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Service fitness ladders: improving business performance in low cost and differentiated markets
|
[
"Service",
"Alignment",
"Operations strategy",
"Operational performance",
"Case study"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Strategic fit (often referred to as fit) concerns aligning an organisation's overall objectives and strategy (external fit) and how it makes or delivers this offering (internal fit) with the needs of the market(s) it serves (Miller, 1981; Robinson and Stern, 1998; Boyer and McDermott, 1999; Stepanovich and Mueller, 2002).\n2. Assessing the impact of strategic fit on business performance: Table I shows the market, business strategy, operations strategy and business performance variables investigated in previous research, while Table II summarises the key findings from each study.\n3. Measuring internal fit: The existing academic literature presents a number of service operations strategy frameworks to help organisations align their structures, systems, processes and competitive advantage with market needs, as shown in Table III.\n4. Measuring business performance: Several authors (such as Kaplan and Norton, 1992; Chenhall and Langfield-Smith, 2007) suggest assessing business performance using a combination of internal, financial and competitiveness measures. Therefore, our study looks at how internal fit impacts four operational (cost, quality, speed and flexibility); two financial (sales revenue and operating profit); and two competitiveness (domestic market share and customer loyalty) variables relative to competitors. This enabled us to understand how each internal fit variable impacts the competitiveness, operational and financial performance of firm's serving low cost or differentiated markets (Ramanujam and Venkatraman, 1987; Kotha and Swamidass, 2000; Papke-Shields and Malhotra, 2001). Also, measuring performance relative to competitors enabled us to compare the performance of firms operating in markets with different levels of competition, demand patterns and growth, as these factors will affect all the firms competing in that market.\n5. Case study methodology: A case study research method was used as it allows questions of \"how, why and what\" to be answered and richer insights and explanations to be developed (Eisenhardt, 1989; Meredith, 1998; Voss et al., 2002; Weick, 2007; Wacker, 1998; Ketokivi and Choi, 2014). Table AI explains how cases were selected and investigated, findings compared across them, significant internal fit-performance relationships identified, and propositions about how internal fit impacts business performance developed.\n6. Within-case descriptions: Tables VI and VII show the seven year internal fit and performance journey within each case study and Table VIII shows their current internal fit and performance levels. The key steps in these journeys are now discussed.\n7. Cross-case comparisons: Table IX compares the internal fit and performance journeys made by the six low cost SBUs and Table X shows the journeys of the five differentiated SBUs. Table XI then shows the statistical relationships between internal fit and performance across all 11 SBUs based on the current levels shown earlier in Table VIII. The significant relationships highlighted in these tables are now discussed in more detail.\n8. Practical implications: low cost and differentiation fitness ladder frameworks: The key relationships identified in the previous section have been used to develop two \"fitness ladder\" frameworks to help practitioners better understand how to improve business performance in low cost (Figure 3) or differentiated markets (Figure 4). These frameworks suggest a number of steps to improve fit, the impact that each step will have and the factors that will affect this impact. In many ways, these ladders extend the earlier work of Ferdows looking at how to build fitness in factories (Ferdows and DeMeyer, 1990; Ferdows and Thurnheer, 2010). However, he suggests all firms should first improve quality, then speed and finally reduce cost, whereas our findings suggest this sequence depends on their market needs. Firms serving low cost markets should improve cost, flexibility and then speed; but firms serving differentiated markets should improve speed, flexibility and then quality.\n9. Conclusion: This paper presents 13 propositions about how service internal fit impacts business performance in low cost and differentiated markets. It then uses these relationships to develop two \"fitness ladder\" frameworks to help practitioners serving low cost or differentiated markets better understand how to improve internal fit, the impact each change will have and the factors affecting this impact.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present 13 propositions about how internal strategic fit (often referred to as fit) impacts the business performance of low cost and differentiated services. It then uses these relationships to develop two \"fitness ladder\" frameworks to help practitioners understand how to improve fit given their business strategy (low cost or differentiation) and performance objectives (operational, financial or competitiveness).\nDesign/methodology/approach: In total, 11 strategic business units were studied that perform differently and provide a range of low cost and differentiated services to understand how changes in internal strategic fit impacted business performance over a 7 year period.\nFindings: The findings suggest aligning systems with market needs does not improve performance. Instead, firms serving low cost markets should first focus managers' attention on processes and centralise resources around key processes, before reducing process flexibility and automate as many steps as possible to develop a low cost capability that is difficult to imitate. By contrast, firms serving differentiated markets should first focus managers' attention on customers and then locate resources near them, before increasing customer contact with their processes and making them more flexible so they can develop customer knowledge, relationships and services that are difficult to imitate.\nResearch limitations/implications: Some significant factors may not have been considered as the study only looked at the impact of 14 internal strategic fit variables on 7 performance variables. Also, the performance changes may not be a direct result of the strategic fit improvements identified and may not generalise to other service organisations, settings and environments.\nPractical implications: The strategic fit-performance relationships identified and the \"fitness ladder\" frameworks developed can be used by organisations to make decisions about how best to improve fit given their different market needs, business strategies and performance objectives.\nOriginality/value: The findings offer more clarity than previous research about how internal fit impacts business performance for low cost and differentiated services.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Standards and innovation in manufacturing and services: the case of ISO 9000
|
[
"ISO 9000",
"Innovation",
"Manufacturing",
"Services",
"Standards",
"Community Innovation Survey"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Innovation and standards are often perceived as antithetic because innovation is the realization of something new while standards are meant to hold things the same. Innovation, in a broad sense, is the destruction of previous standards and the establishment of new ones. However, this relationship is complex and not fully understood. At the same time, the empirical studies on it are relatively few (Swann, 2010, p. 10).\n2 Standards and innovation: The relationship between standards and innovation is ambiguous and research in this area is ongoing (Riillo, 2009; Choi et al., 2011). Recent works on innovation have emphasized the positive role that standards play in the commercial success of new goods and services (Swann, 2000, 2010; Blind, 2004; Hesser et al., 2007; Egyedi and Sherif, 2010). Standards allow interoperability in that it permits items to work in the same system (David and Greenstein, 1990). Well-designed standards embed relevant knowledge that being codified can more easily be diffused (Blind and Jungmittag, 2008). Moreover, standards can facilitate trade by reducing information asymmetries between sellers and customers (Leland, 1979). However, standards can have both positive and negative effects on innovation according to their economic functions (Blind, 2004 p. 28).\n3 Modelling strategy and data description: 3.1 Modelling strategy\n4 Estimation results: Estimation results for the joint sample are presented in Table III and marginal effects for the ISO 9000 dummy variable are in Table IV.\n5 Conclusions, limitations and further developments: The relationship between standards and innovation is theoretically debated and, thus, is important to assess. The current research sheds light on this relationship by investigating empirically the impact of ISO 9000 certification on innovation propensity using CIS 2006 data for Luxembourg combined with additional information on certification from MQL. The majority of CIS-based innovation studies focuses on R&D performers (Arundel et al., 2008, p. 5), penalizing therefore the innovation potential of services and SMEs. The current research contributes to fill this gap by considering both manufacturing and services and by adopting different definitions of innovations suitable to capture innovation success in services and SMEs. The results obtained here are interesting to practitioners and registrars in order to better understand the features of firms for which the certification provides higher potential, also in terms of innovation.\nAcknowledgements: The authors wish to thank Serge Allegrezza, Alexandra Guarda-Rauchs and Anne-Laure Mention for their support. The authors are grateful to researchers at CRP Henri Tudor and STATEC, especially Saleh Al-Sharieh and Anna-Leena Asikainen, for valuable suggestions. Constructive and helpful comments from the participants in the 2nd ISPIM Innovation Symposium and the 15th EURAS Annual Standardization Conference are gratefully acknowledged. The authors are grateful to Saveria Capellari and members of the DEAMS Department at Trieste University, for insightful discussions. The authors are responsible for remaining errors. This paper is a revised version of a paper entitled \"ISO9000 Certification and Innovation: an Empirical Analysis for Luxembourg\" presented at the 15th EURAS Annual Standardization Conference \"Service Standardization\", Lausanne, Switzerland, 1-2 July 2010 and reprinted in Economie et statistiques, STATEC Working Paper Series, No. 45, October 2010. An earlier version entitled \"Standards as a tool for Innovation: preliminary empirical evidences for Luxembourg\" appeared also in the proceedings of The 2nd ISPIM Innovation Symposium, New York City, USA, 6-9 December 2009. These papers were written while both authors were involved in the Partnership between the CRP Henri Tudor, the Observatoire de la Competitivite and the STATEC. Moreover, Cesare A.F. Riillo was employed at the Public Research Centre Henri Tudor while the first version of the paper was submitted. The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the above institutions.\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: The research empirically investigates the firm-level impact of ISO 9000 certification on innovation propensity. The study aims to distinguish between manufacturing and service sectors and adopts different innovation definitions aimed at capturing the peculiarities of innovation in services and small firms.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Relying chiefly on Community Innovation Survey data for Luxembourg, the impact of certification on innovation probability is assessed using a logit model that controls for relevant firms characteristics and market features.\nFindings: The innovation potential of services and small firms is understated when adopting innovation definitions restricted to technological aspects and more formalised innovation activities. ISO 9000 certification may promote innovation when adopting definitions that captures sectoral innovation specificities. In particular, certification increases innovation propensity in manufacturing when the focus is on technological innovation and formalised innovation expenditures. On the contrary, when non-technological aspects are included and allowance is made for wider innovation activities, the impact of certification on services tends to emerge. However, sharper statistical evidence for manufacturing indicates a more important role of certification for innovation success in this sector.\nResearch limitations/implications: Case-study research could supplement the findings concerning the relative effectiveness of certification in services and manufacturing. The investigation would also benefit from extensions in the econometric analysis to address comparisons across samples and potential causality issues.\nPractical implications: Findings are interesting to practitioners and registrars in order to identify the specific characteristics of firms for which certification provides higher innovative potential.\nOriginality/value: The study highlights the relevance of sectoral specificities and innovation definitions for the debate about the effect of ISO 9000 certification on innovation.\n",
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] |
Mind the gap: Mindfulness as an intervention strategy
|
[
"Meditation",
"Wellbeing",
"Mindfulness",
"Mindfulness training",
"Stress reduction"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nReview: The idea of mindfulness is certainly nothing new - indeed there is evidence that it has been followed to some degree for over 2,000 years. However, fast forwarding to the 21st Century when mindfulness is supposedly all the rage, there are two key questions as to whether it is truly effective, and the extent to which it is being effectively pursued by organizations as a way to develop and support their employees. What is clear to anyone that currently works in any modern organization is that those leading human resources (HR) strategy and departments are certainly aware of mindfulness and are perhaps to a greater or lesser degree in favor of its use - but the message may not be getting through.\nNew thinking: Another answer to the second question may also relate to the first question, in that there may be a case that mindfulness doesn't work, or at least the perception is that it doesn't work. This is the starting point of the article \"Mindfulness in organizations (part 1): a critical literature review\" by Passmore (2019). In it, he conducts a huge review of current science and thinking around mindfulness as an effective program, and how it can be used effectively as an intervention strategy within organizations.\nUnder the hood: For the purposes of the study, Passmore looked at a huge number of academic articles related to mindfulness - over 600 articles were identified from recent publications where mindfulness had been investigated, with the aim of pulling out key insights from the best scientists round the world to foster a better understanding of the concept. Research on mindfulness, while it has been increasing for over thirty years, has exploded in the last decade. These can be broken down firstly into three areas - health and wellbeing, neurobiological and organizational.\nCase history: Moving on to neurobiological research, the reason why mindfulness seems to be effective in certain areas is that inside the brain, mindfulness states appear to involve changes in the brain in areas that define our attention span, short-term memory and rational functions. In the long term, there is also evidence that the practice of mindfulness can also stem the decline of brain functions. Again, there seems to be much to gain and little to lose by trying mindfulness techniques for employees, although hard and fast proof of direct benefits in certain circumstances can be hard to find.\nHuman nature: The author concludes his research by saying that mindfulness when directed towards improving health and wellbeing seems to have good outcomes in general and in the workplace, and as such can be an effective strategy alongside other activities and training for employees. Overall, however, it is perhaps surprising that there is a lack of both specific workplace studies and wider research which has definitive results when it comes to the positive effects of mindfulness, especially against the backdrop of the industry that has developed over the past decade promoting its benefits. Indeed, the author suggests that there is very little research on the potential negative effects that mindfulness might have, as it could, for example, increase turnover intention as employees seek something more fulfilling. It is fair to say that mindfulness is probably a good thing, but it is far from the slam dunk many might have you believe.\nComment: The article \"Mindfulness in organizations (part 1): a critical literature review\" by Passmore (2019) is a comprehensive review of hundreds of articles on mindfulness and its benefits to the workplace. Or rather, its potential and probable benefits - what is fascinating about the article is that it highlights where the jury is still very much out on definitive benefits, particularly when it comes to hard-and-fast rules such as return on investment and cost-benefit. HR managers should not be put off by this as mindfulness practice is unlikely to do any harm, but neither is it a certain silver bullet for a host of ills either.\n",
"role": "user"
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"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 his/her own impartial comments and places the articles in context.\nFindings: The idea of mindfulness is certainly nothing new - indeed there is evidence that it has been followed to some degree for over 2,000 years. However, fast forwarding to the 21st Century when mindfulness is supposedly all the rage, there are two key questions as to whether it is truly effective, and the extent to which it is being effectively pursued by organizations as a way to develop and support their employees. What is clear to anyone that currently works in any modern organization is that those leading human resources (HR) strategy and departments are certainly aware of mindfulness and are perhaps to a greater or lesser degree in favor of its use - but the message may not be getting through.\nPractical implications: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds his/her own impartial comments and places the articles in context.\nFindings: The idea of mindfulness is certainly nothing new - indeed there is evidence that it has been followed to some degree for over 2,000 years. However, fast forwarding to the 21st Century when mindfulness is supposedly all the rage, there are two key questions as to whether it is truly effective, and the extent to which it is being effectively pursued by organizations as a way to develop and support their employees. What is clear to anyone that currently works in any modern organization is that those leading human resources (HR) strategy and departments are certainly aware of mindfulness and are perhaps to a greater or lesser degree in favor of its use - but the message may not be getting through.\nPractical implications: This paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.\nOriginality/value: The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Viewer perceptions of television commercials: a conceptual replication
|
[
"Prime time",
"TV commercials",
"Viewer perceptions"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Starting with Leavitt (1970), from the early 1970s until the late 1980s, there were a host of efforts to generate a set of parsimonious adjectives, dimensions or phrases that could be used to measure the perceptions of TV advertising by audience members (Wells et al., 1971; Schlinger, 1979; Aaker and Bruzzone, 1981; Mehrotra et al., 1981; Stayman et al., 1989). However, since that time have been few attempts to examine whether those scales are still applicable given today's much more complex media environment and the changes in society that have occurred. Furthermore, many advertising agencies use such audience-perception information as a central part of ad/copy testing. Thus, the current study seeks to understand whether the sets of dimensions found in the past continue to accurately reflect those used by audiences today in their ad perceptions, whether these dimensions may be effectively used to predict commercial effectiveness, and in turn whether product type moderates the relationship between the dimensions and effectiveness.\nThe continuing importance of television advertising: It is notable that all of the early instruments and measures of audience perceptions of advertisements were done in the context of TV commercials (Schlinger, 1979; Aaker and Bruzzone 1981; Mehrotra et al., 1981; Moldovan, 1985; Aaker and Stayman, 1990). But why continue to measure audience responses to TV advertisements (Youn et al., 2001, Smit et al., 2006) given the vastly more complex and crowded media landscape of today and in light of the internet's rapid rise in the past decade as a conduit of advertising messages? Despite the advent of the Web as a relatively low cost, engaging and highly measurable message platform, and the proliferation of vehicle options in other media forms, recent industry studies indicate that television continues to be a dominant medium. It reaches the most people per day and has the highest average number of hours used per day to watch recorded content and is the most influential medium in terms of influencing product interest and decisions among people 18 and older (TVB, 2016). Furthermore, Advertising Age's Marketing Fact Pack (2016) annual report finds that television overall continues to be the medium that receives the most advertising effort and dollars from US advertisers, with the internet in second place. The medium also allowed marketers to reach a very large proportion of the American public with even one ad, particularly during the prime time viewing hours, in contrast to the internet where audiences are extremely fragmented. Given television's continued dominance as a medium by both audiences and advertisers, the current study retains the focus on measuring audience perceptions of TV commercials.\nAssessing perceptions of television advertisements: A series of foundational studies conducted throughout the 1970s and into the early 1990s sought to develop sets of perceptual scales to measure viewer reactions to television advertising and subsequently reduce these scales into underlying perceptual dimensions. These works broadly featured similar designs - large-scale non-student consumer samples would be exposed to multiple TV commercials, either singly or in a group. They would then be asked to rate their reactions to each advertisement based on agreement with a series of adjectives or statements (Leavitt, 1970; Aaker and Bruzzone, 1981; Biel and Bridgwater, 1990). Factor analysis would then commonly be conducted on these results to determine the underlying dimensions of commercial perceptions.\nTV commercial perceptions and advertising effectiveness: Direct relationships\nStudy 1: Method\nStudy 2: Method\nDiscussion: The two studies reported in this research have resulted in a parsimonious, four-dimension model (with each dimension comprised of only three items) that can serve as a means for advertisers to easily and efficiently assess how audiences perceive television commercials. Furthermore, the three positively valenced dimensions (Meaningful, Ingenious, Warm) also predict and are positively related with three measures of advertising effectives (attitude toward the ad, attitude shift and product recommendation), whereas the negatively valenced dimension (Dislikable) is negatively related with those three measures. Indeed, the simplicity of the measure and its ability to predict effectiveness indicates that despite the increasingly crowded and complicated media landscape, changes in society, and the rise of the internet, assessing how consumers perceive TV commercials can still be done in a parsimonious manner. While the media has grown more complex and greater in number, people's assessments of television ads have essentially remained \"simple\" (or at least can be effectively measured in a simple manner).\n",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "Purpose: The authors conceptually aim to replicate and update an early stream of research to find the key dimensions used by today's audiences. They also show that the dimensions are directly related with attitude toward the ad, product attitude change and product recommendation and test the moderating impact of FCB Grid product type.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Across two studies, the authors survey a nationally representative sample of 1,223 US adults.\nFindings: Consumers evaluate commercials using the dimensions: Dislikable, Meaningful, Ingenious and Warm. The latter three are positively related with ad attitude, attitude change and recommendation, whereas Dislikable is negatively related. Furthermore, results show that High and Low Involvement Think products moderate the relation between all four dimensions and all three outcomes. Only Meaningful affects the outcomes for High Involvement Feel products, whereas only Ingenious affects Low Involvement Feel product outcomes.\nResearch limitations/implications: The research is limited to TV commercials, limiting generalizability to other media. Furthermore, the sample is limited to the USA.\nPractical implications: The paper provides a parsimonious four-dimension model for advertiser use. These dimensions also predict ad attitudes, product recommendation, and attitude change. The results further show that for emotionally driven products with high involvement, commercials should focus on meaningfulness. For emotionally driven products with little involvement, ads should emphasize creative elements.\nOriginality/value: Addressing the paucity of replications in marketing, this paper replicates and extends a stream of research to reveal dimensions consumers use to evaluate commercials and demonstrates their practical applications.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
RNLI launches prize-winning learning zone: Users offered the chance to chart their own course
|
[
"Charities",
"Computer‐based learning",
"Training",
"Volunteers"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: An organization that once had five different learning and HR systems that did not \"speak\" to one another and required five separate logins has won the most recent Charity Learning award for best overall e-learning program.\n\"Big reveal\" was a great success: A marketing campaign, with lunchtime events for each department, meant the so-called \"big reveal\" was a great success. In the first ten weeks alone, more than 1,000 people used the new system, compared with the previous annual average of 300. Champions in each department and region offer ongoing support, and lunchtime clinics continue to highlight and demonstrate what is on offer.Judges were impressed with this strong take-up, and the clear alignment with talent strategies and personal-development plans, so that learning is relevant, in context and easy to access.Staff training has changed from predominantly face-to-face to \"blended\", reducing the number of classroom courses from 30 to 18, with associated cost savings. Administrative time has also been saved as staff now manage their own bookings and managers are more involved in supporting their team's learning and development.The Charity Learning awards are organized by the Charity Learning Consortium, which brings together more than 100 charities, housing associations and not-for-profit organizations to make e-learning more affordable and effective.Martin Baker, founder and chief executive of the Charity Learning Consortium, commented: \"The RNLI is a highly-regarded and long-standing member of the consortium, and its learning and development team has worked tirelessly on the impressive new learning zone.\"I know that, at times, it was a challenging journey, but the charity never lost sight of why it took the project on - to give learners greater access to, and real involvement with, their own continuing professional development.\"The results speak for themselves. It is a great achievement for the RNLI project team, led by John Le Rossignol, the learning-resources manager. This is a shining example for others to follow.\"\nTips on e-learning success: John Le Rossignol offered the following tips for e-learning success:* Involve representatives from each user group, including administrators, in defining requirements and system testing.* Employ a solutions architect to help to define and prioritize complex requirements. \"We would do this sooner in future,\" said John Rossignol.* Rigorously define the scope of the project and avoid the temptation to keep including extra requests.* Do not underestimate the complexity of integrating e-learning with an HR system and achieving a single sign-on.* Make sure the login page is fool-proof and that communication about login routes is clear and simple.* For each element of the project, define one person who recommends, agrees (vetos), inputs and decides.* Be persistent, with a strong vision to beat the skeptics, and do not give up when it seems like a technical nightmare.* Choose a name that says what's in the tin, but a strong slogan helps marketing. RNLI learning zone was the best we could think of, but we added \"Plot your own course\". This adds a maritime flavor and sums up the key benefit of enabling the learner to manage his or her own learning with flexible options.RNLI volunteers provide a 24-hour search-and-rescue service in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland from 236 lifeboat stations. Additionally, the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 180 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood-rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.Volunteers make up 95 percent of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in the chairty's museums, shops and offices.\nNote: David Pollitt, Human Resource Management International Digest editor, wrote this article.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a one-stop shop to deliver blended learning for crew, volunteers and staff of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper discusses the reasons for developing the new system, the form it takes and the results it has achieved.\nFindings: - The paper explains that resources are now classified by RNLI competencies, with key ones linked to personal-development plans. Staff can add performance goals and link these to relevant courses. Crew can see their training-assessment status and service history. And other volunteers have development plans guiding them to recommended courses and resources.\nPractical implications: - The paper reveals that, in the first ten weeks alone, more than 1,000 people used the new system, compared with the previous annual average of 300.\nSocial implications: - The paper highlights the role of the Charity Learning Consortium in bringing together more than 100 charities, housing associations and not-for-profit organizations to make e-learning more affordable and effective.\nOriginality/value: - The paper provides eight tips for e-learning success.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Economic pluralism in the study of wage discrimination: a note
|
[
"Gender",
"Discrimination",
"Sexual discrimination",
"Pay differentials",
"Wages",
"Racial discrimination",
"Economic theory",
"Economic pluralism",
"Schools of economic thought",
"B4",
"B5",
"B54",
"J71"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Wage discrimination is a complex phenomenon requiring a range of policy actions put forward by different schools of economic thought. Pluralism suggests that no theoretical framework is sufficient in itself to evaluate and address the complex nature of the phenomenon and the different aspects surrounding it (Reardon, 2009; Garnett et al., 2010). A synthesis of the diagnosis of the causes is recommended to maximise the relevance of economic insights and policy actions (Reardon, 2009; Garnett et al., 2010). However, a reluctance to consider less-dominant theories among different schools of economic thought restricts analysis and proposed policies, resulting in a monism method (Davis, 2008; Reardon, 2009). Monism rejects synthesis, and, through its unwillingness to evaluate phenomena from multiple perspectives, rejects pluralism in order not to deal with that synthesis (Dequech, 2008; Reardon, 2009; Garnett et al., 2010).\n2. Causes and policy implications of wage discrimination: We examine how wage discrimination can be evaluated by Neoclassical- (Robinson, 1933; Becker, 1957; Phelps, 1972), Feminist- (Bergmann, 1986) and Marxian-oriented (Edwards et al., 1975) theories. In the following list, we present key definitions for understanding schools of economic thought. Wage discrimination is commonly defined as unequal pay for the same work in the same firm for comparably skilled workers (Becker, 1957; Bergmann, 1986). Wage discrimination is examined by focusing on comparable majority and minority population groups. Most economists have focused on researching wage discrimination owing to gender, race and ethnicity (Blau and Kahn, 2017; Drydakis, 2017).\n3. Case study: empirical patterns of wage discrimination: In Table I, we present the results of a 2012-2015 correspondence test study measuring wage discrimination in the UK for low-educated individuals (Drydakis et al., 2017). The results suggest that Black-British experience lower hourly wages as compared to equally qualified White-British. In addition, it is observed that in lower-status jobs Black-British experience higher wage discrimination than in higher status jobs. In pink-collar jobs (i.e. services), wage discrimination against Black-British is 7.75 per cent. However, in blue-collar jobs (i.e. manufactory) wage discrimination against Black-British is 10.42 per cent.\n4. Challenges in pluralist approaches: Our analysis so far has attempted to evaluate whether pluralism might allow for a multi-dimensional understanding of economic phenomena (Reardon, 2009; Garnett et al., 2010). We should highlight that pluralistic approaches require thoughtful research of different schools of thoughts and the process might be time-consuming (Dequech, 2008; Garnett et al., 2010). In the study of wage discrimination, we utilised the theoretical theories of three schools of economic thought. Economists and social planners should undertake an in-depth investigation of the existing theories. The strength and the limitations of each theory should be evaluated and compared in order to identify a range of plausible explanations of the causes of the phenomena.\n5. Conclusions: Economic pluralism proposes a synthesis of different theoretical theories within the same study (Reardon, 2009; Garnett et al., 2010). Pluralism states that no framework can evaluate the complex nature and dynamics of economic phenomena and the different aspects surrounding them (Dequech, 2008; Reardon, 2009; Garnett et al., 2010). Pluralism is critical of the idea that we can get one ultimate version of a pattern. Wage discrimination is seen as multi-dimensional, where dialogical awareness is needed. Monism restricts the diagnosis of the causes of wage discrimination, and also restricts the range of policy strategies to reduce them (Reardon, 2009; Garnett et al., 2010).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Economic pluralism proposes that economists and social planners should consider alternative theories to establish a range of policy actions. Neoclassical, Feminist and Marxian theories evaluate well-grounded causes of wage discrimination. However, a reluctance to consider less-dominant theories among different schools of economic thought restricts analysis and proposed policies, resulting in a monism method. The paper aims to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors provide a brief review of the theoretical literature on wage discrimination. The significance of a pluralistic analysis is demonstrated by addressing correspondence test patterns of wage discrimination.\nFindings: In considering Neoclassical, Feminist and Marxian theories, racist attitudes, uncertainties regarding minority workers' productivity and power relations in lower-status sectors might generate discriminatory wages. Each cause deserves corresponding policy action.\nResearch limitations/implications: Time is needed to provide a pluralistic evaluation of wage discrimination. In addition, pluralism requires rigorous investigations to avoid incoherencies. Pluralism might be jeopardised if there is a limited desire to engage with less-dominant theoretical frameworks. Also, pluralism might be misled with rejection of dominant theories.\nPractical implications: Given pluralism, wage discrimination might be reduced by implementing equality campaigns, creating low-cost tests to predict workers' productivity and abolishing power relations towards minority workers.\nOriginality/value: Little work has been on economic pluralism in the study of wage discrimination. The current study addresses the gap in the literature.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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The influence of celebrity chefs on a student population
|
[
"Students",
"Influence",
"Consumer perceptions",
"Celebrity chefs",
"Cooking skills",
"Entertainment"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Celebrity is much written about by social theorists (McNamara, 2009; Ferri, 2010; Lawler, 2010) and as such there are many taxonomies of celebrity, which Turner (2010) discusses at length. The concept that celebrity is a \"cultural formation that has a social function\" (Turner, 2010, p. 11), and the contemporary significance of celebrity itself remains a key topic for debate (Couldry and Markham, 2007). Celebrities are considered as role models for millions of people, especially younger citizens (Couldry and Markham, 2007), who are the focus of this study. Pringle (2004, p. 3) suggests that \"celebrity sells\", and outlines the extent to which society becomes influenced by these figures due to their prevalence in everyday life. Becoming well-known public figures, where they have adversaries as well as fans (Henderson, 2011) celebrities have attracted significant literature, which is split on their benefit and detriment to society (Couldry and Markham, 2007). One particular area of this burgeoning celebrity culture is the phenomenon of celebrity chefs.\n2. Methodology: 2.1. Survey and recruitment\n3. Results: In total, 84 per cent of respondents (n=200) reported watching food/cooking-related television programmes featuring celebrity chefs; this was significantly more than those who did not watch such programmes (kh2=110.27, df=1, p<0.001).\n4. Discussion: 4.1. Exposure\n5. Limitations and recommendations for future work: Women responded to the survey at higher rates than men, which is consistent with studies showing food and cooking habits primarily being a female domain (Lake et al., 2006; Swenson, 2009) but also with other work on gender and survey response rates (Lyness and Kropf, 2007; Bech and Kristensen, 2009). The response rate also largely reflects the male/female ratio at Bath Spa University (Bath Spa University, 2012), so males were likely to be under represented in the study population. The study only aimed to analyse results from a specific student population, and this, coupled with the modest sample size, may mean findings are not consistent with other consumer groups, particularly those with a different age demographic.\n6. Conclusions: A significant number of students in the surveyed population were exposed to celebrity chefs through the television shows they present; and whilst these were generally watched for entertainment, they also gave recipe ideas. Over half of respondents reported being influenced by celebrity chefs, though this was not significant. Those who were influenced selected Jamie Oliver as the single most influential chef; and he was also correctly recognised as the face of the campaign to improve school meals by nearly all of those surveyed. Generally, celebrity chefs were perceived as a positive influence, particularly for their promotion of quality ingredients and their ability to raise awareness of food issues.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the exposure of a student population to celebrity chef television programmes, to assess the influence these figures have, and how they are perceived.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A survey was conducted through an online questionnaire distributed at Bath Spa University. The approach included asking respondents why they watched programmes featuring celebrity chefs; to select a named celebrity chef whom they thought had most influenced their food habits, and to name particular chefs relating to campaign descriptions.\nFindings: A significant proportion of the study group watched television programmes fronted by celebrity chefs (84 per cent); the main reason for watching was for entertainment. Overall, reported influence was insignificant, though Jamie Oliver was selected as the chef with most influence on the respondent's food habits. Jamie Oliver's campaign to improve school dinners was also the most recognised, and celebrity chefs were generally viewed positively.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study population was quite specific in its gender, age and ethnicity, and therefore might not be representative of wider society. Further work could consider gender differences in chef influence, as well as different forms of exposure.\nOriginality/value: Despite their ubiquity, academic research into the role of the celebrity chef in modern society is limited, where very few studies have assessed the influence of named chefs or the public perception of these figures. This paper gives an insight into this under-researched field.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Unmasking the factors behind income inequalities in Ghana
|
[
"Ghana",
"Income inequality",
"Policy options",
"Sustainable development goals"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Inequality - which is generally defined as the proportion of, and gaps between, the rich and the poor - can exist and contribute to poverty in a range of dimensions, and is often measured in monetary terms (income). Inequality also has nonmonetary dimension (non-income) such as health, nutrition, education, and access to basic services. Inequality was one of the central topics of the World Summit for Social Development in 1995. Resolution 62/213 of March 7, 2008, of the UN General Assembly recognized that inequality within and among countries is a concern for all countries regardless of their levels of development. It represents a growing challenge with multiple implications for the realization of economic and social potentials and the achievement of internationally agreed goals including the sustainable development goals. Recently, the World Bank adopted two new metrics for fighting global poverty and inequality. Specifically, this goal is to be reached by ending extreme levels of poverty and promoting what the bank termed \"shared prosperity.\" Ending extreme poverty has been defined as reducing \"the percentage of people living with less than $1.25 a day to no more than 3 percent globally by 2030.\" In contrast, promoting shared prosperity is defined as \"fostering income growth of the bottom 40 percent of the population in every country\" (World Bank, 2013).\n2. Overview of levels and trends of poverty in Ghana: Overall, the poverty profile of Ghana shows declining levels of poverty across the country, with the lowering of the share of the population living in poverty from 51.7 percent in 1991 to 39.5 percent in 1998. Based on the new poverty line for 2012/2013, the adjusted or revised welfare levels for 2005/2006 indicate that overall poverty incidence for 2005/2006 was 31.9 percent, whereas the proportion of the population defined as poor is 24.2 percent in 2012/2013. This shows that about 6.4 million people in Ghana are poor (see Figure 1). The incidence of poverty is therefore reduced by 7.7 percentage points over the seven-year period (GSS, 2014).\n3. Methodological approach and sources of data: The study relies on both consumption and income data as a measure of welfare in order to understand the extent and trends of inequality and to explore deeply into the relevant sources of inequality within the north and the south. The study employs both descriptive and regression methods. The descriptive analysis is used for the decomposition of inequality, while the regression approach is also employed to explain the determinants of inequality within the north and within the south in Ghana.\n4. Extent and trends of inequality in Ghana (1991/1992 to 2012/2013): In this section, we use the entropy class measures in addition to the Gini Index to analyze equality using consumption expenditure data over the GLSS 3, 4, 5 and 6 survey periods. The analysis shows that by any measure of inequality, welfare distribution was at best in 1991/1992, when the Gini index was 0.353. After 1991/1992, welfare gaps widened progressively as reflected in the rise of the adjusted Gini index (based on December 2012 poverty line) to 0.419 in 2005/2006. In 2012/2013, the Gini index increased marginally to 0.423, representing a 12.8 percent increase over the 1991/1992 to 2012/2013 period (see Figure 4). The increase implies that over time Ghanaians are not benefiting evenly from the growth process. If inequality had reduced over the period, poverty rates would have reduced further since the welfare levels of many more Ghanaians would have improved.\n5. Determinants of inequality within the south and within the north in Ghana: In this section, we employ an alternative decomposition approach by Fields (2002) to investigate the dispersion of inequality within the south and the north using household and community-level characteristics. This technique by Fields (2002) allows us to assess the importance of household and community-specific characteristics in explaining the level of inequality within the north and the south, where the amount explained by each factor is independent of the inequality measures used. As discussed in Section 2, the method involves running a standard set of regression in the form specified in Equation (2). The methods in Equation (4) are used to quantify the contributions of various factors in accounting for the levels of inequality.\n6. Conclusions and policy implications: Using GLSS 6, the study provides a comprehensive review of the extent and trends of income inequality and also deepens our understanding of the determinants of inequality within the north and within the south using both household- and community-level variables. Employing both descriptive and regression methods, the findings of the study show that household characteristic such as urban location, no education, public and private formal economic activities, and not covered by NHIS are the major determinants of inequality within the north and the south. Specifically, within the north, the 20-34 year age group is the most prominent contributor to inequality. This may be attributed to the loss of this productive age group to the south through migration. The resultant very low remittances to support families back in the north because of low paid jobs engaged in by migrants tend to exacerbate extreme poverty and inequality within the north. With respect to within the south, the most important determinant of inequality is the completion of JSS/JHS. Although, completion of JSS/JHS is associated with increases in expenditure per adult equivalent within the south, it contributes significantly to inequality. This may be attributed to the high numbers as well as the economic activities of this group of the population within the south. The teeming numbers of population who have completed JSS/JHS (including migrants from north) are engaged in non-farm self-employment and agricultural business activities (informal sector) which are associated with lower productivity and earnings. In effect, both informal and agribusiness activities contribute to inequality within the south.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to examine the extent and trends of income inequality as well as the contribution of household and community-level factors in explaining inequality within north and south in Ghana.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study employs both descriptive and regression methods. The study adopts the methodology by Fields (2002) to assess the importance of household and community attributes in explaining the level of inequality within the north and the south.\nFindings: The findings of the study show that household characteristics such as urban location, no education, public and private formal economic activities, and not covered by National Health Insurance Scheme are major determinants of inequality within the north and the south. Specifically, within the north, the 20-34 year age group is the most prominent contributor to inequality. Within the south, the most important determinant of inequality is the completion of junior high school. The contribution of community-level features shows that, within the north, access to banks is the most vital factor to inequality, whereas within the south, access to electricity and public transport is the most important community factor.\nPractical implications: The study provides an understanding of the underlying household and community factors driving the observed inequality patterns within the north and the south in Ghana. Policy options are identified for achieving the sustainable development goals.\nOriginality/value: The study uses the latest round of the Ghana Living Standards survey, GLSS 6, which covers new data on a nationally representative sample of 18,000 households in 1,200 enumeration areas.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
What contributes to adaptive company resilience? A conceptual and practical approach
|
[
"Adaptability",
"Productivity",
"Organizational change and learning",
"Human resources",
"Company resilience",
"R + D"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In the current context of uncertainties - new organizational large-scale changes and strategies, new priorities, increasing technological change and competiveness - resilience emerges as an overall competence demanded at all levels.\n2. Making innovation a way of life: Innovation is critical for productive diversification and organizational resilience: successful companies not only create changes but also make innovation a way of life. To this end, the key question for company strategy is how to become an anticipatory innovator: the answer is becoming a serial innovator.\n3. The extraordinary contribution of human resources to company resilience: Personal and worker resilience are an adaptive human process involving behaviors, thoughts and actions. As individuals, there is significant evidence that happier people are healthier, more productive and more resilient to external shocks (such as unemployment): a better understanding of happiness drivers is a critical foundation for strengthening individual resilience.\n4. Assessing company resilience empirically: Table I shows some possible indicators for exploring nurtured company resilience. The variables suggested attempt, predominantly, to capture company resilience from human resources, innovation, product diversification, innovative culture and human resources developmental measures.\n5. Concluding remarks: As exposed, business adaptive resilience is an overall competence, summarizing company internal competitive advantages.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to explore how companies could adapt to challenges derived from globalization, competitiveness and knowledge-based economy through resiliency as organizational property. It delves to into the factors enhancing the termed nurtured, especially those related to human resources and innovation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research approach is framed within the long run analysis of the internal perspective of resources and business performance (resources-based model) and the theory of complex adaptive systems. According to these approaches, methods and variables for empirically assess company resilience are proposed.\nFindings: Main findings indicate a considerable contribution of human resources and innovation to company resilience. Besides, adaptive company resilience requires product diversification and productivity. By strengthening and developing nurtured resilience, a company is equipped to quickly recovering after being adversely affected by a shock, withstand shocks and avoid shocks.\nPractical implications: Resilience focus management could be an additional tool for managing the unexpected and also complementary to early warning systems.\nOriginality/value: This paper regards resilience as an integrated and overall framework for developing company internal capabilities balancing efficiency and adaptability (and does not consider it, merely, as an add-on).\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Performance measurement and metrics in supply chains: an exploratory study
|
[
"Performance",
"Supply chain",
"Performance measurement",
"Supply chain management",
"Performance management systems",
"Performance measures"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The field of performance measurement (PM) in a supply chain (SC) context is maturing; this is reflected in the academic literature, as publications are moving from the conceptual to the empirical. However, as stated by Gopal and Thakkar (2012), there is still a lack of systemic empirical work focused on this topic, which suggests that there has not been much change since 2007, when a similar observation was made by Gunasekaran and Kobu. Even though there are publications based on empirical data, the case study approach dominates SC research, with limited survey-based research. However, case studies and surveys should inform one another and thus capture the state of supply chain performance measurement (SCPM). As part of this research, we launched an exploratory survey to look at PM tools, individual metrics, metrics categories and their perceived importance. In the research reported here, we carried out an exploratory questionnaire survey. We consider social, economic and environmental metrics, which are used to capture the impact of a SC on all three of these pillars of sustainability. In addition, we analyse the importance of different external and internal factors that determine the usage of the PM systems at the SC and corporate levels. This paper is structured as follows: after a brief literature review, the methodology is described, at the beginning of each sub-section we explain how the questions were constructed, then the findings are presented and discussed. Finally the conclusions and recommendations for practice and future research are identified.\n2. Recent literature reviews: There are several published literature reviews that are focused on various aspects of SCPM thus we would like to refer to such publications instead of repeating their findings (literature cited in this paper was updated in June 2013). There were three early literature reviews published in 2006-2007 (Chan et al., 2006; Shepherd and Gunter, 2006; Gunasekaran and Kobu, 2007) and a further review of 24 publications was completed by Akyuz and Erkan (2009). In addition, Gopal and Thakkar (2012) identified and reviewed 28 journal papers focused on SCPM that were published between 2000 and 2011. Their review covered the design, implementation and monitoring of measures in the SC context.\n3. Methodology: The questionnaire was designed based on a literature review and created in an electronic format (using Survey Monkey). The first version of the questionnaire was reviewed and tested by academics and consultants from the SC field. The aim of the test was to ensure the quality of the survey instrument. Feedback was collected and incorporated into the final version of the questionnaire. The survey was advertised on EU project and the logistics association web sites, with logistics managers being the main target. The aim of this work was to provide an exploratory analysis, using convenience sampling, so one limitation of this research is that the findings are not representative of the whole population. To increase our understanding of the context, we asked about the respondents' position, sector, headquarters location, main scope of operations and number of employees. In the survey design we accepted that some information might be unknown to the respondents (e.g. environmental measures might be under the responsibility of the Corporate Social Responsibility department), so to avoid incorrect answers respondents were allowed to skip questions. A total of 107 questionnaires were completed. However, some were not completed by practitioners, but by academics or consultants, and others lacked some basic information. Such questionnaires were manually removed and were not analysed further, leaving 51 completed questionnaires. Where the number of specific answers was very low we merged them into an \"other\" category, and mention this wherever relevant. As there was the possibility of skipping a question of the online survey, the number of responses to each question varies (as indicated in each diagram or table listed in this paper). The data collected were then exported to SPSS and analysed - descriptive analysis, graphical presentation tools, cross-tabulations and correlations were applied. The first research goal was to provide a snapshot of the status of SCPM using a pilot study; the second goal was to test the survey in a real setting and on a wider group of respondents, so that after modification it could be used in future research with more targeted sampling procedures. The questionnaire was created from the literature related to PM in SCs. This approach also has limitations, as only metrics listed in the body of literature with a clear SC or logistics focus were included in the questionnaire. The sources are mentioned at the beginning of each section of the paper.\n4. Respondents and their organisations: The aim of the first section was to capture contextual information about the respondents, to define the main scope of their organisations as well as their role within the SC. The majority of respondents were from the logistics services sector, followed by retail and consumer goods. The \"other\" category includes companies in the bulk and chemical sectors, as well as companies that operate in more than one sector. The automotive sector was also represented (Figure 1).\n5. Process - methods and tools used to measure SC performance: In the survey we wanted to find out what methods and tools were used by companies to capture performance. Based on the literature we created a list of approaches identified in companies or proposed to measure SC performance, these include:\n6. Content - metrics categories used by organisations: Apart from the methods, we asked about the main metrics groups (categories) used in the companies, based on the literature review:\n7. PM at company level - impact factors and their importance: In the questionnaire we asked respondents about which impact factors were important at the company (organisational) level. When designing this section, we considered some problems with PM identified in the literature, such as:\n8. PM at the SC level - impact factors and their importance: Another issue included in the questionnaire concerned the factors that influence the usage and exchange of metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) between SC members. This question was also developed based on the literature, where the following problems were listed:\n9. Metrics used to measure SC performance and their importance: The last, and largest, section in the questionnaire related to individual metrics within different groups, which are used to reflect SC impact and their perceived importance. We looked at three groups of metrics that influence sustainability (social, economic and environmental), which were further divided into three sub-dimensions each (Figure 5). A list of individual metrics was created based on the literature and verified with practitioners; the number of metrics was different for each sub-dimension (see Appendices 1-3 for a full list of metrics used in the questionnaire). In the online survey, respondents were first asked if they could provide information about certain dimensions and sub-dimensions of the metrics; if the answer was negative, they were automatically moved to the next section or question (skip-logic was built into the survey). Based on the number of answers it is possible to propose that the usage of social and environmental metrics was lower compared to the traditional economic, business-oriented metrics. We completed non-parametric tests for randomness (one-sample runs test), which indicated that at a significance level of 0.05 the hypothesis of random sequences of values was retained, except for two variables \"energy use\" and \"response time\".\n10. Discussion: This research is exploratory; nevertheless, there are some interesting observations to be made.\n11. Conclusions and directions for further research: This research tested the survey instrument in a real-life setting. Although a pilot study, there are certain recommendations and conclusions that can be drawn for both practitioners and academics alike.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the approaches and metrics used to measure supply chain (SC) performance, and to understand the relative perceived importance of such measures.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This research is based on empirical data captured through a survey of SC professionals in a variety of business sectors.\nFindings: The research confirms the importance of the balanced scorecard (BSC) approach, with BSC, SCOR and economic value added being the most commonly used tools. Economic metrics dominate, focused on cost and customer service. While social and environmental-related measures are of emerging importance, they appear to be of similar importance to economic metrics only when backed up by a legal obligation.\nResearch limitations/implications: The small sample of 51 companies was based on access and the group is not wholly representative of all businesses. Respondents were mainly managers from EU countries involved in procurement, logistics and transport activities. Surveyed companies included manufacturing, automotive, retail, logistics services and wholesaling businesses.\nPractical implications: The common key performance indicators (KPI's) are identified. These include measures related to: quality, efficiency, responsiveness, health and safety, employees, emission, natural resources utilisation, waste and recycling. Issues that influence the usage of measurement systems as well as the company and SC levels are ranked.\nSocial implications: Implementation of a monitoring system and subsequent usage of the collected data may help to reduce negative external impacts on society and the environment.\nOriginality/value: The field of SC performance management is still developing, with growing empirical work. Nevertheless this paper is one of the first attempts to carry out such an analysis focused on metrics and their usage. The survey instrument has been tested and can now be applied to other contexts.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Managing industrial service offerings in global business markets
|
[
"Industrial services",
"Multinational companies",
"International business",
"Service systems"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this article.\n1. Introduction: The increasing importance of industrial service offerings for the competitiveness of manufacturing companies has been highlighted by several authors during the last decade (see, for example, Jacob and Ulaga, 2008; Mathieu, 2001; Nordin, 2008). Although multiple studies of industrial service management do exist, they generally center on individual markets and/or focus on the transition from a product-centric to a service-centric business perspective (e.g. Gebauer and Friedli, 2005; Matthyssens and Vandenbempt, 2008). What is often neglected are organizational issues related to the management of services across borders. To the best of our knowledge, no study has explicitly examined the roles of central and local organizational entities for the global management of manufacturing companies' industrial service offerings. This, we argue, deserves further attention.The existing research into the internationalization of services, however, concerns either the expansion of consumer services or of professional service firms (e.g. Ekeledo and Sivakumar, 1998; Lovelock and Yip, 1996). Among the few studies that focus explicitly on industrial services, Morschett (2006) analyzes the determinants of the choice of either wholly-owned after-sales service units or service partners in foreign markets, and Barry and Terry (2008) examine the cross-cultural relevance of relationship value. Thus, in the face of a growing share of total revenue generated through services, and the increasing importance of global service offerings for the long-term competitiveness of industrial companies, more research is clearly needed.Furthermore, existing studies of international business and global companies have generally focused on foreign market entry (e.g. Chan et al., 2006; Johnson and Tellis, 2008) and on overall headquarters-subsidiary relationships (e.g. Harzing, 2000; Leong and Tan, 1993). These studies have a primarily product focus. For example, the agile transnational organization put forward by, among others, Bartlett and Ghoshal (2000), implicitly concerns the global management of products, not of services. However, internationalization is often argued to be more risky and complex for service-oriented than for product-oriented companies (Andersson, 2002; Carman and Langeard, 1980). The inherent characteristics of services imply that local presence and customer-supplier interactions become much more vital than is the case for traditional product offerings (Gronroos, 1998).In order to address this research gap, we analyze how industrial service offerings are developed and managed in multinational manufacturing companies. In particular, we investigate the roles of central and local service organizations. The term multinational company (MNC) is used to denote all types of companies with worldwide operations, regardless of their organizational structure (i.e. multidomestic, international, global, and transnational) (see Harzing, 2000). The article is structured as follows. First, theories of service management and multinational organizations are discussed. Subsequently, the research method is presented, followed by the results and analysis. The analysis is conducted by examining the role of the central and local service organizations for different types of service offerings. Eight distinct service offerings of strategic importance to MNCs are analyzed and the general findings discussed. These are structured on the basis of four lessons that capture critical aspects of global service management.\n2. Theoretical background: In this section, the global management of industrial service offerings is delineated by anchoring it to three theoretical issues that are central to the study.2.1 Key service components\n3. Research method: Industrial services span a wide range of offerings, ranging from basic after-sales services to complex solutions consisting of both services and goods. Thus, the hypothesis was that, depending on the type of service offering, the fundaments and requirements of local and central systems and processes differ notably. In terms of the centre-local relationship and also in order to understand the service offerings, we selected the industrial service offering as our unit of analysis.The empirical data come from two capital equipment manufacturing companies (henceforth called Alpha and Beta) that are global, number-one companies in their respective industries, and that have a clear focus on services and a strategic aim of increasing the service content of their offerings. Both case companies have European origins, although they are under Japanese and US ownership respectively.Because we chose industrial offerings as our research objects, we needed a strategy for selecting such offerings for study purposes. The various forms of traditional after-sales services that are offered by most companies can be classified as product-oriented, whereas services that focus on customer production/business performance are commonly referred to as process-oriented (Kowalkowski et al., 2009; Mathieu, 2001; Oliva and Kallenberg, 2003). Another distinct dimension is the bundling strategy; i.e. whether the services are offered unbundled or bundled (Kowalkowski et al., 2009; Nordin et al., 2011; Stremersch et al., 2001). Thus, in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the global management of service offerings, we opted for analyzing eight service offerings with distinct characteristics, in accordance with Figure 1.In total, 27 central and local respondents were interviewed, including service managers, managing directors, and business development managers. Due to the central role of customers in service production, interviews were also conducted with ten key members of the buying centers. Customers were selected mainly on two bases; customer segment and size, and the type of offering they purchase from the case companies.Information from the companies studied was elaborated, so as to produce rich case descriptions of the service offerings. This enabled the identification, evaluation, and matching of patterns as they emerged from the individual cases. This initial analysis of data corresponds to Yin's (2003) recommendation to first become familiar with each case as a separate entity in order to identify case-specific patterns, before making a cross-case comparison to identify common patterns. The identification of these critical patterns enabled the categorization of four \"lessons\" to help understand the management of service offerings on a global scale.\n4. Characterizing industrial service offerings: The analysis of the eight industrial service offerings is structured according to Edvardsson's (1997) service components and linked to key aspects of the relationship between local and central entities. A characterization of the service offerings is found in Table I.4.1 Repair services\n5. Findings and analysis: Based on the overall patterns that emerged during the analysis, we have extracted four lessons relating to the global management of an industrial service portfolio.5.1 Lesson 1: an in-house local service organization is preferable when competing through industrial service offerings\n6. Conclusions: By taking a broad view of the management of industrial service offerings in a multinational manufacturing context, this paper contributes to both service management and organizational theory. Among other things, the study contributes to the debate on whether or not to integrate or separate the service organization from the rest of the company (e.g. Neu and Brown, 2005; Oliva and Kallenberg, 2003). A separate organizational structure may be adequate for basic service offerings, such as repair and operations training. However, in order to gain internal support, to expand service sales, and develop an integrative market strategy, integration and reciprocity between front office and back office, and between central and local entities becomes more important. For such offerings as rental agreements and high-end SLAs, product design and quality exert a major influence on future service operations.Compared to Bartlett and Ghoshal (2000), and to other studies of the management of MNCs, the present study focuses specifically on service offerings in manufacturing companies. This approach enabled us to gain insights into specific issues which are becoming relevant to a growing number of companies, as they focus on their service business. As illustrated in the paper, having a broad portfolio of industrial service offerings implies having a very wide range of skill sets. Furthermore, it means that MNCs must compete, not only with other manufacturing companies that offer services, but also with local, low-cost, low-tech workshops, as well as with global systems integrators. Thus, various different factors become important, depending both on current service offerings, systems, and processes and on corporate structure, market strategies, and market and industry characteristics.Overall, however, both formal (standardized service elements and processes, uniform ICT systems, etc.) and informal integrative mechanisms (e.g. socialization) are critical. Usually, the central organization sets some boundaries as to what constitutes acceptable service content, such as mandatory SLA elements, followed by local choice, for exploring within these boundaries (see Verbeke and Kenworthy, 2008). Compared to the MNC's product operations, socialization becomes more important, due to the interactive nature of most service provision, compared to manufacturing and distribution. Integration mechanisms, such as the establishment of service forums and joint projects, have facilitated central-local interdependence. This is consistent with research on MNCs, which states that established informal relationships can overcome the negative effect of spatially dispersed entities (e.g. Hansen and Lovas, 2004; Kim et al., 2003).6.1 Limitations and future research\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Despite the increased focus on industrial services in manufacturing companies, little research to date has focused on understanding the roles of local and central organizations in global service management. In order to address this research gap, the paper aims to investigate how industrial service offerings are developed and managed in multinational manufacturing companies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A qualitative case study with respondents from two internationally leading manufacturers was conducted. Eight industrial service offerings with different characteristics serve as units of analysis.\nFindings: - A broad portfolio of industrial service offerings implies having a very wide range of skill sets, including both global efficiency and local responsiveness. With specialized and extensive offerings, it becomes more important to have a high level of central-local and product-service integration and to internalize service provision. Furthermore, with global customers, the central service organization needs to assume a more prominent role, initiating both an organizational exploitation of current service capabilities and the exploration of new ones.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The main focus was on service offerings performed by high-volume manufacturing companies operating primarily in developed markets.\nOriginality/value: - Previous studies of industrial service management in manufacturing companies have not explicitly considered the roles of central and local organizations. Thus, the authors were able to complement the existing theory. The paper promotes a deeper understanding of the complexity of managing service offerings on a global basis.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Creating sustainable fresh food supply chains through waste reduction
|
[
"Fresh foods",
"Supply chain",
"Sustainability",
"Waste reduction",
"Information sharing",
"Case studies",
"Supply chain management",
"Waste minimisation",
"Information"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Sustainability concerns are becoming an essential part of perishable food supply chain management. The average loss of food products over the whole chain from production to the retail shelf and the consumer's fridge is estimated to be 35 per cent (Parfitt et al., 2010); in other words, one-third of the food produced for humans is wasted (Gustavsson et al., 2011). The food waste in different supply chain phases has been estimated in many studies, providing somewhat different results, depending on the measures and methods used, but the studies seem to agree that product groups such as fresh bakery products and fresh fruits and vegetables contribute most to the avoidable food waste, and are most significant in affecting the total turnover in all parts of the distribution chain (Hanssen and Schakenda, 2011; Kantor et al., 2007; Griffin et al., 2008; Mena et al., 2011). The most common reason for waste at the retail store is that products' expiry dates have passed (Hanssen and Schakenda, 2011). The causes for this include ordering more than real demand or products reaching the store shelf too late and with a short remaining shelf life (Mena et al., 2011). The origins of these effects have been identified as a lack of information sharing, forecasting difficulties and poor ordering, the performance measurement focus on cost, efficiency and availability, and problems in promotions management (Taylor and Fearne, 2009; WRAP, 2011b, c). Therefore, it becomes evident that ensuring that the product reaches the end consumer in full quantity and in perfect condition is of crucial importance for increasing sustainability (Nereng et al., 2009).This paper takes a supply chain view in order to study the wasting of fresh food. The main environmental effect is not caused solely in the phase where the product is wasted; food products that end up not being consumed have an environmental impact without adding value. A further rationale is that poor planning practices and delays in previous supply chain phases can harm the operations in later phases (Parfitt et al., 2010). Thus, producing volumes according to real demand and improving the efficiency and performance of the whole supply chain are expected to significantly reduce the perishable food waste. Past research and company practices have mainly focused on separate segments of the supply chain, for example farmers and growers, retailers, transport and distribution, or processing and manufacturing (Mena et al., 2011). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how to benefit from sharing demand data and shelf-life data to achieve improved fresh food supply chain performance. The research question is: how can improved visibility be utilized to create a sustainable fresh food supply chain?\n2 Literature review: 2.1 Fresh food supply chain characteristics\n3 Research design: 3.1 Research method\n4 Case studies: In this chapter, the cases are treated separately to describe the actions taken.Case 1: forecast-based daily operations for fresh milk products\n5 Cross-case analysis: The implemented or planned changes in information flow and material flow and their impact in supply chain performance are studied. The most important changes were made in retail order patterns, in the planning and forecasting process, and in material flow, which aimed at streamlining and speeding up the flow (Table VII). These changes are discussed in the light of three key characteristics of the food product market: demand uncertainty, COLT, and SCLT (Kittipanya-ngam et al., 2010).In the cases accurate and thorough use of shared data dampened the effect of demand uncertainty. A particular finding was the impact of store order-placing schedule on shelf availability and waste in the stores. To be able to respond to demand, the store order-placing time needs to be delayed as long as possible. This resulted in more accurate daily ordering and improved management of weekend sales and Monday orders in Cases 1 and 2. In Case 2, this was a remarkable improvement because fish sales grow towards the weekend. In addition, fresh food ordering is still in many cases a manual practice: members of store staff are needed to check dates on products on the shelf, as well as the remaining quantities. Therefore, the working hours of the store staff, which typically start early in the morning, need to be taken into account: the new structure allows orders in the morning for delivery the same day.In previous studies, it was found that information sharing becomes more beneficial when variation in demand is high (Ferguson and Ketzenberg, 2006). This is supported by the case findings. In the context of fresh foods, the very accurate - daily, weekly, even hourly - demand follow-up needs to be emphasized.The benefits in actual production can be seen in two ways. First, more accurate forecasts result in more responsive production planning. Second, the fine tuning of production, or replacing MTS production at least partially with MTO production, can be realized on the basis of the demand data. The benefits were achieved by more efficient store replenishment, more accurate follow-up of demand data in production planning, and improvements in the structure of the distribution channel. However, the benefits for the manufacturer from shared real-time information remain low.In all cases the shelf life of the products is short, only a few days. One observation was that the SCLT in the supply chain needs to be shared efficiently between the actors. In Case 3 the NVA time varied between 6 and 44 per cent of total shelf life. Several tactics were suggested to improve the situation. First, the store ordering should be delayed as long as possible to base the order on the actual sales or current stock on the retail shelf. This is especially important during weekends, campaigns, or other periods that cause seasonal variation in demand. Second, the time from ordering to store delivery should be minimized, and for this reason logistics service providers were not favored. Third, to organize the time needed for the producer's production planning and balancing the incoming material quantities, upstream operations need to be based on forecasts.It became evident that the location of the order penetration point (OPP), needs to be moved closer to the customer to achieve a shorter COLT. In Cases 1 and 2, the OPP was shifted from the producer to the wholesaler (Figure 2). Now, the producer operates successfully on the basis of forecasts as the forecast accuracy has improved. The customer order-picking was shifted from the producer to the wholesaler. This change allows delayed ordering from the retailers and therefore more accurate demand responsiveness. In the future, the model could be further improved by shifting the OPP to the retail stores. Then the wholesaler will define replenishments to the retail store and operate a vendor-managed inventory (VMI).In Cases 1 and 2, a good forecasting process with the best available data was essential. This finding is in line with the literature, where poor forecasting was identified as one of the causes of inefficient supply chain management (Mena et al., 2011; Taylor and Fearne, 2009). Implementing this required investments in software, as well as in staff and their capabilities. In Case 3, on the other hand, the key proposal is that the order should be placed early in order to avoid hectic situations in production. This is in line with the statement that it is not only the availability of demand data but the timing of sending the demand data that is important (Taylor and Fearne, 2009). There seem to be two ways to proceed: to develop forecasting based on accurate data to improve the upstream operations or to utilize actual demand data in order to improve production responsiveness and shelf life along the whole chain. The two ways are not contradictory. The objective should be to find the optimal trade-off for a particular scenario between, on one hand, the pattern of gathering data and, on the other hand, the forecasting precision.\n6 Conclusions: This paper contributes to current knowledge on sustainable supply chain performance by operationalizing the information usage for waste reduction and improved shelf availability. In the context of fresh food with a short shelf life, waste can be reduced by ensuring that the product reaches the consumer in perfect order and with maximum remaining shelf life. On the other hand, waste reduction is the key factor in increasing the sustainability of the supply chain. Due to the short overall lifetime of the fresh food products, the time management becomes essential. The limited available time needs to be carefully shared between supply chain activities. The findings indicate that improving the performance in the supply chains requires focusing on multiple parallel issues in physical goods flow and in information flow. First, supply chain structure should be streamlined to avoid additional handling and delays. Second, the OPP location needs to support the specific features of fresh food supply chains: initial findings indicate that the OPP should be moved as close to the retail customer as possible. Third, the role of an efficient forecasting process becomes more important, because a larger share of the chain operates on the basis of forecasts, which also supports earlier research findings. Fourth, demand data should be utilized to balance operations between MTO and MTS production. Demand data forms a good basis for forecasting, and, on the other hand, can trigger larger MTO production instead of producing to stock. The way to utilize demand data needs to be selected in a way to support optimally the specific product characteristics and demand patterns.In the cases treated in the paper, the main benefits from the improvements can be seen at the retail store level, while the development actions mainly concerned the upper parts of the chain. Therefore, improving the sustainable performance requires changes in the whole supply chain, not only in the phase where the problems occur or benefits are realized. From a manufacturer's point of view, the key question is how to improve the operations for its own products with strong retail chains and a centralized trade structure. In our case studies, the benefits in actual production remain low since producers have only limited opportunities to utilize shared demand data.We conclude that the design of a supply chain needs to serve specific features of perishable products to achieve a more sustainable performance. It was found out that synchronizing information and material flow is essential when improving the sustainable performance of the supply chain. Fine-tuning the daily and weekly order schedule according to the demand pattern, in combination with the capacity at the processor, has a remarkable effect on the responsiveness of the supply chain. The research presented gives a new perspective on how companies can deal with sustainability at an operational level by looking at the information and material flow management.The findings are based on three Nordic supply chains, and not all the findings can be generalized. There is a need for more empirical studies on sustainable supply chain performance. One question not covered in this research is how measurement can cover contradictory goals and reflect the heterogeneous features of fresh food product groups with different performance targets. Another topic for future research is the suitability of product-centric supply chain management techniques in the context of fresh food. Furthermore, this paper has added a larger perspective on waste reduction, being not only a matter at the retailer but an issue that has to be dealt within the whole supply chain. This raises the question for future research of how the benefits and costs of sustainable performance are to be shared between supply chain parties.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The aim of this empirical paper is to study information sharing in fresh food supply chains, with a specific goal of reducing waste and facilitating sustainable performance. The study focuses on material and information flow issues, specifically on sharing demand and shelf-life data.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This work has been designed as an exploratory case study in three fresh food supply chains, milk, fresh fish, and fresh poultry, in the Nordic countries. The cases are based on interviews and data from the databases of the companies involved. Each case focuses on analyzing information flow, particularly the current order patterns and forecasting and planning process, and material flow, focusing on the supply chain structure. In two cases significant changes have been made to forecasting processes and material flow, while the third case intends to identify the most beneficial uses of shared information to create a sustainable fresh food supply chain.\nFindings: - The performance of the perishable food chain can be improved by more efficient information sharing. The key to improved operations is how and for which purposes the shared data should be used. In addition, changes in the supply chain structure were needed to speed up the deliveries and ensure shelf availability. The cross-case analysis revealed that improved performance was obtained with parallel changes in information sharing and usage and in material flow.\nOriginality/value: - Few studies approach the problem of waste and sustainability from an integrated supply chain perspective. This paper links data sharing with the sustainability performance of the supply chain as a whole.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The impact of personal attitudes on the growth ambitions of small business owners
|
[
"SME",
"Growth",
"Growth barriers",
"Bourdieu",
"Habitus",
"Critical realism"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: There is an extensive body of literature that considers small business growth and the factors that shape this (see Gupta et al., 2013 for an overview). Despite this, we cannot predict with any accuracy the businesses that will grow. Our understanding of the factors that shape growth remains partial and limited. This may be because small business growth is too complex to understand. It may be that we cannot conduct extensive surveys that cover enough variables. It may also be, however, as we argue in this paper, that the currently dominant, essentially positivist, epistemology is inherently limited and that new, complementary modes of explanation can move our thinking and understanding of these issues forward in meaningful ways. In this paper we present empirical evidence to support a critical realist approach that utilises key ideas from social theory that have been widely utilised in other disciplines, but which have not been widely employed in small business research.\nLiterature review: The evidence base on small business growth is dominated by quantitative findings from surveys such as the BIS Small Business Survey, the Community Innovation Survey and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. These data are informative; they show associations between directly observable factors and business performance, and highlight areas of difference between growing and non-growing businesses. For example, they show that growing businesses tend to be more innovative (Freel and Robson, 2004; Oke et al., 2007; Cainelli et al., 2006), more open to using external advice and support (Roper and Hart, 2013), more export oriented (Love and Roper, 2015), more likely to invest in training (BIS et al., 2012) and distinctive in their use of external finance (e.g. Brown and Lee, 2014). There is also an extensive literature relating SME performance to management and leadership skills (e.g. Hayton, 2015; Wright et al., 2015). Other work shows that growing businesses are more proactive in the use of formal HR practices (Rouditser and McKeown, 2015), that they set themselves and their staff more challenging goals (Wright et al., 2015), are more likely to have a strategic approach to running the business (Whaley, 2003; Ates et al., 2013) and are more ambitious (BIS et al., 2012).\nThe empirical research: The empirical basis for the argument described in the remaining sections of this paper includes two studies undertaken on behalf of BIS. The first of these studies (Allinson et al., 2013) explored growth in micro-businesses (0-9 employees), the second (Allinson et al., 2015) explored the same issues with small businesses (10-49 employees). These studies used essentially identical methodologies and, despite the differences in the sizes of the businesses studied, provided similar findings. Accordingly, the description below relates specifically to the second study.\nResults: Analysis of the survey data showed that, when asked more open questions about barriers to growth than is typical in such surveys as that of SBS, respondents tended to provide a much wider range of answers. Interviewees reported a total of 31 obstacles, whereas the SBS survey (2014) covered just 12 predefined \"obstacles to business success\". Reported obstacles included issues associated with business improvement processes, business capabilities, perceived demand and lack of ambition.\nInterpretation: The findings imply limits to the extent to which small business growth performance can be explained using conventional research techniques, since the way owners run their businesses is often not properly \"informed\" or necessarily \"rational\".\nNew approaches to entrepreneurship research: Reflecting on the findings and the currently dominant body of empirical research - and particularly on what the research has failed to achieve - suggests that we face two epistemological and methodological challenges.\nConclusions: In this paper we have attempted to show that the currently dominant approach to conducting research in small business performance has important limitations. Our analysis adds weight to the increasingly widespread view that positivist approaches are likely to struggle to provide truly comprehensive explanations of small business performance and growth. There may well be a wider set of missing factors, but we have at least begun to demonstrate that Bordieusian conceptions of habitus, capitals and fields can help to show how business owners' dispositions are apparently causally significant in conditioning performance outcomes. However, incorporating a wider set of factors into our explanatory models require new and different ways of thinking about and conducting research in this area. Our analysis has also begun to show how a critical realist epistemology, which sees business performance as tendentially expressed outcomes, is one potentially useful way to capture the necessarily multi-layered modes of explanation.\n",
"role": "user"
},
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"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an empirical evidence in support of widespread calls for new approaches to understanding small business growth, by exploring the use of non-positivist methods (e.g. critical realism) to analyse how owners' innate dispositions shape growth in practice.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In 2014, a telephone survey was used to inform two focus groups and 29 in-depth interviews with small business owners throughout England, covering attitudes towards growth, the use of particular strategies and perceived barriers. Discourse analysis was used to develop a multi-layered explanatory model incorporating key ideas from critical realism and the work of Bourdieu.\nFindings: Bourdieusian analysis reveals the existence of orientations among small business owners towards or against business growth. Such attitudes tend to impact upon their response to perceived barriers. Growth-inclined owners were willing to strategise for long-term benefit, in return for lower returns in the short term. Growth-resistant owners were more likely to view obstacles as absolute, stating that they cannot grow their firms as a result.\nPractical implications: Removing or reducing obstacles may not encourage growth if motivations and attitudes of owners do not change to embrace more growth-oriented positions. Banks' lending practices, for example, were seen by many as problematic, but growth-oriented owners were more willing to seek and use alternatives to raise funds for growth.\nOriginality/value: The authors suggest that entrepreneurship researchers should look beyond positivist research to epistemologies that provide more multi-layered modes of explanation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Inflation and inflation-uncertainty in India: the policy implications of the relationship
|
[
"Uncertainty",
"India",
"Inflation"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nI. Introduction: One of the most remarkable macroeconomic events of the past two decades has been the significant decline in inflation in both the developed and emerging market economies. The behavior of inflation in India broadly exhibits such a pattern. For much of the 1970s and 1980s, India experienced repeated episodes of high and variable inflation, while there has been a sharp decline in average inflation since the 1990s (Figure 1). Can this progress on inflation be sustained, or is the current improvement only a temporary relief?\nII. Literature review: The linkages between actual inflation and inflation uncertainty have been extensively analyzed in the literature. There are two conflicting views on the nexus between inflation and inflation uncertainty. In explaining the real effect of inflation, Friedman (1977) put forward a two-part argument. First, he suggested that an increase in inflation may lead to an erratic policy response by the monetary authorities which, in turn, would mean more uncertainty about the future rate of inflation. Second, he predicted that inflation uncertainty would have a negative effect on output. Ball (1992) provided a formal derivation of Friedman's hypothesis that higher inflation causes more inflation uncertainty.\nIII. Inflationary trend in India: Following the global financial crisis in 2008-2009, India has experienced the highest inflation of any major emerging markets - in 2010 it was in double digits. Originally triggered by high food prices, inflation has in 2010 and 2011 become more generalized across the economy. Rising wages and costs of service inputs are apparently being passed on by producers along the entire supply chain. In an economy characterized by supply constraints and skilled labor shortages, inflation is more structural, than cyclical, in nature. The Reserve Bank of India has responded by raising benchmark lending rates numerous times. But inflation has defied the central bank and government's predictions of softening, instead finding impetus in rising food, energy and manufactured product prices. In fact, there are indications that inflation has shifted prices higher to a \"new normal\" in a country that has traditionally had a low cost base.\nIV. Estimation results: Accounting for lagged and seasonal inflation effects, we use the following GARCH model to obtain the time-varying conditional variance of the error term as our measure of inflation uncertainty: Equation 1 where INFt is the domestic inflation rate at time t, a' is a constant term, m\nV. Inflation uncertainty and growth: Finally, to test for the effect of inflation uncertainty on output growth, we estimate the following equation for output growth Y: Equation 2 We then test the null hypothesis that all dj=0. Rejection of the null hypothesis and evidence that [?]kd\nVI. Summary and policy implications: Inflation and its related uncertainty can impose costs on real economic output in any economy. For an emerging market like India, these costs may be higher than those in developed economies as inflation is still higher than desired. In particular, the population in the lower income strata may find it difficult to hedge against the costs of rising prices and inflation when combined with other distortions in the economy. In order to minimize the adverse economic consequences and welfare costs of increases in the inflation rate, policymakers in India need a clear understanding of the major channels through which inflation may affect the real economy. One such channel comes from the effects that higher inflation has on inflation uncertainty.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Inflation and its related uncertainty can impose costs on real economic output in any economy. This paper aims to analyze the relationship between inflation and inflation uncertainty in India.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The methodology uses a generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) model and Granger Causality test.\nFindings: Initial estimates show the inflation rate to be a stationary process. The maximum likelihood estimates from the GARCH model reveal strong support for the presence of a positive relationship between the level of inflation and its uncertainty. The Granger causality results indicate a feedback between inflation and uncertainty.\nResearch limitations/implications: The research results have important implication for policy makers and especially the Reserve Bank of India.\nPractical implications: It provides strong support to the notion of an opportunistic central bank in India.\nOriginality/value: The results of the paper are of relevance not only to the monetary policy makers but also to academicians in India and other developing countries.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Entrepreneurial intentions of business students in Malaysia: The role of self-confidence, educational and relation support
|
[
"Malaysia",
"Entrepreneurial intention",
"Educational support",
"Relational support",
"Self-confidence"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Entrepreneurship has been viewed as a way of life and something which helps in the thinking process when overcoming threats and taking up challenges and opportunities (Gerba, 2012). In fact, the roles which entrepreneurs are playing in the last decades cannot be overemphasised. Such roles, which include but are not limited to the generation of new ideas, the subsequent conversion of these ideas to profitable businesses, the innovation of processes or methods, the generation of mass employment, etc., have recently caught the attention of both scholars and policymakers (Turker and Selcuk, 2009). The effects of the global financial crisis have created issues for businesses that are less efficient (Sivarajah and Achchuthan, 2013). The results of the crises are clearly demonstrated in a number of ways, but of interest is the massive unemployment rate among the graduating students of higher institutions.\nLiterature background and hypothesis: Exploring entrepreneurial intention\nMethods: Research design, sampling and measures\nGoodness of measures: Construct validity\nFindings: Respondents' profile\nPredictive relevance of the model: The purpose of R2 is that it can describe the variance effect of the predictor variable on the dependent variables. Cohen (1988) accordingly suggested that 0.26, 0.13 and 0.02 values are substantial, moderate and weak, respectively. Therefore, the result that is displayed in Table VIII explicitly indicates that all the independent variables can explain 34.5 per cent of the variance in students' entreprenuerial intention. Thus, R2 occupies the substantial level and conforms with the suggestion of Cohen (1988). To evaluate the magnitude of the R2 values as a critertion of predictive accuracy, researchers such as Hair et al. (2012) suggested the need to examine Stone-Geisser's Q2 value as stated in Geisser (1975) and Stone (1974). This measure is used to assess the predictive relevance of endogenous constructs. This test is an indicator of how well observed values are reproduced by the model and its parameter estimates. The model has predictive relevance if Q2>0, and, in contrast, if Q2<0, the model lacks predictive relevance (Hair et al., 2012). The findings showed that the Q2 value was 0.22, which was more than zero as suggested by Hair et al. (2012) and Fornell et al. (1994). Thus, it can be concluded that the model in this study demonstrates adequate predictive relevance.\nDiscussion, conclusion and recommendation for future research: The role of entrepreneurship in the economic development of any country cannot be understated. Particularly, it has become an important source of employment generation for undergraduate and graduating students of universities around the globe. From the findings of our study, however, to become an entrepreneur, one needs to consider some key factors. First, the entrepreneurship intention of university students is strongly influenced by educational support. This finding corresponds with those of previous studies (Turker and Selcuk, 2009), and this implies that universities should incorporate more practical entrepreneurial training into their curriculum to prepare the students for the challenges ahead.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the effects of relational support, educational support and self-confidence on entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate business students in a university.\nDesign/methodology/approach: To empirically validate the conceptual model and test the hypothesised relationships, the authors collected data from 227 business students at an AACSB-accredited university in Malaysia through random sampling.\nFindings: The results were based on analyses from structural equation modelling using the SmartPLS software. The findings show that entrepreneurial intention of business students is significantly influenced by educational and relational support; however, the moderating effects of self-confidence in the relationship between educational support, relational support and entrepreneurial intention are not significant. The paper clearly shows that relational and educational supports are two important factors that can influence the entrepreneurial intention of university students.\nOriginality/value: This research contributes to literature on entrepreneurial motivations and intentions through its empirical findings of the hypothesised relationships. It theoretically contributes to existing knowledge by integrating relevant themes from entrepreneurial motivations theory and the theory of planned behaviour. Finally, it offers alternative recommendations to university authorities and policymakers about business students' entrepreneurship intention.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Risk management in a multi-project environment: An approach to manage portfolio risks
|
[
"Risk management",
"Project management",
"Portfolio investment"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The discipline of project risk management has developed over the recent decades as an important part of project management. Several researchers, see, e.g. Miles and Wilson (1998) and Mullins et al. (1999), argue risk as being an exposure or a probability of occurrence of a loss. Further, Miles and Wilson (1998) define risk as a barrier to success and Hertz and Thomas (1994) argue that risk is related to concepts of chance such as the probability of loss or the probability of ruin.Risk can also be viewed as having a positive effect. Jaafari (2001) defines risk as exposure to loss/gain, or the probability of occurrence of loss/gain multiplied by its respective magnitude. The PMBOK (2004) defines risk as an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on a project's objectives. When put into context, it seems that risk can have a two-dimensional meaning, namely a negative as well as a positive implication. The author considers risk a negative wording, proposing to separate the contradictory meanings of risk, and thereby allowing opportunity to be considered the positive wording of a positive implication.Project management is now a well-established approach for affecting a wide range of changes, see, e.g. PMBOK (2004), Pellegrini (1997), and Turner (1993). How well one can plan, execute, and control the tasks and how well one can manage the relationships with all the stakeholders involved in the project constitutes the success or failure of the carrying out of a project (Sandhu, 2004). Project risk management is a natural part of project management. Regarding project risk, there are different risks when viewing different perspectives of different stakeholders. In today's highly complex project environment, there is clearly a need for better understanding of how projects are related to each other and what the implications may be of their interrelations. Different process steps may have multiple interactions that are difficult to understand. This is interaction complexity which refers to the fact that the different process steps cannot be separated without affecting overall process performance (Sandhu, 2004).This widespread use of projects, in some cases becoming the preferred or dominant business process, and their use in realizing strategic or complex change have also resulted in the need to marshal project-based activity in some coherent, beneficial way (Pellegrini, 1997). PMBOK (2004) defines a project as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.Lycett et al. (2004) and Pellegrini (1997) describe portfolio risk management as focusing more on strategic issues for a portfolio of projects and the ability to achieve strategic objectives. Clearly there is a need for a shift in focus for risk management in a portfolio environment. Hillson (2004) and Ward and Chapman (2003) also highlight the importance of including the management of opportunities in any risk management process. It is suggested that two areas are of importance when describing the implications for today's management of risk and opportunities in a project organization when handling several projects simultaneously. The first implication regards the existing risk management processes, and the second implication regards the wider scope of project portfolio management than that of single project management.The aim of this paper is to extend the discussion of the project portfolio benefits derived from adopting a portfolio risk management approach building upon Olsson (2005).\nThe process of project risk management: Most of the existing project processes are not developed to handle a portfolio of projects when considering risks and opportunities. This is due to the fact that the process structure does not assist in handling a portfolio of projects. When using these single project processes, it is up to the experience of the organization and foremost project managers to find links between projects. In addition, existing risk management processes do not usually include functional risk management. Functional risk is defined as risk that affects the project or portfolio but where a functional department is the origin of the risk and has the responsibility for mitigation of that risk. Recent development in the field has enabled better understanding of the overall risk management concept by introducing risk management processes of, e.g. nine (Chapman, 1997), or five (Tummala and Burchett, 1999) phases instead of the three phases: identification, analysis, and mitigation, introduced some ten to 15 years ago. Moreover, the development has also gone into a more detailed level in identifying, estimating, and responding phases (Artto et al., 2000).Risk management discussions in project contexts have mostly focused on managing risks in single projects. Managing projects in a multi-project environment refers to the management of project portfolios and not just the management of single projects separately (Artto et al., 2000). Several researchers, see, e.g. Shen (1997), March and Shapira (1987), Uher and Toakley (1999), Pender (2001) and Williams (1999), argue that today's methodologies of risk management are not sufficient for industrial use. Therefore, risk management philosophy and framework must be capable of quickly re-evaluating the project's options against surprise developments and provide a systematic basis for its re-structuring (Jaafari, 2001).Experienced project managers, directors and executives intuitively balance project risks and opportunities. Therefore it is considered very important that practical models and methods for risk management comply with this natural way of reasoning and decision-making (Kahkonen and Artto, 2000). Olsson (2001) has shown that having a project view of uncertainties is not sufficient when managing them in a large, complex project-oriented organization. Instead, a wider perspective must be adopted. This can be described in two dimensions where an extension of existing theories is necessary, both horizontally, including preceding and succeeding phases of the project, and vertically, integrating the functional organization in project risk management. Since a project is usually initiated, financed and manned internally within the functional organization, this perspective needs to be included when handling risks and opportunities. Antoni (2003) found that learning in a project context is not a typical activity and needs to be organized for. Also, it was found that the interaction between project and line organization is a major prerequisite in facilitating learning between projects.The scope of a single project perspective seems insufficient, and a more holistic and business oriented perspective should prevail. Therefore, existing risk management processes are considered insufficient due to the focus on a single project. Artto et al. (2000) has found that risk management discussions in project contexts have mostly focused on managing risks in single projects. Managing projects in a multi-project environment automatically refers to the management of project portfolios - and not simply the management of single projects separately. Therefore, in project-oriented organizations, risk and opportunity management must be considered an organizational issue and not an isolated project responsibility. Ward and Chapman (1995) bolster this. They suggest that when considering the risks associated with a project, attention is often focused on risks specific to the physical nature of the project. However, many key project risks are associated with the project management process itself. Adopting a wide business-oriented perspective on the project process is essential in any project company (Artto et al., 2000). One major incentive for managing projects in a multi-project environment is the possibility to gain experience on successes and failures within the environment. However, this is not done automatically, it needs to be organized.\nPortfolio versus program management: Definitions of portfolio management are wide and diverse. Several names for the same understanding of portfolio management exist, and terms such as program management and multi-project management are frequently used. Portfolio management is a discipline in which combined projects, to a certain extent, utilize the same management, where issues stretch beyond the scope of the project, and where interdependencies not manageable by a single project are to be managed by a portfolio head or \"boss of projects\". For a further description on the conceptual differences, see Olsson (2005). Finally, the author acknowledges the broad view of Elonen and Artto (2003) that portfolio management includes aspects of both portfolio and program management. This broad view includes the management of interfaces between projects, the co-ordination of the collection of projects, the management of resources and other constraints, and the link to strategic objectives.\nResearch methodology: The situation in the case company\nResults: Problem today - the case company\nPortfolio risk analysis methodology: This paper suggests a methodology to analyze portfolio risks in which the analysis is based on the case company's past experiences. This methodology considers the adverse effects of uncertainty. However, it is argued that this methodology also includes opportunities in two aspects. First, a risk in one project could mean an opportunity for other projects that are in an earlier stage of the project life cycle. If the result shows a common risk or a trend, for a particular risk, actions and experiences can be focused towards projects, which could face the same risk. Second, analysis results that, from a single project perspective, might be seen as a one-time event or state could from a portfolio perspective be seen as a trend or a portfolio common risk. Hence, a consolidated action would be possible to reduce the portfolio exposure, turning risk into opportunity. The possibility of analyzing the risk exposure within the portfolio and proactively managing uncertainties is mainly determined by the maturity of handling risks and opportunities in the projects and within the organization. Analyzing risks with a portfolio perspective:* reveals uncertainties in the close proximity of the project environment as well as between projects;* visualizes risks common to a number of projects within a portfolio; and* identifies risk trends towards a specific area.Analysis of the portfolio risk exposure requires the following three prerequisites:1. Availability of data. The following data are needed to perform the suggested portfolio analysis: project data:* list of past problems, i.e. consolidated list of the portfolio's top issues;* predicted/actual cost per issue; and* assigned finance representative.Risk data for the project:* risks (3Cs - condition, cause, and consequence);* description of mitigation action;* mitigation action cost; and* mitigation action success probability.Project data for the identification of similar and comparable projects:* product vehicle type (e.g. single deck, double deck, locomotives, coaches);* propulsion system (e.g. electric, diesel electric, diesel hydraulic/mechanic);* other relevant technical systems;* production site at which the product is manufactured; and* other relevant project and product specific characteristics required for the analysis.1. Ability to search and manage data. In the pilot analysis, MS Excel has been used for the analysis in combination with the risk register. Past and present project data is available for all projects within the company. However, this approach requires a substantial amount of manual work in analyzing the massive amount of data; therefore, it is imperative that the analyst be quite experienced.2. Possibility to analyze the data. This analysis methodology advocates the use of a single expert rather than the collective assessment usually conducted within a project risk and opportunity assessment session. The amount of information gathered cannot easily be shared between people in the analysis stage. However, a review with project managers and project controllers is always conducted on the results as quality assurance of the analysis.Portfolio risk analysis\nPortfolio risk analysis benefit: The benefits of the analysis can be viewed in three levels:1. Improvement of project risk and opportunity effectiveness: The comparison of risks between projects allows reflection and analysis of the situation and the adoption of risk mitigations actions. Thus, it is also possible to find common focus areas (e.g. for a production site, a product, or a function). Finally, this level will provide feedback and experience from other projects and their risk response actions.2. Portfolio analysis benefits: This level of analysis will reveal portfolio common risks, and identify portfolio risk trends. Since projects usually are separated with regards to degree of completion within the portfolio, a risk in one project could be avoided in others. Finally, this level will assist with the identification of focus areas for performance optimization improvement projects where opportunities could be realized.3. Organizational benefits: If several portfolios within a company are compared, this level of analysis will identify risks that are common within all portfolios. These risks can either be related to a portfolio or to other, non-project specific, activities. Examples include the procurement process, the company IT infrastructure, or the HR process.\nConclusions: Clearly there is a gap between the risk management process of today and the requirements of a portfolio management of risks and opportunities. This research is an attempt to bridge the gap and to bring value to the management of a project portfolio. This paper has suggested a methodology to analyze project portfolio risks. The analysis is based on portfolio top issues and compares them with previously identified risks. Although this methodology only analyses the adverse outcome of uncertainty, i.e. risk, it is implied that this methodology also considers opportunities. The benefits could be seen in two ways: First, a risk in one project could mean an opportunity for other projects in earlier stages of the project life cycles if the results show a common risk or a trend, actions can be focused towards projects that could face the same risk. Second, analysis results that from a single project perspective might be seen as a one-time event or state could from a portfolio perspective be seen as a trend of a common portfolio risk. Consequently, based on the portfolio management benefits in Table I, the proposed methodology for risk analysis on a portfolio level provides:* greater visibility to senior management through the visualization of commonalities and trends between projects and products within one portfolio (e.g. for production sites and for different customers);* better prioritization between projects since the portfolio is the phenomena of study and the analysis provides knowledge on the risk status of the projects and their relation and effect on portfolio objectives. Hence, the proposed methodology is a vehicle for facilitating learning between projects;* more efficient and appropriate use of resources would be achieved by the relation of risk exposure of the portfolio and projects in most need of appropriate resources;* better planning and coordination would be obtained by the recognition of common risks and trends within the portfolio. Such knowledge would enhance project and portfolio planning and coordination as projects would not pursue common risks in parallel. Furthermore, the situation of common risks and trends within the portfolio could be planned and coordinated as improvement projects. such projects might be beneficial for the entire portfolio;* explicit recognition and understanding of dependencies is obtained by adopting a portfolio perspective on risk. Furthermore, since this methodology identifies common risks and trends within the portfolio, dependencies between projects time-wise separated in the project life-cycle, would be understood and managed; and* improvement of risk and opportunity management effectiveness within the organization.However, this methodology does not provide means for projects being driven by business needs since this approach is more of a bottom-up approach. By analyzing risks in the single project, in the view of the portfolio, and risks between projects within the portfolio, this approach would not support the organization in defining product realization projects based on business needs. This methodology does however support improvement projects driven by business needs within the portfolio.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to identify differences in managing a single project compared with that of a project portfolio, where focus and requirements are expanded, and where clear links to organizational objectives exist. Further, the aim is to propose a methodology for the management of risk within the context of a project portfolio.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The concepts and framework described in this paper have emerged primarily from an in-depth action research study in a major provider of transport solutions. The work has been conducted within one division, with presence in most of mainland Europe, Scandinavia, and the UK.\nFindings: - The paper finds that the proposed methodology would manage portfolio risk in two ways. First, it provides a means for single projects to gain experiences from other projects within the portfolio. Second, portfolio common risks and trends of issues can be identified. Such risks can become risks for succeeding projects, or require action from outside the single project.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The paper shows that the pilot study consisted of 16 projects within one project portfolio. Other project portfolios, with other prerequisites, might result in different findings, since some factors not included in this research such as cultural aspects or organizational factors could affect the findings.\nPractical implications: - In this paper the identification and analysis of commonalities and risk trends between projects provide the possibility to manage risks from a portfolio perspective.\nOriginality/value: - The paper sees that existing risk management processes do not support projects in managing risk within a project portfolio. Instead, the proposed methodology provides the project portfolio manager with a consolidated view of the total risk exposure within the portfolio. Additionally, this methodology finds risks and trends not otherwise possible to identify.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The importance of Interactive Network Branding for business relationship development: insights from emerging markets
|
[
"Interactive Network Branding",
"Business relationship development",
"Culture",
"Emerging markets",
"Croatia",
"Russia"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Previous research in business marketing has been focusing on analyzing the development of business relationships and networks (Ford, 1980; Dwyer et al., 1987; Schurr, 2007; Wilkinson et al., 2005; Hakansson et al., 2009). However, the influence of branding (Melewar et al., 2012; Biraghi and Gambetti, 2015; Koporcic, 2017), and culture (Ivanova-Gongne, 2015) on the aforementioned processes have been predominantly left aside. Another issue that received little attention in business marketing studies relates to the role of individuals for business relationship development (Axelsson, 2010; Guercini et al., 2014; Halinen and Salmi, 2001; Henneberg et al., 2010; Ivanova-Gongne and Torkkeli, 2018; Koporcic and Halinen, 2018). As Halinen and Salmi (2001, p. 1) argue, \"While personal contacts are often seen to enhance initiation of business relationships their role in other critical phases of business relationship evolution have been ignored\".\n2. Theoretical background: A considerable amount of research has been done on complex and multi-faceted business relationships. The industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) group studies have been particularly relevant for highlighting the importance of business relationships for each company, as well as for a broader network of business actors (Anderson et al., 1994; Hakansson and Snehota, 1995; Hakansson et al., 2009). And although these studies have focused on examining business relationship development process, and the networking aspect of it, they have neglected the importance of branding as a relational and social process (Biraghi and Gambetti, 2015; Koporcic and Halinen, 2018). In addition, IMP literature has traditionally been studying business relationships in the context of large companies, only recently acknowledging the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (Aaboen et al., 2016).\n3. Method: The study is empirical and explorative. To reach the research aims, we apply a qualitative approach and present findings from four business relationships in two EM contexts, namely Croatian and Russian markets. Those markets are chosen based on their similar cultural backgrounds and due to the lack of research on Central and Eastern European markets within the IMP tradition (Tretyak, 2013). Three Croatian SMEs are involved in the study (one company being the mutual partner), focusing on their domestic relationship development processes. The Russian SMEs showcase three international dyadic relationships with Western European counterparts, i.e. three Russian and three Finnish companies. While the Russian companies are all operating within the mechanical engineering field, the Croatian ones operate in the service industry (Table I). It should be noted that the aim of applying these different cases is not in comparing them, but rather complementing their findings. It is deemed possible to regard the cases as complementary due to cultural similarities between Croatian and Russian business environments (Ivanova-Gongne et al., 2018). Finally, this all enabled us to obtain a holistic perspective on the role of INB in business relationship development within the context of two EMs.\n4. Findings: The study provides an enhanced understanding of the influence of INB on the first three stages of business relationship development. Findings are presented by focusing on Croatian and Russian cases separately. The aim is not to compare these cases or to achieve generalizability of findings, instead, to complement each other and show the relevance of INB for two different business network settings, i.e. EMs.\n5. Discussion: The empirical analysis of this study presents the role of INB in the relationship development process, within the context of two EMs. Figure 3 presents the resulting framework, which was derived from the empirical analysis.\n6. Conclusions: In conclusion, it is important to note that this article does not aim to generalize findings. Nor it is stating that the stages of relationship development strictly correspond to INB dimensions for every existent case. Instead, this paper aimed to elaborate on the importance of INB for business relationships development, within a cross-cultural context of two EMs. This is the first attempt to study business relationship development through branding perspective in general and INB perspective in particular. It builds a deeper understanding of identity, reputation, and mutual INB dimension, and their manifestation and influence on each relationship stage. In addition, the study has a cultural context, which makes it one of the rare cross-cultural studies related to branding in business marketing research.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to clarify the meaning of Interactive Network Branding (INB) and demonstrate its importance for business relationship development, within a cross-cultural context of emerging markets (EM). More specifically, it integrates the idea of INB through its three branding dimensions into the first three relationship development stages introduced in the seminal article by Ford (1980). By bringing INB into relationship development, and by considering its embeddedness in a cultural context, the study extends current understanding of business relationships in connection to corporate branding.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study is empirical and explorative. To reach the research aims, the authors apply a qualitative approach and present findings from four business relationships in two EM contexts, namely, the Croatian and Russian markets. Ten interviews have been undertaken, and the analysis was conducted by applying sensemaking and narrative approaches.\nFindings: Findings show the influence of INB dimensions on three stages of business relationship development. In both EMs, the external dimension is found to be dominant for the pre-relationship stage while the internal dimension for the early stage. At the same time, mutual INB dimension, which is built on interpersonal interactions, is influencing each stage to a certain manner, while being a dominant dimension in the development stage. Also, the role of each dimension in a specific stage of relationship development is conditioned by the cultural context in which business relationships are embedded.\nResearch limitations/implications: Based on the chosen qualitative research approach and focus on two countries, the findings might lack generalizability. Thus, future research is needed to observe business relationship development through INB dimensions in different cultural environments.\nPractical implications: This paper provides a new perspective for managers on coping with the development of business relationships and branding in the EM context.\nOriginality/value: This is the first attempt to study business relationship development through branding perspective in general and INB perspective in particular. It builds a deeper understanding of identity, reputation and mutual INB dimension and their manifestation and influence on each relationship stage. In addition, the study has a cultural context, which makes it one of the rare cross-cultural studies related to branding in business marketing research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Production competence revisited - a critique of the literature and a new measurement approach
|
[
"Business performance",
"Survey",
"Importance-performance matrix",
"Competitive priorities",
"Production competence"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Since the seminal work of Skinner (1969), many researchers have studied the contribution of manufacturing strategy to business performance (e.g. Swamidass and Newell, 1987; Kim and Arnold, 1993; Demeter, 2003; Da Silveira, 2005; Amoako-Gyampah and Acquaah, 2008). The practically relevant reason behind this interest is that a manufacturing strategy may only be \"valuable\" for a company if it enhances the company's business performance. Production competence is one of the manufacturing strategy constructs proposed to explain the relationship between manufacturing strategy and (business) performance. Definitions of production competence include the degree to which manufacturing supports a company's business strategy (Vickery, 1991), the degree of fit between competitive priorities and manufacturing strength (Kim and Arnold, 1993), and the degree to which manufacturing performance supports the strategic priorities of a company (Vickery et al., 1993, 1994).\n2. Literature review: 2.1. Manufacturing strategy operationalization\n3. Research framework and hypotheses: Figure 1 shows the research framework adopted in this study, which is similar to the model adopted in most production competence studies. The difference is in the way \"fit\" is operationalized.\n4. Research methodology: Data from the fifth round of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS V) is used to investigate the hypotheses. The IMSS V database includes information about 725 manufacturing companies belonging to the ISIC Rev. 4, Division 25-30 (manufacture of fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment). The IMSS is performed by an international network of researchers focusing on manufacturing strategies, practices and performance of organizations from all around the world. Data is collected on manufacturing plant level. The respondents are production/operation managers or individuals in similar positions. The fifth round of the survey was carried out during the year 2009 in 19 countries. The current version of the database includes responses from 21 countries and uses data from two additional countries collected during the first half of 2010. In this research only those plants are included that submitted complete data on all the variables presented below (altogether 465 plants). The sample composition by country is presented in Table II.\n5. Analysis and findings: To investigate the first research hypothesis, the 465 manufacturing companies, which had complete data for both the importance of, and the performance on, all competitive factors, were grouped into two categories:\n6. Discussion and conclusion: The analysis of the empirical data presented above supports the general connection between manufacturing strategy and business performance, measured through the lens of production competence, i.e. the \"goodness of fit\" between the importance of, and performance on, competitive priorities: the better that fit, the stronger a company's production competence, the better its business performance. In effect, improving performance on important, and even less important, manufacturing competitive factors according to the logic of the importance-performance matrix can significantly contribute to an increase in the company's business performance.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to seek remedy to two major flaws of the production competence literature, which concern: the way the production competence construct is operationalized and the way its effects on performance are measured.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper proposes to measure production competence as the two-dimensional operational level construct it actually is, and to use Slack's (1994) importance-performance matrix to study its business level performance effects. The three hypotheses developed are tested using a subsample of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey database, which includes 465 manufacturing companies from 21 countries.\nFindings: The study offers additional empirical support for production competence theory. Going beyond supporting existing theory, the results give more detailed insight by indicating that low operational performance on even one important competitive factor leads to lower business performance (order-losing effect); excessive investment in increasing operational performance on any less important competitive factor does not necessarily lead to higher business performance.\nPractical implications: Using a large empirical dataset, the study shows that the importance-performance matrix is a useful tool for decision makers to assess and improve their company's manufacturing strategy: it indicates how to prioritize between improvement efforts to positively contribute to business performance.\nOriginality/value: The paper offers a novel approach to operationalize production competence. The importance-performance analysis approach adopted in this study avoids the two major drawbacks of previous production competence studies and offers an appropriate method to assess the impact of production competence on business performance.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Career-related continuous learning: Longitudinal predictive power of employees' job and career attitudes
|
[
"Continuing development",
"Call centres",
"Employee involvement",
"Training",
"Employee attitudes"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: As the pace of global competition and technical development increases, organizations rely on employees who are willing to engage in new learning and updating behavior in order to meet these challenges (Barton and Delbridge, 2001; Gibb, 2001; Kozlowski and Farr, 1988). Therefore, it is not surprising that research on organizations has been dominated for more than a decade by concepts of change and learning, especially the study of organizational learning (OL). A general problem within these line of research concerns the differentiation between learning in organizations (How does the learning of individuals become organizational?) and learning by organizations (How does learning take place \"outside individual human heads\"?) (Popper and Lipshitz, 2000). This points to the fact that individual and organizational learning are intertwined. Individuals learn as agents of organizations. The acquired knowledge has to be stored in appropriate ways (e.g. documents, routines, processes, structures) so that it will remain even if the individual leaves the organization. The literature on organizational learning has therefore mainly focused on the question of how to learn, store and distribute knowledge and skills in organizations (for an overview, see Kluge and Schilling, 2003).\nCareer-related continuous learning: Most of the literature seems to be overly optimistic about the chances of organizational learning. It does not take into account that organizational members have their own interests and will expect a personal benefit from engaging in learning activities (Coopey, 1995). The question of why people should participate in individual and OL (i.e. motivation to learn) is widely missing in the OL literature. One approach to address learning motivation can be found in the concept of career-related continuous learning (CRCL) (e.g. London and Smither, 1999). It is defined as \"an individual-level process of self-initiated, discretionary, planned, and proactive pattern of [...] activities that are sustained over time for the purpose of [...] career development\" (London and Smither, 1999, p. 81). It includes formal ways of learning such as workshops, computer-based training (CBT), or lectures. In addition, challenging job assignments and discussing new ideas with colleagues are examples of informal CRCL. In contrast to broader constructs such as work-related learning, CRCL is by definition related to individual career options and aspirations (cf. Maurer et al., 2003).Although the concept of CRCL has gained considerable attention from both practitioners and researchers, it developed quite independently from the research on OL. Linking the two lines of research seems necessary for several reasons (Maurer, 2001; London and Smither, 1999). First, because of the promise of fostering the own career by participating in learning activities (Sullivan, 1999), CRCL goes beyond the mere accumulation of new information or learning for its own sake (a common criticism in the OL literature (see Kluge and Schilling, 2003)). Second, as individual learning and OL are intertwined (Kyriakidou and Ozbilgin, 2004), continuous career-related learning may be useful to leverage organizational learning. Above all, this points to the necessity to foster constant learning and to prevent organizational memory loss (i.e. important knowledge-holders leaving the company) by creating a culture of continuous learning (Popper and Lipshitz, 2000). Third, the psychological contract between employees and their respective organization has become to a larger degree obsolete (Atkinson, 2002). As a consequence, employees have to prepare themselves for new assignments, jobs, or employers (Hall, 2004; Meyer and Smith, 2000). Thus, employees are interested in a continuous development of their knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAO).To determine how CRCL can be cultivated in an organization, past research has focused especially on the personal and organizational antecedents of CRCL. Although progress has been made, our understanding of antecedents of CRCL is still limited. Thus, the present study explored variables that influence employees' actual participation in career-related continuous learning. More specifically, the impact of job- and career-related attitudes on formal CRCL activities was investigated. First, organizational, individual and context variables that impact CRCL are presented. Next, from a critique of the existing empirical research, additional influences on formal CRCL are proposed. Finally these propositions are tested empirically within a longitudinal research design.\nAntecedents of CRCL: The process of CRCL is embedded in an organizational context and influenced by individual and work-related characteristics (Ferris, 1999). For example, in a longitudinal investigation Tharenou (1997) identified career encouragement from supervisors and from colleagues as long-term determinants of employees' participation in career-related training and development activities. Tharenou (2001) found additional evidence that supervisor support explained participation in training and development. In the same study, motivation to learn was a significant predictor of training and development. This predictor was reconfirmed in a multi-sample field investigation by Noe and Wilk (1993). In addition, perception of the benefits and of the work environment had significant unique effects on employees' development activities. Kozlowski and Farr (1988) found that work characteristics and work technology influenced employees' updating behavior, which is conceptually closely related to CRCL. Finally, Maurer and Tarulli (1994) reported significant relations between perceived work environment, perceived outcomes, and person variables on the one hand and participation in voluntary, career-related development activities on the other hand. Person variables included self-efficacy, self-need for improvement, career insight, and job involvement. In sum, these empirical investigations suggest that employees' participation in CRCL is determined by a complex set of variables that can be categorized as organizational and individual variables. The individual variables are regarded as particularly important as they are supposed to influence all stages of the CRCL process (London and Smither, 1999). This category consists of a wide variety of personal characteristics including demographic variables (e.g. age, gender, occupation, position, tenure), general personality variables (e.g. conscientiousness, openness for experience), specific personality variables (e.g. self-monitoring, public self-consciousness), motivational variables (e.g. training motivation, motivation to learn, motivation to transfer), and job- and career-related variables (e.g. job involvement, job satisfaction, career exploration, career planning). Concerning future research in CRCL, the literature points to a number of necessary developments and improvements:* Time perspective. CRCL requires longitudinal assessment over a realistic period of time, not merely a snapshot at a single point of time (London and Smither, 1999).* Measurement. Self-report measures of learning may be more complete and accurate than reports from supervisors, peers, and archival records (London and Smither, 1999). Nevertheless, they are prone to error (i.e. forgetfulness (Tharenou, 1997, 2001)) and should therefore be complimented by multiple measures including objective and behavioral ones (Noe and Wilk, 1993; Maurer and Tarulli, 1994).* Antecedents of CRCL. Among the variables that could affect career-related continuous learning, demographic variables (i.e. age, position, job experience, occupation), general personality variables (i.e. optimism, need for control, self-esteem) and individual characteristics concerning the own career (i.e. awareness of career interests and needs, career insight) are particularly important (London and Smither, 1999; Maurer and Tarulli, 1994).* Content. Studies should regard both formal and informal learning activities (London and Smither, 1999).\nStudy goals: Starting from these recommendations, the present study investigated the influence of personal job- and career-related characteristics on CRCL. There were two main rationales: On the one hand, variables that focus on work attitudes and behaviors within the career process have not been thoroughly explored in their effect on CRCL. On the other hand, it can be expected that these factors with their specific occupational focus are more important predictors of career-related learning activities than general personality variables. In the remainder of this paper, we shall therefore focus mainly on the role of individual job- and career-related variables.Another important characteristic of the present study is the longitudinal research design. As CRCL is an activity sustained over time, the focus is on the longitudinal development of employees' knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Thus, it has been stated that CRCL \"cannot be measured by taking a snapshot of a learner in a single setting on a single occasion. Instead, we need to observe behavior over time and across settings to determine whether CRCL is present\" (London and Smither, 1999). Following these recommendations, the present study implemented a longitudinal design and attempted to study CRCL behavior of individual employees over time and across different settings. The independent variables, which will be described in turn, were assessed prior to CRCL (i.e. the dependent variable).As for the empirical part of the present study, a company was chosen that offers a longitudinal career development program explicitly designed as a CRCL program. The amount of employees' engagement in formal CRCL activities over time and across settings was assessed via objective indicators. Therefore, the present study avoided the difficulties with self-report measures of CRCL that were implemented in prior research and focused on formal (in contrast to informal) CRCL activities. We proceed with a brief overview of the empirical evidence that focused on individual job- and career-related variables and develop specific hypotheses.Development of hypotheses\nMethods: Background information\nResults: Descriptive statistics\nDiscussion: How can employees who strongly engage in CRCL be characterized? In a rapidly changing world, this question becomes increasingly important, because organizations rely on employees who are willing to engage in continuous learning. The present study explored the combined effect of job- and career-related variables on formal CRCL activities within a longitudinal framework. First, employees who report a strong identification with their work (i.e. job involvement) are likely to engage in formal CRCL activities. This result is in line with earlier research (Maurer and Tarulli, 1994). However, in the present study, continuous learning was clearly career-related, assessed by objective indicators, and connected to the CRCL program offered by the organization. In contrast, the indicators in earlier studies were subjective and broader in focus (Maurer et al., 2003; Birdi et al., 1997). Second, it was found that gender was a covariate of CRCL. That is, female CCAs participated more frequently in formal CRCL. It has been noted that because of their stereotypical gender role, women fit better into the service economy (Zapf et al., 2003). Thus, it might be argued that female employees engaged more in formal CRCL activities than their male counterparts in the present study because this helped them to be successful in a role-congruent job. This result points to the possibility that women will have good chances for career advancement, if organizations provide appropriate CRCL programs. With this regard, the present organization might be considered as a positive example of facilitating women's career advancement (Kottke and Agars, 2005).With regard to age, no significant effect on CRCL was observed. As can be seen in Table I, mean age was quite low (approximately 28 years with SD =7.4). Therefore, it seems likely that our sample was too homogeneous to find any age-related differences in CRCL. Finally, with regard to type of department, outbound CCAs showed higher CRCL than inbound CCAs. As a speculation, the kind of workshops necessary for Level III might explain this result. For example, workshops which aim at enhancing hard selling skills are more important for outbound than for inbound CCAs. Thus, outbound CCA engaged more frequently in this type of workshop.In contrast to these variables, neither career planning nor career exploration showed a significant impact on CRCL. One explanation might be that the results reported are context-specific. CCAs typically have tenures of less than two years. Thus, it is likely that career goals and strategies change faster in comparison to other industries. As a consequence, career-relevant personal variables such as the constructs under focus are instable and do not show a significant impact on CRCL in a call center context. Another explanation for the lack of empirical support for H2 and H3 might be connected to the formalized context of CRCL in the present study. Because the CRCL program is strongly promoted and offered to all employees, it might be speculated that due to this strong organizational impact, individual differences in career orientations did not influence participation in CRCL. In this sense, especially individual career planning and career exploration are not be necessary as the course and contents of learning activities are explicitly specified by the company.Limitations, perspectives for future research, and practical implications\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Within the framework of learning in organizations, the concept of career-related continuous learning (CRCL) has gained increasing attention from the research community. The purpose of the present study is to explore the combined effect of job- and career-related variables on formal CRCL activities.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The study was based on a longitudinal framework with multiple sources of data. A total sample of n=106 call center agents provided information about job- and career-related variables. Subsequently, their CRCL activities within their first 18 months in one of 11 call centers were assessed from company records.\nFindings: - Regression analysis revealed that job involvement predicted subsequent CRCL. Interestingly, women engaged in more CRCL activities than their male colleagues.\nResearch limitations/implications: - In addition to objective measures of formal CRCL activities, future research should include subjective measures (i.e. survey methodology) of informal CRCL.\nPractical implications: - Via interventions such as active participation in decisions, and in task and work design, organization might want to foster employees' job involvement to ensure high degrees of subsequent CRCL behaviors.\nOriginality/value: - The paper addresses a phenomenon (i.e. CRCL) that receives increasing attention from both practitioners and researchers; objective, longitudinal data provide evidence for the proposed relationship between job attitudes and CRCL and thus, causal inferences can be drawn.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The trinity of entrepreneurial team dynamics: cognition, conflicts and cohesion
|
[
"Conflict",
"Cohesion",
"Entrepreneurial team performance",
"Shared cognition"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Recently, entrepreneurship scholars have shown that cognition, conflict and cohesion constitute an inseparable body of social interaction within entrepreneurial teams (Jonsson, 2015; Klotz et al., 2014). Most prior studies have been fragmented and not holistic. In the context of entrepreneurial teams, conflict is an inevitable social process. It plays a pivotal role in the relationship between shared cognition and team cohesion, but there is also a possibility of jeopardizing intragroup harmony (Amason, 1996; Dianez-Gonzalez and Camelo-Ordaz, 2015). Studying the trinity of cognition, conflict and cohesion could shed light on how entrepreneurial members work together to coordinate new ventures. However, little is still known about how an entrepreneurial team cultivates this shared cognition, in order to alleviate any dysfunctional team conflict and thereby promote a more harmonious atmosphere that increases cohesion and better performance in an entrepreneurial team.\nTheoretical background: How are entrepreneurial teams different from other teams?\nHypothesis development: Relationship conflict exists when there are interpersonal incompatibilities and disagreements between group members about subjective and non-task issues, such as differences in personality, norms or values (de Wit et al., 2011; Jehn and Bendersky, 2003). In a new venture team, entrepreneurial members usually have frequent social interaction with each other during decision-making, problem solving, the coordination of routine affairs, or in negotiations about resource deployment (Amason, 1996). During these interactions, many misunderstandings and misinterpretations can arise when there is a lack of shared cognition within the team, which results in a greater frequency of relationship conflicts (Pelled et al., 1999). Shared cognition, which denotes entrepreneurial members' common understanding, congruent values and goals, can mitigate relationship conflicts by increasing the effectiveness of communication and the quality of social interaction. For example, common understanding can decrease the chance of misinterpreting reasonable criticisms, which prevents irrational responses and relationship conflicts from happening (Ensley et al., 2002). Shared cognition can also alleviate interpersonal incompatibility and relationship conflict by coordinating team members' values and goals (Dianez-Gonzalez and Camelo-Ordaz, 2015; Pelled et al., 1999). Therefore, when an entrepreneurial team has a high level of shared cognition, there is less possibility for relationship conflict. The following hypothesis is proposed:\nMethods: Research design and data collection\nResults: Validity and reliability of construct measures\nDiscussion: It has been shown that new venture success is largely determined by the interaction process between entrepreneurial team members (Lechler, 2001). Shared cognition denotes entrepreneurial members' collective mental representation, organized understanding of the external environment and shared expectations concerning future events (Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998). However, few studies have determined the influence of shared cognition on social interaction between entrepreneurial team members or new venture performance. Many studies of entrepreneurial teams incorporate conflict as an essential social process between entrepreneurial team members (e.g. Amason, 1996; de Jong et al., 2013). Organizational research focuses on factors that cause team conflicts, such as demographic diversity, information asymmetry or group norms (Pelled et al., 1999), but few studies determine whether entrepreneurial members' shared cognition influences any conflict. Relationship conflict has been shown to be dysfunctional because it causes hostility (De Dreu and Weingart, 2003), but task conflict is functional because it facilitates creativity and brainstorming (de Wit et al., 2011). A theoretical gap exists because some research finds that both relationship conflict and task conflict hinder team outcomes (De Dreu and Weingart, 2003). However, the extant literature fails to specify the manner in which relationship conflict is linked to negative results or why and when task conflict becomes a liability to a working group (Farh et al., 2010; Shaw et al., 2011). Therefore, this study develops and empirically tests a theoretical model that integrates entrepreneurial team theory (Harper, 2008), team mental model theory (Mohammed et al., 2010) and conflict theory (Jehn and Bendersky, 2003). In the specific context of an entrepreneurial team, this study shows that stimulating shared cognition in entrepreneurial members can strengthen their cohesion and team performance by constraining conflict within the entrepreneurial team.\nLimitations and future directions: This study is not without limitations. From the theoretical perspective, three directions are proposed for future studies of entrepreneurial teams. This study emphasizes the importance of shared cognition to the social dynamics between entrepreneurial members, but the specific mechanism through which shared cognition can be effectively cultivated is not studied. Future research might identify the antecedents of shared cognition within an entrepreneurial team.\nConclusions: Entrepreneurship literature shows that cognition, conflict and cohesion constitute an inseparable body of social interaction within entrepreneurial teams (Klotz et al., 2014). Shared cognition is a critical mechanism that binds several individuals together to form an entrepreneurial team and formally establish a new venture (Ensley et al., 2002). However, the risk, uncertainty and volatility that are inherent in the entrepreneurial process can lead to conflict between entrepreneurial members and the dissolution of entrepreneurial team cohesion (Harper, 2008; Jehn and Bendersky, 2003; Lawler and Yoon, 1996). This paper contributes to entrepreneurship literature by recognizing and underscoring the importance of shared cognition in alleviating conflicts to increase team cohesion between entrepreneurial team members. Entrepreneurship studies tend to focus on conflict between entrepreneurial team members (Amason and Sapienza, 1997; de Jong et al., 2013), but little is known about the effect that intra-team conflict has on team members' relationships. This paper identifies the essential role of entrepreneurial team cohesion in the connection between conflicts and entrepreneurial team performance. Without cohesive relationships that bond team members, entrepreneurial team members are unlikely to coordinate with each other to produce synergy and make effective decisions (Amason, 1996; Ensley et al., 2002). Drawing upon team cohesion theory (Lawler and Yoon, 1996), this study shows that both relationship conflict and task conflict can negatively affect entrepreneurial team performance by undermining cohesion between entrepreneurial members.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Cognition, conflict and cohesion constitute an inseparable body of group dynamics in entrepreneurial teams. There have been few studies of how entrepreneurial team members interact with each other to enhance venture performance. The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model that explains the trinity of cognition, conflict and cohesion in terms of social interaction between entrepreneurial team members.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Drawing upon the existing literature concerning entrepreneurial teams, the hypothesized model posits that shared cognition influences team cohesion through the mediating effects of intra-team conflicts. The model also postulates that team cohesion is positively associated with new venture performance and entrepreneurial satisfaction. Structural equation modeling is used to test the hypothesized model, using data that were collected from 203 entrepreneurial teams from technology-based companies in Taiwan.\nFindings: The results show that shared cognition in entrepreneurial team members maintains team cohesion by restraining conflict and that team cohesion has a positive influence on entrepreneurial members' satisfaction and new venture profitability.\nPractical implications: The leader of a new venture team must endeavor to improve shared cognition between entrepreneurial members. To strengthen shared cognition, the leader can hold formal workshops to build consensus, informal meetings to share views, or use social media to enhance common understanding.\nOriginality/value: This paper verifies the connections between shared cognition, conflicts and cohesion in entrepreneurial teams in predicting new venture success and highlights the importance of cultivating a shared cognition in an entrepreneurial team to manage conflicts.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Analysis of female drivers' ECG characteristics within the context of connected vehicles
|
[
"Driving anxiety",
"Driving experiment",
"ECG signal characteristics",
"Female driver",
"Paired T- test"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: With the rapid development of transportation industry, the number of private cars increases dramatically, and the injury and deaths due to traffic accidents continue to increase annually. According to statistics, more than 90 per cent of traffic accidents are due to human factors, either directly or indirectly, 70 per cent of which are caused by vehicle drivers (Wang et al., 2013; Jia et al., 2006). To reduce the human impact on traffic safety, traffic scholars have come up with one solution - cooperative driving (Chen et al., 2017). Cooperative driving with the connected vehicles is regarded as a promising driving pattern to significantly improve traffic safety (Jia and Ngoduy, 2016). Therefore, it is essential to promote the connected vehicles based on drivers' psychological and physiological characteristics, especially for the development of the intelligent human-machine interaction, personalized driver assistance system and driver warning system.\n2. Research method: 2.1 Participants\n3. Results and discussion: To identify the differences of driver's ECG characteristics in calm and anxious states, subjects' ECG characteristic indicators in the two emotions were compared. In Figure 13, the maximum, minimum, median, upper and lower quartiles of each ECG characteristic indicator of the two emotions are demonstrated.\n4. Conclusion: In this paper, the real driving experiments and driving simulations were designed and conducted to collect driver ECG signal data. It was found that there is significant difference between calmness and anxiety on the time domain, frequency domain and waveform of the ECG characteristic indicators, including AVHR, AVNN, PNN50, RWAVE, RMSSD, Q and S. Compared with the calm state, female drivers have a faster heart rate, a shorter heartbeat interval, a more frequent heartbeat fluctuation, a longer conduction time of the heart chamber, and a more obvious manifestation of myocardial in anxiety.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This study aims to analyze the differences of electrocardiograph (ECG) characteristics for female drivers in calm and anxious states during driving.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors used various materials (e.g. visual materials, auditory materials and olfactory materials) to induce drivers' mood states (calm and anxious), and then conducted the real driving experiments and driving simulations to collect driver's ECG signal dynamic data. Physiological changes in ECG during the stimulus process were recorded using PSYLAB software. The paired T-test analysis was conducted to determine if there is a significant difference in driver's ECG characteristics between calm and anxious states during driving.\nFindings: The results show significant differences in the characteristic parameters of female driver's ECG signals, including (average heart rate), (atrioventricular interval), (percentage of NN intervals > 50ms), (R wave average peak), (Root mean square of successive), (Q wave average peak) and ( S wave average peak), in time domain, frequency domain and waveform in emotional states of calmness and anxiety.\nPractical implications: Findings of this work show that ECG can be used to identify driver's anxious and calm states during driving. It can be used for the development of personalized driver assistance system and driver warning system.\nOriginality/value: Only a few attempts have been made on the influence of human emotions on physiological signals in the transportation field. Hence, there is a need for transport scholars to begin to identify driver's ECG characteristics under different emotional states. This study will analyze the differences of ECG characteristics for female drivers in calm and anxious states during driving to provide a theoretical basis for developing the intelligent and connected vehicles.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
System dynamics modelling of machine downtime for small to medium highway contractors
|
[
"Main roads",
"Production equipment",
"System analysis",
"Dynamics",
"Construction industry",
"Thailand"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Construction companies, especially highway contractors, rely heavily on mechanisation. Interruption of this mechanical supply not only incurs the direct costs of labour, replacement parts and consumables, but also the indirect costs of workforce, equipment downtime, contract delay, possible loss of client goodwill and ultimately, loss of profit (Edwards et al., 1998). Construction equipment is thus an important key factor for improving the contractor's ability to perform their work more effectively and efficiently (Day and Benjamin, 1991). There are a number of factors affecting the productivity of construction equipment. Some factors are uncomplicated to identify and quantify, whereas others are problematic and difficult to predict. Downtime resulting from machine breakdown during operations is one of the most unanticipated factors that have a substantial impact on equipment productivity and organisational performance as a whole (Schaufelberger, 1999). Indeed, machine downtime is the most significant problem in equipment management faced by highway contractors (Prasertrungruang and Hadikusumo, 2007). Previous studies have addressed the issue regarding downtime in many aspects, for instance, downtime classification (Pathmanathan, 1980; Vorster and De La Garza, 1990), quantification (Vorster and De La Garza, 1990; Nepal, 2001), and prediction (Edwards et al., 2002), but little effort has been made to investigate the causes and consequences of downtime, particularly from a dynamic perspective (Nepal and Park, 2004). In fact, practices and policies for equipment management have some of the most dramatic effects on downtime (Elazouni and Basha, 1996). Variation in practices regarding the flows of machine-related factors (e.g. capital equipment, operators, mechanics, spare parts, and information) over time is thus a root cause of the dynamics of downtime (Nepal and Park, 2004). However, attempts to investigate the underlying interdependencies between these less tangible factors (e.g. equipment management practices) and downtime, which control the dynamic mechanisms of the system, have been rare (Edwards et al., 2002). Complex dynamic behaviour and the interaction between equipment management practices and downtime can be characterised by several key aspects, including cause-effect relationships, multiple feedback loops, nonlinear relationships, time-delayed responses, and involving both quantitative and qualitative data (Sterman, 2000). Managing construction equipment successfully with the aims of minimising downtime and maximising profit is therefore challenging (Edwards et al., 1998). This research is therefore intended to highlight the key dynamic features of downtime and its influential factors, using them as a framework in developing system dynamics (SD) simulation. Further, this simulation model generates several policy recommendations. The scope of this study focuses mainly on the equipment management practices and downtime of small to medium contractors in Thailand's construction industry. Since machine weight is one of the major indicators of downtime and maintenance cost (Edwards et al., 2000a, b, 2002), only five types of large heavy equipment for highway construction were selected in this study (see Table I). Note that weight interval for each equipment type is also assigned in order to allow for machine generalisation.\nEquipment management practices and downtime in construction: The construction industry is exposed to a variety of risks. Equipment failure is one of the major risks frequently occurring during construction that consequently causes expensive downtime. However, downtime can be affected by other factors as well. Those factors are project-related factors, equipment-related factors, crew-level factors, site-related factors, and force majeure (Nepal and Park, 2004). As the consequential impact of downtime is huge, contractors need to build their competency in managing construction equipment throughout a machine's lifecycle: acquisition, operations, maintenance, and disposal. Key elements of equipment management practices that contractors need to consider include, for instance, procurement decision approach (equipment acquisition stage), safety and training programs (equipment operational stage), scheduling preventive maintenance inspection and standby repair-maintenance facilities (equipment maintenance stage), and equipment economic life and replacement decisions (equipment disposal stage). In order to minimise the effects of downtime, the contractors have several alternative actions to consider, such as seeking substitute equipment, waiting until the repair is finished, accelerating work pace, modifying the work schedule, and transferring crews to other operations (Nepal and Park, 2004). The consequences of downtime can be categorised into two groups: downtime cost and downtime duration. Downtime duration can be classified into two types: scheduled and unscheduled downtime. Scheduled downtime is a time period when equipment is not available due to a routine task (e.g. periodic maintenance), whereas unscheduled downtime is a machine failure period caused by breakdown or equipment malfunction (Elazouni and Basha, 1996). Downtime cost consists of two elements: tangible and intangible costs. Tangible costs (e.g. costs of labour, material, and other resources needed to repair equipment) are easy to determine. However, intangible costs (e.g. production losses from labour and associated machines, extended overhead costs, liquidated damages, late completion charges) are rather difficult to quantify (Pathmanathan, 1980).\nResearch method: The research method employed in this study consists of two parts. The first part describes data collection and the second part describes data analysis.Data collection\nGeneric feedback structures: Feedback structures are essential in SD as they are not only the foundation on which quantitative SD model is built, but also a valuable device in describing and understanding the dynamics of the system (Coyle, 1996). In this section, five generic feedback structures developed based on the interview data from all five small to medium contractor cases are presented as follows.Machine acquisition feedback structure\nGeneric SD model structure: The aim of this section is to illustrate key elements of the generic SD model. The model can be divided into five subsystems. Each of the subsystems comprises various sectors, which were constructed as referenced to their corresponding feedback loops (see Figure 6). As mentioned earlier, this study focuses on only five types of heavy equipment. Each type of equipment was modelled separately in the simulation and then connected together in order to capture its interdependent behaviour, which in fact induces the dynamics of downtime. The conceptual basis of the model structure was preliminarily derived from literature: infrastructure project management model (Nguyen and Ogunlana, 2005), design-build project management model (Chritamara et al., 2002), manufacturing organisational model (Keating et al., 1999), and downtime in equipment management (Nepal, 2001). Model descriptions for each of the subsystems are now presented.Resources subsystem\nModel testing for validation: After the data from each of the five contractor cases had been input into the generic SD model, five applied SD models were then adopted. Each of the applied SD models was subjected to a variety of validation tests to establish confidence in the soundness and usefulness of the generic SD model (Forrester and Senge, 1980). The study adopts model testing methodology from Sterman (2000), which has been categorised into two groups as follows.Structural validation test\nPolicy formulation and analysis: Up to this point, the model has already been proven as structurally and behaviourally valid. This section thus aims at analysing and identifying a set of effective policies capable of improving equipment performance. Four key performance measures for comparing the policy behaviour were selected: total downtime duration, machine budget status, operator schedule pressure, and machine reliability. The policies were derived not only by reviewing literature such as (Laugen et al., 2005), but also from interviews with professionals. During the simulation, the following policies were experimented individually for a time frame of ten years (i.e. year 2005-2015). The policies can be categorised into four groups as shown in Table III.Machine acquisition policies\nConclusions: This research is of value not only in facilitating more understanding regarding the dynamics of downtime for small to medium highway contractors, but also in assisting the contractors towards achieving reduced downtime and improved equipment performance by means of various policy recommendations using the SD approach.To be successful in minimising downtime, equipment management practices must be viewed as an integration of multiple dynamic processes, which are all interrelated with downtime. In fact, downtime suffers heavily from the reinforcing cycles of operator and mechanics' schedule pressure creep, as well as schedule disruption and downtime cost pressure growth. Although the balancing cycles of operator and mechanics' skill improvement can alleviate downtime problem, their expected benefits always accrue after a delay, thus retarding the effect of improvement, or sometimes worsening the scenarios if contractors decide to discontinue training. Once the reinforcing cycles of downtime cost pressure and operator schedule pressure creep have been activated, proactive maintenance efforts are gradually diluted due to increasing downtime. However, an increase in downtime can be controlled by adjusting the maintenance budget required for mechanics, facilities, parts, etc.Having identified the dynamics of equipment management practices and downtime through five key feedback structures, a generic SD model was then constructed and successfully validated with five contractor cases. Results of the policy analysis reveal several promising policies, including machine quality upon acquisition (acquisition stage), quality improvement team (operational stage), repair outsourcing (maintenance stage), and dismantling for parts (disposal stage).Future research could be directed towards exploring the dynamics of downtime associated with other factors in different perspective, rather than only with equipment management practices. Influences and impacts of such differences on the organisational performance are of prime interest. Further study could also focus on studying the dynamics of downtime in other types of contracting companies where equipment is a major resource used in production.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Downtime resulting from equipment failure is a major problem consistently faced in highway construction. Since managing construction equipment is tightly connected to various activities and parties inside as well as outside of the firm, failure to account for this fact invariably causes downtime to be even more severe. Variation in equipment management practices is thus, indeed, a root cause of the dynamics of machine downtime. This study is intended to address key dynamic features of heavy equipment management practices and downtime in small to medium highway contracting firms and propose policies for equipment performance improvement.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Face-to-face interviews with equipment managers from five different small to medium highway construction companies in Thailand were conducted. Data were analysed using a system dynamics (SD) simulation approach.\nFindings: - To overcome downtime problems, contractors need to understand the dynamics of downtime as well as its influential factors, and thus manage their equipment as a dynamic process rather than one that is static. Based on the simulation, various policies are proposed to improve the performance of heavy equipment for small to medium highway contractors.\nOriginality/value: - The research is of value in facilitating better understanding on the dynamics of equipment management practices and downtime as well as their interdependency.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Entrepreneurial learning: a narrative-based conceptual model
|
[
"Entrepreneurialism",
"Learning",
"Narratives"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction and rationale: Entrepreneurial learning has emerged as an important area of enquiry in relation to both the academic study of entrepreneurship and the practical development of new entrepreneurs, yet it is an area which is not well understood (Deakins, 2000), This article draws on a study of entrepreneurial learning in the creative and media industry (Rae, 2003), which explored these two questions:1. How do people learn to work in entrepreneurial ways: are there significant processes and experiences in their learning, which can be related to existing learning theories?2. Can a useful framework for the understanding of entrepreneurial learning be developed and applied, both in entrepreneurial practice and conceptually by educators?The article offers two propositions. The first is that learning is a fundamental and integral part of the entrepreneurial process, in which the human, social and behavioural activities are of as much concern as the economic aspects which are often highlighted. The second proposition is a conceptual model which explains the entrepreneurial learning process and can be applied in entrepreneurial education and development.Entrepreneurship is an inter-related process of creating, recognising and acting on opportunities, combining innovating, decision making and enaction; this is consistent with definitions by (for example) Shane and Venkataraman (2000), Learning is an emergent, sense-making process in which people develop the ability to act differently, comprising knowing, doing, and understanding why (Mumford, 1995), Through learning, people construct meaning through contextual experience and create new reality (Weick, 1995), Both entrepreneurship and learning are inherently constructivist, behavioural and social processes. The term entrepreneurial learning therefore means learning to recognise and act on opportunities, and interacting socially to initiate, organise and manage ventures.\nSummary of relevant literature: Addressing the first question, of how people learn to work in entrepreneurial ways, the dominance of economics-based and entitative thinking is long-standing, although it offers a limited understanding of the human and social processes of entrepreneurship and learning (Davidsson et al., 2001), That is not to disregard the contribution of economics, for although Schumpeter (1934) and Kirzner (1973) observed the importance of learning in the entrepreneurial process, Binks and Vale (1990) commented on the limitations of economic theory in understanding the human, sociological and psychological aspects of entrepreneurial behaviour. Recent studies of entrepreneurial cognition, such as Mitchell et al. (2002) and Parker (2004) have been limited by the cognitivist paradigm of individual (not social) and cerebral (not behavioural) conceptualisation. The results can be seen in the algorithmic \"dynamic model of entrepreneurial learning\" produced by Minniti and Bygrave (2001), As Spinosa et al. (1997) observed, there is a need to move beyond such entitative and positivist approaches to entrepreneurship in order to create understanding of the human processes involved.The main conclusion which can be drawn from the extensive writing on entrepreneurship education is that while education can provide cultural awareness, knowledge and skills for entrepreneurship, the \"art\" of entrepreneurial practice is learned experientially in business rather than the educational environment (Gibb, 1993, 1996; Gorman et al., 1997; Jack and Anderson, 1999), Learning must be explored as a contextual and active rather than a purely educational process, which raises the second question, of whether a framework can be created to understand entrepreneurial learning.The cognitive paradigm has also dominated the study of learning, and is limited by using the concept of individual information processing to understand the human mind and the ability to learn (Gagne, 1977; Bandura, 1986), Beyond cognitivism, Mead (1934), Kolb (1984) and Mumford (1995) developed experiential and social theories of learning which combine action, conceptualisation and social practice, while the contributions of language, constructivism and discourse in understanding learning have developed through the work of Kelly (1955), Vygotsky (1962) and Harre (1989), Wenger (1998) developed a comprehensive social and behavioral theory of learning, including dimensions of meaning, practice, identity and community. This provides a conceptual foundation for a model of entrepreneurial learning which accommodates social participation and human action as well as cognition, enabling advanced learning theory to be applied to entrepreneurship. It also enables progression from individual conceptions of entrepreneurial learning (Deakins and Freel, 1998; Cope and Watts, 2000; Rae and Carswell, 2001).Three concluding questions can be drawn from the literature on entrepreneurial learning. First, how and why do people develop entrepreneurial identities? Second, how do people learn to recognise and work on opportunities which arise from their social experiences? Finally, how do people learn to create and manage enterprises through interpersonal processes? By exploring these three questions, there is the potential to create new understanding of entrepreneurial learning. The methodology for this is proposed in the next section.\nMethodology: The methodology used in this study is social constructionist (Gergen, 1999), narrative (Polkinghorne, 1988) and interpretive (Schwandt, 1998), Narrative approaches have become recognised as valid methods in the interpretive study of entrepreneurship (Hjorth and Steyaert, 2004), In this case narrative is used to explore the entrepreneurial learning process in the \"lifeworld\" of the entrepreneur, gaining access to their accounts of their actions and interactions with others within their environment, their personal and business venturing, and their learning.The research was undertaken in the creative media industry in the United Kingdom which features conditions of rapid change, significant risk and volatility, with opportunities for new venture creation and growth being highly apparent (Leadbeater and Oakley, 1999), However the entrepreneurial process and its learning dimension is not well understood, with a \"missing middle\" in public policy in relation to the learning and development needs of creative entrepreneurs (Raffo et al., 2000), Therefore new understanding of academic and practical value could be created, and whilst this would be limited contextually it might be extended and applied in cultural entrepreneurship beyond the UK and possibly in other sectors.The study identified emerging entrepreneurs and followed their personal and business development through a series of in-depth life story interviews. The methodological challenges which arose from this approach included the relational issues of selecting and maintaining the participants' engagement in documenting their story; reflexivity, in making sense of the researcher's own interaction with the research participants, material and process; and interpretive, in creating meaning of wider relevance from the study.The study was limited to three participants to enable depth rather than breadth of coverage. They were identified through recommendation, networking and social contact, then invited to participate. The criteria for selecting these participants required them to be currently running a cultural media business, differing in type from the others selected; prepared to participate fully in the research; and intending to actively grow and develop their business in innovative ways. The participating entrepreneurs and their businesses, which were presented as case studies, included:* Sawari Culture, a mail-order business supplying entertainment and media products to the growing Asian market (Kal).* Blue Fish, a corporate design, identity and marketing agency (Tony).* Shires FM, an independent radio station group (Mike).The researcher acted as co-author with each participant over a two-year period in which multiple life-story interviews took place to create an account of their experiences in business and personal development. The scope of the interviews included the story of their career and business to date and exploration of key learning episodes such as their reasons for deciding to start a business and subsequent experiences, changes and learning points. Each interview was transcribed and coded against a set of 27 categories generated through discourse analysis (Potter and Wetherall, 1987), This allowed cross-case comparison of similarly coded speech extracts and theory building. Related material gathered for supplementary and corroborative detail included social observation of the participant in business meetings and other interactions, conversations with their colleagues, and sampling the creative and commercial output of their enterprise. The material was edited into a draft case study and the narratives were reviewed with the participants and compared, using the coding structure, to develop the conceptual model of entrepreneurial learning.\nFindings: Three major common themes were identified from the accounts, which related to the participants' learning and also connected with the conclusions from the literature review. These themes consist of personal and social emergence; the negotiated enterprise; and contextual learning. Within these major themes, a total of 11 subsidiary themes were identified. Together these constitute the triadic model of entrepreneurial learning which is shown in Figure 1 and is followed by a description of the major and subsidiary themes, illustrated by extracts from the case material.Personal and social emergence\nConclusions and application: There is scope for wider application of the model in theoretical, educational and practical ways beyond the context of the case studies and the creative media industry. It can be used to interpret other cases, since what has been observed within these cases is likely to be, to some extent, typical of such processes in entrepreneurial ventures more generally. It is legitimate to generalise at the level of process and theory, in making sense of \"how things happen\" by interpreting a limited base of case studies (Yin, 1994), This is not to argue for empirical generalisation, but rather to propose that entrepreneurial learning is fundamental within human social development, and that the positions developed in this model may be helpful and applicable in understanding this.The model does not make claims or assertions about people's cognitive processes. There is, therefore, no basis for comparison with theories which propose rational or economic understanding of entrepreneurial behaviour rooted in cognitive theory (for example, Minniti and Bygrave: 2001; Mitchell et al., 2002; Shepherd and Krueger: 2002), Although cognitivism is pervasive and influential in the literature, as Gergen (1999) observes, there is a strong case to be made against simply accepting this and it is equally valid to propose a social constructionist alternative.The model instead builds on Wenger's (1998) social theory of learning by adapting it to the activity of entrepreneurial learning, in which some of Wenger's themes become more significant than others, by emphasising the creation, recognition and development of opportunities. The model also draws on social constructionist, narrative and antecedent theories such as constructivism and pragmatism, including Mead (1934), Dewey (1938), Vygotsky (1962), Polkinghorne (1988), Shotter (1993), and Gergen (1999), Until now, no theory of entrepreneurial learning based on social constructionist thinking has been advanced. Therefore, and with reference to the caveats above, this model is proposed as an original and distinctive concept which advances understanding of entrepreneurial learning, both in the context of the creative media industry, and beyond it, using the conceptual tools of narrative and social construction.It is proposed that there are at least two practical applications for the model. One is educational, the other for business practitioners. Educationally, there is a need for an holistic model of entrepreneurial learning which students can use to make sense of their own learning, practice and development, and the model can be used to assist this. This can support the progression from \"teaching about\" and towards \"learning for entrepreneurship\" which is increasingly adopted in entrepreneurship education (Menzies, 2003), This encourages a conceptual yet practical approach to learning to participate in entrepreneurial working, based on personal development, on social and group behaviour, and on opportunity recognition within contextual boundaries. There is scope to develop the model for educational use, in entrepreneurship education and beyond, in new venture creation, in business incubation, and in small firm growth programmes.The model may also be of value to practitioners because it proposes that personal and social emergence and the corresponding transition in identity is a fundamental aspect of the entrepreneurial experience, not simply skills and knowledge which are assimilated cognitively. For example the themes can be used to generate learning maps to reflect on personal learning. So it may be helpful for emerging entrepreneurs to use the model as a structure to think through such questions as their personal and social identity, how they negotiate their enterprise, and how they use contextual learning to recognise opportunities and to develop their own repertoire of \"practical theory\" from intuitive experience.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Entrepreneurial learning is an important area of enquiry which is not well understood in either the academic study of entrepreneurship or the practical development of new entrepreneurs. The article aims to explore two questions: first, how do people learn to work in entrepreneurial ways - are there significant processes and experiences in their learning, which can be related to existing learning theories? Second, can a useful framework to understand entrepreneurial learning be developed and applied both in entrepreneurial practice and conceptually by educators?\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The article includes a brief critical review of the theoretical literature in the areas of entrepreneurship and learning. Thematic discourse analysis is used to interpret the life story narratives of three entrepreneurs in the creative industries. Material from their learning experiences is used to support the development of a conceptual model. This demonstrates connections between the emergence of entrepreneurial identity, learning as a social process, opportunity recognition, and venture formation as a negotiated activity.\nFindings: - The principal finding is to propose a conceptual framework of entrepreneurial learning as a triadic model, including major themes of personal and social emergence, contextual learning, the negotiated enterprise, and a group of 11 related sub-themes.\nPractical implications: - Applications of the model in entrepreneurship education, work-based learning and practice, are proposed, within and beyond the context of the creative media industry.\nOriginality/value: - The paper develops an original and distinctive conceptual understanding of entrepreneurial learning through analysis of entrepreneurs' experiences, based on a social learning and constructionist perspective.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Government goldmine: American Indian materials in government documents
|
[
"Government",
"Information media",
"Data collection",
"Native Americans"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Over 1,200 libraries in the USA are federal depository libraries. They regularly receive high-quality, primary source materials from the US government on nearly every subject. Historically, government documents collections have been organized around the source of the publication. While government agencies generally have a specific area of responsibility, they can touch on many subject areas, and, more importantly, some subjects are addressed by multiple agencies. The classic arrangement of government publications leads to scattered pockets of information gems. It is up to librarians to mine these lodes and bring together related resources to benefit the user.\nNature of government information/nature of the problem: Government information is incredibly diverse. It provides timely information about services and programs, enabling citizen oversight and easier use of tax-funded programs. As time passes, government information becomes a primary source record of history, illustrating the attitudes and concerns of the American people in each era. In terms of scope, the federal government is interested in things that impact American life (namely, everything). For instance, the government collects data, conducts research, develops laws and regulations, and creates programs relating to what we eat (Agriculture), how we make and spend our money (Commerce), how we power our homes and businesses (Energy), how we get around (Transportation), and how we learn (Education). People are generally aware of common government publications like tax forms, laws, and reports of agencies, but they may not be aware of other types of government publications: scientific and exploration reports, investigations of social issues (poverty, drugs, political movements), statistics, maps, and guidelines for citizens.There are many ways to organize this avalanche of information. Most government information in depository libraries has been distributed through the US Government Printing Office (GPO), and this information is issued with a ready-made Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) classification number. The SuDocs system was developed by Adelaide R. Hasse in 1895 when she worked as the first librarian of GPO's Office of the Superintendent of Documents (US GPO, 2004). The SuDocs system is a provenance-based system structured around the publishing agency of a document. Over 80 percent of depository libraries use the SuDocs system to organize the government information they receive (GPO Library Services & Content Management, 2006). Historically, libraries were able to expedite the processing of depository items and use shelf lists to track publications by relying on GPO cataloging and classification (Robinson, 1988).While the SuDocs system tells users where the information originates - aiding a core element of information literacy - it does not truly organize information by subject. While each agency has a specific mission, there is considerable subject matter redundancy within the government. As an example, American Indian education is addressed in at least three agencies and offices: the Office of Indian Education (Department of Education), the Office of Indian Education Programs (Bureau of Indian Affairs), and the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities.Even when users take the time and effort to think of the appropriate source agency, they may not find all the materials of an agency together on the shelf as agencies change over time. The Department of Education is now a separate department, but primary responsibility for education shifted from the Department of the Interior, to the Federal Security Agency, to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare before becoming a separate department of its own in 1979 (Batten, 2006). No classification system is perfect, but the SuDocs system scatters related subject materials throughout the collection, which makes browsing very difficult, creates additional work for the user, and increases the risk that key sources will go undiscovered. Thus, it is up to librarians to remedy the situation and bring related materials in core subjects together for the user.\nRationale for examining American Indian materials: The University of Montana experiences high demand for American Indian source material. The demand on campus stems from strong curricular interest in American Indian topical research, particularly in the Native American Studies Department. There is considerable interest in tribal issues within the state of Montana in general. The state is home to seven reservations and 12 tribal nations. An emphasis on \"Indian Education for All\" has been codified in the current state constitution: \"The state recognizes the distinct and unique cultural heritage of the American Indians and is committed in its educational goals to the preservation of their cultural integrity\" (State of Montana, 1972, Article X, Section 1). Within the last few years there has been a successful push within the state legislature to appropriate funds to incorporate more information on American Indian history and culture within school curricula, which has greatly affected education within the state at all levels.The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library at The University of Montana fulfills the need for American Indian-related material through a general collection organized in the Dewey Decimal System, electronic databases, recommended web sites, and the SuDocs-organized government documents collection. In the course of reference and instruction interactions, the librarians have become familiar with the unique and challenging research in which the students and faculty are engaged and with the vast and varied material found in government documents. They also have found that the structure of the government documents collection creates navigation and discovery challenges for their users.The historical relationship between the US Government and American Indian tribes is so intrinsic that nearly every agency in the government produces content on American Indians. The relationship is extremely complex. In one sense, the relationship is intergovernmental (i.e. one sovereign nation to another), with court decisions, laws, and statutes characterizing their historical relationship (Andrews, 2003). Various agency publications provide primary source materials for those researching such topics as water rights, mineral rights, hunting rights, and other land-related issues. In another sense, the US government has also assumed a paternalistic or service-oriented role with tribes, and various agencies have programs related to housing, education, and health for American Indians. As one of the largest producers of statistical information in the world, the US government quantifies nearly every element of American life, and those statistical programs also track demographic, commercial, and health characteristics of American Indian populations, sometimes as separate data sets. Due to this long-standing, governmental entanglement, materials pertaining to American Indians are similarly interwoven throughout a government documents collection.\nMethodology: While it was generally understood that American Indian materials were spread throughout the library's government documents collection, it seemed worthwhile to confirm and quantify the nature of the dispersal. Examining the collection systematically clarified how many agencies touch on this subject area. The analysis uncovered specific series and highlighted which agencies produce the most information on the subject.To conduct the analysis, the authors searched the library catalog for incidences of several keywords and subject headings relating to American Indians (including \"Indians of North America,\" \"Native Americans,\" and a truncated search for all words beginning with \"Indian\"). The results were exported to a spreadsheet for sorting and analysis. Searches were limited to items from 1976 through the present because comprehensive cataloging is available for materials for this time period. The library is proceeding with retrospective cataloging of government documents, but coverage prior to 1976 is selective and unrepresentative. The comprehensive cataloging gives an accurate picture of the spread of materials on American Indians and provides insight into agencies currently publishing in this area.There are several drawbacks to this kind of analysis. Focusing on materials from 1976 through the present neglects to highlight completed series and agencies no longer in existence. For instance, one of the biggest producers of information on American Indians was the Bureau of American Ethnology, which was incorporated into the Smithsonian Office of Anthropology in 1965. This now-defunct agency published seminal information on Indians in North America within its Annual Reports and Bulletins series. The series of Bulletins was completed in 1971 and, as a result, would not be captured in this analysis. Similarly, subject responsibility has shifted between agencies over time. Before responsibility for reservations transferred to the Department of the Interior in 1849, the War Department published annual reports on Indian affairs. This key source of nineteenth century information is not revealed in an analysis of materials published since 1976. Finally, this collection analysis quantifies the existence of American Indian-related publications but does not indicate the importance of some of those publications. As an example, the Problem of Indian Administration, also known as the \"Meriam Report,\" is an extremely important publication within the context of American Indian sources, but within this analysis it would be treated as simply one item on the chart.One way to counter these drawbacks would be to conduct this kind of search on a catalog with more comprehensive coverage of historic materials. An analysis of records in WorldCat would provide a long-term view of subject clusters. Although this analysis would focus on quantity rather than research importance, it is a good first step toward uncovering underused pockets of information. This case study focuses on American Indian-related materials, but this type of analysis can be done easily for other topics.\nCase study: American Indian materials in government documents: The analysis of American Indian-related materials in the government documents collection revealed both expected and unexpected results. Some agencies were surprisingly heavy producers of relevant information (see Figure 1).The US Congress is a prolific source of government information. Most know that Congress writes and passes laws, and most Congressional publications relate to bills. Bill reports make up some of the numbers in the analysis, but Congressional committee hearings are another, particularly rich, source of information. One key committee is the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, which has been in existence since the early 1800s (with the exception of a period in the mid-twentieth century when it was briefly disbanded due to government policy). The Committee has jurisdiction over the issues of American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples. Recent hearings before the committee covered topics such as tribal colleges, housing, water rights, and diabetes. However, there are many Congressional committees that touch on American Indian-related issues in the course of working on legislation in their respective subject areas.The Department of the Interior is another \"expected\" source of information on American Indians. The department is a prolific publisher that includes many subagencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA's \"responsibility is the administration and management of 55.7 million acres of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives\" (Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2007). The BIA also addresses gaming, education, roads, art, and many other aspects of life on reservations. Some special commissions, like the National Indian Gaming Commission, fall under the Department of the Interior as well.Some agencies have specific offices related to Indian affairs. The Department of Health and Human Services contains the Indian Health Service, which provides health care for members of federally recognized tribes on reservation land and in select urban areas. The Department of Housing and Urban Development contains the Office of Public and Indian Housing. Publications by this agency cover homeownership advice, public housing, neighborhood development, poverty, and economic self-sufficiency. The Department of Education is a key publisher on American Indian issues partly due to its Office of Indian Education, but more due to key series. The Department of Education items in the analysis are largely drawn from the Indian Reading Series, a large set of curricular materials developed in conjunction with the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, and materials gathered by the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC).Other agencies identified in the analysis publish on tribal intersections with their areas of responsibility. For instance, the Commerce Department, which includes the Census Bureau, offers statistics on general demographics, housing characteristics, and minority-owned business enterprises. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigates government activities and has reported on trust fund problems, the effectiveness of the Indian Health Service, gaming issues, and housing programs. Given how many government agencies have programs dedicated to American Indians, a significant level of investigation by the GAO is expected.For more details on specific series, several researchers have published annotated bibliographies identifying key government sources for research on American Indians. Washburn's (1973) documentary history references key reports from Commissioners of Indian Affairs, Congressional debates, treaties, and laws and describes the impact of these specific documents. In the same vein, Prucha (1975) identifies and cites core documents to help researchers understand US Indian policy. In the library literature, Cowgill's (2006) recent article details key sources and their impacts. Similarly, White's (1995) seminal work on American Indian Studies provides libraries with a starting point for amassing a subject-oriented collection.\nHow do we highlight these gems for our users?: Once librarians have determined important agencies and series for a given topic, they must highlight those sources for their users. The options range from in-depth reorganization of collections to virtual gatherings of materials. If important materials are \"hidden\" due to a lack of machine-readable cataloging, one of the best things a library can do to improve access is to incorporate those materials into the online catalog. Thanks to the hard work of a great many libraries, copy cataloging is available for the vast majority of historic government documents. Then, a keyword-oriented search in the library catalog will do the initial work of bringing together relevant materials for researchers.However, cataloging will not solve the issue of dispersed materials that inhibit browsing. For high-interest topics, consider reclassifying the pertinent items into the main call number system of the library to provide mainstream access. The majority of depository libraries organize their collections using the SuDocs classification system, but almost 20 percent of depository libraries use a different classification system for most of their documents (GPO Library Services & Content Management, 2006).Research guides - whether they are printed handouts for classes, static web guides, or interactive wikis - are a less time-consuming and less costly means of drawing together related materials. To highlight American Indian materials in government information, the authors have created a guide that points to key series, core reference works, helpful web sites, and other \"hidden\" information. This guide is frequently used as a handout in library instruction sessions and is available online. The web-based guide is surprisingly effective. The guide is retrievable through search engines, which frequently leads to calls and e-mails for reference assistance from across the country.Following the thread of web-based access, a one-stop portal for a high-interest subject could improve user access to digital and tangible materials. A subject-oriented digital portal could pull together digitized historic content, relevant web sites, born-digital publications, and information on unconverted materials. If the portal takes the shape of a database (preferably open to web discovery and indexing), MARC or XML records for tangible materials could be incorporated easily. A site of this nature has the potential to reach beyond the boundaries and collections of a single institution. Many libraries and larger initiatives, like the Google Book Project, are digitizing historic government documents due to their importance and (generally) copyright-free status (Google, 2006). A subject-oriented portal can reference content that has been converted and archived locally as well as digital projects done elsewhere.\nConclusion: Collection development can go beyond the initial selection and retention of materials. In some cases, researchers may be underutilizing key materials due to access problems and dispersion of related resources. In such cases, collection development may involve identifying and gathering sub-collections of existing materials to improve access for users. Stand-alone federal government information collections offer tremendously valuable information for researchers, but they are often structured in ways that inhibit use. It is up to librarians to take on an unexpected role, that of information prospector, to dig up the riches within their collections to bring this wealth to light. Users will undoubtedly find such efforts worth their weight in gold.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this article is to investigate government document collections to identify subject-related materials and offer suggestions for making those materials more evident to researchers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Using American Indian-related materials as a case study, the authors conducted a keyword and subject heading analysis of federal government publications from 1976 through 2006, quantifying the publication patterns of various agencies. The researchers used the data to gain a better understanding of the distribution of subject matter throughout the collection and to identify key series.\nFindings: - The paper reveals that, in a traditional, Superintendent of Documents-classified, federal publications collection, materials with a common subject matter are produced by a wide variety of agencies. This dispersed production leads to disconnected pockets of relevant information, which creates more work for information seekers.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The case study analysis does not address materials produced prior to 1976 due to limited local cataloging. Future analyses could draw on catalogs with more extensive historical holdings.\nPractical implications: - Libraries can consider several means of drawing users' attention to subject-related materials, including reclassifying collections, creating subject guides, and developing subject portals.\nOriginality/value: - The paper is useful for those working with separate government information collections who are looking for a methodical approach to identifying unexpected sources of relevant information.\n",
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] |
Denial of racism and the Trump presidency
|
[
"Racial discrimination",
"Aversive racism",
"Implicit bias",
"Populism",
"Symbolic racism",
"System justification"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best [...] They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us (sic). They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people [...] It's coming from more than Mexico. It's coming from all over South and Latin America, and it's coming - probably - from the Middle East\nRace, racioethnic groups, and racism: Any discussion of a topic as emotionally charged as racism requires grounding in clear definitions. In this section, I provide definitions for the concepts of race, racioethnic groups, and racism based on the predominant understanding shared among contemporary scholars. These definitions provide the foundation for characterizing Donald Trump's presidential campaign rhetoric as racist.\nDenial and distancing from racism: Due to the desire for a positive self-concept (Deutsch, 2006), individuals seek to distance themselves from socially undesirable racist beliefs and actions (Table I). Distancing from facts happens when individuals deny that a racist statement was made or that a racist action occurred. Distancing from racist interpretation results when people accept that a statement or action occurred but deny that it reflects racism. Distancing from responsibility happens when individuals accept that racism underlies a statement or action but deny responsibility for the action, or more subtly, for ameliorating the negative impact of racism on others. Support for President Trump is likely associated with wholesale denial and ignoring of facts about his racist-tinged statements and actions, as well as the development of alternative explanations distancing his statements and actions from their racist implications and denial of responsibility for ameliorating racism. The next paragraphs link each of the distancing strategies to bodies of social psychological theory and research.\nFighting racism: effective anti-racist action: Social psychologists have devoted substantial effort toward building and testing theory regarding how to fight racism (Table II). Because racism has both interpersonal and institutional dimensions, effective anti-racist action requires change at both of these levels. Methods for countering misinformation can be used oppose denial of racist-tinged facts and their racist implications. Appeals to a wide variety of value systems are effective for countering denials of the impact of racism and may increase support for dismantling institutional racism.\nRacism and identity in contemporary society: While US liberals and conservatives are divided, we share in common rejection of explicit White racism (Norton et al., 2006). Endorsement of explicitly racist statements in the USA shows a downward trend since the mid-twentieth century (Schuman et al., 1997). As far back as 1992, average responses to survey questions assessing explicit racism (e.g. whether White respondents consider members of various racioethnic groups to be unintelligent, etc.) showed mean values well below the neutral point of 4 on a rating scale of 1 to 7 (Bobo and Zubrinsky, 1996). Americans consider racists to be violent, cruel, untrustworthy, unintelligent, and immoral (Sommers and Norton, 2006). In sum, scholars have concluded that, \"few labels are as aversive as that of 'racist'\" (Norton et al., 2006, p. 949).\nConclusions: While the percentage of the US public who endorse explicitly white supremacist messages is quite small, white supremacists' enthusiastic support for President Trump is concerning. President Trump's rhetoric emphasizing minority groups as major threats to society reinforces US racism by underscoring stereotypes, fueling negative emotions, and encouraging discriminatory behavior toward racioethnic minority groups. By denying that his rhetoric has racist implications, President Trump legitimates white supremacists and helps them to distance their views from the socially undesirable \"racism\" label. Evidence suggests that President Trump's statements and actions have emboldened white supremacists, as evidenced by increased activity on their websites and in racist-tinged harassment (Garcia, 2016; Jenn, 2017).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to document the racist undertones of Donald Trump's Presidential campaign rhetoric and draw implications regarding its impact on equality, diversity, and inclusion. Most contemporary individuals reject explicitly racist beliefs and strive to present themselves as having egalitarian attitudes toward other races and ethnicities. However, commonly held implicit biases toward historically marginalized racioethnic groups drive negative effect that is often unconscious and unacknowledged. Inconsistency between the conscious and unconscious aspects of contemporary racism generates a population of individuals who are uncomfortable with their attitudes, creating an opening for politicians willing to leverage racist rhetoric and gain support by resolving this inconsistency.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper applies social psychological theory and research to address the questions of what attracts otherwise non-racist individuals to racist-tinged rhetoric. The paper also provides theory-based interventions for reducing the attractiveness and impact of racist political campaigns.\nFindings: Supporters of racist politicians resolve the conflict between their negative feelings toward racioethnic minorities and their espoused anti-racist views by distancing themselves from racist rhetorical content in three ways: by denying that racist statements or actions occurred, denying that the statements or actions are racist, and/or by denying responsibility for racism and its effects. These techniques provide supporters with validation from an authority that they can express their negative affect toward out-groups and still consider themselves to be good people and not racists.\nPractical implications: Distancing from racism has allowed contemporary American extremists to reframe themselves as victims of closed-minded progressives seeking to elevate undeserving and/or dangerous out-groups at the in-group's expense. Effective anti-racism techniques are needed to counter implicit biases in order to limit the attractiveness of extremist views. Implicit biases can be effectively reduced through training in counter-stereotypic imaging, stereotype replacement, and structured inter-group interaction. Effectively countering denial of the facts involves affirming the audience's belief system while building skepticism toward the sources of misinformation.\nSocial implications: While countering racist politicians requires commitment, these efforts are essential for protecting the identity of the USA as a society striving toward equality, diversity, and inclusion.\nOriginality/value: By articulating the social psychological principles underpinning racist-tinged populist rhetoric, this paper explains the attractiveness of racist statements by politicians, which tends to be under-estimated.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Different actors' roles in small companies service innovation
|
[
"Service innovation",
"Network",
"Small companies"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this issue.\nIntroduction: Service development requires a novel combination of tangible and intangible organizational resources as well as personal skills from both the producers and the customers of the service (Vargo and Lusch, 2004). The success of the service will then greatly depend on how an organization configures such sets of resources (Lusch et al., 2007). Firms need to be able to absorb and use external knowledge to innovate, and participating in activities with networks that have a diverse range of partners has a positive effect on innovation (Jenssen and Nybakk, 2009). An organization's capability to solve problems by seeking and using new knowledge is considered to be a key factor in the creation of successful service development (Atuahene-Gima and Wei, 2011). Making use of intellectual resources outside the firm - such as knowledge resources from suppliers, business partners and customers - is important in the development of new services (Froehle and Roth, 2007). Thus, successful innovative service firms need to see themselves as part of an innovation network (Schilling and Werr, 2009). All these references support strongly that actors and resources outside the company are an important ingredient for successful service development.\nLiterature review service development and actors role: Service development models\nResearch design: Because there have been few previous studies of what types of different actors participate in small companies' service-development processes, we wanted to gather as much information as possible to create a deeper understanding of this matter (Patton, 1990). With this ambition, an in-depth case study (Yin, 1994) seemed to be the most suitable option, as it gave us the possibility \"[...] to collect a rich and detailed information across a wide range of dimensions about one particular case\" (Daymon and Holloway, 2002, p. 106).\nPrime-movers: Within the studied companies, it was identified that (in most cases) there were some actors who were responsible for actually making the development process happen; either as formal owner-managers of the company or other actors who were engaged in developing services. This group of actors has been labeled the \"Prime-Movers\". More formally, in the cases studied here, the \"Prime-Movers\" were actors who were committed and enthusiastic about service development and who assumed responsibility for ensuring that service development proceeded. An example of where this situation is apparent is in the case of the Language and Cultural Company in which it is one actor, the owner-manager, who dominates the idea generation. To get as many ideas as possible, the owner-manager often meets with different actors and she endeavors to conduct herself in an open manner when relating to others. She is also active in associating with different business organizations and networks to receive various forms of contacts that can provide new kinds of services. Another example of the importance of the owner-manager can be found in the Media Company, which is (as the owner-manager describes it) more of an artistic company. The company's goal is to be a creative company that is dedicated to (as the owner-manager puts it himself) generating exciting solutions to customers' problems. The ideas come almost exclusively from the owner-manager himself, who is the great creator and idea generator in the company, as his following statement shows:\nManagement team - strategy creators and deciding actors: Besides the \"Prime-Movers\", the empirical analysis shows that in some companies there is an actor group that, in a more formal way, decides what to develop and who creates strategies for the service development. This could, for example, be seen in the Electronics Company, the Branding Company and the Training Company, where a group of actors is engaged in what could be described as a strategic process in which they identify and develop (in a more methodical way) a number of ideas regarding the new services that the company should develop to maintain and improve its competitive edge; this is something that is described in the following way by the manager in the Computer System Company:\nService performers/other employees: Another important actor group that was identified is the actual service performer (or other employees in the company). This actor group is the one that delivers the service to the customers. Due to their activities, they have a good knowledge of the customer's needs, wants and expectation; and thereby, play an important role in the development process. The difference between this actor group and the \"Prime-Mover\" group is the fact that this group is only participating in the service development to a small extent - not leading it and nor is it necessarily over-enthusiastic about it. An example of this is the Slum-Clearance Company where, in some cases, the ideas are generated by the employees within the company when its staff members have been out doing other work with customers. During these occasions, problems and needs that the customer had not yet come across have emerged and solutions then had to be sought:\nInspirer or supporting actors: Besides the aforementioned actor groups there exists an informal actor group that, directly or indirectly, provides support to the projects in various forms. What these groups' roles are and what they contribute varies over time and between the companies. One example of how a group of supporting actors is used is in the Language and Cultural Company, where the manager describes a process in which she discusses the ideas and possible solutions with a number of actors, both internal and external actors. The purpose of the discussions is to refine ideas and create viable solutions for service provision by using the more-or-less informal contributions from the other actors. This strategy of utilizing others is used right up until the new service is ready to be implemented. This is highlighted in the following statement by the manager:\nCompeting actors: In the service-development process, there exist actors who compete against other companies for the same resources. Besides competing for the customers' buying power, they can contribute to service development of other companies by inspiring them and giving ideas on how and what services could be developed. An example of this can be seen in the case of the Language and Cultural Company, which expanded on and developed an idea that originally came from a personal contact who was also engaged in educational activities. This contact had shown considerable originality in designing and carrying out various educational experiences for students. The owner-manager of the Language and Culture Company took note of this educator's success and subsequently devised ways of organizing a service that the company had previously planned, but had difficulties in delivering. The role of the competitor as a source of ideas is in line with research that shows that this type of actor is one of the most important sources for developing new services (Davison et al., 1989, Scheuing and Johnson, 1989; Martin and Horne, 1993; Johne, 1994).\nSuppliers/Partners: The role of networks changes as the developmental work of a new service progresses. The closer the process comes to the end of the design and development phases, the more formalized and governed toward certain actors the interaction becomes. In this phase, the company interacts with actors that have established relationships with the company and specific competences required by the company. Thus, besides the supporting actors there exists a group of actors who contributes more formally as suppliers of know-how and/or physical resources that do not exist inside the company that are needed in the development of the new service. One example of a company that chose to use an external supplier is the Branding Company. This company works together with external actors to develop and deliver the new service instead of trying to get the required resources internally. Even if the external actors are heavily involved in the development process, the company makes sure that they still control the most important and crucial resources internally. Another example of this is the Training Company that describes it the following way:\nCustomer/Users: The final group presented here is the actual buyer or user of the service who sometimes plays both a major or minor role in the development process depending on the direct or indirect demand for the service; or they participate in the development in other ways. How the customer is involved varies, but in this case, the companies actively sought contact with existing customers. This is, for example, the case in the Branding Company who has several customers with whom the company maintained especially close relationships:\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of the study is to create an initial understanding of how various internal and external actors contribute to the development of new services based on the research question considering \"which different actor takes part in small companies' service development processes in order giving access to the resources needed and what roles do they play?\"\nDesign/methodology/approach: Due to the lack of previous studies within the area, the focus in this study has been to use a qualitative method to reach a deeper insight about how small companies' service development could be described, as seen from an actor's perspective.\nFindings: Based on the empirical analysis, the study identifies seven main categories of actors who were involved in the service-development process that contributes with different types of resources and their role varies during the development process. The actors and their roles are presented in a model giving initial understanding how various internal and external actors contribute to the development of new services.\nResearch limitations/implications: Using a qualitative approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Instead, the findings should be seen as an initial starting point for further studies.\nPractical implications: The paper's highlight a number of actor roles that need to be handled to create possibilities for small companies' service development.\nOriginality/value: The paper fills a research gap in the service innovation research. Traditionally, this research has been focused on larger companies, with a focus on what happens inside the companies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising: a study of consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions
|
[
"Advertising",
"Promotional methods",
"Consumer behaviour",
"Pharmaceutical products",
"Medical prescriptions"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this issue.\nIntroduction: \"Depression elicits Prozac, high cholesterol has made Lipitor a familiar name and hay fever sufferers are all familiar with Claritin\"(Schroff, 2003). A once mysterious industry has now opened its doors to American consumers and prescription drug advertising has become a billion dollar business. From the multimillion-dollar Super Bowl ads to the repetitive spots that are shown during primetime sitcoms, advertising for branded prescription drugs abounds. Overall, the advent of prescription drug advertising has added an entirely new dimension to the role of consumers in the decision making process for prescription medications and consumers are now more informed than ever before (Smith, 1998).In order to increase brand awareness for prescription medication, drug manufacturers spent $15.7 billion on promotions in 2001, of which $2.5 billion went to mass media advertising. Prescription drug advertising, often referred to as direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, has increased at an annual rate of 13-20 percent since 1997. Thus far, there have been mixed findings regarding the overall financial impact of DTC advertising on the pharmaceutical industry. While there is some evidence that suggests a direct and positive correlation between mass media advertising and drug manufacturers' earnings (Findlay, 2002; Anderson, 2003), the relationship between adverting expenditures and the success of specific brands is not clear. Clearly, drug manufacturers place a great deal of faith in DTC ads and the impact that they can have on consumers' decision to adopt advertised brands, but the exact nature of that impact remains controversial. While a recent study reports that for every 10 percent increase in DTC advertising, there is a 1 percent increase in drug sales (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003), there is also evidence that DTC advertising often serves to increase the size of a market for a specific class of drugs, but not necessarily the market share for a particular brand (Krisanits, 2003).Researchers have examined DTC advertising from various viewpoints. Some have focused on the governmental rulings that have paved the way for DTC advertising (Dukes et al., 2001) and the case law that deals with drug manufacturers' responsibility to warn consumers about the side effects of prescription medication. Other researchers have recently addressed the efficacy of DTC advertising as an educational tool. While some claim that there is \"little rationale for direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs\" (Lexchin and Mintzes, 2002, p. 194), others suggest that DTC advertising benefits not only health-care organizations, but also physicians as well as patients (Calfee, 2002).Researchers (Wilkes et al., 2000) have also examined consumers' attitudes towards DTC advertising and the actions that consumers have taken in response to DTC ads. However, research has not investigated how consumers' self -perceptions or perceptions of their relationship with their primary physician might impact their decision-making for DTC advertised drugs. Further, while all of these studies have established that DTC advertising is a topic worthy of further investigation, there has not been any research done on the individual and relational variables that might influence the behavioral intentions of consumers during their medical decision making processes. Furthermore, researchers have not investigated whether these behavioral intentions might be detrimental to the doctor-patient relationship.The debate between industry advocates and public policy advocates is often rancorous in so far as DTC advertising is concerned. Industry advocates obviously argue that there are numerous merits to DTC advertising. They contend that it is primarily an educational tool for the consumer. Conversely, public policy advocates point to the inherent dangers of such advertising and suggest that the effects of too little knowledge may in fact be harmful to the consumer.This study was designed to provide some insights into consumers' thinking and decision making processes as they respond to DTC advertising in the current marketplace. In particular, the study attempted to answer the following questions:* How do consumers view DTC advertising in general?* Does DTC advertising cause consumers to engage in specific behaviors or behavioral intentions (e.g., asking a primary care provider for more information about a drug that they have been exposed to or asking a physician to prescribe a particular advertised drug)?* Does DTC advertising empower consumers and if so, what are the outcomes of this perceived empowerment?\nBackground: History of direct-to-consumer advertising\nTheoretical foundations: Attitude-behavior research\nMethodology: Survey design and sample description\nDiscussion and implications: Overall, the advent of DTC advertising presents a wealth of interesting dichotomies and valuable insights regarding consumer perceptions. Our findings reveal that although consumers are motivated to ask their primary care physicians about drugs promoted through DTC advertising, they are not particularly knowledgeable about DTC advertisements. In particular, our findings show that consumers are not particularly knowledgeable about prescription drugs or the laws that govern DTC advertising, even though they claim that DTC advertising has increased their overall awareness of prescription drugs. It could very well be that while consumers have become more aware of the brands mentioned in DTC ads, they are not necessarily more educated about the benefits and risks associated with advertised brands. Specifically, consumers know that DTC drug ads abound; however, consumers may not fully understand the message in DTC ads, nor do they trust in drug manufacturers to provide them with accurate information. This disparity may exist because consumers are not comfortable with the format in which drugs are advertised, they do not feel competent to evaluate the claims made in such advertising, and they are not aware of the various avenues to get more information.As consumers become savvier and as drug manufacturers seek to establish profitability for their specific brands, researchers and practitioners will need to examine the types of ads that most impact the development of favorable attitudes towards DTC advertised drugs. Currently, many of the ads for DTC drugs feature consumers who are active and thriving in their day-to-day lives with little mention of the drug's connection to the alleviation of specific symptoms related to the individual's given condition. Perhaps, consumers are in need of more information regarding the drug's specific impact on the condition and their long term benefits and effects. Currently, many of the ads are ambiguous and it seems that drug manufacturers have left it to the physicians to fill in the blanks regarding the actual benefits of their respective products. However, as we move into an era of consumer empowerment, we should expect that consumers will be demanding more of the drug manufacturers and their brands. These changing demands could mean that drug manufacturers may have to take the extra steps needed to ensure that consumers make the connection between their drug and alleviation of specific medical conditions.Behavioral intentions are positively influenced by DTC advertising in that consumers are asking their physicians about DTC advertised drugs and are more likely to ask about a specific brand, however, our findings also suggest that consumers' willingness to take action is dependent on a number of variables. Consumer action after exposure to DTC ads is not only a function of the effectiveness of DTC ads, but also a function of their perceptions of their own personal competence, the value of information in the ads, and the overall quality of DTC advertisements.While some researchers and practitioners have noted that consumers might shop around until they find a doctor that is willing to issue a prescription for a specific brand, our findings suggest that this \"shopping around\" will stem more from the level of trust that consumer places in his/her doctor and the relationship that exists between the consumer and his/her physician. However, our research also suggests that the quality of the DTC ads may have some bearing on consumer's willingness to seek a DTC advertised drug from another physician. In other words, if consumers do not have a strong relationship with their primary care physicians but find the information in a DTC ad to be useful and informative, they may be more likely to seek the brand from an another physician.This reasoning highlights the way in which the physician-patient relationship has evolved with the onset of DTC advertising. Where consumers once felt entrapped in their relationships with their physicians, the acquisition of information regarding branded drugs has given consumers more power than ever before. Interestingly enough, our findings suggest that mere empowerment may not be enough to ensure consumer satisfaction with DTC advertising, nor might it be enough to facilitate consumer acceptance of and/or trust in drug manufacturers. While drug manufacturers have assumed that merely providing consumers with more information would ensure consumer trust and acceptance, researchers have found that increased choice alternatives do not necessarily lead to increased satisfaction (Wathieu et al., 2002).In order for consumers to truly be satisfied with DTC advertisements, they must become more knowledgeable about the products and their efficacy. \"Patients face a daunting task. True empowerment demands the truth ... \" (Friedwald, 2000). As it stands, there seems to be a gap between consumer awareness and the \"real\" truth about DTC advertised brands. While consumers/patients do have more information available to them because of DTC advertising, they may not necessarily be able to effectively evaluate the costs and benefits of the given options. As such, our findings highlight the need for increased focus and attention on the manner and context in which branded drugs are advertised.On the surface it seems that advertising broad-based benefit would be attractive to consumers; however, there is no guarantee that consumers are able to differentiate these benefits from those offered by competing drug manufacturers or other nutritional supplements (Wealleans, 2003). Typically DTC advertisements show \"a stream of indistinguishable communication in which execution cliches abound-walking the dog, playing with grandchildren, painting, cooking, etc.\" (Wealleans, 2003, p. 98). Our findings suggest that it may not be enough to merely mention a brand name and to show that the consumer is able to engage in an \"active\" lifestyle despite his/her medical condition.Further, as noted by practitioners, the traditional consumer goods product marketing model may not be the best option for the marketing of DTC branded drugs. Marketers must thoroughly understand the psychology of the consumer and his/her beliefs about a particular drug category before formulating an ad campaign (Schroff, 2003). While consumer goods manufacturers have relied on brand associations to build brand loyalty, drug manufacturers must create a distinct format for the successful advertisement of branded drugs. With consumer goods, it may be enough to merely get consumers to be familiar with a particular brand name; however, with branded prescription drugs there are many other factors to consider such as the patient's disease history, their physician's medical training, possible generic substitutions and the amount of co-pay that the patient may have to contribute (Shankland, 2003). As such, consumers may need to receive information about branded drugs that reaches beyond the scope of hearing the brand name repeated time and time again, and drug manufacturers must determine the best method to convey this information. Thus, drug manufacturers must address whether would be advantageous for them to modify the way in which DTC advertising is created and disseminated.At the present time, drug manufacturers have been successful in terms of getting more information to the public and opening up lines of communication with their consumers. Next, drug companies must determine what type of relationship they want to have with consumers. DTC advertising has been successful in making the consumer aware of various medical conditions and increasing the recognition of branded drugs (Alleyne, 2002; Krisanits, 2003; Smith, 1998; Wilkes et al., 2000). With the flattening out of DTC advertising spending (Shankland, 2003), it seems that DTC advertising is at a major crossroads and drug manufactures will have to make some critical decisions regarding the future of prescription drug advertising to consumers.\nFuture research: This research addressed attitude and behavioral change issues from the consumer's perspective. To have a better understanding of how DTC advertising affects the physician-patient dyad, it would be useful to evaluate what physicians feel about the efficacy of such advertising for their patients. Since DTC advertising is here to stay, it might also be useful to get the physicians' perspectives on what type of information should be incorporated into DTC advertising by the drug companies so that the consumers can use it more effectively and benefit from the information provided in the ad.Another rich avenue would be to address the impact of ethnicity and/or other individual differences on consumers' response to DTC advertising. For example, it is well known that African-Americans lag behind their Caucasian counterparts in terms of access to quality healthcare and knowledge about medical issues; evaluating the efficacy of DTC advertising for this population may be of tremendous value in assessing whether it can bridge the knowledge gap that has existed for decades. The National Medical Association, the nation's oldest and largest African-American medical association, recently released findings from a survey of 900 black physicians in which they found resounding support for DTC advertisements, particularly for African-American patients (Alleyne, 2002). These physicians noted that DTC advertisements encourage dialogue between doctors and patients and it increases the likelihood of doctor's visits, both of which have been fairly difficult issues for African-American patients. Similarly evaluating perceptual differences regarding the value and efficacy of DTC advertising among other sub-cultures (e.g. Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, etc.) might also be useful to assess whether cultural variables play a role in medical decision making, and whether DTC prescription drug advertising might be used to encourage information seeking among these sub-groups.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - To determine whether direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising influences consumers' behavioral intentions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Gathered data from 288 respondents using a pencil and paper mail survey. Respondents were asked about their knowledge and behavior regarding prescription drugs.\nFindings: - Indicated that while consumers generally have favorable perceptions of prescription drug advertising, their behavioral intentions are nevertheless influenced by a heightened awareness of specific branded drugs. Consumers feel empowered by the information provided in direct-to-consumer advertising and they are concerned about governmental attempts to regulate prescription drug advertising.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Data was collected from a relatively homogenous sample with respect to ethnicity. Future research efforts could include respondents from diverse ethnic backgrounds and could incorporate questions regarding respondents' actual behaviors with respect to branded prescription drug medications.\nPractical implications: - Useful information for researchers, public policy makers and prescription drug manufacturers. Results suggest that consumer motivation to request branded drugs may be impacted by factors related to the quality of advertisements, trust in their physician, and personal competence. Consumer interest in advertised drugs may also depend on the strength of the relationship that they have with their physician.\nOriginality/value: - This research fills an identified gap in the literature. While researchers have examined consumers' general perceptions of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, little research has been done on the link between consumer perceptions and behavioral intentions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Inter-regional innovation correlation effects and influencing factors in China
|
[
"Social network analysis",
"Influencing factors",
"Innovation correlation network",
"Quadratic assignment procedure"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The regional innovation capabilities are unbalanced because of differences in technological base, economic level and market. However, this pattern of unbalanced development does not mean that the regions do not affect one another in the process of technological innovation. On the one hand, with the rapid development of the regional integration process of science and technology, the Yangtze River Delta, Pan-Pearl River Delta, Northeast China, and other provinces and cities have signed an agreement to common build a regional innovation system. On the other hand, the Ministry of Science and Technology has actively carried out assistance work for eastern coastal areas and their central and western region counterparts to effectively enhance their scientific and technological innovation capabilities. In this context, the inter-regional flow of innovation resources is becoming increasingly frequent, and inter-regional innovation cooperation is becoming increasingly close; thus, China's inter-regional innovation correlation effect shows a trend of gradual enhancement. Therefore, what are the characteristics and evolutionary trends of China's inter-regional innovation correlation network? What are the status and roles of each province in China's inter-regional innovation correlation network? What are the influencing factors of China's inter-regional innovation correlation effect? The study of the above issues will help to fully identify the problems existing in China's regional innovation coordinated development, and will also provide policy references for the construction of China's regional innovation systems with different characteristics and the implementation of innovation-driven strategy.\n2. Literature review: More and more scholars have begun to pay close attention to inter-regional innovation correlation effects. Verspagen (1991) agreed that regional innovation shows a strong spatial spillover effect and explained this effect by using relevant knowledge of the new economic geography on the theoretical level. With the development of spatial econometric, many scholars used relevant spatial econometric models research innovation spatial correlation empirically and confirmed that spatial correlations really exist in regional innovation development. Lim (2003) used spatial autocorrelation model to study the US regional innovation spatial correlation effect through patent data and found significant spatial correlation effects among regions in the USA. Inter-regional innovation correlation effects have been examined based on data of different countries using spatial autocorrelation models in a large number of follow-up studies: European countries (Moreno et al., 2004; Lesage et al., 2007; Guastella and Oort, 2015; Kveton and Kadlec, 2018), the USA (Drivas et al., 2014; Nicolosi et al., 2018), Italy (Bertazzon, 2003), Korea (Jang et al., 2017), Spanish (Cabrer-Borras and Serrano-Domingo, 2007), France (Corsatea and Jayet, 2014) and China (Lei and Jin, 2014; Wang, 2012; Bai and Jiang, 2015; Liu and Xu, 2016; Tan et al., 2017).Meanwhile, the proximity mechanisms behind the inter-regional innovation correlation have gradually attracted the attention of scholars. Geographical proximity, organizational, institutional, social and other factors were identified as important factors to explain inter-regional innovation correlation. These factors have been examined in a large number of follow-up studies: geographical proximity (Rallet and Torre, 1999; Caniels and Verspagen, 2001; Boschma, 2005; Lesage et al., 2007; Hoekman et al., 2008; Li et al., 2010; D'Este et al., 2011; Wal and Anne, 2013; Kapetaniou and Lee, 2019), cognitive proximity (Knoben and Oerlemans, 2006; Nooteboom et al., 2007; Boschma and Iammarino, 2009; Boschma and Frenken, 2009; Davids and Frenken, 2018), organizational proximity (Broekel and Boschma, 2012), social proximity (Broekel and Boschma, 2012; Lazzeretti and Capone, 2016; Leszczynska and Khachlouf, 2018) and institutional proximity (Ejermo and Karlsson, 2006; Trippl, 2010; Plunket, 2015; Lazzeretti and Capone, 2016; Chen and Xie, 2018).From the aforementioned literature, we can see that scholars have achieved a certain level of progress in the field of inter-regional innovation correlation effects and its influencing factors, but some questions require further exploration. First, the traditional spatial econometric model is commonly used to explore inter-regional innovation correlation, but the spatial econometric model can only get the overall effect of inter-regional innovation spatial correlation, but it cannot reflect the status and role of each region in inter-regional innovation correlation network separately. Second, previous studies pay more attention to the impact of proximity on inter-regional innovation correlation, but ignore the influence of external environment, such as industrial structures, market mechanisms and political environment, on inter-regional innovation correlation. Thus, we will use social network analysis method to analyze inter-regional innovation correlation, and discuss influence of external environment on inter-regional innovation correlation using a quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) method.\n3. Data and methods: 3.1 Data sources\n4. Empirical analysis: 4.1 Overall network structure and evolution trend of China's inter-regional innovation correlation network\n5. Conclusions and discussion: 5.1 Conclusions\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to find out the characteristics and evolutionary trends of China's inter-regional innovation correlation network, the status and roles of each province in China's inter-regional innovation correlation network and the influencing factors of China's inter-regional innovation correlation effect.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Based on the patent data of 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China from 1991 to 2017, social network analysis was used to find out the characteristics and evolutionary trends of China's inter-regional innovation correlation network and the status and roles of each province in China's inter-regional innovation correlation network. Furthermore, the QAP method was used to find out the influencing factors of China's inter-regional innovation correlation effect.\nFindings: China's inter-regional innovation correlation is becoming increasingly close and inter-regional innovation correlation network is becoming increasingly stable. Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and other eastern coastal provinces are at the core in the inter-regional innovation correlation network, while the western regions are marginal actors. China's regional innovation development territory can be divided into four blocks, namely, \"bidirectional spillover block,\" \"net spillover block,\" \"main beneficial block\" and \"net beneficial block,\" and gradient transfer mechanism is obvious between the blocks. The geographical adjacency and similarity in regional industrial structure, urbanization level and government attention degree have significant positive effect on China's inter-regional innovation correlation effects.\nResearch limitations/implications: This paper only uses patent application as a measure of regional innovation level to analyze inter-regional innovation correlation effect. Meanwhile, this paper carries out an empirical study only from the provincial level and not from the city level.\nPractical implications: This paper provides the practical basis for further promoting the coordinated development of regional innovation and promoting the construction of regional innovation systems with different characteristics.\nOriginality/value: This paper contributes to understand the status and role of each province in inter-regional innovation correlation network. Meanwhile, this paper also helps to understand the influence of the proximity and external environmental factors on inter-regional innovation correlation effect.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Information security: Critical review and future directions for research
|
[
"Information management",
"Information security"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The 2010/2011 Computer Crime and Security Survey[1] found that 45.6 per cent of respondents (mainly large corporations and governmental agencies) reported that they had been subject to at least one targeted attack in the past year. The survey revealed that there is an omnipresent lack of visibility about the severity of the threats and the degree to which they are effectively mitigated. Information security (InfoSec) research is attempting to understand some of the challenges that organizations face, and to address the protection and mitigation of the threats to information assets this research can include technical, behavioral, managerial, philosophical and organizational approaches (Zafar and Clark, 2009). With the recent explosion of connectivity, the likelihood of intrusion, theft, defacement and other attacks has also increased. Although organizations sometimes focus more on vulnerability to external attacks than to internal ones, recent industry research by Ernst & Young (2002) suggests that > 75 per cent of the cost of security failures results from insider activity. A historical snapshot of the security research surveys shows that security breaches from 1997 (37 per cent of respondents reported a breach; Thompson, 1998) to 2003 (90 per cent of respondents reported a breach; Bagchi and Udo, 2003; Hinde, 2002) saw a significant upturn in the number of breaches, whereas more recently, the number of breaches has seen a decrease to 45.6 per cent (2010/2011 Computer Crime and Security Survey). We believe that now is the right time to reflect on how the existing knowledge has contributed to reducing the risks and to determine the future directions that scholars should take.\n2. Research on information security: 2.1 Review method\n3. Results: 3.1 Overview of InfoSec research\n4. Summary and discussion: Our research tried to answer the following research questions:\n5. Conclusion: Our world is experiencing an unprecedented technological revolution - changing, reshaping and redefining individuals and organizations. Despite the global economic slowdown, IS has achieved epic importance over the past few years, with spending on security expected to rise to $86 billion in 2016[6]. Consequently, now is the right time to understand how scholars approach this burning topic as well as to understand what still needs to be done. We analyzed 1,588 papers from 24 journals and conferences in terms of the research themes, theories and methods used. We identified 164 different theories used in 684 publications. The distribution of the research methods showed that the subjective-argumentative category accounted for 81 per cent, while other methods received rather little focus.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to analyze current trends in information security and suggest future directions for research.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors used literature review to analyze 1,588 papers from 23 journals and 5 conferences.\nFindings: The authors identified 164 different theories used in 684 publications. Distribution of research methods showed that the subjective-argumentative category accounted for 81 per cent, whereas other methods got very low focus. This research offers implications for future research directions on information security. They also identified existing knowledge gaps and how the existing themes are studied in academia.\nResearch limitations/implications: The literature review did not include some dedicated security journals (i.e. Cryptography).\nPractical implications: The study reveals future directions and trend that the academia should consider.\nOriginality/value: Information security is top concern for organizations, and this research analyzed how academia dealt with the topic since 1977. Also, the authors suggest future directions for research suggesting new research streams.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A case study of the critical success factors for organizational change of a public listed corporation: Hong Kong Broadband Network
|
[
"Communication",
"Organizational commitment",
"Transformational leadership",
"Motivation",
"Discipline action",
"Talent culture",
"Knowing doing gap"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In 2008, the author was promoted to be the News Controller of HKBN's Pay-TV News Department and under the coaching of William Yeung, the newly appointed CEO. From 2008 to 2013, he experienced a journey of organizational change with a \"Big Hairy Audacious Goal\" (BHAG) to be the largest next-generation network (NGN) provider in Hong Kong by 2016. To achieve this goal, top management decided to invest in building a unique talent culture as a key sustainable competitive advantage. HKBN was established by City Telecom (HK) Limited (CTI) in 1999. One year later, the company obtained the local wireless Fixed Telecommunication Network Services License and launched broadband internet services. During that period of time, the market was shared by three major competitors: PCCW Netvigator, i-CABLE Communications, and Hutchison Global Communications. CTI was defined by the market and media as \"cheap telecom international.\" It showed the branding of HKBN was not as good as the competitors.\nStatement of the problem: Based on the author's observation and experience, top management led the change successfully with talent culture in three years. Kotter (1995) suggests the eight-step organizational change model. He finds out many companies fail to lead the change because they cannot avoid the errors of transformation. Why HKBN can achieve to build talent culture in \"short\" time? How can the company manage the change with three dimensions: create the climate for change, engaging and enabling the organization, implementing and sustaining for change? What factors can influence the motivation and job performance of 2,700 talents? Some researchers state that transformational leadership will have a positive impact on employees' innovative work behavior (Afsar et al., 2014). Under the challenge of technology and changing environment, both public and private organizations are required to adopt change and promote innovation to improve products and services. Conger and Kanungo (1988) state several factors including organizational factor, supervisory style, reward system, and job design to empower employees. Some researchers argue that public sector organizations can use training and lead by example to adopt change as private organizations (Schraeder et al., 2005).\nSignificance of the study: Regarding to the issues of survival or winning on competition, researchers argue that many companies know they have to change to create competitive advantages and know the knowledge of leadership, motivation theories, change management, strategic management and human capital under the benefits of information technology. However, the performance of some companies showed that they are knowing but not doing. It seems a \"knowing-doing gap\" existing in change process. First, this paper will explain the critical success factors of organizational change with Kotter's eight-step organizational change model and 3-H (heart-head-hand) theory (Yu, 2018). Second, this paper will analyze how leaders can balance 3-H factors resulting in the unity of knowing and doing. Barney (1986) states that a firm with valuable and rare culture can obtain superior financial performance. This study can help researchers and leader-managers to further examine how 3-H factors can influence the success or failure of building \"unique\" talent culture as sustainable competitive advantage by winning the commitment from majority of staff (\"heart\" factor) with competitive strategy (\"head\" factor) and skills (\"hand\" factor) to achieve organizational goal.\nResearch problem: This paper will assess 3-H functionality in HKBN building talent culture from 2007 to 2011. Following questions will be asked and answered from the author's past experience and knowledge:\nLiterature review: Organizational culture, change and leadership\nMethodology: This paper is a case study of a local telecommunication company with 5-R (recollect-research-review-reflect-realize) research approach to examine Kotter's eight-step change model with 3-H factor. Recollecting the author's experience in HKBN from 2007 to 2011, it was a journey of building a new culture focusing on talent engagement, development and execution. The author will review the following company's actions including BHAG and vision statement, Mini-CEO management model, educational partnership, \"CXO of the future\" program, working-improvement team, and 5 percent talent upgrade plan. These actions are put into different steps of Kotter's change model to examine the presence of 3-H factors (Table I).\nReflection and realization: Having recollected and reflected the journey of building talent culture with HKBN from 2007 to 2011, the author realizes that Kotter's change model is applicable, and leader-manager can use 3-H factors to make a positive effect on the change process and create sustained competitive advantage. However, if an organization cannot create a unique talent culture, it cannot engage the right talents joining and staying in the company to bridge the \"knowing-doing\" gap. Moreover, organizational transformation with \"heart-head-hand\" factors, leaders do have commitment, knowledge, skills and discipline action to \"fit\" all competencies and resources together effectively. Therefore, a transformation leadership style is a key to making change happen. Ricky, former CEO of HKBN, started the transformation. To avoid falling into the organizational trap, he decided to appoint William to be the successor. Before joining the company as COO in 2005, he was the Director of Customers Division at SmarTone Mobile Communications Limited. Shortly after starting out as a police inspector, William realized his passion was in customer engagement and operational efficiency. His past experiences showed his discipline action influenced by personality, experiences, knowledge, and skills. It can explain why he can balance 3-H factors to bridge \"knowing-doing\" gap and help to build unique talent culture with superior economic returns.\nConclusion: A lesson to learn from the transformation of HKBN is a result of balancing 3-H factor to execute Kotter's eight-step change model. It explains the critical success factor of organizational change. This paper adds a literature of using 3-H factor with the principles of Kotter's change model. It finds that proactively communicating the company vision with employees may lead to positive and negative motivation that influences the performance of a local broadband service company. Researcher can verify and examine 3-H factors in modern workplace of other industries to find out how 3-H factors can help leaders predict talent behavior when they implement change in organizations. The implications of the case study to public sector organizations include talent development and empowerment that can have a positive impact on innovative work behavior. In Hong Kong, some public organizations find transactional leadership style may limit employees' idea generation and idea implementation. One of the critical success factors of HKBN's transformational leadership is using knowledge sharing and psychological empowerment to build employee confidence to perform innovative behavior. Another critical success factor is to build an organizational culture encouraging employees to propose new ideas and turn ideas into action. Nonetheless, public organizations may face a difficulty in balancing standard operation procedure and empowerment. Some talents may fear to take risk to be innovative that may cause job insecurity. Practitioners can further test 3-H factors in organizational change to create competitive advantage in service industry, though a company cannot easily \"copy\" the talent culture of HKBN. It is a kind of \"sportsmanship\" winning a right talent's commitment, motivating him or her to learn, take risk, take action to fight for the best results. Meister et al. (2010) state the motivation of next-generation employees are looking for different values in their workplaces. An organization with vision to treasure \"people, plant and profits\" may attract talents especially young generation to perform better.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explain how an organization can achieve successful change implementation with Kotter's eight-step organizational change model and 3-H (heart-head-hand) theory.\nDesign/methodology/approach: With the case study approach, the author recollects his career experience in Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited from 2007 to 2011 to find out why and how the top management can balance 3-H factor to bridge the \"knowing\" and \"doing\" gap to engage right talents and motivate them to achieve peak performance and company goal.\nFindings: To create talent culture, the company implemented two policies including Mini-CEO management and Talent Engagement Department. The former is a vertical management model to empower and enable department heads. The latter is a way to change the role of human resources department from passive to proactive.\nOriginality/value: The implications of this case study are to encourage public and private organizations to rethink the factors including talent development and empowerment that can have a positive impact on innovative work behavior. Moreover, organizations can rediscover the value of \"unique\" talent culture as a sustainable competitive advantage.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Creativity and innovation through LMX and personal initiative
|
[
"Australia",
"Innovation",
"Creativity",
"LMX",
"Personal initiative"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: There is an emerging general agreement that creativity and innovation are indispensable in daily tasks and assignments, if firms want to keep its competitive advantages and organizational survival in today's fast-paced changing and dynamic business environment (Herrmann and Felfe, 2013). Leaders are considered to be one of the most vital antecedents of creativity and innovation in the workplace (Jyoti and Dev, 2015; Nusair et al., 2012), which implies that they require knowing how to provide a context for the creativity and innovation of employees (Tierney, 2008).\n2. Theory and hypotheses development: 2.1 LMX and employees' creativity and innovation\n3. Methods: 3.1 Sample and procedures\n4. Results: This study employed structural equation modeling to test the developed relationships. Specifically, the bootstrapping procedure was applied for examining the significance of the theoretical associations in Figure 1. H1 predicted that LMX was positively and significantly related to employees' creativity. The fit indices are: kh2/df=2.84, CFI=0.90, TLI=0.95, IFI=0.91, and RMSEA=0.05. The finding reveals that LMX as perceived by employees has a positive and significant impact on the creativity of employees (b=0.61, p<0.001). Therefore, H1 was supported.\n5. Discussion and conclusion: Recognizing the complexity of the influence of leadership on creativity and innovation, this study investigated whether relational leadership such as LMX was linked with employees' creativity and innovation, and whether employees' personal initiative moderates the associations. The results disclosed that LMX as a construct that concentrates on interpersonal associations was positively and significantly associated with the creativity and innovation of employees. Also, and most significantly, the findings yielded support for the assumed moderating influence of personal initiative. An investigation of the interaction impact revealed that LMX was positively and significantly related with employees' creativity and innovation under high levels of personal initiative than low levels. Findings from this study might explain why the outcomes of prior studies on the LMX-creativity and innovation relationships have been mixed. Under lower personal initiative conditions, LMX is not related to employees' creativity and innovation. The results of this study highlight the significance of taking into account both leader-member association and personal initiative for enhancing the creativity and innovation of employees in organizations.\n6. Limitations and areas for further research: This study has some limitations that have to be addressed. The researcher adopted a follower-centered perspective for the evaluation of the quality of LMX association. In order to achieve a comprehensive picture of the LMX-employees' creativity and LMX-employees' innovation relationships, future studies should consider the leader-centered perspective as well.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine empirically the influence of leader-member exchange (LMX) on employees' creativity and innovation. In addition, this study investigated the moderating role of employees' personal initiative on the associations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data were gathered from 1,221 employees working in organizations across various industries in Australia.\nFindings: The findings of this study revealed positive and significant relationships between LMX and employees' creativity and innovation. Also, the findings indicated employees' personal initiative moderated the LMX-employees' creativity and LMX-employees' innovation relationships.\nPractical implications: Organizations should invest in LMX training and in the selection of leaders with this leadership style if their aim is to nurture and intensify employees' creativity and innovation. They also should invest in personal initiative training in order to amplify the effect of LMX on creativity and innovation in organization.\nOriginality/value: This study makes vital theoretical contributions in different ways. In the domain of creativity and innovation, it addresses factors that impact employees' creativity and innovation. It expands knowledge about organizational resources that nurture and enhance the creativity and innovation of employees. For LMX, this study supplements existing research by examining employees' creativity and innovation as outcomes. Also, identifying personal initiative as an amplifier of the LMX-employees' creativity and innovation relationships extends research in that domain. This study is also a rare investigation of the Australian context.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
To establish online shoppers' markets and rules for dynamic CRM systems: An empirical case study in Taiwan
|
[
"Taiwan",
"Consumer behaviour",
"Customer relationship management",
"Internet",
"Apriori algorithm",
"C5.0 decision tree",
"RFM model",
"Customer values"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The purpose of this research is to employ data mining technologies to discover customers' markets and rules of dynamic CRM systems for online retailers. The data mining technologies have been widely used on the point of sales (POS) systems. The data mining can be applied on seeking customer values, shopping association rules and shopping decision rules. The data mining's commercial objectives are to gain customers' contributions and loyalties for businesses (Berry and Linoff, 2004; Chiang, 2011b). However, the data mining also provides directions of marketing projects for businesses. Tan et al. (2006) defined the data mining as \"Data mining is a process, which can automatically discover useful information in large data repositories.\" However, the data mining technologies usually are classification, estimations, prediction, association rule or decision rule, clustering and visualization (Linoff and Berry, 2002).The research proposes a framework to discover customers' knowledge and establish useful models by the association rule algorithm, market basket analysis and decision tree algorithm. It can be applied on a marketing information system, or on a dynamic CRM system as well. Online retailers can understand their market segmentations by using survey or investigation method with variables of customer shopping benefit (Kotler and Keller, 2011). The method is not suitable for application on a dynamic CRM system, because the data are collected via questionnaires, and the data are not systematic and dynamic. Instead, online retailers can be accurate in understanding customer segmentations by employing the RFM model to estimate their markets. The RFM variables can be filtered from their CRM (linked with POS) systems. Thus, their markets can be analyzed on dynamic CRM systems via the RFM model.Besides, online stores can predict the intention of shopping products for their customers via created rules by using the apriori algorithm. Thus, the association rules can be applied to estimate their markets for customer values and intention of shopping products. The research creates classification rules by using the transactional/socioeconomic variables and RFM variables, which can let online stores understand the relationships between the transactional/socioeconomic variables and the RFM markets. Thus, the online stores can implement their marketing plans via these rules to enhance the customer values. The research steps are stated as follows: first, the study uses the apriori algorithm to process transaction records for market basket analysis. Second, the RFM model is employed to deal with the customer values and market segmentation. Finally, the C5.0 decision tree algorithm is applied for creating classification rules to establish models.However, this research adopts data mining technologies to process clustering, classification, association rules and decision rules analysis to create useful models. The procedure can create dynamic rules between relationships of product sales and customer value markets. The purpose of procedure is for enhancing the efficiency of dynamic CRM for online retailers. The discovered rules can be employed on the \"one-to-one marketing strategy\" to enhance the customer values. Hence, the study solves the problems regarding the gaps between markets and dynamic CRM via dynamic rules (Park and Kim, 2003).The RFM model can be used on clustering effectively for market segmentations, as well as finding customer values to extend the customer life cycle (Linoff and Berry, 2002). Businesses implement a variety of marketing plans to each cluster for the purpose of enhancing shopping frequencies, promoting high-profit/expense products or making customers long-term customers.Berry and Linoff (2004) and Chiang (2011b) stated that the basis of judging for customer values is to increase profits of businesses. Usually, the RFM model can identify customer values clearly, as well as segment markets. Thus, this research adopts the RFM variables to be the research variables for testing profit contributions from customers.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 RFM model and customer value\n3. Methodologies: 3.1 Research framework\n4. Empirical case study: 4.1 Background and categories of merchandise for the online shopping retailers in Taiwan\n5. Conclusions and suggestions: The purpose of this research is to establish markets and rules of online retailers for dynamic CRM systems. The results of this research showed eight RFM markets and six rules of online retailers, which can be applied to dynamic CRM system of online stores. That is to say, CRM system is a dynamic system by incorporating these RFM markets and rules, it can be implemented through e-service (Liao et al., 2011) or marketing plan to a specific market. For example, the e-services can be customer complaint/opinion responds (Chang and Tsai, 2011), instruction/driver/specification download, Q&A and so on. The found customer values, RFM markets, shopping association rules, marketing decision rules can be easily discovered via the framework. Moreover, the variables of this designed procedure are easy to obtain by online databases of transaction and customer profile systems.For the empirical case study, this research applies the RFM variables to partition the online shopping market into the eight markets. The top three of market share are H-H-L, H-H-H and H-L-L, respectively. This research applies the supervised apriori algorithm on the records of transaction with the RFM markets to create three shopping association rules. The study also employs the C5.0 decision tree to analyze the collected socioeconomic data with the RFM markets to create two marketing decision rules.Through this case study, customer values of the online shopping market in Taiwan have been shown via the RFM model analysis. Businesses can focus their marketing plans or projects on the most two market shares (H-H-L and H-L-L) to enhance customer value toward the H-H-H market.To apply the rules, online businesses can use these rules as the marketing strategies. The association rules are suitable for application on prediction of products of customer shopping. The decision rules are suitable for application on classifying of customers in accordance with their features. For example, the customers of the Rule 1 (association rule) belong to market H-H-H, they have the highest customer values, and their historical shopping products are computer hardware/software, tour plans and CD/DVD/books. These customers are predicted to buy 3C products. Thus, online shopping retailers can arrange the better layout (Manganari et al., 2011) for 3C products. The retailers can also promote 3C products to these customers according to their historical transaction records. To apply the Rule 5 (decision rule), according to their socioeconomic data, they are, male, aged between 25 and 34, and their incomes are between 851 and 1,150 US dollars. These customers belong to the market H-H-L, its monetary variable is L. Thus, online shopping retailers may implement attractive discount promotions for them to enhance their customer values toward the H-H-H market.The concept of system dynamics (Forrester, 1968) can be applied on dynamic CRM systems for online or real-world retailers. The concept of this research acts like an important role in retailer's marketing and sales (Figure 3). As Figure 3 shows, this research analyses the customers and establishes the target markets and rules for marketing plans. To apply this procedure on databases of internet shopping retailers, there are more applicable association rules and marketing decision rules that can be obtained, and which can be employed on customer relationship management to attract new/existing customers to purchase on their web sites.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to establish customers' markets and rules of dynamic customer relationship management (CRM) systems for online retailers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This research proposes a procedure to discover customers' markets and rules, which adopts the recency, frequency, monetary value (RFM) variables, transaction records, and socioeconomic data of the online shoppers to be the research variables. The research methods aim at the supervised apriori algorithm, C5.0 decision tree algorithm, and RFM model.\nFindings: - This research discovered eight RFM markets and six rules of online retailers.\nPractical implications: - The proposed framework and research results can help retailer managers to retain and expand high value markets via their dynamic CRM and POS systems.\nOriginality/value: - This research uses data mining technologies to extract high value markets and rules for marketing plans. The research variables are easy to obtain via retailers' systems. The found customer values, RFM markets, shopping association rules, and marketing decision rules can be discovered via the framework of this research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Scholarly communication and co-operation between Korea and Japan: document supply trends and services between KERIS and NII
|
[
"Document delivery",
"Japan",
"South Korea"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In today's interdisciplinary environment, in which the distinction between scholarly disciplines is often obscured, more active scholarly communication channels are needed. This need has resulted in variable levels of cooperation between different cultural environments and nations, especially with regard to document supply network technology. This paper reviews and presents details of the characteristics, main features and developmental stages of document supply services between Korea and Japan, as an example of effective cooperation networks.As recognition has increased that for an organization to realize its potential capacity it must integrate the library into its knowledge management strategy and build positive relationships with the library/information center (Cohen, 2006), document supply has come to be regarded as one of the most important and efficient services. For example, university students and faculty who are trying to conveniently find high-quality scholarly information discover that international document supply provides a service that the internet cannot (Abram, 2005).Although the representative nations chosen for this study, Japan and Korea, are both located in Northeast Asia, discussions on building cooperative basic information infrastructures and creating or adapting policies to provide practical document supply services between their university libraries only began in 2002. Actual services began in late 2004.\n2. Development process: background (2002): The NII in Japan (see www.nii.or.jp) and KERIS in Korea (see www.keris.or.kr) are two similar national institutions responsible for the circulation and dissemination of scholarly information. Discussions on document supply between KERIS and NII began in May 2002, when staff members of KERIS visited NII and both parties exchanged their union catalogues and information about their document supply systems. Document supply service trends, which were operating between NII and OCLC in the USA and between NII and BLDSC in England, were also discussed.In December 2002, discussions about establishing document supply services between NII and KERIS continued when NII staff made a reciprocal visit to KERIS. At that time, KERIS suggested three ways to connect services between the two nations that involved different data request and retrieval methods:1. The complete agent-dependent method[1], in which agents take charge of data retrieval on behalf of end-users and request document supply services manually from the websites of partner institutions.2. The partial agent-dependent method, in which end-users or librarians request items directly using Z39.50 protocols in local systems, after which agents check the requests and request items using partners (document supply client systems).3. The system-connection method, in which end-users or librarians process requests and retrievals directly using Z39.50 protocols and international protocols (ISO 10160/10161) without the help of agents. This way is convenient and can obtain answers promptly, but building the systems is costly and time-consuming.The December meeting also discussed fee structures, a list of universities that could possibly participate in these services, delivery methods, postal fees, and error handling. After post-meeting e-mail correspondence, the two institutions decided to try the partial agent-dependent method for a while, review and evaluate its results, and then try the system-connection method.\n3. Development process: agent-dependent method (2003-2005): Beginning in 2004, both institutions developed document supply retrieval and request interfaces using Z39.50 and fine-tuned details of their mutual agreements such as service scope, payment policies and payment methods.Details of the main agreements related to technologies and policies are as follows.3.1 Agreements on technologies\n4. Development process: development of the system direct connection method (2006-2007): 4.1 Improvement of business process and function enhancements\n5. Service processes and usage status: 5.1 Service processes of agent methods\n6. Conclusion and future prospects: Because of their geographical proximity and long history of cultural exchange, scholars in Korea and Japan maintain close relationships with each other. However, much of the scholarly information has been exchanged individually and informally with the help of librarians. This practice has entailed much time and expense in retrieving (search) data and holdings information, processing requests, and complying with institutional policies on document supply. Moreover, the success of the document supply services depended largely on the librarians' personal skill and experience levels, as well as their status within their institutions.In this context, the document supply service through KERIS-NII has been very important as the first experiment in formal university library cooperation networks that aim to provide document supply services between two representative nations in Northeast Asia.The value and important milestones of this service can be summarized in three ways:1. The two nations approached the development planning by stages. They did not immediately adopt the direct system connection method but rather commenced with agent intermediation and then gradually replaced it with direct system connection. This progression was a result of the different development stages between the two nations. In Japan (NII), the system direct method was already established and the document supply service was provided with OCLC. On the other hand, in Korea (KERIS), a new system direct method had to be developed. Considering the time and costs involved in developing a new system, it was necessary to find a way to meet the service demands from Japan. Therefore, the agent manual connection method was used for request quantities and practical problems.2. Both KERIS and NII developed essential technological functions based on international standards for providing search and document supply services. The two institutions still needed to discuss the details of providing practical services. Therefore, both institutions exchanged profile documents, carried out an operations test, and modified their systems based on the results.3. Under the premise of international cooperation, the two institutions continue to maintain close communication. This has taken much more time than was initially expected because of unexpected situations such as organizational changes, staff turnover, and the involvement of various teams, as well communications difficulties. In spite of such difficulties, however, the two institutions have overcome these barriers by continuous cooperation and communication.To develop the KERIS-NII document supply services, continuous monitoring and cooperation are necessary. Moreover, continuous improvement of the business process and expansion of the participants are also necessary.Currently, only photocopied document supply services are provided. However, the two institutions are planning to exchange original materials in the near future.With continued cooperation between the two nations of Japan and Korea, rapid development of technology, and positive feedback from users, the future progress of joint service is assured.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper sets out to investigate current trends and services of document supply between KERIS (Korea Education & Research Information Service) in South Korea and NII (The National Institute of Informatics) in Japan.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Data during 2004 to 2007 were collected comprehensively from reports related to the KERIS-NII document supply services, including interview results with practitioners in charge of these services. The data collected were analyzed and interpreted.\nFindings: - The management system of KERIS-NII document supply was mediated (agent-dependent) in 2004, but is now unmediated (direct) document supply due to system enhancements that began in April 2007. After the change to the direct system, the numbers of requests have increased and the time from request to provision has decreased. Therefore, the direct system has brought about more efficient cooperation and user services.\nOriginality/value: - The KERIS-NII document supply service is important, being the first official cooperation network between university libraries in two Northeast Asian nations, South Korea and Japan.\n",
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] |
Creating value from intellectual assets
|
[
"Intellectual capital",
"Intangible assets",
"Corporate communications",
"Innovation",
"Competitive strategy"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The expansion of the services sector, stronger competition resulting from globalisation and deregulation, and the emergence of new information technologies have accelerated the shift toward a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy. In OECD economies, this shift had led to a structural change, from traditional scale-based manufacturing, which mainly relies on tangible assets, to new innovation-oriented activities, which rely largely on human capital and knowledge. At the same time, the increasing weight of emerging countries in manufacturing operations has obliged OECD economies to rely more on their comparative advantage, which lies mainly in the production and use of human capital and knowledge. Innovation - the development and deployment of new products, processes and business models - is a central element of a transformation that has altered the relative importance of different factors in business performance and economic growth (OECD, 2000, 2001).\nIntellectual assets play a substantial and growing role in sustaining economic growth: The growing importance of intellectual assets...\nGood management is indispensable for earning economic returns from intellectual assets: The ability to create economic value from intellectual assets is highly contingent on the management capabilities of individual firms and the implementation of appropriate business strategies. Leading firms have increased the efficiency of their R&D processes by linking internal R&D activities more closely to their business strategy and relying on external sources to gain access to complementary knowledge and round out technology portfolios (OECD, 2002). The likelihood of success also appears to increase when management ensures that, before R&D projects are initiated, there is clear customer demand for the new products or services and a profitable way to bring them to market (Jaruzelski et al., 2005). In the area of intellectual property, a number of firms have achieved considerable revenue growth through the adoption and active implementation of intellectual asset management procedures. These aim to realise value from patented inventions through licensing and sale, to transfer low-value patents to venture capital enterprises and to link patents better with innovation through incorporation into improved products and services (Kamiyama et al., 2006). Such techniques are particularly important in competitive industries where innovative products become commodities rapidly through follow-on innovation and imitation.At the microeconomic level, work on the impact of R&D, patents, human capital and software shows not only that the average returns to investments in intellectual assets can be large, but also that the value of many intellectual assets is highly skewed. A small number of patents, for example, account for most of the value of firms' patent portfolios (Harhoff et al., 1999). Many R&D projects do not result in a successful new product or service, but the returns from successful projects can more than compensate. The role of management is to direct investment to areas of higher expected returns and develop processes that ensure that those returns are realised. There is now significant empirical work to support the view that effective use of intellectual assets and technologies depends on the quality of management. One study shows that management practices, including management of human capital and technology, setting targets and reporting on performance, vary widely both within and between countries and within industries (Bloom and Van Reenen, 2005). In general, there are many poorly managed firms; well-managed firms excel in productivity, profitability and sales growth.The ability of companies to manage risks also appears more important. This requires systems of internal control - and not only just financial controls. Information about intellectual assets such as patent portfolios, key technologies and brands is crucial for management and for the boards that monitor companies. In spite of increasing obligations for companies to examine their internal systems (e.g. UK, France), there appears to be a great difference between actual and good practice - what is not counted or reported is often not managed. For example, one study found that:... while the overwhelming majority of board members and senior executives said they need incisive information on their companies' key non-financial drivers of success, they often find such data lacking; when non-financial information is available, it is of mediocre or poor value (Deloitte and EIU, 2004).Difficulties arise from the interrelated nature of intellectual assets: knowing more precisely which combination of intellectual assets favours innovation and value creation contributes to improved allocation of scarce resource and strategy formulation, and hence increases a company's competitiveness and growth. Increasing the efficiency of resource allocation is a major challenge as research has shown that, for example, an increase in R&D expenditures is not necessarily linked with more and successful innovation. By managing and reporting their intellectual assets, the experience seems to be that managers obtain new insights into the value and performance of the organisation's knowledge intensive resources.\nFinancial markets and corporate governance depend on disclosure, internal control and risk management of intellectual assets: Given the limited scope for recognizing intellectual assets in the financial accounts, investors can no longer rely on financial statements to have a comprehensive view about a company. Although accounting standards can probably be developed to take account of a wider range of intangibles, it is difficult to establish and verify monetary values (valuation) for such assets, which are often risky and have high rates of depreciation. Despite a long controversy, accounting standards and the associated financial accounts appear to be inherently unsuitable for recognising intellectual assets (Bismuth, 2006). Investors are faced with new problems of evaluation and therefore in the way they make their investment decisions. In practice, capital markets price into company valuations and cost of capital the total asset base of the company (including intellectual assets) and its plans to realise value. Nevertheless, capital market efficiency depends in part on disclosure. Broader dissemination of information could serve to improve market efficiency and provide stronger incentives for management to adopt best practices with respect to intellectual assets and value creation.Additional public disclosure would enhance capital market efficiency\nPolicy challenges: Although creating innovations and value through the efficient use of intellectual assets is primarily the role of company management and their boards, public policy is nevertheless important. As stressed by the OECD Growth Project, \"something new is taking place in the structure of OECD economies...and this transformation might account for the high growth recorded in several OECD countries. Policies that engage ICT, human capital, innovation and entrepreneurship in the growth process, alongside fundamental policies to control inflation and instil competition while controlling public finances are likely to bear the most fruit over the longer term.\" This paper has identified four policy challenges to better understand the role of intellectual assets in creating value and to enhance them.\nGauging the impact of intellectual assets as sources of economic growth: Assessing the impact of intellectual assets on the creation of value is inexact due to measurement difficulties and conceptual limitations. Nevertheless a number of researchers have undertaken analyses that explore different variants of the impact of intellectual assets or intangibles on economic performance both at the country and firm level. The conclusion from this body of research is that investments in intellectual assets are large and growing and they positively affect growth and economy-wide performance. At the firm-level impacts tend to largely depend on the type of intellectual asset, the ability of management to create value and retain control, as well as on market conditions. Research on gauging the impacts of intellectual assets on economic performance at the country and firm level needs to be more fully developed, especially on the value of different intellectual assets and interactions among them, as well as on how synergies between various assets can be better exploited to support innovation.Public policy making would benefit from a better recognition of the impact of investing in intellectual assets to generate economic growth. Better information on intellectual assets in the national accounts (e.g. experimenting with satellite accounts for specific assets) would facilitate the implementation of public policies with instruments being better aligned with intended objectives. Not having sound evidence on the size and contribution of intellectual assets to growth limits our understanding of the drivers of long-term economic growth.With the latest revision of the system of national accounts (93 SNA), the published measures of GDP have been expanded to add expenditure in software as investments as fixed capital formation, leading to an increase in measured GDP. Likewise, in 2005 it was recommended that R&D output that meets the standard definitions of an asset should be included in the asset boundary (a major change since R&D is treated as consumption expenditure in the 93 SNA). The United Nation Statistical Committee (UNSC) has recently agreed to this recommendation, hence work has begun at the OECD to draft guidelines for the capitalisation of R&D in the next SNA revision, scheduled to enter into force in 2012.While these changes represent an improvement in the system of national accounts, making it better suited to tracking knowledge-based economies, an issues still remain on whether and when other investments in intellectual assets should be included. R&D expenditures are in fact only part of the total amount spent by businesses on intellectual assets to improve their technological capabilities and bring innovations to market (Baldwin et al., 2004). Before fully incorporating various intangible investment into SNA, it might be worth considering as a next step for national statistical offices to create an intellectual assets satellite account.\nEnsuring diffusion of knowledge while retaining intellectual assets: As intellectual assets contribute a larger share of economic value, policy makers will be confronted with a growing need to balance the benefits of gaining control over them against the benefits of mobility and open access. As the nature of innovation becomes more collaborative, within and across firms, and as the pace of innovation accelerates, policies need to strike a proper balance between private and public goals. In particular, policy makers need to ensure that firms have the legal tools to protect and control the use of their intellectual assets while at the same time promoting the more open mobility of human resources and the diffusion of knowledge. Policies should ensure that economies are receptive to ideas from abroad by encouraging inward and outward foreign direct investment, the international mobility of human resources, and the openness of innovation processes to foreign contributions. There is need for further exploring the trade-offs between open and controlled access to intellectual assets and their effects on business innovation and economic performance, especially in an environment that is quickly changing because of technical developments, i.e. internet.While such control contributes to the ability of firms to realise value from their investments in intellectual assets - and may encourage them to invest more in them - it can also entail costs to society. Worker mobility and the diffusion of knowledge are essential to fostering follow-on innovation, spreading good practices and otherwise boosting productivity and growth. They influence as well the economic incentives and financial means of individuals to invest in education and training. As intellectual assets contribute a larger share of economic value, policy makers will be confronted with a growing need to balance the benefits of control against the benefits of access.The protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) presents a particular challenge. In addition to providing market exclusivity, patents also serve as a mechanism to diffuse technical information of inventions between firms via licensing agreements and to the public more generally thanks to the requirement to disclose inventions in patent applications. It is, however, an open question whether patent systems, with current requirements for granting patents, optimise the value that can be made from inventions, for inventors and for society, notably in emerging technology areas. The issue is how to strike the appropriate balance between incentives to innovate and provide access to new knowledge in view of changing environment for innovation.Related to the central role of human capital in the changing value creation process inside enterprises, another policy issue concerns the competition between firms, on the one hand, and individuals and society over claims on the returns to human capital, and the means for exercising those claims. Though this is less important where mobility is low, firms increasingly rely on mechanisms such as confidentiality agreements and \"non-compete clauses\" (employment contract provisions that prohibit individuals from taking up employment with a competing firm during a specified period of time) to restrict the ability of an individuals who acquire knowledge and know-how in one firm to apply them in another firm. This issue raises legal questions of enforceability (so far tested with mixed results in the USA) as well as broader questions of fairness and efficiency.\nPolicies to improve disclosure standards and practices for listed companies: Although the ability to create value by innovation through the efficient use of intellectual assets is primarily a function for company management and their boards, public policy nevertheless has an important role to play. Public policy objectives with respect to innovation can also be achieved by supporting the development of reporting standards covering intellectual assets controlled by companies, how they are managed including risk management systems, and what strategies are in place to create value.Providing the market with sufficient and appropriate information about intellectual assets improves decision-making by investors and helps discipline management and boards with positive economic consequences. Ensuring that the non-financial information is consistent, comparable over time and across companies, material and reliable would allow investors to better assess future earnings and the risks associated with different investment opportunities, thus reducing information asymmetry, reducing biased or unfounded earnings estimates, unrealistic valuations and unjustified share price volatility. This in turn increases market liquidity. There is evidence that improved information about intellectual assets and company strategy improves the ability of firms to secure funding at a lower cost of capital.Given the widely different intellectual assets held by firms in different industries, and the comparatively early stage of reporting taxonomies, it is important that the approach to disclosure remain principles-based and for the moment, voluntary. Producing long lists of indicators to be reported by companies needs to be avoided in favour of a principles-based approach that also emphasises context. Mandatory lists have the disadvantage of creating box-ticking approach leading to an increase in costs.Market competition already encourages companies to improve their reporting and managerial practices on intellectual assets. However, best practices have not been widely disseminated across companies and jurisdictions. Governments need to encourage the diffusion of best practices, already pioneered by advanced firms. To encourage more companies to improve their disclosure practices as well as their internal management systems requires that knowledge about the potential benefits be more widely disseminated. Analysis could include the trade-off between voluntary and mandatory reporting, principles-based and prescriptive rules-based approaches, and how improved reporting contributes to improving internal control, risk management and innovation. Such work would also underpin any future initiatives by standard setting bodies such as the IASB, FASB and IOSCO which might be concerned with specific issues.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the key policy challenges for OECD countries both at macro and micro level to develop and use their intellectual assets in order to obtain economic returns.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper takes the approach of econometrics studies to gauge the impact of intellectual assets on national accounts and a stocktake of all existing initiatives, frameworks and guidelines relating to extra-financial corporate reporting on intellectual assets.\nFindings: - The paper provides macro data on the contribution of investments in intellectual assets to productivity and economic growth in OECD countries and presents the challenges in terms of corporate reporting and corporate governance that result from the increasing importance of intellectual assets for growth and competitiveness. It then provides a stock-take of existing guidelines and frameworks in OECD countries that encourage companies to report on their intellectual assets and their strategies to create value.\nPractical implications: - The paper provides policy recommendations to better understand the role of intellectual assets, improve their contribution to economic growth, and to enhance information on intellectual assets and the diffusion of good practices.\nOriginality/value: - The value of the paper is that it contributes to mitigating the difficulties to assess the contribution of intellectual assets on national accounts that is crucial to obtain an accurate picture of economic growth, downturns and investments. It also contributes to the debate on how to overcome the limits of accounting standards to recognize intellectual assets so as to improve companies' valuation and lower their cost of capital.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Investigating active travel to primary school in Ireland
|
[
"Ireland",
"Travel",
"Health",
"Schools",
"Youth"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Studies in Australia, Canada, the USA and Europe have identified that children's active travel to school can increase daily levels of physical activity (Cooper et al., 2005; Schofield et al., 2005; Saksvig et al., 2007; Davison et al., 2008; McDonald, 2008; van Sluijs et al., 2009; Faulkner et al., 2009; Panter et al., 2010; Leslie et al., 2010; O'Loghlen et al., 2011) and may help children meet daily physical activity recommendations. Previously it has been argued that increasing levels of physical activity can positively contribute to children's physical health (Cooper et al., 2003; Biddle et al., 2004), and mental health and social development (Biddle et al., 1998; Scottish Executive Central Research Unit, 2002; National Heart Alliance, 2010).\nMethods: A cross-sectional design coupling qualitative/participative and quantitative research was employed. The study was carried out over the month of May 2009 using a convenience quota sample. Four schools were identified from a Department of Education list of schools in the West of Ireland based on differences in location and socio-economic status. This resulted in the selection of schools with the following characteristics: one urban non-disadvantaged, one urban disadvantaged, one rural non-disadvantaged and one rural disadvantaged. Disadvantaged schools in Ireland are schools that receive support to tackle educational disadvantage under the School Support Programme, a core element of Delivering Equity of Opportunity in Schools (Department of Education and Science, 2005). Four schools meeting the sampling criteria were invited to participate in the research and all four agreed to do so, they were two mixed schools, one all-boys and one all-girls school. In each school all children from sixth class only were invited to participate in the research, with an age range of 11-13 years. Active consent to participate was obtained from all schools, parents of the children who took part, and the children. Consent was obtained from 73 parents out of a total of 95. Each workshop began with administering the questionnaires and was followed directly by the participative research. Both the participative/qualitative and the quantitative methodologies were carried out in a single session for practical reasons and as requested by participating schools.\nResults: The sample comprised of 73 children, 39.7 per cent (n=29) boys and 60.3 per cent (n=44) girls; 41.1 per cent (n=30) were children from urban schools and 58.9 per cent (n=43) children from rural schools with 41.1 per cent (n=30) from disadvantaged schools and 58.9 per cent (n=43) from non-disadvantaged schools. The age range was from 11 to 13 years, with 79.5 per cent of the children aged 12 years old.\nDiscussion: Increasing active travel to school has the potential to contribute to daily physical activity levels and enable children to gain the health enhancing benefits. This study provides insight into the context of, and promoters and barriers to, active travel to primary schools in the West of Ireland. This study holds potential value in addressing the continued decline in active travel to school in Ireland as it shares a new perspective on the issue, the perspective of the children. Based on the promoters and barriers, required actions were identified and the actors that need to be involved were named by the school children themselves. This is the first study, on this topic, to enable children to participate actively in the research process in this way, to develop the data from their own thoughts and experiences in the participative part of the study and to prioritise and identify solutions to address these priorities.\nConclusions: This paper examined active travel to school in the West of Ireland and makes many additions to the knowledge available to date on the topic. It was an objective of this study to enable children to voice their opinions in relation to this issue and this has been achieved. Children highlighted many concerns that need to be addressed to increase the rates of active travel to school. Many barriers and promoters were identified, so too were actions to address each of these and actors required to be involved in the process. The logical and comprehensive identification of these by the children was impressive and this information has the potential to contribute to health promotion practice in improving active travel to school initiatives in Ireland. Involving children in the research process was a success in this study highlighting how valuable and knowledgeable they are on matters that affect their lives. This emphasises the potential of involving children in other research projects to improve the relevance of the data. To make progress it is essential that children are involved in developing an active travel to school plan in a collaborative way. This collaboration must have representation from all the identified actors to work towards addressing the issues, thus improving planning at a societal level working towards increasing active travel to school in Ireland, and by implication in other contexts.\nLimitations: While the study provides important information on promoters and barriers to active travel, it also has limitations. The research was carried out with just four schools. The questionnaire was self-administered immediately prior to the participative research so this may have influenced the data included in the web diagrams; specifically the questionnaire may have prompted some of the barriers or promoters of active travel to school that were identified by the children. Although there was potential for this the results of the participative research yielded many more barriers and promoters than were referred to in the questionnaire and enabled the children to identify their own priorities. Limitations of participative research include peer and adult influences and quieter children not being heard in group settings; however these were minimised by setting ground rules at the beginning of each session, and keeping the sub-groups small in size. The study design was cross-sectional, providing only a \"snap-shot\" of the current situation. However, these specific findings are informative and could be useful in guiding future research and in informing health promotion programmes.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Active travel to school, by walking or cycling, can positively influence children's health and increase physical activity. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the context and promoters and barriers of active travel, and the required actions and actors that need to be involved to address each of these.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Both quantitative and participative research methodologies were employed. The sample consisted of 73 children aged between 11 and 13 years from four primary schools in the West of Ireland. A self-completion questionnaire was followed by a participative protocol conducted with the class groups.\nFindings: Overall 30.1 per cent of children reported that they actively travelled to school. A greater proportion of children from urban and disadvantaged schools actively travelled. Proximity to the school was the most frequently reported promoter and barrier. The children identified many actors that need to be involved to eliminate the barriers and enact the promoters of active travel to school. They also highlighted the need for a multi-sectorial approach to improve active travel rates in Ireland.\nOriginality/value: This study holds potential value in addressing the continued decline in active travel to school in Ireland as it shares a new perspective on the issue; that of the children. Adopting a participative approach allowed the children to participate in groups and develop the data themselves. The children confirmed that they have a relevant and valuable understanding of the process necessary to address active travel to school as a public health issue in Ireland.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Millennials: America's cash cow is not necessarily a herd
|
[
"Millennials",
"Professional millennials",
"Travel benefits",
"Travel motivations",
"Young and free millennials",
"Advertising mediums"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Due to an increasingly competitive travel environment, today's tourists expect and demand diversity in both the settings and activities perceived to be inherent to a destination (Chung et al., 2015). Recognizing that destinations cannot be \"everything to everyone,\" it is imperative for destination marketers to focus on specific markets. Thus, it is imperative for destinations to develop effective segmentation strategies.\nLiterature review: In addition to segmenting travelers via demographic factors, like age and income, tourism marketing researchers have also examined differences in travelers based on their motivations (Beh and Bruyere, 2007; Lu et al., 2015). Mayo and Jarvis (1981) explained that motivations are the driving force behind travelers' decision-making processes. For this reason, motivations have been suggested to be one of the most important variables for destinations/attractions to study (Crompton, 1979) and have led to a plethora of research in this area (i.e. Cha et al., 1995; Chen et al., 2014, Crompton, 1979; Dann, 1981; Iso-Ahola, 1982).\nMethods: The current study was part of a larger project that was conducted to gain understanding of the travel behaviors of millennial travelers. Central to this study were objectives related to understanding the motivations, benefits, and marketing mediums used, related to millennial travel. In order to gain an initial understanding of the motivations, benefits, and mediums used, focus groups with 20 students from each of the following four universities in the USA were conducted: Texas A&M University, the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, the University of Illinois, and California State University in Chico. These four universities were chosen as they represent vastly different geographic regions of the USA. The selection process was an attempt to further control any bias related to one geographic area. The resultant data were coded and put into themes by two of the researchers.\nResults: Classification of travel motivations\nDiscussion and implications: Travel destination marketers are motivated to attract and retain millennials as they represent a large portion of the world's population and wealth (Fromm and Garton, 2013). In addition, research suggests that millennials have tremendous influence among non-millennials with regards to consumer purchases (Santos et al., 2016) and are highly motivated to travel (Kim et al., 2015). Previous studies examining millennials have focused on their presumably shared characteristics: millennials are young and carefree, expect instant gratification, seek out unique experiences, etc. However, in order to better examine the motivations and perceived benefits of travel among millennials (as well as the utility of travel mediums); this research was designed to explore the potential differences among millennials with respect to age and income.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the travel motivations, perceived benefits of travel, and the utility of travel mediums among US millennials.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In order to further examine the homogeneity of millennial travelers, millennials were put into two subgroups based on their age and annual income. Data were collected in multiple phases, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches.\nFindings: Results revealed that several significant differences exist between the proposed millennial subgroups, labeled \"young and free millennials\" and \"professional millennials.\"\nResearch limitations/implications: Implications from this study include direction for both tourism marketers and destination suppliers based on the differences and perceptions of both groups and suggest millennials are not a homogeneous market.\nOriginality/value: Millennials are far from being part of a homogenous cohort. Therefore, the current study sought to examine differences in the benefits received from travel and the primary reasons to travel among distinct millennial segments.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The effects of the salesperson's characteristics on buyer-seller relationships
|
[
"Buyer-seller relationships",
"Salesforce"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Governing Buyer-seller relationships is critical for firms in business exchanges (Dwyer et al., 1987; Ganesan, 1994; Palmatier et al., 2007). Over the past three decades, research studies on Buyer-seller relationships have been abundant and fruitful. However, two issues can be readily observed in this area. First, the Buyer-seller interface has become more complex today, with customers increasingly demanding integrated cross-functional solutions to business problems (Tuli et al., 2007). Although researchers have recognized the role of the salesperson as a boundary spanner in the Buyer-seller interface (Parasuraman et al., 1985; Ferguson et al., 2005), most of the studies focus on the social aspects between boundary spanners, such as social ties and interpersonal trust (Bettencourt et al., 2005; Kaufman et al., 2006; Lee and Dawes, 2005). The salesperson's characteristics and their role in inducing value in a Buyer-seller relationship are relatively less understood. Over years, the salesperson in many industries has evolved from an order taker to a customer relationship manager or relationship promoter (Steward et al., 2009; Ledingham et al., 2006; Walter, 1999). Indeed, the salesperson can significantly influence the buyer's assessment of the exchange performance in terms of service quality, satisfaction and advocacy behavior (Parasuraman et al., 1985). However, the mechanism through which the salesperson creates specific value to the buyer in a Buyer-seller relationship remains largely unknown (Haytko, 2004; Nicholson et al., 2001; Osborn and Hagedoorn, 1997).\n2. Theoretical framework and hypotheses development: Boundary spanners are personnel representing their respective firm contractually to achieve specific goals in interfirm exchanges (Bettencourt et al., 2005; Haytko, 2004). Firms often evaluate their exchange partners through an evaluation of the boundary spanner. As such, boundary spanners' characteristics and competence may influence the exchange partner's evaluation of the exchange. In a Buyer-seller relationship, the salesperson assumes the role of boundary spanners, representing the seller and interacting with the buyer. The bundle of skills, capabilities and knowledge about the products and the buyer that the salesperson acquired over time can constitute a value to the buyer, particularly when they are tailored specifically to the buyer (Rindfleisch and Heide, 1997). Further, the role of boundary spanners has shifted from the reactive order facilitator to proactive relationship management, including responsibilities such as building support for partner-specific adaptation, developing structural and social bonds, cultivating cooperative norms, shaping demands of customers and coordinating tasks with others in both the buyer and the seller firms (Walter, 1999).\n3. Method: 3.1 Survey development\n4. Results: We used structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses. The proposed model fits the data well. Table III shows the estimation results. The overall chi-square value for the model is 208.691 (p = 0.00, df = 132, kh2/df = 1.581; CFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.061, and NNFI = 0.92). Although the chi-square is significant, all other parameter estimates have appropriate signs and are significant (p\n5. Discussion: 5.1 Theoretical implications\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to examine the influence of the salesperson's characteristics (organizational commitment [OC] and disposition to innovate) on buyer's behaviors in buyer - supplier relationships. A model is proposed depicting the effects of the salesperson's OC and disposition to innovate on buyer's long-term orientation and opportunism through partner-specific value to the buyer.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 155 sales professionals of Japanese manufacturers. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.\nFindings: As predicted, the salesperson's OC and disposition to innovate enhance buyer's long-term orientation through providing partner-specific value to the buyer, and in turn, buyer's long-term orientation mitigates opportunism.\nPractical implications: The salesperson plays an important role for developing and maintaining Buyer-seller relationships. Based on authors' results, firms should promote salespeople's OC because a highly committed salesperson is likely to be more innovative when managing the relationship with the buyer and, in turn, increase the relationship-specific value to the buyer.\nOriginality/value: This study makes two contributions to Buyer-seller relationship literature. First, previous studies on the salesperson focus on the social aspects in the relationship. This study, however, examines the salesperson characteristics in the exchange, and the results reveal the importance of including the salesperson characteristics in studying Buyer-seller relationships. Second, this study proposes the salesperson's partner-specific value as a key boundary-spanning aspect mediating the salesperson characteristics and buyer's behaviors in Buyer-seller relationships. The results confirm the argument, thus providing impetus for further studying different types and dimensions of transaction-specific assets in Buyer-seller relationships.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Critical incidents of student satisfaction at German universities
|
[
"Germany",
"Satisfaction",
"Students",
"University",
"Critical Incident Technique"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Approximately 2.4 million German students - 70 percent of those eligible in a given birth cohort (Obermeit, 2012) - are enrolled in higher education institutions (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2013b). Over the years to come, several external developments may result in competition for university students. First, Germany has dropped in comparison to other OECD countries in training skilled personnel, yet German educational policymakers have advanced the goal to increase the number of university graduates (Schiefele and Jacob-Ebbinghaus, 2006). Second, German institutions must find ways to attract and integrate the growing diversity (Heterogenitat) of students from both migration and refugee backgrounds (Wolter, 2015). Next, completion rates are a significant problem in Germany, as 20-30 percent of university students discontinue their program of study before matriculation (Heublein and Wolter, 2011; Heublein et al., 2008). This dropout rate places Germany in the middle of 21 OECD countries and translates as a disastrous loss of nearly EUR2 billion in taxpayer expenses per year (Georg, 2009). Contrary to other countries that fund higher education through student tuition, Germany's universities are virtually tuition-free, and are primarily funded by state governments. Finally, how can rural or suburban areas, or areas in which the numbers of inhabitants decline, continue to attract university students to support local economic or social development (Nexus, 2006). Given the high mobility among countries within the European Union is high, will future German university students become shrewd customers who pick the institution and environment they like best?\nStudent satisfaction: Defined broadly, student satisfaction is students' perception of their educational experience. Student satisfaction research, as an extension of customer service and marketing scholarship, largely has focused on service quality, which broadly involves interaction, environment quality, and outcome of the educational experience (Clemes et al., 2008). Globally, scholars of several disciplines have asserted that university student satisfaction affects a host of positive outcomes, including student learning (Crosling et al., 2009; Jones, 2008; Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005), loyalty and commitment to the institution (Vianden and Barlow, 2014, 2015; Elliott and Shin, 2002; Helgesen and Nesset, 2007; Hennig-Thurau et al., 2001), persistence and retention (Bean, 2005; Bruning, 2002; Douglas et al., 2006), and favorable perceptions of teaching and classroom encounters with professors (Crosling et al., 2009; Davis and Swanson, 2001; Douglas et al., 2006; Gruber et al., 2010; Khandelwal, 2009; Pritchard, 2005; Voss, 2009; Voss et al., 2010).\nMethods: A social-constructivist methodology grounds the present study, focusing on the perspectives and lived experiences of the participants under study (Creswell, 2009). The authors used the CIT as data collection and analysis method. The CIT was appropriate as it relies on the participants to tell stories about the incidents, encounters, or events most critical, memorable, or important to them (Gremler, 2004; Vianden, 2012). Research conducted on student satisfaction has seldom explored the student voice, which \"provides a richer view of the positive and negative weighting and direction of the level of satisfaction\" (Zaitseva et al., 2013, p. 242). The following research question guided this study:\nFindings: critical incidents of satisfaction and dissatisfaction: Three distinct themes of the participants' undergraduate student experiences emerged from the interviews: experiences with faculty, experiences in the course of study, and experiences with administrative and student services. Table II provides a detailed classification of all satisfying and dissatisfying incidents in the three primary categories, as well as more specific subcategories. We present participant quotes to evidence both positive and negative experiences of the participants and to provide an overview of the institutional characteristics that bring about satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The participants identified a total of 71 critical incidents, comprised of 39 satisfactory and 32 unsatisfactory experiences. Participants shared between three and seven distinct events and all except one participant reported more satisfactory than unsatisfactory incidents.\nDiscussion and implications: ensuring student satisfaction: The purpose of the present study was to explore and understand German university student satisfaction and dissatisfaction with their universities. To this end, the study advances a classification of critical incidents of student-university relationships at German universities.\nLimitations and suggestions for further research: Although this study is among a few to advance new knowledge on university student satisfaction in Germany, it has limitations. First, the study raises the voices of 15 students at three specific institutions in Germany; hence, the transferability of results to other institutional or regional contexts in and outside of Germany is limited. However, the individual incidents reported by the participants should spur administrators and faculty to consider assessing and changing their own practices in teaching and administration. This type of catalytic validity is a key to qualitative research (Bailey, 2010).\nConclusion: This study focused on critical incidents about satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the university experience for German post-secondary students. The critical incidents reported indicate that the participants' most significant experiences with their university revolve around the faculty, the course of study, and administrative and student services. German universities stand to gain much from spending energy and resources on the student-university relationship to improve student satisfaction and persistence and to significantly reduce switching or dropout behaviors.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to advance a classification of satisfactory and unsatisfactory critical incidents of student-university relationships at German universities.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT), this paper reports the results of an exploratory study of 15 tertiary education students at three German universities.\nFindings: Participants perceive satisfaction and dissatisfaction stemming primarily from their courses of study, their interactions with faculty, and their perceptions of administrative and student services.\nResearch limitations/implications: The sample was small, dominated by female participants, and the recollection of past events is assumed to be accurate.\nPractical implications: University administrators should consider creating institutional environments that ensure the responsiveness and engagement of faculty, the assessment of student perceptions of their university experience, and the improvement of administrative and student services to aid the satisfaction of students.\nOriginality/value: The CIT method allows participants to express what matters most to them in their university experience rather than following researcher-generated questions, which tends to be the norm in traditional studies on the university student experience. Given that this study was conducted in Germany with German students, it highlights a different understanding of satisfaction that counters the dominant western-focused research on this topic.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Pseudohomophones as brand names: Prioritising the emotionally interesting homophone
|
[
"Brand names",
"Phonology",
"Associative priming",
"Pseudohomophone",
"Psycholinguistics"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The name of a brand is the most fundamental and valuable brand element (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1993) that makes up a brand's image or identity (Kapferer, 2012). Choosing an appropriate brand name provides the foundation of marketing communication efforts (Aaker, 1991) and is an important means by which to build customer-based brand equity for a new product (Aaker, 1991, 1996; Keller, 1993). Brand equity is critical in creating points of difference and competitive advantage (Aaker, 1991).\nTheoretical development: In this section, we first discuss the phonological priming process and how the word frequency account (the activation of words more frequently used in language) is unable to fully explain consumer judgements and behaviours. We then introduce and explain our homophone emotional interest superiority effect, drawing on research in emotion psychology and priority biding theory, to provide an alternate explanation for how pseudohomophone priming manifests for brand names and affects consumer judgements and behavioural intentions. We then examine literature in boredom to explain how brand name repetition can attenuate the influence of our homophone emotional interest superiority effect on consumer brand perceptions.\nTheoretical model: In this section, we examine and build on our conceptual framework (Figure 1). We assess the relationship between homophone emotional interest and brand judgements and behaviours in Study 1. Our conceptual framework posits that the word from the homophone pair that evokes emotional interest upon exposure to the pseudohomophone brand name will influence brand judgements and behaviours. We base our proposition on the priority binding hypothesis, which suggests that consumers prioritise the activation of emotional words (MacKay et al., 2004) and research in marketing that provides evidence that homophone activation influences brand judgements and behaviours (Davis and Herr, 2014). We introduce and propose a homophone emotional interest superiority effect, whereby consumers will prioritise the member of the homophone pair that is more emotionally interesting when exposed to a pseudohomophone brand name which will, subsequently, influence their brand-related judgements and behaviours. In Study 2, we provide further evidence of our underlying homophone emotional interest process through enhancing (reducing) emotional interest in a member of a homophone pair and its effect on brand judgements.\nStudy 1: Study 1 examined exposure to the pseudohomophone brand name Bie and its subsequent effect on purchase intention (homophone of interest \"Buy\", 69,244 corpus count; Corpus of Contemporary American English, 2017) or brand avoidance (homophone of interest \"Bye\", 3,290 corpus count; Corpus of Contemporary American English, 2017).\nResults: Homophone priority and homophone emotional interest\nStudy 2: Study 2 aimed to provide further evidence of homophone emotional interest as the process underlying the influence of pseudohomophone brand names on brand-related judgements. Research has demonstrated that complexity is an appraisal that results in emotional interest (Berlyne, 1960; Silvia, 2008; Turner and Silvia, 2006). As a result, Study 2 utilises complexity to manipulate homophone emotional interest. Study 2 examined exposure to the pseudohomophone brand name Psumb and its subsequent effect on consumption quantity (high quantity homophone of interest \"Sum\", 8,242 corpus count; low quantity homophone of interest \"Some\", 876,499 corpus count; Corpus of Contemporary American English, 2017).\nStudy 3: With consumers regularly feeling a state of boredom with marketing stimuli when repetition is high (e.g. Hirschman, 1980), Study 3 aimed to examine whether induced boredom with a member of the homophone pair is a bound of the homophone emotional interest superiority effect. We examined exposure to the pseudohomophone brand name Ern, and its subsequent effect on the belief that the brand has a rewards program (homophone of interest \"Earn\", 13,061 corpus count; Corpus of Contemporary American English, 2017) or storage capabilities (homophone of interest \"Urn\", 1,103 corpus count; Corpus of Contemporary American English, 2017).\nGeneral discussion and conclusions: Across three studies we provide evidence of a homophone emotional interest superiority effect by examining the effect of homophone emotional interest, evoked by exposure to a pseudohomophone brand name prime, on consumer brand judgements and behaviour. First, we examine the priming effect of pseudohomophone brand names on consumer brand-related judgements. Second, we propose and demonstrate that when consumers are more emotionally interested in a member of a homophone pair (that has been primed by exposure to a pseudohomophone brand name), they are more likely to activate the homophone word that evoked greater emotional interest (as opposed to the word they are most familiar with). This emotional interest results in heightened brand-related judgements associated with the prioritised homophone.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to introduce the homophone emotional interest superiority effect in phonological, or sound-based, priming, whereby pseudohomophone brand names (i.e. non-words that are pronounced identically to English words, for example, Bie) prime brand meaning associated with the member of the homophone pair that is emotionally interesting (i.e. Bie will be prime brand avoidance (purchase) when consumers are emotionally interested in the homophone bye [buy]).\nDesign/methodology/approach: Studies 1 and 2 examine the effect of homophone emotional interest on brand judgements and behaviours. Study 3 investigates the role of boredom with the brand name in attenuating the homophone emotional interest superiority effect.\nFindings: Findings indicate that pseudohomophone brand names prime brand judgements and behaviours associated with the word from the homophone pair that evokes emotional interest. Study 2 provides further evidence of homophone emotional interest as the process influencing brand judgements and behaviours. Study 3 establishes that the effect of pseudohomophone brand names on brand judgements weaken when boredom with the brand name is induced.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study is limited, as it focuses only on fictitious brands and methodologically creates boredom in a way in which may not be typical of what would be experienced in the real world.\nPractical implications: This study has important implications for brand managers in the development of new brand names and in prioritising the intended homophone pair from a pseudohomophone brand name to influence consumer judgements and behaviours.\nOriginality/value: This study introduces and provides evidence of a homophone emotional interest superiority effect. This study also identifies a condition under which the homophone emotional interest superiority effect is attenuated.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Trust in school: a pathway to inhibit teacher burnout?
|
[
"Teachers",
"Burnout",
"Belgium",
"Trust",
"Emotional exhaustion",
"Elementary school"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Burnout is a crucial construct in understanding job-related stress processes and has been identified as an important predictor of employee turnover. In addition, the literature indicates that burnout contributes to employees' intentions to quit the job across different organizational settings, including teaching (Chang, 2009; Cordes and Dougherty, 1993; Jackson et al., 1986; Maslach et al., 2001). Burnout therefore contributes to teacher attrition, which is currently considered as an important educational challenge worldwide (Cha and Cohen-Vogel, 2011; Kukla-Acevedo, 2009; Keigher, 2010). In Flanders (i.e. the northern Dutch-speaking region of Belgium) where the present study has been conducted, the educational system is challenged by a high number of retiring teachers and by a substantial percentage of beginning teachers who leave the profession. For example, 14 percent of the teachers in elementary education and 22 percent in secondary education leave the profession within the first five years (Flemish Ministry of Education and Training, 2013). In counterbalancing educational issues related to teacher turnover, the topic of retaining teachers has received broad scholarly attention (e.g. Guarino et al., 2006; Muller et al., 2009) - attention that is welcome because a direct and negative effect of teacher turnover on student achievement has recently been demonstrated across a large-scale empirical study (Ronfeldt et al., 2013). In order to keep teachers in their job, those who manage the teaching profession should therefore understand which factors contribute to attrition-inducing job attitudes such as burnout.\nTeacher burnout as a concept: Research into the burnout phenomenon has its roots in human service professions such as nursing, social work, and teaching. The development of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) by Maslach and Jackson (1981) introduced the start of systematical empirical inquiry into employee burnout. Maslach's framework conceptualizes job burnout as a psychological syndrome in response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job. Burnout is considered as a prolonged response to these stressors and is defined by three key dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a sense of reduced personal accomplishment (Cordes and Dougherty, 1993; Maslach et al., 2001). There are thus three components of teacher burnout which can be distinguished from one another. Others approach burnout as a factor that arises from alienation at work through the conjoined effects of powerlessness, normlessness, meaninglessness, isolation, self-estrangement, and cultural estrangement (Dworkin and Tobe, 2014). The multidimensional three-component approach of burnout as assessed by the MBI-scale has, however, become the dominant framework for studying the phenomenon within the teaching profession (see Byrne, 1993; Chang, 2009). Emotional exhaustion is the core element of burnout and the most obvious manifestation of it. It reflects the stress dimension of burnout and is described as a lack of energy and a feeling that one's emotional resources are used up (Chang, 2009; Maslach et al., 2001). It is a critical aspect of teacher functioning in school as it prompts actions to distance oneself emotionally and cognitively from one's work (Cordes and Dougherty, 1993; Maslach et al., 2001). The second dimension of burnout, depersonalization, indicates indifference to clients, co-workers, and the organization. Treating clients but also colleagues as objects rather than people is an attempt to distance oneself from work and the people one works with. It is mainly viewed as an immediate reaction to exhaustion (Maslach et al., 2001). Depersonalization might hamper learning processes in school given that teachers' personal regard for others is viewed as an important aspect of schooling and learning (Bryk and Schneider, 2002). The third MBI-dimension, reduced personal accomplishment, reflects a decline in feelings of job competence, and successful achievement in work and interactions with people (Cordes and Dougherty, 1993). This feeling is likely to surface in work situations where individuals already feel exhausted or detached from other people (Maslach et al., 2001). Teacher feelings of inefficacy have previously been shown to inhibit student learning (see Beard et al., 2010).\nAntecedents of teacher burnout: In outlining antecedents of job burnout, Maslach et al. (2001) distinguish situational from individual factors. Antecedents of teacher burnout relate to the individual teacher - such as gender, age, teaching experience, ethnic background, marital status, educational background, expectations, or self-esteem/self-concept (see Chang, 2009; Friedman, 1991; Kokkinos, 2007; Maslach et al., 2001; Mazur and Lynch, 1989), although findings regarding the role of demographic and personality characteristics are rather mixed and provide limited explanation for variation in teacher burnout (Chang, 2009). Factors that characterize teachers' work context are labeled \"organizational factors\" and reflect such features as work demands, participation in decision making, role ambiguity, teacher preparation, school socioeconomic composition, or organizational rigidity (Chang, 2009). Teacher burnout studies that explore such organizational factors as features which are actually measured at the organizational school level and not merely reflect an individual teacher's perception of the work context (e.g.\nTrust and teacher burnout: Literature that demonstrates the importance of work relationships explains teachers' job attitudes. Unsatisfactory relationships with principals, colleagues, or students may yield stress in teaching (Kyriacou, 2001; Troman, 2000), lower job satisfaction (Nias, 1981; Price, 2012; Van Houtte, 2006; Van Maele and Van Houtte, 2012), lower efficacy (Goddard et al., 2000), and lower commitment to students (Lee et al., 2011). Such findings regarding the importance of satisfying relationships for teachers' level of job satisfaction, stress, commitment, and efficacy, indicate that teachers are, at least in part, relationally dependent on their principal, colleagues, and students in maintaining a positive state of mind in doing their job. It seems reasonable therefore that teachers will become more prone to develop feelings of burnout when trust in these significant school parties is lacking.\nMethod: Sample\nResults: A substantial amount of variance in teacher trust in the principal, colleagues, and students is explained at the school level given that for all three trust measures the ICC derived from an unconditional HLM-analysis (t\nDiscussion: As in other countries, the level of teacher turnover within the Flemish educational system calls for attention from policymakers and school leaders (Flemish Ministry of Education and Training, 2013). In order to grasp processes which strengthen teacher retention it is necessary to the understanding of those factors which foster development of attrition inducing job attitudes such as burnout (Jackson et al., 1986). As an antipode of work engagement (Schaufeli and Bakker, 2004), it is further reasonable to argue that teachers who experience burnout will not act in a way that is conducive for student learning given that work engagement equals additional professional efforts and prosocial behaviors toward clients (Freeney and Fellenz, 2013). For school leaders and policymakers it is accordingly crucial to understand which factors contribute or inhibit the development of teacher burnout.\nImplications: Our study demonstrates that trust may act as a relational buffer to teacher burnout. Future research on the burnout phenomenon in teaching should therefore account for the quality of the relationships that teachers have with other school members. Furthermore, our findings indicate that distinct dimensions of both teacher trust and burnout need to considered in investigating the trust-burnout association. This is because teacher trust in the principal, in colleagues, and in students all play a different role with respect to the different dimensions of burnout (i.e. emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and sense of reduced personal accomplishment).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to consider trust as an important relational source in schools by exploring whether trust lowers teacher burnout. The authors examine how trust relationships with different school parties such as the principal relate to distinct dimensions of teacher burnout. The authors further analyze whether school-level trust additionally influences burnout. In doing this, the authors account for other teacher and school characteristics.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors use quantitative data gathered during the 2008-2009 school year from 673 teachers across 58 elementary schools in Flanders (i.e. the northern Dutch-speaking region of Belgium). Because teacher and school characteristics are simultaneously related to burnout, multilevel modeling is applied.\nFindings: Trust can act as a buffer against teacher burnout. Teachers' trust in students demonstrates the strongest association with burnout compared to trust in principals or colleagues. Exploring relationships of trust in distinct school parties with different burnout dimensions yield interesting additional insights such as the specific importance of teacher-principal trust for teachers' emotional exhaustion. Burnout is further an individual teacher matter to which school-level factors are mainly unrelated.\nResearch limitations/implications: Principals fulfill an important role in inhibiting emotional exhaustion among teachers. They are advised to create a school atmosphere that is conducive for different kinds of trust relationships to develop. Actions to strengthen trust and inhibit teacher burnout are necessary, although further qualitative and longitudinal research is desirable.\nOriginality/value: This paper offers a unique contribution by examining trust in different school parties as a relational buffer against teacher burnout. It indicates that principals can affect teacher burnout and prevent emotional exhaustion by nurturing trusting relationships in school.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The role of intangibles disclosure in Italian IPOs : An explorative study on primary and secondary market investors' reactions
|
[
"IPO",
"Underpricing",
"Asymmetric information",
"Intangibles information disclosure",
"Investors' reaction",
"Price adjustment",
"Primary market",
"Secondary market",
"Price adjustment",
"IC disclosure",
"IPO pricing",
"G12",
"G32",
"M14"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Over recent years, both academics and practitioners have debated the effects of firms' intangibles information disclosure. Intangible assets are resources that lack physical substance but that can contribute to the future success of a business; they provide a composite of knowledge, information, intellectual property and experience (Moskow, 2001; Yeh, 2001). Existing studies maintain that voluntary disclosure of non-financial information serves the purpose of reducing stakeholders' uncertainty regarding a firm's future cash flows and thus reduces the cost of capital (Botosan, 2006; Leuz and Wysocki, 2008), even in terms of potential of mis-pricing at the time of the IPO (Lev, 2001; Williams, 2001; Jog and McConomy, 2003; Guo et al., 2005; Leone et al., 2007; Hanley and Hoberg, 2012; Dambra et al., 2015; Boone et al., 2016). Nevertheless, although managers might have strong incentives to disclose non-financial information, they are under equal pressure to prevent or avoid such disclosure to protect a firm's competitive advantage (Verrecchia, 1983; Latimere and Maumere, 2015; Ding, 2016). In addition, the disclosure of information pertaining to intangibles is often believed to give rise to unnecessary costs (Mangena et al., 2010). To date, the perception that disclosing intangibles information could represent more of a cost than a benefit might prevent firms from doing so; thus, a firm's valuation is still largely dominated by quantitative financial data.\n2. Literature review and hypothesis development: 2.1 Intangible assets disclosure and IPO short-run performance\n3. Research design: 3.1 Data and measurement of intangible assets disclosure\n4. Results: 4.1 Descriptive statistics\n5. Concluding remarks: Our study contributes to the debate regarding the effects of intangibles information disclosure on IPO results, and it is the first to provide valuable insights into the effects of such disclosure beyond the traditional methodologies. Previous studies mainly rearranged information disclosed in the IPO prospectuses into ready-made classifications of intangibles and then investigated how such information disclosure might affect IPO underpricing.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to study how primary and secondary market investors react to intangibles information disclosed in Italian IPOs. Previous literature on intangibles information disclosure as a determinant of IPO underpricing has reported inconsistent results; moreover, an area that has remained unexplored is to what extent different categories of market investors react to such information disclosure.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Based on a sample of firms listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, the authors use factor analysis to uncover the most relevant intangible assets disclosed in IPO prospectuses; this information is then included in a series of regressions which read into the reaction of primary and secondary market investors by means of price variations.\nFindings: Primary market investors are found to be more sensitive to information regarding the company's attitude towards its human capital and to that describing its innovation capacity in terms of IT and R&D investment. Secondary market investors are more sensitive to strategic alliances, research and development and future plans.\nResearch limitations/implications: The findings can be generalized, but the empirical evidence would be more relevant if tested in different geographical contexts (i.e. Europe and/or the USA).\nPractical implications: The empirical results could help firms be more selective in their disclosure, thus possibly soothing management's concerns regarding an overly extensive, and therefore risky, dissemination of non-financial information and avoiding them to incur unnecessary costs.\nSocial implications: Being aware of how the stock market reacts to the information disclosed is crucial in determining new regulations and accounting standards.\nOriginality/value: The authors introduce an unbiased categorization of intangibles variables that supplants the multiple classifications proposed in the literature, and the authors set apart the reaction of primary and secondary market IPO investors to the intangible information disclosure.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Distributive justice and affective commitment in nonprofit organizations: Which referent matters?
|
[
"Employee attitudes",
"Pay",
"Non-profit organizations"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Organizational affective commitment - defined as emotional attachment to an organization (Allen and Meyer, 1997) - is of particular importance to nonprofit organizations (NPOs) because their employees are highly sensitive to values linked to the organization's cause or mission (Cunningham, 2001). They need to be highly affectively committed to their organization in order to give their best to the organization. Organizational affective commitment is therefore crucial for NPOs as it is key to several employee's attitudes and behaviors, including greater job performance, organizational citizenship behaviors and task performance, as well as lower levels of turnover and absenteeism (Meyer et al., 2002). Organizational affective commitment can also help to solve the dilemma faced by managers of NPOs over how to keep employees involved without offering them as much pay as they might otherwise ask for.\n2. Theoretical background: 2.1 Distributive justice and referents\n3. Methods: 3.1 Sample characteristics and procedure\n4. Results: Means, standard deviations, and correlations for the key study variables appear in Table I. The correlations are quite large confirming the links between the different kinds of justice perception.\n5. Discussion: 5.1 Contribution to theory\n6. Limitations and future directions: This study demonstrates that individual distributive justice only is significantly linked to organizational affective commitment in the specific context of French health and social services NPOs. It provides key findings in research on nonprofit human resources management, particularly in terms of recruitment and retention, which represent challenging issues for NPOs.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study pay referents that may have an effect on employee organizational affective commitment. It explores existing connections between distributive justice - stemming from individual, external, and internal referents - and organizational affective commitment. This enables an exploration of the effects of distributive justice (Sweeney and McFarlin, 2005).\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study uses a quantitative analysis of 198 French nonprofit employees in health and social services.\nFindings: Results show that only individual distributive justice relates to organizational affective commitment and that this relationship is mediated by person-organization fit.\nOriginality/value: This study is the first to analyze pay referents in nonprofit organization. It also explains the distributive justice - organizational affective commitment in terms of person-organization fit.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Measuring flood resilience: a fuzzy logic approach
|
[
"Measurement",
"Resilience",
"Flood risk management",
"Fuzzy inference",
"Retrofits"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Flood events globally have shown a significant increase in frequency, magnitude and the extent of damage to the built environment. The interplay of extreme weather events and rapid urbanization continues to make flooding one of the most important natural hazards worldwide (Lamond et al., 2015; Kotze and Reyers, 2016). Recent flood events have impacted negatively on the built and natural environments, resulted in huge loss of life and caused disruption to the lives of millions with huge long-term socio-economic and health implications (Lamond et al., 2012; Jha et al., 2012; Kundzewicz et al., 2014). One-third of the annual natural hazards and economic losses, and more than half of the respective victims are flood related (De Wrachien and Mambretti, 2012). It is now generally agreed that a warmer climate and anthropogenic activities along various flood plains would increase the risk of floods globally (Hirabayashi et al., 2013; Poussin et al., 2015; Kwak et al., 2015; Su, 2016).\n2. Methodology: The sequence of activities in the process include: an abstraction of the flood resilience system; followed by identification and characterization of relevant systems' variables and parameters; then transformation of model into FIS equivalence; leading to system testing and validation.\n3. Model parameterization: The foregoing guidelines for input factors' scoring provide a generic basis for parameterization of the FIS model. The scoring process and the output interpretation must therefore be adapted to account for environmental and location specifics as well as other socio-cultural peculiarities. A model validation process by experts is achieved by comparing the model output with real-life data and experts' opinion. This involves comparing the model resilience output of household with real damage data. This process (see Figure 3) allows the model to be refined and adapted to specific local environments. The elements of the parameterization process depicted in Figure 3 are designed to minimize the subjectivity in the application of the FIS model.\n4. Results and discussions: An overview of the mapping characteristics of the FIS system is provided by the surface plot generated by the FIS as shown in Figure 4. The 3D plot (Figure 4) shows the entire resilience output surface generated by the infinite combinations of input factors: sample combinations are tabulated in Table IX. The shape of the resilience surface is determined by the rules and the selected membership functions used to express the term sets. Note, as indicated in Figure 4, that the rules, rules weights and the membership functions can be adjusted to vary the shape of resilience surface plots. This gives designers the opportunity to simulate various combinations of FIS parameters in order to arrive at design options that best capture experts' knowledge of the problem.\n5. Conclusion and recommendations: The development of a FIS for measuring the resilience level of households exposed to flooding has been described. A three-variable mapping system was defined to model flood resilience response characteristics of a household and extends the measurement beyond the physical characteristics of a flood prone property. The resulting FIS generates resilience index for households with a wide range of techno-economic and socio-environmental features. The FL approach accommodates the imprecise, incomplete, vague and subjective data that characterize many real-life FRM problems. It is concluded that the FL-based model provides a potentially veritable tool for resilience measurement and quantification at the level of the individual household. It is recommended that the FIS measurement method proposed is subjected to empirical testing and refinement to help confirm the assumptions and assertions made. If proven successful, the model has the potential to be extended to flood resilience measurement at larger scale applications, i.e. at the community level and regional level.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Flood resilience is emerging as a major component of an integrated strategic approach to flood risk management. This approach recognizes that some flooding is inevitable and aligns with the concept of \"living with water.\" Resilience measurement is a key in making business case for investments in resilient retrofits/adaptations, and could potentially be used to inform the design of new developments in flood prone areas. The literature is, however, sparse on frameworks for measuring flood resilience. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a fuzzy logic (FL)-based resilience measuring model, drawing on a synthesis of extant flood resilience and FL literature.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An abstraction of the flood resilience system followed by identification and characterization of systems' variables and parameters were carried out. The resulting model was transformed into a fuzzy inference system (FIS) using three input factors: inherent resilience, supportive facilities (SF) and resident capacity.\nFindings: The resulting FIS generates resilience index for households with a wide range of techno-economic and socio-environmental features.\nOriginality/value: It is concluded that the FL-based model provides a veritable tool for the measurement of flood resilience at the level of the individual property, and with the potential to be further developed for larger scale applications, i.e. at the community or regional levels.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Dual effect of sensory experience: engagement vs diversive exploration
|
[
"Engagement",
"Variety seeking",
"Diversive exploration",
"Sensory experiences"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Past research has argued that retailers use sensory stimuli to provide their customers with a more pleasant atmosphere and environment, which will eventually increase patronage intentions (Baker et al., 2002; Soars, 2009; Spence et al., 2014). The literature has offered a few glimpses of the positive affective and cognitive responses to sensory experiences (Spence et al., 2014), which in turn influence consumers' decisions to stay and shop as well as their loyalty intentions (Wakefield and Baker, 1998; Baker et al., 2002). Ailawadi and Keller (2004) claim that retailer brands are more multisensory than product brands, e.g. retailers can create their brand images by attaching unique associations to the quality of their service, merchandising, signage, displays and other activities. Experiences in retail stores can thus play an important role in consumer opinion and behaviour as well as loyalty.\n2. Theoretical and conceptual framework: 2.1 Sensory experience in retail establishments\n3. Hypotheses development: The current work identifies two opposite effects of sensory experiences in customers on behavioural loyalty towards retail establishments. The positive effect implies the mediating effect of satisfaction and engagement: sensory experiences reinforce satisfaction and thus the possibility of engagement and loyalty. The negative effect implies the mediating effect of alternatives seeking: sensory experiences induce consumers to seek other alternatives and, thereby, reduce loyalty. In the following sections, we explain the two paths and the subsequent hypotheses.\n4. Methodology and results: 4.1 Sample and data collection\n5. Discussion: 5.1 Findings and theoretical implications\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the dual effect of sensory experiences on customer behaviour in the context of retailing. Based on the theoretical framework of the optimal stimulation level theory, the authors propose that sensory experiences reinforce satisfaction, engagement and loyalty, but increase customers' diversive exploration and curiosity for other experiences and may eventually led to reduced loyalty.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A self-administrated online questionnaire was distributed via e-mail to 1,000 households in a Spanish town, and 325 usable responses of supermarket customers were collected. The hypothesised relationships were tested using the partial least squares approach. The analysis is extended with an experiment in online fashion stores that explores whether a varied sensory experience reinforces consumers' diversive exploration. In total, 68 students participated in the study. Hierarchical regression analysis is performed to analyse the results of the experiment.\nFindings: Findings support the notion that a pleasant sensory experience increases customer satisfaction and therefore their engagement and behavioural loyalty (exclusivity) towards the retailer whilst also generating more ambitious consumer expectations vis-a-vis the shopping experience and thus encouraging them to search for new retailers and, so, to be less loyal.\nResearch limitations/implications: This research warns of the risk of increasing customer's expectations and reducing their loyalty; hence satisfaction is not enough. Retailers should consider offering new experiences and surprise customers every so often, attempting to curtail the effect of satiation or the effect of over-arousal.\nOriginality/value: The novelty of this study is the proposal of a twofold effect of sensory experience on loyalty, a positive effect, through satisfaction, and a negative effect, through the search for new experiences.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
How not to do it!! A salutary lesson on longitudinal and qualitative research approaches for entrepreneurship researchers
|
[
"Social science",
"Longitudinal",
"Methodology",
"Qualitative"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: It has become established that longitudinal research of human experiences is difficult to undertake (Saunders et al., 2007). Both quantitative and qualitative investigations are challenging and the main problem consistently is attrition (e.g. Ployhart and Vandenberg, 2010). Quantitative samples start off, necessarily, large in scale. Attrition still occurs but the greater the size of the original sample, the less likely attrition will render comparison impossible. Qualitative and mixed methods studies, on the other hand, tend not to have a scale of population that can tolerate attrition to any great extent. Despite this, the value of longitudinal approaches in qualitative social studies is considerable as they may afford a quality of understanding that cannot be achieved by reliance on measurement alone, or on analyses of recollections (McLeod and Thomson, 2009). This is as true in business research as elsewhere.\nLongitudinal research: In the physical sciences what is being studied is most often understood to be fixed and predictable. The use of longitudinal methods has an established place in the pursuit of understanding of physical phenomena, as the positivist approaches employed rely on replicability over time to determine knowledge. Social science on the other hand has few absolutes, and the whole point is to study social environments, the experiences of those within them, and the effects of these on each-other. To study the dynamism of a social (including human and economic) environment requires qualitative approaches that acknowledge the influence of culture, interpretation, construction, ideology, etc. The uniqueness of human and social experiences is where a depth of understanding can be achieved. Qualitative study allows for exploration of the experiences and perceptions of those being studied (Bryman, 1988) and includes that which cannot be quantified or where being quantified does not provide meaningful insight (Cassell and Symon, 1994). Qualitative methods thus afford us what Stake (1995, p. 40) calls \"experiential understanding\" and gives those being studied a \"voice\" (Bluhm et al., 2011). As expressed by McLeod and Thomson (2009, p. 61), it provides a \"close-up shot of real lives, with focus on plot, storyline, turning points and defining moments\".\nLongitudinal research and entrepreneurship: There is relatively little mention of longitudinal methods in entrepreneurship research. For example, a recent special issue of Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice in 2011 on \"The future of entrepreneurship research\" does not contain a paper devoted to this issue. This is somewhat odd in that the entrepreneurship discipline has received much criticism for being too dependent on social constructions of \"the entrepreneur\" (Anderson et al., 2009) and on the voices of those few who fit within those constructions, rather than on the experiences of those seeking or pursuing business venturing in a complex and dynamic environment (Galloway and Cooney, 2012). Studies of motivations for, and experiences of, business have been criticised for comprising post hoc investigations of those with successful business careers, representing bias of both a retrospective nature and a subjective one in that they rely on a subject's recollection of an experience, in which he or she obviously is the main actor (Shane et al., 2003; Jayawarna et al., 2013).\nThe intended research project: Our research sought to investigate, several years after graduation, the entrepreneurial outcomes for students who had taken an entrepreneurship class during their university studies. Whilst engaged in their entrepreneurship education, students completed a questionnaire about their ambitions concerning careers generally, and entrepreneurship specifically. The original sample numbered more than 600. The questionnaire, and subsequent analyses of results, relied on theories of entrepreneurial intent as the academic underpinning, and theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991) in particular. Like many studies of entrepreneurship education, the central aim was to assess whether or not the provision of entrepreneurship teaching and learning was likely to impact rates of graduate entrepreneurship amongst participants. To that end, the original study investigated skills development, the effect of entrepreneurship education on efficacy for entrepreneurship, and the impact of entrepreneurship education on students' aspirations towards self-employment and business ownership. Various scholarly outputs based on the original research with students were achieved, including papers that reported the likelihood of eventual entrepreneurship rates based on student's stated intentions; variations of these (such as between subject discipline and gender); the perceived impact on skills development amongst students; and pedagogy lessons and development (references available on request). Seven years after exiting their degrees was thought an appropriate time to attempt to study the actual impact thus far of entrepreneurship education on subsequent working lives. The intention for the follow-up was to use a multi-strategy approach in which the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research methods are valued (Bryman, 2001). The quantitative survey would be used to \"set the scene\" and test the predictive theory of planned behaviour for coherence. Thereafter, the qualitative follow-up interviewing would afford developed understanding and make meaning of the experiences of persons within context (Marshall and Rossman, 1999). This would require an interpretive approach to data analysis.\nThe eventual research project: In terms of the original plan for the follow-up research study, the low sample size at this stage was catastrophic. The original aim of statistically comparing stated intentions and eventual outcomes was certainly rendered entirely unfeasible. Any statistical testing of the applicability of the theory of planned behaviour to entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship practice was similarly prohibited. Yet this was a funded project and so some output was required.\nConclusions: lessons and implications: To summarise the main point of this paper, the central problem with longitudinal research of entrepreneurship, particularly starting with entrepreneurship education, is attrition from one stage to another. But there is a need for this type of study to inform us about the entrepreneurial (or otherwise) processes in real lives. While the current authors did end up with a valuable study of the outcomes of entrepreneurship education, it was not in fact the study that had been planned originally. As is characteristic of students, once graduated their lives move on and they become hard to find. Contact details used while at university, even those personal ones such as mobile phone numbers and internet mail accounts, are often not accessed or are changed as lives develop. It is commonly known that the period in life when one is a student is particularly transitory. However, the authors admit that the belief that modern communications such as mobile phones and e-mail would render individuals easier to find was a gross and misplaced assumption. Other means by which the study sought to find those from the original sample was by using social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Despite the plethora of communications and networking mechanisms facilitated by the internet and other technologies, it still proved extremely difficult to source participants from the original study.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report the experiences of researchers seeking to undertake mixed methods longitudinal research in the entrepreneurship discipline. In this research, the methodology was thoroughly planned and measures were taken to ensure longitudinal feasibility of the project. This is not what ultimately happened though. The paper reports the experience and reflects on the methodological challenges of longitudinal and qualitative studies, with a view to informing future attempts at these.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The initial study involved a sample of 600+ participants in a survey that investigated entrepreneurial intent and related antecedents and formed the baseline from which longitudinal comparisons would be made. A catastrophic attrition rate rendered neither follow-up statistical comparisons nor qualitative comparative analysis possible. An alternative, entirely qualitative, follow-up was therefore developed. While unintended, this in fact proved advantageous to the research.\nFindings: Findings comprise reflection on the failure of the intended methodology. Longitudinal studies are notoriously difficult but within the broader social sciences, particularly those that inspect human experiences, there is a rich body of methodology expertise in terms of mitigating the challenges of engaging research subjects, and keeping them engaged over time.\nOriginality/value: The paper recommends, post reflection and post analysis, that greater engagement with the wider social sciences is needed in business research. As entrepreneurship research moves on to investigate the experiences of the agents of business, methods to investigate these might be better informed.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Developing international talents: how organisational and individual perspectives interact
|
[
"South-Eastern Europe",
"Case study",
"Career competencies",
"International human resource development",
"Skilled migrants",
"Trainee- and internship programme"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In recent decades, increasing trends of skilled migration (Dumont and Lemaitre, 2005; OECD, 2015) coincide with evolving business practices that utilise the specific competencies of skilled migrants (Ely and Thomas, 2001; Rodriguez, 2004). Business organisations can reap the benefits associated with employees' foreign backgrounds, such as their language and cultural skills or their personal networks (Ortlieb and Sieben, 2013; Zikic, 2015). On the other hand, although skilled migrants often work in jobs for which they are overqualified (Danzer and Dietz, 2014; Reitz et al., 2014), working abroad often provides them with an opportunity to acquire competencies. Thus, paying attention to possible combined outcomes of skilled migration for both organisations and individuals presents a timely issue for scholars and practitioners in human resource development (HRD).\nPositioning in the literature: Our study is positioned at the intersection of several literature streams. Of particular relevance are strands within the literature on diversity (management), skilled migration and international careers. Research on diversity management emphasises that organisations can benefit from the employment of skilled migrants (Janssens and Zanoni, 2005; Shore et al., 2009). For instance, ethnic diversity can enhance information and different skill sets among the workforce and foster new ways of thinking about problems and finding innovative solutions (Cox, 1993; Ortlieb and Sieben, 2013; Ozgen et al., 2014).\nTheoretical background: This study draws on two theoretical approaches that guide the empirical analysis. First, the typology of organisational strategies regarding ethnic diversity by Ortlieb and Sieben (2013) captures the perspective of the organisation. Second, the categorisation of career competencies by DeFillippi and Arthur (1994) addresses the perspective of the individuals.\nMethods: Research context\nFindings: In the following, we first present the findings related to the perspective of the bank, thereby describing the rationale for the programme according to the typology by Ortlieb and Sieben (2013). Thereafter, we turn to the perspective of the individuals and their acquired career competencies, according to the framework by DeFillippi and Arthur (1994). Finally, we elaborate on the interaction between the organisational and individual perspectives.\nDiscussion: This paper examines the interplay between the organisational and the individual perspectives with regard to developing international talents. A case study of a trainee- and internship programme in an Austrian bank provides a more nuanced understanding of this interplay and, hence, of HRD in an international context. Linking our empirical findings to the typology of organisational strategies regarding ethnic diversity by Ortlieb and Sieben (2013) and the categorisation of career competencies by DeFillippi and Arthur (1994) enables us to theorise about the impact of specific organisational strategies on individual career competencies and vice versa. It becomes apparent that the bank not only benefits from the individuals' competencies acquired through the programme in the case of future employment, but also the programme itself facilitates an accrual of critical resources.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Focusing on an international trainee- and internship programme, this paper aims to propose a new framework that links organisational strategies regarding ethnic diversity with career competencies of the programme participants.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper adopts a case study design. It examines the interplay of the perspectives of the organisation, which is an Austrian bank, and of the programme participants, who are university graduates from South-Eastern Europe. It draws on the typology of diversity strategies by Ortlieb and Sieben (2013) and the categorisation of individual career competencies by DeFillippi and Arthur (1994).\nFindings: The bank benefits from the programme participants' competencies with regard to South-Eastern Europe and increased legitimacy gained from the public. Programme participants acquire many knowing-how, knowing-why and knowing-whom competencies, especially if the bank pursues a so-called learning strategy towards ethnic diversity. On the other hand, individual knowing-how competency supports an organisation's antidiscrimination strategy, whereas knowing-why and knowing-whom competencies benefit the organisational learning strategy.\nResearch limitations/implications: Although the paper builds on a single case study and the ability to generalise is limited, the findings imply that future human resource development concepts should jointly consider the perspectives of both organisations and individuals.\nPractical implications: Owing to their high strategic relevance, organisations should look into the competencies of skilled migrants and evaluate the critical resources they offer. Both organisational learning and an organisation's strategic development are key concerns. The proposed framework helps to effectively design trainee- and internship programmes and simultaneously anticipate organisational and individual consequences thereof at an early stage.\nOriginality/value: The proposed framework concerning the interplay between organisational and individual perspectives as well as the regional focus on South-Eastern Europe present novelties.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The identity-based explanation of affective commitment
|
[
"Affective commitment",
"Organizational identification",
"Social identity and self-categorization"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Due to the cost of staff turnover and the role of human resources in a company's competitive advantage (Pfeffer, 1994), employee attachment to organisations remains an important topic of research (Coyle-Shapiro and Shore, 2007; Rousseau, 1990). Extant research suggests that there are two perspectives regarding employee attachment: one stream focusing on the issue of commitment between employee and organisation (e.g. Allen and Meyer, 1990; Mowday et al., 1979; O'Reilly and Chatman, 1986), and the other addressing the notion of employee identity based on the organisation, i.e. organisational identification (e.g. Ashforth and Mael, 1989; Mael and Ashforth, 1992).\nDevelopment of hypotheses: Following their review of the extensive literature on commitment (e.g. Brown, 1996; Scholl, 1981), Meyer and Herscovitch (2001) clarify several confusions regarding the construct of commitment. First, when we refer to commitment, people must be committed to particular targets and courses of action (e.g. commitment to occupation, commitment to organisational change). Second, once committed, individuals must behave consistently and restrict themselves to particular lines of activities, even though the pursued activities may be contrary to their self-interests. Third, Meyer and Herscovitch (2001) define commitment as a stabilizing force that binds and obligates employees to certain target-relevant types of behaviour. When a person commits to a target entity (e.g. a social club), he or she will also commit to certain actions related to that entity (e.g. attendance or donation). Therefore, we should not treat commitment as a general attitude towards the organisation (see O'Reilly and Chatman, 1986). Rather, commitment is a specific mindset that \"compels an individual toward a course of action\" (Meyer and Herscovitch, 2001, p. 303). With this definition, Meyer and Herscovitch (2001) suggest future research on commitment needs to explain why employees are willing to bind themselves to certain courses of action that cannot be explained by self-interest.\nMethod: Sample and data collection procedures\nResults: Table I shows the means, standard deviations, and correlations among the study variables. Before testing the hypotheses, we first conducted confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) to examine the measurement model of the core study variables (organisational identification, affective commitment, turnover intention and job performance). The results showed that overall fitness of the four-factor model (kh2=481.78, d.f.=245; CFI=0.93; NFI=0.92; SRMR=0.08) is better than the one-factor model (kh2=1361.30, d.f.=254; CFI=0.73; NFI=0.70; SRMR=0.17), and meets Hu and Bentler's (1998) suggested cut-off point for acceptable model fit (CFI and NFI >=0.90; SRMR=<0.08). The improvement of the overall fit between the four-factor model and the one-factor model is also statistically significant (Dkh2=879.52, p < 0.001), suggesting that respondents can distinguish the core variables of this study.\nDiscussion: Our study is an empirical test of Meyer and Herscovitch's (2001) model of organisational identification and commitment. In a sample of 158 employees of automobile dealerships, we found that employees' organisational identification is positively associated with their affective commitment. Employees' affective commitment is negatively related to their turnover intention and positively related to their job performance. Affective commitment plays a mediating role in the relationship between organisational identification and turnover intention, but not in the relationship between organisational identification and job performance. Our study provides supporting evidence for Meyer and Herscovitch's (2001) proposition regarding the identity-based explanation of affective commitment.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Drawing on social identity and self-categorization theories and building on Meyer and Herscovitch's (2001) work on affective commitment, this study aimed to examine the relationship between organizational identification and affective commitment, and the relationships between these two variables and employees' attitude and behavior.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data were collected on-site from 158 automobile dealership employees in central China. Regression analysis and hierarchical linear modeling were used to analyze the survey data.\nFindings: Organizational identification was positively related to affective commitment. Affective commitment was negatively related to turnover intention and positively related to job performance. Affective commitment mediated the relationship between organizational identification and turnover intention, but did not mediate the relationship between organizational identification and job performance.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study contributes to the literature by integrating organizational identification and affective commitment, the two distinct types of employees' organizational attachment. However, results should be cautioned with the limitations of the study.\nPractical implications: Managers can use employees' organizational identification to foster affective commitment since it leads to a variety of positive work attitudes and behavior.\nSocial implications: Society as a whole may benefit by having more loyal and committed workforce in organisations.\nOriginality/value: This study develops a model that aligns employee commitment and identification. Doing so answers the call for more efforts to integrate the two forms of organizational attachment in order to make more progress in this line of research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Improving the new product development using big data: a case study of a food company
|
[
"Sustainability",
"Food supply chain",
"Big data analytics"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: An effective new product development (NPD) is widely considered as a way for food companies to gain competitive advantages, in the cutthroat business environment (Santoro et al., 2017). The frequent changes in technologies, specifications and market patterns force them to invest in new food product development (NFPD) activities to either gain profits or survive (Lascom, 2018). However, the NFPD process is complicated because of uncertainties such as in raw materials' prices and quality, operational costs, customers' demand (Cousins et al., 2011) or legislations (Driessen and Hillebrand, 2013). Developing a new food product or reformulating a current product can be a painful process; various factors must be considered such as factory size, capacity, layout, its hygiene design, supply chain flow and the equipment specifications (Costa and Jongen, 2006). In this context, to ensure profitability and gain market share, food companies could accelerate the NFPD process and take the lead by being the first in launching the product. However, it is highlighted in the literature that the NFPD process is time consuming and needs significant investments (Ryynanen and Hakatie, 2014). It also requires NFPD professionals to have expertise in a wide range of areas such as ingredients, product safety, process validation, legislation and packaging (Campbell, 2016).\n2. New food product development in the era of big data: The food industry is under tremendous pressure to meet rapidly changing consumer tastes and demands (Rudder et al., 2001). Addressing these changes with new products is a key factor in maintaining and gaining market shares of a food company. In the era of BD (IBM, 2017), the huge amount of data, the relentless rapidity and the diverse richness of data generated transforms the NFPD process. BD provides companies with ideas that can lead to new concepts, solutions and engines for growth (Zhan et al., 2018). By studying the literature, we have identified fundamental principles of BD, its benefits and challenges in the context of NFPD.\n3. Methodology: Although there are many discussions on the use of BD, it is still unclear which specificities of NFPD ensure the success of applying BD. Given the advantages and challenges of BD applications in the food industry, it is interesting to understand the effects of BD in NFPD. To understand these effects, this research conducts a case study at the UK based food factory to understand the benefits of BD in NFPD.\n4. Discussion: In this section, we analyse what we learned from the case study and issues we should address. To do so, we adopt the conceptual framework of using BD for the operational sustainability practices (Raut et al., 2019). This framework highlights the important of customer satisfaction and states that it is one of the most important factors of sustainable practices. As this research aims at investigating BD for NPD to achieve a sustainable development, the use of this framework is suitable.\n5. Conclusion: This research demonstrates the integration and application of BD in a food company. The results shows that using BD can accelerate the NPD process and expedite the launch of the product in relatively lesser time as supposed to a traditional NPD approach. It also supports stakeholders to identify any shortcomings of food products and address them earlier in the product development phase leading to massive saving on the cost involved in launching new products. Additionally, it helps businesses to develop food products, which are consumer centric and fulfil their needs.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Recently, the concept of big data (BD) has evolved and started to play an essential role in the advancement of new product development (NPD) in various sectors contributing to value creation, idea generation and competitive advantage. However, limited research has been done on how the food industry can exploit BD to improve the processes involved in NPD. The purpose of this paper is to understand the use of BD in new food product development. It helps to find relevant information and integrate sustainability to the early stages of the NPD process in the food industry.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This research illustrates a case study of a beverage company wherein they used BD analytics to support their NPD team to launch a two-litre lemonade drink in the market for their retailer with less than 5 g sugar per 100 ml in the shortest possible time.\nFindings: The use of BD helps to reduce NPD costs and time without affecting the taste and on par with competitor's products.\nOriginality/value: The research can support NPD professionals through the application of BD analytics to bring products at lower costs to the market as quickly as possible.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A mobile farmers' market brings nutrition education to low-income students
|
[
"Children",
"Education",
"Schools",
"Nutrition",
"Health promotion",
"Health disparities",
"Obesity",
"Childhood obesity",
"Farms",
"Agriculture",
"Health inequalities"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Farm-to-School-based programs have produced increases in student knowledge of nutritional recommendations, food systems, healthy shopping habits, and attitudes toward trying new foods (Azuma et al., 2008). Expanding dramatically in the USA from fewer than ten in 1997 to more than 12,500 in 2012 (National Farm to School Network, 2013), Farm-to-School Programs involve sourcing local food for schools or preschools and providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, such as school gardens, farm field trips, and cooking lessons. (National Farm to School Network, 2014). These programs provide tremendous benefits to schools and their students, yet some low-income urban schools face additional challenges implementing them due to limited space, tight budgets, and academic underperformance. Urban schools are typically geographically farther from local farms. Following other mobile delivery models for services, such as mobile dental clinics, libraries, and blood donation centers, a mobile farmers' market provides a convenient alternative for urban schools, bringing educational programs and fresh local produce right to the schoolyard.\nProgram description: The mobile market program was a part of a larger project funded by a USDA Team Nutrition Training Grant for middle schools. The Team Nutrition Grant targeted three goals: train teachers to be wellness champions in their schools; train foodservice workers to nudge healthy eating behaviors in cafeterias; and provide Farm-to-School-based education opportunities. The grant required participating middle schools to have a minimum of 80 percent of students on free and reduced school lunch. Implementation of the grant involved many partners and stakeholders, including the Office of the State Superintendent of Education for Washington, DC, American University, Howard University, and Arcadia Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Program implementation took place over the course of academic year 2012-2013, involving 14 schools, all of which received mobile market visits. Pre and post data were only collected during the spring 2013 mobile farmers' market visits to seven of the participating Team Nutrition middle schools. Three schools were public charter schools ranging from 16 to 73 middle school students; four schools were slightly bigger with middle school populations ranging from 78 to 316 students. Teachers signed up for a market visit time slot in advance and the program could accommodate up to six classes of students in one day.\nResults: The mobile market program reached 408 middle school students at seven middle schools from ages ten to 14 years, boys and girls. Five of the seven middle schools served over 90 percent African-American student populations. The remaining two schools were roughly equal African-American and Hispanic students. All schools had student bodies with 80 percent or more receiving free or reduced school lunch, and schools were considered \"high-needs.\"\nDiscussion: The mobile farmers' market format is a creative way to bring Farm-to-School educational programs to students living in urban, low-income communities. The mobility of the market allows for delivery to urban schools otherwise located a great distance from local farms, with little need for space, just a small parking lot. Likewise, schools do not need to arrange and pay for a costly field trip.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a nutrition-education intervention delivered at low-income middle schools in Washington, DC in the USA, using a mobile farmers' market to bring hands-on lessons to schools. The program was a partnership between a local farm and university and was funded by the United States Department for Agriculture (USDA) Team Nutrition grant.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Seven low-income middle schools received the intervention, which included 45-minute lessons focussed on nutrition education and sustainable farming concepts. The farmers' market was delivered via a converted school bus, allowing for full market setup at each school to provide local fruits and vegetables as teaching tools. The nutrition-education lesson focussed on the USDA MyPlate and healthy meal planning. The farm education component focussed on organic farming principles, sustainability of local food systems, and seasonality. A six question pre- and post-survey was administered to 408 participating middle school students to assess changes in knowledge.\nFindings: Overall, average scores increased from 51 to 58 percent. Nutrition knowledge questions increased from 58 to 74 percent, while agriculture questions remained constant at 43 percent. Both increases significant using a two-sample t-test (p<0.001). This suggests that students gained more nutrition education concepts in this format as compared to the agricultural concepts.\nOriginality/value: Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic that affects low-income communities disproportionally. Innovative strategies must be implemented to increase healthy food consumption. This case study presents such an approach and its value in increasing student knowledge of healthy behavior.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Exploring the consequences of judgmental and quantitative forecasting on firms' competitive performance in supply chains
|
[
"Judgmental forecasting",
"Quantitative forecasting",
"Mixed forecasting",
"Supply chain performance",
"Competitive performance"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Businesses are facing different economic, technological, political and social environments and have more complex supply chains than ever before (Gunasekaran et al., 2015; Viswanadham and Samvedi, 2013). These changes are either limited or extensive, but they are continuous and associated with competition with other companies (Ang et al., 2015). Competitive performance is a fundamental step toward the economic development of businesses (Famiyeh et al., 2018; Horta and Camanho, 2014; Gunasekaran et al., 2008). Companies actively seek to maximize their performance including revenue and the effective internal process by reducing operating costs associated with transportation, workforce, raw materials and political risks (Viswanadham, 2018; Sharifkhani et al., 2016; Faghih-Roohi et al., 2016). To achieve this, they must use their resources better than their rivals and respond effectively to the needs of their customers (Lu et al., 2018; Subramanian et al., 2014; Selase Asamoah, 2014). In this era of globalization the firms have realized that supply chain excellence is the crucial source of competitive advantage (Anand and Grover, 2015; Pandiyan Kaliani Sundram et al., 2011). To stay competitive, companies need to have highly functional supply chains (Prajogo et al., 2016) because the competition is no longer between individual organizations, but between the supply chains belonging to them (Wu et al., 2014).In the current business world, the supply chain management has become more critical and complex, and, because of these needs, a company should focus on improving supply chain performance. A supply chain may be visualized as a network of inter-connected firms in which information flows both downwards and upwards throughout the entire structure (Fernando et al., 2018; Ferreira et al., 2016). The supply chain includes not only the product manufacturers and their suppliers but also the warehouse keepers, retailers, wholesalers and even customers (Styles et al., 2012). Wu et al. (2014) believe that an effective supplier relationship management will reduce the costs and uncertainty associated with transfers and lead to accurate delivery and competitive performance. Therefore, collaboration in the supply chain is vital to companies' profits and the achievement of competitive advantage (Pradabwong et al., 2015). Several studies have been conducted in recent years on competitiveness and supply chain performance and its measurement (Huo et al., 2016; Mishra et al., 2016; Li et al., 2015; Anand and Grover, 2015). Varsei et al. (2014) investigated the factors affecting sustainable supply chain performance. They argue that shareholders, pressures by institutes, and activist pressure positively impact supply chain performance, by encouraging organizations to reduce the chain's costs, energy consumption and waste generation, and increasing the responsibility of products through economic, social and environmental dimensions. Li et al. (2015) have shown that supply chain agility, dynamic capabilities and the compatibility of the supply chain have a positive impact on the competitive performance of the organization. The impact of buyer-seller risk (Mishra et al., 2016) and corporate social responsibility in regards to value chain performance (Tuan, 2016), as well as the integration of the supply chain and competitive performance, are also among the research topics explored in this area (Huo et al., 2016).In addition to the mentioned research, studies indicate that applying forecasting methods can enhance supply chain performance. Supply chain forecasting is one of the main challenges for managers of any organization. Errors in forecasting will increase costs within manufacturing companies (Eroglu and Croxton, 2010), with poor forecasting also resulting in the provision of low-quality services to customers (Kremer et al., 2011). Since one of the main concerns of companies is to achieve more market share--which is necessary for their survival in competition with one another--and the main goal of each chain is to meet the needs of customers, the supply chain's awareness of the future demand of customers is of great importance. Forecasting has always been an important organizational capability for both tactical and strategic business planning (Sanders and Manrodt, 2003). Onkal (2012) regards forecasting as a vital element, leading to lower costs and higher efficiency of the supply chain. Sanders and Manrodt (2003) also argue that precise and accurate forecasting is imperative in a competitive market, as it helps organizations to anticipate future demands and take advantage of new market opportunities. In fact, forecasting is the basis for the operational decision-making of the supply chain (Scarpel, 2015). Therefore, to maintain their competitive performance, organizations need to have the ability and the flexibility to forecast and measure supply chain performance (Yu et al., 2019; Hill et al., 2018). Companies should consider the fact that they need to use different scales to measure and forecast supply chain performance, depending on the environment in which they work (Garcia-Alcaraz et al., 2016).Based on what has been discussed, our goal in undertaking this research is to enable organizations to understand the use of safe methods consistent with their structure in forecasting, which will improve supply chain performance and ultimately increase the competitive performance of companies. This study describes three methods of forecasting: quantitative, judgmental and mixed method. Although each of these methods has received considerable attention individually within the literature (Paul et al., 2017; Seifert et al., 2015; Song et al., 2013), to the best of our knowledge, none of the existing studies has rigorously examined the consequences of forecasting methods on supply chain performance. It is also unclear how supply chains can, through forecasting, enhance competitive performance. This study, therefore, aims to address these research gaps.In addition, according to Anand and Grover (2015) there has been relatively little interest in developing measurement metrics and systems for evaluating supply chain performance and in this research by reviewing the literature, three measures have been proposed for measuring the supply chain performance including cost reduction (Ryoo and Kim, 2015), supply chain efficiency (Lu et al., 2019) and customer satisfaction (Deshpande, 2012). Furthermore, studies on supply chain management practices in emerging countries are limited (Pandiyan Kaliani Sundram et al., 2011) and current study has been conducted in Iran. Based on what has been mentioned above, we can therefore formulate research question as follow: How do different forecasting methods (judgmental, quantitative and mixed forecasting) affect firms' competitive performance in supply chains?The remainder of the study is organized as follows. Section 2 outlines the main conceptual issues on supply chain forecasting such as judgmental and quantitative forecasting methods and describes the theoretical basis for the hypothesis development and research model. Sections 3 and 4 describe the research methodology and report the results, respectively. Section 5 presents the discussion including managerial implications and limitations and future directions.\n2. Literature review and hypothesis development: 2.1 Supply chain forecasting\n3. Methodology: We randomly sent out the questionnaire to 850 Iranian manufacturing companies. We obtained responses from top management, general managers and supply chain managers who were involved in company decision-making and forecasting. Within the cut-off period of seven weeks after sending questionnaires, 318 useable questionnaires were received.The research model includes five variables (judgmental, quantitative, mixed forecasting methods, supply chain performance and competitive performance), and each variable is measured by multiple items. The scale of the item measurement is based on a seven-point Likert, ranging from disagree (1) to agree (7).The study uses a scale of 12 items adopted from Sanders and Manrodt (2003) to measure judgmental, quantitative and mixed forecasting methods. A 12-item scale for supply chain performance construct was adopted from Yoon et al. (2016), Forte et al. (2016), and Avelar-Sosa et al. (2015). Finally, competitive performance is measured through a six-item scale adapted from Huo et al. (2016) and Jin et al. (2014).After collecting the questionnaires, the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) via SPSS18 and SmartPLS.\n4. Results: 4.1 Measurement model\n5. Discussion: In this research various supply chain forecasting methods were introduced and their effects on supply chain performance and the competitive performance of the organization were investigated. Accordingly, the supply chain forecasting methods were divided into three types: judgmental, quantitative and mixed methods. Meanwhile, three groups of companies were selected, with the first group using judgmental forecasting methods, the second group using quantitative methods for forecasting and the third group using a combination of these two methods to predict their supply chain. Three conceptual models were also introduced accordingly. The findings from the analysis of SEM show that all of the research hypotheses in each of the three models are confirmed; that is, all three methods of judgmental forecasting, quantitative forecasting, and mixed forecasting positively affect supply chain performance (cost reduction, efficiency enhancement and customer satisfaction), and ultimately these factors will improve the competitive performance of the organization. However, the percentage of regression coefficient on supply chain performance was greater in the group using the mixed (quantitative and judgmental) method than in the other two groups; the effect of this method on the supply chain efficiency and cost reduction was higher in the group that used the judgmental method than in the group that used the quantitative method. Finally, it can be said that the use of forecasting methods in the supply chain will help the organization to meet customer needs and lead to the higher and better performance of the supply chain.We confirmed that all three judgmental, quantitative and mixed forecasting methods have a positive impact on supply chain performance (cost reduction, supply chain efficiency and customer satisfaction). Our results are consistent with several studies conducted in this field. According to Beheregarai Finger et al. (2014) forecasting in supply chain can lead to higher organizational performance. Previous research has shown that higher forecast accuracy can reduce operational costs (McCarthy and Golicic, 2002). In addition, according to Doering and Suresh (2016) better forecasting initiatives will lead to higher operational efficiency. Moreover, the forecasting practices help managers to understand and predict customer behaviors and provide their satisfaction (Doering and Suresh, 2016).Also, the confirmation of the positive impact of supply chain performance on the competitive performance of the organization suggests that the reason for the superiority of organizations over their competitors in the present era is the efficiency of their supply chain performance. In this respect, the studies conducted by Tuan (2016) and Prajogo et al. (2016), which confirmed the positive relationship between supply chain performance and competitive performance, are consistent with the results of this study. As mentioned by Flint (2004) managing supply chain operations gives companies a cost advantage over competitors. In addition, an efficient supply chain operation helps organizations to maintain their competitive advantage (Doering and Suresh, 2016). Furthermore, based on Pandiyan Kaliani Sundram et al. (2011) one of the essential roles of supply chain management is to meet and satisfy customer's needs. On the other hand, customer satisfaction can give a competitive advantage to almost any business (Muller, 1991). 5.1 Managerial implications\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of different forecasting methods (judgmental, quantitative and mixed forecasting) on firms' supply chains and competitive performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Working with three groups of manufacturing companies, we explore the consequences of judgmental, quantitative and mixed forecasting methods on firms' competitive performance in supply chains. The validity of constructs and path relationships was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM).\nFindings: Our findings indicate that supply chain efficiency influences both cost reduction and customer satisfaction. In addition, the three dimensions of supply chain performance are shown to be direct antecedents of competitive performance. Our empirical results reveal that although all studied forecasting methods meaningfully influence supply chain performance, the mixed method, compared to the other two methods, has greater capabilities to enhance supply chain performance.\nOriginality/value: This research provides originality and insight into supply chain practices through forecasting methods to improve competitive performance.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
What empowers Egyptian women: resources versus social constrains?
|
[
"MIMIC",
"Women’s empowerment",
"Agency empowerment",
"Decision-making index",
"Mobility index",
"J16",
"J12",
"J60"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Women's empowerment refers to their possession of enabling resources, which may, in turn, enhance their agency (Naila. Kabeer, 1999) or ability to \"define their own life-choices\", even with opposition from others. Feminist scholars view women's empowerment as an important goal in itself; whereas, instrumentalists see it as a useful means to achieve other development goals related to health and well-being of empowered women, their children and their household among other societal benefits[1] as well as overall nation economic growth[2].\nBackground: 2.1 Defining and measuring women's empowerment and agency\n3. Methodology: This paper uses the MIMIC Model, which is used when there are several causes and several indicators for a single latent variable (Joreskog and Goldberger, 1975). In our case, this latent variable is women's empowerment in Egypt, noted as E*. The different determinants of empowerment include social resources, social constraints, economic resources and demographic variables. Then empowerment affect the decision-making power of the respondent within her household as well as her freedom of mobility. The decision-making power and the freedom of mobility are represented in our model by several decision and mobility indicators (See Appendix 1). The advantage of using a MIMIC model is that it allows exploring the linkages between the determinants of our latent variable, empowerment, and several its indicators, without a directly observable measure of empowerment (Rose and Spiegel, 2009). Moreover, the MIMIC model allows considering simultaneously different empowerment indicators, which are the different decisions in our case, in addition to accounting for the interdependence between these decisions.\n4. Data: The data used in this paper are drawn from the Egyptian labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS) for 2012. The ELMPS is carried out by the Economic Research Forum (ERF) in cooperation with Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) since 1998. The ELMPS 2012 is the third round of this periodic longitudinal survey that tracks the labor market and the demographic characteristics of households and individuals interviewed in 2006, both individuals included in the ELMS 1998 and individuals added in 2006, as well as a refresher sample of 2,000 new households to ensure that the data continues to be nationally representative, a total sample of 12,060 households and 49,186 individuals. The ELMPS is considered a wide-ranging, nationally representative panel survey that covers topics such as parental background, education, housing, access to services, residential mobility, migration and remittances, time use, marriage patterns and costs, fertility, women's decision making and empowerment, job dynamics, savings and borrowing behavior, the operation of household enterprises and farms, besides the usual focus on employment, unemployment and earnings in typical labor force surveys.\n5. Empirical results: The MIMIC model was estimated using the ELMPS (2012) data for Egypt, our latent variable Empowerment had significant (p < 0.01) factor loadings on all six decision-making power indicators (equal to or exceeding 1.580) as well as the four mobility indictors (equal to or exceeding 1.195) (Appendix 3 and 4).\n6. Discussions and conclusion: This study tackles the question of women's empowerment in highly patriarchal societies like Egypt. Specifically, the study tries to answer the following question: which resources and social constraints determine women's empowerment as measured by the power of women over household decisions and her freedom of movement? Based on our theoretical framework, we proposed three hypotheses.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to tackle an important question related to women's economic empowerment in highly patriarchal societies like Egypt. The paper discusses individual, household, wealth and location factors determining women empowerment, as measured by two dimensions: decision-making power and mobility.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using the \"Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey\" (ELMPS) 2012, a Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model was estimated to study the main economic resources and social constraints that determine women empowerment as measured by the power of women over household decisions and her freedom of movement in Egypt.\nFindings: Three key messages could be delivered. First, women's own economic resources as captured by her employment status are an important source of her empowerment. Second, contrary to theoretical prediction education is not playing its expected role in developing awareness and transforming ideas concerning gender roles in Egypt. Third, the importance of social local context is fundamental for Egyptian women empowerment.\nOriginality/value: This study is an attempt to address some of the gaps in the literature for the Egyptian case, where there is a lack in rigorous studies measuring women empowerment and examining its determinates. This is done by first, tackling multiple dimension of women's empowerment, decision-making inside households and freedom of mobility. Second, using MIMIC model, which is a modeling approach that allows for studying the relations between several causes of a given latent variable, such as \"Empowerment\" in our case, and a number of its possible indicators, without a directly observable measure of the latent variable. Third, using the most recent set of data; the ELMPS 2012 which has a special focus on women's resources and agency that permits greater content validity of the multidimensional setup. Forth, the macro level differences in women's status are tackled through using location dummy variables. Finally, given the important correlation between wealth level and women empowerment, the paper is considered a first attempt to analyze such impact by including a variable that captures the wealth level of the woman's household as one determinant of empowerment.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Preserving digital resources: issues and concerns from a view of librarians
|
[
"Digital libraries",
"Archives management",
"Librarians"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Librarians have traditionally preserved library resources for many centuries with little change in their role. In recent years, technological developments have had a profound impact on library resources and challenged librarians' roles in preserving digital materials. Digital materials include texts, databases, still and moving images, audio, graphics, software and web pages, among a wide and growing range of formats. They require purposeful maintenance and management to be retained. Many of these resources have lasting value and significance, and should be protected and preserved for current and future generations. These ever-growing resources may exist in any language, in any part of the world, and in any area of human knowledge or expression. Preserving digital media is not the same as print media, and there are many issues for librarians to consider. This paper looks at some issues and concerns of preserving digital resources which need to be taken into consideration. These issues fall into three areas:1. technical;2. organisational; and3. legal.\n2. Preservation challenges for librarians: Libraries are currently in a transition period from print to digital collections. Traditional libraries are changing to digital libraries, and some libraries are already transformed into digital libraries. Therefore, librarians are walking into new jobs as digital librarians. In the traditional libraries, librarians were responsible for the preservation of library resources for future use. It seems that while library materials are migrating from print to electronic media, the responsibility of archiving is shared between librarians and other organisations who are the producers of digital materials. In addition to librarians, creators of digital content and institutions that act as long-term repositories for digital materials are also stakeholders of digital preservation. The question is whether continued access in the medium to long term can be safely left to publishers or whether this is better undertaken by an independent repository.Librarians are also concerned about the archiving of digital resources. They have had centuries of experience in archiving library materials. However, archiving digital resources is not the same as archiving traditional resources. It is absolutely a new responsibility for digital librarians. Librarians have many concerns about preserving digital resources.Providing permanent access to electronic materials is a complex problem. As has been said, digital material is often unstable and has a brief lifespan because of the limited longevity of information carriers and the software and hardware that make the stored information accessible to users. Safeguarding the integrity and authenticity of the material is therefore a key challenge when dealing with long-term preservation. Regardless of the chosen strategy, permanent access calls for continuous attention and action. The rapid pace of technological change means that the techniques and procedures for long-term storage and accessibility requirements need to be adjusted and improved constantly (Oltmans and Wijngaarden, 2006).Information is increasingly available in digital form (whether digitised materials or born-digital materials), and it will continue to increase. The increasing proliferation of digital information, combined with the considerable challenges associated with ensuring continued access to digital information, means that it is imperative that there be concerted action to overcome these challenges. There is some evidence that many potentially valuable digital materials have already been lost. With the rapid increase of digital information, digital preservation in libraries has become increasingly important. Libraries all around the world have to deal with fast-growing amounts of digital materials that need to be safeguarded. It is essential for libraries to preserve and make accessible all kinds of publications in digital form - online or on CD, digitised images, and born-digital objects.It is interesting to note that the Handbook of the Digital Preservation Coalition[1] uses the term \"digital preservation\" to define all the activities employed to ensure continued access to digital resources which have retained properties of authenticity, integrity and functionality. According to this Handbook, the term \"archiving\" can be substituted for preservation provided this definition remains, but \"archiving\" is usually interpreted within the computing industry simply to indicate that something has been stored and is no longer immediately accessible. The Digital Preservation Coalition points out that the richer interpretation means that there will have to be more thought and preparation given to which resources are stored, how they are maintained and subsequently accessed, and by whom. They have consider three leading issues for digital preservation:1. technical issues;2. organisational issues; and3. three legal issues.This paper follows the same pattern to discuss these issues.\n3. Technical issues: 3.1 Print and digital media\n4. Organisational issues: 4.1 Costs of preservation\n5. Legal issues: 5.1 Intellectual property rights (IPR)\n6. Preservation strategies: The Digital Preservation Coalition divides preservation strategies into primary and secondary preservation strategies. It defines primary preservation strategies as \"strategies [that] might be selected by an archiving repository for medium to long-term preservation of digital materials for which they have accepted preservation responsibility\".According to the Digital Preservation Coalition:... secondary preservation strategies are those which might be employed in the short to medium term either by the repository with long-term preservation responsibility and/or by those with a more transient interest in the materials. Chronologically, secondary strategies may precede primary strategies. Some secondary strategies may substantially defer the need for, or alternatively greatly strengthen, primary preservation strategies so describing them as secondary strategies does not necessarily imply their inferiority.It is widely acknowledged that the most cost-effective means of ensuring continued access to important digital materials is to consider the preservation implications as early as possible, preferably at creation, and to plan actively for their management throughout their lifecycle. Therefore, the major cause of concern in the digital environment is that failure to address the long-term access requirements of digital materials at a very much earlier stage than for paper materials will almost inevitably result in their permanent loss. Establishing preservation strategies in the early stages of stepping into digital libraries will ensure the success of digital preservation.All technical, organisational and legal issues that are discussed in this paper need to be considered in developing preservation strategies. Each of the stakeholders in digital materials may have an interest in preservation; all their interests should be addressed and documented in preservation strategies. There needs to be an assurance that responsibility for preservation will be taken, and a clear understanding of who will take that responsibility and for what period of time. Of course, in all successful preservation strategies it may well be necessary to repeat steps in each level of the preservation process, with appropriate documentation.\n7. Storage and maintenance: Storage of digital resources refers both to access and preservation. Again, storage media and the way of accessing digital preserved resources seem to be very different from traditional preservation. Depending on the needs of the organisation and the media, it may be necessary to create both preservation and access copies and to have strategies for each. Strategies play a crucial role for access to and preservation of digital library materials. Although there is no single solution that can be applied for the preservation of any digital resource, an approach based on good management practices, begun as early as possible in the lifecycle of a resource, will safeguard the initial investment and facilitate authorised access, at least for the short to medium term.Regardless of the organisation and media, at the very least the following issues need to be addressed in the strategy of storage:* whether storage and/or preservation will be undertaken by the host institution or under contract to a trusted third party;* which resources justify preservation, and for what period of time; and* which media and file formats should be selected.The selection of media and file formats is an important issue in digital preservation, as they will be subject to the influence of continued technological change. It is important to have an understanding of the various media for storage because they require different software and hardware for access, and have different storage conditions and preservation requirements. There is an essential management component for all digital media to avoid media degradation and to facilitate longer-term preservation strategies.Environmental conditions are a relevant issue, even in traditional preservation. Appropriate environmental conditions will increase the longevity of digital storage media and help prevent accidental damage to a data resource or its documentation.Many digital materials are being stored in fragile digital media, so appropriate care and handling will protect fragile digital media from damage. There needs to be an assurance that the resource has not been inadvertently or deliberately changed following refreshment and/or migration procedures, and the readability and integrity of the data must be checked over time.While physical space for preservation was a big problem in traditional libraries, this problem is much less acute in the electronic environment, and computer storage is decreasing in cost and increasing in capacity all the time. However, while storage is much less of a problem than it was, it is good practice to establish policies and procedures that clarify what digital resources need to be accessible online or offline.\n8. Standards: Standards can play an important role in digital preservation. Perhaps some libraries think of digital archiving mainly in terms of reformatting existing paper materials. Good training programs exist to ensure reasonably efficient procedures for digital archiving. Although some issues remain, long-term digital archiving of text-based materials seems reasonable.In his paper, Seadle (2004) notes that the standards and methods for multimedia preservation remain far more volatile. Older multimedia material that is currently stored in analogue form on magnetic tape or on colour film is more seriously endangered than all but the most acidic books. As with books, those items with a particularly high economic value tend to have many more copies, but the inevitable loss in each generation of analogue copies sets a threshold of quality, and even modern colour film has some tendencies to fade.\n9. Technology watch: As mentioned earlier, the greatest threat to successful digital preservation is technological obsolescence, so there is an essential need to maintain a register of hardware and software capacity in the institution and preservation metadata to enable a formal process of \"technology watch\". \"Technology watch\" was not a big issue for traditional librarians. Traditional methods of archiving were used for many years, while digital librarians need to keep abreast of technological developments that affect their file formats and preserved materials.Deborah Woodyard (1999) describes how preservation metadata was gathered by the National Library of Australia (NLA) to determine what hardware and software were required by its digital holdings. A list of hardware and software available in the NLA was also developed and maintained. This is used to flag potential changes in technology and the requirement to retain hardware and software still needed by the collection until migration has occurred.Failure to implement an effective technology watch will risk potential loss of access to digital holdings and higher costs.\n10. Conclusion: The digital preservation of library resources has challenged the librarians' role in many ways. They are facing technological, organisational and legal issues and concerns. Technology is developing at a very high speed and technological obsolescence is considered the greatest threat to successful digital preservation. Digital librarians need to work hard to keep themselves and the resources they have preserved up-to-date. They need to have a frequent technology watch. In addition to technological challenges, there are also numerous challenges that relate to the capabilities of organisations to integrate the management of digital materials into their organisational structure. Legal issues such copyright, intellectual rights management and licensing still need to be discussed. There is an increasing need to go beyond the limitations of individual organisations, or even countries, to maximise the benefits of the technology, address issues such as copyright, and also to overcome the challenges in a cost-effective manner. All public institutions such as archives, libraries, and museums should be involved in applying their professional skills and expertise to the long-term preservation of digital materials, just as they have taken a role in the preservation of traditional materials. Cooperation and collaboration among different organisations and libraries can lead to successful digital archiving.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to provide an overview of the challenges imposed on libraries by the presence of digital resources.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper reviews the main challenges and key issues of digital archiving from the point of view of librarians.\nFindings: - Information technology and the presence of the web are challenging the role of librarians in preserving library materials for future generations. Preserving digital resources is not going to be the same as preserving traditional resources and is absolutely a new responsibility for digital librarians. They are facing many new issues and concerns in digital preservation. These issues can be divided into three areas: technical issues, organisational issues and legal issues.\nOriginality/value: - The paper provides insights into the current issues and challenges in digital archiving.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The applicability of an operations management approach to councils' waste services
|
[
"Management theory",
"Operations management",
"Performance management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The author undertook research over a number of years examining the impact of best value and performance management upon councils' waste services. Using five case studies, the research examined how these waste services were managing change and, amongst the conclusions reached, it found that there were direct comparisons in terms of the theory of \"operations management\" and how these services were delivering their operations.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper arises from a study examining the causality of change by exploring whether best value and performance management had caused change within councils' waste services. The purpose of this paper is to represent one of the unforeseen findings arising from the research programme.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper was an exploratory, inductive theory-building study using a practitioner-researcher approach to develop a conceptual model based upon a literature review and a case study research methodology.\nFindings: - The paper finds that, despite much publicity, the cases studied did not use performance management frameworks to structure change and, in this regard, operations management may offer a better approach by which councils could include operational service delivery within the development of corporate strategy. Research limitations/implications - The practitioner-researcher approach provided particular insights to this paper, which may not be apparent otherwise. One of the principal findings was that there appeared to be an absence of coordinated independent research relating to management theory and councils' service delivery, as opposed to private sector applications of theory and practice, which appears unbalanced, especially given that the public sector is one of the largest employers in the UK. Simply transferring private sector performance management approaches without scrutiny and amendment to the different cultural and structural working environment within councils would appear imperfect and likely to create ad hoc success. These findings relate specifically to councils' waste services but may have a relevance outwith these operations.\nPractical implications: - This paper recommended that further research should be conducted to develop a greater understanding of council management practice and how this could be positively affected. Simply recommending the transposition of private sector approaches was unlikely to work and, similarly, the current hands-off approach adopted both between government and councils and between councils' corporate centres and their operational services suggested the emergence of strategic/operational divides. This could be overcome with a more balanced approach and secondments between the different tiers.\nOriginality/value: - As practitioner-research, this paper provides an insight into how councils' waste services are prioritizing change, which highlights the emergence of an apparent, growing dislocation between different government tiers. These findings emerge following case study research from a service whose perspectives on management theory rarely get expressed, due to the demands arising from daily operational delivery.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Capturing leadership tacit knowledge in conversations with leaders
|
[
"Leadership",
"Tacit knowledge",
"Knowledge capture"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: How is leadership learned? Leadership emerges out of a complex performance domain and necessitates a broad response repertoire from which to draw as well as the ability to learn to respond to a variety of everyday interpersonal and organisational problems (Hedlund et al., 2003). Such an approach integrates major parts of cognitivist (Bruner, 1977; Piaget, 1926), humanist (Maslow, 1968), behaviourist (Skinner, 1973) and social constructionist (Lave and Wenger, 1991) theories, studying learning on a continuum ranging from individual to inter-personal located within relationships between people and environments.The present research focused on the contribution of knowledge building processes to leadership development. The research addressed the question of how leadership lessons can be captured in the innovation context by collecting and analysing narratives of leadership success. The stories gathered from successful leaders (experts in leadership knowledge) represent a rich reservoir of experience to inspire and inform upcoming leaders in the development of their own reservoir of tacit knowledge about leadership. Building on existing knowledge on the development of organisations and theories of leadership the present research focused on how leaders learn what they know through thematic analysis of these key interviews. From a theoretical perspective, this research draws from the bodies of work on the \"tacit knowledge\" and leadership development domains.\nBackground: Tacit knowledge building\nMethods: Following the method devised by Tschannen-Moran, Nestor-Baker and colleagues (Nestor-Baker and Hoy, 2001; Tschannen-Moran et al., 2000) a group of experts in this knowledge was identified by a taskforce consisting of officials and innovation scholars. The taskforce compiled a master list of 35 leaders who had successfully commercialised scientific and technological innovation internationally and of \"up and coming\" leaders (leaders having shown potential towards international commercialisation, with some preliminary successes) within a balance of commercial sectors.Of the 35 candidates, 31 interviews were able to be arranged and conducted. Most were face-to-face and video recorded, except in five cases, which were conducted over the phone. Interviewees' ages ranged from 26 to 60, with a median of 55. Amongst them, 22 were \"established\" leaders (having reached and sustained international achievements) and nine were \"up and coming\" leaders (emerging on the international innovation and commercialisation scene). Two interviewees were women and 29 were men, which reflected the general leadership distribution in this sphere of business.An interviewing methodology was especially designed adapted from the work of tacit knowledge researchers (Horvath et al., 1994) targeting critical turning points in conversation with leaders about their leadership career path and retrospective sensemaking (Nestor-Baker and Hoy, 2001). The resulting interview methodology was piloted with five leaders who were interviewed twice, once for data collection and a second time to review and provide feedback on the researcher's conclusion. \"Tacit knowledge\" was sought from their narratives as the knowledge which gave them confidence in their actions (Janson and McQueen, 2003).Working from an interpretive perspective, interviews were transcribed and analysed (Cheney, 2000; Lee, 1991; Putnam, 1983). Thematic analysis (Janson, 2002; Owen, 1984, 1985) was conducted on the interview transcriptions. Thematic analysis uncovers themes shared between different participants or different parts of one participant's discourse by observing recurrence of threads of meaning, repetition of keywords, phrases or sentences and the emphasis applied in a text or narrative. Thematic analysis also takes into account what is absent from the narrative and should be investigated further. Message content is the main focus in thematic analysis and the aim of the analysis is to identify issues through the speaker's lens or point of view. Owen's original thematic framework is very much relevant to organise and analyse perceptions of interviewees in a variety of interpretive research settings (Glynn et al., 2003; Richardson et al., 2005; Zorn, 1998). In the context of the present research, thematic analysis was used to categorise and qualify elements of leadership success. Themes were grouped according to main themes and sub-themes emerging from the narratives. The result of this iterative process provided a profile of information and commentary that was of priority to participants.\"Mini case studies\" were compiled encapsulating the knowledge from the stories collected during the interviews to describe more in depth one specific challenge that leaders learnt to deal with during their career. Mini case studies were written, of about 500 words each, which were intended to encapsulate only those elements that were instrumental in making up the particular lesson learned by the leader. A format and structure was developed for the mini case studies which included a short introduction, a problem description, the solution tested, and a \"lessons learned\" final paragraph which showed the particular insight drawn by the participants from their experience (see the Appendix). The interviewer probed to get to this knowledge, as it was not immediately available to the interviewee. This shorter format was developed to share findings as a bridge between traditional tertiary teaching methods and innovative teaching of up and coming entrepreneurs.Following preliminary analysis of the interview data, participants were sent a draft report explaining how the themes were identified and invited to participate in an online discussion to challenge the initial interpretations of the data. This procedure was intended to minimise the researchers' biases, by taking into account Zorn and Ruccio's (1998) contention that \"any thematic analysis is itself a social construction, an interpretation by the researchers and influenced by their experiences\". Initial thematic categorisation was presented to interviewees by this procedure and the interpretations and analyses of the researcher were further refined during follow up interviews (Zorn and Ruccio, 1998). Participants' feedback was sought on the themes that were identified. They mostly felt that the conclusions that had been tentatively reached \"resonated\" with their views, but in some instances, additional clarification was recorded and incorporated into the final report.\nResults and discussion: Thematic analysis surfaced five main themes (leadership characteristics, developmental stage, tacit knowledge building, enablers and leadership context) and two sub-themes (factors manifestation and principles).Assembling thematic patterns for leadership tacit knowledge building into a developmental framework\nConclusion: Tacit knowledge cannot be \"taught\" - it must be built through insight, experience and reflection. In particular, leadership tacit knowledge is hard to build. There are few accessible global innovation leaders (\"few Bill Gates to act as role model to young professionals\" - Int1) and they are often solicited to participate in many more educational/business projects than they have the available time in which to participate. Leadership tacit knowledge has traditionally been built through apprenticeship and mentoring experiential processes, but with appropriate methodology and technology support it could be brought deeper into the collective consciousness domain. This method proposed distilling leadership stories and disseminating them through a \"mini case study\" structure encapsulating specific tacit knowledge topics. Though tacit knowledge is not easily accessible, the use of appropriate interviewing techniques (Cheetham and Chivers, 2000; Neil et al., 2004) as used in the present research allows it to be expressed and recorded. In the process of becoming explicit through language and the vehicle of stories, it becomes a valuable focus for reflection. These \"seeds of knowledge\" were embedded within the framework of a larger model, which differentiates between sources of learning, making it easier for upcoming leaders to use in their tacit knowledge building. The identification and isolation of these \"seeds of knowledge\" also makes it possible to package them in various formats appropriate for different audiences and purposes. Upcoming leaders who read and discuss these \"mini case studies\" in class or leadership development programmes will then be able to use these resources and assess, experiment and integrate them with their own experiences in the process of tacit knowledge building during their career development. These case studies can act as vestigial tacit knowledge \"hooks\" on which they may call upon when confronted with similar dilemmas, issues or situations, and subsequently modify and refine their tacit knowledge as appropriate for their own leadership environments. The second (plateau) and third (\"pre-chasm\") proposed intervention points can be addressed by laying foundations for the development of a self-diagnosing tool to be used by leaders of growing companies to expose which of the identified elements their leadership is missing, what are the particular obstacles to overcome and how their accumulated knowledge is linked with other belief systems and attitude about achieving success.An organised methodology, set of processes and delivery technology to support the building of tacit knowledge in leadership innovation would represent a significant contribution to the present body of knowledge. The model presented here, however, shows that a pre-requisite of such development is the exploration of mindshift patterns that involve significant unlearning. Through the proposed developmental model lens, the present study identified a number of transformations of locus of knowledge during which targeted push for enabling action would bear most impact. It is planned, in future research programmes, to carry out interventions at various points along the pathway aimed at yielding very different results - some that will cause long-term changes, others that will produce results within a shorter time span. The three important intervention points that were identified - start-up, plateau and \"pre-chasm\" - seem natural starting point indicators. These are the leverage points at which it will be most effective to share the lessons learned from successful leaders. Addressing the first key intervention point starts by assessing the additional competencies that can be developed in leaders and guide them in understanding their own learning processes, including tacit knowledge building.This knowledge is relevant to both organisations (Beckett et al., 2000) and practitioners (Baird and Meshoulam, 1988; Hedlund et al., 2003) because individual and team-held tacit knowledge has been recognised as a source of firm competitive advantage (Mascitelli, 1999). Why is it important? Because there are potential major benefits in accelerating the leadership development process as a whole, and learning and tacit knowledge building is critical to this process. Accordingly, the hypothesis that leaders' stories provide a rich resource of experience that can be used to inspire and give confidence to upcoming leaders in the process of building their tacit knowledge is currently under scrutiny.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The paper seeks to capture leadership tacit knowledge mechanisms built throughout leaders' careers. Learning to be a leader involves developing the tacit knowledge to give confidence in one's decisions. Most of the knowledge required cannot be acquired from explicit documents - rather, it is built through action, experience and reflection. This research focuses on leadership in the innovation context where learning potentially occurs through a variety of knowledge building processes.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Narratives from 31 leaders who have achieved success in innovation leadership were collected piloting a tacit knowledge articulation methodology. From the narratives, a model is proposed which is embedded in the leadership career pathways of these innovation leaders.\nFindings: - The findings suggest that leadership tacit knowledge mechanisms evolve with organisations' life cycle. A bi-focal (developmental and \"locus of knowledge\" factors) model was assembled to explain how successful leadership involves balancing \"locus of learning\" from internal and external sources and facilitating mind-shifts (e.g. collaboration and communication paradigms underlying relationship and networking processes).\nResearch limitations/implications: - The study sample size was relatively small - further replications with a larger number of subjects and in different contexts are planned or under way.\nPractical implications: - This research has implications relevant to both leaders interested in bringing their organizations to their next developmental level and to practitioners because leverage points are identified at which interventions designed to share the lessons learned from successful leaders will be most effective.\nOriginality/value: - Tacit leadership knowledge is not easily transferred into explicit \"how-to\" instructions for consumption by a prospective innovation leader, yet it is a major source of competitive advantage. It is more appropriate to view innovation leadership development as a tacit knowledge building process in individuals and groups, rather than a knowledge transfer from knowledgeable leaders to wannabe leaders. A developmental model is proposed that integrates the changes occurring in learning patterns while firms expand their loci of knowledge.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Service excellence in the light of cultural diversity: the impact of metacognitive cultural intelligence
|
[
"Cultural diversity",
"Cultural intelligence",
"Service encounter",
"Out group status"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Managing cross-cultural encounters is critical for many service providers(Johnson and Grier, 2013, p. 306).Several factors have converged in recent years leading to a dramatic increase in intercultural interactions. Forces of globalization, growing access to the global business community, and increasing workforce mobility necessitate interactions with people who are culturally different on a scale that was previously unimaginable (Wang et al., 2011). This fact, in tandem with analogous developments in numerous countries across the globe (e.g. the current influx of immigrants into the EU), exemplifies the diversification of the customer base as well as the workforce on an international scale (Chen et al., 2012). The increase in cultural diversity presents critical challenges in social and work life (Youssef and Luthans, 2012) and may result in an escalation of the number of intercultural misunderstandings and failures (Ang and Van Dyne, 2008; Mannor, 2008).\nLiterature review and hypotheses development: The service encounter\nMethods: Sample and procedure\nResults: Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations are shown in Table I. As mentioned earlier, the survey was set up in a 2x2 experimental design (context by group status). However, the moderator (metacognitive CQ) is a state variable that was measured (as opposed to manipulated) in the experimental subjects. Therefore, the results were tested using hierarchical linear (ordinary least-squares) regression with controls. Metacognitive CQ was mean-centered prior to regression analyses. Controls were entered in Step 1 of the regression model followed the main effects in Step 2. Finally, interaction effects were entered in Step 3, as shown in Table II.\nDiscussion: Our discussion highlights the study's findings and the contribution of this research for the services marketing field and its implications for practitioners. We also identify some limitations of the study and present suggestions for future research to help further explore and understand the role of CQ in managing service encounters.\nLimitations and future research opportunities: Lastly, the study is not without limitations. While we made an attempt to include respondents from varying cultural backgrounds in our sample, the scenarios used to conduct the study are set in the USA. It would be interesting to see if the findings are consistent across a different cultural backdrop. Using a restaurant setting also limits the generalizability of the study over other contexts such as the service component of manufacturing or business to business. Particularly, the importance of service adaptation in a business to business context cannot be highlighted enough (Zhu and Zolkiewski, 2016). Previously seen as manufacturing firms, firms like IBM and General Electric compete on their service offerings and the services they provide have costly implications for their customers (Gwinner et al., 2005). Exploring the role of CQ in these service settings would be a valuable avenue of research.\nConclusion: In summary, we believe this study is interesting because it sheds light on the mechanism driving service employees to bridge differences with culturally distinct customers. The TPB guides us toward an understanding of why cultural differences and out group status affect the propensity of the service employee to adapt. Furthermore, we showed that metacognitive CQ is an intangible asset that can influence the propensity to adapt. This ability to adapt in an increasing diverse society should play an important part in recruitment, selection, and training of current and future employees.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand when, how, and why service employees adapt the service encounter to meet the values and expectations of culturally disparate customers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors tested the hypothesized framework utilizing a scenario-based experimental study. In total, a sample of 296 prospective restaurant service employees were asked to evaluate their willingness to adapt their behavior when faced with cultural differences as well as out group status. Furthermore, respondents were asked to assess their level of metacognitive cultural intelligence.\nFindings: The authors found that both perceived cultural differences and out group status positively affect the service employee's willingness to adapt their behavior. Further, cultural intelligence (CQ) positively moderates one of those two direct relationships.\nOriginality/value: The authors extend the literature on the service-adjustment process, as well as the managerial implications of service adjustment. The study is among the first to introduce the role of the service employees' CQ in adaptation to an intercultural service encounter.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A note on the aphorism "there is nothing as practical as a good theory"
|
[
"Friedrich W. Dörpfeld, G. Stanley Hall",
"Gustav Robert Kirchhoff",
"Immanuel Kant",
"Kurt Lewin"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: \"Es gibt nichts Praktischeres als eine gute Theorie\"\nIntroduction: Those who study history soon become aware that inaccuracies in the written record are commonplace. Indeed, assuring historical accuracy has been a challenge confronted by historians for centuries. Warning of the dangers inherent in the inaccuracies that emerge with the passage of time; Griffiths (1757, p. 531) admonished historians to recognize that:\nA nice story and the General Electric Company: All this makes a nice story. It, however, omits several incontrovertible facts. Simply stated (Lewin's unnamed \"business man\" aside), the saying \"Nothing is as practical as a good theory\" was popular in Germany well before Lewin was born there in 1890 and was even widely used in advertising copy in the 1920s. Case in point, the General Electric Company was running a full-page ad asking \"How Large is an Atom?\" and responding, in part, \"Years may thus be spent in what seems to be merely a purely 'theoretical' investigation. Yet nothing is so (sic) practical as a good theory\" (italics added; Figure 1, paragraph 5, line 2). This advertisement ran in campus magazines across the USA, including The University of Oklahoma Magazine, The Aggie Squib (Massachusetts Agriculture College, now the University of Massachusetts Amherst), The Illinois Chemist (University of Illinois), The Cornell Chemist, The Gargoyle (University of Michigan), The Siren (University of Illinois), The Creighton Chronicle (Creighton University), The Holy Cross Purple, The Colorado School of Mines Magazine, The Radcliffe News, The Cornell Civil Engineer, Tech Engineering News (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), The Simmons College Review, The Virginia Reel (University of Virginia), The Iowa Engineer (Iowa State University), The Michigan Technic (University of Michigan) as well as the Chinese Students'Monthly and the Government Accounting Office's GAO Review.\nAnd G. Stanley Hall, too: Digging a bit deeper, however, evidence indicates that the oft-quoted \"Lewin saying\" was well-worn decades before the 1920s. Psychologist and educator G. Stanley Hall sounded the same claim (\"nothing is so practical as a good theory\") in The Princeton Review (Hall, 1882, p. 310) and repeated it verbatim in Pedagogical Seminary articles published in 1892 (p. 76) and 1908 (p. 200). Hall's fondness for \"Lewin's saying\" is obvious, in that, he recycled it ad verum in his 1904 book Youth, Its Education, Regimen, and Hygiene (p. 331), as well as in his 1923 autobiography, The Life and Confessions of a Psychologist (p. 447). In none of the above instances does Hall provide a source for the saying, thereby, inferring that the words are either in such common use as to not require attribution or are his own.\nEnter Friedrich W. Dorpfeld: The story of \"Lewin's saying\" does not end here, however, as evidence also indicates that it was common in Germany years before Lewin was born and some two decades before the preceding Hall references. The earliest use of the saying that I have been able to document dates to German educator Friedrich W. Dorpfeld's 1873 book on the theory of elementary curricula titled Grundlinien einer Theorie des Lehrplans: zunachst der Volks- und Mittelschule (An Outline of a Theory of the Curriculum: Initially for Primary and Secondary Schools). The following \"motto\", appears on its title page: Eine richtige Theorie ist das Praktischste, was es gibt (Figure 2). Translated literally, this reads: \"A correct theory is the most practical thing\". Before long, this wording, although still ascribed to Dorpfeld, morphed into Es gibt nichts Praktischeres als eine gute Theorie or, more in line with Lewin's wording, \"There is nothing more practical than a good theory\". The transition from richtige Theorie to gute Theorie may, perhaps, be explained by the fact that, in announcing the publication of his own book under the heading Selbstanzeigen (self-announcements) in the journal, Evangelisches Schulblatt (Dorpfeld, 1873b, p. 212), which he edited, Dorpfeld used the wording gute Theorie rather than as richtige Theorie in quoting his own motto. Contemporaries who cited Dorpfeld and likewise quoted his motto as it appeared in his Evangelisches Schulblatt announcement rather than his 1873 book, include Kehr (1880, p. 13), Hofmann (1907, p. 14), Cauer (1909, p. 402) and Zeifsig (1911, p. 267). Examples of later German authors who did not cite Dorpfeld, but cited his motto per his Evangelisches Schulblatt notice, include Rohden (1908, p. 7), Pick, (1908, p. 32) and Hellpach (1918, p. 111). Volkmer (1908-1909, vol. 1, p. 194) is the only source I have been able to locate that both cited Dorpfeld and quoted his motto as printed in his 1873 book. Granted, the relationship between theory and practice expressed in the two versions of Dorpfeld's motto is slightly different, his understanding of this relationship is clear. As he further explained: \"Sie wissen wohl, dass zur Praxis eben so gut die Theorie gehort, wie zu den Trauben der Weinstock\" or \"They know well that to practice belongs theory, just as to grapes belongs the grapevine\" (Dorpfeld, 1873a, p. v).\nImmauel Kant and G. Robert Kirchhoff, too: Unequivocally establishing the source of an aphorism can be a precarious undertaking at best. Whether Dorpfeld should be credited as the original source for \"Lewin's saying\" remains an open question. A Google search using the terms \"eine gute Theorie ist das praktischste, was es gibt\" results in other source attributions, including German philosopher Immauel Kant (1724-1804) and German physicist Gustav Robert Kirchhoff (1824-1887). None of these suggested alternatives, however, provides a source for its claim. Kant did author an essay that appeared in the Berlinische Monatsschrift in 1793 titled Uber den Gemeinspruch: Das mag in der Theorie richtig sein, taugt aber nicht fur die Praxis (\"On the Common Saying: That May be Right in Theory but It Won't Work in Practice\"). As Kant (1793) explains, the essay's primary intention was to rebut the notion that \"was in der Theorie sich gut horen lasst, fur die Praxis von keiner Gultigkeit sei\" (what in theory sounds good, does not have relevance for practice) (p. 203). At no point, however, does Kant comment on the practicality of a good theory per se. Alternatively, Kirchhoff is cited as the aphorism's originator in various German mathematics textbooks, but (again) none that I have been able to locate provide a source citation nor, after searching Kirchhoff's published work [Gesammelte Abhandlungen (Collected Works), 1892], have I been able to locate any such statement on his part (Kirchhoff, 1882).\nConclusion: At best, it thus seems that whereas the true origin of the aphorism \"There is nothing so practical as a good theory\" may never be known, it can be confidently concluded that it did not originate with either Kurt Lewin or an unnamed \"business man\". The widespread acceptance of this attribution, however, underscores the observation that received knowledge is often wrong. It also provides one more illustration that, whatever their origin, once errors of attribution appear in print, they become diffused and amplified, taking on a life of their own as they are transmitted from generation to generation.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to consider one inaccuracy in the written record of our discipline. That is, how the aphorism \"There is nothing as practical as a good theory\" came to be regarded as Kurt Lewin's signature saying.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Primary and secondary sources were used in the research.\nFindings: By tracing the history of the above-captioned aphorism back through its use by the General Electric Company in the 1920s to Friedrich W. Dorpfeld's 1873 book Grundlinien einer Theorie des Lehrplans, zunachst der Volks- und Mittelschule, it can confidently be concluded that it did not originate with Lewin.\nPractical Implications: Those who study history soon become aware that inaccuracies in the written record are commonplace. Indeed, assuring historical accuracy has been a challenge confronted by historians for centuries.\nOriginality/value: The widespread acceptance of Lewin as the originator of the referenced aphorism underscores the observation that received knowledge is often wrong. It also provides one more illustration that, whatever their origin, once errors of attribution appear in print, they become diffused and amplified, taking on a life of their own as they are transmitted from generation to generation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A missing link: the behavioral mediators between resources and entrepreneurial intentions
|
[
"Entrepreneurship",
"Perceived behavioural control",
"Attitude",
"Subjective norm",
"Resource-based perspective"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Unemployment remains a major problem for the European Union. Although its growth has been controlled, it is still very high in the countries of Southern Europe such as Spain and Greece. They have unemployment rates above 20 per cent, much higher than the average rate of other European countries, which is estimated at 9 per cent. This problem is further aggravated for younger age groups, especially those between 16 and 19 years, for whom the unemployment rate is estimated at more than 60 per cent in Southern European countries such as Spain, Italy or Greece, while the average rate in European countries is 22 per cent (data from Eurostat). Entrepreneurship is viewed as a solution to youth unemployment.\nThe entrepreneurial intentions and access to resources: The theory of planned behaviour identifies three determinants of intentions: attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control or self-efficacy. Attitude towards the behaviour refers to the extent to which an individual has a favourable evaluation of starting a new business. Subjective norm refers to the perceived social pressure to start a new business. Self-efficacy or perceived behavioural control refers to the perceived ease of starting a new business.\nData and methodology: The empirical analysis is based on primary survey data collected from secondary school students from a region of Spain (Murcia) in December 2014. In this paper, a regional analysis based on one region was conducted because it has been shown that there are significant regional variations in entrepreneurial activity (Linan et al., 2011). By focusing on one region, the need to control environmental factors which can explain the differences in entrepreneurial intentions and bias the results was avoided. Moreover, Murcia was chosen because it has a high percentage of potential entrepreneurs (i.e. people aged 18-64 who have declared their intention to launch a business in the next three years, but who have not yet started). In 2013, 11.1 per cent of Murcia's population expressed an interest in starting their own business, which was higher than in other areas of Spain (9.4 per cent) (Pena et al., 2015). Even so, Murcia lags behind the USA (16.6 per cent) and the average of other developed economies (14.8 per cent) in this regard (Singer et al., 2015). However, the actual level of entrepreneurial activity - nascent entrepreneurs (i.e. the percentage of adults who are starting up a business but have not paid salaries for more than three months) and TEA (total early-stage entrepreneurial activity) - is similar to that for the whole of Spain, but less dynamic than that in the USA and other developed countries.\nResults: The proposed structural equation model has been estimated as recommended by Bentler (1995) and Byrne (2006), and the adjustment measures of the structural equation modelling are within the parameters recommended in the literature (Figure 2), so there is a good fit (Satorra-Bentler kh2 (267)=954.19 (p=0.000), NFI=0.90, NNFI=0.90, IFC=0.92, IFI=0.92 and RMSEA=0.06).\nDiscussion and conclusions: This research contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship by examining the effect of access to resources - financial, human and cultural capital - on entrepreneurial intentions. Previous studies have examined the direct effect of resources on entrepreneurial intentions (Pruett et al., 2009; Sandhu et al., 2011). This paper suggests that the previous studies suffered from the problem of omitted variables because they consider only resources, ignoring attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control. But nevertheless, the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991) points out that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control or self-efficacy are the determinants of intentions and, therefore, they should be taken into account.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Based on the theory of planned behaviour and the resource-based perspective, the purpose of this paper is to provide a well-supported explanation of how access to resources, defined as those controlled by the family context and not necessarily controlled by the student, changes attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control and, consequently, the entrepreneurial intentions of secondary students.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In contrast to traditional research methodologies, this study used a different approach based on primary survey data collected from secondary students to study future entrepreneurial intentions. Structural equation models were used in the empirical analysis.\nFindings: Secondary students with more access to resources - financial and human capital - have stronger entrepreneurial intentions because they have more favourable attitudes and subjective norms, and greater perceived behavioural control. This study finds that cultural capital has no significant impact on entrepreneurial intention.\nPractical implications: Key policy actions should increase access to resources for young people.\nOriginality/value: This study shows that the effect of access to resources on entrepreneurial intention is mediated by attitudes, social norms and perceived behavioural control. The results suggest that the relationship between access to resources and entrepreneurial intentions is more complex and nuanced than previously thought.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Qualitative research can improve understandings about disaster preparedness for independent older adults in the community
|
[
"Qualitative research",
"Disasters",
"Disaster preparedness",
"Older Adults"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Over recent decades there has been a growing concern about the impact of natural disasters on people's lives and interest in developing environments and processes that will improve outcomes by minimising harm prior to, during, and after a disaster. There is also growing concern that climate change may lead to an increasing number of extreme weather events that will adversely affect individuals and communities (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2012). One population group who is at increased risk during natural disasters and experience higher mortality and morbidity rates are older adults over the age of 65 years (Bolin and Klenow, 1988; Perry and Lindell, 1997; Cutter et al., 2003; World Health Organisation, 2008; Powell et al., 2009). To date there has been little age-specific disaster research on independent older adults living in the community, and there is a need to understand more about the influences on disaster preparedness for this age group. This paper begins by highlighting concerns about an ageing population and older adults' vulnerability to a disaster. Our paper then draws attention to a gap in current quantitative preparedness research, and presents a rationale for the use of qualitative research methodologies to improve outcomes for independent older adults, who can be less visible in the community, but who are at higher risk of being vulnerable to a disaster.\nOlder adults and disaster vulnerability: The number of older adults in the population and the anticipated care burden associated with population ageing has increasingly become a global concern. Currently western countries are experiencing the effects of a demographic transition (from a high birth rate and low life expectancy to a low birth rate and longer life expectancy) and the number of older adults is increasing as the post-war \"baby boomer\" generation (born between 1946-1964) begins to turn 65 years old. This change has seen the global population of persons over 60 years in 1950 rise from 205 million to 810 million in 2012, and is projected to reach one billion within ten years and two billion by 2050 (United Nations Population Fund, and Help Age International, 2012). In New Zealand, the 2006 census population for older adults over 65 years was 510,000. These numbers are predicted to increase 2.8 fold to reach 1.44 million by 2061 (Statistics New Zealand, 2007). World wide, as the \"baby boomer\" generation ages a greater number of older adults are likely to become vulnerable, which can be defined as being susceptible to harm (Mechanic and Tanner, 2007) during disasters.\nOrganisational perspectives influence research about older adults: Research that has been undertaken tends to take an organisational focus to identify the specific needs of older adults (see Pekovic et al., 2007). Similarly, post-disaster evaluation assessments have tended to be undertaken by organisations and government agencies using a \"lessons learned\" approach to inform the direction of future preparedness planning. With regards to improving outcomes for older adults the US Senate Committee on Health and Education, Labour and Pensions, correctly concluded that at the local and state government level, agencies responsible for care of older adults did not have detailed plans for evacuating the elderly, and neither was it clear as to whom was responsible (Gibson and Hayunga, 2006). Similarly, questions seeking to improve outcomes for older adults arising from the Hurricane Katrina disaster focused on asking: \"How can the needs of older persons be integrated into existing plans at the federal, state, and local levels?\" and \"How can first responders be trained in understanding the needs of vulnerable older adults and persons with disabilities?\" (Gibson and Hayunga, 2006, p. 29). Organisational response actions that were proposed from the \"lessons learned\" approach included: developing a coordinated response for the evacuation of older adults; the wider participation of different stakeholders both at the government and non-government levels to discuss role clarification; a greater focus on public education about emergency preparedness; creating a system to locate and identify older adults during a disaster; establishing clear lines of organisational responsibility during times of disaster at the federal, state, local, and institutional level with regard to the evacuation of older adults (Gibson and Hayunga, 2006).\nExtending research paradigms beyond a quantitative approach: Much of the disaster research on preparedness has remained focused on measuring population characteristics that predict or influence individual behaviour and individual adoption of official recommendations. Characteristics include socio-economic factors (Heller et al., 2005; Mulilis et al., 2000; Lindell and Perry, 2000; Spittal et al., 2008; Turner et al., 1986), household composition (Dooley et al., 1992; Turner et al., 1986; Russell et al., 1995; Peek, 2010), gender (Mileti and O'Brien, 1992; Mulilis, 1999; Kahan et al., 2007; Flynn et al., 1999), and age (Ngo, 2001; Heller et al., 2005; Perry and Lindell, 1997; Solberg et al., 2010). However, there is a need to adopt a critical and reflexive research perspective to further understand the multidimensionality of these factors and how they influence individual preparedness for a disaster. A more fine-grained research perspective would contribute to improving protection for at-risk populations. Vulnerable populations in particular need greater research differentiation through sensitive and contextual methodological enquiry to further understand influences on preparedness to hazard events.\nA rationale for age-specific qualitative research: There is a need to extend research horizons beyond quantitative methodologies, which have focused on measuring behaviour change and predicting influences on preparedness towards qualitative methodologies. Gathering rich, in-depth research data provides relational and subjective accounts, and brings personal, social and cultural knowledge into the research domain. Qualitative methodologies are reflexive and innovative, and these attributes can contribute towards more dynamic ways of developing theoretical understandings of disaster preparedness. For example, a recent study by Roberto et al. (2010) used in-depth phenomenological qualitative techniques to analyse the data collected on the experiences of older women recovering from a natural disaster. Arising from this methodology (symbolic interactionism, which positions the individual's sense of self as being influenced by social interaction and relationships), the authors identified four broad areas that reflected the challenges faced by the participants after the disaster: maintenance of social connections, family connectedness but loss of independence, and re-establishment of a sense of place and management of their health. In seeking to understand how recovery research can inform questions relevant to the context of disaster preparedness, it is significant to see the importance of social resources after the event, along with factors that support independence and the importance of a sense of place (physical: home and treasured possessions); emotional (having a sense of control such as planning for a change in circumstance); and practical concerns (issues to do with planning regarding health and access to health). The research by Roberto et al. (2010) is important for two reasons; first it has provided information about relational experiences of recovery, which can inform pre-event preparedness; and second, the methodology has extended disaster research beyond the commonly used methodology of surveys and questionnaires to provide rich detail and social context about individuals' lives. Another qualitative study based on older adults' experiences following a large earthquake in Bam, Iran in 2003 reported that older adults' needs were not taken into account during the relief phase (Ardalan et al., 2010). Furthermore, the emergency services were inappropriate for older adults' personal needs, and socio-cultural expectations meant that they did not actively ask for help, which contributed to feelings of insecurity and emotional distress (Ardalan et al., 2010). Research by Tuohy and Stephens (2011) used narrative interviews to gain understandings about older adults' experiences of a flood disaster. They found that the limited attention given to preparation and planning with older adults to reduce the impacts of a possible flood event, despite their proximity to a flood protection levee (stop bank) significantly influenced outcomes. Reduced social connectedness to the community, meant that these older adults were evacuated at the very last moment, which placed them at greater risk, and many lost their homes and treasured possessions, which held sentimental and emotional value relevant to recovery (Tuohy and Stephens, 2011). This research highlights the need for greater attention to be given to older adults living independently in the community and consideration of age-specific subjectivities and socio-cultural influences on preparedness to a natural disaster.\nIdentifying experiences and meanings: In this paper we suggest that qualitative research methodologies can provide rich accounts of experiences and meanings, which seek to understand how and why individuals perceive, reflect, and interpret their world. One research method that makes sense of people's experiences is narrative. Narrative conveys meanings from the perspective of the individual narrator that are socially located. Narratives are a culturally shared resource (Phoenix et al., 2010) and so the rich detail expressed in narrative enables personal, social, and cultural practices to be integrated to provide a more complete view of social life. Within gerontology, narrative research has provided insight into the diverse experiences and age-related challenges of being an older adult (e.g. Kenyon et al., 2011; Gubrium, 2001; Featherstone and Wernick, 1995; Phoenix and Griffin, 2011; Tuohy and Stephens, 2012).\nConclusion: The growing number of older adults worldwide has created challenges for society with regards to addressing how best to protect and reduce disproportionate negative outcomes for this at risk group in a natural disaster. Older adults' vulnerability to poor outcomes may best be understood in terms of personal and social factors relating to health-related functional decline, socio-economic capacity, environmental location, and the availability of social network resources. Within disaster research, ageing has tended to be constructed within frameworks relating to demographic concerns, biological decline, and organisational policy. Social cognition theories and models and quantitative methods have dominated the preparedness literature; and older adults have not been included as active participants in the research process. Reducing older adults' social vulnerability to a disaster can be further informed by focusing on the aged themselves, which has practical implications for a population group that is increasing worldwide.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Improving older adults' preparedness for and response to natural disasters has become an important issue. Population ageing, together with concerns about increasing extreme weather-related events, has added further impetus to the need to reduce older adults' vulnerability to disasters. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the above issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Social and environmental influences on community dwelling independent older adults have not been accounted for in models of hazard adjustment, which have invariably used quantitative research methods.\nFindings: To date much of the preparedness and response research has focused on organisational responses to preparedness, while perspectives from older adults have received less attention. Furthermore social and environmental influences on community dwelling independent older adults have not been accounted for in models of hazard adjustment.\nOriginality/value: Extending research to include qualitative methodologies, which recognises older adults as active participants in research about themselves, would contribute to increasing understandings about influences on disaster preparedness and response; and inform social policies and prevention programmes.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
To gain or not to lose? The effect of monetary reward on motivation and knowledge contribution
|
[
"Motivation",
"Regulatory focus",
"Knowledge management",
"Knowledge contribution",
"Monetary reward"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The question \"why should I share?\" asked by Wasko and Faraj (2005) a decade ago, when people generally accepted the idea that the efficiency of knowledge workers determines the fate of organizations to a large extent (Grant, 1996), has received an extensive amount of attention from both scholars and practitioners (Hwang et al., 2015; Wang et al., 2014). Hitherto, organizations are even more committed to exploring and exploiting knowledge-based resources. One crucial aspect of such attempts is encouraging employees to contribute their knowledge through various means, including face-to-face communication, email, online chat and online discussion. This is because business leaders and managers realize the pivotal role of individual knowledge in improving organizational performance, ranging from avoiding mistakes (i.e. avoiding a serious medical error, Blatt et al., 2006) to triggering organizational progress (i.e. providing innovative ideas, Liu et al., 2014). However, individual knowledge is typically considered highly private, a source of individual prestige over others (Ipe, 2003; Lin and Huang, 2010). That is, knowledge contribution benefits the organization at the cost of individual advantage (Yu and Chu, 2007).\n2. Theoretical development: 2.1 Reward and knowledge contributions\n3. Methods: 3.1 Participants and design\n4. Results: 4.1 Descriptive statistics\n5. Discussion: Drawing on regulatory focus theory, this study investigated how two different types of reward, namely, incremental reward and decremental reward, influenced self-perceived knowledge contribution, knowledge contribution quality and knowledge contribution quantity. Results from a laboratory experiment showed that incremental reward could elicit individual promotion foci, which, in turn, facilitated self-perceived knowledge contribution and knowledge contribution quantity, but negatively affected knowledge contribution quality. In contrast, decremental reward could prime individual prevention foci, which, in turn, facilitated self-perceived knowledge contribution and knowledge contribution quality, but negatively impacted knowledge contribution quantity.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of reward type on knowledge contribution behavior. Individual knowledge contribution, which determines the effectiveness of information systems, benefits the organization at the cost of individual advantage as knowledge is usually considered highly private or even a source of individual prestige. Therefore, organizations provide rewards to compensate for their contributors' knowledge loss. Surprisingly, some scholars report a positive relationship between reward and knowledge contribution, while others find this relationship to be insignificant or even negative. Based on regulatory focus theory, this study proposes and tests that such inconsistencies result from disparity between reward type and knowledge contribution measures.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A between-group laboratory experiment with 144 undergraduate student is designed and hierarchical regression is applied to test the hypotheses.\nFindings: An incremental reward (additional reward for attaining outstanding achievements) aroused individual promotion focus, leading to an increase in self-perceived knowledge contribution (self-reported) and knowledge contribution quantity (experiment observers rated), but a decrease in knowledge contribution quality (peer rated). However, a decremental reward (deducted for errors) primed individual prevention focus, leading to an increase in self-perceived knowledge contribution (self-reported) and knowledge contribution quality (peer rated), but a decrease in knowledge contribution quantity (experiment observers rated).\nOriginality/value: The findings help explain why previous empirical results on the reward-knowledge contribution relationship were inconsistent and add to extant literature by introducing a new theoretical perspective for understanding motivation in knowledge management research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Organizational knowledge retention management using a constructivist multi-criteria model
|
[
"Performance evaluation",
"Knowledge management",
"Knowledge retention",
"Multi-criteria decision aiding–constructivist (MCDA-C)"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Historically, organizations have sustained their success using strategies related to price and quality. With the advent of global interconnection in real-time, dimensions such as agility, flexibility, innovation and sustainability became increasingly important. In this flourishing environment, knowledge has emerged as the main competence for success (Spender and Grant, 1996; Nonaka and Von Krogh, 2009; Lin et al., 2016) and we now live in a knowledge-based economy, where information, knowledge and learning are key resources (Nonaka et al., 2006; Joshi et al., 2016).\n2. Literature review: Knowledge management has become increasingly important as organizations realize that the effective use of their knowledge assets provides them with the ability to innovate and respond to customer expectations in a rapidly changing environment (Daghfous et al., 2013; Joshi et al., 2016). Knowledge retention is one of the concerns of knowledge management (Heisig, 2009; Liyanage et al., 2009; Martins and Meyer, 2012; Lin et al., 2016) and involves the maintenance of critical skills, abilities, experience and knowledge, even when the employees who possess these traits leave the organization (Mishra and Uday Bhaskar, 2011; Schmitt et al., 2012). Therefore, there is a focus on maintaining information and knowledge in the organization's processes and activities, to avoid the discontinuity of knowledge upon the departure of employees. Knowledge retention denotes the extraction of tacit knowledge and its storage in the organizational memory so it can be explicit to others and used later (Mishra and Uday Bhaskar, 2011).\n3. Methodology: Aiming at scientific acceptance and giving meaning and credibility to the results produced by modeling in decision aiding contexts, researchers may follow three main ontological or epistemological paths, namely, the realistic path, the axiomatic path and the constructivist path (Roy, 1993). Each of these paths follows a very well-defined vision of the problem and generates different solutions (Ensslin et al., 2020, 2001; Roy, 1993).\n4. Model construction and results: This section presents the phases of the model construction and illustrates its application in the target organization as part of the process of knowledge retention management. The built model was based on the MCDA-C methodology, considering its ability to deal in a specific way with problems characterized as \"confusing situations\" that demand structuring, evaluation and recommendation to support management in monitoring and improving decision-making environments (Bana e Costa et al., 1999).\n5. Conclusions and contributions: The competitiveness of organizations is based on knowledge. Organizational knowledge retention, in particular by the valorization and management of people who have knowledge in strategic areas, is one of the dimensions with the potential to increase competitiveness. With this in mind, this study built a model to support the management of organizational knowledge retention based on the MCDA-C methodology. This instrument was chosen for its ability to deal with confusing situations that require structuring, evaluation and recommendation, to monitor and improve decision-making environments in a unique way.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to support the management of organizational knowledge retention through a multi-criteria decision aiding-constructivist model.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This exploratory and descriptive case study presents a decision support model guided by the constructivist approach and proactive in its operationalization.\nFindings: The objectives and concerns of decision-makers regarding the retention of organizational knowledge are identified and organized into six strategic areas of concern, namely, recognition, knowledge dissemination, organizational culture, succession of professionals, management of vulnerability origins and knowledge management; a multi-criteria model is constructed and operationalized by a cluster of cardinal scales, showing and measuring the status quo of the performance profile, both in a local and global way, to support the management of the organization's knowledge retention; activities are classified into three performance levels (compromising, competitive and excellent), supported by graphical and numerical evidence; and the process to generate actions to improve the performance of critical activities and create the conditions to maximize the results of the organization is illustrated.\nPractical implications: Based on the model, decision-makers are now aware of the essential aspects to support knowledge retention management, enabling them to monitor the current situation and proactively respond to ensure that the current knowledge potential is maintained and exploited.\nOriginality/value: Use of a constructivist approach to support the management of knowledge retention, incorporating into the model the specifics of the context and the values of its managers, and thus giving it legitimacy.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Context-based patient choice management in healthcare
|
[
"Finland",
"Contextualization",
"Demand-supply-based operating modes (DSO)",
"Patient choice",
"Prenatal screening and testing"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Patient choice management\nMethods: Two structural steps were involved. First, we took the prenatal screening and testing implemented in the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) in Finland as an example and contextualized the choices in this episode by using DSO logic. We drew a flowchart and mapped the choice points by reading relevant materials and consulting professionals (Figure 1). After contextualizing the choices, we empirically investigated how women make choices and compared women's choice-making at two different contexts by interviewing 26 women participating in prenatal screening and testing. Midwives at the Fetomaternal Medical Center helped to recruit the interviewees. Most interviews were conducted in Finnish and some were in English. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated into English for consistency and imported into Atlas.ti qualitative data analysis software. Semi-structured interview data were processed by thematic analysis. Authors AC and HT independently coded the data, identifying the women's choice-making characteristics that include behaviors, thoughts, experience and factors influencing choices (which we call items). The two authors discussed and agreed items and categorized them into themes that can be compared for different contexts. We enhanced validity by organizing discussions in the research team, consulting the experts from delivery hospitals and maternal clinics, and getting feedback from relevant parties and professionals.\nFindings: Choice points and contexts in prenatal screening and testing implemented at HUS\nDiscussion and recommendations: This study is about context and its influence on patient choice-making. Context is defined as the clinical setting and the DSO. Each choice point can be put in a context, each with different parameters and decision rules, and appropriately managed to increase its upsides and reduce its downsides. Through empirical investigation, we discover that patient choice-making can differ in dissimilar choice contexts, regarding choice activeness, main preferences, social influence, information needs, choice difficulty and emotional status. This strongly supports our main argument that patient choice should be contextually understood and managed.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: In healthcare, there is limited knowledge of and experience with patient choice management. The purpose of this paper is to focus on patient choice, apply and test demand-supply-based operating (DSO) logic integrated with clinical setting in clarifying choice contexts, investigate patient's choice-making at different contexts and suggest context-based choice architectures to manage and develop patient choice.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Prenatal screening and testing in the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS), Finland, was taken as an example. Choice points were contextualized by using the DSO framework. Women's reflections, behaviors and experience at different choice contexts were studied by interviewing women participating in prenatal screening and testing. Semi-structured interview data were processed by thematic analysis.\nFindings: By applying DSO logic, four choice contexts (prevention, cure, electives and continuous care) were relevant in the prenatal screening and testing episode. Women had different choice-making in prevention and cure mode contexts regarding choice activeness, information needs, social influence, preferences, emotion status and choice-making difficulty. Default choice was widely accepted by women in prevention mode and individual counseling can help women make informed choice in cure mode.\nOriginality/value: The authors apply the DSO model to contextualize the patient choice in one care episode and compare patient choice-making at different contexts. The authors also suggest the possible context-based choice architectures to manage and promote patient choice\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
School leadership theories and the Malaysia Education Blueprint: Findings from a systematic literature review
|
[
"Transformational leadership",
"Instructional leadership",
"Distributed leadership",
"Malaysia Education Blueprint"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Many countries are seeking to improve their education systems in order to enhance their competitiveness in an increasingly global economy. Referring to Asia's tiger economies, Hallinger (2004, p. 63) argues that \"global economic competition has raised the stakes for educational attainment, individually and collectively. Consumers now define the meaning of quality education globally, rather than locally or nationally\". The growing importance of international comparisons of student learning outcomes, notably the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), increases the visibility of different levels of performance and often informs national reform initiatives. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which operates PISA, claims that PISA rankings are the \"world's premier yardstick\" for evaluating the quality, equity and efficiency of school systems (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 2012). It adds that PISA allows governments and educators to identify effective policies to adapt to their own contexts (OECD, 2012).\nConceptual framework: As noted above, the conceptual framework for this review is informed by the theoretical assumptions underpinning the MEB, with its strong normative emphasis on IL, and its support for distributed and transformational models. We also discuss theories linked to these normatively preferred models. Other models, for example, moral and authentic leadership, are discussed in the literature (e.g. Begley, 2007; Branson, 2007; Bush, 2011) but they are not included in the review below, as they do not feature in the Blueprint.\nReview methods: The review process began with an electronic search of key databases, such as Science Direct, Ebsco, Emerald, Shibboleth, Ingenta Connect, ERIC, Web of Knowledge, JSTOR and Athens, accessed via university libraries, the Ministry of Education and Institut Aminudin Baki (IAB) websites, and through Google and Google Scholar search engines. The authors conducted a systematic literature search of sources, in English and Bahasa Malaysia, relevant to the project, using the following search terms:\nResults and analysis: Instructional leadership\nLeadership and student outcomes: The Blueprint highlights an ambition to improve Malaysia's position in the PISA rankings, from its current standing in the bottom quartile to the top third by 2025. Research on the relationship between leadership and student outcomes is important in understanding how this might be achieved.\nSynthesis and conclusion: The MEB documents an ambitious attempt to transform the schools' system so that is among the best in the world, for example, in respect of PISA scores. One key dimension of this reform relates to school leadership. The Ministry of Education is exhorting principals and other leaders to move away from administrative leadership and to adopt instructional, distributed and transformational approaches. There is substantial evidence for the beneficial effects of these leadership modes in the international research and literature. However, as this literature review demonstrates, there is much less evidence to support their efficacy in centralised contexts, including Malaysia.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the Malaysian literature on three prominent leadership models (instructional, distributed and transformational), linked to a major educational reform initiative captured in the Ministry of Education's Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB).\nDesign/methodology/approach: The approach is a systematic review of all relevant Malaysian literature, in English and Bahasa Malaysia, on instructional, distributed and transformational leadership and alternative terms linked to these models.\nFindings: The findings show that there is an emerging literature on these leadership models and their prevalence in Malaysian schools but that they have been interpreted in ways that are distinctive to the highly centralised Malaysian context. For example, instructional leadership is prescribed, so there is some evidence of its practice, notably in respect of monitoring. Similarly, distributed leadership is allocative, rather than emergent, as suggested in western literature.\nResearch limitations/implications: The findings show that, while research on these models is emerging, much more research is required to establish whether and how leadership practice in Malaysia differs from that outlined in the normative western literature.\nPractical implications: There is emerging evidence to suggest that instructional and distributed leadership, if enacted carefully, can have a positive impact on student outcomes.\nSocial implications: The leadership models were developed in western, mainly decentralised, contexts, and there are clear implications for how such models might apply in highly centralised cultures, such as that prevailing in Malaysia.\nOriginality/value: This is believed to be the first systematic review of the Malaysian literature on school leadership models, linked to the MEB. It is also distinctive in including both English language and Bahasa Malaysia sources.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Corporate governance as a value driver for firm performance: evidence from India
|
[
"Corporate governance",
"Firm performance",
"Legal indicator",
"Board indicator",
"Proactive indicator"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Investors prefer to deal with companies with better governance practices. A firm with good corporate governance (CG) practices can raise fund for investment at a lower cost (Agrawal et al., 1996) thereby strengthening its financial performance. Research distinguishes good governance from bad governance with the help of indicators such as the proportion of outside directors in the board, separation of the role of the chairman and the chief executive, and the likes. Number of research has attempted to construct various indices to assess CG with the help of such indicators (Bebchuk et al., 2004; Brown and Caylor, 2004; Gompers et al., 2003; Larcker et al., 2005). Studies have examined the link between CG and financial performance, often with inconclusive results, by using different CG indicators (Chen et al., 2007; Khanchel, 2007; Larcker et al., 2005). Developments and research related to CG is more in developed countries compared to Asian countries (Lyngaas, 2003; Shleifer and Vishny, 1997) though instances of gross violations of CG standards in Asian countries such as the infamous case of Satyam in India (Chen, 2009) have raised concern among academicians and regulators alike. Only little research has looked at developing CG indices in the context of emerging economies such as India. There are also mixed findings on the direction of causality between firm performance and CG (Chidambaran et al., 2006; Core et al., 2006). In this context, this paper attempts to develop a CG measure in the Indian context and examines its relationship with firm performance.\nCG in India: After embracing globalization and liberalization in the early 1990 s, India has been aggressively transforming to a new economy by encouraging the participation of private sector companies in contrast to the dominance of state-owned-enterprises earlier. Effective monitoring of business organizations, however, has been a crucial task. Often Anglo-American models of CG are offered as solutions to this problem. However, structural characteristics of Indian economy and the CG problems are different from that in the USA and the UK. In developed countries CG issues mostly focus on disciplining the management, whereas in emerging countries such as India, the problem lies in limiting the expropriation of minority shareholders. The problem of dominant shareholders, with or without a higher stake, gives rise to serious CG issues in India (Varma, 1997). This, in turn, gives rise to attendant problems related to board functioning, role of audit committees, tunneling of funds among group companies, inadequate disclosure, expropriation of minority shareholders, and the likes.\nCG indicators: Research on CG has mostly focused on examining structural dimensions of the board (Dalton et al., 1998; Zahra and Pearce, 1989), board size, board independence, CEO duality, and activity of various board sub-committees (Chen et al., 2007; Dwivedi and Jain, 2005). Few research has attempted to construct CG indices such as the multiple metrics suggested by Larcker et al. (2005) (38 governance measures), Bebchuk et al. (2004) (24 governance measures), Gompers et al. (2003) (24 governance measures) and Brown and Caylor (2004) (51 governance factors).\nFirm performance: Traditionally most of the managerial performance measures have been based on financial measures of performance (Eccles, 1991; Nanni et al., 1992). Different accounting ratios[2] are often used to measure financial performance. These measures include return on assets (ROA), return on equity, and return on sales. Out of these measures, ROA is found to be a better measure as it captures the performance of the management and is not contaminated by the differential degree of leverage present in firms. Some researchers operationally define financial performance as ROA (Berman et al., 1999; Venkatraman and Ramanujam, 1986). Theoretically ROA is positively correlated with the stock price. Hence, ceteris paribus, a higher ROA implies higher value creation for shareholders.\nCG and firm performance: Well governed companies have better credibility for which it becomes easier for them to obtain funds from financial institutions at a lower rate compared to less governed companies. Using Akerlof's (1970) model of information asymmetry, we argue that better governed companies have lower information asymmetry that sends positive signals to investors who, in turn, willingly supply funds at a low cost to such companies. Shareholders prefer to invest in a company with lower cost of capital as that leads to higher enterprise value and stock price for a given cash flow projection. Evidence suggests that investors pay a premium for stocks of well governed companies (Agrawal et al., 1996; Coombes and Watson, 2000). Effective CG mechanisms ensure better resource allocation and management, raising the return to capital. Companies with the highest rankings in good governance practices also have the highest financial performance (\nLegal compliance indicators and firm performance: Fair and transparent legal and judicial systems give confidence to foreign investors. Legal rules and quality of law enforcement with respect to investor protection have an effect on the size of capital markets (La Porta et al., 1997). India ranks much lower compared to developed countries such as Australia and Singapore with respect to several indicators of the CG environment, rule of law and its enforcement (La Porta et al., 1996). In large family-owned and -controlled firms, found mostly in emerging economies including India, legal expropriation of minority shareholders by controlling shareholders (La Porta et al., 2002) is a serious issue. Pyramid structure of management, a characteristic feature of many Indian companies, is negatively related to firm performance in countries with weak regulatory system (Peng and Jiang, 2006). In such case, a strengthened institutional framework can help correcting CG problems. We have included two indicators to capture the extent of legal compliance by firms in India - adverse auditor's report and tax liability of firms.\nBoard of directors and firm performance: Board is an important control point that alleviates agency problems and helps companies to create value for shareholders (Fama and Jensen, 1983; Jensen, 1993; Leighton and Thain, 1995; Williamson, 2002). Past research has included board indicators such as CEO duality (Dey, 1994; Fama and Jensen, 1983), board compensation schemes (Leighton and Thain, 1995; Baker et al., 1988), board ownership of the firm (Jensen, 1993; Monks, 1995), and the proportion of internal versus external directors (Fama and Jensen, 1983; Dey, 1994) to capture board effectiveness. This study includes nine sub-indicators by taking clue from past research and SEBI's recommendations to capture board effectiveness in Indian companies - promoter's stake, CEO duality, board size, number of independent directors in the board, percentage of independent directors in the audit committee, number of board meetings, number of other companies' boards in which the directors are members, frequency of attendance in the board meetings, and performance based compensation of the CEO.\nProactive approach towards CG: Proactive postures by agents with respect to issues such as providing earnings forecast or giving additional information in the annual reports such as CG reports send positive signal to the market. Sometimes managers have some information related to the business which shareholders do not have. Access to such information can facilitate better decision making by shareholders. Of late many Indian companies have started giving estimates of future earnings. As it is not legally mandatory to provide such information, such gestures send positive signal to the market about a firm's credibility and better CG practice. There is also growing importance of socially responsible investment among investors that emphasizes environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investment analysis and portfolio construction. According to the Social Investment Forum (2012) at the end of 2011, nearly 3.31 trillion US dollars in assets were being socially managed representing nearly 11.3 percent of all managed assets. Publication of CG or CSR reports or inclusion of ESG initiatives in the annual report boosts the confidence of shareholders. Only few companies in India belonging to selected industries such as oil, steel and chemicals provide social reporting (KPMG, 2005). The Birla committee in India has recommended for inclusion of a management discussion and analysis report in the annual report giving information about matters such as industry structure and developments, opportunities and threats, risks and concerns, and outlook to the shareholders. Till September, 2002, only 41 percent of the listed companies had reported on this issue[3]. Hence we propose the following hypothesis:\nMethodology: Large Indian companies were selected from the Prowess database of Centre for Monitoring of Indian Companies (CMIE), which has data on promoters' stake, stock price, beta, CG reports, and companies that belonged to the \"A\" group stocks listed in the Mumbai Stock Exchange of India. \"A\" group stocks are the large-capital stocks with most liquidity and are widely tracked by analysts and stock market investors. There were 141 such companies belonging to 18 categories of industries from which the requisite data were obtained. The average sales generated by the companies in the sample were 83,218.43 crore[4] Indian rupees and average net income was 6,479 crore Indian rupees. The promoters had an equity stake in 56 percent of the companies whereas institutional investors had an equity stake in 24 percent of the companies (please see Table I for details).\nMeasures: CG indicator\nResults: Pearson correlations among the studied variables, legal indicator, board indicator, proactive indicator, composite CG measure and financial performance are given in Table II. Initial correlation results in Table II suggest that except the legal indicator, the remaining two indicators - board and proactive - are significantly related to ROA. The composite CG measure is similarly found to be related to ROA.\nDiscussion: A weak relationship between legal indicator and financial performance implies that existing legal compliance mechanism in Indian firms is not adequate to boost investors' confidence that would subsequently improve the bottom line of firms. Weak enforcement of laws coupled with institutional void (Khanna and Palepu, 1997) dwindle investors' confidence on firms (La Porta et al., 1996, 2002). As many as 34 of the 141 surveyed firms in our study have reported some form of disputed tax liability in the balance sheet. Such findings suggest that despite mandatory requirements, some companies have a tendency to default in tax payments. Even when a firm has complied with all legal requirements, market reads it as a mere compliance exercise. Accounting fraud in the Indian company Satyam Computer Services Ltd. in 2009, a leading global consulting and information technology services provider, is a case in point. Though Satyam had complied with all legal requirements on papers and was even conferred with the Golden Peacock Global award for excellence in CG (\nLimitations and future research direction: This study has few limitations. First, this study develops CG indicators for large \"A\" group companies in India. We have excluded smaller companies and large service companies from our sample. This might have contributed to data inconsistency. Second, the data were collected from 18 categories of industries. Issues faced by each category being unique and different, an aggregate analysis across multiple categories of industries might have missed industry-specific issues. However, CG issues included in the study, being generic and prescriptive in nature, would hold good across industry categories. Third, while developing the composite CG measure, we could not include few key variables such as firm's policy towards insider trading, presence of anti-takeover devices, default in payment of interest to creditors, and the likes for the lack of availability of such data in the Indian context. Future research may include such factors while constructing the CG measure and study its influence on firm performance. As the existence of a single largest shareholder creates CG related problems due to the large concentration of family businesses in India, future research can expand the CG measure by adding promoter related issues as the fourth indicator.\nConclusions: This study develops a CG measure considering the institutional factors in India. Most of the past research on CG has focused on the effectiveness of the board in alleviating the CG related problems. However, in emerging economies where market imperfections and complex pyramid structures in business groups exist, CG should not be looked as a function of only traditional board indicators. In this paper, we have enriched the board measure by adding the equity stake of promoters in the board indicator in addition to several other sub-indicators. Proactive indicators have a significant role in reflecting CG practices in firms. The strong influence of the proactive indicator on firm performance calls for creation of socially desirable funds in India that would focus on investing in companies with better CG records. The legal compliance indicator may not be a sufficient indicator for CG in Indian context. A largely ineffective legal compliance indicator suggests that India indeed has to take stronger initiatives to ensure a more robust legal environment in order to boost investors' confidence. This is particularly important as the weak law enforcement and ineffective regulatory and compliance mechanisms are leading to growing incidence of corporate fraud in India (KPMG, 2012). A positive relation between the CG measure and firm performance can motivate Indian companies to adopt better CG practices that can improve the overall CG map in the country.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The study aims to examine corporate governance issues in India and establish the relationship between corporate governance and financial performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The sample comprises 141 companies belonging to the \"A\" group stocks listed in the Mumbai Stock Exchange of India. Considering the institutional uniqueness in India, a composite measure of corporate governance is developed comprising three indicators - legal, board and proactive indicators. Data on the three indicators and financial performance were procured from secondary sources. In the step-wise multiple regression analysis, the influence of these three indicators and the composite measure of corporate governance was examined on firm performance after controlling the confounding effects of firm size.\nFindings: The board and the proactive indicators influence the firm performance significantly whereas legal compliance indicator does not do so. The composite corporate governance measure is a good predictor of firm performance.\nOriginality/value: This study has two contributions: one, it proposes a composite measure of corporate governance considering the unique institutional characteristics of the Indian economy. Two, the study establishes the predictability of the new measure of corporate governance on firm performance as a tool to boost investors' confidence and financial health of firms.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Macroeconomic conditions at workforce entry and job satisfaction
|
[
"Subjective well-being",
"Job satisfaction",
"Macroeconomic experiences",
"Panel data models"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Our welfare is partly determined by us and partly determined by conditions that surround and are out of control of us. For example, current economic conditions have a large impact on our employment, income and so individual well-being. But, the conditions influencing our welfare are not limited only to current ones: a growing literature suggests that past macroeconomic conditions, particularly labor market conditions, at the time of entering workforce have large and long-lasting effects on individuals' career and economic outcomes, such as the level of labor income, positions held, entering entrepreneurship (e.g. Beaudry and DiNardo, 1991; Oyer, 2008; Mansour, 2009; Kahn, 2010; Yu et al., 2014). For example, Kahn (2010) establishes that 1 percent increase in the unemployment rate at the time of workforce entry leads 6-7 percent income loss for graduates in initial periods and these graduates incur 2.5 percent income loss even 15 years later.\n2. Literature: A considerable literature has grown up around the theme of subjective well-being variables and job satisfaction is one of the most frequently stated issues in subjective well-being. A conventional definition of job satisfaction is given by Locke (1976: p. 1300): \"a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one's job or job experiences\" (as cited in Clark, 1996). Following the study of Hamermesh (1977), the present literature puts forward that individuals' job satisfaction is determined by their personal and job characteristics.\n3. Data and methodology: Data for this study were retrospectively collected from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) which released in 1991 and annually thereafter. The study was conducted in the form of a survey, with data being gathered via a wide range of information about individual and job characteristics, household demographics, etc. By the end of the survey, the period from 1991 to 2008, data had been collected from 238,996 individuals. All of the participants were aged between 17 and 74. Following to Kahn (2010), Bianchi (2013), Cockx and Ghirelli (2016), the sample of the research is restricted to full-time employees (working more than 30 h) with a college degree, because individuals with less educational background can adjust the time of workforce entry much easier compared to college graduates and as non-graduates may take into account business cycles when they decide to enter the workforce, this may lead to endogeneity bias in the analysis[1]. This restriction leaves us a sample of 13,065 individuals.\n4. Empirical results: 4.1 Ordered probit estimates\n5. Conclusion: There is much evidence on that macroeconomic conditions at time of graduation have non-negligible and long-lasting effects on economic and career prospects of individuals: the unlucky ones who graduated and entered workforce at slack economic times have fewer earnings, fewer career opportunities, less likely to enter entrepreneurship compared to the lucky ones who graduated at economic boom periods (e.g. Oyer, 2006; Kahn, 2010). Our study goes further and asks whether macroeconomic conditions at the time of workforce entry have an impact on later job satisfaction even when controlled for its economic and career outcomes.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine whether individual experiences at workforce entry affect later job satisfaction.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study utilized the British Household Panel Survey for the years between 1991 and 2008. Ordered probit estimation is used for the analysis. Also fixed effect and pooled ordinary least squares methods are employed to make robustness check.\nFindings: The results of the analyses show that people who enter the workforce when the unemployment rate is high have less job satisfaction even in later ages compared to the ones who enter the workforce when the unemployment rate is lower. Even controlling for important factors on job satisfaction, such as industry and occupation differences, age, gender and income, the effect of workforce entry conditions on job satisfaction continues to survive. The results indicate that high unemployment has larger and longer lasting negative welfare effects than commonly predicted.\nSocial implications: An increment in workforce entry unemployment rate causes lower job satisfaction even years later of these early workforce experiences. The results indicate that high unemployment has larger and longer lasting negative welfare effects than commonly predicted.\nOriginality/value: The study is among the few that investigates macroeconomic experiences on job satisfaction and the first one providing evidence on the negative effect of entering the workforce in worse economic conditions on later job satisfaction.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Assessment of food security among households in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa: Evidence from General Household Survey, 2014
|
[
"Food security",
"Poisson regression",
"Eastern Cape Province",
"HDDS"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Food is one of the three major needs of all human beings; it is meant for life sustenance, prevention of sickness and provides energy for the normal physiological and daily activities of the body (Alade and Eniola, 2012). Food security is multi-dimensional; it exists when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. This includes a minimum availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods; and an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in a socially acceptable ways (i.e. without resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing or other coping strategies) (FAO et al., 2014). Food insecurity, which is the antonym of food security, on the other hand, is lack of access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active economic and social life. The presence and prevalence of hunger and malnutrition, which are elements of food insecurity, have effects that last throughout the life cycle of people. For instance, poorly nourished households have children who grow up to be less healthy and productive than they could be; also hungry and malnourished adults may provide less labor and resources with consequences on productivity and implication for income and poverty status. While nutrition is a dimension of health relating to the macro and micronutrients adequacy for an individual diet, poor diet, diseases, reoccurring body weakness, sickness and other factors indicate that many people do not get the nutrients they need for a healthy life. The human potential and productivity losses due to under-nutrition seriously constrain economic development, costing more than 10 percent of individual lifetime earnings and accounting for 2-3 percent loss of annual gross domestic product (World Bank, 2006 cited in Hendriks and Olivier, 2015). The food security situation across the world shows signs of improvement, considering the progress reported in achieving the Millennium Development Goals goal and the World Food Security target, however, progress recorded differs across the regions of the world. According to latest FAO et al. (2014), estimates show that about 805 million people were estimated to be chronically undernourished in 2012-2014, which is a reduction by more than 100 million people over the last decade and 209 million people since 1990-1992. Despite the reduction, nevertheless, one in every nine people in the world still has insufficient food for an active and healthy life and one in eight people (13.5 percent of the population) remains chronically undernourished in the developing.\nMaterial and method: Study area and data\nResults and discussion: Socioeconomic characteristics of households\nConclusion and recommendations: An analysis of food security status of households in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa from the dietary diversity perspective was examined in this study. The study revealed that though households in the province appear to have high dietary diversity, yet there is a lack in the consumption of food groups that have vital micronutrients. Based on empirical investigation, the paper concludes that key factors that could positively aid households in increasing their dietary diversity are household head qualities (age, gender, education, marital status, employment status), recipient of pension, while households located in rural areas negatively support household dietary diversity. Hence, the following policy insights are suggested based on the findings of this study:\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze food security status and its determinants among households in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on the General Household Survey which was conducted in 2014 where 3,033 households were sampled from the province. Specifically, this study examines the determinants of food security proxy by dietary diversity (24-hour recall) using descriptive statistics, Poisson regression. A frequency count of food groups consumed household dietary diversity score was used as the explained variable.\nFindings: The descriptive analysis shows that, although 61.7 percent of households in the study area have a high dietary diversity score, however, food group giving micronutrients are less consumed as food groups having cereals (maize), beef, sugar and oil was mostly consumed. Results on the marginal effect of Poisson regression indicate that household head characteristics (age, gender, education, marital status, and employment status), pension receiving households and geographical location significantly influence household dietary diversity.\nOriginality/value: This study advocates for the intensification of rural development and food security programs, formal and informal education for household heads, female empowerment and dietary enlightenment for households in order to promote the consumption of diverse diets and more healthful food groups.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Using geostatistical techniques to map adaptive capacities of resource-poor communities to climate change: A case study of Nkonkobe Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
|
[
"South Africa",
"Climate change",
"Adaptive capacity",
"Geostatistical techniques",
"Nkonkobe Local Municipality",
"Vulnerability assessment"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Adaptive capacity assessment is a significant component of vulnerability assessments because it aids the identification of resource-poor communities deserving priority consideration during the formulation of strategic responses to climate change (Gbetibouo, 2009) and the allocation of resources and provisioning of assistance. It is also useful in that it assists the governing of adaptation actions by facilitating effective and timely implementation of planned response measures. Climate change-driven afflictions are often difficult to respond to because climate change is a long-term continuous change in average weather conditions (Davis, 2011; IPCC, 2007; Marshall, 2014; Ramamasy and Baas, 2007; Rayner and Minns, 2015) with persistent adverse effects that require implementation of objectively informed interventions. Because climate change occurs over long period, the persistence of changes associated with it implies that interventions designed to mediate its effects have to be robust enough to enable vulnerable communities to cope with unpredictable stochastic events. The unpredictable nature of these events and their severity and duration often require recourse to high levels of flexibilities which resource-poor communities are often unable secure because their adaptive capacities are limited by poverty (IPCC, 2007).\n2. Adaptive capacity conceptual framework: This section begins by defining adaptive capacity as commonly used in the literature and proceeds to provide a brief overview of selected examples of adaptive capacity assessments by different authorities with the latter being intentioned to shed light on the strengths and limitations of conventional techniques that have been used to assess adaptive capacity in different areas.\n3. Materials and methods: 3.1 Study area\n4. Results and discussion: The results of this investigation are presented in the form of maps and a table.\n5. Conclusion and recommendations: The aim of the study was to provide a cost-effective, time saving, replicable and user-friendly case study-based approach to assess the adaptive capacities of resource poor households by systematically identifying villages with low adaptive capacities to the adverse effects of climate change. This was accomplished by identifying a multi-tiered suit of specific resources that need to be provided to villages that are vulnerable to scarcities and shortages of specific resources. The assessment conducted was able to provide a comprehensive overview of the spatial distributions of coping capacities at a municipal level. However, to apply the methodology at larger scales, the datasets need to be also confined to large scale such provincial or national level. The major advantages of the methodology are that it is time-saving, cost-effective, user-friendly, replicable and capable of offering tremendous scope for aiding quick climate policy decision-making by facilitating verifiable and objective identification of villages with low adaptive capacities to climate change. The social implication of the presented methodology is in guiding public policy interventions aimed at reaching, protecting and uplifting socio-economically disadvantaged populations in both rural and urban settings.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to present a case study-based approach to identify resource-poor communities with limited abilities to cope with the adverse effects of climate change. The study area is the Nkonkobe Local Municipality, in the Eastern Cape which is one of South Africa's provinces ranked as being extremely vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change because of high incidences of poverty and limited access to public services such as water and education. Although adaptive capacity and vulnerability assessments help to guide policy formulation and implementation by identifying communities with low coping capacities, policy implementers often find it difficult to fully exploit the utility of these assessments because of difficulties in identifying vulnerable communities. The paper attempts to bridge this gap by providing a user-friendly, replicable, practically implementable and adaptable methodology that can be used to cost-effectively and timeously identify vulnerable communities with low coping capacities.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A geostatistical approach was used to assess and evaluate adaptive capacities of resource-poor communities in the Nkonkobe Local Municipality. The geospatial component of this approach consisted of a multi-step Geographical Information Systems (GIS) based technique that was improvised to map adaptive capacities of different communities. The statistical component used demographic indicators comprising literacy levels, income levels, population age profiles and access to water to run automated summation and ranking of indicator scores in ArcGIS 10.2 to produce maps that show spatial locations of communities with varying levels of adaptive capacities on a scale ranging from low, medium to high.\nFindings: The analysis identified 14 villages with low adaptive capacities from a total of 180 villages in the Nkonkobe Local Municipality. This finding is important because it suggests that our methodology can be effectively used to objectively identify communities that are vulnerable to climate change.\nSocial implications: The paper presents a tool that could be used for targeting assistance to climate change vulnerable communities. The methodology proposed is of general applicability in guiding public policy interventions aimed at reaching, protecting and uplifting socio-economically disadvantaged populations in both rural and urban settings.\nOriginality/value: The approach's ability to identify vulnerable communities is useful because it aids the identification of resource-poor communities that deserve priority consideration when planning adaptation action plans to deliver support and assistance to those least capable of effectively coping with the adverse effects of climate change induced vulnerabilities.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Exploring knowledge dimensions for improving performance in organizations
|
[
"Organizational knowledge",
"Individual knowledge",
"Group knowledge",
"Tacit knowledge",
"Explicit knowledge",
"Organizational performance"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The concept of organizational knowledge was popularized by Drucker (1993), and there has been increased research interest in its understanding and application. The assertions of Jackson et al. (2003) and Kai et al. (2014) suggest that the greatest transformations in the twenty-first-century business environment largely depend on the creation, exploitation and management of knowledge. Therefore, organizational knowledge creates a platform for business managers to re-engineer their business processes to become knowledge-driven.\nTheoretical background of the study: Existing studies have elaborated on conceptual and empirical issues relating to organizational knowledge and performance within varying global economic contexts. Regardless of the gaps identified in the present study, these existing studies direct the flow of discussion in this present study.\nMethodology: The study is descriptive in nature. Thus, the study attempts to describe the relationships between the variables included in the research (Jong and van der Voordt, 2002) as a way to contribute to existing knowledge in the fields of strategic management and human resource development. The research question relating to this design, therefore, seeks to determine how telecommunication firms, in low-tech economies, such as Nigeria, apply organizational knowledge to drive their firms' performance. More specifically, this study is aimed at answering the question on how organizational knowledge constructs that reflect human and IT complementarity can contribute to existing understanding of the existing theories on organizational knowledge and firm performance. The telecommunications industry is central to organizational knowledge and orientation in developing economies such as Nigeria. This is because the telecommunications industry is knowledge-based and contributes significantly to the national economy, particularly in terms of GDP (National Bureau of Statistics, 2016; Ogbo et al., 2012). Studies have shown that telecommunications managers in Nigeria recognize the importance of organizational knowledge on the performance of their companies (Olunifesi and Isola, 2013). However, the extent to which they are aware of the existence of different types of knowledge and how they influence performance has not been clearly established. More so, the Nigerian telecommunication industry is significant in achieving the purpose of this study because it is one of the fastest developing global telecommunications markets and it contributes significantly to the nation's drive for a technology-based society (Adi, 2015; Nigerian Communications Commission, 2019).\nResults: The analysis of the semi-structured interview was carried out using thematic analysis. The following are the themes raised during the course of the interview and the results that were gathered from respondents.\nDiscussion: The focus of this study was to investigate the influence of organizational knowledge on the performance of telecommunication firms in Nigeria. Using a qualitative means of data gathering and thematic analysis, the study revealed that organizational knowledge dimensions such as individual-tacit, individual-explicit, group-tacit and group-explicit knowledge are essential to achieving organizational objectives and higher levels of performance. The possible reason for these findings could be that the firm largely promotes a collective use of knowledge more, or rather, than individualism (Ibidunni et al., 2018c). This is such that, in using knowledge to resolve customer complaints, especially those that are beyond the coverage of the firm's online knowledge base, employees would rather seek collective solutions than attempt to individually seek out a means to the customers' queries (Fei et al., 2009; Huang, 2014; Ibidunni et al., 2018a). This again reflects the fact that there is an apparent application of high-level tacit collective intelligence by employees of the firm. This study discovered a good measure of proofs of group-tacit knowledge utilization in achieving the objectives of the telecommunication firms. Within their work environment, it is obvious that firm managers largely lead through team initiatives and collective knowledge sharing as a means of sustaining performance. Previous studies have recommended this type of practice, especially for firms in the telecommunication industry because of its advantage of ensuring flexibility in operating with the external environment (Vinje and Nordkvelde, 2011). In business economies, where customer behavior and preferences are widely unpredictable, knowledge sharing among employees can significantly help firms be more aware of their rising customer needs, hence, devising strategies to satisfy them.\nImplications: The focus of this research was to investigate the influence of organiational knowledge on the performance of telecommunication firms in Nigeria. Based on the findings of this study, the following theoretical and practical implications were made.\nConclusion: The study concludes that customer service employees and departments may be improved by better understanding of the relationship between use of individual-tacit, individual-explicit, group-tacit and group-explicit knowledge. Consequently, organizations need to build a robust workforce of experts who can respond to issues pertaining to customers and also rely on teamwork to solve customer service issues. Therefore, it is recommended that managers pay attention to encouraging organizational members to drive performance through organizational knowledge dimensions, especially individual-tacit, individual-explicit, group-tacit and group-explicit knowledge.\nLimitation of the study: Organizational knowledge is a concept that is gaining global attention in the business economy. Therefore, issues that are related to organizational culture reflect a viable area of research endeavor. Consequently, further research should consider examining the role of organizational culture on knowledge use in organizations because this will give more insight into organizational knowledge literature. Future research should investigate the use of knowledge by organizations from a cross-country perspective. This will provide a deeper and more insightful understanding of organizational knowledge.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of organizational knowledge on organizational performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A survey of 66 managerial cadre employees of firms in Nigeria's telecommunications industry made up the population for this study. The research study is descriptive in nature and it adopted a qualitative research design. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.\nFindings: The study revealed that organizational knowledge dimensions such as individual-tacit, individual-explicit, group-tacit and group-explicit knowledge are essential to achieving organizational objectives and higher levels of performance. However, it is obvious that telecommunication firms in Nigeria are still laid back in their efforts to become aware of specific knowledge management strategies, especially with the adoption of specific information technology facilities that could achieve this goal.\nOriginality/value: Although organizational knowledge has been argued as a vital means of enhancing organizational competitiveness, most discussions in existing literature have been limited by a technology-based perspective of organizational knowledge. As a result, human cognitive skills have largely been expunged in relation to organizational knowledge discourse. Based on a conceptualization of organizational knowledge from a perspective that combine people and technology, this research proposes four dimensions of organizational knowledge that can be linked to performance.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Revisiting the carry-over effects of advertising in franchise industries
|
[
"Brand equity",
"Advertising",
"Sales growth",
"Carry-over effect",
"Panel vector autoregression",
"Panel VAR"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The franchise business occupies an influential position in the US economy (Dant, 2008). According to the World Franchise Council, approximately 18 million employees work in over 1,500 franchise chains across the USA. In fact, the USA has three times more franchises than other countries such as France and Brazil (Dant et al., 2008). Franchises account for roughly one in seven jobs and generate almost 10 per cent of the US private sector economy (Reynolds, 2004). Consequently, market competition in franchise industries is fierce. Brand value is the most important factor for surviving and protecting a firm's position in the market (Sullivan, 1992; Villarejo-Ramos and Sanchez-Franco, 2005). As the prior literature argues, strong brands can contribute to increased revenue streams for the products sold under those brands (Aaker, 1996; Kapferer, 2004; Keller, 2003). Advertising is traditionally the main option for increasing system-wide firm revenue and enhancing brand value (Gupta and Lehmann, 2003). Numerous studies have supported the fact that advertising has a significant effect on firm sales and brand equity (Buil et al., 2013; Duffy, 2001; Dekimpe and Hanssens, 1995; Yiannaka et al., 2002). Lodish et al. (1995) reported a significant carry-over effect from advertising in the consumer goods market. Further, Chaudhuri (2002) argued that advertising can augment a brand's reputation. Thus, advertising may be a crucial tool for distinguishing brand assets in competitive business environments, such as hospitality businesses.\nLiterature review: Agency theory and advertising effects in franchises\nMethodology: Data\nResults: Table II shows the Panel VAR results for the full, non-franchise and franchise samples for Model 1. Using this model, we estimated the effects of advertising on sales growth. Full sample estimation results show that one-year lagged advertising costs were positive but marginally significant (at a 10 per cent significance level) and two-year lagged advertising costs were not significant. Further, the estimation of non-franchise firms shows that the two-year lagged advertising costs were not significant on sales growth. On the other hand, the one-year lagged advertising costs were positively significant for franchise firms. This implies that the effect of advertising on sales growth is not significant for non-franchise firms in comparison with franchise firms. The differing patterns of advertising effects are easily captured by the impulse-response graph in Table IV. In the impulse-response graph for non-franchise firms, the upper bound estimation error sharply increased. This means advertising costs have a positive effect on sales growth, but the variability is very large. This is also confirmed by the variance decomposition (Table V). Approximately, 94.6 per cent of the estimation errors were explained by advertising. For franchise firms, only 14.5 per cent of errors were because of advertising costs. Consequently, even though the advertising effect is marginally significant on sales growth in the full sample test, advertising has no carry-over effect on non-franchise firms. Yet it has a significant carry-over effect on franchise firms. However, as the impulse-response graph for franchise firms shows, the carry-over effect of advertising sharply decreases after two years.\nDiscussion and conclusions: Theoretical implications\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Despite prior studies, little has been done to understand the advertising carry-over effect. The purpose of this study is to investigate the heterogeneous attributes of the carry-over effect by focusing on the differences between franchise and non-franchise firms.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The data were retrieved from the Compustat database and annual corporate financial reports (10-K) for five representative franchise industries from 1980 to 2009. Ultimately, 185 firms were included and 1,592 firm-year observations were analysed. This study used a Panel VAR (Vector Autoregression) to examine the effects of advertising on firm performance. We can control endogenous effects using Panel VAR, which also allows us to control unobserved firm-specific heterogeneity.\nFindings: This study found that advertising had no effect on sales growth or brand equity in the long run for non-franchise firms and further confirmed that non-franchise firms incur agency costs. In contrast, the effect of advertising on sales growth and brand equity was significant for franchise firms. A carry-over effect of advertising on brand equity was detected for franchise firms, but sales growth rapidly decreased after two years.\nPractical implications: Even though franchise firms retain the carry-over effect of advertising on brand equity, franchisors should carefully monitor market trends and their sales growth because sales growth rapidly decreased after two years.\nOriginality/value: This study incorporated the concepts of the delayed response effect and the customer holdover effect to better understand the advertising carry-over effect. From the results, this study proposed a more detailed concept of carry-over effects for further studies. From this perspective, this study makes both academic and industrial contributions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Continuous improvement methodologies and practices in hospitality and tourism
|
[
"Six Sigma",
"Hospitality",
"Continuous improvement",
"Kaizen",
"TQM",
"Systematic literature review"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The hospitality and tourism industries have an annual global impact of over $7tn (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2016). Pressure to improve quality and efficiency within these service industries is an ever-present feature of much hospitality and tourism management (HTM) literature (Molina-Azorin et al., 2015; Ramdeen et al., 2007; Rauch et al., 2015; Suarez-Barraza et al., 2012; Tsang et al., 2015). The benefits of implementing continuous improvement (CI) initiatives have been demonstrated in various contexts (Flumerfelt and Green, 2013; Singh et al., 2010; Terziovski and Power, 2007; Toussaint and Berry, 2013), including service and public sector industries (Antony et al., 2007; Fryer et al., 2007; Tsang and Antony, 2001). While recent scholarship notes the potential of such methodologies and practices in the hospitality industry (Antony, 2015; Pearlman and Chacko, 2012; Sunder, 2016), there are few in-depth, context-specific studies of CI in the HTM literature, and no useful definitions and, to the best of our knowledge, no systematic literature reviews (SLRs) are found.\nContinuous improvement: CI is variously defined as \"an organisation-wide process of focussed and sustained incremental innovation\" (Bessant and Caffyn, 1997, p. 10), \"a culture of sustained improvement targeting the elimination of waste in all systems and processes of an organization\" (Bhuiyan and Baghel, 2005, p. 761), and \"a systematic management approach that seeks to achieve ongoing incremental performance enhancements through a gradual never-ending change process\" (Audretsch et al., 2011, p. 1922). The only definition of CI that we found generated in the HTM literature is Testa and Sipe (2012, p. 654) operational definition (derived from interviews with hospitality and tourism managers): CI \"[s]trives to improve the business and make things run smoother\".\nContinuous improvement, hospitality and service-dominant logic: The CI variants above emphasize a series of holistic, long-term commitments to improving the organization, with a shared need to understand customer requirements. Indeed, Gummesson et al. (2010) note that, since the 1980s, quality management has worked as part of a paradigm shift away from a focus on internal efficiency and product-related processes, towards the inclusion of and emphasis upon customer needs (Gronroos, 2007). This shift accompanies the gradual adoption by the service industries of CI methodologies and practices from manufacturing, observable in the literature outlined above.\nMethods: To gain a full understanding of CI research within the hospitality management literature, the authors performed an SLR, the rigor and validity of which is asserted by Denyer and Tranfield (2008) and Wang and Chugh (2014). All stages of the SLR are shown in Figure 2, adapted from Wang and Chugh (2014). Having established our research objectives, we then defined our conceptual boundaries. Due to earlier searches producing little CI research in HTM, we referred to articles outside of HTM to bring together and differentiate our selection of CI methodologies and practices (Table I). Following Farrington et al. (2017) and Wilson et al. (2017), we searched articles published in hospitality and tourism journals ranked 3 or 4 in the \"Sector Studies\" section of the ABS Academic Journal Guide 2015. Despite criticisms of journal rankings and the ABS guide in particular (Sangster, 2015; Tourish and Willmott, 2015), the ABS list is extensive and widely used (Rowlinson et al., 2011). While the review takes in some tourism literature to gain a fuller sense of how CI has been understood in a related services field, the focus of the study is CI in hospitality. Databases searched included ScienceDirect (used by Li, 2008), EBSCOhost (used by Denizci and Mohammed, 2015) and Google Scholar (used by Zeng and Ryan, 2012). Keywords used in the search included any combinations of \"Continuous Improvement\", \"Lean\", \"Six Sigma\", \"Lean Six Sigma\", \"Total Quality Management\" and \"Kaizen\". Chronological parameters were initially guided by the appearance of two issues of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (IJCHM) devoted to CI in 1994, up to and including August 2016. A search of titles, abstracts and keywords was performed, and our exclusion criteria applied to remove duplicates, returns not substantially focused on CI, and those not including original research, such as book reviews.\nResults: Of the 35 studies reviewed, IJCHM contained the highest number of publications relating to CI: 12; seven in the 1994 issues. Figure 3 shows the spread across journals. Twenty-six of the articles studied hotels or lodging, two looked at restaurants, four at tourism and three combined these: Wyckoff's (1984) study of restaurants and airlines; Nightingale's (1985) findings across hotels, restaurants and motorway services; Randall and Senior's (1994) study of hospital hotels.\nAnalysis: Foundations of continuous improvement in hospitality and tourism management\nDiscussion and conclusions: Continuous improvement in hospitality and tourism management: impacts and challenges\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to present a systematic literature review (SLR) of continuous improvement (CI) research in the hospitality and tourism management (HTM) literature. The paper also notes trends, parallels, inconsistencies and opportunities towards a clearer understanding of current scholarship.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This SLR finds a dearth of research in the field. After parameter expansion and exclusions, 35 papers across 11 journals are reviewed.\nFindings: Studies of CI methodologies and practices are published infrequently, tending to focus on total quality management in European contexts. Despite the guiding customer-centric principles of CI methodologies, studies focus on improving internal processes rather than the service encounter.\nResearch limitations/implications: The review is guided by sections of the ABS 2015 list, which excludes some journals. Books, conference papers and trade magazine articles are not reviewed.\nPractical implications: This paper identifies clear needs for CI research with a specific hospitality management focus, the development of CI toolkits and curricula for hospitality managers. The development and deployment of CI methodologies and practices in HTM literature and industry should lead to long-term service improvements.\nOriginality/value: This study asserts the need for further context-specific, practice-led research into the refinement and long-term utility of CI methodologies and practices, towards demonstration of significant bottom-line industry impact. The paper also offers a clear SLR methodology and a definition for CI in hospitality.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A code-compliance framework for fire safety in student housing facilities
|
[
"Framework",
"Inspection",
"Checklist",
"Fire safety",
"Code requirements",
"Student housing facilities"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Student housing facilities are provided to accommodate students attending the university and living on campus. These facilities are characterized by containing large amounts of combustibles that could potentially ignite and result in the development of severe fires. Students attending the university expect that their in-campus residential facilities are safe from fire hazards. Fires are known to pose a substantial risk to life and property. Fires could develop rapidly when ignition sources are in contact with combustible materials. Fire safety in student housing facilities is a shared responsibility between design and construction professionals, property managers and users. These various groups are expected to play an active role in the provision and upkeep of an acceptable level of safety throughout the design, construction, operation and maintenance phases (Bruno, 2005, 2006; Weisenberger, 2006). The International Building Code (IBC) (2012) defines a dormitory or student housing facilities as:\n2. Research methodology: To accomplish the stated objectives of this paper, the authors have undertaken the following activities:\n3. Causes of fatal fires in student housing facilities: Student housing facilities are classified as high-risk type facilities in fire emergencies because of three factors. The first factor relates to the large number of students potentially exposed at one location. The second relates to the high fire load attributed to the nature, amount and arrangement of fire fuel that exists in the student rooms. The third contributing factor is the design configuration of the majority of student housing facilities. Most of these facilities are multi-storey buildings. Therefore, occupants located in upper floors could experience escape problems because of the crowdedness and the chaos found at exit routs and while going down stairwells (Hassanain, 2008; Sanni-Anibire and Hassanain, 2015; Hassanain et al., 2017). Fatal fires could develop in student housing facilities because of several reasons. Over a study period of 16 academic years (2000-2015), the USA Fire Administration concluded that smoking was the primary cause of these fatal fires in student housing facilities, followed by intentional activities, electrical, cooking, candles and heating. Nevertheless, 18 per cent of these fatal fires were attributed to undetermined causes. Table I lists the percentages of the main causes of fatal fires in student housing facilities in the USA over the past 16 academic years [USA Fire Administration (USFA), 2015].\n4. Fire safety code requirements in student housing facilities: 4.1 Means of egress\n5. Framework model for fire safety: This section presents the development of an IDEF0 (Integrated Definition for Function Modeling) framework model for fire safety in student housing facilities by the authors. Such process models are used to depict the flow of processes and the information that would be communicated between these processes [Malmstrom et al., 1998; International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI), 1999]. In the IDEF0 graphical notation, boxes represent processes or activities, arrows from the left, right and top and bottom represent inputs to the processes, outputs from the processes, controls of the processes and actors performing the processes, respectively.\n6. Case study on student housing facilities: This section presents a case study to demonstrate the application of the developed framework. Three student housing facilities with similar architectural designs at a university campus located in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia were selected for the study.\n7. Discussion and conclusion: Fire safety methods could range from quantitative, qualitative and a hybrid of both methods. For property managers, a qualitative method based on subjective evaluations provides an easy and effective approach to ensure the fire safety of their facilities. This comes in the form of checklists. Though checklists are usually developed by individual organizations to be used in their facilities, these checklists are usually over simplistic. While fire safety codes/guidelines/standards provide detailed requirement for ensuring the fire safety of various building occupancies, property managers may come from non-technical backgrounds and are thus unable to comprehend the technical terminologies contained in these codes. In this case, a framework which entails a standardized checklist and step wise process diagram will provide property managers with an easy, yet code compliant tool to ensure the fire safety of their facilities.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the development and implementation of a qualitative, code-compliance framework for property managers of student housing facilities.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper identified the fire safety code requirements for student housing facilities and arranged these requirements in the form of a checklist, which was further validated by professional experts. Additionally, the paper presented an IDEF0 (Integrated Definition for Function Modeling) framework model that illustrates a stepwise process for the deployment of the checklist. A case study was conducted on three similar student housing facilities in a university campus to demonstrate the application of the framework. Furthermore, the findings from the case study were reported along with recommendations to improve the degree of compliance with the requirements of fire safety codes.\nFindings: The developed framework was validated by professional experts and through a case study. Fire safety provisions were mostly found to be adequate in the case study building. The authors proposed several actions to improve the current status of fire safety in the building.\nOriginality/value: The paper serves to disseminate awareness about the occurrence of fires, their severe consequences and precautionary measures in student housing facilities. It also provides a standardized checklist for ease of use by property managers who may be unable to understand the technical terminologies found in fire safety codes and standards. Thus, the developed framework is of tangible value to property managers, building specialists and student housing administrators.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Generation Y and sparkling wines: a cross-cultural perspective
|
[
"Generation Y",
"Sparkling wine",
"Champagne",
"Young consumers",
"Wines",
"Cross‐cultural",
"Marketing strategy"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: One important current area of focus for marketing research is the next generation of consumers - the group known as Millennials, Echo Boomers or Generation Y (the term used in this article). Generation Y comprises those born between 1977 and 1999 (Lancaster and Stillman, 2003). For the next 40 years, this generational cohort will become increasingly important as wine consumers; indeed, they already seem to be spending substantial amounts of money on wine (Peskett, 2006) and anecdotally in some countries they are showing increasing interest in wine (although in other places their interest is said to be declining).The wine industry generally seems aware that it needs to pay more attention to this cohort (Anon, 2006; Halstead, 2006; Kevany, 2008; Peskett, 2006). Additionally, a certain amount of academic research has examined their perceptions towards wine consumption - although much of this has been within a North American context (Nowak and Newton, 2008; Nowak et al., 2006; Thach and Olsen, 2005, 2006), and all the research to date appears to have focused on single markets.Given this context, it seems useful to extend current theoretical understanding by gaining a broader geographic perspective, looking not just at the USA but a range of Anglophone countries. This article reports on an exploratory project which attempted to do that. In order to provide some focus for the study and make it more manageable, the research focused on sparkling wine and champagne. This was considered to be particularly useful given the specific importance of symbolic consumption motivations when drinking sparkling wine (Charters, 2005). Compared with previous research, there is an increased product concentration on sparkling wines but with a greater geographical breadth. The study thus brings together two previously studied consumption categories (Generation Y and sparkling wines) which have not yet been explored in tandem. The former of these two is particularly interesting due to the inherent variability which exists in the cohort, given that wine consumption practices appear to change rapidly as the cohort ages.The aim was to create an exploratory research project, designed to generate a range of ideas about and responses to champagne and sparkling wine across a variety of different young adult populations. This allows the examination of overall perceptions, unconscious drivers which affect the response of young people, the interpretation of and response to images surrounding champagne, and an evaluation of the relative significance of the motives that influence young consumers' drinking behaviours. The key question explored by this research was how consumption attitudes and behaviour towards sparkling wine and champagne varied between members of Generation Y in a range of Anglophone countries.\n2 Context: 2.1 What do we know about Generation Y?\n3 Method: 3.1 Research design\n4 Findings: A substantial amount of data was obtained with over 30 hours of focus groups took place, resulting in 490 pages of typescript for analysis. Much of this confirmed existing knowledge of wine consumption behaviour, and specifically of attitudes to sparkling wine and champagne. This paper will concentrate on major areas of unanimity and difference between the various national groups of young consumers. Table II highlights areas of similarities and differences.4.1 Shared perspectives\n5 Discussion and conclusion: This exploratory research study highlights important linkages to the literature, as well as suggesting some clear wine marketing implications. Certain aspects of previously noted behaviour by this cohort have been reinforced, such as their desire to obtain good value (Noble et al., 2009; Qenani-Petrela et al., 2007). In terms of theoretical connections, the differences highlighted between countries do give credence to the concept that Generation Y does not hold the same viewpoints and perspectives across cultures (Durvasula and Lysonski, 2008), a point emphasised by other papers in this special issue by Mueller et al. and de Magistris et al. At the same time, their emphasis on champagne and sparkling wine as a drink of celebration and for social purposes does support research suggesting that Generation Y commonly enjoys fun and sensory experiences - which sparkling wine provides (Sheahan, 2005). Furthermore, the fact that sparkling wine is filled with bubbles and is \"dynamic\" fits this theme.Other theoretical significance has to do with Generation Y viewing sparkling wine as something they will \"grow into\". This suggests - as noted by Fountain and Lamb in this special issue - that lifecycle, rather than generation may be significant as a specific consumer demographic influence (Bruwer et al., 2001; Thach and Olsen, 2004). Likewise, perceiving champagne and sparkling wine as a \"women's drink,\" also highlights the issue that other variables are at play - in this case, gender - and that additional segmentation beyond that provided by generation is warranted.Additionally, it is interesting that participants often spoke of sparkling wine as dynamic whereas still wine was seen as static and perhaps reflective. This is one case where the attributes of the product (the movement of its bubbles) takes on a metaphorical position in the minds of consumers - it is a wine \"on the move\". At the same time, this movement seemed to have some negative connotations as well - \"I don't like being light-headed\" was considered to be a result of the more dynamic influence of the alcohol on the body.In terms of marketing implications, there are several important areas to consider. The first has to do with this cohort's emphasis on champagne and sparkling wine as a social drink and one that promotes celebration and sharing. Therefore, in advertising, it should not be portrayed as a solitary drink. This is also linked to the concept that Generation Y perceives sparkling wine to be a different category from still wine. For example, there have been several successful advertisements in the US market where a woman comes home from a long day at work and pours herself a glass of still wine to relax. This study suggests that substituting a glass of bubbly in this situation would not work.The fact that champagne and sparkling wine is considered to be a separate and special drink indicates that it should be marketed separately from still wine. Although there have been efforts by some sparkling wine producers to promote sparkling wine as an \"everyday drink,\" this study suggests this would not be well-received by this cohort. However, there is an opportunity to expand the number and type of \"special occasions,\" such as opening a bottle of fizz with friends at a bar to celebrate the end of the working week, having champagne with Sunday breakfast as a new family tradition, or taking a bottle to a beach party and highlighting how lovely the bubbles look against the sand and ocean.There is also ample opportunity to market this product as a woman's drink. Promotions that feature it as the preferred drink on girl's night out and as a great gift to buy for a female friend should be well-received by Generation Y. Likewise, sparkling wine marketers could expand promotions that target men to buy Champagne for their significant other on special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries and Valentine's Day - something which a few of the champagne houses are already doing.The fact that many young Generation Y respondents believe that they will \"grow into\" champagne and sparkling wine suggests that there is a marketing opportunity to show images which portray more sophisticated, slightly older members of this cohort (late 20's; early 30's) drinking this kind of wine and being successful. Advertisements that encourage older cohort members to \"treat themselves better by upgrading... \" to match their worldly success should be well-received - a form of aspirational marketing (Hall and Winchester, 2000). Indeed, according to the Australian focus groups, there is actually a good reason not to promote cheap sweet sparkling wine, because those in Generation Y who started drinking this style were turned off by it and more apt to adopt other drinks as they grew older.Finally, the fact that there were so many differences in response to the images across cultures, as well as the amount of money Generation Y were willing to pay by country reinforces the notion of how important it is to understand local markets before undertaking any marketing promotions. Champagne and sparkling wine marketers will want to do further intensive research on the images that should be portrayed in advertisements, as well as the pricing that will be most successful in each market.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the engagement of Generation Y consumers with champagne and sparkling wine across five Anglophone countries.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A qualitative approach was adopted using focus groups with young consumers, including images and wine tasting as projective stimuli.\nFindings: - There were significant trans-cultural similarities between consumption behaviour (sparkling wine is a women's drink, and a separate category from still wine, and that they will \"grow into\" drinking it) but also noticeable differences (responses to images and colours varied substantially, as did attitudes to price and the particular status of champagne).\nResearch limitations/implications: - Research into the behaviour of Generation Y as a cohort needs to take account of cultural as much as generational context. However, as a qualitative study the findings need further quantitative validation.\nPractical implications: - Marketers cannot view Generation Y as a single group; even within countries marketing strategies may need to be refined depending on where a product is being sold.\nOriginality/value: - No trans-cultural study on Generation Y has been carried out to date, nor has their engagement with sparkling wine been specifically explored.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Benchmarking health systems: trends, conceptual issues and future perspectives
|
[
"Benchmarking",
"Performance management",
"Health and medicine",
"Public policy"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Benchmarking of health care systems, defined as their comparison using a set of specific indicators, was until recently the domain of health economists and looked mostly at health care expenditures and their determinants (Kavanos and Mossialos, 1996; Hurst and Jee-Hughes, 2000). This changed, however, with the publication by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of its controversial report Health Systems: Improving Performance in 2000, which propelled international health system comparisons to the forefront of high-level political discussions, highlighting the potential role and pitfalls of such comparisons (WHO, 2000). Since then, many countries have used international benchmarking as a basis for guiding national health policy priorities. The most illustrative example is that of the UK, where evidence of poor relative cancer survival outcomes compared to other European countries (Berrino et al., 1995), coupled with the fact that Britain spends less of its GDP on health than most other Western nations, prompted the Labour government to inject significant funds into the National Health Service (NHS) in 2000 (Wanless, 2002; Appleby and Boyle, 2000).Benchmarking within health care systems is also on the rise, particularly in the form of performance management and target-setting. These trends stem from the \"New Public Management\" culture that has shifted expectations for public accountability of public services and stimulated the development of performance indicators and their condensation into league tables (Nutley and Smith, 1998).With the machinery of indicator development and performance assessment so fully engaged, it is timely to ask whether benchmarking using these indicators is in fact guiding health policy towards the improvement of health care system performance (Sheldon, 1998; Smith, 1995).This paper is intended as an overview of the main conceptual and methodological issues that underlie our current understanding of benchmarking initiatives in the field of health. It does not attempt to provide a thorough or comprehensive overview of ongoing benchmarking efforts in health care. Instead, the overview highlights some of the major challenges posed by existing benchmarking efforts, starting with an overview of selected initiatives at the international and national level. It then outlines an approach for categorizing benchmarking indicators, followed by reviewing some of the major conceptual problems associated with the use of such indicators. It concludes with a discussion of how health policy research and practice is evolving to address these problems.\nBenchmarking in health: a nascent art: Benchmarking was translated to the public services arena from the management field and may be broadly defined as the comparison of similar systems or organizations based on a recognized set of standard indicators. Performance assessment initially derived from the management by objectives culture and was first applied to health in the 1980s (Table I) (McGinnis, 1982). At around the same time, advances in non-communicable disease epidemiology increasingly provided sound evidence for causal links between risk factors and disease as well as on the effectiveness of treatments in clinical trials, thus offering the prospect to link policy action to potential health gains in the population and leading, eventually, to the translation of policy priorities into health targets (van Herten and Gunning-Schepers, 2002). Recognition of the value and existence of explanatory data and an increasing culture of measurement within different health care systems fostered the development of evaluation in health care, concentrating efforts on the use of existing data to understand health care processes and assess their outcomes.Overview of international benchmarking initiatives\nA proposed categorisation of benchmarking indicators: As in most evolving areas of research, there is considerable confusion over nomenclature in the field of benchmarking in health. Benchmarking indicators have been defined as \"a measurement tool used to monitor and evaluate the importance of governance, management, clinical and support functions\" (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 1990). To provide a framework for systematically assessing benchmarking initiatives, we propose a categorization for such indicators in Table III.Level of comparison, measurement focus\nConceptual problems: Underlying data\nDiscussion: benchmarking in practice: It is essential to consider the unintended consequences of benchmarking within health care systems. The selective attention drawn to what can be measured at the expense of what may be important but remains unmeasured, may lead to a distortion of values and incentives within the system and contribute to a short-term culture of \"box-ticking\" amongst health care managers under pressure to comply with seemingly arbitrary performance standards (Sheldon, 1998; Smith, 1995). The tendency of aggregating different measures into composite indicators (such as the WHR 2000 performance indicators) may also pose problems, possibly creating perverse incentives as those involved change their practice or recording methods to achieve higher rankings at the expense of actual performance. Managers and practitioners report a sense of \"inspectorial overload\" and \"target fatigue\" as they face increasing checklists of indicators and targets and little rationale for how these data will be used to improve the system (Walshe et al., 2001). These feelings are perhaps an unavoidable growing pain of health care systems adapting to decentralization of accountability coupled with a centrally-driven performance management culture. Nonetheless, the issues of trust and accountability that they raise between health care players should not be overlooked.The interpretation of benchmarking data may also pose problems. Decision makers armed with performance results may exhibit myopia (losing sight of the actual target), tunnel vision (enacting legislation without thinking about its implementation); and blindness (turning a blind eye to the failures or limitations of policies to achieve results) (McKee, 2002). As suggested by Navarro (2001), benchmarking results must be viewed both scientifically and politically, as each observer's value system and perspectives will inevitably influence the interpretation of available data. As was suggested by O'Leary (1995), \"The problem with measurement is that it can be a loaded gun: dangerous if misused and at least threatening if pointed in the wrong direction\". This comment is a sobering reminder of the need to examine benchmarking data with scrutiny and with full understanding of the context from which data are derived and the limitations inherent in their interpretation.Further research is needed to determine whether national benchmarking initiatives have indeed contributed to improving the performance of the health care systems they are measuring. Several scholars have expressed fears that indicator measurement within national contexts has become an end in itself and have urged for the evaluation of existing benchmarking indicator systems (Blalock, 1999; Goddard et al., 2000; Smith, 2002; Walshe, 2003). Such evaluations are needed to assess the impact and validity of the indicator systems used, their contribution to increasing accountability through the performance management process (Goddard et al., 2000) and their ability to truly reflect the goals and objectives set out by the health care system (Blalock, 1999).At an international level, benchmarking research is evolving to respond to these different challenges. The OECD Healthcare Quality Indicator Project (HCQI), described in Table II, aims to synchronise existing efforts to propose a core set of indicators to evaluate the quality of health care systems. The great strength of this initiative lies in the direct involvement of top-level health representatives from the participating countries. Moreover, it aims to encourage the collection of indicators that best reflect the policy priorities of participating countries (S. Mattke, personal communication).There have also been some promising developments in several national benchmarking frameworks. Policy-makers are focusing their efforts on ensuring that ongoing benchmarking initiatives fit within a coherent policy process. As was stated in a seminal policy document in Canada: \"to have an impact (indicator development) must be linked to effective mechanisms and policy changes aimed at improving quality and outcomes\" (Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada, 2002). The creation of a Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI) in England and the Quality and Standards Board for Health in Scotland point to a political will to consolidate existing structures and ensure that data collected within the system are used to change performance and guide policy objectives in a coherent manner. France has recently issued a draft bill proposing a five-year public health policy, in which it defines 100 policy objectives, each associated with specific indicators that are to be measured to evaluate progress in achieving goals over time (Ministere de la Sante, n.d.). These and other policy developments in different countries suggest that health care systems are at the grips of testing the potential role that indicator systems may play to guide health policy towards improving the performance of their health care systems.\nConclusions: In conclusion, though benchmarking has become an intrinsic part of most developed health care systems, the impact of benchmarking initiatives on improvements in system performance and their integration within the existing policy processes remain to be elucidated. Several methodological challenges remain in the field of benchmarking, many of them related to the selection and quality of indicators used to make comparisons both within and between health care systems. Further research and applications are needed to ensure that benchmarking in health fulfils its objective, namely to further our understanding of where to focus policy efforts in order to improve the performance of health care systems.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The pupose of this paper is to present an overview of the main conceptual and methodological issues that underlie our current understanding of benchmarking initiatives in the field of health.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper is based on a pragmatic review of the literature and policy reports. It outlines some of the major conceptual problems associated with the use of benchmarking indicators and discusses how health policy research and practice is evolving to address the challenges raised, drawing examples from national and international benchmarking initiatives.\nFindings: - Benchmarking has become an intrinsic part of most developed health care systems, yet the impact of benchmarking initiatives on improvements in system performance and their integration within existing policy processes still need to be elucidated. Several methodological challenges remain in the field of benchmarking, many of them related to the selection and quality of indicators used to make comparisons both within and between health care systems. Further research and applications are needed to ensure that benchmarking in health fulfils its objective, namely to further our understanding of where to focus policy efforts in order to improve the performance of health care systems.\nOriginality/value: - This paper poses the timely question of whether benchmarking initiatives are in fact guiding health policy towards the improvement of health care system performance. It draws from the policy literature and existing frameworks to offer an outline for the future evaluation of benchmarking initiatives by policy-makers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Applying quality tools to improve student retention supporting process: a case study from WOU
|
[
"Continuous improvement",
"FMEA",
"Student retention",
"PDCA",
"Process mapping",
"Resource constraint"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Student retention is an important area that all universities hope to excel at. It contributes towards the revenue of the university by reducing the operating cost to recruit students. Wawasan Open University (WOU) is a non-profit university. Its mission is to provide affordable learning opportunities for all Malaysians. Some students are academically not qualified for public universities in Malaysia and cannot afford to enrol in private universities that charge higher fees. These students form the largest demographics among the WOU students. To be able to monitor their performances and to provide timely intervention are crucial to keep them in active learning mode so as to enable them to complete their study pathways. WOU has two learning modes: distance learning and full-time study. The data and processes were taken from the full-time learning mode. Nevertheless, it is expected that subsequently a similar approach can be extrapolated to the distance learning mode. This paper intends to systematically apply suitable quality tools to establish a manageable supporting process for these students.\n2. Problem-solving method: The method used follows the plan-do-check-action (PDCA) model. This is a four-step iterative management method for continuous improvement. Another name for this method is the Deming Cycle. In this model, several quality analysis tools are applied to analyse the data and to formulate objective solutions.\n3. Results analysis: A process mapping of student enrolment at the start of a semester until release of examination result at the end of the semester is shown in Appendix 1. Both before and after improvement maps are shown. The \"before map\" shows the problem points and the after map shows the improvement actions. The FMEA is shown in Appendix 2. The following paragraphs demonstrate problem solving according to the RPN number. It starts with the most critical and gradually works down the list according to available resources. Since WOU operates in a resource-constrained environment, the number of manual follow up, multiple approvals and interactions between departments should be kept at the minimum. On the other hand, information should ideally come from a single source and should be shared among the stakeholders. Part of the FMEA is reproduced in Table I to show the areas that required immediate attention.\n4. Conclusion: Continuous improvement is a never-ending process. PDCA is a good method to institute continuous improvement in an organisation. FMEA and process mapping are tools that can provide scientific analysis to implement improvement action plans. The FMEA should not stop here. It has to be continually updated to capture more critical areas for improvement. Action plans that have been implemented have to be monitored for effectiveness and sustainability. There is opportunity to standardise and institutionalise good practices to other areas.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Student retention is important in the management of any university especially one which is not financially independent. Administrators in such institutions need to investigate ways to improve the retention rate in order to avoid the loss of revenue. One of the methods is to ensure that students are able to follow their study pathway and complete their study on time instead of dropping out. The purpose of this paper is to establish a system that allows the university to monitor the progression of these students and highlight the need for counselling when necessary. It is also hoped that this paper helps to improve the student retention rate using quality analysis tools and add knowledge into factual-based problem-solving methodology.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper is a co-relational study based on secondary data. It is a continuous improvement method adopting the \"plan-do-check-action\" model. Quality analysis tools adopted are failure modes and effects analysis and process mapping, where both are the quality analysis tools commonly used in solving product design or assembly process issues in manufacturing. Using the case study of Wawasan Open University, the authors will adapt the aforesaid quality analysis tools from design and manufacturing sectors into an open distance learning education design. It is hoped that the identified process facilitates certain functions of the departments of the organisation to be more effective.\nFindings: This paper provides a practical approach on the methods to improve the retention rate in a private higher education institute. Stakeholders are more willing to embrace the improvement when there is proper factual analysis to support the plans. A cross-departmental team is formed to brainstorm the various aspects of the process and the potential failure modes. In a resource-constrained environment, prioritisation is important to identify the high-impact problems. It is also important that a mechanism is available to deliver information to the area where decisions and actions can be made. The failure modes are prioritised systematically and the corresponding solutions installed. The end result is a system with the process that reduces interdepartmental inconsistency thus providing students with a clearer visibility of their study pathway so that they can complete their study on time instead of dropping out.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study is performed within the context of an institute. The generalisation is low. Other researchers are encouraged to explore further.\nPractical implications: This paper provides some practical actions for the improvement of student retention in the university. It is hoped that other researchers will be attracted to explore further on using quality analysis tools to solve non-technical problems.\nOriginality/value: This paper provides a structured problem-solving method in a service-oriented organisation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Strategic opportunism
|
[
"Strategic management",
"Acquisitions and mergers",
"Shareholders"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Ralph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher and sage of Concord, is often misquoted on the subject of consistency. What he actually said was:A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.\nBut is that enough?: Sometimes it is not. All too often, business leaders get trapped in their strategic ruts. They develop elaborate plans for where and how to create value (including plans based on the principles of SMP). But then they fail to adjust those plans in light of compelling opportunities that present themselves. They do not take adequate account of near-term market conditions when deciding when to buy or sell businesses. They write off businesses that have disappointed investors, instead of looking for ways to turn these situations to their own advantage. They worry too much about shareholder reactions to new initiatives instead of doing what is needed to build value. They fail to combine their thoughtful business strategy with a willingness to go against the crowd, buying low and selling high.You could say that, despite all their good intentions and great planning, they fail to behave like capitalists.Not all business investors have these failings. Besides working with many corporate clients, I also work with dozens of private equity firms. With the recent rapid expansion of private equity investing, there has been much speculation about the sustainability of this investment model and the level of returns that can be expected from these firms in future. Even so, private equity firms provide some of the best examples of what I call \"strategic opportunism.\"Need a good example? How about a company that has been bought and sold by both private equity and corporate owners? What can we learn by contrasting the actions and relative successes of these two ownership models, as applied to the same company?In the early 1990s, Snapple Beverage Corporation (founded in 1972) was an innovative, fast-growing drinks company that was doing everything right. It had only limited penetration in the supermarket channel - 20 percent of its 1993 sales - but had great success in the so-called \"cold channel\" network of small independent distributors who serviced hundreds of thousands of mom-and-pop stores, lunch counters, and delis. Following the principles of SMP, it resolutely stayed out of the channels dominated by the likes of Coke and Pepsi.The market took note. In 1992, the Boston-based private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Company led a leveraged buyout of Snapple for $143 million and took the company public a year later. The new owners intensified Snapple's offbeat advertising campaigns and otherwise enhanced its market value.In 1994, the venerable old Quaker Oats Company bought Snapple for the staggering sum of $1.7 billion. Quaker had enjoyed a big hit in supermarkets with the sports drink Gatorade and believed that it could recreate the Gatorade magic with Snapple, taking Snapple into the supermarket channel using the Gatorade distribution system and vice versa.It was an SMP disaster of the first order. In the supermarket channel, Snapple was a minnow swimming with the sharks. It began losing money ($100 million in the three years that Quaker owned it). Quaker's managers began refer to Snapple as a \"cancer.\" BusinessWeek called the Snapple acquisition one of the ten worst of the decade.The outcome was inevitable but still stunning: Quaker sold Snapple in 1997 to the Triarc Company (a New York-based PE firm) for the modest sum of $300 million. Triarc wisely steered Snapple back into the cold channel, reversing its decline, and in 2000 sold the company to Cadbury Schweppes for $1.4 billion. Recently, Cadbury Schweppes put Snapple up for sale as part of the sale of their larger beverages business; Snapple is expected to command something like $1 billion.The bottom line in this blizzard of deals: Snapple's corporate owners appear to have either lost, or to be on their way to losing, a combined $1.8 billion, with an average annual return of negative 34 percent. Meanwhile, Snapple's private equity owners have realized a gain of $2.6 billion, with an average annual return of 121 percent before the effects of leverage.What did the corporate owners do wrong? Put simply, both Quaker and Cadbury had the strategy only partly right and the timing completely wrong. Both companies recognized that they had strong brands (Gatorade and Dr Pepper, respectively) yet lacked scale against the giants of the soft drinks industry, Coke and Pepsi. But they failed to realize the difficulties of combining Snapple's strength in the single-serve \"cold channel\" with the strength of Gatorade and Cadbury Schweppes in the mass-market grocery channels.In terms of timing, both companies missed opportunities to acquire Snapple for a fraction of what they ended up paying, and Quaker was encouraged by impatient shareholders to prematurely free itself from the stigma of a failed deal. Why did Quaker not buy Snapple before it was public, and why did Cadbury pass on the company when they had the chance to buy it for $300 million? A big part of the reason is that most corporate executives are terrified of failure. Failure messes up careers and is awkward to explain to shareholders. In 1992, Snapple was too risky for most corporate buyers, and by 1997 it was considered untouchable.By contrast, neither of the private equity owners was constrained by public investor perceptions. More important, they saw beyond the short-term challenges that Snapple faced. Thomas H. Lee recognized that Snapple had carved out a successful niche despite being a tiny fraction of the size of the drink industry giants. Triarc recognized that Snapple's problems in 1997 arose in large part out of Quaker's attempted expansion into mass markets and that at its heart Snapple still had a strong business in the so-called cold channel.So what are the lessons we can take from this?Harking back to Emerson's prescription, we also have to think outside our adopted box. The key is to look beyond short-term operating results and examine how a business is positioned for long-term success. If recent results have been disappointing, is this an operating problem or a strategic problem? Is recent poor performance the result of minor operating problems, or of ill-conceived management decisions that can be quickly fixed? Or does recent performance reflect some fundamental strategic challenges (strong competitors, concentrated customers, etc.) that will be much harder to change? If it is the former, then chances are that there will be an opportunity to acquire the business at an attractive price and create value through the turnaround. If it is the latter, duck!Conversely, we have to be on the lookout for businesses that are \"fighting above their weight.\" In these situations, shareholders and investors often ignore a business's fundamental strategic challenges and apply irrational extrapolation following two or three years of strong growth. Again: if you are witnessing a heroic but unsustainable performance, duck!Quaker and Cadbury could both have made Snapple moderately successful by keeping it focused on the cold channel and running it separately from their larger mass-market soft drink brands (as Pepsi has done recently with some of its niche beverage acquisitions, such as Izzy). But that would have required changing the formula for where and how each company wanted to grow. More important for this case, corporate culture and the asymmetry of rewards for executive management made it difficult for either company to buy Snapple at the right time and price.Buyers who apply the discipline of strategic opportunism will find ways to overcome these corporate biases. They know when to accelerate their moves or bide their time based on market conditions. They are not afraid to adapt their strategies to take advantage of opportunities that become available. And the \"great souls\" to whom Emerson referred will always have something interesting to work on!\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Successful growth strategy has a lot to do with careful preparation to identify attractive markets and new sources of customer value and competitive advantage. If the plan for achieving growth includes acquisitions, then we also have to consider company valuations and the availability of suitable acquisition targets. A challenge for many companies is knowing when and how much to adapt their strategy in the light of specific acquisition opportunities that become available. If a poorly-performing competitor becomes available at a modest price should we try to adapt our strategy to take advantage of the opportunity? If the price for an attractive acquisition is bid up beyond expectations should we walk away or try to find a way to pay what the market says the company is worth? In this article, Stuart Jackson shows how successful acquirers combine both strategic discipline and a willingness to react quickly to market opportunities, an approach he calls strategic opportunism.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - In this article, Jackson draws lessons from leading private equity investment groups, some of whom excel at this approach. To illustrate his points, Jackson uses the example of Snapple Beverage Corporation, a company that has been acquired four times since 1992, twice by private equity investors Thomas H. Lee and Triarc, and twice by corporate owners Quaker Oats and Cadbury Schweppes. Each owner brought different organizational priorities and different capabilities to add value to the business.\nFindings: - There is a huge disparity of returns for companies investing in the same business during different periods. The clear implication is that for a successful growth strategy involving acquisitions, companies need to get both the strategy and the timing right. This may require adjusting the strategy in light of opportunities that arise, and taking steps to align organization priorities and incentives.\nOriginality/value: - By comparing the very different acquisition approaches of corporate and private equity investors, the article provides valuable insight into how private equity investors are often able to deliver strong performance even without the benefit of substantial synergies, while corporate acquisitions often fail to deliver attractive shareholder returns.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Climate change impact on viticulture in Poland
|
[
"Poland",
"Cost-effectiveness",
"Winegrowing",
"Abiotic stress",
"Biotic stress",
"Climate warming"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Poland is not perceived as a country with suitable climatic conditions for wine production. Although it had a great tradition of winegrowing in medieval times, industrial production was abandoned from the eighteenth to the twentieth century and is still of little economic importance. Today, however, Polish viticulture has become one of the most dynamically growing sectors in Europe, as has domestic wine production. As stressed by Kunicka-Styczynska et al. (2016) the revival of viticulture in Poland is favoured primarily by climatic change, accompanied by some social phenomena such as consumer preferences, increasing wealth, ecotourism and value added food. It also contributes to growth in off-farm activities and to regional development (Jesiotr and Szymanska, 2016). Examples from central and eastern European countries show that wine manufacturing might be an opportunity for diversification of economic activities and for regional development. This is the case in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic, where grape growing and wine-production have been successfully integrated with regional development (Tomsik and Chladkova, 2005) and have contributed to increased internationalisation of regional food products (Kubickova and Peprny, 2011). The Slovak region of Banska Bystrica (Elexa et al., 2016) and Hungarian region of Tokay (Toth and Torok, 2014) are also good examples of how the wine sector could contribute to entrepreneurship and innovation among small- and medium-sized companies in rural areas.\n2. Materials and methods: The literature review identified factors that influence viticulture production in Poland. For this project, 50 farms were selected out of 155 that were officially registered as wine producers in 2016. Respondents were randomly selected to represent wine producers from different wine regions of Poland. A structured questionnaire containing 26 questions was drafted and piloted. Two main methods of data collection were then applied: computer-assisted telephone interview and computer-assisted personal interview. Open and closed questions were used. The category \"others\" was included in case something important was missed in the original design. The response was 54 full questionnaires, which represents35 per cent of all officially registered wine farms in Poland. Interviews were conducted in February and May 2017 with the farms that produce and market wine.\n3. Results and discussion: 3.1 Winegrowing under climate change\n4. Conclusions: Climate change occurring today and predicted in the near future will change the centre of gravity of wine production in Europe. Poland can provide a good example and case study of this transition. The modelling presented in this paper suggests that there is a significant probability that the Polish winegrowing sector will progress and develop if appropriate strategies and practices are applied in response to climate change. Farmers should take the advantage of more suitable climate conditions. As a result the area of cultivation as well as wine production could increase in Poland. However, grape growers will be forced to address the risks of unfavourable abiotic and biotic production conditions. New investments, practices and strategies will be required to exploit new opportunities and limit new risks.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify factors resulting from climate change that could impact the cost-effectiveness and development of viticulture in Poland. Climate change is a crucial challenge for the global wine industry. It has the potential to shift the centre of gravity of viticulture from well-developed regions to new ones, including Poland.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Two main methods of data collection were applied: computer assisted telephone interviewing and computer assisted personal interview. A structured questionnaire was drafted, piloted and sent to farms randomly selected to represent wine producers from different wine regions of Poland. The linear probability model was used to determine the factors influencing cost-effectiveness in viticulture production. Data were calculated by using SAS software.\nFindings: Current and future climate change factors could influence the cost-effectiveness and growth of viticulture in Poland. The exploitation of these opportunities will require the development and implementation of new policies and practices at the farm level, which could also promote innovation in the sector. Furthermore, wine growers according to the increased risk of the unfavourable abiotic and biotic production conditions would be forced to undertake the adaptation strategies to limit the risk of lowering the cost-effectiveness.\nOriginality/value: This study identifies viticulture and winemaking opportunities for new regions such as Poland. The challenges involved in managing this transition are discussed.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Ten years later: changes in the meaning of work among Polish managers
|
[
"Poland",
"HRD",
"Mid-level managers",
"Work values",
"Meaning of work (MOW)",
"Work centrality"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: For the majority of adults, work is not just a source of income: studies show that work serves as the source of meaning and self-identity regardless of respondents' nationality, religious affiliation and professional background (Brief and Nord, 1990; Rosso et al., 2010; Ward and King, 2017). Meaning of work (MOW) is related to such important individual and organizational outcomes, as job satisfaction (Wrzesniewski et al., 1997), employee engagement (May et al., 2004), organizational citizenship behavior (Purvanova et al., 2006) and employee commitment (Cardador et al., 2011).\nLiterature review and hypotheses: The literature review starts with an overview of the socio-economic and labor market transformation in Poland that took place, as the transition to a market economy has started in 1989. Next, a brief overview of the MOW literature is provided. Finally, the results of studies based on the MOW framework and the studies on the MOW in Poland are used to formulate the research hypotheses.\nThe meaning of work construct and research: MOW has been studied in relation to ethics and individual moral development (Gardener et al., 2001; Gini, 2001), formation social identity (Kreiner et al., 2006), career development (Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001) and the promises and perils of the modern work - life (Ciulla, 2001). There is no agreement on the meaning of the term \"work\" itself (England and Harpaz, 1990). One can perceive work as the process of achieving concrete utilitarian outcomes or the process of creating abstract and intangible values; as a fact of being an employee; or as a calling, defined in religious and/or moral terms. In every known culture, work has been playing a central role in shaping the system of values, giving a deeper meaning to human lives (Rozanski, 2014, p. 28).\nThe meaning of work model and research hypotheses: The groundbreaking studies conducted in the late 1980s by the MOW international research team have focused on the importance of work as compared to other aspects of people's lives (MOW-International Research Team, 1987). Follow-up research using the MOW instrument was conducted in various countries in the 1990s (Harpaz, 1990, 1999; Harpaz and Fu, 1997, 2002) and in the 2000s (Kuchinke et al., 2009, 2010, 2011; Kuchinke and Cornachione, 2010).\nMethod: Sample\nData analysis: Hierarchical regression was used for hypotheses testing to examine whether the independent variable explains a statistically significant amount of variance in the dependent variables after controlling for the demographic variables. Regression assumptions (e.g. normality and homoscedasticity) for each hypothesized model were examined to determine whether hierarchical regression was a proper method for testing the hypothesis. The hypothesized models for H1, H3b, H3d, H4a and H5b met the regression assumptions. The first step in the hierarchical regression analysis included entering the control variables (i.e. age, gender and education level). In the second step, the time period was entered into the regression model. Hierarchical logistic regression was applied for testing H2 because the dependent variable for this hypothesis (whether the respondents will stop working or not) was a binary variable. The hypothesized models for H3a, H3c, H4b and H4c did not meet the regression assumptions. Therefore, the independent-sample t-test with the condition that equal variance was not assumed was applied to test these hypotheses.\nResults: Table 3 presents descriptive statistics and zero-order correlations for demographic variables and major dependent variables. Significant correlations between demographic variables and several dependent variables were found. Age was positively correlated with work centrality (r = 0.14) and job stability (r = 0.15). There were positive correlations between education and the importance of family (r = 0.12). Gender was negatively correlated with the importance of family (r = -0.12), extrinsic goals (r = -0.22), job stability (r = -0.20), interest (r = -0.13), income (r = -0.18) and status (r = -0.12). To avoid the potential for confounding effects, these demographic variables were entered in the subsequent regression analyzes as control variables. Work centrality was correlated with most other dependent variables except religion and all the correlations were positive except for \"stop working\" (Yes: 1; No: 2). Also, the importance of leisure was correlated with all other dependent variables except for \"stop working.\" There were strong correlations among intrinsic goals, extrinsic goals, job stability and interest (intrinsic goals - extrinsic goals, r = 0.51; extrinsic goals - job stability, r = 0.55; intrinsic goals - interest, r = 0.51).\nDiscussion and implications: The most important conclusion based on the results of this study is that the main indices of MOW, as measured by the MOW instrument, remained unchanged over time. This observation supports the earlier findings by Harpaz and Fu (2002) and Kuchinke et al. (2011). Of special note is the fact that both absolute and relative work centrality has not changed significantly and the primary importance of family remained unchanged as well. Another important finding is that, while leisure was ranked lower than work, the difference between these two life domains was not statistically significant. An additional noteworthy finding is that the importance of religion and community has not declined, while the importance of job stability has significantly increased. The value of flexible and convenient working hours has increased and interesting and satisfying work remained one of the highest-ranked items.\nLimitations: This study has at least two limitations. The first is that the study was based on rather modest sample size. Second, the data were collected in only one region of Eastern Poland. The historical and cultural legacies and socio-economic conditions vary significantly among geographic regions of this large country. Therefore, it is likely that the cultural and socio-economic differences among regions also translate into differences in work-related values. Furthermore, the sample included only mid-level managers and did not represent the opinions of top executives or non-managerial employees. In addition, all the study participants had at least one higher education degree and were enrolled in or had already finished their master's program. This group is likely to differ significantly from employees with lower levels of education. Therefore, caution is needed when trying to extrapolate these results to larger populations.\nImplications for future research: Several implications for future research follow from the limitations of our sample. Follow-up studies should be conducted in other regions of Poland and with a wider spectrum of managerial and non-managerial employees. Furthermore, earlier MOW studies showed that people with lower levels of education tend to rate work higher. As the overwhelming majority of our participants had high levels of education, we were unable to ascertain that our findings would hold for people with widely different levels of education. Follow-up studies would need to close this gap. In addition, the majority of our participants were in their 30s and 40s. Therefore, future studies would need to compare samples that represent other age groups.\nImplications for practice: The study results allow us to formulate implications for managers and HRD professionals working either in Polish companies or in multinational firms, operating in the Polish market. First, the finding that work and family are the two most important life domains has important implications for both management and HR/HRD practice. Specifically, when designing the compensation and benefits packages and organization development and change interventions, HR and HRD practitioners would need to be mindful of what motivates managers in their organizations and what life domains are the most important to them. Thus, the combination of three findings (that the family is the most important factor; that work, while being second most important, is not significantly more important than leisure; and that flexible work hour are highly rated), suggests that the compensation and benefits packages should include the provision for time off for leisure and family-related activities and cannot rely on financial incentives alone. Likewise, any change interventions and creation of new work arrangements would need to take the above-described preferences in mind. Further, exploring new, flexible work arrangements, including telecommuting, may be useful.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the indices of the meaning of work (MOW) change over time. The study sample included mid-level managers, with measurements taken twice, in 2006/2007 and in 2017/2018.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This survey-based study was conducted in Poland, a country that went through significant socio-economic transformations in the past decade. The MOW instrument, developed by the MOW international research group, was used to measure absolute and relative work centrality, societal norms regarding work, valued work outcomes and the importance of various work goals. The hierarchical regression analysis method was used for hypotheses testing.\nFindings: The study results show that there were no statistically significant changes in either absolute or relative work centrality over the studied decade. The family remained the highest-ranked value, ahead of work and leisure held the third place. The role of religion and community has remained largely unchanged, with these domains ranked significantly lower compared to work, family and leisure. An important finding was that the preference for job stability has significantly increased in the studied decade. At the same time, there was a marked growth in preference for flexible and convenient work hours. The study concludes with implications for future research and for human resource development (HRD) practice.\nOriginality/value: The study makes an important contribution to the MOW and HRD literature by demonstrating that the main indices of MOW, as measured by the MOW instrument, tend to remain unchanged despite socio-economic changes in the society.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Institutionalizing social impact investing: implications for Islamic finance
|
[
"Islamic finance",
"Impact investing",
"Institutions and institutional analysis"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Blending the goals of private for-profit commercial ventures with those of philanthropic, non-governmental and state actors has been a growing trend within the investment community in the twenty-first century. Commonly known as impact investing within the finance literature, or social entrepreneurship in management (Olsen and Galimidi, 2009), participants in this space hope to create economic value for investors through both a positive financial return on their investment as well as social value by meeting a wide variety of other non-financial outcomes (e.g. poverty alleviation, economic growth and public-goods provision such as job creation, improved healthcare, etc.). In so doing, these pro-social actors hope to address challenges associated with institutional voids and diminishing natural resources while also earning a favorable monetary return (Duncan and Wong, 2010).\nThe present study: In order to investigate the historical evolution of impact investing screening and measurement, we conducted a thorough review of the industry since the year 2000. We complemented this review with insights on current practice through semi-structured interviews conducted with executives and fund managers in 15 organizations currently involved in the conventional impact investing community[1]. Participants were selected first through a convenience sample of personal contacts followed by snowballing additional informants at relevant organizations. Selection criteria for interviewees included at least five years of direct experience in developing and implementing screening techniques and impact measurement. We employed a semi-structured interview protocol starting with questions about the participants' experiences with screening and measurement and then following their interests and opinions about future industry challenges and directions. This interview format may \"provide better access to interviewees' views, interpretations of events, understandings, experiences and opinions\" (Byrne, 2004). We interviewed until we reached saturation (Guest et al., 2006). Finally, the data corpus includes fieldwork at impact investing industry events in Europe and North America from observing and participating in workshops, plenaries and networking events.\nImplications for Islamic finance: To fully understand the potential implications of values/mission-based investing practices for Islamic finance, we will first provide a more complete examination of Sharia-compliant investing. Islamic investments must be compliant with Islamic law. In practice, such investments adhere to Sharia requirements in terms of the legal contract (form), the technical execution and management of the investment (substance), and alignment to the overall goals and objectives of the law (Ahmed, 2011; El-Gamal, 2000). In terms of current practice, the Islamic investment industry has been successful in institutionalizing and operationalizing Sharia into standard investment practices around both the form and substance of investments. However, the industry has yet to develop the appropriate mechanisms to ensure that investments also meet the Maqasid-al-Sharia, the spirit and purpose of the law.\nConclusion: The last ten years have seen rapid growth in conventional impact investing and entrepreneurship focusing on a blended approach to the creation of both economic and social value. There have been important innovations to date in the development of screening procedures and non-financial metrics that allow stakeholders to determine how to best deploy their capital for maximum efficacy. That said, the lack of fully developed standards would indicate that the field is not yet mature. Moreover, given the idiosyncratic nature of many of these investment projects, complete institutionalization of any given set of metrics may ultimately prove improbable. University researchers and fund managers still continue to develop and propose new methods, such as IRIS, to help investors and entrepreneurs measure, communicate and make sense of the impact they are having. This conclusion echoes the findings of Simon and Barmeier (2010) that standardization of definitions and language, along with increased transparency, will be key to the field's continued growth and success.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the institutionalization of screening and metrics in conventional finance and reflect upon the implications for Islamic finance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study involves the analysis of archival data, interviews and fieldwork with current impact investors in North America and the European Union to trace the historical development of impact investing screening and metrics.\nFindings: First, the paper explores how conventional investors have applied positive and negative screens in the creation of their values/mission-based investment strategies. This is followed by a historical analysis of the development and implementation of impact metrics and regulatory frameworks that influenced the growth of conventional impact investing. The possible benefits of learning from these experiences for the Islamic finance industry are then considered. The paper concludes with an analysis of the potential value of mission/values-based investing for the economic development of the Middle East and North Africa region.\nResearch limitations/implications: Though not a comprehensive study of institutionalization, this study supports recent calls for more intentional use of capital for blended returns within Islamic markets. To support these initiatives, it provides scholars and practitioners with multiple recommended points of entry into this growing market.\nOriginality/value: There has been scant organizational research examining the development of best practices within the impact investment community and how these might be applied to other contexts such as Islamic finance.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Comparison of two fall-risk assessment tools used in a long-term care facility
|
[
"Long-term care",
"Falls",
"Risk assessment"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Annually, approximately one-third of all adults aged 65 years and older will experience a fall (National Council on Aging, 2015). Ambulatory older adults residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities fall more frequently than do community-dwelling older adults (Panel on Prevention of Falls in Older Persons, American Geriatrics Society and British Geriatrics Society, 2011). Consequences of falls in older adults may be serious and include traumatic brain injury and orthopedic injuries, increased fear of falling and anxiety, decreased mobility and diminished quality of life. Falls are also the leading cause of injury-related death among older adults and entail high health care costs (Kuwaiti and Subbarayalu, 2017; National Council on Aging, 2015). In light of the frequency of falls in older adults and their potential negative health and economic impacts, it is essential that LTC facilities utilize effective fall prevention strategies. This includes the use of effective measures and tools to identify residents at high risk of falling.Many assessment tools for detection of fall risk among older adults have been developed. A recent meta-analysis has identified 26 assessment tools for fall risk that are currently in use for detection of fall risk among older adults, such as Morse Fall Scale (MFS), STRATIFY, Hendrich II Fall Risk Model, modified Johns Hopkins fall-risk assessment tool and many others (Park, 2018). These tools usually constitute a scoring system intended to reflect the accumulating effect of known risk factors, with the purpose of identifying those individuals who have the highest fall risk (Carpenter et al., 2014). To date, no agreement has been reached as to the best assessment tool. Moreover, it seems that the fall-risk assessment tools currently used for the elderly do not predict elderly fallers with sufficient accuracy (Park, 2018).In the Israeli LTC practice environment, similarly, there is not a single standard tool used by all facilities to evaluate residents' fall risk. However, the Israeli Ministry of Health lists recommended and approved tools for performing fall-risk evaluations, including the MFS and the Farmer's fall-risk assessment tool (FFAT), and requires that all LTC facility residents must be evaluated for fall risk within 24 h of admission to a facility (Ministry of Health, 2017, 2018). Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare the ability of the MFS and FFAT to identify correlations between risk factors and falls among older adult residents in an LTC facility, as well as which factors affect this risk.\nReview of the literature: The MFS\nMethods: Research design and participants\nResults: Demographics and medical background\nDiscussion: This study explored the ability of the MFS and FFAT to identify correlations between risk factors and falls among older adult residents in an LTC facility, by examining medical records. The study also examined the association between LTC facility residents' various background characteristics and their fall risk, using the two tools.The results showed that 75.4% and 99.5% of residents were identified as having a high fall risk as assessed by the MFS and by the FFAT, respectively. These findings suggest a low ability of the MFS and practically no such ability of the FFAT, to differentiate between LTC facility residents in terms of their fall risk, as almost all residents were identified as having a high fall risk. These findings are in consistence with the finding of a recent meta-analysis that revealed that the fall-risk assessment tools currently used for the elderly do not show sufficiently high predictive validity for differentiating high and low fall risks (Park, 2018). It should be noted that FFAT has not been included in this meta-analysis. A possible reason for this low differentiation is that the resident populations in LTC facilities are already at a high fall risk.Despite a high percentage of residents having been identified as having a high fall risk, only 12.5% actually fell. Similarly, Gringauz et al. (2017) found that a high proportion of residents received a high MFS score, but only a small proportion fell. It is possible this finding is due to residents of LTC facilities having restricted mobility and comorbidities that led to closer monitoring and supervision by the staff members, which reduced the incidence of falls.The study found no difference in the score between fallers and non-fallers using the FFAT, while there was a difference using the MFS. This finding supports the assumption that the MFS has some advantages over the FFAT in terms of differentiation between residents. However, this advantage is small, as the difference in the MFS score between fallers and non-fallers was small.The inability of the FFAT to differentiate between residents in terms of their fall risk may explain why the FFAT was not found to identify correlations between risk factors and falls. In contrast, the MFS score was found to identify correlations, with OR of 1.035, as it seems to have some ability to differentiate between residents. It should be noted that this is in consistence with a previous study, in which a high MFS score was found as a predictor of falls in an inpatient rehabilitation population, although it was noted to be a weak predictor (Forrest et al., 2013).Despite the weaknesses identified in both the MFS and the FFAT, the MFS was found to be the tool that performs more strongly than the FFAT in the LTC population. It should be noted that these tools are risk assessment tools and not necessarily fall prediction tools. So if the falls risk assessments are well applied, then they may be useful in ensuring that fall prevention strategies are adequately and consistently implemented, to avoid occurrence of falls in a vulnerable population.In the present study, older age and several clinical characteristics, for instance, lower FIM score at admission or having sustained a fracture prior to admission, were found to be associated with a higher MFS score. These characteristics possibly reflect conditions, such as problems with ambulation and gait, which are scored by the MFS. However, these associations were relatively weak, and the differences were small, thus further suggesting a low ability of the tool to differentiate fall risk among older adults admitted to a LTC facility. It should be noted that none of the demographic and clinical characteristics were found to be associated with the FFAT score. This may further reflect the inability of the tool to differentiate between older adults admitted to an LTC facility in terms of their fall risk.Based on the results, the various demographic and clinical characteristics examined were not found to be predictors of falls, although they were found to be associated with the MFS score. This is not consistent with previous studies, in which these factors have been identified as predictors of falls (Forrest et al., 2013; Homann et al., 2013; Sardo et al., 2016). It is possible that the nursing staff members implemented fall prevention strategies in response to these factors, and this might have influenced the study results. This possibility emphasizes the importance of understanding how the nursing staff members reaches decisions to implement fall prevention strategies.In the present study, it seems that the tools might be of little benefit, as all residents were identified as having a high fall risk. However, it is possible that nurses might have also considered the sub-scores from each section on the MFS in order to make clinical decisions about implementing fall prevention strategies. It is also possible that the implementation of fall prevention strategies was driven by the nursing staff member's subjective perceptions of a resident's fall risk. In a previous study, it was found that the older were the residents, the greater was the nursing staff's perception of their fall risk (Trombetti et al., 2016). Another question posed is whether the subjective perceptions are a reliable basis for implementation of fall prevention strategies, as 12.5% of residents in the present study still fell.The results also revealed that all fallers fell during their first week at the facility. This finding is consistent with results from previous studies which found that falls are more likely to occur during the first week following admission as new residents or inpatients are unfamiliar with the environment as well as other situational factors, such as unaccustomed medical equipment, which can also increase the incidence of falls (Ben Natan et al., 2016).Limitations\nConclusion and recommendations: The study findings suggest that the MFS and the FFAT may be of little value in a population of older adults admitted to LTC facilities, as they were not able to significantly identify correlations between falls and risk factors among older adult residents in a LTC facility. When considering fall prevention in the rehabilitation or LTC setting, it seems that in addition to the use of standardized evaluation tools such as the MFS and FFAT, with preference to MFS as a tool that performs more strongly, nurses should rely more heavily on the performance of a clinical evaluation of each individual resident and integration of their clinical judgment in order to gain a more complete assessment of the individual's likelihood to fall. This may also include encouraging nurses working in LTC to evaluate the MFS as a whole, as well as the significance of each section, when considering factors that may be correlated with falls among residents.Additionally, fall prevention strategies should be targeted at residents who are in their first week at the facility, as the present study has confirmed previous research findings that patients are more likely to fall during the first week following admission. The study findings suggest that fall prevention strategies should also focus on patients who suffer from hypertension, have limited mobility and incontinence and those who had fallen in the previous six months.Nursing staff members at LTC facilities, geriatric rehabilitation facilities and other institutions housing older adult residents should also be provided education on the proper use and administration of fall assessment tools, including re-assessment of residents. This should include support and guidance in order to help staff members understand the best way to utilize the currently available tools. In addition to encouraging increasingly effective use of physical assessment and integration of clinical judgment by nurses, this research also suggests that it is important to develop a sensitive tool, specifically designed for populations in rehabilitation and LTC facilities, which will more accurately identify those residents who will actually fall. Given the economic significance of falls among this population, as well as the severity of possible adverse outcomes to patients and their families, this is an important topic for continued research.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare the ability of the Morse Fall Scale (MFS) and Farmer's fall-risk assessment tool (FFAT) to identify correlations between risk factors and falls among older adult long-term care (LTC) facility residents.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This was a correlational retrospective study. 200 medical records of older adults hospitalized in a LTC facility in central Israel, from January 2017 to January 2018, were examined.\nFindings: Of all the residents, 75% and 99.5% of the residents were identified as having a high fall risk according to the MFS and FFAT, respectively. Only 12.5% of residents actually fell. MFS score was weakly correlated with actual falls (odds ratio = 1.035). It was also found that all fallers fell during their first week at the facility.\nResearch limitations/implications: Future research should explore the ability of the tools to capture changes in the fall risk by repeat assessments, as this has not been examined in the present study.\nPractical implications: The MFS and FFAT tool may have little value in assessing fall risk in older adult LTC facility residents. Therefore, nurses should perform a clinical evaluation of each individual patient. In addition, nurses should place a particular emphasis on fall risk and prevention during the first week following admission.\nOriginality/value: The findings of the present study raise doubts regarding the utility of the common practice of assessing fall risk in older adult LTC facility residents using the tools MFS and the FFAT, thus emphasizing the need to adopt a different approach.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Developing campaigns in the context of a disaster: Content of and reactions to advertising following the earthquake in Chile on February 27, 2010
|
[
"Disasters",
"Earthquake",
"Advertising",
"Content analysis",
"Credibility",
"Attitudes"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Antecedents: Disasters generate a high degree of public concern and attract the attention of large audiences because of their negative consequences for material resources and human lives (Adams, 1986; Quarantelli, 1989; Sood et al., 1987). In this regard, a study in the USA reports that 77.4 percent of people immediately use electronic media to search for information when they hear about a disaster (Van Belle, 2000).\n2. Developing campaigns in the context of a disaster: Despite its importance in terms of developing effective and ethical actions of marketing communication, literature on the development of advertising campaigns after a disaster is extremely scarce. On one hand, there is a line of work that had assumed a critical perspective on this activity, in which the actions varied out by the companies are part of their business and, in that regard, are seen as part of the \"commodification of the other\" in the business of fundraising (Forstorp, 2007) or as a media show that exploits feelings of nationalism in order to control the threat to the social order stemming from the panic and sensationalism generated by media coverage (Korstanje and Fernandez-Montt, 2011).\n3. The case of the earthquake in Chile: On February 27, 2010, at 3:34 in the morning, a 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of central Chile, generating a subsequent tsunami that affected a large portion of the Chilean coastline. In varying degrees, the earthquake affected an area where 80 percent of the Chilean population is concentrated (about 15 million people), causing heavy human and material losses. The official report indicates that 512 people died, 16 went missing and 800,000 people were injured. The earthquake caused problems in the areas of energy, due to power cuts; water supply and sanitation; transport, because of extensive damage to roads, bridges, and airports; communications, caused by the absence of electricity and failure of telephone networks; education, since many educational institutions suffered structural damage; and housing, as 370,051 residences were damaged by the earthquake and/or tsunami. The total gross damage (public and private) was estimated at US$30 billion, equivalent to 18 percent of the country's GDP (OPS, 2010).\n4. Purpose of the paper: Within the context of the few studies examining how to develop more effective campaigns in the post-disaster stage, this paper seeks to test and expand upon the findings of previous research by McMellon and Long (2006) through two studies. The first aims to provide empirical evidence on how advertisers used the Chilean earthquake as an advertising theme by applying a content analysis of print advertising based on a natural hazard (as opposed to the man-made disasters studied by McMellon and Long), which has not been addressed in previous literature. The second study seeks to evaluate consumer reactions to advertising that used this earthquake as a theme and addresses two dimensions. On one hand, it examines attitudes toward and credibility of post-catastrophe advertising of a random sample of about 2,000 consumers. It is important to note that this case includes the evaluation of credibility, a variable that had not previously been examined, and that uses as a large, random sample of consumers, lending greater rigor to the study. The second study also takes a randomly selected sub-sample of these consumers and carry out a qualitative analysis of the justifications given by the participants who evaluated the ads, which is a new development of this study.\n5. Study 1: analysis of advertising content: Methodological design and discussion\n6. Study 2: consumer reactions to different types of post-earthquake ads: Methodological design and discussion\n7. Lessons learned and recommendations: This study aimed to expand the knowledge of how to develop more effective campaigns immediately after a disaster. For that reason, it was examined print advertising campaigns carried out in Chile following the February 2010 earthquake. Study 1 developed a content analysis of advertising campaigns in which the disaster was a theme, in order to determine what different organization did at that point in time. Nine types of advertisements were identified: \"image,\" \"informative,\" \"commercial,\" \"fundraising promotion,\" \"participation,\" \"mixed,\" \"gratitude,\" \"patriotic,\" and \"other.\" The first two categories clearly predominated, accounting for nearly 60 percent. This classification is very consistent with the previous one proposed by McMellon and Long (2006) in their study in the USA. This finding shows that companies in different places tend to react using similar appeals. The main difference between these studies is that in the Chilean case, we identified two new types of ads: \"fundraising promotion\" and \"gratitude.\" The first category refers a type of ad in which commercial intent is mixed with fundraising efforts, which allows the organization overcome some of the problems of the \"commercial\" ads. \"Gratitude\" ads, instead, represent another way to achieve the objective of the \"image\" ads (see the list below for a summary of the main findings of this study):\n",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper are to determine: how disasters are used as a theme in advertising; how the public evaluates different ways of using disasters in advertising; what dimensions directly affect these evaluations; and what aspects should be taken into account by an organization that wants or need to develop a campaign after a disaster.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper presents two studies examining the relationship between catastrophes and advertising in the context of the February 2010 earthquake in Chile. The first study scrutinizes the characteristics of print ads that used this event as their main theme. The second study evaluates the reactions of consumers to different types of post-catastrophe ads. This issue was explored in a survey on the attitudes toward and credibility of these ads and in a qualitative examination, which explored the reasons for the interviewees' evaluation.\nFindings: The first study identified nine types of advertisements as the most used by advertisers. The second study showed that the most common ad types had the worst evaluations by the public. In addition, the evaluation of the ads was directly related to three dimensions: opinion with regard to the advertised brand, evaluation of the ad's performance, and perception of commercial intent.\nResearch limitations/implications: It is important to consider some limitations of this study: this paper used only print advertising, and the sample was selected from Chilean internet users (50 percent of the population).\nPractical implications: This paper provides recommendations for for-profit and non-profit organizations that need or want to effectively develop campaigns in the context of a disaster.\nOriginality/value: Within the context of a few studies on the development of campaigns in the context of a catastrophe, this paper seeks to test and expand upon the scarce findings in this field.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
The right to live in the city
|
[
"Azerbaijan",
"Social change",
"Baku",
"Post-socialist capitals",
"Urban studies"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The material (re-)construction taking place in post-Soviet cities, and especially in the capitals of newly independent states, is breath taking. Soviet buildings - sometimes whole quarters - are being erased and new post-modern buildings are being built. The marketplaces that emerged during the transformation period are being replaced by glittering malls. In the shadow of these material transformations, immense social changes have also taken place following the breakdown of the Soviet Union. The moral values and behavioural codes that governed urban life and the appropriation of urban spaces have changed significantly, leading to conflicts over correct behaviour in the city and about who has the right to write the rules for public spaces.\nMethod: To analyse the conflicts between old and new city dwellers, I focus on everyday practices of people acting in the public sphere, how they use the space and what discussions arise around different kinds of behaviour in public places. The observations, informal conversations and interviews quoted in this paper took place between August 2010 and May 2012. The interviews focused on how people perceived urban changes in Baku and how they feel in public spaces today. Most interviews took place in public spaces, in parks or cafes on the Bulvar or in the Torgovaya area - the places which play an important role in the everyday life as well as in the memory of many Bakuvians. I let my interviewees decide where the interview about their relationship with their city took place, and with a few exceptions (mostly people who had an office where they could meet me) people suggested a meeting point in this area. For young people it was a place where they would hang out anyway, while elderly Bakintsy often used the opportunity to show me their city and recount their memories of special places when we passed them. Sometimes this led to a longer \"go-along\", as described by Kusenbach (2003), but usually it was focused on three or four places very close to each other. Those of my informants who described themselves as Bakintsy were between 35 and 75 years old and came from Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian backgrounds, while those who did not describe themselves thus were aged between 18 and 45 and defined themselves as \"Azerbaijanis\". Interviews with Bakintsy were always conducted in Russian, because that is the language my informants preferred (often it was the only language they felt confident in), interviews with \"Azerbaijanis\" were mostly conducted in English, but often also with significant parts in Azeri or Russian.\n\"This is not my city anymore\": When I came to Baku in 2010 and started to research how urban changes were perceived by the citizens of Baku, I was usually told how wonderful the city had been in the 1970s and 1980s and how everything had started to deteriorate after independence. \"It's not my city anymore\" was a frequent statement. The interviewees who complained most about the deterioration of the city were elderly people from various ethnic backgrounds (Azerbaijani, Russian, Armenian) who described themselves as \"Bakintsy\"[1], as born and raised in Baku. But this was only part of their identity, it was equally important that they used to be part of a mainly academic, Russian-speaking, Soviet middle class with its own behavioural codes and moral standards. Newcomers - wherever they came from - who could adopt this Russified urban habitus were welcomed. Bakintsy now expressed a feeling of being culturally and economically marginalised following the breakdown of the Soviet Union. Commodities and spare-time activities they had considered a matter of course had become difficult and expensive. Such activities included going to concerts and the theatre, having a drink in a coffee shop in the city centre or on the seafront or traveling to other parts of the Soviet Union. Today they face many of the typical problems of the transformation period following the fall of the Soviet Union: their salary or pension is not enough to make ends meet, the Soviet apartment blocks they live in are in poor condition (and nobody takes responsible for this) and public transport is still a nightmare. All these were things they told me when explaining why they feel marginalised and no longer equal citizens. For my interviewees, the decline of their city and the fact that their lives had become more difficult than they ever expected are inseparably interlinked. Most of the Bakintsy I talked to were people who actually remember Soviet times, but this does not mean that it is only they who refer to the 1970s and 1980s as Baku's Golden Times - there are many people who are actually too young to remember these times but who are still certain that everything was better back then.\nDefending \"Baku how it was and how it should be\": The Bakintsy in my interviews tended to present themselves as victims of an urban change they could not control, helpless in the face of the growing dominance of the newcomers. They kept hold of the idea of \"how Baku was and how it should be\", as one of my interviewees, a woman in her late 30s, put it. This informant drew more on collective memory and oral history than on her own experiences when evoking the spirit of old Baku, but at the same time she emphasised that there is no way to play an active part in the changes the city is experiencing. Their mourning of old Baku is primarily nostalgic, a nostalgia that is mainly \"restorative\" in shape, as Svetlana Boym describes, even if nobody believes that is possible to restore the city they now idealise. But it is still far from being a \"reflective\" nostalgia that allows one to play with nostalgic attitudes, and it is very averse to irony (Boym, 2001, pp. 41, 49-55). Of course, my informants saw themselves not as nostalgic but as the keepers of the \"right Baku\". \"Old Baku\" is a symbol of a time gone by, a golden age that, if it cannot be restored, is at least worthy of being mourned for forever. While most of this nostalgia is expressed in private conversation, in the kitchens and yards of Soviet apartment blocks there are also certain - mostly temporary - places where people gather and celebrate their memories of the Soviet, Russian-speaking Baku. One example of such a temporary space is the \"Russian Songwriter Festival\" held every summer (at least until 2010) in the Rashid Behbudov Theatre. There are also some jazz clubs and events which, although they are no longer considered \"completely right\", are near enough to be recommended if one wants to experience Baku \"as it was and how it should be\". I never heard a newcomer talking about going to any of these places or events, while most Bakintsy were completely stunned when I talked about going to a Mugham concert. \"That is so old-fashioned!\" was a typical reaction, completely ignoring the fact that the average age at a jazz concert today is much higher than that at a Mugham concert.\n\"We finally have our city back\": In my fieldwork during 2010 and 2011, the divide between the Bakintsy and the newcomers from the countryside seemed insurmountable. But as more and more public places were renovated, reappearing in a globalised post-modern style which left no traces of their Soviet past, and with only slight hints of the country in which they are located, and as official control expanded in these renovated places, Bakintsy seemed more and more reconciled to their lost city. \"We finally have our Baku back\", a retired piano teacher told me while watching TV coverage of the opening ceremony of the new section of the seafront Bulvar in May 2012. This new section was built to connect the old part of the Bulvar with the Crystal Hall, where the Eurovision Song Contest was held. It did not matter for elderly Bakintsy that this part of the Bulvar was not even open to the public before the end of the Eurovision Song Contest or that hardly any of them could afford a ticket to one of the cultural events planned to take place in the Crystal Hall, or even that nothing in their everyday life had changed. Many things they had complained about before when explaining why they felt marginalised and as if they were inferior citizens remained the same. Their salary or pension was still too small to afford a drink in the new cafes, while housing conditions and public transport had not improved. But for these few weeks at least, when Baku was full of tourists and foreign journalists, it seemed to be enough that people from all over the world were coming to Baku and finding a city that was in no way \"Asian\", but was full of buildings and recreation facilities like those found anywhere in the world, with people who behaved like real urban inhabitants - that is, at least, under strict control, and without any efforts from the Bakintsy themselves. They felt the rules they had defended for the previous decade were finally being appreciated by official policy. It made no difference for them whether this control was exercised by police officers or security guards, who are not only in charge of semi-public places such as malls, but also of parts of the Bulvar and the city centre.\n\"Western\" behaviour challenged - flashmobbers in Baku: There are few people who dare to challenge the system of unwritten rules in public. In the debate over \"forbidden things\" and \"uncultivated behaviour\" that supposedly make Baku appear \"backward\" and \"uncultivated\" in contrast to \"western\", what is widely ignored is that such behaviour might well be considered normal in European or Northern American cities. At issue are actions like drinking and eating in public, hugging one other or performing street music. One group of young people in Baku addresses this paradox of wanting to appear \"western\" by forbidding \"typical western\" behaviour by organising flashmobs. In a situation where correct behaviour plays such a crucial role in the question of belonging and the right to live in the city, consciously crossing the line between the allowed and the forbidden can be seen as an act of resistance. The idea of making themselves visible, of doing something which makes people observe (and therefore judge) them, scares many people. The group is fairly heterogeneous: the organisers of flashmobs and those who participate in them have various political and religious backgrounds - some are members of the government's youth organisation, some define themselves as oppositional. The age range is also quite wide (at least by Azerbaijani standards), ranging from high school students to young professionals in their mid-30s. When I first had contact with the Baku flashmobbers in February 2011, at least 75 per cent of them were male, but in the last few years the number of women has rapidly increased, and by 2012 at least half of the participants were already female, while there were also more women in the planning group. The social background of the organisers, however, is quite homogeneous: they come from the well-off, urban middle class, those who have often (if not always) had the opportunity to travel or study abroad. They communicate with each other in Azeri, but speak English very well (and generally better than Russian), and use all kinds of modern media and communication systems to communicate with people all over the world. Interestingly, even though most (but not all) of them come from families who would call themselves Bakintsy, the distinction between \"real urban people\" and \"people from the countryside\" is not relevant for them. They see themselves as a new kind of \"outsider\", provoking what they also call \"our people\", whether or not they are Bakintsy, in a playful way.\nConclusion: Baku today does not exhibit a high diversity of urban life styles, and public places in particular are highly regulated in order to enforce normed behaviour - behaviour that is shaped by the idea of Soviet urban culture and an imagined \"western\" city. But what seems highly restrictive, and even contrary to notions of urbanity for the western researcher is not perceived as a problem by a large part of the urban population. For the older generation in particular, but also for many young people, this control evokes a feeling of stability, a sense that Baku is still (or again) a safe and beautiful city. It also provides places like the Bulvar and the Torgovaya area where - despite official control - there is at least the freedom of anonymity. In these areas one can risk much more non-conformist behaviour than could be attempted in the Azerbaijani countryside or even in the microrayons surrounding the city centre. In a political environment where claiming the \"right to the city\" as discussed by Lefebvre and others (Harvey, 2008; Souza, 2010) can lead to serious problems with the authorities, Bakintsy try to make up for their limited \"rights to the city\" at least by defending their urban habitus as the only one acceptable in \"their\" city. Increasing control by police and security guards gives them the feeling that their needs and lifestyle are respected by a government which they usually feel neglects them.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Moral values and behavioural codes that governed the urban life and the appropriation of urban spaces changed significantly in Baku over the last two decades leading to conflicts over the right behaviour in the city and about the question who has the right to set the rules in public spaces. The purpose of this paper is to explore the current political as well as social rules that govern the public spaces in Baku and how they are discussed in order that the city should appear \"European\" in contrast to \"oriental\".\nDesign/methodology/approach: The author focuses on everyday practices of people acting in the public sphere, how they use the space and which discussions emerge around different behaviour in public places. The paper is based on observations and interviews the author made between August 2010 and May 2012.\nFindings: The paper shows new ways of appropriation of public space and dealing with social as well as official control.\nOriginality/value: The paper presents new research on a quickly changing post-Soviet city.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The change-ready leadership of technology-savvy superintendents
|
[
"Administration",
"Superintendent",
"Technology leadership",
"District leadership"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Technology-driven innovations present new challenges for leading modern school districts. Today's superintendents are uniquely positioned to leverage their role in ways that can dramatically impact the success of staff and students. These leaders serve as \"learning engineers\" who seek to solve problems that are facing students, teachers and building principals. These learning leaders consider existing research and formulate more effective and efficient ways to promote and support teaching and learning across their unique districts (Hess and Saxberg, 2014). Thus, district leaders are charged with enabling their organizations, and the people within, to anticipate and respond to unique challenges and varied opportunities that are ever-evolving in a learning community (Sanford, 2017).\nLiterature review: A following review of the literature provides context into the role of district leadership, trends in school technology leadership and innovation, and resultant shifts during an innovation era. Building professional capacity in districts and schools to meet the ever-changing needs of students and teachers is also discussed.\nConceptual framework: This study on the challenges of digital district leadership is conceptually grounded in first- and second-order changes as detailed by Marzano et al. (2005). First-order change is described as incremental or small clear steps that an organization might take. In contrast, second-order change involves a dramatic or more profound change in which the system is fundamentally changed (Marzano et al., 2005). In second-order change, leaders set a vision for the district and continually reinforces it through action in a consistent and sustained manner. We offer that district-level digital leadership must be framed in a long-lasting, systemic, second-order change that fosters a more profound impact on leading, teaching and learning through collaboration.\nMethods: We sought to understand the second-order change leadership of today's technology-savvy superintendents. The current study is designed as a replication study and was built on a previous research effort that examined the perspectives of 2000-2010 eSchoolNews Tech-Savvy Superintendent awardees (McLeod et al., 2015; Richardson et al., 2015; Sauers et al., 2014). Kugler et al. (2006) noted that replication studies could be useful to the body of research when the current context supports its continuing relevance and when it can support the original study either by extending or clarifying the generalizability from the original study. This current study additionally expands on a recent comparative analysis (Richardson and Sterrett, 2018) by exclusively focusing on how current district leaders articulate and overcome challenges.\nResults: Findings from this replication study provide insights into district-wide second-order change leadership with regards to technology integration. Through our analysis, we identified four themes related to the challenges faced by these district leaders. As detailed in Table II, these themes included meeting the needs of stakeholders (n=9), supporting professional development (n=9), fostering mindset changes (n=8) and addressing the fear of the unknown (n=8).\nDiscussion: The findings from this study on superintendents overcoming challenges of technology innovation provide the field with insights into the role of the change-ready district leaders who foster lasting technology-infused innovations. Through our analysis of interviews with 14 technology-savvy superintendents, we found evidence of various aspects of second-order change in P-12 school districts. These leaders know their respective communities and they empathize with their needs. This knowledge situates these superintendents to foster change effectively and efficiently. Moreover, these superintendents are prepared to lead outside their comfort zones. This responsible risk-taking allows them the opportunity to be a second-order change agent in an era of educational innovation.\nLimitations and future research: This study has three main limitations. First, when nominating the superintendents for the award, nominators were encouraged to describe how the candidate met the hallmarks noted earlier in this paper. The nominator provided examples to eSchoolNews of exactly how the superintendent espoused those hallmarks. However, this does not guarantee that these superintendents consistently met all ten hallmarks of excellence; only that they supported a technology innovation that likely impacted teaching and learning while living up to those hallmarks at some point in time. Future research might engage these types of innovative leaders in a longitudinal study to better understand the lived experiences of these second-order change leaders and the resultant impacts on the schools.\nConclusion: Technology has changed learning, teaching, leading and collaborating. While challenges for any district leader wishing to make long-lasting change exist, there are district leaders today who embody second-order change leadership when overcoming the challenge of school technology leadership. These technology-savvy superintendents play an important role as whole-system change agents. Through their work on the ground and in their professional learning network, they display empathy and understanding of the unique needs of their community. Moreover, they can be change-ready leaders through their willingness to embrace the unknown and take risks.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to help the researchers sought to take a closer look at the technology challenges facing district superintendents in today's leadership climate.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors chose semi-structured interviews as the data collection method. Through 45 min, one-on-one, semi-structured telephone interviews, the researchers were able to collect data about overcoming the challenges of being a modern technology-savvy superintendent.\nFindings: Through the analysis, the authors identified four themes related to the challenges faced by these district leaders, including meeting the needs of stakeholders, supporting professional development, fostering mindset changes and addressing a fear of the unknown.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study only relied on interviews and did not examine evidence from the field, such as site visits or artifact examination.\nPractical implications: This study provides the field with insights into the role of the change-ready district leaders who foster lasting technology-infused transformation.\nSocial implications: While challenges for any district leader wishing to make long-lasting change exist, there are district leaders today who embody second-order change leadership when overcoming the challenge of school technology leadership. These technology-savvy superintendents play an important role as whole-system change agents.\nOriginality/value: This study highlighted that there many district leaders today who embody second-order change leadership in helping move their districts forward.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Population ageing: opportunities and challenges for retail banking
|
[
"Savings",
"Risk management",
"Personal finance",
"Older consumers",
"Demographics",
"Banking"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: There is an extensive global demographic transition taking place, albeit fulfilled to varying degrees in different countries. The proportion of elderly people is getting larger, and within 20 years, only slightly more than 50 per cent of the population in today's richest countries will be of working age, while almost 50 per cent will be dependent (i.e. either too young or too old to work).This transition will of course have great implications for many areas within societies: labour markets, childcare, elderly care and healthcare, to name a few, but also financial markets. Since much of individuals' behaviour regarding spending, borrowing and saving is determined according to where they are within their life cycles, an altered age structure will have consequences for the demand for financial services encountered by banks. Hence, there are major challenges and opportunities for the banking sector to adjust to these changing demographics, and thereby contribute to making the transition a smooth one. Since there will be relatively few individuals working and paying taxes in the future, it will be of benefit to society if individuals entering retirement do so with the funds necessary to live through it, without needing to resort to social welfare institutions.With the world population growing older, leading to an increased level of accumulated wealth, the consumer demand encountered by banks is shifting from credit products to savings products. This trend is apparent in most industrialised countries, as shown by Allen and Santomero (2001). In particular, asset accumulation in anticipation of retirement is of increasing importance to consumers as a result of higher life expectancy and the increasing proportion of the population nearing retirement. Given the growing competition in the banking sector and in light of the demographic challenges this sector faces, banks have been forced to become entrepreneurial and are thus changing their activities away from the traditional intermediation business of taking deposits and making loans. They are instead shifting to other forms of fee-producing intermediary activities such as trusts, annuities, mutual funds, mortgage banking, insurance brokerage and transaction services. Allen and Santomero (2001) show how demand for such activities has recently grown significantly.Given that the need for and the reality of financial innovation changes over time, banks need constantly to revise the intermediary role they have in society and adapt continuously to these new needs by restructuring their businesses in order to prosper and maintain their positions in the market. The future winners in banking markets will be those who are first to reap the commercial benefit of demographic changes.This paper starts out with a brief illustration of what kind of demographic transition we are facing, then goes on to describe theories about saving and spending behaviour over a lifetime, and finally touches upon what challenges all this implies for the retail banks. We use demographic forecasts made by the United Nations Population Division, apply established economic models about life cycle behaviour, and from this try to shed light on potential scenarios that banks will encounter.\nThe demographic transition: The world's population is getting older because of longer life expectancy and lower fertility rates in most countries. These developments often interact - as countries become richer and healthier, their inhabitants live longer, but also give birth to fewer children. In poorer countries, children have traditionally been seen as investments, while in richer countries it is rather the case that they, at an individual level, require investment. Furthermore, in wealthier countries where women tend to have more career options, they also seem less willing to spend too much time away from the labour market taking care of children. Of course, policy and infrastructure also have their implications; in countries where women can return to work after childbearing without losing too much status and/or income, fertility is often higher. For example, in Norway and Sweden, two countries with long allowances for maternity leave, but also strong laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination against women and \"parents\", the fertility rates are higher than in Japan and Spain, countries where the costs of staying at home with children may be higher in terms of career.In this section, we give some illustrations of demographic development in the most developed countries. We generally chose a window of 50 years, from 1975 to 2025; thus, the first 30 years shown are estimates, while the following 20 are projections. The data stem from the United Nations Population Division (2005). We focus here on the richest industrialised countries, also where the banking sector is obviously well developed. These countries had per-adult incomes above $US10,000 in 1985, and there is a large break in the data to the next group of countries, indicating that $US10,000 is an appropriate cut-off level (Beaudry and Collard, 2003). The countries are:* Australia;* Austria;* Belgium;* Canada;* Denmark;* Finland;* France;* Germany;* Iceland;* Italy;* Japan;* The Netherlands;* New Zealand;* Norway;* Sweden;* Switzerland;* the UK; and* the USA.Figure 1 shows the life expectancy of the inhabitants in these 18 countries. It is a fairly steep and linear increase, going from less than 74 years in 1975 to more than 82 years in 2025. The variation within this group of countries is not large. In 1975, the lowest and highest life expectancies were 72 and 76.3 years, in Austria and Iceland, respectively. In 2025, the projected life expectancies vary between 80.2 (in Denmark and the USA) and 86 years (in Japan).As mentioned above, we not only live longer; we also tend to give birth to significantly fewer children than before. Figure 2 shows the average fertility rate for these countries, using a longer window to illustrate how much fertility has actually decreased, and how marginally it is expected to increase in the near future. Despite the predicted increase in fertility rates, they are still much short of the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. Globally, in 2005-2010, 73 countries or areas may well have fertility levels below the replacement rate and 45 of them are in more developed regions. Furthermore, countries with fertility rates below replacement levels are likely to account for approximately 43 per cent of the world's population (World Population Prospects, 2007). The three countries with the lowest fertility rates are all former members of the Eastern bloc:1. Ukraine, 1.15 per cent;2. Slovakia, 1.19 per cent; and3. Slovenia, 1.21 per cent.In combination with roughly constant retirement ages, these two effects (increased longevity and decreased fertility rates) will result in an increased old-age dependency ratio (the proportion of those old to those of working age in a population). Figure 3 depicts the average old-age dependency ratio for these countries. As can be seen, within 20 years, the number of workers is likely to be only twice as many as the number of potential retirees. Furthermore, there is no reason to believe that the old-age dependency ratio will decrease within the foreseeable future, since life expectancy will continue to increase. A decrease in the old-age dependency ratio requires increased fertility rates, or increased immigration of adults, which is not very likely to occur in most developed countries.It is notable that for both Figure 3 and Figure 4, we used the conventional meaning of working age, i.e. between 15 and 59 years of age. This is not completely accurate in many developed countries, where few adolescents enter the labour market before the age of 20. For example, with this conventional meaning of \"working age\", the old-age dependency ratio is 40 per cent in Sweden for the year 2005; instead, if we calculate the ratio with the working age being between 20 and 59 years of age, the ratio is 45 per cent. Retirement age is also a flexible concept, even though there has only been a marginal change in the actual retirement age across the developed world.Finally, in Figure 4, we can see that only slightly more than half of the population is expected to be of working age in 2025. The effect of increased longevity and decreased fertility is slightly accentuated in the near future because of Baby Boomers reaching retirement age.Many countries experienced greatly increased fertility rates following the Second World War, as can be seen in Figure 2. These generations are now leaving, or starting to leave, the labour market, causing a shortage of labour in many of these countries.Following these trends of more elderly people and fewer people of working age, there will be fewer workers to support those who have already retired. Lately, many countries have gone from pay-as-you-go pension plans to fully funded systems. Where this is the case, the old-age dependency ratio might not be of the same importance, although it will still be important. Apart from the cash the elderly receive in pensions, they are still dependent on many other aspects of the welfare system, such as healthcare and other services provided by the public sector.Since individuals in the future will have more years in retirement, as long as the retirement age is not altered, they will also need more income for retirement spending; otherwise, they will have to lower their standards of living substantially during retirement. The increased need for higher savings is partly because of the increased time in retirement, but also because of the increased risk of healthcare spending, which follows increased longevity (Groome et al., 2006). This fact is likely to affect the way many people think about saving for old age, and thereby also their consumption levels during their working years. These demographic changes will therefore have far-reaching consequences for banking systems.\nTheoretical considerations: The life cycle model\nOpportunities and challenges with an ageing population: Relevance for retail banking\nConcluding discussion: Population ageing is a fact. Increasing life expectancy and low fertility rates are the main ingredients of this demographic change. The life cycle models clearly predict a higher overall asset accumulation level and a higher savings level, at least initially, in an ageing population. Other life cycle behaviour models point out that we are also becoming more risk-averse as we age, while evidence shows that at the same time we are increasingly exposed to age-related risks.We have suggested here a few alternative ways of handling the changing needs of bank customers as their age-structure evolves over time. At the core is the fact that since we can expect a much longer time in retirement than was earlier the case, we must also save more money during our years in the workforce, else we will have to lower our standards of living substantially during the last part of our lives. One alternative option is, of course, that we all work longer and postpone retirement. This is a realistic option. If people postpone their retirement sufficiently to compensate for the prolonged time in \"old age\" due to increased life expectancies, then we might not have a problem. Individuals will then still be able to support themselves until the end of their lives. However, there is no clear-cut evidence in the literature of retirement age being postponed, or for that matter of retirement being set earlier. A report from the Swedish Social Insurance Board (Forsakringskassan, 2006) shows that there has been a slight trend towards postponing retirement in many OECD countries, although not in all. Iceland, Japan, Ireland and Poland have seen lower retirement ages between 1996 and 2004. However, the delayed retirement trend is not very strong. For example, in Italy, the average retirement age in 1996 was 59.3 years, while it was 59.5 years in 2004, a growth of only 0.2 years over a period of eight years.It is not easy to predict how the current middle-aged generation will adjust its retirement age. The large Baby Boomer generation that is slowly entering retirement age has had the advantage of high lifetime earnings because of good macroeconomic times. Moreover, they have also had generous pensions plans and advantageous loan opportunities, coupled with low inflation rates (see Dahlberg and Nahum, 2003). These are indications that this group does not have strong economic incentives to postpone retirement age.With an increase in demand for funds to be available after retirement, there will also be an increase in demand for different investment options while there still is an income stream. This is one area where banks can contribute. Firstly, it might be a good idea to offer widespread information on how best to invest according to expected longevity and willingness to take risks. Secondly, banks can revise/improve the different alternatives offered. Investment packages currently offered by banks need to adapt to changing needs. As mentioned earlier, combined annuity and life insurance packages might be one option, especially if based on longevity indices[8].As mentioned earlier, changes in the age structure can strain the financial markets. Banks can contribute to creating financial stability in their role as intermediaries, although with new tasks, as discussed in the introduction. With the Baby Boomer generation reaching retirement age and selling off their assets, banks can potentially cushion an eventual \"asset price meltdown\". They can contribute to the openness of capital markets and increase capital flows across countries, and make use of the fact that countries have different age structures and thus market structures. The future winner on the banking market is the one that is the first to restructure and adapt to these demographic challenges and reap additional commercial benefit.Finally, is this all a zero-sum game? Is the only consequence of a potentially increased savings rate among retirees-to-be that they will consume less during middle age and more during retirement than what would otherwise be the case? Alternatively, will society as a whole reap the benefits? Our belief is that the latter is the case. If the infrastructure to facilitate a prosperous retirement is in place, the stress on the welfare system will diminish and more resources will be available for other areas of the public sector. Thus, we believe that it is in everyone's interest - banks, individuals and society at large - that these institutions work well.\n",
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"content": "Purpose: - This paper seeks to shed light on the challenges and opportunities demographic transitions bring about to the banking sector. Increasing life expectancy, coupled with an increasing old age dependency ratio has implications for the demand for financial services. This opens a window of opportunity for the banking sector to adjust its services so as to meet these changes and reap the benefit of demographic changes.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper uses demographic forecasts made by the United Nations Population Division, to which are applied established economic models on life cycle behaviour. Based on the findings, light is shed on potential scenarios that banks may encounter.\nFindings: - The life cycle models predict a higher overall asset accumulation level and a higher savings level, at least initially, in an ageing population. Other life cycle behaviour models point out that individuals' risk aversion increases with age, while evidence shows that population ageing exposes individuals to greater risks. This increases the need for households to appropriately diversify and manage the risks they face, and encourages the development of products that are better tailored to these growing needs.\nOriginality/value: - The paper proposes that banks can contribute to creating financial stability. Banks can participate in financial education and consequently increase households' motivation to save more and in better ways. Consumer demand encountered by banks is shifting from credit products to savings products. The investment packages currently offered by banks need to adapt to changing needs: combined annuity and life insurance packages are one option.\n",
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Generic skills development and satisfaction with groupwork among business students : Effect of country of permanent residency
|
[
"Groupwork",
"Teamwork",
"Generic skill development",
"Domestic and international students",
"Students",
"Team working",
"Australia"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Groupwork is widely recognised in higher education as having the potential to assist student learning (see Commonwealth of Australia, 2007; Oxford Brookes University, n.d.). It has been acknowledged as a way of developing employable skills (Chen et al., 2004; James et al., 2002). It does so, inter alia, by promoting or encouraging deep, active, autonomous, experiential and problem-based learning, by increasing student motivation and engagement (Scott-Ladd and Chan, 2008) and by contributing to students' social development (Brooks and Ammons, 2003). The pedagogy of groupwork is predicated on the belief that \"learning is essentially a social endeavour that needs to be situated in authentic human activity\" (Pomboa et al., 2010, p. 218). Groupwork has received contradictory reports from students. While students report that their participation in group assignments provided them with a positive learning experience, as indicated in the course experience questionnaire data from Australia (Scott, 2005, p. 107), it has also resulted in negative comments by others (e.g. Willcoxson, 2006).Less well understood are the interrelationships between variables that affect the positive and negative experience of students' participation in groupwork. It has been suggested that groupwork resulted in the acquisition of various generic skills such as problem solving, leadership, communication, time management (see Strauss et al., 2011) and these skills influence students' willingness to participate in groupwork (Humphreys et al., 1997). Other studies suggest that there are factors which impact negatively on students' willingness to participate in groupwork and these include student's prior training in working in groupwork (e.g. Chen et al., 2004; Jassawalla et al., 2010), and associated challenges of working in cross-cultural groups (Volet and Ang, 1998; Strauss et al., 2011). Willcoxson (2006) noted that students' satisfaction with group assessments is negatively influenced by having to conduct peer evaluation. Williams et al. (2007, p. 698) reported students' responses that peer evaluation did not improve their performance in groupwork.The investigation of the above issues may improve understanding of the influences on students' willingness to engage in group assessments. The current study therefore examines the causal relationships of these variables in explaining students' experiences of participating in groupwork. We will also examine the effect of country of residence on the students' experience on groupwork as there is a large number of international students enroled in the faculties of Business in Australia.\n2. Literature review: Groupwork in diverse classroom context\n3. The research questions: The issues raised in the literature review demonstrate that groupwork in university settings remains complex. It is also evident that some of the above issues related to each other. But which ones and what are the causal relationships between the variables? For example, will prior training in working in groups make any difference to the students' experience in groupwork? Does prior training in groupwork affect students' experience of peer evaluation? Does perception of generic skill development through groupwork improve satisfaction with groupwork and reduce dissatisfaction with it? Do international students (i.e. non-Australian residents) report differently on the variables in relation to their experience with groupwork?The purpose of this study is to address these questions by attempting to explore the issues raised in the literature review. As an overview, the paths existing between six main variables will be explored in this study, and these links will be examined using path analysis. As shown in the path model (see Figure 1), the key variables to be investigated are positive and negative group experience, reluctance to conduct peer evaluation, development of generic skills and country of residence. In summary, the path analysis will examine the following:* There is a country of residence (Australia versus non-Australia) effect on how students report their satisfaction with their experience in groupwork assessments.* There is a country of residence (Australia versus non-Australia) effect on how students report on development of generic skills after participating in groupwork assessments.* There is a country of residence (Australia versus non-Australia) effect on students' willingness to participate in peer evaluation in groupwork assessments.* Students who are reluctant in undertaking peer evaluation will report lower level of satisfaction with positive groupwork experience and higher level of negative groupwork experience.* Students with prior training in working in groups will be more willing to undertake peer evaluation than those without any prior training.* Students who report an increase in the development of generic skills will report a higher level of willingness to undertake peer evaluation in groupwork.* Students who report an increase in the development of generic skills will report higher level of positive groupwork experience and lower level of negative groupwork experience.\n4. Methods: To explore the relevance of the proposed path model, data were collected from 389 undergraduate and postgraduate Business students from a large metropolitan university in Australia. A self-completion questionnaire was distributed by two of the authors during lecture and/or tutorial time. Students were reassured that the data were anonymous and confidential. Data were analysed using SmartPLS version 2.0 M3 (Ringle et al., 2005), a form of structural equation modelling. SmartPLS, a latent path model, is a technique used for estimating path coefficients in causal models, and the software allows for the estimation of multiple paths (see Chin, 2010).Model estimation\n5. Results: Descriptive statistics are reported in Table II. As reported above, 389 students participated in the study. Half of the respondents were male (52.4 percent). Nearly half of the respondents (40 percent) reported Australia as their country of residence. The majority (68.7 percent) were studying full time and over half of the respondents were postgraduate students (60.7 percent). Most of the students had not received any prior training in working in groups (N=273). An ANOVA was conducted to determine if the data from undergraduate and postgraduate students could be combined into a single dataset for path analysis. The result showed that it was appropriate to combine the responses of undergraduate and postgraduate students into the full dataset for path analysis.The path model explains 86.9 percent of \"negative group experience\" and 90.3 percent of \"positive group experience\" (see Figure 2). We used the global criterion of goodness of fit index developed by Tenenhaus et al. (2005) to determine the overall model fit. The index was 0.69, which according to Wetzels et al. (2009), means that the model had a high level of goodness of fit.As shown in Figure 2 and Table III, it was found that \"country of residence\" had a negative and statistically significant path to \"generic skill development\" (path coefficient=-0.302, t-statistic=5.992, p<0.001). There was a positive and significant path leading from \"country of residence\" to students' \"reluctance to conduct peer evaluation\" (path coefficient=-0.302, t-statistic=2.329, p<0.05). The path from \"country of residence\" to \"negative group experience\" was found to be positive and statistically significant (path coefficient=0.103, t-statistic=2.117, p<0.05) while the path to \"positive group experience\" was negative (path coefficient=-0.086, t-statistic=2.236, p<0.05).The path from \"reluctance to conduct peer evaluation\" to \"negative group experience\" was found to be positive and statistically significant (path coefficient=0.344, t-statistic=6.780, p<0.001) and the path to \"positive group experience\" was statistically not significant. The paths from \"generic skill development\" to \"reluctance to conduct peer evaluation\" was found to be statistically not significant, while the paths to \"negative group experience\" (path coefficient=-0.352, t-statistic=6.578, p<0.001) and \"positive group experience\" (path coefficient=0.680, t-statistic=17.985, p<0.001) were both statistically significant.To examine whether prior training in working in groups has an impact on the students' groupwork experience, two separate path analyses were conducted. The results are reported in Tables IV and V. The first one was conducted with the dataset with students who had received training (N=116) prior to enrolling in the particular unit where the survey was undertaken. The second analysis was conducted with the sample without prior training (N=273). As shown in Tables IV and V, the path analysis showed that the findings were similar for both sub-samples. The only exception was in the no training sample where Australian permanent residents were more reluctant to undertake peer evaluation on their group members (path coefficient=0.154, t-statistic=2.383, p<0.05).\n6. Discussion and implications: The main aim of the current study was to examine the perceived experience of groupwork assessments in a sample of 389 Business students from a large metropolitan Australian university. The study produced several findings. First, the study showed that Australian permanent residents tend to report less generic skills being developed and they were more reluctant to conduct peer evaluation. Australian permanent residents tend to report more negative experience with groupwork while international students tend to have more positive groupwork experience. These findings were consistent with the earlier research by Gatfield (1999). Second, Australian permanent residents who had no prior training in working in groupwork were more reluctant to undertake peer evaluation on their group members. Third, international students, when compared with Australian permanent residents, were also more reluctant to undertake peer evaluation of their group members. Finally, those students who reported the development of generic skills at the conclusion of the group assignment tend to report more positive experience of working in groups.Theoretical implications\n7. Conclusion: The current study has enhanced, added to and elaborated on existing empirical evidence on the relationships between a number of key variables in explaining students' positive and negative experiences of groupwork. The study established that self-reported development of generic skills (including problem-solving skills, leadership skills, research skills, study skills, communication skills, time management skills, peer assessment skills, self-assessment skills, and teamwork) affected positive/negative experience of groupwork and that country of residence influenced the development of generic skills and self-reported positive/negative group experience. It found that domestic students (i.e. those with Australia as their official country of residence) were more critical than those with non-Australian residence in their reporting of their acquisition of generic skills on completing their group assessment. Domestic students also reported that improvement in team skills, if not acquired at the completion of the group assessment, will have negative impact on their experience of working in groups. In relation to prior training, the study found that lack of prior training in working on group assignments tended to produce comparatively more negative groupwork experience.The study also found that domestic students (i.e. those with Australia as their official country of residence) were more critical than those with non-Australian residence in their reporting of their acquisition of generic skills on completing their group assessment. Domestic students also reported that lack of improvement in team skills, at the completion of the group assessment, will have a negative impact on their experience of working in groups.\n",
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"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this study is to examine variables explaining students' positive and negative experiences of groupwork and connect country of residence with the perception of generic skills development and self-reported satisfaction with groupwork. It also aims to examine the effect of prior training in groups from the perspective of Australian and Non-Australian permanent residency Business students.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Respondents were 389 undergraduate and postgraduate Business students at an Australian metropolitan university. A path model was developed and analysed using partial least squares modeling.\nFindings: - Students' country of residence had a significant influence on reporting of generic skill development and experience of groupwork. Self-reported improvement in generic skills after groupwork assessment was associated with reporting of fewer negative and more positive aspects of working in groups.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The findings were limited by using data collected from students enrolled in one undergraduate and one postgraduate subject at the conclusion of a group assignment from one university. Future research should test the model by extending it to other universities and non-Business units. Future research should rely on a longitudinal design, where the survey is carried out at the beginning and the end of the group assessment.\nPractical implications: - It is important to ensure both domestic and international students acquire generic skills through groupwork and that prior training in groupwork takes place before group assessments.\nOriginality/value: - The study provides empirical evidence supporting the incorporation of generic skill teaching into academic practice prior to assigning groupwork to students.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Asymmetric targeting of corporate cash holdings and financial constraints in Pakistani firms
|
[
"Cash holdings",
"Adjustment rate",
"Financial constraints",
"Pakistani firms",
"Upward and downward adjustment"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The cash holding behavior of firms has obtained a great deal of consideration in finance literature after the contribution of Miller and Orr (1966) and the initial work of Modigliani and Miller (1958). However, the latter suggested that firms can easily secure funds in frictionless markets and that there is no need to hoard cash for future liquidity matters. Practically, there is no existence of frictionless capital markets and firms cannot always collect as many funds as they need so they have to move toward external sources of raising funds. Why are the firms always in need of holding cash? Does the optimal level of cash holdings exist? Do firms with different organizational hierarchies hold a different amount of cash? To answer these fundamental questions, a number of researchers have strived to draw a clear picture of the cash holding decisions made by the firms. Keynes (1936) emphasized that cash acts as a safety measure against unpredicted contingencies. After three decades, a tradeoff model for determining a firm's optimal cash level was presented by Miller and Orr (1966) and this model discusses the idea of making a tradeoff between costs and benefits of cash holdings. Contrarily, Myers (1984) suggested pecking order theory and argued that an optimal or target level of cash does not exist and a firm only tries to minimize information asymmetry while accessing the costs of external financing. Under this argument, firm first use their retained earnings to finance their investment projects, then obtain debt and at last, they use their equity in their investments.\n2. Literature review: There are a large number of prior studies about corporation's cash management policies and these studies suggest that firms normally accumulate large amounts of cash for precautionary motives (Opler et al., 1999; Mikkelson and Partch, 2003), for efficient management of transactions (Mulligan, 1997), for payment of double taxes, i.e. multinational firms which are subject to tax payments both in host country and in home country as well (Foley et al., 2007) and to reduce agency problems (Jensen, 1986; Harford, Mansi and Maxwell, 2008; Nikolov and Whited, 2014). Dittmar et al. (2003) identified two types of costs associated with holding cash. First, cost-of-carry and agency cost. They further documented two motives which stemmed the benefits and advantages of holding cash. In the first place, the transaction cost motive of holding cash states that firms hold more cash during the periods when opportunity costs and the costs associated with raising cash are relatively higher. Second, the precautionary or preventive motive of holding cash stems from an examination of the effect of asymmetric information on fund-raising ability of a firm.\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Data and source\n4. Discussion of results: 4.1 Descriptive statistics\n5. Conclusion: The main focus of this study is to find out the upward and downward adjustment behavior of Pakistani firms toward their optimal or target level of cash holdings. Prior research studies of capital structure (Drobetz and Wanzenried, 2006; Almeida et al., 2004; Han and Qiu, 2007; Al-Najjar, 2013) have been followed to understand the tendency of firms to opt for a target level of cash and for this purpose, firms have been divided into above and below target firms. For the estimation of adjustment speed for above and below target firms, Arellano and Bond (GMM) estimator has been used which is a dynamic model for panel data regression and is suitable to analyze the speed of adjustment of firms. On the first stance, the results prove that downward speed of adjustment is higher than upward speed of adjustment and it is because of the reason that firms with cash holdings above target level can easily cut down their cash reserves either by making necessary debt payments or by investing in profitable projects. Financial constraints have also been incorporated in our research model to check for the adjustment speed of FC and FUC firms and to prove that the downward speed of adjustment still remains higher even after controlling for financial constraints. But when it comes up with financial constraints, there is not any considerable evidence that this speed of adjustment holds after controlling for financial constraints. Furthermore, this study uses three measures of financial constraints (i.e. Altman's Z score, SA1 index and SA2 index) to explore the adjustment speed of corporate cash holdings but all three measures failed to provide any substantial support to our hypotheses.\n",
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},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the asymmetric adjustment of cash holdings in Pakistani firms for above and below target firms.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study employs generalized method of moments (GMM) to investigate the adjustment of cash holdings.\nFindings: The study found that the firms which hold cash above the optimal level of cash holdings have higher speed of adjustment than the firms which hold cash below the optimal level. Financially constrained (FC) firms also adjust their cash holdings faster than financially unconstrained (FUC) firms but high speed of downward adjustment does not remain persistent after financial constraints are controlled. Findings of this study reveal this asymmetric adjustment in above and below target firms and extend these results in FC and FUC Pakistani listed firms, respectively.\nResearch limitations/implications: The conclusion of this study has been derived under certain limitations. There is a vast space to extend this study in different dimensions. Firms operating in capital-intensive industries may provide different results for financial constraints because their policy designing would be quite different from other firms.\nOriginality/value: This study contributes to cash holdings research in Pakistan by exploring the adjustment behavior of cash holdings across Pakistani non-financial firms using econometric modeling. Downward adjustment rate is supposed to be higher than upward adjustment rate and this rate is tested using dynamic panel data model. Similarly, it is inferred that this relationship holds for above target firms even after including the financial constraints in the presented model.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Quality assurance in segmental neck of femur fractures
|
[
"National guidelines",
"Neck of femur fracture",
"Operative fixation",
"Surgical delay"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Neck of femur fractures (NoFFs) are common injuries in the elderly, which cost PS73m to NHS Scotland and PS2bn to the UK annually (Scottish Inter-Collegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), 2009; National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2011). Around 70,000-75,000 NoFF occur in the UK each year, and care pathways are designed to provide the highest level of integrated care to these vulnerable patients with fragile physiology. This involves multi-disciplinary input from the orthopaedic team at the treating hospital, acute rehabilitative services, community health and social services with the aim of getting these patient back to their pre-morbid level of function and ambulation (Fox et al., 1994; Holt et al., 1994; Gonzalez-Montavlo et al., 2010). A NoFF managed in such settings as a joint care under a named consultant orthopaedic surgeon and orthogeriatric consultant colleague qualifies for best practice tariff (BPT) incentive of GBP 445 in England (National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD), 2010). The NHFD collates such data from all hospitals catering to trauma patients and recommends developing and maintaining such inter-disciplinary services for rehabilitation and secondary prevention from falls. NoFFs are associated with 10 per cent first month mortality and at least 30 per cent mortality at the end of one year given significant co-existent medical co-morbidities (Bretherton and Parker, 2015; Parker and Anand, 1991). The NICE and SIGN guidelines assert surgical fixation to be the best form of analgesia and recommend definitive surgery of all NoFF within 48 h from the time of first presentation to minimise complications and death (Sexson and Lehner, 1987; Rogers et al., 1995; Zuckerman et al., 1995; Moja et al., 2012). Multiple publications have also identified delay to surgery to be an independent risk factor that was detrimental to recovery and rehabilitation. It was also associated with increased mortality and morbidity (M&M) (Villar et al., 1986; Sexson and Lehner, 1987; Zuckerman et al., 1995).\nThe case report: A 67-year old woman, who was otherwise fit and well, sustained a mechanical fall following a trivial trauma. She was brought into the A&E department, owing to her inability to weight-bear or walk. She complained of a painful left hip and the lower extremity was deformed. On clinical examination, she was tender in the left hip and groin and was unable to perform an active straight leg raise. Her medical history included long-term steroids intake for polymyalgia rheumatica and hypertension that was well controlled through a \"no salt\" diet and lifestyle modification. Her ECG was reported as normal and her chest x-ray (CXR) was unremarkable. A provisional working diagnosis of a NoFF was made and radiographs were requested and are illustrated in Figure 1(a) and (b).\nDiscussion: The treatment of NoFF in the elderly serves as barometers of social and community healthcare service performance given their multi-disciplinary challenges and high first year mortality of at least 30 per cent (Sexson and Lehner, 1987; Parker and Anand, 1991; Rogers et al., 1995; Zuckerman et al., 1995). Such an integrated effort from multi-disciplinary teams headed by orthopaedic and orthogeriatric consultants with unique skill sets is desired to minimise risks, M&M and improve outcomes. The national guidelines published by professional societies, i.e. the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) and the British Geriatric Society (BGS) have recommended this approach in their joint publication \"The Blue Book\" (Getty and Crome, 2007). However, such an implementation may not always be possible owing to local logistics and staffing issues in small DGHs like ours that does not have a consultant in orthogeriatrics.\nConclusion and learning points: SNoFF are rare injuries and are often missed. This may result in either a \"serious incident\" or a \"near-miss event\".\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report a rare case of segmental neck of femur fracture (SNoFF) and highlight its quality assurance and governance implications with respect to national guidelines, care pathways and best practice tariff.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Case report of an SNoFF in a 67-year-old woman treated at a district general hospital (DGH) was used in this study.\nFindings: SNoFF required additional implants that delayed the surgery by five days. The authors were unable to adhere to the British Orthopaedic Association standards for trauma and Scottish Inter-Collegiate Guidelines Network recommendations which indicate that all neck of femur fractures (NoFFs) be fixed within 48 h. Though the patient was discharged without any untoward event and had an uneventful recovery, this case led us to introspect and learn how best to avoid such an incident from repeating again.\nResearch limitations/implications: This case led to an overhaul of NoFF and trauma services. The local logistics was restructured to procure \"Trochanteric grip plates\" within 24 h to provide mandated quality of care in an effort towards improving patient experience/outcomes.\nOriginality/value: SNoFF are rare injuries and its diagnosis is either delayed or missed in at least 20 per cent of the cases on initial evaluation. The non-availability of additional implants readily on the shelf coupled with lack of a trauma bed at the tertiary centre resulted in an unacceptable delay from admission to definitive surgery. The authors recommend that all DGHs have a mechanism/emergency procurement procedure system in place to obtain the required instrumentation kits rapidly through a sharing scheme with regional hospitals or through implant vendor to avoid unacceptable delays to surgery.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Connecting theory and practice: reviewing six learning theories to inform online instruction
|
[
"Heutagogy",
"Social learning",
"Behaviourism",
"Cognitivism",
"Connectivism",
"Online instruction",
"Transformative learning theory"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Learner engagement is crucial in online learning (Arghode and Wang, 2016; Ellis and Bliuc, 2019). Adult learners do not fully participate in online discussions for many reasons (Baran et al., 2011; Ke, 2010; Song et al., 2004). Learners are unlikely to participate fully when instructors are not entirely engaged and committed to improving learner engagement (Richardson et al., 2015). Therefore, it can be beneficial for adult learners if online instructions clearly communicate their purposes, student expectations and how the online course design was informed from the course's intended learning outcomes. The implementation of an instructor's vision is equally important and must be actively and attentively furthered for the duration of the course. Learner engagement improves when faculty share their interests (Song et al., 2004). Similarly, adult learner understanding can be improved through faculty members' effective utilization of adult learning principles (Arghode et al., 2017).\nMethods: We used the following databases to review the literature on adult learning theories: Academic Search Premier, ERIC and ProQuest. The following key search terms were used in our search: online instruction, cognitivism, connectivism, heutagogy, social learning theory, transformative learning theory and Vygotsky's ZPD. The title of identified articles was first reviewed for relevance, followed by the abstract, before further review for suitability for inclusion in this article.\nTheoretical framework: Keller (1987) proposed the ARCS (attention, relevance, confidence, satisfaction) model of motivation that is relevant for designing online instruction to engage adult learners. The model can be helpful in designing engaging instructional materials (Donovan, 2015). The ARCS model can be used with any learning theory and traditional instructional design models to improve learner motivation and learning outcomes. Similar to Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction (Gagne and Briggs, 1974), the model starts with gaining learners' attention (Anderson, 2008), which can be a non-graded introduction activity with a small-stakes approach to learner engagement. The next step involves informing the learner of the instructional relevance or online learning objective. Online strategies could include thorough instructions that inform learners how the learning object or lesson is necessary in meeting the learning objective. This is especially important when designing for adult learners to help them understand how learning activities connect with real-life scenarios in the workplace. Hence, learning activities can then be connected to real-life situations (Anderson, 2008; Arghode and Wang, 2016; Donovan, 2015). Third, subject matter experts and instructors should design for success by creating thorough self-assessment, scaffolding and incorporating overall expectations for learners, besides making conscious efforts to understand and address the barriers involved in designing online learning (Anderson, 2008; Jokiaho et al., 2018; Mishra, 2002). Finally, effective and timely feedback on learner performance can promote satisfaction in the form of feedback on graded learner work, apart from using creative and novel ways to enhance engagement (Pickett, 2019).\nLearning theories: The following sections present the six selected learning theories for this article and their relevance to online learning for adults.\nConclusion: In today's environment, careers that lasted lifetimes now are measured in months or years (Lyons et al., 2015). Knowledge is growing exponentially, driving people to acquire new knowledge to be applied in the workplace (Ally, 2004; Tehrani and Riede, 2008; Yilmaz, 2011). In the discussion presented in this article, we attempted to capture the dynamic distance education field to indicate a connection with well-established learning theories. The learning theories largely remained unchanged and rarely investigated for their applicability and suitability in the ever-changing fields of learning and development. Improving online learning is important as online modality is often the preferred choice for instruction (Lim and Kim, 2003; Mishra, 2002). Moreover, if the trend continues, organizations will be offering an increased number of training programs online.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze six learning theories, beyond those presented in an earlier article by the authors, and discuss their relevance and application in online instruction.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The following databases were used to review the literature on adult learning theories: Academic Search Premier, ERIC and ProQuest. The following key search terms were used in the search process: online instruction, cognitivism, connectivism, heutagogy, social learning theory, transformative learning theory and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development. The titles of the identified articles were first reviewed for relevance, followed by the abstract, before any further review for suitability for inclusion in this article.\nFindings: The theory comparison revealed that it is critical to ascertain which learning theory best matches an instructional situation and the background of the learners. The selected learning theories differ in several parameters. The theories were critiqued for their contributions to identified elements in promoting learning. The discussed theories suggest ways to improve online learning environments.\nResearch limitations/implications: Many adult perspectives about learning, while called theories, are largely lacking in evidence leading to them becoming theories. Thus, there remains a need for empirical evidence of these theories and their roles in online instruction. Comparisons of the application of these theories for adult learners in online instruction would also be useful in establishing the effectiveness of the various learning theories in different adult learning situations.\nPractical implications: This paper provides a theoretical lens for adult instructors and instructional designers in incorporating these adult learning theories appropriately in improving online instruction.\nOriginality/value: This literature review uniquely critiques and compares common adult theories as they apply to adult online instruction.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Means and ends: effective training evaluation
|
[
"Training evaluation",
"Training",
"Learning",
"Productivity rate",
"Cost benefit analysis"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The potential for workplace learning to improve individual and consequently organizational performance has long been recognized. The opening chapter of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, first published in 1776, includes a description of how learning by doing improves worker dexterity and the quality of goods produced (Smith, 1956). The first documented instance of an evaluation of a formal learning program took place in 1792 (Hogan, 2007). Donald Kirkpatrick's four level criterion model of evaluation, which still dominates the field, was published in 1959.This long-standing interest in assessing the impact of workplace learning is hardly surprising. Both private and public sector organizations invest substantial amounts in workforce development. The National Employer Skills Survey estimates that in 2007 employers in the UK spent a total of PS38.6 billion on employee training, with nine out of ten organizations providing some form of vocational learning for their staff (Learning and Skills Council, 2008). National governments promote employee skill development as the means of raising organizational and national productivity (see for example: Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, 2009). In fact policy makers assign an even greater societal role for vocational learning. Not only is it seen as the route to improved economic competitiveness it is also claimed that vocational learning should support personal development and social cohesion (European Commission, 2009). There is an interesting debate to be had in respect of the extent to which evaluation should address these wider claims for learning.There is, though, a fundamental paradox here - while the importance of vocational training is widely recognized, promoted and backed with impressive amounts of spending very few organizations actually evaluate training. Of those that do just 12 percent measure impact on results (Scourtoudis and Dyke, 2007). The stark truth is that most organizations do not know what difference their training makes despite the high expectations placed on it.This is an enduring problem. Despite evaluation becoming an established profession more than half a century ago (Hogan, 2007), it still struggles to provide practitioners with reliable tools to allow them to effectively assess the impact of learning. In 1991 Jack Phillips noted, \"when it comes to measurement and evaluation, there appears to be more talk than action\" (p. 5). A total of 18 years later in this journal Berge (2008) still had to call for the development of new ways to evaluate vocational learning because of weaknesses with existing approaches.This matters because there is evidence that much training, for a variety of reasons, may be wasted. Studies show that just 10 to 15 percent of what employee's learn in a classroom is actually transferred to improved job performance (Velda et al., 2007). This is a problem that appears to affect both the private and public sectors. Results from the NHS Staff Survey, for example, show that, in 2008, 44 percent of nurses and midwives did not believe the training they had received in the previous twelve months helped them do their job better (Care Quality Commission, 2009).\n2. What is going wrong?: There are many reasons why organizations should evaluate training including to improve the quality of programs, meet, in the UK, Investors in People standards and to reinforce learning itself (Mann and Robertson, 1996). Why then do less than two in hundred organizations attempt to evaluate the impact of learning? I would propose that there are three interrelated reasons that explain the low level of workplace learning evaluation:1. The complexity of learning. Learning is a complex multiple dimensional phenomenon comprising, amongst other things - individual traits, needs and emotions, organizational structures and cultures, wider policy concerns (particularly in the public sector) as well as program design, content and delivery. Individual and team performance is contingent on a range of interventions, cultural and organizational structural factors including job design, appraisal systems and team working. Isolating just one variable, such as training, and demonstrating a causal relationship between it and an outcome is, to say the least, a daunting prospect. Complex things tend to get filed under \"too difficult\" and left alone or at best are over simplified. This may explain the dominance of \"happy sheets\" as the preferred means of evaluating training (Scourtoudis and Dyke, 2007).2. Inadequate methods. While there are many evaluation tools available to practitioners in reality most are based on Kirkpatrick's four levels model, sometimes with the addition of Philips (1991) \"return on investment\" (ROI) \"fifth\" level (Tamkin et al., 2002). There is a convincing body of evidence to suggest that these approaches provide poor indicators of learning's effectiveness. It has been shown, for example, that attitude and reaction measures are not linked to future performance (Mann and Robertson, 1996). Quoting Tannenbaum and Yukl Mann and Robertson point out that \"liking does not imply learning\" (Mann and Robertson, 1996, p. 15). Gathering data on these levels may not provide any useful data.3. Organizational barriers. Practitioners face a range of practical, personal and organizational constraints, which inhibit their ability to undertake evaluations. In 2009 during a training seminar on learning evaluation I ran for a large group of L&D specialists I asked participants to identify the reasons why they did not undertake impact evaluations in their workplaces. Answers included: cost, limited capacity, capability issues, lack of time, difficulty in obtaining relevant data, lack of organizational support and inadequate evaluation systems.Geertshuis and colleagues have argued that \"professionals within organizations may not know how to apply complex techniques, management may not view training as crucial and, of course, many factors other than training determine performance\" (Geertshuis et al., 2002, p. 11). These are real problems. To be effective evaluation needs to address these issues head on in order to provide reliable, relevant and robust measurements of impact, which also takes account of context and crucially practitioners are able to use.\n3. Effective evaluation: There is a need to square the evaluation circle in order to provide robust approaches that produce credible results but also addresses practical barriers. What is required, in my experience, is a systematic and logical approach that can be adapted by practitioners to meet the needs of individual programs and organizational circumstances. The approach described in brief below is based on a critical review of existing methods and field research undertaken with UK health care providers across a range of learning programs. It aims to guide evaluators through the various stages of a learning program and present a framework to gather data and present the evaluation findings. It is based on the following six steps (not all of which will be necessary in every evaluation):1. Consider the pre-learning condition.2. Take account of context factors.3. Utilize a productivity framework to identify inputs and outputs learning will impact upon.4. Gather and analyze data.5. Benchmark the learning program.6. Develop a metric.Step 1 - pre-learning\n4. Conclusions: There is a mismatch between organizations desire to evaluate training and the extent and effectiveness of actual evaluation. There are a number of reasons for this including the inadequacy of current methods. This article has sought to briefly explain an alternative approach that sets out a systematic set of stages that can guide practitioners within the context of their own organization. It proposes a productivity-based framework to focus data collection and the utilization of a metric to present results. As Paul Bramley notes in his book Evaluating Training ultimately assessing the worth of a program \"is actually someone's opinion\" (Bramley, 1996, p. 4). A metric provides an ideal tool to allow stakeholders make informed judgments as to the value of a program, whether it has met its objectives and what its impact is. Most importantly the approach focuses on the bottom line and draws evaluators attention to consider what the ultimate overall impact of learning is.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to briefly review the current state of and rationale for workplace training evaluation, explain the barriers that prevent wide scale and effective evaluation and provide practitioners with a novel training evaluation approach.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The article is based on a critical review of current approaches to and literature on training evaluation and the author's own research into the impact of learning on NHS productivity.\nFindings: - Whilst national governments stress the importance of workplace skills development as a central element of economic growth and organizations invest substantial amounts in training, very few private firms or public sector organizations actually review learning's impact on individuals, teams or organizational results.\nPractical implications: - This paper proposes that a range of factors inhibit effective training evaluation. These include the complexity of workplace learning and, crucially, weaknesses in current evaluation processes and tools. In response, the author sets out a novel systematic evaluation process aimed at assisting practitioners in meeting these challenges.\nOriginality/value: - The approach builds on the economic theory of productivity to create a metric of costs and benefits to allow organizations to assess the impact of learning. It is hoped the approach will firstly, contribute to the debate about how training should be evaluated; secondly, bridge the gap between academic research and practitioner needs and finally, provide a scientifically robust but practitioner friendly means of evaluation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Fighting cultural marginalisation with symbolic power in a Parisian banlieue: Post-colonial culture and the voluntary association les Oranges
|
[
"France",
"Voluntary",
"Association",
"Marginalization",
"Paris",
"Post-colonial"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Voluntary associations have long occupied important roles in the social and political life of deprived neighbourhoods in advanced capitalist societies (Marwell and McQuarrie, 2013). This has included providing forms of material and knowledge capital to aid those navigating marginalisation under post-industrial neo-liberalism (Alexander et al., 1999; Small, 2006; Garrow, 2012). Under explored in this literature, however, is the role that associations play in combating less material forms of exclusion and marginalisation. This is remarkable given the increased focus on cultural marginalisation in Europe, focused towards post-colonial, specifically Muslim, minorities (Bourbeau, 2011; Escarfe-Dublet, 2014). Additionally, the importance of cultural forms as shapers of the sociological world, such as discursive constructions of national identities (Gellner, 1983; Billig, 1995; Yoshino, 1999; Brubaker et al., 2006), makes understanding the relationship between voluntary associations and the formation and projection of \"symbolic power\" (Bourdieu, 1990) important. Thus, this paper interrogates how a voluntary association forms and deploys post-colonial forms of symbolic power as a means to discursively combat cultural exclusion.\n2. Literature review: To contextualise the analysis presented here it is important to connect the activities of les Oranges to the broader study of voluntary associations and their functions in deprived communities. Marwell and McQuarrie (2013) highlight the importance of urban organisations and how they play an important role in both the reproduction and amelioration of urban marginalisation and exclusion. This highlights the importance of researching and examining associations in both greater breadth and depth owing to the dynamic and rapidly mutating contemporary global urban contexts (Marwell and McQuarrie, 2013). In addition, the paradox of placing continued importance on the voluntary sector to provide a plethora of services to combat marginalisation, while at the same time doing little to invest in the infrastructural capacity of such associations, is not only a long-term process, but is well explored (Alexander et al., 1999). Small (2006) situates neighbourhood associations as \"resource brokers\". As such, these institutions provide an important means by which marginalised communities gain access to information and the material resources of the state. However, significant issues are presented by the links between associations and particular marginalised communities. Garrow (2012) highlights the problematic relationship between intersecting poverty and race and how associations strongly associated with the poorest and most stigmatised minorities are paradoxically less likely to receive state funding for their activities. This paper contributes to this literature by presenting the case of a voluntary association which in attempting to form and deploy modes of symbolic power associated with marginal, post-colonial communities, somewhat bucks this trend and benefits from significant backing from the local state.\n3. Methodology, data collection and case study context: Primary data were collected through the author's fieldwork in France during 2011/2012, with follow up visits across 2013/2014. This fieldwork formed the primary data collection for a broader comparative analysis of the treatment of migrant minorities in municipal policies in Paris, Lyon and Marseille. This paper draws on a case study encountered while conducting research in Paris as part of this broader study. As such, it draws on material collected during interviews in Paris, ranging in format from semi-structured interviews to a detailed life history with the association president, M'hamed Kaki. As such these interviews lasted between 40 minutes and 2 hours. They were recorded with the interviewees' permission and transcribed. In total, five interviews were conducted in Paris. Key in this was investing questions of the issues faced by minorities in France in seeking greater social justice, how municipalities address the question of minority groups in policy, and finally what the participants' role was within this process. These semi-structured interviews proved extremely useful in investigating notions of minority policy in France by offering a rich level of detail while also opening up opportunities to \"snow ball\" across the networks of individuals.\n4. Findings: utilising municipal resources to produce and project symbolic power using history and public culture: The central importance in allowing les Oranges to form and express symbolic power in Nanterre is facilitated by their close relationship to municipal authorities. This close relationship to municipal authorities is of central importance in allowing les Oranges to form and express symbolic power in Nanterre. The ability of local forms of the French state to liaise more directly with post-colonial communities has been well established (Moore, 2002; Doytcheva, 2007; Mitchell 2011; Kepel, 2012). Duthu (2008) also asserts that municipal mayors have significant autonomy in their abilities to structure relations between the state and minority communities. Importantly here this structuring of relations at the local-level cuts across political affiliations, with Duthu (2008) uncovering examples of mayors from both the left and right taking pro-active steps to offer recognition-based policies to Muslim communities in particular in matters of religious practice. What is lacking in this literature is the how the degree of autonomy held by municipal authorities can facilitate other forms of activities like those analysed here relating to the creation and use of symbolic power.\n5. Conclusion: This paper set out to make a contribution to the literature on the role of voluntary associations in marginalised and deprived neighbourhoods. In particular, given the current focus on how such associations provide knowledge and material forms of capital in such contexts (Alexander et al., 1999; Small, 2006; Garrow, 2012; Marwell and McQuarrie, 2013) this paper sought to contribute to a discussion about how such associations can fight against discursive forms of exclusion and marginalisation. This contribution is rendered ever more pertinent given the increased prominence of cultural forms of marginalisation in Europe, specifically focused towards post-colonial, specifically Muslim, communities (Bourbeau, 2011; Escarfe-Dublet, 2014). As such this paper set out to analyse how voluntary associations can generate and project forms of \"symbolic power\" (Bourdieu, 1990) drawing on the analysis the voluntary association les Oranges in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: There exists a significant literature detailing the role of voluntary associations as important actors in mitigating forms of marginalisation under austerity. However, neglected in this literature is the role that such voluntary associations can play in forming and deploying \"symbolic power\" to fight post-colonial, cultural forms of marginalisation. This is important, especially given conditions where material forms of fighting marginalisation are limited by austerity. The paper aims to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper employs a case study analysis, drawing on data collected during fieldwork and through archival research in France. This methodology allows for the investigation of the multitude of ways by which this association utilises post-colonial symbols to fight marginalisation.\nFindings: This paper finds that under conditions of austerity, the case study of this association demonstrates three important themes of analysis. First, the association, while not receiving funds outright from municipal authorities, actually is granted privileged access to municipal resources and is given significant personal support from local politicians. This support facilitates the second and third inter-related themes of analysis - namely the abilities to fight marginalisation using history and public culture.\nOriginality/value: This paper seeks to clarify this role of voluntary associations in the important field of \"symbolic power\" (Bourdieu, 1990) through the use of cultural and historical symbols from a colonial/post-colonial repertoire in France.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Characteristics associated with success: CEOs' perspectives
|
[
"Leadership",
"Chief executives",
"Interviews"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Leadership in organisations has been extensively studied. However, partly due to the changing demands of the business environment (Mumford et al., 2000) and partly due to the evolution of thinking on the role of the CEOs and its complexity, the study of business leaders and leadership has entered a new phase. The global village concept, the intimacy of the knowledge era, the fast paced need to develop collaborative networks and to deliver more with less, have all placed considerable pressures on organisations to perform and hence on the style of CEOs required (Bawden, 1999; Bennis, 1997; Bloomberg, 1999; Drucker, 1996; Handy, 1998; Kotter, 1999; Milne, 1998; Quinn and Spreitzer, 1997; Sproull, 1998; Ulrich et al., 1999).New ways of doing business have led to what has been termed as the shift from the \"traditional\" to the \"new\" era of senior executive leadership (Hunt and Congar, 1999) which requires CEOs with character - integrity, courage, tenacity, learning ability and human relations skills - and not just technique (Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy, 2002). The need for research based on impression management that shows what followers want and then how to deliver it irrespective of the qualities of the CEOs has passed (Hamburger, 2000). CEOs possessing personal power, dominance or influence are characteristic of the old era, the new era calling for \"relational dialogue\" (Brower et al., 2000). This changing definition of leadership, the different demands and the changing circumstances of the business world have resulted in the need for a new type of CEOs with new or refined skills, attitudes and aptitudes appropriate to a fiercely competitive global economy, a highly educated and mobile workforce and rapidly changing business technologies and processes.The literature to date has focused on a narrow range of so called executive characteristics without much consideration given to levels of management (Waldman and Yammarino, 1999) with much of the literature that refers to leaders and leadership making no distinction between the attributes of successful managers at different levels. This point was highlighted by London (1999). Traditionally the domain of leadership research has been related to middle and senior level managers; for example, the research of Conger et al. (2000), Crant and Bateman (2000), Sarros and Santora (2001) and Tirmizi (2002).It is also common for researchers to use undergraduate or MBA students (Casimir, 2001; Erez and Judge, 2001), armed services personnel (Atwater et al., 1999; Casimir, 2001), higher education staff (Kent et al., 2001; Pounder, 2001) or Presidents (Deluga, 1998). None of these cohorts of participants has been included in this current research, however, because the generalisability of findings from these groups of managers to CEOs is questionable. For instance, to generalise from studies using MBA students to CEOs would be inappropriate. MBA students are a captive audience who are frequently asked to respond to questionnaires as part of their course assessment. They are generally middle level managers who have chosen to do an MBA. Both of these factors can result in their responses being biased or inappropriate as a guide to understanding CEOs behaviour.CEOs operate in a different organisational context from middle and senior level managers and they may have undergone completely different developmental pathways that shaped their thinking (Conger et al., 1999). A range of career predictors have been shown to potentially affect success and it could be concluded that MBA students and non-executive populations have not been exposed to sufficient life, organisation or leadership experience to generate the mindset that leads to successful leadership at the executive level. Critical developmental experiences such as crises, failures and achievements create lessons that generate new perspectives or skills or a shift in character. Similar arguments could also be mounted against the lack of suitability of results found using military samples, higher education staff and Presidents.There have been few recent studies, then, using a wholly CEOs population. The research of Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy (2002), Barling et al. (2000), Farkas and Wetaufer (1996) and Tait (1996) involved CEOs as participants in their investigations. But why this executive group remains unexplored, unchallenged and to a great extent ignored is a mystery given the evidence from the work of Grude et al. (2002), Havaleschka (1999) and Waldman and Yammarino (1999) that there is a relationship between CEOs behaviour and organization performance. Where there is recent published work on CEOs, it tends to be theoretical. The writers have argued that CEOs need to possess the following characteristics if they are to be successful (refer Table I). The results from the few empirical studies have also identified similar characteristics that successful CEOs need to possess as shown in Table I.There are similarities between the characteristics identified by the theorists and by the empiricists. Both groups argue that CEOs need to posses an achievement orientation and a humanistic approach. They need to be inclusive, exhibit integrity, have a balanced approach to business and life and learn from self-awareness. The theorists argue that CEOs also need to possess positivism while the empiricists report that CEOs need to have an external focus.In the light of the traits nominated by the theorists and the empiricists as required by CEOs, the purpose of the current study was to elicit from individual CEOs an indication of what characteristics they believed they possessed and that they associated with their business success.\nMethod: Selection of participants\nResults: There were 120 responses from the twenty CEOs. When these responses were content analysed, seven categories were identified:* achievement orientation - achieves results and displays energy, passion and tenacity* humanistic approach - believes in the potential and growth of others and a good communicator* positivism - takes responsibility for own thinking, is creative and challenges others' thinking* inclusivity - participative and empowering* integrity - clearly articulated values that translate into behaviour; congruent* balanced approach - balance to all aspects of work and life* learning and self-awareness - aware of strengths and limitations, learns from experience.The most frequently reported characteristics were achievement orientation and humanistic approach followed by positivism. Only a small number of responses were recorded for the other characteristics.When the CEOs were asked to identify the three characteristics that most contributed to their success, (Question 2), there were a total of 60 responses. Using the categories developed from Question 2, achievement orientation and humanistic approach were identified as contributing most to the CEOs' success (refer Table II), with a positive attitude as the next most important characteristic. The remaining four characteristics accounted for only 18.3 percent of the responses, with learning and self-awareness accounting for none.When subgroup analysis was undertaken for gender and sector (public or private), the results indicated a gender and sector balance. That is, the responses of male and female CEOs were in the same proportion as they were represented in the sample for all the characteristics except humanistic approach. All the males included this characteristic as one of their top three, while none of the four female CEOs did. For sector, the breakdown of responses was in line with the representation of CEOs from both the public and private sectors for all characteristics.\nDiscussion: The current study took a very different approach to previous research by asking CEOs to describe the characteristics they possessed without reference to a pre-existing model, such as ones based on a charismatic or transformational and transactional approach to leadership (Hunt and Congar, 1999; Hunt and Dodge, 2001; Wofford, 1999). To use such models as the basis for the data collection would limit the characteristics to be investigated to those characteristics identified in the model. Only a few researchers, such as Farkas and Wetaufer (1996), Tait (1996), and then Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy (2002), have allowed management study participants to discuss personal attributes that they felt they possessed and that played a part in their success as business leaders.The dominant characteristics of achievement orientation and humanistic approach that the CEOs identified are the same as earlier researchers (Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy, 2002; Tait, 1996) and theoretical writers in the field (Bennis, 1996a, 1997; Goffee and Jones, 2000) observed. The positive attitude identified by the CEOs as important, while not as important as achievement orientation or humanistic approach, had previously been suggested by Bennis (1996a), but there had been no previous empirical support.Being inclusive, having integrity, having a balanced approach and learning and self-awareness have been identified by earlier writers (Table I) and researchers (Table I) as important for CEOs success but the current CEOs did not consider these characteristics to be very important at all. That is, they were not given any priority when the CEOs were asked to identify the three most important characteristics (Table II). Nor did they consider external focus to rate a mention, in contrast to the findings of Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy (2002) who identified external focus as an important characteristic.There is similarity between the present findings and Tait's (1996), both identifying achievement orientation, humanistic approach and integrity. The latter was not a dominant characteristic in the present study. There are also similarities with the findings of Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy (2002), with both identifying achievement orientation, humanistic approach, positivism, balanced approach and learning and self-awareness. Barling et al. (2000) identified positivism and learning and self-awareness, as did the current study. And limited support is present for Farkas and Wataufer's (1996) findings that learning and self-awareness is a characteristic but not a key one of successful CEOs.In the previous research, other than Barling et al. (2000) which used a questionnaire, the CEOs were asked to give an open-ended list of either characteristics they should possess (Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy, 2002), or their qualities and skills (Tait, 1996), or their attitudes, activities and behaviour (Farkas and Wetaufer, 1996). Had, for instance, Tait used a ranking system, integrity may have been given the low ranking that was found in the present study. This is a question for future research.It is possible that the CEOs in Kets de Vries and Florent-Traecy's study were not referring to themselves when answering the researcher's question - \"their perceptions of what made effective leadership\" (p. 9). There may also be a culture difference as the current study only had Australian CEOs while Kets de Vries and Florent-Traecy had CEOs from 31 different countries including Australia. In Barling's et al. (2000) study the focus was on emotional intelligence and used a questionnaire to determine the level of emotional intelligence of not only CEOs but also middle level managers. Their research was much narrower in scope than the present study and also had a very different purpose and participating audience.For the theories developed by Bennis (1996b), Goffee and Jones (2000), Rogers (1995a, b), Goleman (2000), Conger (Conger and Zin, 2000; Conger and Benjamin, 1999) and Bass (Holian, 1999), the present study offers some support. What the present study did was focus their list of characteristics by placing more importance on some of the characteristics than others.Of particular note is the lack of importance placed on learning and self-awareness in the opinions of the CEOs involved in this study. Such results are surprising given the research supporting the need to learn from experience (Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy, 2002; Barling et al., 2000; Farkas and Wetaufer, 1996). Perhaps the lower scores given to learning and self-awareness were due to the fact that this is a reflective quality that would not have an immediate or concrete affect on performance, thereby resulting in lower ratings being attributed to its importance. It may be a characteristic that is not readily available to conscious recall. It is possible, in fact, that learning and self-awareness is actually a subset of achievement orientation. That is, these CEOs perceived in themselves a strong desire to succeed, indeed, a fundamental need to achieve. A necessary prerequisite for achievement at this level could be an innate ability to learn from mistakes, to be reflective, to know and trust oneself. Self-awareness would be considered integral to high achievement and therefore would not be something to be singled out.\nLimitations of the study: The sample size in this study deserves some comment. The CEOs selection process was difficult for two reasons. First, it was difficult to achieve a truly representative sample (that is, public and private sector balanced approach, gender, age and industry type) in a population base the size of South Australia (population of 1.2 million in 1998). Secondly, there were a number of rejections from well known, successful and experienced CEOs in industry sectors not represented, such as mining, health, education and telecommunications. Fifteen CEOs were approached but declined to participate for reasons that included lack of time, lack of interest and company policy preventing participation in studies of this type.Future research and practice\nConclusion: Past research has generally focussed on the characteristics of front/middle level managers and student populations assuming that they are generalisable to a senior executive population. In addition, few researchers have addressed the characteristics of CEOs. Furthermore, it is rare for a research methodology to ask senior executives what they believe to be important for their success and ask them to rank these characteristics. This study addressed these issues.The present exploratory study interviewed 20 successful CEOs to identify the characteristics they possessed. The dominant characteristics were achievement orientation and humanistic approach with positivism having less importance. While this is an exploratory study, it does allow for future research to be based on these findings in an area where little empirical work has been undertaken.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This exploratory study investigated the characteristics that chief executive officers (CEOs) associated with their success.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Twenty CEOs were interviewed and asked to identify characteristics they possessed, and that they felt were related to their success.\nFindings: - The two dominant characteristics identified were achievement orientation and humanistic approach, followed by positivism. Very little or no emphasis was placed on being inclusive, having integrity, having a balanced approach, learning and self-awareness or having an external focus.\nResearch limitations/implications: - In order to further our understanding of effective leadership in organisations, future research needs to build on these findings by asking individuals who directly report to CEOs to comment on the characteristics they believe their CEOs possesses.\nPractical implications: - There are important implications from these results for the selection and development of CEOs.\nOriginality/value: - This study is one of the few to comprehensively investigate CEOs' characteristics. Most of the earlier work was either theoretical or narrowly focused.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Perspectives of teachers' on the selection and the development of the school leaders in the United Arab Emirates
|
[
"United Arab Emirates",
"Leadership",
"Professional training",
"Development of school leaders",
"Selection of school leaders",
"Teachers’ perspectives"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Many studies indicate the relationship between school leadership and the overall performance of the school. School leaders play pivotal role in the ways schools perform. Therefore, having a right person as school leader is essential to ensure the success of the school. As the saying \"don't trust a thin chef\", a similar saying, \"don't trust inexperienced leaders\", leaves us with a question, how can one gain leadership experiences without a leadership opportunity? And to another question, who can be a good leader? One of the possible logical answers would be that \"tested golds\" could be a good leader. Therefore, selecting the right persons as school leaders and further developing the school leaders become immensely important. Global and local similar previous studies offer good insights on the challenges and opportunities to further explore the crosscutting areas within this field. Taipale (2012) recommends clear requirements, pre-service trainings, mentors' guidance, continuous professional development trainings have good impact on selecting and developing school leaders. Studies from Educational Testing Services (ETS, 2019) have confirmed that accounting teachers' perspectives offer policy makers necessary indications to design school leadership selection and development strategies. The research explores some of the best practices on school leadership selection and development practices globally.\nLiterature review: It is important to unpack the terms \"leadership\" and \"school leadership\" as the study focusses on school leadership selection and development. According to Weihrich and Koontz (2005), leadership is the process of influencing people so that they will contribute to organisation and group goals. Winston and Patterson (2006, p. 7) explored 26,000 articles on leadership, reviewing 160 articles and books to draw 1,000 plus constructs that are categorised into 91 dimensions and sources to reach an integrative definition: \"a leader is one or more people who selects, equips, trains, and influences one or more follower(s) who have diverse gifts, abilities and skills and focusses the follower(s) to the organization's mission and objectives causing the follower(s) to willingly and enthusiastically expend spiritual, emotional, and physical energy in a concerted coordinated effort to achieve the prophetic vision of the future in clear terms that resonates with the follower(s) beliefs and values in such a way that follower(s) can understand and interpret the future into present-time action steps\".\nMethodology: The research is phenomenological and explores the phenomenon of school leadership selection and development. The focus of phenomenological research is to gain in-depth understanding of the meaning of the everyday experiences of the people. For Creswell (2013), a phenomenological study helps to describe the common meaning of several individuals of their lived experience of a concept or a phenomenon. It follows a constructivist approach, while accounting the perspectives of the teachers on school leaders' selection and development in the UAE. For Vygotsky (1980), knowledge is constructed based on personal experiences and influenced by the environment. The data were gathered through group discussions during the class hours of the module \"leadership for school improvement\" taught by the researchers. Students who attended this module were largely school teachers, school leaders and teachers having some leadership roles in schools. The participants in the study had necessary orientations during this module on the selection and development of school leadership. During the group discussion, students were mainly asked to discuss and draft the status of school leadership selection and development in the UAE and the ideal school leadership selection and development that fits the UAE context. The participants represented both the Emirati and expat teachers and educators who are currently working in public and private schools in the UAE.\nResults, analysis and discussion: The idea for this research evolved from a guest lecture the researchers made to a group delegates from the gulf countries on school leadership selection and development strategies. The following key discussion points emerged during the workshop: a strong believe in the need for school leader preparation, given the expansion of schooling in the region; demand for quality, as there is growing aspiration to compare the education with other best performing counties; aspiration for setting standards/rubric/criteria for school leadership selection; an interest to engage experts (local, global) on the development of school leadership selection and development; aspiration to modernise, update, sophisticate current practices; a clear indication of a search for an exemplary model (a magical recipe); a search for an effective strategies to identity training needs/areas; a drive to search and develop new approaches; an interest to find/develop accredited trainings; desiring research-based/theory-informed models and practices; and emphasis on the qualification and knowledge required for school leadership.\nConclusion: This applied research offered relevant understanding on global best practices and local practicalities. In particular, group discussion brought out rich discussion on the UAE context. The key limitation of the study is the smaller sample size. The study offers potential gap and scope for further research that could be further explored with many samples and cases for broader understanding. There are not many studies on school leadership in the UAE. The current study offers necessary future directions for research on school leadership in the UAE. The following are some of such possible progressive studies. As Henderson and Hawtorne (2000) calls for transformative curriculum leadership, exploring the level of engagement of school leaders in transforming curriculum has been essential in school leadership development. And as Bell and Harrison (2018) advocate, a strong vision and greater values are vital for successful school leaders, the study content that the UAE strives to maintain high standards in school leadership selection and development that are constantly shaped by ongoing best practices that are influenced by the local and expat experts.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine teachers' perspectives on school leaders' selection and development strategies in order to propose/recommend strategies that are relevant to the context of the United Arab Emirates.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study gathered data through group discussion of school teachers who attended the module \"leadership for school improvement\" taught by the researchers. The teachers who participated in this study include local and expat teachers who are currently working in both public and private schools in the UAE. The reports of the group discussion were used as transcripts and thematic analysis was used to analyse the results.\nFindings: The results indicate that there is a strong aspiration for setting better standards for the selection of the school leaders. There is great interest in engaging experts and instrumenting accredited continued professional development training on developing school leaders. The respondents emphasised on the required qualifications, experiences and knowledge, and the need for mentorship approach.\nResearch limitations/implications: The key limitation of the study is the smaller sample size.\nPractical implications: The outcome of the study offers necessary insight to the decision makers on the selection and development of school leaders in the UAE.\nSocial implications: The study insists that the social and cultural values of the UAE to be considered in the selection and development of school leaders in the UAE.\nOriginality/value: The study offers potential gap and scope for further research on school leadership in the UAE that could be further explored with many samples and cases for broader understanding.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The historical origins of ethnic (white) privilege in US organizations
|
[
"Diversity",
"USA",
"Inclusion",
"Discrimination in employment",
"Ethnic (white) privilege",
"Whiteness"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The discovery of personal whiteness among the world's peoples is a very modern thing, a nineteenth and twentieth century matter, indeed. The ancient world would have laughed at such a distinction. The Middle Age regarded skin colour with mild curiosity; and even up into the eighteenth century we were hammering our national manikins into one, great, Universal Man, with fine frenzy which ignored colour and race even more than birth. Today we have changed all that, and the world in a sudden, emotional conversion has discovered that it is white and by that token, wonderful!\"But what on earth is whiteness that one should so desire it?\" Then always, somehow, some way, silently but clearly, I am given to understand that whiteness is the ownership of the earth forever and ever, Amen! (from Du Bois, 1920/2004, pp. 21-22).\nHistorical colonial and racial forces shaping the formation of whiteness: From a historical perspective, two forces contributed to the formation of whiteness. These are colonization and racialization. In this section we discuss these forces and show how they shaped the formation of whiteness in the USA. At the macro level, whiteness has its roots in European imperial global expansion and colonization, immigration, and industrialization (Allen, 1994; Bender, 2009; Loomba, 2005; Rabaka, 2009). Europeans' conceptions of themselves as \"civilized\" as opposed to non-whites as the \"wild savages\" encountered in colonial conquests set the groundwork for white supremacy (Frederickson, 1987; Rabaka, 2009). There were sustained efforts in both the USA and Europe to establish hierarchical differences among the world's races in terms of both physical and behavioral traits (Fluehr-Lobban, 2006; Tatli et al., 2012). At the same time, during the era of industrialization scholars, capitalists, and commentators of the day believed industrialization was a racial accomplishment (Bender, 2009). Drawing upon Darwinian Theory, it was argued that industrialization could only be achieved by those races and ethnic groups in an advanced stage of human development (Bonnett, 2002; Bender, 2009). Domestic industrialization was viewed as part of global processes of race and ethnic competition - that is, some \"races\" and ethnicities would advance while others would remain mired in primitivism and underdevelopment (Bender, 2009). Whiteness became a symbol of extraordinary achievement and superiority (Bonnett, 2002).\nWhite privilege in organizations Pre-Title VII legislation: Thus, during the late nineteenth century, the USA transformed from an agricultural nation into an industrial giant. It was during this period that the roots of white privilege were firmly planted. Its entrenchment was made possible by an ideology of white racial supremacy that relied upon material acts, decisions, and policies to repress and dominate people of color (Leonardo, 2004). Jim Crow laws in the south and other legislation, segregation of public spaces, and repressive acts were common practices of whiteness that reinforced and maintained white privilege. White racial domination of organizations would only be significantly challenged with the passage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act in 1972.\nMechanisms of ethnic (white) privilege in Post-Title VII contemporary organizations: Historically, the mechanisms for bestowing white privilege were overt and conferred primarily through discriminatory laws and explicit job segregation practices in the workplace. Contemporary mechanisms (Post-Title VII) although more covert, subtle, and complex still operate to advantage those defined as \"white\" and to disadvantage racial/ethnic minorities in the USA. These mechanisms are difficult to see because whiteness reproduces racial privilege for whites without appearing to do so (Lewis, 2004; Reitman, 2006; Tatli, 2011). Studies of whiteness that proliferated in the 1990s and the early years of the twenty-first century focus on ideological practices that made ethnic (white) privilege invisible, a benign cultural signifier, or a victimized marked identity (Twine and Gallagher, 2008; Frankenberg, 2001; Ansell, 2006; Bonnett, 2000). Scholars have pointed out that whiteness has both ideological and material dimensions (Frankenberg, 1993; Lewis, 2004). As an ideology, it encompasses a set of beliefs and schema about racial superiority, racial categories, differences among racial groups, and the significance of race (Lewis, 2004). It is important to note that the content of these beliefs are not static but do develop and even change over time. What then are the primary mechanisms through which whiteness creates white privilege? In the paragraphs that follow, we describe three primary aspects of whiteness to demonstrate how they serve as the vehicle or mechanism through which ethnic (white) privilege occurs in organizations (Reskin, 2003). We draw upon the extant organizational research to illustrate these effects in organizations.\nConclusion: The purpose of this paper was to present the origins of ethnic (white) privilege in organizations, an under researched topic in management and organizational studies. Historical examinations of the early days of factories demonstrate the relationship between industrialization and whiteness - where industrialization was seen as a racial accomplishment demonstrating the superiority of white people (Bender, 2009). The material benefits white workers accrued in the early days of industrialization provided white ethnic immigrant groups the ability to claim a preferred, superior position in the emerging organizational hierarchies. Some scholars argue the privileged social position of white workers that evolved over time ensured future generations would inherit a racialized social status in society and in the workplace (Twine and Gallagher, 2008). In other words, the domination of whites in the upper levels of organizations would come to be viewed as natural.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to trace the genealogy of ethnic (white) privilege in US organizations and its continuing significance in organizations today.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper relies upon the historical literature on work, culture, and society found primarily in the fields of labor history and sociology. It also references contemporary organization studies and sociological literature to illustrate the continuing significance of ethnic (white) privilege in the workplace.\nFindings: There is an inexorable link between European global expansion and colonization, industrialization, and the racialization/ethnicization of nineteenth and twentieth century US organizations. Furthermore, the particular manifestations of ethnic (white) privilege today must be understood within its historical development and the new meanings whiteness has acquired within the workplace if scholars and practitioners are to be successful in creating inclusive workplaces.\nResearch limitations/implications: The focus in this paper is on the USA and ethnic (white) privilege to the exclusion of other forms of difference and contexts. Suggestions for future research are provided along with managerial implications.\nOriginality/value: This paper provides historical insight into the formation of white privilege in organizations and constitutes a prelude to fully understanding its contemporary manifestations in the workplace. These insights suggest ways to disrupt inequality and create inclusive organizations that do not privilege one ethnic or racial group over another.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Logistics performance collaboration strategy and information sharing with logistics capability as mediator variable (study in Gafeksi East Java Indonesia)
|
[
"Information sharing",
"Collaborator strategy",
"Logistic capability",
"Logistic performance"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Logistics conditions in Indonesia from year to year have been gradually improving. This can be seen from the logistics performance index (LPI) periodically issued by the World Bank concerning the logistics index of 166 countries in the world known as LPI. The company's ability to create \"value added\" is necessary especially in winning the competition in the market. In an effort to create \"sustainable competitive advantage,\" the company is required to work more efficiently by implementing an integrated management concept of all existing management functions. Nationally, logistics conditions are closely related to the logistics performance of each company, especially companies engaged in logistics and supply chain. Moreover, the existence of information sharing (IS) is believed to improve the performance of a company. Information is a shared resource of those who collaborate and are in supply chain. A research conducted by Kocoglu et al. (2011) find that there is influence of integration/collaboration toward IS and supply chain performance and the role of IS in achieving performance. The results show that supply chain integration has a positive effect on IS and both have a positive effect on performance.\n2. Literature review: Suppy chain management is a concept that mainly focuses on the integration and management of the sourcing, chaneling and control of raw materials using the perspective of total system through various functions and supply layers (Monczka et al., 1994). A supply chain is divided into three types of chains. First, goods are distributed from upstream to downstream. Second, fund and other capitals are distributed from downstream to upstream. Third, information can be distributed either from upstream to downstream or vice versa. The term logistic refers to a set of continual functional activities within a production chain to change raw materials into final products (Ballou, 1999). The term network quality covers the effectiveness of a cooperation work in dealing with various components of a cooperation including marketing IS and innovation development, which can be optimally utilized within a framework of joint network to obtain mutual advancement.\n3. Conceptual framework: Logistics performance is influenced by collaboration and IS directly or through capability that acts as mediator. According to Morash et al. (1996), the company's logistics performance is influenced by logistics capabilities. This is in accordance with the resource based view theory proposed by Barney (1991b). Performance can also be influenced by collaboration (Kocoglu et al., 2011; Wu et al., 2014; Vereecke and Muylle, 2006) and IS (Kocoglu et al., 2011; Prajogo and Olhager, 2012; Wu et al., 2014), either directly or indirectly.\n4. Methodology: This research uses quantitative approach (mainstream). Data of research variables are measured quantitatively through the conversion of qualitative data into a number scale. Researchers propose hypotheses and tested them through statistical techniques. The type of hypothesis tested is the relationship hypothesis (associative). Therefore, this study includes explanatory research (Comment from R5). The Research population is the entire company corporated in the GAFEKS (Association of Indonesian Forwarder and Expedition) of East Java region amounted to 67 companies. The sampling technique used in this research is non-probability sampling where the population elements do not have the same opportunity to be chosen as the sample (Indriantoro and Supomo, 2002). Meanwhile, the sample unit from this research is 47 forwarder and expedition companies. The sampling collection in this research is purposive sampling, that is, the sampling method with certain consideration which is considered to be relevant and can represent the studied object (Effendi and Tukiran, 2012). The chosen sample criteria are forwarder and the expedition company is older than 15 years, having the agency abroad, and having the service contract with some supporting companies such as shipping, tracking, transportation, warehousing and fellow forwarders, and has a PPJK (Customs Clearance Services Company) certificate. The data of this research were primary data obtained from the questionnaires and documentation on organizational structure, service and corporate development. The data analysis method used is partial least square (PLS). PLS is a model of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) equations based on components or variants. PLS almost resembles regression, but more than that, it simultaneously combines the structural path model (theoretical relationship between latent variables) as well as measures the path (the relationship between the latent variable and its indicator). In the PLS, not all the weights of each indicator are assumed to be equal to the latent variables, but they have varying weights, so the lower weighted indicator will also contribute significantly to the latent variable score (Solimun et al., 2017). This research is a predictive research which was conducted using a variance approach in the form of PLS analysis. The latent variable goes linearly with the indicators. Hence, the prediction of the values of the latent variable could be easily obtained, allowing the prediction of latent variable under its influence to be easily measured as well.\n5. Result and discussion: Reliability test\n6. Conclusion: Based on the research, it can be concluded that: collaboration (COL) has a positive impact on capabilities (CAP); capability (LOC) positive impact on logistic performance (LOP); collaboration (Col) does not directly affect the logistics performance (LOP); and construct capabilities (LOC) is the mediation of IS in building business logistics performance (LOP). Increasing the intensity of IS has no direct contribution to increased flexibility, and collaboration is driven by partnership and network, whereas CT (trust) can be ignored, as it is not proven to make a dominant contribution to collaboration.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of collaboration, capability and information sharing (IS) on logistic performance, the effect of collaboration and IS on capabilities, the effect of collaboration on logistic performance through capabilities, the influence of IS on logistic performance through capabilities and the effect of logistics capabilities on logistics performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study uses a quantitative approach and is included in explanatory research. This research uses cross section research design. The research populations are all companies incorporated in GAFEKSI (Joint Forwarder and Expedition Indonesia) of East Java. Sampling in this research is by using a purposive sample. The sample of this study amounted to 47 forwarder and expedition companies. Data analysis method used is partial least square.\nFindings: Collaboration has a positive impact on capabilities (CAP); capability (LOC) positive impact on logistic performance; collaboration does not directly affect the logistics performance; and construct capabilities (LOC) is the mediation of IS in building business logistics performance. Increasing the intensity of IS has no direct contribution to increased flexibility, and collaboration is driven by partnership and network, whereas CT (trust) can be ignored, as it is not proven to make a dominant contribution to collaboration.\nOriginality/value: The novelty of this research is found in the strategic role of capabilities as the dominant latent variable in building business performance of logistic companies. This study finds dual mediation, where both mediations are expressed as full mediation, because the direct effect of mediator latent variables is significant (Little et al., 2010; Hair et al., 1995).\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Business networking in organisationally thin regions: a case study on network brokers, SMEs and knowledge-sharing
|
[
"Network brokers",
"Business networking",
"Knowledge-sharing",
"SMEs",
"Organisational thinness"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: SMEs located in rural-peripheral or remote regions face some important obstacles when engaging in regional business networks (McAdam et al., 2014; Burdack et al., 2013). Some of these obstacles are associated with a context of organisational thinness (Isaksen and Karlsen, 2016; Todtling and Trippl, 2005). Organisationally thin regions are characterised by weaknesses in their endowment with industry clusters and business networks, and these regions are said to lack the necessary resources (investment, human capital and knowledge) to build sustainable innovation systems. Although organisational thinness can be found across various types of regions, it is most commonly discussed for rural (Gaddefors et al., 2020) and peripheral regions (Dubois, 2015). A common remedy proposed for companies in such regions, particularly SMEs, is access to resources stemming from external actors, for example, through engagement in business networks outside the region (Huggins and Johnston, 2009; Virkkala, 2007).Business networking, which we define as the participation of companies in multiple and overlapping inter-company relationships and collaborative arrangements, indeed, supports companies in overcoming resource scarcities (Chetty and Wilson, 2003) because it provides them with access to new resource constellations (Gretzinger et al., 2018) and improves the knowledge circulation (Valkokari and Helander, 2007). These network-based advantages can enhance the innovativeness of companies and spur innovation processes (Konsti-Laakso et al., 2012; Lechner and Dowling, 2003).However, business networks do not always emerge by themselves, but may rely upon actors that strategically connect the companies involved in the production of knowledge (Nilsen and Gausdal, 2017; Kalakovic et al., 2009). In this paper, we focus on \"network brokers\", i.e. actors that are aware of strategic opportunities for business networking and knowledge-sharing. Network brokers can be useful when companies may lack direct contacts with collaborators, which results in less interaction and knowledge-sharing, as well as less trustful relationships (Eklinder-Frick et al., 2012). With regard to organisational thinness, such brokers can stimulate enterprise development, innovation processes and regional competitiveness by raising both the density and quality of business networking and facilitating the transfer of knowledge from within and outside the region (Tregear and Cooper, 2016; Esparcia, 2014; Burdack et al., 2013).Based upon this idea, the present paper explores how different types of network brokers facilitate business networking and knowledge-sharing among companies in the context of organisational thinness. Conceptually, Burt's (2005, 2000a, 2000b) theory on brokers in social networks is applied. It is assumed that business networking and knowledge-sharing represent two inter-related categories that describe organisational thinness (Isaksen and Karlsen, 2016), which network brokers can influence to some extent. Besides highlighting the capabilities of brokers, the paper also stresses the limitations for network brokers due to organisational thinness. Empirically, it departs from a qualitative study of network brokers from three German regions that are heuristically classified as organisationally thin (Isaksen and Karlsen, 2016; Navarro et al., 2009; Todtling and Trippl, 2005).This study is motivated by a gap in the literature on network brokers in organisationally thin regions. On the one hand, network brokers in rural-peripheral, or related, regional contexts have been discussed mainly for agricultural and food industries (McKitterick et al., 2016; Olsen et al., 2012; Batterink et al., 2010) but not outside these sectors, which results in a lack of evidence on SMEs across different industries in such contexts. On the other hand, most studies on regional contexts for innovation focus on a systemic perspective, but not on individual actors as unit of analysis (except for Asheim and Isaksen, 2002). Hence, the present paper adds to the abundant literature on brokers in business networks, which are also referred to as network orchestrators, managers, facilitators and matchmakers (Nilsen and Gausdal, 2017; Ingstrup and Damgaard, 2013; Eklinder-Frick et al., 2011, 2012), with a case study on an under-explored regional context for innovation and knowledge management with SMEs. It sheds light on this context of organisational thinness for business networking and knowledge-sharing through the lens of Burt's social network theory (Burt, 2005; 2000a, 2000b).The remainder of the paper is organised as follows. The next section contains the theoretical background of this paper, while the subsequent section presents the empirical research context. This is followed by sections on the research design and data collection, empirical analysis and discussion of findings in relation to theory. Finally, conclusions about theory and policy development are presented and limitations as well as avenues for follow-up research provided in the final section.\nTheoretical foundations: In the following section, organisational thinness as a regional context for business networking and the concept of brokerage for business networks and knowledge-sharing will be described, and, subsequently, the state-of-the-art on these issues will be summarised.Organisational thinness and business networking\nEmpirical context: The case regions\nResearch design, data collection and analysis: The paper rests on a qualitative study aimed at investigating how different types of network brokers facilitate business networking and knowledge-sharing in organisationally thin regions. Empirically, the study is based upon 20 semi-structured, personal interviews conducted between the years 2011 and 2018. [1] In this period, a total of 12 interviews were made with the four network brokers (Table 1) and a further eight interviews with external third-party experts (Table 2). By third-party experts, we define key persons either from companies from the case regions that benefit from the activities of the network brokers studied, or persons who are aligned to public-policy bodies that collaborate with them. All interviewees were selected through snowballing techniques. The four network brokers selected were identified by leads that the third-party experts provided during the early stage of the research period.The interview process was organised in two stages. In the first stage, a total of eight interviews with brokers and experts focused on the organisational thinness of the regions, the challenges for companies resulting from this, and the involvement of companies in local business networking. For example, the topics addressed in the first stage pertained to the question of how companies generally cope with the locational context, to which extent they are involved in local business networks and how they use the networks to overcome locational challenges.In the subsequent stage, 12 additional interviews were made with network brokers and third-party experts to refine the findings from the first interviews. The second-stage interviews were strongly aligned to the theoretical categories of bonding, bridging and exclusion, as well as activities related to knowledge-sharing in the context of business networking. Therefore, the main topics covered in the interviews with the network brokers were how network brokers apply bonding, bridging, and exclusion, and how they facilitate knowledge-sharing in business networks. The interviews with third-party experts focused on finding out whether companies benefit from the business networking and knowledge-sharing organised by network brokers, how the third-party experts assess the ability of the brokers to perform these activities and which limitations the network brokers meet.All interviews were recorded, and transcripts or brief summaries were written for each of them. The interviews had varying durations. Those with the network brokers in the first stage lasted between 2 and 2.5 h, whereas the follow-up interviews with the brokers in the second stage took approximately 45-60 min. The interviews with the third-party experts had an average duration of 30-40 min in both stages. Finally, interview guides with open-ended questions were used in all stages, which allowed flexibility to pursue any new topics emerging during the interviews.The analysis of the collected interview data took place through a two-step procedure. First, the data were categorised by the authors in a thematic coding process that paid attention to the main theoretical concepts. Afterwards, pattern coding (Saldana, 2016) was used to look across the three regions in order to discover analytical generalisable trends and relationships relating to the network brokers. Examples of such trends and relationships included characteristics associated with the activities of network brokers with regard to business networking and knowledge-sharing, and the limitations associated with network brokers. The data analysis was accompanied by the triangulation of both data and investigators. Several meetings among the participating researchers took place in which the data and their respective analysis and interpretation were verified from different angles (Flick, 2004).\nEmpirical analysis: Network brokers facilitating business networking\nDiscussion: Network brokers facilitating business networking and knowledge-sharing\nConclusion: The present paper explores the question of how different types of network brokers facilitate business networking and knowledge-sharing in organisationally thin regions. This question is addressed with the help of the concept of network brokers (Burt, 2005; 2000a, 2000b), applied to business networking and knowledge-sharing. A qualitative study of four network brokers from three organisationally thin German small-scale regions was the empirical context for this enquiry, and it gave birth to the following implications.Theoretical implications\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Research on business networks in organisationally thin regions, which are characterised by a low density and quality of business networks, is still in its infancy, while the facilitation of business networks receives increasing interest. The present paper combines both perspectives by investigating how different types of network brokers facilitate business networking and knowledge-sharing in organisationally thin regions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Burt's theory on brokers in social networks is applied to knowledge-sharing in business networks for organisational thinness as context. A qualitative case study represents the empirical basis that describes network brokers from various domains in three different German case regions, which are characterised by organisational thinness.\nFindings: The network brokers studied facilitate different types of business networks, and they use various levers to increase knowledge-sharing among companies in business networks. Two broker types emerge, private business-driven versus public policy-driven network brokers with distinct approaches to the facilitation of business networking and knowledge-sharing and different limitations due to organisational thinness.\nPractical implications: Companies, notably SMEs, in contexts characterised by low networking density and quality may benefit from various types of network brokers that foster business networking and instigate knowledge exchange. Public policy should embed activities of private brokers in existing SME assistance programmes to increase the quantity and quality of business networks.\nOriginality/value: Network facilitation in regions with weaknesses in their endowment with industry clusters, business networks and innovative knowledge exchange is under-explored, and this paper contributes to shedding light on this topic with a case study.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The road already traveled: communication advice for higher education leaders
|
[
"Crisis management",
"Presidential communication",
"University president",
"Vice president of communication"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In popular press, examples of failures in communication leading to campus protests and presidential resignations are rampant. These failures to communicate can affect campus presidents' relationships with institutional governing board members, academic faculty, administrative staff and the public in the wake of campus sex scandals, political disputes, incidents of harassment and racially charged hate crimes. Thus, understanding and wielding communication skills is increasingly important among the many elements of leadership campus presidents must master (Gagliardi et al., 2017; McNaughtan and McNaughtan, 2019). A college or university president's job requires communicating with a variety of stakeholders in situations including one-on-one meetings, group discussions, media interviews, social media and formal speeches (Bensimon, 1989; Cole, 2015; Eddy, 2005) as well as via e-mail and social media. Each of these modes of communication make differing demands on them, as they seek to respond effectively and quickly to issues ranging from campus successes to national tragedies to student concerns (McNaughtan et al., 2018). According to a nationally representative sample in the USA, three of the top four areas in which college presidents feel least prepared - fundraising, crisis management and government relations - require communication skills (Gagliardi et al., 2017).\nBackground: Managerial communication is a complex process that is time dependent, involves multiple actors and requires a variety of skills to do well (Bell and Smith, 2009). Individual and organizational success depends on effective communication, and, as such, business management scholars have long addressed it in research (Hattersley and McJannet, 1997; O'Rourke, 2012). Past scholarship has found that at times ill-timed, or poorly written college presidential communications have led to negative institutional implications, such as, mistrust, low employee morale and institutional contention (Barnes, 2012; Barnes and Lescault, 2013; Powers and Schloss, 2017).\nPurpose of this study: This study is designed to provide insight into what sitting presidents perceive to be important considerations for communication. In an environment where turnover in these positions is common and likely to continue as even those who have held their jobs a long time grow older, it is vital to garner insights that campus presidents have gained on the roads they have traveled. The results have the potential to significantly improve the functioning and stability of the nation's college campuses, better positioning them to achieve their mission of training the nation's workforce and advance research significant to the country's future. The overarching research question is:\nData and methods: Participants for this study include presidents of US flagship universities, defined as the oldest or best-known public institutions in their respective US states (Gerald and Haycock, 2006). The researcher selected this population for three reasons. First, presidents of flagship universities in the USA face pressures to communicate that their peers at other institutions do not because their institutions have outsized presences at the state (and often the national or international) level. Flagship universities often have more stakeholders than do smaller, regional institutions, and this may also increase their need to communicate consistently. Second, presidents of flagship institutions often have more resources and larger administrative teams than do presidents of smaller universities, and these resources may give them the opportunity to test methods that presidents of smaller institutions can then adopt. Finally, flagship institutions offer a natural sample of institutions across the USA that face a varied set of political, economic, and financial challenges.\nFindings: Five themes emerged that constitute applicable ideas for new leaders. They are: be informed about your issue and audience; utilize multiple communication channels; know when to speak; identify and use a communication team; and when you speak, use your voice.\nConclusion: The candor and willingness to share shown by the sitting presidents interviewed in this study illustrated the desire presidents have to help others succeed. They offered advice to new and sitting presidents on how to better communicate with their campus constituents. It is important to note, however, that while presidents can provide advice on communicating effectively, every campus has distinct needs and resources, and there is no way to predict what situations campus presidents will face in the future. For this reason, the most senior president in our sample advised:I think the best piece of advice I can give any university president - anyone engaged in leadership - is learn from your mistakes. Each one of us is going to make mistakes, but I've seen so many university presidents come in who think they've been anointed, that they are all knowing, and the truth of the matter is that most university presidents, given the circumstances of the times, gain their positions because they've offended the fewest people for the longest period of time.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Turnover of presidents in colleges and universities occurs frequently and new presidents are rarely trained to handle communication with the range of stakeholders involved in a campus community, which is one of the most complex tasks their job requires. New presidents need guidance and insight to prepare them for this vital aspect of campus leadership. The paper aims to discuss this issue.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper analyzes interviews with sitting presidents and vice presidents of communication at flagship universities in the USA to identify themes and best practices for presidential communication.\nFindings: Analysis of interviews resulted in five consistent recommended practices: be informed about your issue and audience; utilize multiple communication channels; know when to speak; identify and use a communication team; and when you speak, use your own authentic voice.\nOriginality/value: Limited research exists on the communication process and skills needed to effectively lead colleges and universities. While incoming presidents often lack backgrounds and training in communication strategies, such strategies are required to effectively engage both internal and external audiences. The study provides new leaders with tips from seasoned leaders to enhance their communication strategies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Subsidiary strategy processes in Latin America
|
[
"Legitimacy",
"CSR",
"Relationships",
"Trust",
"Strategy",
"Commitment",
"Networks",
"Non-business actors",
"Business actors"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Many multinational companies (MNCs) are aware of the new business opportunities that Latin America offers, and strategies are developed to capture these markets. Brazil stands out as the main driver of foreign investments in the region, but neighbouring countries such as Argentina are also growing fast (World Investment Report, 2012). While some firms entering emerging markets still struggle with standardised approaches (Khanna et al., 2005), other firms find new ways to expand their activities. One such example is the Swedish telecommunication company, Ericsson, with its strategic focus on \"Technology for Good\", where the firm relates its technology to global challenges such as human rights and climate change. In this paper, we study this strategy at the subsidiary level in Brazil and Argentina with the intention of developing an understanding of why the strategic processes are so different in two subsidiaries of the same company in the same region in an emerging market. The two subsidiaries differ, for instance, when it comes to size, but they have the same main customer, and most importantly, they have the same strategic intent. So why is one subsidiary actively working with and developing the strategy requested by headquarters, whereas the other is not?\nLiterature review: In the business network perspective, the focus is on interaction and cooperation between specific actors, which is in contradiction to traditional economic theory where the actors are considered to be mainly competing. In the interaction, resources are exchanged and the actors adapt to each other. The interactions create unique relationships among mutually dependent actors that are hard to imitate, but these different relationships are also connected to other relationships, thereby creating a network of interdependencies (Hakansson and Snehota, 1989; Andersson et al., 1994; Hakansson et al., 2009). This implies that when discussing strategy in a network perspective, the actions of other counterparts outside the borders of the firm must be taken into consideration, and this increases the complexity. This complexity can be further regarded as heterogeneity when it comes to subsidiary differences attributable to the embeddedness of subsidiaries in their local networks. As each subsidiary has relationships with specific actors that are different from the relationships of other subsidiaries within the same firm, the possibilities for the MNC to implement a strategy become more complex.\nConceptual framework: The concept of legitimacy can be related to interdependences in a network analysis including non-business actors. An oft-cited definition of legitimacy is that it is \"a generalized perception or assumption that the actions of an entity are desirable, proper, or appropriate within some socially constructed system of norms, values, beliefs and definitions\" (Suchman, 1995, p. 574). Suchman also points out that legitimacy is created through relations with other actors. According to Campbell et al. (2012), foreign subsidiaries can improve their legitimacy by investing in corporate citizenship/social responsibility activities. In relationships with political actors, Hadjikhani et al. (2008) argue that, although the legitimacy of the political actors is perceived by the business actors, it is primarily appreciated by the public, who are also the voters. Political legitimacy is, in part, based on the creation of jobs and tax income, which firms create. Firms, in turn, are dependent on the regulatory system created by the national government. Hence, these relations generate part of the interdependence between the private and the public sectors (Hadjikhani et al., 2008).\nMethodology: The analysis is based on a qualitative case study where the network relationships in two subsidiaries within the Swedish telecommunication company Ericsson are studied. Such a qualitative study is recommended when the focus is on new and complex areas, especially when the external natural setting is difficult to investigate (Doz, 2011) and in hard to reach regions (Ghauri and Firth, 2009), as well as when surroundings are complex owing to the existence of intercultural and institutional settings (Birkinshaw et al., 2011). The choice of context for this study is theoretical, in the sense that emerging economies are a proper setting for the theory generating aspect of business networks including non-business actors. Further, within the studies of emerging markets limited attention has been paid to Latin America, despite the substantial economic importance of the region, with a population of over 550 million and a gross domestic product of approximately US$4 trillion.\nThe case of Ericsson in Brazil and Argentina: The Swedish multinational network supplier Ericsson was founded in 1876, and today, it is the market leader in the telecommunication industry. Recently, its strategic focus of technology development has been canalised through the \"network society\" initiative where the five billion people already connected are to be superceeded by the strategy of connecting 50 billion connected items. Some world development issues, such as poverty alleviation and climate change, are important aspects of this main strategy, called \"Technology for Good\", where they leverage their core competence to capture new business opportunities. The firm also points out that this strategy is based on co-operation with their most important stakeholders:\nLocal network effects on subsidiary strategies: Below, we will analyse how the different counterparts have affected the \"Technology for Good\" strategy in the two subsidiaries, and base the discussion on the concepts of legitimacy, trust and commitment.\nConcluding remarks: A general conclusion from this study is that context matters in developing a strategy: a single firm/subsidiary is highly dependent on its context concerning the strategy process and, thus, the network view has been useful in understanding the differing outcomes of the strategies adopted by the subsidiaries. The two cases point to the importance of including both vertical and horizontal relationships in an extended network context, i.e. it is not only other business actors that affect the subsidiary strategy, but non-business counterparts can also be very influential. While earlier contributions to relationships with non-business counterparts have tended to study business-political relationships, this study also includes civil society actors. Both direct and connected relationships in the network have been highlighted, and the way that trust, commitment and legitimacy in the relationships affect the possibilities of implementing strategies has been illustrated. In particular, in Argentina, the lack of trust in the political actors has had negative effects for the possibilities of the subsidiary under study to obtain projects related to the new strategy.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss how network relationships, with business as well as with non-business actors, affect each other and have an impact on strategy processes in subsidiaries in Latin America.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach is used in which a new strategy in a European multinational company (MNC) is studied at the subsidiary level in Brazil and Argentina. The authors discuss why the strategic processes are so different within the same MNC. During 2009-2011, 50 interviews were conducted with respondents in Latin America and at headquarters.\nFindings: The results point to the importance of including relationships with both business and non-business actors to understand the subsidiary strategy processes. The authors suggest that such processes can be explained by interdependent relationships in a wider network context characterised by commitment and trust, leading to increased legitimacy among the actors involved.\nPractical implications: Managers need to invest in relationships not only with business counterparts but also with non-business actors, as they are interdependent and vital for the strategy development.\nOriginality/value: Relationships between firms and actors such as governments and civil society are still under-researched, although they are essential, especially in emerging economies. The paper puts focus on network relationships in strategy research and contributes to the development of business network theory by extending the network to also include relationships with such non-business actors and relate it to strategy processes. There is also a contribution to research on corporate social responsibility activities with a specific focus on Latin America.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The composition of employment in new innovative firms
|
[
"Human capital",
"Entrepreneurship",
"Employment growth",
"Innovative business start-ups",
"Job creation",
"Technology-based firms"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Since the works of David Birch (1979, 1981) and other researchers (e.g. Kirchhoff, 1994; Autio and Parhankangas, 1998; Bruderl and Preisendorfer, 2000), it is known that new innovative business start-ups contribute to the renewal of industry structures and employment creation. In recent decades, much research has been conducted in this field. Numerous studies exist that highlight various factors determining the emergence and development of fast-growing firms (e.g. Almus, 2000; Delmar et al., 2003; Koeller and Lechler, 2006).\n2. Employment creation in innovative start-ups: 2.1. Innovation and job creation\n3. Method: 3.1. Data source: founders of innovative businesses in Thuringia\n4. Analysis and results: 4.1. Descriptive data analysis\n5. Summary and conclusion: The focus of this article is on the employment composition in the early stage of innovative business start-ups. Therefore, a number of firms in technology-based industries in the German state of Thuringia have been analysed.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The paper explores the composition of employment in new innovative firms. The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on the mixture of job positions at the firm level measured by employees' occupational position, their qualification and specialisation, as well as their origin. As there is little known about the structure and quality of employment in new firms, insights are helpful for policymakers who are engaged in regional development and job creation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The database used for analysis comes from an interdisciplinary study on human-related success factors of business start-ups in the German state of Thuringia. Data were collected by means of 399 face-to-face interviews with the sole founder or the leading entrepreneur of a start-up firm. The findings are based on a multivariate data analysis using regression models.\nFindings: The results indicate that temporary employment is more likely inherent in fast growing firms. Academic spin-offs prefer to hire people with a university education and scientific background. Furthermore, it is found that manufacturing firms have a relatively higher demand for staff with a professional education as well as a technical background. However, there is no support for the thesis that innovative firms contribute to combating structural unemployment at least in the short run.\nResearch limitations/implications: Results are limited to a particular geographical region. Researchers are strongly encouraged to conduct further research on the topic.\nPractical implications: The paper includes implications for policymakers in the field of unemployment reduction and employment creation.\nOriginality/value: The paper explores the link between innovation and the quality of employment in new business ventures. This approach is in contrast to the bulk of other studies dealing with new employment generation in terms of numbers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Primary principals' leadership styles, school organizational health and workplace bullying
|
[
"Turkey",
"School principals",
"Transactional leadership",
"Transformational leadership",
"Workplace bullying",
"Workplace mobbing",
"Organizational health",
"Primary schools"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Research conducted in training organizations indicates that teachers frequently experience heavy demands in the workplace and as many as one-third of them experience stress and exhaustion (Friesen et al.,1988; Friesen and Sarros, 1989; Capel, 1991; Boyle et al.,1995; Dick and Wagner, 2001; Cemaloglu, 2007). Research pertinent to the results of labor stress demonstrates that such may lead to decreased performance in organizations, and that turnover rates, absenteeism and alienation of employees increase (Ubrin, 1978; Kiev and Kohn, 1979; Ailen, 1983; Davis, 1987; Kreitner and Kinicki, 2004; Ertekin, 1993; Karlsson and Archer, 2007).Research addressing aspects of organizational environment indicates the importance of certain managerial actions which are the frequent cause of negative situations experienced by employees (O'Driscoll and Beehr, 1994). In research conducted in training organizations (in Turkey this includes primary and secondary schools), relationships were found between the leadership acts of principals and the motivation, morale and work satisfaction levels of their teachers (Kabadayi, 1982). In research conducted by Carmeli et al. (2006) and Carmeli and Tishler (2006), it was noted that the leadership acts of managers have an impact on employees' attitudes and behaviors toward innovation and that certain leadership acts improve the performance of the organization.Another variable related to the experience of stress, exhaustion and communication problems in schools is organizational health. For example, Korkmaz (2004) searched for a link between organizational health and leadership characteristics of principals. This study, like several others, points to the existence of a relationship between organizational health and leadership, efficiency, performance and organizational communication (Hoy and Feldman, 1987).Numerous factors which prompt employees to experience stress, work dissatisfaction and exhaustion in their organizational environments have been identified, one of which is bullying. Uppal (2005) suggests that bullying has a significant effect on various factors thus decreasing the work satisfaction levels of employees. Halbur (2005) indicates that bullying leads to severe problems such as an increase in employee turnover, a lack of morale in employees and a decrease in employee performance. Research conducted by Brodsky (1976), Zapf et al. (1996) and Einarsen et al. (1998) indicates that relationships exist between the experience of stress in organizations and the presence of bullying. Furthermore, it is known that bullying victims experience many psychological and psychosomatic illnesses. When the literature is examined, personal characteristics of bullying victims, personal characteristics of perpetrators, organizational environment, and the leadership style of the organizational manager emerge frequently as reasons for the presence of bullying in the workplace (Davenport et al., 2003).Despite the fact that, in general, certain leadership acts of principals are seen as causes of teachers' stress, exhaustion and bullying in training organizations, empirical research conducted in the field is limited. Einarsen (1999), for example, argues this way, adding that there is a need to conduct more empirical research in this field thus encouraging the present study of leadership styles of principals, organizational health, and the exposure of teachers to workplace bullying. In particular, there is no research in the field in relation to leadership styles of the principal and organizational health, or the exposure of teachers to workplace bullying. The current research aims at examining the leadership of the principal as a variable that relates to teachers' exposure to workplace bullying and the impact of this leadership style (transactional and transformational) on the organizational health of the school. Accordingly, the following hypotheses are tested:H1. There is a significant relationship between transformational leadership behaviors of school principals and organizational health and bullying.H2. There is a significant relationship between transactional leadership behaviors of school principals and organizational health and bullying.Transactional and transformational leadership\nMethod: Sample\nResults: The conceptual diagram of the model to be tested for the expressed problem is shown in Figure 1 - the relationships among transformational leadership, transactional leadership, organizational health and bullying.The normalized multiple kurtosis estimate (4.1687) indicates that the data do not fit into a multiple normality assumption. In other words, multiple normality assumptions are not valid for our data. For this reason, robust estimation techniques were used for kh2-values and standard errors.The covariance matrix is shown in Table I. Examination of the table reveals a negative relationship between transformational leadership, transactional leadership and organizational health (Figure 2).The kh2-value indicates that the model fits the data: Satorra-Bentler kh2-value is 0.1694 (df=1 (Table II) which verifies the model. The lower boundary of the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) index value was calculated as 0. This statistical evidence supports the findings of the present study. Additionally, other fit indices given in the table support the compliance of our model with the data (Table III).Standardized forms of regression coefficients are given in the figure. Coefficients indicated are statistically meaningful at the 0.05 level. A positive relationship was found between transformational leadership and transactional leadership (0.889). Thus, most of the principals who demonstrate transformational leadership also demonstrate transactional leadership acts. Transformational leadership had positive effects on organizational health (0.638). In addition, one standard deviation positive change in transformational leadership is related to the -0.195 standard deviation in mobbing. In other words, there is a negative relationship between the two variables. Similarly, there is a negative relationship between organizational health and mobbing. This finding demonstrates consistency with the research results of Zapf (1999), for example, who found a relationship between organizational climate and bullying experienced within organizations.\nDiscussion: It follows from this research, that leadership styles of principals are a determinant of the organizational health of their schools and bullying. Principals demonstrating transformational leadership characteristics improve the organizational health of their schools, and accordingly, teachers experience less workplace bullying.It was also found that the principals do not display fully transformational or fully transactional leadership acts - principals' leadership acts display both transformational and transactional characteristics. Principals do not demonstrate acts in accordance with a leadership style continuously, rather they show different leadership acts depending on the situation, environment, time and event. This finding is consistent with that of Bass (1985) who points out that leaders may sometimes show transformational and sometimes transactional leader behaviors (Bryman, 1992).The results of this research support components of the H1 and H2, namely, there are relationships between the transformational and transactional leadership acts of principals and organizational health. As the frequency of transformational leadership acts increases, it leads to more positive effects on organizational health compared to transactional leadership acts. Research by Korkmaz (2004) supports these results. Leadership styles of principals have significant influence in the formation of organizational health. Transformational leadership may also be expressed as charismatic leadership (Strorey, 2004). Bass (1998) found that transformational leaders establish positive relations with their employees and the satisfaction of employees is at a high level where stress is low. Transformational leaders may both unite the employees in the organization around common purposes and also may change their values and beliefs (Kuhnhert and Lewis, 1987; Beugre et al., 2006). According to Stashevsky and Koslowsky (2006), transformational leaders emphasize team cohesiveness much more than do transactional leaders. Also, emotional intelligence of transformational leaders is high compared to that of leaders who have other leadership styles (Sosik and Megerian, 1999; Ashkanasy and Tse, 2000; Mandel and Pherwari, 2003; Hartsfield, 2003; Hoffman and Frost, 2006).The findings herein also indicate that, as the organizational health of a school increases, workplace bullying of teachers decreases. These findings are supported by Zapf (1999) who found a relationship between organizational climate and workplace bullying. Given that Hoy et al. (1991) and Hoy and Miskel (1991) define organizational health as the ability of the organization to successfully adapt itself, ensure cohesiveness between its members and reach its targets, it can be asserted that there is a direct relationship between organizational health and leadership behaviors of principal. Together with this, negative communication may develop between the principal and the staff in the process of performing their daily routines. Negative communication should thus be viewed as an obstacle of the organizational health. Similarly, that a decrease is observed in the level of workplace bullying when managerial behavior, morale, motivation, job satisfaction and communication, contribute to good organizational health, is in compliance with expectations. The fact that the psychosocial aspect of the work environment is low is one of the preconditions for the emergence of the bullying process. Furthermore, findings herein tend to indicate that those exposed to workplace bullying perceive their working environments more negatively compared to those who are not exposed to workplace bullying (Tinaz, 2006).As the transformational leadership acts of school leaders increase, a decrease is observed at the workplace bullying level towards teachers. Leithwood et al. (1996) analyzed the impact of transformational leadership style of principals on teachers at the restructuring stage of schools. In their study, it was observed that transformational leadership increased success in the change process and led to a decrease of the exhaustion levels experienced in teachers. Results of these studies suggest that leadership styles of principals have an impact on the psycho-social behaviors of teachers. Vartia (1996) states that there are meaningful relations between the leadership style of the organization manager and bullying.No relationship was found between the transactional leadership acts of principals and workplace bullying as posited in the H2. This finding suggests that principals demonstrating transformational leadership acts do not have an impact on the occurrence of workplace bullying, nor do they have any impact on its non-occurrence. The organization manager has the power to directly affect organizational culture and behavior attitudes in the organization (Kozlowski and Doherty, 1989; Stordeur et al., 2001). Different theoretical approaches justify the aspect of leadership that directs and affects the employees (Perlman and Hartman, 1982; Numerof, 1983; Golembiewski et al., 1986). Furthermore, Leymann (1993) and Einarsen (1999) suggest that if bullying is experienced in an organization, the manager of that organization does not display leadership characteristics. Einarsen (1999) suggested that authoritarian organization managers engaged in more bullying compared to employees or could not solve the bullying which employees experienced.As the principals perform transformational leadership acts in their schools, an increase is observed in organizational health. In accordance with this, a decrease is experienced in the level of workplace bullying towards teachers in their schools. Bass and Avolio (1995) indicated that the transformational leadership had three main impacts relating to assessment of inferiors, characterized as extra effort, efficiency and satisfaction (Karip, 1998, p. 449). Sub-dimensions of the organizational health scale developed by Hoy et al. (1991) (occupational leadership, resource support and manager impact, teacher loyalty, academic emphasis and corporate integrity) are directly parallel to the three main impacts of transformational leadership. These two different elements which positively affect one another create a positive organizational environment, playing an important role in preventing the occurrence of workplace bullying. Leymann (1993) indicates that weak work organization and leadership problems lead to bullying. This opinion is also suggested by the findings of Einarsen et al. (1994), Vartia (1996) and Zapf and Osterwalder (1998). All of this research draws attention to the relationship between organizational changes and bullying. McCall and Lombardo (1983) describe an insensitive, abrasive and bullying leader as an unsuccessful one who commits error all the time (Burke, 2006). Halbur (2005) considers leadership as one of the most important reasons for experiencing bullying in an organization, asserting that leader acts are important in the organization in terms of experiencing bullying. Zapf (1999) indicates the managerial structure of the organization among the reasons for the occurrence of bullying in organizations. In relation to the occurrence of workplace bullying in organizations, Brodsky (1976) shows the reasons for the occurrence of bullying to be excessively hierarchical structure of the organization, decrease of investment in human resources, closed door policy, insufficient operation of in-house communication channels, failure to know or implement the approaches to solve conflicts in organizations, weak and inefficient leadership, and lack of team work. In line with this, high levels of stress experienced in the organization, monotone structure of the work flow of the organization, expectation of perfection by the management, deterioration in the ethical values and cultural structure of the organization, changes in organizational structure and lack of emotional intelligence in organizational leaders are among the factors which contribute to the occurrence of bullying in workplaces (Cobanoglu, 2005, pp. 48-50). In research conducted in Norway, a significant relationship was found between bullying acts and organizational conditions, such as the leadership understanding of the manager, high level of conflict of roles in the organization, failure of social climate to satisfy employees and inspection (Einarsen, 2000). There is a relationship between the social climate of the organization and bullying. Bullying mostly occurs in competitive and challenging work environments. Hostilities experienced in the organization decrease communication within the organization, and the decreased communication may increase hostility and conflict in organizations.Whereas, the transactional leadership acts of principals affect the organizational health at a low level, it was observed that they had no impact on the occurrence of workplace bullying towards teachers. This situation may be due to the inspective, imperious, preventive and punishing acts of principals demonstrating transactional leadership acts. Furthermore, in order for the perpetrators to impose bullying on the victims they select in an organization, the organization managers should be allowing this situation.\nConclusion: Findings of this research demonstrate that leadership styles of principals and the organizational health which occurs in connection with these leadership styles do influence the occurrence of workplace bullying towards teachers in educational organizations. It is asserted that as a result of positive acts of principals such as motivation, efficient communication, problem solving, participating in decision, direction and rewarding, which are observed in transformational leaders, positive organizational health occurs in educational organizations. Consequently, workplace bullying does not occur. Principals who create a negative organizational environment contribute to workplace bullying in educational organizations.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationships between leadership styles of primary school principals and organizational health and bullying.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Two hypotheses were formulated in relation to the research. Three instruments were used - a multi-level questionnaire for measuring leadership, an Organizational Health Inventory (OHI-S), and a negative acts questionnaire (NAQ) for measuring workplace bullying. The questionnaires were administered to 500 teachers working in primary schools in Turkey. Path analysis was conducted using the AMOS programs; other statistical analyses were conducted via LISREL and EQS 6.1 programs.\nFindings: - There is a positive relationship between transformational leadership acts of principals and organizational health and a negative relationship between the transformational leadership acts of principals and workplace bullying. While a reverse relationship between organizational health and workplace bullying is identified, there is a relationship between transactional leadership acts of principals and organizational health. No relationship between transactional leadership acts of principals and workplace bullying is found.\nPractical implications: - These results suggest the desirability of principals striving to improve transformational leadership behaviors in order to develop their schools as healthy organizations and to solve the problem of bullying therein.\nOriginality/value: - Several resources are provided as tools, such as the NAQ, the OHI-S, and the multifactor leadership questionnaire. These may be profitably used in similar studies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Conceptualization and measurement of customer perceived value in banks : A Brazilian contribution
|
[
"Value",
"Banks",
"Customers",
"Measurement"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Customer perceived value is a strategic concept for companies and has been deeply researched within marketing studies since the 1990s. In spite of all this interest across the academic community, its empirical operationalization still generates discussions, and sometimes dissimulates contradictions over stablished concepts (Parente, 2011; Sirdeshmukh et al., 2002).\n2. Theoretical review: The construct of perceived value has been studied from various perspectives, and still puts some challenges to researchers. Payne and Holt (2001), after a large literature review about perceived value, explained that the concept of value had been approached through different perspectives, most of them derived from the field of economics. According to these authors, two constructs form the foundations of value: benefits and sacrifices. Ruiz et al. (2008) also show that early studies concerning perceived value were grounded on existing literature regarding pricing, which considered perceived quality and sacrifice as core components for determining a product's perceived value.\n3. Research method: Taking into account our research goals and the tradition of studies with similar objectives, two central moments were defined for the empirical research. The first moment was of exploratory nature, while the second involved procedures of data generation and statistical analyses for scale construction.\n4. Results: The two first steps of the procedure suggested by Costa (2011) were performed based on a literature review. Based on the dimensions defined in item 2 of this paper, in that same literature, 28 items for measuring the values dimensions were collected (each item was initially associated to a specific, as detailed below). The instruments were consolidated based on literature recommendations, and fieldwork was performed as indicated in the method.\n5. Conclusions: In this study, we sought to develop a scale for measuring perceived value by customers in retail banks regarding services offered by these companies. Results in item 4 showed that our goal was accordingly achieved, resulting in a scale of value composed of 16 items for measuring four dimensions.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a scale for measuring the construct perceived value, as evaluated by customers of retail banks.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The procedures involved an analysis of the literature about customer perceived value in order to identify the main dimensions relevant to bank sector, and after that, it was followed the conventional steps for developing multiple items scales, with fieldwork, scale purification exploratory analysis of reliability and of validity.\nFindings: After two sampling procedures, the scale for the account holder perceived value retail banking was satisfactorily validated. The final scale is characterized as multidimensional, involving dimensions of operational quality, convenience and access, safety and soundness, and monetary sacrifice, each of them measured with four items reflectively related to the main construct.\nResearch limitations/implications: Although the research was carried considering the conventional scaling procedures recommendations, the result may reflect the specificities of Brazilian bank customers; considering this, some other applications are necessary do bring a geographical validation of the scale.\nPractical implications: The scale developed is an instrument that can be used to measure one of the most important constructs of bank customers, the customer perceived value, and can be used by academic researchers and also by bank managers.\nOriginality/value: The study brings a contribution not yet present in the main international literature, since no other study with complete development of a multidimensional perceived value measurement scale was identified, and can become a reference for other similar studies in the banking context.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Influence of experience and collaboration on effectiveness of quality management practices: The case of Indian manufacturing
|
[
"Quality management techniques",
"Total quality management",
"Productive maintenance",
"Company performance",
"Manufacturing industries",
"India"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Companies around the world have realized the necessity of emphasizing quality as strategic issue for business success. The efforts of researchers and practitioners resulted in development of various quality management practices and total quality management (TQM) is the most acceptable among those. This all-encompassing management drive is developed around the core concept of quality with focus on customer and processes. TQM is considered as an extension of traditional manufacturing quality process by involving entire organization and all functional areas (Anderson and Sohal, 1999) with the objective of improving the effectiveness and flexibility of business as a whole (Oakland, 1989). Like quality, maintenance has been another shop floor issue of strategic importance. The realization of the need to focus on equipment maintenance to achieve quality has also brought total productive maintenance (TPM) into the corporate boardroom of many organizations, especially in the last decade. Total productive maintenance (TPM), as described by Nakajima (1988) is:... a plant level improvement methodology, which enables continuous and rapid improvement of manufacturing processes through the use of employee involvement, employee empowerment and close loop measurement of results.It is designed to maximize equipment effectiveness with participation of all employees right from top management (Tsuchia, 1992).TPM is viewed as complementary to TQM (Dale, 1999). It is considered to have originated from the notion of TQM's concept of zero production defects applied to equipment (Tajiri and Gotoh, 1992). The TQM and TPM share much in common, like both involve everyone in organization, emphasize on cross-functional teams and work on the philosophy of continuous improvement (Cooke, 2000). Therefore, existing TQM environment in an organization supports TPM implementation (McKone et al., 1999) and this has led many companies to practise it along with TQM to achieve synergy.Indian manufacturing, having been under the influence of western management practices for long, remained isolated from these developments until the middle of last decade. The quality was considered as the responsibility of quality control department, rather than being understood as a tool for gaining competitive advantage by focusing on customer requirements. Similarly, maintenance was also treated as a low profile job with its scope limited to breakdown and preventive maintenance. The strategic implications of quality and maintenance to improve competitiveness was realized by Indian business captains in the beginning of last decade. Now, Both TQM and TPM have gained wide acceptance in Indian industry as prime movers for increasing competitiveness (Bhadury and Mandal, 1998; Sahay et al., 2000).Now, TQM being much in vogue in Indian manufacturing along with support of TPM in many cases, a need is felt to examine the efficacy of these quality management practices. An investigation into this issue will help answering some vital questions on implementation of the two practices in Indian context. The major objectives of this research are to examine, whether:* the effectiveness of TQM to improve business performance of companies increases with experience in terms of implementation time; and* the support of TPM provides a synergetic effect on TQM's contribution to improving business performance.\nLiterature review: A large number of studies have been carried out on quality management practices, which include development of research models (Saraph et al., 1989; Anderson, 1994; Flynn et al., 1994; Ahire et al., 1996) and empirical studies in different regional contexts (Solis et al., 2000; Sun, 2000). The relationship between TQM and business performance has also been studied by many researchers (Ismail and Ebrahimpour, 2002). The display of this relationship in practice with support of research has caused significant increase in companies implementing this improvement drive (Wisner and Eakins, 1994; Samson and Terziovsky, 1999). Studies from researchers like Anderson and Sohal (1999) have provided evidence that effective TQM implementation improves long term business performance, which includes both quality performance and financial performance (Flynn et al., 1994).However, the TQM's effectiveness to improve business performance is influenced by various factors (Hendricks and Singhal, 2001). The experience on TQM implementation in terms of time period is one such major factor, which emphasizes the continuous and long term improvement characteristic of this drive (Dale, 1999). Most often it is argued that benefits of TQM are realized over several years, with lack of identifiable results during initial period (Ahire and Rana, 1995). This view is also supported by other research works like Ahire (1996), which indicate that due to strategic nature of TQM, the bigger payoffs are expected only in long run.The use of TPM as supportive strategy is another factor, for it is viewed as complementary to TQM (Dale, 1999). TPM addresses the vital area of equipment management, which is a major determinant of process performance in today's manufacturing companies (Yamashina, 2000). According to Steinbacher and Steinbacher (1993), the benefits of various components of TPM make it an extremely powerful management tool to reduce costs of equipment management and such reductions provide greatest returns on investment. It is also argued that TQM has only limited influence on machine performance and TPM fills this gap by providing more focus on equipment (McKone et al., 1999).The studies on TQM in Indian context mainly cover identification of quality management practices (Bhadury and Mandal, 1998) and their benchmarking (Motwani et al., 1994). The effect of time and support of other practices like TPM on TQM's performance have largely remained unaddressed. These two vital aspects have been the focus of this research paper.\nThe research framework and hypotheses: The effects of period of implementation and TPM support on TQM's performance is assessed with the help of an empirical study on Indian manufacturing industry. The TQM supported by TPM is termed as \"combined strategy\" in this paper. The study is carried out for three time periods or phases to examine the short, medium and long term effects on performance. The selection of these time periods has been on the basis of earlier research works (Dale and Lightburn, 1992; Dawson and Patrickson, 1991; Ahire 1996). The justification for each of these time periods is explained below.Period of transition (up to three years of implementation)\nSampling design and response profile: The research is based on empirical data collected through a questionnaire from Indian companies, which have implemented TQM and TPM. The questionnaire includes six performance parameters with 16 elements, as shown in Table I. The study covers three major sectors of Indian manufacturing industry, which are automobile, engineering and process. These sectors are the backbone of industry and have made pioneering efforts in experimenting with techno-managerial drives like TQM and TPM. The companies for study are selected from all geographical locations and both from private and public sectors to obtain more reliable findings for manufacturing industry in general. A list of 360 companies was prepared with the help of information collected from leading industry chambers like Confederation of Indian industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Indian Merchant Chambers (IMC). These business chambers follow models based on leading awards criteria for monitoring the implementation of TQM in their member companies. Therefore, the responding companies are expected to follow one or more of these models. The questionnaire was addressed to a senior management level executive in each of the 360 selected companies, who had been involved in TQM and TPM implementation. The efforts resulted in getting valid responses from 111 companies. Out of these, 73 have implemented only TQM, whereas 38 have implemented TPM along with TQM. The responding companies are from almost all sectors of manufacturing industry to indicate a fair representation. Table II shows the distribution of responding companies on the basis of sub sectors of industry, geographical location and improvement approach adopted.\nAnalysis of data and results: The improvement contributed by TQM and combined strategy is determined by calculating means and standard deviations for each time period (i.e. phases A, B and C) separately, as shown in Table III.The comparative analysis of performance improvement in different time periods contributed by TQM alone and combined strategy is done with the help of two-tailed t-tests at p=0.05. The details of various t-tests are explained in Table IV.The tests (tB/A) tqm, (tC/A)tqm and (tC/B)tqm are meant to assess the statistical difference in effectiveness of TQM in three time phases with respect to six identified parameters of performance, whereas tests (tcomb/tqm)A, (tcomb/tqm)B and (tcomb/tqm)C are designed to compare the effectiveness of TQM and combined strategy in time phases A,B and C respectively.Comparative effectiveness of TQM in different time periods\nInterpretations and conclusion: This paper provides evidences on the effectiveness of TQM in improving business performance of Indian manufacturing industry in terms of six performance parameters. This is established both when TQM is used alone as well as with TPM support. The mean values for improvement in parameters show obvious signs of improvement right from the beginning of implementation, though it has been very marginal in transition phase. The findings in case of transition phase are justified because TQM and TPM require initial investments to be incurred for their implementation in terms of employee training, documentation, mobilization and investment in infrastructure. The marginal performance improvement is also owing to country specific factors like initial orientation resistance of employees and executives, relatively lower literacy levels to understand TQM, lack of availability of quality data and measurement systems and the very basic Indian culture, which is tuned to slow and steady changes. In addition, understanding process requirements takes time, especially in Indian context, where people are mostly conditioned to work with function centric thinking.The real benefits of TQM seem to be realized by Indian companies in stability and maturity phase as justified by the results obtained. This is probably due to TQM's ability to mould the Indian business philosophy of \"we produce what we want\" to \"produce to customer and market needs\" to some extent. This philosophical change has engendered a shift in management approach of companies from typical hierarchy bound and bureaucratic style to focusing on horizontal processes cutting across the organization. However, results indicate a slowdown in improvement rate in maturity phase as the significance of difference between maturity and stability phase could not be proved. This justifies a need for addressing areas, which are still found neglected in Indian companies, like internalization of TQM throughout the supply chain including suppliers, making process of improvement self-sustaining and invulnerable to short-term pressures and solving the most commonly found contradictions of people empowerment versus control mechanism.The synergetic effect of TPM support on TQM's performance is also established in Indian context. The answer to this lies in the basic philosophies and core focus of these drives. TPM is more of a hardware approach with focus on equipment and related processes, which are normally not being emphasized much in TQM. With increased automation and equipment reliant processes, the focus on equipment is must for improvements. This is especially true in Indian context, where equipment and physical infrastructure is relatively inferior and maintenance function is not given much importance. The maintenance is viewed as an expenditure and the real implications of equipment failure, setup losses, speed drops and idling are still not understood. This justifies the need for more proactive approach to maintenance and treating it as strategic function to be more closely linked with quality improvement strategies. The combined approach, thus realizing the benefits of both TQM and TPM, brings out significantly higher improvement than TQM.Employee morale, one of the internal performance measures, has been adequately addressed under TQM. This is well reflected by the improvement in this parameter. The effect of TQM on employee morale right from the transition phase verifies its role in transforming function based individualistic work culture to recognizing and capturing valuable human attributes. The TQM's organization-wide diffusion has helped Indian companies to foster employee involvement and team spirit across departments with suitable appraisal, compensation and reward systems. On the other hand, the role of TPM has so far remained limited to production related functions only, with no significant support to TQM on employee morale. This is also verified from the results of hypothesis testing for this parameter.Further, safety and hygiene, an important pillar of TPM, has also not been adequately addressed in Indian context barring few companies. For these reasons, the support of TPM does not seem to make any significant contribution for TQM's effectiveness on this parameter. This is also explained by the fact that the hypothesis on safety and hygiene could not be proved.This paper is an effort in this direction to examine an important issue of TQM's effectiveness in steering movement of competitiveness in Indian manufacturing industry. Further, changing needs of modern manufacturing necessitates a reexamination of the role of maintenance in enhancing performance through drives like TPM. A largely unaddressed but pertinent subject of TPM's support to TQM in improving performance has also been studied. The study establishes the potential of TQM to improve competitiveness of Indian manufacturing industry, with some prescriptive measures to be taken. It also ascertains the positive role of TPM in producing synergetic effect, when implemented with TQM in Indian context.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - To examine the impact of experience in terms of time period on TQM's effectiveness in improving performance of Indian manufacturing companies. To establish the impact of TPM support on TQM's effectiveness.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This is an empirical research with testing of hypotheses using t tests. The data are collected with the help of a questionnaire on six performance parameters, which are measured on a five-point scale. The study considers three time periods (phases) of implementation and two improvement strategies, i.e. TQM alone and TQM supported by TPM (combined strategy), for the purpose of analysis. The analysis is based on valid responses from 111 manufacturing companies.\nFindings: - The performance improvements contributed by TQM in the transition phase have been marginal due to initial investments and efforts required as well as to country-specific factors. The effectiveness of TQM in the stability and maturity phases is established in an Indian context. The synergetic effect of TPM support on TQM's performance is also established in an Indian context.\nPractical implications: - The paper establishes the long-term effects of TQM on companies' performance in an Indian context. It also highlights various country-specific factors, which led to marginal improvement during the transition phase. The paper also establishes that TQM with TPM support can be an effective strategy to improve competitiveness of Indian manufacturing companies.\nOriginality/value: - This paper studies the two important factors which influence TQM's effectiveness. Although the study has been carried out in an Indian context, it is equally significant in a global scenario. This paper addresses a pertinent issue of simultaneous implementation of TQM and TPM, which is commonly found in industry but not adequately researched.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Critical success factors for Ghanaian contractors
|
[
"Performance",
"Critical success factors",
"Benchmarking",
"Ghana",
"Contractors"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The performance of Ghanaian contractors is a major cause of concern amongst client groups and other stakeholders in the Ghanaian construction industry. Many Ghanaian contractors fail to meet performance targets (Ahadzie, 2007) and are generally blamed when projects go wrong. They are also criticised for having limited knowledge in the application of requisite management techniques. In many Ghanaian contractors, the management of the firms' resources - labour, finances, materials, plant and equipment in Ghanaian construction firms is carried out haphazardly and therefore does not promote growth (Vulink, 2004).\n2. Existing success factors from literature: CFSs are performance variables which help to filter out extraneous data coming through to management (Bond, 1999). They are enablers which when put into practice will enhance the prospects for learning from best-practice organisations (Deros et al., 2006). With the attainment of excellence in CSFs linked to performance excellence, CSFs are very useful for managers and decision makers (Kasul and Motwani, 1994).\n3. Methods: Following a systematic review of primary and secondary literature on performance and performance improvement, the most important factors/CSFs responsible for excellence in organisations were identified. Previous research, literature on existing programmes, models and frameworks commonly used for improving performance were reviewed. The review was extended beyond the construction industry to include a multi-sector review of best practice across a broad range of disciplines. The comparison highlighted the most popular success factors commonly used by practitioners, researchers and authors. To develop the most important success factors, the respective factors identified from literature and in the various models, frameworks and programmes for improving performance were scored and ranked. Only the factors which appeared at least five times in the literature reviewed were considered. This ensured that only the most popular factors were included. Amongst those considered, some were combined where they shared similar characteristics. Arising from the ranking and scoring of success factors, 16 of the most frequently occurring success factors were selected. These factors were used to develop the research instrument for a questionnaire-based survey of Ghanaian contractors to explore their perceptions of the most important success factors relative to the Ghanaian construction industry. The first part of the questionnaire was used to collect information about the respondents and their projects. In the second part, respondents were asked to show how relevant each of the 16 most popular CSFs were to them and to the success of their projects, on a Likert Scale of 1-5, with \"1\" representing \"not relevant\" and 5 \"highly relevant\". Data collected from the survey were analysed statistically using SPSS tools factor analysis to extract the most important success factors relative to the Ghanaian contractors.\n4. Results and analysis: 4.1. Scoring and ranking of CSFs\n5. Discussion: The existing construction CSFs reviewed relate to construction projects and do not focus on organisational performance. Many of these CSFs are generic and do not reflect the local context. Those which consider the local context are mainly very specific to the countries in which they are developed with little applicability to other countries. Thus justifies the need for a suite of CSFs dedicated to Ghanaian contractors.\n6. Conclusion: This paper explored the development of a set of factors which can help address poor and underperformance amongst Ghanaian contractors. These CSFs developed represent best practices drawn from across a range of industries.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of a set of critical success factors (CSFs) for Ghanaian contractors. The factors collectively define a set of best practices which Ghanaian contractors should focus on improving if they are to attain internationally competitive performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A systematic review of previous research, literature on existing programmes, models and frameworks commonly used for improving performance was undertaken to identify the most important success factors. The identified factors were scored and ranked with 16 of the most frequently occurring success factors selected. A questionnaire-based survey of Ghanaian contractors explored their perceptions of the most important success factors. Using factor analysis, the most important success factors were extracted.\nFindings: Eight CSFs were identified for Ghanaian contractors. These were: quality and zero defects culture, organisational design, work culture and work environment, client satisfaction, strategy, leadership, measurement, analysis of information and knowledge management and implementation of lean principles.\nPractical implications: The CSFs developed provides a ready set of criteria which can be used by contractors with little or no experience of benchmarking to compare their performance in best practices or to implement improvement programmes.\nOriginality/value: The first formal set of CSFs for Ghanaian contractors is presented. Not much research work has been done on organisational CSFs that are focused by this research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
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