the whole region in order to improve its environment.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to provide a decision support tool for construction waste on-site to achieve better construction and demolition waste management.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - System dynamics methodology is adopted for developing the model.\nFindings: - The model of managing construction waste on-site is established. The interconnections of the main activities are included into the model with focus on planning and management where information about the future trend is for better decision making.\nPractical implications: - Construction waste generation is dynamic and interactive. Therefore, the model developed can be used as a flexible tool to help practitioners to understand the causes and effects.\nOriginality/value: - Since the model allows the users to fine-tune the input parameters, it is flexible to adjust the model to better reflect the reality according to different conditions. This is an advantage over other static models.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Is profit sharing good for the environment? Positive evidence from French firms
|
[
"Profit sharing",
"Environmental innovation",
"J3",
"L2",
"Q5"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Many beneficial effects of employee ownership and profit sharing (PS) on productivity, wages, employment, labor turnover and absenteeism in many countries have been established, and are surveyed by Kruse et al. (2010) and Bloom and van Reenan (2011). Financial participation and participation in decision making or employee \"voice\" are combined in worker cooperatives, which we do not consider here, nor do we discuss co-determination or other formalised forms of participation in decision making, which do not generally imply financial participation. There is much less evidence on any relationship between PS and innovation, and to the best of our knowledge, none on the effects of PS on the likelihood of innovation with environmental benefits. This paper is thus the first to look at the effects of PS on the probability of environmentally beneficial innovation. In this introduction, we first review some evidence directly relating PS and innovation, and then consider other effects of PS, their relation to employee \"voice,\" and how they might also relate to environmental innovation.\n2. Data description: We need data on financial participation (PS), as well as data on innovation types (product, process, organization and marketing), and on the environmental benefits of these innovations, which we analyze as endogenous variables. We would like to estimate their determinants with appropriate \"independent\" variables, though to some extent this is a matter of judgment, since in the long run, all firm variables are ultimately endogenous. There is no unique data set providing all this information, so here we use three data sets which are representative of the French population of firms, i.e., CIS, Participation, Interessement, Plan d'epargne et Actionnariat (PIPA) and FARE, in order to analyze the determinants of profit sharing, as well as innovation and its environmental effects.\n3. Econometric methodology and results: Our main goal is to look at the effects of PS on the probability of observing environmental benefits of innovation, taking into account the kind of innovation (product, process, organization or marketing). There are several ways to do such an exercise. The first, and naive approach, is to consider each environmental innovation alone as a function of explanatory variables including PS. This is certainly not the best way because PS may be endogenous and also because the other environmental benefits of innovations are excluded. A second approach is to build a single binary variable related to the existence of at least one of the several beneficial environmental innovations, as in Galliano and Nadel (2013). This is not ideal either, since we cannot assume, for example, that less CO2 emission and recycling trash both have the same potential value for employers and employees (in terms of work conditions or health effects for example). Another possibility would be to build clusters of firms depending both on their innovative activity (product-process-organizational-marketing) as well as on their environmental benefits. This is better than the two previous approaches, but is still not a structural (or semi structural) model where we can simultaneously consider PS, and different kinds of environmental benefits of innovation. Del Rio-Gonzales et al. (2016) review the different approaches adopted in the empirical literature on the drivers of ecological-innovation ranging from binary models to multivariate models.\n4. Policy conclusions: PS has been extensively studied in recent years, and many beneficial effects have been established, such as positive effects on productivity, wages, employment stability, absenteeism, satisfaction and well-being. The results reported here represent, to our knowledge, the first evidence that PS is at least associated with various kinds of environmental benefits of innovation. We first find that PS favors environmentally friendly production (less pollution, less raw materials, less energy consumption and more recycling). Those effects are probably important for working conditions and employees' health. We also find that government aid can encourage environmental benefits in PS firms. Efficiency gains may be partly captured by employees in terms of higher bonuses.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to look at the effect of profit sharing (PS) on the ability of the firm to take care of the environment.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In a large cross-section of French firms, the authors find strong associations between PS and various innovations with environmental benefits. With cross-sectional data from the Community Innovation Survey and FARE, the authors estimate simultaneous equations for these effects, with endogenous PS.\nFindings: This relationship between PS and environmental innovation is plausible, since workers benefit more than outside owners from a better local environment. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper provides the first empirical evidence, so the results suggest PS supports environmental policy, in addition to its other, better known incentive benefits.\nResearch limitations/implications: Further studies, using panel data, are needed.\nPractical implications: Financial participation may be considered as an additional tool to protect the environment.\nOriginality/value: This is the first paper looking at the impact of PS on the ability of the firm to take care of the environment. In this critical period when policy makers are searching for ways to limit global warming and protect the environment, the authors have presented here the first evidence that financial participation helps to support these policies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Price-quality relationship in pricing strategies for private labels
|
[
"National brand",
"Private label",
"Price tiers",
"Price-quality relationship",
"Quality indicator",
"Retail brand",
"Store attractiveness"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Many consumers use price as an indicator of product quality (Volckner and Hofmann, 2007), mainly because their experience tends to tell them that more expensive products are of better quality than cheaper ones. Furthermore, prices are one-dimensional and easier to assess than other, multidimensional quality cues (Brucks et al., 2000). Prices may also mirror production costs; high quality products that are more expensive to produce should have a higher price. Despite these logical links though, previous research has been unable to provide empirical evidence that supports a relationship between price and quality. On average, the correlation between price and quality reaches approximately 0.2, making it hard to claim that price is a reliable indicator of product quality (Imkamp, 2008). Among food products, these correlation coefficients are even lower or negative (Schulze et al., 2008).\nPrevious research: We provide a short overview of previous research into the price-quality relationship; for more extensive reviews, please see Ratchford et al. (1996) and Schulze et al. (2008). Because of our focus on so-called objective quality, we highlight previous research based on comparative test results, although consumers may use the price to assess product quality (Rao and Monroe, 1988). Previous research thus establishes connections between price and buyers' perceptions of product quality, value and willingness to buy (Dodds et al., 1991; Rao and Monroe, 1989). For a more detailed investigation of the relationship between price and product quality from consumers' perspective, please see Rao and Monroe (1989), Volckner and Hofmann (2007) or Kirchler et al. (2010).\nData and method: We use a German consumer panel with purchase data about products bought by approximately 30,000 households between 2006 and 2011. The data set consists of 3,184,709 records, each representing one product bought by one household on one day. The focal products include anti-dandruff shampoo (92,679 records), color laundry detergents (164,756 records), dog food (82,425 records), heavy-duty detergents (254,871 records), milk chocolate (1,591,158 records), roasted coffee (950,958 records) and volumizing shampoo (47,862 records). We chose these product categories according to the availability of test ratings.\nResults: Figure 2 presents the market shares of the 156 products we examined. We did not label values less than 2.5 per cent. Using heavy-duty detergents as an example, in the total market, products tested by StiWa achieved a market share of 69.43 per cent, encompassing 43.10 per cent for national brands and 26.33 per cent for private labels.\nDiscussion: In investigating price-quality correlations, we have considered paid prices, product market shares, brand types and price tiers, calculated on the basis of a consumer panel that represents 30,000 households. To measure product quality, we used test ratings published by StiWa. The tested products are well known in the marketplace and achieve average market shares of 43.62 per cent.\nManagerial implications: These results have important managerial implications for manufacturers, retailers and consumers. First, with regard to consumer well-being, our results indicate that market failure does not occur as postulated by Morris and Bronson (1969) or Geistfeld (1988). Rather, price and product strategies influence price-quality relationships, resulting in weak correlation coefficients. Despite some arguments that low correlations, such as those for food private labels, are desirable for consumers (Imkamp, 2009), intense price and quality competition seems likely to result in reduced willingness and ability to innovate among sellers due to their weak profit margins (Olbrich and Grewe, 2013). Especially in relation to competition between private labels and national brands, retailers may exclude certain national brands from their product range to increase the market share of their private labels, which ultimately could result in a limited product range and reduced consumer well-being.\nLimitations and further research: Several limitations of this study might be overcome by additional research. First, we have focused on \"objective\" quality, in terms of fitness for use. Yet subjective quality also can be critical, as reflected in design or perceived prestige attributes. Hjorth-Andersen (1984) argues that studies that investigate price-quality relationships are incomplete because they fail to address the various dimensions of the concept of overall quality. Further research should investigate price-quality relationships using different, subjective quality measures.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This article aims to close some research gaps by differentiating between brand types and price tiers. Many consumers perceive high prices as signals of high quality, yet researchers tend to find only low average correlations between price and objective quality. Previous studies do not account for market shares and paid prices though.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A German consumer panel with more than 30,000 households reveals market shares and paid prices. Combining these data with product test ratings, the authors evaluate price-quality relationships with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and distinguish food from non-food products, national brands and private labels and three price tiers.\nFindings: High price-quality correlations for national brands and non-food private labels indicate that a higher price signals greater product quality. For food private labels, negative correlation coefficients inhibit the use of price as a quality indicator. The price-quality relationship for food private labels implies strong competition among brand owners, based on the price and quality of their products.\nOriginality/value: This article investigates price-quality correlations by accounting for paid prices and product market shares; it also reveals differences across food and non-food products, national brands and private labels and different price tiers against the background of competition strategies. By addressing when consumers use price as a quality indicator, it outlines important managerial implications for manufacturers, retailers and consumers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Assessing the value of pursuing a lean culture: A multinational journey into understanding lean's link with organizational culture
|
[
"Culture",
"Lean",
"Organizational culture",
"Lean culture",
"Manufacturing",
"Change"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Hearing the term lean within a commercial setting does beg the question of whether it is merely the magical performance-enhancing parlance of essentially hollow and impermanent management consulting or, more positively, a term born from a genuinely aspirational search for a better way of doing things.\nGrasping the nature of lean culture: Lean's so-called common sense stance directs all members of an organization to improve all of their operational processes by eliminating wasteful actions that have crept in, while also adding value were possible. The failure rate of lean implementations is known for being high, with as few as one in ten being deemed a success. Criticism has certainly been leveled at consultants assisting with lean culture development; for example, that this work solves problems that only exist in managers' imaginations. The 13 notably generic definitions of lean culture that were uncovered include references to shared language, improving everyday, creating value, shared mindset, and reducing business waste. Indeed from the analysis, work on lean culture was found to be generally superficial, and confusion is apparent in the discordance in previous research surrounding the point of whether when using a lean approach a business should adopt a short or a long term performance outlook. Additionally, the paper's authors note how strange it is that Japan has made an unexplained lack of contribution to lean literature given its origination of related concepts like kaizen, which is unexpected considering the historic attention that was generated by Toyota's 14 operational principles.\nThe implications of pragmatic ambiguity level: PA can be understood as a short-lived scenario of having more than one possible route to an uncertain outcome as a particular concept runs its course. The findings confirm that a high PA level is symptomatic of the lean culture discussed in the bank of literature. This has positive implications in that creative space remains for the idea to be further developed to fit the purpose of a particular group's operational agenda. In this respect, the loosely bound concept of lean could provide a good grounding for the commencement of new collaborations - ones seeking ways of working together that are optimally time efficient and minimally resource wasteful when undergoing a business transformation. However the flipside view is that lean culture's high PA level brings adherent risks such as overlooked opportunities, in-team misunderstandings, and impeded communication that lead to errors being made in effecting a change process considerately. Weighing up the phenomenon of lean from this perspective of open opportunity versus risk, then, morphs the analytical process of clarifying the concept of lean culture into a strategic risk mitigation exercise. A further element contributing to lean culture being implemented ambiguously is where no clear responsibility is assigned for someone to be the dedicated advocate that drives such a culture through the minds of every employee in an organization.\nDigging for clarity within the concept of organizational culture: Much of the literature on lean culture relates it to organizational culture. Turning their attention to the search for clarity in the meaning of organizational culture, the paper's authors uncovered 14 core words - for example, \"shared,\" \"distinctive,\" \"values,\" \"behaviors,\" and \"beliefs\" - that commonly appeared within the 103 organizational culture definitions offered up by differing sources, although the consistency of which and how many of these words appeared in the bank of definitions remained mixed. Therefore while the headline concept of organizational culture is familiar to many people, its deeper meaning remains sufficiently malleable to fit this circulating collection of terms. Overall, organizational culture can be understood as the fluid collective character of a group of people who work together much of the time, which is held within their minds and manifests in how they behave and communicate within their particular environment.\nCommentary: The review is based on 'Lean culture: a comprehensive systematic literature review' by Dorval et al. (2019), published in the International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. This literature review paper concentrates on assessing the scope of definitions that have been offered for lean culture, as well as confirming that the concept's high level of pragmatic ambiguity has positive and negative effects on its usefulness for organizational transformation. The notion of organizational culture has been closely tied with references to lean culture in previous literature. Based on the 13 lean culture definitions and 103 organizational culture definitions identified, the authors conclude that the amalgamation of lean culture with business activities like human resource management remains vague and complex.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.\nFindings: This literature review paper concentrates on assessing the scope of definitions that have been offered for lean culture, as well as confirming that the concept's high level of pragmatic ambiguity has positive and negative effects on its usefulness for organizational transformation. The notion of organizational culture has been closely tied with references to lean culture in previous literature. Based on the 13 lean culture definitions and 103 organizational culture definitions identified, the authors conclude that the amalgamation of lean culture with business activities like human resource management remains vague and complex.\nOriginality/value: The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Corporate strategy development via numerical situation analysis
|
[
"Strategic planning",
"Performance management",
"Strategic evaluation",
"Organizational performance",
"SWOT analysis"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: It has long been recognised that the formulation of an effective company strategy is one of the most difficult tasks a management team has to undertake. Accordingly, in most companies who adopt the \"planning school\" approach to strategy development (Mintzberg et al., 1998), a considerable analysis of the firm's current situation and its future prospects is usually undertaken during the strategic planning process. This is done so that accurate and pertinent facts along with identified options are presented to senior management decision makers in an ordered and logical way, prior to the adoption of, or modification to, corporate strategy. As part of this planning procedure; a strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) analysis is normally compiled for the perusal of senior management and as an aid for strategic decision making and benchmarking current capabilities against industry accepted levels of performance and operating methods/practices. However, as currently applied, although the qualitative SWOT analysis does help in the formulation of strategy and in the listing of alternative options via its TOWS extension (Weihrich, 1982), the process does require some experience, imagination and mental agility to undertake successfully. TOWS analysis is a variant of the classic business tool, SWOT analysis. TOWS and SWOT are acronyms for different arrangements of the words strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.\nNumerical situation analysis: As outlined above, the technique of NSA is an extension and further development of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats approach to strategy formulation. In effect NSA takes the basic qualitative approach of SWOT/TOWS and by introducing a numerical element to the methodology, turns it into a quantitative tool for strategy formulation and selection. As mentioned above, the initial aspects of quantification for the SWOT/TOWS analysis that of weighted factor assessment has already been proposed by Wheelan and Hunger (1995) in their classic text on strategic management. However, this approach relies on factor weights and assessments being allocated via informed opinion only and without the use of a pair-wise comparison to rank factor importance. This is corrected in NSA, which builds on the Wheelan and Hunger technique in several significant ways. First, via the use of pair-wise factor comparison to rank the SWOT/TOWS factors by their importance and second, by the utilisation of SWOT/TOWS factor ratios, to provide company management with additional insights to and awareness of various aspects of the firm's situation.\nExample scenario: An example of how the technique can be used in practice is shown in the short case study provided in this section. The example company is a small manufacturing organisation which has suffered from a number of internal and external issues over the years. Whilst the company could identify a number of clear opportunities for market growth, internal restrictions and a lack of strategic focus have prevented the company from taking swift action to capture market share of its products. The following case study outlines its issues.\nApplying NSA - stage 1: By analysing the company situation as previously outlined, a representative list of current and anticipated future strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats were compiled as shown in Figure 1. These factors were then be assigned the appropriate numerical values as illustrated in Figure 2 via a pair-wise comparison of subjective and objective factors. Care was taken to minimize any subjective bias in the allocation of the \"probability of importance\" values in the current factor assessments (CFAs), especially when objective performance, marketing or business environmental data was unavailable. Accordingly, where there was the absence of objective data, these values were generated by facilitators using either the SIT advocated by Targett (1996, pp. 81-87), for subjective probability knowledge acquisition, or by the team-based consensus (TBC) method proposed by Buchholz and Roth (Buchholz and Roth, 1987; Harnett, 2011).\nApplying NSA - stage 2: The second stage in NSA is to develop the matrix shown in Figure 6, by utilising the RFVs as provided by the pair-wise comparison process and subsequently calculating their cross-products. The result, as shown in the four quadrants of the matrix, is the \"strategic field\" with the high value numbers indicating the main strategic factors and priorities in each quadrant. In this case for example, judicious interpretation of Figure 6 will result in the formulation of the strategies presented in the corresponding quadrants of Figure 2. Thus, the fact that TT Ltd has an excellent R+D capability, coupled with the opportunity to exploit new sub-contract markets, may result in the growth strategy, rated sixteen, of developing new and innovative products for specialist and local markets which are sold direct to customers (strength and opportunity quadrant). Likewise, the company's excellent R+D capability can offset the threat posed from new players entering the market. In a similar manner, the values in the other two quadrants can be interpreted, ranked and suitable strategies developed. These are all shown in Figure 2.\nImplementing NSA to achieve strategic direction - stage 3: The pilot NSA implementation project conducted by the company decided to concentrate upon the development of the strength/opportunities quadrant since this was seen as an area which would achieve immediate and highly beneficial effects by opening new markets and protecting the company's revenue stream. Initially the company felt that new product development would concentrate upon extending its current product range. However, following a critical survey of the marketplace and after obtaining the opinion of the company's sales force who were critical in developing the company's future strategic direction through developing key market intelligence for the company (Trim and Lee, 2008) it was decided to identify the company's core strengths, competencies and capabilities and if possible try to match these factors to a wider customer base. Following a further analysis of the company's strengths and opportunities, the authors suggested that the company restructure its operations by forming a new company to operate alongside TT Ltd This would allow the newly created company to orientate itself around a process focus and would complement the product focus currently shown by TT Ltd By capitalising on their reputation for good product quality and excellence in R+D, the company was confident of penetrating new markets and increasing revenue.\nResults and conclusions: The technique of NSA as outlined above can provide a useful methodology whereby the current SWOT/TOWS analysis may be enhanced and extended to give more focus and insight to a company's strategic situation. It also assists the management team in a company, to interpret the firm's strategic position and to achieve the translation from the mere compilation of factor lists to the formulation, development and selection of an effective business strategy. In addition, the technique offers a method of mapping strategic profiles, monitoring the devised strategies for efficacy, and modelling strategic situation factors. However, experience has shown that great care is required when applying the technique in practice. Key to the whole exercise is the data acquisition process and the confidence with which the information acquired is viewed by senior management. Within reasonable limits, the data must reflect a sensible representation of the firm's strategic position and future prospects at the time of analysis. Whilst the case study shown in this paper provides an example of the application of NSA, a wider survey of its effectiveness in a number of different types of organisation would be beneficial to understanding its true capabilities in different settings and environments.\n",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "Purpose: Using the numerical situation analysis (NSA) technique in the development of corporate strategy provides senior managers with a suitable methodology for the creation of alternative strategic options. Subsequently, it may be used to evaluate those options for possible selection and implementation by the company concerned. In addition, the technique provides a graphic temporal point description of an organisation's strategic situation. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to outline the technique of NSA via a hypothetical example and thereby illustrate its use in practice.\nDesign/methodology/approach: By using a paradigm approach, the paper indicates the correct application of the NSA technique as a means of defining and evaluating alternative strategic options within a manufacturing company. As proposed, the methodology also permits several graphic illustrations of the strategic situation to be drawn, along with a scheme for monitoring the effectiveness of an adopted strategy.\nFindings: The evolution of the suggested NSA technique and its application to the formulation of strategic options for a manufacturing company are outlined in the paper. In practice, its application in four differing industries has resulted in some caveats regarding its use, and to some provisional conclusions being drawn in respect of its usefulness to senior management. These are recorded in the concluding section of the paper.\nResearch limitations/implications: The design, development and application of NSA proposed in this paper together with the experience of its implementation and use, in practice, highlight a potentially useful extension to existing methods of strategy formulation. The methodology offers senior management a technique, whereby alternative strategic options may be defined and evaluated for possible adoption along with diagrammatic illustrations of an organisation's strategic situation. In addition, the approach allows a selected strategy to be monitored over time for effectiveness, thus providing an early warning mechanism in respect of strategic inutility.\nOriginality/value: The paper contributes to the existing knowledge based on strategy development, evaluation and selection. It also provides a mechanism for monitoring a selected strategy for effectiveness over time and a structured framework for senior management to undertake the strategic planning process. It may when used in practice achieve an improved level of strategic understanding on the part of senior management and thereby stimulate improved corporate performance.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Making public management work in the global economy: lessons from Europe and North America
|
[
"Public management",
"Public sector management",
"Public sector organizations",
"Public sector services",
"Europe",
"North America",
"Case studies"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The relationship between states and markets has always been uneasy. There is no perfect equilibrium, especially since political, economic and social circumstances continually change. The objective of this special issue of the International Journal of Public Sector Management is to provide some insights on public management practices in light of turbulent times in the global economy.\nThe global financial and economic crisis: There is an extensive literature already dealing with the global financial and economic crisis. Howard Davies (2010), former Chair of the Financial Services Authority in Great Britain, provides an excellent summary of all the main explanations of the crisis. What becomes clear as one sifts through this literature is that the crisis is as much one of politics as economics (Friedman, 2009). Articles in this issue do not lay blame for the crisis, nor was that the purpose. Rather, they note the many challenges faced by governments when considering reforms. The key variable is that of capacity; public management must have the ability to learn, to adapt, to adjust, and when appropriate to form networks with relevant partners in responding to transformations in the global economy. Authors also consider, admittedly peripherally, the political nature of the response and its impact on public management.The first article of this special issue considers cutback management. Reviewing the literature in the field, Cepiku and Savignon note that governments have, to a certain extent, learned from existing knowledge and past cutback periods. They understand the need to consider long-term planning and to see beyond the crisis. At the same time, there are important challenges, most notably capacity - the ability to implement reform and change. The basic question of how to do more with fewer resources remains whole. Cepiku and Savignon further remark on the politicization of decision-making, which further complicates the adoption of best practices. At the time of writing, their analysis seems particularly prescient in light of the US and European debt crisis. Public bureaucracies are, once again, under pressure to reform, which is likely to mean, in some cases, drastic cutbacks.For his part, Costantino analyzes major financial services sector reform in the European Union (EU). The EU's initial response to the financial crisis was disorganized, ad hoc, and state-led. The EU, as a whole, did not act cohesively. Nor did it have the capacity to manage the crisis; the creation of two new regulatory structures was meant to remedy this shortcoming. But as Costantino indicates, the new macro and micro-prudential regulators are sure to be hampered both by legal and organizational issues. Yamashita (2011), in fact, suggests that governance fragmentation in the financial services sector remains for now Europe's most important challenge. Costantino appears skeptical that the new bodies, as presently constituted, really improve the safety and soundness of the European financial services sector.Whatever the reason and cause of the global financial crisis, it is fair to ask how so many people, especially on the regulatory side, just missed the story. Greitens focuses on the performance assessment of US regulatory agencies leading to the financial crisis. As Greitens notes, the US performance system overly focused on outcomes, as opposed to inputs, which meant that as long as financial markets were performing strongly, regulatory agencies also seemed to perform well. Regulatory agencies did not, however, keep American financial markets safe, even if they were deemed to perform better than agencies in other sectors. The article raises serious questions about the political nature of the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART). Despite the Dodd-Frank Act, and regulatory reform in the United-States, financial services sector regulators' capacity to protect the financial system from another meltdown is still in contention (Schmidt and Hamilton, 2011).Finally, Williams considers the issue of capacity by focusing specifically on policy learning, analyzing the Canadian response to the global financial crisis. Canada came out of the crisis largely unscathed. Canadian politicians, in particular, have taken credit for the country's success. In 2009, Euromoney even named Jim Flaherty Finance Minister of the year (Avery, 2009). Canada's principal regulator, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, has also adopted this approach accepting praise for the country's performance (Freeland, 2009). Yet, Canada underwent during this period the worst financial crisis in its history, the asset-backed commercial paper crisis (Chant, 2009). As such, Williams raises important questions about the Canadian regulatory system. Most importantly, the discourse of success, particularly useful from a political perspective, has prevented actors from learning and conducting a fair analysis of the Canadian situation. Meaningful reform is at least debated elsewhere, but it is not even considered in Canada. The country, thus, is vulnerable to another financial crisis due to its inability to assimilate knowledge, to use it, and to adjust.\nPublic management at the local level: Articles focusing on local public management provide compelling, though, contrasting views on the ability of local authorities to adjust to global and national economic transformations. They highlight both success stories as well as stories of management and policy inertia. Here as well, authors raise important questions about the capacity of local public management to bring about substantive change.Conteh may be the most positive about how local organizations can become agents of change. Conteh describes and analyzes the evolution of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) in light of changes in the global economy and new national political imperatives. He notes the multi-layered and complex relationships among federal and provincial governmental organizations, local public authorities and the private sector. Ultimately, though, ACOA, a federally created entity, appears to have been fairly successful in working with its various public and private-sector partners and in sustaining local economic development through its ability to navigate institutional boundaries. Canadian public management has fully embraced the concept of networked governance (Aucoin, 2009). Conteh's case study provides an interesting example of enhanced capacity through networks.Jesuit and Sych, in turn, consider institutionalized regional policy in Europe paying particular attention to the region of the Marches in Italy and the \"grand region\" in Luxemburg. They note four variables that affect cross-border integration: geographic/demographic, economic, political and administrative. Borders, even in Europe, authors note are still relevant and effective cross-border governance remains limited and bounded.Brunet-Jailly also emphasizes the role of networks for local public management. Capacity in this instance literally refers to the functional relations among and between actors. The article considers two North American cross-border regions, Detroit-Windsor and Vancouver-Seattle. Brunet-Jailly notes the level of economic integration in both cases; the integration, he explains, has led to functional, though not necessarily structural integration. Functionalism in international relations and regional studies is traditionally associated with European integration. The logic seems to apply on a smaller scale between the US and Canada.Anderson's article involuntarily provides a strong counter-argument to that presented by Brunet-Jailly. Focusing on the Detroit-Windsor cross-border region, Anderson clearly argues that the border acts as a barrier to integration and the development of a coordinated public management and policy approach. The network is institutionally under-developed and inefficient. To employ Jesuit and Sych's variables, the political will and administrative capacity to address on-the-ground issues are not present. The contrasting assessment of Brunet-Jailly and Anderson, in part, has to do with the latter's narrower emphasis on the management of the border. The article is particularly useful because it presents the various pieces of an elaborate cross-border puzzle.\nWhere to next?: Beyond capacity, there is another subtle theme that emerges from this special double-issue: governments, across borders and levels of authority, have been cautious, if not reluctant, to rethink and to propose new and innovative ways to conduct public affairs. Though the prudence may have to do with capacity - asking of public management that it do more with less - it can also be interpreted as a lack of imagination.Crises, in theory, provide an opportunity to assess performance and to consider fundamentals anew. Administrative failure relating to Hurricane Katrina in the US, for instance, has led to serious debates about how to respond to natural catastrophes (Public Administration Review, 2007). The on-going financial and economic crisis that began in 2007 does not appear to have led to a serious reconsideration, especially at the political level, of existing assumptions about state-market relations, and public management practices. There is an extensive literature on the global crisis already reflecting the traditional ideological divide (on the right of the political spectrum, the Cato Journal, 2009; on the left of the spectrum, Alternatives Economiques, 2010). The popular press has told the tale of the financial crisis, and it has been willing to be provocative (Lewis, 2010). There has been some street protest, especially in Europe, but its discourse remains fairly superficial. Political, policy and administrative reforms, so far, whether at the global/regional/or national level have been modest and at the margin at best. Global Finance in Crisis edited by Helleiner et al. (2010), for instance, debated the significance of proposed and adopted financial services sector regulatory reforms at the global level and the editors are skeptical about their significance. Admittedly, the crisis is not over and substantive political, economic and social reforms are hard to articulate and even harder to implement.Articles in this issue do not directly enter into this debate. In reading through them, however, there emerges a picture where more of the same should be expected. Cepiku and Savignon's discussion of cutback management is reminiscent of the rise of new public management (with some adjustments). Costantino, for his part, highlights the strict limits on the operation of the new EU-wide financial services sector regulators. Greitens' article highlights important problems with the practice of performance measurement. Williams is clear: Canada's so-called success prevents policy learning and leaves the country vulnerable. Conteh is more optimistic, but his article still focuses on the need for local communities to adapt to the global economic imperative. Jesuit and Sych note how the lack of administrative capacity in some European regions is impeding adaptation. Brunet-Jailly presents examples of successful economic integration, but the political infrastructure is clearly lacking. Anderson's piece is a story of inertia with only limited progress to be expected in the near future in the management of the Detroit-Windsor border. In all of these cases (non-exhaustive to be sure), there is a lack of political desire to do things differently. The focus remains on efficiency, ignoring as such a basic question: how do we do better?Strachan's article, the last of this issue, may provide a small part of the answer. Though the article can be said to be most relevant to local public management in the US, it can also be understood more generally as a call for the empowerment of the civil service. Democratic public management requires an engaged public service that reaches out to the citizenry. As Strachan puts it, civil servants must cultivate their own watchdogs. The current public debt crisis in many countries around the world is almost inevitably to lead to cutback management. Moreover, there has been an erosion of trust, exacerbated by the global financial and economic crises, towards political and economic elites (Roth et al., 2011). Strachan's proposed task for administrators is, therefore, clearly not easy. Yet, what is proposed is at the core of the expression \"public service\". In a country like Canada, working under the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy, with its constitutional emphasis on responsible government (Aucoin et al., 2004), it is the accepted convention that the bureaucracy is politically neutral and that it serves the public by responding to its duly elected political master. It is not our intention to question such fundamental principles, which exist in various forms depending on the country. But, even within a tight framework, there remain opportunities for public servants to engage citizens and debate possible futures. Doing so might just help to reenergize democracy.A note on the article by J. Cherie Strachan: this has been published in an earlier issue of the International Journal of Public Sector Management. The article can be found online in Vol. 25 No. 2 at the following link: www.emeraldinsight.com/tk/watchdogsThis should be read in conjunction with the articles included in this special issue.\nConcluding remarks: At the time of writing this introduction, the global financial and economic crisis has morphed into a public debt crisis. In turn, the debt crisis is leading to market volatility with high risk of another worldwide recession. The impact of globalization on the nation-state, public management and public policy is already well-debated (Hay, 2006). The profound adjustments currently taking place in the global economy undoubtedly already affect public management across levels of authority in multiple ways. Articles in this double-issue provide a glimpse of some of the changes under way. The argument to be taken from articles as a whole is not that public management can, or cannot, adapt to global economic transformations. There are clearly circumstances in which adaptation has or can take place, and other circumstances that are more problematic. One of the essential variables for adjustment is that of capacity. Governance through networks, which is an expression of relational capacity, provides an indication of success or failure, particularly at the local level, to adapt. Though this may prove in the end to be overly optimistic, the future may offer a renewed chance for public management. The last article by Strachan offers hope that administrators can be part of the solution in fostering a greater space for public debate - a truly more democratic form of public management. Through the current uncertainty for public management, there exists, at the very least, some hope for those working hard to serve their fellow citizens.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to present the main themes in this special issue focusing on the impact of transformations in the global economy on public management.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper takes the from of a presentation of articles in this special issue.\nFindings: - The paper finds that focusing on examples form Europe and North America, public management adaptability varies across states and regions. Capacity is identified as an important indicator of adaptability.\nOriginality/value: - The paper introduces an issue that highlights concrete examples of adaptability in public management. It opens the door to further research tracing linkages between changes in the global environment and the practice of public management.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Selection and industrial applications of panel data based demand forecasting models
|
[
"Data systems",
"Demand forecasting",
"Model selection",
"Panel data forecasting",
"Technical review",
"Use of information"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nNomenclature: (Equation 1) the cross-section dimension, i=1, 2, ..., N\n1. Introduction: Forecasting is an integral part of industrial operations and production management. Demand forecasts are important for understanding market situation and the competition, production planning, including promotions, pricing, advertising, and distribution (Frees and Miller, 2004). However, forecasting the future demand is a truly challenging task. Various methods including statistical methods, intelligent methods, and hybrid methods have been developed to conduct forecasting. In recent years, with the emphasis on \"big data\" and the data driven knowledge-based operation management, panel data-based forecasting models have been widely adopted in various industrial settings. Panel data, also called time-series and cross-section data or pool data (Hsiao, 2003), follows a given sample of individuals over time. It involves two dimensions: a cross-sectional dimension N\n2. Analytical models: Panel data models have some advantages over the time-series econometric models in conducting demand forecasting (refer to Table I).There are two main streams of the panel data-based forecasting modeling approaches, namely, the \"discrete choice modeling (DCM)\" and the \"regression choice modeling.\" Although the main focus of this study is on the regression choice modeling-based forecasting and its applications, we shall also concisely review the application of DCM, based on panel data. The econometric discrete choice analysis is an essential component of studying individual choice behaviors, which allows researchers to analyze and predict how people's choices are influenced by their personal characteristics and by the alternatives available to them. The three most common panel data-based DCMs are logit, nested logit, and probit (Honoreand Kyriazidou, 2000). They are used to describe and predict discrete choices of decision makers or to classify a discrete outcome according to a host of repressors. The panel data-based DCMs are widely used for the analysis of individual choice behaviors (Kim et al., 2005) and can be applied to choice problems in many fields such as economics, tourism (Naude and Saayman, 2005; Eilat and Einav, 2004), environmental management, urban planning (Arellano and Carrasco, 2003), and transportation. Typical examples of the use of the panel data-based DCM are the travel demand forecasting problem in the transportation industry. The panel data-based DCMs provide the opportunity to construct a dynamic model of travel behaviors which can improve the prediction ability over time. In the literature, Gopimatj (1995) adopts the panel latent class choice model in capturing heterogeneity in travel demand choice processes with a casual structural formulation. Observe that the logit model commonly assumes that paths are independent of each other and have independence from the irrelevant alternatives property. In reality, however, many paths overlap with each other and are thus not independent.\n3. Tests: In the above sections, we have introduced several kinds of panel data regression models that are commonly used in demand forecasting problems and the corresponding estimation methods. However, how to decide the right regression model for different industry settings and how to decide the individual effects and cross-section or time-series dependence deserve further investigations. Ignoring any of these will result in inefficient estimates and misleading inference. Thus, a series of pre-tests are important for the model establishment. In this section, we review the testing methods that can help us choose a suitable model for a given application case.\n4. Model selection process and industrial applications: After reviewing and exploring the features of various panel data models and the estimation methods, the typical demand forecasting papers in different industrial sectors based on the panel data approach are analyzed and summarized (as shown in Table V). It is found that panel data methods (both static and dynamic panel data models) are popularly used in tourism demand forecasting. At first, for research on tourism demand forecasting, the price of tourism in destination, the transport (travel) cost, and the tourists' income or the economic level in the origin country are considered as the key factors that mainly affect the tourism demand (Song et al., 2000; Ledesma-Rodriguez et al., 2001; Naude and Saayman, 2005). Following that, dynamic panel data models with lagged dependent variables are adopted to describe the changing features of consumer preferences. These dynamic models consider the parameter for the lagged dependent variable as a measure of habit formation and interdependent preferences (Garin-Munoz and Montero-Martin, 2007). It means that if people are satisfied with a destination they maybe more likely to come back and tell others about their favorable experiences; this kind of behavior may affect tourism demand of destination (Garin-Munoz and Montero-Martin, 2007). Besides, the technology that surrounds tourism activities also cannot be ignored since information sharing, communication, booking, and purchasing of travel products may have a significance influence on the demand of tourism in some ways (Ramos and Rodrigues, 2013). Thus, dynamic panel data models are suitable to model the relationship between tourism demand and related impact factors. For energy demand forecasting on products such as petroleum, natural gas, and electricity, many studies in the literature have been conducted based on the pure time-series analysis. But these forecasting models failed to consider energy consumption within regions or states. Undoubtedly, country-level studies are critically important for understanding important trends in global energy consumption (Olatubi and Zhang, 2003). Panel data at the county level would accurately illustrate the variations in price, income, and weather that occur within the states (Miguel Garcia-Cerrutti, 2000). Notice that dynamic panel data models which include an adjustment path in the long-run demand are used to model the energy consumption problems in the following studies such as Balestra and Nerlove (1966), Baltagi et al. (2002), Olatubi and Zhang (2003), Liu (2004), Lee and Lee (2010), and L. Miguel Garcia-Cerrutti (2000).\n5. Further analysis, insights, and conclusion: Panel data-based demand forecasting models have been proven to be versatile and useful in demand forecasting. In this paper, we have presented an exhaustive literature survey on different panel data-based analytical demand forecasting models, the respective estimation and testing methods, and industrial applications. We have derived a novel workable process for modeling a panel data-based demand forecasting model. As the concluding remarks, we highlight the strengths of panel data models, the data sufficiency requirements, and their applications as follows.\nGlossary: Fixed Table I\n",
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"content": "Purpose: Panel data-based demand forecasting models have been widely adopted in various industrial settings over the past few decades. Despite being a highly versatile and intuitive method, in the literature, there is a lack of comprehensive review examining the strengths, the weaknesses, and the industrial applications of panel data-based demand forecasting models. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by reviewing and exploring the features of various main stream panel data-based demand forecasting models. A novel process, in the form of a flowchart, which helps practitioners to select the right panel data models for real world industrial applications, is developed. Future research directions are proposed and discussed.\nDesign/methodology/approach: It is a review paper. A systematically searched and carefully selected number of panel data-based forecasting models are examined analytically. Their features are also explored and revealed.\nFindings: This paper is the first one which reviews the analytical panel data models specifically for demand forecasting applications. A novel model selection process is developed to assist decision makers to select the right panel data models for their specific demand forecasting tasks. The strengths, weaknesses, and industrial applications of different panel data-based demand forecasting models are found. Future research agenda is proposed.\nResearch limitations/implications: This review covers most commonly used and important panel data-based models for demand forecasting. However, some hybrid models, which combine the panel data-based models with other models, are not covered.\nPractical implications: The reviewed panel data-based demand forecasting models are applicable in the real world. The proposed model selection flowchart is implementable in practice and it helps practitioners to select the right panel data-based models for the respective industrial applications.\nOriginality/value: This paper is the first one which reviews the analytical panel data models specifically for demand forecasting applications. It is original.\n",
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