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Strategies for managing innovation in UK housebuilding
|
[
"Housing",
"Buildings",
"Innovation",
"United Kingdom"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: As part of its commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 60 percent by 2050, the UK Government has set a zero carbon new homes target by 2016 (Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), 2007). Meanwhile, the government pledged to deliver three million new homes by 2020 (Stewart, 2007). However, paradoxically, too few homes had been built in reality over the last three decades of the twentieth century (Barker, 2003). Such under-supply of housing has deteriorated due to the current \"credit crunch\" (Building, 2008). The housebuilding industry has therefore been challenged to build more new homes while improving business efficiency to survive the recession. Innovation, again, has been promoted as a key \"means\" to meeting the challenge and delivering sustainable construction (BERR, 2008). However, the level of usage of innovation in UK housebuilding has been reported low (Ball, 1999; Barker, 2003), and such profile does not appear to improve in the near future (Roskrow, 2004; Pan et al., 2008). This paper aims to raise such profile by revealing an insight into the success, inertia and failure of innovation and therefore contributing strategies for managing innovation in housebuilding organisations. The paper reports on a two-year case study of a large UK housebuilding firm which addressed the concern that very few models of the process of innovation have been tested for their feasibility at the firm level (Forrest, 1991). The focus on large housebuilders was attributed to the fact that these companies contributed to the majority of new homes completions in the UK (Wellings, 2006), which implies the significance of large firms in taking up innovation. The paper studies two product innovations, i.e. photovoltaic (PV) and air source heat pumps (ASHP) and two process innovations, i.e. development efficiency plan (DEP) and glossary of terms (GoT). Drawing on the detailed accounts of the innovations, good practices are extracted. Key stages of the process of managing innovation are identified and strategies are developed from the discussion of the findings.\nThe concept of innovation as a process: Rogers (2003) defined innovation as an idea, practice or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption. Egbu and Young (1998) interpreted this concept further as the successful introduction, application and exploitation, within a role, group or organisation, of ideas (process, products, services, technologies and markets) new to the unit of adoption which is designed to significantly benefit the individual, the group or the organisation. At organisational level, the definition of innovation was simplified by Barrett et al. (2001) as the effective generation and implementation of a new idea which enhances overall organisational performance. Apparently, underpinning the many definitions in the literature is the recognition of innovation as a process. This was elucidated by Jones and Sadd (2003) that innovation is not a single or an instantaneous act, but a whole sequence of events which occur over time and involve all the activities of bringing a new product or process to the market. Provided the process theory of innovation, two types, i.e. product and process innovations, are normally identified by referring to the subject of the innovation activity. In nature, adopting product innovation involves process changes while process innovation is associated with product deliveries. Within such context, the definitions provided by British Standards Institution (BSI) (2008, p. 9) appear plausible to the units of analysis in this paper, i.e. process innovation as \"introduction of changes that are significant departures from the usual way of doing things\" and product innovation as \"transformation of an idea into a novel product, operational process or new services\".\nManaging innovation in housebuilding firms: Housebuilding organisations in the UK have been reported reluctant to innovate (Barker, 2003) despite a variety of reasons for doing so. As the NHBC Foundation report (Ross et al., 2007) suggests, the reasons for innovation in housebuilding include a desire to speed up construction process, reduce on-site workload, mitigate potentially disruptive situations arising from such as skills shortages, and improve quality control. At organisational level, BSI (2008) summarised the reasons as to improve current situation, open new horizons, reinforce compliance and enhance organisations' profile. However, it should not be assumed that the diffusion and adoption of all innovations are necessarily desirable (Rogers, 2003). Innovation could undermine efficiency and effectiveness that it should facilitate (Lansley, 1996). Therefore, in order to realise the potential benefits from innovation, strategies for its management need to be in place. To be aware of the context of innovation appears significant to its management. Such context was considered by van de Ven (1986) as a basic factor facilitating or inhibiting the development of innovation. Organisational strategies for innovation may differ from one firm to another. The approaches which organisations use for measuring their innovation can also be different from each other. Egbu (2004) argued that innovation strategies of organisations are strongly constrained by their current position and core competencies as well as the specific opportunities open to them in future, i.e. organisational strategies for innovation are \"path-dependent\". Therefore, understanding the \"innovation trajectory\", or \"innovation journey\" as called by van de Ven et al. (1999), which an organisation embarks upon gives a better appreciation as to whether an organisation has been successful at innovating or not. Hence, to improve understanding of the process of innovation is crucial to promoting innovation in housebuilding firms.\nMethodology: This research was designed as a case study which was carried out of a large UK housebuilding organisation over the period of two recent years. The research design was grounded on three methodological considerations. First, the context of innovation, i.e. the organisational settings, is significant to understanding and managing the process. Second, to understand the innovation process is critical to judging the success or failure of innovation and therefore to improve organisational learning. Third, case study research creates patterns and connections of theoretical inferences (Bryman, 1989; Yin, 2003), of which the \"replication logic\" can be generalised (Yin, 2003). This case study can be regarded as an organisational study in nature (Bryman, 1989) as it was undertaken in organisational settings, which enabled in-depth investigation and the wide coverage of different participants from and related to the company. The study, to some extent, was also action research due to its main purpose to improve practice (Koshy, 2005) and the participatory feature of the researcher in innovation management process of the company.The case study company had been widely recognised as a leader in property development, the creation of sustainable communities and urban regeneration in the UK. The company had a strong track record of delivery in the UK Government's key growth areas, with an annual turnover of PS500 million and a PS6.5 billion nationwide development programme before the recession. The company had championed the use of innovative technologies in the new-build market and utilised a number of efficiency improvement approaches. Four innovation cases were covered in this study (Table I). For illustration and comparison purposes, the paper groups PV and ASHP into product innovations and DEP and GoT into process innovations. PV and ASHP are being promoted by the government as important types of low or zero carbon technologies (DCLG, 2008). Their use is relatively new to the UK housing market and to the company. DEP and GoT were innovative management tools developed in the company in response to a number of government/industry calls to improve efficiency and promote benchmarking (Constructing Excellence, 2007).Given the participatory action research nature of the case study, a wide range of personnel from the company, at both senior and operational levels, participated in the study. This included the roles of R&D, innovation, sustainability, planning, development, design, technical, estimating, construction, sales and marketing. Relevant external business consultants were also interviewed. Case study data consist of interview notes, observations, documentary data, statements of participants and contextual information. As the diverse sources make up a large accumulation of raw data, the process suggested by Patton (2002) was used for analysis, which included assembling the raw case data, constructing a case record and writing a final case study narrative presented thematically. Given the data diversity and mixed nature, the approach suggested by Miles and Huberman (1994) was used for making sense of the data, and sharing their interpretations and verifying conclusions with the key participants. The analytic procedures enabled the meaningful presentation of the case study, on which relevant arguments were established.\nResults and analysis: The detailed accounts of managing the four innovations are presented, from which their success, inertia and/or failure are analysed, and the process and organisational construct for managing innovation are investigated.Product innovation case 1: PV\nDiscussion: Success, inertia and failure of innovation\nConclusions: Having been reported reluctant to innovate, the housebuilding industry is being challenged again to build more new homes to higher environmental standards while surviving the economic recession. This paper has presented a detailed organisational account of managing innovation which aimed to deliver low carbon housing and improve business efficiency. Five key stages of managing innovation have been elucidated, i.e. the creation of ideas, development of innovations, utilisation, review, and improvement or abandonment. These stages, altogether, represent an empirical lifecycle of the innovation process. The organisational construct of the company for managing innovation was complicated and appeared difficult to manipulate. Strategies have been developed for improving innovation management at organisational level. Apart from to improve understanding of the innovation process and to provide an explicit organisational construct, the housebuilding firms are advised to manage their \"micro\" and \"macro\" environments in which innovation is created, developed, utilised and reviewed. Albeit the results on the innovations investigated, it would be unrealistic to judge their future dynamics in organisational settings. Whether the currently successful innovations will be abandoned or the currently less successful ones will be picked up in the future involves a wide range of contextual and organisational issues and, therefore, would be too complex to be foreseen in this paper. A due paradox is evident that the \"risk-averse\" housebuilding industry (Barker, 2003) has been urged to take up innovation and that more low carbon homes have been pledged despite a general decrease of unit completions over the past four decades. Significant research is needed to explore innovation in housebuilding which hopefully will lead the \"fearful\" industry (Building, 2008) to a brighter future. This paper has made contributions towards achieving such vision. The findings presented should help housebuilding organisations enable culture changes and contribute to the body of knowledge of modelling the process of innovation.\n",
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"content": "Purpose: - The UK Government's housing agenda, coupled with the current market conditions, has provided the housebuilding industry with a challenge to build more new homes while improving business efficiency to survive. Although innovation has been claimed as the key to meeting the challenge, the level of its usage has been reported low. This paper aims to reveal an insight into the success, inertia and failure of innovations and improve innovation management for housebuilding firms.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper reports on a two-year case study of a large UK housebuilding company. It investigates the lifecycle of two product innovations, i.e. photovoltaic and air source heat pumps, and two process innovations, i.e. development efficiency plan and glossary of terms.\nFindings: - Five key stages of managing innovation are identified which represent the thematic consistency among the innovation processes, i.e. the creation of ideas, development of innovation, utilisation, review and improvement or abandonment. The organisational construct of the company for managing innovation is complicated and appeared difficult to manipulate, which constitutes a cultural and administrative obstacle. Whilst the adoption of the innovations from the market seems more straightforward than those created and developed in the company, the success or failure of innovation is driven by the combination of external and internal contextual issues. Strategies are developed which should improve the effectiveness of managing innovation in housebuilding and contribute to relevant future debate.\nOriginality/value: - The paper provides insight into managing innovation in UK housebuilding.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A security standards' framework to facilitate best practices' awareness and conformity
|
[
"Data security",
"International standards",
"Best practice"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Standardization is a way to promote the best practices and the requirements that products or services must meet on world markets transparently. At the same time, it is a way to provide conformity assessment mechanisms for checking whether these products or services measure up to the standards International Organization for Standardization (ISO, 2008a). Moreover, information system standards contribute to several advantages, such as:* establishing a consensus on terminology;* establishing a common understanding and agreement of functional and non-functional requirements for the design of systems that ensure the compatibility of equipment of diverse origins; and* strengthening interoperability, etc.These advantages also apply to information systems security, since standards promote the common understanding of security requirements and ensure that the security mechanisms implemented do comply with globally accepted rules and practices. In this way, the systems that are being implemented reach a commonly accepted security level and interoperate with other systems in an efficient and secure way[1].Currently a number of standardization organizations exist, which can be divided according to their range in international, regional or national organizations. Organizations which have published information security standards that gained great acceptance include ISO, Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), British Standards Institution (BSI), Information Security Forum (ISF), Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council and others. Several security standards are continuously published and gain acceptance; some of them provide guidelines, others promote best practices, while a few can be used as a basis for certification. The latter include the well-known ISO/IEC 27001:2005, the NIST FIPS 140-2 (2001), common criteria (CC) or ISO/IEC 15408 series, COBITv4.1, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), etc. Information security breaches survey (Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR, 2010)) reveals that organizations in the UK are increasingly required by their customers to demonstrate compliance with information security standards or guidelines (41 per cent for large and 31 per cent of small organizations were required to comply to a recognized standard such as ISO/IEC 27001). Moreover, as the survey states \"ISO 27001 is becoming the lingua franca for information security\". Ernst & Young (2008) international survey reveals that international information security standards are enjoying greater acceptance and adoption; ISO/IEC 27001:2005 has a 15 per cent rise, ISO/IEC 27002:2005 a 9 per cent rise and ISF - Standard of Good Practice for information security a 7 per cent rise from 2007 to 2008. The increasing adoption of ISO/IEC 27001:2005 is also evident from the growing number of certifications world widely. The ISO Survey of Certifications (ISO, 2008b) reports that ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certifications keep an increasing pace; certifications have increased by approximately 20 per cent from 2007 to 2008.However, the awareness and the compliance to the widely accepted standards remain quite small. According to information security breaches survey (BERR, 2008) only 21 per cent of overall UK business are aware of ISO 27000 series and only 30 per cent of the aware ones have fully implemented them. The same conclusions derive from Ernst and Young (2010) international survey; only 8 per cent have achieved formal certification and only 36 per cent is using ISO/IEC 27001:2005 as a basis for their information security management system (ISMS). Therefore, recent surveys indicate that even for widely accepted information security standards awareness rates remain high.The aim of this paper is to enhance the awareness of organizations about the security standards through a framework of information security standards conceptualization, interconnection and categorization. The four-layer framework is based on ISO/IEC 27001:2005 and is used for the classification of several information security standards. The framework serves two main purposes:1. links together existing security standards in a coherent and systematic way; and2. provides guidelines, in regard with the security management decisions and actions, that are mainly based on the security management code of practice (ISO/IEC 27002:2005) and requirements specification (ISO/IEC 27001:2005) standards.The way that information security practitioners can benefit by the proposed framework for informing themselves regarding security standards and each time effectively inquiring the adequate security standard, is presented through a case study of a Payroll and Pensioner Information System (PPIS). The authors have conducted a risk analysis and management study for the specific information system using the CCTA Risk Analysis and Management Methodology (CRAMM) method[2]. However, since the aim is to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed framework, and not to describe in detail the specific information system, we only address a subset of the system's functionality, software, hardware and data assets. The same is done for the risk analysis and management results;, i.e. only a subset of the identified security requirements will be considered together with the resulting technical, organizational and procedural security measures.The paper is structured into seven sections. After this section, we present the proposed information security standards framework, and we describe its layers. In sequence, a brief overview of the information system used as a case study is given. In Sections 4 and 5, we demonstrate how the ISMS for the case study system can be developed according to the proposed framework. Finally, conclusions and limitations of the paper are provided followed by the paper's references.\n2 A framework of security standards: The proposed security framework consists of four interleaved layers, as shown in Figure 1. The first layer of the framework is associated with the ISO/IEC 27001:2005 and prescribes its adoption in order to collect security requirements and implement, operate, monitor, review, maintain and improve an ISMS. This leads to a plan-do-check-act (PDCA) process that results in the realization of a number of new actions (e.g. specification of the systems' boundaries). Most of these additional actions are in fact extending or/and complementing or/and customizing or/and specializing the high level guidelines of ISO/IEC 27001:2005 and are in turn guided by other, more focused, ISO standards that are, in turn, associated with the remaining layers of the framework. The fact that all these additional actions are caused by the guidelines of ISO/IEC 27001:2005 explains why Layer 1 encapsulates the remaining layers of the proposed framework. At the same level of abstraction practitioners could also find guidelines by COBIT v4.1:2007. However, we will base our analysis on ISO/IEC 27001:2005 since surveys indicate that it dominates information security management guidance.Among the first actions of the Plan phase is the identification of the system boundaries (context establishment), the realization of risk assessment and the specification of the risk treatment plan. All these actions are guided by ISO/IEC 27005:2008 and NIST Special Publication 800-30:2002 which, as shown in Figure 1, are associated with the second layer of the framework. Specifically, for the structure and the required characteristics of the risk treatment plan, and while still in the Plan phase, there are more specialized guidelines provided by ISO/IEC 27002:2005, GAISP:2004 and ISF Standard of Good Practice:2007 that have been associated with the third layer of the proposed framework.Continuing, according to the ISO/IEC 27001:2005 the Plan phase is followed by the Do phase, during which the risk treatment plan that has been already specified is implemented. The risk treatment plan will clearly identify the organizational, procedural and technical safeguards for the organization. The proper implementation of these safeguards is described in detail in the ISO/IEC 27002:2005, GAISP:2004 and ISF Standard of Good Practice:2007 (Layer 3), even though there are more specialized guidelines for specific countermeasure categories that are provided by other ISO standards (Figure 1). This additional, more specialized, set of standards is associated with the fourth layer of the proposed security framework.After completion of the Do phase, the first layer (ISO/IEC 27001:2005) requires continuous monitoring and reviewing of the developed ISMS. Also, internal and external auditing of the ISMS is necessary. All these tasks are part of the Check phase. More focused guidelines for their realization are provided by ISO/IEC 27005:2008, NIST Special Publication 800-30:2002 and ISO/IEC 27002:2005 (Layers 2 and 3).Finally, during the Act phase, improvement or/and corrective actions are implemented (if necessary) according to the guidelines of ISO/IEC 27001:2005.As a result, we propose a framework that guides security management by using the best practices published by established standards.\n3 The payroll and pensioner information system: The information system used as a case study is a typical PPIS that also provides web-based services to retired public servants (electronic PPIS (e-PPIS)). We identify its security requirements and we illustrate how the proposed ISO-based security framework can guide the implementation and maintenance of the e-PPIS ISMS.The aim of the e-PPIS is to automate the interaction of public servants and pensioners with the appropriate governmental departments. The offered services will be available 24 hours per day, seven days a week. One of the main system functionalities is to monitor the salaries of public servants and when an employee applies for retirement to change her state from worker to pensioner and continue monitoring her payoffs. Indicative functionality of the system is:* Retirement application (approval/disapproval).* count of longevity.* Payments calculation (according to retirement decision, stoppages, allowances, etc.).* Turnovers (e.g. retirement handover to family member or cancelation of retirement grant in case of death).* Updates to the pensioner (e.g. certificates), to the department (e.g. statistical data) and to other services (e.g. insurance conservancies).The system operates in two modes: off-line and on-line. During the off-line operation, it supports the aforementioned functionality within the scope of the appropriate governmental department. However, it is also offering several web-based public services (online mode of operation) for the retired persons, like:* Information regarding retirement procedure, rights, conditions, answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), etc.* Downloadable application forms.* Capability to fill and submit applications, to apply for the provision of various types of certificates, to monitor the status of an application, to calculate the pension amount, etc.* Analysis of pensioner's stoppages/allowances and online payments.\n4 Developing the E-PPIS ISMS: The development of the e-PPIS ISMS according to the proposed security framework begins with the implementation of the actions described in the PDCA model (Layer 1). Subsequent actions of each phase of the PDCA model are further specialized and guided by the ISO standards associated with the Layers 2-4 of the framework.4.1 Plan phase\n5 Specialized guidance for the implementation of e-PPIS safeguards: The implementation of the e-PPIS safeguards during the \"Do\" phase, according to ISO/IEC 27002:2005, GAISP:2004 and ISF Standard of Good Practice:2007 (Layer 3), is further supported and guided by a set of specialized ISO standards (Layer 4) for specific countermeasure categories.5.1 Network security management\n6 Conclusions: The standards and guides for conformity assessment published by standardization organizations and institutes reflect an international, regional or national consensus on best practices. Their use contributes to the consistency of conformity assessment worldwide. In this paper, we have introduced a framework for classifying information security standards. It has been illustrated how such a framework is useful to security practitioners for organizing security management procedures in accordance to current security standardization activities. It should be noted that the practices proposed are not innovative by themselves; however their integration into a coherent framework will facilitate the standards' diffusion and systematic adoption. The applicability of the resulting four-layer security framework has been demonstrated through a case study. In Table II, we present the standards analyzed in this paper, in relation to their position at the proposed framework and the specific guidance that they provide. It should be stressed that the completeness of the information provided in the paper relies to the pace of standards' publications.\n",
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"content": "Purpose: - Recent information security surveys indicate that both the acceptance of international standards and the relative certifications increase continuously. However, it is noted that still the majority of organizations does not know the dominant security standards or does not fully implement them. The aim of this paper is to facilitate the awareness of information security practitioners regarding globally known and accepted security standards, and thus, contribute to their adoption.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper adopts a conceptual approach and results in a classification framework for categorizing available information security standards. The classification framework is built in four layers of abstraction, where the initial layer is founded in ISO/IEC 27001:2005 information security management system.\nFindings: - The paper presents a framework for conceptualizing, categorizing and interconnecting available information security standards dynamically.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The completeness of the information provided in the paper relies on the pace of standards' publications; thus the information security standards that have been classified in this paper need to be updated when new standards are published. However, the proposed framework can be utilized for this constant effort.\nPractical implications: - Information security practitioners can benefit by the proposed framework for available security standards and effectively invoke the relevant standard each time. Guidelines for utilizing the proposed framework are presented through a case study.\nOriginality/value: - Although the practices proposed are not innovative by themselves, the originality of this work lies on the best practices' linkage into a coherent framework that can facilitate the standards diffusion and systematic adoption.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Quality assessment methods for index of community sustainability
|
[
"Consumer behavior",
"Sustainable development",
"Sustainability",
"Customer satisfaction",
"Community care"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Background: Current situation: pollution, fossil fuels and biodiesel\n2. The case of the Cowichan Biodiesel Co-op and sustainable consumption of fuels: The Cowichan Biodiesel Co-op, which is a \"community owned and operated organization dedicated to the local production, use and promotion of biofuels in order to achieve ethical and environmentally sustainable local economy and has been supplying 100 percent biodiesel made from recycled cooking oil to all its members as a petro-diesel alternative since 2005\" (Cowichan Biodiesel Co-op, 2018) located in Cowichan Valley, British Columbia.\n3. National satisfaction indices: In order to have a greater knowledge about consumption and therefore offer feedback to companies at the international level, the tendency has been to evaluate and to compare the satisfaction of users through national indices. These indices are based on models that postulate a series of hypotheses about the causes of quality perception, satisfaction, trust and user loyalty, and allow them to measure the quality of goods and services based on the experience of users who consume them, representing the cumulative evaluation of a company or a particular sector, that is, an objective measurement of the subjectivity present in the opinion of the users is carried out. An example of these models is the one developed by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)--Figure 1.\n4. Research objective: The purpose of this research is to design and test a user satisfaction model to evaluate the contribution of biodiesel production and consumption to the sustainability of a semi-urban community in the Cowichan Valley in British Columbia, Canada. This case study is part of a larger research study whose purpose is to create a model for an index of sustainable community production and consumption.\n5. Methodology: The methodology used in this research was developed by IMSU research team (Lobato et al., 2011, 2016a, b) and in all cases where it was applied, statistically valid and reliable results were obtained.\n6. Results: Once the previous criteria were met, the validation of the structural model or inner model was carried out, which consists in verifying the predictive power of the model through the coefficient of determination R2 of each endogenous latent variable, that is to say: the variables that receive impacts. A value of R2 of 0.67 is considered substantial, one of 0.33 is moderate and 0.19 is poor, however, for the first investigation stages generally low values are obtained whereas in later stages substantial values are expected (Chin, 1998).\n7. Conclusions: Regarding the group of active users, the following is concluded:\n",
"role": "user"
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"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to design and test a user satisfaction model to evaluate the contribution of biodiesel production and consumption to the sustainability of a semi-urban community in the Cowichan Valley in British Columbia Canada. This case study is part of a larger research study whose purpose is to create a model for an index of sustainable community production and consumption.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The theoretical approach selected was the national indices of consumer satisfaction models. The methodology was qualitative and quantitative, in-depth interviews were used to learn the opinion of active and non-active consumers of biodiesel. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed with specialized software for qualitative studies. A structural equation model, whose innovation is the inclusion of the sustainability variables, was designed and analyzed with statistical technique partial least squares.\nFindings: The designed model and methodology were useful to identify the principal cause variables of consumer satisfaction of biodiesel in two types of users: active users and non-active users. The determination coefficient R2 of the latent variables satisfaction and loyalty for the prediction of biodiesel active users model is 0.82 and 0.72, respectively, while the result for the non-active users model is 0.90 for satisfaction and 0.73 for loyalty. Sustainable consumption at community level is statistically significant as a direct cause of the variable sustainability of the community for both models, and in turn the sustainability of the community variable has a significant impact on loyalty for the active users model.\nOriginality/value: This case study is part of a larger research study whose purpose is to create a model for an index of sustainable community production and consumption which will be measured longitudinally to detect changes in the sustainable consumption of the community members.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Integrated change: creating synergy between leader and organizational development
|
[
"Leadership development",
"Organizational development",
"Change management",
"Strategic objectives"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Background: In his seminal book on leading organizational change Kotter (1996, p. 26) writes that \"... successful transformation is 70 to 90 percent leadership and only 10 to 30 percent management.\" Initiating planned change within an organization requires precision and careful thought but must also be supported with the right personnel and resources. When economic conditions reduce the financial resources available to engage in both organizational and leadership development initiatives, the best strategy can often be an integration of both activities into one, coherent program. This case study describes the activities undertaken to create an integrated leadership and development program at a global manufacturing organization. The manufacturing organization employs nearly 20,000 employees, and operates in 114 locations across 27 countries and five continents.Like most organizational leaders, the leadership of the global manufacturing firm strived to make long-term, strategic plans for the future of the business but was preoccupied with short-term problems that arose from the financial and credit crises affecting the global economy in 2008. Top leaders of the organization recognized two competing needs:1. align business strategies with organizational goals; and2. provide development for the top 200 leaders of the organization.Integrating an organizational assessment within a program for leadership development allowed the organization to simultaneously address both strategic issues while efficiently managing financial, time, and human capital resources. The goals of the program were to improve the skills of their top teams, the awareness of individual strengths and weaknesses, and the leader's awareness of his/her impact on the organization's culture. The timing of this program coincided with the planning process for the upcoming fiscal year, which allowed the champion of the project, the chief operating officer (COO), to make a strong business case for the need for both organizational and leadership development.\n2. Integrating organizational and leadership development: Using leadership development as an organizational culture initiative offers many advantages. Culture change is most successful when there is support at the top of the organization (Kotter, 1996). In its simplest form, organizational culture is the values and beliefs shared by employees in an organization (Schein, 1992). When those values and beliefs are modeled by upper management, norms for behavior are established and implicitly communicated throughout the organization. As a consequence, helping senior leadership develop the competencies needed to support the new strategy of the organization is an integral part of initiating a meaningful cultural transformation (Kotter, 1999). In this example, the COO worked very hard to educate other company executives on the importance of organizational culture and leadership development; this ensured that support from the Executive Committee was strong at the start of the development initiative.Integrating leadership development activities within an organizational development initiative is by no means a new concept but one that can often-times produce vastly better results than when these two efforts operate in isolation of each other. Hostetler (2007), as an example, details the work undertaken to improve organizational culture at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Senior leadership had determined that the culture of the hospital was negatively impacting financial performance. As a means for improving the culture, hospital leadership provided leadership development efforts targeted at medical center directors. Directors were invited to carry out change projects to improve the culture in their center, offered development sessions to carry out those projects, and provided feedback on their new leadership style. The leadership development helped to greatly improve the financial performance of the hospital (Hostetler, 2007).In a similar study, Barriere et al. (2002) worked with a New York area hospital to improve their organizational culture. Barriere et al. (2002) designed a leadership development initiative to help the hospital create a more innovative and adaptive culture. Their initiative included a development program with a multisource feedback component for all managers (Barriere et al., 2002). The initiative was very successful and produced positive financial and human capital outcomes.\n3. Leadership and organizational development program: The manufacturing organization used the culture (Denison and Neale, 1999a) and leadership development (Denison and Neale, 1999b) tools designed by Denison Consulting. The Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS) and Denison Leadership Development Survey (DLDS) are both based on a model of organizational effectiveness. Using tools based on the same model of organizational effectiveness creates a direct line of sight between the interface of culture and leadership. This provided a common language to all executives when planning both individual and organizational development initiatives at the global manufacturing firm.The first step in the process was to have the top 180 leaders within the company completed the culture survey. Results were compiled at the organization-level as well as for each of the major departments of the organization. Following, each leader participated in the leadership development phase; leaders rated themselves and were also rated by their boss, peers, and direct reports.The human resources (HR) staff worked closely with Senior Consultants from Denison Consulting to be trained on the culture and leadership model as well as how to debrief and provide coaching to each leader. Including HR in the development initiative at this stage of the process provided a distinct benefit for all members of the organization. Having members of HR trained on the Denison Culture and Leadership tools meant that all leaders had a resource, within-house, to go to at any point during the following months to seek advice or help with their individual development.All 180 leaders of the organization attended a one-hour leadership workshop where they learned about the Denison Leadership model and how to interpret their results. They were also provided with one-on-one coaching sessions to help them create development plans. During the coaching sessions, leaders were encouraged to think about the culture and leadership results at three levels:1. company;2. function; and3. individual.Using the culture profile of the overall organization and their department, along with their leadership results, leaders could clearly see the connection between their leadership behaviors and the culture of their department and the overall organization. For example, two consistent themes that emerged in the culture and leadership results across the departments were that the global manufacturing firm was weak in Customer Focus and Capability Development. Customer Focus measures awareness of the wants and needs of the customer and Capability Development assesses the investment and commitment to developing talent in the organization. This information confirmed to the global manufacturing firm that they were losing sight of the marketplace and needed to develop their top employees, a suspicion that they held but had little data to support.Using this information, individual strengths could be leveraged to improve weaknesses in aspects of the department or organizational culture and development plans could be put in place to shore up gaps. Leaders were encouraged to reflect upon what they could do, from a personal development standpoint, to help both themselves and the company grow. To build in accountability to the process, 10 per cent of a leader's individual and departmental goals for the upcoming year had to be development related.\n4. Keys to success: Initiating culture change in an organization is no small feat and doing so in conjunction with a leadership development program requires much coordination and cooperation from many people within the company. Some activities that the organization engaged in to ensure the success of the initiative were:* User senior leadership to set clear expectations. The expectation was set very early within the process that all leaders were required to actively participate and engage in the culture change process. This message was communicated from the CEO and reiterated by subsequent levels of management. Executive Committee support was leveraged throughout the process and used to engage the rest of the leadership in the organization. This also helped build accountability into the process from the very beginning and was reiterated when leaders created their development plans.* Create a well thought-out communication plan. To manage 180 individuals through a multi-source feedback system requires considerable time and attention to detail. Detailed communication plans were created that articulated the purpose of the surveys; the timeline for the process; and key deadlines to remember.* Closely monitor everything throughout the process. As the number of people participating in the leadership development effort increases so does the complexity and the possibility for errors. Closely monitoring the process from start to finish ensured successful implementation so that any obstacles could be met head-on.* Mobilize an internal HR team trained to help with coaching. Key HR personnel worked closely with a senior consultant from Denison Consulting to learn the model and surveys and be prepared to deliver feedback and provide coaching to leaders. This helped crystallize the role of HR as a strategic business partner within the firm and also ensured that enough qualified individuals were present internally to support the leaders while creating their development plans or at any later point in time.* Provide leadership coaching and support. Previous research and experience has revealed that most leadership development programs fail, not because of the survey, but because of a lack of support once leaders receive their results. Providing one-to-one feedback and coaching to each leader allowed the leaders to understand their results and create an action plan to further their personal development.\n5. Conclusions: The integrated organizational and leadership development process was met with much enthusiasm from the top leaders of the firm and has proved to be a valuable exercise for the organization. The program was mandated for the top levels of the organization but has trickled down to lower levels of the firm; more and more leaders have participated in the leadership development process and used their results to create development plans that will serve both their own development as well as meet the needs of the organization. Integrating these two activities does require some coordination but can initiate valuable conversations within the organization, mobilize a large number of employees, and empower them to create change.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to share with organizations a method for integrating organizational culture change and leadership development within one balanced corporate initiative.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper describes the benefits of organizational culture and leadership development, the steps taken to design such a program within a large, global manufacturing organization, and the benefits of the integrated program.\nFindings: - Integrating organizational culture with leadership development can help create a clear \"line of sight\" between the individual and the organization and builds broader accountability for the success of organizational change initiatives.\nPractical implications: - Integrated culture and leadership programs can be designed within any environment. This case study serves as an example to provide readers with ideas for how to create and implement similar programs in other organizations.\nOriginality/value: - Kotter stresses the need for leadership in organizational change, however, few case studies have been published in this area that articulate how leadership and organizational development can be successfully integrated.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The real estate investment of insurance companies in Poland
|
[
"Real estate",
"Insurance companies",
"Investments",
"Profit",
"Poland"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Insurance companies in Western Europe are important investors in the real estate market, which follows from the nature of their business. According to insurance theory, investment should be safe, liquid and profitable. It is mostly life insurance companies that invest in the real estate market, as they are primarily interested in long-term investments and, unlike property insurers, do not require high liquidity. They invest in the real estate via different ways - directly and indirectly, to derive an income flow from commercial real estate or granting mortgage loans to obtain profits from interests, purchasing units in real estate investment funds (REIT and other legal forms) and purchasing Mortgage Backed Securities.Real estate is deemed an adequate investment as it protects the capital against inflation in the long-term period (Bond and Seiler, 1998; Brown, 1991). The results of many studies on the US market suggest that the share of commercial property in the portfolio of institutional investors should be between 15-20 percent (Fogler, 1994; Ennis and Burik, 1991). The studies of the British market showed a little higher level (MacGregor and Nanthakumaran, 1992; Brown and Schuck, 1996). In many studies it was emphasized that the portfolio contain both direct and indirect real estate investment (Hoesli and Hamelink, 1997; Sanders, 1998; Mueller and Mueller, 2003).\n2. Insurance companies in Poland - business foundations: Insurance companies operated in the time of the People's Republic of Poland, but following the political and economic transition, new market principles evolved and there emerged life insurance companies. The rules of functioning of insurance companies in Poland are regulated in the Insurance Activity Act[1]. Basically, insurance company business comprises technical-insurance activity and investing. While technical-insurance activity constitutes the core business, the investment policy is pursued through designing a portfolio pursuant to the principles of safety, liquidity and profitability.The investment activity of insurance companies in Poland is regulated by the legislator, who imposes restrictions including the directions of financial investment, determines maximal quotas of particular types of investments in the portfolio, and appoints a supervisory authority for insurance companies (Czerwinska, 2003, p. 62).The analysis of investment activity of insurance companies demonstrates that they did not pursue a specialized investment policy in the real estate market. In the years 2000-2008 real estate was of marginal importance in the portfolios of insurance companies (see Table 1). Insurers regarded real estate primarily in terms of \"headquarters\" and the related prestige, and not as investment, which is clearly noticeable in the data for 2002-2003[2].It would seem that such a small proportion of real estate in the portfolios of insurance companies resulted from the picture of the Polish real estate market managers have. They perceived real estate as risky asset class, not very profitable as deprived of variety of investment products (Czerwinska, 2007, 2009).While analyzing the aggregate composition of insurance companies' investments, it is necessary to distinguish life and property insurance companies. The difference in the proportion of real estate investment is clearly in favor of property insurance companies, which commit more funds to such investments (see Table I). This is an unusual situation, as due to the long-term nature of life insurers' activity, they invest in real estate more in Western countries.Presumably, the amount of capital is of crucial importance here, as life insurance companies operating in Poland are considerably younger and may not possess sufficient capital to get strongly involved in the capital-intensive real estate market.Analysis of aggregate real estate investments demonstrates that over the period under study the largest share fell to buildings and construction structures: in 2008 it amounted to PLN 261.23 million in life insurance companies and PLN 779.85 million in property insurance companies (Table II).Compared to 2007, this is a substantial increase resulting presumably from the slump in the financial markets. Land acquisition gained comparable interest in both groups of insurers, attracting PLN 101.89 million and PLN 104.85 million, respectively. Land development projects (including works in progress) represented the smallest share in total real estate investments, at PLN 33.00 million and PLN 23.36 million, respectively. What is noteworthy, however, is that property insurance companies invested substantial capital in land development in 2000 and 2001 as those years were a special time for many Polish insurance companies: they were building headquarters and some of them also networks of local branches.The share of mortgage loans was negligible in the case of life insurance companies: in 2007 it amounted to PLN 82 000 and in 2008 this figure fell even further down to PLN 27 000. Property insurance companies were considerably more involved in this segment, as at the end of 2008 they owned mortgage backed loans worth PLN 3.79 million, down from PLN 4.78 million in 2007.\n3. The impact of real estate investment on profitability indicators: The attempt to explain the low popularity of real estate among investment decision makers of insurance companies was based on analysis of companies' past performance indicators. The impact of real estate investment on profitability was examined from the both perspectives: the investors and insured persons. Consequently, the authors analyzed the relationship between real estate investment and profitability indicators such as return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and return on sales (ROS). This approach reflected the shareholders' point-of-view. Subsequently, the same kind of analysis was carried out to investigate the impact of real estate investments on the insurance companies' return on technical activity (RTA) and return on investment activity (RIA). These indicators are meant to assess business performance from the point-of-view of insured persons.During the study, the following main research hypothesis was formulated: real estate investments enhance the profitability of insurance companies. Moreover, four supporting hypotheses were proposed: real estate improves return on assets and equity; increased return on sales leads to higher real estate investments; increased return on technical activity is accompanied by insurance companies' increased commitment to investments in the real estate market; and increased return on investments is connected to greater real estate investments.A positive verification of the first supporting hypothesis would suggest that the weak involvement in the real estate market is a mistake of managers. On the other hand, a negative verification would indicate that the low involvement in real estate results from the unwillingness of company owners and executives to pursue such investments, as they would reduce their direct income. A positive verification of the second hypothesis may suggest that insurance companies do not possess sufficient capital to allocate to real estate while the acquisition of new capital makes it possible to invest more. A negative verification may point to a total lack of interest in real estate investments on the part of the managers, even in the case of increasing cash resources. A positive verification of the third hypothesis may indicate that capital derived from technical activity gets invested in property, while a negative verification would suggest that new capital is invested in other assets. A positive verification of the fourth hypothesis would mean that insurance companies effectively commit their capital to real estate investment, whereas a negative verification might suggest that the management invests in real estate unwillingly, as such investments do not generate an adequate income - moreover, poor returns are not in the interest of shareholders and may be perceived by the insured as a threat to receiving benefits.The approach adopted by the authors determined the selection of profitability indicators used in this paper. Apart from one of the most popular indicators of profitability, which is ROE (Economic ROE and Risk-Adjusted Capital, 2006, 2008), the authors offer an assessment of insurance companies from the perspective of shareholders and insured persons. According to the literature (Methodology of Financial Analysis of Insurance Companies State Insurance Supervision Authority (2001)), profitability indicators for technical and investment activity may be perceived as a guarantee of benefit payments. Hence, a higher return on technical activity (RTA) and return on investment activity (RIA) results in a higher solvency of the insurance companies.Data\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to identify possible reasons for insurance companies' scant interest in real estate as investment asset in Poland. The authors attempt to determine the impact of real estate investment on insurance companies' profitability.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - After collecting the aggregated data about insurance companies' financial results for the period 2000-2008 the authors analyzed the relationship between real estate investment and profitability indicators such as return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and return on sales (ROS). This approach reflected the shareholders' point-of-view. Subsequently, the same kind of analysis was carried out to investigate the impact of real estate investments on the insurance companies' return on technical activity (RTA) and return on investment activity (RIA). These indicators are meant to assess business performance from the point-of-view of insured persons.\nFindings: - The analysis revealed some negative correlations: real estate investments may reduce the profitability of insurance companies. If this is true, the unwillingness of insurance companies to purchase property would not be surprising. Yet, this conclusion should be accepted with caution.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Due to the short study period and changes in legal classification of investment categories, the available data were very imperfect and the study results may not be perceived as undisputable, hence, it is felt that further research is needed.\nOriginality/value: - The paper is original, as previously no such research has been conducted in Poland.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
What catalyses mobile apps usage intention: an empirical analysis
|
[
"Consumer behavioural intention",
"Gender",
"Educational level",
"Malaysia",
"Mobile applications",
"UTAUT2"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In recent years, mobile devices (m-devices) have become a necessary gadget in the modern lifestyle, as the number of m-devices is expected to exceed the world population (Mclaughlin, 2013). M-devices, such as smartphones and tablets, not only provide users with entertainment but also productivity through mobile apps (Keith et al., 2013). Islam et al. (2010) defined mobile apps as software that could perform certain tasks for the users using their m-devices. Examples of apps include tools and productivity (calendar, notes, flashlight, alarms), shopping (Amazon), games, and music (games, radio, music player) (Bomhold, 2013). Gartner Incorporate predicted that the annual downloads would reach 268 billion by 2017 (Gartner, 2013).\n2. Literature review: 2.1. Overview of mobile apps\n3. Hypotheses formation: 3.1. PE\n4. Methodology: 4.1. Sampling procedure and data collection\n5. Discussions: Based on the results of PLS-SEM analysis, all constructs were found to have significant and positive relationships with BI to use mobile apps, except for PV and SI. It was also discovered that gender and EL did not moderate the relationships between the constructs.\n6. Implications: 6.1. Theoretical implications\n7. Limitations and recommendations: Since this study is carried out in Malaysia, the results might not be applicable to other nations. It is recommended that the future study should replicate current research setting in other countries' contexts. Furthermore, it is also interesting to compare the results yielded in different countries; thus, comparison study should also be considered. On the other hand, this study is a cross-sectional study. Future study can consider on using a longitudinal method to observe the change of consumers' behaviour over time. In addition, since this study only focused on a narrow group of respondents, a wider group of respondents is encouraged in future.\n8. Conclusion: This study has empirically determined the factors that lead to mobile apps usage intention. From the results, HA is the most significant predictor of BI, followed by HM, EE, FC, and lastly PE. PV, and SI, however, have non-significant relationship with BI. In addition, gender and EL were also found to be insignificant. This implies that all the significant constructs in the model are applicable to both gender groups and different education levels. The results are beneficial to mobile apps developers, as the results reflect the mind of consumers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Considering the lack of understanding of the mobile applications (mobile apps) market and low usage rates among Malaysians, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) was adapted to investigate the determinants of consumer behavioural intention (BI) to use mobile apps.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A total of 288 sample data was collected and analysed using partial least square equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method.\nFindings: All of UTAUT2 constructs (i.e. performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, and habit), except for price value and social influence, significantly relate with BI to use mobile applications. Habit was reported to have the strongest influence. Gender and educational level were found to be insignificant moderators.\nPractical implications: Mobile application developers could have better understanding on users' needs and intention, based on the findings.\nOriginality/value: In order to shed light on current problems, and there is a dearth in relevant studies which could resolve the issue, this paper contributes the necessary knowledge on mobile apps acceptance to developers. Educational level was added into UTAUT2 as a moderator in addition to gender.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Supply chain management at the base of the pyramid
|
[
"Base of the pyramid (BOP)",
"Base of the chain (BOC)",
"Global supply chain management",
"Emerging markets",
"Impact investment",
"Supply chain design"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: An ongoing conceptual and practical challenge is how to integrate sustainability into global supply chains, particularly in areas where basic human needs are not being met. For example, 3.6bn people worldwide are living in potentially water-scarce areas at least one month per year and this population continues to increase (UNESCO, 2018). Technology-based solutions along the supply chain may address economic and environmental issues of clean water conservation and distribution, but these solutions may not be accessible to the populations that are most vulnerable. Also, 795m people do not have enough food to lead a healthy, active life, which is about one in nine people on earth, the vast majority in developing countries (Food Aid Foundation, 2018). This problem is magnified, given that approximately one-third of the world's food is wasted (FAO, 2018).\nSummary of articles: Serving BOP markets: focusing on demand\nMoving forward with BOP research: Future research suggestions\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compile a set of articles tackling supply chain issues in BOP contexts that address both demand and supply. Solutions are needed for global sustainability problems from medical aid and food availability to the ability to participate in supply chains for the global poor.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The accepted articles in the special issue used a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to answer research questions in a variety of base of the pyramid (BOP) contexts. These approaches and results distinguish between demand (BOP market) and supply, or base of the chain (BOC), perspectives.\nFindings: The findings in the eight accepted marticles are interesting and applicable across different BOP contexts. Compilation of the articles into the special issue and the accompanying editorial led to a comprehensive future research agenda that addresses demand-side issues by investigating the customers in BOP markets, and supply-side issues focusing on the suppliers and intermediaries (BOC) who supply BOP markets. Future research ideas include a focus on supply chain design issues situated at the intersection of the demand (BOP) and the supply (BOC) concerns that address the needs of the world's poorest populations.\nResearch limitations/implications: All of the selected articleshave societal implications related to addressing the needs of BOP populations. Many of these articles also have economic and environmental implications, the other two pillars of the triple bottom line. The detailed future research agenda developed in this editorial presents implications for researchers working in emerging and BOP communities to push research forward and further develop the foundational literature in the BOP context.\nPractical implications: From a practical standpoint, each of the eight articles presents ideas for businesses that help address the needs of the global poor while enhancing global sustainability performance. The editorial summarizes these implications and provides new directions and examples of success in the BOP context. Managers are provided with techniques to address the supply and demand side of these growing markets.\nOriginality/value: The overall conceptual framework and positioning of the final papers into the BOP market, BOC suppliers and a combination of the two is novel and helps provide guidance to both scholars and managers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Does multi-level intervention enhance work process knowledge?
|
[
"Training",
"Human resource management",
"Knowledge transfer",
"Food service",
"Finland"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Work-related knowledge and organisational learning are currently regarded as prerequisites for organisational success. This is not only characteristic of knowledge-creating firms, but is also valid in the industrial and service sectors (Boland and Tenkasi, 1995; Casey, 1999; Boreham, 2002), where new ways of organising work have broadened the scope, variety and responsibility expected from workers. However, workers in the service sector are often undereducated in relation to the demands of their work (e.g. Casey, 1999).In Finland, serving lunch to school children and teachers began some 60 years ago. Currently more than 8,000 people work in school kitchens. Work in school kitchens has changed essentially during the past decade. During the economic depression of the mid-1990s, tightened control on expenditure changed the goals, object and organisation of the work. Productivity demands increased, which resulted in the rationalisation of food processing and the reorganisation of work tasks. Home-like cooking in small schools was finished, and traditional school kitchens were transformed into production kitchens, small finishing kitchens, or service points. Production kitchens may also prepare and deliver food to other schools and kindergartens. In finishing kitchens and service points, food is only heated and served. At the same time, the work became more complex and regulated. Nourishment requirements became more challenging, and food accounting for various special diets began to be expected in schools. The regulation of menus, recipes and working methods used became the task of the management office of kitchen work.This change has been typical of the food service sector in other countries as well, as reported for example by Casey (1999). In this situation, the workers' work process and practical knowledge did not meet the demands of the changed work resulting, for instance, in experiences of strain and reduced work ability. In the city of Espoo, the management of kitchen work became worried about the work ability and health of kitchen workers. A multilevel intervention was organised to prevent health and work ability problems and to improve work process knowledge (Hopsu et al., 2002; Leppanen et al., 2005). In this paper, we examine the consequences of the interventions on work process knowledge.\nTheoretical background: Work process knowledge and its creation\nThe aim of the study: In this study, the consequences of a multilevel intervention aimed to improve work, work process knowledge, and the well-being and work ability of workers were studied from the viewpoint of work process knowledge. Formal training and participative work development aimed at the improvement of work process knowledge, whereas other elements of the intervention pursued other goals. This article focuses exclusively on the impact of the interventions on work process knowledge and its subjective assessments.The questions addressed were:1. Did the work process knowledge of the participants improve?2. Did the subjects' participation in the interventions have an effect on their work process knowledge?3. Which interventions contributed to the outcomes of the study?4. Did the participants experience changes in their professional skills after the interventions?5. Were the subjective assessments associated with the changes in work process knowledge?6. Was there a change in the productivity of the work?\nMethods: The study was conducted in a municipal organisation preparing and serving meals for children and personnel in 85 schools in Espoo, the second largest city in Finland. Approximately six million meals are served annually. The study consisted of three phases:1. In the baseline measurement, the work process knowledge, work, well-being, and work ability of the kitchen workers were studied.2. Based on the results of the baseline measurements, the organizers planned and executed the interventions. The total duration of the intervention program was three-and-a-half years and it involved numerous phases with different actors participating in different phases.3. After the completion of the interventions, their outcomes were measured.A total of 108 school kitchen workers participated in the evaluation study of the training program. The participants were women, and 45 per cent of them were kitchen workers in a supervisory position. The level of basic education of the participants was low. For 60 per cent of the respondents, basic education had consisted of primary school, and for 37 per cent junior high school or comparable level. Fifty-nine per cent of the participants had graduated from vocational school.Half of the subjects in the follow-up group were under and half were over 45 years old at the beginning of the program (Table I). Turnover rate among kitchen workers was high because only half of the workers had a permanent job, whereas the work contracts of the other half were to finish at the end of the school year. Of the participants, 171 workers were studied before and 170 after the interventions, but only 108 persons participated in both measurements and in the interventions. The answers of those who participated only in the in the first or the second measurement were used as control groups to assess whether the participants in the intervention differed from those who did not participate, and whether the potential change in work process knowledge could be have been caused by a factor other than the intervention.Compared with the follow-up group, those who participated only in the measurement before interventions were older, whereas those who participated only in the measurement after interventions were younger (Table I). The proportion of supervisors was greater in the follow-up group (45 per cent) than in the two control groups (15 per cent).Two types of intervention aimed primarily for the improvement of work process knowledge:1. Formal professional training. The measurement of work process knowledge (conceptual mastery of work) at the beginning of the program revealed major training needs, for example in the knowledge on the functioning of equipment. Training was organised to improve skills for instance in the use of tools and in the preparation of meals for people with special diets (Table II). The main methods used were lecturing and learning from experience (practising the actual preparation).2. Participative analysis and development of kitchen work. This consisted of three phases. First, the work process was analysed over two full days. Then the participants formed so-called \"district teams\", i.e. small groups to continue the development tasks. Finally, the results of the development work carried out in the teams were shared in meetings between all workers (Table II). The main method was learning based on joint analysis of the work process. Analysis of the work process and its development needs has been shown to support the improvement of the participants' work process knowledge and the development of the work process itself in industrial settings (Leppanen, 2001). The managers of kitchen work also participated in the analysis of the work process. Their role was two-fold. In addition to forming part of the work community of school kitchen workers, they also serve as informants or theoretical advisers in the area of kitchen work.The analysis and development of work continued in small groups formed based on the districts where the kitchen workers were working. The municipality was divided into ten districts, each of which contained eight school kitchens. The teams were established because in previous studies those working alone or in remote locations have emphasised the importance of gaining access to relevant expertise (Billett, 1999). The number of participants in one team varied from eight to 18. The teams had five to ten meetings a year, totalling 24 meetings in the entire duration of the programme. The teams selected themselves one target of development for each year, and worked on it. In the course of the project, each team thus dealt with three different objects of development, such as working methods, object of work, workwear, and co-operation between management and kitchen workers in the planning of menus and recipes.The subjects' participation in various interventions was registered. Sum scales in hours for participation in different types of interventions were calculated (Table III). For analyses of the effects of participating in the interventions, the subjects were divided into two groups of equal size on the basis of distribution of the real participation according to type of intervention.Measuring the outcomes of the interventions\nResults: Work process knowledge\nDiscussion: A total of 108 kitchen workers and the five managers of school kitchen work participated in a multi-level intervention aiming to improve their work process knowledge and working practices. The maximum participation rate in the interventions was 129 hours, i.e. almost one working month. The intervention thus had a relatively long duration and was able to cover a wide range of issues. High participation in both professional training and the development of work process were both associated with greater improvement in the level of work process knowledge after the intervention. The results also revealed that those with a low level of work process knowledge at the beginning of the programme benefited the most from the program. The results confirmed previous findings indicating that participation in the development of one's own work (Leppanen, 2001) or empowerment (Leach et al., 2003) support the improvement of work process knowledge among novices. In this study, formal training also contributed in the improvement of work process knowledge. This type of multi-level intervention can be an efficient method in the initiation of novices in service work that has traditionally not been regarded as a \"career\", but is being carried out by thousands of workers and must continue to be performed in the future, too. For this reason, finding out the long-term effects of this kind of intervention on the development of competence, involvement, and wellbeing of workers would also be important. This, however, would require a much larger sample.In this study, the work process knowledge of school kitchen workers was studied with a diagnostic test of conceptual mastery of work. This method catches only explicit knowledge of the work process, and methods to study the application of work process knowledge in actual work should be developed to complement the measurement of work process knowledge. However, the measurement of conceptual mastery of work serves well as a tool of the training needs analysis and also as a method to motivate workers to enhance their work process knowledge and skills.Change in the number of meals served was used as a measure of productivity. The kitchen workers cannot influence the number of customers they serve, as this depends on the number of pupils and personnel at the schools. However, the number of meals served was a natural measure of productivity in the work studied.\nConclusion: The combination of formal training and participative work process development in teams can be used as an efficient tool to improve work process knowledge in service work.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The aim of this study is to find out the impacts of participation in formal training and development of work on the work process knowledge of school kitchen workers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The article describes a follow-up study on the consequences of intervention. In total, 108 subjects participated both in the interventions and in the measurements of work process knowledge before and after the interventions. Two groups of workers participated only in the measurement of work process knowledge - one before and the other after the interventions. They served as control groups.\nFindings: - Participation in professional training and participation in the development of the work process were both associated with the level of work process knowledge after intervention. Also, the level of work process knowledge before the intervention was associated with the level of work process knowledge in the follow-up measurement. Participants with a relatively low level of work process knowledge and high participation rate benefited the most from the intervention. Age, position, kitchen type, or team climate were not related to the level of work process knowledge after interventions.\nPractical implications: - The study confirmed that work process knowledge in service work where work is carried out in units with only a few workers can be essentially improved by arranging formal training, participative analysis and development of work simultaneously for larger groups of workers from the same organisation.\nOriginality/value: - The paper provides knowledge of the methods to study and improve work process knowledge in changing service work.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Investor sentiment and yield spread determinants: evidence from European markets
|
[
"European crisis",
"Investor sentiment",
"Yield spreads"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: In April 2010, Greece requested a European Union/International Monetary Fund (EU/IMF) bailout package to deal with the worst fiscal crisis since Second World War. A few days later standard and poor's decreased Greece's rating to BB+and downgraded its view of Portugal, a move that affected stock markets around the world (sharp price deceases in Athens, London, New York, Paris and Frankfurt). In May 2010, after a series of austerity measures was proposed by the Greek Government and amid fears that a potential default would disrupt the eurozone financial markets, affect European banks that held Greek bonds, and eventually spill over to other European counties a 110 billion EU/IMF loan package over three years was provided. During the following months, and despite austerity policies that were imposed in countries with fiscal imbalances, European governments agreed an 85 billion aid package for Ireland (November 2010) and European finance ministers endorsed a 78 billion bailout for Portugal (May 2011).\n2 Data and testing methodology: The yield spread is defined as: Equation 1 In equation (1) yield\n3 Results: 3.1 Spread level determinants\n4 Conclusion: Since 2010, when Greece received an EU/IMF bailout package to deal with its fiscal imbalances, the European Union is in a financial crisis. Ireland and Portugal soon received their own aid packages, while a further package was set up for Spain's banking system in June 2012, with the markets expecting Cyprus (the banking system needs refinancing due to losses from the Greek debt \"haircut\") and perhaps Italy to follow. Investors reacted to the Spanish aid package with debt sell-offs and the yield on the country's bonds increased to their highest levels since the introduction of the Euro, while Italy's bond yields also increased significantly. During 2012 the second biggest economy in the Eurozone, France, lost its triple AAA rating from Standard and Poor's, and The Netherlands expect a deficit of 4.6 percent of GDP (well above the 3 percent threshold required by the EU rules). On top of that, the euro area GDP decreased by 0.3 percent during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to Eurostat, while over 2011 GDP increased by 1.4 percent (1.9 percent in 2010).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the yield spread determinants for a sample of European markets in the light of the recent financial crisis. It utilises findings from two different strands in the literature: findings on bond spread determinants and findings on the effect of investor sentiment on equity returns.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The explanatory variables in the regression models proxy not only for economic fundamentals (e.g. economic activity, default risk, liquidity risk, general market conditions) but also for investor sentiment. A vector autoregressive approach is employed.\nFindings: The results indicate that fundamental variables are significant for the determination of the level of yield spreads, as suggested by previous studies. Local and international investor sentiment, however, both current and past, is also a statistically significant determinant for both the level and monthly changes of yield, especially during the crisis period 2007-2011.\nResearch limitations/implications: The implication of this finding is significant for all parties involved: government officials, private lenders, EU/ECB/IMF officials, and market participants.\nPractical implications: Focusing solely on quantitative economic performance indicators may not have the desirable effect of reducing borrowing rates and facilitating the return to economic stability. Perhaps, reassuring and/or sending strong qualitative signals to financial markets may be as important. Involved agents may have to address not only technical financial issues but also the perception that market participants have about the proposed solutions to the crisis and eventually affect market sentiment.\nOriginality/value: The issue of the effect of investor sentiment on government yield spreads during a crisis has not been investigated before.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Are we making the most of food safety inspections? A glimpse into the future
|
[
"Quality control",
"Food safety",
"Responsibilities",
"Health and safety"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Food safety worldwide remains a major public health concern (FAO/WHO, 2002), receives considerable media attention (Pines, 1999), influences political policy and is at the forefront of public awareness (Elledge et al., 2004). As a consequence, this has highlighted the subject of responsibility for food safety. Although often one group of individuals, e.g. food producers, may be blamed it is, in reality, a shared responsibility (Griffith, 2000) involving governments, industry and consumers. Governments play an important role in this shared responsibility. Not least is the provision of a health service to treat victims of food-borne illness. This is reactive and proactive or preventative measures, which can be taken by governments, include providing advice to consumers to help them to handle/prepare foods safely. Other responsibilities include surveillance: data collection and communication, e.g. food poisoning statistics and outbreak investigations. This helps to quantify and clarify the problem. An additional responsibility is to provide an appropriate legislative framework to safeguard all aspects of producing, processing and selling food to consumers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Inspections by environmental health practitioners are an important element of how regulatory agencies attempt to ensure that consumers are provided with safe food. However, there are concerns about the efficacy of inspections at a time of industry expansion and limited resources. This paper seeks to review traditional and potential new approaches to inspection.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The traditional cycle of public health protection is reviewed. Problems with inspections are identified. How a consumer demand can be created for food service operations to implement food safety is examined. The publication of inspection reports is reviewed.\nFindings: - An essential requirement for publication of inspection reports is consistency of inspections. How information technology can be applied to the inspection process is discussed. Additional advantages from using new technology are presented, linking inspections to the design and construction of targeted hygiene initiatives.\nOriginality/value: - A new model for the cycle of public health protection is proposed.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Local school governance and school leadership: practices, processes and pillars
|
[
"School leadership",
"School governance",
"Local school management",
"School councils"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: In circumstances where there are school boards or councils, good school governance at the local level has long been recognised as a key factor in the development of high performing schools. Comparatively little research however has been undertaken into governance processes at the school level. With an increased focus internationally on the rights of parents to choose the most appropriate school for their children and, in response, the marketisation of schools to attract clients, it is understandable that one outcome has been a renewed emphasis on localised school governance arrangements. This focus reflects a belief that strategic management decisions made closer to a school are more likely to have greater impact on the school and, ultimately, on student learning outcomes (OECD, 2013).\nLocal school governance internationally: The number of schools internationally now administered by local governance arrangements appears to be on the rise. As one example, Berends (2015) notes the exponential growth in charter schools in the USA over the last 20 years to over 6,500. Reflecting a competitive free-market and parent-choice driven economy, charter schools are public schools funded by the government, but their governance structure differs from that of traditional public schools. They are established under a charter run by various combinations of parents, educators, community groups or private organisations designed to encourage school autonomy and innovation within current state and federal accountability standards (New York City Charter School Centre, 2014).\nIndicative good practice in local school governance: Two key areas provided a starting point for developing a tentative set of practices and processes for good school governance at the local level. Development of this broad conceptual framework constituted Phase I of the study. First, the literature on corporate governance suggested a set of characteristics which effective boards in not-for-profit companies display. Typically, these encompassed vision, strategy, accountability, trust, chair capacity, chair and CEO relationships, CEO appointment, board recruitment, board induction and member relationships, and board procedures and content (Walkley, 2011, 2017; McCormick et al., 2006; Brountas, 2004; Kiel and Nicholson, 2003; Holly, 2003; Carver, 1997).\nThe study: In order to further explore this broad conceptual framework drawn from what was seen to be good practices and processes at a school level, and to identify key factors within it, this study used a mixed methods approach to investigate, analyse and reflect upon the processes of school governance within a network of 18 low-fee independent schools of the Anglican Schools Corporation in New South Wales, Australia. While subscribing to a common faith basis, the schools represented, collectively, a wide cross-section of school types and contexts. The intention of the study was to explore what was held to be of particular importance in the local governance of the school and, more specifically, the nature of the relationships between school councils and school leadership teams and, especially, between the chair of the council and the school principal. The broad conceptual framework that emerged from the first phase of the study provided a basis on which to interpret the outcomes of data gathering in the following two phases. Arising from these investigations was also the question of whether or not it might be possible to identify some key factors at play so as to further develop a good practice school governance framework. Such a framework could be useful to the schools in this network, and perhaps to other schools, mindful of the socio-cultural and historical contexts that influence the ways in which individual school councils operate. A three-phase research design was therefore utilised following ethics approval from the Macquarie University Ethics Committee and in-principle agreement from the Sydney Anglican Schools Corporation for its schools to voluntarily participate in the study.\nOutcomes of the study: five key pillars of local school governance: Five key areas, what we have termed as \"pillars\", emerged from the data collected via interviews and the survey as being absolutely integral to the overall framework established for school governance. They were:\nConclusion: Based on the general literature and participant responses within the study, the purpose of local school governance was seen to be to improve the educational outcomes of students (whether they be academic, creative, cultural, physical, relational or spiritual), to create financial sustainability, to prepare the school to meet not only its current needs but also its future needs, and to fulfil its charter or its vision. As Gurr (2015, p. 140) comments:Above all (school councils) are driven by the desire to provide the best educational environment they can for all students. Even in the most challenging contexts, they view challenges as obstacles to overcome rather than problems that are insurmountable, and so they are always looking to improve the learning environment.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the processes and relationships between school councils and school leadership teams in the local governance of 18 independent, faith-based schools in New South Wales, Australia.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A three-phase, mixed-method research design was used incorporating development of a conceptual framework for local school governance drawn from current literature, face-to face interviews with chairs of school councils and principals, and a subsequent survey of school council members and within-school leadership teams.\nFindings: Noting a lack of research into the practices and processes of school council operations and their interface with school leadership, the study identified five key areas that were seen to be foundational to the effectiveness of local governance.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study contributes an Australian perspective to an international need to better understand local governance arrangements in school leadership and management.\nPractical implications: At a practical level, the study provides valuable insights to principals, and to those aspiring to the role, on the nature of the relationship between the school council and school leadership teams.\nSocial implications: The study responds to a marked increase internationally in local governance arrangements for schools by way of school councils or boards.\nOriginality/value: A review of literature reveals that, somewhat surprisingly, there has been relatively little research undertaken in this key area of leading and managing schools.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Implementing supply chain management in a firm: issues and remedies
|
[
"Supply chain management",
"Corporate strategy",
"Organizational performance",
"Outsourcing"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The challenge for firms today is not just to take up a supply chain management (SCM) initiative but to implement it successfully as the future shall see a war between supply chains. But such an initiative can be a failure unless one is aware of the issues that may arise during its implementation. The objective behind this review article is to identify issues likely to be faced during implementation of SCM and also to suggest ways to handle these issues. The article also attempts to summarize major contributions by researchers in tabular form. No other researcher seems to have discussed implementation issues in this manner.Information flow is an integral part of SCM and material flow is closely dependent on information flow. However, in order to keep the article concise the issues related to information technology (IT) have been excluded. These are likely to be part of a subsequent article.This article, which is based on an extensive literature review, contributes to implementation of SCM in the following ways:* It suggests a broad framework for implementing SCM in an organization.* It uses the approach to identify the issues affecting material flow which are likely to arise during SCM implementation and discusses their relevance, except those related particularly to IT.* Based on literature review, it discusses how to handle the issues identified. This discussion has been schematically depicted for easier understanding.* Major contributions by researchers for handling the issues have been tabulated towards the end of the article.\nDefining SCM: The terms \"supply chain management\" and logistics are often used interchangeably. However, logistics is confined to movement of material, storage, and inventory management, whereas SCM has a larger scope covering issues related to purchase, partnerships, and customer satisfaction in addition to logistics related issues. Various definitions of SCM exist in literature. Some of these have been summarized in Table I.\nImplementing a supply chain initiative: framework and its justification: A possible framework for implementing a supply chain initiative in an organization has been suggested in Figure 1. Since strategy formulation is the primary step for taking up any initiative, this has been considered the first step in implementation of SCM. The definitions of SCM mentioned in Table I indicate that effective flow of material through the chain is a prerequisite for successful SCM. Hence, identification of issues which would affect material flow has been considered as the second step. These issues could be either IT related or non-IT related. Once these issues have been identified the firm has to:* implement IT and* implement improvements in other areas.Finally, the performance of the supply chain has to be evaluated to determine how well SCM has been implemented. The steps have been schematically depicted in Figure 1.\nStep I: formulation of strategy: Strategy: the relevance\nStep II: identification of areas for improving material flow: Once a strategy has been finalized, the organization needs to identify the areas which affect material flow. The major areas which can affect material flow are:* Logistics* Outsourcing/partnerships* Greening of supply chain* Information technologyWe discuss the relevance of each of these areas now. However, for reasons of brevity, issues related to IT have been excluded.Logistics: the relevance\nStep III: identification of issues: In order to implement improvements in the identified areas, the organization needs to find out the relevant issues so that it can focus its resources in the correct direction to implement SCM. The major issues excluding those related to IT are discussed below.Logistics: the issues\nStep IV: performance evaluation of the supply chain: Performance evaluation: the relevance\nSummary of major contributions by researchers: Tables II, III, IV, V, VI and VII provide a summary of the major contributions by researchers.Implications to the industry\nDirections for further research: Implementing SCM is a tedious task. The current research paper has tried to look at some of the relevant issues which directly affect material flow in a supply chain other than those related to IT. Information is a great enabler for SCM and one needs to study issues related to IT in SCM as well. Formulation of a supply chain strategy still remains a formidable task since it depends on numerous factors. An integrated model which incorporates all these factors needs to be developed. In fact, we need to work towards a mathematical algorithm which can make strategy formulation a simpler task. Even the concept of designing a supply chain strategy based on the classification of functional and innovative products may be inadequate because even among functional products, different product may require different strategies. More work needs to be done on process industry supply chains, e.g. petroleum supply chain; since they have characteristics that distinguish them from supply chains of discrete manufactured products. Besides other characteristics of the petroleum supply chain, there is extreme standardization, material is moved in bulk, risks involved are high, and adulteration of product can be a major problem. Petroleum industry supply chains being different require special treatment also while they are being measured. It would be worthwhile to find out a way to evaluate the performance of such a supply chain.\n",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "Purpose: - When a supply chain initiative is taken up by a firm a number of issues come up during implementation. The purpose of this paper is to identify some of the major issues related to such implementation and draw out practices from literature to serve as remedies for these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper starts by suggesting a broad framework for implementing supply chain management (SCM) in a firm. This consists of strategy formulation, identification of areas for improving material flow, identifying issues in these areas, and finally performance evaluation in order to determine how well the supply chain initiative has been implemented. Subsequently, the paper follows this framework step by step and in the process identifies the issues likely to arise in the process of SCM implementation. By reviewing current literature it suggests how these issues can be handled effectively.\nFindings: - The major issues related to SCM implementation are in the areas of logistics, outsourcing/partnerships, and environment. Apart from these issues the prerequisite for implementation is formulation of strategy while the final step in the exercise is performance evaluation. These two activities need to be handled carefully also.\nPractical implications: - The paper has important implications for the industry since it tries to bring out practices which would help in successful implementation of SCM in a firm. This is more so for the process industry which has lagged behind its counterparts in other industries with respect to implementation of SCM.\nOriginality/value: - The value of this paper which is based on extensive literature review lies in: suggesting a framework to implement SCM, identifying likely issues, and suggesting ways to handle them. The summary diagrams would definitely facilitate understanding. This can be of interest to SCM personnel in the industry. Major contributions by researchers relevant to handling the issues have been tabulated at the end which can be useful for academicians.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Transitions in workplace information practices and culture: The influence of newcomers on information use in healthcare
|
[
"Information use",
"Novice",
"Workplace learning",
"Information culture",
"Nursing",
"Information practice"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: This paper explores the relation between newcomers, workplace information culture and profession-bound information practices in an organisation. In the context of this study, the newcomers are recently qualified nurses in their first two years of work in the profession. Newcomers are in a process of movement from the periphery towards the core of their work community, this happens through learning and aligning their own performance to that of the community's work practices (Lave and Wenger, 1991). Among others, Gherardi (2006, p. 97) claims that: \"Learning to become a competent member within a culture of practice is a process by which novices appropriate - within a culture of unequal power relations - the \"seeing\", \"doing\" and \"saying\" that sustain this practice\". However, this is a two-way process. Newcomers may have experiences that are not part of the existing competence in the community. The old-timers need to adjust to evolvements of the practice and the meaning of the practice is constantly renegotiated (Wenger, 1998). Several researchers emphasise that newcomers bring new knowledge, experiences and skills to the workplace, and that the newcomers choose how to engage with different learning opportunities (e.g. Billett, 2014; Fuller et al., 2005; Hodkinson et al., 2004). Fuller and colleagues (2005) found that newcomers in some cases were even considered experts, since they passed on new knowledge and skills to their community of practice. In this study, newcomers are viewed as both learners and educators.\nTheoretical framework: Information culture in terms of approaches to information use\nMethods: An ethnographically inspired study was conducted in a two-year workplace training programme for newly qualified nurses in a large community hospital in Norway between 2014 and 2017. In all, 12 nurses were recruited in 2014 and six more nurses in 2015; in total 15 women and three men aged between 24 and 48. The purpose of the programme was to train these new recruits to be confident, flexible and capable to work on different wards. Thus, the nurses in the programme were assigned to surgical, medical and psychiatric wards with an eight-month period in each. They got no more training or supervision than other new nurses on the wards; however, unlike most of their colleagues, they worked on a full-time basis. The significant difference was the monthly simulation exercises and lectures given by dedicated specialist nurses and other experts. The simulation exercises took place in the hospital's fully equipped simulation centre and included procedures like advanced cardiac pulmonary resuscitation, intubation and insertion of various catheters. Furthermore, they received training in non-technical skills like documentation, ethical reflection, efficient teamwork and the use of assessment and communication tools. Some of these exercises included video-assisted feedback to allow for reflection-on-action. The lectures covered subjects like infection control, handling critically ill patients and so on. Moreover, every monthly session had allocated time for participants to share experiences.\nFindings: The six approaches to information use identified by Marchand et al. (2001) are: information integrity, formality, control, transparency, sharing and proactiveness. As these are at times interdependent, there will be some overlap in the presentation of the six approaches through research data. The findings demonstrate how the newcomers experience aspects of these approaches and of the information practices on their respective wards, as well as how they respond. Changes in the new nurses' experiences expressed during the three focus group series are specifically highlighted.\nDiscussion: The aim of the current study was to investigate how a group of newcomers in a healthcare organisation experience and interact with professional information practices and organisational information culture, and how this interaction can lead to mutual transformation of newcomers as well as information practices and organisational culture. The findings reveal some contradictions in the newcomers' experiences about the approaches to information use in the hospital. The newcomers characterised the hospital information culture as preoccupied with the use of accurate formal and scientific information in line with Kansakoski and Huotari (2016). Employees are encouraged by the management to be open about errors, to continuously share information between different actors and to be constantly involved with professional development. However, these statements that relate to information culture appear at times to be dislocated from what is said and done in practice according to the newcomers. Additionally, several different information practices seem to co-exist. The research data revealed a number of contradictions. Some nurses act in a different way to what they promote verbally and/or what is prescribed by formal information. Feedback on performance seems to be missing, which leads to less error reporting. Sometimes information shared by colleagues is inaccurate, and occasionally there is resistance to both changes and new information. In terms of Marchand and colleagues (2001), these challenges relate to different approaches to information use, starting with the information integrity as the basic dimension. In the present case, approaches concerning information control and transparency appear as particularly central to improving information proactiveness in the hospital. Proactive information culture is particularly important in the context of healthcare due to the continuous changes and innovations (cf. Curry and Moore, 2003).\nConclusion: This work sheds new light on newcomers' information use, as they integrate into a workplace and interact with information practices and organisational approaches to information use. Perhaps the most significant contributions are the development of newcomers' perspectives over time and the identification of the dynamics between the three agencies; individual agency in the form of the newcomers, social agency in the form of the existing information practices and organisational agency in the form of the information culture. The dynamics and mechanisms that are at work are merely outlined in the present paper, but at the same time there is clear evidence of the interdependencies. This highlights that an understanding of the role of information in workplaces remains always limited when only one agency is focussed on in research of material and intellectual instances of information use. These findings call for further more longitudinal and holistic empirical and theoretical research in the field of workplace information. This research indicates that there is a need in information studies to develop models and theories that explicitly measure both individual and social agency.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate how new healthcare professionals engage with information practices and information culture in their workplace, and the resulting influences on development and change.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A longitudinal study was conducted on a hospital training programme. Three series of focus groups provided data from 18 recently qualified nurses, supported by observations. Data were thematically analysed applying a framework consisting of six approaches to information use.\nFindings: Newcomers take a proactive approach to seek, use and share scientific information, which is negotiated within existing information practices and organisational information culture. Their competencies, such as research skills, values, motivation and sense of integrity to use and share scientific information, often differ from those existing workplace practices. For this reason, they drive towards renewal and change.\nPractical implications: Examination of organisational approaches to information use indicates clearly the necessity for improvements to meet the needs of information proactiveness and thus be able to face challenges and changes in an organisation.\nOriginality/value: This work sheds new light on newcomers' information use, as they integrate into a workplace and interact with information practices and organisational approaches to information use. A significant contribution is the identification of the dynamics and interdependencies between newcomers' individual agency in their way of seeking, using and sharing information, and the established community's social agency promoting existing information practices and the organisational agency represented by information culture.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
From knowledge to knowing, from boundaries to boundary construction
|
[
"Communities of practice",
"Knowledge-based systems",
"Cognition",
"Knowledge transfer",
"Interaction"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Fixed graphic\n1. Knowledge and boundaries: knowledge transfer deadlocked: The notion of transfer marked an important stage in early approaches to knowledge management. Nonaka's SECI (Socialization, Externalization, Combination, Internalization) model became very widely cited, on occasions excessively so.\n2. Knowing and boundary construction: We have relativised the pertinence of knowledge transfer and called for a reconceptualisation of the notion of boundary. Our purpose is to show how boundaries are constructed and how they can be crossed. Boundaries are constructed by communities that operate independent of hierarchies (2.1); they are relativised by scientific and technological change through knowledge modelling (2.2) and are transcended by mechanisms developed by organisations that make it possible to imagine a completely different viewpoint (2.3).\n",
"role": "user"
},
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"content": "Purpose: Knowledge management is shot through with complex questions. This is certainly the case with regard to boundaries, as they constitute both a bounding line that has to be crossed if the knowledge required for innovation is to be diffused and a form of protection for scientific and technological organisations and institutions. This examination of boundaries leads to a state-of-the-art review that begins with the question of knowledge transfer. The authors start with foundations of the knowledge dynamic within organisations. Nevertheless, certain gaps were identified in the theory, as it did not seem so easy to carry out transfers. This led in turn to attempts to identify the boundaries that were causing difficulties and that had to be crossed. This led to an examination of the role of boundaries. What status could boundaries have when knowledge was expanding enormously within communities? Finally, the authors come face-to-face with knowledge management systems that have tended to redefine the forms that boundaries take.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper uses a conceptual approach and is a meta analysis of the state-of-the-art review conducted to introduce the Special Issue \"Knowledge Across Boundaries\" JKM Volume 19, No. 5, 2015 (October).\nFindings: The notions of transfer and boundary demonstrated their usefulness in the development of a new theory, namely the knowledge-based view. These concepts were then critiqued, with reference, first, to the contexts in which communication takes place and, second, to the cognitive dimensions of the activity. Finally, studies showed that the cognitive and organisational approaches can be linked and that they shed light on many knowledge-sharing situations. Boundaries are no longer the object of attention, the focus having switched to the collective process of creating new concepts.\nResearch limitations/implications: This state-of-the-art review is limited to the papers about Management Science.\nPractical implications: Knowledge hybridization is possible but must be referred to resources made available by the division of labour between disciplines (Shinn, 1997). Expansive learning (Engestrom, 2010) is close to boundary construction (Holford, 2015) to indicate the dialectical view between instituting and instituted society (Castoriadis, 1975, 1987). We are now perhaps at the point of transition between the interest in \"boundary spanners\" and a new concern with \"boundary construction\".\nSocial implications: This paper introduces a methodology of knowledge transfer knowledge transfer in firms strategies of learning.\nOriginality/value: The paper provides the concept (with examples) of 'boundary construction'.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Yin-yang dialectics and communitarianism in cross-cultural management research
|
[
"Collectivism",
"Communitarianism",
"Individualism",
"Cultural mindset",
"Yin-yang balancing",
"Yin-Yang dialectics"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The yin-yang view of the world is premised on the Daoist belief that the universe in which human beings live evolved through the original duality of earth (the yin) and heaven (the yang). From this original duality, myriad dualities of existence came into being and live their lives by following dao (Dao ), the natural law of nature (Lee et al., 2008). Although what the natural law entails has largely been unspecified, its fundamental principle is the interdependence of yin-yang opposites and their continuous maintenance within and between units of existence. To the extent yin and yang are balanced there is order and harmony within and between the diverse and complex human and natural worlds (Li, 2006; Chen et al., 2016).\nReflections on paradox of yin-yang balancing: To start with, there is a risk of translating yin-yang dialectics into an omnipotent grand theory of sciences, capable of explaining all social and natural phenomena. The ancient Chinese scholars use yin and yang to understand a largely unknown universe, without the scientific and technological knowledge and methods that have been available to modern scientists. Furthermore, Aristotelian and Hegelian concepts of dualities, contradictions, and paradoxes have been applied, modified, and extended by social scientists for the study of organization (Putnam et al., 2016; Schad et al., 2016), yet yin-yang dialectics has received little systematic conceptual and theoretical developments by social scientists taking indigenous perspectives. Social scientists need to guard against elevating yin-yang dialectics to an infallible or unfalsifiable grand theory. With this caveat, there are nevertheless great opportunities for organizational and management researchers to apply \"disciplined imagination\" (Weick, 1989) for extracting and abstracting constructs and frameworks from the wealth of yin-yang dialectics and develop mid-range theories (Chen et al., 2012; Whetten, 1989) for exploring current organizational phenomena. Constructing and testing mid-range theories are crucial for bridging the yin-yang dialectics as philosophy and yin-yang dialectics as science, and for demonstrating the utility and viability of yin-yang dialectics for organizational research.\nYin-yang dialectics and communitarianism in cross-cultural research: Cross-cultural research has been primarily on revealing cultural differences. With increasing globalization and advances in information technology, yin-yang dialectics has the potential to offer more insights to cultural interaction, balance, and integration. Cross-national institutions such as the United Nations or other bi-lateral and multi-lateral treaties, alliances, organizations are real entities in which a both-and (as opposed to either-or) mindset is not only desirable but also necessary for their effectiveness. Former national and institutional adversaries may find it necessary to form partnerships for tackling common challenges. Transnational social media has given rise to more cross-border virtual communities. For all these existing and emergent communities to be effective, their members must break the either-or mindset to explore and experiment with both-and perspectives. Yet, due to deep-rooted differences in values, beliefs, and interests of the different parties, both-and relationships are fraught with contentious, contradictory, and paradoxical dynamics. Yin-yang dialectics would allow researchers to frame and explore such complex and dynamic inter-cultural relationships, improve their relational processes, and maximize positive outcomes. In the following, I use the example of individualism and collectivism to illustrate how yin-yang dialectics could advance research in this important and yet seemingly saturated area of cross-cultural research (Kirkman et al., 2006; Taras et al., 2010).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to comment on \"Global implication of the indigenous epistemological system from the East: How to Apply yin-yang balancing to paradox management\" by Li (2016). As a pioneer in developing indigenous Chinese management theories, Li has been focused on extracting essential principles of the Chinese yin-yang philosophy and applying them to organization and management phenomena within and outside China (Li, 1998, 2012, 2014a, b). In this paper (Li, 2016), Li sharpens his thinking on the unique attributes of the Chinese yin-yang balancing perspective so as to both distinguish it from and connect it to Western Aristotelian and Hegelian philosophies in regard to contradictions and paradoxes that are increasingly more prevalent in contemporary organizations. The author found Li's paper thought provoking and highly relevant to cross-cultural management research. The author reflects on the yin and yang of the yin-yang perspective itself and discusses how it can be extended for theorizing about cross-cultural or inter-cultural management research.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Applying yin-yang dialectics on the East-West cultural differences, this commentary contends that the strengths and weaknesses of the cultural mindsets of the East and the West are relative and potentially complementary to each other, and seeks to balance and integrate Eastern and Western perspectives for theorizing and tackling cultural differences and conflicts in a globalized world.\nFindings: On the basis of yin-yang dialectics on cultural differences, a communitarianism model is proposed for cross-cultural researchers to balance and integrate individualism and collectivism, a well-established East-West cultural difference.\nOriginality/value: The theoretical model of communitarianism builds upon but transcends either Eastern or Western cultural differences toward a viable global value system.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Professional development of university educators in ESD: a study from pedagogical styles
|
[
"Higher education",
"Professional development",
"Education for sustainable development",
"Colombia",
"Pedagogical styles",
"University educators"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: New policies proposed by UNESCO illustrate the importance of teacher training for education for sustainable development (ESD) in the Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) (2015). The organization designated a priority area of action as \"strengthen the capacity of educators, trainers and other change agents to become learning facilitators for ESD\". The inclusion of ESD within teacher training is required to achieve this educational goal.\nESD for university educators: Education was first recognized as a key element in addressing environmental issues in 1972 at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm (Sterling, 2015).\nProfessional development of university educators: A recent study of the state of ESD of university educators in 33 countries of Europe (Mader et al., 2014) revealed a wide range of strategies that varied by country context. For example, ESD training methods for university educators are diverse, these training methods include:\nMethodology: The experience described in this paper was developed during the \"Science, Technology, Society, Environment\" course. University professors participate in this class, and it is included in the Professional Development Graduate Program \"Teaching for Higher Education\" from the Applied and Environmental Sciences University (Bogota). Students from this program are professionals from different areas, and teach in several programs and institutions.\nFindings and discussion: LTS planning is a process occurring prior to class that reflects the teacher's intention and objectives. Explicit planning related to teaching, learning and evaluating specific lead to decisions about the appropriate methods needed to create meaningful knowledge. Curriculum observation is also important because addressing sustainability in the curriculum requires more than the addition of content (Sterling, 2004, p. 2) and (Tilbury and Cooke, 2005, p. 20).\nConclusions: ESD should reflect theory and practice, consider the activities of educators and recognize the value of university teaching and research. Characterizing pedagogical styles of university educators and analyzing their reflexive, illustrated the complexity of this practice. Barnett (2001, p. 268) stated, \"in a higher education for life, responsibilities of the educator not only expand but are subject to a continuous redefinition and expansion and even challenges\".\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The aim of this paper is to present a vision for university educator professional development, based on self-analysis of pedagogical styles and production of knowledge about the practices that promote education for sustainable development (ESD).\nDesign/methodology/approach: The \"STSE\" course is part of the department's Professional Development Program. The course aims to articulate the relationship between ESD processes and university educator training through reflection on their practices. To accomplish this objective, the course promotes interdisciplinary groups of educators from different backgrounds. These groups are encouraged to introspect regarding their pedagogical styles. A survey is applied to encourage self-analysis of the four pedagogical style dimensions.\nFindings: University educators adopt their own pedagogical styles based on the evolution of their practices. This information is useful in generating education, formation and transformation of new professionals in their respective fields. This knowledge also raises questions about ESD, and the construction of processes, values and attitudes to aid this education.\nResearch limitations/implications: This paper only describes the characterization stage of the university educator pedagogical styles through practice-related self-analysis\nOriginality/value: This study builds pedagogical knowledge, promotes higher education transformation for sustainable development and strengthens the quality of university education.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Positioning and change in a hospital ward
|
[
"Empowerment",
"Positioning",
"Change communication",
"Hygiene in hospitals",
"Role conflict"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Hospital infections know no boundaries, whereas boundaries play a major role in the functioning of a hospital ward(From interview with hygiene coordinator).In the Danish hospital world, the \"burning platform\" is that approximately 10 percent of hospitalized patients get hospital infections they did not have in the first place (Braut and Holt, 2011). In order to reduce risk, the Danish Quality Assessment Programme (www.hpm.org/dk/a14/1.pdf) introduced the function of the hygiene coordinator, which is predominantly performed by a nurse. The hygiene coordinator serves as a practical link between the central infection control organization and the ward, and as a local change agent with the task of supporting existing procedures and communicating and facilitating new procedures of hygiene in the ward. In order to reduce infection risk, the hygiene coordinator has become the key \"change agent\" at ward level.\nMethod and study design: The purpose of this study is to give insight into the challenges faced by the hygiene coordinator as a central change agent in the relevant organizational context, and to point to strategies for improving communication on hygiene and ultimately the level of hygiene in the ward.\nChange communication and organizational issues: In order to determine the changes in focus, it is relevant to consider the descriptive categories of first-order and second-order changes. While first-order changes are considered necessary \"in order not to change\" such as changes in work practices, second-order changes refer to radical structural changes of the organization (Zorn et al., 1999, p. 11; Lewis, 2011). In our case, the practical changes regarding cleaning procedures, procedures for hand hygiene, and use of equipment can obviously be conceived of as first-order changes, whereas changes in the area of infection control like the introduction of the hygiene coordinator function in all hospital departments are quite significant to the organization, thus more like a second-order change. The changes, seemingly, fall between the categories; they are consequential to the organization and enactment of the staff's daily work practices, although they are not dramatic or threatening the existence of the organization in any way.\nPositioning theory: In the hospital world, professional hierarchies play a major role, and therefore it is necessary to take positioning issues into consideration when dealing with communicative challenges. The data show that staff, in their daily work life, orient very much to the rights and duties attached to professional functions and positions in the hierarchy. Communication about hygiene and the practical implementation of hygiene procedures take place in this context. As a consequence, the relational side of practical communication comes to the forefront in this study, and positioning theory (Harre and Van Langenhove, 1999; Harre, 2012; James, 2010, 2014) is employed in order to shed light upon the relevant positions and their strategic use.\nResults: In the following, examples from the interviews will be presented and analyzed through the lenses of positioning theory.\nConclusions and practical implications: These results point to the difficulties of gaining acceptance of hygiene-related changes, especially when crossing boundaries of the professional hierarchy. They highlight the hygiene coordinator's central problem of positioning in relation to the doctors' group.\nResearch limitations and future research: The research presented is based on a case study in a specific hospital ward, and in a Danish hospital context, and therefore the results may not be generalizable (Flyvbjerg, 2006). However, additional interviews with hygiene coordinators from five different departments/hospitals confirm the findings of the presented study (Weinreich et al., 2014). And the results have been presented and discussed with hospital staff on numerous occasions, and they clearly express their recognition of the presented dilemmas and challenges. Future research could extend the study of the relevant professional groups across other wards and other hospitals, in order to test the applicability of the findings. And the qualitative, explorative methods applied could even be supplemented with a survey in a triangulated research design. The findings of the study call for more research on how organizational culture and collaboration across professional boundaries can facilitate and improve hygiene at ward level, and how initiatives at ward level can be integrated with top management strategies for hygiene.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper focuses on communication about hygiene in a hospital ward and with the relevant infection control organization. The purpose of this paper is to examine the function of the hygiene coordinator as a key change agent and the communicative challenges and role conflicts implied in her practice. The author suggests strategies for improving communication on hygiene on ward level.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The empirical material consists of interviews and recordings of communicative events in relation to a breakout of dangerous bacteria in the ward. Change communication is used as a contextualizing frame of understanding, and positioning theory and analysis are applied to shed light upon the core challenges of communicating as a change agent when the coordinator's professional position and collegial relations do not support it.\nFindings: It is shown how these challenges are connected to positional dilemmas regarding professional hierarchies and collegial relations. In order to have the hygiene coordinator gain authority and achieve empowerment in her function, additional documentation and training are needed, and communication efforts between the department management and the hygiene coordinator need strengthening. Furthermore, the hygiene area should be connected to the hospital's overarching purpose of saving lives.\nOriginality/value: These findings point to the importance of taking communication on the departmental level into consideration in relation to change strategies, and they highlight the centrality of strategic positioning practices in a work environment which is organized in professional groups and according to distributed responsibilities.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Challenges and opportunities for disinvestment in Australia: A need to evaluate the implementation and impact of Choosing Wisely in Australia
|
[
"Australia",
"Disinvestment",
"Policy",
"Public health",
"Choosing Wisely"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nBackground: Internationally, there is a pattern of significant growth in both the cost of, and demand for, healthcare. Conversely, healthcare budgets, which had once enjoyed a reasonably protected proportion of gross domestic product that increased year on year, are now strongly constrained. The increase in costs and demand are in part due to the success of health systems across the world. People are living longer and require increased care over time. Equally, many diseases which were once associated with short life expectancy are now considered as chronic, requiring ongoing provision of care. On the demand side, patients and their families are also increasingly well-informed and are more demanding of what is perceived to be the best (and often the newest) in health care technologies. The combined impact of these factors, namely, changing epidemiology and disease diagnosis, technological advances and demand for access to the latest technologies from empowered patients is generally positive in terms of patient outcomes but poses a challenge to the healthcare system. It requires considerable effort to balance these factors against the constraints on total expenditure that exist everywhere (Jackson and Hambleton, 2016).\nDefining disinvestment: Disinvestment is not the cutting of clinically appropriate services for which a clinical need exists. Equally, it is not based solely on costs and is not about cost shifting from health services to the patient or between hospital and community sectors. Disinvestment decisions should be driven by evidence on the safety, clinical and cost-effectiveness of practices and technologies with a focus on patient safety and quality of care. It should also be linked with resource reinvestment and reallocation; disinvestment from inefficient health care in one area can provide the opportunity to use funds to achieve larger improvements in patient health in another (Hollingworth et al., 2015). In identifying topics for disinvestment, the concept of value and the distinction between cost and value is important to consider: high-cost interventions may be of value if the benefits are large enough to justify the costs (Qaseem et al., 2012).\nIdentifying low-value care: There is an increasing body of activity seeking to identify and reduce the use of low-value healthcare that may deliver marginal or no benefits or even cause harm (Elshaug et al., 2012). Well-established examples that are reviewed and evidence-based include \"do-not-do\" recommendation lists, which focus on ineffective, harmful or cost-ineffective health care practices. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in England and Wales has been producing \"do-not-do\" recommendations over the past ten years and have identified over 800 interventions for potential disinvestment (Garner and Littlejohns, 2011). The Grattan Institute's 2015 report \"Questionable care: Avoiding ineffective treatment\" is an Australian example of this approach and focussed on five procedures delivered in Australian health services that could be potential topics for disinvestment with an emphasis on appropriate patient selection (Duckett et al., 2015). The current Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) review has a key objective to eliminate the funding of low value or inappropriate health services provided through the MBS. The review identifies low-value care as being treatments of low or no clinical benefit provided to particular patient groups; as instances of extreme variation in the provision of care across different settings (not explained by patient characteristics); and when an (otherwise effective) test or procedure is performed at an inappropriate interval or frequency. The Australian Atlas in Healthcare Variation also identifies variation in healthcare use across Australia. However it does not indicate the degree to which the variation identified may be warranted or make any recommendations about the use of technologies or practices (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and National Health Performance Authority, 2015).\nThe Choosing Wisely campaign: The Choosing Wisely campaign (which originated in the USA) is now attracting worldwide attention and is being implemented in many countries. The Choosing Wisely initiative aims to engage physicians and patients in conversations to identify tests, treatments and procedures that provide either no or limited benefit and in some cases may lead to harm (Levinson et al., 2015). The campaign encourages collaboration between medical colleges and societies and consumer groups to develop lists of practices to be questioned. The lists are based on practices that are: frequently done or costly, evidence based, within the control of the specialty and created using a transparent process (Wolfson et al., 2014). A possible reason for the high level of international interest in this campaign has been cited as the focus on value with regards to patient safety and quality of care rather than on costs (Levinson et al., 2015). In Australia, the Choosing Wisely campaign was launched in 2015 and is being facilitated by NPS MedicineWise (2016), an \"independent, not-for-profit, evidence-based organisation\" that is, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and aims to promote the quality use of medicines and tests. To date, over 20 colleges and national specialty societies are participating in the Choosing Wisely Australia campaign with an Advisory Group that inform the strategic development, implementation and evaluation of the campaign.\nDecision-making processes in disinvestment: There has been significant effort to develop criteria and processes that utilise the best available evidence to assess the safety, clinical and cost-effectiveness of the introduction of new health technologies. However, in contrast and reflecting the relative novelty of formal inclusion of disinvestment in public decision making, similar efforts have not been directed towards disinvestment of technologies that are ineffective or inefficient, or practices that have never been adequately assessed and are embedded in practice (Haas et al., 2012). There is also an inadequately broad literature detailing the de-implementation of established practices and knowledge about the barriers and facilitators to this. Specifically, with regards to de-implementation, Harvey and McInnes (2015, p. 312) state that \"[...] there is a need for more locally focused studies examining how de-implementation actually happens in practice and whether it really does mirror investment and implementation in reverse\". In the current fiscal climate it is imperative that optimal use is made of available healthcare resources to deliver quality care and improve patient outcomes, and disinvestment is likely to form a major part of achieving this goal.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Worldwide, there is significant growth in the cost of (and demand for) healthcare, which often clashes with a requirement to contain expenditure. This duality leads to an increasing need for a systematic approach to disinvestment in health technologies. The purpose of this paper is to consider the challenges and opportunities for disinvestment policy decisions in Australia. It discusses the implementation of the Choosing Wisely campaign and the need for rigorous evaluation of such campaigns in the Australian healthcare system.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors highlight characteristics of disinvestment: what it is and what it is not and discuss international examples of identifying low value care, including the recent Choosing Wisely initiative. The authors discuss the barriers to implementing initiatives such as Choosing Wisely and the complexities in evaluating their effectiveness.\nFindings: While the primary purpose of the Choosing Wisely campaign is improved decision making through clinical engagement, it is expected that implementation could lead to resource savings alongside improvements in patient safety and service quality. While there is research looking to understand the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of initiatives such as Choosing Wisely, little is known about broader patient impacts, and more attention on the quantification of their effect on both patient outcomes and resource use is needed.\nOriginality/value: This work highlights the limited knowledge around implementation of disinvestment strategies and the paucity of research around the impact of strategies such as Choosing Wisely in the Australian public hospital system. This is important as future research in this area will give greater certainty about the benefits and consequences of Choosing Wisely leading to improved opportunities for resource savings and patient safety and quality.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Nurse staffing levels and outcomes - mining the UK national data sets for insight
|
[
"Patient safety",
"Healthcare data",
"Nursing outcomes",
"Staffing",
"Nurse",
"Acute",
"Modelling",
"Safety"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Nursing care providers, such as registered nurses (RNs) and unregistered healthcare support workers (HCSW), provide most patient contact time in the UK. This workforce represents the largest staff group and subsequently the largest expenditure (NHS Confederation, 2015). Determining the workforce's contribution to patient safety can be challenging, particularly if safety is more than the absence of harm (Reason, 2000). However, we have an opportunity to explore this relationship by mining two large, UK wide data sets, which include data from a National Health Service (NHS) benchmarking and staffing perspective over several years. Our research focusses on understanding how RN and HCSW staffing levels influence patient outcomes and on identifying patterns that could help improve patient care.\nMethodology: Both databases were anonymised and supplied as two comma-separated value files. To carry out the analysis, a correlation matrix was built from all relevant variables from each database. After examining these files, a phased analytical approach was spread across three different stages. The first two stages analysed possible intra-data set correlations and the third was an inter-data set analysis. However, this proved problematic owing to data set limitations, which we examine in detail. Consequently, we discuss the challenges and caveats when linking two independent databases.\nData sets: The UK Nursing Database\nFindings: Stage 1 findings - UK Nursing Database\nFindings: The UK Nursing Data set contains data regarding patients, quality scores, nurse staffing levels and staff activity for NHS trust sub sets. No correlation was found between quality scores and staffing levels. Quality scores reveal different patient satisfaction aspects, so in reality, there should be a correlation; however, data did not reflect an association. This is contrary to previous findings in other data sets, which suggest a relationship and is therefore explored further here, which is likely to tell us about the current data collection's veracity. No correlation was found between staff activities and quality scores. Positive correlations were found among variables that we expect to be correlated, such as funded vs actual FTEs. Positive correlations were found between actual staff nurse FTEs and daily cost per occupied bed. The observations feeding into the correlation analysis spanned 1985-2015. When restricting our observations to the last five years, no significant difference was found from the results spanning 20 years. The second data set we analysed contained variables from the NHS Benchmarking Data relating to patient safety and staff survey results for most NHS organisations. Expected positive correlations were found among public health achievement scores and long-term conditions, mental health and musculoskeletal achievement scores, respectively.\nDiscussion: Several interesting correlations were revealed; however, a stimulating aspect is specifically identifying routinely collected data set's limitations. In Stages 1 and 2, a few strong correlations were observed within the nursing and benchmarking data sets on their own. Stage 3 studied correlations that could arise when linking the two large data sets; however, owing to various analytical barriers, it was not possible to complete this stage. The following summarises the challenges and limitations that prevent analysis when two data sets are combined and the methods by which routine data are collected. The method applied to look for correlations that might identify opportunities to improve care relies on comparing two or more variables. To compare any one variable with a different variable, both variables must be suitably related. The data presented in these data sets appear not to consistently have the prerequisite relationships between data that are required to conduct analyses. The following points describe four limitations in the data that are major barriers to data set analyses.\nConclusions: In this short analysis, correlations were found within the data sets we interrogated. Some were expected, which suggests that our approach and methods are valid, and some are particularly interesting, e.g., the NHS staff survey results showing an apparent relationship between staff satisfaction and senior manager communication. Data available for analysis are vast and we highlight the importance of having an appropriate data set. Most data available to us were collected for other reasons and were not suitable for correlation analysis owing to data inconsistencies. Despite great potential for this analytical method to improve healthcare, evidence-based improvements cannot be gained when routine data are collected so inconsistently. Data for staffing one ward in a trust are not suitable for comparison with outcomes for the whole trust. Future data collection must ensure that all measures and outcomes relate to the same time, patient, staff group and geography. Possibilities and challenges should be examined. As much routine data collection we describe is still collected or inputted manually, urgent questions should be asked regarding efficacy and how staff time is used. We show the potential benefits from further specific studies into correlations between care models or service delivery and outcomes data; however, this analysis will always fundamentally rely on appropriate data being collected and shared for analysis.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Despite the generation of mass data by the nursing workforce, determining the impact of the contribution to patient safety remains challenging. Several cross-sectional studies have indicated a relationship between staffing and safety. The purpose of this paper is to uncover possible associations and explore if a deeper understanding of relationships between staffing and other factors such as safety could be revealed within routinely collected national data sets.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Two longitudinal routinely collected data sets consisting of 30 years of UK nurse staffing data and seven years of National Health Service (NHS) benchmark data such as survey results, safety and other indicators were used. A correlation matrix was built and a linear correlation operation was applied (Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient).\nFindings: A number of associations were revealed within both the UK staffing data set and the NHS benchmarking data set. However, the challenges of using these data sets soon became apparent.\nPractical implications: Staff time and effort are required to collect these data. The limitations of these data sets include inconsistent data collection and quality. The mode of data collection and the itemset collected should be reviewed to generate a data set with robust clinical application.\nOriginality/value: This paper revealed that relationships are likely to be complex and non-linear; however, the main contribution of the paper is the identification of the limitations of routinely collected data. Much time and effort is expended in collecting this data; however, its validity, usefulness and method of routine national data collection appear to require re-examination.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Higher education institutions: a strategy towards sustainability
|
[
"Performance assessment",
"Sustainable development",
"Higher education institutions",
"Sustainability actions",
"Sustainability indices"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In the context of a globalized world, where natural systems are threatened and humanity is exposed to civilizing crossroads, the discussion on sustainability at a global level reveals a new value judgment on key issues relating to economic growth and its effects on the biosphere (Rockstrom et al., 2009; Steffen et al., 2015). In this world of uncertainties, the debate reveals a philosophical Gordian knot of the impossibility to build up scientific thought about the biosphere in a Cartesian epistemology of certainty (Morin, 1980). It calls attention to the need for an advanced human scientific posture, as current challenges require new thinking on global sustainability (Rockstrom et al., 2009; Gerst et al., 2014). It creates a renewed challenge in building a world that seeks to achieve an integration of excellence between humanity and the biosphere (Steffen et al., 2015). Existing initiatives propose a reflection on new ways of thinking and living, notably by the continued effort to reverse the predatory culture that is intrinsic to accelerated developmentalism (UN, 1987; 1992; 2012).\n2. Theoretical background: Important events and initiatives have contributed to the promotion of the concept of sustainable development, emphasizing the intrinsic relationship between economy, technological innovation, nature, society, politics and the need for the formation of an ethical posture toward life and human rights.\n3. Methodology: The proposed approach to guide the execution of sustainability actions by HEIs and assess their implementation performance is structured in the following research stages:\n4. Conceptual framework for the higher education institution organizational environment: This section presents and discusses a conceptual framework for modeling the organizational environment of HEIs. The proposed conceptual framework comprises four integrated dimensions of the organizational environment of an HEI: administrative, social and cultural, academic and operational. Each dimension encompasses key topics fostering sustainability in the HEIs' organizational environment. It aims to promote better conditions for managing sustainability actions within the organizational environment of an HEI. This is required given that the very challenges of sustainability are inherently systems problems and demand a multidimensional and an integrated approach accordant with the challenge itself.\n5. Results and discussion: This section presents and discusses a set of strategic sustainability actions conceived to drive HEIs' initiatives toward sustainability. It also proposes an assessment scheme incorporating four indices for measuring the degree of commitment, parity, difficulty and the institutional performance entrusted by an HEI throughout the entirety implementation process of the actions proposed.\n6. Concluding remarks: The proposed approach is conceived to be practically useful for guiding HEIs toward their sustainability aspirations and measuring their effectiveness in the execution of sustainability actions. This study systematizes and defines a coherent set of concepts and tools (basic toolkit) aimed to guide HEIs to become \"sustainable\" institutions in accordance with sustainability principles synthesized internationally. The proposed approach incorporates the social and cultural aspects that are crucial to support a holistic discussion of sustainability, which are unfortunately often omitted. Indeed, it refers to a minimum level of knowledge given that there is no limit to promote the transition to sustainability, whose achievement requires the rooting of sustainable development principles in the vision, mission, values and activities of the HEI.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to guide higher education institutions (HEIs) in accomplishing sustainability goals while strengthening their associated systems and processes. Pursuing this goal, this study proposes a conceptual framework for modeling the HEI organizational environment; a set of strategic sustainability actions to drive movements toward sustainability; and an assessment scheme incorporating four indices to measure the degree of commitment, parity, difficulty and institutional performance throughout the implementation process of the actions proposed.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Development of the work included a literature review focused on internationally established concepts, recommendations and guidelines aimed at driving HEIs to fully acknowledge the principles of sustainable development, a study of the state-of-the-art evaluation frameworks for sustainability and an analysis of scientific studies on sustainability in HEIs and society.\nFindings: The overall approach proposed proved to be robust, as it synthesizes global concepts, recommendations and guidelines endorsed by key international organizations and researchers thoroughly discussed in worldwide publications related to sustainability. Moreover, the conceptual framework for modeling the HEI organizational environment, the strategic sustainability actions formulated and the assessment scheme are confirmed to be a practical and realistic strategy for assisting HEIs to effectively achieve their sustainability targets and goals.\nPractical implications: Facilitation of institutional performance assessment using the hands-on tool proposed to drive HEIs toward sustainability.\nOriginality/value: Few studies have proposed multidimensional approaches and indices to assess the institutional performance of HEIs in implementing sustainability actions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Innovation process and innovativeness of facility management organizations
|
[
"Property management",
"Innovation",
"Service industries"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Facility management (FM) is growing as a business field and also as a scientific discipline, slowly finding and anchoring its position among the organizations' business processes. Nowadays, dedication of FM organizations to new developments and continuous innovation processes seems to be the way to stay in business, constantly exceeding customers' expectations and adding value to the core business of the client organization.In order to be able to compete in the changing business environment, organizations focus on cost reductions and outsourcing of noncore activities (Hinks, 2000). However, the perception of FM as being an outsourceable noncore function may be one of the major reasons why managers continue to overlook its strategic potential in overall business competitiveness.Next to outsourcing, organizations hold innovativeness to be an important factor for success in today's business environment in every field of business (Ozsomer et al., 1997). But creating and maintaining organizational innovativeness demands substantial human and financial resources. In the field of FM, the cost-cutting strategies in the client organizations may either stimulate (by looking for new ways of doing the old things) or hinder (by withholding the necessary resources for doing new things) the initiative for innovation in the FM organization. So, one may question whether the two forces of outsourcing and innovativeness combine at all. And thus, the challenge here is to find answers to questions like: \"How do the FM organizations innovate?\", \"How do the FM organizations manage the innovation process?\", and \"What is the innovativeness - i.e. the potential for innovation - of the FM organizations?\"Innovation in the FM industry is often recognized but the innovativeness of FM organizations is seldom studied. According to Alexander (1999), Jones (2000), Nutt (1999, 2000), Then (1999), Duffy (2000), Roberts (2001), Price and Akhlaghi (1999), and other researchers and professionals, facility management needs to innovate. However, the core majority of the authors perceive the innovation in FM as the innovation within the FM industry, not the innovation within the FM organizations. According to Rumelt (1991), \"business-units differ from one another within industries a great deal more than industries differ from one another\". Therefore, the FM organization is a more suitable unit of analysis than is the industry as such.Van Wagenberg and Tempelmans Plat (2001), Alexander (1999) and Price and Akhlaghi (1999) explicitly refer to the needs of studying innovation within the FM organizations themselves - the way it is approached, developed and managed, the parties involved, and the processes employed. Therefore, we take the innovativeness of FM organizations - both in-house and as main-contractor - as the object of research in studying the innovativeness of the FM industry.As a result, the main research question to be answered is: \"How is the innovation process managed in practice and what is the innovativeness of FM organizations?\"\n2 Innovation management concepts: There are as many definitions of innovation as there are of FM. Different perspectives and applications make it difficult to find common grounds. However, we can broadly define innovation as \"a management process, involving multiple activities, performed by multiple actors from one or several organizations, during which new combinations of means and/or ends, which are new for a creating and/or adopting unit, are developed and/or produced and/or implemented and/or transferred to old and/or new market-partners\" (Gemuenden, 2003).FM, i.e. the management of workplace and workspace, deals mainly with the innovation of business support services (Tay and Ooi, 2001; Alexander, 1999). According to Kandampully and Duddy (1999), \"Service innovation is the process through which a firm undertakes changes in its philosophy, culture, operations and procedures to add value to the result of the service or product for the benefit of the customer\". The innovation processes in product and service development are similar in principle; however, they vary in specific routines and activities performed, by which the innovation processes are enabled (Tidd et al., 2001).Based on Tidd et al. (2001), Kemp et al. (2003), and Teece (1996) and in line with the latest innovation management models (Rothwell, 2002) and systems theory, we have structured an innovation management model, as shown in Figure 1.This model implies that the success of an innovation project depends on the routines and activities performed by the organization in an innovation process, as well as, on the internal organizational environment created in the organization enabling these routines.In terms of the organizational environment, the organization focuses on developing, using, maintaining and extending the enabling routines for effective implementation mechanisms and structures, effective external linkages, strategic approach to innovation, and supporting organizational context for the innovation process.In the innovation process, we distinguish five phases within the input, throughput and output. The scanning phase involves detecting signals in the environment about the potential for change. The strategy phase consists of linking the relevant signals with overall business strategy and core competencies of the organization. The resource phase involves combining new and existing knowledge (available within and outside the organization) and other tangible and intangible resources to offer solutions to the problem, which realize strategic decisions. The implementation phase includes enabling routines, activities, and tools for the project execution and market development. Finally, there is the learning and reinnovation phase. Learning represents a reflection on the process, and the capturing of knowledge. Reinnovation is essentially building upon earlier success but improving the next generation with revised and refined features.Specific innovations can only survive in specific environments and therefore, it is the task for the organization to ensure a match between its organizational environment and the innovation process it is attempting to carry out.\n3 Research methodology: The growing importance of innovation in services and the growing insights into innovation processes in general stimulate the quest for indicators that not only measure the input variables but also the throughput and output variables (Smits, 2002). The case study approach is a valid method for mapping, describing and comparing the processes employed and the practices of organizational innovation. It may be useful to develop relevant indicators of innovativeness of FM organizations.In this study, we focus on the innovative performance and similarities and differences among the sample organizations in managing the innovation process. A point-by-point comparison is made between the normative theoretical framework (refer Appendix) and the individual cases. The sample organizations are assessed with regard to their background and potential for innovation and development.For the comparison of the cases, and in line with the presented model of innovation management (Figure 1), we identified five areas for comparison, i.e. innovation management, implementation mechanisms, external linkages, strategy, and organizational context of the organizations. Each area for comparison is a construct that consists of several elements that can be scored (Table II).3.1 Sample\n4 Results: In this section, the results of the four case studies are presented, and analyzed by means of a comparative analysis. Next, based on the scores, the sample organizations are split up between high- and low-performers. The major similarities and differences between the two groups are described.4.1 Case study analysis\n5 Conclusions: With respect to the management of the innovation process in FM organizations in practice, we conclude that the sample organizations continuously manage innovation as a process, with several innovation projects currently running. FM organizations recognized the model of innovation management, as described in this study, where the innovation project is managed as an innovation process (consisting of scanning, strategy, resourcing, implementation, and learning and reinnovation phase) within the organizational environment (consisting of effective implementation mechanisms, effective external linkages, strategic approach, and supportive organizational context). They are most successful in managing the element of innovation and implementation mechanisms, followed by the elements of external linkages, organizational context, and strategy.Regarding the innovativeness of FM organizations, we conclude that the sample FM organizations lack a sophisticated portfolio of progressive innovative routines for enabling an effective and successful innovation management. In this research project, only one organization satisfied the innovation high-performer criterion, but from the innovation management perspective it lacked several routines of successful innovation management.In principle, one cannot expect any radical change or transformation in the field of FM, as the FM organizations deal mostly with the incremental day-to-day changes at client organizations. The innovation in FM industry is being built slowly, project-wise, according to the demands and needs of the client organizations. Clients expect better products and services, but on an evolutionary base, not a radical transformation.An important note to be made here is that the main-contractor organizations scored higher on innovation than the in-house FM organizations. This result can be explained when considering the nature of outsourcing business services. The main-contractor is appointed externally by the client organization, based on free market selection, whereas the in-house FM department is usually appointed internally and perceived as an integral part of the client organization. The in-house FM organizations were found to be less innovative than their outsourced counterparts probably because of the safer environment, in which the in-house FM organizations operate.\n6 Research implications: Despite the fact that the research sample is relatively small, the findings in this study are applicable for any FM organization, as the sample organizations were drawn from different backgrounds, having diverse organizational characteristics.A more specific line of research would be to concentrate only on the development of one product or service, where the focus is on the routines and activities performed by the FM organizations and their project teams. This approach requires application of the innovativeness assessment framework to a series of innovation projects. For example, the assessment framework of innovative ability of FM teams (Mudrak et al., 2004) may be applied to this kind of research, at a team level. In this investigation, the points of interest are the routines and activities performed, and the tools used by FM teams when carrying out an innovation project. This research strategy necessarily involves interviewing all project stakeholders - clients, users, suppliers, FM on-site teams, FM organization managers, etc. - to obtain the most objective results. Ideally, a direct on-site observation and active participation of the researcher in the project implementation process is enabled for direct tracking of the innovation patterns within the organization.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The innovation patterns and processes in facility management (FM) organizations are crucial for the development of FM as a discipline, but they are not yet fully explored and understood. This paper aims to clarify FM innovation from the perspective of innovation processes and the innovativeness of FM organizations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - It explores the innovation patterns in FM organizations by applying the innovation management concepts to FM practices. A sample of four FM organizations is analyzed by means of a comparative case study approach. Based on their innovative performance, the sample of FM organizations are divided into two groups - a group of high-performers and a group of low-performers. The major similarities and differences in managing the innovation process between these two groups are described.\nFindings: - Based on this study it is concluded that FM organizations innovate only mildly. The innovation in FM industry is incremental due to the day-to-day nature of decision-making in FM projects and fast changing demands and needs of the client organizations.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Further research should concentrate on a specific type of innovation projects, where the points of interest would be the routines followed, activities performed and the tools used by the FM teams when carrying out the innovation projects.\nOriginality/value: - This paper provides a different perspective on studying the innovation patterns in FM industry.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Kuoni managers shine on the shop floor: Senior executives seize the chance to connect with the customer
|
[
"Travel industry",
"Top management",
"Customer orientation",
"Retailing",
"Management training",
"Workplace training"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Bradford Council's strategic director for children's and young people's services, Kath Tunstall, turned story-teller during a rhyme-time session for young readers at the city's Holmewood Library during a recent National Customer Service Week.\nConnecting managers with customers: In similar vein, managers at luxury-tour operator Kuoni went back to the shop floor on one of the travel industry's busiest Saturdays of the year earlier this year as part of an initiative to work with and support their 21 new travel stores around the UK.Each manager was assigned to a Kuoni store, to experience what it is like to be one of the company's travel experts. The initiative aimed to connect management with customers face to face and so further ensure that the company is meeting customers' holiday needs and expectations.The managers also wanted to support the high-street teams by swapping desks and business meetings for direct customer contact so they could share their travel knowledge. Travel plans were discussed over tea, coffee or champagne - something Kuoni likes to offer to all its walk-in customers.Over each of the past three years, Kuoni has opened an average of seven boutique Kuoni travel stores. Each is inspired by a wide range of exotic destinations and stylish hotels. The stores showcase artifacts from across the world to give customers an immediate sense of foreign lands. They include, for example, traditional eastern European rugs, Saki barrels and oriental lamps based on traditional mosque lamps.Mark Duguid, Kuoni head of market management (interim), commented: \"Our knowledge, experience and the variety of destinations we have travelled to were a real asset when we went back to the shop floor. We all enjoyed engaging with customers and exchanging personal travel stories and experiences. There was a real buzz around the stores, with managers giving out leaflets and goodie bags throughout the day. Many new ideas and insights came out of the initiative and, as a result, we are looking forward to making our store experiences even more unique and fulfilling for customers.\"\nBeing in the shop brought the product to life: Dagmar Marrocco, Kuoni market manager, said of her day at the Kuoni Solihull store: \"For me, being in the shop brought the product to life. It reminds you that we don't just sell a commodity. Our holidays aim to fulfill dreams. Working on the shop floor is unpredictable - one minute it's quiet and the next the shop is full of clients and the telephones are ringing. You are being asked about Italy, then India, searching for family-friendly hotels then a romantic getaway for a young honeymoon couple.\"\"I helped Tracy Martin, personal travel expert in Solihull, to convert a booking for a honeymoon couple on a tight budget to Thailand. Originally they thought they could not afford Kuoni. They walked away with a 17-night honeymoon to Koh Samui and Bangkok, staying in four-star hotels, with private transfers, daily breakfast, breakfast in bed on their first morning and a special romantic honeymoon dinner for a total of PS2,100 per person including flights. It was a very satisfying feeling and I am genuinely happy and excited for them.\"Dagmar Marrocco continued: \"Kuoni customers value their holidays and I really enjoyed listening to them and learning about the destinations that make them tick. They all appreciated it when their personal travel expert had been and experienced a destination or hotel personally.\"\"Guaranteed sunshine was a must in most requests. I was also surprised by the number of clients who were completely open to suggestions on where to go with the only caveats being 'two weeks in the sunshine' or 'somewhere different'.\"\nRaises the spirits: Fiona Harris, PR director, worked in the High Street, Kensington, store. She commented: \"It is dynamic working on the shop floor. You never know who may walk in. It helps to be a good listener and combine this with good travel and destination knowledge.\"\"There is something special about planning and booking travel - it raises spirits! And after an hour of chatting to a customer you feel like you know the person really well.\"\"Some customers who came in following a previous visit returned with hugs for their personal travel expert as if they were seeing long-lost friends. I would really like to go back again for another day. In fact, if I ever left my role in PR I would happily retrain as a personal travel expert.\"Mark Duguid concluded: \"For me, working in the Bristol store, it was clear to see that our customers have an enormous affection for the brand and with it, very high expectations. Being able to handle any and every type of inquiry was something I was not prepared for. I was very impressed by the breadth of knowledge held by our personal travel experts.\"\"I now appreciate that small details really do make all the difference.\"Kuoni was established in 1906 in Switzerland by Alfred Kuoni, an adventurer and explorer who opened some of Europe's first travel agencies. Today it has branches in more than 40 countries.\nNote: David Pollitt, Human Resource Management International Digest editor, wrote this article.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Describes how top managers at luxury-tour operator Kuoni went back to the shop floor on one of the travel industry's busiest Saturdays of the year as part of an initiative to work with and support their 21 new travel stores around the UK.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Examines the reasons for the initiative and the benefits it brought.\nFindings: - Explains that the initiative aimed to connect management with customers face to face and so further ensure that the company is meeting customers' holiday needs and expectations.\nPractical implications: - Reveals that many new ideas and insights came out of the initiative, which also confirmed to the managers involved that small details can make a big difference.\nSocial implications: - Highlights how returning to the shop floor can help top managers to reconnect with their company's employees and customers and the issues that arise day-to-day.\nOriginality/value: - Furnishes first-hand accounts from managers who returned to the shop floor for a day.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Determinants and market implications of differentiated dividends in Korea
|
[
"Dividend policy",
"Differential dividends",
"Unequal dividends"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The general understanding of dividends is that shareholders within the same class of shares receive dividends on a pro rata basis. In recent years, however, international cases contradicting conventional payout schemes have emerged in which companies assign unequal dividends per share within the same class of shares. For example, in Italy, the changes introduced by Legislative Decree No. 27 in 2010 include a provision where companies can distribute higher dividends to shareholders with <0.5 percent of ownership. In Germany, Section 60 of the German Stock Corporation Act allows newly issued shares to be granted higher dividends compared to pre-existing shares without creating a new class of shares. Finally, in Korea firms can assign a larger amount of cash dividends per share to small shareholders than to large shareholders using a payout policy called \"differentiated dividends\" (DDs)[1]. The participation in the DD policy is on a voluntary basis. The large shareholders that do not wish to disclaim their rights can receive the same amount as small shareholders. This paper aims to explore the motivation of a manager to use the unequal dividend payment scheme that has been relatively ignored by previous studies and examine the market reactions to the introduction of such dividends by focussing on the DD policy in Korea. Further, it provides financial and regulatory implications to practitioners and policy makers regarding the use of unequal dividend payment scheme.\n2. Theoretical and contextual background: 2.1 DD payouts in Korea\n3. Data and variables: Our initial sample consists of KSE-listed firms from 1981 and the KOSDAQ-listed firms from 1996, starting from the year in which the KOSDAQ market was established. From the initial sample, we exclude following: first, firms with total equity below 100 million KRW (equivalent to US$0.1 million) or assets below 200 million KRW; second, financial or utility firms; and third, firms having stock splits or having paid stock dividends between cash dividends, following Denis et al. (1994). Overall, 8,135 dividend payers and 5,382 non-dividend payers are selected from 1981 through 2006. Due to the lack of reliable risk free return measures before 1989, the sample period used for the regression analysis covers 1989-2006. The final sample consists of 7,363 dividend payers and 5,200 non-dividend payers. The companies' financial statements are collected through the Korean Listed Companies Association (KLCA) database and the Dataguide financial database. Stock prices are from the Korean Securities Research Institute database.\n4. Results: 4.1 Analysis on the probability of initiating DDs\n5. Conclusions: It is noteworthy that some countries permit listed firms to pay unequal dividends to their shareholders within the same share class. The existing literature has rarely discussed the existence of such unequal dividends. This paper examines the characteristics of firms paying unequal dividends and the market reactions to such dividend policies and aims to explain the motivation behind the adaptation of unequal dividends.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore unequal dividend payment policies called differentiated dividends (DDs) in Korea. The characteristics of firms are examined which allocate higher dividends to small shareholders than large shareholders within the same share class.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Logit analysis is used to compare firms that initiate DDs with those that pay conventional equal dividends. The abnormal market reaction to news of initiation of DDs is also examined.\nFindings: Managers of firms facing cash insufficiency are more likely to initiate DDs. The DD scheme is used as a method to cater to high dividend demands in the market. The stock price reaction to the initiation of DDs is positive when the total dividend payments are increased, signifying that the market interprets it as good news.\nPractical implications: Firms facing cash insufficiency can avoid an increase in the cost of capital by retaining extra cash from DDs rather than borrowing external funds. Additionally, managers can foster favorable market reactions by using DDs which helps firms in attracting new capital investments. Finally, regulatory bodies can consider encouraging managers to adopt unequal dividend schemes to allow higher dividend payments to small shareholders, especially in countries with weak legal protection for minority shareholders.\nOriginality/value: Similar unequal dividend policies exist in European countries but there is a lack of research conducted on those policies. The paper provides implications for the strategic use of unequal dividends to maximize firm value.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The search for new drugs: a theory of R&D in the pharmaceutical industry
|
[
"R&D",
"Patent",
"Pharmaceutical industry",
"Spillovers"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In the economics of science and technology, economists distinguish between basic research and applied research. The objective of basic research is to increase our knowledge about natural phenomena, not to develop specific applications of this stock of knowledge for pecuniary gains. However, applied research - often called R&D or innovation in the economic literature - is driven by profits, and a firm carries out applied research in order to develop a new product or to find a more efficient production process. Another difference between basic research and applied research is that the discoveries of basic research are widely published and freely available to all researchers, while the results of R&D activities are jealously guarded secrets of the organizations that discover them in their efforts to appropriate all the benefits from these discoveries.\n2. The model: Time is continuous, and is denoted by t, t0. The model deals with the case of a single disease, and in the model, there are I pharmaceutical firms indexed by i, i=1, ..., I, where I is a positive integer, with I2. Each of these firms has an active R&D program to find a new drug for treating the disease. There is also a competitive fringe, which produces generic drugs, using the technical information disclosed in the patent of a brand after the patent on the brand has expired.\n3. The prices of drugs: In practice, a pharmaceutical firm might market several brands of the drugs at any time. However, to keep the exposition from becoming overburdened with notations, we shall make the simplifying assumption that if a pharmaceutical firm chooses to market a certain brand of the drug that it has patented, then it will market this brand exclusively during the statutory life of the patent on this brand. Because once the patent on a brand has expired, it will be marketed as a generic drug by the competitive fringe at cost, and the firm that held the patent on the brand will not make any profit by continuing to market this brand. Thus, we shall assume that when this happens, the firm will stop marketing the brand, and must search for a new brand of the drug if it wishes to stay in the market. For the brands whose patents have not yet expired, their prices will be strategically set by the holders of these patents. To study the strategic behavior of these firms, we shall consider the simple case in which the set of brands whose patents have not yet expired at time t consists of only two brands, say o'=(xj',n', qj',n', cj',n', tj',n') and o''=(xj'',n'', qj'',n'', cj'',n'', tj'',n''), and that these two brands are held by two different firms. Analyzing the case of more than two pharmaceutical firms that are active in the search for a new drug will force us to consider the numerous combinations of dates on which the drugs discovered by these firms are patented. While this adds more realism to the model, it does not yield any more insights into the R&D process. Also, for simplicity, we consider in this section the simple case of a single generic drug, say o=(xj,n, qj,n, cj,n, tj,n), which is manufactured and sold by the fringe at production cost, i.e.\n4. R&D and information externalities: In this section, as in Section 3.3, we shall assume that in the industry there are two firms, each of which has an active drug discovery program and a competitive fringe, which markets the brands whose patents have expired as generic drugs. Also, we shall assume that the income of the representative consumer is not varying over time, i.e. m[t]=m=constant.\n5. Concluding remarks: Using a dynamic model of optimal patent design and in the presence of information externalities, the evolution of technological progress in the context of a pharmaceutical industry is studied. The preceding literature on the topic works with only one brand, which is the brand with the highest quality. As well, the demand is assumed to be completely inelastic. In the conventional models of patent design, the role of competitive fringe firms is also discussed implicitly. The model discussed in this research is a continuous in-time dynamic model which provides a rigorous structure for studying the context. It considers several differentiated products, both those whose patents are still in force and those whose patents have already expired, at any point in time. Furthermore, the demand for a brand is taken to be a function of income, its price, and the prices of other brands. The interaction of the fringe firm with other patent-holding firms is also explicitly considered under this framework. Unlike the previous literature on the context, the model incorporates both product and process innovation concepts and provides real guidelines to measure the patent breadth. Under this structure, pharmaceutical firms with an active drug discovery program behave strategically in their R&D and in the product markets. Under this structure, three scenarios are discussed: the first scenario refers to the case where all chemical compounds in all chemical libraries are already screened. The second scenario discusses the case where the set of unscreened chemical compounds includes only one element. Under this scenario, it is shown that the firm which holds the earlier-expiring patent only chooses to screen the last compound, when the patent it holds expires, if the expected discounted payoff net of R&D costs yielded by this action is positive. The expected discounted payoff net of R&D costs obtained by this firm is then decreasing in the cost of screening, increasing in the cumulative quality discovered in the past screenings of the compounds in the chemical library, and decreasing in the number of past screenings carried out in this chemical library. The payoff is also higher if the marginal cost of the drug manufactured from the last compound is lower, and higher if the qualities (marginal costs) of all the other brands - generic drugs as well as the brands whose patents have not expired - are lower (higher). It is also shown that if the firm which holds the earlier-expiring patent chooses not to screen the last compound when the patent it holds expires, then the firm which holds the patent on the rival brand will also choose not to screen the last compound when this patent expires. The expected discounted payoff earned by the rival brand is shown to be decreasing in the cumulative quality discovered in the chemical library, increasing in the number of past screenings in the chemical library, increasing (decreasing) in the quality (marginal cost) of the brand, and decreasing (increasing) in the qualities (marginal costs) of the generic drugs as well as the brand whose patent has not expired. The third scenario refers to the case where the set of unscreened chemical compounds includes two elements. These elements may be located in two different chemical libraries, or both being located in the same chemical library. Under the first case, the analysis suggests that if neither compound is screened by the firm which holds the earlier-expiring patent when it stands alone as the single remaining compound, then it will not be screened either by this firm when it is one of the two remaining compounds. It is also shown that the expected discounted payoff net of R&D costs that the firm which holds the earlier-expiring patent obtains by screening each of the last two compounds is positive, then, with every other thing equal: the compound with the lower screening cost should be screened first; the compound from which a new drug with much higher marginal cost is manufactured should not be screened first; and the compound with the potential quality that is stochastically much larger should be screened first. When the elements are both located in the same chemical library, the penultimate compound in the chemical library is screened by the firm which holds the earlier-expiring patent, and if the revealed quality of the penultimate compound is particularly high, then the probability that the quality of the last compound in the chemical library is higher than the quality of the penultimate compound is particularly low, which means that the last compound will not be screened.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to use a dynamic model of optimal patent design and, in the presence of information externalities, to study the evolution of technological progress in the context of a pharmaceutical industry.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A theoretical analysis approach is adopted to drive the paper's findings.\nFindings: Pharmaceutical firms with an active drug discovery program behave strategically in their R&D and in the product markets. It is shown that a firm holding an earlier-expiring patent only chooses to proceed with R&D activates when the patent it holds expires if the expected discounted payoff net of R&D costs yielded by this action is positive. The expected discounted payoff net of R&D costs obtained by this firm is then decreasing in R&D costs, increasing in the cumulative quality discovered in the past R&D activates, and decreasing in the number of past R&D activities, etc.\nOriginality/value: The preceding literature on the topic works with only one brand, the brand with the highest quality. As well, the demand is assumed to be completely inelastic. In the conventional models of patent design, the role of competitive fringe firms is discussed implicitly. The model presented in this research is a rigorous continuous in-time dynamic model. It considers several differentiated products. Furthermore, the demand for a brand is taken to be a function of income, its price, and the prices of other brands. The interaction of the fringe firm with other patent-holding firms is also explicitly considered under this framework.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Brand loyalty in enterprise microblogs: Influence of community commitment, IT habit, and participation
|
[
"Social networking",
"User participation",
"Virtual community",
"Brands",
"Habits",
"E-marketing"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Microblogs have become a popular and influential social platform on the internet. An increasing number of users are gathering on this platform. For instance, the number of users of Twitter, the most popular microblogging site, increased from 94,000 in 2007 to 200 million in 2010 and further to 517 million before July 1, 2012 (Semiocast, 2012). Twitter users post one billion messages in merely one week (Damak et al., 2011). This microblogging phenomenon is attracting a growing number of enterprises (Rui and Yongsheng, 2010). Many enterprises (or brands) have created microblog accounts to promote their products, advertise their brands, retain old consumers, and attract new consumers. For instance, Dell, GM, Starbucks, Kodak, and Comcast have adopted microblogging sites as an important approach to marketing and managing public relations (Zhang, 2011). Herring et al. (2005) characterized blogs as socially interactive and community-like. Thus, enterprise microblogs may also function as virtual communities, where enterprises/brands can interact with their followers. For marketers, establishing virtual communities (i.e. enterprise microblogs) in microblogging sites can be a form of online branding practice that provides great marketing benefits. Consumers can receive updated information about products and brands and interact with marketers and brand owners. Although the business value of microblogs becomes increasingly significant, few empirical studies have addressed the marketing potential of enterprise microblogs. Given this research gap, the current study investigates how enterprise microblogs generate promising marketing outcomes.\nTheoretical background: Virtual brand communities and enterprise microblogs\nResearch model and hypotheses development: To understand whether and how enterprise microblogs enhance consumers' brand loyalty, this study develops a research model based on prior literature on virtual brand communities, brand loyalty, community commitment, IT habit, and participation. We propose that community commitment, IT habit, and participation are three important determinants of brand loyalty (Figure 1). Community commitment is an attitudinal factor that refers to users' attitudinal attachment toward enterprise microblogs. By contrast, IT habit is a behavioral attribute that highlights the extent to which users automatically use a microblogging site to follow an enterprise microblog. We expect that community commitment and IT habit also affect brand loyalty through the influence of participation. Finally, we propose that community commitment is influenced by information quality, perceived expertise, and social interaction. In addition, IT habit is affected by importance, prior behavior, and satisfaction.\nResearch design: Research site\nData analysis and results: We used smart partial least squares, a popular structural equation modeling technique, to analyze the data. Following the guidelines of Hair et al. (1998), the analysis included two stages: the measurement model and the structural model. The basic idea of this method is to ensure that the consequence of structural relationships is drawn from a set of measurement instruments with desirable psychometric properties.\nDiscussion and conclusion: In this study, we attempt to understand whether and how enterprise microblogs enhance their consumers' brand loyalty. Following prior research on virtual brand communities, we posit that community commitment is an important determinant of brand loyalty. Moreover, we argue that the behavioral attributes of IT habit and participation significantly affect the present research context. Our findings provide strong empirical support to all the proposed hypotheses. First, community commitment, IT habit, and participation are shown as key determinants of brand loyalty. In addition, community commitment and IT habit indirectly affect brand loyalty through participation. These results suggest that if users are committed to an enterprise microblog, develop a habit of following the microblog, and actively participate in the microblog, then they become loyal to the brand of the enterprise. Second, we find that the three key characteristics of enterprise microblogs, namely information quality, perceived expertise, and social interaction, positively affect community commitment. It indicates that users will be more committed to an enterprise microblog if they find that the enterprise is knowledgeable, and its microblog has high levels of information quality and social interaction. Finally, IT habit is influenced by importance, prior behavior, and satisfaction. It implies that users can develop a habit of following an enterprise microblog when they believe it is important to follow the microblog, they have been following it frequently in the past, and they are satisfied with the overall experience of following it. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed as follows.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: With the prevailing microblogging phenomenon, many marketers have created their microblog accounts to promote products, advertise brands, and attract consumers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of consumers' community commitment, information technology (IT) habit, and participation on their brand loyalty in the context of enterprise microblogs.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A total of 364 valid data were collected from fans or followers of enterprise microblogs through a survey on Weibo.com. The data were analyzed with smart partial least squares.\nFindings: Community commitment and IT habit directly lead to brand loyalty and indirectly affect brand loyalty through the mediating influence of participation. Information quality, perceived expertise, and social interaction are antecedents of community commitment. Satisfaction, importance, and social interaction positively affect IT habit.\nResearch limitations/implications: To enhance the generalizability of the study, future studies may examine findings in other platforms (e.g. Twitter) with a large sample size.\nPractical implications: Practitioners can increase consumers' brand loyalty through enterprise microblogs. Considerable attention should be directed to facilitating members' community commitment and IT habit. In addition, the study points out significant antecedents of community commitment and IT habit for researchers, managers, and companies.\nOriginality/value: To uncover the marketing potential of microblogging technology, the authors highlight the need for investigating how enterprise microblogs generate promising marketing outcomes. The present study examines key determinants of brand loyalty. The model empirically shows the significant effects of community commitment, IT habit, and participation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A systematic review of the servant leadership literature in management and hospitality
|
[
"Hospitality management",
"Management",
"Systematic review",
"Servant leadership",
"Systematic review",
"Hospitality management",
"Management",
"The hospitality industry"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Servant leadership is a puzzling leadership style and a dynamic research topic (van Dierendonck, 2011). It is also commonly viewed as being a strong employee-oriented type of leadership practice that has the potential to cultivate positive organizational outcomes. Indeed, the empirical literature suggests that servant leaders favorably influence outcomes across multiple organizational levels (i.e. the individual level, team level, unit level and firm level) (Bavik et al., 2017; Williams et al., 2017). Research also suggests that the positive effects of servant leadership flow to the bottom line. For example, Ling et al. (2016) found that middle-level servant leadership had a positive spillover effect on service-oriented behavior.\nLiterature review: What is servant leadership?\nMethodology: Review approach\nResults: Overview of the servant leadership studies in the management and hospitality management literature\nOutcomes of servant leadership: This section presents the underlying mechanisms (i.e. affective and cognitive) of servant leadership, the outcomes of servant leadership and the contextual factors (e.g. company culture and climate, values, competition) that illuminate the conditions under which the effect of servant leadership has more or less influence on the outcome variable.\nDiscussion: Theoretical contributions\nAn integrative view of the shared characteristics between servant leadership and the hospitality context: Another major objective of this review study is to identify and compare the commonalities between the characteristics of servant leadership and those of the hospitality industry (i.e. the norms and values that are emphasized in the context of hospitality management). As shown in Table IV, three major classifications are proposed, namely relationship orientation, prosocial behavior, and normative rules, based on the review of the literature on the organizational norms and culture of the hospitality sector (Bavik, 2016; Dawson et al., 2011; Dawson et al., 2018; Tepeci and Bartlett, 2002). Among the attributes of servant leadership, 18 overlap with at least one characteristic of the hospitality industry, namely altruism, behaving ethically, building community, growth of people, creating value, empathy, empowerment, honesty, humility, integrity, interpersonal support, listening, putting subordinates first, relationships, servanthood, service, stewardship, and trust. The similarities between these characteristics of servant leadership and the hospitality context are discussed in the following section.\nDirections for future research: The management literature has extensively explored the possible outcomes of servant leadership. Thus, hospitality researchers should primarily focus on investigating the unique behaviors or attributes of servant leaders and their role in the hospitality industry. The hospitality industry and servant leadership present similar characteristics (e.g. trust, care, empowerment, listening, and building community). Although these attributes strongly emphasize interpersonal and normative elements, there is still confusion as to whether servant leadership plays a complementary or supplementary role in the hospitality industry. Similarly, given that servant leaders hold some of the inherent values of the hospitality industry, the act of serving others may be perceived as an in-role duty rather than as a form of servant leader behavior. Therefore, we still do not know whether employees perceive servant leadership as a distinguished leadership style or as \"standard behavior\" within the hospitality industry.\nConcluding remarks: The attributes of the hospitality industry reflect the qualities that define a servant leader. These similarities between servant leadership and the features of the hospitality industry provide synergies that make it easier for servant leaders and employees to serve their subordinates and co-workers and reflect the helping culture endorsed within this industrial context. To realize the benefits of servant leadership in the hospitality industry, servant leaders should not only promote serving guests but also aim to create a \"serving culture \"in which employees treat their co-workers as their guests.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it systematically reviews and synthesizes research on servant leadership in management and hospitality management literature. Second, by reviewing and comparing the characteristics of the hospitality industry and servant leadership attributes, this study provides insights concerning the conceptualizations and theorization of servant leadership in hospitality management and discusses future research directions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The current study reviewed 106 articles published during the period of 1970 to 2018 in hospitality management and broader management literature.\nFindings: The characteristics of the hospitality industry and servant leadership attributes were found to be mutually inclusive, both consisting qualities such as trust, integrity, honesty, care, servant behavior, listening and community focus.\nPractical implications: Scholars should concentrate on exploring what makes servant leaders unique in the hospitality industry.\nOriginality/value: The study reviews the hospitality characteristics, and servant leadership attributes offer new research avenues.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The National Library of Australia's document supply service: a brief overview
|
[
"Interlending",
"National libraries",
"Information services",
"Australia"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The National Library of Australia holds a unique position in the Australian interlibrary loans and document delivery environment. In addition to the traditional role of being a net supplier of material from its collections, the Library also provides infrastructure through the Libraries Australia Document Delivery (LADD) service and policy support for the Australian interlibrary loan/document delivery community. These roles will be discussed in more detail throughout the article.\nBrief history of the National Library of Australia: Before Federation in 1901, Australia consisted of six colonies, each with its own separate library service. With the formation of a federal Parliament, a Library Committee was established to develop a national collection, and by 1903 a collection of 3,939 volumes had been developed (Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1903). In 1908 the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library was established, with the intention of \"building up, for the time when the Parliament shall be established in the Federal Capital, a great Public Library on the lines of the world-famed Library of Congress, such a library, indeed as shall be worthy of the Australian Nation; the home of the literature, not of a State, or of a period, but of the world and for all time\" (Kenny, 1984).In 1927, the Parliamentary Library moved from Melbourne to Canberra when Parliament moved to its new building in the Australian Capital Territory. Public servants who had moved to Canberra were able to borrow from the collection and a unit was established to administer this service. After the Second World War, the Library expanded its collections and lending services. Reference libraries were established at Australia House in London and in a liaison office in New York. This period also saw the establishment of a film lending service.Between 1956-1957 a major review was undertaken, which recommended the creation of the National Library separate from the Parliamentary Library. In 1960 the National Library of Australia Act established the National Library of Australia, \"to maintain and develop a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the Australian people\". The Act also mandated the Library \"to make library material in the national collection available to such persons and institutions\" and offer \"such other services in relation to library matters and library material (including bibliographical services)\" as the Library Council deemed the \"most advantageous use of that collection in the national interest\" (Australian Parliament, 1960). It also separated the archival authority from the Library, with government archival collections passed to the Prime Minister's Department, later to become established as the National Archives of Australia.In 1968 the National Library moved to its current building on the edge of Lake Burley Griffin and in 1981 the Canberra Public Library Service was transferred to the Department of Capital Territory, ending 50 years of direct lending services to the Canberra public.In the early 1970s the Library commenced experimenting and investing in technology through such initiatives as providing online access to databases, SDI services, the provision of a catalogue card service, and the MARC record service. By late 1970, it was proposed to develop a network to share cataloguing data and locations information and in 1981 the Australian Bibliographic Network (ABN) was established. Today the Libraries Australia service (formerly known as ABN and Kinetica) has over 1,000 member libraries, and records the locations of over 42 million items held in most Australian academic, research, national, state, public and special libraries. The development of the Libraries Australia service highlights the role the National Library has taken in supporting the infrastructure underpinning interlending and document supply.The other major factor impacting on the development of the Australian interlending environment is the country itself. Australia is the world's smallest continent; at 7,692,024 km2[1] it is slightly smaller than the USA and about three-quarters the size of Europe. The largest island in the world, it has a population of just over 22 million people, with the majority settled in the ten largest cities and the rest scattered throughout the country. This environment has contributed to a complex library network. State libraries support their state public libraries to a greater or lesser degree. Academic libraries have developed several collaborative programs and some special libraries have developed their own reciprocal arrangements. Underpinning much of this network is Libraries Australia.\nDocument supply service: Since its foundation, the National Library has offered a lending service from its collections. In 1960 the Library supplied a modest 8,836 loans to libraries throughout Australia. By the mid-1970s photocopies were delivered from the Library's serial collections. Prepaid interlibrary loan forms were introduced in 1976 and it was noted that the form \"has simplified internal operations and has assisted staff in maintaining a high success rate and rapid turnaround in processing demands on the service\" (National Library of Australia, 1977). In 1981 the Library relaxed restrictions on lending material and removed the requirement for borrowed material to be used on the premises of the requesting library.In 1989, the Library implemented the Australian Bibliographic Network's interlending module, which significantly streamlined supply. Other technology take-up improved the speed of delivery, for example using Ariel software to transmit documents electronically. In 2005, the Library implemented the Relais interlibrary loan management system and by 2007 over 80 per cent of requests were handled through Relais. For the first time it was possible to manage the majority of requests within one system (Moreno and Xu, 2007).Relais has been set up to accept ISO ILL requests from Libraries Australia Document Delivery and OCLC, as well as requests from individuals. The system is able to check the catalogue and distribute requests throughout the National Library based on complex rules; Relais is used to scan and deliver the material electronically for copy requests. The move to Relais has significantly streamlined interlibrary loan/document delivery workflows; however, there are still further improvements to be made. The Library is currently conducting a major review of all of its interlibrary loan/document delivery workflows with a view to making further efficiencies through workflow improvements.The Document Supply Service offers a number of services to libraries and individuals. Library requests are received from Libraries Australia Document Delivery (LADD), Te Puna (the New Zealand equivalent), OCLC, any ISO ILL compliant system, the Relais web form and e-mail. Requests from individuals are primarily received through the National Library's Copies Direct service and through paper order forms.Interlibrary loan/document delivery services to libraries\nLibraries Australia: In 1970 the National Library began using technology to support networking between libraries: firstly, computer-based information services through access to MEDLARS and other biomedical databases, then ERIC as well as Science Citation Index and Social Science Index services; several union catalogues were published (on microfilm), and the Australian catalogue card service was created. During this period the MARC record service was also developed.In 1981 the Australian Bibliographic Network (ABN) was launched, providing access to catalogue records and holdings information. Slowly this service replaced the earlier union catalogues as more libraries joined and retrospective cataloguing projects added data to the system, including records from the old National Union Catalogue of Monographs (NUCOM) and Serials (NUCOS). In 1989, an interlibrary loan module was added to ABN, allowing interlibrary loan staff to search the union catalogue, locate requested material, and place interlibrary loan requests. It revolutionised the requesting process in the pre-internet and e-mail era, the only other methods of requesting being fax or post, as telephone requests were only accepted from the Parliamentary Library.Today the Libraries Australia Document Delivery (LADD) service is a complex network based on the OCLC Virtual Document eXchange (VDX) software. It facilitates interlibrary loan/document delivery activities between LADD and other systems used in Australia and around the world. It is used by over 700 libraries in Australia to exchange requests, and 300 New Zealand libraries are able to exchange requests with Australian counterparts through its interoperation with the Te Puna Interloan service. The LADD service supports access from Australian libraries using their own ISO ILL protocol compliant interlibrary loan management system and provides access to Infotrieve and CISTI. For members of LADD it is also possible to exchange documents via the DocStore function in the system. Figure 9 shows this environment schematically.Usage of the LADD service continues to grow, and in 2007/2008, with 730 subscribers, the service handled some 320,000 requests. The Libraries Australia team continued to facilitate system interoperability testing with libraries using ISO ILL Protocol compliant systems, including VDX, Relais and Aleph. ISO-compliant systems are now used by 71 libraries in Australia.Figure 10 shows the increased use of the network as each year more libraries join the service.\nLeadership, cooperation and coordination: Collaboration has always been important to the National Library, which has often supported consultative bodies or taken a leadership role in developing policies in consultation with the broader library community. The Library has supported a number of national bodies, for example the Australian Advisory Council on Bibliographical Services (AACOBS), the Australian Council of Libraries and Information Services (ACLIS), and the National Resource Sharing Working Group (NRSWG), that have made a significant contribution to advancing interlending and document delivery services in Australia (Missingham and Moreno, 2005).One of the most significant collaborative efforts in interlibrary loan/document delivery services has been the development of the Australian Interlibrary Loan and Resource Sharing (ILRS) Code, which sets the standard and framework for Australian interlending and resource sharing. The earliest interlending code was the Australian Institute of Librarians Code for Interlending, created in 1946. This was revisited by AACOBS in 1966 and later replaced with the ACLIS Australian Interlending Code. In 2001 the Australian ILRS Code was developed by the NRSWG, with a further revision adopted in 2006.There have been other successful collaborations, one example being the National Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Benchmarking Study undertaken by NRSWG (National Resource Sharing Working Group, 2001). As one of the most comprehensive studies on interlibrary/document delivery in Australia, the Study had a significant impact on the Australian library community. The \"Evaluation of the 2001 Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Benchmarking Study\" (National Library of Australia, 2007) showed that 84 per cent of libraries reported supplying to their clients within five days; 51 per cent had reviewed their workflows to eliminate steps; libraries were increasingly automating their workflows; and 59 per cent were offering staff training. In combination with the 2001 ILRS Code, which set turnaround times for routine requests to five working days, these two publications have had a significant impact on Australian interlibrary loan/document delivery services in recent years.There have also been other programs in resource sharing that have impacted on interlibrary loan/document delivery. One was the development of standard wording for libraries negotiating subscriptions to electronic resources to assist in facilitating document delivery. The Electronic Resources Australia (ERA) program is a direct result of the work done by a group of Australian library representatives from different sectors who have been working towards national licensing since 2003. The National Library plays an active role in the National and State Libraries of Australasia (NSLA). The Library is currently heavily involved in activities supporting the NSLA Re-imagining Library Services initiative, which consists of ten projects covering all aspects of library services. One of these projects is devoted to developing a standard service model for delivery of digital copies and loans directly to users.The Library has also contributed to the development of international interlibrary loan/document delivery policies. The National Library is a member of the IFLA Document Delivery and Interlending Standing Committee and in 2003 hosted the 8th IFLA Interlending and Document Supply International Conference. Document Supply Service Manager Margarita Moreno is one of the editorial team members contributing to the revision of the 1986 IFLA ILL Handbook.\nConclusions: Interlibrary loan/document delivery services operate in an ever changing environment and the National Library of Australia has been at the forefront of change. The Library has taken advantage of technology to improve user access to its collections, including interlibrary loan/document delivery services. The broader exposure of the Library's collections to the world has increased demand for document delivery, particularly from individuals.The National Library has played a significant role in fostering a spirit of cooperation amongst Australian libraries. It has provided infrastructure and services to the library community through Libraries Australia, which is the backbone of national resource sharing. The Library has led cooperative approaches to build a national interlibrary loan/document delivery framework and is working towards achieving its objective - \"to ensure Australians have access to a national collection of library material to enhance learning, knowledge creation, enjoyment and understanding of Australian life and society\" (National Library of Australia, 2009). The Library has also actively participated in international interlibrary loan/document delivery activities and contributed to the development of interlibrary loan/document delivery services.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to describe the role of the National Library of Australia in the Australian interlibrary loan environment, not just in terms of providing access to National Library collections through the document supply service, but also in providing infrastructure to support interlibrary loans across Australia.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper describes the various roles the National Library plays in the interlibrary loan/document delivery environment in Australia. It covers the document supply service and the Libraries Australia service, which provides the infrastructure that supports interlibrary loans/document delivery in Australia, and briefly reports on the evaluation of services currently being undertaken.\nFindings: - Providing access to library collections is complex and constantly changing. Client expectations are increasing, and libraries need to change traditional practices to meet user needs.\nOriginality/value: - The paper covers the services offered by the National Library of Australia in supporting interlibrary loans/document delivery. Very few papers cover this topic.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Team trust and control in new venture emergence
|
[
"Trust",
"Control",
"Entrepreneurship",
"New venture teams"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Teams play an important role in the creation of new ventures (Aldrich et al., 2002; Beckman, 2006). Teams are a relatively controllable determinate of new venture performance, in comparison to, for example, market conditions or competitor behavior (Forbes et al., 2006; Mueller and Gemunden, 2009; West, 2007). But as new ventures, and their teams, are often not readily identifiable during emergence (Aldrich et al., 2004; Lundqvist et al., 2015), research on new venture teams is challenging (Cooper and Daily, 1996; Francis and Sandberg, 2000) and data collection is often sensitive to hindsight and outcome bias (Forbes et al., 2006). There is not always clear distinction between what is \"new\" in the new venture team: sometimes the venture idea and/or team construct is new but the entrepreneurs involved are experienced; in other cases, not only is the idea and team construct new, but the team members are entrepreneurial novices. Team literature is dominated by studies of upper echelons and top management teams (Aldrich and Kim, 2007; Vyakarnam and Handelberg, 2005) where a strategic management perspective is argued as applicable to new venture teams (Klotz et al., 2014). However, relatively little is known about mediating mechanisms associated with new venture teams and the ways in which these may influence new venture performance (Klotz et al., 2014).\nNew venture teams: Organizational teams have been heavily studied in management literature (Mathieu et al., 2008; Stewart, 2010) and entrepreneurship scholars have made important strides in understanding teamwork in the context of new venture creation (Ben-Hafaiedh, 2017; Mol et al., 2015; Schjoedt et al., 2013). Scholarly work has largely taken an upper echelons perspective with an aim to understand how and why some new venture teams outperform others (Klotz et al., 2014). Schjoedt and Kraus (2009, p. 515) establish a definition of an entrepreneurial team as consisting of \"two or more persons who have an interest, both financial and otherwise, in an commitment to a venture's future and success; whose work is interdependent in the pursuit of common goals and venture success; who are accountable to the entrepreneurial team and for the venture [...] [have] executive responsibility in the early phases of the venture, including founding and prestart-up; and who are seen as a social entity by themselves and by others.\" For this paper, entrepreneurial team and new venture team are considered synonymous in line with this definition. Relating to new venture team dynamics, research focus has included team composition (Amason et al., 2006; Beckman, 2006; Eesley et al., 2014; Ucbasaran et al., 2003), conflict (Ensley and Pearce, 2001; Ensley et al., 2002; Vanaelst et al., 2006), team membership changes (Boeker and Wiltbank, 2005; Brinckmann and Hoegl, 2011; Clarysse and Moray, 2004), and performance (Beckman et al., 2007; Francis and Sandberg, 2000; Hmieleski and Ensley, 2007; Munoz-Bullon et al., 2015). These are discussed in more detail in the following section.\nDimensions of trust and control: Trust\nMethodology: The paper investigates the use of trust and control during venture emergence in 56 new venture teams using the dimensions established from literature. Empirical investigation is based on team norms documentation, supplemented with participant observation and staff documentation of new venture teams incubated between September 2010 and October 2015. Team norms are understood as a form of psychological contract (Jehn and Mannix, 2001; Obschonka et al., 2012) which are negotiated and agreed upon by team members shortly after they initiate working to create the venture. The norms provide insight into the perceptions and intentionality of team members toward one another and the process as a whole as they engage in venture emergence.\nFindings: A number of findings can be drawn from the data analysis, the first of which is illustrated in Figure 1, addressing the first research question. Figure 1 shows that control dimension frequency exceeds trust dimension frequency in a large majority of the 56 new venture teams. This seems to indicate that the teams prime their team dynamics for control-oriented behavior to a larger extent than for trust-oriented behavior. The preference of control dimensions is more prominent in earlier cohorts than in later cohorts.\nAnalysis: The first research question addressed the extent to which new venture teams initiate trust and control through team norms. The findings illustrate the frequency of control- and trust-associated language in initial documented norms. Teams applying control-based language emphasized Behavioral Control (CDb) focusing on the way in which team members should carry out their work, rather than attempting to control outcome (CDo) or establish a \"clan\" mentality (CDs). The high frequency of Behavioral Control supports exiting literature, stating that teams use control of team behavior to provide structure and facilitate expectation management as a means of counteracting the bounded uncertainty of the entrepreneurial process (Das and Teng, 2001; Ferguson et al., 2016). Ability Trust as the least common dimension is surprising and somewhat counter to what was expected given the team formation process. It was presumed that the design conditions of the initial team formation would act to prioritize trust based on individual competence and ability. This was presumed because, as part of team formation, members had already articulated perceived abilities in one another, and because teams were assumed to select venture ideas based on alignment to their abilities, in line with Bacharach's hypothesis (Bacharach et al., 2006). The lack of Ability Trust dimensions in the norms documentation could have various explanations. One explanation could be that the team members' trust in one another's ability is taken-for-granted because it is already accounted for during the team formation process. Another explanation could be the bounded structural uncertainty and strong interdependence experienced by the teams. Research emphasizes that teams use trust to address uncertainty and interdependence demands (Harper, 2008). None of the nascent entrepreneurs studied have entrepreneurial expertise in starting a high-technology venture, which is known from program admission process. Therefore, it may be that none of the team members perceive themselves or one another as having the required entrepreneurial ability for the entrepreneurial process in which they are engaging. This perception is reinforced through individual self-selection to the program, as many state that an aim to develop entrepreneurial expertise is a core motivation during the admissions process. Given their knowledge of one another's (limited) abilities in terms of entrepreneurial expertise, but a common desire to develop entrepreneurial competence, the teams may turn to control dimensions to facilitate expectation management (Eisenhardt, 1985) in response to uncertainty. A third explanation may be that some background ability is more commonly applicable than other background ability - e.g. business acumen could be seen as useful in all the ventures, but mechanical engineering is only useful for certain types of ventures - which might influence the extent to which abilities were prioritized in norm discussions and documentation. This could be explained by Hmieleski and Ensley's (2007) finding that the viability of team design can be dependent upon the industrial environment of the emerging venture, such that nascent entrepreneurs were sensitive to the venture idea's potential industry sector.\nConclusions: The paper provides insight into the influence of initial trust and control language on intra-team dynamics during the earliest stage of venture emergence. The study is unique in accessing teams experiencing venture creation for the first time, with a new idea and in new team constructs. As research on entrepreneurial teams often investigates relation-based teams (e.g. families) (Brannon et al., 2013), the study is also unique in accessing individuals without binding relationships prior to team formation. In terms of team formation, the paper helps to illustrate how rational process and social psychological models of team formation are not mutually exclusive (supporting Aldrich and Kim, 2007) as both are considered and applied when forming the teams, with the intention to address different issues that are assumed to influence the future performance of the team. However, initial perceptions or intentions associated with trust or control dimensions (such as perceived abilities or shared understanding) that are assumed to be taken into account when teams self-select as part of team formation models are not necessarily articulated in initial documented norms. This draws attention to the importance of considering the industrial and environmental context as part of team formation (Hmieleski and Ensley, 2007), perhaps particularly when both the venture and the team are \"new.\" In the new venture teams of this paper, existing competence from education background (e.g. specialization in IT or marketing) was considered when communicating preferred selection of teammates and venture idea. At the same time, nascents ranked and argued for which individuals they prefer as future teammates, with argumentation often articulating the importance of \"chemistry.\" Even so, many of the documented norms illustrate higher frequency of control than trust, which would align with the social psychological model aspects considered in team formation. Recognizing the somewhat limited predictive power of the initial norms, the potential early indication of lack of trust can allow facilitators to introduce additional tools or means for trust building, before trust has disintegrated. This may be particularly important for new venture teams with limited entrepreneurial experience, as they struggle to address many aspects of uncertainty. For educators, team norms documents can be useful tools to identify potentially dysfunctional team dynamics and design more effective interventions. High control teams could be identified and investigated to determine why they prefer control, to understand the role of control in the teamwork, and to develop strategies for building trust. Norms can also be used as a tool to track a team's development and gauge whether interventions make a difference over time. There is also potential for peer-to-peer learning between teams with higher trust and those with limited trust, with the aim that they may learn from one another.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Effective internal dynamics of new venture teams is seen as a key contributor to venture success. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ways in which new venture teams consisting of nascent entrepreneurs initiate trust and control during venture emergence.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Dimensions of trust and control are developed into an analytical framework applied to documented team norms. Coding detects frequency of trust and control dimensions. Supplementary data triangulate findings and explore follow-on effects in team dynamics and venture emergence.\nFindings: Frequency of coded dimensions generates a venture team profile. Teams prime their dynamics through use of trust and/or control language in documented norms. Priming is seen to influence entrepreneurial perseverance during venture emergence, stemming either directly from team dynamics, or indirectly from key shareholder relationships or environmental conditions.\nResearch limitations/implications: Data are bounded to a specific contextual setting representing incubation and education, where the nascent entrepreneurs are simultaneously students. The complexity of venture emergence means that multiple factors influencing new venture teams may influence trust and control in ways currently unaccounted for.\nPractical implications: Exploration of trust and control during venture emergence emphasizes soft-skills critical to entrepreneurial perseverance and venture success. Team norms can be designed to prime toward trust or control, and can be indicative of teams' sensitivity to external factors, enabling evidence for intervention.\nOriginality/value: The paper illustrates ways in which trust and control influence team dynamics during venture emergence.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Strategic management cultures: historical connections with science
|
[
"Strategy",
"Culture",
"Strategic management",
"Complexity",
"Business studies",
"Classical science",
"Reductionism"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The scientific revolution changed the world in an unprecedented manner. The period from Copernicus and the subsequent astronomy revolution (Asimov, 1966) to the remarkable achievements of Newton and his Principia marked an era roughly encapsulated between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries that can hardly be compared to any other (Gribbin, 2003; Hatch, 1989). The scientific revolution symbolized a rupture with the intellectual subordination to the church (Boisot and McKelvey, 2010; Thagard, 2010) and the ancient knowledge of the Greek and the Roman cultures (Gribbin, 2003). The consequences of the scientific revolution are manifold. However, its philosophy of science and method are among the most ubiquitous (Gribbin, 2003; McMillan, 2004).\nClassical science: First, let us explore why and how classical science came to be such a success, so that an adequate understanding of its legacy to economics, business studies and particularly strategic management can be produced.\nFrom classical science to strategic management: Let us now look at strategic management, and illustrate its connection with classical science. The history of the strategic management discipline is intricate. The concept of strategy comes from ancient Greek, Chinese and European backgrounds (Thomas et al., 2013). Tzu's (2000) The Art of War, presumably dating from 500 BCE, evidences some of the historical origins of the concept, as Machiavelli's (1515) The Prince among others (e.g. Clausewitz) do too. Thus, strategy is largely a military and/or political concept, which did not see its incursion into management until the twentieth century. Allegedly, one could point to von Neumann's revolutionary work on game theory, first published in the late 1920s followed by his and Morgenstern's book in 1944 (Nowak, 2012), as introducing competitive - strategic - thinking to social forms of organization. Moreover, the thrust for strategic thinking was largely fueled by practitioners too, given the novel challenges they were facing as organizations and markets expanded. An example of the latter would be the popular spreading of the multidivisional organizational structure, best known as the M-form (Miles and Snow, 1984). Academically, before and certainly by the 1950s, there were traces of strategic management already, especially encapsulated back then in the related concept and discipline of business policy, which \"taught students to question whether a firm's strategy matched its competitive environment\" (Ghemawat, 2002, p. 40). The 1950s and 1960s saw the emergence of some of the first books relating explicitly or implicitly to strategic management, for example, Penrose's (1959) The Theory of the Growth of the Firm or Ansoff's (1965) Corporate Strategy. However, Freedman (2013, p. 496) in his monumental history of strategy acknowledges Chandler's (1962) Strategy and Structure as the cornerstone in bringing strategy into management: \"it was Chandler who gave the concept of strategy prominence in a business setting\".\nBeyond classical science in strategic management?: Given the difference in types of phenomena, it is not only the methodologies of classical science that might need to be rejected but also its overall culture based on prediction, control, reductionism and immutable lawlike causal claims (Allen and Boulton, 2011; Marion and Uhl-Bien, 2001; McMillan, 2004). The question has, thus, existed for many researchers in the past and currently, on how should strategic management be re-conceptualized. How could a new culture emerge in strategic management which detaches itself from classical science? Unfortunately, there are not definitive answers. While some continue emphasizing the positivist strategy culture, others have kept arguing for interpretive strategic management, yet perhaps where better possibilities exist is in complexity.\nConclusion: In conclusion, the history of strategic management is messy and intricate. However, classical science's powerful influence on strategic management's positivist and interpretive cultures seems to have guided the discipline for a long time now. The influence of classical science on strategic management seems to be paradoxical, as it has emerged or is illustrated in even contrasting epistemologies, including the positivist and the interpretive traditions of strategic management. Due to classical science's influence on strategic management, lawlike parsimonious reductive theories have been constantly looked for by both the positivist and interpretive strategy cultures. Sometimes, this has derived in an effort to fully describe, predict and/or prescribe our phenomena of interest. However, limitations have been identified within both the positivist and interpretive cultures of strategic management, which might be related to their embracing of classical science. In looking for alternatives, it appears that the alternative ironically comes again from science, as their complexity theory appears to be slowly developing a different culture within strategic management. As in many other disciplines where complexity has been applied, in strategic management too, \"overall impact and importance of theories based on chaos and complexity is still uncertain\" (Bryant, 2007, p. 130). Yet, in principle, the emerging complexity culture in strategic management seems to start defying reductionism and other limitations of the positivist and interpretive cultures and their underpinning classical science ethos. Nonetheless, complexity remains a younger alternative in which much more work is needed. More importantly, it seems evident that the key step of losing \"the nostalgia for the lost [classical science] narrative\" is still to be taken (Lyotard, 1979, p. 41).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The implicit and indirect influence of classical science on strategic management has been of utmost importance in the development of the discipline. Classical science has underpinned the main and even contrasting strategic management cultures. Classical science has undoubtedly allowed strategic management to thrive. Nevertheless, important limitations, roadblocks and challenges have also been produced. This paper aims to explore the influence of classical science on the main positivist and interpretive strategic management cultures.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A conceptual review is done on the influence of classical science on positivist and interpretivist traditions in strategic management.\nFindings: The benefits and shortcomings of classical science in strategic management are explored and presented. Furthermore, the convoluted implicit relationship between strategic management and science is shown to be changing but persisting, as to face some of the challenges of the classical science culture of strategic management, a complexity culture, also inspired partially on science, seems to be developing in strategic management. Complexity seems to be emerging as an alternative, which might allow strategic management to solve some of its current dilemmas and, thus, change its implicit relationship with science.\nOriginality/value: The paper presents a novel way to conceptualize historical cultures of strategic management via their connection with academic cultures that have historically emerged from science. Through the analysis here done, a possible candidate for a Kuhninan normal strategic management and its potential revolution will be suggested, based on the recognition of the inheritance of classical science and currently complexity theory in strategic management.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Through the pyramid: implications of interconnectedness in Africa
|
[
"Social networks",
"Bottom of the pyramid",
"Emerging markets",
"Insurance",
"Low-income",
"Middle income"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Since Prahalad (Prahalad and Hammond, 2002) brought the potential of the world's poor as a market to prominence, a strong research stream has emerged. The term \"bottom of the pyramid\" (BoP) has entered into our lexicons and denotes low-income consumers across various settings, such as rural versus urban poor (Kolk et al., 2014). Nevertheless, most, if not all, of these studies view low-income consumers as separate from the rest of social strata, designing marketing solutions for them alone (London et al., 2014) and barely looking at their connections to other societal strata.\nLiterature review: The income pyramid\nMethod: Context of financial services\nResults: There were 389 respondents who met the income and product use criteria. Ninety-five percent of these participants were over the age of 30, 66 per cent were male, and 49 per cent earned in the top bracket of over ZAR50,000 per month, which was US$5,549.78 (US$184 a day) at the time of the study. Middle income has had various definitions in literature, but when viewing qualification on income terms, respondents need to be in the second to fourth quintile of the income distribution or have an annual income above US$3,900 in purchasing power parity terms (Chikweche and Fletcher, 2014). Therefore, the respondents qualify as being middle income. Just over half of the participants (53.4 per cent) reported that they financially supported family members who did not live with them. Employment of a domestic worker was high at 91 per cent, and 44.5 per cent of these had over five years' tenure.\nDiscussion: This research paper found that the new middle class were willing, across all conditions, to add less advantaged others to their insurance premiums. Such a finding reinforces that EMs are made up of interconnected individuals who support each other in times of loss (Lemay-Boucher, 2012) and extends this to demonstrate that these people span different middle- and low-income levels. Nevertheless, the effect was most pronounced for black respondents (3.158 times more likely to pay than Caucasians), thus stronger ties appear to exist for the newly middle class as they span both bonding and bridging networks. This study has contributed to the consumer behavior and marketing literature by demonstrating that the pyramid in Africa is not a layer cake of unconnected strata, but a web of relationships that function as assets and realize economic gains and support for the less well-off. Such a conceptualization can be used to build products and services for the poor, but is targeted at the middle class, as seen in the insurance example. Service provision for the poor via other groups could solve social issues through innovations (Varadarajan and Kaul, 2018). Such an approach could lead to profitable product development and social welfare, as was Prahalad and Hammond's (2002) original aim.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Many markets are conceptualized as a stratified low- and middle-income \"pyramid\" of consumers. Emerging markets are sites of rapid consumer mobility, and thus the middle class there is connected to, and often supports, low-income relatives and employees. Therefore, this paper aims to establish that African income groups are not insular, but rather interrelated and have strong social ties reinforced with longstanding communal values, such as ubuntu.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using a between-subjects experimental vignette design, the propensity of the middle class to cover low-income individuals on an insurance product was assessed.\nFindings: Income strata are interrelated and can inform value propositions, which is demonstrated in this paper with insurance, where the middle class are willing to include others, depending on their social proximity, on their insurance cover.\nResearch limitations/implications: The context for this study was personal home insurance; hence, the generalisability of the results is circumscribed. Other more tangible forms of cover, such as medical, funeral or educational insurance, may engender far stronger effects.\nPractical implications: Marketers tend to view low- and middle-income consumers as independent. A view of their interrelation will change the design of many products and services, such as a service catered to the poor but targeted at their support networks. An example of such a service is insurance, which is traditionally hard to sell to the poor. A less atomistic approach to income strata could have implications for vicarious consumption, as well as a reconsideration of the disposable income of both groups.\nOriginality/value: The pyramid is an interconnected network of social and economic ties.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Mood regulation, customer participation, and customer value creation in hospitality services
|
[
"Relational value",
"Customer participation",
"Economic value",
"Mood regulatory"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In service-related industries such as hospitality, the interaction between frontline employees and customers plays a vital role in the service encounter. Thus, customer participation is expected to influence the value customers get from the hospitality service and experience. Empirical research generally supports this view and finds that customers act as \"part-time employees\" of firms (Schneider and Bowen, 1995), actively collaborate with service personnel (Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004) and that such customers help secure long-term success for service firms (Bendapudi and Leone, 2003). As a result of increased participation, the boundaries between firm and customer become increasingly blurred (Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004), and close interactions make the customer an important resource of the firm (O'Cass and Sok, 2015). This new perspective on the exchange process and the customer's role in it - also known as value co-creation - is the key element of the service-dominant logic (SDL) (Chathoth et al., 2016).\nResearch background and hypotheses development: Customer participation\nMethod: Data collection and measures\nResults: We used partial least squares estimation (PLS) to examine our research model. PLS is appropriate to develop theories in exploratory research by concentrating on clarifying the variance in the dependent variables when investigating the model (Hair et al., 2017). A variance-based method such as PLS is preferable to covariance-based methods, as it is more suitable for the early stage of theory building and adding new scale(s) that previously have received little attention (Wells et al., 2016; Hair et al., 2017). PLS uses a bootstrapping approach to test the constancy of estimates. SmartPLS 3.0 software was used to test hypotheses (Ringle et al., 2014). The non-parametric bootstrapping technique was tested with 419 cases, 5,000 sub-samples (Hair et al., 2017).\nDiscussion and implications: Discussion\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Customers play a key role in value creation. Not surprisingly, research has investigated customers' motivations to engage in the creation of value. Thus, this study aims to assess the link between mood-regulatory processes and customer participation in value creation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study develops a model that relates mood-regulatory processes to customer participation and customer value creation, and tests it with a sample of 419 hotel customers, using partial least squares estimation.\nFindings: It is found that mood clarity relates directly with customer relational value; mood monitoring relates directly with customer participation as well as directly and indirectly with customer economic and relational value; and mood repair relates directly with customer participation and customer economic value, as well as indirectly with customer economic and relational value.\nResearch limitations/implications: This is a cross-sectional study limited only to hotels in Iran. This is the first study to evaluate the relationship between mood regulation with customer participation and value creation. Hospitality service organizations interested in promoting customer participation may consider mood as a segmentation criterion.\nOriginality/value: Value creation theory was applied to identify the relationship among customer mood regulation, participation, economic value and relational value, as it is first attempted in the hospitality studies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Perspectives on "other" customers' roles in citizenship behaviour
|
[
"Trustworthiness",
"Expertise",
"Perceived usefulness",
"Customer citizenship behaviour",
"Source credibility"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Customer citizenship behaviour, commonly referred to as the voluntary behaviour of customers for which no remuneration is provided (Groth, 2005; Gruen, 1995), is receiving more attention in service marketing research (Curth et al., 2014; Kim and Choi, 2016; Nguyen et al., 2014; Shamim et al., 2015), owing to its potential to advance a firm's competitive position (Tung et al., 2017). Customers' suggestions for improvement, their willingness to help other customers with a service, and positive recommendations could assist in enhancing the service experience at no additional cost. Hence, extant research has focused on gaining insight into the factors contributing towards customer citizenship behaviour and the importance of organisations and their relationship marketing practices in motivating customers to perform citizenship behaviours (Anaza, 2014; Nguyen et al., 2014; Zhu et al., 2016; Cheng et al., 2016). Among the studies conducted, another research stream has also emerged, proclaiming that other customers may influence customer citizenship behaviour (Curth et al., 2014; Rosenbaum and Massiah, 2007). This perspective, however, has not been extensively explored and requires more consideration.\n2. Theoretical framework: 2.1 The South African banking industry in perspective\n3. Research methodology: 3.1 Design, target population and sample\n4. Results and findings: 4.1 Demographic profile\n5. Research implications, limitations and directions for further research: 5.1 Theoretical implications\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of source credibility (expertise and trustworthiness) on perceived value (perceived usefulness (PU)), as well as the latter's impact on sub-dimensions of customer citizenship behaviour (helping and advocacy intentions (AIs)) in an electronic banking services setting.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In total, 439 respondents who use at least one form of electronic banking service and who have previously received positive messages about electronic banking services from other customers were approached to complete a self-administered structured questionnaire.\nFindings: Source credibility dimensions have a positive and significant relationship with PU. PU in turn has a positive and significant relationship with helping intentions and AIs as forms of customer citizenship.\nResearch limitations/implications: The findings advance understanding of the extent to which customers rely on the perceptions of other customers in determining the usefulness of a service as well as their willingness to advocate the benefits of the service and help other customers.\nPractical implications: The findings may guide retail banks in obtaining a greater understanding of the customer citizenship behaviour process and the extent to which banks can rely on customers to convince other customers of the benefits of electronic banking services.\nOriginality/value: This study offers insight into the antecedents of the advocacy and helping intentions sub-dimensions of customer citizenship behaviour. It also explains how value between customers can be created by considering the elaboration likelihood model and social exchange theories, and customer citizenship behaviour.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Engaging China: strategies for the small internationalizing firm
|
[
"China",
"Small to medium‐sized enterprises",
"Management strategy",
"International investments"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nForeign investments in China: large or small?: Despite concerns of an over-heating economy, increasing operational costs, dominance in important world markets, and widening income gaps within China, the Chinese economy continues to grow relentlessly. In 2007, China's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by more than 10 percent - again. The continuing expansion is due in large part also to its international economic relations. China's foreign trade volume surpassed US$1.1 trillion in 2004, replacing Japan as the third largest trading nation after the USA and Germany. In 2003, China overtook the USA as the most popular destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), with inflows of $53 billion. In 2006, FDI inflow increased further to US$70 billion. There are more than half a million foreign enterprises active in China. The US-China Business Council (n.d.) reports indicate that since 1990 foreign multinationals like P&G, YUM!, AIG, Alcatel, Carrefour, Motorola, Nestle, Siemens, and Volkswagen are generating higher profits from their China ventures.It is not surprising then that companies from around the globe - big and small - are considering China ventures seriously. However, the chances of making mistakes and failing in China are daunting. Cases of messy joint ventures, negotiations that have gone bad, fierce price competition, intellectual property rights (IPR) problems and betrayals, or market promises that never existed are also part of the business reality in China.Nevertheless, after 30 years of reforms, the Chinese economy is fast approaching normalcy. Membership in the WTO, the presence and influence of many multinationals, as well as many important reforms and adjustments in the legal system, have made China much more predictable today than in the past. Mechem in 2004 claimed that predictability, more than anything else, has made it possible for even smaller firms to consider their China dream (Mechem, 2004).While literature on the internationalization of small firms has proliferated, most research on how to do business in China tends to be biased towards larger multinationals. This is perhaps due to the attention that these multinationals receive in the media or simply because 400 of the Fortune 500 companies are already in China. The result of this is a lack of attention in the literature regarding the specific situation of smaller firms. Consider the data in Table I. The average value of projects contracted in 2003 is a mere US$1.3 million. The average size of investment is not much different between a joint venture and a wholly owned enterprise. With more than 40,000 relatively small projects, one could imagine that most projects involve relatively small firms.This suggests that there is a problem: Most of the firms and/or investments entering the Chinese market are, in fact, small. On the other hand, many proposed strategies for doing business in China are derived from studying multinationals. For instance, Wong and Maher's (1997) study that appeared in the Business Horizons in 1997 was based on two major US multinationals. Reports on doing business in China by consultancy firms like McKinsey (see for example, Woetzel (2004) and Chen and Penhirin (2004)) are based on fast-moving consumer goods giants like Procter and Gamble. Although many of these strategies may be workable for companies whatever their size, smaller firms are different in terms of availability of resources, capabilities and core competencies, as well as how they are perceived by the Chinese market and authorities.In this paper, we focus on those smaller firms planning to expand their operations to China, either for trade or for investment purposes. The definition of small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) varies across countries. In the European Uniion (EU), SMEs are those firms with fewer than 250 employees, but in the USA these include firms with fewer than 500 employees. On the other hand, Waste Management New Zealand - a company listed among the top 200 New Zealand firms - employs only 870 employees and contractors. Given these variations, for the current study, we define small firms as those that do not have strong core competencies embedded in technology, marketing networks or brand names; and those firms that have limited accessibility to resources, be they financial or managerial. In this study, we identify some core strategies and mindsets that are required by such firms for successful engagements in China.\nThe study: The small internationalizing firm\nStrategies for success in China: Manager characteristics and vision\nConclusion: China's economic growth continues to mesmerize international firms the world over. Unabated GDP growth has surpassed 9 percent for nine consecutive quarters since the end of 2003. In the first three quarters of 2005, exports grew 31.3 percent despite a revaluation of the renminbi. No doubt, an increasingly affluent market and a perceived abundance of natural and human resources continue to attract firms into China. Today, no firm can truly claim to be international if it does not have some form of Chinese connection. We do not aver that China is a bed of roses. Even after 27 years of economic reforms, a weak rule of law and corruption continue to be major issues, as attested by Ahlstrom et al. (2002) Perhaps it is due to, rather than despite of, poor governance in China that direct investment is more popular than other forms of investment, e.g. portfolio investment. Li in 2005 explained that direct engagement with China is necessary although it seems more \"time consuming, complicated and illiquid, thus exposing investors to greater risks\" (Li, 2005).The purpose of this paper is to equip managers with several strategic mindsets that would strengthen their respective core competency. Our main focus is on SIFs, multinationals that are small by global standards with limited access to resources and core competencies, particularly those originating from small countries. We believe that these firms need to have strategies that may be different from their larger counterparts, due to their size, capabilities and core competencies.Our findings, based on both the questionnaires and the focus group discussions, reveal three inter-related dimensions that characterize successful SIFs. These dimensions are visualized in Figure 5. At the heart of success - and also of failure - of SIFs in China lies a human factor embedded in the respective business leader, regardless of whether this leader is on the ground in China or primarily located overseas. More specifically, the core competency of the management of an SIF lies with the interpersonal relational skills, the personality and the vision of the leader(s). The second dimension for success relates to the operational strategies of the business in terms of its market focus. Faced with such a large and complicated market, the chances of an SIF being engulfed by the market are high. This is particularly true if an SIF undertakes marketing strategies akin to those of larger multinationals. We find that focusing on niche markets through a B2B approach increases the rate of success. Finally, the third dimension refers to the environment in which the SIF, or for that matter all business in China, operates. Particularly for a small firm, the web of connections or guanxi, determines its survival in China. Our findings highlight two approaches towards building guanxi, namely by capitalizing on home government networks as well as through Chinese students studying abroad. The latter approach can be considered a specific factor that creates the equivalent of an overseas-Chinese network.China will continue to attract foreign firms both large and small and it is unlikely that the opening of markets will be scaled back. The mindsets and strategic moves proposed in our study are relevant for any company entering China. The point we wish to make is that these strategic mindsets are particularly crucial for SIFs as they can decrease the risks in the China engagement and increase success rates.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - To date, more than 400 of the Fortune 500 companies have already established their presence in China. Like their larger counterparts, smaller multinationals are also attracted by the huge potential market and cheap resources that China has to offer. Thus, the purpose of this paper to examine key strategies that small internationalizing firms (SIFs) need to focus on for a successful China engagement.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The findings of this study are based on a year-long research of New Zealand firms in China. The study involved a survey of senior managers of New Zealand companies at home as well as a focus group discussion among executives in China.\nFindings: - The study identifies three dimensions of strategy that SIFs need to pay particular attention - the attributes of the China bound manager, the business focus of the enterprise, and the guanxi building capabilities.\nOriginality/value: - This paper is based on the premise that the SIF cannot mirror the exact strategies of larger multinationals. Previous literature tends not to distinguish the size of the firm when discussing the China engagement. The paper emphasizes a carefully designed effort to choose the right general to lead the assault on the world's largest market.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A study of Chinese quality circle effectiveness
|
[
"Project management",
"Continuous improvement",
"Quality circles",
"Quality systems",
"Social and technical system outcomes"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Past studies have noted the important role of both product quality and operation efficiency in an organization's performance and, ultimately, in determining market success (Crosby, 1986; Deming, 1986; Juran, 1992; Kumar et al., 2008). The application of quality circles (QCs) has been shown to help organizations address quality-related, lead-time related, and cost-related problems. QC members work to solve problems by applying a systematic method and a standardized set of tools, including PDCA, fishbone diagrams, Pareto analysis, etc. The advantages of QCs are not limited to improving an organization's technical performance - QCs also help train employees, allow employees to achieve higher performance levels and enhance employee attitudes, and can improve employee loyalty to a company. QCs can also create a harmonious working environment and improve communications between workers and managers. As a result of these benefits, QCs have been implemented in a wide range of organizations.\n2 Literature review: Research interest in QCs began in the 1980s. Previous studies on QCs have confirmed that QCs are a complex organizational phenomenon. In addition, previous researchers have shown that QCs have the potential to impact both technical and social system outcomes. QCs have been shown to generate positive technical outcomes, such as higher productivity, lower costs, and improved product quality. The role of QCs in producing improved social system outcomes has also been documented, although to a lesser extent. Dale and Lees (1985) pointed out that companies initiating QCs as part of a program of employee development and participation, rather than for cost saving reasons, were more likely to continue successful QC programs. Previous research has shown that QC members express higher levels of job satisfaction (Steel et al., 1985; Marks et al., 1986; Griffin, 1988; Harman et al., 2002; Pereira and Osburn, 2007) and are less likely to quit than non-members (Marks et al., 1986; Griffin, 1988; Pereira and Osburn, 2007). In addition, QC members are more responsible (Marks et al., 1986; Harman et al., 2002) and, compared to non-members, are more committed to the organization (Steel et al., 1985; Griffin, 1988; Harman et al., 2002; Pereira and Osburn, 2007).\n3 Hypotheses development: Due to the large number of potential success factors identified in the QC literature, as well as project management literature, the specification of a subset of the best QC success factors to include in this study was a difficult task. Results from a multi-site, cross-sectional field study of six manufacturing organizations conducted by Farris et al. (2009) was used to inform the selection of success factors to include in this study. The results from Farris et al. indicated that internal processes, goal clarity, and management support were significant predictors of either social or technical system improvements resulting from the application of Kaizen events, which are another often utilized continuous improvement mechanism in manufacturing organizations. Based on the literature, goal clarity was defined as the clearness of the QC objective(s) provided to the QC team. Goal difficulty was defined as QC team's perception of the complexity of the goals established and pursued by the QC team. Management support was defined to reflect the level of support given to QC teams and QC activities from managers and leaders in the host organization.\n4 Methodology: The details of the study design are described next. First, the organization in which the QC teams and QC team members were studied is described. Second, details related to the development of the survey instrument used for data collection are provided. Third, the details of the survey administration process are summarized. Fourth, the data screening and processing used for structuring the data to support research hypotheses testing are described.\n5 Results: The primary purpose of this study was to identify the independent variables that are best able to explain the variation in each dependent variable or outcome. Additionally, all three independent variables included in this study were reported to jointly explain a significant portion of the observed variation in similar outcomes in a previous study of a different type of process improvement team, i.e. Farris et al. (2009). Given these two factors, it was important to preserve strong evidence that individual input factors included in the final model were significant. Thus, the linear regression models were built for each outcome using a backward elimination procedure rather than stepwise or forward selection, which fail to identify variables based on joint predictive capability. As the interest in this study was to determine which QC success factors contribute to variation in outcomes between QC teams. The value of adjusted-R2 is one measure that is effective in identifying the subset of independent variables that should be included in a model. A summary of the results from the linear regression model building is shown in Tables VIII and IX.\n6 Findings and discussion: Variables influencing QC team understanding of continuous improvement\n7 Conclusions: This study showed that goal clarity is critical to QC success from both a technical and social system outcome perspectives. Clear goals motivate Chinese QC teams and improve QC members' attitudes towards work processes. In addition, clear goals lead to increased levels of understanding of the value of continuous improvement. Finally, it is more likely that an organization will achieve successful technical results if clear goals are shared by the entire team.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand and measure the impact of goal clarity, goal difficulty, and management support on five social and technical outcomes for quality circles (QCs) in a Chinese company.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Survey scales were developed based on previous research and validated using principal component analysis. Analysis of variance confirmed the validity of aggregating individual responses to team-level measures. Models for five outcomes (team member understanding of continuous improvement, team member skills, team member attitudes, team member motivation, and technical success) were developed using multiple regressions.\nFindings: Goal clarity was found to impact all outcomes. Goal difficulty was found to impact QC team member attitudes. Management support was related to employee's understanding of the value of continuous improvement and to the technical success of QC activities.\nResearch limitations/implications: All the QCs included in the study were part of a single manufacturing organization. To generalize the findings, data from additional companies are needed.\nPractical implications: The results imply that management support is critical to improvement of processes. Even if employees wish to learn new skills, employee's efforts need to be directed, so they are closely aligned with the company's goals and objectives.\nOriginality/value: This appears to be the first published research study to identify the role of goal clarity, goal difficulty, and management support on both social and technical systems outcomes for Chinese QCs. The findings highlight the value of and need for clearly defined, challenging goals for QC members work on and the need for management support of QC members and QC activities.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Project and processes: a convenient but simplistic dichotomy
|
[
"Complexity",
"Learning",
"Flexibility",
"Project management",
"Process design",
"Operations management",
"Process management",
"Complex processes"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: A process can be most simply defined as a system (Pall, 1999) for transforming inputs into outputs in order to produce an outcome for a client. A project, on the other hand, is a temporary and complex endeavor in which one engages to produce a specified outcome. That said, the key differences between the two appear to be the temporary vs ongoing nature of the undertaking, the complexity and the unique nature of a project's outcome. We can easily think of personal activities that can be categorized as either a process or a project; for example, learning to ride a bicycle is a unique endeavor (a project) while brushing one's teeth is a repetitive activity (a process). However, what about organizing Jenny's birthday party? Planning next year's vacation? Repainting the balcony? Buying a new house? Labeling these activities correctly requires considering the frequency with which they are likely to occur, and the degree of commonality between successive instantiations.\n2. What are the issues?: To clarify the underlying management issues, we begin by presenting a brief summary of PcM and PjM. This sets the stage for a metaphor that brings out what is at stake using a practical, well-known historical setting.\n3. Comparing process and project: In this section, we present the typologies, capabilities, structure and tools used and prescribed by PcM and PjM, respectively. This is followed by a summary comparison of what gets published in the flagship journals of each discipline. On that basis, we then discuss the parallel evolution of PcM and PjM and propose a clarification and reframing of the concepts under discussion as well as a simple classification scheme.\n4. Discussion: We begin this discussion section by examining the link between how an activity is framed and an organization's ability to learn. We then revisit the initial discussion of typology, exploring the idea of a continuum rather than a dichotomy and conclude with a brief discussion of flexibility and complex processes.\n5. Revisiting the social construct of projects and processes: In this section, we address our research questions and propose different definitions that do away with, or at least reduce, the existing confusion and lay the groundwork for the elaboration of an integrated theory of \"endeavor management,\" for lack of a more neutral term. We then propose a set of operational classification criteria to serve as a typology for the field.\n6. Conclusion: The PjM community is fluent in processes, that is, above projects, in the realms of the PjM process, and below it, as it aims to activate and manage routine processes. All too often, however, it is blind to the notion that what it conceives of and manages as unique events with a strict focus on deliverables could itself be reframed as processes and thus managed with a CI frame of mind.\n7. Implications for teaching: When teaching undergraduate students, instructors should beware that taking a simplistic or dogmatic position, such as the ones discussed in the introductory paragraph of this paper, will deprive the students of some important management lessons. The existence of an important gray area (cf. \"zone of choice\" in Figure 3) in which one may choose to characterize an endeavor either as a project or a process, together with the consequences of this choice, needs to be brought out. Figure 4 is quite accessible to the students of this level and offers a good starting point for class discussion of the underlying issues. We found that using personal examples, metaphors and illustrations drawn from the public domain are engaging and an effective way to lead into business applications. Table III might well provide a natural transition toward this end.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore commonalities and differences between projects and processes, and between project management (PjM) and process management (PcM), with a view to challenge this dichotomic typology, clarify the gray areas in between and propose better ways to classify and manage different endeavors.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research compares different tools and techniques used in both fields, explores the respective literatures and uses various examples to bring out similarities and differences.\nFindings: The current paradigms engender a number of organizational endeavors, which are actually complex processes being managed as projects, using the PjM body of knowledge. Because each instantiation takes a somewhat different form, it is treated as a one-of-a-kind undertaking; whereby many of the opportunities for learning and continuous improvement associated with PcM are lost. A reframing and typology is proposed to clarify the central notions involved.\nResearch limitations/implications: The proposed model has not been tested empirically and the authors could not agree on all aspects of the paper, though existing differences are more about degrees, nuances and wording than about the basic findings of the paper.\nPractical implications: The research makes the case that two research and practice communities that are evolving independently have much to gain by adopting a unified model and integrating their respective bodies of knowledge. Practitioners would thus access resources that are better adapted to the management challenges they are facing and gain a sustainable source of strategic advantage.\nOriginality/value: The paper challenges long-established paradigms between two distinct research streams. A new typology and classification criteria are proposed.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Were the Chinese reforms a feasible alternative for transition economies?
|
[
"China",
"Transition management",
"Political systems"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: It has been widely accepted that the Chinese reforms have been successful. Consequently, the experiences and outcomes of the various transition economies, which implemented different strategies, are baffling. Why is it that shock therapy, which dismantled an inefficient economic structure in one shot, resulted in a large decline in economic growth in Central Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (CEEFSU), while in China, which initially preserved the inefficient planning system, a substantial increase in output was and is the end result?Nevertheless, whether China's reforms and successes could have been replicated to other transition economies was hotly debated. McKinnon (1993b), McMillan and Naughton (1992) and Blackburn (1991) argued that China's success demonstrated the superiority of an evolutionary, experimental and bottom-up reform over the comprehensive and top-down shock therapy approach. Not surprisingly, a number of Russians expressed interest in experimenting with the Chinese model (Johnson, 1994, p. 66). Woo (1994), Sachs and Woo (1994), Qian and Xu (1993), Lin et al. (1996, p. 201), Gordon (1992, p. 54), Li (1999, p. 133) and Johnson (1994, p. 67) argued that the success of the Chinese reforms was due to neither gradualism nor to experimentation but, rather, to China's unique initial conditions. It was argued that the Chinese reforms did not have any implications for other transition economies that faced different initial conditions. Thus \"the recommendation that Russia should take the same path as China amounts to telling apples to be pears\" (Aslund, 1993, p. 99). Nevertheless, the economic problems in pre-reform China were common to all centrally administered economies and so the Chinese model of transition could had held some interest to CEEFSU, if the Chinese transition process had resulted in the establishment of a market capitalist system. The transition economies of CEEFSU were not interested in adopting a market socialist model, even if it was Chinese-style. Actually, this appears to be true. The dynamic process of reform in China reveals the unfolding of market capitalism, not market socialism. It is in this context that an investigation of the applicability of the Chinese process of reform as an alternative model of transition can take place.In order to better understand the Chinese model of transition and to determine whether it was appropriate for the transition economies, an exposition is required of the Chinese reforms with regard to: price liberalisation-stabilisation; privatisation; institutions; monetary policy and the financial system; fiscal policy; international trade and social policy. It is important to note that the Chinese experience as a model of transition could only had been relevant during the transition decade of the 1990s and such the knowledge and sources of the Chinese transition is restricted during the same time framework. In the following, I analyse the Chinese reforms of transition.\n2 The Chinese process of reform: 2.1 Price liberalisation-stabilisation\n3 Conclusion: were the Chinese transition reforms a feasible alternative for CEEFSU?: China has been successful in stimulating economic growth, achieving an economic development process that has taken several decades in industrial countries. The policies chosen were the result of complex historical factors, leading to fundamentally different approaches and outcomes than those attained in CEEFSU. However, many problems continue to exist in the transition to a market economy in China. Importantly, there are areas of poverty as a result of significant regional disparities and, at the same time crime, corruption, bribery and extortion. Administrative interference, price manipulation, inefficient state-owned enterprises, and attempts to monopolise production and trade at the local level, all underscore the need for checks and balances for an effective market economy. The majority of the literature, of course, recommends the initiation of reforms aimed at establishing a full market capitalist system.China's market-oriented reform appears to have become irreversible. At the same time, China today stands on the brink, facing fundamental choices as to the direction the country should take. Actually, the name of the system may have had little effect on its actual practices. The balancing act of the Chinese leadership between the revolutionary socialism implemented by Mao Zedong, emphasising public ownership and welfare, mass-based collectivism and egalitarianism, and the market reforms of Deng Xiaoping, with their increasingly capitalistic characteristics, privatised forms of property and class polarisation, have now reached a level of contradiction that must be resolved. Indeed, the analysis of China's reforms, in this paper, reveals that the dynamic process of change tilts towards market capitalism.While the Chinese model has produced rapid economic growth, the system has come to look more and more like capitalism with Chinese characteristics, instead of socialism with Chinese features (Weil, 1996, p. 229). Ironically, despite its retention of socialist language and even Communist rule, building capitalism around the edges of a still-functioning state socialist system has proved to be a more viable path to capitalism than the processes adopted in CEEFSU. Consequently, since the Chinese process of transition to a market economy most likely would evolve into a market capitalist system, then the process becomes relevant as an alternative strategy for CEEFSU. The transition economies were not interested in a market socialist model of transition. However, the analysis of the Chinese reforms does not lead logically to the easy conclusion that CEEFSU should have followed the Chinese.The transition process in China has maintained political-ideological authoritarianism and state control of the whole economy. Non-pluralism was not only a characteristic of the political and ideological structure, but was also manifested in the macro economy. Per se non-pluralism is the foundation of the political-ideological-economic structure, based on which the transition process is unfolding in China. Subsequently, the maintenance of non-pluralism as a strategy incorporated in the transition process renders the Chinese model undesirable for CEEFSU. To a certain extent, the whole sequencing debate was irrelevant. Most states have little choice in the road they take. \"Political outcomes are far from a matter of choice by governments\" (Nolan, 1995, p. 156). Gorbachev attempted to begin the Soviet reforms with economic change, only to be stifled by entrenched bureaucratic and industrial interests. Without glasnost, without political reform, there would have been little chance for economic change (Johnson, 1994, p. 64). Gorbachev's own visit to China during the Tiananmen demonstration must have strongly reinforced his feeling that the Chinese reforms could not be a feasible route for the Soviet Union (Nolan, 1995, p. 251). Who would like to recommend to CEEFSU trading democracy for growth? Stalinism was externally imposed on Eastern Europe, and it was very difficult to imagine a Communist Party government retaining legitimacy through the transition process. Moreover, the transformation in the Soviet Union was taking place against the backdrop of revolution in Eastern Europe in 1989. This was itself a direct consequence of perestroika and glasnost. The unleashing of perestroika and glasnost in the USSR had produced a similar impact on social consciousness in Eastern Europe. The mass demands for democracy and independence from an artificial unification of historically independent states was unleashed with the introduction of perestroika and glasnost in the Soviet Union and with it the propensity for the respective countries to split into separate political units. When Gorbachev made it clear that the Soviet Union would not intervene, as it had done in 1968, one by one the Communist-led governments in Eastern Europe started to collapse. Hence the success of the Chinese economic reforms was fundamentally based on a non-pluralistic economic-political-ideological structure, which effectively made the process inapplicable to CEEFSU. Therefore, it was not the \"special initial conditions\" of China that made the model inappropriate but, rather, the switch to a democratic political-ideological-economic structure in transition economies. The governments of transition economies neither had the mandate, nor wanted to reimpose tight state direction of the politics, ideology and economy.As it becomes apparent from the aforementioned analysis, there may be no Chinese model of development which could have provided the CEEFSU countries with a well sign posted alternative fitting their circumstances in the first half of the 1990s. The Chinese were \"improvising\" as they went along, and what is now viewed by some as a calculated strategy of gradualism, did not offer CEEFSU countries, a recipe for transition. At the end, it appears that the strategy was only rendered workable in China because the Communist Party was able to retain tight control over the state and was not being buffeted by political forces, a precarious economic situation, and confusing advice from foreign sources into taking radical measures.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - To examine China's reforms and successes could have been replicated to other transition economies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The applicability of the Chinese process as an alternative for transition economies involves an analysis of the necessary reforms regarding price liberalisation-stabilisation; privatisation; institutions; monetary policy and the financial system; fiscal policy; international trade and foreign aid and social policy.\nFindings: - The transition process in China has maintained political-ideological authoritarianism and state control of the whole economy. Therefore, it was not the \"special initial conditions\" of China that made the model inappropriate but, rather, the switch to a democratic political-ideological-economic structure in transition economies.\nOriginality/value: - The paper contributes to the transition literature by demonstrating that the strategy was only rendered workable in China, as the governments of transition economies neither had the mandate nor wanted to reimpose tight state direction of the politics, ideology and economy.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Virtual HRD and national culture: an information processing perspective
|
[
"System dynamics",
"Information processing",
"Cross-cultural studies",
"Causal loop diagrams",
"Virtual human resource development",
"Virtual worlds (VWs)"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Over the past decade, virtual worlds (VWs) have become increasingly popular, having various applications in many fields (Zhou et al., 2011), including human resource development (HRD) (Bennett and Bierema, 2011; Condic, 2009). By providing a virtual environment with three-dimensional (3D) capabilities, VWs enable multiple users to simultaneously access contents and collaborate in learning activities through their avatars (Li and D'Souza, 2011). VWs influence traditional educational activities and will become a future trend in e-learning (Firat and Firat, 2010).\nLiterature review: This section discusses the VHRD background, the cross-cultural adaptation and the information processing theory. Due to the complexity of cultural issues, a CLD is used to depict the phenomena of cultural information processing in virtual learning environments. In addition, the general system theory and system dynamics are also discussed in the literature review section.\nDiscussion: With the model presented in this study, it is proposed that cultural impacts on VHRD are considered. In this section, we discuss the characteristics of the model, the distribution of information processing in VHRD and the implications and limitations of the conceptual model.\nConclusion: Cultural impact is one of the most important factors influencing learning performance in a globalized learning environment, such as a VW. The cultural impact on information processing is highly complex - particularly in VHRD. Through a review of current literature, this study provides a conceptual model to describe and discuss the cultural impact on information processing in VHRD. Instructional designers or educators should understand the cultural impact on information processing in VHRD to offer suitable learning activities for learners, and thus learners can improve their learning performance. Literature has begun to reflect the concerns with cultural impact in VHRD; however, research is still in the early stages. This study proposes a conceptual model of information processing that includes the cultural impact. Future work based on this study will continue to test and improve the conceptual model.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide researchers with a better understanding of the cultural impact on information processing in virtual learning environment.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study uses a causal loop diagram to depict the cultural impact on information processing in the virtual human resource development (VHRD) learning platform. This study takes a theoretical approach and examines current literature pertaining to VHRDs, virtual worlds (VWs), system dynamics, causal loop diagrams (CLDs) and cross-cultural studies.\nFindings: This study provides a conceptual model to describe and discuss the cultural impact on information processing in VHRD.\nResearch limitations/implications: Literature has begun to reflect the concerns with cultural impact in VHRD; however, research is still in the beginning stages. This study proposes a conceptual model of information processing that includes the cultural impact. Future work based on this study will continue to test and improve the conceptual model.\nPractical implications: The conceptual model accounts for the complexities of the interaction between internal and external information processing systems. Instructional designers or educators can apply this conceptual model to understand the impact of culture on information process during training programs in the VHRD environment. With this model, they could provide an effective or efficient training programs for their trainees.\nSocial implications: The conceptual model adopts a systemic viewpoint to describe the cultural impact on VHRD. For future studies, researchers could adopt this conceptual model to further illustrate the association between understanding information processing and recognizing the cultural impact on information processing.\nOriginality/value: This study provided a framework for HRD researchers and practitioners to detect challenges and opportunities to work with cultural impact on information processing in VHRD. Instructional designers or educators could utilize this model to understand the process, and further offer an effective or efficient training programs for their trainees.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Macroeconomic impact on trade show goals
|
[
"Marketing strategy",
"International trade",
"Economic conditions",
"Marketing research",
"Trade shows"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Trade shows are recognized as an important part of a company's marketing budget, yet most literature focuses on the success measures of trade show attendance without assessing them in a dynamic setting. Namely, they do not take into consideration the macroeconomic environment's impact on trade show marketing (Srinivasan et al., 2005). This research studies the selling and non-selling goals of participants at an international (Mexico/USA) trade show over a period that encompasses the great recession and the post recovery period. Understanding the economy's effect on participant priorities is valuable to firms, because it provides critical information to implement strategic changes necessary to counter the actions of competitors.\nLiterature review: Macroeconomic environment\nMethod: The study is an empirical, quantitative examination of trade show participants' responses regarding their specific goals for involvement in an international trade show. The purpose is to gain insight into the impact of an economic recession and ensuing recovery on firm's trade show activities to better adjust marketing strategy.\nDiscussion: Contribution\nConclusions: This investigation studied participants at an international trade show during two different time periods that encompassed an economic recession and recovery. Most the hypotheses were significantly supported, specifically, those that are traditionally considered indirect selling goals. This demonstrates that companies change their trade show marketing tactics during different economic conditions. Although the idea that companies should engage in different tactics depending on economic conditions has been suggested, it had not been empirically tested at either a trade show or in international setting. This research disconfirms a previous factor model of selling and non-selling measures and suggests an alternate factor model, and a new categorization of trade show goals, which furthers research to refine trade show assessment. This paper makes a significant contribution to the theoretical, methodological and practical understanding of trade show goals and tactics to enhance trade show marketing knowledge.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to determine what impact an economic recession and recovery had on the selling and non-selling activities of trade show attendees and the subsequent marketing tactic changes.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Samples were collected from an international trade show during the recession (2009) and during the recovery (2013). The responses were analyzed using ANOVA and structural equation modeling to establish significant changes in activities between the periods and to provide a factor model.\nFindings: Direct selling goals do not change during economic conditions. Intangible priorities increase during recessions.\nResearch limitations/implications: The trade show is limited to one location; therefore, is not a representative sample. Questionnaire design issues did not allow the linking of survey respondents to specific companies; therefore, is not a true longitudinal study.\nPractical implications: Companies should focus on prospecting, enhancing corporate image and morale, testing and introducing new products and gathering intelligence during economic downturns. Conversely, companies should focus on sales and servicing clients during economic recovery.\nOriginality/value: This is the first research to study the macroeconomic impact on marketing tactics over multiple periods in an international setting. Several accepted selling and non-selling instrument goals are measured in an international context. A new model for structuring trade show goals is developed.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
New geothermal law and its implications for geothermal development in Indonesia
|
[
"Indonesia",
"Geothermal development",
"Geothermal management",
"New geothermal law"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: This paper aims to investigate the new geothermal law and its implications for geothermal development in Indonesia. Indonesia was a country with the fastest economic growth in South East Asia within this past few years. Besides, the population is expected to grow to more than 260 million of people in 2017. The economic and population growth will lead to increased energy demands; however, the energy supplies growth cannot compensate the energy demands. As a result, rotating power outage becomes a common phenomenon which gives negative impacts for both economy and community. To solve this problem, the Government of Indonesia creates a priority program of 35,000 MW power plant development.\n2. Literature review: Indonesia geothermal regulatory framework: 2.1 Evolution of geothermal regulation in Indonesia\n3. Methodology: This paper is qualitative research, with document analysis approach. Document analysis is a systematic procedure for reviewing or evaluating documents - both printed and electronic (computer-based and internet-transmitted) material. Like other analytical methods in qualitative research, document analysis requires that data be examined and interpreted to elicit meaning, gain understanding, and develop empirical knowledge (Corbin and Strauss, 2008; Rapley, 2007). Documents contain text (words) and images that have been recorded without a researcher's intervention. For the purposes of this discussion, other mute or trace evidence, such as cultural artifacts, is not included. Atkinson and Coffey (1997) refer to documents as \"social facts\", which are produced, shared, and used in socially organized ways (Bowen, 2015).\n4. Result and discussion: 4.1 Geothermal regulation other countries\n5. Conclusion and recommendation: Geothermal industries in Indonesia need assurance and clear legal basis to be developed. Geothermal investors, whether foreign or local, need policy assurance and good business structures that can create a secure investment environment. Furthermore, good relationship with international cooperation agency needs to be improved to establish knowledge transfer regarding technologies and information about exploration, production and geothermal development. This is essential to further develop the geothermal utilization and prepare Indonesia to be the country with the biggest reduction in CO2 emission in 2025. New geothermal regulation (Law No.21 Year 2014) has facilitated the geothermal activities. After the issuance of this regulation, the activities can be done at conserved, production and conservation forest. Moreover, the public service agency (BLU) or state-owned enterprise (BUMN) assignment scheme, can boost the geothermal industries development.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the new geothermal law and its implications for geothermal development in Indonesia.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper investigates new geothermal law and its implications for geothermal development in Indonesia by using comparable law article to discuss this development. All the data are obtained from literature studies based on the history and background, ownership and access, investment and risks, electricity market and re-policies, environmental regulations and community participation around the geothermal resources.\nFindings: Geothermal industries in Indonesia need assurance and clear legal basis to be developed. Geothermal investors, whether foreign or local, need policy assurance and good business structures that can create a secure investment environment. Furthermore, a good relationship with international cooperation agency needs to be improved to establish knowledge transfer regarding technologies and information about exploration, production and geothermal development. This is essential to further develop the geothermal utilization and prepare Indonesia to be the country with the biggest reduction in CO2 emission in 2025. New geothermal regulation (Law No.21 Year 2014) has facilitated the geothermal activities. After the issuance of this regulation, the activities can be done at conserved, production and conservation forest. Moreover, the public service agency (BLU) or state-owned enterprise (BUMN) assignment scheme can boost the geothermal industries development.\nOriginality/value: Indonesia has huge geothermal resources because of its geological condition that is located at volcanoes path, also known as \"Ring of Fire\". According to 2017 ESDM data, Indonesia's geothermal potentials are almost 30 GW and are distributed to 331 potential points. However, only 5 per cent of those potentials (1,643.5 MW) have been utilized to date. The huge potentials can be utilized optimally to support the Government's plan in achieving the energy security. Therefore, policies that regulate geothermal utilization is strategically essential for Indonesia's future.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Comparison of performance measurement in different purchasing and supply management practices
|
[
"Case study",
"Supplier evaluation",
"Purchasing and supply management",
"Development process",
"Cross-functional integration",
"Collaborative performance management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Studies have shown that performance measurement has a positive impact on strategic integration accomplished by the purchasing function (Paulraj et al., 2006), the performance of suppliers and alignment of supplier relationship to the objectives of the buyer company (Cousins et al., 2008). The outcomes of performance measurement are dependent on the design, implementation and use of measurement. Performance measurement can support purchasing and supply management (PSM) practices (e.g. Gunasekaran et al., 2004; Talluri and Sarkis, 2002), but the link between performance measurement characteristics and PSM practices remains unclear.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 PSM practices\n3. Methodology: A qualitative multiple case study approach was utilized in this study. The case study approach was chosen in order to gain an in-depth understanding of individual settings (Gummesson, 2000), which is justifiable due to the complex nature of the object under investigation, i.e. PSM practices and their performance measurement requirements. A multiple case study approach was chosen to apply theory extension and refinement logic (Voss et al., 2002) to the current knowledge on performance measurement in PSM. Each of the cases is related to a contemporary performance measurement development project during the period 2015-2016. The selection of case companies followed the idea of maximum variation (Flick, 2002) in order to justify the findings in several contextual settings and in different PSM practices. The selection of cases followed the logic of predicting different results from each case for predictable reasons (i.e. use of performance measurement for different PSM practices) (Voss et al., 2002). During the course of the case studies, the steps of developing performance measurement and the step-specific questions observed stayed the same (see Table I) while the content of performance measurement varied in line with measurement purpose in question.\n4. Empirical examination: 4.1 Case A: measurement of supplier quality\n5. Discussion: The characteristics of measurement purpose in the context of PSM have been rarely investigated in the literature. This study analyzed measurement purpose from the perspectives of PSM practices and management control type (Chenhall, 2003). Whereas existing literature presents, often implicitly, PSM performance measurement as an embodiment of formal control (e.g. Caniato et al., 2014; Morgan and Dewhurst, 2007), this study finds that the more interactive PSM practices (cross-functional and relational) are supported by informal control structures.\n6. Conclusions: The existing research on PSM performance measurement has examined the issue especially from the viewpoint of supplier performance measurement (Cousins et al., 2008; Gunasekaran et al., 2004; Prahinski and Benton, 2004) with the emphasis on recurring evaluation of suppliers (Caniato et al., 2014). While a fairly well-established understanding of PSM practices can be found in the literature (Terpend et al., 2008), earlier performance measurement studies are often not explicit with the practices supported by performance measurement. This study contributes to the literature by comparing the characteristics of performance measurement supporting different PSM practices. It finds that the identification of causalities between measurement objects and the measurement value benefits are contemporary issues of performance measurement development in the PSM context. The study also provides new understanding on the specific nature of performance measurement in service PSM. It is found that the measurement of outputs and outcomes instead of inputs and supplier relationship management are increasingly important in the service context.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare the characteristics of performance measurement in cross-functional and supplier-oriented purchasing and supply management (PSM) practices. It clarifies the purposes and content of performance measurement in three PSM practices.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A multiple case study approach is utilized in this study. Each of the cases is related to a contemporary performance measurement development project during the period 2015-2016. Interviews are conducted to obtain a pre-understanding of the research questions at hand. The case studies continue as an action research including measurement development workshops.\nFindings: Identification of causalities between measurement objects and the measurement value benefits are contemporary issues of performance measurement development in the PSM context. The findings indicate that the measurement of outputs and outcomes instead of inputs and measurement supporting supplier relationship management is increasingly important in the service context. Measurement purpose affects the characteristics of PSM performance measurement. This study identifies that more informal control and non-standard measures are needed in interactive PSM practices such as cross-functional integration.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study provides practical examples of performance measurement in service purchasing, classifies the characteristics of performance measurement and highlights the need to extend the scope of measurement in the PSM context. The findings of the case studies reported support practitioners in developing performance measurement that satisfies contemporary managerial needs.\nOriginality/value: Earlier studies are often not explicit with the purpose of performance measurement. This study contributes to the existing literature by linking performance measurement characteristics to the understanding of PSM practices and providing a wider overview of the varying characteristics of performance measurement supporting strategic purchasing of services.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Making quality improvement programs more effective
|
[
"Data management",
"Quality improvement",
"Process redesign"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: On average each year, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) spend over $200 million on the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program. The Medicare program covers approximately 49 million people. The Nineth scope-of-work (SOW) that began in 2008 and ended in 2011 had more than a $1 billion budget. The program is the single largest public investment in medical quality improvement, which was created to address unnecessary and questionable service quality within a cost-based reimbursement system for Medicare beneficiaries - people who are 65 years or older. The intervention is conducted by Quality Review Organization staff in each State to monitor and report healthcare quality. The program has shifted from a purely regulatory/enforcement role to a collaborative one to assist providers with quality assurance, best practices, workflow and efficient care. Focus areas have expanded from hospital care to nursing homes, home health agencies and Medicare Managed Care (Medicare Advantage). The QIO sentinel events timeline is presented in Figure 1.\nProgram impact: Over the past 25 years, external program evaluators have looked at program coverage, delivery and monitoring (Jencks et al., 2003; Hsia, 2003; Rollow et al., 2006). In 2012, the author helped to produce the program's quarterly reports and reviewed the program's internal monitoring and evaluation protocols. The task required attention to the concerns about program vulnerabilities, program complexities and possible ways to improve services. The author analyzed historical data and relied on conversations with program experts to move the dialogue from diagnosis to discovery. Generally, all external program evaluations conducted by staff in eminent organizations found program impact to be small or difficult to discern. In 1987, staff in the General Accounting Office (GAO) (now the United States General Accounting Office, 1987a, p. 1) reported that:\nGaps: The QIO program quarterly reports contain performance data based on several measures or aims including:\nSolution: The clear prescription for this situation is a formal data governance structure to integrate and document all data lifecycles. A data governance framework will increase the QIO program's value. The specification rules for governance are exemplified by the Data Documentation Initiative (1995) and the requirements published by the Data Governance Institute (2004). The elements are all in place for a solid data governance structure. The model comprises the data governance authority and the data team on the program side, and data consumers on the public side. The governance authority is responsible for:\nConclusion: These prescriptive measures allow health quality improvement program staff to integrate all data through paradata (how data are collected) and metadata (data description). Most important, a governance structure supports the analytics for monitoring and evaluation. Without it, the program will continue to be undetermined by poor data. The QIO program's impact will remain difficult to discern and its effect will be sub-optimal unless the data cycle is carefully governed.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: In the past 25 years, and as recent as 2011, all external evaluations of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program have found its impact to be small or difficult to discern. The QIO program costs about $200 million on average to administer each year to improve quality of healthcare for people of 65 years or older. The program was created to address questionable quality of care. QIOs review how care is provided based on performance measures. The paper aims to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In 2012, the author supported the production of quarterly reports and reviewed internal monitoring and evaluation protocols of the program. The task also required reviewing all previous program evaluations. The task involved many conversations about the complexities of the program, why impact is difficult to discern and possible ways for eventual improvement. Process flow charts were created to simulate the data life cycle and discrete event models were created based on the sequence of data collection and reporting to identify gaps in data flow.\nFindings: The internal evaluation uncovered data gaps within the program. The need for a system of specification rules for data conceptualization, collection, distribution, discovery, analysis and repurposing is clear. There were data inconsistencies and difficulty of integrating data from one instance of measurement to the next. The lack of good and reliable data makes it difficult to discern true impact.\nPractical implications: The prescription is for a formal data policy or data governance structure to integrate and document all aspects of the data life cycle. The specification rules for governance are exemplified by the Data Documentation Initiative and the requirements published by the Data Governance Institute. The elements are all in place for a solid foundation of the data governance structure. These recommendations will increase the value of program data.\nOriginality/value: The model specifies which agency units must be included in the governance authority and the data team. The model prescribes in detail a data governance model to address gaps in the life cycle. These prescriptive measures will allow the program to integrate all of its data. Without this formal data governance structure, the QIO program will be undetermined by the persistent lack of good data for monitoring and evaluation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Does internal communication to generate trust always increase commitment? A study at Micron Technology
|
[
"Commitment",
"Internal communications",
"Engagement",
"Employee Communications",
"Trust",
"Communication management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The real challenge of the new millennium is about people, not technology. Even Nobel Prize winner, Gary Becker (1993) has not hesitated to define human capital as a powerful growth engine in contemporary society and the future.\nConceptual background: What follows is a brief review of the relevant literature that examines previous studies on the relationship between employees' trust and commitment. The selected literature had a great relevance at international level and supports the fact that the proposed research can offer something new to the overall body of knowledge.\nMethodology: Based on the literature review, this research was aimed at finding if certain levels of trust present inside each department were interrelated with the levels of commitment. The research was conducted in 2005 using a survey data collection method. The survey was rated as the most appropriate instrument to ensure anonymity and confidentiality of data. The questionnaire was sent to all the 1,580 employees of the company. A total of 892 employees of Micron Technology Italy participated in the survey, with a response rate of 56.46 percent.\nFindings: An examination of the measurement scales and their respective reliabilities was conducted. Examination of the Cronbach's alpha reliability for the scale \"Trust\" yielded favorable results with an alpha of 0.852. The scale of Commitment yielded a Cronbach's alpha of 0.724. The internal consistency obtained through Cronbach's alpha in the current study is satisfactory. Figure 2 reports the factor analysis aimed to investigate the importance of each organizational propriety which enhances employee commitment. These organizational proprieties are: corporate identity, supervision/control, empowerment and trust (Bolognini, 2003; Blau, 1960; Hofstede et al., 1990). It is evident that trust has a significant impact on the generation of commitment. The factor analysis has been conducted using JMP SAS Institute software.\nDiscussion: Only partially coherent with previous studies (Blau, 1964; Eisenberger, 1986; Morgan and Hunt, 1994; MacMillan et al., 2000; Whitener, 2001; Bolognini, 2003; Zeffane et al., 2011; Wong and Sohal, 2002; Hess and Story, 2005; Kwon and Suh, 2005; Kwon and Suh, 2006; Ki and Hon, 2012), findings of the present study show that employees' trust does not always lead to employee commitment behaviors inside the organization: there is a point beyond which the mutual trust between the company and employees shall not create any leverage in commitment, which in fact stabilizes beneath the trust level.\nConclusion: implications for internal communication management: What is the point in investing money, time and effort on increasing employees' trust seeing that the commitment level does not grow once the trust has achieved a certain value? Commitment is an organizational variable that results from policies, strategic choices, management methods, power relationships, conflicts and psychological climate (Bolognini, 2003; Eisenberger et al., 1986; Meyer et al., 2002). However, many researches confirm that commitment and trust are deeply interrelated and in particular trust precedes commitment (Mellinger, 1956; Chory et al., 2008).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between employee trust towards the company and their commitment to it. For this reason, this study questioned if certain levels of trust presented in each department at Micron Technology Italy were interrelated with the levels of commitment.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A survey at Micron Technology Italy was conducted. Of the 1,580 employees who received the questionnaire, 892 responses were collected, resulting in a 56.46 per cent response rate.\nFindings: The research findings show that for departments where trust values are below 6.8, the commitment level follows the trust value: there is a positive relation between these two factors. However, departments where employee trust reaches values higher than 6.8 are not reciprocated by a proportional commitment level that tends to reach a \"satisfaction point\".\nResearch limitations/implications: The results are only partially coherent with previous studies. Further research is needed to determine whether these reports hold true under different situations/companies.\nPractical implications: Since commitment does not seem to be continuously increasing, after a certain point it is not cost-effective for the company to implement communication strategies aimed at increasing employee trust in a non-targeted way. The need for customized communication strategies emerges as does the importance of understanding internal communication as integrated with other human resource management levers.\nOriginality/value: This paper offers an original contribution to the ongoing discussion concerning employee engagement. Employees' trust does not always lead to employee commitment behaviors inside the organization.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Applied Language Solutions values the "university of life": Management team emphasizes experience over formal qualifications
|
[
"Skills",
"Graduates",
"Management",
"Languages"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Only one member of the eight-strong management team at international translation agency Applied Language Solutions has a degree - an MA in Applied Translation Studies.\nSeeing the wider perspective: Gavin Wheeldon believes that experienced workers are highly likely to offer instant solutions or to introduce a new technique that will improve operations, having already discovered those that work best through trial and error. Experienced staff are also more likely than graduates to bring innovation, as their increased knowledge enables them to see a wider perspective.\"Graduates are renowned for their ability to contribute fresh ideas, but they can sometimes lack sensitiveness to implications and the ability to think analytically - skills that, again, are gained through experience,\" he commented. \"Experienced staff are more likely to think things through more thoroughly before they implement any changes, which is an essential skill for small and medium-size enterprises, as they do not always have the back-up resources to call upon if anything goes wrong.\"Gavin Wheeldon, who worked in sales at a competitor translation company before he established Applied Language four years ago, continued: \"To a certain extent, having a degree can be irrelevant, as the technical knowledge graduates have gained has a short shelf-life.\"\"Today's business world is fast-pace and diverse, and small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) need to demonstrate innovation and flexibility. There is less time for staff to adapt to new roles, and they are increasingly expected to 'hit the ground running'. SMEs also do not have the same level of resources available as larger organizations to train new employees.\"The Latin phrase experientia docet, meaning 'experience is the best teacher', sums up the overriding benefit for SMEs of experienced workers with readily transferable skills over graduates.\"\nInvestment in training: Obviously, for any new staff entering a specialist industry such as translation, industry training is required. \"But the cost to train graduates is substantially higher as they have little or no industrial and commercial experience, and require further training in the skills required to perform their function,\" said Gavin Wheeldon. \"What also comes into concern is graduates' ability to integrate into an organization at a speed that they can begin to contribute effectively. The training investment is also a risk given the career aspirations and potential mobility of graduates.\"In contrast, those employees who already have the skills in place offer greater potential to settle in and add value to the company's operations more quickly, particularly when hiring management.\"None of this means that the company does not value the 55 graduates on its staff, or that it believes that employees with experience know everything.\"It is fundamental that all employees undertake continual learning to ensure they remain abreast of developments in their role and industry, and continuously enhance their abilities and knowledge,\" said Gavin Wheeldon. \"Learning methods, from part-time courses to webinars and books, should be tailored for each individual so that they are able to achieve maximum potential and productivity.\"The company aims to set achievable but challenging goals for each individual, to provide a structure to guide development. Key performance indicators for each individual are specified and reviewed every three months. \"Having something to work towards creates an environment that instills each individual with the confidence that his or her progress will not go unnoticed, and therefore can increase staff motivation,\" Gavin Wheeldon explained.\nWord-of-mouth recommendations: He advised: \"When looking for experienced workers, bear in mind the type of role you are recruiting for and the type of experience required. For example, when recruiting sales, accounting and marketing staff, employing people with these core skills is more important than industry experience. This is because such skills can be immediately applied to a similar role within any company. For certain industries, however, experience in the industry is more vital. This is especially the case when hiring, for example, project managers in the translation industry and biologists in science.\"He explained that internet recruitment agencies could be a valuable source when recruiting experienced staff, with sites such as Monster.co.uk and Totaljobs.co.uk enabling SMEs to post their vacancy online, as well as view a potential candidate's details. \"We have also gained experienced members of staff through word-of-mouth recommendations from our staff,\" he said.The result is that the company has a very loyal team of passionate and enthusiastic workers. \"Our employees are our greatest asset, and the success we have enjoyed as a company is testament to their hard work and dedication,\" Gavin Wheeldon concluded.\nNote: David Pollitt, Human Resource Management International Digest editor, wrote this article.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to explain why only one member of the eight-strong management team at international translation agency Applied Language Solutions has a degree.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Describes the advantages of employing people with specialist skills combined with the more basic key skills, such as time management, co-operation, communication and interpersonal skills. Does not, however, overlook the real benefits that graduates, too, can bring.\nFindings: - Reveals that experienced employees have increased the company's skill set, filled in expertise gaps and provided a strong backbone to stabilize the organization as it grows.\nPractical implications: - Details the way in which Applied Language Solutions was able to recruit the best people for the best jobs, at sufficient speed to meet company expansion, without jeopardizing the passion and enthusiasm evident throughout the organization.\nOriginality/value: - Highlights the way in which experienced managers are a \"safe pair of hands\" who can share their knowledge and skills, and guide less-experienced members of staff in the right direction.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Consumers' perception of a traditional fermented beverage in Central Mexico: An exploratory study with the case of pulque
|
[
"Mexico",
"Consumers’ perception",
"Pulque",
"Fermented beverages",
"Gastronomic heritage"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Traditional foods are a legacy from past generations; they have been preserved by current generations and their ingredients characterize them. Traditional foods are produced in a specific territory that not only responds to a geopolitical division, but also to specific production processes or methods (know-how) (Cayot, 2007; Trichopoulou, 2007; Guerrero et al., 2009; Vanhonacker et al., 2010). The perception of consumers of traditional foods has been widely studied in diverse countries of Europe (Guerrero et al., 2009, 2012; Pieniak et al., 2013; Trichopoulou, 2007; Vanhonacker et al., 2008, 2010; Balogh et al., 2016).\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Sensory characteristics of pulque\n3. Aims and research questions: The aims of this work are: to explore the underlying factors that influence the perception of Mexican consumers toward pulque, and to identify groups of consumers according to their perception. Therefore, this work addresses the following research questions:\n4. Materials and methods: 4.1 Place of study and participants\n5. Results: 5.1 Perception toward pulque\n6. Discussion: Through EFA, there were identified the underlying factors that influence the perception of Mexican consumers of pulque. On the first factor (Traditionality), Rojas-Rivas, Espinoza-Ortega, Thome-Ortiz and Moctezuma-Perez (2019) found that the perception of Mexican consumers of amaranth is related to food tradition. Lopez-Rosas and Espinoza-Ortega (2018) established that the search for traditional attributes among Mezcal consumers is one of the main underlying reasons for its consumption.\n7. Conclusions: Factors that influence the perception of Mexican consumers toward pulque were explored in this study. The first factor was named Traditionality and refers to both sensory and cultural characteristics of the beverage. The second was related to pulque points of sale and how they are considered dirty and harmful places. This factor is the main reason that restricts the consumption of pulque among consumers. Finally, the third factor was named Functional beverage and refers to the health-promoting aspects that pulque consumption provides. This last factor could help in the promotion of pulque among Mexican consumers, or it could contribute to the recognition of traditional foods with these characteristics, that can provide added value to generate incomes for the pulque agri-food chain. The groups of consumers identified showed differences in their perception toward pulque. Furthermore, age and level of schooling influence their perception, suggesting that consumers are more informed and have a greater sensitivity to traditional Mexican foods. Undoubtedly, pulque plays an important role in Mexican cuisine and its relevance can be seen in the declaration of Mexican gastronomy, being part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Pulque is a fundamental piece in the Mexican gastronomy and identifying consumers' perception could help promote it and generate new opportunities of commercialization. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the underlying factors that influence consumers' perception toward pulque, and second, to identify groups of consumers according to their perception.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was designed and applied to 220 consumers within points of sales. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was undertaken and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to identify different groups of consumers.\nFindings: By means of EFA three factors were obtained: traditionality, bad reputation of pulquerias and functional beverage. In order to identify different consumption patterns among consumers, HCA was performed and three groups were identified: traditional, neo-consumers and neo-consumers in transition. The groups identified showed significant differences in their perception.\nPractical implications: Pulque has recently gained interest in various consumer sectors, mainly among young consumers, who are consuming and promoting the beverage these days. In this sense, the results of this work could be used for its promotion and consumption in order to attract more consumers and make a contribution to the development of local economies.\nOriginality/value: This is the first work in Mexico to explore the perception of consumers toward pulque: the most important traditional fermented beverage in Central Mexico. Results of this research suggest the appearance of a revaluation process among young consumers, more informed and with greater sensitivity toward traditional Mexican food, particularly in the case of pulque. Likewise, these results could be useful for producers and sellers to carry out commercial strategies and promote the drink.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Exploring intellectual capital disclosure as a mediator for the relationship between IPO firm-specific characteristics and underpricing
|
[
"IPO",
"Disclosure",
"Malaysia",
"Intellectual capital",
"Mediator",
"Underpricing"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Over recent decades, the industrial economy, during which material resources were mainly employed, has moved toward a knowledge-based economy where components of business resources are intangible in nature and intellectual capital (IC) forms a significant portion of the intangible resources.\n2. Literature review and hypotheses development: Disclosure of additional relevant information could reduce the uncertainty over the valuation of firm and reduce its cost of capital, resulting from the reduction in the level of information asymmetry between the management and the decision makers (Verrecchia, 2001). Furthermore, additional disclosure may allow potential investors to evaluate the effectiveness, performance and full discharge of the management's responsibilities toward the stakeholders. It is important for the organization to satisfy a broader group of interested stakeholders, whose interests are more than just financial in nature. This has raised the importance of the disclosure of additional information for useful decision making, particularly the IC elements. Insufficient disclosure of a firm's affairs may result in higher cost of capital being attached to the firm's valuation, i.e. higher level of underpricing, being experienced by the IPO firm.\n3. Methodology: 3.1. Measurement of variables\n4. Results and discussion: 4.1. Extent of disclosure\n5. Implications: This study provides significant implications in a number of ways. First, since current study demonstrates that the extent of disclosure is lower for firms that are classified under the technology sector, potential investors may require a higher discount on the share price for firms that are with higher technological innovative efforts. As contended by Lev and Zarowin (1999) that a report with IC information has been considered as having more value relevance in the firm with development in progress for innovative products. Therefore, it may be more costly for firms that are classified under the technology sector to seek listing than the companies under the other industry sectors. As such, the policy makers need to promote for higher IC disclosure in the corporate reports, specifically for the firms that are classified under the technology sector.\n6. Limitation and future research: The present study concerns the disclosure of IC information and its impact on the level of underpricing. It has been contended that higher disclosure on the firms' undertakings will reduce the uncertainties in the share valuation, and thus reducing the level of underpricing for the IPO issues. There are other types of disclosures in the IPO prospectuses that may be important in reducing the information asymmetry gap of the potential investors.\n7. Concluding remarks: This study which examines the disclosure strategy of IC information in the IPO prospectuses contributes to the current limited literature on IPO issue as argued that most studies focus on such disclosure in the annual reports (Azwan et al., 2012; Bukh et al., 2005; Chang et al., 2009; Cordazzo, 2007; Guo et al., 2004; Singh and Van der Zahn, 2007; Whiting and Miller, 2008). In particularly, this study provides further literature on the disclosure of IC information in the IPO prospectus when most of the IC disclosure studies in Malaysia relate to the disclosures in the annual report (e.g. Abdifatah and Nazli Anum, 2012; Foong et al., 2009; Goh and Lim, 2004; Ousama et al., 2011; Siti Mariana and Mariana, 2011). In essence, this study which focusses on the IC disclosure in the IPO prospectuses provides some insights into the IC investment and disclosure strategy for IPO firms, of which is limited in the Malaysian context.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the direct and indirect impact of firm-specific characteristics on the level of underpricing among Malaysian initial public offerings (IPOs).\nDesign/methodology/approach: Content analysis of IPO prospectuses was used for 331 firms underwent listing between 2002 and 2008. The extent of disclosure was computed by applying the disclosure index of Bukh et al. (2005).\nFindings: Of the five firm characteristics examined, there is a direct relationship between the firm's financial performance and the level of foreign activity, and the level of underpricing, instead of being mediated through disclosure. However, some firm characteristics have direct influence on the extent of disclosure but do not have any influence on underpricing.\nResearch limitations/implications: This empirical study concentrates on the Malaysian IPOs on a single disclosure mechanism. Other disclosure items can be examined together with the intellectual capital disclosure items.\nPractical implications: As the findings reveal that the extent of disclosure is relatively low in influencing the level of underpricing. Had the disclosure been higher, it may have some influence on underpricing. The accounting governance board need to regulate the disclosures of the intangible resources so that the level of underpricing can be minimized.\nOriginality/value: This study provides new insight for the examination of direct and indirect (through disclosure) association between firm-specific characteristics and underpricing. The findings shed some lights to the IPO issuers to enhance disclosure so that the cost of capital can be reduced.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Quality improvement measures: effects on rectal cancer tissue biopsy process
|
[
"Diagnostic yield",
"Rectal cancer",
"Tissue biopsy"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: With an estimated 1.4mn cases, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common in women worldwide (Torre et al., 2015). There were 34,729 newly diagnosed CRC cases in England, 2015; 19,178 in males and 15,551 in females (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2015). In 2017, there is an estimated 135,430 newly diagnosed colorectal cases, 95,520 colon cancer and 39,910 rectal cancer cases in the USA (Siegel et al., 2017). Patients with a rectal tumour require accurate histological confirmation prior to treatment (surgery or neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy prior to surgery) (Figueredo et al., 2003) (Group, 2007). The European Society of Medical Oncology clinical practice guidelines advise that biopsy is required for histopathologically confirming rectal cancer and imaging modalities including computed tomography (CT) scan, pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endorectal ultrasound are required for pre-treatment Tumour, Node, Metastasis staging in the diagnostic pathway work-up (Glynne-Jones et al., 2017). Rectal cancer studies demonstrated that advanced rectal cancer risk is doubled if the treatment is delayed longer than 60 days from symptom onset (Korsgaard et al., 2006).\nMethods: Settings\nResults: A total of 81 patients were included in the 12-month assessment phase, and 38 in the 6-month post-QI phase. There were no significant patient demographic or referral type differences in the two phases (Table I). There were 54 and 28 patients referred via the two-week wait (TWW) pathway by general practitioner (GP) in the first and second phase, respectively. Following referral, 94.5 per cent were seen within 14 days in pre-QI phase, compared to 96.4 per cent in post-QI phases (p=0.88) (Table I). A significant change was noted in the histology reporting time (p=0.002) in the pre-QI and post-QI phases. The median time increased from four to six days in the post-QI phase (Table I). The average days required to perform a CT scan was 13.9 days in pre-QI phase and 16.6 in post-QI (p=0.46). Regarding MRI pelvis, 13 days were required in pre-QI phase and 16.8 for post-QI phase (p=0.32) (Table I). The average time required for diagnostic and staging imaging, once seen in the outpatient clinic, was 15.1 days.\nDiscussion: Kelly et al. (2003) performed a questionnaire study across England for multidisciplinary meetings in 183 CRC networks and investigated reasons for delay in the CRC treatment patient pathway; 48 per cent of cancer network members said that delayed diagnosis (either by endoscopy or radiology) was major bottleneck. Our aim was to assess the histological diagnostic pathway by evaluating tissue biopsy processes following referral to colorectal clinic in patients with rectal cancer. The impact on diagnostic yield and 62-day target breaches and episodes per patient was monitored following the QI measures. Our results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in tissue biopsy process diagnostic yield with improvement up from 58.5 to 77.6 per cent.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Delay in histologically confirming rectal cancer may lead to late treatment as histological confirmation is required prior to chemo-radiotherapy or surgical intervention. Multidisciplinary colorectal meetings indicate that there are patients who require multiple tissue biopsy episodes prior to histologically confirming rectal cancer. The purpose of this paper is to examine a quality improvement (QI) measure's impact on tissue biopsy process diagnostic yield.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors performed the study in two phases (pre- and post-QI), between February 2012 and April 2014 in a district general hospital. The QI measures were derived from process mapping a rectal cancer diagnostic pathway. The primary outcome was to assess the tissue biopsy process diagnostic yield. The secondary outcome included total breaches for a 62-day target in the pre- and post-QI study phases.\nFindings: There was no significant difference in demographics or referral mode in both study phases. There were 81 patients in the pre-QI phase compared to 38 in the post-QI phase, 68 per cent and 74 per cent were referred via the two-week wait urgent pathway, respectively. Diagnostic tissue biopsy process yield improved from 58.1 to 77.6 per cent after implementing the QI measure (p=0.02). The 62-day target breach was reduced from 14.8 to 3.5 per cent (p=0.42).\nPractical implications: Simple QI measures can achieve significant improvements in rectal cancer diagnostic tissue biopsy process yields. A multidisciplinary approach, involving process mapping and cause and effect modelling, proved useful tools.\nOriginality/value: A process mapping exercise and QI measures resulted in significant improvements in diagnostic yield, reducing the episodes per patient before histological diagnosis was confirmed.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The effect of investment in green technology in a two echelon supply chain under strict carbon-cap policy
|
[
"Supply chain",
"Strict carbon cap",
"Investment in green technology",
"Mixed-integer non-linear programming"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The world has witnessed a sharp increase in emissions of GHGs (predominantly CO2) mainly due to consumption of fossil fuels in the last few decades. Global warming, loss of human lives, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, loss of crops, increasing incidents of severe weather conditions are some of the deadly effects of emissions. To curb emissions governments and regulatory organizations have imposed different carbon policies worldwide over the years. Carbon cost/tax policy, carbon cap and trade policy and strict carbon-cap policy are considered as the major carbon policies (Ghosh et al., 2018). Under carbon cost/tax policy, a financial penalty is imposed on organizations for every unit of carbon emissions (CEs) (Metcalf, 2009; Ghosh et al., 2016). Under carbon cap and trade policy, companies get an upper limit for emissions, and if they require emitting more carbon, they can purchase carbon credit from outside. If they manage to emit less than the given limit, they can sell or keep as unused allowance (Jaber et al., 2013). In case of strict carbon-cap policy, organizations get a threshold level for emissions, and when they cross the limit, face infinitely large penalty (Chen et al., 2013). So, organizations are bound to emit within the given limit. According to environmentalists, it is the most effective policy to reduce CEs, and different countries, which are major emitters of CO2, are seriously considering adopting this policy across different industries (Ghosh et al., 2018). Barak Obama considered implementing this policy in power plants in USA during his tenure as president (Broder, 2013). A poll conducted by Yale University found that 64% people support imposing strict carbon cap on existing power plant (Lopez, 2014), which shows the enthusiasms of common people about this policy. Considering the importance of the policy, in this paper also, we have used the idea of strict carbon-cap policy while formulating the problem.Due to carbon policy of the regulatory authority, competitive advantages, brand building and increasing awareness of customers, many business houses are becoming environment conscious. These organizations are integrating green practices into their operations to curb CEs (Ghosh et al., 2016). In order to be more effective in managing emissions, many organizations have started investing in green technologies (Drake and Spinler, 2013). Many authors have also considered different carbon policies and investment on green technologies simultaneously. But, papers that dealt with both strict carboncap policy and green investment is sparse. In carbon-cap policy, the penalty for exceeding the cap is infinitely large due to stringent nature of the policy (Chen et al., 2013). Organizations may find it difficult to operate under strict carbon-cap policy. Therefore, in this paper we have studied how organizations can optimize their operations under strict carbon-cap policy while investing in green technology. We have tried to study the impact of green investment on total cost (TC) and total emissions under strict carbon-cap policy. We have also shown how green investment can actually reduce the total supply chain cost. This paper may be also helpful for regulatory bodies to decide the threshold level of emissions.In this paper, we have optimized cost of a two-echelon supply chain under strict carbon-cap policy considering green investment and without investment. The TC of the integrated system is minimized by simultaneously optimizing the ordering quantity, production rate, reorder point and the number of shipments from the vendor to the buyer. In the existing literature we have not found any paper which has considered all the decision variables under strict carbon-cap policy with and without assumption of green investment. We have considered emissions from all the major areas namely - production, transportation and inventory holding. The two models (with investment and without investment) been compared. Numerous insights have been drawn which may help to take to managerial insights.The rest of the paper is organized as follows. The literature review is given in section 2 whereas section 3 presents notation and assumption of the model. Section 4 describes the mathematical model and the numerical example, solution approach and base case solution is presented in section 5. Section 6 deals with the sensitivity analysis and the managerial insight is discussed in section 7. Finally, section 8 concludes the paper and also discusses future scope of the study.\n2. Literature review: Keeping in view the objective of our study, the review of the literature is broadly divided into following two parts, namely, (1) the literature related to carbon policies and (2) the literature related to investment in green technology. 2.1 The literature related to carbon policies\n3. Notations and assumptions: The quantitative (mathematical) models of the inventory problem, discussed here are based on the following notation and assumptions. We have shown the decision variables and other parameters separately for ease of understanding.Decision variablesn Number of shipments per production cycle (an integer)l Production rate(l>A)Q Buyer's order quantity per orderI The green investment amountOther parametersA Demand rateOb Buyer's ordering cost per order (in $)Ib Buyer's holding cost per unit item per unit timeEbi CE amount due to buyer's inventory holding per unit item per unit timeCv Production cost per unit itemOv Vendor's setup cost per setupIv Vendor's holding cost per unit item per unit timeEvi CE due to vendor's inventory holding per unit item per unit timeEp CE amount due to productionEt CE amount due to transportationL Distance between the vendor and the buyerTe Cost due to transportation per unit time when the vehicle is emptyTn Cost due to transportation per unit item per unit time when the of loaded vehicleAssumptionsDemand is deterministic and there is a single buyer and a single vendor who deals with a single product.Vendor produces with minimum production rate l decided by the firm, l=bA, where b is the minimum production demand ratio(b>=1).The buyer orders a lot size of Q units and the vendor produces nQ units with production rate l in one setup.Production, inventory and transportation are the main sources of emissions. CE amount from production is a function of production rate. CE amount due to transportation is a function of truck velocity and depends on load and type of vehicle.Reduction of emissions depends on amount of green investment.\n4. Mathematical models: Here, two different mathematical models have been developed under strict carbon-cap policy with and without green investment. The objectives of both the models are to minimize the total supply chain costs by finding the optimal order quantity, number of shipments, production rate and amount of investment(in case of green technology investment).The production, shipment and inventory variation patterns between the vendor and buyer will be as such that when buyer orders a lot of size Q the vendor produces the item in a lot of size nQ at a production rate l in each production cycle and ships to buyer in n times of the lot size Q. The first lot of size Q is ready for shipment after Q/l units of time after the start of production, and then the vendor continues the delivery on average every Q/A units of time. Figure 1 illustrates production and inventory variation patterns at the vendor and the buyer, respectively, as conceived in papers like Joglekar (1988) and Ghosh et al. (2016).From Figure 1, it is clear that the average inventory at the buyer per unit time is Q/2. The vendor's average inventory will be the difference of vendor's accumulated inventory and buyer's accumulated inventory per unit time and is given by:(1)=Q2[n(1-Al)-1+2Al]Now, costs related to buyer due to ordering, buying and inventory holding can be written as(2)=ObAQ+IbQ2Costs related to vendor due to setup, inventory and production is as follows(3)=OvAnQ+IvQ2[n(1-Al)-1+2Al]+CvACosts related to transportation due to number of trips made by empty and loaded truck is(4)=Te(LAVQ)+Tn(LAV)We have considered emissions from production, inventory holding and transportation only.(5)Carbonemissionamountduetoinventoryis=Q2[Ebi+Evi{n(1-Al)-1+2Al}]We have assumed that the emission (tonne/unit) due to production is a function of production rate as proposed by (Ghosh et al., 2017) and given by EP=p1l2-p2l+p3, where p1, p2, p3 are emissions parameters in Ton*year2/unit3, Ton*year/unit2, Ton/unit, respectively.So, total emissions due to production can be given as(6)=A(p1l2-p2l+p3)The emissions (tonne/kilometre) from transportation can be expressed as a function of velocity V and can be given as Et=a0+a1V+a2V3+a3V2 (here a0, a1, a2, a3 are the coefficients depends on vehicle type and size).Therefore, CEs from transportation can be given as(7)=AQ2L(a0+a1V+a2V3+a3V2)We assume a heavy truck with 32-42 tonnes payload with following values of emission coefficients (a0,a1,a2,a3)=(1576,-17.6,0.00117,36067)10-6 (Jabali et al., 2012; Ghosh et al., 2016). 4.1 Formulation of model based on strict carbon-cap policy without green technology investment\n5. Numerical example, solution methodology and base case solutions: A = 600 units/unit time, Ob = $200/order, Ov = $1,500/setup, L = 1,000 km, V = 50 km/h, C = $120/unit, Cv = $100/unit , Ib = $5 unit/ unit time, Iv = $2 unit/ unit time, Te = $10/h, Tn = $5/unit/h, Ebi = 0.08 ton/unit/unit year, Evi = 0.08 ton/unit/unit year , C^ = 265 Ton/ unit time, p1 = 3 x 10-7 ton[?]year2/unit3, p2 = 0.0012 ton[?]year/unit2, p3 = 1.4 ton/unit, a0=1576x10-6, a1=-17.6x10-6, a2=0.00117x10-6, a3=36067x10-6, b = 2, m = 4, s=0.01. Most of the data are taken from published papers (Toptal et al., 2014; Ghosh et al., 2018). 5.1 Solution\n6. Sensitive analysis: Sensitivity analyses are carried out with respect to some key parameters when organization is investing in green technology. As, we have shown that under carbon-cap policy, investment in green technology is beneficial for organizations, we have not further considered scenario without green investment for sensitivity analysis. Except C and b, we have taken other parameters in such a way that the total CE remains below the given carbon limit (290 Ton), which satisfies carbon constraint policy. 6.1 Effects of V\n7. Discussion and managerial insights: Reduction in emissions of anthropogenic GHGs is the call of the time. Governments and regulatory bodies across the world have taken lot of initiatives. Even organizations are trying to practice different green initiatives across their supply chains due to different legal, social and economic compulsions. Many organizations are investing heavily in green investment. In this scenario it is very important for the organizations to optimize their operations to reduce TC and emissions.This model may help organizations to optimize their production-inventory set up under strict carbon-cap policy. One can draw some useful insights from the results and sensitivity analyses. Sensitivity analysis has revealed that the TC can be reduced by adjusting vehicles' velocity. Sensitivity analysis also shows the effects of carbon cap (C) on TC and total CE. With increasing C the value of TC increases, while CE comes down. It is shown that after a threshold level, C becomes inactive and then it has no effect on TC and CE. So, regulatory bodies should allocate carbon cap in such way that it actually helps to reduce CEs. The effects of minimum production-demand ratio (b) is also discussed. With increasing b, TC increases, but CE initially comes down but after a threshold level, it goes up. So, if organizations are only concerned about cost, they should keep b as low as possible, but if they try to reduce emissions, they can find b in some higher value. The effects of efficiency in green technology (m) and decreasing return parameter of green technology (ch) are also discussed in sensitivity analysis. Organizations should try to improve the m and try to reduce ch to reduce the TC. Our work has revealed that under strict carbon-cap policy, the investment in green technology actually helps to reduce the TC. This may give insights to the managers that how incorporation of green technology may actually help organizations financially.\n8. Conclusions: 8.1 Contributions\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Strict carbon-cap policy is one of the basic policies proposed by the regulatory bodies to reduce the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether it is beneficial for a company to invest in green technology or not under the strict carbon-cap policy and for that a two echelon supply chain model is developed. This paper gives insight about judicious decision about investment on green technology.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Mathematical modeling approach has been adopted to understand the effect of investment on green technology. All the cost and emissions parameters have been derived and the total cost (TC) and total emission equations have been formulated mathematically. Two constrained mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problems have been formulated and solved considering with or without green investment. Further, supply chain cost is optimized without carbon constraint to understand the effect of carbon constraint.\nFindings: The investment in green technology can reduce the total supply chain cost. The study reveals that handling different parameters optimally can reduce both cost and emissions.\nOriginality/value: This paper tries to assess the effectiveness of green investment on technology under strict carbon-cap policy on a supply chain and, thereby, added value to the existing work. It examines the role played by various parameters under strict carbon-cap policy to draw insights, which will be beneficial for the academic community and managers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The state and evolution of Gold open access: a country and discipline level analysis
|
[
"Open access",
"Web of science",
"Country comparison",
"Discipline analysis",
"Gold OA",
"Toll access"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In December 2017, Web of Science (WoS) started to provide a new filter option of open access (OA) status. Through the newly released OA filter option, the number of Gold OA articles at different levels (e.g. countries, institutions, journals and disciplines) could be measured. It also allows us to explore the evolution of OA status based on a large sample for the first time. It may provide new insights into the acceptance and use of this OA option not only by authors but also by WoS as a selective quality source.\nResearch gap and research questions: Restricted by the availability of large-scale data, previous studies usually conducted small-scale analyses focusing on one specific field, journal or institution. Therefore, they not only lack generalizability but also can sometimes produce contradictory findings.\nData: Since December 2017, OA status has been provided across the WoS platform as a result of a partnership with ImpactStory, which launched oaDOI (https://oadoi.org/), a knowledgebase of OA content. oaDOI makes it possible to discover and link to legal Gold (journal level), Hybrid Gold (open content in an otherwise paywalled journal), and Green (author self-archived) OA content.\nResults: Growth trend\nSummary of findings: The worldwide landscape of Gold OA shows that USA, UK and Japan are the top three countries with the most OA articles indexed by WoS, followed by China and Germany. However, Brazil, the Netherlands and UK are the top three countries with the highest OA ratios, followed by Japan and Australia. Meanwhile, Russia, India and China have the lowest OA ratios.\nDiscussion and conclusion: Analysis of the ratio of OA publications to all publications of a country tells a different story from the number of OA articles of that country. Compared with the results of Torres-Salinas and Orduna-Malea (2014), except Brazil, the OA ratios of most countries are much higher than the results generated by the new OA filter option on WoS. Compared with the results of ScienceMetrix (2018) in 2014, the OA ratios of China, India, Brazil, Russia and South Korea are almost the same, while the UK has a big difference (36 percent in this study and 28 percent reported in ScienceMetrix (2018)). We should be cautious that the Gold OA ratios of countries are not related to their absolute numbers of Gold OA publications.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the evolution of Gold open access (OA) rates in different countries and disciplines, as well as explore the influencing factors.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In this study, employing the OA filter option of Web of Science (WoS), the authors perform a large-scale evaluation of the OA state of countries and disciplines from 1990 to 2016. Particularly, the authors consider not only the absolute number of Gold OA literature but also the ratio of them among all literature.\nFindings: Currently, one-quarter of the WoS articles is Gold OA articles. Brazil is the most active country in OA publishing, while Russia, India and China have the lowest OA ratios. The OA percentage of Brazil has been decreasing dramatically in recent years, while the OA percentages of China, UK and the Netherlands have been increasing. There also exist huge differences of OA percentages across different subject categories. The percentages of OA articles in biology, life, and health-related areas are high, while those in physics and chemistry-related subject categories are very low.\nOriginality/value: With the availability of large-scale data from WoS, this study conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the Gold OA state of major countries for the first time. The variation of OA percentages is considered in light of the research profiles. OA policies in different countries and funding organizations also have an influence on the OA development.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Hidden facets of IT projects are revealed only after deployment: The case of French agricultural cooperatives
|
[
"Action research",
"Implementation",
"Post-implementation",
"Collective intelligence",
"Actor-network theory",
"Organizational intelligence",
"Canonical action research"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Research in information systems (IS) provides us with extensive knowledge of information technology (IT) implementation initiatives in firms. For instance, one of the key reasons for failure is resistance and conflict between future IT users (Bou Saba and Meissonier, 2016). The failure of IT projects may sometimes lead to drastic consequences that impact organizational intelligence. By \"organizational intelligence\" we mean the ability to solve problems within a group of individuals through collaboration, where organizations are able to recognize their problems through collective action. IT tools in companies can upset future users, become a significant burden for firm employees, and can be a catalyst for user resistance (Klaus and Blanton, 2010). The task-technology fit depends on the way a tool is used and is congruent with the tasks and strategy. Accordingly, the literature cites active change management styles as a way to reduce human resistance and conflicts during or after IT implementation (Barki and Hartwick, 2001). Moreover, the IS literature shows that humans may resist IT and use it at the same time.\n2. Literature review: Our literature analysis, based on psychology and sociology theories, explores the relationship between ANT and competitive intelligence, whereas IS literature tends to develop related theories separately. Simply contrasting both concepts in the context of IT implementation would reinforce this \"isolationist tendency.\" Accordingly, we propose an integrative approach that includes concepts related to IT implementation as a comprehensive theoretic system. IS research includes theoretical approaches to technology resistance, acceptance, fit, diffusion, and adoption after IT implementation. Within the Social Science Citation Index (Williams et al., 2009; Dwivedi et al., 2012), more than 350 papers were published on these theories over the past 20 years. To illustrate and discuss technology acceptance, many models such as the theory of reasoned action, the technology acceptance model (TAM), the theory of planned behavior, and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, as well as a mix of some of these models, have been employed by IS researchers (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1975; Ajzen, 1991; Venkatesh and Davis, 2000; Venkatesh, 2000; Venkatesh et al., 2003). Most of the influential theories stated above have the strength of focusing jointly on the benefits of IT use from the psychological perspective of individuals after deployment. Accordingly, most of this research was conducted empirically after IT systems had been implemented in the firms. These can be considered to be observations made on downstream results of the upstream resistance process. Consequently, many acts of resistance are related to users having to cope with the \"non-appropriateness\" of IT. Few empirical studies have investigated how individual and group resistance emerges and evolves during earlier stages of the project (Lapointe and Rivard, 2005). However, negotiations during IT implementation can raise affective-oriented resistance if users perceive threats to their values or power relationships due to the expected organizational changes. Focusing on the pre-implementation phase is thus important, as managers need to anticipate potential conflicts and user resistance that could lead to project failure (Meissonier and Houze, 2010).\n3. Case description: The Regional Federation of Agricultural Cooperation in the Languedoc-Roussillon (FRCA LR) is a federation, founded in 2006, that represents a network of more than 300 territorial agriculture cooperatives, based in southern France. Its purpose is to promote the activities of the cooperatives to professional organizations, governmental departments, local authorities and national and European authorities. It also provides solutions to the specific operational and developmental needs of the cooperatives. Additionally, it conducts various development missions, consulting, auditing, and training sessions for their benefit. At a time when agriculture is at a very important turning point in its history (with heightened international competition, the rise of emerging countries, enlargement of the European Union, and unprecedented crises in viticulture and fruit and vegetable production), and when cooperatives of the Languedoc-Roussillon region are increasingly engaging with alliance and merger operations, it became essential for the FRCA LR to develop a collective intelligence IT tool, and suggest it to the member cooperatives. At the beginning of the project, the tool had three main objectives: providing managers of the agricultural cooperatives with a dashboard of key indicators (economic, social, commercial, and environmental), specific to each sector; allowing managers to find out their position in relation to other cooperatives in the region, and compare the regional average of similar cooperatives within the same sector; and building and implementing a comprehensive online administrative directory of agricultural cooperatives, to promote relationships between leaders of agricultural cooperatives, while at the same time follow the development of the regional agricultural cooperative perimeter.\n4. Method: CAR is a popular method frequently employed to conduct empirical research within the IS discipline. It is applied research which aims to develop a solution that has practical value to both researchers and organizational practitioners (Davison, 1997). CAR tackles real-world problems and enhances firm's performance by mixing scholarly observations with practical interventions (Davison et al., 2012). One cannot understand human behavior without understanding the work environment within which individuals interpret their thoughts, feelings, and actions (Meissonier and Houze, 2010). Unlike quantitative data measurements where social facts have an objective reality, the complexity of our research field posits a socially constructed \"reality\" apprehended with qualitative data. Social phenomenon in firms evolves with time, which justifies the higher adequacy of qualitative process analysis over quantitative static analysis. Finally, the purpose of AR is to take actions in order to change the current situation and its unsatisfactory conditions. Accordingly, the CAR method is an interventionist approach that permits to understand feelings, values and perceptions that underlie, influence behavior and induce change.\n5. Research results and discussion: First, between 2007 and 2009, the IT project team succeeded in designing the tool. The first implementation attempts witnessed few resistance behaviors from some users. This, however, did not impact the success of the implementation process at 39 cooperatives. The tool was called COOPERFIC. The first outcomes of the tool fit with the initial objectives expected by the FRCA LR. Namely, an online dashboard of indicators has been created, along with a benchmark module and an online directory of agriculture cooperatives in the region. Indeed, the first results provide us with an illustration of the translation process according to ANT. COOPERFIC was launched online by the end of 2009, after few ergonomic developments. Second, from late 2009 until the end of 2011, the number of member cooperatives using the tool had increased from 39 to 89 and, ever since, these cooperatives have been called \"interactive.\" Again, it is an extension of the translation operation according to the actor-network approach. Beyond its ability to explain the project implementation, the actor-network approach has showed that the use of the translation operation succeeded in inducing interactions that can be summed up in four main results. These results were unexpected, since they were not originally intended by the FRCA LR.\n6. The SCI: a tool for revealing surprising events: We highlight in-depth research using qualitative data collection, to analyze the dynamic nature of the tool's lead interactions in, and between, agricultural cooperatives. For IS managers, one should not take resistance behaviors expressed by users for granted, but understand instead the very impact of the tool's implementation on organizational intelligence, through unusual means of identification, for instance, by coupling the translation process with competitive intelligence. The SCI would be an instrumental tool for disambiguating unrevealing information through interaction that fosters organizational intelligence.\n7. Conclusion: In this paper, we created and observed interactions between an IT tool and a network of agricultural cooperatives, the adopters of the tool. The results of our experiment appeared in two phases: the implementation phase, between 2007 and 2009, and the post-implementation phase, when the tool was used online between 2009 and 2011. Surprisingly, implementing COOPERFIC also led to unintended effects (surprise events), which we summarize in \"the square of collective intelligence.\"\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on an information technology (IT) deployment project in the specific field of agricultural cooperatives. It also aims to underline the importance of the IT implementation phase, but also the pre-implementation phase.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A four-year canonical action research project was conducted within a network of more than 300 agricultural cooperatives. Research was carried out both during the IT implementation and after deployment. Key information was gathered through unstructured and unofficial interviews, observations, field notes, meetings, focus groups, and documentary analysis.\nFindings: Despite user resistance behavior, the findings show that information systems (IS) implementation may lead to unexpected results that extend beyond the tool's initial objectives. Indeed, four hidden facets of the tool were revealed: inductor, symbol, pretext, and reference.\nResearch limitations/implications: Although the research is limited to one single-case study, it puts the emphasis on in-depth research, vs cross-sectional data collection, to analyze the relationship between IT implementation initiatives and organizational intelligence. Furthermore, the authors argue that while IS literature has separately developed related theories (actor-network theory, competitive intelligence), the authors conceptualize a whole theoretic system interrelating the two above-stated theories.\nPractical implications: The implication for IS practitioners is that, by focusing only on experiences that have occurred during IT implementation, one may disregard critical information, behaviors and knowledge from unforeseen effects that have occurred after implementation. In future IT projects, IS managers therefore need to capitalize on post-implementation knowledge, through sociology of translation and competitive intelligence, in order to anticipate potential diversions from the initial objectives. Finally, while most IT implementation methods tend naturally to manage resistance maximize users' satisfaction and to reduce potential resistance, the authors support an alternative approach. It consists into enhancing resistance in order to anticipate and resolve latent resistance behaviors directly or indirectly related to the project.\nOriginality/value: Despite widespread literature on resistance, appropriation or acceptance during IT projects, there is little research that addresses the impact of IT projects on organizational intelligence, and the kind of behaviors that lead to its failure or success. In the case, the implemented IT tool revealed hidden structural and organizational roles, which were unanticipated by IT designers and managers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Examining the relationship between charismatic leadership and the lower-order factors of LMX: A follower based perspective of the moderating effect of communication frequency
|
[
"LMX",
"Affect",
"Charisma",
"Communication frequency",
"Professional respect"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Researchers investigating the dynamics within the leader-follower relationship have explored a myriad of variables that impact such a relationship. Focusing on a leader-based perspective of leadership, variables such as leader personality (Judge and Piccolo, 2004) and leadership behaviors (Bass, 1999) have all been shown to influence the leader-follower relationship. This study attempts to build upon these earlier findings but with a focus on a different domain of leadership - the follower. Of particular interest to this study is the followers' perception of charisma of his or her leader, and the effect of such on the followers' perception of the LMX relationship.\nTheoretical framework: Charismatic leadership\nMethods: Participants\nConclusions: The results of the research presented here contribute to the existing body of literature in a number of ways. First, by examining the relationship of charismatic leadership to the lower-order factors of LMX it provides an increased understanding of the LMX construct itself, and a much more thorough understanding of its relationship to leadership style. Additionally, the results demonstrate the need for a more complete understanding of the effects of additional contextual factors on the identified relationship between charisma and LMX quality. The results of this research also have implications to practice in that they suggest the need to consider factors within the organizational environment itself when attempting to build and maintain effective leader-member relations.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test the effects of a followers' perception of charisma to the followers' perceived quality of each of the four sub-dimensions of LMX quality, and the moderating effect of communication frequency on such a relationship. The study hopes to assess the relationship of the four sub-factors of LMX to charisma and, thereby, to advance the current understanding of relationship-based views of leadership.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In total, 208 employed adults who are currently residing within the USA completed surveys that assessed charisma, LMX and it's sub-factors, and communication frequency. The surveys were validated and the relationships between the variables were tested using partial least squares regression.\nFindings: Charismatic leadership was shown to have significant effects on all the LMX sub-factors suggesting that charisma is not a simple trait possessed by some leaders. Additionally, the data suggests that there is a significant yet different level of effect of communication frequency on all the LMX sub-factors.\nResearch limitations/implications: Implications of the research findings are discussed; however, there are some shortcomings in the research. As the variables of communication frequency and LMX quality were rated by the same individual, a limitation to this study exists by way of possible same source bias. A further limitation results from the measurement method utilized to determine communication frequency and its dependence upon the ability of the survey respondent to accurately recall this information free from any type of recall bias (Raphael, 1987). Further study needs to be done into the nature of the moderating effects present on the four lower order factors of LMX. If there are intervening factors that influence the quality of the moderating effects, such as role expectation and role congruence, then the authors may be able to gain further insight into the positive and negative nature of these moderating effects.\nPractical implications: The findings suggest that charisma is not a simple, one-dimensional factor and also suggests that the authors need to reconceptualize the ideas of charisma. At a minimum, the authors must rethink how to train people to become leaders.\nOriginality/value: The study advances the understanding of the relationship between charisma and LMX and its composite factors.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Auditors' professional and organizational identities and commercialization in audit firms
|
[
"Professional identity",
"Sweden",
"Commercialization",
"Auditor",
"Organizational identity"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Audit firms have recently adopted new descriptors, including \"knowledge-intensive organizations,\" \"multinational professional services networks,\" and \"professional service firms\" (Brock, 2006). These may not simply be new forms of branding but may indicate the changed nature of the firms and their services. The literature has to some extent captured this development, which it refers to as commercialization of the audit industry. Terms like \"profitability,\" \"efficiency,\" \"market strategy,\" \"customer driver,\" \"firmalization,\" \"business process,\" \"financialization\" and \"marketization\" (e.g. Sharma and Sidhu, 2001; Citron, 2003; Clow et al., 2009; Sweeney and McGarry, 2011; Alvehus and Spicer, 2012; Broberg et al., 2013; Broberg, 2013; Picard, 2016) are some of the labels used to describe audit firms' development of a commercial orientation. Most studies that discuss this change have explored the impact of this commercial orientation on a number of outcomes, such as financial gain orientation and the efficiency of auditors and audit firms (e.g. Chesser et al., 1994; Sharma and Sidhu, 2001). Some studies have explored auditors' unethical behavior and loss of independence (Humphrey and Moizer, 1990; Citron, 2003; Suddaby et al., 2009; Sori et al., 2010) and its ultimate effects on audit quality. Few studies, to our knowledge, have sought to explore the drivers of commercialization in the audit industry and those that have were primarily explorative and/or theoretical in nature. They tended to vaguely refer to the contextual (e.g. Brock, 2006; Carrington et al., 2011) and internal organizational (Broberg, 2013; Broberg et al., 2013) forces driving commercialization. This paper tries to contribute to this nascent stream of research by suggesting that auditors' professional and organizational identities are driving commercialization in the audit industry (Settles, 2004; Johnson et al., 2006). These identities represent the forces of the internal and external environment, given that these individuals' identities are constructed in interaction with, or even through the clash of, external and internal forces embodied by the profession and the organization (Pratt and Foreman, 2000; Lui et al., 2001).\nLiterature review: Commercialization of auditing\nMethod: Data were obtained using a survey. A questionnaire was used because it is an efficient method of collecting data from large samples and has been used in previous studies (e.g. Mael and Ashforth, 1992; Deshpande et al., 1993; Chen et al., 2009; Broberg et al., 2013). The survey was sent to an initial sample of 3,588 auditors, who were authorized and approved auditor members of FAR (the total number of registered member e-mail addresses in May 2013 was 3,600). Data collection for this paper was performed as a part of the master's thesis (Skog and Theodorsson, 2013).\nResults and analysis: The analysis of the data was conducted using a Pearson correlation test and multiple linear regressions. The correlation matrix in Table III presents means, standard deviations, and correlations of the variables.\nDiscussion and conclusions: Studies within the auditing field often seek to explain the outcome of commercialization, yet few studies have been done on what influences commercialization. Both external (environmental) and internal (organizational) forces have been said to drive commercialization in audit firms. Some authors have posited that these forces are manifested through the professional and organizational identities of the auditors (e.g. Settles, 2004; Johnson et al., 2006). Building on this idea, we sought to explain how auditors' professional and organizational identities are associated with commercialization in audit firms.\nLimitations: This study has a number of limitations. One is the relatively small sample, which does not allow us to generalize to the population of all Swedish auditors. Yet given that the sample reflects the population rather closely, we posit that our findings provide some indications of how organizational and professional identities relate to commercialization of audit firms. Another limitation was the use of instruments that have not been used in Sweden or in the audit context. While our study has reported acceptable reliabilities for the instruments used and the questionnaire was pre-screened by experienced scholars, these instruments were not pre-tested on the auditors. This might, for example, explain why our hypotheses on professional identity were not supported. Further, our study could have used other control variables related to commercial activities of audit firms, for example, the commercial orientation of the individuals or specific risk-related individual characteristics. Finally, an important limitation of this study is that auditors in Sweden, as well as in other European countries, are not affected by SOX in the same way as auditors in the USA. Thus, the conditions for competition differ, and the pressure from the profession vs the pressure from the audit firm might influence auditors working directly under SOX differently than it does auditors not working directly under SOX.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explain how auditors' professional and organizational identities are associated with commercialization in audit firms. Unlike previous studies exploring the consequences of commercialization in the firms, the study directs its attention toward the potential driver of commercialization, which the authors argue to be the identities of the auditors.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper is based on 374 responses to a survey distributed to 3,588 members of FAR, the professional association of accountants, auditors and advisors in Sweden. The study used established measures of organizational and professional identity and introduced market, customer and firm process orientation as aspects of commercialization. The study explored the data through descriptive statistics, principle component analysis and correlation analysis and tested the hypotheses with multiple linear regression analysis.\nFindings: The findings indicated that the organizational identity of auditors has a positive association with three aspects of commercialization: market orientation, customer orientation and firm process orientation. Contrary to the arguments based on prior literature, the study has found that the professional identity of auditors is also a positively associated with commercialization. This indicates a change of the role of professional identity vis-a-vis commercialization of audit firms. The positive association between professional identity and commercial orientation could indicate the development of \"organizational professionalism.\" The study also found differences between the association between professional identity and commercialization in Big 4 and non-Big 4 firms. While in Big 4 firms, professional identity is positively associated only with the firm's process orientation, in non-Big 4 firms, professional identity has a positive association with all three aspects of commercialization.\nOriginality/value: The paper provides insight into how auditors' identities have influenced commercialization of audit firms and into the normalizing of commercialization within auditing. The study also developed a new instrument for measuring commercialization, one based on market, customer and firm process orientation concepts. This paper suggests that this instrument is an alternative to the observation through proxies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Culture and the importance of usability attributes
|
[
"Cultural usability",
"Usability attributes",
"Cultural dimensions",
"Culture (sociology)",
"Mobile communication systems"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Studies of usability across cultures (also termed cultural usability or culturability) in recent years have focussed on a number of issues such as cultural differences, globalization, localization, product design, product testing, and user-product interaction (Clemmensen and Roese, 2010). In addition, the concept of usability itself may be worthy of consideration. Usability is a socially constructed concept made up of attributes which may not be equally valued across cultures. It is possible that culture affects how usability is understood, thus adding an additional factor to our understanding of culture's effect on usability. To investigate this possibility, this study employed a social psychological approach of the type suggested by Clemmensen in a survey on human-computer interaction (HCI) research (Clemmensen, 2006). Our goal was to survey the attitudes of cell phone users from a variety of cultural groups to identify the differences in importance they placed on a number of usability attributes, and whether cultural values were a factor in these differences. Findings indicate significant in-country and between-country differences, and relationships between the importance of usability attributes and cultural dimensions.Previous studies suggest that users' valuation of usability attributes varies between cultures. A study into the usability of software across cultures (Evers and Day, 1997) found Chinese users valued the effectiveness of the software more highly than its ease of use, while Indonesian users valued its ease of use more highly. Variations in the importance placed on effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction were also reported by Vohringer-Kuhnt (2002). His study reported differences in how HCI practitioners rate the importance of concepts such as \"minimal effort\" or \"reaching goals,\" which represent usability attributes, effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. In his study he reported that Australians and South Africans place more importance on efficiency and satisfaction than do Americans and Europeans who value effectiveness more (Vohringer-Kuhnt, 2002). Most recently, Frandsen-Thorlacius et al. (2009) investigated between-country and in-country differences in the relative importance Chinese and Danish users of e-mail and word-processing software placed on usability attributes. For example, they found that Danes preferred efficiency over satisfaction and effectiveness over ease of use. On the other hand, Chinese users preferred ease of use over effectiveness. They also found between-country differences with Danish respondents showing a higher preference for effectiveness and efficiency than Chinese did, and Chinese respondents preferring satisfaction more than Danes did (Frandsen-Thorlacius et al., 2009).Knowledge of how culture affects users' preference for usability attributes is of both practical and theoretical importance. By identifying attributes that are valued in a target market, resources can be more optimally utilized to focus on product qualities that customers value. In addition, usability evaluators can make more accurate measurements of usability, thus improving a producer's competitive position. Understanding the effect of culture on the relative importance of usability attributes may also help to support and inform the few models of culturability that exist. Ford and Kotze's conceptual model of usability is perhaps the only usability model that incorporates the weighting of usability attributes, while not ascribing this to culture (Ford and Kotze, 2005). Clemmensen's cultural model of usability, while not specifically mentioning the importance different cultures place on usability attributes, describes how a culturally specific understanding of usability influences perceptions of usability (Clemmensen, 2009).1.1 Definitions and models\n2. Methodology: To identify differences in preferences for usability attributes between cultures, and their connection to cultural dimensions, cell phone users from New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, and the USA were surveyed using a variant of the USE (usefulness, satisfaction, ease of use) survey developed by Lund (2001). These nationalities were chosen to represent a range of cultural groups, including English-speaking countries, South-East Asia, and East Asia.2.1 Survey participants\n3. Results: Data from the frequency of attributes selected showed no significant association between nationality and attributes selected, while in-country and between-country analysis showed significant associations. Data from attribute ratings showed overall significant associations between attribute ratings and nationality, which was supported by analysis of in-country and between-country differences in attribute ratings. A number of significant correlations were identified between usability attributes and one or more cultural values.3.1 Selected attributes\n4. Discussion: The hypotheses in this study can be confirmed. Significant differences in preference for usability attributes exist in some countries and between some countries. Levels of preference for usability attributes are related to one or more cultural dimensions identified by both Hofstede and the WVS.4.1 In-country and between-country differences\n5. Conclusion: Identifying what different cultures mean by a word or a symbol is an essential part of cross-cultural understanding, and the term \"usability\" is no exception. This study shows that users from different cultures place different weight on the elements of usability - effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction, thus indicating a difference in how usability is perceived across cultures. Differences in cultural dimensions are a likely reason for variation in importance of usability attributes, although the influence of other factors may also be important. With an expansion of study in this topic, the place culture holds in the importance of usability attributes may become clearer.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This study into cultural usability aims to identify whether the importance of usability attributes varied between nationalities, and whether this variance was related to cultural dimensions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A total of 144 subjects from four countries were surveyed on the importance they placed on the usability attributes of cell phones. Results were compared by country, and relationships with cultural dimensions were investigated.\nFindings: - For each country, usability attributes were not rated equally. Across countries, no difference in the rating of effectiveness was found, while ratings of efficiency and satisfaction varied significantly. In addition, the study identified significant relationships between the importance given to efficiency and satisfaction and cultural dimensions identified by Hofstede and the World Values Survey, with values relating to task-orientation influencing efficiency, and non-task oriented values affecting the importance users place on satisfaction.\nPractical implications: - Product designers and usability practitioners need to consider these cultural differences when designing products and when evaluating, measuring, and making recommendations on product usability.\nOriginality/value: - Previous studies in this area have shown the existence of differences in preference for usability attributes based on nationality. No studies known to the authors have connected this to cultural dimensions. Understanding of this connection supports usability practitioners in their work not just in specific countries but also in cultural regions. It also allows the more precise modeling by researchers of culture's interaction with usability.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Prediction of financial distress in the Spanish banking system: An application using artificial neural networks
|
[
"Financial distress",
"Artificial neural networks",
"Banking sector",
"CAMELS",
"Spain"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The financial crisis that began in the summer of 2007 with the bursting of the property market bubble had multiple consequences on the global economy, showing, among other issues, that the financial problems of credit institutions is a social and economic problem that affects companies around the world (Halteh et al., 2018).\n2. Methodology: Because of their ability to learn from and adapt to a set of data, capture non-linear relations between variables and the absence of the need to know functional forms a priori (Wilson and Sharda, 1994; Chen et al., 2009) and the satisfactory results obtained in predicting financial distress in different studies, the methodology chosen for this work was that of artificial neural networks.\n3. Data and variables: To build a predictive model of financial distress in the Spanish banking system, we used information from banks, savings banks and credit cooperatives during the 2012-2016 period. We limited our study to entities that are classified as credit institutions by the Bank of Spain and did not include the credit institutions on which data was not available. Therefore, the sample used for the study comprised 148 credit institutions. Specifically, we used 59 Banks, 16 Savings Banks and 73 Credit Cooperatives.\n4. Results: Once we had determined the data and working sample, we proceeded to apply the \"Multilayer Perceptron\" to obtain a network that could predict Spanish credit institution financial distress in the short term.\n5. Conclusions: The prediction of financial distress in its multiple forms has been a key objective in the study of credit institutions throughout the world. In light of the events that have taken place in recent years, the creation of a method that enables the prediction of the consequences of credit institution insolvency is of vital interest.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to construct the first short-term financial distress prediction model for the Spanish banking sector.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The concept of financial distress covers a range of different types of financial problems, in addition to bankruptcy, which is not common in the sector. The methodology used to predict financial problems was artificial neural networks using traditional financial variables according to the capital, assets, management, earnings, liquidity and sensibility system, as well as a series of macroeconomic variables, the impact of which has been proven in a number of studies.\nFindings: The results obtained show that artificial neural networks are a highly suitable method for studying financial distress in Spanish credit institutions and for predicting all cases in which an entity has short-term financial problems.\nOriginality/value: This is the first work that tries to build a model of artificial neural networks to predict the financial distress in the Spanish banking system, grouping under the concept of financial distress, apart from bankruptcy, other financial problems that affect the viability of these entities.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Visual-aided ontology-based ranking on multidimensional data: a case study in academia
|
[
"Ranking",
"Ontology",
"Visual analytics",
"ELECTRE III",
"Semantic web",
"Multiple criteria decision making"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The typical context for multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) methodologies arises when a set of alternative options has to be evaluated against a set of criteria each contributing to the final outcome. These alternatives are systematically represented as vectors of values according to a common set of attributes (dimensions) and subsequently evaluated, upon these attribute values, against a set of criteria pertaining to the decision maker's (DM) preferences. The evaluation may be desired to lead to: elicitation of the best among the available options; ranking of the available options; grouping of the options in similarity groups; or definition, in the constructive sense, of the optimal option(s) (Doumpos and Zopounidis, 2014). The latter case is covered by multiple objective optimization, where the alternative options are considered to include all valid combinations of attribute values, thus requiring the identification of the optimal combination conforming to DM's desired outcome. The former three cases fall within the area of multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA), where the options are predefined as a set of concrete, usually reality-bound, instances, representing a typically small subset of the possible attribute values' combinations Chen et al. (2011).\n2. Literature review: Following the formalism in Vincke (1992), the available options in any decision making task constitute a set of objects G, which is assumed to be finite and stable during the process. One of three, mutually exclusive, relations must necessarily apply between any two members of G: preference (P), indifference (I) or incomparability (R). To ensure a valid preference structure, where the chosen decision-making mechanism will be applied, the aforementioned relations must fulfill the following: [?]x, y[?]G, x P y = (y P x)'; [?]x[?]G, x I x; [?]x,y[?]G, x I y = y I x; [?]x[?]G, (x R x)'; [?]x, y[?]G, x R y = y R x. These conditions do not imply transitivity per se, thus allowing x P y, y P z and z P x to hold concurrently in an otherwise valid preference structure. Rankings represent the summation of the DM's preferences regarding the available options, with respect to the instantiation of partial preferences in the dimensions considered. All rankings implement, to various extents, the fundamental concepts of preference modeling either through objectively quantifiable attributes, e.g. ranking systems (Altman and Tennenholtz, 2008), or through direct user feedback, e.g. interactive model evaluation (Bardis et al., 2011). Depending on domain requirements, ranking methods may aim to eliminate incomparability (R=[?]) and, in certain cases, also eliminate indifference (I=[?]), by enforcing a partial or total order on the available options, respectively (Altman and Tennenholtz, 2008). The ranking may pertain to individual dimensions or the overall evaluation of options. Transitivity is inherent in any partial or total ranking.\n3. The multidimensional Ontology-based visual ranking framework: Multidimensional rankings are characterized by a high level of complexity, addressing various stakeholders with different requirements and abilities. The proposed multidimensional ontology-based visual ranking (MOBVR) framework respects the diversity of prospective end-users, supporting them throughout the entire decision-making process. Its application entails the MOBVR domain competency check (Triperina et al., 2017), a set of requirements that ensures the domain-framework compatibility. The competency check involves three categories of requirements: the first examines the framework applicability to the domain; the second consists of the algorithm's prerequisites for the domain, while the third retrieves key information for applying the framework to the selected domain, e.g. the amount of dimensions and the criteria corresponding to each dimension. If the domain is qualified by the competency check, then the framework is applied.\n4. The MOBVR system: The MOBVR system (Figure 1) has been developed to meet the explicit needs of ranking problematic, particularly in cases that depend on multiple variables and can host any domain and MCDM method. The architecture of the MOBVR system consists of the following layers: the data layer, the ontology layer, the dynamic MCDM layer and the presentation layer.\n5. Case studies on ranking multidimensional data with ELECTRE III: 5.1 Ranking academia\n6. Conclusions and future work: Our findings demonstrate how a framework that incorporates semantic web technologies, visual analytics and MCDA can contribute to multidimensional ranking. Ontologies provide transparency of rankings, adaptation to new application domains and, due to the rich semantic web relationships, more thorough data exploration. Visual analytics also allow the discovery of expected and unexpected information especially in large data sets. Along with ontologies and visual analytics our approach introduces the MOBVR method, an outranking method that deals with multiple dimensions and criteria. The MOBVR approach has the potential to diminish the problems and complexity raised by the volume and the multidimensionality of relevant information and to prevent the lack of confidence, which is inherent in closed, irreproducible and prejudiced rankings. The MOBVR method is built upon ontology-structured information, like the approaches of Mun et al. (2009), Niaraki and Kim (2009) and Martinez-Garcia et al. (2016). However, our approach is enhanced by reasoning mechanisms, like the approach of Bastinos and Krisper (2013). It takes advantage of both approaches, without being susceptible to the same limitations.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel framework for visual-aided ontology-based multidimensional ranking and to demonstrate a case study in the academic domain.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper presents a method for adapting semantic web technologies on multiple criteria decision-making algorithms to endow to them dynamic characteristics. It also showcases the enhancement of the decision-making process by visual analytics.\nFindings: The semantic enhanced ranking method enables the reproducibility and transparency of ranking results, while the visual representation of this information further benefits decision makers into making well-informed and insightful deductions about the problem.\nResearch limitations/implications: This approach is suitable for application domains that are ranked on the basis of multiple criteria.\nOriginality/value: The discussed approach provides a dynamic ranking methodology, instead of focusing only on one application field, or one multiple criteria decision-making method. It proposes a framework that allows integration of multidimensional, domain-specific information and produces complex ranking results in both textual and visual form.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Post-NPM-style service integration: partnership-based brokerage in elderly care
|
[
"Service integration",
"New Public Management",
"Service management",
"Elderly care",
"New Public Governance",
"Service broker"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The increased intervention of government in society in the western world has resulted in pervasive regulation, significant reallocation of wealth and resources, and the expansion of public services. From the post-war decades until the 1980s the public-sector expansion was largely based on organisation and production of public services by bureaucratic government agencies. Consequently, public bureaucracies became powerful and self-sufficient, leading to the so-called silo problem manifest in the public service ethos and professionalism that discouraged inter-departmental and inter-sectoral collaboration.\nThe context of post-NPM governance: Towards a post-NPM agenda\nBrokerage as a hybrid form of governance: Emergence of hybrid forms of governance\nAn elderly care service brokerage case in Tampere: Setting the stage\nDiscussion: Let us return to our research questions, of which the first was to find out how the Kotitori model has reshaped the role of city government and key stakeholder relationships in elderly care services. Our results show that it has indeed reshaped governance relationships in the city's service provision, but not one-sidedly towards NPM model, for the city government has kept not only the steering but also a large part of the actual service provision firmly in its own hands. In fact, the case of Kotitori resembles many other cases of hybridisation of public administration, in which one-stop-shops and similar solutions actually integrate a fairly small number of services while the bulk of the responsibility in service delivery remains either with public authorities or private contractors within a more or less fragmented system (cf. Howard, 2015).\nConclusion: This paper discusses the rationale and functioning of Kotitori, a partnership-based brokerage model adopted in the city of Tampere, Finland. This is a vehicle of service integration by providing support for information intermediation, learning and service market creation. In the Kotitori model the broker enhances the capacity building of the city government and the cost-effectiveness of its service provision, provides added value through improved information processes, and handles matters relating to subcontracting and the facilitation of the service provider network. The model contains many NPM-inspired elements but these emerge in parallel with supplementary values associated with post-NPM thinking, most prominently New Public Governance and the neo-Weberian local state.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the rationale and functioning of the partnership-based brokerage model as a vehicle of service integration with special reference to its support for information intermediation, learning and service market creation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The theoretical framework is built on the tension between New Public Management (NPM) and post-NPM thinking, which frames the analysis of the brokerage model for elderly care services in the city of Tampere, Finland. The empirical data are derived from interviews, evaluation reports and existing case descriptions.\nFindings: In the Kotitori model, the broker enhances the capacity building of the city government and the cost-effectiveness of its service provision, provides added value through improved information processes and handles matters relating to subcontracting and the facilitation of the service provider network. The model as a whole reflects the hybridisation of public administration. Even if Kotitori contains many NPM-inspired elements, they are complemented by features derived from New Public Governance and the neo-Weberian local state. The most neglected aspect of post-NPM thinking in the design of Kotitori is citizen centredness.\nOriginality/value: This paper broadens the perspective on the role of brokers in public service provision and highlights the multi-dimensionality of the brokerage function. It also shows how such partnership-based brokerage model reflects various aspects of both NPM and post-NPM paradigm.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Culture, health, gender and coffee drinking: a Costa Rican perspective
|
[
"Gender",
"Culture",
"Consumption",
"Costa Rica",
"Health",
"Coffee"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Consumption of beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee goes back at least 1,000 years in the east. The first commercial cultivation of coffee was recorded in the fifteenth century in Ethiopia, by the late seventeenth century, coffee drinking had spread to Europe and gradually during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries worldwide. The first seeds arrived in Costa Rica around 1,780 and by 1,840 coffee was produced and consumed in most of the country (Vega Jimenez, 2006; Jimenez Castro, 2013).\nHow important is coffee consumption in Costa Rica in 2014?: In 2011, Costa Rica was the largest consumer of coffee in Central America, with 3.9 kg/capita/year, followed by Honduras with 2.4 kg, Nicaragua with 2.0 kg, (Promecafe/IICA, 2011). Vega Jimenez indicated in 1999, that between 80 and 85 per cent of all Costa Ricans drank coffee at least once a day (Vega Jimenez, 2006). Table I shows that Costa Rica is ranked 18th among the top coffee drinking countries in the world.\nImportance of coffee production for Costa Rica?: In 2014, the export of dry coffee beans was the third agricultural export of Costa Rica in value, behind bananas and pineapple (SEPSA, 2015), and coffee is produced literally from sea level to 2,000 metres of elevation (although not with the same quality).\nPurpose of the study: The purpose of the study was to identify the effect of culture, gender and health effects on coffee drinking in order to help understand the probable reasons for its consumption.\nResearch problem: The lack of \"available\" detail information that identifies why Costa Ricans are such heavy coffee drinkers and its probable relation with culture, health and gender.\nResearch questions: The research questions emerging from such a problem are:\nObjectives of the study: to determine the consumer profile of coffee drinkers;\nHypothesis of the study: H1. Health, culture and gender influence the frequency of coffee consumption in Costa Rica.\nTheoretical framework: Definitions\nCoffee consumption and health: The relationship between coffee and potential health benefits has been examined in a number of studies (Lopez-Garcia et al., 2008; Higdon and Balz rei, 2006; Gray, 1998; Hensrud, 2012; La Vecchia et al., 1989). However, more research on its possible beneficial and harmful effects is required.\nMaterials and methods: Research site and population\nResults: Construct validity\nDiscussion: Costa Rica, according to the literature on coffee drinking ranks number 18 among coffee drinking nations in the world. However, when one looks at the fact that coffee production has been in place for almost 200 years, there are ample reason for its heavy use and impact on the nation's habits.\nConclusions: The instrument developed for the survey given the results of Cronbach a has been found suitable for the purpose.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the effect of culture, gender and perceived health benefits on coffee drinking in Costa Rica.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A telephone survey (n=1,328) was conducted in the province of San Jose, where the capital city is located. This location has a population of 845,000, with a 99 per cent, confidence, 1 per cent error and 50 per cent response distribution, the total usable surveys were 1,199. The analytical procedure, consisted of three steps; instrument validation, consumer profile development and developing ordinal logistic modelling.\nFindings: The total a was estimated at 0.71. The coffee consumer profile is described but consisted of 52 per cent female and 48 per cent male with 77 per cent receiving a secondary education. The factors influencing coffee drinking by Costa Ricans, are in order of importance: first gender followed by family as a source of information, health, amount spent, aroma, anti-migraine effect, family tradition, flavour and energizing effect. H1 - health, culture and gender influence the frequency of coffee consumption in Costa Rica is accepted; H2 - the importance of the health factor varies with gender is accepted and H3 - culture is an important factor in determining coffee consumption is also accepted.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study was only conducted in the province of San Jose. This is considered the urban heart of the country urban but its finding should not be extrapolated to the entire country. A rural/urban comparison may be needed.\nPractical implications: The results suggest that a country wide survey may be useful in providing information for differential coffee marketing strategies.\nOriginality/value: The material is the first of its kind in the Central American region and may help orient other countries of the area.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The variables influencing consumer information search strategies: Christmas shopping in Lebanon
|
[
"Consumer behaviour",
"Christmas shopping",
"Gift giving",
"Information search",
"Lebanon"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Christmas is the most important religious event and holiday period for Western cultures and is celebrated through such different activities as parties, family gatherings, church services, Christmas dinner and gift giving. It has a direct and significant impact on retailing.Although Christmas sales slowed down with the 2009 economic recession, it still has significant importance for manufacturers and retailers in Western countries. For example, the amount of money Canadian shoppers spent in December 2005 was $36.8 billion. The average Canadian spent $845 during the same month (Statistics Canada, 2006). In the USA, Christmas sales were about $245 billion in 2008, with $343 spending per person (The Conference Board, Q4, 2009). According to the Australian Retailers Association, retail sales during the 2009 Christmas period were expected to be $38.7 billion (World News Australia, 2009). Another survey, which was carried out in September and October 2009, revealed that the average expenditure for Christmas per household in Ireland was expected to be EUR1100. The German and French consumers anticipated spending EUR600 and EUR650, respectively, (Finfacts, 2009). In 2009, UK retail sales were over PS286 billion, of which the total predicted Christmas expenditure is PS34.6 billion (Wood and Finch, 2009). These figures reflect the importance of the Christmas season.It is somewhat surprising that apart from a handful of studies which examined North American consumers (Laroche et al., 2000a, b, c, 2004; Otnes et al., 1993), Christmas shopping behaviour in different countries has not been extensively addressed in the literature. Sullivan and Bauerschmidt (1989) stressed that testing concepts in different economic, political, cultural, and institutional settings creates the contextual meanings to evaluate the robustness of prevailing theories, whilst Beatty et al. (1991) and Green and Alden (1988) express their growing concern about the absence of any comparative studies on gift-giving behaviour.Lebanon is a small, socially- and religiously-diverse Middle Eastern country in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Lebanese constitution officially recognizes 18 religious sects. The majority of Lebanese speak Arabic and either French and/or English fluently, although the official language is Arabic. According to Hofstede (2001) the cultures of the nations can be analysed along four primary dimensions: the Individualism/Collectivism Index, the Power Distance Index, the Uncertainty Avoidance Index and the Masculinity/Femininity Index. Based on the Individualism/Collectivism Index, Lebanon as an Arab country attains a low score; this means that it subjugates the individual to the group. According to the Power Distance Index, it scores high, implying that Lebanon has a hierarchical culture, with members citing social role, manipulation and inheritance as sources of power and status. In fact, family ties are very strong in the society; for example, wealthy family members are expected to share with less prosperous relatives and look after them. The family tries to ensure its members' conformity to accepted standards of behaviour so that family honour and prestige will be maintained. To a great extent, the family determines an individual's education, achievements, ambitions, goals and wealth: it commands primary loyalty in Lebanese society. Based on the Uncertainty Avoidance Index, Lebanon achieves a moderate score; the Lebanese are neither tolerant nor intolerant of ambiguity among members of society.Lebanese consumers enjoy collectivist, pragmatic and conformist shopping behaviours and a lavish lifestyle. They have a flare for socialising and partying and like to show off their wealth and social status through their branded belongings. Lebanese people will often spend more than they can afford to keep up with the latest trends since image is so important within Lebanese society.Gift giving is part of the Lebanese culture and is not only for birthdays and special occasions. Gifts may be given to someone who has provided a favour, to a host when visiting their home, to someone returning from a trip overseas. Every Christian and Muslim religious holiday is honoured in Lebanon. As in Western countries, Christmas is a major shopping season, but what is intriguing in Lebanon is that even those from other religions may celebrate aspects of Christmas by, for example, putting up a tree or exchanging gifts. This study attempts, therefore, to find out the factors influencing the information search strategies employed by Lebanese consumers during Christmas shopping. The specific objectives of this study can be identified as:1. providing a better understanding of consumer information search behaviour in the context of Christmas gifts;2. determining the effects of personal, situational and demographic factors on consumer in-store information search strategies; and3. evaluating the dimensions of in-store information sources considered by consumers and identifying similarities and differences between North American consumers and Lebanese ones regarding information search strategies during Christmas gift shopping.Christmas gift giving and the consumer information search for Christmas gifts will be explained in the literature review section. This will be followed by the research methodology; a presentation of the findings will lead into conclusions and practical implications, followed by limitations and suggestions for future studies.\n2 Literature review: In its simplest form, a gift is generally an object that is transferred from one person (the giver) to another (recipient). Larsen and Watson (2001) mention four types of value gained from gifts: economic, social, functional and expressive. Gift giving is a universal phenomenon that varies across cultures in terms of specific details and rituals. Banks (1979) views gift giving as a four-stage process: from purchase to interaction/exchange to consumption and finally to communication/feedback. Sherry (1983) suggested a three-stage model including the search for and purchase of the gift, the presentation or the exchange of the gift, and the realignment of the giver/recipient relationship. Whilst literature mentions many motivations for gift exchange, Sherry (1983) conceptualized them as ranging from altruistic where the donor attempts to maximize the pleasure of the recipient to agonistic, where the donor attempts to enhance their personal satisfaction.Christmas is a unique and ritualistic consumption occasion with different dimensions and presents a gift-giving culture that supports hedonistic behaviour. The importance of and involvement in the gift-giving process is more noticeable during the Christmas season as four characteristics differentiate the act of gift giving at this time from other gift-giving occasions. First, of all occasions featuring more than one giver and receiver, Christmas has the highest level of cultural significance; second, it receives more media attention than any other annual gift-giving occasion; third, it is the focus of substantially more marketing efforts; and fourth, it is the only occasion where immediate reciprocity is expected.\n3 Conceptual framework and hypotheses: Information search is defined as the stage of the decision-making process where consumers actively collect information from different sources. Although the consumer information search is related to pre-purchase activity (Brown, 1988), consumers seek information at other times and for other reasons (Bloch et al., 1986). For example, some consumers may engage in shopping behaviours for the hedonic value they receive rather than to achieve some specific pre-purchase goals. According to traditional information economics, consumers engage in an active information search until the perceived marginal cost of an additional unit of search exceeds the expected marginal benefits (Klein and Ford, 2003; Guo, 2001; Moorthy et al., 1997).In the consumer decision-making process, the information search starts after consumers recognize a problem (Bruner and Pomazal, 1988). Consumers usually engage in an internal (memory or past experiences) or an external (examining advertising, product packaging or labelling) search for information and generally begin with available internal information. If the internal search of information is not enough, they turn to external sources. Beatty and Smith (1987) defined the external information search as the degree of attention, perception and effort directed toward obtaining environmental data or information related to the specific purchase under consideration. External information sources can be classified as marketer-dominated and non-marketer-dominated sources or personal, commercial, public and experiential sources.The variables influencing the consumer information search\n4 Research methodology: Sample and data collection method\n5 Findings: Regression analysis with a hierarchical stepwise procedure was used in the analysis of the data. Assumptions for regression analysis were examined before three regression models were developed regarding consumer in-store information sources. The first assumption for the regression analysis is that the values of standard errors should represent normal distribution. Kolmogorov - Smirnov tests provide inferential statistics on normality; these test results indicated that the standard error values represent a normal distribution at a 0.05 significance level. The Durbin - Watson statistical test is used to detect the presence of autocorrelation in the residuals from a regression analysis. The Durbin - Watson autocorrelation coefficiencies were between 1.13 and 1.58 and they are at an acceptable level. Finally, the correlations between independent variables were examined and revealed no strong correlations. VIF values are also less than ten and tolerance values are more than 0.1. After checking the assumptions for regression analysis, the analysis was carried out.General information search\n6 Conclusion: The study recognized that situational variables were generally found to influence the in-store information search as much as personal variables. In other words, situational variables are as important as personal variables for Christmas gift shopping.The study identified that some personal factors affect consumers' in-store information search. Not surprisingly, the bargain hunter type was found to be the consumer who looks for all different types of in-store information. This reinforces our knowledge that bargain hunters carefully search for all the information available in order to make the best possible purchase. They behave in the same way when Christmas gift shopping. The study identified that the relationship between leaders and the general and specific in-store information search behaviour is negative. An explanation for this is that as the leadership trait consumers have increases, they search for less general and specific information in stores since they possess more confidence and independence than others (Locander and Hermann, 1979; Schaninger and Sciglimpaglia, 1981). There is a negative relationship between the information from sales staff and generic buyers and identity shapers. This can be explained thus: generic buyers who are not looking for special brands and identity shapers who come to store with the gift idea in their minds, look for less information from sales persons.Consumers who buy risky gifts look for general and specific in-store information thereby reducing the risk level. Laroche et al. (2000b, c) mentioned many types of risks involved in gift shopping, two of the most prevalent being social and financial risks. In the case of risky gifts, consumers try to reduce the risk level through collecting more information in store, shopping with trusted companions and allocating larger budgets. Another risk-reducing strategy is to obtain a predetermined gift list from the recipient. The current study, however, found that consumers doing their Christmas shopping with a helpful companion are more likely to seek information from three different sources, contrary to Laroche et al. (2000c) who concluded that shopping with a helpful companion has no effect on the amount or kind of information sought by the shopper in the store environment. Consumers with a strict budget were found to search more for information from general and specific sources about Christmas gifts. Similar to this, the study confirmed that consumers look for more general and specific information, but not information from sales people in the case of costly Christmas gifts. This result is in line with the findings of the study by Mattson (1982) which identified that consumers buying costly gifts did not want to consult and receive more information from sales people in the shops. The study identified that time pressure affects the information sought from the sales persons in the stores, although neither the general nor the specific information search is affected. This might mean that people in the Middle East generally feel less time-pressured and they look for more information from sales people under time pressure.The study found that as the amount of money spent on Christmas gifts increases, so the search for general information decreases. In the same vein, as the amount of money spent on gifts at Christmas compared to regular months increases, so the need for general and specific information decreases. In the case of predetermined gift ideas, consumers seem to look for more specific information as well as information from sales personnel. As the number of stores visited for Christmas gift shopping increases, consumers ask more for general in-store information. Thus, consumers who visit more stores look for more general in-store information in order to save time.In the comparison of findings, the explanation power of the variables in the current study was found to be higher than the study by Laroche et al. (2000c). The comparison of the variables is presented in Table VI. According to the table, it can be concluded that the information search behaviour of Lebanese consumers for Christmas gifts is generally similar to North American consumers, albeit with some exceptions. For example, leader type Lebanese consumers look for more general and specific types of information. The same type of consumer in North America, however, does not consider them valuable information sources. Of the situational variables, Lebanese consumers shopping with helpful companions look for more of the three types of information, whilst North American consumers in the same situation do not require any type of information. Lebanese consumers with the predetermined gift list search for more specific information and information from sales people contrary to North American consumers who look for more general information.\n7 Practical implications: Some practical implications can be drawn from the study findings. Depending on the consumer's personal, situational and socio-demographic factors, all the different types of information are of importance during the Christmas shopping period.Three types of information are significantly important for bargain hunters: they search for general and specific information as well as information from sales staff. Leader customers seek general and specific information about gift products, whilst customers with strict budgets and costly and risky gift ideas look for all three types of information. Most notably, customers under time pressure do not want to look for specific information, but require general information and information from sales people. Interestingly, gift spending compared to other months of the year affects the three types of information negatively. Based on these research findings, it can be recommended that product and price information for all gift items should be clearly presented. Each gift item should be labelled and the required information should be provided on the package or tag and the sales people should be equipped with all types of information.\n8 Limitations and directions for future research: The study has some limitations. As it focused on Christmas shopping in Lebanon the findings cannot be generalized to fit all countries. More research will be required in other countries to produce more reliable and enlightening conclusions for the subject and this will help to better understand consumers' Christmas shopping information needs.Another research stream would be the cultural aspects of the in-store information search during Christmas shopping period. It would be very useful to understand the cultural differences about the subject although there is a very limited number of studies investigating gift-giving practices in different cultures.It would also be interesting to investigate the type of recipient, the type of gifts, the type of outlet and the time spent on Christmas shopping as the additional situational variables. Further research could look into the effects of personal, situational and demographic variables on satisfaction with the Christmas shopping experience. Consequently, some further recommendations could be made to retailers.It can be suggested that further studies examine the effects on consumers of the different sales and marketing strategies employed during the Christmas season compared to other months of the year.Another research suggestion is to investigate the differences between gift shopping for Christmas and other gift-giving occasions such as Valentine's Day, birthdays and anniversaries.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of the study is to examine the personal, situational and socio-demographic factors influencing consumer information search strategies whilst Christmas shopping in a religiously-diverse Middle Eastern country: Lebanon.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A structured questionnaire (adopted from Laroche, Saad, Browne, Cleveland, and Kim) was employed as the data collection procedure. Respondents were chosen by systematic random sampling in malls, department stores and retail outlets in the Lebanese capital, Beirut for over a three-week period immediately prior to Christmas Day, 25 December 2008. The study sample comprised 400 respondents: 188 female and 212 male.\nFindings: - The study identified the effects of some personal and situational factors on the different consumer information search strategies. Of the personal factors, it was found that the bargain hunters sought general and specific information as well as information from sales staff, whilst the leader type looked for general and specific information. The study also determined that risky and costly gifts, strict budgets and the amount of money spent on gifts were the main situational factors influencing each type of consumer information search.\nOriginality/value: - Most of the literature has focused on Christmas shopping in Western countries, yet this study attempts to investigate it in the Middle East. It is hoped that by enhancing the understanding of the impact of Christmas shopping in non-Western countries the findings will contribute to the literature on this subject.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Health tourism: Needs for healing experience and intentions for transformation in wellness resorts in Korea
|
[
"Korea",
"Motivation",
"Tourism development",
"Health",
"Consumer behavior",
"Health tourism",
"Behavioral intentions",
"Experience economy",
"Experience marketing",
"Healing involvement",
"Healing tour behavior",
"Wellness resorts"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Following popular terms describing a healthy life, \"well-being\" in the 1980s and \"lifestyle of health and sustainability\" (LOHAS) in the 1990s, the term \"healing\" is now popular. Healing permeates life, as seen in media, marketing, goods and services and arts. People are enjoying healing in cosmetics, food, clothes, houses, music, art, sports, travelling and entertainment.\n2. Theoretical background and hypotheses: 2.1 Needs for healing experience\n3. Method: 3.1 Measures\n4. Results: 4.1 Validity and reliability analyses of instrument\n5. Conclusion: 5.1 Discussion\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of tourists' needs for healing experience (NHE) on behavioral intentions for transformation (BIT) with healing involvement (HI) as a mediator. Using the two sub-constructs of BIT in the tourism industry (i.e. selection of healing tour products and transformational intention of healing tour behavior), this study evaluates BIT.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The survey was administered to visitors in healing resorts/centers in Korea; 383 completed surveys were used to investigate the hypothesized relationships of this study using regression analysis.\nFindings: The study results confirmed the hypothesized relationships: the positive effects of NHE on BIT and the significant mediating role of HI in the relationships between NHE and BIT.\nPractical implications: The relationships among NHE, HI and BIT can improve the understanding and practices of healing experience and the development of healing products in the tourism industry. This study offers a meaningful and extended perspective on customers' experience and product development by interpreting customers' desires and needs.\nOriginality/value: This study explores the under-researched subject of NHE and HI from a transformative economic perspective. The study is among the first to examine the structural relationships among NHE, HI and BIT. The uniqueness of the study is highlighted by the use of two sub-dimensions of the BIT industry (i.e. selection of healing tour products and transformational intention of healing tour behavior) in a tourism context.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Determinants of halal meat consumption in France
|
[
"Consumer behaviour",
"Meat",
"Religion",
"Islam",
"France"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Impact of religion on food consumption\nResearch hypotheses: Halal meat consumption is shaped by the Islamic dietary prescriptions and could be considered a religious expression. Exploratory research using the Means-End-Chain Theory confirmed that the attribute \"ritual slaughter\" is strongly linked to the value \"faith\", next to other values like \"health\" and \"tradition\", meaning that Muslim consumers eat halal meat in order to follow and express their religious teachings (Bonne and Verbeke, 2006). In a related vein, Bergeaud-Blackler and Bonne (2006) showed that religion is a very important motivator for eating halal meat. Moreover, Bergeaud-Blackler and Bonne (2006) described how eating halal is part of a Muslim or Islamic identity among Muslim migrates. In general, identity may be a critical issue where individuals or communities feel a threat to significant cultural symbols (Burton, 2004). For Islam, most researchers hold that Islam refers to a religious identity, especially in situations of \"foreignness\". Consequently, the extent to which an individual considers him/herself a Muslim, could influence the decision making process concerning halal meat (Biddle et al., 1987). Previous research shows that someone can strictly follow the dietary rules and eat halal meat without following other religious prescriptions (Bonne and Verbeke, 2006). Possibly, these individuals consider themselves less as Muslim and are less motivated to comply to religious rules and/or peer group pressure, while they are more inclined to follow their personal attitudes. On the contrary, individuals with a higher Muslim identification could be more inclined to follow Islamic rules and customs and therefore be more open for peer influence. In addition, based on differences in the level of individualism and collectivism of Western versus Islamic cultures (Hofstede, 2003), we can expect differences in the relative weights of the predictors of the TPB (Van Hooft et al., 2004). In more individualistic (e.g. Western culture) people perceive themselves as autonomous and independent of the group and prioritise personal goals over collective goals which would lead to a higher use of personal attitudes versus social norms in behavioural decisions. On the other hand, in collectivistic (i.e. Islamic) cultures, people tend to perceive themselves as interdependent with their group and tend to strive for in-group rather than personal goals. Behaviour is then guided more by anticipated expectations of others or social norms of the in-group than by personal attitudes (Van Hooft et al., 2006). Therefore, the following hypothesis is set forth:H1. Individuals with a lower (versus higher) self-identification as a Muslim, will rely more on individual factors like personal attitude, personal moral norm and perceived behavioural control compared to the motivation to comply.With respect to acculturation, Liou and Contento (2001) concluded in their study an increased predictive power of the regression models with individuals who are more acculturated. More specifically, when the degree of acculturation increased, their independent variables (amongst others attitude, health concern, self-efficacy) predicted behavioural intention significantly better. Verbeke and Lopez (2005) found the language-factor in acculturation and time of residence to influence Hispanics' food consumption in Belgium. Furthermore, previous exploratory research showed that time of residence measured as generation, associates with drivers to consume halal meat (Bonne and Verbeke, 2006). Following the above, we posit the second hypothesis as:H2. The predictive power of the TPB components for behavioural intention improves with the degree of dietary acculturation in the host culture.\nMethod: Sample\nResults: The Cronbach's alpha value for \"motivation to comply\" and \"perceived availability\" was 0.91 and 0.80, respectively, and only one factor was extracted for both concepts individually in exploratory factor analysis. Behavioural intention, attitude, personal conviction, habit, control, self-identity and dietary acculturation were measured using single items.Characteristics of the respondents\nDiscussion: This study shows that in general halal meat consumption is determined by a positive attitude, the pressure of others and the perceived control. Perceived availability does not influence halal meat consumption contrary to findings by Verbeke and Lopez (2005) who found that lack of ethnic ingredients in the food market and their high cost is a barrier for Hispanics in Belgium to retain their eating habits. Possibly, the importance or personal relevance attached to halal meat (which is high in our sample given the specific religious context) dominates over preference for convenient, readily or easily available food products. Consumers who are highly (versus lowly) involved with a product perceive the availability of a product less as a potential barrier for behaviour, and might be willing to devote more time and effort on obtaining their desired product. This has yet been shown for instance in the case of sustainable food consumption decisions (Vermeir and Verbeke, 2006) and can be confirmed by exploratory research which concluded that Muslims are willing to put considerable effort in obtaining halal meat (Bonne and Verbeke, 2006). An other explanation for the non significance of perceived availability could be an improved availability of halal products in France the last ten years as suggested by Bergeaud-Blackler and Bonne (2006).Furthermore, consuming halal meat is no automated process. This is in contrast with findings from Verbeke and Vackier (2004) for non-halal or regular meat consumption decisions in Belgium. In general, our sample disagrees with the statement that eating halal meat is a rather automatic process (i.e. without reasoning). Probably, consumers with high as well as low intentions to eat halal meat consider halal meat consumption as a well thought over process that can explain the non significance of habit. The low score on automaticity of halal meat consumption is in accordance with the high level of personal importance attached to halal meat consumption. A highly important product is usually attained through a reasoned decision-making process (Vermeir and Verbeke, 2005). Additional grounds for reasoned decision-making in the case of halal meat can be found in the fact that mass media information about eventual frauds with halal meat (e.g. containing pork) has been spread recently (Bergeaud-Blackler, 2004b).The item personal conviction was added to assess Muslim's personal choice for halal meat consumption in contrast with peer's pressure or their motivation to comply with this influence of others. The authors are aware that this is an operationalisation within TPB, which has not been validated through previous research. Nevertheless, within the focus of this study (i.e. meat consumption within a religious and migration context) inserting personal conviction to the model was considered relevant to cover the hypothesised determinants of halal meat consumption. Hence, the item has proved to be successful in predicting intention to eat halal meat for a subgroup of Muslim consumers. Further effort to conceptualise this issue in specific food consumption decision contexts is recommended.Splitting the total sample in groups with different degrees of self-identity showed that the less a Muslim identifies himself with Islam, the more eating halal meat becomes a personal conviction without being influenced by others and despite religious prescriptions. Although Islam prescribes meat consumption to be halal, it remains individual's own personal choice to eat halal or not. Those consumers, especially Muslims of second or third generation, do not follow blindly the dietary rules but they make a well thought over decision. Once this decision is made, halal meat consumption can become habitual (see a positive correlation between personal conviction and habit): they do not have to repeat thorough active reasoning for every purchase or consumption decision. This finding explains the tendency of habitual behaviour among second generation in exploratory research (Bonne and Verbeke, 2006). A strong personal conviction for consuming halal meat among young Muslims also corroborates Bergeaud-Blackler and Bonne (2006) who declares that eating halal is an expression of a rising Islamic attitude towards foods or clothing among young Muslims in France. Eating halal has become a means for an Islamic devotion and a sign of an identity reserved to the Muslim community (Bergeaud-Blackler and Bonne (2006)).With respect to dietary acculturation, Muslims tend to retain their dietary habits despite a relative long stay in the host country. Even Muslims born in France prefer dishes from their parent's country. This finding corroborates Liou and Contento (2001) who also reported a low dietary acculturation score among Chinese Americans, as well as with Park et al. (2003) who reported that food habits may change most slowly when individuals migrate to other cultures. Time of residence and acculturation are slightly correlated meaning that the longer someone lives in the host country, the more he becomes dietary acculturated, corroborating (Verbeke and Lopez, 2005).Contrary to Liou and Contento (2001), no significant negative correlation was found between dietary acculturation and habit. Nevertheless, we did find halal meat consumption to be more habitual among second generation Muslims as suggested by previous research (Bonne and Verbeke, 2006; Bergeaud-Blackler and Bonne, 2006).Furthermore, the more a Muslim is acculturated, the better the predictive power of the TPB components as concluded also in the study of Liou and Contento (2001) within a Chinese-American sample. However, we did not find subjective norm to influence behavioural intentions for both high and low acculturated consumers unlike Liou and Contento.\nConclusions: The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, the Theory of Planned Behaviour was used to investigate halal food consumption in France. In general, the classical TPB determinants of intention explain only little variance in intention to consume halal meat and the regression coefficients are low compared to other food choice studies using the TPB. Apparently, the consumption of halal meat for Muslims is quite different from the consumption of \"regular\" meat or other foods for non-Muslims. The religious associations attached to halal meat probably make this decision more important for the Muslim consumer, which could lead to a different decision-making process, including a specific set of predictors. Therefore, and second, we added two determinants that are associated with food decisions within a religion and migration context (i.e. self-identity and dietary acculturation) that could help us better understand the concept of religious meat consumption decisions. We can conclude that in general, a positive personal attitude towards the consumption of halal meat, the influence of peers and the perceived control over consuming halal meat contribute to predicting the intended consumption of halal meat among Muslims. Perceived availability of halal meat does not seem to be a barrier for consuming halal meat; neither is consumption strongly driven by habitual behaviour in the sense of behaviour displayed \"without thinking\".Muslims with a low Muslim self-identity intend to eat halal meat not only because they find it very important for themselves, but also as their personal conviction, whereas Muslims with a strong Muslim self-identity are rather influenced by peers in their social environment, their attitude towards halal meat and the degree of control they feel to have over eating halal meat. When considering the degree of dietary acculturation, low acculturated Muslims rely completely on their positive attitude towards halal meat whereas high dietary acculturated Muslims rely on attitude and perceived control.We can conclude that the more Muslims accustom their dietary behaviours and the less they identify with their religion, the more the classic model of the TPB becomes valid. Nevertheless, it might be wrong to conclude that the TPB model only works within western populations since it has been successfully used by van Hooft et al. (2004, 2006) in explaining job search behaviour among ethnic minorities in the Netherlands. Further research is needed to investigate the validity of the TPB model within this population.Our research has some practical implications. First of all, our results show that the decision-making process that precedes halal consumption is different from regular meat consumption decision-making processes. Consequently, different marketing techniques should be used to stimulate halal meat versus regular meat consumption. In addition, different \"decision\" segments exist within the halal market (i.e. segments that base their decision on different variables). Muslims with a low Muslim identity can be motivated through communications to buy halal meat by slogans that focus on the individual's opportunity to makes his/her own choice while Muslims with a high Muslim self-identity would be more appealed by messages focussing on the social importance of consuming halal on the one hand and the control consumers have over attaining halal meat on the other hand. In addition, the halal food consumption of highly acculturated Muslims could also benefit from enhancing control feelings.The present research is the first research studying halal meat consumption determinants with Islamic respondents. The rather low regression scores are a bit disappointing but give us an idea of which variables are important in understanding and predicting halal meat consumption. Several methodological, conceptualisation and operationalisation issues could explain the rather low regression coefficients. Possibly, the behaviour under investigation (i.e. halal food consumption) is a sensitive subject for the respondents because of its religious association. Research on a \"neutral\" topic (job search behaviour) with a similar respondent group in the Netherlands (Van Hooft et al., 2006) did result in higher regression coefficients of the TPB variables denoting that the low regression coefficients in our study are probably caused by the topic of the study and not by the specific population itself. This study also faces some limitations to methodology used. We opted for including a number of potential determinants of halal meat consumption, but other characteristics could also have been considered (in addition to the items in the present study), such as trust (Stefani et al., 2005), moral obligation (Shepherd, 1999), involvement or values (Vermeir and Verbeke, 2006). Future research could investigate other individual characteristics that are important in religious food decisions. Furthermore, several constructs were measured as single items instead of multi-item constructs. In addition, it might be possible that the phrasing of some of our statements is responsible for the low regression coefficients (e.g. motivation to comply). In hindsight, because of the sensitive, religious, nature of the topic, some questions like social or subjective norms, personal norms and personal relevance could be asked more indirectly. Finally, the sample was taken from France only; respondents were selected using convenience sampling; and they were contacted during a specific event. Each of these issues imposes limits on drawing generalisation from our findings to the broader Muslim migrant population living in Western European countries. Nevertheless, our findings shed some initial lights on the validity of the TPB, extended with religious self-identify and dietary acculturation, for explaining halal meat consumption decisions among the immigrant Muslim population in France.Practical implications extend to food policy decision-makers and food marketers who might pursue identity- and/or acculturation-related strategies in their distribution and communication efforts targeted at the growing halal food market segment in Western Europe.\n",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of halal meat consumption within a Muslim migration population using the theory of planned behaviour as a conceptual framework. The role of self-identity as a Muslim and dietary acculturation in the host culture is explored.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Cross-sectional data were collected through a survey with 576 Muslims mainly originating from North Africa and currently living in France. Data were analysed by means of independent samples' t-tests, correlations and stepwise multiple regression.\nFindings: - A positive personal attitude towards the consumption of halal meat, the influence of peers and the perceived control over consuming halal meat predict the intention to eat halal meat among Muslims.\nResearch implications/limitations: - Limitations include the use of a convenience sample and the focus on only two individual characteristics related to religious food consumption, namely self-identity and dietary acculturation. Additional individual characteristics such as trust, values or involvement could improve the predictive power of the model.\nPractical implications: - Practical implications extend to food policy decision-makers and food marketers who might pursue identity - and/or acculturation-related strategies in their distribution and communication efforts targeted at the growing halal food market segment in Western Europe.\nOriginality/value: - This study is one of the first studies investigating the determinants of halal meat consumption in general and a first application of the theory of planned behaviour within a food, religion and migration context, i.e. halal meat consumption decisions in a Muslim migration population in France. In general, this study indicates that the predictive power of the classic TPB in this very specific context is limited.\n",
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Synovate trains trainers to train trainers: Award-winning action learning spans 11 countries
|
[
"Training",
"International organizations",
"Computer‐assisted learning",
"Market research companies",
"Awards"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: A major international market-research company won a Canadian contract worth $1.5 million by drawing on the newly acquired skills of one of its employees.\nHigh levels of skill in training design and delivery: The process included a three-day face-to-face workshop, a three-month action-learning program and three two-hour tele-classes.\"Action learning was chosen so that the participants could undertake the project of designing their own train-the-trainer program, using this experience to develop high levels of skill in training design and delivery,\" Jane Molloy explained.Synovate ran the program with three consultants, hand-picked for their expertise - Jane Molloy (training design), Shauna McVeigh (training delivery) and Gill Ward (project management).As participants came from 11 countries across four continents, the only face-to-face delivery was the initial workshop, minimizing travel time and costs.The emphasis in the workshop was on providing practical tools for training success. Stakeholder engagement, adult learning and influencing techniques were among the topics covered.Each action-learning set met fortnightly in a facilitated tele-conference. The participants also communicated regularly through their own online community.\"The tele-classes were highly interactive, to demonstrate how remote training can be engaging, imaginative and energetic,\" said Jane Molloy. \"The content was designed in response to participant needs and featured learning inputs on change management.\"To emphasize the importance placed on the initiative, a two-tier accreditation process was established at the outset. Success at level 1 meant that participants were accredited to organize and deliver a pilot 3T program in their own business units. Success at level 2 - following successful delivery of at least two 3T programs - led to accreditation as Synovate 5T master trainers.All 16 participants successfully completed the full program. Total costs were PS62,700, including: PS37,000 in consultancy fees, which included all the materials; PS8,400 in participant travel and accommodation costs (workshop and pilot); and PS17,300 in employee costs.Gavin Pommernelle, Synovate's global human-resources director, commented:\"The 5T program acted as a catalyst for taking training to a completely new level, setting the company apart from the competition.\"Synovate has now won commercial-training contracts for customers, based on its ability to demonstrate true effectiveness in its own training. This helps to fund additional investment in training and provides a unique opportunity to strengthen client relationships.\"\nWell-trained project team: \"Many of Synovate's biggest successful pitches in the last few months have included evidence from the 5T/3T initiative of commitment and ability to train effectively, so clients are assured of a well-trained project team. Training that has been \"5T-ed\" is rated more effective in formal evaluations.\"In the latest employee-satisfaction survey, scores on training increased across the board. A 3T webinar has been delivered, resulting in improved, more cost-effective remote training.\"Training in general is more integrated, with a common language, consistent approach and an established training network,\" Gavin Pommernelle continued. \"Examples are more easily shared, best practices implemented and communication is regular - both formal and informal.\"The program, which won a regional prize in the latest National Training Awards, exceeded its objectives. Staff reported a significant increase in knowledge and training scores increased across the board in the latest employee-satisfaction survey. A total of 16 3T programs have been delivered, while eight more are planned (face-to-face and remote forums) resulting in around 150 people trained to date. These 150 people have redesigned 50 training programs using 3T principles and 1,200 revitalized learning events have taken place.The program has also provided Synovate with the self-sufficiency to run more complex courses worldwide, from graduate programs to insight generation. \"Far from being a budget version of an 'expert' training course, formal evaluations have rated the 5T model as far more effective,\" said Gavin Pommernelle.\nReturn on investment continues to grow: \"The actual return on investment continues to grow,\" he continued. Specific examples include: the internal design and delivery of sales training, which was previously outsourced, saving an estimated PS320,000 a year; a PS25,000 customer-training contract won; and the $1.5 million Canadian contract won by a 5T participant who not only applied the skills he learned on the program, but also included a strong element of training in the tender.In the nine months since the pilot, Synovate conservatively estimates the financial return at 15 times investment.\"The program has had a remarkable impact,\" Gavin Pommernelle concluded. \"We particularly see the value in the emphasis on understanding adult learning. This is fundamental as the foundation of program design has delivered real benefits. The participant feels more engaged and learns more. The trainer executes with new enthusiasm and confidence.\"\"The net impact for our business is that we extract greater value and effectiveness from every program. We now invest in training with genuine confidence that there will be a commercial return.\"\nNote: Michael Pollitt, a freelance journalist specializing in human-resource management and training, wrote this article. Learning a Living works primarily with large UK-based commercial organizations in a range of sectors. For more information, contact Jane Molloy on +44 (0)1438 798010, e-mail jane@learningaliving.co.uk, or visit www.learningaliving.co.uk\n",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to describe an award winning training program at international market-research company Synovate.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The reasons for the program, the form it took and the results it has achieved are explained.\nFindings: - The paper details how the Train Trainers to Train Trainers (5T) program taught an international pool of 16 Synovate trainers, across 11 countries, to train the company's remaining 334 trainers, leading to a sustainable in-house trainer-development process.\nPractical implications: - Training has become more integrated across the company, leading to a consistent approach, with colleagues sharing innovation and best practice regularly. Staff report a significant increase in knowledge and training scores increased across the board in the latest employee-satisfaction survey. The paper highlights the international scope of the training, which spanned 16 people in 11 countries.\nOriginality/value: - The paper estimates that the training has brought a return of 15 times the amount invested.\n",
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The effect of funding on academic research impact: a case study of Iranian publications
|
[
"Research funding",
"Citation impact",
"Iranian publications",
"Iran",
"Research results",
"Publications",
"Financing"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction and literature review: Research funding plays an important role when conducting research projects (Benowitz, 1997). However, research grants can have a negative or a positive effect on the scientific and research community's outcomes. According to Vinkler (2008), depending on the potential of the country and not on their needs, different countries spend money on science and research, as wealthy countries spend more in this area than poor countries. Rai and Lal (2000) indicated that underprivileged countries should fund research projects in the areas of education and engineering instead of increasing it for pure science. Shelton (2008) concluded that investment is most predictive of countries' publication share worldwide, as a decrease in the US publication share is due to increasing R&D investments by China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore.Universities' research projects receive funding from both private and public funds (Payne, 2001). However, different disciplines have considerably different opportunities to receive grants (Lee, 2004). The amount of budget which is given to the university will affect the university's ability to hire new professors, to provide access to advanced technology and equipment, and so on. Hence, research funds can be counted as important incentives for researchers to do high quality research. Nowadays, universities are competing for research grants and funds (Garcia and Sanz-menendez, 2005).Liebert (1977) counted career articles, recent publications, and field resources as major determinants for getting grants. In addition, size of research groups and their links through collaboration networks are significant factors that increase the probability of receiving funds, because of group capacity and the government's policy intention for collaboration (Ham and Mowery, 1998). Some studies showed that obtaining grants leads to a significant increase in the rate of collaboration and productivity (Lee, 2004; Godin, 2003; Benowitz, 1997; Arora and Gambardella, 2010; Liebert, 1977; Peters and Fusfeld, 1983; Baldwin and Green, 1984; Geisler and Rubenstein, 1989; Landry et al., 1996). Gulbrandsen and Smeby (2005) reviewed studies published by university professors in Norway and found a significant relationship between industry funding and research performance. Furthermore, these professors have more collaboration with other researchers in academia and in industry. Liefner (2003) compared six accredited universities in four countries and found a very weak link between research funding and researchers' performance. In another study, Bonaccorsi and Daraio (2008) showed that in some countries (such as the UK) industrial funding and research efficiency are positively correlated, but in other countries (such as Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland) this is not the case.Bornmann et al. (2010) compared authors whose research projects are funded with those who receive no funds and concluded that the granting process affects the impact distribution of authors. Different studies found that citation counts of grant-funded research, which is referred to as an indicator of quality of research, are notably higher than that of other research (Zhao, 2010; Anderson et al., 1996; Maclean et al., 1998 (quoted in Lewison and Dawson, 1998, p. 18)). To the best of our knowledge, the number of studies investigating the influence of being funded on the impact of research is not very noticeable. Therefore, the present study also intends to investigate the influence of research funding on the impact and the quality of research. The case studied here is Iranian articles published from 2000 to 2009. In this paper, by impact we only mean citation impact of research.\n2. Aims and objectives: Citation impact is an attractive indicator for the evaluation of scientific performance and is used for determining the quality of research. Different researchers have introduced different reasons and factors which can affect the impact of research. For instance, scientific collaboration is regarded as a factor which can increase the impact and the visibility of research (Lawani, 1986; Narin et al., 1991; Beaver, 2004). This study aimed to examine another factor influencing the quality and citation impact of research papers, which is being supported by a funding agency. The hypothesis is that funded research studies have a higher quality (i.e. higher citation rate) than those without funding because they have monetary support and gain access to required equipment and technology.\n3. Research questions: The research tried to answer the following questions:* How many Iranian research publications have been funded by funding agencies?* Does Iranian funded research have a higher citation impact than unfunded research?* Which types of Iranian research publications have been funded and have been cited more than unfunded publications?* Is there any significant difference between the numbers of citations received by funded research compared to unfunded research in different subject fields?* To what extent have Iranian top publications (such as highly cited papers) been funded?* Which Iranian scientific and research institutions have received more research funding?\n4. Methodology: Using a bibliometric approach, we investigated the situation of research funding and its impact on the quality of research in Iran. The data in the study were extracted from ISI Science Citation Index-EXPANDED and ISI Conference Proceedings Citation Index. To retrieve Iranian publications, the query [CU=IRAN and PY=2000-2009] was searched using advanced search and 80,300 records were retrieved. The records were downloaded in a tab-delimited format and then uploaded to a local database for further refinement and analysis. To identify funded and unfunded publications, the \"FU\" field provided by ISI WOS for each publication (the name of the funding agency of the related publication is mentioned here; in the case of no funding agency, the field remains blank) was examined. To compare the number of funded and unfunded research publications in different subject fields, the subject categories of publications were mapped into 22 broad fields covered by ISI Essential Science Indicators (ESI) database. ScienceWatch webpage (Field Definitions) (www.ScienceWatch.com) and the paper by Leydesdorff and Rafols (2009) were used to do the mapping properly. Citation behaviour is varied in different subject fields. Also, regarding the fact that Iranian raw data (especially citation counts) for this study have been gathered from ISI Web of Science at a single point of time, the comparison of citations received by all Iranian publications is not correct. Therefore, for comparing the citation counts of different publications (for example, funded with unfunded publications), we had to normalize the citation counts based on the subject fields and also based on the publication years. We used ESI Baseline Table counts to normalize the number of citations received by publications in different fields over different years. Hence, the number of received citations of each paper was divided by the value of the average citation in a specific field and in a specific year (this value is offered in ESI Baseline Table). A t-test was undertaken to examine the significance of the difference between the average citation rate of funded publications and that of unfunded publications in different subject fields.\n5. Findings: The number of funded and unfunded publications was attained. Based on the results, only 12.46 per cent of the total Iranian publications over the examined years were funded by funding bodies. As shown in Table I, over the first three examined years no publications were funded. However, the number of funded publications has increased dramatically over the last four years (from 2006 to 2009). Figure 1 clearly indicates the upward trend of funded research publications.The investigation of the number of funded research through different types of publications - including articles, proceedings' papers, reviews, book reviews, database reviews, software reviews, corrections, editorial materials, meeting abstracts, bibliographies, and letters and news items - revealed that none of the types of Iranian publications, except articles and reviews, were funded. Articles are assumed to be the predominant type of research among the academic and scientific community. They are the main transmitters of research findings and the results of most research projects, which often receive large funds, are published in journal articles. As shown in Table II, over 16 per cent of articles and over 9 per cent of reviews were funded. Citation per paper indicator (CPP) was also calculated for both funded and unfunded publications in terms of type of document. As can be seen, the value of the CPP index is more for funded articles and reviews than that of unfunded ones. In fact, the CPP value of funded reviews is five-fold more than unfunded reviews.The number and percentage of funded and unfunded articles and reviews in different subject fields were investigated. Also, the average citations received by funded and unfunded articles and reviews in different subject areas were calculated. Based on the research findings, the percentage of funded publications has always fallen below the percentage of unfunded publications in all examined fields. The percentage of funded publications is varied from a low of 1.83 per cent in economics and business to a peak of 35.78 per cent in molecular biology and genetics. Most funded research publications were found in the area of molecular biology and genetics, followed by microbiology. Although the number of funded publications is less than unfunded publications in all 22 subject fields, the average citations received by the funded publications is almost always higher than that of unfunded publications (see Table III). As shown in Table IV, the mean of average citations for funded publications is 1.72, while it is 0.72 for unfunded publications. A t-test was calculated for examining the significant level of difference between the mean of average citations of funded and unfunded publications. The results of this test showed that there is a significant difference between these two means in the different 22 subject fields (t=2.89, P=0.006).In other parts of the study, we tried to examine the extent to which publications with a high quality are funded. To explore this, we investigated the publications which constitute the top 0.01 per cent, 0.1 per cent, 1 per cent, 10 per cent and 50 per cent of publications in terms of citation counts. As implied in the ESI database, the top 1 per cent of publications are considered as highly cited papers. Over the examined ten years, Iran has published just 633 highly cited papers of which 172 (27.17 per cent) have been funded. Ten (35.71 per cent) out of the 28 top 0.01 per cent of papers were also funded, while 28.41 per cent of the top 0.1 per cent of publications, 24.43 per cent of the top 10 per cent, and 21.43 per cent of the top 50 per cent of publications were funded. As is clear, the proportion of funded publications of the total top 0.01 per cent of publications is more than that of the highly cited papers. In other words, the top 0.01 per cent of publications is approximately 8 per cent more funded than highly cited papers. Also, the collection of highly cited papers has been funded 6 per cent more than the top 50 per cent of publications (see Table V).Iranian organizations have been grouped into three categories to be compared with each other. The bodies investigated in the study are comprised of Iranian universities subordinate to The Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT), medical universities and hospitals subordinate to The Ministry of Health and Medical Education and finally research institutions and centres. Based on the findings, 89 per cent of Iranian funded publications belong to the universities of MSRT; 36.12 per cent and 23.6 per cent of total funded publications belong to the medical universities and hospitals and research institutions respectively (Table VI). According to Hayati and Ebrahimy (2009), the largest number of Iranian publications is published by universities rather than research institutions and probably that is why the number of funded publications in research institutions is less than both medical and non-medical universities.Iranian academic and research institutions whose publications have been funded more were also identified. Table VII shows the top ten institutions which own the highest number of funded publications. Based on the findings, the highest number of Iranian funded publications belongs to the University of Tehran, followed by Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Islamic Azad University with 902 and 917 funded publications respectively.\n6. Discussion and conclusion: The study investigated the effect of research funds on the citation impact of Iran's research publications. In fact, we considered receiving funds from funding bodies as a factor which can influence the number of times a publication is cited. In the current age, the nature of scientific research has changed and become more complicated as a result of emerging new specialties and fields. Hence, getting grants and investments definitely could be a key element of success in carrying out scientific research.The results revealed that Iranian institutions and researchers are aware of the benefits of research grants and the tendency toward receiving such grants has increased significantly over the last few years. In fact, the percentage of Iranian funded research has risen from a low of 0 per cent in 2000 to a peak of just under 40 per cent in 2009.Like the results of the studies by Maclean et al. (1998) and Zhao (2010), we also came to the conclusion that Iranian funded research publications have a higher quality than that of unfunded ones. Based on the findings, the CPP count is higher for funded articles and reviews than that of unfunded ones. Furthermore, the average citation counts of funded publications are almost always higher than that of unfunded ones in all 22 examined fields of study. The investigation of high impact papers also indicated that a considerable proportion of these papers are funded.As discovered, Iranian molecular biologists and microbiologists have gained more grants than their colleagues in other fields. Due to the different natures of the subject areas, the difference of being funded among the 22 examined fields is inevitable. Carrying out research in some fields needs some basic requirements to survive. Therefore, researchers in such fields are more enthusiastically seeking an agency to support their research projects. According to Main Science and Technology Indicators statistics (www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/45/24236156.pdf), the proportion of government funding in medical research and certain industries is higher and it dominates research in social sciences and humanities. As revealed, about 36 per cent of Iranian funded publications over the examined years belonged to medical sciences universities. Of course, it should be noted that these universities are not as numerous as non-medical universities in Iran (Ebrahimy, 2007). In general, Iranian researchers in universities have a higher tendency toward receiving funds by independent funding agencies than researchers in research institutions.On balance, regarding the results of the study, which showed being funded can effectively increase the citation impact of research, Iranian scientific policy makers are expected to pay more attention and endeavour to attract financial support for carrying out research, especially in vital and practical research projects in the country.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper's aim is to examine the citation impact of Iranian funded research publications and compare it with research which received no funding.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Using a bibliometric method, the study investigated 80,300 Iranian publications published from 2000 to 2009 in SCI-EXPANDED to discover the percentage of funded publications and to determine the citation impact of these publications in comparison with unfunded ones.\nFindings: - The results of the study showed that around 12.5 per cent of Iranian publications were funded and the number of funded publications has increased dramatically over the last four years. The citation impact of funded publications was higher in almost all of the subject fields. The highest number of funded publications belonged to the universities subordinate to The Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.\nOriginality/value: - The impact and quality of research is influenced by different factors, for instance receiving funding and research facilities. As this issue has not been previously examined in Iran, the present study determines whether funding can influence the impact of Iranian research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Adolescents' school lunch practices as an educational resource
|
[
"Schools",
"Adolescents",
"Social environment",
"Education",
"Food"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: School has traditionally been seen as an integral context for educating young people about food, eating, and health (Persson-Osowski et al., 2012). In Finland, the provision of hot and tax-paid school lunches has been a part of health promotion in schools for over 60 years, and the educational purposes of school lunches are stated in the National (Curriculum Finnish National Board of Education, 2008, 2014)[1]. Over the years the initial aims of supporting the poor and preventing nutritional deficiencies have shifted toward seeing the lunch situation more broadly as a potential arena for formal food education (Risku-Norja et al., 2012). Schools are also more and more often seen as sites with embedded social and cultural food practices (Neely et al., 2014) and contexts, in which both the formal structures of the school and the objectives of adolescents themselves reciprocally shape what pupils choose to eat during school hours (Ruckenstein, 2012).\nMethods and data: Research design and methodology\nResults: Based on above described analyses and literature, three major themes were identified from the data: Social spaces and ownership, solving contradicting expectations, and belonging and independence. All three themes address the following overarching questions from a distinctive viewpoint: how do adolescents' perspectives and practices stand in reference to the rules and aims of the formal school and how do the pupils address the tensions that emerge? The formal rules and aims state that pupils should eat a wholesome meal, unwind amidst the school day, and experience engagement to the school community, but do so without leaving the school's premises and by not eating outside the dining room. General aims for food education further include that pupils would learn to appreciate the school food, be familiar with its backgrounds and production chain, and learn to enjoy the meals and the company according to good manners.\nDiscussion: Social relations and the dynamics of the informal school cannot be disregarded if the aim is to capture what is important from adolescents' perspective (Daniel and Gustafsson, 2011; Lahelma, 2002; Ruckenstein, 2012). In this paper, the food practices approach and a focus on the informal school provided a fresh conceptual framework for examining adolescents' school lunch experiences. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the ways in which pupils resolve conflicting food-related aims and values in their everyday life, and how they supply justifications for activities that are against the rules of the formal school. Taking part in the school's daily life enabled obtaining detailed data on the nature of the interactions involved in the distribution, regulation, and consumption of food, and gaining an understanding of the pupils' reactions and the meanings that pupils attributed to these practices. Focussing on adolescents' perspective meant being reflexive toward different viewpoints and searching for opportunities that could be used as a base for meaningful pedagogic dialogue in the future.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine Finnish ninth grade pupils' (15-16 years) perspectives on hot school lunches and consider the potential of these perspectives as a resource for food and health education.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data include observations, essays, and visually elicitated focus group discussions from a larger qualitative case study. Data were collected during the term 2012-2013.\nFindings: Pupils considered the lunch break as their free time and valued discussions with friends. The taste of school food was important for them. Pupils solved contradicting expectations connected to school lunches through constructing social hierarchies, making compromises, and conforming to peers' or general opinions. Desire for social belonging and independence were important justifications for breaking food-related rules.\nResearch limitations/implications: Due to the focus on one school, further research needs to address contextual variation in different schools and age groups, as well as the viewpoint of teachers.\nPractical implications: To genuinely engage pupils, potential contradictions between adults' and adolescents' perspectives need attention. Understanding food-related social determinants and justifications for food practices from pupils' perspective are valuable pedagogical assets for teachers. Pupils' speech and activities that counteract formal aims can be seen also as possibilities for dialogue, rather than merely problems to be changed by adults.\nOriginality/value: The paper describes how pupils' perspectives to school lunch practices are in tension with the educational aims of school lunches, thus contributing to developing adolescent-centered food and health education in secondary schools.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Workplace integration: the lived experiences of highly skilled migrants in Australia
|
[
"Diversity management",
"Multiculturalism",
"Cultural awareness",
"Highly skilled migrants",
"Interpretive approach",
"Workplace integration"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: A globally mobile workforce offers opportunities for countries to make use of skills that are not locally available by attracting talent to accommodate skill gaps (OECD, 2012). Highly educated, trained and knowledgeable migrants are, therefore, becoming noteworthy drivers of economic growth in host countries. In Western economies, skill shortages drive the need to attract skilled migrants (International Labour Organization, 2006, p. 12). In Australia, the Commonwealth Government has put in place extensive programmes to identify, report on and redress shortages, thus providing the data for migration policy. Consequently, organisations are recruiting foreign-born talent to meet skill shortages and to help achieve competitive advantage. However, the integration of such migrant workers is an important aspect of their fit and effectiveness in the workplace.\nLiterature review and conceptual framework: Diversity management and workplace integration of skilled migrants\nTheoretical perspectives: Bochner's (1982, p. 17) study on the identity transformation of migrants identifies \"integration\" as a strategy of migrants to preserve their cultural identity, whilst at the same time adapting some facets of cultural identity of the dominant group. Snel et al. (2006) suggested that the concept of integration can be used to explore structural and socio-cultural integration. The structural dimension of workplace integration comprises the more functional or easily measurable attributes of integration, such as how migrants are incorporated into the labour market. The socio-cultural aspect of integration is more complex and difficult to measure due to the inclusion of emotional feelings, such as sense of belonging and \"being at home\" (Snel et al. 2006). In light of such considerations, Portes (1997) considered that it is impossible to design one \"Grand\" theory of migration. Concurring, Van Tubergen (2006) thus proposed four theories that help to explain migrant integration into society: human capital theory; social capital theory; structural opportunity theory; and prejudice theory (p. 15). A brief overview of each follows.\nMethod: The limited research on the migrant experience in Australia necessitated a qualitative approach to our study. We employed an interpretive methodology (Waller et al., 2016) to provide a deep understanding of the phenomena studied, enabling insight into what people do and why they do it. In all, 12 semi-structured, in-depth interviews of 40-90 minutes were conducted with highly skilled migrants from seven countries. Recruitment, by purposive and snowball sampling techniques, ensured informant diversity and access to \"information rich\" cases of skilled migrants (Waller et al., 2016). In-depth interviews are a well-established method to learn about migrants' experiences (Kennedy, 2007). Participants were recruited using social media, combining both the convenience and snowball methods, as argued by Waller et al. (2016), and were purposively selected to include representation from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds from a variety of professional backgrounds, which enabled enough variation to obtain a broad range of responses to the questions (see Waller et al., 2016). Table I outlines participant profiles. Interviews were conducted from January-March 2014 in Victoria, Australia. Interviews were transcribed verbatim.\nFindings: Our analysis identified factors supporting and hindering workplace integration in light of the four theories of integration. The analysis supported the proposition that there are simple strategies that assist new migrants to better integrate into the workplace and, by extension, into Australian society (as respondents themselves commented, particularly in regard to non-work life).\nDiscussion: The four theories suggest that migrant workplace integration may be shaped by migrants' human capital, social capital, structural opportunities, and experiences of anti-migrant attitudes. Our findings support the application of this combination of theories to explain migrant workplace integration. Despite high levels of human capital, respondent migrants identified that they found it difficult to secure their first job in Australia, attributing this to their lack of local referees and local work experience. This confirms the work of Syed (2008), Syed and Murray (2009), and Tilbery and Colic-Peisker (2006). The respondents also initially accepted jobs not fully utilising their human capital. These findings, then, adduce current evidence from Australian workplaces to match findings by Ho and Alcorso (2004). Similarly, the \"U-shape\" that their careers demonstrated in Australia continue to support the observations of Chiswick (1977).\nImplications and concluding comments: Australia attracts numerous highly skilled migrants from around the globe. Their talents are assessed based on their human capital. This is the selection stage. At the integration stage, our findings suggest that few workplaces in the study had formal diversity support programmes, but there was some identifiable informal support that skilled migrants were able to access, albeit randomly. Moreover, informal workplace practices, such as informal peer mentoring and an \"empathetic\" supervisor, also assisted with integration, as did migrant self-help strategies. Factors hindering integration included structural barriers outside the organisation and workplace factors within, such as racism, cultural barriers and individual factors that centred on the migrants themselves. If organisations wish to improve the workplace integration of newly arrived skilled migrants, there are various strategies they could implement.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how highly skilled migrants to Australia integrate into the workplace, focussing on the factors that foster or hinder that integration.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An inductive method using an interpretive methodological approach was employed. In-depth interview data were analysed thematically.\nFindings: Informal workplace practices, such as informal peer mentoring and having an \"empathetic\" supervisor, also assisted with integration, as did migrant self-help strategies. Factors hindering integration included structural barriers outside the organisation and workplace factors such as racism, cultural barriers and individual factors that centred on the migrants themselves.\nResearch limitations/implications: While the exploratory qualitative enquiry sheds light on issues of concern regarding workplace integration of skilled migrants, further studies with diverse migrant groups would be required to understand if the findings could be replicated. An industry or sector-wise migrant study would shed more light on the issues.\nPractical implications: Fostering and hindering factors identified through the lens of four workplace integration theories can inform workplace integration strategies and related policy formulation.\nOriginality/value: Informed by four theories of integration, the findings shed light on the everyday workplace experiences of linguistically competent, self-initiated, highly skilled migrants from diverse ethnic/cultural backgrounds in Australian workplaces in a range of industries. While previous research has identified problems experienced by migrants at work, this paper explores factors fostering and hindering workplace integration through the lens of the lived experiences of skilled migrant workers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Simulated home: an effective cross-cultural adjustment model for Chinese expatriates
|
[
"Simulated home",
"Chinese expatriates",
"Expatriate management",
"Expatriate a Introduction"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: After China joined the WTO in 2001, mainland companies are witnessing a rise in the number of dispatching employees to overseas cooperative projects. Over the years, workers being dispatched are shifting from predominantly labor workers and technicians to highly skillful engineers, medical professionals and other workers specialized in aviation maintenance, software development and application, engineering design consultation, supervision, and other senior management. According to data published by the Ministry of Commerce, by the end of December 2017, China had sent a total of 9.022 million workers to international cooperation. These workers were mainly engaged in three major industries: construction, manufacturing, and transportation, accounting for 73.3% of the total number (Ministry of Commerce of the PRC, 2018). The rest were involved in hospitality, science, education, culture, health and sports, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, computer services and software industries. Host countries include mainly Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Sudan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Angola and Pakistan.Drawing from the past projects, it is worth mentioning that expatriates adaptation to the environment in the host country has positive correlation with their performance at work. Research has shown that expatriates face a variety of challenges related to life and work during their tenure abroad (Black et al., 1991). Michael Harvey and Nick Forster show that cultural adjustment is an essential aspect of success in working abroad (Forster, 1997; Harvey, 1996).Meanwhile, scholars in mainland China focus more on the cross-cultural adaptation of Chinese immigrants and Chinese international students (Bierwiaczonek and Waldzus, 2016). Cross-cultural adaptation of international students in China is another research direction (An and Chiang, 2015). In recent years, with the going out of Chinese enterprises and the implementation of China's \"Belt and Road Initiative,\" the cross-cultural adjustment of Chinese enterprises' expatriates has gradually attracted the attention of scholars. However, the current research of Chinese scholars mostly focuses on testing and analyzing existing theories (Haasis and Liefner, 2019), and innovation based on China's social conditions is rarely seen (Fei and Liao, 2019; Lai et al., 2019).Most of the previous studies are based on Black et al., and the psychological adjustment of expatriates is another research focus. However, few people pay attention to the cross-cultural adjustment strategies adopted by Chinese expatriates or Chinese enterprises in host countries. Chinese culture is considered to be based on Confucianism. Confucian ethics is essentially humanistic, obligation-based, and collectivist (Ip, 1996, 2009). In addition, the Chinese tend to solve problems in small societies or family groups (Chataway and Berry, 1989; Lin and Zhao, 2016). Due to the differences between Chinese cultural norms and western ones (Ai-li and Freedman, 1970; Brewer and Chen, 2007; Chuang et al., 2015; Markus and Kitayama, 1991), cross-cultural adjustment should be dealt with differently (Lin and Zhao, 2016).The design of this study had been based on the pursuit of a special cross-cultural adjustment model in the overseas project departments of Chinese enterprises. By analyzing the cross-cultural adjustment status of expatriates and enterprises' cross-cultural adjustment strategies, a cross-cultural adjustment model of expatriates was proposed, and its functions were analyzed.In this study, it was found that to make overseas projects successful, Chinese enterprises would generally simulate the domestic environment or create a \"simulated home\" in the host country. Studies have also shown that social support systems can relieve individual stress (Blue and Blue, 1983; McCrae, 1984). Chinese state-owned enterprises have a tradition of undertaking social responsibility. The enterprise provides necessary support for the life needs of employees. Social support can be found in many large companies in China. For example, Chinese state-owned enterprises would set up family quarters, schools, hospitals, and markets near the factory so that employees could meet all their daily needs without leaving the factory. Workers can be working in the factory for a long time without feeling alienated. Similarly, for expatriate workers, being in a simulated domestic environment enables them to adapt in groups through social support.The subject of this study is a subsidiary of a state-owned top five electric power company. Since 2009, before the unveiling of \"Belt and Road Initiative,\" the company has been searching for project opportunities overseas, because it encountered disguised unemployment in its domestic market and had to seek overseas projects to maintain the regular operation of the company. The company has completed projects in Turkey, Sudan and Indonesia and is working on projects in Bangladesh. In this study, the Sudan project and Indonesia project were selected owing to the fact that China's \"Belt and Road Initiative\" makes substantial investment in Africa and Southeast Asia, and consequently a large number of expatriate workers were sent to Sudan and Indonesia. Therefore, the projects in these two countries are selected in this study as representative.\nReview: In the research of expatriate workers by western scholars, workers were considered to be living in \"expatriate bubble\" where they could have psychological acclimatization and cross-cultural adjustment. Meanwhile, studies on Chinese immigrants and international students demonstrate that \"family culture\" rooted in Chinese tradition would motivate them to establish \"hometown\" overseas, created through relationship networks with both people and objects that reproduce similarity and familiarity around the globe (Nowicka, 2007). Chinese immigrants and international students acquired cross-cultural adjustment in that \"hometown.\"Cross-cultural adjustment and expatriates\nMethod: We used qualitative methods to explore the cross-cultural adjustment strategy of Chinese expatriates in overseas projects, and on how this strategy works and what kind of influence it will have on Chinese expatriates.Researchers adopt three ways to obtain the required data. First, we collected project briefings from the company's overseas projects. These briefings were written by expatriates about work, life, and cultural exchanges and sent back to the headquarter. These briefings present a more objective and comprehensive picture of what expatriates were doing in their overseas projects. Through the research project brief and literature review, 150 questionnaires were distributed to the employees assigned by the company (see Appendix 1 for the questionnaire for expatriates), and 105 were recovered (70% response rate). Through the questionnaire analysis, it is found that the main problems of cross-cultural adjustment are as follows: the expatriates cannot speak English and the host language, so they need the help of translators if they wish to communicate with the nationals of the host country; expatriates have no intention to stay in the host country for their future career advancement; Expatriates do not develop an adequate understanding of local customs; expatriates are tired of living abroad for an extended period of time. In the actual questionnaire, interviewees were randomly selected for interviews. Also, two project managers, one translator and one chef were specifically selected. We applied the grounded theory to analyze and process the data obtained through the above three methods and used the computer-aided tool MAXQDA 12.Data and participant\nAnalysis and results: A total of 323 initial codes were identified. We aggregated 26 sub-categories (see Table 2), coded the content of interviews and project briefs about cross-cultural adjustment, and aggregated three or more of them. We further analyze the sub-categories and eventually identify 12 categories (see Table 3). The systematic coding reveals the complex cross-cultural adjustment process of Chinese expatriates, which also explains how the concept \"home\" of Chinese people affects this process. Twelfth sub-categories were identified to illustrate this process of cross-cultural adjustment. Based on all codes, we can see there is a clear strategy. That is, Chinese expatriates complete cross-cultural adjustment by simulating the environment of the home. We call this model, \"simulated home.\" Therefore, we choose \"simulated home\" as the core theme according to the categories and connections obtained from data analysis.Through analysis of expatriate workers' working and living condition in overseas projects, this study categorizes three contributing factors for cross-cultural adjustment. Working environment refers to expatriate workers' workplace-related environment while living environment to living conditions and communication environment to the setting where expatriate workers communicate internally and externally in the host country.Working environment: highly similar to the environment in China\nDiscussion: Based on the above analysis, we put forth the model of \"simulated home\" (see Figure 1). The findings are based on an analysis of how Chinese expatriates work, live, and communicate in a simulated home. The figure shows that in a simulated home, the working and living environment is a copy of China's environment, while the communication environment is different from actual Chinese society. There are obstacles in the communication between the simulated home and the host society.Simulated home refers to a dwelling with the geographical environment, physical layout, and spiritual space that are highly similar to that of expatriates' family or home country. The function of the simulated home is to replicate an environment similar to that in China so that expatriates can quickly adapt to the project-oriented life in the host country and quickly get into work.The construction of a simulated home alleviates cross-cultural inadaptability\nConclusion: Based on qualitative analysis, this study constructs a cross-cultural adjustment model for Chinese expatriates working in engineering project - \"simulated home.\" Chinese expatriates work, live, and communicate in a \"simulated home.\" This closed-off simulated home model is project-oriented and ignores individual rights of employees. Although this model enables quicker completion of engineering projects and better cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates, it is at the cost of employees' interests. At the same time, this model hinders communication between Chinese expatriate workers and the host country and neglects the establishment of local networks. In the future practice, Chinese enterprises should explore a cross-cultural adjustment model that is conducive to projects progress, respectful the personal rights of expatriates, and helpful to maintain excellent communication and interaction with the host country. Simulated home is only a makeshift strategy. Innovation needs to be brought to develop cross-cultural adjustment strategies. Otherwise, as Chinese enterprises continue to go out, they will face a rising number of cross-cultural adjustment problems.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the adjustment model of expatriates in overseas projects by studying two overseas projects of a Chinese state-owned enterprise.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Based on the grounded theory, qualitative analysis was performed based on data compiled from 116 pieces of project briefings, 105 questionnaires answered by expatriate workers and 21 interviews conducted to those workers based on briefings and questionnaires.\nFindings: The study found that the simulated home is a standard cross-cultural adjustment model for expatriates in Chinese engineering projects, which are project-oriented and often inattentive to employees' individual rights. The simulated home creates a unique work-place and social environment similar to that of expatriates' home country in the cultural setting of the host country, but it also establishes a cultural barrier, limiting the communication between expatriates and the local people, which is not conducive to the cultural exchange between the two sides, causing cultural clashes and consequently hindering the progress of projects.\nOriginality/value: This research puts forward the model of \"simulated home.\" And this study bears significance to the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriate workers in Chinese overseas projects.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Overcoming skepticism toward cause-related marketing claims: the role of consumers' attributions and a temporary state of skepticism
|
[
"Cause-related marketing",
"Attributional thinking process",
"Perceived corporate credibility",
"Temporary state of skepticism",
"Trait-based dispositional skepticism"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Recently, companies have been using social network sites (SNSs) to promote cause-related marketing (CRM) that ties the company to a social cause via consumers' action (Varadarajan and Menon, 1988). Unlike traditional CRM, CRM conducted via SNSs does not require consumers to purchase products. Instead, marketers attempt to encourage consumers to become members of the companies' brand pages (Morrissey, 2009). Through this action, the consumer expresses his/her interest in a particular brand (Lipsman et al., 2012) and notifications may be sent to all members in his/her network, which helps in creating word-of-mouth about the brand (Chauhan and Pillai, 2013). Therefore, it also provides a new opportunity for impacting the target audience (Palazon et al., 2015). A Syncapse (2013) report found that compared to nonmembers, members of Facebook brand pages spent $116 more per year on the brands for which they were members. With the higher attention to SNSs, the desired outcome of CRM ads would be to motivate consumers to further engage with the brand community.\nLiterature review and hypotheses: Cause-related marketing\nStudy 1: Method\nResults: Scale verification\nStudy 2: Study 2 extends Study 1 in several important ways. One limitation of Study 1 was that the key variable, skepticism, measured skepticism toward advertising in general, rather than as something to be examined from the perspective of specific CRM claims. In doing so, this study extends research on skepticism by showing that consumer skepticism can be either an enduring or a temporary state. A major focus of the second study is the central role of the temporary state of skepticism in the CRM evaluation process. In particular, Study 2 examined whether temporary state of skepticism mediates the effect of consumers' attribution thinking on their perceived corporate credibility.\nResults: Manipulation checks\nGeneral discussion: The first main finding of this study indicates that public acknowledgment of a firm-serving benefit motivation might reduce the discrepancy between consumers' perceived motives and the company's stated motives. This finding is consistent with previous research, in that firms might be able to shield themselves from negative effects by being outspoken about the motives underlying their charitable programs (Forehand and Grier, 2003). Given that most firms promote their societal marketing campaigns (i.e. CRM ads) solely in terms of their benefits to society, this prevalent societal marketing tactic may provoke consumers' skepticism regarding the ulterior motives underlying the firms' support of a social cause (Drumwright and Murphy, 2009).\nImplications: This study extends previous literature by directing academic attention toward consumers' attributional thinking as a theoretical mechanism that can help predict consumers' favorable responses to brand pages featuring CRM on SNSs. This study further strengthens attribution theory by providing robust evidence of how perceived marketer intention shapes consumer response to persuasion attempts (Friestad and Wright, 1994). Moreover, it is found that the causal reasoning process that is provoked by discrepancy between consumers' perceived motives behind cause marketing and firm's stated motives increases consumer distrust of marketing communications (Forehand and Grier, 2003).\nLimitations and directions for future research: Although this study attempted to unveil some important links between a contextual factor, dispositional skepticism, causal attribution and temporary state of skepticism, and CRM effectiveness, it only touches the surface of the underlying psychological mechanism at work in the relationships between contextual factors in CRM and consumers' individual characteristics.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to clarify a situational factor that might interfere with the intended outcome of a cause-related marketing (CRM) ad on social network sites (SNSs): statements about the motivation of the sponsoring company for supporting a social cause. This study also aims to explore how highly skeptical consumers and consumers with lower levels of skepticism differ in their responses to CRM ads.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In Study 1, a total of 409 college students took part in an online experiment through Qualtrics. The online experiment followed a 2 (statement of motivations: both of firm and public benefits vs public benefit only) x 2 (skepticism: high vs low) between-subjects design. Skepticism was determined post hoc as a two-category variable to analyze its effect on the relationship between the statement of motivations and attribution. In Study 2, a total of 533 adults took part in an online experiment. Multigroup analysis was used to test the hypotheses.\nFindings: This study found that firm's acknowledgments of firm-serving motivation, as well as of public-serving motivation, could be an effective marketing strategy to reduce consumer skepticism about the firm's motives. The procedure by which a consumer perceived and evaluated the motives of a company determined the effectiveness of the company's CRM ads. Temporary state of skepticism induced by an attributional thinking process is found to play a significant role in diminishing perceived corporate credibility. Finally, a consumer's perception of a company's credibility has a great impact on their intention to join that company's brand page.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study advances theories about consumers' defensive mechanisms that can help predict their favorable responses to the brand pages featuring CRM on SNSs.\nOriginality/value: This study extends previous literature by directing academic attention to consumers' perceived attribution as a theoretical mechanism that can help predict consumers' favorable responses to brand pages featuring CRM on SNSs. This study also extends previous research on skepticism by showing that consumer skepticism can be either an enduring trait or a temporary state. The findings suggest that marketers may be able to inhibit the development of consumer skepticism by publicly stating the potential firm-serving benefits of its actions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
Social capital and sustainable behavior of the firm
|
[
"Feedback",
"Trust",
"Sustainable development"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Firms presently are achieving higher results due to better informal interactions among its members. This fact increases the interest of managerial science in the informal structures within the firm and their influence on the overall performance. On the other hand, there are attempts to formulate more general aim of the firms' behavior in terms of its strategic development. The concept of sustainability broadly applied in macroeconomic context is being increasingly introduced in explaining the firms' behavior (Voros, 2006; Demaid, 2006). The present study tries to introduce this concept at firm level and to see how social capital is related to it.\nSocial capital and its role in the firm's performance: What is social capital?\nSustainable behavior - the new imperative for the modern firm's growth: The firm's performance is coupled with its sustainable growth and behavior. This formulation is not a question of some fashion, in increasing degree it becomes a corner stone of long-term economic policy of all industrial world (Clark, 1995).What is sustainable behavior of the firm?\nSupport by empirical observations: The above theoretical considerations have been tested by a study interviewing 99 Bulgarian citizens employed in various branches of the economy about their vision of the role of social capital for the sustainable behavior and prosperity of the business. The selection of the respondents has been done randomly and interviewing was carried out by quota control based on education, age and work experience. The aim was to ensure that the structure of the sample reflected as much as possible the general population. The author carried out the questionnaire and the training of the enumerators.The general setting of Bulgarian business\nImportance of social capital for business management: Although business' management reflects the feedback of the formal structure, the incorporation of social capital would contribute strongly to improve efficiency of management. The basic directions in which this improvement can be realized are:* Increasing competitive advantage in data management system (Bose, 2006). Firms with better social capital will gain more advantages than firms with the same system but lower quality social capital. The informal structure will react quicker on the relevance of the data system management tools.* In improving efficiency of data envelopment analysis (DEA), the paper demonstrates how DEA, a tool used more typically in post hoc evaluations, can be applied also, with some modifications, as a prescriptive decision support tool (Seydel, 2006). Modern management can use the results of the studies on social capital for enhancing business networks (Lea et al., 2006). This would stimulate the reduction of the gap between formal and informal structures.* The study of feedback created by social capital can be beneficial in reducing the implementation gap, in new managerial tools as the knowledge management system (Lin and Tseng, 2005). The flexibility of the informal feedback is expected to help faster identification of possible implementation gaps and to prevent their further widening and deepening.\nConclusions: The study of social capital based on interviewing citizens and businessmen in Bulgaria can be regarded as a starting point for analyzing the complex socio-economic problems of a firm's behavior in emerging market conditions. In this initial stage of our study, we can arrive at several conclusions some of which remain still in hypothetical form and need further research work:* Sustainable behavior is a new vision of firm's management, which helps to improve its performance. Social capital plays a feedback role in this process, but its overall management is difficult if not impossible for the firm. Nevertheless, the firm can contribute to improve it. This needs additional study.* Social capital is a mechanism, which sustains the consensus in the ranking of community's priorities (in our case the firm is regarded as a community). It allows keeping up its sustainable behavior and growth.* Social capital is a stable inherent mechanism of every community, which supports its growth due to the feedback role it plays to keep its behavior sustainable. At firm's level this is realized by means of horizontal association and vertical integration, which helps to reach consensus in the ranking of firm's priorities.As it has been shown by this study, social capital is an important factor, which due to its feedback supports sustainable behavior at a micro level. The firm can improve its overall performance if the managerial board is aware of the informal structures within it and uses them to correct its formal structure.Despite the close positive relationship between the performance of the firm and the quality of its social capital, it is a complicated mechanism depending on many exogenous factors. Their study brings up other questions for further research. It would expect that improving the quality of social capital will foster better business results.The high quality social capital of the firm helps to improve its overall performance and sustainable behavior. To maintain sustainability of behavior, the firm needs to add continuously fuel - social capital - to the managerial machine to realize its priorities.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - To formulate a vision of the mechanism of generating social capital at a firm level and its influence on sustainable behavior, testing the assumption of social capital as a feedback to support the firm's sustainable behavior.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The collection of primary data is based on a structured questionnaire. The information is collected by means of interviewing Bulgarian citizens and businessmen. The questions are divided according to: interrelations within the team, attitude to social problems and sustainable behavior of the firm, and socio-economic profile. Non-parametric methods are used to study the relationships among the basic indicators.\nFindings: - It is necessary to present the attitudes of the respondents to problems related to the basic hypothesis formulated in the paper, provide additional proofs of the feedback assumption of social capital, formulate the preconditions for generating social capital and its contribution in realizing sustainable behavior of the firm.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Further extension is warranted to cover more sectors and countries of the region.\nPractical implications: - It gives an idea to distinguish between the formal and informal structures of the firm, enhance endeavors to increase attention to social factors in the decision-making process at top level, formulate the concept of feedback role of social capital, and how it can be used to reach sustainability in a firm's behavior.\nOriginality/value: - This study provides additional proofs of the role of social capital as a feedback to support sustainable behavior of the firms and extend the vision of firms' management in distinguishing between formal and informal structures.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Using the balanced scorecard to measure Chinese and Japanese hospital performance
|
[
"Balanced scorecard",
"Hospitals",
"Performance measurement (quality)",
"China",
"Japan"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Some healthcare providers are adopting multi-dimensional performance assessment systems to help them achieve their missions. The balanced scorecard (BSC) is increasingly being used as one such system, notably as an expanded set of performance indicators. Two large-scale efforts have recently been undertaken in Canada and the US that used BSC as a framework for comparing performance between services and identifying areas for improvement (Zelman et al., 2003). Researchers from Michigan University recently examined the validity, reliability and sensitivity of BSC-oriented comparative indicators used for measuring overall organizational performance between competitors. In doing so, seven multidimensional hospital performance indicators, which could be used to compare performance between hospitals inside the US, emerged (Griffith et al., 2002).A WHO (2003a, b) European group aimed to build and validate a flexible and comprehensive hospital performance assessment model - a benchmarking network at the international level, allowed participants to compare their performance with peer hospitals using appropriate performance indicators. This WHO project is still in the pilot study stage, and its model is under development. While the BSC has been used as a framework for comparing hospital performance for many years, most studies are done in single countries (Zelman et al., 2003). Here, we want to use BSC to compare hospital performance between different countries. China and Japan are two East Asian countries that have interacted and co-operated for many years. However, the Chinese and Japanese health systems differ greatly. According to one WHO (2000) report, which provided a new method for health system performance assessment by ranking 191 member countries' performance. Japan was seen to be one of the highest performing countries in the world, while China was ranked 144th among all member countries. It is hoped that the approach we take to measuring hospital performance between the two countries will help managers and practitioners understand the ranking differences.The level of Japanese health system performance stems from its well-designed national health policy. Japan's health care system is a \"public contract model.\" The whole population is covered by different types of public health insurance, while modest co-payments are needed to support the fee-for-service payment system. Seventy percent of beds and 80 percent of hospitals are privately owned, which form another characteristic of the Japanese system. Purchasing health services for the entire population is directly or indirectly under the control of statutory and compulsory health insurance, and insurers operate fairly passively under rules set by the government. In short, the Japanese government plays at least three significant roles in its health care system:1. regulatory role from overall system building and planning to micro-level regulation;2. insurer role in which the government manages some types of health insurance; and3. small-scale provider role, supplying medical services to patients through national hospitals and health centers (Hyoung-Sun and Hurst, 2001).Meanwhile, China developed perhaps the largest national healthcare network in the world. Its government insurance, labor insurance and the urban collective medical care schemes cover almost all urban residents and the rural collective medical care scheme protects 90 percent of the rural population in the peak period of the mid 1970s (Dong, 2002; Bogg et al., 1996). However, China's system almost collapsed, especially in rural areas when market-oriented reforms began in 1978. It was estimated that 44 percent of urban residents were not covered by any health insurance system and 87 percent of rural residents had to pay their medical costs in 1998 (MoH P. R. China, 1998). Since, 1998, a new urban employees' basic health care insurance scheme has developed, and a reform of rural districts aimed to establish a new rural cooperative medical insurance system began in 2003. Since, then the insured population has been increasing.All Chinese healthcare institutions were publicly owned and administered hierarchically before 1978, and most health care provider resources were concentrated in urban areas, especially big cities. Private practice was permitted at former communal clinics in rural areas after 1980, and by 1985 private clinics replaced \"collectively run health stations\" as dominant health institutions at village level. In the cities, government-owned hospitals still occupied a dominant position, but hospital privatization was permitted in 2000 (Huang, 2002). The Chinese government attempted to improve hospital efficiency by introducing competition. It encouraged public health care institutions to be autonomous and it permitted private practice. These actions, however, were unsatisfactory as medical costs escalated and access to health care services fell (Eggleston and Yip, 2004). The government's share of total health expenditure decreased and subsidies to government-owned hospitals reduced accordingly. The market-oriented reforms weakened the government's leading role in establishing a national health system, which led to increasing criticisms (MoH P.R. China, 2004).\nMethods: The BSC key comparative performance indicators are used in this paper to compare Chinese and Japanese hospital performance. The intention was to help the authors comprehend differences between the two countries' hospitals. In addition, we discuss the feasibility and value of using the BSC to measure hospital performance internationally. Two peer hospitals were selected for study - C, a national hospital in Beijing, China; the other, N, a national hospital in Nagoya, Japan. Both are controlled by the central government.The two pilot hospitals are engaged in care, education and research, and the number of beds, physicians and clinical departments are similar. More than 90 percent of their clinical departments have common features (Table I). The total staff of hospital C is greater, however, and a large difference is seen in \"other staff\" which is mainly hospital clerks - a distinct characteristic in China together with its larger population. The numbers of physicians per bed in the two hospitals, on the other hand, are similar (0.46 and 0.49).Valid performance comparisons demand rigorous, standardized assessment criteria and methods, especially when they are used to compare countries (Shaw, 2003). The BSC is a performance measure that focuses on tracking key metrics grouped according to four perspectives (financial, internal business processes, customer, learning and growth), which together constitute a balanced view of an organization (Kaplan and Norton, 1992). Clear definitions of each perspective are given by the Michigan University researchers:* financial - performance and resource management;* internal business processes - cost, quality, efficiency and other characteristics of goods or services;* customer - measures of satisfaction, market share and competitive position;* learning and growth - ability to respond to changes in technology, customer attitudes and economic environment (Griffith et al., 2002).In our study, we used the same definitions before choosing and confirming common but feasible key performance indicators (KPIs), which constitute the main characteristics of each perspective. These should be in-keeping with each organization's mission. Each key indicator was tested whether it was suitable for the two hospitals' practice using iterative discussions, redefining calculation methods and affirming data acquisition. These included the views of independent hospital managers and academics from Japan's Nagoya University. Consequently, of the nine BSC-orientated comparative hospital performance indicators proposed by Michigan University researchers were considered first: cash flow margin; asset turnover; cost per case; mortality; complications index; customer perspective; occupancy; change in occupancy; learning and growth; length of stay; outpatient activity (Griffith et al., 2002).We believe that while most of these indicators, proposed by US researchers, can be used to compare hospital performance in China and Japan, some need to be modified because they are unsuitable for the two countries' situations. The cost per case indicator, for example, cannot be used directly because of Japan's and China's different economic backgrounds, so it was modified to change of cost per case. Similarly, total profit margin was used instead of cash flow margin in order to simplify analysis. The complications index indicator was abandoned because the two hospitals' definitions were different and because there were data collection difficulties. The length of stay indicator is usually used to measure internal product efficiency in the two countries, which was moved from learning and growth to the internal business processes perspective. Of the two occupancy datasets, which are normally used as efficiency indicators, occupancy was chosen as an internal business processes indicator.Some indicators proposed by the WHO European experts group in 2003 were subsequently accepted and put into the BSC's four perspectives. Patient satisfaction and outpatient waiting times were included in the customer perspective, and staff satisfaction and staff turnover were included in the internal business processes perspective. Consequently, we propose eight key comparative indicators, which were thought to be well-suited to the two hospitals in our study (Table II).The common comparative indicators now in the BSC framework were set up to measure Chinese and Japanese hospitals' performance (Figure 1). A simple definition and calculation of each indicator is given in Table III.Data for each indicator were collected in 2003 from the two hospitals' information and statistics departments according to the definition of each indicator mentioned above. The fiscal year of study in Japan was from April 2003 to March 2004, while in China it is from January to December 2003. However, the difference was not felt to affect our hospital comparisons. Statistical significance was tested using two-tailed kh2 tests.\nResults: From a financial perspective, total profit margin and asset turnover in Chinese hospital C was higher than Japanese hospital N, as was the change of cost per case compared with the previous year. The biggest expenditure was purchasing materials in the Chinese hospital, and in Japan, staff salary (Table IV).There was no significant difference in staff satisfaction rates between the two hospitals (p=0.846), yet hospital N's staff turnover was significantly higher than hospital C's (p<0.001). From the hospital productive efficiency indicators, hospital C's length of stay was shorter, and its bed occupancy was slightly higher than the hospital N's though differences were not statistically significant. Outpatients, emergency patients, and inpatient indicators were statistically significant. From the main internal product quality indicators, mortality and medical accident leading to law suits rate, hospital C's data were significantly lower than the hospital N (p<0.001 and p=0.025, respectively).The two hospitals' patient satisfaction rates were not significantly different (p=0.902), while hospital C's outpatient waiting times were longer even though outpatient activity was higher. Hospital N spent more money on medical research and academic papers written in English were greater in number - reaching statistical significance (p<0.001).\nDiscussion: The BSC revealed the differences between the two countries\nConclusions and recommendations: The BSC framework not only encourages hospital performance indicators across different countries to be expanded but also helps us to comprehensively compare and analyze hospital performance. Using BSC to compare two Chinese and Japanese hospitals raised service problems while identifying improvement opportunities. Further use of the BSC to measure hospital performance in different countries may reveal the health factors that most contribute to good performance while encouraging development and implementation of relevant national health policies.\n",
"role": "user"
},
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"content": "Purpose: - The objective of the paper is to confirm the feasibility and value of using the balanced scorecard (BSC) to measure performance in two hospitals in different countries.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - One hospital from China and another from Japan were chosen and key indicators were selected according to the BSC framework. A comparative hospital performance measurement model was set up using the BSC framework to comprehensively compare hospital performance in two countries.\nFindings: - The BSC was found to be effective for underlining existing problems and identifying opportunities for improvements. The BSC also revealed the hospitals' contribution to performance improvement of each country's total health system.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Hospital performance comparisons between countries using the BSC depend on the selection of feasible and appropriate key performance indicators, which is occasionally limited by data collection problems.\nOriginality/value: - The first use of the BSC to compare hospital performance between China and Japan shows benefits that not only suggests performance improvements in individual hospitals but also reveals effective health factors allowing implementation of valid national health policies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Examining operational wastes within Greek banking operations
|
[
"Banking",
"Waste",
"Operations"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The 2008 global economic crisis was caused by a complex combination of rapid financial expansion, credit boom, increasing asset prices, and financial liberalisation and deregulation (Claessens and Kodres, 2014). Not only has this generated long-term economic uncertainty, bailouts (Kouretas and Vlamis, 2010) and a reshaping of financial institutions (Hellenic Bank Association, 2016, p. 2), but it has also led to a downfall in operational effectiveness across the banking sector. Argyrou and Kontonikas (2010) described the effect as being like a contagion that had spread across Europe. In a review of the overall banking efficiency in 25 EU countries for 2005-2006 (pre-crisis period) and 2009-2010 (post-crisis period), Alzubaidi and Bougheas (2012) concluded that there had been an average decrease in efficiency of 12 per cent. In the cases of Greece, Belgium and Denmark, the decrease was even larger. For instance, among several such studies of efficiency within the Greek banking sector (Tsionas et al., 2003; Rezitis, 2006; Aggelopoulos et al., 2010; Alzubaidi and Bougheas, 2012), Varias and Sofianopoulou's (2012) study of the 19 biggest Greek commercial banks in 2009 found that that 68.42 per cent of them were inefficient.\n2. Literature review: Waste has been widely defined as the use of resources for any means other than the creation of value for a customer and is therefore a target for reduction and elimination throughout all operations (Womack et al., 1990; Liker, 1996; Hines and Rich, 1997; Russell and Taylor, 1999; Conner, 2001; Flinchbaugh, 2001; Rawabdeh 2005; Jimmerson et al., 2005). Canel et al. (2000, p. 51) proffer a useful working definition of waste as \"anything other than the minimum amount of equipment, materials, parts, space and worker's time, which are essential to add value to the product or service\".\n3. Methodology: In order to examine the types of waste that exist within Greek banking operations, this research employs a Delphi study (Kosow and Gassner, 2008; Skulmoski et al., 2007; Linstone and Turoff, 1975; Dalkey and Helmer, 1963). The Delphi technique, pioneered by Helmer and Dalkey in the 1950s, generally uses a group of people who have a stake or interest in the research idea to generate and choose a more defined research idea (Robson, 2002).\n4. Analysis and discussion: In Round 1, the employees returned a very low degree of concordance (W=0.129) in their assessment of the order of importance of the seven forms of waste. The managers returned a similarly low degree of concordance (W=0.198) in their interpretation. Overall, the combined rankings of the employees and managers returned W=0.127.\n5. Conclusion: While some studies have examined the overall efficiency of the Greek banking sector, to date, none has explored the nature of the inefficiencies that manifest as waste. This study addresses this by undertaking a Delphi study of manager and employee perceptions of operational waste within several large Greek banks. This research was undertaken at a time when the Greek banking sector was taking great steps to present a more efficient and effective service to both their international and national customers and to provide reassurance that they had addressed many of the criticism that had been raised by those such as the IMF and the World Bank. This study has highlighted that managers and employees consider the waste of unutilized people as having a significant impact on the efficiency of the banking sector, something that has rarely been noticed in other industries and acts an expansion on our understanding in this area of management theory.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: In order to address operational effectiveness in the banking sector caused by the 2008 global economic crisis, the purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of operational wastes that exist within four large Greek banks.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A Delphi study was undertaken with ten managers and ten employees.\nFindings: The waste of underutilised people is found to be the dominant form of waste present and affecting the efficiency of banking operations, and managers and employees consider the waste of underutilised people as having a significant influence on the efficiency of the banking sector.\nPractical implications: This has implications for managers of banking operations needing to address efficiencies in an increasingly competitive global economic environment. The paper also highlights the drawbacks of analysing typologies of waste across organisations and industrial sectors.\nOriginality/value: While some studies have examined the overall efficiency banking sector, to date, none has explored the nature of the inefficiencies that manifest as waste.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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An exploratory case study of aspect-oriented metrics for fault proneness, content and fixing effort prediction
|
[
"Computer software",
"Quality control",
"Predictor‐corrector methods",
"Software metrics",
"Fault prediction",
"Aspect‐oriented software"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Separation of concerns is one of the vital principles in software engineering for achieving quality software (Filman et al., 2005). Although different approaches - including object-oriented programming, component-oriented programming, and design patterns - provide useful modularity mechanisms, none of them satisfactorily modularize all concerns of complex software systems. Some of the concerns still inherently crosscut the modularity of multiple modules and are difficult to be captured by these techniques (Laddad, 2003). Aspect-oriented software development (AOSD) provides an explicit concepts and mechanisms for separating the crosscutting concerns (Laddad, 2003). It is increasingly getting popularity as useful practice to improve the modularization of software artifacts.It is vital to quantitatively assess the quality of software produced using AOSD. In this regard, software metrics are needed to do such assessment. The external quality attributes of aspect-oriented software are usually assessed, using modeling techniques, as a function of metrics that measure the internal structural properties of the aspect-oriented software. However, there are few empirical studies (Burrows et al., 2010; Sant'Anna et al., 2003; Shen et al., 2008; Tonella and Ceccato, 2005) that have been conducted to relate software metrics with external quality attributes of aspect-oriented software in general. Moreover, some metrics have been evaluated for aspect fault proneness prediction, but not for other fault related prediction problems.Motivated by the foregoing issues, in this paper, we empirically investigate the relationships between a suite of aspect-oriented metrics and:* aspect fault proneness (the probability that an aspect contains a fault);* aspect fault content (number of faults in an aspect); and* aspect fault fixing effort.In other words, this paper investigates whether or not the metrics under investigation are good early indicators of aspect fault proneness, content and fixing effort in aspect-oriented software. The availability of adequate metrics for this purpose helps software developers to focus their quality assurance activities and to allocate the needed resources for these activities more effectively and efficiently. This should in turn improve software reliability.The rest of this paper is organized as follows Section 2 defines the aspect-oriented metrics under investigation. Section 3 discusses the exploratory case study that was conducted and its results. Section 4 reviews related work. Section 5 concludes the paper and suggests directions for future work.\n2 Aspect-oriented metrics: In this study, 13 aspect-level metrics are investigated as predictors of aspects' fault proneness, content and fixing effort. These metrics were chosen because:* they measure different structural properties of an aspect: size, coupling, cohesion, and inheritance; and* they refines classical object-oriented metrics, such as C&K metrics (Chidamber and Kemerer, 1994), which are well-established and based on sound measurement theory.The metrics under investigation are defined next.2.1 Size metrics\n3 The exploratory case study: The main objective of this exploratory case study is to investigate the relationships between the 13 aspect-level metrics, described in the previous section, and:* aspect fault proneness;* aspect fault content; and* aspect fault fixing effort.For this purpose, a large open source aspect-oriented software system called Glassbox[1] was chosen because of the availability of its revision history and fault data. The system, which is written in Java and ApectJ, is an automated troubleshooting and monitoring agent for Java applications, and it consists of 76 aspects.3.1 Descriptive statistics\n4 Related work: Although many aspect-oriented metrics have been proposed (Apel et al., 2006; Debnath et al., 2008; Kumar et al., 2008; Lopez-Herrejon, 2006; Munnelly et al., 2007; Ortiz et al., 2008; Srivisut and Muenchaisri, 2007), there are few research studies that have explored the relationships between aspect-oriented metrics and external software quality attributes (Burrows et al., 2010; Sant'Anna et al., 2003; Shen et al., 2008; Tonella and Ceccato, 2005). Table X summarizes those studies by listing the relevant metrics and the external software quality attributes against which they were empirically evaluated. Cells marked with ([?]) indicate that significant correlations were observed, whereas cells marked with (X) indicate no significant correlations. Unmarked cell indicates that the corresponding metric was not empirically evaluated against the corresponding external software quality attribute.\n5 Conclusion: This paper investigated the relationships between 13 aspect-oriented metrics and aspect fault proneness, content and fixing effort. These metrics measure different structural properties of an aspect: size, coupling, cohesion, and inheritance. A case study was conducted using an open source aspect-oriented software consisting of 76 aspects. The results obtained from this study indicate statistically significant correlation between most of the size metrics and aspect fault proneness, content and fixing effort. The cohesion metric was also found to be significantly correlated with the same. In addition, different prediction models for aspect fault proneness, content and fixing effort were built using different combinations of metrics' categories. It was observed that the best accuracy in aspect fault proneness, content and fixing effort prediction can be achieved as a function of some size metrics.This exploratory case study contributes interesting initial and novel empirical knowledge about the relationships between a suite of aspect-oriented metrics and:* aspect fault proneness (the probability that an aspect contains a fault);* aspect fault content (number of faults in an aspect); and* aspect fault fixing effort.Future works include exploring more metrics; conducting more case studies; exploring the relationships between aspect-oriented metrics and other software quality attributes; and building computational intelligence models to improve the prediction accuracy.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between some aspect-oriented metrics and aspect fault proneness, content and fixing effort.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - An exploratory case study was conducted using an open source aspect-oriented software consisting of 76 aspects, and 13 aspect-oriented metrics were investigated that measure different structural properties of an aspect: size, coupling, cohesion, and inheritance. In addition, different prediction models for aspect fault proneness, content and fixing effort were built using different combinations of metrics' categories.\nFindings: - The results obtained from this study indicate statistically significant correlation between most of the size metrics and aspect fault proneness, content and fixing effort. The cohesion metric was also found to be significantly correlated with the same. Moreover, it was observed that the best accuracy in aspect fault proneness, content and fixing effort prediction can be achieved as a function of some size metrics.\nOriginality/value: - Fault prediction helps software developers to focus their quality assurance activities and to allocate the needed resources for these activities more effectively and efficiently; thus improving software reliability. In literature, some aspect-oriented metrics have been evaluated for aspect fault proneness prediction, but not for other fault-related prediction problems such as aspect fault content and fixing effort.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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A portrait of building services engineers in Hong Kong
|
[
"Building services engineers",
"Competence",
"Construction industry",
"Hong Kong",
"Professional practice",
"Building services"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The success and the sustainable development of the construction industry rest on a concerted effort dedicated by a variety of professionals. Recognizing the importance of ensuring the quality of these professionals, research efforts (e.g. Hackett and Hicks, 2007; Ahadzie et al., 2009) have been devoted to studying their roles and competencies.Among the construction professionals, building services (BS) engineers play a key role in design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance (O&M) of building facilities (e.g. electrical, air-conditioning, fire protection and piped services, etc.). Since the emergence of BS engineering as a professional discipline in Hong Kong a couple of decades ago (Yik et al., 2010a), no industry-wide investigations had been made to review the development or inform the current state of this discipline.Aimed at enhancing the future roles and functions of BS engineers, a research study on the BS profession in Hong Kong (hereinafter referred to as \"the Study\") (Yik et al., 2008) has been conducted jointly by the BS division (BSD) of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HIKE) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, over the period from September 2007 to January 2010. As shown in Figure 1, the Study was carried out in three stages and included reviews of the evolvement of the BS profession (Yik et al., 2010a), the past and current roles and functions of BS engineers and regulatory controls over BS works in Hong Kong (Lai et al., 2011), as well as a comparison with the BS profession and practices in the UK, Singapore and China (with inputs from a research team in each country), and a few other regimes (by questionnaire survey).In Stage II (Figure 1), the first questionnaire survey conducted was to obtain an understanding of the general public's perception about BS and BS practitioners in Hong Kong (Yik et al., 2010b). The second questionnaire survey was carried out to obtain demographic information about the BS practitioners as well as their views and opinions on issues which affect professional practices of BS engineers and recognition of their contributions by others. The information collected from these two surveys underpinned an in-depth, face-to-face interview survey of key stakeholders in the construction industry. Towards the end of Stage II, a Delphi study was carried out, which involved deliberations among expert panel members on issues on which diverse responses were obtained from different survey respondents (Yik et al., 2012). These findings formed the basis upon which recommendations were formulated in the Study (Yik et al., 2010c).In the ensuing section, the design and implementation of the second questionnaire survey conducted in Stage II of the Study (Figure 1) will be described, which is followed by presentation and discussions of the findings from statistical analysis of the demographic data about BS practitioners in Hong Kong. This contemporary portrait of BS engineers, which was hitherto unavailable, will provide a useful reference for future comparison of the BS profession with its current state as well as with other construction professions in Hong Kong and elsewhere.\nSurvey design: Three key issues had been identified in Stage I of the Study (Figure 1). For investigating into the second and the third issues, three categories of information had to be sought from BS practitioners in Hong Kong: first, their academic and professional qualifications, career development and practices; second, their views and opinions on the current practices within the BS profession and in the construction industry; and third, their views and opinions on relevant regulatory controls in force in Hong Kong. For this purpose, a questionnaire comprising three parts, each for collecting one of these categories of information, was prepared.The major objective of collecting demographic data of BS practitioners and information about their practices (covered in Part 1 of the questionnaire), was to enable an assessment to be made of:* how significantly academic, professional and statutory credentials would influence the specialism(s), career development and income of BS practitioners; and* whether BS practitioners tend to specialize in one or a few types of BS systems and how common it is to find BS practitioners who are competent in handling all major types of BS systems.The information sought from the survey respondents included academic and professional qualifications and licenses/statutory titles they possessed; their past career history; and their current employment, including their job field, the trades of BS systems that they were competent in and responsible for handling, and their annual income.Figure 2 shows the steps taken in the questionnaire survey. In designing the questionnaire, reference had been made to good survey practices (e.g. Flynn et al., 1990; Forza, 2002) as well as survey methods adopted in previous research studies conducted by the research team members (e.g. Lai and Yik, 2007) and by others (e.g. Lee et al., 1995; Fan et al., 2001; UK DTI, 2005). Inevitably, the ambitious scope of information intended to be covered by the questionnaire would compromise the rate of questionnaire returns and, in turn, the representativeness of the collected data. However, a sample size that may fall short of the requirement for achieving a high enough statistical significance level was considered acceptable because the collected data were not intended for building or verifying a theory (Flynn et al., 1990). Nevertheless, caution was taken to ensure:(1) clear explanations were given to the respondents on the kind of information that they were requested to provide;(2) the total amount of time and effort that a respondent would need to spend would not deter him/her from completing and returning a questionnaire; and(3) effective measures would be taken to boost the rate of questionnaire returns to as high as possible, but participation would remain voluntary.In respect of (1) and (2) above, a brief introduction is given before questions on each topic were listed in the questionnaire to inform the respondents of the purpose of enquiring into the topic. The draft questionnaire was distributed for comment by members of a working group, which was formed by representatives of the BSD. The draft was subsequently revised to address the comments and was then sent by the working group members to a small number of target respondents for a pilot run. The answers given in the pilot questionnaire returns were examined which verified that the questions therein could be correctly interpreted. However, feedbacks were received that the time required to complete some of the questions was too long. After discussions with the working group members, it was decided to add an explanatory note to the questionnaire suggesting that for each of those questions, if the respondent had spent about three minutes but still could not formulate an answer, he/she should skip that question and move on to the next.HKIE members in the BS discipline, including graduate and associate members (who have not yet acquired the professional engineer status) and corporate members (who are professional engineers) were the target respondents. For inviting them to participate in the survey, the HKIE headquarter sent them an e-mail notice, which included a link for downloading the questionnaire. Members of the working group and the study team also sent the questionnaire direct to suitable target respondents with whom they are familiar. Finally, a total of 196 questionnaires were returned.\nSurvey results and findings: Credentials of the respondents\nDiscussions: Representation of the findings\nConclusion: As part of a comprehensive research study which aimed at enhancing the future roles and functions of BS engineers in Hong Kong, a survey was carried out to obtain demographic information about BS practitioners as well as their views and opinions on a range of issues which affect professional practices of BS engineers. A series of statistical analyses was conducted based on the responses given by the BS practitioners, which included their qualifications, experience, job field, annual income and number of BS trades that they are competent in and responsible for.The statistics shows that competence gap exists in that BS engineers are required to handle more trades of BS systems than those they are competent in; and the academic and professional qualifications, years of experience and job position are the key influential factors to the annual income of BS engineers. Whereas O&M is traditionally a job field less preferred by BS practitioners (Lai, 2010), it is encouraging to find that little differences exist in the income of engineers in different job fields, including the FM/O&M field.The competence gap is a concern that needs to be addressed to ensure BS engineers are competent in handling the common trades of BS systems, which is increasingly important for them to perform effectively in integrated professional teams for turning out holistic solutions for sustainable building developments.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - As part of a study that aimed at enhancing the future roles and functions of building services (BS) engineers in Hong Kong, a survey was carried out to obtain demographic information about BS practitioners as well as their views and opinions on a range of issues which affect professional practices of BS engineers and recognition of their contributions by others. The purpose of this paper is to give a portrait of BS engineers in Hong Kong.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A series of statistical analyses were conducted based on the responses given by the BS practitioners, which included their qualifications, experience, job field, annual income and the number of trades of BS systems that they are competent in and responsible for.\nFindings: - The statistics show that: competence gap exists in that BS engineers are required to handle more trades of BS systems than those they are competent in; and the academic and professional qualifications, years of experience and job position are the key influential factors to the annual income of BS engineers but little differences exist in the average annual income of engineers in different job fields.\nOriginality/value: - The competence gap is a concern that needs to be addressed to ensure BS engineers are competent in handling the common trades of BS systems, which is increasingly important for them to perform effectively in integrated professional teams for turning out holistic solutions for sustainable building developments.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Causation and effectuation behaviour of Ethiopian entrepreneurs: Implications on performance of small tourism firms
|
[
"Firm performance",
"Effectuation",
"Entrepreneurial behaviour",
"Ethiopia",
"Causation",
"Small tourism firms"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The theme of opportunity identification has attracted the attention of entrepreneurship scholars, particularly after the seminal work of Shane and Venkataraman (2000). For example, Alvarez and Barney (2007) introduced \"creation theory\" as an alternative to the dominant \"discovery theory\" in opportunity identification. In a similar manner, Sarasvathy (2001) introduced \"effectuation theory\" as an alternative to \"causation theory\", which has been an established entrepreneurial approach in literature on opportunity identification and new firm development (Sarasvathy, 2001; Perry et al., 2012). Sarasvathy (2001) used a recipe analogy - \"what ingredients do I need?\" and \"what ingredients do I have?\" - to, respectively, describe the two entrepreneurial decision-making logics[1]: causation and effectuation. Causation serves novice entrepreneurs (Brettel et al., 2012) who have a given goal and search for means to reach that goal, whereas effectuation serves expert (Read, Song, and Smit, 2009) or habitual (Chandler et al., 2011) entrepreneurs who start with the means at hand and look for potential goals. In a recent study, experienced entrepreneurs often employ causation in their decision-making logics (Vershinina et al., 2017). The distinction between causation and effectuation is presented in detail in the next section.\n2. Literature review and hypotheses: Sarasvathy (2001) broke new ground with her \"effectuation' theory\" in the field of entrepreneurship. Since then, effectuation theory has attracted the attention of entrepreneurship scholars. Effectuation theory has also attracted the attention of scholars in other fields such as strategy (Wiltbank et al., 2006) and marketing (Read, Dew, Sarasvathy, Song, and Wiltbank, 2009). In this section, a brief description of causation and effectuation as well as a distinction between them are presented first. Then, the relationship between causation and effectuation on firm performance in entrepreneurship literature are reviewed. Finally, based on theory and these conceptual descriptions, the working hypotheses developed for this study are presented.\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Research setting\n4. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the ability of causation and effectuation to predict firm performance (self-reported changes in employment, sales, profit and assets) over three years after controlling for the effects of personal and firm characteristics. In this study, a three years time span was preferred to other time differences (e.g. five years) for evaluating firm performance because the study was conducted among young small tourism firms. Besides, a five years time is a very long period in uncertain contexts, such as Ethiopia. Hence, to capture the firm performance of young SMEs in uncertain contexts, the choice for the 3-year time span was advised in extant literature (e.g. Shepherd and Wiklund, 2013).\n5. Discussion: Scholars such as Fisher (2012) remarks that effectuation has become the most compelling emerging theory in entrepreneurship. Having a theoretically and empirically sound scale would encourage scholars to conduct more empirical research (Nelson and Goldsby, 2011), which will eventually enable effectuation research to move to a mature stage (McKelvie et al., 2013). There have been attempts to develop and validate scales to measure causation and effectuation in literature (e.g. Chandler et al., 2011; Brettel et al., 2012). Nonetheless, there has not been consensus on a comprehensive scale that is universally accepted. Moreover, the subsequent application of these scales has been lacking, particularly in an African context. For example, the scale of Chandler et al. (2011) used in this study has not been validated among small tourism firms in an African context. Hence, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to validate this scale with a new data set drawn from small tour operating firms in Ethiopia.\n6. Conclusion: The literature often indicates that the firm performance of effectual entrepreneurs is better than that of causal entrepreneurs. However, this claim has hardly been verified in a non-Western context. Recently, Eijdenberg et al. (2017) found neither effectuation nor causation have effects on small business growth in Burundi. The variation in findings between Eijdenberg et al. (2017) and this study may be ascribed to the differences in the sectors studied and the scales used.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implications of causation and effectuation behaviour of Ethiopian entrepreneurs on the eventual performance of their newly established small firms. It adds new knowledge and insights to advance the theory of effectuation by extending its scope into the domain of entrepreneurial behaviour and firm performance and by testing one of the operationalized scales in an African context.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This empirical research is conducted amongst Ethiopian tour operators (n=118) based on primary data from the field. The scales are based on Chandler et al. (2011), which are adapted to fit to the tourism sector and validated in an African context using a two-stage exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Hierarchical multiple regression is used to assess the ability of entrepreneurs' behaviour (i.e. causation and effectuation) at the startup phase to predict the eventual performance of their newly established firms (self-reported changes in employment size, sales, profit and assets) over three years (January 2012-2015).\nFindings: The findings reveal a varied effect of causation and effectuation on financial and non-financial measures. Causation is positively related to an increase in employment size, whereas the overall effect of effectuation is positively related to financial performance measures, although its dimensions vary in their effects on sales, profit and assets increase. The paper concludes that causation and effectuation have varied implications on firm performance. In other words, unlike the findings of other research in Western contexts, a strong empirical support is not found to claim that effectuation is superior to causation in outcomes such as firm performance in Ethiopian context.\nResearch limitations/implications: While this paper provides a new data set for entrepreneurship literature, its findings may lack generalisability. Not only it is industry specific (tourism sector), but also it is conducted in a single African country (Ethiopia). Despite its limitations, the paper adds new knowledge and insights for empirical studies in entrepreneurship field on the effects of entrepreneurs' behaviour, such as causation and effectuation; on firm performance. Future research should focus on other economic sectors and in different African countries before making generalisations about the effect of causation and effectuation behaviour of African entrepreneurs on firm performance.\nPractical implications: The findings of this paper can be used in other hospitality and tourism sectors like hotels and souvenir shops since tour operating business includes a broad range of service activities such as sightseeing, accommodation, transportation, recreational activities and shopping. Besides, these results have practical implications to prepare and provide business and management training tools to enhance entrepreneurial and managerial skills of owners of small tourism firms in Ethiopia. The findings of the study can also be applied in other African countries with similar culture and business environments to promote tourism development and success in Africa.\nOriginality/value: There have been hardly any empirical studies that are undertaken on the implications of entrepreneurial behaviour such as causation and effectuation on the performance of small tourism firms, particularly in an African context. The paper addresses this research gap in entrepreneurship literature in drawing on empirical evidence from small tourism firms (tour operators) in Ethiopia.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
TQM and business success: Do all the TQM drivers have the same relevance? An empirical study in Spanish firms
|
[
"Critical success factors",
"Business success",
"Partial least squares",
"Structural equation modeling",
"TQM drivers"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Much of the literature concerning TQM implementation programs suggests that there is a positive correlation between TQM practices and performance both operational (Hendricks and Singhal, 1997) and organizational (Sterman et al., 1997; Feng et al., 2006; Khan, 2011), and they bring numerous and varied benefits to the organizations that have successfully adopted them (Lam et al., 2011; Rahman and Sohal, 2002; Douglas and Judge, 2001). A number of empirical research studies provide evidence of a positive link between the effective implementation of TQM and both financial and non-financial performance improvement in firms (Yusuf et al., 2007; York and Miree, 2004; Easton and Jarrell, 1998; Ittner and Larcker, 1996). Nevertheless, this topic has not been completely exempt from some controversy as other empirical studies have failed to support this link (Chapman et al., 1997; Mohrman et al., 1995). On the other hand, several other authors have discussed the failure of TQM programs and suggest the causes related to implementation factors rather than shortcomings in the content of TQM programs (Thiagaragan et al., 2001; Krumwiede and Lavelle, 2000; Gurnani, 1999). In this vein, Seetharaman et al. (2006, p. 676) argue that \"the effectiveness of TQM implementation involves the defining and deployment of several key elements. The main reason why TQM fails is because of the lack of knowledge about the proper TQM implementation.\" While there is no consensus on the reasons leading to failures in TQM implementation there does appear to be widespread agreement that this situation results in organizations not achieving the desired outcomes with the associated waste of resources occasionally prompting the organization to abandon its implementation and development of a TQM philosophy (Idris and Zairi, 2006; Rahman, 2001).\n2. Theoretical foundations, model and hypotheses: The study of TQM key success factors or drivers has been approached from various perspectives and methodologies. Rigorous attempts to identify them have been made by authors such as Rahman (2001), Dow et al. (1999), Grandzol and Gershon (1998)\n3. Method: 3.1. Data collection and sample\n4. Results: PLS models are assessed and interpreted through two phases: the evaluation of the reliability and validity of the measurement model (outer model), and the evaluation of the structural model (inner model). Following this sequential procedure guarantees the validity and reliability of the constructs' measures before attempting to draw conclusions concerning the links between the constructs (Roldan and Sanchez-Franco, 2012).\n5. Discussion and implications for research and practice: According to Eldridge et al. (2014), many firms strive to reach business excellence and success by using approaches rooted in TQM programs. As Van der Wiele et al. (2011) point out, within the currently turbulent and uncertain economic environment, TQM approaches should face not only the tools and instruments needed to measure and control performance in order to find deviations from the goals, but should also involve methods to foster and enable a more interactive management framework. The main purpose of this study was to shed some light on the relationship existing between the implementation of the TQM program and business success. Concretely, we focussed on the identification of the most relevant factors or TQM drivers. To this end, and on the basis of a wide theoretical review, a set of ten key factors was selected and divided into three distinct groups. Thus, we distinguish between strategic enablers, tactical drivers and instrumental drivers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Prior studies by Salaheldin (2009) and Talib et al. (2011) have assessed the relationships between TQM critical success factors (CSF) and business results. The purpose of this paper is to build upon this research by considering the relationships between these CSFs and their sequencing during the implementation of TQM. Furthermore, the influence exerted by the maturity of TQM implementation on the link between instrumental drivers and performance is explored.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The TQM drivers are clustered by means of three constructs: strategic enablers, tactical drivers and instrumental drivers and a model employed in which the strategic and tactical factors are treated as antecedents of the instrumental drivers. The direct effect of each cluster on business results and the indirect relationship of strategic and tactical factors via the mediating role of the instrumental drivers are assessed. These assessments use the partial least squares (PLS) approach which is a variance-based structural equation modeling technique using a sample of 113 Spanish organizations with experience of implementing a TQM program.\nFindings: The findings confirm the existing relationships among the CSFs and business performance identified by studies Salaheldin (2009) and Talib et al. (2011). However, the results reveal that instrumental drivers possess the highest variance explanation power over business performance outcomes and it is possible to identify a CSF implementation sequence that generates the greatest impact on business performance. Furthermore, the study was inconclusive with regard to the influence exerted by the number of years of TQM implementation on the link between the instrumental drivers and performance.\nResearch limitations/implications: The first is related to organizational bias. It seems likely that those firms which are not satisfied with their TQM system performance would be less likely to be motivated to contribute to the development of this study. Therefore, the authors have included in the sample a higher proportion of \"good\" systems than is the case in the population at large. Second, although the authors provide evidence of causality, causality itself has not been proven. Third, this research relies mainly on perceptions and the authors only used a single method to elicit these perceptions. Finally, this research was carried out in a specific geographical setting (Spanish companies) and the authors must be cautious about generalizing these results in other contexts.\nPractical implications: This study offers a substantial number of practical implications. First firms' managers should emphasize that continuous improvement, benchmarking and zero-defects mentality is a never-ending process. Especially, they should understand that reliable product/service design is critical to exceed the customers' expectations, leading to improved business success. The results of this study should also lead managers to seeing a \"return on investment\" in their efforts to implement a TQM program by first, paying more attention on how to implement the instrumental factors, and second, avoiding the belief that the passage of time and experience-based learning will bring business performance enhancement and success on their own.\nSocial implications: Although, the literature agrees that strategic factors are valuable assets and have a crucial role in the deployment of TQM systems, the study empirically validates this assertion. However, at the same time it shows that this impact on performance is stronger and much more significant by reconfiguring instrumental factors. This implies that strategic and tactical factors do have an effect on business success, but they do so indirectly, by reconfiguring and reinforcing instrumental factors that better fit the stakeholders' needs and expectations.\nOriginality/value: The results suggest the need to consider whether all the CSFs are equally relevant on the basis of their contribution to business success. For example, strategic enablers are generally considered to be of primary importance with tactical and instrumental drivers assuming a secondary position. The study challenges this view and highlights the role of instrumental drivers over strategic and tactical factors with the clear implication that managers should focus strongly on daily implementation tasks such as benchmarking, zero-defects mentality and continuous improvement processes in order to achieve good business performance outcomes.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Investment risk scoring model for commercial properties in India
|
[
"India",
"AHP",
"Commercial property",
"Valuation",
"Investment",
"Risk scoring"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Quantifying risk within the scope of property valuations is one of the key challenges faced by valuers, impacting investment decision making. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) (2014) also emphasises that \"The valuer should draw attention to, and comment on, any issues affecting the certainty of the valuation\". This paper recommends that a structured approach should be followed by valuers to provide explicit risk communication to investors in form of quantifiable risk score. The problem, however, is that RICS Red Book (RICS, 2014) provides guidelines for valuation but does not provide guidance on how risk should be reported in comprehensive manner and the risk reported in valuation remains the \"judgement and experience\" of individual valuer (Lorenz et al., 2006). As highlighted by Lorenz et al. (2006) it's not the valuation methods that cause the problem but the \"manner in which valuers express their assumptions, account for risk [...] and communicate the results of the estimation to end user\" is at the core of problem with over/under valuations.\n2. Literature review: Risk assessment, management and communication\n3. Risk scoring for property valuation: Risk perception and its treatment will differ from investor to investor, depending on their investment philosophy and risk appetite. It would mainly depend on their return expectation, source of funds, investment duration and perception of general market and property-specific risks. Not all risks would be perceived in the same way by all investors. International investors investing in emerging economy like India have a very different risk perception as compared to domestic investors. Foreign investors perceive risk on account of frequent changes in tax policy, market transparency and governance, restrictive entry and exit regulations, local laws and regulations impacting property acquisition, its development and volatility of local currency. As not all risk affect all investors equally, it is not possible to identify all elements of risks at all times. Significance of various factors of investment risk mentioned in Table II varies from time to time, property to property, market to market and from investor to investor. There is no universal list of risk applicable in all situations and for all markets or for all investors, however it is possible to identify general elements of risk that would affect investment in office property in a local market.\n4. Research methodology: In this study, to develop property valuation risk scoring criteria we use multi decision-making technique called analytical hierarchy process (AHP), developed by Saaty (1994, 2008). Saaty (1994) mentions that people make three general types of judgements to express importance, preference or likelihood and use them to choose the best among alternatives in the presence of environmental, social, political and other influences. AHP is established methodology for multi criterion decision making, used extensively in property and construction research over last few decades. It has been used in house selection process (Ball and Srinivasan, 1994; Schniederjans et al., 1995), residential market forecasting (Eng Ong and Ian Chew, 1996), FDI investments in real estate (Hsieh, 1997), facility location selection (Yang and Lee, 1997), environmental quality preference of residential real estate (Bender et al., 2000), stigma assessment in valuation (Chan, 2002), residential property demand analysis (Kauko, 2003), property risk scoring (Hutchison et al., 2005), quality of CBD building (Ho et al., 2005), decision making in hotel investment (Newell and Seabrook, 2006) and evaluating building accessibility in construction industry (Wu et al., 2007). More recently AHP has been used in study of asset allocation behaviour (Chen et al., 2011), technical innovation in construction (Hardie and Newell, 2011), work place satisfaction (Khamkanya et al., 2012), logistics facility relocation (Opasanon and Lertsanti, 2013) and selecting the best location (Chadawada et al., 2015).\n5. Questionnaire survey and results: We conducted two phase survey to identify various components of valuation risk for office assets.\n6. Conclusion: Current valuation reporting practices have fallen short in communicating risk to the valuer's estimate of value of a property to clients adequately. These risks could arise due to market and property-related uncertainties in the future. Literature suggests that uncertainty is an integral part of valuation process and all values are subject to various kinds of risk. Though discount rate and capitalisation rate used in valuation include risk premium, these risks are not explicitly communicated to clients as part of valuation process. RICS (2014) mentions that \"the valuer should draw attention to, and comment on, any issues affecting the certainty of the valuation\". The market uncertainty and the lack of data in emerging markets aggravate the problem further.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: There is significant research related to risk and uncertainty in valuation. Risk, in valuation, is mostly communicated to investors in qualitative terms. There has been some research in developed markets to communicate risk quantitatively to clients through property risk scores. However there is paucity of research on communicating risk in emerging markets where the valuation profession is still evolving. Indian property markets have emerged as one the fastest growing markets in the last five years. With the growth in Indian economy and the emergence of indirect property investment market, it is likely that domestic and international passive investors would play an important role in property investment in India. Valuation of assets in portfolio and communication of risk in appropriate way would gain utmost importance. The paper aims to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study uses analytical hierarchical process method to quantitatively assess risk to value for office properties in India. This study focuses on identifying principal elements of risk as perceived by key market players in an emerging economy like India. It identifies fundamentals of market, property and lease to determine valuation risk. It may be highlighted here that the risk that this paper is analysing is not the risk that is associated with the valuation for valuer who is conducting valuation but systematic and non-systematic risk associated with property. A two round of survey has been conducted to find various principal elements of valuation risk and sub criteria's through an online survey conducted through survey monkey.\nFindings: The study found that in an emerging market like India there are limited exit option for developers and investors due to absence of exit vehicle like REITs for office property. Principal element of risk considered is the resale of property, i.e. exit from an investment, followed by tenant and lease specific elements to be other principal elements of risk in the order tenant risk, lock-in duration, functional obsolescence and lease duration. Other market risks like yield movement, rental movement, occupier demand were not considered principal elements of risk.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study could be expanded further by increasing the sample size and as this study demonstrates present market sentiments. Study needs to be updated periodically to retain its practical importance and relevance to the industry.\nPractical implications: Findings of this study could be used by valuers and investors investing in office properties in India.\nOriginality/value: This is the first paper on risk scoring for commercial properties in the Indian market. It has high importance as Indian market for office space will grow significantly with introduction of REITs.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Consumer responses to corporate cause-related marketing: A serial multiple mediator model of self-construal, empathy and moral identity
|
[
"Empathy",
"Moral identity",
"Cause-related marketing",
"Consumer self-construal",
"Serial multiple mediators"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Broadly speaking, corporate social responsibility (CSR) helps corporations achieve their objectives through the promotion of ethical values and respect for others, society and the environment (Bhattacharya and Sen, 2004; Parguel et al., 2011). In recent years, however, corporations have often used CSR as leverage for financial gains and fame (Skarmeas and Leonidou, 2013). Specifically, they extol CSR and high moral standards to gain publicity and a positive corporate image, which can strengthen consumer support for their brands and products. Corporations further increase their social influence and visibility through lavish charitable donations or cause-related marketing (CRM). According to Varadarajan and Menon (1988), CRM is the association of product sales with support for charities or other benevolent causes. Past studies have indicated that CRM improves product sales (Andrew et al., 2014), consumer perceptions of corporate sponsors (Ross et al., 1992) and product prices (Leszczyc and Rothkopf, 2010); moreover, the CRM of a product helps improve the image of other products of the same brand (Krishna and Rajan, 2009), the relationship between stakeholders (Bhattacharya et al., 2009) and positive word-of-mouth (Lee Thomas et al., 2011). Purchasing CRM goods is generally seen as an act of moral sensitivity and supporting charity (Lafferty and Goldsmith, 2005). That is, because purchasing a product is a means by which consumers express their identity (Barone and Roy, 2010; Kleine et al., 1993), purchasing CRM products implies that the buyers regard themselves as individuals who make moral considerations because CRM prompts consumers to express their social identity (Reed, 2004), of which moral identity constitutes a substantial part (He et al., 2016).\nLiterature review: Cause-related marketing\nMethodology: Participants and data collection\nResults: Table I shows the means, standard deviations and correlation coefficients of the present study's variables. Evaluation on CRM corporations and purchase intention for CRM goods were found to be positively and significantly correlated with all of the independent variables. The correlation coefficients of evaluation on CRM corporations and the independent variables also attained significance.\nGeneral discussion: Recapping the findings\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to adopt the perspectives of cognition and emotions to investigate whether the interdependent self-construal of consumers in a Chinese collectivist culture, along with empathy and moral identity, evokes direct and indirect responses to corporate cause-related marketing (CRM).\nDesign/methodology/approach: A total of 901 valid questionnaires were retrieved, and PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to test the multiple mediation and serial mediation hypotheses. The structural equation modeling was also used to confirm the results.\nFindings: The empirical results showed that consumer self-construal exerts a positive influence on consumer responses to corporate CRM through empathy. The results also suggest that CRM events provoke empathetic responses in consumers and trigger their moral identity, which in turn affects their evaluations on CRM corporations and their purchase intentions for CRM goods.\nResearch limitations/implications: The present study targeted the relatively affordable CRM events in convenience stores to investigate consumer responses; the results may not be applicable to CRM events in other industries. Besides that, as this study is focused on CRM activity, respondents may have more positive evaluation.\nPractical implications: Corporations are advised to improve their corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication strategies. These should rely on factual, sincere, easy-to-understand and appropriate communication to trigger moral identity in consumers. Because empathy is regarded as the core of human moral and emotional systems, corporations are advised to associate their charitable events with social emotions to strengthen consumer perceptions, enhance moral identity and promote prosocial behaviors.\nOriginality/value: This study verified the serial multiple mediating effect of empathy and moral identity in the relationship between consumer self-construal and responses to corporate CRM. Corporations are advised to improve their CSR communication strategies and public expression of moral actions to raise consumer empathy and moral identity, so as to improve consumer responses to CRM.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Perceived financial well-being and its effect on domestic product purchases: An empirical investigation in Brazil
|
[
"Brazil",
"Global brands",
"Consumer ethnocentrism",
"Social identity theory",
"Domestic products",
"Financial well-being"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Perceived financial well-being (PFWB) has received increased attention amid political instabilities and cyclical and structural economic stressors across many developed economies in recent times (Bruggen et al., 2017; Netemeyer et al., 2017). For marketers, consumer PFWB is an important construct given its influence on salient consumer behaviours, including saving (Bruggen et al., 2017) and degrees of price consciousness (Hampson and McGoldrick, 2017).\n2. Theoretical background: stress and coping: PFWB is defined as \"the perception of being able to sustain current and anticipated desired living standards and financial freedom\" (Bruggen et al., 2017, p. 229). Indicators of PFWB include degree of job security, extent of satisfaction with present income, ability to make payments on time, and the degree of confidence in being able to afford unexpected costs (Netemeyer et al., 2017).\n3. Hypotheses development: 3.1 Consumer information processing\n4. Methodology: 4.1 Research context\n5. Results: 5.1 Direct and indirect effects\n6. Discussion: Emerging market consumers often perceive several benefits of global brands over domestic alternatives, including greater product quality, prestige and trustworthiness, which has led to \"chronic disadvantages\" for domestic brands (Heinberg, 2017, p. 514). Recently, however, there has been a decline in the aspirational status of global brands in emerging markets with consumers more willing to purchase domestic alternatives (Guo, 2013; Strizhakova and Coulter, 2015). We sought to make a contribution to this evolving research stream by examining the effects of reduced PFWB on domestic product purchases.\n7. Limitations and extensions: We focus on middle- and upper-class consumers in Brazil because these consumers have, traditionally, been the target of global brands entering emerging market countries. However, recent studies demonstrate that global brands increasingly see value in lower-income consumers in emerging markets (e.g. Pels and Sheth, 2017) and it could be meaningful to examine the effects of reduced financial well-being on consumers for whom financial stress is relatively \"normal\". Our single-country sample is a limitation given that factors that influence consumers' responses to financial stressors vary at the national level, including: economic value of domestic vs foreign products (Sharma, 2011); degree of consumer financial literacy (Gokcen and Yalcin, 2015); and cultural dimensions (Deleersnyder et al., 2009). Broadening the sample to include lower-income consumers, and other emerging markets and developed economies would extend the generalisability (or boundary conditions) of the findings of our study.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Global brands are attracted to emerging markets because of increasing wealth among their middle classes. However, amid increasing levels of consumer financial stress in many emerging markets, evidence points towards increased preferences for domestic products. The purpose of this paper is to examine the psychological constructs that mediate and moderate the relationship between reduced perceived financial well-being (PFWB) and domestic product purchases.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors develop a model drawing from three theoretical perspectives: consumer stress and coping, consumer information processing and social identity theory. Hypotheses are tested via structural equation modelling and moderated mediation analyses using data from a survey of Brazilian consumers (n=1,043).\nFindings: Results show that the positive relationship between reduced PFWB and domestic product purchases is partially mediated by perceived value of global brands and frugality descriptive norm. Further analyses demonstrate that consumer confidence moderates the mediating effects of perceived value of global brands and pro-social consumer ethnocentrism on the relationship between reduced PFWB and domestic product purchases.\nResearch limitations/implications: The antecedents of domestic product purchases identified in this study indicate opportunities for marketers of domestic and foreign products to respond to reduced PFWB, especially in relation to pricing, branding and communications. Future research should examine implications of PFWB on different populations, including other emerging markets, developed markets and lower-income consumers.\nOriginality/value: This study contributes to international marketing literature by examining the hitherto unexplored influence of reduced PFWB on domestic product purchases.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The role of emotion in workplace incivility
|
[
"Organizational behaviour",
"Perceived organizational support",
"Affect infusion model",
"Leader-member exchange",
"Psychological contract violation"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nWorkplace incivility: In their attempts to gauge the prevalence of socially deviant workplace behavior, behavioral researchers have reported that the majority of Americans believe that incivility is a growing problem. Nearly half of Americans report having been treated rudely at work each week (Pearson et al., 2000). Workplace incivility is defined as behavior that deviates from workplace norms of mutual respect, is relatively low in intensity, and typically is ambiguous in its intent to harm a target (Pearson et al., 2000). Managers regard this kind of discourteous workplace behavior to be undesirable, as it undermines the productivity of those engaged in the behaviors, targeted by the behaviors, or simply serving as bystanders during uncivil social encounters (Pearson et al., 2000). In examining the negative consequences of uncivil behavior, researchers report that incivility triggers undesirable consequences in occupational outcomes, psychological outcomes, organizational outcomes, and physical health (Bunk and Magley, 2013; Lim and Cortina, 2005). Despite this growing literature on the consequences of incivility, a gap exists in knowledge about the predictors of workplace incivility.\nThe emotional state of psychological contract violation and workplace incivility: The primary objective of the current study was to explore emotion, specifically violation of psychological contract, as a predictor of incivility. A second objective was to identify variables that modify the violation-incivility relationship. A psychological contract is an employee's set of perceived reciprocal obligations in the exchange relationship with his/her employer (Robinson and Morrison, 1995). The underlying premise of the psychological contract is that there exists a social exchange relationship between an employee and that person's employing organization, and people are motivated to maintain a sense of equity between the costs and benefits derived from that relationship (Adams, 1965; Blau, 1964; Homans, 1961). The norm of reciprocity suggests that, if a person perceives that harm has been inflicted upon oneself, then that individual will take action to reciprocate such treatment (Gouldner, 1960). Psychological contract violation, therefore, is an employee's negative emotional response (such as anger, resentment, and feelings of betrayal) resulting from the perception that the employer's obligations are unfulfilled (Morrison and Robinson, 1997). Research has demonstrated a relationship between violation and undesired work behaviors, such as incivility, intent to quit, lack of professional commitment, reduced in-role behaviors, and reduced organizational citizenship behavior (Sayers et al., 2011; Suazo and Stone-Romero, 2011; Suazo et al., 2005). We wished to replicate and extend the psychological contract literature by investigating the nature of the violation-incivility relationship.\nAffect infusion model (AIM): In their seminal work on psychological contracts, Morrison and Robinson (1997) claimed that feelings of violation are the byproduct of an interpretation process, known as sensemaking, wherein the individual attempts to derive meaning from a perceived breach of obligation on the part of the employer. Sensemaking occurs when one's expectations of events are incongruent with one's perceptions of actual events (Weick, 1995). The discrepancy between expected and actual events stimulates information seeking, explanation, and interpretation. People are particularly likely to seek sensemaking information when events are unexpected and negative (Wong and Weiner, 1981). Morrison and Robinson went further to suggest that more intense feelings of violation are likely to arise in relational exchange relationships, i.e., those relationships in which the worker de-emphasizes the transactional nature of work exchanged for money and, instead, places a higher value on the overall quality of work-based social relationships.\nModerators of the violation-incivility relationship: Current theoretical models of incivility suggest that the association of violation and incivility can be modified by individual-level and organizational-level variables (Pearson et al., 2005; Sayers et al., 2011). In the current study, we invoke the constructs of leader-member exchange (LMX) and perceived organizational support (POS) as two social exchange variables reflecting high-quality employee-employer relations, which may potentially serve as moderators of the relationship between violation and incivility. The roles of LMX and POS as moderators of the violation-incivility relationship have been heretofore unexplored in the current literature. These two variables are regarded as similar in that they are both rooted in social exchange theory, which purports that social exchange relationships develop as the result of a series of mutual exchanges that eventually form a pattern of reciprocal obligations between two parties (Blau, 1964; Gouldner, 1960). Within the workplace context, scholars have argued that the individual forms at least two such exchange relationships: the first with one's immediate supervisor, and the second with one's employing organization (Dulac et al., 2008; Masterson et al., 2000). The former exchange is captured by the construct known as LMX; whereas, the latter is captured by the construct POS.\nMethod: Participants\nResults: The means, standard deviations, intercorrelations, and a reliability values for all major variables are reported in Table I. The incivility score was M=1.61 (SD=0.81), suggesting that it happened infrequently. Violation also occurred fairly infrequently, with a score of M=2.20 (SD=1.13).\nDiscussion: Results of this study indicated that the emotional state known as psychological contract violation predicted higher levels of uncivil workplace behavior and, further, that association was intensified among employees perceiving generally high-quality social exchange relationships with their supervisors and with the employing organization.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine leader-member exchange (LMX) and perceived organizational support (POS) as moderators of the relationship between psychological contract violation and workplace incivility.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An online survey was administered to employed adults.\nFindings: The association between violation and incivility was more pronounced when levels of LMX and POS were higher.\nResearch limitations/implications: The correlation design limits the ability to draw causal inferences. Affect models, including but not limited to affect infusion model (AIM), offer a useful framework for enhancing understanding of incivility and other forms of counterproductive work behaviors.\nPractical implications: The study has contributed to knowledge about contract violation's implications for work behaviors, such as incivility. Managers sensitive to the dynamics of contract breach may prevent feelings of violation by communicating clearly and often about expectations, resources, and procedures.\nSocial implications: Organizational and societal leaders may be well served by knowledge about preventing people's intense responses to perceived violation by appropriately responding to perceived breach.\nOriginality/value: The study draws upon AIM as a novel approach to understanding conditions under which negative emotions are most likely to relate to workplace incivility. Moreover, the roles of social exchange variables LMX and POS have heretofore been unexplored as moderators of the violation-incivility relationship.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Event-aware FRBR and FRAD models: are they useful?
|
[
"Conceptual models",
"Event awareness",
"Bibliographic records",
"Authority data",
"Functional requirements for bibliographic records model",
"Information management",
"Functional requirements for authority data model",
"Records management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Several researchers have asserted that events are insufficiently addressed in Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) (IFLA Study Group on the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records, 1998). An \"event\" is a concept used to associate resource(s), agent(s), time, place, and others factor with one another. For example, Heaney (1997), Lagoze et al. (2000), and Lagoze (2001) each insist that such an event concept should be introduced to FRBR. Lagoze et al. (2000) and Lagoze (2001) also partially examine the possibility of incorporating the event concept into the FRBR model, which would lead to an \"event-aware model\"; in addition, they propose the ABC model (Lagoze and Hunter, 2002), a different kind of \"event-aware model\" They have consistently emphasized that the concept event has a central role in metadata modeling and its framework; that concept has, in fact, been adopted by several models, such as Indecs (Rust and Bide, 2000), a metadata framework in the e-commerce sector; PREMIS (PREMIS Editorial Committee, 2011), a representative of preservation metadata; and CIDOC CRM (Conceptual Reference Model) (ICOM/CIDOC Documentation Standards Group, 2010), a major conceptual model in the museums field.On the other hand, FRBROO (FRBR Object-oriented Definition and Mapping to FRBRER) (International Working Group on FRBR and CIDOC CRM Harmonization, 2006, 2009) has been proposed as a model where an event concept is fully applied to FRBR; this is a result of harmonizing FRBR and CIDOC CRM. FRBROO, however, is a complex model and it incorporates several features other than the event concept, while also being based on the modeling approach in CRM. It refines FRBR Group 1 entities, i.e. work, expression, manifestation, and item, and thus defines new entities under each of the Group 1 entities. According to the same principle as that used in CRM, it also transforms the attributes of each entity defined in FRBR into relationships and their corresponding new entities; in FRBROO, these are called \"classes\" and \"properties,\" respectively. Therefore, there is currently no simple, straightforward, and event-aware FRBR model resulting directly from the incorporation of the event concept.The purpose of this paper is to present an FRBR-based model that incorporates an event concept in a straightforward way, thus implying a derivative of the FRBR model with minimal modification. A simple, event-aware FRBR model contributes to a greater understanding of the implications and results of incorporating an event concept: that is:* how we can transform the FRBR model into an event-aware FRBR model in minimal steps;* how much expressiveness such a model gains by incorporating an event concept; and* to what extent such an event concept is necessary for FRBR.It would also contribute to a greater understanding of the current FRBR model itself and the bibliographic universe that FRBR represents.This paper also presents a Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD)-based event-aware model. FRAD (IFLA Working Group on Functional Requirements and Numbering of Authority Records, 2009) is a model that covers authority data created by and stored in libraries and other institutions and is, in this sense, a companion to FRBR. The policy surrounding and manner of incorporating an event concept into FRAD is the same as in FRBR. Furthermore, this study investigates the usefulness of the event-aware FRBR and FRAD models, by a comparison with the FRBROO model.In this paper, I look to demonstrate the incorporation of an event concept into FRBR and FRAD, by referring to the study of Lagoze et al. (2000). Actually, I will focus on the relationships among entities defined by FRBR/FRAD and try to transform some of them into event entities. Relationships are also defined among such newly defined event entities and other kinds of bibliographic entities, and the cardinality of those relationships will also be examined.The concept of an \"event\" as the subject of a work is not my present concern. FRBR contains an entity called an \"event\"; this serves as the subject of a work, but it is different from the \"event\" addressed in this study. The FRBR Group three entities \"concept,\" \"object,\" and \"place,\" in addition to \"event,\" as well as the Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Data (FRSAD) (IFLA Working Group on the Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Data, 2011) explore the modeling of subjects and authority data, but these matters are beyond the scope of the present study.\n2. An event-aware FRBR model: 2.1 Definition of the entity event\n3. Comparison with the FRBROO model: 3.1 Event classes and their properties\n4. An event-aware FRAD model: FRAD (IFLA Working Group on Functional Requirements and Numbering of Authority Records, 2009) is based on FRBR and expands the FRBR model in the area of authority data - in particular, FRBR Group 2 entities. Entities not included in FRBR are newly added, including name, identifier, controlled access point, rules, and agency. Figure 11 provides an outline of the FRAD model.Figure 12 shows an event-aware model transformed from FRAD. It demonstrates entities and their relationships, but the entities defined in FRBR are omitted here.The relationships \"is governed by,\" \"are applied by,\" and \"is created/modified by\" in FRAD can be viewed as events involving related entities. Instead of the relationship \"is governed by,\" the event \"access point governance\" is defined with its associated relationship \"has input/output\" with the entity \"controlled access point\" and \"is carried out with\" with the entity \"rules.\" The cardinality of \"has input/output\" is one-to-one and that of \"is carried out with\" is many-to-one: a set of rules is involved in one or more \"access point governance\" events. Combining these makes the cardinality of the path from \"controlled access point\" to \"rules\" many-to-one, the same as that in FRAD.Likewise, the event \"rules application\" is defined instead of the relationship \"are applied by\" found in FRAD. Its associated relationships are \"has input/output\" with the entity \"rules\" and \"is carried out by\" with the entity \"agency.\" The cardinality of the former relationship is many-to-one: a set of rules is involved in one or more \"rules application\" events. The cardinality of the latter relationship, meanwhile, is many-to-one: an agency instance commits one or more \"rules application\" events. In summary, the path from \"rules\" to \"agency\" has many-to-many cardinality, just as it has in FRAD.The other event \"access point creation/modification\" is defined in place of the relationship \"is created/modified by,\" as found in FRAD. Its associated relationships are \"has input/output\" with the entity \"controlled access point\" and \"is carried out by\" with the entity \"agency.\" The cardinality of the former relationship is many-to-one: a controlled access point is involved in one or more \"creation/modification\" events. The cardinality of the latter relationship is many-to-one: an agency instance commits one or more \"creation/modification\" events. These cause the path between \"controlled access point\" and \"agency\" to have many-to-many cardinality, the same as that in FRAD. Additionally, the relationship \"has input\" with the entities \"name\" and \"identifier\" is defined; its cardinality is many-to-one.In our event-aware FRAD model illustrated above, an event and its input/output resources have a one-to-one or many-to-one cardinality. This indicates that, in the case of many-to-one cardinality -i.e. that of the events \"rules application\" and \"access point creation/modification\" - an instance of those events is not automatically identified if an input/output resource is specified. In other words, there is no dependency here between an event and its input/output resource, and hence both an event and its input/output resource are independent of each other. Separate descriptions of individual event instances should be used to express information about an event itself. Going forward from this, we can conclude that the introduction of an event concept into FRAD is meaningful just from the viewpoint of entity dependency.It is appropriate to assign attribute(s) to the event entities defined above, but no such attribute or candidate is found in FRAD. Moreover, if there were such an attribute, it would be possible to convert it into an event entity and its relationships, as with the case shown for FRBR.If it is proper to understand these events as covering very similar matters, the event \"access point creation/modification\" can instead be introduced; it has a broader meaning than the event entity of the same name defined above, and has relationships with all of the entities \"controlled access point,\" \"rules,\" \"agency,\" and \"name\"/\"identifier\" - the event designates a 4-ary relationship. In this case, the binary relationships among \"controlled access point,\" \"rules,\" and \"agency\" disappear.On the other hand, it is difficult to view the relationship \"is basis for\" between the entities \"name\"/\"identifier\" and the entity \"controlled access point\" as an event. It is thus better to retain the relationship as such.The relationships \"has appellation\" between FRBR entities and the entity \"name,\" as well as \"is assigned\" between FRBR entities and \"identifier,\" might be recognized as events or pseudo-events. If this be the case, the events \"name assignment\" and \"identifier assignment\" might be defined and incorporated into our event-aware model, instead of those relationships as found in FRAD. However, I have no positive reason to do so.FRAD enumerates relationships between instances of the person, family, and/or corporate body, and work instances, as well as between instances of the various names of a person, etc. Among these relationships, some might be viewed as events. For example, \"pseudonymous relationship\" on a person might involve an event that the person has drawn a line about the use of his/her names. Similarly, \"earlier name relationship,\" \"later name relationship,\" and so on among the various names of a person might involve an event where the person changed his/her name. However, again, I have no positive reason to define an event for those matters.Meanwhile, FRBROO does not cover the scope of FRAD, but it does contain an appendix to deal with identifier creation. That appendix shows that in the model, the event class \"identifier assignment\" has the property \"used rule\" with the class \"identifier rule,\" and that they have many-to-many cardinality; meanwhile, \"assigned\" has \"identifier,\" with one-to-many cardinality. This modeling seems to correspond to our modeling with the event \"access point governance\" and the entities \"rules\" and \"controlled access point,\" if we consider \"identifier\" in FRBROO as \"controlled access point\" in our model. However, the cardinality of relationships/properties differs from each other between the two models.\n5. Conclusion: An event-aware FRBR model and an event-aware FRAD model were presented by introducing event concepts to both. The principle adopted in this study was to transform FRBR and FRAD with minimal modification. Also, the proposed event-aware FRBR model was compared to FRBROO - which already makes use of event concepts - to examine the usefulness of the event conception. As a result of this study, the following was clarified:* It is meaningful to use event-aware FRBR and FRAD models to understand the basic structure and features of such a model that incorporates the event concept. We succeeded in illustrating event-aware models.* In the event-aware FRBR model shown, an event and its output resource are dependent on each other. Necessary information about an event can be expressed with information about its output resource, and vice versa. We can express all necessary information with only resource descriptions, and without event descriptions. Thus, the usefulness and expressiveness of the model is similar to those of FRBR itself, and does not exceed those of FRBR.* In the FRBROO model, no dependency was observed between an event and its output resource, except in a few cases. (In those cases, different resource and event modeling had been adopted.) Both an event and its output resource, therefore, are essential to that model, if one is to express the bibliographic universe sufficiently. At the same time, it is difficult in some cases to follow the modeling approach - in particular, when modeling a phenomenon for which FRBR defines relationships between the same entities.* In the event-aware FRAD model presented, dependency between an event and its input/output resource was observed with some event entities. For other event entities, separate descriptions of individual event instances are needed to express information about the event itself. The introduction of the event concept into FRAD is therefore meaningful just from the viewpoint of entity dependency.A more in-depth investigation of FRBR-FRAD can be pursued by making use of the event-aware models proposed in this study.\n",
"role": "user"
},
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"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to present functional requirements for bibliographic records (FRBR)-based model and functional requirements for authority data (FRAD)-based model; both of which incorporate an event concept that transforms FRBR and FRAD with minimal modification.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Relationships between the entities defined in FRBR/FRAD are transformed into event entities and relationships with other kinds of entities. The cardinality of those relationships is also examined. In addition, a comparison of the proposed FRBR-based model with the object-oriented FRBR (FRBROO) is conducted.\nFindings: - In the proposed event-aware FRBR model, an event and its output resource are dependent on each other and necessary information about an event can be expressed with information about its output resource, and vice versa. Therefore, the usefulness and expressiveness of the proposed model is limited. In the FRBROO model, dependency between an event and its output resource is not observed, except in a few cases, since a different resource and event modeling was adopted there. The event-aware FRAD model proposed is useful - but also the scope of its usefulness limited since dependency between an event and its input/output resource is not observed on some event entities.\nOriginality/value: - The proposed models are meaningful in terms of understanding the basic structure and features of a model that incorporates an event concept. The usefulness and limitation of event modeling have been clarified through such model building. The proposed models provide a stable basis for examining FRBR/FRAD further.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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Representation of replacement rules in the form of a matrix
|
[
"Failure",
"Repair",
"Maintenance policy",
"Cost",
"Assembly unit",
"Replacement rule"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: For systems which are subject to random failures, effective maintenance activities are needed to avoid high-system costs and/or low reliability. In particular, the actions of interest are the part repairs and replacements. In order to better use the operating life of system components, they should be replaced only in case of failure. This coincides with the traditional assumption that failures are independent of each other and no counted failures are simultaneous (the probability of simultaneous occurrence of two or more failures is very small). However quite often, for better functioning and increased durability of the assembly unit, parts are replaced jointly due to structural and technological reasons during the repair of the equipment.\n2. The concept of the replacement matrix and unconditional and conditional replacement rules: Let us assume that the assembly unit is maintained in case of failure of any of the parts. For this scenario, the replacement policy can be represented in the form of a square matrix, which corresponds to the number of parts in the assembly unit. In the matrix the number (or name) of the column (f) corresponds to the failed part, i.e. the reason for the repair of the assembly unit. The number (or name) of the row (r) corresponds to the replacement part, i.e. possible actions in the repair of the assembly unit. In this paper, when \"repair\" is mentioned, it refers to the replacement of one or more parts.\n3. The use of the replacement matrices for preventive maintenance: In the matrix (see Figure 1 and Figure 2), other information can be noted below the replacement actions, such as the scheduled downtime of the equipment, the distance of the equipment from the repair facility, etc. This means that the matrix can be applied to describe the planned replacement models, the opportunity replacement models, the group replacement models, etc.\n4. Formation of a condition for associated replacement of a part: The decision to carry out associated replacement of a part (or clarify the volume of maintenance actions) is taken at a time when maintenance is required due to failure of the assembly unit or scheduled maintenance is carried out, etc. Consider a simple approach to setting the condition for associated replacement of a part (certainly there are more exact approaches). This approach is based on a comparison of the cost for associated replacement of the part with the cost incurred due to random failure of this part in the future (see Figure 4).\n5. The structure of the repair cost of the assembly unit: Now let\n6. Application of a replacement matrix at computer simulation: Below are the variants of the practical use of a replacement matrix for the example of a simple friction unit using a computer simulation of the maintenance process.\n7. Conclusion: Maintenance policies usually give only verbal description of a replacement rule for parts. Such a description is difficult to apply in the analysis of maintenance policies of an assembly unit consisting of more than two parts. Having only a verbal description of the replacement rules quite often makes it difficult to write algorithms of mathematical models for the study of methods of repair assembly units. Replacement matrices can be put into practical use for data interpretation and visualization at the point of maintenance.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to represent replacement policies (rules) in the form of a matrix. Visualization of replacement rules is useful for maintenance records. Matrix representation is more effective than the verbal description usually provided, as it allows better understanding of the specifics of the different replacement rules without careful research of their mathematical models.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This approach employs mathematical models to investigate the simple conditions (requirements) for replacement of system component with illustrative examples. When comparing the different replacement rules a cost structure is applied to takes into account the nature and technology of disassembly assembly actions for the repair unit.\nFindings: Representation of replacement rules in the matrix form is useful when describing planned replacement models, opportunity replacement models, group replacement models and others, as well as computer modeling of the renewal process. Forming simple conditions for the replacement of system components ensures the total average repair cost is minimized. These conditions can be applied in the early stages of creating a maintenance program for the machine.\nPractical implications: Replacement matrices can be specified in a technical manual for maintenance of machines to achieve reliable operation and to reduce repair costs. Replacement matrices can be put into practical use for maintenance records and may be included in the maintenance procedures library of CMMSs. Developed in the paper, the replacement matrix, the conditions for replacement of system components and the cost structure will help engineers to make decisions at the time of repair for assembly units.\nOriginality/value: Proposed in the paper is a new approach to the visualization of the replacement rules and cost structure which simplifies the analysis of options for repair actions. The proposed technique contributes to the record of maintenance actions and the decision making process for replacement.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Liquidity risk exposure for specialised and unspecialised real estate banks: Evidence from the Italian market
|
[
"Risk assessment",
"Liquidity",
"Banks",
"Real estate",
"Italy"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Liquidity is the ability of a bank to fund increases in assets and meet obligations as they come due, without incurring unacceptable losses (Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, 2008). The inability of banks to raise liquidity can be attributed to a funding liquidity risk that is caused either by the maturity mismatch between inflows and outflows and/or the sudden and unexpected liquidity needs arising from contingency conditions (Duttweiler, 2009).The behaviour towards liquidity is affected by a firm's characteristics, including its size, status type and product type/specialisation. Banks specialising in real estate loans (hereafter, REBs) show an average maturity of assets that is higher than that of their liabilities. They invest in assets where the guarantees are illiquid at their origination; even though in some markets real estate is liquid in the sense of the market microstructure theory, such assets always can fail to provide liquidity when it is needed (Holmstroem and Tirole, 2000). This type of illiquidity is affected by the economic cycle (Krainer, 1999).The treatment of liquidity risk is one of the revisions proposed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (2009) (hereafter, Basel Committee); among other provisions, banks are expected to respect liquidity ratios concerning the attitude to fund the short-term net outflows and they had to respect some constraints about the relationship between stable funding and long-term investmentsFollowing studies proposed in the literature about the relevance of a firm's characteristics regarding the behaviour toward liquidity, this paper investigates if the exposure of REBs to a liquidity risk differs from the exposure of other banks. The analysis is performed for the Italian market and covers the time period of 2000-2007 on balance sheet data gathered from the ABI Banking Data database. The results obtained by univariate statistics show that the liquidity measures for REBs are better than those of all other banks. Looking at the determinants of each measure, REBs are more concerned about market dynamics and long-term exposure in defining their liquidity risk management strategy.This paper presents a detailed literature review on firm characteristics that can affect the liquidity risk exposure (Section 2) and develops an empirical analysis of the liquidity risk exposure based on regulatory liquidity indicators (Section 3). Finally, concluding remarks and future research developments are presented (Section 4).\n2. Literature review: Liquidity is the ability of a bank to fund increases in assets and meet obligations as they become due without incurring unacceptable losses. The maturity transformation of short-term deposits into long-term loans makes banks inherently vulnerable to liquidity risk (Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, 2008). Liquidity risk is the possibility that over a specific time period, the bank will become unable to settle obligations with immediacy (Drehmann and Nikolaou, 2009). The vulnerability of banks to liquidity risk is determined by the funding risk and the market risk (Joint Forum, 2006). The funding liquidity risk is caused by the maturity mismatch between inflows and outflows and/or the sudden and unexpected liquidity needs due to contingency conditions (Duttweiler, 2009). The market liquidity risk refers to the inability to sell assets at or near the fair value, and in the case of a relevant sale in a small market, it can emerge as a price slump (Brunnermeier and Pedersen, 2009). Funding of liquidity risk is crucial for banks that invest in illiquid assets; it can appear more intense in light of the features concerning both the financial instruments and the scenario conditions. Financial products that provide for optionality rights in favour of the counterparties, both on the assets and liabilities, can make the financial flows more variable over time (Resti and Sironi, 2007); contingencies that potentially can affect the liquidity of the bank concern both firm-specific and systemic factors (Kim et al., 1998).The behaviour towards liquidity is affected by a firm's characteristics: a bank's liquidity position is affected by its size, status and product type. The size affects the attitude of the bank towards wholesale funding, including the access opportunity (Allen et al., 1989) and the price of the funds obtained (Nyborg et al., 2002). Bank size matters because of the economy of scope and scale; concerning liquidity, a large bank might have better access to the interbank markets because it has a larger network of regular counterparties or a wider range of collateral (Fecht et al., 2008). The product type offered to the counterparties, on both the assets and liabilities sides, is able to affect the liquidity position; banks that take on demand deposits and offer loan commitments need to hold higher liquidity buffers that can be mitigated if an imperfect correlation holds (Kashyap et al., 2002).Banks can form relationship networks to adjust liquidity when frictions hold on the wholesale and retail markets (Freixas et al., 2000). As savings and cooperative banks belong to networks, when head institutions or more second-level institutions hold liquidity reserves and coordinate the re-allocation of liquidity among the members (Mazzillis and Schena, 2001), they can overcome disadvantages in accessing liquidity due to their limited size (Ehrmann and Worms, 2004).Although REBs show an average maturity of assets that is higher than that of their liabilities, they show better maturity interest rate gaps than unspecialised banks (Blasko and Sinkey, 2006). Moreover, they invest in assets that are illiquid at their origination; even though real estate assets are liquid in the sense of the market microstructure theory, they can fail to provide liquidity when the firm needs it (Holmstroem and Tirole, 2000). Such illiquidity is affected by the economic cycle (Krainer, 1999). Therefore, the funding liquidity is connected with the liquidity of the estates, and during adverse economic conditions, funding liquidity and market liquidity can mutually drive liquidity spirals (Brunnermeier and Pedersen, 2009) due to the demands for liquidity by the depositors at an inconvenient time (Diamond and Rajan, 2001). As a result of the high relevance of floating rate assets and the non-negligible level of short-term funds (Panetta, 2009), the funding liquidity risk is crucial for REBs, particularly if the bank is unable to roll-up the funding sources, especially during economic downturns.\n3. Empirical analysis: 3.1 Sample\n4. Conclusions: Liquidity is the ability of a bank to fund increases in assets and meet obligations as they come due. The behaviour towards liquidity is affected by the firm's characteristics. REBs show an average maturity of assets that is higher than that of liabilities and guarantees offered are illiquid at their origination.Even though REB banks hold credits with illiquid guarantees and have an average asset maturity that is higher than the average liability maturity, they do not show worse liquidity risk measures than other banks. Looking at the determinants of the liquidity risk exposure, REBs are more concerned about the interbank market cost of lending, and the value of the liquidity risk measure could be significantly affected by these market dynamics, especially if the medium- and long-term exposure is significant.Theories presented in the literature about the need of a less penalising framework for the evaluation of the liquidity risk of REBs to prevent adverse impacts on the real estate sector (Hancock and Wilcox, 1997) are not supported by the data. These specialised intermediaries seem to be those that need to hold less capital for liquidity purposes in Italy. An updated analysis of the same market during the years of the financial crisis could allow us to evaluate the affordability of the results obtained in the paper in a stress test scenario.Especially for REBs that securitise real estate loans, measures to evaluate the degree of liquidity of the bank should devote more relevance to the off-balance sheet exposure that is able to drain the liquidity obtained through the sale of the assets and to re-allocate transferred risks back to the originator. Empirical evidence for some market-oriented economies (like the USA) demonstrates that the degree of securitisation of assets allows banks to modify their liquidity (Cebenoyan and Strahan, 2004), but there is no evidence of this for markets such as those in Italy in which the role of the secondary market of asset-backed securities is not as relevant.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to compare banks specialised on real estate lending with the overall market in order to the test if they are more or less exposed to liquidity risk.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Following the approach proposed by the Basel Committee in order to evaluate the bank liquidity exposure, the paper compares the value of these measures between the real estate lending banks (REBs) and all other banks for the Italian market. A panel regression analysis is also performed in order to identify the main drivers of the liquidity risk measures for the two types of banks.\nFindings: - The paper finds that no significant differences exist between REBs and the overall system if liquidity risk measures used by regulators in order to supervise the banking system are taken into account. Normally liquidity exposure by this type of bank is significantly affected by interbank market dynamics.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The paper considers only one market in order to test the fitness of the regulatory approach for the REBs and does not take into account the off balance sheet exposure.\nPractical implications: - Even if REBs suffer from a misalignment between the asset and liability duration, the supervisory authority selects measures that do not penalise them.\nOriginality/value: - The paper represents one of the first empirical analyses on the impact of regulatory requirements for liquidity management by the Basel Committee in order to test if the rules proposed could penalise banks specialised in real estate loans.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
An innovative m-utility management and billing system
|
[
"Invoicing",
"Telecommunication systems",
"Worldwide web",
"Water industry",
"Electricity industry",
"United Arab Emirates"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Site-visit reading of residential power, water, and gas meters can be tedious, inconvenient and prone to human error. Moreover, it is not always guaranteed that the consumer will be present when utility personnel visit to read meters readings. It is possible in such case that utility personnel will estimate consumption inaccurately, which later may lead to consumer dissatisfaction. Furthermore, delays due mailing bills may cause service interruption, resulting in low quality of service.The recent rapid advances in metering technology, mobile networks, and internet services have resulted in the proposal and development of measurement techniques, billing, and energy management systems. An integrated residential gateway controller for a home energy management system has been reported by Kuushiro et al. (2003), where home appliances are networked. The system is only concerned with issues related to saving energy. Many utilities are implementing automated meter reading (AMR) systems. In addition to meter reading, AMR can be used in the power restoration process (Fischer et al., 2001). Liu and Schulz (2002) used AMR to facilitate a direct communications link between the utility and the meter controller in order to identify outage locations. Others have advanced the concept of AMR systems by proposing potential metering communication services using the public internet for measuring and billing systems (Yeary et al., 2001; Newbury and Miller, 1999; Milroy and Li, 2001).With the rapidly growing utilization of wireless internet, residential consumers are now able to handle their networked home appliances remotely. Home appliances such as air conditioning, washing machines and heaters can be monitored and controlled locally using Bluetooth, and remotely using cellular phones (Kanma et al., 2003; Tajika et al., 2003; Al-Ali and Al-Rousan, 2004).The above shows that homeowners have wired and wireless remote control capabilities over their appliances. Many energy management systems have been proposed to save and optimize energy consumption (McConnachie, 1999; Kawamoto et al., 2004). Even though AMR systems have previously been utilized to read power consumption remotely, little work has been done on integrated utility measurement and billing systems. An integrated measurement and billing system for home utilities can be combined with the existing technologies that are currently used as stand-alone systems. This concurs with the theme of 4G wireless mobile communications, namely service integration.This paper presents a design, an implementation and a test of a wireless measurement, control and billing system for residential electrical and water meters. The system uses existing utility meters. It can be integrated with existing appliances' control systems and energy management systems to make a smart home smarter. A real-time software algorithm is developed to perform power and water consumption measurements, and to send them to the billing server as SMS messages. A friendly graphical user interface and database software are developed and loaded to the billing server to handle the billing and control capabilities as well as building consumers' consumption profiles. Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the system.This paper provides an overview of the system hardware and describes the functional and performance requirements. Also, the web user interface and software development are presented. Finally, system implementation and testing are explained, followed by concluding remarks.\nSystem hardware overview: The proposed system hardware consists of four major building-blocks:1. existing utility meters;2. W-board;3. the billing-server; and4. a mobile phone.The following provides description of each of the system's building-blocks:* The existing utility meters are the electricity meter and the water meter. Electricity consumption is typically measured by an induction watt-hour meter that has an aluminum disk which acts as a squirrel-cage rotor. The speed at which the disk rotates is directly proportional to the voltage applied and the amount of consumed current by the load (i.e. the electricity consumed). Calculation of the energy is performed by timing the disk revolutions. The revolving disk has a conversion factor (KH) that is used for converting disk rotations into units of energy (i.e. kilowatt-hours). The KH for an electrical meter is usually set during manufacturing and it is printed on the front of the meter.* The proposed system requires the registration of the rate at which the disk revolves while energy is being consumed. The rate at which the disk revolves needs to be converted to a TTL digital signal that can be read by the W-board. A simple on-disk revolution-to-digital-pulse (R-P) converter circuit is designed and mounted underneath the disk to register the time elapsed for each disk revolution.* Unlike energy meters, most existing water meters operate mechanically based on water flow: hence, it is impractical to interface such meters to the W-board. Therefore, our system requires the use of digital flow meters as a replacement for conventional mechanically operated water meters. These digital flow meters generate a certain number of pulses proportional to the water flow. The microcontroller reads these pulses using the input capture timer where the number of pulses are accumulated, and the water consumption is calculated accordingly. The electronic circuit of the digital flow meter is shown in Figure 2.* The eight-bit microcontroller has built-in resources such as RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, digital input/output ports, ADCs, interrupt-driven input/output timers, and RS-232 for serial communications. These built-in resources are utilized in acquiring and communicating electricity and water consumption information per billing period. Energized and de-energized solid state relays are added to remotely connect or disconnect the consumer's electricity and water supplies based on his/her account status.* The Global Service Mobile (GSM) modem communication block consists of two GSM modems and the public GSM networks. One modem is connected to the serial port of the microcontroller at the consumer side and the other is attached to the billing server at the utility headquarters. At the end of each billing period, the microcontroller frames the electricity and water consumption in an SMS message and sends it to the GSM modem. Then, the GSM modem transmits the message to the billing server, which is connected through another GSM modem. Further details are given later in the paper.* The billing server is a high-end personal computer that is used to host and run our developed software that handles the consumer billing and monitoring system. Further details are given later in the paper. Figure 2 shows the electricity and water meters' interface circuits.\nFunctional and performance requirements: This section specifies the software requirements for the proposed system. The specifications of the system described here are based on the needs and constraints imposed by Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority in the United Arab Emirates. The requirements are dictated by the status of the consumer site, headquarters site and utility database.Consumer site requirements\nThe web user interface: A web interface is created to facilitate the interaction between the user at headquarters and the database. The web interface provides different options such as checking the consumption of water or electricity or both for a certain consumer in a certain area, or for a whole area. Other features are also included such as adding, modifying, and deleting consumers' records, as well as changing the water or electricity charge rate.The following items illustrate the functional requirements of the user interface:* the system should validate the authorized user via the user interface;* the system administrator should be able to add new consumer(s) and modify information for existing consumer(s);* the system administrator should be able to access consumption amount, account statements and consumption trends;* the system administrator should be able to add new consumer(s) to the database;* The system administrator should be able to edit information about an existing consumer using the consumer's ID number;* headquarters employees should be able to delete an existing consumer record;* when deleting an existing consumer record, a confirmation message should appear before deleting the consumer from the database;* when deleting a consumer record, all details stored should be deleted accordingly;* headquarters employees should be able to check a single user' consumption by entering his or her ID;* the system administrator should be able to update the status of the consumption as being paid or not paid; and* when updating the payment status, a confirmation message should be displayed.Figures 4 and 5 show some of the web interface features implemented for the utility systems. The interface was developed using Active Server Pages (ASP) for the server side and HTML and VBScript for the client side. ASP was selected because it is a server-side scripting, which means it resides on the server and therefore provides more flexibility.\nSoftware development: Several important software components have been developed for the system to meet the requirements discussed above. The first software was developed for the microcontroller at the consumer site. This software was written in interactive C, which is very similar to the C language but slightly modified to be compatible with the microcontroller. Mainly, the program includes two counters:1. the electricity counter; and2. the water counter.The electricity counter counts the number of full rotations and the water counter counts the number of pulses generated by the flow meter. The interactive C program is also responsible for sending accumulated readings periodically to headquarters through the GSM network using the GSM modem.The second software developed was the SMS analyzer. It is basically a Java-based program running on the billing server to send and receive SMS messages. Each of the messages received consists of a header that contains the number of the modem from which it was sent, the time and date, and the body of the message. In our case, each received message should fall into one of two categories:1. Readings - messages sent by the GSM modem at consumer sites containing the water and electricity consumption in pulses and rotations, respectively. In this case, the action taken is to calculate the consumption in the appropriate units, calculating the amounts due and updating the database. An SMS message is sent to the consumer containing the amounts due and dates.2. Enquiries - messages sent by consumers to enquire about their consumption during a certain month in a certain year. In this case, the action taken is to retrieve the corresponding data from the database and send an SMS message back to the consumer containing the information requested.The third software to be developed was the database engine. The database was created using the Oracle engine, which can accommodate large numbers of consumers. This database was used to create a unique account for each consumer. Consumers can keep track of their personal information, their monthly water and electricity consumption, and their payment status. The fourth software to be developed in the system was the web related pages discussed above.\nSystem implementation and testing: A prototype was designed, built and implemented as shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 shows the hardware set-up at the consumer site with watt meter, water meter, and hardware set-up. In order to make use of the existing watt meters, as requested by Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, we interfaced a photo sensor with the watt meter. This is to measure the disk's rotation time per cycle. Also, a digital water flow meter was installed as shown in Figure 6 to generate a number of pluses proportional to the water consumption. The two meters and the GSM modem are interfaced with the microcontroller. We also interfaced a GSM modem with the billing server at the utility headquarters. Communication between the consumer site and the utility headquarters is achieved through the two GSM modems.To validate the accuracy of the digital readings of our system, we compared these readings with those generated by traditional existing meters, as shown in Tables I and II. The accuracy of both meters is acceptable, with a very small error percentage. The error is due to the low accuracy of the eight-bit arithmetic instructions of the E-board, where the remainder in the division operation is ignored. Also, the E-board may miss some pulses during system start-up.Figure 7 shows the consumptions of all existing consumers, and Figure 8 shows a server-screen snapshot of the electricity and water consumption over a period of four months for one consumer. Plate 1 shows an example of a message received by a consumer's mobile at the end of the billing period.\nConclusion: In this paper, the development, implementation and testing of a wireless residential utility measurement, control, and billing system is presented. The system utilities a single-chip embedded system, a GSM wireless network, and the billing server. The electricity and water consumptions are measured and calculated by the embedded system. At the end of each billing period the embedded system is programmed to report consumptions to the billing server using the SMS message service. The billing server generates consumers' bills, updates consumers' profiles in the database, and sends the amount due to consumers as an SMS message. If a consumer does not comply with the utility regulations (e.g. payment delay), the billing server can automatically connect or disconnect the consumer's utility supplies. Furthermore, the system can respond to enquiry SMS messages sent by consumers regarding their consumption. A web interface has been designed to enable consumers and the utility authority to access the system via the internet.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Aims to provide a new wireless design for utility management and billing systems using GSM networks that can be used by large utility sites.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Traditional energy and water meters are replaced or enhanced to produce digital readings. A hardware interface is designed and then connected via the GSM network to a server at the utility headquarters. The new system is compared with traditional utility systems.\nFindings: - A prototype for the proposed systems was implemented. It was tested using a real GSM network in the United Arab Emirates. The performance of the systems was acceptable, with high accuracy results when compared with the existing systems.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Applying the system in large buildings with multiple subscribers is not a straightforward task; the system may need some modifications.\nPractical implications: - This is a very useful system for utility companies which are interested in better management and billing systems. The system can be implemented easily at low cost.\nOriginality/value: - This work utilizes a mobile network to provide a practical system for utility companies. It is an integrated system with complete hardware, software, and database implementation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Corporate governance and innovation: a theoretical review
|
[
"Corporate governance",
"Innovation",
"Ownership structure",
"Board of directors",
"G3",
"03"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Separation between ownership (shareholders) and control (management) and its relevance for company value and decisions makes it necessary to draw up management control mechanisms. This idea led to the appearance of the corporate governance concept, which has attracted great interest among academic researchers, especially as a result of certain financial scandals over recent years (Enron, Parmalat, WorldCom, etc.). According to Shleifer and Vishny (1997), corporate governance can be understood as the set of mechanisms that align objectives and interests between the providers of finance and company managers so that the former have a degree of certainty against the risk they take by making their funds available to managers, and can try to avoid opportunistic behavior by the latter.\nOwnership structure and innovation: Ownership structure is one of the main mechanisms for corporate governance (Shleifer and Vishny, 1997; La Porta et al., 1998, 2000) so we review its influence on innovation, distinguishing between two aspects - ownership concentration, and the identity of the main owners[2].\nBoards of directors and innovation: The board of directors provides a formal link between the owners and those in charge of the day-to-day running of the company, and is described as the top body for control decisions within corporate governance (Fama and Jensen, 1983; Adams et al., 2008). Although the literature, especially in the fields of finance and business management, shows that the board plays a crucial role in the relation between corporate governance and strategy, the evidence on the relation between the board and innovation by companies is limited (Balsmeier et al., 2014). As far as we know, Baysinger et al. (1991) were the first to analyze the link between certain board characteristics and innovation, and concluded that there is a positive link between the proportion of internal board members and R&D expenditure per employee. Since then, the literature has gradually shown how other board characteristics may also influence companies' innovation activities. These include composition (Baysinger et al., 1991; Hoskisson et al., 2002; Kor, 2006; Brunninge et al., 2007; Balsmeier et al., 2014), size (Lacetera, 2001; Adams et al., 2008; Driver and Guedes, 2012), directors' educational level (Escriba-Esteve et al., 2009; Barroso et al., 2011; Dalziel et al., 2011), board meeting frequency (Chen and Hsu, 2009; Wincent et al., 2010) and CEO duality (Lhuillery, 2011).\nConclusions: This paper first carried out a theoretical review of the influence of ownership concentration and of different types of owner on innovation. It was noted that neither the theory nor the empirical evidence are conclusive for establishing a relation between these variables, because different authors find different results depending on the sample, country or firms studied. Second, no consensus was observed regarding the relation between board composition and innovation, with both positive and negative arguments being found, and with empirical evidence not always pointing in the same direction.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the literature on two lines of research, corporate governance and innovation, explaining how different internal corporate governance mechanisms may be determinants of business innovation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: It explores the theoretical background and the empirical evidence regarding the influence of both ownership structure and the board of directors on company innovation. Then, conclusions are drawn and possible future research lines are presented.\nFindings: No consensus was observed regarding the relation between corporate governance and innovation, with both positive and negative arguments being found, and with empirical evidence not always pointing in the same direction. Thus, new studies trying to clarify this relationship are needed.\nOriginality/value: Over recent years, interest has grown in the influence of governance mechanisms on innovation decisions taken by the management. Innovation efforts and results depend on factors that are influenced by corporate governance, such as ownership structure or the functioning of the board of directors. Thus, the paper shows an updated state of the art in this field proposing future lines for empirical research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Continuous quality improvement in a Maltese hospital using logical framework analysis
|
[
"Performance measurement",
"Quality improvement",
"Continuous improvement",
"Continuous quality improvement",
"Quality management",
"Performance management",
"Logical framework analysis",
"Health services operations"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs have helped to improve quality in healthcare worldwide. Many healthcare organisations have adopted project management processes (feasibility analysis, planning, implementing and evaluating) to improve quality in-patient care (Lee et al., 2006). Although each approach may eventually improve quality of patient care, the effectiveness depends on how accurately improvement projects are selected and business cases are developed with the consideration of the strategic intent of the organisations. Hence, there is a need to analyse and present the business case for each CQI project in order to assess its benefits more holistically and strategically.\nLiterature review: There are several tools and techniques, which have been applied, in healthcare management. These could be broadly classified into two categories - continuous improvement and radical improvement. Under continuous improvement, one finds amongst others, total quality management, Six Sigma and the customer focussed approach. Performance measurement and decision theories also fall under this category and are popular methods for improving quality within healthcare services. Process reengineering and strategic management approaches are considered as radical methods for improving healthcare services. CQI has been adopted widely in order to improve healthcare systems as a whole (Shortell et al., 1998), within hospitals (Anderson et al., 1991; Kahan and Goodstadt, 1999; Ovretveit, 2000) as well as directly within healthcare units such as accident and emergency (Fernandes and Christenson, 1995; Fernandes et al., 1996) and intensive care (Dey et al., 2009; Hariharan et al., 2007). We will briefly review a few applications of these quality management techniques within specific units and identify scope for improvement using the LFA approach.\nMethodology: Setting\nMethod: Figure 1 depicts the logical framework. It has five steps following which one can holistically resolve quality issues in healthcare organisations.\nApplication and results: The proposed framework was applied within the three units with the involvement of the clinicians concerned to demonstrate its effectiveness. After the application of the methodology in each unit, participants were interviewed and asked to give an overview of the perceived benefits of the method within their respective settings. Apart from this, objective data were analysed to assess the extent to which the implementation of the methodology within each setting impacted upon the outputs outlined in the LOGFRAME. The application of the method will be demonstrated in full within the ICU setting while for the remaining two settings only the final LOGFRAME, reported benefits and objective data analysed from hospital clinical performance data will be presented.\nSurgical ward: The surgical ward is one of the six surgical departments. It provides care to 24 patients with surgical and underlying medical conditions. At the time of the study, three surgical consultants were allocated to this ward, however due to the problems with bed availability, care is provided to patients under care of any medical and surgical firm.\nAcute in-patient psychiatric ward: The acute in-patient psychiatric ward is a 14 bed ward offering short stay services to patients. It is a mixed gender unit where patients can stay up to a maximum of three weeks. If required following discharge, day facilities are available for a period of four weeks. On admission, patients are interviewed by a doctor and nurse and are assisted by the staff to adjust to the surroundings. A multidisciplinary approach is adopted with treatment designed to meet the patient's needs and to promote functioning where this has become impaired.\nDiscussion and conclusion: A bottom-up approach governs current approaches to CQI in healthcare with emphasis on the operational needs of the organisation. However, unless they are not appropriately integrated with the strategic intents of the organisation the effectiveness of the improvement projects is not assured. Therefore, there is a clear need for a holistic and integrated method that aligns both operational needs and strategic intents of the organisation. The LFA is such a method that identifies the root causes of any operational issues and links them with the planning and strategic intents of the healthcare system. This research through three case studies demonstrates effective applications of the proposed LFA model in the healthcare system in Malta.\nScope for further work: This paper has shown the affective application of LFA in healthcare though the application is specific, albeit diverse settings in one hospital. To validate the method further, it would be ideal to analyse other settings within the same hospital as well as within other hospitals. The study also adopts a bottom-up approach when this can be triangulated with other sources of data. The application of LFA is a novel approach to CQI because it applies a project-planning framework to quality management. LFA turns CQI from being considered ongoing operations management to project management. This novelty may be an area of interest necessitating further debate.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the application of logical framework analysis (LFA) for implementing continuous quality improvement (CQI) across multiple settings in a tertiary care hospital.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study adopts a multiple case study approach. LFA is implemented within three diverse settings, namely, intensive care unit, surgical ward, and acute in-patient psychiatric ward. First, problem trees are developed in order to determine the root causes of quality issues, specific to the three settings. Second, objective trees are formed suggesting solutions to the quality issues. Third, project plan template using logical framework (LOGFRAME) is created for each setting.\nFindings: This study shows substantial improvement in quality across the three settings. LFA proved to be effective to analyse quality issues and suggest improvement measures objectively.\nResearch limitations/implications: This paper applies LFA in specific, albeit, diverse settings in one hospital. For validation purposes, it would be ideal to analyse in other settings within the same hospital, as well as in several hospitals. It also adopts a bottom-up approach when this can be triangulated with other sources of data.\nPractical implications: LFA enables top management to obtain an integrated view of performance. It also provides a basis for further quantitative research on quality management through the identification of key performance indicators and facilitates the development of a business case for improvement.\nOriginality/value: LFA is a novel approach for the implementation of CQI programs. Although LFA has been used extensively for project development to source funds from development banks, its application in quality improvement within healthcare projects is scant.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
From technical to non-technical skills among information systems suppliers: An investigation in the skills domain
|
[
"Information system",
"Critical core skills",
"IS skills evolution",
"IS suppliers",
"Non-technical skills",
"Technical skills"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: This paper is based on two related issues. First, the information technology (IT)/information systems (IS) skills management literature indicates a shift away from technical toward non-technical skills (Aasheim et al., 2012; Gallagher et al., 2010). Second, IS education and training curricula are increasingly including courses in non-technical skills, with particular emphasis on management (European e-Competence Framework, 2014; Ahmad et al., 2011; Davis and Woodward, 2006). If this shift has been studied for entry-level IT workers (Aasheim et al., 2012), from the IS vendor's perspective (Palvia et al., 2010) or even considering IT/IS skills evolution for professionals in general (Gallagher et al., 2010), it appears that there is a lack of research that conducts an investigation on the evolution of skills in the IS suppliers. Thus, our research addresses this gap. The goal of this paper is to answer the following core question: what are the key emerging skills in the IS service suppliers sector? To answer this question, our aim is to investigate first this shift from technical toward non-technical skills and if this shift reflects the real situation in companies in the field, and second whether the changes in IS/IT curricula meet evolving market needs. This paper addresses both IS/IT practitioners and professional communities and IS/IT researchers in these fields in their quest to improve their identification and understanding of the newly emerging stakes based on the evolutions of their professions and their related competences and skills.\n2. Theoretical framework and literature review: From the literature review emerged three main and tested dimensions which are connected in a logical, and coherent way and which enable us to apprehend the subject in its entirety: first level, the contexts - second level, the notion of skills and third level, the shift from technical to non-technical dimensions which are at the core of the subject and which underline the strong tendencies of IS skill evolution (focal theory). Considering the IS skills evolutions, these three levels constitute a complete and systemic literature review and the core of the current field of knowledge to be considered (Ahmad et al., 2011; Aasheim et al., 2012). As a fourth level, we introduce our conceptual framework based on the European e-Competence Framework (e-CF).\n3. Research issues and methodology: The literature review shows that the significant changes have occurred in IS since the early 2000s. In particular, there is an increasing emphasis on non-technical over technical skills, which had historically been the core critical skill set. The literature highlights that this shift has been studied for IS skills evolution for professionals in general (Gallagher et al., 2010), for entry-level IT workers (Aasheim et al., 2012), from the IS vendor's perspective (Palvia et al., 2010). But it appears that there is a lack of research that conducts an investigation on the evolution of skills in the IS suppliers. This research addresses this gap and aims to answer the following core question: what are the key emerging skills in the IS service suppliers sector? The purpose of this research is to identify these ongoing changes in terms of key skills in the particularly strategic field of IS services supply, and then to examine the consequences for IS service supply firms specifically, for IS training, and more globally for society at large. With outsourcing in the IT and IS fields constantly increasing (Gonzalez et al., 2010; IT Outsourcing Statistics, 2015), the role and importance of IS suppliers is also constantly growing.\n4. Findings and results: First, we identify the skills used in the IS supplier field, noting their levels of criticality, from both the current viewpoint and in the medium term. Second, the nature of those critical skills is discussed in detail.\n5. Research synthesis and discussion: The results of the research underline that managerial-type cross-skills are among the most important of these newly critical \"soft\" skills - in particular, business knowledge of customer processes; project management and control; taking initiatives to benefit the customer; and the abilities to analyze and forecast the impacts of introducing new technology solutions on clients' human resources; to guide the client company toward sustainable development and corporate social responsibility approaches; and to assist customers to plan for future technological developments. As noticed, the sharp rise of managerial skills among IS suppliers' skills is all the more interesting in that this is a sector where skills have traditionally been more oriented toward technical expertise.\n6. Conclusion: The main purpose of this research was to investigate a shift from technical toward non-technical skills in the high-tech field of IS services suppliers and second whether the changes in IS and IT curricula meet evolving market needs.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Existing research infers that in the information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) fields, a shift may occur between technical and non-technical skills. However, relatively little research has focused on going changes in terms of key skills in the IS suppliers sector. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap by investigating these skills evolution in the IS suppliers domain and discusses their impacts on IS and IT curricula.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper uses a qualitative method based on 15 semi-structured face-to-face interviews, with highly dedicated operational managers in senior positions in the field.\nFindings: This study identifies, for the IS suppliers, the critical skills, which are basically non-technical, and peripheral skills, which are primarily technical. It then considers the consequences of this change and the necessary adaptations it requires for businesses and training for this field.\nPractical implications: The findings suggest the need to redesign the educational curricula for future managers, and the adaptations required to the work organization, human resource management and business models of firms in the field.\nOriginality/value: The paper's value is twofold. First, it focuses on IS service suppliers, an understudied area (most research examines IS outsourcing from the customer's standpoint); second, it reveals the shift away from technical toward non-technical skills in a field that is intrinsically technical - a change that may occur more slowly than in other less technical sectors - and the consequences of this change for firms, education and society.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Building brand identity in competitive markets: a conceptual model
|
[
"Brand identity",
"Brand loyalty",
"India"
] |
[
{
"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.\nI. Introduction: Building a brand driven culture is a lifelong commitment to a mindset and a way of life that takes time, planning and perseverance that produces intangible outputs which include greater customer satisfaction, reduced price sensitivity, fewer customer defections, a greater share of customers' wallets, more referrals, and a higher percentage of repeat business (Knapp, 2000). Customers value their relationships with their branded possessions and with marketing agents and institutions that own and manage the brand (Alexander et al., 2002). The brand identity needs to focus on points of differentiation that offer sustainable competitive advantage to the firm.Brand identity is based on a thorough understanding of the firm's customers, competitors, and business environment. The brand identity needs to reflect the business strategy and the firm's willingness to invest in the programs needed for the brand to live up to its promise to customers (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000). Strong brands enjoy customer loyalty, the potential to charge premium prices, and considerable brand power to support new product and service launches. Companies need to have thorough understanding of customer beliefs, behaviors, product or service attributes, and competitors.This paper presents a conceptual framework in the form of PCDL model for building brands that is based on literature review and case studies of very prominent brands in India. The managerial implications of the concepts emphasized are explained in the discussion section in the paper.Brands - meaning and definition\nII. Establishing brand identity: Brand identity is a unique set of brand associations implying a promise to customers and includes a core and extended identity. Core identity is the central, timeless essence of the brand that remains constant as the brand moves to new markets and new products. Core identity broadly focuses on product attributes, service, user profile, store ambience and product performance. Extended identity is woven around brand identity elements organized into cohesive and meaningful groups that provide brand texture and completeness, and focuses on brand personality, relationship, and strong symbol association.To be effective, a brand identity needs to resonate with customers, differentiate the brand from competitors, and represent what the organization can and will do over time (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000). To excel, a brand image must be well planned, nurtured, supported, and vigilantly guarded (Knapp, 2000). One key to successful brand-building is to understand how to develop a brand identity - to know what the brand stands for and to effectively express that identity (Aaker, 1996). A brand is a distinctive identity that differentiates a relevant, enduring, and credible promise of value associated with a product, service, or organization and indicates the source of that promise (Ward et al., 1999). Companies that present a cohesive, distinctive, and relevant brand identity can create a preference in the marketplace, add value to their products and services, and may command a price premium (Schmitt and Simonson, 1997).When brand faces aggressive competition in marketplace, brand personality and reputation of the brand help it distinguish from competing offerings. This can result in gaining customer loyalty and achieve growth. A strong brand identity that is well understood and experienced by the customers helps in developing trust which, in turn, results in differentiating the brand from competition. A company needs to establish a clear and consistent brand identity by linking brand attributes with the way they are communicated which can be easily understood by the customers.Brand association\nIII. PCDL Model: a conceptual model for building brands: Based on the literature review and three case studies of Indian brands, the conceptual model for brand building in competitive markets, known as PCDL Model, has been proposed. The four elements of this model, namely, positioning the brand, communicating the brand message, delivering the brand performance, and leveraging the brand equity are discussed below.Positioning the brand\nIV. Case studies: Case studies of three Indian brands were undertaken to delineate the approach for brand building adopted by them. The action points suggested through case studies reinforced the proposed PCDL model for brand building.Archies\nDiscussion: The suggested PCDL model can serve as a guideline to managers and executives in building identity of their brands in their target markets. As competition gets more intense, managers face challenges to adjust their brands with changed expectations of their customers. Among different alternatives that are available to managers, positioning their brands on the attributes that happen to be the customer priorities can help in building superiority of their brands in the minds of their customers. Such attribute positioning or benefit positioning can enable companies to leverage current resources to the extent possible. If existing product configuration/proposition becomes obsolete, the brand has to move to higher or expected levels of performance/benefits to sustain itself in dynamic markets.Companies need to position their brands in the minds of consumers. To achieve desired goals of their communication strategy, companies have to break the clutter by evolving innovative ways to attract the attention of the target audience. Alongside the traditional media channels like newspapers, magazines, television, hoardings, public relations, etc, new media vehicles such as Internet, outdoor communications, sponsoring events, etc. offer opportunities for consumer involvement. Such innovative approaches can enable managers to minimize the impact of competition on their brands. Integrated brand communications and creative repetition through various types of media is a key to success in brand communications. Use of emotions in advertising appeals to the hearts and minds of the consumers. A brand image should be created to establish an emotional relationship with the target audience.The brand managers need to continuously track their brands against the effect of competition and to track the progress as to how their brands are doing in the marketplace. Monitoring the progress of brands in terms of purchasing, consumption, brand recognition, brand recall, advertising awareness, etc. helps the managers to adjust their strategies of marketing to achieve the desired performance of their brands. This performance audit can also enable the company to measure its brand strength vis-a-vis competing brands. The brand loyalty can reduce the vulnerability of the customer base to competitive action and can directly translate into future sales and profits.Brands that have established desired brand equity in the marketplace can have potential to leverage its equity through line extension, brand extension, ingredient branding, co-branding, brand Alliances, and/or social goodwill. These approaches enable the companies to leverage the parent brand associations to new categories of products and chart a new growth path for their brands.\nConclusion: Paper discusses the PCDL model for building brands based on the literature review and case studies. Consistency of integrated communications and message along the brand identity dimensions targeted towards customers is critical to the success of brand-building efforts by delivering a consistent, self-reinforcing brand image. Companies need to ensure that the brand remains strong even during difficult times and offers value that is consistent with the brand promise. The four stages suggested in PCDL model namely, positioning the brand, communicating the brand message, delivering the brand performance, and leveraging the brand equity can enable companies to build strong brands.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this conceptual paper is to identify important elements of brand building based on a literature review and case studies of successful brands in India.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper is based on a review of the literature and takes a case study approach. The paper suggests the framework for building brand identity in sequential order, namely, positioning the brand, communicating the brand message, delivering the brand performance, and leveraging the brand equity.\nFindings: - Brand-building effort has to be aligned with organizational processes that help deliver the promises to customers through all company departments, intermediaries, suppliers, etc., as all these play an important role in the experience customers have with the brand.\nOriginality/value: - The paper uses case studies of leading Indian brands to illustrate the importance of action elements in building brands in competitive markets.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
An exploration of logistics-related customer service provision on Twitter: The case of e-retailers
|
[
"Social media",
"Social presence",
"Retail logistics",
"E-retail",
"Last mile",
"Social gratification",
"Unstructured big data"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: With the growing adoption of social media platforms by individuals around the world, both pure player e-retailers (i.e. retailers with a predominantly online business model) and bricks and clicks retailers (i.e. retailers with storefronts who also have an online presence) have begun to view an active presence on social media as a strategic imperative. This has led to an increasing engagement between companies and consumers on these platforms (Liau and Tan, 2014; Nyre and Tessem, 2013). Fortune 500 companies in the USA (including Walmart) have been particularly proactive in social media adoption and Twitter has become the most widely adopted platform across many sectors (Culnan et al., 2010). Since a positive online shopping experience (Klaus, 2013) and effective shipping and delivery services (Esper et al., 2003) are essential for the success of an e-retailer, these activities need to be adequately supported by their customer service teams. This study investigates how e-retailers use Twitter to conduct such customer service interactions. The remainder of the paper provides a context for this research based on the relevant literature, discusses the data collection and analysis methodologies, and presents findings and conclusions along with reflections on future research.\nLiterature review: A number of issues in relation to bricks and mortar retailers have received attention in the supply chain literature. At the retailer-consumer interface, effective management is required in the context of three logistics-related areas of concern: on-shelf availability of goods (e.g. Ehrenthal and Stolzle, 2013), timely delivery of goods to customers (e.g. Esper et al., 2003) and efficient reverse logistics processes (e.g. Bernon et al., 2011). On-shelf availability of goods may be affected by pre-store problems such as a lack of timely fulfilment by direct suppliers or in-store shelf replenishment and organisation issues (Ehrenthal and Stolzle, 2013) and may lead a customer to go to a competitor or delay a purchase (Emmelhainz et al., 1991; Zinn and Liu, 2008). On-shelf availability shortfalls may also occur in relation to promotions due to timescale, promotional process and information technology-related problems (Ettouuzani et al., 2012). In the context of reverse logistics, the managerial concerns include process and physical network management, coordination and integration between internal functions and external stakeholders and management reporting and control (Bernon et al., 2011).\nMethodology: Twitter is a microblogging site that was established in 2006. Each posting on Twitter by an individual or an organisation is called a tweet and is limited to 140 characters of text (support.twitter.com). Each tweet may also be accompanied by links, photos or videos. A user's home timeline consists of a sequence of tweets from accounts that the user has chosen to follow. A user may post a new tweet or retweet an existing tweet or reply to a tweet in the timeline or mark a tweet as a favourite. Messages addressed by one user to another (referred to as @replies) generally begin with or at least include the screen name of the intended user. In this dataset tweets posted by customers do not include the usernames of the companies and vice versa, to ensure anonymity. As is the case for most tweets, @replies are public messages. A direct message or DM is not available for viewing by the general public. Users may also use a hashtag (i.e. the symbol #) before a word or phrase if they wish these to be found more easily on the Twitter site. Information considered to be of a private nature (e.g. personal details or order numbers) can be sent via DMs. Users can only send DMs to other users who follow them. In the dataset, customers were found to be requesting companies to follow them if a DM exchange was required.\nFindings and discussions: This section presents key findings in relation to customer service interactions and relates these to extant theoretical lenses.\nImplications: Implications for research\nLimitations and future research: This study is methodologically different from those that examine tweets by taking a sentiment analysis approach. While this means that a smaller random sample of 5,000 logistics-related conversations (16,998 tweets) had to be extracted for analysis from the overall dataset, the data provided useful insights into how e-retailers engage with their customers on Twitter in relation to logistics issues. Although the data collection tool developed for this research facilitates the collection of large amounts of data which retain the relationships between tweets, existing analytical tools at this stage hinder disaggregate analysis of the entire dataset. As a consequence, it is possible that this particular analysis may overlook types of interactions that are relatively infrequent and may not be included in the random sample used here. Future research should attempt to bridge these analytical limitations and then extend this methodology to compare the approaches taken by bricks and clicks retailers and e-retailers to resolving logistics-related issues on Twitter and other social media platforms.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The success of e-retailers is intrinsically linked to the effectiveness of their logistics processes which, inevitably, involve third party service providers. As the most tangible representative of the e-retailers it is inevitable that customers expect the e-retailer to resolve delivery queries, including on social media platforms. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of e-retailers' logistics-related customer service interactions on Twitter with a view towards identifying effective and ineffective social media customer service strategies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The design and public nature of Twitter encourages organic conversations between e-retailers and customers as well as between customers and other customers. The methodology applied here accounts for this by collecting and analysing interactions within and as part of conversations, not as independent observations. In total, 203,349 tweets were collected from 22 of the most popular e-retailers. A random sample of 5,000 logistics-related conversations (16,998 tweets) is used for the analysis presented here and forms a foundation for future research.\nFindings: Conversations are initiated by customers on the basis of 24 event triggers which can be categorised as occurring either before or after an order is delivered. These can be general queries or related to a specific order or delivery issue. The paper identifies a number of significant findings such as the extent to which e-retailers and logistics providers redirect customers to other channels to resolve queries, ignoring the implicit preference by customers to use Twitter to resolve their problem. Similarly, the lack of interactions between e-retailers and their logistics providers within the Twitter platform to help resolve customer queries results in ineffective customer service.\nPractical implications: The study identifies the way in which e-retailers can substantially improve the effectiveness of the customer service they provide on Twitter by ensuring that customer queries can be resolved within the platform and by working with their logistics partners to do the same. This is critical since problems may be directed to the e-retailer or the logistics provider but both companies jointly suffer the consequences of poor customer service.\nOriginality/value: The study examines a hitherto underexplored aspect of retail logistics - the social media-based customer service activities of e-retailers. Methodologically, the study is rooted in the acknowledgement that interactions on Twitter form conversations and analyses should take this into account. This is a distinctly different approach from existing Twitter-related studies which conduct an automated sentiment analysis of tweets. This approach reveals a rich picture of interactions and, importantly, identifies where conversations between e-retailers begin, how they develop and how they conclude.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Having "a say": forms of voice in Australian call centres
|
[
"Workplace",
"Industrial relations",
"Employee attitudes",
"Human resource management",
"Mixed methods",
"Employee involvement",
"Employee voice",
"Call centres"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Call centres have received extensive criticism for the way that work is organized and for the manner in which people within them are managed (see Taylor and Bain, 1999). Call centre operatives or customer service representatives (CSRs) tend to have minimal control over the pace of work and how they interact with customers, with scripting commonly used by many call centres (Deery et al., 2002). Research on job design has demonstrated that control, variety and the demands placed on employees are important predictors of well-being in the workplace (e.g. Terry and Jimmieson, 1999). Previous call centre research characterizes call centre work as highly demanding with few opportunities for participation and control (Zapf et al., 2003), features that are associated with poor health and well-being (Taylor and Bain, 1999; Holman, 2002) and employee burnout (Holman, 2005; Castanheira and Chambel, 2010). Other research identifies call centres as workplaces where CSRs experience significant levels of autonomy over work-related tasks, leading to more satisfying work and increased developmental opportunities (Taylor et al., 2002).\nEmployee voice and call centres: Employee voice refers to how employees raise issues or concerns, undertake problem solving and provide their input with regard to workplace decision making (Pyman et al., 2006). Numerous labels have been used to reflect practices that fall under the tenets of employee voice with employee participation, involvement, engagement, consultation and empowerment often used interchangeably. Consequently, employee voice is often conceptualized broadly with different authors assigning it varying meanings (Benson, 2000; Dundon et al., 2004; Budd et al., 2010; Lavelle et al., 2010). Wilkinson and Fay (2011, p. 66) suggest that employee voice is best viewed as providing staff with \"a say\" over work activities and refers to both direct (e.g. meetings between managers and workers, formally designated teams) and indirect mechanisms through, for example, trade unions. Direct channels concern individual staff, or groups of employees, directly \"influencing\" workplace decisions, whereas indirect mechanisms involve \"impacting\" establishment-level decisions via employee representatives. However, there is scepticism about the extent to which there is \"true\" influence or voice from direct channels. Consequently, employee voice has received criticism from some scholars who view it as little more than a management led device directed at increasing the power differential between management and employees (Strauss, 2006).\nResearch methods: This paper reports on the findings of the call centre component of a cross-industry study on work organization and social cohesion in Australia. Empirical work was conducted in nine call centres between December 2008 and August 2009.\nResults: Provisions for employee voice\nDiscussion, conclusions and implications: Previous studies on employee voice have suggested that the utilization of direct channels such as team working and meetings in the workplace are becoming more prevalent when compared to the traditional, collective mechanism of trade union engagement (Bryson, 2004; Brewster et al., 2007). In this study the use of direct, individual employee voice was found to be the most pervasive intervention used in the respective call centres. Employees referred to multiple channels being utilized in their workplace for the purposes of information provision and consultation. Overall, there was supporting evidence behind the use of a hybrid system consisting of a multitude of mechanisms whereby employees received information and could contribute to some workplace decisions (Bryson et al., 2010). This was evident in both the unionized and non-unionized call centres. Even in the unionized environments it was clear that direct voice channels dominated as the forums for discussing/influencing workplace changes and employees appeared to be happy with this.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to bridge a gap in the call centre literature by considering how individual employees perceive their level of voice over workplace decisions. The inclusion of direct voice mechanisms is noteworthy as these are forms that have received much less attention vis-a-vis indirect voice.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A mixed-method approach was utilized comprising focus groups and questionnaires from over 350 respondents in nine call centres in Australia.\nFindings: The most pervasive type of employee voice found across all call centres was through direct channels. The team leader was viewed as especially important in terms of employees asserting that they have some influence over workplace issues. There was evidence that the greater the number of voice mechanisms available the higher the perception of autonomy and influence over work tasks, pace of work and quality standards.\nResearch limitations/implications: Greater consideration is needed in the voice literature at how employees perceive different mechanisms and how institutionalized and legitimate these are within organizations. There appeared to be minimal positive feedback on how union's influenced the workplace, even in unionized environments. We call for further research on how union representation and direct voice channels work together and the impact on key individual and organizational outcomes.\nPractical implications: Employees may view the provision of multiple voice channels more favourable than any particular mechanism. The role of the team leader appears especially crucial in positive perceptions of employee voice.\nOriginality/value: Call centre environments may be changing for the better and effective team leader/employee relationships appear to be at the heart of these changes. The paper demonstrates that direct voice mechanisms dominate the case study sites and that employee perceptions of \"being heard\" are as important as the actual voice mechanisms.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Do loyalty programs really matter for hotel operational and financial performance?
|
[
"Financial performance",
"Loyalty programs",
"Hotel performance",
"Operational performance"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: American Airlines was the first company in the airline industry to launch a frequent-guest program in 1981 to reward travelers for their loyalty to the brand. In the lodging industry, InterContinental took the lead and became the first hotel company to offer a loyalty program (Dekay et al., 2009). In today's business world, most hotels have established their own loyalty program, which has gradually become a provision that hotel guests would expect. In 2015, the loyalty programs of major hotel groups had more than 300 million members (Peltier, 2016). While the impressive number shows the popularity or attractiveness of loyalty programs, the real active members are far fewer than this number (Peltier, 2016). For instance, La Quinta Returns program has 11 million members, yet only 25.5 per cent were active members in 2015 (Peltier, 2016). The surprising contradiction between the popularity of loyalty programs and the lagging number of active members inspired the researchers of the present study to ask the research question of whether it is operationally and financially beneficial for hotel companies to invest in loyalty programs.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Loyalty programs in hospitality industry\n3. Methods: The data of this study are from the database by a leading hospitality consulting firm, CBRE (formerly PKF Hospitality Research), including the data of 2,120 hotel properties from 2011 to 2013. The data that were collected over the period of 2011-2013 includes loyalty programs and affiliation fees (Loyalty), total franchise expenses (Franchise), e-commerce expenses (Ecommerce), media/outdoor advertising (Ad), other marketing expenses (Other), the number of guest rooms (Rooms) and hotel chain scale (i.e. luxury, upper upscale, upscale, upper midscale, midscale and economy). Additionally, hotel annual key operational performance data were provided, including occupancy percentage (Occupancy), average daily rate (ADR), rooms revenue and revenue per available room (RevPAR).\n4. Results: Table I reports the summary statistics. A wide range of hotels were included in the sample. For example, the hotel size varied from 41 to 2,860 rooms, with an average room number of 199. Hotel's annual loyalty program expenses ranged to $3,424,726 with an average of $126,616 (negative numbers are likely due to accounting adjustments for the prior year. Sensitivity tests show that trimming negative numbers does not qualitatively change the findings of this study - sensitivity test results are not reported due to space constraints but are available upon request). ADR was as low as $20.28 and went as up high as $999.87, with an average of $99.62. Occupancy varied from 25 to 105 per cent with an average of 72 percent. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) showed a similar wide variation from $10.81 to $680.89 and averagely $72.62 per room (results of this study are robust for the trimmed samples at 99 and 95 percentiles, respectively, where RevPAR, ADR and Occupancy are all positive). Table II reported the mean values of key variables of interest by chainscale, offering a slightly more in-depth glimpse into the differences between various types of chainscale hotels. Table III reported pairwise correlation analysis results. The variable Loyalty Instrument was highly correlated with the variable Loyalty, suggesting it was a good proxy. All variables exhibited reasonable correlations.\n5. Tests of H2: To further understand the direct and systematic impact of loyalty programs on hotel profits (H2), this study introduced GOP as an additional dependent variable, given that it is commonly considered as a primary financial performance measure taking into account costs of operation (Enz and Peiro-Signes, 2014). In addition, because location could affect hotel profits (e.g. Sainaghi and Baggio, 2014; Sainaghi, 2011), this study created dummy variables to control for potential location impact (Hua et al., 2015). The empirical model was therefore specified as follows (year and firm subscripts are suppressed for ease of presentation):\n6. Conclusions and discussions: 6.1 Conclusions\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This study aims to use a sample of 2,120 individual hotel properties between 2011 and 2013 to evaluate the impact of loyalty programs on hotel operational and financial performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study provides empirical support for the impact of loyalty program based on both cross-sectional and panel data analyses and uses the instrumental variable technique to avoid potential heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation and simultaneity issues.\nFindings: Findings of this study show that loyalty program expenses have a significant and positive impact on all three operational performance indicators of RevPAR, ADR and Occupancy and the financial performance indicator of gross operating profit.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study suggests that the benefits of loyalty programs should be understood against the backdrop of a reasonable set of controlled variables such as e-commerce, franchise, advertising, other marketing expenses, hotel size and hotel chain scales.\nOriginality/value: Given the conflicting viewpoints about the positive and negative impacts of loyalty programs, and that the literature is scant on empirical validation of the impact of loyalty programs on the overall operational and financial performance of hotel properties, this study is an early attempt to empirically test the impact of loyalty programs on a number of hotel operational and financial performance indicators by using an extensive list of individual hotel properties between 2011 and 2013.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A cognitive map of sustainable decision-making in entrepreneurship: A configurational approach
|
[
"Sustainable entrepreneurship",
"Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis",
"Cognition",
"Sustainable decision-making"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Sustainable decision-making in entrepreneurship is the process whereby business founders make choices about current and future business activities that concurrently consider the social, environmental and economic implications of such activities. These decisions tend to prioritize those activities critical to the success of the business, which at the same time do not undermine the ecological and social environments in which the business operates (Shepherd and Patzelt, 2011), and/or prioritize those that have the potential to restore or nurture such environments towards recovering the balance between nature, society and economic activity (Parrish, 2010).\nThe cognitive infrastructure of decision-making in sustainable entrepreneurship: Cognition and action are central in entrepreneurship research as they hold key to understanding success factors (Awais Ahmad Tipu and Manzoor Arain, 2011). Just like knowledge and mental representations, concepts such as attitudes, motivations and other mental states constitute the cognitive resources individuals use to interact and deal with the surrounding environment, and make decisions about present and future actions (Gregoire et al., 2015). These are mental constructs that proceed from human nature, subjective interpretations and perceptions that individuals make of their immediate environment, and also the sum of the individual's idiosyncratic experiences (Gregoire et al., 2010), including abilities, routines, intelligence, expertise, desires, among others. In this context, entrepreneurial cognition has been understood as \"the knowledge structures that people use to make assessments, judgments, or decisions involving opportunity evaluation, venture creation, and growth\" (Mitchell et al., 2002). Within this conception, decision-making heuristics has been identified as a central dimension (Awais Ahmad Tipu and Manzoor Arain, 2011).\nMethod: In elaborating a cognitive map of sustainable decision-making, this study uses fs/QCA. Fs/QCA is a set-theoretic method and analytical technique that draws on systematic comparison of causal and outcome conditions to visualize and analyse causal complexity. By using Boolean algebra, counterfactual analysis and logical minimization[1], fs/QCA allows for comparing cases as configurations of factors (Ragin, 2000), observing empirical information in a more parsimonious manner, and subsequently making causal interpretations based on the logic of causal necessity and sufficiency (Schneider and Wagemann, 2012). Unlike traditional approaches to causal explanations that focus on cases displaying a specific outcome and search for antecedent common conditions shared by all instances of the outcome, fs/QCA focuses on and allows for the possibility that the same outcome can follow from different constellation of conditions (Ragin, 1999). fs/QCA thus develops a conception of causality that leaves room for complexity and equifinality, which means that different causal paths, each being relevant in a distinct way, may produce the same result.\nResults: This study focuses on the consequences of relevant cognitive variables, and on how these variables act together to produce such consequences. In order to do so, it emphasizes the relevance of distinct types of cognitive combinations, whereby different configurations of variables can lead to the same outcome (i.e. equifinality). Qualitative comparative analysis is well suited to tackling this issue.\nDiscussion: Despite the increasing scholarly attention to sustainability in the context of entrepreneurship (Hall et al., 2010; Martin, 2015; Munoz and Cohen, 2018b; Wang and Bansal, 2012), limited progress has been made in terms of understanding the cognitive conjunctures that account for decisions and actions leading to sustainable outcomes. As seen in Table I, different streams of research have tried to tackle this issue, yet none of the factors covered by these studies can by themselves explain sustainable decision-making in entrepreneurship.\nConclusion: By conducting a systematic comparison of causal and outcome conditions, this paper empirically identifies a number of causal recipes for sustainable decision-making. In the empirical world, the complex constellation of cognitive features combines in unique ways representing a full spectrum of cognitive antecedents and decision forms. This allows for organizing a seemly intractable heterogeneity into a coherent map that facilitates further understanding and theorizing on this topic.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Under what conditions do entrepreneurs make the sustainable decisions they need to develop socially and environmentally responsible new businesses? Explanations of sustainable decision-making have involved various cognitive features; however, it is not yet clear how they play a role in empirical terms and, moreover, how they combine to induce business decisions based on social, environmental and economic considerations. The purpose of this paper is to explore how five cognitive factors combine and causally connect to produce sustainable decision-making in entrepreneurship.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to examine the decision-making of 37 sustainable entrepreneurs. It focuses on a substantive conception of entrepreneurial behaviour to uncover the cognitive antecedents underlying entrepreneurial decisions that involve the explicit development and implementation of measures, targets and strategies aimed at improving its impact on people and the environment.\nFindings: The configurational analysis reveals a typology comprising five combinations of cognitive factors constituting a comprehensive cognitive map of sustainable decision-making in entrepreneurship, namely: purpose-driven, determined; value-based, vacillating; value-based, unintended; single motive, single solution; and purpose-driven, hesitant.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study demonstrates that no single condition is necessary nor sufficient for triggering decision-making involving social and environmental concerns, revealing five mental models leading to sustainable decision-making. In doing so, this paper responds to recent calls that stress the need for studies capable of uncovering the complex constellation of cognitive factors underlying entrepreneurial sustainable behaviour. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.\nOriginality/value: This paper provides a systematic characterization of the cognitive underpinnings of sustainable decision-making and offers a basis for organizing the study of sustainable outcomes and configurations of cognitive antecedents. It reconciles prior efforts aimed at characterizing sustainability decisions in the context of SMEs and new enterprises, challenging current models based on awareness, experience and ethical normative frameworks.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The evolution of Belgium REITs
|
[
"REITs",
"Belgium",
"Risk-adjusted returns",
"SICAFI/Vastgoedbevak",
"SIR/BVV",
"Social infrastructure"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Europe is the home to various property markets with many outstanding investment qualities and opportunities. Its income-producing property investment space forms more than a quarter of the global total property market size (EPRA, 2018a). Europe (average transparency score: 3.16) outperforms both the Americas (3.37) and Asia-Pacific (2.65) as the region with the most transparent property markets (JLL, 2018a), and approximately a third of the global property transactions (by volume) took place in this region in 2018 (RCA, 2019). While the traditional routes to the property asset class via direct (e.g. club deals, separate account) and non-listed (e.g. non-listed property funds) vehicles remain popular (INREV, 2018), listed property is increasingly recognised by investors as a viable route for property asset-class exposure (Preqin, 2018). Alongside the traditional routes, large institutional investors (e.g.: pension funds) are highly likely to invest in property via Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) for cost-competitive and liquidity reasons (Andonov et al., 2015), whereby REITs form part of the institutional investors' tactical property allocation strategy (Lekander, 2017).\nSignificance of commercial property in Belgium: Belgium is known as the \"Capital of Europe\" due to its strong influence and prominence in the history of modern Europe. It was one of the six founding members in the Treaty of Rome, which led to the establishment of what is known today as the European Union (EU). The city of Brussels is also the home to many important EU institutions such as the European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the European Union, amongst others. Indeed, Belgium is an integral member of the EU.\nTransformation of REITs in Belgium: Established in 1995, Belgium is the 2nd oldest REIT market in Europe after the Netherlands (1969). It existed originally in the form of a property investment fund (French: s'investissement a capital fixe en immobiliere (SICAFI)/Dutch: vastgoedbeleggingsvennootschap met vast kapitaal (Vastgoedbevak)). It provided financial players with a highly regimented interface to operate an equity-focussed property investment vehicle with a stock-like wrapper and overseen by the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA). Over the years, this has seen continuous improvements aimed at increasing the effectiveness and attractiveness of the Belgium REIT regime. While incremental updates were added to the original regulations via amendments in 2001 and 2006 (BEAMA, 2010), the changes introduced in the 2011 revisions were necessary. They streamlined the Belgium REIT framework with that of the global REIT practices by expanding, amongst others, the tax transparency coverage, relaxing the hurdles to access the capital markets and providing a higher flexibility in ways a portfolio could be structured (Feron and De Leener, 2011).\nMethodology: Data sources\nBelgium REIT performance analysis: full period: 1995-2018: Risk-adjusted returns\nBelgium REIT performance analysis: Pre-GFC: 1995-2007: Risk-adjusted returns\nBelgium REIT performance analysis: Post-GFC: 2009-2018: Risk-adjusted returns\nProperty investment implications of Belgium REITs: The Belgium REIT market is neither the largest nor the most rapidly expanding REIT market in Europe. Nevertheless, its debut 23 years ago was perceived as a disruptive innovation to the commercial property investment landscape domestically and in Europe, at the time when the traditional means of direct investment and open-end non-listed property funds were dominant. It has a tried-and-tested framework due to its long and rich history, which adds further credibility to its high level of sophistication. The significant transformations that it underwent over the years resulted in a multi-faceted improvement to many of its attributes, producing a polished framework that is both effective and attractive to financial players and investors. More significantly, the Belgium REIT market evolved beyond just being an ordinary property investment vehicle; recent changes to the framework integrated a new dimension to its mandate which provided for Belgium REITs to either specialise into becoming an institutional-focussed vehicle or a platform for Belgium REITs to play a key role as social partners in the economy. It provides essential legislative backing for Belgium REIT managers to create a socially responsible and ethically conscious REIT vehicle, formatted in a fiscally efficient structure, with exposure to high quality assets in the social infrastructure space. This ultimately allows the Belgium REIT market to stay highly relevant with the evolving investment mandates requiring a fuller integration of ESG aspects by investors. These two features are unique to the Belgium REIT market. The robust regulatory support resulted in a progressive growth in both the number of market participants and the size of its market. Importantly, the Belgium REIT market stayed consistent to its original purpose of establishment, that is to make possible for all classes of investors to gain access to the diverse European commercial property markets in a liquid format, facilitated by a highly regimented platform.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The Belgium Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) market was created primarily to facilitate a transparent, professionally managed and fiscally efficient market, providing access to the European property markets. Being the 2nd oldest REIT market in Europe, it has undergone many evolutionary changes over the years that add to its considerable stature as a sophisticated investment opportunity. This includes an increased recent focus on the social infrastructure property sectors such as healthcare, care facilities and nursing homes, consistent with the evolving investment mandates requiring stronger integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects in the investment strategy formulation. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the strategic transformation of Belgium REITs and empirically assess their performance attributes over 1995-2018. Sub-period performance dynamics of Belgium REITs in the pre-global financial crises (GFC) (1995-2007) and post-GFC (2009-2018) contexts are provided.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In total, 23-year monthly total returns over 1995-2018 were used to analyse the risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification potential of Belgium REITs. The traditional mean-variance portfolio optimisation model using the ex-post returns, risk and correlation coefficient of Belgium REITs and other financial assets was developed to determine the added-value benefits of Belgium REITs in a diversified investment framework. The analysis was further extended to cover the sub-periods of pre-GFC (1995-2007) and post-GFC (2009-2018).\nFindings: The results of the analysis provide a strong investment case for Belgium REITs, as they are able to deliver a discernible premium in the total return performance, superior risk-adjusted returns and strong diversification benefits with the stock market in a long-term investment horizon. Broadly consistent results are similarly observed in the sub-period analysis over varying market conditions. Importantly, the role of Belgium REITs in a diversified investment framework was also empirically validated, as they enhanced the mixed-asset portfolio performance comprised of the traditional asset classes of stocks and bonds across a broad portfolio risk-return spectrum. Dividend yield was also found to be a key component of the financial performance of Belgium REITs.\nPractical implications: The Belgium REIT market has evolved to become the 5th largest market in Europe by the capitalisation volume. This is mainly due to the robust regulatory support and innovations since its debut which have resulted in a polished framework that is both supportive and attractive to financial players and investors. The broad direct consequence of this paper is to highlight the performance attributes of Belgium REITs, adding clarity to the ongoing discussion regarding the viability of European REITs as a liquid and tax transparent route for institutional investors to obtain their property exposure. The strong dividend yield and ESG/social infrastructure focus of Belgium REITs sees Belgium REITs well-placed going forward to meet the evolving investment mandates from major investors.\nOriginality/value: This paper is the first empirical investigation that elucidates the risk-adjusted performance and role of Belgium REITs as an important property investment opportunity. It equips investors and practitioners with an independent and comprehensive empirical validation of the strategic role of Belgium REITs in a portfolio. Well-informed and practical property investment decision making regarding the use of Belgium REITs for access to the property asset class is the main outcome of this paper.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Practising open innovation: a framework of reference
|
[
"Open innovation",
"Practices",
"Tools",
"Actors"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The open innovation (OI) paradigm has received an extensive number of contributions from different research streams (Gassmann, 2006), taking into account a variety of dimensions such as strategy, leadership and organisational structure (Giannopoulou et al., 2011). The exponential growth of this research field has also led to the publication of numerous reviews, addressing major research streams on different topics. In particular, previous studies have focussed on notions of OI, OI forms (in terms of inbound/outbound/coupled processes, number, type and variety of partners, mechanisms, opened phases of the innovation process, types of innovation, focus), effectiveness (in terms of the firm's general or innovation performance), contextual factors (size of the company, industry/technology intensity) and strategic orientation (leader/follower, leadership and internal culture, business models, impact of appropriability) (see e.g. literature reviews by Elmquist et al., 2009; Huizingh, 2011; Kovacs et al., 2015; West et al., 2014).\nTheoretical background: The valuable advantages of opening up the innovation process to the outside are widely acknowledged (Boudreau and Lakhani, 2009; Docherty, 2006) and have been experienced in different companies and in different contexts (Huizingh, 2011). OI is associated with superior firm performance (Laursen and Salter, 2006; Rass et al., 2013) and higher innovative activity in companies (Cosh and Zhang, 2011), both in large and small-to-medium-sized ones (Spithoven et al., 2013). This is true in particular: when the technology, design and innovation approaches have yet to be ascertained; when customer needs are highly varied or not yet fully understood; and when companies can separate and outsource distinct parts of the innovation process in order to take advantage of different knowledge and ideas (Boudreau and Lakhani, 2009).\nResearch methodology: Dictated by the objectives of the study and the scope of the research question, the methodology employed is composite and includes a systematic literature review and a structured exploratory survey. The three core blocks of the framework of reference - practices, tools and actors - have been defined in the literature review and then further integrated by results obtained from the empirical investigation.\nFramework - conceptual development: In this section, the three core blocks of the reference framework that will be further developed with empirical evidence from the survey are described. The three descriptive sections of practices, tools and actors for OI are derived from literature review. By grouping them according to underlying similarity in definitions, we identified in total 23 practices, 20 actors involved in the OI process and 11 tools.\nResults from empirical analysis and discussion: This study investigated companies' managerial choices of practices, tools and actors to implement OI and their possible combinations. The literature review identified a list of these three core decision areas. In order to explore them empirically, these choices were studied in a sample of 85 SMEs to determine their links. In fact, the three domains are interrelated and interdependent, since respectively, the choice of how to practically implement OI influences the choice of the tools to use and the actors to collaborate with; the choice of which tools to use to open up the innovation process determines the way (i.e. the practice) and the source of innovation selected; and the choice of the external sources of knowledge (i.e. actors) is further linked to the \"how\" and \"in what way\" to collaborate with them.\nConclusion: This work contributes both to advancing knowledge in OI research and to supporting managerial choices for OI implementation in companies. It attempts to contribute to OI research by providing new insights in possible combinations and development directions for practising OI in companies.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This work provides new insights into possible managerial choices and development directions for practising open innovation (OI) in companies. The purpose of this paper is to explore the different practices, actors and tools adopted for opening up the innovation process, in particular, by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are still facing difficulties in its implementation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a literature review and an exploratory survey of a sample of 85 European SMEs.\nFindings: The study identifies a total of 23 practices, 20 actors and 11 tools involved in the OI processes of companies. It highlights, through literature and empirical evidence, how different combinations of practices, actors and tools are put into practice.\nResearch limitations/implications: The developed framework offers new insights both from OI literature and from practitioners' point of view into the supporting decision-making processes regarding which practices to implement, tools to adopt and actors to collaborate with. A wider investigation is recommended to include more variables to define the differences among the combinations of practices, actors and tools in terms of types of innovation (e.g. product, process, etc.), the openness degree and other contextual factors.\nOriginality/value: The originality of this paper is based on the fact that it focusses on a practical perspective of OI implementation, building a framework of reference from previous literature and empirical investigation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Simultaneous evaluation of efficiency, input effectiveness, and output effectiveness: An application in after sales services agents
|
[
"Data envelopment analysis",
"Productivity"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Nowadays, complex and competitive business environment requires organizations to improve their goods/service quality, as it leads to higher satisfaction of all shareholders. To do so, monitoring level of productivity is one of the most fundamental and crucial determinants. This can be done by total productivity measurement models such as one proposed by Sumanth (1979) that considers productivity as a summation of total tangible outputs divided by total tangible inputs. However, in practice, one should estimate production frontier which is difficult to estimate.\n2. Literature review: In this section, we review literature of other non-parametric approaches and then connect the idea of this paper to the literature. Charnes et al. (1978), for the first time, proposed DEA to measure relative efficiency of homogeneous DMUs that consume multiple inputs to generate multiple outputs. DEA has been widely applied in different settings (e.g. Shabani et al., 2012, 2013; Cheng et al., 2010; Parthiban et al., 2009; Farzipoor Saen and Zohrehbandian, 2008). To investigate the efficiency and effectiveness, scholars have proposed different approaches based on the DEA technique. Table I summarizes techniques along with main formulation assumptions and shortcomings.\n3. Proposed model: Output-to-input based methodologies in service and manufacturing industries are adopted to evaluate performance of both for-profit and not-for-profit DMUs. The DEA technique allocates relative measures of performance to each set of such DMUs. In this section, a productivity measurement model based on the DEA method is introduced. To this end, first some notations are presented. Assume there is a set of n DMUs such that =1, ..., n, and each DMU consumes xi input (i=1, ..., m) to generate yr output (r=1, ..., s). Therefore, yrj and xij are outputs and inputs of DMUj, respectively. For each output yrj and input xij of a DMU, there is also a target to be achieved. These targets are represented by\n4. Case study: Established in 1966, SAIPA Co. is one of the leading car manufacturers in Iran. SAIPA Co. has implemented joint cooperation with Korean, French, and Japanese car manufacturers. SAIPA is Mother Company of SAIPA holding. SAIPA produces a variety of vehicles including passenger cars, pickups, 4WDs, light and heavy commercial vehicles, and minibuses and buses. SAIPA holding is comprised of over 100 subsidiaries and affiliates. The number of produced vehicles of SAIPA in 2010 was more than 635 thousand units and more than 760 thousand units in 2011. SAIPA Kashan is the largest car plant in Middle East which was installed in 2008. SAIPA has exported its products in form of completely built-up and complete knocked down (CKD) to other markets, specifically, Syria, Iraq, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Venezuela, Pakistan, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, and Azerbaijan. It has also launched its production lines in Venezuela, Syria, and Iraq. To prove applicability of our proposed procedure, data set from 27 after sales services agents of SAIPA Co. is presented in Table II. Here, after sales services agents are considered as DMUs. Personnel cost, liabilities, and frequency of financial facility utilization are considered as inputs. Outputs of problem comprise personnel experience (average), sales growth, and number of delivered services.\n5. Managerial implications: While built upon solid theoretical foundations, DEA is essentially a well-established practical tool that can be used by academics and practitioners for performance measurement. This paper proposes and describes a new productivity method. We believe that DEA itself is a bridge between gap of theory and practice and especially the outcomes of this paper can improve applicability of this technique.\n6. Concluding remarks: It is vital for companies to improve their productivities. Any organization which wants to sustain a high level of performance should evaluate its productivity. In addition, productivity measurement is employed for planning, organizing, and controlling performance of organization.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique that simultaneously measures efficiency and effectiveness to provide a comprehensive appraisal of the productivity. Additionally, an algorithm is recommended to determine targets that are used for measuring effectiveness.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In this paper, for measuring productivity, a new methodology based on non-parametric mathematical DEA technique was presented. The proposed procedure is able to compute the efficiency input effectiveness, and output effectiveness, simultaneously.\nFindings: By comparing with previous models, the authors' proposed integrated model generates more detailed results and has more discriminating power.\nOriginality/value: To the best of the authors knowledge, there is not any study in which a non-parametric mathematical approach measures productivity through simultaneous combining of the effectiveness, including input effectiveness, and output effectiveness, and the efficiency.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Green maintenance for heritage buildings: paint repair appraisal
|
[
"Life cycle assessment (LCA)",
"Green maintenance",
"Environmental maintenance impact (EMI)",
"Calculation procedures",
"Embodied carbon",
"Heritage buildings"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Heritage is important to the history of previous, current and future generations, i.e. the previous generation who built, current generation who maintain and the next generation who safeguard it (Feilden, 1979), passed down from one generation to another (Prentice, 1993). Generally, heritage buildings can be classified as cultural property (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), 1972) and also as \"monument\" which includes elements or structures of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science (The Commissioner of Law Revision, Malaysia, 2005). Meanwhile, heritage buildings conservation is significant to protect its cultural resources (Feilden, 1994, 2003) as well as preserving its historical and architectural values (Kamaruzzaman et al., 2011). It is well-accepted that conservation of heritage buildings is crucial for ensuring that the financial, economic and societal capital invested in the fabric is retained. This relates to all the processes of maintenance, repair and restoration both of their important fabric and structures.\n2. Maintenance strategies and repair works of heritage buildings: relationship with carbon emissions: Good maintenance strategies and effective repair works are important for attaining sustainable repair for heritage buildings. Takata et al. (2004) and Forster and Kayan (2009) expounded that maintenance strategies commonly determined the building's condition by staving off decay. In addition Flores-Colen and de Brito (2010) suggested that undertaken maintenance intervention with a sustainable repair approach will effectively mitigate the negative impact of decline in the performance of heritage building over their life cycle. Significantly, good maintenance practice and repair approach of heritage buildings will significantly reduce the amount of carbon emissions expended from repair works (Kayan, 2015). This is parallel with the tenets of sustainability. Good maintenance strategies and effective repair works not only prolonging the lifespan of heritage buildings, it also minimizing environmental impact, in the forms of reduction of embodied carbon emissions. Thus, this paper also gives insight on how maintenance strategies and repair works of heritage buildings are associated with embodied carbon expenditure, particularly in relation to paint repair options.\n3. Paint repair options impact on embodied carbon expenditure: In general, common paint repair options are available to those entrusted with maintenance of heritage building fabric and structures. Whilst there are different options for paint repair, they are commonly determined by building design, forms and materials used. Common repair options for paint are generally determined based on the number of coatings applied and specified area of surface and covering materials (Omar, 2014). It must be noted, however, that different paint types and coatings will contribute to dissimilar impact to both technical and philosophical aspects of heritage buildings repair. For the purpose of this paper, it must be emphasized that other paint repair options might commonly be utilized by practitioners, however, they are outside the scope of this study.\n4. Green Maintenance modeling: case studies, calculation procedures and LCA: Nowadays, sustainability has encapsulated economic, environmental and societal domains in the building and construction industry. Pitt et al. (2009) expounded that, good understanding of factors that best promote sustainable construction practices as well as establishment of consistency in its measurement is crucial. Figure 1 represents the traditionally accepted conceptual model of sustainability with environmental, societal and economic domains, overlaid with the three factors that influence maintenance for building maintenance, namely; environment, cost and philosophy. Those maintenance interventions that intersect with all three domains would potentially be considered as being the most sustainable, as promoted by Green Maintenance concept and methodology (Forster et al., 2013). In brief, Green Maintenance is an evaluation tool that has the potential to allow selection of the sustainable solution for long-term maintenance intervention, in terms of cumulative effect on environmental impact. Primarily, this model was set to improve the efficiency of repair in terms of embodied carbon expenditure, i.e. carbon emissions for buildings.\n5. Results: The results of this paper were developed using generated LCA data of embodied carbon expenditure (kgCO2e/kg). This was applied to paint repair options on the selected case studies. Primarily, generated results were set to improve the efficiency of paint repair in terms of embodied carbon expenditure for heritage buildings, aligns with conservation philosophy and principle as discussed previously.\n6. Conclusions: The results of case studies of this paper show that generated total embodied carbon expenditure expended paint repair of selected heritage buildings can be evaluated and tested based on Green Maintenance model. Also, it has been shown to aid in the rational determination of paint repairs, highlighting options with the greatest ability to reduce carbon dioxide, set against longevity. Initially, three coats of paint contribute to the highest embodied carbon expenditure. On the other hand, it also has the highest longevity of repair as compared to the other options, in which resulting less repair within cradle-to-site boundary of LCA and hypothetical maintenance arbitrary period. Clearly, the higher the longevity of repair for paint repair options, the better they are in terms of the embodied carbon expenditure. Paint repair appraisal in this research demonstrates that average value of embodied carbon expenditure for three coats of paint was the highest. However, it appeared to have expended less embodied carbon compared to other options when they are put in the context of selected maintenance periods, i.e. longer time frames. This was due to the lowest number of repair needed over longer time frames; therefore able to contribute to the lowest total EMI. Practically, this option should be encouraged as it was the best, not only for its ability to fulfilled building conservation philosophy and basic principles requirements, but also its capability to produced lowest embodied carbon expenditure (CO2 emissions).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Sustainability encapsulates economic, environmental and societal domains. In order to conform to these domains, the efficiency of maintenance and repair of heritage buildings is no exception. Emergently, environmental considerations for sustainable heritage buildings repair have become increasingly important. The purpose of this paper is to present a decision-making process based on \"Green Maintenance Model\" - an appraisal approach based on life cycle assessment (LCA) of paint repair options for heritage buildings.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Calculation procedures of Green Maintenance model within selected boundaries of LCA enable evaluation of carbon emissions, in terms of embodied carbon expenditure, expended from paint repair for heritage buildings during maintenance phase.\nFindings: \"Green Maintenance\" model could be understood as a carbon LCA of paint repair and has been recognized in reducing carbon emissions. Significantly, the model underpins decision-making for repair options for heritage buildings.\nPractical implications: It must be emphasized that the calculation procedures of Green Maintenance model is not limited to heritage buildings and can be applied to any repair types, materials used and building forms. More importantly, this model practically supports environmentally focused conservation and promotes sustainable repair approach.\nSocial implications: The implementation of Green Maintenance model highlights the efficiency of repairs options that may be adopted.\nOriginality/value: Green Maintenance shows that generated environmental maintenance impact from repair options relays the \"true\" embodied carbon expenditure contextualized within the longevity of repair and its embodied carbon. This will consequently allow rationale in appraisal of repair options.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Factors influencing teachers' engagement in informal learning activities
|
[
"Learning styles",
"Workplace learning",
"Learning methods",
"Employee behaviour"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The scope and intensity of professional work has increased dramatically in recent years. Today's professionals face far greater pressures, more complex and ambiguous problems, and greater uncertainty than ever before (McLagan, 1999). A group of professionals for whom these changes especially apply are public school teachers.During the past 20 years in the USA the scope and intensity of teachers' jobs have rapidly increased (Hargreaves, 1992). Presently, teachers are required to teach more content and subjects to classes containing greater numbers of students with emotional, social, and learning problems than in the past. Many of these problems are far more serious in nature than ever before. In addition to teaching responsibilities, the decentralization of decision making in school districts calls for teachers to play an increasingly active role in the management and operation of schools. These changing role expectations have resulted in many new learning needs for teachers, learning needs that are often met by engaging in informal learning.Informal learning refers to activities initiated by people in work settings that result in the development of their professional knowledge and skills (Cofer, 2000; Lohman, 2000). Unlike formal learning, informal learning can be either planned or unplanned and structured or unstructured. Examples of informal learning include talking and sharing resources with others, searching the internet, and experimenting with new techniques or tools. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 70 percent of new learning is acquired through informal learning in the workplace (Benson, 1997). The Bureau's report also indicated that the wage-and-salary cost associated with informal learning is $48.4 billion per year, a figure almost equal to the estimated cost per year of formal training.The importance of informal learning in cultivating professional expertise has focused greater attention on the interplay between informal learning activities, the environment where they occur, and characteristics of those engaged in them (Billett, 2001; Ellstrom, 2001). Recent studies have made important progress in developing greater understandings of the types of work-based activities associated with informal learning as well as personal and contextual factors that tend to promote or inhibit participation in informal learning (Boud and Middleton, 2003; Ellinger, 1999; Ellstrom, 2001; Kwakman, 2003; Lohman, 2000). However, few studies have investigated the ways in which certain characteristics of workers and the work environment influence participation in specific informal learning activities. This is a critical area of investigation because of the growing reliance on informal learning as a means of developing the knowledge and skills required to effectively handle increasingly complex and ambiguous problems in the workplace (Doornbos et al., 2004).\nFactors influencing engagement in informal learning in the workplace: Workplace learning involves both structured and unstructured on-the-job activities that result in the development of new capabilities required for effective work practice (Billett, 2002). Informal workplace learning, which is the focus of this study, is an aspect of workplace learning that specifically involves those learning activities that are initiated by employees in the workplace and result in the development of their professional knowledge and skills (Cofer, 2000; Lohman, 2000). This form of learning is predominantly experiential and involves the dialectical process of action and reflection (Marsick et al., 1999).In their model of informal workplace learning, Cseh et al. (1999) assert that this dialectical process is triggered by challenging work situations and involves a series of eight steps that closely resemble the steps of the problem-solving process. These steps are described as:1. framing the context;2. responding to triggers to a potential learning experience;3. interpreting the experience;4. examining alternative solutions;5. choosing learning strategies;6. producing alternative solutions;7. assessing intended and unintended consequences; and8. evaluating lessons learned.This informal learning model provides a useful blueprint of the cognitive activities involved in the informal learning process. However, it does not specify behavioral activities that are associated with navigating through the eight cognitive steps, nor does it speak to characteristics of work environments or of workers that influence engagement in those activities.Several conceptual models have been recently constructed in an attempt to identify such activities and characteristics. These models have been based predominantly on theory and research studies of workplace learning, motivation, and job demand and stress. For example, in their work-related learning model, Doornbos et al. (2004) describe workplace learning as work-based activities related to handling novel, ambiguous work problems. The model identifies six work environment characteristics (autonomy, work pressure, support, task variation, interaction partner variety, and collegial availability) and four worker characteristics (social integration with managers, social integration with colleagues, experience of competence, and recognition of value of learning at work) as paramount to promoting work-related learning.Similarly, van Woerkom et al. (2002) constructed a model of factors influencing critical reflective behavior at work. Critical reflective behavior was defined as a \"set of connected, individual activities, aimed at analysing, optimising or innovating work practices on individual, team, or organisational level\" (van Woerkom et al., 2002, p. 376). The model posits that eight work activities are associated with critical reflective behavior: reflection on oneself in relation to the job, learning from mistakes, vision sharing, challenging group think, asking for feedback, experimentation, sharing knowledge, and awareness of employability. Factors influencing participation in these work activities include ten job characteristics (workload, alternation, autonomy, task obscurity, information, participation, cooperation, communication, coaching, organizational climate for learning) and three worker characteristics (motivation, self-efficacy, and variety of experience).Empirical studies have been conducted to examine some aspects of these models. For example, Kwakman (2003) investigated factors affecting engagement in informal learning activities in a survey of 542 secondary teachers in The Netherlands. Survey findings revealed that four personal characteristics (professional attitudes, appraisals of feasibility of learning activities, appraisals of the meaningfulness of learning activities, loss of personal accomplishment), two task factors (work pressure and job variety) and two work environment factors (collegial support and intentional learning support) influenced participation in workplace learning activities, with the personal characteristics appearing to influence participation more substantially than either the task or work environment factors.Similarly, van Woerkom et al. (2002) conducted a survey of 742 educators to examine the influence of job and individual characteristics on critical reflective working behavior. Of the 13 individual and job characteristics studied, one was reported by the respondents to be most potent in relation to promoting critical reflective behavior - self-efficacy.Empirical studies such as these have helped to develop greater understanding of factors influencing participation in the informal workplace learning process. However, few studies have examined the degree to which specific characteristics of workers and work environments influence participation in certain types of informal learning activities. One empirical study that did delve into this area of investigation was a qualitative study of informal learning among public school teachers (Lohman and Woolf, 2001). This study found that teachers engaged in three types of informal learning activities:1. knowledge exchanging, in which teachers shared and reflected on others' practice and experiences;2. experimenting, in which teachers actively experimented with new ideas and techniques; and3. environmental scanning, in which teachers independently scanned and gathered information from sources outside the school.Teachers' engagement in these activities was inhibited by four aspects of their work environment:1. lack of time for learning;2. lack of proximity to learning resources;3. lack of meaningful rewards for learning; and4. limited decision-making power (Lohman, 2000).When faced with these environmental inhibitors, teachers relied on four personal characteristics to enhance their ability to engage in informal learning: initiative, self-efficacy, commitment to life-long learning, and love of content area (Lohman, 2003). The findings from this qualitative study have provided rich insights about the informal learning experiences of the teachers studied. However, the degree to which the findings apply to all public school teachers is unknown.If professionals rely on informal learning as a means of handling the increasingly complex and ill-defined nature of their work, and if recent qualitative studies of informal learning among public school teachers have provided greater insight into the informal learning activities that are used to learn informally as well as the work environment and worker characteristics that influence engagement in those activities, then more must be known about the degree to which specific characteristics influence engagement in different types of informal learning activities. These enhanced understandings can be used to reconsider the design of work environments so that they are more conducive to informal learning as well as to rethink the design of professional development programs so that they further develop the ability of professionals to solve problems and learn independently.Therefore, the purpose of this study was to survey a larger, more diverse group of public school teachers to examine the factors influencing their engagement in informal learning activities. Accordingly, three research questions were addressed:RQ1. What types of activities do public school teachers use to learn informally in the workplace?\nMethods: The procedures for subject selection, instrument construction, and data collection and analysis are described in this section.Subject selection\nData collection procedures: Mailing packets containing a cover letter, the questionnaire, and a postage-paid return envelope were prepared. To encourage a high response rate, the cover letter was written on the participating university's letterhead, was hand signed, and explained the benefits of participating in the study (Fowler, 1993). In addition, the questionnaire was printed on high-quality bond paper in booklet format. Participant code numbers were assigned to the 600 subjects selected to participate in the study. These code numbers were placed on the lower right corner of the questionnaire's back page to maintain participant confidentiality and enable the researchers to track respondents and non-respondents. Two mailings were used to collect the data. The first mailing was distributed the last week of February 2004. Non-respondents were mailed a second packet six weeks later.Descriptive statistics (frequency counts, means, and standard deviations) were used to examine responses to the closed-ended items in the survey. In addition, t-tests examined whether significant differences existed between the responses of the elementary and secondary teachers. Responses to the three open-ended items were recorded and tabulated. If more than 10 percent of the respondents (n >= 31) provided the same response to an open-ended item, it was considered to be a noteworthy additional finding.\nResults: Three research questions concerning the informal learning activities of respondents were examined in this study.RQ1. What activities do public school teachers use to learn informally?\nDiscussion: A survey was conducted to describe the factors that influence teachers' engagement in informal workplace learning activities. Analysis of the data found that teachers rely to a greater degree on interactive rather than independent informal learning activities. Teachers reported that three environmental factors inhibit them from engaging in informal learning activities: a lack of time, a lack of proximity to colleagues' work areas, and insufficient funds. In addition, teachers indicated that seven personal characteristics enhance their motivation to engage in informal learning: initiative, self-efficacy, love of learning, interest in the profession, commitment to professional development, a nurturing personality, and an outgoing personality.Theoretical perspectives on promoting informal learning in the workplace\nImplications for promoting informal learning in the workplace: The findings from this study give rise to three important implications for facilitating informal workplace learning:1. Work areas need to be strategically designed so that employees, especially those in their early stages of development, are located near colleagues in the same technical or professional area. Strategically assigning workstations in this way should decrease the strength of two environmental inhibitors to informal learning (lack of time and proximity to others' work areas) and thereby promote collegial interaction and sharing (Dobbs, 2000; Leslie et al., 1998).2. A greater amount of unencumbered time must be built into a professional's work day. In the current study, teachers reported that a lack of time frequently limits their participation in informal learning activities. However, simply increasing unencumbered time may not be sufficient to foster informal learning. Control over free time is also a critical element in informal learning (Hargreaves, 1992). As a consequence, increased amounts of unencumbered time, with discretion over how that time is used, would provide professionals with greater opportunities for informal learning.3. A third recommendation for facilitating informal learning is to ensure that employees have access to adequate computer technology and the internet. In the current study, teachers specifically reported that their lack of computer technology and proximity to others' work areas inhibits them from searching the internet and reading professional publications in a timely manner. Access to these resources at the appropriate times and locations would help professionals communicate with others and gather information when the need to do so arises (Tobin, 1998).\nFuture research of informal learning in the workplace: The degree to which the findings of this study apply to other professions needs to be examined. Therefore, an appropriate next step would be to replicate this study with other professional groups who, similar to teachers, are experiencing high levels of job intensification.Another area for future research would be the design of an instrument for assessing an employee's inclination to engage in informal learning, as measured by the seven personal characteristics that were found to enhance motivation to engage in informal learning. This personal informal learning assessment could be used for performance coaching purposes to cultivate workers who are able to learn and grow continuously, even when adequate environmental resources are constrained.A third area for future research is the creation of a diagnostic instrument for auditing an organization's work environment to determine the degree to which it supports informal learning. Based on this study's findings, the diagnosis should assess the degree to which an organization's culture, design, policies and procedures, and people support engagement in informal learning.Unquestionably, the findings from this study showed that professionals participate in a variety of informal learning activities when the need to learn something new arises. Their selection of specific learning activities is strongly influenced by various environmental and personal characteristics. As jobs in today's organizations continue to intensify in scope and complexity, the ability to decrease environmental inhibitors to informal learning as well as enhance personal characteristics that promote informal learning becomes critical to cultivating workplaces where working and learning are integral and natural parts of the workday.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this study is to examine factors influencing the engagement of public school teachers in informal learning activities.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This study used a survey research design.\nFindings: - Analysis of the data found that teachers rely to a greater degree on interactive than on independent informal learning activities. Three environmental factors inhibit teachers from engaging in informal learning activities: lack of time, lack of proximity to colleagues' work areas, and insufficient funds. In addition, seven personal characteristics enhance teachers' motivation to engage in informal learning: initiative, self-efficacy, love of learning, interest in the profession, commitment to professional development, a nurturing personality, and an outgoing personality.\nResearch limitations/implications: - A limitation of this study was the survey's response rate of 27.7 percent.\nPractical implications: - The findings from this study give rise to three implications for facilitating informal workplace learning. First, work areas need to be strategically designed so that employees are located near colleagues in the same technical or professional area. Second, a greater amount of unencumbered time must be built into a professional's work day. Third, access to computer technology and the internet should be provided so that professionals can communicate with others and gather information when the need to do so arises.\nOriginality/value: - An important contribution of the present study to new knowledge of workplace learning is the construction of a survey instrument for assessing informal workplace learning. A second contribution is greater understanding of the personal and environmental factors that influence informal workplace learning.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The data-driven analytics for investigating cargo loss in logistics systems
|
[
"Decision tree",
"Cargo loss",
"Data-driven analytics",
"Logistics risk management",
"Logistics system"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Risk management has been a crucial issue in logistics systems for decades. Identifying and assessing risk is an essential process to implement supply chain risk management (Kern et al., 2012). Hedging, security, visibility, avoidance, speculation, and postponement, as well as communicative and cooperative relationships, are general strategies for supply chain risk management (Manuj and Mentzer, 2008; Wieland and Wallenburg, 2013; Durach et al., 2015; Hohenstein et al., 2015; Hale and Moberg, 2005; Chopra and Sodhi, 2014). In fact, numerous studies have macroscopically probed logistics safety and supply chain risk management (Vilko and Hallikas, 2012). Herein, cargo loss is a critical problem among the risk items of a logistics process. However, rarely do studies provide empirical investigations focusing on identifying and evaluating cargo loss in logistics systems or furnish corresponding mitigation strategies for risk management.\nLiterature review: A literature review of studies related to cargo loss, cargo liability insurance, and data-driven analytics has been conducted.\nBusiness analytics for cargo loss severity: This study devised a research design incorporating the knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) procedure (Fayyad and Stolorz, 1997; Figueiredo et al., 2005; Roiger and Geatz, 2003) and business analytics of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analyses (Evans, 2012; Souza, 2014; Phillips-Wren and Hoskisson, 2015) to tackle cargo loss issues in logistics systems. The proposed research design of business analytics for cargo loss severity (Figure 1) is briefly described as follows.\nA case of electronic products: The case background\nRisk management strategies for cargo loss prevention: Based on the empirical results of the cargo loss business analytics, this study devised strategies for cargo loss prevention and managerial recommendations for executing cargo loss mitigation plans.\nConclusions: Cargo loss incidents not only cause financial losses to an enterprise but also disrupt the whole logistics systems. This study gives academics and managers a holistic view of cargo loss in global logistics systems through the data-driven analytics of a case company. Furthermore, logistics companies can utilize the proposed business analytics framework to identify cargo loss issues and thereby to develop vital cargo loss prevention strategies for risk management of logistics systems.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Cargo loss has been a major issue in logistics management. However, few studies have tackled the issue of cargo loss severity via business analytics. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to provide guidance about how to retrieve valuable information from logistics data and to develop cargo loss mitigation strategies for logistics risk management.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study proposes a research design of business analytics to scrutinize the causes of cargo loss severity.\nFindings: The empirical results of the decision tree analytics reveal that transit types, product categories, and shipping destinations are key factors behind cargo loss severity. Furthermore, strategies for cargo loss prevention were developed.\nResearch limitations/implications: The proposed framework of cargo loss analytics provides a research foundation for logistics risk management.\nPractical implications: Companies with logistics data can utilize the proposed business analytics to identify cargo loss factors, while companies without logistics data can employ the proposed cargo loss mitigation strategies in their logistics systems.\nOriginality/value: This pioneer empirical study scrutinizes the critical cargo loss issues of cargo damage, cargo theft, and cargo liability insurance through exploiting real cargo loss data.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Individual social entrepreneurship orientation: towards development of a measurement scale
|
[
"Social entrepreneurship",
"Scale development",
"Social entrepreneurs",
"Individual",
"Entrepreneurship orientation",
"Social passion"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: There has been an increased recognition of the role of social entrepreneurship (S-ENT) in addressing social and economic problems worldwide (OECD, 2013). Within developing countries (especially India), the practice of S-ENT becomes all the more important because of the prevalence of a large divide between social development and economic discrimination in such countries (Chell, 2007; Seelos and Mair, 2005). As a result, both government and tertiary institutions have put forward numerous efforts to encourage social businesses within India (ADB Report, 2012; Government's Twelfth Five Year Plan-2012/2017; Planning Commission, 2013). However, in situations where opportunity cost of education is too high for youngsters, opting for a daunting S-ENT career may be highly calculative (Satar and John, 2016). Nevertheless, India has witnessed an up-rise in the budding number of social entrepreneurs in the past decade (Ashoka's growing list of Indian social entrepreneurs, 2015). However, the rate of S-ENT growth is still deemed slow as compared to the population growth within India (Datta and Gailey, 2012). While S-ENT within India presents an exceptional opportunity to explore, analyse, challenge and rethink the central concepts and assumptions related to the social and economic development (Satar and John, 2016), the current slow rate of its growth may omit out a novel path to support its citizens (Datta and Gailey, 2012).\n2. Literature review: While the research addressing IEO is evolving continuously, a dominant percentage of IEO studies are focussed on entrepreneurial propensity or intentions of individuals and attempt to examine the traits and attitudes correlated with a higher likeability to be successful entrepreneur (Zhao et al., 2011). Therefore, most of the studies dealing with individual traits and attitudes have entrepreneurial intention as the dependent variable in their analysis (Bolton and Lane, 2012; Koe, 2016). Correspondingly, a higher IEO scores arguably indicate a higher individual entrepreneurial propensity as intention to become an entrepreneur is found to be correlated with actually becoming one (Zhao et al., 2011). There is a significant consensus over individual entrepreneurial attitudes and personality traits as contributing to the likelihood of being in business and vice-versa (Harris and Gibson, 2008). Nevertheless, while individual's traits are often examined as part of his/her entrepreneurial tendencies (Zhao et al., 2011), the trait research did not yield consistent results because of diversity of personality \"traits\" that defined a successful entrepreneur (Zhao et al., 2011; Zhao and Siebert, 2006). For example, through meta-analysis of 60 studies, Zhao et al. (2011) concluded that \"openness to experience\" and \"conscientiousness\" are the only two personality traits highly associated with entrepreneurial intention. Likewise, traits such as \"internal locus of control\", \"need for achievement\" and \"tolerance for ambiguity\" were found having an influence on EO of used car salesmen (Okhomina, 2010). Further, while pro-activeness as an EO competency is argued to stem from \"need for achievement\", \"extraversion\" and \"openness to experience\" (Claes et al.2005; Lumpkin and Dess, 2001), competitive aggressiveness has a relationship with \"extraversion\" and \"need for achievement\" (Lumpkin and Dess, 2001).\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Item generation - stage 1\n4. Item purification and validation: stage-III: Step one: ISEO subscale development: survey instrument development and administration\n5. Discussion and conclusions: The study was designed to develop an assessment tool for ISEO. A mixed methods research design employing 21 S-ENT experts in a two-stage Delphi process and a survey of 71 SnP's resulted in 13 item scale measuring four dimensions of ISEO. By developing a set of relevant ISEO indicators, the study answers the call for scale development of SEO in S-ENT individuals.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: While the literature has described social entrepreneurs as overwhelmingly occupying a pivotal role in social entrepreneurship (S-ENT) process, there is a high inconsistency prevailing with respect to entrepreneurial traits, attitudes and skills of social entrepreneurs. One explanation for this may be the lack of a suitable scale measuring entrepreneurship orientation of social entrepreneurial individuals. The purpose of this study is to address this gap by proposing an initial assessment tool for individual S-ENT orientation (ISEO).\nDesign/methodology/approach: A mixed methods research design, along with a two-stage Delphi process, helped in generating appropriate constructs for ISEO. While the items for the first dimension of scale were directly derived from the Delphi study, the items of the remaining dimensions were mainly found based on the three individual entrepreneurial orientation dimensions presented by Bolton and Lane. By means of exploratory factor analysis, the final examination of the ISEO items was undertaken through a survey of 71 social entrepreneurs across India. The process eventually resulted in reliable and valid measures for four dimensions of ISEO.\nFindings: The scale-development process eventually resulted in a 13-item scale, measuring four dimensions of ISEO (social passion, innovativeness, risk-taking and pro-activeness). By developing a set of relevant ISEO indicators, the study answers the call for a scale development of ISEO in S-ENT literature.\nResearch limitations/implications: There is a need to further validate this instrument among other stakeholders (students) as well as in samples with different demographic characteristics across different regions of the country and the world. To further evaluate the reliability and validity properties and to confirm the newly established subscales and their relationship with the ISEO construct, there is need for conducting a confirmatory factor analysis using larger sample sizes.\nPractical implications: The measurement of SEO at an individual level will assist in S-ENT education, training and development of present and prospective social entrepreneurs, as well as assist individuals who want to assess the strength of their orientation towards S-ENT. The understanding of ISEO at the individual level will be equally useful for S-ENT incubators, the government and other S-ENT stakeholders who are considering supporting S-ENT proposals.\nOriginality/value: The paper is the first to develop an ISEO scale which is based on empirical data in S-ENT field.\n",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
A novel ontology matching approach using key concepts
|
[
"Ontology matching",
"Ontology",
"Degree of similarity",
"Effectiveness measures",
"Key concepts",
"Ontology heterogeneity"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The World Wide Web (WWW) is widely used as a worldwide medium for information sharing. Interoperability among disparate information systems in the WWW is limited because of the information heterogeneity (Mao, 2008). Ontologies are recommended as a way to resolve this problem by expressing and exchanging the information in a formal and explicit way. However, ontologies themselves suffer from the problem of heterogeneity. Ontology developers from different domains may interpret the same data in different ways and develop the ontologies having similar concepts represented with different names. This leads to heterogeneity, such as variation in naming and describing a concept in different levels of detail. This heterogeneity hampers the interoperability among distributed information systems. Ontology heterogeneity occurs, for instance, when one ontology only has the concept humans, while another ontology has further male and female sub-concepts, or when semantically similar classes in two ontologies have different instances. When terms in two ontologies have a different syntax but the same meaning, this is also called ontology heterogeneity. A clearer indication of the existence of ontology heterogeneity is experienced while querying through the SWOOGLE semantic web search engine. If we query for the concept \"Apple,\" it returns 254 results for apple. In some of the resulting semantic web documents (RDF or owl) apple means a computer and some results represent apple as a fruit. Also the same concept can be described using different names in different ontologies, e.g. subject and book title have similar meanings in different ontologies. Thus, finding similarities between the two ontologies is a very important task.\n2. Related work: Using external sources to find similarities between the ontologies is one of the ten challenges to ontology matching (Shvaiko and Euzenat, 2008). Upper ontologies have been used as an external resource for finding similarities (Jain et al., 2011; Li, 2004; Mascardi et al., 2010). Use of upper ontologies for finding similarities restricts the solution to a particular domain. WordNet is used as an external resource for ontology matching in Agreement Maker (Cruz et al., 2009), YAM++ (Ngo and Bellahsene, 2012) and LogMAP (Jimenez-Ruiz and Grau, 2011a, b). Wiktionary is used as background vocabulary source for ontology matching (Lin and Krizhanovsky, 2011). WikiMatch (Hertling and Paulheim, 2012) uses Wikipedia for ontology matching. It searches Wikipedia for finding the relevant documents for each concept of the input ontologies. Two concepts are considered to be similar if the number of common documents retrieved by these concepts is greater than a particular threshold. The problem with this approach is the execution time required to search the huge Wikipedia. Contextual information is also being used to help in matching ontologies. Google search engine is used as an external resource for ontology matching (Gligorov et al., 2007). This approach is not suitable for large ontologies because it makes a large number of calls to a search engine. In Lin et al. (2010) context-based ontology matching is explored. Background ontology is used as context to find out similarities between the ontologies (Aleksovski et al., 2006). In this technique the input ontologies have no structure at all. Online ontologies are used as background knowledge for ontology mapping by Sabou et al. (2008). It uses SWOOGLE to automatically search for the relevant semantic knowledge available online. Matching ontologies using instances is carried out by Breitman et al. (2008). This approach assumes that if two ontologies belong to similar domains, then their lexically same concepts are supposed to be matched. Alasoud et al. (2008) proposed a neighbor search algorithm and used this algorithm for similarity measure between ontologies. It took an average of 6,632.66 milliseconds for the conference track data set of ontology alignment evaluation initiative (OAEI). Along with quality and accuracy, the efficiency of ontology matching tools is of major significance in vibrant applications, particularly, when a user is not willing to wait very long for the system to respond or when the memory is limited. Current ontology matching techniques are mostly not optimized for resource utilization. Many recent systems have tried to tackle the efficiency matter, COMA++ (Do and Rahm, 2007) and Anchor-Flood (Seddiqui and Aono, 2009) applied segment-based approach to reduce space and time requirements. PORSCHE (Saleem et al., 2008) and XClust (Lee et al., 2002) proposed to increase the efficiency by reducing the need of clustering while integrating different types of matchers in their systems. Although these efforts were quite hopeful, they still lacked in achieving significant progress. For example, in OAEI-2007 (Euzenat et al., 2007), only a few systems, such as Falcon (Hu et al., 2008), took several minutes to finish the matching job, whereas other tools took much more time (hours and even days). In OAEI-2009 (Euzenat et al., 2009), Anchor-Flood (Seddiqui and Aono, 2009) performed the job in 15 seconds.\n3. Proposed approach: The main idea of the proposed approach is to reduce search space and time complexity in finding a degree of similarity between two ontologies. The complexity of matching is generally proportional to the size of the ontologies under concern. A suitable approach for minimizing the time complexity is to reduce the number of pair-wise comparisons. The proposed approach performs ontology matching by comparing the key concepts of input ontologies rather than comparing all concepts of each ontology. Along with local names of concepts, the synonym list for each key concept from WordNet (Miller, 1995), is also compared. The technique not only matches the classes of the ontologies but also the relations among the classes as well. We define the key concept of ontology as follows:\n4. Results and discussion: Evaluation of the proposed approach is performed with the conference data set created by the OAEI. This data set consists of seven real world ontologies describing conferences and the 21 reference alignments among them are given. The simple statistics on these ontologies are given in Table I.\n5. Conclusion: This paper proposes a novel approach for ontology matching by selecting the key concepts from the input ontologies and then comparing those key concepts only, to find out how similar the input ontologies are with each other. It is very useful to avoid checking similarity of unmatchable concepts. The evaluation of technique shows that the same degree of similarity can be achieved by taking into account the key/representative concepts of the ontologies instead of comparing each and every concept of the input ontologies. The high values of precision, recall and F-measure show the enhanced accuracy by reducing mismatching concepts. The approach is a step toward solving the heterogeneity problem in less time and reduced search space. The proposed approach can be used by web query interfaces for query expansion and answering by efficiently finding underlying ontology/schema matching and to integrate large database schemas. The future aim of the research will be to embrace the merging of the two ontologies once it is concluded that the two ontologies are similar and refining the criteria of key concept selection which best captures the semantic constraints on the ontological entities.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Ontologies are used to formally describe the concepts within a domain in a machine-understandable way. Matching of heterogeneous ontologies is often essential for many applications like semantic annotation, query answering or ontology integration. Some ontologies may include a large number of entities which make the ontology matching process very complex in terms of the search space and execution time requirements. The purpose of this paper is to present a technique for finding degree of similarity between ontologies that trims down the search space by eliminating the ontology concepts that have less likelihood of being matched.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Algorithms are written for finding key concepts, concept matching and relationship matching. WordNet is used for solving synonym problems during the matching process. The technique is evaluated using the reference alignments between ontologies from ontology alignment evaluation initiative benchmark in terms of degree of similarity, Pearson's correlation coefficient and IR measures precision, recall and F-measure.\nFindings: Positive correlation between the degree of similarity and degree of similarity (reference alignment) and computed values of precision, recall and F-measure showed that if only key concepts of ontologies are compared, a time and search space efficient ontology matching system can be developed.\nOriginality/value: On the basis of the present novel approach for ontology matching, it is concluded that using key concepts for ontology matching gives comparable results in reduced time and space.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Do culture and governance structure influence extent of corporate risk disclosure?
|
[
"Culture",
"Nigeria",
"South Africa",
"Financial reporting",
"Risk disclosure",
"G3",
"M1",
"M2",
"M4"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between culture, corporate governance (CG) variables and corporate risk reporting practices in financial statements of listed companies in Nigeria and South Africa, two large African economies at the south of the Sahara. We try to find answers to how national culture and firm governance influence disclosure of risk management practices of listed firms in these countries. Nigeria and South Africa were selected because they were included in Hofstede's study. Ozbebek and Toplu (2011) posited that cultural differences affect management styles; hence, they affect CG practices. Krell (2001) posited that cultural compatibility has become the primary concern in making acquisition or merger decisions. CG, in the finance literature, is described as the set of rules, structures and procedures by which investors assure themselves of getting a return on their investment and ensure that managers do not misuse the investor's funds (Shleifer and Vishny, 1997). The role of good CG practice in the management of corporate organizations cannot be underestimated, according to Agyeman et al. (2013). According to Elliot and Elliot (2013, p. 804), \"A good governance system will ensure that;\n2. Literature review and hypotheses development: 2.1 Theoretical framework\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Sample\n4. Findings, analysis and discussion: 4.1 Descriptive statistics\n5. Conclusions: The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between culture, CG variables and corporate risk reporting practices in financial statements of listed companies in Nigeria and South Africa, two large African economies at the south of the Sahara. The study provides indicative evidence as to the manner in which cultural dimensions - power distance, uncertainty avoidance and individualism affect CRD. Hofstede's theoretical framework is used to examine the impact of these cultural dimensions on the CRD in South Africa and Nigeria, two large economies in Africa. These two countries were mentioned in Hofstede's studies. The results indicate that power distance is negatively associated with the CRD. More specifically, organizations where power distance is high are characterized by lower CRD and vice versa. Consistent with arguments in Dobler (2008), our findings indicate that the level of CRD is a function of firm-level and country-level characteristics, where cultural values matter. The results also supports Hofstede's findings to the fact African countries rank high in power distance and are associated with high corruption and scandals are covered up (Hofstede, 2009). The role of cultural values should be considered in harmonizing risk disclosure.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between culture, corporate governance (CG) variables and corporate risk reporting practices of listed companies in Nigeria and South Africa, two large African economies at the south of the Sahara.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study uses 500 firm-year observations for the period of 2013-2017 for firms listed on the Lagos and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges. Descriptive analysis was performed to provide the background statistics of the variables examined. This was followed by regression analysis, which constitutes the main data analysis.\nFindings: The results indicate that power distance is negatively associated with the corporate risk disclosure (CRD). This implies that organizations where power distance is high are characterized by lower CRD and vice versa. From the analysis, two factors, namely, institutional ownership and profitability, were found to explain sample firms' risk disclosure practices as they are positively and statistically related to CRD.\nOriginality/value: This study is one of the few to measure the influence of culture and CG on CRD in Sub-Sahara Africa. Understanding the drivers for firms to disclose risk-related information may assist regulators and standards setters in promoting both the spread and the improvement of such disclosures through the issuance of CG codes and reporting guidelines.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Do women in board represent less corporate tax avoidance? A moderation analysis
|
[
"Governance",
"Tax avoidance",
"Audit quality",
"Feminine behaviour",
"Gender and diversity"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Tax plays an important role in the maintenance of firm operating costs and engaging in tax avoidance can reduce firm tax bearing. Corporate tax avoidance is defined broadly as the reduction in explicit taxes paid and measure tax avoidance using the three-year average ratio of current taxes paid over pre-tax income (e.g. Hanlon and Heitzman 2010; Atwood et al., 2012).\n2. Theoretical background: Previous studies (Chen and Chu, 2005; Crocker and Slemrod, 2005; Desai and Dharmapala, 2006; Desai et al., 2007) explain the agency theory, such as companies define their strategies about tax evasion which is based on the employment contract between the shareholder and the company tax manager. Slemrod (2004) and Chen and Chu (2005) laid the theoretical foundation for understanding corporate tax avoidance within an agency framework. They adopted perspective that tax avoidance emphasizes the interaction between tax avoidance activities and agency problems between managers and investors. In this situation, the quality of audit decreases. This sign motivates the opportunist managers for great tax planning (Khan and Chen, 2017).\n3. Literature review and hypotheses development: 3.1 Audit quality and tax avoidance\n4. Research methods: 4.1 Sample data\n5. Empirical results: 5.1 Descriptive statistics\n6. Robustness test: To check the robustness of our main results, we verify whether the moderating role of BGD remains intact if we replace the CETR with the effective tax rate Differential (DETR) which is measured by the difference of between the statutory tax rate and the firm's ETR[2]. Following Hanlon and Heitzman (2010), we re-estimate regressions (1) and (2) using the effective tax rate Differential (DETR) as proxy for the tax avoidance. Table VIII show that the results are similar to those previously reported, as displayed in Tables VI and VII.\n7. Additional test: To further assess how BGD may influence the relationship between audit quality and tax avoidance, we subdivide the total sample into five subsample of low and high BGD level group. In this study, we use the sensitivity level analysis for examine the important woman role in the board for reducing opportunistic behavior essentially tax aggressiveness by choosing a high audit quality. Especially, we test the audit fees and audit specialization (proxy of audit quality) to prove their significant effect on corporate tax avoidance in firms with BGD level (Figure 2).\n8. Conclusion: The present study was designed to determine whether audit quality, proxies by audit fees and audit specialization relates to corporate tax avoidance. This study examined the effect of audit quality on tax avoidance moderated by BGD level companies. Moderating regression analysis was used in this study to examine the impact of BGD on the relationship between audit quality and tax avoidance. The examination was conducted on sub-samples based on the level of BGD, i.e. 10, 20, 40, 50 and 60 percent.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine how women in board represent moderates the relationship between audit quality and corporate tax avoidance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study is based on a sample consisting of 270 UK firms over the 2005-2017 period. This study is motivated by moderating regression analysis.\nFindings: The results show that audit quality influences the corporate tax avoidance. Audit quality measured by two proxies audit specialization and audit fees has a negative effect on corporate tax avoidance. Board gender diversity \"BGD\" moderates the relationship between audit quality and tax avoidance. The impact of the BGD level increases as the presence of woman in the board escalated from 40 to 60 percent but, then, weakens at 10 percent level.\nPractical implications: The findings may be of interest to the academic researchers, practitioners and regulators who are interested in discovering relation between audit quality and tax avoidance with the presence of woman in the board. This study should be of interest to tax policymakers concerned about declining corporate tax revenues.\nOriginality/value: This paper extends the existing literature by examining the moderating effect of BGD on the relation between audit quality and corporate tax avoidance using the sensitivity analysis.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Investigating the Nigerian small and medium enterprises (SMEs)-banking long-term relationship building
|
[
"Nigeria",
"SMEs",
"Trust",
"Commitment",
"Banks",
"Behavioural intentions"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Reliable and service oriented financial institutions are crucial to any economy and play a pivotal role in a nation state achieving economic growth and development (Dogarawa, 2011). Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) collectively make a substantial business contribution in the realisation of economic prosperity by way of wealth and employment creation (Doole and Lowe, 2012). For Nigeria, SMEs including micro businesses are home to 32 million employees and contribute 46 per cent of national GDP (National Bureau of Statistics and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, 2010).\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Commitment - definition and dimensionality\n3. Study design: 3.1 Instrument development\n4. Analysis and findings: 4.1 Sample sufficiency and adequacy\n5. Discussion: Trust and social bonding represent positive and statistically significant antecedents to affective commitment. The role of trust accords with numerous B2B studies (Morgan and Hunt, 1994; Cater and Zabkar, 2009; Aurier and N'Goala, 2010; Cater and Cater, 2010). Trust exerts greater impact both directly onto affective commitment in marginally the stronger way and also directly with SMEs' behavioural outcomes. This suggests its role is only partially mediated by affective commitment and is a significant, direct driver of customer behaviour in this B2B setting. For the Nigerian banks, there has been experience of financial volatility, failure, mismanagement of assets in the pursuit of short-term reward and a decline in financial lending to their SME customers (Agbonkpolor, 2010). Despite these failings, SMEs still trust their banking relationships; the significance of the trust-affective commitment relationship therefore prevails, which also goes some way to explaining the relatively long period of time these SMEs have stayed with their current banks.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the role of the commitment between small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their banks in Nigeria from the perspective of the senior SME employees. The antecedents to, and outcomes from, commitment that underpin these crucial business-to-business (B2B) relationships are quantified as part of a proposed relationship model.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In total, 850 SMEs located across three Nigerian regions were targeted leading to the achievement of 491 complete surveys. The data collected comprised various validated items from which scales were developed. Data collection was supported by means of face-to-face interviews with senior SME representatives. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equations modelling (SEM) were employed to validate the research model and quantify the associated relationships.\nFindings: Two dimensions of commitment are relevant here, namely, the affective and calculative components. The key respective antecedents to these commitment dimensions are trust and social bonding for affective commitment and costs related to benefit loss for calculative commitment. Affective commitment has the greater marginal effect on SMEs' behavioural intentions towards their banks.\nResearch limitations/implications: The research could be expanding further in future studies through consideration of the banks' perspectives alongside those of the SMEs as consumers.\nOriginality/value: This lies in the assessment of the relationships' strengths and characteristics from the perspectives of SMEs as clients, a sector under-represented in relationship marketing research and in a location where B2B relationships have perhaps not been fully supported by their banking sector.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
What everybody knows: embodied information in serious leisure
|
[
"Information practice",
"Information behaviour",
"Corporeal information",
"Embodied information",
"Serious leisure",
"The body"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The growing corpus of work on information in serious leisure (Case, 2009; Chang, 2009; Cox et al., 2008; Cox and Blake, 2011; Fulton, 2009; Hartel, 2003, 2014; Prigoda and McKenzie, 2007; Stebbins, 2009) has typically drawn on existing theories of information behaviour and information practice[1] developed in work or educational contexts. These theories are primarily concerned with seeking and using written sources of information and to some degree sharing information through spoken interaction. A focus on written sources reflects the origins of information studies in the provision of information through libraries and digital repositories. Yet activities involving the body - embodied activities - are very important in serious leisure, \"the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist or volunteer activity that participants find so substantial and interesting that, in the typical case, they launch themselves on a career centred on acquiring and expressing its special skills, knowledge, and experience\" (Stebbins, 1992, p. 3). This is most obvious in sports, where the central activity is carried out with the body and experienced through the senses. But it equally applies to the performing arts, like music and acting, which revolve around the performing body, and crafts and collecting, which revolve around material objects being produced and organised. Indeed, the centrality of embodied experience to all aspects of human life makes the relative neglect of the body in information behaviour studies surprising and potentially problematic.\n2. A body is missing: The first section of the paper considers a number of the theoretical works that have been influential in the study of information in serious leisure and considers how far they have encompassed the role of the body. If one thinks of the major models of information such as the nine classic ones reviewed by Case (2012) there is virtually no mention of the embodied, though there are some hints. In Krikelas' model, direct observation is acknowledged as an information source, which tacitly acknowledges the role of the senses in gathering information. Kuhlthau's (2004) information search process identified three dimensions of information behaviour pertaining to feeling, thoughts and actions. However, it was the affective element that was deemed ground breaking, and relatively little attention has been paid to action. Following Kuhlthau, there has been much interest in the affective aspects of information seeking (Nahl, 2005), but this has not been paralleled with a similar reconsideration of the role of the body. Metaphors abound in information behaviour theorisation that suggest an active body, such as browsing, encountering and foraging, but the landscapes involved are mental not physical or material. Dervin's (1983) sense-making theory has been illustrated as a stick figure jumping over a gap, and yet the setting in this case is mental. Rereading Fisher et al.'s (2005) Theories of Information Behavior one is struck by the absence of reference to the body. Even the account there of flow, originally defined through a mode of physical being, is disembodied (Naumer, 2005). To further illuminate the gap in embodied information, the next section analyses several theories that seem most likely to encompass embodied experience and explore how it comes about that they do not do so in great detail.\n3. The \"corporeal modality\" of information (Lloyd, 2010): Thus in a number of major theories and studies of serious leisure, while the body does not pass completely unnoticed, its role in information activities is never seen as central or fully theorised. Yet a handful of authors have recognised the failure of information behaviour theories to consider the role of the body in any depth, and taken steps to address the omission. One of the most important of these is Lloyd who draws more deeply on the practice theory-related literature that Savolainen first tapped. She also locates her work in the phenomenological tradition of Merleau-Ponty. Phenomenology is a branch of philosophy concerned with the structure and content of consciousness (Trace, 2017). It considers that perception is action and that we constitute what we perceive. It has a central interest in everyday experience. Since it is through our bodies we perceive that the body is central.\n4. \"The estranged relationship with embodiment\" (Lueg, 2014): Lloyd's main reference points are practice theory and the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty. Another key theoretical resource for reconsideration of the body, but with a very different disciplinary origin, is embodied cognition (see Wilson, 2002). Embodied cognition recognises that cognitive processes are shaped by the body. This is illustrated by how physical gestures and movement help us think or remember. Our thinking processes are thus bound up with our body in a deep way. Embodied cognition has philosophical connections to phenomenology, but has developed in neuroscience, and with strong links to cognitive psychology (Wilson and Foglia, 2016). In the information field Christopher Lueg has been the first to recognise the potential importance of embodied cognition for the study of information behaviour. He refers to information behaviour's \"estranged relationship with embodiment\", arguing that perception, cognition and behaviour are deeply intertwined (Lueg, 2015, p. 2705). His model \"grounding information in human perception\" points to some of the factors shaping how we gain information from the senses (Lueg, 2014). At the most basic level, the human senses are not able to capture all the potential information in an environment. More immediately body size, orientation or \"impairment\" can influence what is sensed, and so perceived. A tall person or someone standing in a particular part of a room sees something different from a shorter person and one standing somewhere else. So in the same context individuals will receive different sense information about the same event, because of characteristics of their body or the body's location in space. Further, what we perceive is influenced by expectations and assumptions. If we are focussed on a particular task we may sense things but not notice them: what Lueg refers to as \"inattentional blindness\". Thus we may receive sensory information but cognitive processes may mean that it is not perceived. Sometimes we even sense things that are not there, as in a magic trick. These points reveal that our bodies shape the information we receive. Beyond the factors in his model he also acknowledges that our current feelings interact in complex ways with what we perceive. Indeed, such feelings induce physiological changes (Lueg, 2015).\n5. Bodying out information behaviour: In order to further consider how some of these theoretical resources can inform the study of information behaviour in serious leisure the paper proceeds to consider three examples: the hobby of running, amateur music and the liberal arts hobby. The examples were chosen because they represent a range of types of leisure, including some where an element of embodiment is self-evident and others where it is far less so. We draw on existing research from beyond information studies which with some translation work can be seen to be highly relevant to information behaviour.\n6. Discussion: Studies of information behaviour have tended to ignore embodied information, reflecting:\n7. Conclusion: Many other disciplines have long since made a turn towards the body; there seems good reason for the study of information behaviour to follow. Immediate prompts for such a shift in perspective are all around us and in what everybody knows. When we sit reading a book or hunched over a desktop it seems that information is linked to static, disembodied symbolic activity. In reality there is always an embodied aspect of it. As we move freely accessing information from a mobile device, perhaps using our voice or gesture to control the device, the sense of embodied mobility of information is revealed vividly. Trends in computing signal a growing interest in the embodied: such as \"haptic\" interfaces that allow the user to interact with a computer in rich sensory ways. Self-tracking of bodily functions using apps and wearable technology mean that more aspects of the body are being encoded (Lupton, 2014). The growing acceptance of the physical nature of music is a driving force in the development of new tools for musical performance and music information retrieval systems (Godoy and Jensenius, 2009). In the library world, the focus on the information commons and learning commons concepts recognise the crucial aspects of spatial design in learning and in library use. Interest in tracking movement through space (in libraries and elsewhere) and improving wayfinding all point to a concern with bodies moving around material spaces (Lueg and Bidwell, 2005). It also chimes with the growing interest in the impact on how archives are used of their materiality (Dever and Morra, 2014) and the recognition of the need to expand the range of public engagements beyond the visual in the \"sensory museum\" (Howes, 2014b). In this context, it becomes more essential that the study of information behaviour encompasses the embodied nature of information, and fully theorises the ways in which the body is the medium for knowing and a channel for the dissemination of information.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to reconsider the role of the body in information in serious leisure by reviewing existing work in information behaviour that theorises the role of the body, and by drawing selectively on literature from beyond information studies to extend our understanding.\nDesign/methodology/approach: After finding a lack of attention to the body in most influential works on information behaviour, the paper identifies a number of important authors who do offer theorisations. It then explores what can be learnt by examining studies of embodied information in the hobbies of running, music and the liberal arts, published outside the discipline.\nFindings: Auto-ethnographic studies influenced by phenomenology show that embodied information is central to the hobby of running, both through the diverse sensory information the runner uses and through the dissemination of information by the body as a sign. Studies of music drawing on the theory of embodied cognition, similarly suggest that it is a key part of amateur music information behaviour. Even when considering the liberal arts hobby, the core activity, reading, has been shown to be in significant ways embodied. The examples reveal how it is not only in more obviously embodied leisure activities such as sports, in which the body must be considered.\nResearch limitations/implications: Embodied information refers to how the authors receive information from the senses and the way the body is a sign that can be read by others. To fully understand this, more empirical and theoretical work is needed to reconcile insights from practice theory, phenomenology, embodied cognition and sensory studies.\nOriginality/value: The paper demonstrates how and why the body has been neglected in information behaviour research, reviews current work and identifies perspectives from other disciplines that can begin to fill the gap.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
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