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What are drivers for informal learning?	[ "Commitment", "Learning", "Drivers", "Informal", "Feedback", "Interactions" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Because of increased competition, globalization, organizational change, new technologies and a rapid expansion of knowledge, organizations need to adapt and act quickly to these changing environments to keep up with competitors. As a result, employees have to be adequately skilled (Kyndt et al., 2009; Ellstrom, 2001). To improve and expand their employees' competencies, a lot of companies spend huge amounts of money on formal training (Jeon and Kim, 2012). Formal training, however, is only one way to develop employees' competencies (Marsick and Volpe, 1999). In contrast to formal learning which is \"planned and structured\" (Choi and Jacobs, 2011, p. 241) and often occurs outside the workplace in training rooms, there is also informal learning, defined as \"learning that is predominantly unstructured, experiential, and non-institutionalized\" (Marsick and Volpe, 1999, p. 4). Informal learning is also often viewed as learning by doing (Jeon and Kim, 2012) or as an automatic by-product of the everyday activities (De Grip, 2008). A lot of studies revealed that the majority of workplace learning occurs through informal means. Michaels et al. (1997) and Leslie et al. (1998) found that 70 per cent of workplace learning is informal. Another study by Borghans et al. (2006) found that 94 per cent of the time spent on learning refers to informal learning. In addition, informal learning is often said to be more efficient for learning job-related skills and competencies than formal learning (Eraut, 1994). Often these skills cannot be learnt in formal trainings, but are rather learnt through interactions with colleagues and during the daily activities (Jeon and Kim, 2012). Consequently, the question arises \"how it [informal learning] can be best supported, encouraged, and developed\" (Marsick and Volpe, 1999, p. 3) or which factors influence an employee's informal learning? Previous research looked into different factors that stimulate informal learning; however, the amount of research on determinants of informal learning is limited and often contrasting results were found. By looking into previous research, this exploratory study developed a framework for categorizing drivers for informal learning. The following categories were found: organizational drivers, task and job drivers, personal drivers, formal learning and background characteristics. In a next step, based on this framework, propositions were formulated. Subsequently, these drivers and their relation with employees' informal learning were empirically tested by taking interviews from 20 employees working in a German machinery manufacturer. The employees interviewed consisted of ten HR and ten marketing employees. Overall, the aim of this study is to answer the following two research questions:\nThe role and definition of informal learning: In general, workplace learning includes both formal and informal learning. Whereas formal learning takes place in classrooms, informal learning occurs while carrying out daily activities and tasks. Individuals especially benefit from social interactions with colleagues, supervisors or others (Jeon and Kim, 2012). They make use of informal learning:\nDrivers for informal learning: Developing and stimulating informal learning in the workplace, it is of utmost importance to understand what drives employees to learn informally. In the following subsections, the five categories of drivers for informal learning will be discussed.\nMethod: Participants\nConclusions and discussion: In today's changing business world, informal learning in the workplace has gained critical importance (Marsick, 2009). Therefore, it is crucial to identify and understand drivers for informal learning to support and encourage informal learning in the workplace (Eraut, 1994; Marsick and Volpe, 1999). In this study, we explored how employees define their informal learning activities and which drivers make them learn informally.\nStudy limitations and future research: This study has several limitations which could be taken into account by future research. First, the generalizability of the results might be limited, as the interviewees were employees from a single organization in a single industry. Because of the purposeful random sampling, it has to be considered that the aim of this strategy was not representativeness, but credibility (Patton, 1990). Second, only knowledge workers were interviewed. Although employees from the HR and marketing department were involved in the present study, this group was homogenous. It might be interesting to investigate informal learning and its drivers in different types of organizations and various tasks (e.g. complex versus routine tasks).\nPractical implications: This exploratory study suggests that organizations could tailor supportive structures that facilitate the process of informal learning such as talking and collaborating with others, learning online, giving and seeking feedback or learning with paper. HRD professionals could make informal learning part of their HRD strategies. HRD practitioners can provide their employees with the conditions necessary to make informal learning possible. It is crucial to create awareness in the organization of the immense impact of informal learning, as many employees do not realize how important informal learning is for their competency development.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The topic of informal learning at work has received increasing attention in the past years. The purpose of this study is to explore in which informal learning activities employees engage and what are the drivers for informal learning.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were taken from ten human resources (HR) and ten marketing employees working at a German machinery manufacturer.\nFindings: Employees mostly learn informally by talking or collaborating with others, searching information online, feedback giving and seeking from colleagues and supervisors and reading. Next, it was found that organizational drivers, task and job drivers, personal drivers and formal learning influenced employees' informal learning. Background characteristics on the contrary were not found to influence informal learning. Overall, within these categories, the following drivers had the greatest influence on informal learning: commitment to learning and development, feedback as well as interactions with and support from colleagues and supervisors.\nResearch limitations/implications: The design of this exploratory qualitative study brings some limitations. Based on the findings, suggestions for future quantitative and intervention studies are done.\nPractical implications: The results show how human resources development (HRD) professionals could better support employees' engagement in informal learning and gives an overview of the determinants that could be influenced and in turn have a positive effect on employees' informal learning.\nOriginality/value: This study is one of the first studies unraveling informal learning as perceived by employees. It develops a comprehensive framework for categorizing drivers for informal learning.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Reliability analysis of underground rock bolters using the renewal process, the non-homogeneous Poisson process and the Bayesian approach	[ "Reliability", "Bayesian approach", "Mining equipment", "Non-homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP)", "Renewal process (RP)" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Due to a competitive environment and costs related to overall production in the mining industry, the concepts of reliability, maintainability and availability are important factors (Samanta et al., 2000). In addition, the performance of production equipment depends on intermediate such as the reliability of the equipment, its lifetime, the mining environment, corrective and preventive maintenance, and operation process (Barabady, 2005). Among others, the effectiveness of a maintenance program for equipment depends on the knowledge about the reliability characteristics of the machine components (Nuziale and Vagenas, 2000). Then, the reliability analysis is useful as tools to plan the maintenance of equipment present on the mining site and spare parts requirements to improve overall availability (Rao and Prasad, 2001). In a general context, reliability and availability assessments of repairable systems machines (equipment, plant) have been explored in the last decades. The statistical methodology to analyze the failure characteristics of a repairable system has been generalized by Ascher and Feingold (1984). Some research offered an alternative method and provided approaches that complement the existing conventional method. In some paper, the reliability and availability analysis of systems, based on the Markov modeling, has been developed (Kumar et al., 2012, 2013, 2014; Kumar, 2014, 2015; Samanta et al., 2004). A Markov model describes the lifetime behavior of systems in a state time space with the possible transition paths between those states, and the rate parameters (failures and repairs) of those transitions. In another hand, the researcher Holland (1975) developed genetic algorithms, an imitation of biological evolution process, in which he described a general framework for understanding the mechanisms and expressed by the best fitted individual string of values (Peng and Vayenas, 2014). The reliability optimization of complex systems by using nature-inspired optimization algorithms was done by Kumar et al. (2017) and Pant et al. (2015).\n2. Reliability analysis process: This section provides a framework for identifying an appropriate reliability model for a repairable system based on the failure data. Extensively documented in the literature (Ascher and Feingold, 1984; Rigdon and Basu, 2000; Hoyland and Rausand, 2004; Tobias and Trindade, 2012), reliability analysis requires an understanding of some basic concepts and theories governed by the next equations. The probability density function is the probability of failure between t and the variation of time (t + Dt) applying to a continuous random variable in time T (Hoyland and Rausand):(1)\n3. System description: underground rock bolter: The underground rock bolter can be divided into two sections. One of these sections is the constituent part of the carrier, which is composed of a cabin and a rear module (diesel engine, lubrication unit, hydraulic module, power supply unit, etc.). The second section is consists of drilling and bolting modules, which is composed of a boom, a screen handler, a bolting head and drills. The boom operates with great flexibility, while having tilting angles and an adjustable extension of the arm feeder. The screen handler is a hydraulic arm extension that handles and places the screen used for rock stabilization, and that is preferred where workers should not be directly exposed under the rock mass considered unstable and unsafe (Darling and SME, 2011). The bolter head includes, among others, an automatic carousel for handle the rock bolts, a drilling feeder and a bolting feeder. The two feeders systems are included in the bolting head, but they are studied separately since they cause a large number of breakdowns and an independent study can adequately target recurring problems. The feeders systems are powered and controlled by a hydraulic motor that slides the drills onto the guide plates using a chain system. The drills are divided into two categories: the rock drill for the drilling operation and the rotation head drill for the bolting operation.\n4. Collection of field data: 4.1 Data collection\n5. Results and discussion: As previously mentioned in the reliability analysis, the first step involved the classification on the trend behavior for the rock bolter fleet with the Laplace and the Military Handbook tests at 5 percent level of significance. Respectively, the results of the trend tests and the dependency test are in Tables III and IV. As seen at these tables, some subsystems does not accept both null hypothesis of trend tests and the Cramer-von Mises test was applied. The Cramer-von Mises test was not rejected by the hydraulic system of the rock bolter no. 1 and the screen handler and the Swellex(r) system of the rock bolter no. 2. Then, the data set admit an evolution in the intensity of failure and the CROW-AMSAA model was used to analyze these subsystems. The others subsystems accept the null hypothesis and the failure data are considered trend-free.\n6. Conclusion: This paper suggests a methodology to conduct an effective reliability analysis for underground mining equipment. To accomplish this task, a developed computational tool was created with VBA (Excel(r)) by considering many stochastic resolution processes. The reliability resolution taking into account the trend tests (Laplace test, Military Handbook test, Cramer-von Mises test); the NHPP model (CROW-AMSAA); the dependency test (Person correlation coefficient); the BPP model; the probability parameters estimation with LSM for RP (exponential, normal, log-normal and Weibull); the goodness of fit for probability distributions (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test) and the Bayesian approach for small data set. In this paper, a reliability investigation through the proposed models was done with the case study of underground rock bolter fleet considering their failures subsystems. The bolting head, the rock drill, the screen handler, the electric/electronic system, the hydraulic system, the drilling feeder and the structural consume the most repair frequency. In addition, the Weibull and lognormal probability distribution fit the data for the most underground rock bolters in this study. It was noticed that underground rock bolter no. 2 generates more failure, and thus affecting its reliability through some specific subsystems like the bolting feeder (inadequate adjustment and feed chain breakage) and the Swellex(r) system (water pump malfunction). The results achieved are interesting for maintenance teams to conduct an adequate maintenance and reliability analysis for the underground rock bolter, where tough operating conditions in an underground mining environment can do critical damage.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Reliability plays an important role in the execution of the maintenance improvement and the understanding of its concepts is essential to predict the type of maintenance according to the equipment state. Thereby, a computational tool was developed and programming with VBA in Excel(r) for reliability and failure analysis in a mining context. The paper aims to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The developed approach use the modeling of stochastic processes, such as the renewal process, the non-homogeneous Poisson process and less conventional method as the Bayesian approach, by considering Jeffreys non-informative prior. The resolution gives the best associated model, the parameters estimation, the mean time between failure and the reliability estimate. This approach is validated with the reliability analysis of inter-failure times from underground rock bolters subsystems, over a two-year period.\nFindings: Results show that Weibull and lognormal probability distribution fit to the most subsystems inter-failure times. The study revealed that the bolting head, the rock drill, the screen handler, the electric/electronic system, the hydraulic system, the drilling feeder and the structural consume the most repair frequency. The hydraulic and electric/electronic subsystems represent the lowest reliability after 50 operation hours.\nOriginality/value: For the first time, this case study defines practical failures and reliability information for rock bolter subsystems based on real operation data. This paper is useful to the comparative evaluation of rock bolter by detecting the weakest elements and understanding failure patterns in the individual observation subsystems on the overall machine performance.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Sales promotion in Asia: successful strategies for Singapore and Malaysia	[ "Channel relationships", "Consumer behaviour", "Supermarkets", "Singapore", "Malaysia" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Today's supermarket industry players are facing many competitive challenges, including changes to cost structures and market share gains of large, multinational companies through house brands and reduced operating costs. Some authors point to the difficulties in measuring the effectiveness of traditional advertising as provoking a sense of disenchantment amongst retailers (Fam et al., 2008) and other challenges include changes to retail formats and distribution relationships, where the number of middlemen has been dramatically reduced and many supermarkets now negotiate direct with suppliers (Simpson, 2006). In this increasingly competitive environment, both store managers and grocery product manufacturers alike are driven to find a means to a long- or short-term competitive edge (Smith and Sinha, 2000, p. 83), often utilising sales promotion as their strategic weaponry.\nPromotion localisation vs globalisation: As international exporting grows in importance, questions regarding the most effective way of promoting sales of products overseas are commonly raised. Exporters are entering foreign markets in which they did not previously operate and questions surrounding appropriate methods of sales promotion in a foreign retail environment are of utmost importance. It has been said that it may be possible to use globalised marketing strategies in any country around the world. However, it is also believed that differences in cultural values implicit in overseas countries influence the effectiveness of various marketing strategies in ways that have not yet been investigated thoroughly (Yang et al., 2010; Lowe and Corkindale, 1998). While studies have been undertaken regarding sales promotion as part of the marketing mix from a consumer perspective, little research has been done in the specific area of influence of national culture on the choice, use and performance of sales promotion (Kwok and Uncles, 2005; Foxman et al., 1988; Fam and Merrilees, 1998), with most research in the area of national culture focusing on its effect on advertising (Culter et al., 2000; Jeon and Beatty, 2002; Nickerson and Hoeken, 2003; Waller and Fam, 2000).\nSales promotion in Asia: Expansions in both scope and scale of retail development throughout Asia holds a number of implications for the applications of sales promotion techniques in the retail environment. Coe and Hess (2005) cite four market factors impacting on the retail environment in fast developing economies such as East Asia and Eastern Europe, including consumer environment, regulatory formats, retail competitiveness and supply network dynamics. These factors provide a framework to contextualise the application of sales promotion throughout a retail category such as FMCGs - allowing understanding of sales promotion effectiveness to be developed in the context of its culture, the legal system and macro and micro market factors.\nResearch objectives: Research on national culture suggests that it is appropriate, while still considering the effect of culture on marketing practices, to target consumers of different ethnic groups within a country as culturally similar (Lindridge and Dibb, 2003). This may also be true across regions such as South East Asia, where migration patterns have led to a mix of ethnicities across country boundaries. Globalisation of the supermarket industry has also meant that marketers continue to need a better understanding of cross-cultural issues and their effect (Gong, 2003) and national culture frameworks can be used to develop marketing theories which are suited to a particular region (Steenkamp, 2001). The current research thus aims to first identify preferences for different sales promotion techniques in the two nationally similar yet ethnically diverse countries under study, as well second examining application of these techniques in the retail environment.\nMethodology: The propositions developed in relation to the literature review were used as themes to inform the data collection throughout the research process. Questions relating to each proposition (or theme) were developed as part of the interview protocols and supporting evidence examined in the context of these four themes. Data were collected in Singapore and Malaysia, consisting of in-depth interviews, retail observation, and collation of industry and firm materials, including corporate reports and promotional planning documents. The two countries used in this research were chosen to provide information richness, as the two countries offer a contrasting perspective on retailing in Asia - one with a relatively advanced, multinational economy (Singapore) and one with a slower-growing economy (Malaysia). Culturally, Singapore has socioeconomic, political, and educational systems most similar to those of the USA, but has a heritage and culture more similar to that of the PRC (Tan, 2002). Malaysia, on the other hand, has a greater mix of ethnicities, including a strong Muslim influence, as well as large numbers of ethnic Chinese and Indonesian residents. In addition, Malaysia is unique with its predominance of hypermarket retail formats, a system that is less popular in the smaller land mass Singapore.\nResults and discussion: Sales promotion and culture\nA framework for sales promotion success in the supermarket industry: Extant theory suggests that manufacturers' choice of sales promotion tools are moderated first by retailer preferences for certain tools and retailer acceptance of, or resistance to, particular tool choices. Apparently of secondary importance to manufacturer tool choices were issues of country choice (including perceptions of consumer tool preferences and the national cultural identity of the country chosen), channel choice (such as manufacturers' level of control over the promotion and merchandising support given to the retailer) and manufacturers' own marketing mix objectives.\nAcademic implications of the study: Past literature has identified the importance of research in the area of sales promotion and many questions have been posited regarding the role of sales promotion in the marketing communications mix (Yang et al., 2010; Fam et al., 2008; Low and Mohr, 2000). Despite this growing interest in sales promotion, theory related to this technique has been limited to prescriptive discussions of how particular tools should be applied in different environments. Advertising literature, on the other hand, has moved consistently forward over the years and this highlights the need for sales promotion literature to do the same, or risk that this tool will always be considered a poor second to other marketing techniques.\nManagerial implications of the study: In addition to the academic implications of this study, there are also a number of managerial implications that can be drawn from the research conclusions. The following sections present these managerial implications through a discussion of three key areas identified in the revised conceptual framework, namely channel, country choice and industry suitability issues, that affect the use and success of sales promotion in the supermarket retail environment.\nConclusions: Based on an extensive review of relevant literature, a number of propositions regarding the use and success of retail sales promotion in the supermarket industry have been developed and examined in this study. Two sets of channel members were considered (retailers and manufacturers), and the relationship between these groups in terms of their application of sales promotion techniques and marketing objectives was explored. This section outlines the major conclusions of the study with reference to the research questions posed.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address the globalisation/culture issue by comparing two Asian countries in which there has been limited prior research regarding their respective supermarket industries, namely, Singapore and Malaysia.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research design adopted a case-study approach, with two general cases (the New Singaporean and Malaysian supermarket retail industries), made up of two embedded cases each (retailers and manufacturers operating within each country).\nFindings: The overall finding is that despite prior assumptions that suitability is reliant on product type or country choice, there are a number of sales promotion techniques that are inherently suited to the supermarket industry as a whole. The majority of these \"inherently suitable\" techniques are price-based and the conclusion is then that these techniques can be used globally. Value-added techniques, on the other hand, should be localised to fit with the market in which they are being applied.\nPractical implications: Tools best suited to the grocery product sales environment appear to be price-based or linked to price reductions (i.e. price discounting and discount-linked point-of-purchase (P-O-P) or end-of-aisle (E-O-A) displays combination and volume offers), suggesting that those tools which are inherently suitable to the industry are likely to meet retailers' shorter-term objectives rather than manufacturers' longer-term ones. The difficulty faced by manufacturers, then, is aligning their sales promotion objectives with the tools that are best able to achieve results in the supermarket environment.\nOriginality/value: Globalisation of the supermarket industry has also meant that marketers continue to need a better understanding of cross-cultural issues and their effect and national culture frameworks can be used to develop marketing theories which are suited to a particular region. The current research identifies preferences for different sales promotion techniques in the two nationally similar, yet ethnically diverse, countries under study, as well as examining application of these techniques in the retail environment.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Developing supply base strategies	[ "Complexity", "Interaction", "Dependence", "Trends", "Supply base strategies" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction and purpose: In a globalized business landscape characterized by intensified competition, cost pressures, specialization and rapid technological development, firms tend to focus on core competencies and outsourcing activities that do not require such competencies. These trends have four key practical consequences. First, the cost of purchased goods and services represent a significant share of the total cost of goods sold (COGS), often 60-80 percent (Gadde et al., 2010; van Weele, 2010). Second, companies have increasingly turned to low-cost countries for sourcing the products and services they need to reduce costs (Trent and Monczka, 1998; Handfield and Nichols, 2002). Third, driven by a broader assortment of products, shorter life cycles, and increasing customer demands for shorter lead times, coordinating supply chain activities across firm boundaries is required (Handfield and Bechtel, 2002). Such coordination is enabled by more sophisticated information and communication technologies (ICT) (Skjott-Larsen et al., 2007). Fourth, technology develops at such a pace that even large manufacturers cannot afford the investments needed to stay in front of all required technologies. Instead, companies rely on external sources of knowledge (Echtel et al., 2008). In today's business setting, managers increasingly acknowledge the importance of suppliers as a means to achieve the firm's strategic goals (Trent and Monczka, 1998).\n2. Supply base management: lessons from theory: Managing the supply base is a key aspect of supply (chain) management (Choi and Kreuse, 2006; Holmen et al., 2007; Roseira et al., 2010; Gadde et al., 2010). A supply base has been defined as \"the portion of a supply network that is actively managed by a buying company\" (Choi and Kreuse, 2006, p. 637). According to Holmen et al. (2007), research on the supply base has particularly been occupied with rationalization efforts, such as the reduction of number of suppliers in the supply base, how the supply base should be organized, and how companies should relate to the suppliers in the base, as well as how these relationships change over time. Supply network research, on the other hand, has been more concerned with the interconnectedness between the suppliers of a company, the structure of supply networks, and how companies can initiate, create, manage and change a supply network. Holmen et al., (2007) showed how supply network initiatives can change the structure and organization of a company's supply base and illustrate in line with Dubois et al. (2002), how a supply base changes over time.\n3. Empirical setting and methods: In this paper we present a case study of the Handicare Group, which has grown into a major international actor within the health care sector over the past 15 years. The company has continuously acquired other companies and used outsourcing, as well as increasingly sourced in low-cost countries. We show how these overall trends influence its supply base and how it perceives and deals with the corresponding challenges. Finally, we identify some of the firm's major strategies to develop their supply base.\n4. Supply base management: lessons from practice: 4.1. Background of the case company\n5. Concluding discussion: a framework for developing supply base strategies: The starting point of this paper was the assumption that companies in today's business context face some general trends that impact upon their supply base. In the previous section, we showed and discussed how complexity and dependence are two basic implications that occur from general trends and the challenges they incur, and how companies seek to deal with them. For practice, we argue that a major task for any purchasing and supply manager is systematically coping with these implications. Based on the theoretical and empirical insights presented in the previous sections and summarized in Figure 4, the following framework as illustrated in Figure 5 may aid companies in developing supply base strategies.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine and discuss the responses and strategies firms use in relation to their supply base when dealing with current trends in the business landscape, and the different options that they have.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper draws on case study research of a company within the international health care sector to illustrate the relationship between trends, supply base characteristics and supply base strategies.\nFindings: The paper presents a framework for a systematic approach that companies can use to develop supply base strategies. The framework illustrates that developing supply base strategies is a dynamic process that not only involves individual actions by the buying company, but also requires close interaction with suppliers.\nOriginality/value: Previous literature has not specified how different trends affect a company's supply base in terms of increased complexity and (inter)dependence, and which supply base strategies companies use and the options that they have. The research presented here contributes to fill this void.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Service ecosystem well-being: conceptualization and implications for theory and practice	[ "Well-being", "Practices", "Service ecosystem", "Institutional arrangements", "Ecosystem well-being", "Shared worldview", "Meso level" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: With the development of service-dominant (S-D) logic, the \"service ecosystem\" is now mainstream and is the principal unit of analysis for theoretical explications (Vargo and Lusch, 2017). Extant discussions of service ecosystems identify the need to understand the nature of interactions, how value is co-created (Frow et al., 2016), and how practices contribute to well-being (Vargo et al., 2008). However, while there is considerable work being undertaken on specific aspects of well-being, conceptualizing the nature of service ecosystem well-being has been neglected (Ostrom et al., 2015). Further, despite some advances, little work has focused specifically on ecosystem well-being at the meso level. The purpose of this article is to apply theoretical work in S-D logic with insights from a real context to conceptualize and characterize service ecosystem well-being. We then provide a practical illustration of service ecosystem well-being at the meso level.\nService ecosystems: Service ecosystems: an overview\nWell-being: Meanings of well-being\nService ecosystem well-being: a conceptual framework: We do not know of any detailed prior exploration or conceptualization of service ecosystem well-being. Extant literature mainly discusses well-being in biological ecosystems. Key principles from this field that are relevant to service ecosystems include the ecosystem's ability to maintain its structure (self-organization), its function (vigor), and its stability over time, even in the face of external stress (resilience) (Costanza and Mageau, 1999) and its continued emergence. The framework we develop provides a conceptualization of service ecosystem well-being. The rationale of a conceptual framework is to provide understanding; it is a visual presentation of concepts and their relationship with each other, using either a graphical or narrative form (Miles and Huberman, 1994), which are typically based on combining previous literature, experience and judgement (Eisenhardt, 1989). The framework we develop follows key phases of conceptual framework development, which includes: identifying and selecting relevant literature sources; examination and identification of concepts; categorizing and integrating concepts; synthesis and sense making; and support (Jabareen, 2009).\nA practical illustration of well-being at the meso level: We now provide a practical illustration of our conceptualization of service ecosystem well-being, using the context of healthcare. This context is especially suited to illustrating well-being, given its importance to the global economy, the conflicting goals that are set within this context and the contrasting approaches that are adopted to achieving them. However, other service ecosystem contexts were also considered when selecting this specific illustration. For example, education, tourism, professional services and financial services could all provide suitable contexts, given their importance and complexity. However, healthcare is dominated by debates between policy makers and professionals with conflicting goals, striving to cut costs, improve clinical outcomes and attend to patients' needs. Healthcare is a vitally important sector of the global economy, which is expected to reach $8.7tn by 2020 (Deloitte, 2017). Healthcare is the largest and fastest growing services industry in the US (Kulkarni and Ross, 2013) and is a highly relevant context to investigate well-being. Service ecosystem well-being is especially challenging in healthcare contexts. Understanding the well-being of this service ecosystem requires taking a holistic perspective given the complex mix of patients, healthcare professionals, family, and society more generally, with each striving for distinct, potentially differing, goals (Danaher and Gallan, 2016; McColl-Kennedy et al., 2017a) and hence why it remains under-investigated.\nDiscussion: The service ecosystem is a central concept in S-D logic and is its principle unit of analysis for theoretical explication (Vargo and Lusch, 2017). However as Vargo and Lusch (2017, p. 56) identify, research on service ecosystems is \"still in relative infancy\" with \"many unresolved questions\" including how to conceptualize service ecosystem well-being. Despite calls for research in this area, including publication of a Special Issue on 'Service and Well-being' in the Journal of Service Research (August, 2015), service ecosystem well-being remains essentially unexplored. Hence, in the absence of prior exploration and conceptualization, research on the functioning and output of a service ecosystem, or its \"viability, wellbeing\" (Vargo and Lusch, 2017, p. 54), is an essential topic for scholarly investigation. It is here that the current research contributes by extending theoretical knowledge regarding service ecosystem well-being.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper aims to conceptualize and characterize service ecosystems, addressing calls for research on this important and under-researched topic.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors draw on four meta-theoretical foundations of S-D logic - resource integration, resource density, practices and institutions - providing a new integrated conceptual framework of ecosystem well-being. They then apply this conceptualization in the context of a complex healthcare setting, exploring the characteristics of ecosystem well-being at the meso level.\nFindings: This study provides an integrated conceptual framework to explicate the nature and structure of well-being in a complex service ecosystem; identifies six key characteristics of ecosystem well-being; illustrates service ecosystem well-being in a specific healthcare context, zooming in on the meso level of the ecosystem and noting the importance of embedding a shared worldview; provides practical guidance for managers and policy makers about how to manage complex service ecosystems in their quest for improving service outcomes; and offers an insightful research agenda.\nResearch limitations/implications: This research focuses on service ecosystems with an illustration in one healthcare context, suggesting additional studies that explore other industry contexts.\nPractical implications: Practically, the study indicates the imperative for managing across mutually adapting levels of the ecosystem, identifying specific new practices that can improve service outcomes.\nSocial implications: Examining well-being in the context of a complex service ecosystem is critical for policymakers charged with difficult decisions about balancing the demands of different levels and actors in a systemic world.\nOriginality/value: The study is the first to conceptualize and characterize well-being in a service ecosystem, providing unique insights and identifying six specific characteristics of well-being.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Use of Basu-Dhar bivariate geometric distribution in the analysis of the reliability of component series systems	[ "Engineering", "Reliability analysis", "Basu–Dhar", "Bayesian analysis", "Dependent lifetimes", "Series systems" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: A series system is a component configuration usually assumed in engineering studies, such that, if any one of the system components fails, the entire system fails. Associated to each system component, there is a response given by a random variable that could be binary (fail/no fail) or denoting its lifetime (a positive value). Independence is usually assumed among these random variables, an assumption that is not always realistic in applications. Figure 1 illustrates a series system (see, e.g. Romeu, 2004).\n2. Materials and methods: 2.1 A series system with two components\n3. A simulated example: In this section, we present simulated data sets of a connected two-component series system as an application for the proposed methodology. In this simulation study, it is assumed that n two-component series systems were put on the life test and the lifetimes of the system until failure are observed. It is important to point out since we are simulating bivariate lifetimes of the BDBG distribution, we have here the lifetimes of the two components and also the lifetimes of the series system given by t=min(t1, t2). Thus it is assumed as comparative purposes for two Bayesian analysis: one Bayesian analysis assuming the likelihood function assuming the bivariate lifetimes from a BDBG distribution and a second Bayesian analysis assuming the univariate lifetimes t=min(t1, t2) from the two-component series systems. In practical engineering studies, we usually only have the univariate data.\n4. An example of a series systems: brake components of subway trains data set (BST): In order to illustrate our proposed methodology, in this section, a statistical analysis of lifetime data related to two brake components of two different types in trains is presented (part of a data set introduced in a data file of the Minitab software, 1991). The main goal of this study is the estimation of the two-component series system reliability of the brakes using the BDBG distribution introduced in this paper. The lifetime T1 denotes the number of days until the occurrence of failure for component 1; the lifetime T2 denotes the number of days of the failure for component 2 (data set in Table IV). It is important to point out that in series systems studies usually it is only reported the lifetime of the failure of the system, that is, T=min(T1, T2).\n5. A brief discussion of the obtained results: From the different statistical approaches assumed in this study to get inferences for two-component series system reliability, it is possible to conclude based on the simulated data and the real data application that the use of univariate series system data sets could lead to more/equal accurate inference results assuming the BDBG distribution introduced in the literature, despite the presence of censored data. This result is expected since the fit of univariate models in general it is more accurate in comparison to the fit of bivariate data, but in general the inference results using both data structures are very similar and accurate. Also using the DIC discrimination criteria, it was possible to decide by the best model (with or without covariates) to be fitted by the data set in Tables V-VIII.\n6. Concluding remarks: In many applications of series systems, the use of standard parametric bivariate continuous models or copulas models is common (Peres et al., 2018). However, we could have some computational difficulties to get inferences for the parameters of interest using these continuous models, especially in the presence of covariates where in general, we need to use very informative priors to get convergence of the MCMC simulation algorithms under a Bayesian approach. Another problem observed using bivariate continuous lifetime distributions based on copula functions is the difficult to choose an appropriate copula function in each application. In our study, we observed that using a Bayesian approach based on simulation MCMC methodology to get samples of the joint posterior distribution of interest, we could get accurate inferences for the parameters of the BDBG model even considering very non-informative prior distributions. Moreover, as pointed out in the application considered, we obtained accurate inference results which show an advantage for the use of a discrete distribution for reliability data. It was also observed that using regression models, the identification of important covariates was easily obtained with good accuracy assuming the BDBG model even assuming non-informative priors for the parameters of the models. This fact is due to the simplicity of the likelihood function of the BDBG model. It is important to point out that the results of this study could be generalized for different complex system structures by modeling the dependence structure of any pair of components present in the system.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a new method to estimate the reliability of series system by using a discrete bivariate distribution. This problem is of great interest in industrial and engineering applications.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors considered the Basu-Dhar bivariate geometric distribution and a Bayesian approach with application to a simulated data set and an engineering data set.\nFindings: From the obtained results of this study, the authors observe that the discrete Basu-Dhar bivariate probability distribution could be a good alternative in the analysis of series system structures with accurate inference results for the reliability of the system under a Bayesian approach.\nOriginality/value: System reliability studies usually assume independent lifetimes for the components (series, parallel or complex system structures) in the estimation of the reliability of the system. This assumption in general is not reasonable in many engineering applications, since it is possible that the presence of some dependence structure between the lifetimes of the components could affect the evaluation of the reliability of the system.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Yoga wellness tourism: a study of marketing strategies in India	[ "India", "Destination marketing", "Marketing strategy", "Yoga tourism", "Wellness tourism" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The research focus of this paper is the examination of marketing strategies that India is currently applying to promote itself as a competitive yoga tourism destination. The worldwide fascination with yoga has inspired many people to travel to practise this activity (Connell, 2006). This trend quickly evolved into the phenomenon of yoga tourism (Lehto et al., 2006), which today is an important and profitable component of the wellness tourism industry (CBI, 2016; SRI International, 2016). One of the first and still the most popular yoga destinations is India (Heung et al., 2011), arguably because it is the place from where yoga practice originates (Aggarwal et al., 2008; Maddox, 2015), in addition to India's global positioning as a large developing market for tourism more generally (Manaktola and Jauhari, 2007; Scott et al., 2010). The country started receiving increasing amounts of yoga tourists in the early 1970s, soon after it had been visited by the Beatles, who intended to learn this practice in its 'natural' settings. From this time, India acquired a reputation as a leading spiritual destination (Saltzman, 2000; Sharpley and Sundaram, 2005) and has been actively pursuing to market itself as a top provider of yoga retreats (Philp, 2009). Many of those marketing activities are aimed towards the British market as, according to recent statistics (CBI, 2016; CCI, 2015), the UK's contribution to India's travel industry has always been significant. Furthermore, over the past few years, India has been repeatedly reported as one of the most popular non-European travel destinations among British holiday-makers (Skyscanner, 2012), as well as one of the emerging global markets with the strongest long-term market potential (Enderwick, 2009; Sakarya et al., 2007).\nLiterature review: Marketing India as a yoga destination\nMethodology: Research philosophy\nFindings: The analysis of the interview data has revealed a broad range of opinions and insights in relation to key topics associated with the objectives of the study. This section will now present the key findings, with direct quotations from the interviewees.\nDiscussion: To explore the objectives of the research, this section will discuss yoga practitioners' views of India as a yoga destination. These perspectives closely correlate with the concept of pull motivational factors, which reflect the attractiveness of a certain place (Gnoth, 1997). From a marketing point of view, establishing how the destination is perceived carries great significance in selecting the assets that have the potential to be successfully promoted on the tourism market (Pike, 2015).\nConclusions and recommendations: Key conclusions\nRecommendations: As a result of the above conclusions, several recommendations are now presented that Indian DMOs may find useful in the further promotion of yoga tourism in the country. First, it can be assumed that the more holistic the marketing strategies are, the more accurately they will correspond to the trend for healthy lifestyles, which is commonly followed by yoga practitioners in Western yoga markets such as the USA. Therefore, we advise that addressing only a single aspect of yoga tourism may be ineffective in successfully responding to the motivations of the market. For instance, a sole focus on 'spirituality' in promotion could be insufficient in attracting yoga tourists. Therefore, we recommend that a greater emphasis be placed on all dimensions of yoga, with the concept of wellness incorporated into all of them.\nLimitations and future research: The researchers were aware that the process of findings interpretation is subject to sensitivity of context and personal prejudices, as it is grounded on the individual's habits and experiences (Fischer, 1998). Accordingly, there is always a risk of the interviewees exhibiting a certain degree of bias and not sharing their genuine thoughts. Consequently, there was a need to establish mutual trust between the researchers and the respondents.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine marketing strategies that India is currently applying to promote itself as a competitive yoga destination.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The methodological approach consisted of a constructivist research paradigm, a qualitative methodology and an interview-based data collection method. Ten in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with yoga practitioners from various backgrounds and yoga levels who have travelled to India for yoga tourism purposes.\nFindings: The findings determined that interpretation of yoga tourism is crucial in the choice of marketing approach adopted by destinations offering yoga retreats because, as the study has shown, various perceptions of yoga constitute the basis for particular promotional strategies.\nResearch limitations/implications: Future research could expand on the sample size and demographics of the current study by investigating, possibly through comparative means, larger groups of more diversified yoga practitioners from different countries or backgrounds.\nPractical implications: It was recommended that India's tourism marketers re-design their approach concerning an 'authentic' yoga experience. Indian destination marketing organisations should target those searching for an authentic yoga experience and use imagery that is realistic.\nOriginality/value: The findings of this study have led to the re-positioning of yoga tourism in India, utilising a unique combinative approach in which a more inclusive concept of wellness is juxtaposed against a lack of any religious referencing. It was also revealed that the motivations of yoga tourists are only partially targeted through an undifferentiated strategic marketing approach.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The philosophical foundation of the lecture-versus-case controversy: Its implications for course goals, objectives, and contents	[ "Teaching", "Case studies", "Educational philosophy", "Teaching methods" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Any adequate comparison between the lecture and the case methods of instruction necessarily requires a comparison of their underlying philosophies and methodologies. This is based on the premise that foundational philosophies or worldviews underlie educational philosophies, and each educational philosophy favors a certain instructional methodology, which in turn implies a certain way or method of instruction. The paper, therefore, starts with the discussion of how any foundational philosophy or worldview can be positioned on a continuum formed by four basic worldviews or paradigms: functionalist, interpretive, radical humanist, and radical structuralist. Then, it discusses the major educational philosophies and their correspondence with these paradigms. It notes that each educational philosophy favors a certain instructional methodology, which in turn determines the way that the instruction is performed. More specifically, this paper shows how each foundational philosophy implies the specification of the course goals, objectives, and contents.The comparison between the lecture and the case instruction methods translates into the comparison between their underlying philosophies and methodologies. However, the paper warns that the evaluation of philosophies is self-defeating since each philosophy is coherent and consistent, based on its underlying set of assumptions, and that there does not exist an independent point of reference to be used for evaluation.This paper crosses three existing lines of literature: foundational philosophies, educational philosophies, and educational methods. More specifically, its frame of reference is Burrell and Morgan (1979) and Morgan (1983) and applies their ideas and insights to educational philosophies and educational methods. Clearly, a thorough treatment of all the relevant issues referred to in this work is well beyond just one paper. Within such limits, this paper aims at only providing an overview of the topic and leaving further discussions of all the relevant issues to the references cited herein. The aim of this paper is not so much to create a new piece of puzzle as it is to fit the existing pieces of puzzle together in order to make sense of it. To implement this aim, the paper has benefited from the existing literature cited in the reference section. More specifically Ardalan (2003a, b, 2006); Barnes et al. (1994); Burrell and Morgan (1979); Christensen and Garvin (1991); Erskine et al. (2003); Mauffette-Leenders et al. (2005); Morgan (1983).The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 discusses how any foundational philosophy or worldview can be positioned on a continuum formed by four basic worldviews or paradigms. Section 3 discusses the major educational philosophies and their correspondence with these paradigms. Section 4 notes that each educational philosophy favors a certain educational methodology, which in turn determines the way or the method that the instruction is performed. More specifically, this section shows how each foundational philosophy implies the specification of the course goals, objectives, and contents. Section 5 is the conclusion.\n2 Foundational philosophies or paradigms: Any adequate analysis of the role of foundational philosophies or worldviews in educational philosophy must recognize the assumptions that underwrite a given foundational philosophy or worldview. Educational philosophy can usefully be conceived in terms of four key worldviews or paradigms: functionalist, interpretive, radical humanist, and radical structuralist. The four paradigms are founded upon mutually exclusive views of the social world. Each generates educational philosophies, instructional methodologies, ways or methods of instructions, theories, concepts, and analytical tools which are different from those of other paradigms.In order to understand a new paradigm, one should be fully aware of the assumptions upon which his/her own paradigm is based. Moreover, to understand a new paradigm one has to explore it from within, since the concepts in one paradigm cannot easily be interpreted in terms of those of another. No attempt should be made to criticize or evaluate a paradigm from the outside. This is self-defeating since it is based on a separate paradigm. All four paradigms can be easily criticized and ruined in this way.Based on Burrell and Morgan (1979), each educational philosophy can be related to one of the four broad worldviews or paradigms. The four paradigms are based on different assumptions about the nature of social science (i.e. the objective-subjective dimension), and the nature of society (i.e. the dimension of regulation-radical change), as in Figure 1. Owing to space limitations, this paper focuses on the first two paradigms. For a complete treatment Ardalan (2003a, b).2.1 The functionalist paradigm\n3 Educational philosophies: Section 2 discussed how any foundational philosophy or worldview can be positioned on a continuum formed by four basic paradigms. This section discusses the corresponding major educational for the basic literature on diverse views (Blake et al., 2000; Barrow and Woods, 1989; Carr, 2003; Curren, 2003; Ellis et al., 1991; Hare and Portelli, 2001; Noddings, 1998; Ozmon and Craver, 2002; Sadovnik et al., 2000; Winch and Gingell, 1999) philosophies. For the more advanced literature on diverse views Barrow and White (1993); Cahn (1996); Chambliss (1996); Gutek (2000a, b, 2003); Kimball and Orrill (1995); Marples (1999); Philosophy of Education Society (2003); Power (1995); Rorty (1998); Talisse and Hester (2002).3.1 Realism and education\n4 Implications for course goals, objectives, and contents: This section discusses the implications of the previous two sections with respect to the lecture-versus-case methods of instruction. For this purpose, this section brings major aspects of the previous two sections to the forefront, and elaborates on their connections and implications for the way or the method instructions are performed.The previous two sections, in essence, have shown that foundational philosophies or worldviews underlie educational philosophies, and each educational philosophy favors a certain instructional methodology[1]. In other words, as one moves from the objective to the subjective end of the spectrum in Figure 1, the in-class instructional methodology favored changes from totally having a lecture orientation to completely having a discussion orientation, e.g. a case orientation. This section shows how these in turn determine the way instructions are performed.In fact, for the realist, whose position on the objective-subjective continuum in Figure 1 is to the far right, the teacher is a guide. The real world exists, and the teacher is responsible for introducing the student to it. To do this, the teacher uses lectures, demonstrations, and sensory experiences. The teacher does not do it in a random or haphazard way; he/she must not only introduce the students to nature, but also show them its regularities.At the other extreme on the objective-subjective continuum in Figure 1, for the pragmatist, truth is relative, reality is probabilistic, and structural relationships are contingent. Therefore, teaching and learning are most effectively accomplished through discussion rather than exploration. Since, phenomena are intrinsically complex, simple theoretical relationships cannot explain them and little of value can be communicated directly from the teacher to the student. Under these circumstances, the learning process must emphasize the development of understanding, judgement, and even intuition.In short, as one moves from the objective to the subjective end of the continuum in Figure 1, the nature of reality viewed changes and along with it changes the foundational philosophy, its corresponding educational philosophy, and its instructional methodology[2]. That is, a move from lecture methodology to discussion methodology, e.g. case methodology.In the lecture method-teaching is telling, knowledge is facts, and learning is recall. Teachers deliver content, in the form of factual information, and students receive it. Learning is satisfactorily completed when the student transfers the material back to the teacher at the specified time.The lecture method is efficient with respect to the use of time, energy, and the patience of instructor and student. A student trained under the lecture method possesses a certainty, a precision, and a firming of grasp which is remarkable for the relatively short time he/she spends on acquiring his/her knowledge.The lecture method is of great power when the transfer of knowledge is the primary academic objective. But, when the objective is critical thinking (in the liberal arts setting, for example) or problem solving (in the professional school milieu), and the development of qualities such as sensitivity, cooperation, and zest for discovery, then discussion pedagogy offers substantial advantages. To achieve these goals, both teachers and students must modify their traditional roles and responsibilities.The case method has an entirely different purpose and provides an entirely different result. Business people must be able to solve problems arising in new situations in the real life. Accordingly, education would consist of acquiring skills to act in a changing environment. It is not that how a student may be trained to know, but how a student is to be trained to act. The case method is most effective wherever decisions are to be made and problems are to be solved. There is no one best way of teaching with cases.The case method is a learning process which consists of the interaction of the case situation, individual student, overall class section, and the teacher. It blends cognitive and affective learning modes.There are other methods of teaching such as lectures, movies, field trips, readings. Any way, students can learn is a good way. There are situations where the case method is not a good match. But in business environment, it is one of the best fit.Next, this section shows that the sequence of foundational philosophy, educational philosophy, and educational methodology affects the way that an instructional method is used in practice. In order to show this, the section focuses on certain aspects of the lecture and case methods of instruction and compares them. Since, most readers are familiar with the lecture method, the discussions in this section elaborate more on the case method.4.1 Value-free education vs value-laden education\n5 Conclusion: This paper showed how foundational philosophies or worldviews underlie educational philosophies, and each educational philosophy favors a certain instructional methodology, which in turn implies a certain way or method of instruction. More specifically, this paper showed how each foundational philosophy implies the specification of the course goals, objectives, and contents.The paper emphasized that, there is no unique evaluative perspective for assessing instructional methods generated by different foundational philosophies. Therefore, it becomes necessary to get beyond the idea that instructional methods can be evaluated in an absolute way.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to see how educational philosophies that underlie lecture and case methods of teaching are related to setting course goals, objectives, and contents.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper is based on the premise that foundational philosophies, worldviews, or paradigms underlie educational philosophies, and each educational philosophy favors a certain instructional methodology, which in turn implies a certain way or method of instruction.\nFindings: - The findings of this paper are that each educational philosophy favors a certain instructional methodology, which in turn determines not only the way that the instruction is performed but also how course goals, objectives, and contents are set.\nResearch limitations/implications: - This paper implies that differences between the underlying world views of lecture and case methods of teaching similarly lead to differences in many other aspects of the teaching and learning process.\nPractical implications: - This paper implies that in practice, faculty would set their course goals, objectives, and contents in a more consistent manner if they become consciously aware of the underlying philosophy of their teaching method.\nOriginality/value: - The original contribution of this paper is that it shows how in a systematic manner the differences in teaching philosophy lead to differences in what faculty would do in all areas of their course activities: goals, objectives, and contents.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The impact of corporate social responsibility on brand equity: consumer responses to two types of fit	[ "Brand equity", "CSR", "Consumer attitudes", "SEM", "Brand–cause fit" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) describes the complex interrelationships between businesses and the larger society (Carroll, 1999). CSR programs are becoming a key element of business strategy, as they represent a competitive advantage that enhances firm performance while supporting the society (Barone et al., 2000; Ellen et al., 2006; Lichtenstein et al., 2004; Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006; Maignan and Ferrell, 2003; Miller and Merrilees, 2013; Sen et al., 2006; Simmons and Becker-Olsen, 2006; Torelli et al., 2012). Consumers have become more socially conscious (Shang et al., 2010; Webb et al., 2008). In 2007, 90 per cent of American consumers were more likely to choose a product or service of equal quality and price provided by a socially responsible company (Bemporad and Baranowski, 2007). A Nielsen (2014) report shows that \"55 per cent of global online consumers across 60 countries are willing to pay more\" for products and services from companies committed to social responsibility (Rayapura, 2014). Not surprisingly, the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) reports that companies' aggregate median contributions to CSR programs in 2013 equaled $18.46m (CECP, 2014). While traditional views of CSR assume a tension between business and society, the strategic view acknowledges their interdependence for creating shared value. This study examines a strategic approach to CSR in which a firm aligns its CSR initiatives with its core value proposition (cf. Beckmann, 2007; Guzman and Becker-Olsen, 2010; Ingenbleek et al., 2007; Melo and Galan, 2011; Porter and Kramer, 2006).\nBackground: Strategic approach to corporate social responsibility\nConceptual framework and hypotheses: The conceptual framework (Figure 1) proposes two components of CSR brand-cause fit - brand value-cause fit and brand function-cause fit. The effects of brand function-cause fit and brand value-cause fit on brand equity are mediated by consumer attitudes, specifically attitudes toward the ad and the brand. As discussed in the following sections, attitudinal constructs are appropriate for explaining the mechanisms by which meaning is transferred from CSR initiatives to build brand equity.\nResearch method: Hypotheses were tested using a quasi-experimental research design. The research design controlled for potentially confounding effects in three ways:\nResults: The results of the tests of hypotheses are summarized in Table V and path weights are displayed in Figure 2. To control for the effect of preexisting brand equity, the means for each sub-scale (brand awareness, brand quality and brand loyalty) from the pretest were assigned as manifest variables for a latent construct, preexisting brand equity. A path was drawn from this construct to the dependent variable, brand equity, as indicated in Figure 1, to control for its effects.\nImplications for theory and practice: From a theoretical standpoint, this study makes several contributions to the literature on CSR. First, the research analyzes a strategic approach to CSR (Guzman and Becker-Olsen, 2010; Ingenbleek et al., 2007; Melo and Galan, 2011; Porter and Kramer, 2006) and assesses consumer responses to two types of brand-cause fit: brand value-cause fit and brand function-cause fit. It tests these two types of fit and finds evidence for differential effects on consumer attitudes. Results show that brand value-cause fit has a direct effect on AAd, whereas brand function-cause fit has a direct effect on ABrand. Furthermore, the effect of brand value-cause fit on ABrand is completely mediated by AAd. In other words, both the emotional and functional components of a brand play significant, yet different, roles in determining how CSR shapes consumer attitudes, which in turn build brand equity. The managerial implications of these findings are discussed ahead.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: A significant stream of research investigates the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives on firm performance and consumer response to CSR programs. However, how CSR initiatives help build brand equity remains relatively unexamined. This study aims to demonstrate how CSR influences brand equity in response to perceptions of two types of brand-cause fit.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors analyze two types of fit between a brand and a social cause (disaster relief): brand value-cause fit and brand function-cause fit. Structural equation modeling is used to estimate the fit of the data with the proposed model.\nFindings: Survey evidence from 370 millennial undergraduate students in the USA suggests that the two types of brand-cause fit have differential effects on attitude toward the brand and ad, which in turn influence brand equity.\nResearch implications/limitations: The research operationalizes brand-cause fit as a construct with two components: brand value-cause fit and brand function-cause fit. It tests these two types of fit and finds evidence for differential effects on consumer attitudes.\nPractical implications: The findings offer practical considerations for managers about the importance of considering two types of brand-cause fit in selecting social causes and crafting effective corporate communications about the firm's CSR initiatives.\nOriginality/value: Results suggest that it is possible for firms to craft desirable win-win-win strategies that build brand equity by investing in a strategic approach to CSR initiatives.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Religiosity and students' examination cheating: evidence from Ghana	[ "Ghana", "Religiosity", "University students", "Examination cheating" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Exam cheating is ubiquitous in higher education institutions all over the world and its prevalence has been documented extensively (Diekhoff et al., 1999; Teferra, 2001; Gbadamosi, 2004; Volpe et al., 2008). For example, about 51 per cent of a sample of 20,000 American high school students admitted to cheating on a test (Josephson Institute, 2012). An earlier review by Whitley (1998) among college students indicated that approximately 43 per cent had cheated in exams. Students' academic dishonest behaviours have been attributed to individual factors such as self-efficacy, motivation to study, learning strategy (Pino and Smith, 2003; Vandehey et al., 2007; Davy et al., 2007) and situational factors such as perception of peers' behaviour (Vandehey et al., 2007).\n2. Literature review: Religiosity is a complicated construct, as such, difficult to define (Holdcroft, 2006). McDaniel and Burnett (1990) define religiosity as the faith that a person has in God or a belief in God accompanied by a commitment to follow certain principles set by God beyond just faith. Miller (1998) explains it as the extent of an individual's participation in religious beliefs and practices. However, Koenig et al. (1997) see religiosity as a degree of a person's religious commitment. At last, \"Religiosity refers to one's adherence to the prescribed beliefs and ritual practices with the worship of God or a system of gods\" (Mattis and Watson, 2008, p. 92).\n3. Methodology: The study was based on a convenience sample of 345 students studying variety of programmes including business, engineering and statistics among others from a three-year Higher National Diploma awarding technical university in Ghana. The data were collected in September 2014 through self-administered questionnaires that took not less than 10 minutes to complete, which consisted of five sections: profile of respondents (sex, age, and year of study) respondents' religiousness academic cheating behaviours, reasons for cheating during examinations and peer cheating behaviours. In the measurement of religiosity, a six-item measure of religiosity was drawn from commonly used assessment, such as, frequency of attendance at religious services, importance of religion in daily life, reading of sacred text, capturing both public and private facets of religiosity (Bloodgood et al., 2008; Johnson et al., 2000). The frequency of reading Holy Scriptures, praying and attendance to religious services was measured on a six-point Likert scale (1=more than once a day to 6=less than once a month). A total of 13 cheating behaviours that were derived from academic dishonesty literature were measured (Brown and Choong, 2003; Brimble and Stevenson-Clarke, 2005; Stone et al., 2009). The frequency of these behaviours of students was measured using a five-point Likert scale (1=never to 5=many times). Section 3 of the questionnaire presented the respondents with 13 reasons for cheating for which they were required to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed on a four-point Likert scale-strongly agree to strongly disagree. Respondents' perceived peer cheating was measured using five questions to which the students were required to answer \"yes\" or \"no\" (see Table III). Colleagues of the authors assisted in administering the survey to the students, face-to-face at lecture halls after they were informed of voluntary participation, confidential and anonymity. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics to summarise information relating to the profile of respondents as well as the frequency of cheating and reasons for cheating. To explore associations between religiosity and examination cheating behaviours, Mann Whitney U-test and Kruskal Wallis tests were conducted.\n4. Results: Profile and religiousness of respondents\n5. Discussions and conclusions: Consistent with earlier works (Shon, 2006; Nazir and Aslam, 2010; Mensah et al., 2016), results of the study indicate that copying in varied forms such as; \"permitting another student to copy your answers\", \"copying from another student\", \"stretching your neck to look and copy\" during examination were the dominant means of cheating reported by the respondents. The popularity of these cheating methods might be explained by the easiness at which they could be carried out without invigilators detecting. Findings of the study show that students cheat in examinations predominantly because of: \"fear of failure\", \"inadequate preparation\" and \"too much workload\". Examination failure has several unpalatable consequences for students in higher education institutions. Students who fail school exams experience several psychosocial impacts such as depression, embarrassment, negative reactions from both parents and peers (Cornell et al., 2006). Other effects include lowering of academic standing, damage to self-esteem and economic ramifications. Given the consequences of failing, it is, therefore, not surprising that students will do anything possible to avoid exam failure, including cheating in examinations.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Academic misconduct has become an albatross on the management of higher education institutions with long-term ramification on developmental agenda of countries. The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between religiousness of students and examination cheating tendencies. Further, this paper explored the cheating methods, reasons for cheating and the relationship between perception of peer cheating and examination cheating propensity among students in Ghana.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional research design was adopted for the study using questionnaires to collect data from 355 students in a three-year higher national diploma awarding technical university in Ghana. Descriptive statistics, Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests were the main data analytical tools.\nFindings: Results of the study revealed that \"fear of failure\" was the leading reason driving students' examination cheating behaviours. Perception of peer cheating was related to levels of self-reported cheating whereas religious inclination of students was uncorrelated with the self-reported cheating behaviour of students.\nPractical implications: The findings of the study provide implication for management of higher education institutions. The academic counselling unit of higher education institutions should work to dispel students' overly sensitivity to end-of-semester examinations. Teachings of religious groups should highlight examination cheating as constituting violations of religious values and norms.\nOriginality/value: This paper is one of the pioneers of examination cheating and religiosity relationship in Ghana's higher education settings. This study makes an additional contribution to the literature on the religiosity examination cheating nexus.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Contemporary process to test the theory of a research model through covariance-based structural equation modeling in business research: Is it science, quasi-science or just non-science ...?	[ "Structural equation modeling", "PLS" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Business research reported and published in scholarly journals is increasingly based on second-generation multivariate techniques, such as covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) (Hair et al., 2010) and, in recent years, also partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (Hair et al., 2014).\nCovariance-based structural equation modeling: Structural equation modeling (SEM) as a multivariate technique emerged in the 1970s. Joreskog and Sorbom (1976) traced its roots and origins going back to the 1920s (Wright, 1921). As such, it has been characterized as an advanced statistical technique or second-generation multivariate technique (Hair et al., 2014).\nA contemporary process to test theory of a research model through CB-SEM: As previously mentioned, the measurement and structural properties of a research model through CB-SEM are commonly derived from previous studies and existing theory. For example, researchers create a measurement model based on previous scales of construct applications (i.e. consisting of definitions, constructs and items/indicators). Furthermore, each hypothesized relationship in the structural model is based on empirical findings and conclusions drawn in previous studies regarding cause-and-effect between constructs.\nImplications: The contemporary process to test the theory of a research model through CB-SEM in business research, as described previously in Figure 1, makes valuable contributions to the application of the methodology of CB-SEM and demonstrates how its use may or may not contribute to theory. The increasingly high proportion of publications that contain CB-SEM models is regarded by a significant proportion of the business research community to represent high-quality research. It is increasingly seen as a role model for contributing to relevant and important scientific progress within business subject areas and disciplines.\nConcluding thoughts and reflections: SEM techniques - such as CB-SEM and PLS-SEM - are only tools in the research processes involving antecedents (e.g. item structures and metric measures) and postcedents (e.g. developed and tested theory, replications and validations - Babin and Svensson, 2012). It is not a magic formula or a holy grail.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe potential flaws and pitfalls in the contemporary process of testing the theory of a research model in business research through the use of covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM).\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper offers a foundation for discussion, debate and questioning regarding the contemporary process of testing the theory of a research model in business research through CB-SEM.\nFindings: The contemporary process to test theory of a research model through CB-SEM in business research lacks to a large extent a stepwise and iterative process of an accumulation of knowledge to build sound and rigorous business theory that is both reliable and valid over time as well as across contexts.\nResearch limitations/implications: This paper provides an awakening toward further debate and discussion on the relevance and suitability of the contemporary process to test the theory of a research model through CB-SEM in business research - is it science, quasi-science or just nonsense?\nPractical implications: The primary implication of this paper is that its content will challenge most readers\nOriginality/value: The paper intends to provide counterintuitive thoughts regarding the contemporary process of testing the theory of a research model in business research through the use of CB-SEM. CB-SEM offers potentially valuable merits in business research settings, if applied and performed properly.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Types of informal learning in cross-organizational collegial conversations	[ "Leaders", "Continuing professional development", "Knowledge sharing", "Lifelong learning", "Adult learners" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Informal learning conversations with colleagues is a powerful yet understudied source of self-directed, professional development. This study investigated the types of learning 79 leaders from 22 organizations reported they learned from 44 peer-led conversations over a two-year period. Survey data suggests empirical evidence of five learning outcomes - informational, conceptual, operational, reflective, and social learning. The study describes these categories, the overall distribution of these types of learning in the community, and how most conversations were \"high-yielding\" in a particular learning type. It concludes with possible explanations for these patterns as well as potential lines for future research.\nIntroduction: In recent years, the value of professionals from different organizational contexts learning with and from one another in informal conversations has gained momentum. Structures such as \"knowledge jams\" are being used to spark innovation and develop knowledge networks across for-profit and non-profit sectors (Johnson, 2009; Pugh, 2011). Open-ended, emergent conversation formats such as \"world cafes\" and open space technologies involve participants in large- and small-group discussions to co-create solutions to entrenched social problems (Brown, 2005; Owen, 2008). Such forms illustrate the power of peer-led informal learning conversations. They convene participants from different organizational contexts - ranging from health-care professionals to business managers to policy makers -establish the goals of discussion, engage in lightly structured and emergent conversational process and evaluate the outcomes of their experience.\nThree views on informal learning outcomes: What do leaders and managers of organizations learn from and with one another in informal interactions? A review of theoretical orientations to this question revealed three broad perspectives. When professionals from different contexts convene, the resulting learning can be viewed as building cognitive complexity, performative skills and/or sociocultural knowledge.\nContext and methods: Data were gathered from an existing learning community of 79 upper level, global executives (Chief Learning Officers, Chief Innovation Officers and Directors of Innovation) from 22 non-competing organizations. They convened at six two-day gatherings over the course of two years to explore topics related to challenges they face in their organizations[1]. During each day, there was an opportunity for participants to nominate and host \"conversation cafes\" with their peers - an informal occasion in which participants declared something they would like to discuss with others related to the theme and topic of the gathering. Nominations were gathered, interest was tested in the group and then participants self-organized into three to five parallel discussions. Over the course of two years, researchers studied 44 of these \"conversation cafes\" that ranged from three to nine participants and spanned 22 to 74 minutes[2]. The data for analyzing learning outcomes were drawn from post-conversation survey responses (n = 241) that asked participants to write two things they learned from their conversation immediately after it concluded. In total, 349 unique stated learnings were collected from the 44 conversations cafes.\nFindings: RQ1. What types of learning do leaders in a cross-organizational learning community report they learn from informal, small-group conversations?\nDiscussion: The findings from this study revealed five broad categories of what the professionals reported they learned from informal, peer-led conversations. These emergently coded categories proved statistically reliable and offer empirical evidence to many aspects of the existing theoretical literatures of types of learning outcomes identified in the opening of this paper. Aspects of conceptual and reflective reports of learning offer supportive evidence for finding traces of cognitive complexity in participants. Examples of conceptual understanding were coded when participants named connections among ideas, classified ideas within larger systems or stated comparisons/contrasts. Reflective learnings were coded when participants described a change in their assumptions or a new meta-cognitive awareness of one's thinking. These learnings map well onto theories that describe what is learned as a development of cognitive sophistication in which participants frame/reframe their thinking, name connections and engage in system-level thinking (Dawson-Tunik, 2006; Illeris, 2003; Jaques, 1994; Kegan, 1982; Mezirow, 2000). Similarly, the categories found provide evidence for the performative skills and sociocultural outcomes of informal learning (Manuti et al., 2015). For example, operationally coded learning seems to provide strong evidence of performative skills. Operational learning was coded when participants named specific strategies, processes and applications of practices into one's own context. Such learning is consistent with other research that has identified similar procedural and practice-based knowledge as an important outcome of informal learning (Armson and Whiteley, 2010; Ellinger and Cseh, 2007; Eraut, 2004; Volpe, 1999). Likewise, social learning was coded when participants named learning about participants' similarities or differences, common purposes, interests, values, or beliefs. Such learning is consistent with sociocultural types of learning outcomes that other researchers have found in informal learning contexts (Eraut, 2004; Leslie et al., 1998).\nConclusions: The learning outcomes of cross-organizational, self-directed learning conversations over periods of time is a powerful yet understudied source of informal, professional learning. This study has generated empirical evidence of five types of learning - informational, conceptual, operational, reflective and social learning - that leaders from different organizations report they learn from self-organized conversations over a two-year period. Although strong evidence of theoretical orientations of learning outcomes were found in the populations, generalized conclusions about learning should be drawn with caution. Because there was no pre-/post-evaluation component to this study, no claims can be made of changes in meaning-making, skill development or knowledge over time. Instead it reports evidence found in self-reports of learning from individuals at one point in time. The study does not make claims about what participants learned in terms of observable changes in an individual's knowledge or skill. Nor does this study conclude whether or how participants transferred knowledge and skills into future situations. Instead, the data collected reflected a linguistic representation of how participants wrote their responses. More lengthy interviews after the conversation, follow-up interviews and/or observations over time would reveal more robust claims about learning in terms of transference into action. That said, armed suggested types of learning outcomes facilitators and participants of cross-organizational learning conversations may be better equipped design contexts and evaluate the effectiveness of these contexts.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper aims to gather empirical evidence for what colleagues from different organizations reported they learned from informal professional learning conversations. Informal learning conversations with colleagues is a powerful yet understudied source of self-directed, professional development.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study of mixed methods investigated the types of learning 79 leaders from 22 organizations reported they learned via post-conversation surveys from 44 peer-led discussions over a two-year period.\nFindings: Survey data suggest empirical evidence of five learning outcomes - informational, conceptual, operational, reflective and social learning. The study describes these categories, the overall distribution of these types of learning in the community and how most conversations were \"high-yielding\" in a particular outcome.\nOriginality/value: To the knowledge of the authors, this study is the first to suggest empirical evidence of categories of learning that participants report from informal, cross-organizational learning conversations.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Applying data mining for online CRM marketing strategy: An empirical case of coffee shop industry in Taiwan	[ "Fuzzy association rules", "Apriori algorithm", "Coffee shops", "Data mining approach", "Fuzzy clustering algorithm", "Online CRM marketing systems" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The research discovers customer benefit markets and marketing rules (association rules) via the Fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm and data mining technologies. However, the research objective is to discover fuzzy and crisp customer rules for enhancing marketing systems.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 The FCM algorithm\n3. Methodologies: 3.1 Research logic\n4. Empirical case study: 4.1 Background of the brewed coffee market in Taiwan\n5. Conclusions, suggestions and managerial implications: 5.1 Conclusions\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose a data mining approach for mining valuable markets for online customer relationship management (CRM) marketing strategy. The industry of coffee shops in Taiwan is employed as an empirical case study in this research.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Via a proposed data mining approach, the study used fuzzy clustering algorithm and Apriori algorithm to analyze customers for obtaining more marketing and purchasing knowledge of online CRM systems.\nFindings: The research found three hard markets and one fuzzy market. Furthermore, the study discovered two association rules and two fuzzy association rules.\nOriginality/value: However, industry of coffee shops has been always a fast-growing and competitive business around the world. Thus, marketing strategy is important for this industry. The results and the proposed data mining approach of this research can be used in the industry of coffee shop or other retailers for their online CRM marketing systems.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Male Korean workers eating out at dinner	[ "Food away from home", "Commercially prepared meal", "Workplace health promotion", "Employees" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The size of the foodservice industry is expanding globally, and the proportion of people who frequently eat out of home (OH) is increasing. South Korea is no exception in that the foodservice industry has grown more than sevenfold in the past 30 years, and the cost of OH eating accounts for approximately 50 percent of the total household food expenditure (KOSTAT, 2017). The proportion of those eating OH more than once a day, among people aged over 19 years reached 31.3 percent in 2015 (KNHS, 2015); it has steadily increased from 24.7 percent in 2008 when this figure was first counted.\nMethods: Data source and study participants\nResults: Sociodemographic characteristics of the study participants\nDiscussion: The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the nutritional quality of dinnertime meals eaten OH vs eaten AH by male Korean workers to obtain baseline data and provide insights for the formulation of a policy to promote healthy eating OH.\nConclusions: This study showed that the nutritional quality of dinnertime meals eaten OH by male Korean workers had greater potential for negative effects on nutrition and health compared with dinnertime meals eaten AH. Currently, the frequency of eating OH is increasing not only in developed countries but also in developing countries, and this trend is expected to become more deeply integrated into everyday life in the future. While the current study focused only on male workers, the potential negative effects of eating OH merit recognition in the overall public health agenda. Therefore, eating OH is an important arena in which strategies for healthier eating and lifestyle patterns can be deployed and this should not be overlooked during the establishment of worksite health promotion initiatives or the implementation of related national nutrition policies.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the nutritional quality of dinnertime meals eaten out of home (OH) vs those eaten at home by male Korean workers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study included 1,634 male Korean workers aged between 19 and 64 years among 15,508 individuals who participated in a 24-hour dietary recall through the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013 to 2014. The study participants were classified and analyzed according to the place where dinner had been prepared: out-of-home group (OHG) (n=659) and at-home group (AHG) (n=975).\nFindings: Young male white-collar workers who are unmarried with a higher level of education and income were more likely to eat OH at dinner. The OHG consumed more energy, fat, and sodium, but less carbohydrate at dinner than the AHG. The contribution of dinner to daily energy and macronutrient intakes, except for carbohydrate, was higher in the OHG. Additionally, the study results suggested that the OHG was less likely to consume a traditional Korean meal at dinner. Overall, the nutritional quality of dinnertime meals eaten OH had greater potential to lead to negative effects on nutrition and health.\nOriginality/value: This study highlights OH eating among male Korean workers as an important arena in which strategies for healthier eating can be deployed when establishing worksite health promotion or related national nutrition policies.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Testing export-led growth in South Asia	[ "Exports", "Economic growth", "Cause and effect analysis", "South Asia", "Development" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: The relationship between exports and growth has been explored extensively in the literature. Early studies in this area concentrated largely on using cross-section approaches and found overwhelming evidence for the export-led growth hypothesis. For example, the studies by Michaely (1977), Heller and Porter (1978), Balassa (1978), Ram (1985), and Feder (1983) support the view that export growth promotes overall economic growth. A serious drawback of cross-section studies, however, is that the issue of causality between export growth and GDP growth is not addressed directly. Most cross-country studies assume, rather than establish, that causality runs from export growth to GDP growth. However, faster growing economies may give rise to a more dynamic export sector. Many authors, such as Sheehey (1990) and Pritchett (1996), have doubted the validity of conclusions based on cross-country studies. Sheehey (1990), for example, investigates whether there are other production categories besides exports whose growth has a similar relationship to GDP and concludes: \"The same tests support the 'promotion' of all the sectors of production considered. An export promotion strategy, if it does provide the benefits widely attributed to it, must rely on evidence other than cross-country tests\" (p. 115).A number of time-series studies have explored the issue of causality including those by Jung and Marshall (1985), Chow (1987), Hsiao (1987), Bahmani-Oskooee et al. (1991), Dodaro (1993), and Love (1994). These studies, using Granger (1969), Sims (1972) and Hsiao (1987) procedures to test causality, have not provided uniform support for the export-led growth hypothesis. While providing some evidence of export-led growth, the results of these studies are far from conclusive.The purpose here is to consider the relationship between export growth and income growth directly using cointegration and error-correction modelling. This approach, which differs from that used in the studies cited above, is applied in the context of a sample of South Asian economies which traditionally held to import-substituting regimes before shifting to more liberal regimes in the 1980s and 1990s. South Asia is a diverse region with one \"large\" country in population and area terms, India, surrounded by a number of \"medium-sized\" countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh and several \"small\" countries such as Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives. This region is marked by some of the lowest incomes per capita in the world. To date there has been no comprehensive analysis for these countries of the relationship between export growth and income growth of the type being conducted here.1.1 Causality: exports and income\n2 Methodology: 2.1 Definition of causality\n3 The results: In testing the relationship between income and exports the logs of real GDP (LRY) and real exports (LRX) have been used so that the first differences can be interpreted as growth rates. The results are presented for each country in turn in Tables I-VII (each of which has three parts: a, b and c).The case of Bangladesh may be taken to illustrate outcomes (see Table I). As a first step, all the level variables and their first differences were tested for stationarity using ADF Tests (Table I(a)). It can be seen that in none of the level variables is the calculated ADF statistic less than the 95 percent critical value. Therefore, all level variables are non-stationary at 95 percent level of confidence. As for the first differences, the calculated ADF statistic is less than its 95 percent critical value. From this one can conclude that all the first differences are stationary or I(0). Thus, all level variables are I(1) since the first differences are I(0). The next step involves carrying out cointegration analysis and the results are given in Table I(b).From Table I(b) it may be seen that the estimated ADF statistics in both the cointegrating regressions are less than the corresponding 95 percent critical values indicating that real exports and real income are cointegrated. This is further confirmed by looking at Cointegrating Regression Durbin-Watson (CRDW) statistics[6]. It can be seen that in both the cases the CRDW statistic is greater than its 95 percent critical value. Table I(b) also reports the slope coefficients of the cointegrating regressions; the signs of the slope coefficients are positive in all cases, indicating that the relationship between real exports and real GDP is positive.Thus, the results suggest that real exports and real GDP in Bangladesh are cointegrated implying a long-term relationship between the two variables. If real exports and real income are cointegrated, the next step is to cast the Granger procedure in terms of error-correction modelling. As seen earlier, there are two ways in which causality can express itself: through the F-test of joint significance of the lagged differeced terms, and through the error-correction term. The results are reported in Table I(c). It can be seen that in both the cases F-statistics for x-y and y-x are insignificant at 95 percent level of confidence[7]. Thus, the data suggest that there is no short-term causality in either direction. If one looks at the error-correction terms, they appear significant in equations (2) (Table I), implying that the direction of long-term causality runs only in one direction from growth of real income to growth of exports. This is in contrast with Dodaro's study mentioned earlier, which finds evidence of export-led growth for Bangladesh (although the causality is short-term in nature).Following the same approach in each of the given cases, it can be seen that in only two countries, Bangladesh and Bhutan, do real exports and real GDP exhibit cointegration or a long-term relationship. While Bangladesh and Bhutan are cases of growth-led exports, India, the Maldives and Nepal show evidence of export-led growth. Pakistan and Sri Lanka, on the other hand, show no evidence of causality in either direction. The results for all South Asian countries, summarised in Table VIII(a), show that the evidence for export-led growth in South Asia appears rather mixed.Most results remain the same if a common time-period since 1980 is adopted (Table VIII(b)). Two changes are with respect to India and Bangladesh. India, which was a case of export-led growth for the period 1950-1998, now shows a no-causality result for the period 1980-1998. Bangladesh, which showed growth-led exports for 1973-2000, now becomes a case of no-causality for the period 1980-2000. Further, in Bangladesh, while exports and GDP were cointegrated for the broader period, there is no cointegration between these variables for the narrower period. The results presented in Table VIII(b) are still fairly mixed, and seem to imply that the recent trend towards liberal trade regimes in these countries is yet to be translated into export-led growth for the region as a whole. However, the results of Table VIII(b) need to be interpreted with some caution in view of the reduced sample size (or the number of observations).The mixed nature of results, irrespective of the period taken, is hardly surprising for the countries of South Asia. Firstly, lack of conclusive evidence in favour of export-led growth reflects the inward-looking nature of these economies, where, for most of the relevant periods, trade was not considered even a handmaiden of growth, let alone an engine of growth. Thus lack of much success on export-led growth is only to be expected. Secondly, the mixed nature of the results reported in this study is in line with the literature on the subject. Indeed, as we have noted, the earlier literature on the subject does not report any conclusive evidence in favour of export-led growth in South Asia or in general.\n4 Conclusions: The support for export-led growth thesis on the strength of cross-country evidence lacks conviction because these studies assume, rather than establish, that export growth causes overall economic growth. Those studies do not address the issue of causality between export growth and GDP growth. Subsequent time-series studies tried to tackle this issue directly but evidence presented by them was rather mixed. They failed to report any conclusive evidence in favour of export-led growth.Bahmani-Oskooee and Alse (1993) pointed out that the standard causality procedures become inapplicable if the concerned variables are cointegrated. They, therefore, recommended the use of cointegration and error-correction modelling as a more comprehensive approach. This involves checking the cointegrating properties of the variables and modifying the standard Granger test to include error-correction terms in the equations. Once this is done, Bahmani-Oskooee and Alse (1993) show that there is a bi-directional causality between export growth and output growth.This is the first comprehensive study on export-led growth for South Asia as a region. The Jung and Marshall (1985) and Dodaro (1993) studies were not comprehensive enough to cover the entire South Asian region, nor did they use cointegration to the question of export-led growth. A few individual studies did use cointegration but they did not cover the entire region. Thus there was an important gap in the literature, which this study tried to fill.Our findings suggest that real exports and real GDP are cointegrated only in Bangladesh and Bhutan. While India, Nepal and Maldives are cases of export-led growth, Bangladesh and Bhutan show the opposite result of growth-led exports. In two countries, namely Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the data fail to detect any causality in either direction. Thus the results, in line with the current status of the literature on the subject, are quite mixed, and do not give any overwhelming support to the export-led growth thesis. This conclusion remains the same even if the reduced period after 1980 is taken into account. The mixed nature of the results is not surprising as these economies, by and large, have been characterised by inward-orientated planning which gave primacy to import substitution over export promotion. Perhaps the effect of this strategy has been so deeply rooted that liberal regimes of the 1980s and 1990s are yet to be manifest in export-led growth for the South Asian region as a whole.The finding of export-led growth is particularly heartening for India, the largest economy of the region. First, export-led growth as a strategy was thought to be unsuitable for a large economy such as India in view of its large internal market. The finding of export-led growth for India implies country size may not be an important consideration for this strategy. Secondly, by opening up its economy further to the other countries of the region, India can fuel growth in the entire region.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to test the export-led growth hypothesis for South Asia, a diverse region consisting of one large country, India, surrounded by a number of medium and small countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - To test this, the study employs cointegration and error-correction modelling, using data from the International Financial Statistics of the IMF.\nFindings: - The study produces fairly mixed results, and does not find any conclusive evidence in favour of export-led growth. While India, Maldives and Nepal exhibit export-led growth, Bangladesh and Bhutan show the opposite result of growth-led exports. In Pakistan and Sri Lanka no causality in either direction was found. The mixed nature of the results is further confirmed by taking a common time period since 1980.\nPractical implications: - South Asia is one of the poorest regions of the world; so success or otherwise of export-led growth is of great interest for policy purposes. For example, the finding of export-led growth for the largest economy of the region, India, is particularly heartening as, by opening up its markets further to the other countries of the region, it can fuel growth in the entire region.\nOriginality/value: - This study tries to fill an important gap in the literature as it is the first comprehensive study of the region as a whole.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Toward a better understanding of the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) list and its rankings	[ "Journal rankings", "Rating systems", "Australian business deans council list", "Partial least squared", "Tenure track", "ABDC list" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: the educational landscape: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the characteristics that drive the rankings within the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) list. Post-secondary education is a massive global business with a current estimated value of over $43bn. Some analysts expect this market to grow to over $65bn within three years (PR Newswire, 2014). Despite this growth, a number of internal and external elements are compressing excess revenue margins. Competition from both traditional and non-traditional institutions, changing population demographics, faculty and program costs and a decline in traditional sources of funding (e.g. governmental budget allocations in state institutions and external grant opportunities) are expected to continue.\nMeasuring faculty performance: There has been an ongoing debate in the Chronicle of Higher Education about the difficulty of measuring faculty performance within institutions of higher learning (Toland and De Ayala, 2005). In general, there are three pillars on which a faculty member is expected to perform: teaching, scholarship and service. No matter the format, the evaluation of teaching quality is subjective at best, while the service pillar is an afterthought for most in the evaluation process. We focus this study on the second pillar - scholarship. This is an area where faculty are well-trained and expected to be productive. Moreover, the level of the university faculty scholarship productivity often serves as a proxy of institution quality.\nMethod of analysis: The sample was initially comprised of the almost 3,000 peer-reviewed journals on the ABDC list. This is not an exhaustive sample of the business journal universe, although it is a substantial number of journals. Data were collected in 2016 on a select group of 11 journal characteristics shown in the following list (initial list of journal characteristics). As would be expected, data for all of the characteristics were not available. A review of the characteristics with substantial missing data resulted in a total of 959 journals with complete data on 8 of the 11 initial characteristics. A panel of scholars qualitatively examined the list of journals and concluded the sample was reasonably representative of business journals, and that the remaining eight characteristics provided a broad cross-section of journal quality metrics.\nImplications and limitations: Overall\nConclusions: To conclude, the current paper offers insights into a leading metric for evaluating scholarship. Given the role of scholarship in the modern environment, the results should be helpful to scholars and administrators alike. Despite the value of the reported insights, future work that more specifically evaluates the variables driving the ABDC list designations is probably warranted. The stakes are high for all concerned. A better and more detailed understanding of this widely used journal ranking list can only help university administrators and faculty improve in this primary function.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the variables that drive the rating within the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) list. The list is used in so many different ways throughout academic research that a better understanding of its component parts is essential.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The 2016 list was used as a base and additional variables added. The resulting database was subjected to statistical analysis using the PLS methodology.\nFindings: The overall finding is that the most significant driver of the ratings system is the impact factor. When this number is not available, the Cabell's rating may be a weaker proxy.\nResearch limitations/implications: The researchers used a set of additional variables that were limited in nature. Other variables not included in the study may be included in later work and be found to have some correlation with the ABDC rating.\nOriginality/value: Given the use of the ABDC list and the paucity of work in this area, the reported research may have significant value; especially for authors working in areas where journals are \"crossover\" in nature.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The application and use of the PAF quality costing model within a footwear company	[ "Quality costs", "Business improvement", "Footwear industry", "United Kingdom" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: There has been a consistent effort by a relatively small number of companies to use and apply cost of quality (COQ) tools and techniques. An even smaller group of researchers (such as Dale and Wan, 2002; Roden and Dale, 2001; Campanella, 1999; Dale and Plunkett, 1999; Goulden and Rawlins, 1997; Bottorff, 1997; Bamford, 1995) report various attempts and efforts to establish COQ and allude to a variety of success factors and pitfalls to avoid. This paper will add to the body of knowledge by sharing the experiences of a major UK based footwear manufacturer, a sector in which there is little available quality costing literature at this time.So what are quality-related costs? They are the money spent attempting to achieve a quality level of 100 per cent, plus the money wasted through failure. Establishing the COQ may be useful at a number of different levels within any business, to compare and transfer successful techniques and ideas from one business unit to another. In being able to monitor trends in COQ valuable information, rather than mere data, is created and can be used as a basis for decision making. It allows for: more accurate setting of future budgets; the setting of realistic improvement targets and goals; and focused investment in prevention techniques to produce quantifiable savings (Bamford, 2004). According to Dale and Wan (2002) COQ helps companies to reduce manufacturing costs by identifying excessive cost, waste and non-value adding activities.Proposed initially by Feigenbaum (1956), quality related costs comprise both the voluntary costs of achieving a desired level of quality, and the involuntary costs of failing to achieve it. These are respectively called the costs of conformance, and of non-conformance (Crosby, 1979). According to Musgrove and Fox (1990) sometimes also \"cost of quality\" and \"cost of un-quality\". Since its proposition by Feigenbaum, the Prevention (cost of any action taken to investigate, prevent or reduce defects and failures), Appraisal (cost of assessing the quality achieved), Failure (internal=costs arising within the manufacturing organisation of the failure to achieve the quality specified; external=costs arising outside the manufacturing organisation of the failure to achieve the quality specified) (PAF) model has been the principal method for quality costing. This model was the only one used by the British Standards Institute until 1992. From this date, the Process model was recognised and included (see BSI, 1990, 1991, 1992) note that these are currently out of print but have been incorporated within Campanella, 1999). Dale and Wan (2002) summarise two further methods: a less formal scheme based on collecting quality costs by department (outlined in Dale and Plunkett, 1999) and a team approach were the aim is to identify the costs associated with things which have gone wrong within a process (described by Robison, 1997). This paper focuses upon the implementation, application and use of the PAF model.The definitions of the four kinds of cost incorporated within PAF can be taken from British Standard 6143: Costs of Prevention: any action taken to investigate, prevent or reduce defects and failures (e.g. the cost of planning, setting up and maintaining the quality system); Costs of Appraisal: assessing the quality achieved (e.g. the cost of inspecting, testing etc., carried out during and on completion of manufacture); Failure Costs - Internal: the failure to achieve the quality specified (e.g. scrap, re-work and re-inspection, and consequential losses within the organisation); Failure Costs - External: costs arising outside the organisation from failure to achieve quality specified (e.g. claims against warranty, replacement and consequential losses of custom and goodwill) (Campanella, 1999). Typical figures given in the literature for COQ range from Crosby's (1979) view of 25 to 30 per cent of turnover to Dale and Plunkett's (1999) 5 to 25 per cent. The PAF split is reported in an analysis by Abed and Dale (1987) of the quantitative data contained in the quality costing literature to be P=5 per cent, A=28 per cent, and F=67 per cent.Writing on the subject of the PAF model, Dale and Plunkett (1999) detail the perceived advantages and disadvantages stating that it may prompt a rational approach to collecting costs and can add orderliness and uniformity to ensuing reports. Among the advantages they outline are:* apparent universal acceptance;* promotion of desirability of different kinds of expenditure; and* provides keyword criteria to aid categorisation.Among its limitations are:* quality elements defined do not match well with common accounting systems;* many quality-related activities in grey areas where it is unclear to which category they belong; and* COQ of interest only to quality department personnel.\nResearch methodology: Research aim\nThe collection and application of quality costing: Background\nHow was the COQ data used?: According to Dale and Cooper (1992), Western organisations and their management are judged over relatively short periods of time. This is confirmed in research by Bamford and Forrester (2003) which highlighted the extremely short-term focus on financial targets and figures within a UK-based manufacturing company. Committing large amounts of money to improvement initiatives without some measure of cost effectiveness is often considered to be nothing more than a blind act of faith. Furthermore, it is contrary to the way in which western businesses operate. This is central to the use to which COQ has been applied within this Company.Within the Company COQ was used as an indicator to reduce the main cause of footwear failure - sealing splits. The trigger for this was the high proportion of costs attributable to failure in this area. This \"welted\" construction involves the upper being attached to the sole by passing a heated blade between the rubber sole and the rubber welt attached to the upper. The two surfaces melt and are permanently bonded. When this process works the bond between the surfaces is extremely strong, however if not done correctly it is prone to failure. In 2001 a total of 21,322 pairs of footwear were returned in the UK, 2,596 of these were for sealing splits (12 per cent of all returns). This amounted to a value of PS61,000. Unfortunately, the true cost was actually much higher for the following reasons:1. In 2001 only 17 per cent of sales were in the UK, assuming an equivalent returns rate was experienced globally the true costs exceed PS350,000.2. These values are ex-manufacturing cost only, they do not include distribution and shipping costs, the costs incurred processing the returns or loss of profit.This trend continued in 2002 with a total of 18,875 returns in the UK, of which 3,118 were sealing splits (16.5 per cent).From the information provided on the COQ report senior management decided something needed to be done. Upon investigation it was discovered that a basic test on the strength of the bond could be conducted in the factory by the heat sealing operative. Indeed, according to standard operating procedure (SOP) a small percentage were already supposed to be tested. In reality, this rarely happened as the employees were on a piece-rate payment system (the more made, the more paid) and it increased the length of the operation. It was decided to use the Company's own engineering department to develop a machine to test for seals that were likely to fail. Such a machine was developed but not in time to be used in the Company's own manufacturing sites, it is now being successfully used in the supplier's factories. It is anticipated that future significant reductions in the number and cost of returns for sealing splits will be realised as a direct result of the focused intervention driven by COQ.COQ was also used for more radical decision making. When the Company first embarked on cost of quality in 2000, one of the main cost areas identified were wages. Being reliant on manual labour for the production process, it was acknowledged this would be a large cost. An analysis was conducted on those people whose job descriptions stated they were involved in \"quality related\" activities. It was discovered that more people had jobs related to quality than expected. The exercise led to the number being reduced by 100, through re-assignment and a process of voluntary redundancy. Senior management believed this reduction could be sustained and achieved without adversely effecting quality, principally as the Company was going through a process of consolidating its manufacturing into fewer sites over a smaller geographical area. They deemed that one person could be responsible for an area of quality at more than one site. This is similar to findings by Richardson (1983) from the engineering industry (cited in Dale and Plunkett, 1999, p. 45) \"...success was achieved by applying the quality assurance managers joke, \"we can reduce our quality costs tomorrow - just sack the inspectors and checkers\".The COQ reports also identified specific areas where the Company could make real cost savings by improving efficiency (Campanella, 1999; Dale and Plunkett, 1999). For example, it was identified that Shorts (where the upper is missing for some reason and the shoe cannot then be produced) cost the Company PS1.7 million in 2001 but there was no real understanding of what was contributing to this. The COQ report also had particular impact during weeks when quality costs were higher than average; the managers responsible were often contacted to explain why the costs of their site or factory were so high. The report also acted as a stimulus to solve problems and launch improvement activities, this matches findings made by Bottorff (1997) who identified several tangible benefits to having a quality costing system.At the Company it was found that management information systems were always the best source of quality cost information. Such systems are generally easier to use, quicker and more flexible than other methods of data collection, if set up properly. However, the Company's systems were not always able to provide the required data and, as explained within this paper, it was necessary to work through a number of assumptions. Although not always 100 per cent accurate these assumptions were considered acceptable because they were consistent. Any improvement in the completeness of the data captured would have lead to an un-proportionate increase in effort. For example, a common assumption used was that every pair of footwear manufactured was the Company's top selling style. This assumption was used to value rejects, returned pairs and other scrapped components. It was considered both reasonable as 30 per cent of all footwear was produced in this style and robust as the style is produced every season regardless of changes in fashion. An extensive analysis of the Company's products could have been conducted to reach an average value but it would have been extremely time-consuming; it was felt that the end result in terms of value would have been approximately the same. The Company insisted on a sensible balance between the level of accuracy required and the time taken to collate the data; this was also found by Bamford (1995).Although the eventual aim was to make the COQ report company-wide, it did prove useful to begin by looking at just one function before expanding the scope of the report to take in the entire organisation (Dale and Wan, 2002). The first report concentrated solely on costs relating to the manufacturing and quality functions and as each revision was conducted its scope was extended. By concentrating on a smaller part the skills required were developed in-house which made it easier to look at the rest of the organisation objectively. At the Company it was found useful to link COQ to other measures, such as reject and shortage rates; COQ per pair; and COQ as a percentage of sales. This increased the perceived relevance and importance of COQ by linking it to data already used and understood (Bamford, 1995). COQ for the previous four weeks was also shown so that trends could be monitored and simple graphs were created projecting trends and values to the end of the year. The layout of the COQ report was also extremely important. Initially, the main body of the report was over 100 lines long and published on a weekly basis. It was discovered that not many people actually read it! A headlines page was therefore added which highlighted key information such as total costs, cost breakdown, COQ as percentage of sales, COQ per pair, trend information and reject rates. This theme gels with findings made by Dale and Wan (2002, p. 115) who asserted that it was important for employees to realise COQ was not an end in itself, rather a means to an end - focusing on areas to be improved.Guidelines\nConclusions: The aims of this research were to investigate the practical aspects of data collection and measurement of COQ within a footwear company; and to examine the manner in which the resulting information was used as part of business improvement. The PAF model provided information that could be used to add the strategic decision making process for the Company. During the research, the data collected was presented to the senior management team with other information collated by the quality department. This information was used to identify areas for improvement and to monitor the success of improvement activities. The PAF model is therefore highly suitable for the collection of costs for this Company. The structure of the model enabled senior management to distinguish how much money was spent on doing things wrong, and therefore how much value could be added to the bottom line by getting them right.Quality costing can only be used as a management tool if the data put forward is accepted as accurate. It is therefore limited by two factors:1. the availability of required information; and2. necessary expertise and resources to gather and analyse such information completely; these fit with similar findings by Crosby (1979), Eldgride and Dale (1989) and Roden and Dale (2001).Availability of information was a major hurdle at the Company. Some information was not available on systems, which meant assumptions had to be made. This was not ideal but without adopting this approach there would not have been a COQ report present. The costs of quality are most effective when the relationship between people is such that both successes and difficulties in cost control can be discussed openly without fear of chastisement. Where relationships are defensive, to advocate analysis of the cost of quality is nonsense. It appears to be a facet of human nature to manipulate figures, tell half-truths and play intellectual games to catch one another out. This ultimately results in the cost of quality being a total fabrication and of little value.The methodology applied for collection of the research data was wholly appropriate and consistent with the perceived outcomes required. It generated ample data, which facilitated discussion and the drawing of specific conclusions. A perceived limitation is the adoption of a single case approach; however, Remenyi (1998) argues that this can be enough to add to the body of knowledge.This research has provided a foundation for future work. An interesting area for further investigation would be to investigate the relationship between the management information systems in place, the COQ models used, and the Company approach to business (proactive, reactive, etc). It is anticipated that progression would not be linear, i.e. they may exist and develop independently of each other.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to describe an investigation into collection and measurement of cost of quality, explaining how this information was presented and used for business improvement in a footwear company.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - An action research methodology was adopted. The research involved: review of available COQ literature; identification of cost categories; adoption and trial of cost collection systems.\nFindings: - Quality costing can only be used as a management tool if the data presented is both accurate and valid. This is limited by availability of required information and necessary expertise and resources to gather and analyse such information. Careful development of the cost model and a transparent, agreed methodology for employing it is essential.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The methodology applied was appropriate, generating data to facilitate discussion and draw specific conclusions from. A perceived limitation is the single case approach; however, this can be enough to add to the body of knowledge.\nPractical implications: - Guidelines for quality cost collection and analysis are presented. The methodology developed is being used elsewhere within the same corporate group.\nOriginality/value: - The paper describes how one company effectively used COQ to produce focused data for decision making. It demonstrates that COQ can focus efforts to improve business performance.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Overcoming organizational inertia to strengthen business model innovation: An open innovation perspective	[ "Business model innovation", "Inbound open innovation", "Organizational inertia", "Outbound open innovation" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In recent years, the business model has been considered the core of value creation for businesses and one of the means of gaining a competitive advantage (Amit and Zott, 2001; Chesbrough and Rosenbloom, 2002; Matthyssens et al., 2006). With rapidly evolving technology in an uncertain environment, enterprises must rethink and continue to try to create new business models (Voelpel et al., 2004). Business model innovation is defined as repositioning a customer value proposition (CVP), including the redesign of the profit formula and identifying key resources and processes (Johnson et al., 2008; Moore, 2004). The business model innovation is an opportunity for existing enterprises to reinvent a completely different business model, and recreate customer value and value delivery methods (Markides, 2006; Matthyssens et al., 2006; Moore, 2004). Despite this, inertia exists in most organizations. Hannan and Freeman's (1977) structural inertia theory indicates the characteristics of inertia in a business structure. They stated that inertia will hinder organizations facing external environmental changes because businesses cannot respond efficiently and engage in organizational change. When organizations try to change, various organizational structures and inertia behavior for strategies and systems emerge due to the experience that past models created, or because organizations were bound by fixed operating procedures. Studies have shown that it is not conducive for organizations engaged in innovative activities to have organizational inertia (Amabile et al., 1996; Blumentritt and Danis, 2006; Francis and Smith, 1995; Matthyssens et al., 2006; Nijssen et al., 2006). Scholars have also indicated that inertia inhibits organizations from innovating and makes it difficult for them to change their business model (Chesbrough, 2006, 2007b; Matthyssens et al., 2006; Sull, 1999). Therefore, this study focuses on the organizational inertia perspective and its influence on innovative activities (i.e. open innovation and business model innovation) of an enterprise.\nTheory and hypotheses: Management challenges behind innovation in SMEs\nMethods: Conceptual framework\nResults: Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis\nConclusions and implications: Conclusions\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This study aims to examine how open innovation can be effective in changing organizational inertia to create business model innovation and improve firm performance. It also seeks to explore whether the existence of open innovation has a mediating effect and influence.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study constructs a theoretical model to explore the relationship between latent variables and uses a questionnaire to collect research data. In the conceptual framework, organizational inertia is a second-order latent variable and comprises three first-order latent variables: insight inertia, action inertia, and psychological inertia. Open innovation is also a second-order latent variable, and consists of two first-order latent variables: outbound and inbound open innovation. To clarify the relationship between these latent variables, structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the goodness of fit of the theoretical model and research hypotheses. This study uses 141 small to medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan as the research subjects.\nFindings: The SEM analysis revealed that open innovation has a significant mediating effect on the relationship between organizational inertia and business model innovation, and the relationship between organizational inertia and firm performance; business model innovation also has a positive influence on firm performance.\nOriginality/value: This study contributes the empirical analysis of SMEs to illustrate the role of open innovation on business model innovation processes.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Profiting from (not too many) package designs: evidence from a firm-level design registration analysis in the food manufacturing industry	[ "Package design", "Food manufacturing industry", "Design patent", "Firm performance" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The packaging of products plays a very important role in a series of processes from production through transportation, purchasing, consumption and final disposal. According to Keller (2013), product packages perform several functions, such as identifying the brand, conveying descriptive and persuasive information, facilitating product transportation and protection, assisting in at-home storage and aiding product consumption. For transport firms and retailers, the package functions to make the product easy to transport and display. For consumers, the package is one of the relevant factors taken into account when deciding whether to purchase the product. Packages also influence the disposal and recycling of products after their consumption.Given the recognition, in recent years, of the importance of packaging, the package has been recognized as the \"Fifth P,\" following the marketing mix of the 4Ps proposed by McCarthy and Perreault (1960). In addition, to prevent counterfeits, firms have tried to protect the design of their packages by registering design patents after developing effective packaging (Japan Patent Office, 2011).Focusing on the relationship between the package and consumer decision-making, it has been noted that a distinctive package is essential to differentiate one product from other similar products lined up in the display shelves of retail stores and to stimulate consumers' willingness to purchase (Berkowitz, 1987; Silayoi and Speece, 2007; Jinkarn and Suwannaporn, 2015). Many studies have been conducted to verify the influence of particular package elements on consumer psychology and to reveal the impact on sales. However, regarding the change of packages, there are inconsistent findings. Some papers found a change in sales due to a change in the packaging of existing products (Marsh and Bugusu, 2007; Rundh, 2013). For example, Cheez-It (confectionery) announced its redesigned product in 2015. As a result, Cheez-It sales increased 6% and retail sales increased by more than $50m (Kasperkevic, 2017). By contrast, sales of Tropicana decreased by approximately 20% after a change in the packaging (Lee et al., 2010).Other than these papers, there are few studies in the entire industry that quantitatively examine the results of package development, for the following reasons. First, it is difficult to quantify ambiguous designs. Second, many past product developments were technology driven. Third, it is difficult to perform a cross-sectional quantitative analysis because there is a high dependency on the field or industry.In this study, we quantitatively verified the relationship between the outcome of package development and firm performance by using design patent data. This study estimated the influence of the application and possession of design patents for packages on the operating profit ratio of firms. Specifically, we tested the extent to which this possession increases the difficulty of imitating the product and contributes to profit. This study narrowed the observation down to the food industry to overcome the second and third challenges mentioned above.There are two academic contributions of this study. First, it quantitatively indicates the extent to which the effect of package design, which has been difficult to quantitatively verify to date, contributes to improvement in firm performance. Second, it proposes a new quantitative method to demonstrate firm performance based on design patents, which has been challenging to analyze for the reasons noted above.\n2. Literature review and hypothesis generation: From the viewpoint of value, product packaging may be classified into two groups. The first group has \"emotional value,\" contains recognized product brands and includes product image. The second group has \"functional value,\" which refers to the usability and practicality of the product. In this chapter, we generate hypotheses from previous studies on (1) product packages and their value according to these categories and (2) the relationship between design development and the performance of firms. 2.1 Packages and emotional value\n3. Data and analysis method: To examine the above hypothesis, this study used the following data and analytical method. We analyzed firms in the food manufacturing industry that have published financial statements. 3.1 Firms analyzed\n4. Results: 4.1 Impact of new registration of package designs (Hypothesis 1)\n5. Discussion: In this study, we aimed to quantitatively verify the effect of the results of package development on firm performance by controlling elements such as firm scale. Specifically, we examined the impact of new design patent registration and design patent possessions on firm sales and operating profit. The results are summarized in Table 7. 5.1 Registration of design patents and firm performance\n6. Limitations, scope for future study and implications: 6.1 Limitations and scope for future study\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Researchers have pointed out that product packaging in the food industry has a significant influence on consumer decision-making. However, the impact of package development on firm performance has not been investigated due to the limited availability of analyses on package design. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between package development and firm performance in the Japanese food manufacturing industry.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study empirically analyzed the relationship between package development and firm performance in the Japanese food manufacturing industry by using design patents data.\nFindings: As a result of multiple regression analysis, it became clear that the number of design patents related to packaging is significantly linked to the operating profit ratio, growth rate of sales and increase in operating profits of firms. Moreover, the results show inverse U-shaped effects between design patents and firm performance.\nResearch limitations/implications: The results imply the importance of effective package design management.\nOriginality/value: This study provides novel insight on both marketing strategy and intellectual property management in the food industry, and it also provides a new method for empirical analysis using design patent data.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Managerial trustworthiness and social exchange with the organization	[ "Trust", "Employees", "Managers" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: In today's changing workplace, employees seek support from their organizations more than ever to help juggle the demands of work and home. Accordingly, researchers have explored perceptions of organizational support within the employee-organization relationship (EOR; Coyle-Shapiro and Shore, 2007; Shore, Bommer, Rao and Seo, 2009; Shore, Coyle-Shapiro, Chen and Tetrick, 2009). Perceived organizational support (POS) represents employees' perceptions that their organization genuinely cares about their contributions and well-being (Eisenberger et al., 1986). Recent meta-analyses provide evidence that POS is consistently associated with valued employee attitudes and behaviors such as organizational commitment and job performance (Rhoades and Eisenberger, 2002), making it a construct of interest in the EOR domain.\nConceptual framework and hypotheses: Organizational support theory\nMethod: Participants and procedures\nResults: Table I provides the means, standard deviations, correlations, and reliability estimates for the study variables. Results of the hypothesized measurement model showed a good fit to the data, kh2=60.15(44) p < 0.01, NFI =0.94, CFI =0.98, RMSEA =0.06. These results verify the factor structure of our measures and the posited relationship between indicators and their latent constructs. The RMSEA was a little higher than desired (less than 0.06 is preferred), indicating that some error of fit exists in our model (Kline, 2005). The hypothesized measurement model obtained the best fit to the data as compared to other models, including a Harman single-factor test used to assess common method variance (Podsakoff et al., 2003), and therefore was retained for creating the structural model.Results for the hypothesized structural model also show a good fit to the data, kh2=89.85(50) p < 0.01, NFI =0.91, CFI =0.96, RMSEA =0.09, indicating that our data were consistent with the hypothesized model (see Figure 2 and Table II). All relationships were significant at the 0.05 level, showing support for H1 through H3.H4 and H5 were tested using effects decomposition, which assess mediation. Like regression analyses for mediation, effects decomposition does not indicate causal relationships. With regard to trustworthiness of the manager, POS partially mediated its relationship with social exchange with the organization, as evident by the significance of the indirect path = 0.34, p < 0.05 and the direct path = 0.24, p < 0.05, consistent with expectations. This finding provides support for H4. Results showed that social exchange with the organization fully mediated the relationship between POS and organizational commitment, as shown by the significant indirect path and the non-significant direct path from POS to organizational commitment (p < 0.05, indirect path=0.43, p < 0.05, direct path = 0.18, ns). The direct path between POS and job performance was not significant (0.12, ns), but the indirect path from POS to job performance (through social exchange) was just below the threshold for significance (0.14, ns). Social exchange with the organization fully mediated the relationship between trustworthiness of the manager and both organizational commitment (indirect path =0.56, p < 0.05, direct path =0.18, ns) and job performance (indirect path =0.22, p < 0.05, direct path =0.07, ns). Hence, as hypothesized, social exchange with the organization mediated the relationship between perceptions of trustworthiness of the manager and POS (as predictors) and organizational affective commitment. Only the relationship between trustworthiness of the manager and job performance was fully mediated by social exchange with the organization. The lack of a significant indirect path between POS and job performance resulted in only partial support for H5. The final model parameters (standardized coefficients) are shown in Figure 2.Although numerous alternative structural models may exist (MacKinnon et al., 2002), we focused on one alternative that represented the directionality in Shore et al. (2006), shown in Figure 3, whose relationships were based on theoretical suppositions. All fit indices are shown in Table II. The chi-square and fit indices for the Shore et al. model appeared worse than for our hypothesized structural model. Results of effects decomposition on this alternative model did support commitment fully mediating the relationship between POS and social exchange with the organization, findings that are consistent with what Shore and colleagues reported.\nDiscussion: We proposed that employees' perceptions of the trustworthiness of their manager are positively related to the development of POS. We found support for our model with one exception. We hypothesized that social exchange would fully mediate the relationship between POS and job performance. However, we failed to obtain the significance necessary to demonstrate this mediation. Past research has found only a weak to moderate relationship between POS and in-role job performance (Rhoades and Eisenberger, 2002; Wayne et al., 2002), thus it is possible that the lack of a strong relationship between POS and in-role job performance explains our results. Future research could use organizational citizenship behaviors or contextual performance as indicators of job performance, instead. Additionally, a larger sample size may help in effectively testing the relationship between POS and in-role performance.Through an examination of an alternative model, we found support for commitment fully mediating the relationship between POS and social exchange with the organization; however, this alternative model demonstrated a worse fit than our hypothesized model. The combined findings from our model and the alternative provide evidence for concluding that POS, social exchange with the organization, and organizational commitment are all closely related and important within the EOR. The implications of our findings are that POS, social exchange, and organizational commitment may operate in a reciprocal manner. Importantly, we conceptually extended Shore and colleagues' (2006) model by adding trustworthiness and extending our understanding of the social exchange and organizational support nomological network. Hence, our findings provide a significant contribution to understanding the EOR.Further, according to our hypothesized model, social exchange appears necessary for perceptions of organizational support to relate to outcomes, and more generally, that social exchange with the organization serves as mediator between key attitudes towards the organization and employee outcomes. Though the directionality of relationships cannot be determined, the results support what we hypothesized based on theory. The implications of our findings are that relationships built on social exchange, which requires reciprocation (Gouldner, 1960), are central to how employees connect with their organization. Organizations should pay attention to nurturing and protecting these relationships.Implications of these findings for society as a whole include that individuals may develop relationships with organizational systems such as government and financial institutions using the same give-and-take framework that relies on the trustworthiness of the leaders of those institutions. Such relationships seem necessary for a successful economy that relies on the exchange of services and goods, and to handle the constant state of change and uncertainty in the world market. As corporate leaders, particularly those from institutions of higher learning, financial, and regulatory agencies, may be considered agents of society, the implications of their actions are far reaching. Conveying trustworthiness at these levels is critical to supporting a flourishing economy (Ogilvy, 1995).Our results contribute to the literature in that we teased apart POS and social exchange, along with managerial trustworthiness, to assess their relationship with organizational commitment and job performance. Previous studies have confounded trust with trustworthiness, and none have examined the role of managerial trustworthiness with POS or social exchange with the organization. Thus, our study clarifies, to a greater extent, the EOR domain. As researchers continue to study these constructs using longitudinal and experimental techniques (e.g. Lapierre, 2007; Mayer and Davis, 1999), they can establish a clear pattern as to how these constructs truly relate in various work environments. For now, however, the more studies that examine the underlying mechanisms of the EOR the better, and we take a step in this direction.\nStrengths, limitations, and future research: Our study design using cross-sectional data limits conclusions of directionality. The implied directionality was based on theory and previous research, and our data supported the hypothesized relationships well. Experimental and longitudinal designs could further advance our understanding of which construct, trustworthiness, social exchange, or perceived support is the primary driver of employee reciprocation. In addition, we were unable to compare respondents with non-respondents. Finally, we obtained fit statistics that were not ideal (significant kh2 and higher than desired RMSEA), suggesting that other explanations for relationships between constructs may exist. Given that the RMSEA and kh2 are sensitive to sample size and the other fit indices were good, we believe our results should not be ruled out.The study has strengths such as using a field sample of manager-employee dyads. We relied on supervisory-rated job performance and used several procedural remedies to minimize CMV (Podsakoff et al., 2003). We randomly selected an employee from each work group and only one supervisor rated each employee, ensuring the independence of ratings. Rather than focusing on one or two aspects of the EOR, we included several. We assessed perceptions of managerial trustworthiness and examined how they relate to employee attitudes that are typically influenced by organizational agents. Finally, we used SEM to simultaneously assess relationships, thereby reducing the likelihood of committing a Type-I error as compared to using regression.Future research should include experiments, where possible, to determine whether managerial trustworthiness best serves to foster a climate for social exchange or whether it follows from employees' reactions to POS. By delineating which occurs first, practitioners can design interventions targeted at the source of change, maximizing efforts and reducing costs. Future work can incorporate constructs related to POS (and social exchange), such as psychological contracts (Coyle-Shapiro and Conway, 2005; Dulac et al., 2008). Extensions are also possible with the inclusion of citizenship behaviors, especially those directed towards one's supervisor and the organization, as well as health related outcomes such as physical and emotional well-being.\nConclusion: implications for theory, practice, and society: Our results promote discussion in the exploration of the EOR. The implications of our findings are that revisions to organizational support theory may be appropriate, wherein trustworthiness of the manager and social exchange are identified as separate constructs and their roles explicitly noted rather than assumed. We advance Mayer and colleagues' (1995) theory of trust and trustworthiness by providing empirical support for its use in explaining relationships within organizational contexts.Assuming our results are replicated, leaders and practitioners should incorporate policies that value the integrity of managers, such as those grounded in fairness principles. By offering ongoing training, companies can boost their managers' ability level, a contributing factor to trustworthiness of the manager. Corporate leaders may be considered agents of society, whose actions have far reaching societal implications. Hence, such leaders should be required to participate in training to convey trustworthiness at these levels, and held accountable for developing a positive exchange relationship with society members, in order to facilitate the broad exchange of goods and services that keep society flourishing.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine how managerial trustworthiness and social exchange with the organization integrate with perceived organizational support to relate to supervisor-rated job performance and self-report organizational commitment.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A sample of 119 full-time employees from a variety of occupations at a single organization completed surveys. Their supervisor rated job performance.\nFindings: - This paper finds that managerial trustworthiness was positively related to job performance and organizational commitment via POS and social exchange with the organization; and that POS was related to organizational commitment through social exchange with the organization.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Limitations include cross-sectional data from a single organization. Strengths include non self-report ratings of job performance. Future research should consider experimental and longitudinal designs to capture causality.\nPractical implications: - Organizations may improve job performance and organizational commitment by increasing the trustworthiness of the manager, which might lead to increases in perceived support and social exchange. Trustworthiness can be increased by incorporating policies to encourage the integrity of managers, increasing managers' ability via training, and fostering a climate of benevolence.\nOriginality/value: - This study is the first to examine the trustworthiness of the manager, a central figure to employees, at the same time as support and social exchange in the employee-organization relationship.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
A method to align functionalities of a manufacturing execution system with competitive priorities	[ "Competitive strategy", "Manufacturing strategy", "Analytical hierarchy process", "Automation", "Manufacturing competences", "Strategic manufacturing" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Real-time control of operations can help manufacturing companies in the operational decision-making process (Negahban and Smith, 2014), aligning the available information with the strategic objectives of the manufacturing (Valckenaers et al., 2007). Manufacturing execution systems (MES) can provide information with the required accuracy and speed for real-time control of the manufacturing activities (Sedano et al., 2011). The structure of an MES comprises macro-objectives, pillars and functionalities, whose importance change according to the prioritization of the strategic objectives of the manufacturing.\n2. Background: 2.1 A structured model for MES functionalities\n3. The research: 3.1 Methodology\n4. Discussion: The discussion takes place in three parts, regarding MT, regarding DD and regarding the joint possible implications to MES users and vendors.\n5. Conclusion: The research question was:\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to align the implementation of the manufacturing execution systems (MES) functionalities with the manufacturing competitive dimensions of two companies of the metal-mechanics industry.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research object comprises two Brazilian manufacturers that use MES. The research method is quantitative modeling. A literature review organized 24 functionalities of MES. The study prioritized the functionalities and the manufacturing competitive dimensions, evaluated the contribution and the quality of the implementation and classified the functionalities.\nFindings: Two functionalities in the first and five in the second case have high contribution and quality. Three functionalities in the first and six in the second case have low contribution and quality. The first group should be more explored and updated. The second should be discontinued. The rest has intermediate graduations and should be studied case-by-case. The main contribution of the paper is the method, which can be replicated in other applications in the same or in other industries.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study relies on two case studies of the same industry. Further research shall encompass the entire industry and cases in industries others than the metal-mechanics.\nPractical implications: MES users and vendors may benefit from the study as they can apply the method to align the implementation with the manufacturing strategy and therefore enhance the effectivity of the system.\nOriginality/value: The authors did not find a study that associates the performance or the contribution of the MES functionalities to the competitive priorities with the quality, integrity or consistency of the implementation.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
"The tablet is on the table!" The need for a teachers' self-hetero-eco technological formation program	[ "Educational innovation", "Mobile communications", "Tablet", "Self-hetero-eco formation process", "Teacher formation", "Team building" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The Federal Government has started the distribution of tablets to many teachers of English (and of other disciplines) in elementary and high schools in the city of Sao Paulo and in the other main cities of Brazil. Regardless of the undeniable value of such an ambitious initiative that has affected public institutions, no orientation has been provided to instrumentalize these professionals to employ tablets as a didactic resource to be used in class with students or out of class to prepare lessons and/or evaluate ready-made materials available on the web. Consequently, the yellow tablets have been carried around by teachers and left on classroom tables without any meaningful use or consistent pedagogical practice. This is the context motivating the discussion in this paper, which is focussed on the need to provide technological formation to those professionals who have a tough workload (around 50 classes a week), little free time and neither the rare nor privileged financial conditions to take specific extension courses on Educational Technology.\nDigital resources and their route to schools: Looking back over the last four decades, it is perceived that the advent of computers may be considered a \"watershed\" moment (Bottentuit Junior, 2012, p. 126) that provoked, among many visible transformations, the automatization of routines in all knowledge areas; new forms of accessing, processing, conveying, and storing information; new work-related routines; the creation of a \"both extraordinary and surprisingly sustained speed\" (Levy, 1997, p. 1), and the creation of never previously envisioned jobs and professions.\nUsing tablets for educational purposes: Leffa and Freire (2013, p. 28) state that, when mentioning face-to-face or distance education, there are three essential types of human communication and interaction: one to one, one to many, and many to many. This quotation is relevant to start our discussion with, because tablets are provided for classrooms in which interpersonal interaction occurs among one teacher and around 40 students at a time.\nFinal remarks: Teachers of English in Brazil have been living an ambiguous moment to deal with: on the one hand, they have received a tablet, a quite modern technological tool to insert in their professional practice; on the other hand, they have not received any kind of orientation on how to use this device as a pedagogical resource. As a consequence, some teachers just do nothing, whereas others have been looking for alternatives, reading articles, talking to other teachers, trying to find ways to learn how to use that particular tool.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The Federal Government has begun distributing tablets to teachers in public schools in Brazil. However, no preparation was provided to guide professionals on how to use them for pedagogical purposes. As a result, teachers have been carrying tablets around or leaving them alone on their classroom tables. Considering this situation, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the possibility of adopting a ternary conception of formation processes - the self-hetero-eco formation process - to help teachers learn how to use tablets for educational purposes; and on the potential of such a process to congregated teachers in the joint creation and maintenance of a Didactic Digital Material/App Data Bank.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Theoretically, this paper is grounded on complexity principles (Morin, 2008, 2010), and especially on the studies made by Moraes (2007), Freire (2009) and Freire and Leffa (2013).\nFindings: The movement of perceiving each teacher as responsible for his/her formation (personalization), interacting with others to expand possibilities, co-constructing knowledge to reach co-formation (socialization), and interacting with the environment with/from which s/he learns (ecoligization) will reveal the self-hetero-eco technological formation process which may help teachers create steady links amongst themselves at school and resolve many difficult situations such as the need to overcome the lack of technological skills to use tablets. Besides that, the idea of joining teachers together and jointly creating and maintaining a Didactic Digital Material/App Data Bank may not only impact on the use of the tablet itself but also on interpersonal relationships, intensifying respect, companionship and friendship, among other important ties that help bind people together.\nOriginality/value: This paper presents an innovative formation concept which is not based on time development, but which is based on the agents involved in the process and in the environment where the formation takes place. This concept is based on complexity and seems to be more attuned to the features of the contemporary world.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Purpose, passion and play: Exploring the construct of flourishing from the perspective of school principals	[ "Flourishing", "Leadership", "School principals", "Positive learning communities", "Well-being and leadership" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: What does it mean to flourish as a school principal? What can we learn from inquiring into the positive emotional and social aspects of the work of school leaders? These questions reflect our interest in using a positive organizational perspective to carry out research with those who work in school organizations (Cherkowski and Walker, 2013a, b, 2014). This perspective aligns with a growing shift in psychology and organizational studies to frame research using phenomena and constructs such as resilience, compassion, hope, efficacy, self-determination and meaningfulness at work and in other areas of life. Research findings from the disciplines of both positive psychology and positive organization studies are useful as we join with others to bring these positive research intelligences into the field of education to study what works, what goes well, what supports and fosters a full sense of humanity through work and what brings vitality to people in school organizations.\nOur interdisciplinary theoretical framework: We locate our research in the fields of positive psychology and positive organizational scholarship (POS). With this interdisciplinary theoretical framework we establish a focus on the positive, generative and life-enhancing aspects of the work of teaching and leading in schools, moving away from a tendency to focus research on deficits, gaps and shortcomings and aligned with the growing body of research in the science of positive development (cf. Cameron and Caza, 2004; Carr, 2004; Diener, 2000; Seligman, 2002, 2011).\nMethods: The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of practicing school leaders' experiences and understanding of flourishing in their work of leading schools. Our preliminary research questions were:\nOur findings: Most of the responses indicated that flourishing environments were ones that hosted a strong sense of working together towards a common purpose, where there was evidence of a strong passion for helping students learn and an atmosphere of team playfulness and excitement. Although we will present these three themes in separate sections, the stories revealed that each theme interacts and overlaps to create a sense a flourishing in school workplaces. Moreover, the participants described their understanding of flourishing, but acknowledged that, for them, flourishing is often \"magical\", and \"hard to quantify\". We aimed to have them put into words what is often impossible to describe, but is commonly felt during their work in their schools. Although the participants may have been challenged to put into words their understanding of flourishing in their work, they were able to reflect on it as \"deeply rewarding and satisfying\". One of the binding threads through the responses was the belief that a deep and lasting impression can be felt when a sense of flourishing has been evoked among educators and across the learning community. In the next section we describe the three themes that emerged from the stories: working together towards a common purpose; creating a safe space where the passion for teaching can emerge; and engaging a sense of playfulness at work.\nDiscussion: what do these findings mean for school leaders?: From the stories and related insights of these school leaders we have been able to glean initial understandings about what it means to flourish in schools from the perspectives of this small group of principals. Flourishing in the work of leading seemed to be about creating conditions for teachers, students and others in the school to work together towards shared goals in climates of care, connection, trust, innovation and improvement, fun and laughter. This finding reflects descriptions in learning organization and learning community literature about the importance of an interdependent ethic of care necessary for creating safe spaces for teachers to learn about their practice with the goal of improving student learning (Hargreaves and Fullan, 2012; Hord and Sommers, 2008; Mitchell and Sackney, 2009; Sergiovanni, 1994; Stoll and Louis, 2007). The stories from our respondents highlight that this ethic of care can be both intellectual and visceral; this feeling of care extends between teachers and students, it can create energy and motivation that enriches academic learning and makes an impact in how the community works together towards common goals of improved student outcomes. From this small group of respondents we can describe flourishing, in part, as a sense of purpose for ongoing improvement of educational experiences for students by creating a school community of care, connectedness and trust where teachers feel engaged to share in the work of leading together for school improvement.\nConclusion: In this paper, we have argued that the capacity for educational leaders to enliven a sense of flourishing in themselves and their learning community is an important, yet under-researched, aspect of educational leadership. One of the aims of this study was to establish a definition of flourishing from the perspective of school principals. As we engaged more deeply with the data, we noticed that there is no clear definition that we can share. Indeed, the idea of a messy, murky and, sometimes, elusive understanding of flourishing underpinned the stories we heard from the leaders in this study. We noticed that there seemed to be a common thread of trust, care, and a sense of shared leadership for achieving common goals for student learning and achievement that ran through the stories of how our respondents described flourishing. From the stories and descriptions we noted that a sense of flourishing seemed to emanate from a strong purpose, a sense of passion, and a feeling of play in the work of cultivating school climates where teachers feel their own sense of purpose, passion and play at work. The findings provoke us to think about how shifting the focus of research and practice in educational leadership towards more positive, strengths-based perspectives might provide new ways and spaces for principals to work with teachers to cultivate professional learning climates where the fullness of their humanity can be expressed through engaging their hearts, minds and bodies in the work of teaching, learning and leading in schools.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and elaborate on the construct of flourishing in schools as understood through the stories and explanations provided by a small group of public school principals. Framed within a positive organizational perspective, the specific objectives of this study are: to identify how school leaders understand and experience flourishing in their roles and in their schools; to explore the conditions, catalysts and/or galvanizing forces of flourishing in schools.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The researchers used an electronic Delphi survey to gain a qualitative description of the understandings and impressions of the construct of flourishing from the perspective of practicing school administrators in one school district in central British Columbia. Delphi responses were aggregated after each round and thematically analysed to determine patterns and trends for further examination through progressive iterations of the survey administered via e-mail. The final set of data were then analysed for patterns, trends and themes that were compared and contrasted against research findings in the literature underpinning the theoretical framework for this study.\nFindings: While there was no single definition of what it means to flourish in the work of school leadership, shared descriptions from these principals indicated that they feel a sense of flourishing when they are working together with teachers from a sense of purpose and passion and in a spirit of play to cultivate learning climates that reflect a shared ownership for improving educational experiences for students. These initial findings provoke thinking about the potentials and benefits of shifting the focus of research and practice in educational leadership towards more positive, strengths-based perspectives.\nResearch limitations/implications: The sample size was small, and so generalizing findings beyond this study is unreasonable. Further, because the researchers separated participant information from responses in order to safeguard anonymity and to aggregate the responses to provide these back to participants for their further elaboration and reflections, they were unable to determine whether particular responses were connected to context (elementary or secondary, size of school, years of experience as an administrator), gender or other demographic factors. However, the use of the electronic Delphi instrument provided insights on engaging school principals in thoughtful inquiry as participants, while respecting the busy workload and time constraints associated with the work of school principals.\nPractical implications: Attending to well-being in the work of leading schools is an under-researched area of educational leadership. This study is an example of how researching educational leadership from a positive, strengths-based, human development perspective may provide useful insights for supporting principals and other educators to notice, nurture and sustain a sense of flourishing in their work and across the school. While further research is needed to examine the construct of flourishing across a diverse range of school organizations, the findings from this study provoke thinking about the benefits of studying what goes well, what brings vitality and a more full sense of humanity in the work of leading school organizations.\nOriginality/value: The researchers use a new perspective for examining and explaining the phenomenon of flourishing in schools, a positive organizational research orientation. The use of this strengths-based, positive, human development approach to examining the construct of flourishing from the perspective of school principals can offer new insights and strategies for attending to well-being as an integral part of the work of leading schools.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
A tool for measuring SMEs' reputation, engagement and goodwill: A New Zealand exploratory study	[ "Social media", "Internet", "Engagement", "Small to medium sized enterprises", "Goodwill", "Business reputation" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Major structural changes have occurred in developed economies in the last few decades. One of the most significant changes has been the increasing importance of knowledge-based factors of production underpinned by information communications technology and the internet. Intellectual capital (IC) rather than physical capital is now seen as the main driver of competitive advantage and hence of economic growth (e.g. Clarke et al., 2011). IC is increasingly dominating firms' capital values, investments and sources of profit (Granstrand, 2000). It is therefore important for firms to be able to measure their IC and to manage it appropriately.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Measurement of REG\n3. Method: 3.1 The DCE\n4. Results: 4.1 Demographic and background characteristics\n5. Discussion and conclusions: Being able to measure and manage their business reputation and other IC is very important for the success of all firms, including SMEs (Steenkamp and Kashyap, 2010). This study's review of the literature revealed a variety of terms used by different disciplines to describe the concepts of business reputation and goodwill (Shenkar and Yuchtman-Yaar, 1997), and that different stakeholders have different perceptions of their constituents and indicators (Ali et al., 2015). The review also revealed the dearth of practical and inexpensive tools for measuring SMEs' REG. Accordingly, this paper reports on an exploratory study undertaken in New Zealand to develop a rating and scoring tool for measuring SMEs' REG, including internet presence and following on social media.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a rating and scoring tool for measuring small and medium enterprises' (SMEs) reputation, engagement and goodwill (REG), including internet presence and following on social media, by an exploratory study undertaken in New Zealand.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) applying the PAPRIKA method via an online survey was conducted to determine weights representing the relative importance of six indicators related to SMEs' REG. Usable responses were received from 159 people involved with SMEs. Cluster analysis to identify participants with similar patterns of weights was performed.\nFindings: The six indicators, in decreasing order of importance (mean weights in parentheses), are: \"captured\" customer opinions about the business (0.28); contact with customer database (0.19); website traffic (0.16); Google Search ranking (0.15); size of customer database, (0.11); and following on social media (0.11). These indicators and weights can be used to rate and score individual SMEs. The cluster analysis indicates that participants' age has some influence on their weights.\nResearch limitations/implications: Only 159 usable responses for the DCE.\nPractical implications: The indicators and their weights provide a practical and inexpensive tool for measuring SMEs' REG.\nOriginality/value: This is the first study to use a DCE to determine weights representing the relative importance of indicators included in a tool for measuring SMEs' REG. The tool is innovative because it includes readily available indicators of firms' internet presence and following on social media.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
A model of cause-related marketing for "profit-driven" and "non-profit" organizations	[ "Cause marketing", "Partnership", "Non‐profit organizations", "Organizations" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Cause-related marketing (CRM) has developed to a level of sophistication that it is now seen as much sought after means for profit-driven (PD) organizations in targeting their marketing efforts in order to leverage their business off the social conscience of potential consumers. The concept that emerged in the USA in the late 1970s through the inventiveness of Jerry Welsh of American Express has developed into an industry in its own right (Davidson, 1997). It has spread across the developed world and is now an accepted and entrenched means of marketing the products of PD organizations and is a means of attracting much needed contributions for worthy \"causes\" supported by non-profit (NP) organizations (Svensson and Wood, 2008).If one does a rudimentary search of the internet one finds a plethora of web pages touting the benefits of PD organizations involved in worthy \"causes\" and seeking out partnerships. NP organizations are advertizing their wares to anyone who may be interested in their \"cause\". PD organizations are coming on board to support their \"cause\": it appears they perceive benefits from the partnership.Cone (1996, p. 104) stated that CRM had gone from what was once a successful promotions tool to today being \"a highly sophisticated marketing strategy\". In the USA, CRM has grown from nothing in 1983, yet it was estimated to be worth US$1,340 million in 2006 (Cause Marketing Forum, 2007).The grounding principle of CRM appears to be fairly simple and straightforward. It may start with a PD organization intending or attempting to build a partnership with a worthy and, usually, notable \"cause\" in the marketplace supported by a NP organization in the same society or the NP seeking out a PD company. Once a CRM-partnership is established and formalized, each organization promotes the other in a carefully calculated agreement designed to enhance each other's financial outcome. The NP organization (and in extension, the \"cause\") receives money from sales of the PD organization's merchandise; the PD organization increases its sales; the consumer feels good about donating in another manner and everyone appears to win.Concerns may arise when CRM is examined. For example, one can see some inherent issues that may tarnish its image. PD and NP organizations need to think carefully through their motives and actions before they engage in such alliances with each other. In other words, we contend that a CRM-partnership is far from an easy task to create and maintain successfully. On the contrary, it requires awareness of its potential advantages and disadvantages. CRM also requires care in its development and implementation. The objective of this paper is to describe a model of CRM for both PD and NP organizations. There is, to our knowledge, no such combined model of both perspectives in literature. Subsequently, the model we describe may assist both PD and NP organizations in their endeavours and processes of establishing a CRM-partnership in the marketplace and society.\nFrame of reference: CRM has been variously described by such terms as \"civic marketing\" (Michaels, 1995) and \"public purpose marketing\" (Abrahams, 1996), however, the generally accepted term in the literature is \"CRM\". The definition that seems most oft quoted is that of Varadarajan and Menon (1988, p. 60) in which they state that CRM, is:[...] the process of formulating and implementing activities that are characterized by an offer from the firm to contribute a specified amount to a designated cause when customers engage in revenue-providing exchanges that satisfy organizational and individual objectives.Ptacek and Salazar (1997, p. 9) add to the concept by saying that: \"Its goal is to increase incremental sales and corporate image while contributing to the NP. Make no mistake about it, CRM is about sales, not philanthropy.\" Mehegan (1995, p. 32) contrasts CRM with philanthropy when he says:Philanthropy derives from a corporation's pre-tax income, while CRM usually comes out of the advertizing and promotion budget. In addition, while companies expect nothing in return for a charitable donation (except the tax write-off), they demand tangible sales results from CRM.As noted by Chaney and Dolli (2001, p. 157), \"The most critical aspect of the definition of CRM is that the donation is contingent upon sales of a certain product.\"The PD organization focuses their efforts on seeking out a partnership with a NP organization (i.e. dedicated to a \"cause\" or charity) that complements their already existing business profile or they focus upon a market niche for their product in which they may wish to establish a foothold (Miller, 1993). The NP organization and its \"cause\" are used as the incentive or hook for consumers in the marketplace and society to buy the product (Osterhus, 1997). The money that the NP organization receives is directly dependent upon the purchases of consumers. If the consumers do not buy then the NP organization and its \"cause\" do not receive any financial support. For CRM to work effectively for all involved, PD and NP organizations, need to convince the consumer to purchase. In the consumer's mind, the value seen in the product to be purchased must be commensurate with the value of the \"cause\" to which they believe that they are contributing.A number of surveys have been conducted to establish consumer perceptions of the concept and their acceptance of it. In 1993, Cone Communications and Roper Starch Worldwide conducted a survey of 1,981 men and women aged 18 and over and found that consumers believed that a PD organization should be contributing to \"causes\" that help reduce crime, homelessness, child abuse, poverty and hunger (Cone, 1996). They also found that 84 per cent of those surveyed believed that by being involved in CRM that it created a positive image for the PD organization, whilst 66 per cent would switch brands and 62 per cent would switch retailers to support a \"cause\" that was of concern to them (Weisend, 1993).Research that found similar opinions was carried out in the UK in 1996 by Research International on behalf of the charity \"cause\" called \"Business in the Community\". It surveyed 1,053 consumers concerning CRM. It found that (Murphy, 1997, p. 30), 61 per cent of consumers would switch from one retail outlet to another if it was associated with a \"cause\". Interestingly, 86 per cent had a more positive view of a PD organization, if they saw that it was doing something to make the world a better place, regardless of the \"cause\" or issue concerned (Murphy, 1997, p. 30).The \"Pearlman Group\" in the USA commissioned a study in 1996 by Roper which found that (Davidson, 1997, p. 38), 92 per cent said it is important to PD organizations to find ways to be good citizens. About 68 per cent rated it as very important. According to this study, one-third of the public frequently bases its purchase decisions on the \"cause\" a PD organization supports.Research in 2004 conducted by Cone and entitled the \"2004 Cone Corporate Citizenship Study\" built upon the PD organizations' work of the previous decade. In 1993, 66 per cent of customers said that they would switch brands for a PD organization associated with a \"cause\", but by 2004, this figure had risen to 86 per cent (Cone, 2004). The fact that 80 per cent of Americans could name a PD organization that stood out in their mind as a good corporate citizen as compared to only 26 per cent being able to do so in 1993, which highlights the growing and perhaps even entrenched importance of CRM in the marketplace and society (Cone, 2004).If CRM is now a common phenomenon in the marketing genre in the USA and one can be sure that in Europe (Richards, 1998), Australia (Polonsky and Wood, 2001) and New Zealand (Chaney and Dolli, 2001) that it is on the rise, then what issues should PD organizations consider when looking to enter the area of CRM? Svensson and Wood (2008) outline a framework to determine whether CRM is an act of \"altruism\" or \"commercialism\". In fact, our model integrates their work in a wider setting to examine the process of CRM for both PD and NP organizations.A \"commercial venture\" perspective is viewed by the authors as an act by a PD organization that is taken to make money (i.e. commercialism). A \"social responsibility\" perspective is viewed by the authors as an act by a PD organization that is taken to make the world a better place without the necessary delivery of financial gain. PD organizations may do it because they feel a responsibility to the society to contribute (i.e. altruism).The next section describes our proposed model of CRM for both PD and NP organizations, which is introduced in Figure 1.\nA model of CRM: The model of CRM consists of two parallel internal and external organizational processes (Figure 1) - one representing the process of a NP organization and the other a PD organization. They are interlinked as the outcome of a CRM-partnership is dependent upon their mutual efforts. The model consists of the following parts.The model should be seen as continuous and iterative without an actual end until the NP and/or PD organizations decide to terminate their engagement in a CRM-partnership. In the following paragraphs, the parts of the model are outlined and described.Motives PD/NFP\nConclusions: As indicated in our combined model in Figure 1, we contend that CRM is intriguing phenomenon in which a PD organization finds a \"cause\" and intertwines its marketing push to sell both the \"cause\" supported by the NP organization and its own products. Consumers may well be appealed to it initially, but doubts may appear through time if they feel that the \"cause\" is a way for gaining increased commercial remuneration for the PD organization. If so, both the PD and NP organizations may well run the risk of a considerable consumer backlash. This realization by consumers may disaffect the current and the potential consumers of the PD organization and the credibility and trustworthiness of the NP organization.It should be noted that we do not argue that PD and NP organizations should not be involved in CRM, but senior managers and boards of these organizations need to examine their respective motives before they decide on this course of action. They need to realize and appreciate that CRM should be just that: marketing to help a \"cause\". It should not be driven by pure profit motives, because it will be lambasted if it is seen as commercial righteousness manipulation of the consumer, primarily designed and implemented to increase the profits of large PD organizations (Svensson and Wood, 2005).A contribution of our CRM-model is that it may be used as a guide for both PD and NP organizations in order to reveal whether a CRM-partnership is appropriate for them with a potential partner or not. It may also indicate whether the motives are based upon commercial reasons or altruistic reasons or a combination of both. The model enables these organizations to think through the process prior to engaging in CRM.CRM has the potential to open up multiple opportunities for PD and NP organizations. For example, it may assist the PD organization to transcend its commercial imperatives. A CRM-partnership may also assist the organization and its employees to feel better about their work and organization, and to do good. Such PD organizations need to take a broader view of CRM than it just being another marketing strategy to increase the bottom line (Svensson and Wood, 2008). The NP organizations may reach out their in the marketplace for support of their \"causes\". In addition, it may create spin-off effects as the \"cause\" and the actual NP organization become more well-known in the society.Presumably, some PD organizations do focus solely on the profit benefits from socially responsible ventures and others do not. Therefore, the model may guide a PD organization as to whether to pursue a CRM-partnership with a NP organization. Consequently, it may also guide a NP organization as to whether to pursue a CRM-partnership with a PD organization.A question that any organization interested in a CRM-partnership should raise is: will the involvement of the PD or NP organizations in the resultant partnership be perceived as commercialism, altruism or a combination of both, in the marketplace and society? It is a crucial concern that should be addressed beforehand to avoid unwanted and unexpected backlashes in the future for either of the organizations. We argue that it is essential to remember that a CRM-partnership is a challenge and risk for both the PD and NP organizations that may harm their reputation and position in the marketplace and/or society. CRM has, potentially, benefits as well as downsides that should not be underestimated nor neglected. If so, great potential may be lost or even vanish, and troublesome and unfavourable situations may occur or emerge in the marketplace and society.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to describe a model of cause-related marketing (CRM) for both profit-driven (PD) and non-profit (NP) organizations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The model consists of two parallel internal and external organizational processes - one representing the process of a NP organization and the other a PD organization. They are interlinked as the outcome of a CRM-partnership is dependent upon their mutual efforts.\nFindings: - The authors argue that it is essential to remember that a CRM-partnership is a challenge and risk for both the PD and NP organizations that may harm their reputation and position in the marketplace and/or society. CRM has benefits as well as downsides that should not be underestimated nor neglected.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Will the involvement of the PD or NP organizations in the resultant partnership be perceived as commercialism, altruism or a combination of both, in the marketplace and society? A focus on both processes opens up opportunities for further research.\nPractical implications: - A contribution is that the CRM-model may be used as a guide for both PD and NP organizations in order to reveal whether a CRM-partnership is appropriate for them with a potential partner or not. It may also indicate whether the motives are based upon commercial reasons or altruistic reasons or a combination of both.\nOriginality/value: - The model enables these organizations to think through the process prior to engaging in CRM.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Shopping orientation and online clothing purchases: the role of gender and purchase situation	[ "Internet shopping", "Clothing", "Gender" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Clothing is one of the most common product categories purchased online. Clothing is an experience good (Peterson et al., 1997) and clothing products may also differ extensively according to price, quality, body fit, and the like. For such differentiated products consumers will often perceive great variations in quality and therefore perceive shopping online as more risky than offline purchasing (Grewal et al., 2004). In light of this, it comes as a surprise that statistics (Statistics Denmark, 2007) show that clothing is one of the most common product categories purchased online. Moreover, statistics reveal that clothing is one of very few categories with more women than men purchasing online (Statistics Denmark, 2007). As one possible explanation for this, men's clothing may often be purchased by the man's partner instead of being purchased by the male himself. However, in some cases it may also be the other way around - a man purchasing clothing online for his partner. In fact, four different clothing purchasing contexts can be considered with respect to a male-female setting:1. women purchasing clothing for themselves;2. men purchasing clothing for themselves;3. women purchasing clothing for their partner; and4. men purchasing clothing for their partner.While such variations in gender and purchase situation could be expected to influence online clothing purchasing behaviour, no previous research has yet investigated this issue.\nConceptual model and research hypotheses: The conceptual model for the present study includes a total of six constructs, which we have grouped into three main categories:1. shopping orientation;2. perceived barriers to online clothing shopping; and3. online clothing purchases (see Figure 1).Each construct and the hypothesised links are discussed in the following.Shopping orientation\nThe role of gender and purchase situation: As indicated above, previous research suggests gender differences with respect to clothing shopping orientation and online purchasing (Noble et al., 2006). Based on our literature review we expect females to be more fun-related in their clothing shopping and to feel more confident in selecting the right clothes. In contrast, we expect males to be more oriented towards quick shopping and less confident in selecting clothes without guidance from store personnel. Early studies (e.g. Clarke and Belk, 1979; Lastovicka, 1979; Mattson, 1982) show that purchase decision and store choice depends on whether one is shopping for a gift or for oneself. Considering our study we expect shoppers buying clothes for themselves to express a less fun-related shopping orientation and be more oriented towards quick shopping. Also, we expect clothing shoppers in a buying for others situation to need more help from store personnel.\nMethodology: The conceptual model (displayed in Figure 1) was translated into a structural equation model and tested on data from a survey on Danish internet users.Data collection\nResults: Analyses were done in two steps. First, means and standard deviations for each item were examined across the four purchasing contexts. Secondly, the conceptual model was tested, using the two-stage approach recommended by Anderson and Gerbing (1988).Differences across gender and purchasing situation\nDiscussion: Academic and practical implications\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - This paper seeks to investigate shopping orientation and online clothing purchases across four different gender-related purchasing contexts. A conceptual model for understanding the impact of shopping orientation on consumer online clothing purchase is proposed and tested both in a general setting and across purchasing contexts.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Questionnaires were distributed to 1,150 Danish household addresses by use of the \"drop-off-call-back\" survey method. A total of 441 households returned usable responses from either one or both adults in the household. Most adults provided responses with respect to purchasing clothing for themselves and for their partner, making a total of 906 cases distributed across the four purchasing contexts. T-tests and linear structural equation modelling were utilised to investigate expectations and hypotheses.\nFindings: - The results support the expected differences in men's and women's shopping orientations and willingness to purchase clothing online. On average, consumers indicate that reduced difficulty in selecting items is sorely needed when purchasing clothing online. However, when evaluated across different purchasing situations, perceived difficulty in selecting items is an important action barrier only for women. Less fun significantly affected online clothing purchases for men purchasing clothing for themselves, but not for women doing the same.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Future research may seek to verify the proposed conceptual model using a range of specific clothing items across different purchasing situations. Future research may also expand the model by suggesting other influencing factors on consumers' online clothing purchasing.\nPractical implications: - In order to attract more men, online clothing retailers should improve perceived online fun, whereas difficulty in selecting items should be reduced in order to attract more women.\nOriginality/value: - The study is unique in the sense that it investigates online clothing behaviour across four different gender-related purchasing contexts.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Adult vocational training and the project technique	[ "Project method", "Project technique", "Vocational education", "Adult education", "Adult vocational training", "Institutes of vocational training", "Learning skills", "Emotional intelligence", "Training", "Education" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: In today's postmodern age, the human mind is often unable to cope with the confusion caused by the density and speed of information so that the educational system faces an inconspicuous mesh of reversals, contradictions and contestations, while the advent of new transnational activities of business administration and economics also affects education, heightening the search for a new \"learning culture\". In light of the challenging changes in the global labor market and the need for a new business policy, talk about the \"knowledge society\", the importance of the \"social capital\" in the educational policy and the \"long life education\" is increasing. This mainly involves the acquaintance with alternative ways of learning, by which teachers are called to teach learners, especially adults, how to learn (Broadfoot, 2001; Goehlich, 2003; Unesco, 2005).\nTheoretical framework: Many centuries ago, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (387-322 BC) - a student of Plato - in his \"Nicomachean Ethics\" (Book II: 1103 a, 30) wrote that \"we learn by doing the things we must do by learning\" (Taylor, 2006). This idea, that \"knowledge is generated by experience through action\" emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century AD via pragmatism, an American philosophical tradition associated with the philosophical school of Chicago. It proposes that \"true is only what practically benefits in life\". Project Method is considered to have derived, from here, as \"Experiential - Communicative Teaching\" that \"always results in a final product\" (Fried-Booth, 2002). In Europe the method was influenced decisively by the \"Work Schools\" (Chrissafidis, 2000).However, the term \"project\", which is derived from the ancient Greek word \"methodos\", as an institutionalized method of teaching, first appeared in the architectural schools of Italy with the establishment of the \"Academia di San Luca\" in the late sixteenth century. Regarding its learning dimension, the Project Method, based mainly on the principles of cognitive psychology, which considers learning as a \"building process\" refers to Piaget and Gestalt psychology. It is believed that learning is connected with perception, as a dynamic process of interaction between the individual and the environment, where the organization tends to maintain or restore equilibrium relations (Knoll, 1991; Brinia, 2007).\"Project Method\" and \"Project Technique\"\nUsing the project approach in a vocational training institute: \"the principles of marketing communications\" case: In order to achieve the goals that serve the purpose of the research conducted, the following research questions were formulated:RQ1. To what extent were the trainees satisfied with their participation in the implementation of the Project Method?RQ2. What knowledge, ideas and perceptions did the trainees gain, regarding the educational importance of the Project Approach?RQ3. To what extent was the behavior and social environment of the trainees influenced (both at the personal and professional level) once the project was completed and the trainees had gained both knowledge and experience?RQ4. How did training in the Project Method, influence the Emotional Intelligence of the trainees?According to \"the four stages approach\" (Carr and Kermis, 1986; cited in Brinia, 2005) the evolution of the project is held in Spring Semester as follows (Figure 1).1st stage\nMethodology: The reliability of the survey, which forms the basis of its validity, depends on the consistency of the process and the significance of the findings (Bell, 1997; Bird et al., 1999). In this case a multi-methodical approach was used, incorporating qualitative and quantitative data. In order to ensure the objectivity and validity combined levels of triangulation of different data sources and techniques were used (Cohen and Manion, 1994). Also, a strict code of ethics was followed. For the quantitative analysis a questionnaire of 48 questions using a seven-point Likert scale (from one: \"I disagree\", to seven: \"I absolutely agree\"), with possible answers was activated.For the qualitative analysis five semi-structured interviews of ten questions (with similar themes) were received from an equal number (including two coordinators) of representatives of each group of trainees. These interviews took place after receiving the first completed questionnaires. The duration of the interviews varied from 45 minutes to one hour. For the processing of quantitative data the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was utilized. The analyses undertaken were means, frequencies and descriptive analyses of the different variables. The statistical sample, which consisted of 22 adult trainees, of whom 13 were women (59 percent) and nine were men (41 percent), and the Vocational Training Institute as well, were chosen by the simple random sampling method. Authorization for this Project was granted by the administration of the Institute of Adult Continuing Education i.e. the State Service in charge and the Administration of the chosen Vocational Training Institute.The assessment method\nConclusion: The results of this research showed that this method, based on the \"Learning by experience\", although not a panacea, could be applied to the same or to similar environments and objects on the grounds that the basic criteria and requirements are ensured, as listed in the bibliography.In this case, adult trainees applied the theory in practice, learnt to develop initiatives and triggered significant learning abilities and skills of emotional intelligence. With the dialogue, as a main tool of communication, they developed cognitive and social skills improving their effectiveness. They triggered the critical thinking and self-evaluation in order to understand the difference in quality of experiential teaching as opposed to the usual conventional ways. They have been strengthened morally and emotionally daring to use tactics that they had not previously tried. Although faced with the challenge of questioning their previous beliefs they utilized additional knowledge and experience through a new \"frame of reference\" the Project Method. Thus, this process has presented clear features of transformative learning (Knoll, 1991; Rogers, 1999; Mezirow, 2000).This research effort has highlighted a fruitful discussion about the teaching ways of future training environments, as it pointed out the value of the diversity of a team, as opposed to the uniformity imposed on each member, throughout the previous school experiences. Adult trainees, although in need for some time to realize whether their expectations were met, appeared able to penetrate through collaboration, the boundaries of \"traditional\" instruction, creating appropriate communication bridges to the real business life as regards the subject area of their interest (Knowles, 1980; Chrissafidis, 2003).Therefore, the close interaction between education and broader economic and social environment arose. Quite encouraging were also the official reactions of both the Institute that conducted the survey, and the cooperating companies. Thus, knowledge creation has been shown to function as a \"spiral\" process, initiated at the individual level and directed at the team and the wider society, through successive changes among the four states of knowledge conversion: the ones of socialization, internalization, combination and externalization. The new cycle of conversions, produced a new dynamic by modeling the three-dimensional \"helix of knowledge\" further (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995).The socialization produced through interaction between all individuals and organizations involved, facilitated the sharing of experience. It seemed, indeed, that through the success of the Project method all participants greatly benefited (Knoll, 1997). Consequently, on the one hand, the externalization was caused by the group contribution of reason and emotions through dialogue, and on the other, the combination by the association of the newly created knowledge with that already existing. The practice, therefore, of new knowledge was related to \"learning by doing\" in J. Dewey eventually creating the internalization. In all investigations conducted it appear, in the final analysis, that what emerged was the verification and revision of experience through action (Boud et al., 1985; Rogers, 1999), which, in turn, became the starting point for developing stochastic processes which are attracted by the spiral motion of learning, in space and time. In the infinite quest in search of the meaning of human existence, that is.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to highlight the benefits of implementing the Project method, by applying the technique in adult vocational training environments.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - While the central idea of this method stems from Greek antiquity, the method itself began to evolve within American pragmatism based on the principles of cognitive and Gestalt psychology. In the present paper, the assessment process of the Project method was undertaken with the multi-methodical approach and use of combined levels of triangulation to determine whether it can be applied to a group of adults, training in the subject of marketing communications.\nFindings: - Since the projected conditions from the bibliography are observed through the implementation of the Project technique it appears that adult trainees activate learning skills and competencies of emotional intelligence. Thus, the creation of knowledge operates as a \"spiral\" process starting from the individual level and expanding to the business and social environment with significant benefits for participants.\nPractical implications: - This application proposes fertile speculation about alternative, practical instruction, in the future environments of the broader vocational education, as well as their effective connection with society and the economy in general.\nOriginality/value: - This paper provides empirical results from the application of Project technique in vocational training for adults. It highlights the benefits of this method in teaching standards, personal and social development, human resource development and, consequently, in the development of the business, economic and wider environment.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Technology parks and entrepreneurial outcomes around the world	[ "Technology parks", "Entrepreneurship", "New firm creation", "Growth", "Entrepreneurial finance", "Entrepreneurialism", "Finance" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Technology parks (or \"tech parks\") are a geographical area within which a collection of buildings host chosen entrepreneurial firms, typically research and science-oriented firms, who share resources or services provided within the tech park which may include facilitating technology licensing, establishing trade shows, providing funds for commercialization, and/or distributing and disseminating information about the R&D activities of its tenants. Tech parks organized and dedicated to encourage scientific innovation have the potential to stimulate knowledge creation and knowledge transfer (Lofsten and Lindelof, 2002; Squicciarini, 2009; Cumming and Fischer, 2012), and hence have an important role for entrepreneurial finance and regional development (Astebro and Bazzazian, 2011), particularly in emerging economies (Armanios et al., 2012). Nascent entrepreneurial firms have the incentive to enter tech parks in order to benefit from the shared resources in many ways. For instance, tech parks offer an entrepreneurial environment in which there is support provided by the tech park officers themselves. As well, there may be as complementarities across different firms in the tech park that can facilitate the growth and financing of an entrepreneurial firm. Firms that enter tech parks are often at the pre-revenue and pre-financing stage of development and tech parks attract sophisticated angel investors and venture capitalists seeking to finance such firms. Firms exit parks after they are sufficiently independent and post-revenue and post-financing such that there are expansion (in terms of both space and geography) and other business reasons to relocate. Successful entrepreneurial exits from the park define a tech parks' success; that is, a tech park's success is measured by how well it has encouraged the formation of new firms to enter the park, and stimulated growth of firms in the park and facilitated access to finance and henceforth a successful exit outcome.\n2. Technology park success: new firm formation, entrepreneurial growth, and finance: In this section, we develop three main sets of hypotheses based on reviewing prior research in related areas in entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and entrepreneurial finance. Our first theme involves international differences in institutional conditions and how such differences related to international differences in tech parks, particularly in reference to legal conditions. Our second theme pertains to the composition of tenants in tech parks and how that impacts entrepreneurial outcomes. Our third and final theme pertains to the services offered by the tech park.\n3. Data: To test the propositions developed in Section 2, we sought data from tech parks worldwide. We identified tech parks willing to participate in this study by carrying out preliminary work at a practitioner conference at HEC Tunis in December 2005. The tech parks were surveyed in early 2007. Extremely detailed data that are not available publicly were collected on a confidential basis from the tech park directors. Moreover, the data were collected in a way to enable comparisons across countries. The respondent tech parks were from 13 countries, including five developed countries - Denmark, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the USA - and eight developing countries - Brazil, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan.\n4. Multivariate analyses: In our multivariate regressions reported in Table III we explain the tech park directors' observations of success in terms of fostering the creation of new firms, raising the level of technological sophistication thereby fostering growth and access to external financing, and stimulating knowledge transfer thereby fostering growth and access to external financing. Our explanatory variables include the legal conditions of the country in which the park is based (log of the legality index defined in Table I), the size of the tech park (the number of tenants), the various variables for the composition of the tenants, and the various services provided by the tech park (each defined in Table I).\n5. Conclusions and future research: This paper provided new testable hypotheses on tech parks and introduced new data to test these hypotheses from five developed and eight developing countries around the world. The data provided insights into factors that drive success in terms of fostering new successful companies, local technological knowledge, and knowledge transfer to stimulate growth and access to finance to enable tenants to graduate from the tech park.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study factors that affect the success of technology parks in terms of fostering entrepreneurial firm formation, growth, and financing.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Based on a new international dataset of technology parks (tech parks) from 13 countries (eight developing countries and five developed countries), the paper relates the success of technology transfer to the legal environment within which the tech park operates, as well as the characteristics of the tenants in the tech park and the services provided by the tech park.\nFindings: The data indicate entrepreneurial success is more likely to be facilitated when there is better legal protection offered to companies in the jurisdiction within which the tech park is located, when there is a greater presence of foreign university- and government-affiliated companies in tech parks, and a smaller presence of foreign private companies in tech parks, particularly foreign subsidiaries. The data further indicate entrepreneurial success is more likely when tech park tenants have greater testing/analysis focus, and when tenants have less assembly- and service-focussed activities. Also, entrepreneurial success is more likely to be facilitated by tech parks with on- and off-site technology licensing offices that promote trade shows, provide access to funds for commercialization and distribute information on the R&D outcomes of tech park tenants.\nResearch limitations/implications: The data offer insights into efficient design of tech parks. Coarse measures from survey data are limitations yet offer scope for further examination in future research.\nOriginality/value: The paper provides guidance for entrepreneurs and their investors in terms of ways maximize value in terms of entrepreneurial growth and financing from selecting appropriate tech parks.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Experimental research in hospitality and tourism: a critical review	[ "Tourism", "Experiment", "Content analysis", "Systematic review", "Trends", "Hospitality" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Experimental design is well-recognized as a method of examining causal relationships (Bradley and Sparks, 2012; Kline, 2011) because it can control the effects of extraneous variables to a level far below those that use methods such as surveys, observations and others. Given its strength in minimizing extraneous effects, experimental design is widely used to examine social science theories (Oh et al., 2004), particularly in the disciplines of psychology and marketing (Kuhfeld et al., 1994; Oh et al., 2004).\n2. Fundamentals of experiment: Experiment is defined as \"a study in which an intervention is deliberately introduced to observe its effects\" (Shadish et al., 2002, p. 12). The use of experiments by scientists may be traced back to the nineteenth century, when the method was used in various disciplines, such as manufacturing, psychology and pharmacology (Almquist and Wyner, 2001). Experimental methods are widely used in modern research of psychology and marketing. Experimental design has the advantage of allowing researchers to rule out some, if not all, extraneous influences, so that causal effects can be assessed. The examination of causal effects not only benefits theory development but also provides important implications for real-world practices (Leung and Law, 2007). In this event, experimental design must also conform to the needs of hospitality and tourism researchers who are largely concerned with practical implications. Experimental research is hardly realized in the hospitality and tourism literature because hospitality and tourism researchers are unfamiliar with experimental design. Another potential reason for this condition is the difficulties in soliciting non-student samples to participate in experiments, while student samples are generally not appreciated by hospitality and tourism scholars. Another possible reason is that most experiments are performed in the laboratory, which raises the concerns of hospitality and tourism scholars about the external validity of the findings. Based on the above discussion, researchers are advised to also perform experiments in natural settings (i.e. field experiments) (Jerit et al., 2013).\n3. Method: A systematic review of hospitality and tourism literature was deployed to collect data. As this study is the first attempt to review experimental research in hospitality and tourism, a full picture of its evolution is essential. Unlike most studies, which restricted a review to specific periods (Lee and Law, 2012; Lee and Back, 2005; Yoo et al., 2011), the current study covered the period from 1972 (the year when the first experimental article was published in a hospitality and tourism journal) to June 2014. This study followed the method of Hung and Law (2011) to retrieve hospitality and tourism articles from 70 journals listed in McKercher et al. (2006). McKercher et al. (2006) classified the journals into hospitality and tourism, thus facilitating the comparison of trends between hospitality and tourism research.\n4. Results: Based on the content analysis, the number of experimental studies in hospitality and tourism is plotted on a timeline, as shown in Figure 1. Experimental research was first published in a hospitality journal in 1972. Interestingly, the second experimental study was published almost two decades later (i.e. 1991) in a tourism journal. However, in recent decades (since 2005), the growth of experimental research has been significant, particularly in hospitality journals.\n5. Discussion and conclusion: 5.1 Implications for future experimental research\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper aims to examine the prevalence and trend of experimental research in hospitality and tourism. Hospitality and tourism researchers have long been encouraged to increase their use of experimental designs. However, a solid support for such advocacy is lacking, and the present paper fills in this research gap.\nDesign/methodology/approach: By using a systematic approach, this study reviews 161 tourism and hospitality articles and conducts content analysis based on certain criteria including journal outlets, Social Sciences Citation Index journals, years of publication, contexts, disciplinary foci, experimental designs, settings, number of independent variables, number of studies per article, manipulation methods, manipulation check, research subjects, sample size, subjects per experimental condition, statistical analyses and provision of effect size. The criteria between hospitality and tourism publications are also compared.\nFindings: Findings show that the number of experimental publications has significantly increased over the past decade, especially in hospitality publications. Nonetheless, there is still room for improvement in applying the experimental design in hospitality and tourism research.\nResearch limitations/implications: Researchers in hospitality and tourism are recommended to report manipulation check results and the effect size of statistically significant results, as well as to devote more effort to knowledge accumulation and methodological advancement of experimental designs.\nOriginality/value: This study is the first to review experimental research in hospitality and tourism. The findings of this study provide significant implications and directions for hospitality and tourism researchers to conduct experimental research in the future.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The real meaning of value in trading relationships	[ "Value chain", "Buyer‐seller relationships" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: At the time of writing, the phrase \"value chain\" produced more than half a million hits in a search of the web. The concept, much like its precursors the supply chain and relationship marketing in the operations and marketing fields, has become a hook upon which academics and consultants appear to be hanging any and everything from increased inter-company collaboration schemes, product differentiation efforts and cost reduction programmes through to strategic planning. When concepts become as ubiquitous as this, the risk becoming worthless and meaningless. This paper is a serious, some might argue quixotic, attempt to unpick the meaning of the words \"value\" and \"value chain\" in order to determine their true worth to business practitioners.The paper begins with a survey of the main usages of the term \"value\" in the economics, marketing, strategy and operations fields. This highlights the way in which all four fields adopt an unbalanced approach to the concept that concentrates exclusively on the customer's perspective. It is suggested that a complete, balanced analysis would include both customer and supplier perspectives. The precise meaning of the term value is then explored in detail, revealing and exploring the difference between the potential and realised versions. These insights are then applied to an analysis of the concept of the \"value chain\" leading to the conclusion that, given the ontology of value, it is impossible for a metaphysical idea to move along a chain within a company, far less between firms and their customers. Thus much of the language used to describe value and chains is shown to be deeply misleading. The paper ends with a discussion of the possible effects of this ontological and linguistic sloppiness on practitioners and business practice.\nExisting definitions of value: Attitudes to the concept of value differ widely. On one hand, some writers argue that its meaning is difficult to pin down. Payne and Holt in their recent extremely thorough review of the marketing value literature, for example, state:... despite the increasing attention being focused on this concept there is still remarkably little in the way of agreement in the literature on what constitutes \"value\" and \"customer value\"... (Payne and Holt, 2001, p. 159).meanwhile in the purchasing field, those authors with the most sophisticated treatment of the concept to date opine:The supply literature whilst referring and using the concept of value fails to develop a framework for thinking about the concept of value itself (Cousins et al., 2002, p. 164).On the other hand, some authors regard its meaning as self-evident. Thus in Dilworth (2000) the 762 page text includes the term in its very title, but nowhere defines what it means; similarly the term does not appear in the index of \"Value Stream Management\" (Hines et al., 2000), and its meaning is nowhere defined in the text. The following review provides an overview of the way value has been treated in the fields of economics, strategy, marketing and operations management. While not intended to be comprehensive, it is an attempt to identify what kind of \"thing\" the various fields consider value to be.Economics\nTypes of value: The most obvious shortcoming of the conventional analyses is their one-sided focus on the benefits buyers or customers enjoy from consuming products and services provided by suppliers. Trade involves the exchange of resources from buyers to suppliers as well as from suppliers to buyers. Suppliers need to obtain monetary resources, including money and forward order cover, in return for the non-monetary resources such as products and services that they have on offer. Hence, during trade, both parties are simultaneously resource providers and recipients, and through a process of negotiation they arrive at a mutually acceptable set of terms and conditions to delineate the trade and match their respective resource offerings and needs, and agree to exchange, thus:Resource exchange in trading relationships\nValue creation and conversion: Value in trading relationships is a positive effect, advantage or benefit that is associated with the exchange of resources, and perceived or enjoyed by the recipient buyers and sellers of those resources. Before exchange takes place, the benefits are notional or potential in nature, and it is only after exchange has occurred that companies and their staff actually enjoy benefits. Thus, potential value in trading relationships is the benefit or advantage a company expects to enjoy after the receipt of resources, and realised value is the benefit or advantage a company enjoys after those resources have been exchanged. These definitions are an improvement in terms of balance and completeness over the existing treatments; however, they still fail to give any detail of the kind of benefits that companies enjoy. The same criticism is true of most of the existing analyses of the concept, which tend either to make no effort to describe the nature of the benefits, or focus on a handful only such as price, time and quality, and then construct a theory around their limited selection (Treacy and Wiersema, 1995). This paper seeks to provide a more generalised description of the nature of value. With the exception of a handful of papers - Brandenburger and Stuart (1996), Walter et al. (2001) and Moller and Torronen (2003) - the existing academic literatures fail to consider what suppliers need and enjoy, consequently most of the illustrative examples in the analysis that follows will refer to supplier value.Value before exchange\nThe ontology of value: Before exchange\nValue, language and meanings: In the literatures surveyed earlier, some of the language used gives the impression that value is a concrete thing that can be passed from suppliers to firms to customers. Thus, many authors suggest that value can be \"delivered\" (Plank and Ferrin, 2002, p. 457; Treacy and Wiersema, 1993, p. 84; Naumann, 1995, p. 17; Ulaga and Chacour, 2001, p. 525; Gattorna and Walters, 1996, p. 47). Value \"provision\" meanwhile appears in, amongst others, the work of Moller and Torronen (2003, p. 110) and Anderson and Narus (1999, p. 3). It is clear from the earlier analysis that the impression created by the use of these particular verbs is misleading. Some authors also use language, which erroneously implies that value is a characteristic of a product, thus:... it is highly questionable whether the core product...has any value at all (Gronroos, 1997, p. 412).In the purchasing field meanwhile, the \"value stream\" metaphor recently enjoyed some popularity, and this also creates an image of some thing or substance moving or \"flowing\" from suppliers to customers, with the various buying and selling companies along the stream trying to hold on to some of it as it flowed by on its way towards the ultimate consumer. Finally, in 1985 Porter offered us his much copied diagram of a \"Generic value chain\" (Figure 3):The customer value chain\nConclusions: Creating the impression that value is itself moving, prevents both practitioners and academics from understanding clearly what kind of a thing value actually is, and lends the \"value chain\" a completely spurious air of accuracy and validity. Revealing the real nature of value and the movement of resources rather than value up and down supply chains may help to de-mystify the whole concept and make it easier to explain to potentially perplexed practitioners. Moreover, although marketing has a legitimate need to focus on the fluctuating, ephemeral, largely abstract mental states in the minds of customers that we call \"customer value\", other functions might more usefully pay attention to the resources and processes that they can most directly influence and control. Thus Purchasing can focus directly on supplier value, and operations on cost reductions and product improvements. In a business world that increasingly favours outsourcing, it is not at all clear that giving primacy of attention to customer value alone will necessarily assist companies in the achievement of their objectives. Moreover, it is only to be expected that departments with very limited or no direct contact with customers or product design issues will find a constant emphasis on customer value a very weak form of motivation. Acknowledging this truth and finding ways of persuading them to improve their performance is unlikely to be helped by references to ontologically confused metaphors built upon abstract, metaphysical phenomena. By all means draw attention to the existence and nature of resource flows along supply chains, but it might be helpful to remember that value chains do not exist beyond the pages of text books.This is not to suggest that companies can safely forget about what customers want. Clearly there is no point in developing outstandingly high quality, low cost, potentially useful products that nobody wants to buy. But the task of understanding what customers want may safely be left to the marketing function, which can then communicate its findings and insights via strategic planning efforts to the rest of the organisation. One of the most popular uses of the value chain concept in the early twenty-first century is as means of justifying and encouraging increased collaboration among companies. \"We are all part of the same value chain, and if we cooperate and all pull in the same direction, then we will all benefit\" the argument goes. Attacks on the concept may threaten any performance improvements that may have been achieved through the use of the metaphor as a rallying cry and organising concept. This is a valid concern. However, precisely the same result could be achieved without reference to a vague, static ghostly, concept like potential customer value. There is a resource that actually \"flows\" out of the firm's customers and then back along the \"chain\" of suppliers. That resource is money in the form of sales revenue. Increased collaboration can therefore be driven by the cry: \"There is only one revenue stream and that comes from the final customers. We all share that same stream, and if we cooperate and pull in the same direction, then we will all benefit\".Pessimists may argue that the value horse bolted back in 1985 when Porter opened the stable door, and it is too late to get its meaning back under control, but such thinking is unnecessarily defeatist. It is undoubtedly true the words \"value\" and \"value chain\" are currently used with a bewildering variety of disparate meanings, and given an emphasis that is unwarranted. Indeed, by diffusing and confusing the efforts of individual functions within the firm, the current semantic smorgasbrod may even be impairing the performance of some companies. Nevertheless, the uncovering of the existence of supplier value and the exploration of the ontology of value above offer a way of bringing clarity to the existing confusion.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The paper aims to survey the main usages of the term \"value\" in the economics, marketing, strategy and operations fields.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The way in which all four fields adopt an unbalanced approach, concentrating exclusively on the customer's perspective, is highlighted. A complete, balanced analysis including both the customer and supplier perspectives is outlined. The precise meaning of the term value is then explored in detail, revealing and exploring the difference between the potential and realised versions.\nFindings: - These insights are applied to an analysis of the concept of the \"value chain\" leading to the conclusion that, given the ontology of value, much of the language used to describe value and chains is deeply misleading.\nPractical implications: - The paper ends with a discussion of the possible effects of this ontological and linguistic sloppiness on practitioners and business practice. By bringing clarity to the real meaning of value in trade it may be possible to improve the effectiveness of the use of the word by management as a motivational tool for enhancing company performance.\nOriginality/value: - The paper offers a clear, detailed explanation of the nature of value in trading relations.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Baby Boomers of different nations: Identifying horizontal international segments based on self-perceived age	[ "Segmentation", "Baby boomers", "Cogntive age", "Consumer culture", "Self-perceived age" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The impact of globalization on national cultures (Craig et al., 2009) has resulted in the emergence of a global consumer culture (see Merz et al., 2008, for a review and analysis) which can be useful to international segmentation and targeting decisions. One global phenomenon receiving increasing attention from marketing is self-perceived age. Self-perceived age may be more useful than chronological age when studying older adults because aging does not occur in the same way for all individuals (Bell, 1972; Jarvik, 1975), so homogeneity in individual lifestyles and conditions among people of the same age cannot be assumed. In other words, the number of years lived is a poor indicator of a person's attitudes and behavior. Yet, chronological age is still widely used in consumer research, despite self-perceived age being a potentially more important psychological influence on the way a person behaves in the marketplace (Barak and Gould, 1985; Chua et al., 1990). This is a particularly important concept because population aging is currently experienced by most nations in the developed world (United Nations (UN), 2010), so researchers and businesses alike will likely pay more attention to aging consumers.\nAging consumers: The UN (2010) describes population aging as the most profound demographic change in history. A pervasive and truly global phenomenon without precedent or parallel means the previous young populations are unlikely to reoccur. Globally, life expectancy has increased by almost 20 years over five decades, and the profundity of this demographic change impacts economic growth, labor markets, pensions, healthcare, housing, migration, politics, and of course consumption. Spending patterns across North America, Japan, and Europe suggest that older consumers are an increasingly important segment for a range of goods and services (Eurostat, 2012; Reuters, 2013) with Baby Boomers enjoying an annual spending power of $3.4 trillion (CBS News, 2011).\nSelf-perceived age: The importance of self-perceived age has long been recognized in gerontology (Burke and Tully, 1977), and due to the aging of the world's population and the increasing importance of older consumers, marketers must also pay more attention to the concept. As people age they become increasingly dissimilar with respect to lifestyles, needs, and consumption habits (Moschis, 2000) which of course renders chronological age even more useless in terms of targeting Baby Boomers. The implications of the cliche that a person is as young, or as old, as they feel may be more useful in understanding the behavior of older people. Self-perceived age is more reflective of an older consumer's attitudes and behavior than is chronological age because it contributes more to understanding how older adults view themselves (Wilkes, 1992). Marketers who fail to consider self-perceived age \"may be missing the true psychological make-up of these consumers\" (Van Auken et al., 1993, p. 82). Strategies to target mature consumers that do not consider self-perceived age may lead to failure due to ineffective targeting, promotional, and positioning strategies (Van Auken et al., 1993) such as those made Affinity Shampoo for older hair, Heinz Senior Foods, and Silver Pages telephone directory (Moody and Sood, 2010).\nMethod: Samples\nResults: Preliminary analysis\nDiscussion: Clearly, the \"young-at-heart\" philosophy holds true for many older consumers in all four nations. The majority of Boomers feels middle-aged, does not feel old, and has cognitive age identities that are significantly younger than their chronological age. Many of the patterns are similar to previous research in that there is little agreement between cognitive and chronological age, with a strong youth bias (Goldsmith and Heiens, 1992; Johnson, 1996). Likewise, the expectation that the look age dimension would be closest to actual age than any other emerged in all the samples except Hungary. These youthful identities are despite the fact that many are retired when, arguably, society deems a person to be old (Thompson et al., 1990). These results challenge the argument put forward by Catterall and Maclaran (2001) that the underpinning assumptions inherent in the concept of cognitive age reflect a western preoccupation with youthfulness, and this challenge is strengthened given the inclusion of Japan in the current study. Certainly, results lend support for Barak's (2009) tentative suggestion that a global consumer culture, based on the concept of being \"young-at-heart,\" is emerging.\nConclusions and recommendations: Dolnicar and Grun (2007) note that results are only as good as the data upon which they are based. It is relatively rare to find a multinational study of cognitive age. Even rarer is the use of samples matched for chronological age. That the current study uses four disparate countries, uses samples matched for chronological age, and does not use convenience samples, makes it unique in the cognitive age literature. Several contributions to research are made. This research has answered a recent call for more studies of cross-cultural global age research, which is still in an early pioneering stage, despite the fact that self-perceived age is integral to understanding the life-course (Barak, 2009). Results lend support for the claim that the concept of cognitive age is reliable and can be used in diverse cultures, and that there is a universal way that human beings perceive and feel about self-perceived age (Barak, 2009; Barak et al., 2001). Cognitive age is one of the few concepts utilized in research pertaining to marketing to older adults that has historical and important antecedents, notably in a variety of disciplines. Its foundations can be found in sociology, psychology and gerontology and can be traced back over 60 years. All too often knowledge pertaining to marketing to older adults comprises conjecture and speculation, and in contrast cognitive age is one of the few concepts that has begun to be tested empirically, across a variety of nations and age cohorts, and has been shown to be relatively stable and consistent to a degree. Future researchers can now use the cognitive age scale cross-nationally with greater confidence in its validity and reliability. A critical decision that cross-country researchers must make is one pertaining to the scale that is to be used, and an understanding of how culture can affect different measurement scales is key to future in-depth international studies (Van Auken et al., 2006). Settersten and Mayer (1997) argue that the measurement of age has become more problematic in contemporary and ever changing societies, thus the effective empirical measurement of it becomes more pressing and more complicated. The current study adds to the small but increasing amount of literature that attempts to tackle this pressing but complicated phenomenon.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate self-perceived age among Baby Boomers in the UK, Germany, Japan, and Hungary, and identifies two horizontal segments based on the way consumers view their age.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Questionnaires were used to sample 880 Baby Boomers. Structural equation modeling is used to investigate multinational measurement invariance of the cognitive age scale.\nFindings: Two distinct segments are identified, providing support for a young-at-heart consumer culture in all nations in the study. Results also find cognitive age to exhibit partial measurement invariance, which is expected given the disparate nations under study.\nResearch limitations/implications: This research contributes to cross-cultural global age research which is still in an early pioneering stage. The study builds on a small number of previous studies that validate cognitive age, extends current knowledge of the measurement properties of cognitive age, and identifies two distinct international segments of Baby Boomers. Further research needs to delve into the antecedents of self-perceived age, particularly in the ways in which different life experiences and cultures may impact age identities.\nPractical implications: The study has implications for marketing managers wishing to target the increasingly important young-at-heart Baby Boomer.\nOriginality/value: The study uses four non-American countries, uses samples matched for chronological age, and does not use convenience samples, which make it unique in the cognitive age literature. The study has value for marketing managers, global age researchers, and consumer culture researchers.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Interruption and patient satisfaction in resident-patient consultations	[ "Patients", "Communication", "Patient care" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: According to situated identity theory (Alexander and Lauderdale, 1977; Goffman, 1959), a certain identity must be established in a social setting as a prerequisite for any social act to occur (Alexander and Lauderdale, 1977; Goffman, 1959). Communicative behaviors of the actors are guided by this identity-in-the-setting, either as an expression or as a reinforcement of the chosen identity. In physician-patient interactions, the social identities of the two parties are well-defined before the patient enters the consultation room, with the physician being the authority and the patient being the recipient of this authority. Thus their interaction would be characteristic of an asymmetrical power display (Li et al., 2007). One linguistic device of the powerful party taking control over the process and content of a discourse would be frequent interruption of the less-powered party. In this paper, we studied the interruption patterns in a sample of 40 resident-patient interviews recorded in a Canadian clinic. Specifically, we examined the frequency and the manner in which residents interrupted patients and vice versa, as well as whether residents' interruption patterns were correlated with patient satisfaction. Although interruptions between physicians and patients have been studied and patient satisfaction with the medical interview has also been examined, the relationship between the two has yet to be explored. Therefore, the main goal of our study was to examine how interruption patterns, residents' and patients', influenced patients' satisfaction of the medical interview.\nResearch questions: In the context of the above literature review, five research questions emerged:RQ1. Was there a significant difference between the frequencies of residents and patients in intrusive, cooperative, and unsuccessful interruptions?RQ2. Were there gender differences in the three categories of interruptions for residents and patients respectively?RQ3. What were the interruption patterns in the four gender combinations (male resident/male patient, male resident/female patient, female resident/male patient, and female resident/female patient)?RQ4. To what extent were different categories of resident and patient interruptions correlated with patient satisfaction?RQ5. What categories of residents' and patients' interruptions were correlated?\nMethods: Recruiting participants\nResults: Length of consultations\nDiscussion: This study shows that residents engaged in more interruptions than patients, both cooperatively and intrusively, substantiating support for situated identity theory (Alexander and Lauderdale, 1977; Goffman, 1959). Human communication is not an isolated linguistic phenomenon; rather it is embodied in the social relationships of the communicators. When a physician interacts with a patient, their perspective social roles are predefined, the former as the expert and caregiver, and the latter as the proletarian and care-receiver. This unequal-powered social relationship exerts strong influence on the fashion of their communication.To empower patients, our finding suggests reducing the number of residents' intrusive interruptions. Significant negative correlations were found between the frequency of residents' intrusive interruptions and patient expertise satisfaction. The more residents intrusively interrupted their patients, the less patients thought of their professional qualifications which included patients' confidence in the residents and their perception of the resident's understanding of their health history. On the other hand, if residents interrupted patients in a cooperative manner, patients were more confident about their expertise, indicating the importance of mastering the art of interruption on the part of residents.Another way to empower patients is to allow them to ask questions, make amendments to what they had said, and feel free to agree or disagree with the physician. A noticeable finding in our study was the significant correlation between the frequency of patients' own cooperative interruption and their affect satisfaction. It could indicate that when patients got a chance to interrupt their physicians cooperatively, they were more likely to think that their physicians were warm and caring. In the female resident/male patient combination, the frequency of patients' own cooperative interruption was also correlated with patients' overall satisfaction, an indication that patients were more satisfied if they participated in the conversation. These findings support the patient-participatory model (Evans et al., 1992; Street and Gordon, 2006). The implication for practitioners is that to increase patient satisfaction, they should allow more patients' participation so they feel involved, empowered, and satisfied.An interesting finding is the reciprocal relationship between residents' and patients' cooperative and unsuccessful interruptions as reflected in the high correlations. In a given dyad, if one party cooperatively interrupted the other more, he or she will be interrupted back in the same fashion. This finding provides evidence for communication accommodation theory (Giles and Smith, 1979; Giles et al., 1987) in that an interruption convergence occurred. It is also in line with previous research on simulated physician-patient interruption patterns (Li, 2001). An enlightening note from this finding may be that the way residents talk to patients is mirrored by patients. That is, residents' communication style, to some extent, sets the tone for the medical consultation. If residents are aware of this delineation, they might be more conscientious in developing a proficient communication style.We also found that when residents interrupted patients, they were unsuccessful less than 3 percent of the time. When patients interrupted residents, they were unsuccessful 12 percent of the time. This finding is different from the unsuccessful interruption patterns between experienced physicians and patients in the same clinic. Li et al. (2004) reported that when physicians interrupted patients, they were unsuccessful 5 percent of the time. When patients interrupted physicians, they were unsuccessful 32 percent of the time. In our all-resident sample, the unsuccessful interruption rates were lower for both residents and patients than in the all-physician sample, indicating that residents managed interruptions better than experienced physicians. One explanation for this difference could be that residents, being paid on a salary basis, had fewer time constraints than physicians, being paid on a fee-to-service basis, and therefore did not mind being interrupted by patients. Another explanation could be that residents, being new in the profession, treated patients in a more egalitarian manner than did experienced physicians.Among residents as well as patients, females made more interruptions than males both intrusively and cooperatively. In comparison with the other three gender combinations, the female/female dyads had significantly higher frequencies. This finding seems consistent with previous research that female/female conversations are more engaged and involved than other gender combinations (Tannen, 1994).Finally, the significant correlations between patients' self-rated health status and the frequency of residents' interruptions should draw attention to researchers as well as to practitioners. The sicker the patient, the more he or she was interrupted; and the sicker the patient, the less likely he or she engaged in cooperative interruptions. That is to say, the sicker the patient, the less likely he or she participated in the consultation process. A related finding was the significant negative correlation between patients' health status and patient affect satisfaction, an indication that sicker patients thought that their physicians \"acted bossy and domineering at times\", \"did not make the patient feel important\", and \"seemed in a hurry\".It is true that communication may be more difficult with sicker patients because their physical conditions may prevent them from being agreeable, articulate and cohesive. Nevertheless, it is essential to give sicker patients an opportunity to say what they need to say, because the missed information may be crucial for making correct diagnoses (Roter and Frankel, 1992). It is well-known that misdiagnoses can have negative consequences for patient health and health care cost (Guendelman and Witt, 1991; Makul et al., 1995).This study has several limitations. First, we sampled medical consultations among first and second-year practicing residents in a teaching clinic. The sampling procedure was not strictly random (although representative) and the sample size was small, therefore, generalization of the results to resident-patient communication should be cautious. Although in discourse analysis, small sample sizes are commonly allowed because the unit of analysis is the number of utterances (interruptions in this case). Nevertheless, larger sample sizes should be encouraged in future research. Second, the alpha coefficient for affect satisfaction was rather low which may have influenced the results. For future studies using this questionnaire, adjustments need to be made to the items representing this dimension. Third, in scoring interruptions, we may have missed some unsuccessful interruptions due to the disadvantage of audio-recording. For example, if an interrupter moved his or her lip attempting to interrupt the current speaker, we would have missed it due to a lack of visual access. Finally, the categorization of interruptions we used is still in its exploratory stage. For example, the dilemma whether interruptions should be categorized on the basis of linguistic form or semantic function has been in debate among researchers. For example, an interruption can be identified as a cooperative interruption based on its function and as an unsuccessful interruption based on syntax. However, to be part of this discussion is exciting with the hope to see more research on this topic in future.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine interruption patterns between residents and patients as well as the correlations between three categories of interruptions and patient satisfaction.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A total of 40 resident/patient consultations in a Canadian clinic were audiotaped, transcribed and analyzed for intrusive, cooperative and unsuccessful interruptions.\nFindings: - Residents made significantly more interruptions than patients, especially in the categories of intrusive interruptions. These findings provide support for situated identity theory. High correlations were found between residents and patients on all three categories of interruptions, providing unequivocal support for communication accommodation theory. Patient satisfaction was negatively correlated with residents' intrusive interruptions and positively correlated with residents' cooperative interruptions. Patient satisfaction was higher among patients those who inserted more cooperative interruptions; to increase patient satisfaction, it is necessary to raise patient participation in the medical consultation. In comparison with healthier patients, sicker patients were interrupted more frequently and were less satisfied with the way they were treated.\nOriginality/value: - The negative correlations between residents' intrusive interruption and patient satisfaction, as well as the positive correlation between patient satisfaction and residents' cooperative interruption provides evidence that patients' perception of the medical consultation is shaped by the nature of interruptions.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The impact of operations and maintenance practices on power plant performance	[ "TQM", "Quality management", "TPM", "Operations", "Maintenance", "Plant performance" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The purpose of the restructuring of the electricity supply industry (ESI) was to increase delivery efficiency through market competition (Electricity Supply Association of Australia Limited, 2001; Loredo and Suarez, 2000; Yokell and Violette, 1988). Restructuring has introduced new risks for power plant operators. At the operation level, cost, plant reliability and availability, safety, and environmental compliance are important priorities (Draper Jr, 1998; Matusheski, 2000). Plant reliability and availability underpin power plant business performance. Failure of plants to attain high levels of availability can result in significant financial risks to the plant operators. For example, a study conducted on one of the thermal power plants in Malaysia found that it had cost its parent company losses amounting to RM175m (AUD$58 m) in lost availability over a period of 2.5 years. It was determined that these losses were a result of poor plant availability. To achieve this objective, relevant plant level operations and maintenance (O&M) activities should intensify to ensure high plant availability and utilization levels are achieved (Davis, 1995; Desirey, 2000; Moubray, 1997; Swanson, 2001; Tsuchiya, 1992).\nLiterature review: We reviewed the literature on total quality management (TQM) and total productive maintenance (TPM) to identify the key variables that should be included in the theoretical framework. The studies that we draw upon for this work were carried out in the past decade. The relationship between TQM practices and organizational performance has been explored in many empirical studies (Ahire et al., 1996; Black and Porter, 1996; Flynn et al., 1994; Powell, 1995). Samson and Terziovski (1999) investigated the relationship using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria in a large cross-sectional examination of over 1,000 manufacturing companies in Australia and New Zealand.\nTheoretical framework and hypothesis: We draw from the TQM literature in order to ascertain which factors we should include in the O&M framework. These factors are: committed leadership, employee involvement, customer focus, strategic planning, knowledge management, and TPM-orientation. Committed leadership, employee involvement and customer focus all involve the need for people relationships, and therefore are categorized under the people-oriented soft category.\nDefinitions: This section defines the constructs that have been included in the O&M Practice framework (Figure 1).\nMethodology and data analysis: A mail survey was used to gather data from the power plants located in Malaysia and Australia in order to test the above hypotheses. Power plants in Malaysia and Australia were chosen for study because the restructuring and deregulation of the ESIs in the two countries started at the same time and this would provide a basis for comparison between the two countries. The names and mailing addresses of the power plants in Malaysia and Australia were initially gathered from the lists which appeared in the statistics section of the Energy Commission web site (Electricity Supply Department Energy Commission, 2004) and Electricity Supply Association Australia, respectively.\nDescriptive statistics: Basic data and information were also sought from our respondents and the plants to profile them. The power plant profiles were described in terms of major process technology, location, plant age, number of employees, installed capacity sizes, products and services offered, competitive advantages, ownership, and availability and capacity utilization.\nResearch results: Tables I and II show the results of factor and reliability analyses. Hair et al. (1998, p. 111) informed that the choice of the cut-off factor loading relates to practical and statistical significance. The significance of a factor loading depends on sample size. Stevens (1996) contended that for a sample size of 100 respondents, variables with factor loadings of about 0.5 and higher are significant. For this study, a cut-off loading of 0.50 was used to screen and remove variables that were weak indicators of the constructs.\nTesting of hypotheses: Table V shows that the linear regression model (adj. R2=0.470) explains 47.0 percent of the variation in overall plant performance. The result indicates that of the \"soft\" practices factors, only committed leadership exhibited highly significant and positive relationship with overall plant performance (b=0.481, t(101)=4.779, p<0.001). Examination of the correlation matrix in Table IV shows that the Pearson correlation coefficients between the \"soft\" practices factors and plant performance are positive and significant. Committed leadership (r=0.645, p<0.01) has the strongest relationship among the three \"soft\" practices, followed by customer focus (r=0.450, p<0.01) and employee involvement (r=0.407, p<0.01). Based on the correlation analysis, all three factors are positive and significant in their relationships with overall performance. Therefore, H1 is supported.\nValidity and reliability: There is a need to determine whether the constructs of the O&M model are valid and reliable measures of the underlying practices elements. In other words, they measure what they are intended to measure. Content, construct, and criterion validities are considered (Hair et al., 1998).\nDiscussions of results: The results of the regression analysis show that committed leadership (b=0.481, t (101)=4.779, p<0.001) and TPM-orientation (b=0.282, t(101)=2.871, p<0.001) are significant differentiators between high and low performing power plants. The area of research on sustainable competitive advantage for organizations using the resource-based theory, either on TQM (Cua et al., 2001; Powell, 1995), TPM (Brah and Chong, 2004; Cua et al., 2001), JIT (Cua et al., 2001), or human resource management (Huselid, 1995), have people practices as the basis of their findings or the so-called \"soft\" practices.\nConclusion: This study concludes with respect to the research question: which O&M practices are critical predictors of plant performance, that effective O&M of power plants needs to comprise both \"soft\" and \"hard\" practices in order to achieve competitive advantage in the deregulated power generation sector. Committed leadership and maintenance-oriented toward TPM were found to be the main differentiators between high and low performing plants. We also conclude that the O&M framework is a valid and reliable model for assessing plant performance. The empirical findings suggest that in addition to quality practices, which tend toward developing the people aspect of the organization, the technical aspect of plant equipment and physical assets should be given equal emphasis.\nImplications for plant managers: There are several implications for plant managers. Our results confirmed that the O&M model is a valid and reliable measuring instrument for predicting the relationship between O&M and plant performance. As such, the O&M model offers a framework for power plants to assess themselves by comparing where they are relative to the \"best\" O&M practices. The self-assessment process should then indicate to plant managers the differences in O&M practices. It should also indicate as well the efficacy of using a TQM framework for plant improvement as practiced by some of the power plants. The self-assessment should enable a plant to identify its strengths and weaknesses so that a strategy can be formulated for improving plant performance (Evans and Lindsay, 1999).\nLimitations: Our research is cross-sectional in nature; therefore, it does not permit us to account for the lag between implementation and performance. This limitation may be overcome by conducting a longitudinal study. Second, our performance measures are subjective and may be subject to response bias. Furthermore, the introduction of competition has made the availability of objective data difficult. Third, the number of alternative renewable energy power plants in our sample is low. Renewable energy plants are growing in importance with public and energy policy maker. Further research into this area may reveal other innovative aspects of O&M practices.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of operations and maintenance (O&M) practices, individually and collectively, on power plant performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data were collected from more than 100 power plants in Australia and Malaysia. The reliability and validity (content, construct, and criterion) of the practice and performance measures were evaluated.\nFindings: Committed leadership and maintenance-oriented practices as part of a total productive maintenance (TPM) philosophy were found to be the main differentiators between high and low performing plants.\nResearch limitations/implications: The research is cross-sectional in nature, therefore, it does not permit us to account for the lag between implementation and performance. Second, the performance measures are subjective and may be subject to response bias.\nPractical implications: The implication of the research findings for plant managers is that they need to allocate more \"softer\" resources to the O&M function if they expect high plant availability.\nSocial implications: Apart from capacity and fuel cost, operating costs are an important source of differentiation for power plants. The implication is that reduction in operating costs is directly related to the reduction of consumer power bills.\nOriginality/value: The reader will learn from this paper that committed leadership and maintenance-oriented practices have greater explanatory power in the regression models than employee involvement, customer focus, strategic planning, and knowledge management. This knowledge is important because it emphasises that in addition to quality management practices, which are focussed on the development of the people aspects of the organization, the plant equipment and physical assets should also be given equal emphasis, in order to improve operational performance of power plants.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
2016 top trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries	[ "Jamaican academic libraries", "Jamaican university libraries", "Academic library issues", "Academic library trends", "Caribbean academic libraries", "Caribbean university libraries" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Monitoring trends and issues is a critical task in modern data and information-driven societies and in which libraries serve an important supporting role. Identifying and acting on emerging trends help academic libraries to capture opportunities, improve or discard old practices, maintain relevance, spur innovation and make accurate forecasts. Regardless of geography and finances, libraries in the developing world must keep a global perspective; they must analyse the trends and issues locally and globally to effectively design the services they offer to stakeholders. A scan of the literature on academic librarianship in Jamaica reveals only one paper directly dedicated to trends and issues, and this is Harris' (2016) paper which is based on the results of a document and thematic analysis of publications written from 2010 to 2016.\nJamaican academic libraries at the university level: There are six local university libraries in Jamaica:\nThe literature: The International Federation of Library Association (IFLA) is the global voice for libraries. It has taken a broad approach to identifying trends and issues in the global information environment and has published the IFLA (2013) trends report, which identified the following five high-level trends shaping the information society:\nMethodological framework: This paper applied document and thematic analysis, as well as the survey (questionnaire) method. ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee's (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016) publications were examined with the objective of coding/grouping the identified trends and issues under broad themes. This resulted in 17 major headings (themes): acquisitions, budget, staffing, communicating value, digital preservation and curation, mobile environment, collaboration, scholarly communication, information technology, library as a space/place, higher education, user behaviour and expectations, altmetrics, digital humanities/scholarship, competency-based learning, RDS and IL. From each publication, key sentences and phrases, describing, explaining or supporting the themes were then selected to serve as descriptors for the themes. See Table I, for a partial sample of this process. No key sentences and phrases were found suitable to describe and support RDS and IL; therefore, these were left open-ended and the respondents were asked to indicate the extent of these services in their libraries. Additionally, to guide the respondents' understanding of RDS, the following definition of RDS preceded the RDS question and response options: a dedicated suite of research support services to assist the researcher in not just one aspect of the research data life cycle, but in all areas of the research data life cycle, namely, data management planning, discovery and access, data organization and management, metadata and documentation, data sharing and publication, preservation and data visualization (University of Michigan Library, 2016). A definition of IL was not provided on the questionnaire because it is a well-known concept in Jamaican librarianship.\nPresentation of findings: trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries at the university level: Refer to Appendix 1, for a library-by-library presentation of the responses to Q1. Refer to Appendix 2 for a library-by-library presentation of Q2, the open-ended question and the coding of the responses to same.\nTop trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries at the university level: Acquisitions:\nDiscussion/analysis of the findings: The findings indicate 13 top trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries at the university level. These include the following.\nConclusion and recommendations: Highlighting trends and issues enhances the productivity imperative of academic libraries, as it allows for benchmarking, reflection, review, change, planning and forecast. It is clear that the top trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries at the university level focus on acquisitions, budget, staffing, communicating value, digital preservation and curation, mobile environment, collaboration, scholarly communication, information technology, space, higher education, user behaviours and expectations and IL. These trends and issues bear much similarity to those in UK and American academic librarianship, although there are a few areas of variations. Technology will no doubt change Jamaican academic libraries. Changing user expectations and behaviour will also have a key role in attracting and maintaining students, in the services and products offered and in the changes made to space. Together, technology and user behaviours and expectations will no doubt affect the skills needed by librarians, particularly technology-related skills. Given the current financial environment, collaboration within and outside of the libraries and adopting a myriad of strategies, which communicate value will be critical. Perhaps too, a librarian dedicated to exploring funding through friends of the library, project proposals and other initiatives may be worth exploring. Jamaican academic libraries seem to be here to stay, despite the trends and issues relating to finances.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Biennially, the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association, publishes a report on the top trends and issues affecting academic libraries in higher education. Harris (2016) used the trends and issues reported by the ACRL to inform a document and thematic analysis of publications written on Jamaican academic librarianship 2010-2016, to investigate the trends and issues in Jamaican academic librarianship. Harris' (2016) paper however noted that a survey of the chief librarian in each library, regarding their perceptions of the trends and issues would be a useful follow-up to her study, and cited this as a limitation/implication of her paper. The purpose of this paper is to address the above limitation and is therefore the follow-up to Harris' (2016) paper.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The chief librarians in five of the six local university libraries were surveyed to provide insights into the trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries at the university level.\nFindings: Acquisitions, budget, staffing, communicating value, digital preservation and curation, mobile environment, collaboration, scholarly communication, information technology, space, higher education, user behaviour and expectations and information literacy are the top trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries at the university level.\nResearch limitations/implications: This survey seeks to complement rather than contest Harris' (2016) research. Perhaps a useful follow-up to both papers would be biennial updates. Additionally, a survey of the trends and issues in all types of academic libraries throughout the English-speaking Caribbean would be a useful follow-up.\nOriginality/value: This paper is of value, as it is the first survey of trends and issues in Jamaican academic librarianship. It enriches the existing document and thematic analytical research on trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries by adding an empirical component. It also increases the number of publications, on trends and issues in Jamaican academic librarianship, from one to two, and allows voices from the English-speaking Caribbean (Jamaica) to be incorporated into the literature dedicated to trends and issues in academic libraries.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Halal integrity in the food supply chain	[ "Halal", "Islam", "Haram", "Traceability", "Food supply chain", "Halal certification", "Muslims" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Halal is an Arabic phrase for something that is permitted according to Islamic law (Riaz and Chaudry, 2004). These principles extend beyond dietary requirements and underpin all types of human conduct for adherents of the Islamic faith, including beliefs, actions, diet, clothes, modes of earnings, relationships, etc. The term \"halal\" with reference to food covers all the aspects starting from the farm and ending at the table of a halal observant home. Halal food must be free of any components that Muslims are prohibited from consuming, which is known as haram. Based on Qur'anic guidance (Qur'an, 2:168, cited in Chandia, 2015), all foods are halal except those that are specifically mentioned as haram. Haram foods can be divided into several main categories, and include any products derived from or contaminated with these prohibited materials, such as, carrion, blood, pig, permitted animals slaughtered incorrectly, and intoxicants. Recently, examples of haram contamination and dishonest behaviour with halal certified products highlight (Table I) areas of concern to Muslim consumers as they are dependent on the food industry and policy makers to assure the integrity of the halal supply chain. Food processors may choose to use pork derivatives, other non-halal slaughtered meats and gelatine to substitute meat products because they are cheap and readily available (Aida et al., 2005). This raises the question of what is halal integrity and what measures can be taken to assure that products are produced and handled with integrity? The paper aims to provide an eclectic appreciation of relevant sources, critically understand their nuances and implications to bridge the needs of halal integrity within the food chain. This is supported by providing a critical independent analysis which presents an ethical framework that is more embracive of the religious needs of more than 1.5 billion (and ever-increasing) people of the world and (arguably) is very pragmatic for both local producers and exporters alike. This paper will attempt to conceptualise the context of halal using the farm to fork and global supply chain models to define halal integrity. The models will assist food manufacturers, food traders and policy makers to ensure the halal integrity of the local and global food supply chains.\nHalal integrity: A farm to fork food supply chain is not only concerned about food but also the origin, transparency, potential for fraud and adulteration, increasing consumers' confidence, traceability (traceback and track forward) and quality issues (Hoorfar et al., 2011). Manning and Soon (2014) suggested that the term food integrity should be used to describe foods that are properly represented for exactly what they are. So halal integrity would be again clearly presenting the details of the halal status of the product and assuring that the requirements for halal as stated are met. Food safety is part of halal integrity as wholesomeness (tayyab) is a parallel requirement for halal, i.e., food should be pure, lawful and good for human consumption. Zulfakar et al. (2014) proposed a conceptual framework for halal food supply chain integrity which encompasses protective and preventive measures to ensure food products remain halal from production until they reach consumers. Halal integrity should also demonstrate that the product remain halal throughout the supply chain, are free from any activities that might breached the halal status (intentionally or unintentionally) (Zulfakar et al., 2012). Others are proposing more specific halal control points (Kohilavani et al., 2012, 2013), control points for halal slaughtering of poultry (Shahdan et al., 2016) and halal compliance critical control point (Kamaruddin et al., 2012) for various production systems. There are certainly challenges in ensuring halal integrity in the food supply chain as production, processing and transportation require different companies at various stages. Alqudsi (2014) had reported that it is a difficult task to maintain halal integrity of the whole supply chain as it requires constant monitoring and resources in terms of capital and trained staff. However, the demand for halal food products from consumers and the drive from the supply side theory of religion (i.e. expansion of halal markets because of production sides' initiative in creating more halal food) will spur the need to ensure halal food status is maintained. Halal certification bodies play an important role in certifying halal food products and services whilst governments should play an active role as accreditation bodies or to provide independent validation in order to police the halal food chain. If halal integrity is maintained across the supply chain regardless of whether the chain is within one country or multiple countries, then one will have a global halal supply chain with integrity (Figure 2). Halal integrity is crucial to the success of the emerging halal market. A formal definition of halal integrity might be articulated as:[...] the assurance of safe (pure), quality (good) and free from mal-practice (lawful) food from farm to fork.\nConclusion: The ideas of halal and haram are clear within Islamic teachings. It is important also to understand that halal is a way of life and embraces good conduct and righteous deeds. It is in this context that halal integrity should be understood. This paper utilises the farm to fork and global supply chain models to foster a critical awareness of halal needs. Taking into consideration the origins of food products, production and facilities, global sourcing of ingredients and raw materials, food trade and halal as a way of life leads to a definition of halal integrity. SWOT analyses serve as a guideline for countries that opt to select standardised halal standard or choose to have an independent halal standard certification. Countries that opt to use standardised halal standard may benefit from increased cost efficiency and increased food trade while countries that choose to use independent halal standards may benefit from increased competition and the potential to save cost as no benchmarking is required. It is recommended that the key to improved halal integrity in international trade is transparency and required concerted effort from food supply chains, policy makers, halal certification and accreditation bodies and research institutions. Halal integrity is crucial to the success of halal market - if the halal status of the food product is breached (e.g. did not follow halal slaughtering method, cross-contamination with haram products, ill intentions), this will render the product haram. In response to the initial questions raised in this paper, i.e., what is halal integrity and what measures can be taken to assure this - a formal definition of halal integrity has been proposed.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper argues that there is an absence of halal integrity within the conventional stages of a food chain. This paper adapts the understanding of the different stages and argues the need to develop a critical consciousness for halal integrity within the food chain to address the needs of the ever-growing Muslim consumers' market. The purpose of this paper is to propose a definition of halal integrity using farm to fork and global food supply chain models.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study includes a review of priori literature and media reports regarding cross-contamination of food products with haram (forbidden) components. This background will be used to conceptualise halal integrity using farm to fork and global supply chain models.\nFindings: Different interpretations of halal - what is permitted and what is prohibited - exist for the different schools of Islamic legal thought and within the customs of different countries. In order to ensure that food production is embracive of the religious needs of the global Muslim customer market, this paper utilises the farm to fork and global supply chain models to foster a critical awareness of halal needs. Halal integrity should be clearly presenting the details of the halal status of the product and assuring that the requirements for halal as stated are met. Halal integrity not only deals with permitted and prohibited foods, but that the halal status of the food products (i.e. from raw materials until it reaches the consumers) should not be breached (i.e. no cross-contamination with haram products/methods and no ill intents). A formal definition of halal integrity has been proposed.\nResearch limitations/implications: The SWOT analyses serve as a guideline as the analysis done may be outdated as the environments are constantly changing.\nOriginality/value: This research although academic is meant to have a real value in improving the integrity of the halal food supply chain, providing value to the food industry, to countries that are concerned about this supply chain and to Muslim consumers. Halal integrity is crucial to the success of the emerging halal market.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Feasibility of adopting in-and-out-sourcing: A case study of PetroCost for Engineering Investment and Construction Co. Ltd	[ "In‐and‐out‐sourcing", "Service repair and overhaul (SRO)", "Break‐even point", "Outsourcing", "Maintenance costs" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Maintenance, in its broad definition, is concerned with controlling and restoring the condition of equipment (service -adjusting and lubricating- repair, and overhaul, SRO). The importance of SRO can be judged by the fact that it constitutes typically 10-15 percent of an airline's operating cost. In 2003 it is estimated to be US $36.1 billion, in the commercial airlines sector, and with inventory holding of, approximately, US$50 billion (Seristo, 1995, McDonald, 2002, and Flint, 2005, as surveyed by Al-Kaabi et al., 2007).Each year over $300 billion was spent on plant maintenance and operations by US industry, approximately, 80 percent of it was spent to correct the chronic failure of machines systems. It is estimated that the maintenance cost of a military jet aircraft is, approximately, 11 percent of the total operating cost (Bloch and Geitner, 2005). Ultimately, significant cost savings and profitability can be achieved through combining assets (i.e. machinery) reliability, safety, availability, and maintainability. However, effective and efficient machinery maintenance can be achieved through expertise acquired in troubleshooting and failure analysis that built-in asset's design. Planned maintenance schemes must be set, consequently, to keep equipment in good operating condition and, hence, avoiding unexpected failures. Integration of condition-based devices enhance the preventive maintenance plans that elevates disruptive breakdowns of critical equipment, \"Pay now or pay later\".Nowadays, machine owners recognize that preventive maintenance is more economical than machine repair. Under an idealized preventive maintenance program, remedial or emergency repair in the field would be decreased to negligible level. Regular inspection, adjustments, and preventive repairs would detect problem and prevent failures. All repair work could be scheduled at the most opportune time (Joseph Frein, 1980). Hence, the machine owners can predict production outputs based on machine availability as a result of the scheduled repairs and overhauls, in advance. Analysis of accurately compiled maintenance records provide information needed for performance evaluation, repair or replacement decisions, and cost-of-operation efficiency (Dhillon, 2002; Gross, 2002).PetroCost for Engineering Investment and Construction Co. Ltd. works mainly in roads and bridges construction and maintenance. Beside trucks, the subjects of this study, typical applications in roads construction industry (light road maintenance, finishing, plant and road mix work; haul road maintenance, road construction, ditching, loose fill spreading and land forming, elevating and grading; maintenance of hard packed roads with embedded rock, heavy fill spreading, ripping-scarifying of asphalt or concrete, continuous high load factor, high impact) require a number of machines and equipment, i.e. dozers, graders, etc. which need a decision of sourcing to be taken. So, the decision of in-and-out-sourcing is worth to be investigated.In-house maintenance of its earth moving equipment and machinery necessitates the existence of a central workshop plus small field and mobile ones. For equipment maintenance organization, success or failure depends upon the skill of personnel. High-caliber supervision and a well-trained workforce are needed. Beyond this is the need for team commitment that feels pride in accomplishing the work targets in a satisfactory manner. To build this type of organization is the real challenge to management. Basic considerations in establishing a successful maintenance organization are size of the operations, type of equipment, and type of jobs to be performed. Usually, the number of maintenance personnel and supervisors needed depends on these factors (Frein, 1980).Corporations nowadays tend to contract out more manufacturing and service activities than they did two decades ago. As, remarked by Tsang (2002) this trend enabled corporations stay competitive through cost reduction, better strategic focus, and agility in responding to fast market changes. This option is defended by the traditional in-sourcing which is defined as the management process of performing a service by the in-house staff. Through outsourcing, the organization can devote its scarce resources to developing its core competencies in a bid to sustain competitive advantages (Hui, 2004). Once an activity has been identified as non-core, the conventional wisdom is to outsource it to external parties through some contractual arrangements (Fuller, 2002). However, it would be too simplistic a decision to outsource every activity that is classified as non-core, because these non-core activities may contribute to the successful implementation of the corporate strategy to different extents.In-house maintenance involved maintenance activities that deal with regular scheduled lubrication, fueling, inspection and adjustment, preventive repair, and system analysis performed in field. This work, when properly planned, performed and recorded, constitutes a \"Preventive maintenance program\". Field maintenance must be backed by a record system that includes maintenance and repair history and cost data. The machine owner who maintains accurate machine record has the data needed to evaluate equipment performance and operation cost and to plan equipment replacement (Frein, 1980). So, recruitment of qualified personnel is vital to develop and perform an effective in-house maintenance programs, bearing in mind in a fierce competitive contracting environment with tough penalty clauses for not meeting deadlines.Fluctuating passenger demand, as a consequence of economic crises, have forced many airlines to use SRO outsourcing as the main reorganization tool. The trend toward outsourcing is expected to reach as high as 65 percent of SRO budget by 2010. Many airlines started to take advantage by outsourcing non-core intensive labor activities and focusing on fewer value-added activities (Al-Kaabi et al., 2007).Outsourcing is often seen as a critical business capability that enhances a company's overall profitability. It allows to leverage resources and capabilities by concentrating on core competencies that create value for the company's customers, with non-value added activities being outsourced. Outsourcing has contributed to reduction in operational cost and capital investment while improving product and service quality.Nevertheless, as surveyed by Hui (2004), a number of scholars found that, while outsourcing is gaining popularity, the number of reported cases of failure is also increasing. Very often, expectations of the client organization are not fully met. A study of the failure cases has revealed that some of the outsourcing should have been administered from a strategic perspective. In some situations, there should have been more input from the client organization. So, outsourcing is not however risk free, i.e. vulnerability to supplier self interest, such as the raising of prices (Yoon and Naadimuthu, 1994; Quinn and Hilmer, 1994; McFarlan and Nolan, 1995; Kakabadse and Kakabadse, 2002; Leavy, 2001; Doganis, 2001; cited in Al-Kaabi et al., 2007).\nProblem definition: PetroCost company, where the research is conducted, had a fleet size of 229 units of trucks (tippers), but more than 68 percent were out of service. So, the company was faced by a decision-making situation: is it economical to have its own fleet and hence maintains it, or renting a fleet (outsourcing) and thus the maintenance is part of the deal.The decision criteria is based on the feasibility and out performance of one alternative over the other. So, the researchers intended to simplify, and, hence, understand, the decision making approach to find out the effects of maintenance cost on selection of one of the two (in-and-out-sourcing) alternatives.\nResearch objective: The aim of the research is to find the effect of economic value of maintenance cost on the optimum selection of one alternative (either out-or-in-sourcing) through the analysis of two case studies.\nFactors influencing the costs of ownership and operation: Several factors are, generally, found to have direct effects on the costs of ownership and operation of physical assets, (earth moving equipment), i.e. the type of the work; ownership period; price of consumables; repair and maintenance cost; shipping, freight and insurance cost; interest rate; and others, e.g. emergency (contingency) cost.Estimation of ownership's cost\nData analysis: economic justification: A case study, of two projects, was undertaken to assist the decision-makers at PetroCost company to choose between out-and-in-sourcing its earth moving equipment operation and maintenance.The first case project represents an existing on going project (Khuwi-Elnihood) in North Kordofan State. The second is a proposed one, Gaziera State's roads, which was advertised for bidding.The study took the first case as a pilot study or indicator for the right decision of sourcing action (out-or-in).We calculated the net present worth (NPW) as a measure of worth to take the decision in the first case project. The result encouraged us to extended the analysis in the second case study.First case project (existing on-going project)\nConclusion: According to the present worth (PWM-R), that is equal to SDG 717,484.31, it is found that in-house rehabilitation and maintenance is the best alternative.Moreover, in-sourcing will enable the company to have control on its fleet's availability and, hence, it gives the company a competitive edge in bidding for new projects.Second case project (proposed bidding project)\nConclusion: Using its own fleet, and conducting its maintenance in-house, the company achieves a saving of 33.4 percent over the out-sourcing alternative, while the project recovers (payback) its expenses in 27 days (one-third of project life).\nRecommendations: * The company has to rehabilitate its own fleet through a bank loan, and conduct its own in-house maintenance activities.* The company system needs to be restructured in such a way that a function - like operating/leasing of equipment - to be under direct responsibility of the concerned equipment department and not the Projects Implementation Department, as current practice.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of the paper is to find the \"effect of economic value of maintenance cost on the optimum selection of one alternative (either out-or-in-sourcing) through the analysis of a case study of two projects: an existing on-going project and a proposed bidding project\". In particular, the research is conducted to help PetroCost for Engineering Investment and Construction Company to take a decision on whether to have its own earth moving fleet (and hence maintain it) or rent one including the maintenance service as part of the outsourcing contract.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This research uses a case study approach whereby cost data and information are collected from two case projects, then presented and analyzed. Economic tools (measures of worth) and excel software were used in the first project, where payback period method and break-even analysis are used in the second project. The two projects were considered as an integrated (complementary) case study, so different measures were applied to each project, although the three measures could be applied, implicitly, to each of them. The payback method is used as a quick screening method to determine, approximately, how long the project takes to recover the invested outlays. If the period is shorter than the period of time desired by the investor, then a further thorough analyses, rate of return and break-even, are recommended to be undertaken. Two of the authors were consultants to the study, where the third was the technical manager of the company (PetroCost).\nFindings: - The results obtained from the analysis of the first case project (existing on-going project) showed a saving of SDG717,484.31, while the second case study (bidding) showed a saving of 33.4 percent over the out-sourcing cost, and a break-even point of 27 days, one third of the recommended project life. Both cases are in favor of having their own trucks while conducting in-house maintenance.\nPractical implications: - The traditional in-house approach is considered by many firms as the best maintenance strategy. Nevertheless, out-sourcing becomes a recognized challenging competing option, worldwide. However, out-sourcing option not widely practiced in Sudan. The decision criteria presented in this paper provides a useful management tool for selecting the appropriate maintenance organization strategy. Although the criteria is applied for a truck fleet case in a construction firm, but it can be extended to the management of maintenance activities in the growing oil and associated industries in the country, besides the existing ones, where the skills' shortage of qualified maintenance personnel is evident.\nOriginality/value: - Much of previous and current research on outsourcing focuses on managing outsourcing projects and evaluating ex post decisions' consequences (e.g. output measurability) more than addressing early planning and feasibility study stages. Hence, the paper is relevant in this respect and intended to contribute to the practice of maintenance management.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Relative institutional quality and FDI inflows in ASEAN countries	[ "Foreign direct investment", "Institutional quality", "Dynamic panel data" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been receiving considerable attention and consensus among economists regarding its vital contribution to economic growth, especially in developing countries. As a result, all developing countries are currently in a rush to lure as much FDI as possible to assist their economic development by offering various incentives. The importance of FDI in economic development has been succinctly summarized by Okada and Samreth (2014); they state that FDI-based capital flows directly enhance the accumulation of capital in a host country, and indirectly contribute to the economic growth in a host country by promoting productivity growth through technology transfer. In addition, FDI is an attractive source of capital because it is not borrowed capital, and hence host countries need not be concerned about debt accumulation.\n2. Stylized facts: Various attempts have been made to quantify IQ. According to Emory University General Libraries, there are about 27 sources of governance and IQ information[2]. In this study, we follow the Worldwide Governance Indicators by the World Bank to represent IQ. The governance index by World Bank[3] consists of six elements: voice and accountability; political stability and absence of violence/terrorism; government effectiveness (GE); regulatory quality (RQ); rule of law (RL); and control of corruption. In constructing these indices, the World Bank has taken into account 32 sources and therefore the calculated score is highly reliable.\n3. Literature review: This section offers a discussion on the determinants of FDI inflows based on several past studies. We start by discussing three major determinants of FDI: IQ, agglomeration effect, and China's threat based on the recent literature. The forth sub-section deals with a control variable, market size. Finally, for robustness test, we add two more variables observed as significantly affecting FDI in past studies.\n4. Methodology: Model specification\n5. Results and discussion: We start our analysis by presenting and discussing the results of the unit root test based on IPS. As shown in Table III, all variables are generally passed the stationary test at first difference. IPS panel unit root tests without trend reported in Table III support the presence of a unit root in all variables across countries, as well as stationarity of their first differences. As seen in Table III, the inclusion of trend does not change the results for almost all variables. All variables turn out to have a unit root and their differenced series are stationary. Thus, we conclude in favor of the presence of panel unit root and stationarity of the first differences.\n6. Conclusion: This study attempts to fill in the gap in the literature on the issue of IQ. So far, the role of IQ has been tested on an individual basis (see for instances, Ali et al., 2010; Alguacil et al., 2011; Buchanan et al., 2012; Masron and Nor, 2013; Tintin, 2013). Although conducting the research on a panel of several ASEAN countries, Masron and Nor (2013) considered only the role of IQ on each ASEAN country on FDI inflows into that particular country. As a result, the finding is unlikely to concur with the actual FDI inflows and the level of IQ in each country. This could be because this type of study ignores the issue of the IQ of two competing countries changing simultaneously. Using the experience of ASEAN countries with respect to China as a case, we try to confirm that IQ remained crucial to FDI inflows but is also conditional upon changes in China's IQ, or any competing countries' IQ. Employing the panel data from eight ASEAN countries for the period between 1996 and 2013, we found that the RIQ improvement plays a significant role in explaining the behavior of FDI inflows into ASEAN countries. This has important implications in ASEAN countries in utilizing IQ as a means to attract or retain FDI in the region. First, the statistically significant effect may suggest that this area is still valid as the policy focus for luring FDI inflows in the future. Second, although IQ is still a valid policy strategy, the cost of using IQ could be very high as the IQ in ASEAN countries should improve far beyond the level of improvement in China's IQ in order to be effective.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into any country, especially ASEAN countries, is affected by any improvement in the institutional quality (IQ) of competitors such as China. As generally investors make decisions by comparing two countries' IQ, the ratio of two countries' IQ matters more than a single country's IQ. The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the role of IQ on FDI inflows in ASEAN countries for the period 1996-2013.\nDesign/methodology/approach: With limited information on IQ, this study pools eight ASEAN countries as the sample for analysis from 1996 until 2013. A panel dynamic approach - namely, dynamic ordinary least square and fully modified ordinary least square - is utilized.\nFindings: This study confirmed that relative IQ significantly affects FDI inflows into ASEAN countries. The low effect is more reflective of the small portion of world FDI inflows into the ASEAN region.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study observes the crucial relationship between IQ and FDI - that the relative effectiveness of IQ in attracting FDI inflows depends heavily on the changes in both countries' IQ. Hence, the effort of ASEAN countries to improve IQ and use it as a means to lure FDI inflows should go beyond a mere improvement. Focus should be on significant improvement of IQ so that multinational corporations will comfortably remain or inject new FDI into the country.\nPractical implications: Every ASEAN country should double their efforts toward improving their IQ in order to attract future FDI.\nOriginality/value: Several studies have confirmed the role of IQ on FDI inflows. However, the majority of these studies have investigated the effect of IQ exclusively for a specific country even though some of them have used a panel of several countries' data. On the other hand, investors normally evaluate their decision on whether or not to invest based on the relative terms, comparing several potential locations of investment at once. This study can be considered the first to explore the potential effect of IQ after taking into account the possibility of each ASEAN country's IQ being easily offset by changes in the IQ of China.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Storytelling in organisations: supporting or subverting corporate strategy?	[ "Internal communications", "Strategy", "Employees", "Storytelling", "Impression management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Storytelling has been an integral part of cultures throughout history, both as entertainment and as a means of passing on knowledge, values, and desired behaviours from generation to generation. Whether stories are painted on the walls of caves or posted onto a blog, they can have a powerful influence on members of a social group. Storytelling is common in many organisations, and it is proposed that stories can be a powerful tool in communicating corporate strategy (e.g. Marshall and Adamic, 2010; Ohara and Cherniss, 2010; Volker et al., 2011; Chen, 2012; Dolan and Bao, 2012; Auvinen et al., 2013). However, empirical studies have tended to focus holistically on storytelling in organisations (such as Ohara and Cherniss, 2010; Rhodes et al., 2010; Chen, 2012) or by particular groups (such as Maclean et al., 2012 (leaders) and Auvinen et al., 2013 (managers)). There are a lack of studies that compare storytelling between different groups in an organisation, and particularly the differences in storytelling in official vs unofficial internal communication. This is surprising, as authors have found that sub-cultures can exist in organisations which resist official organisational practices and behave dysfunctionally (Kondra and Hurst, 2009; Czarniawska and Kunda, 2010; Strandberg and Vigso, 2016). Communication amongst employees can oppose management and the organisation (Harris and Ogbonna, 2012) and illustrate conflict between different groups (Strandberg and Vigso, 2016).\nInternal communication: Effective internal communication can contribute to a positive relationship between employees, managers, and the organisation (Kim and Rhee, 2011; Welch, 2012) and help employees make sense of knowledge and information (Mazzei, 2014). Internal communication includes official organisational and management communication to employees, such as their aims for the company (Melewar et al., 2006), as well as informal chat, gossip and rumours amongst employees. The importance of both official and unofficial communication in organisations is recognised in the Communicative Constitution of Organisation principle (Putnam and Nicotera, 2010). From this perspective, communication amongst all organisation members contributes to the development of the organisation, through a process of collective sensemaking (Christensen and Cornelissen, 2011).\nStorytelling in internal communication: This study extends the literature on internal communication by focussing on the use of storytelling within organisations. A challenge for researchers is the lack of an agreed definition of organisational stories in the literature. This study draws upon the broader storytelling literature, as well as studies on organisational stories, to define organisational stories as a coherent series of logically or chronologically related events that are caused or experienced by organisation-related characters, in an organisation-related setting, presented as a unified whole (based upon Forster, 1963; Meyer, 1995; Jameson, 2001; Cunliffe et al., 2004).\nCorporate strategy and storytelling: Communicating corporate strategy to employees is critical, in order to guide their behaviour and drive organisational performance. Stories told by managers can enhance employees' understanding of corporate strategy, particularly an organisation's vision, goals, and values (Baker and Boyle, 2009; Marshall and Adamic, 2010; Ohara and Cherniss, 2010; Volker et al., 2011; Chen, 2012; Dolan and Bao, 2012; Iglesias and Bonet, 2012; Auvinen et al., 2013). Communicating vision and values in corporate stories can give organisation members a sense of purpose (Baker and Boyle, 2009), and help them to understand their role in achieving the strategy (Marzec, 2007).\nIM activity in stories: The majority of previous studies on organisational stories lack a theoretical underpinning, which limits the insight they bring into storytelling in internal communication. This study therefore advances the area by using IM theory to analyse organisational storytelling. IM is defined as the conscious or unconscious attempts to control the impressions that audiences form of an individual or organisation (Rosenfeld et al., 1995; Dubrin, 2011). Beneficial IM portrays an organisation positively (including particular individuals or events) whereas dysfunctional IM portrays an organisation negatively or incorrectly (Rosenfeld et al., 1995; Dubrin, 2011; Schniederjans et al., 2013). For example, dysfunctional IM can be seen in organisational rumours which describe undesirable outcomes for employees and the organisation (Bordia et al., 2006), and can have a detrimental impact on organisation members' attitudes and behaviours (DiFonzo and Bordia, 2000). Previous studies have identified IM in external corporate communication (such as Stanton et al., 2004; Connolly-Ahern and Broadway, 2007; Schniederjans et al., 2013), and in official stories on organisations' websites (Spear and Roper, 2013), but not in stories in internal communication.\nMethods: Corporate stories were investigated within two case study organisations, using an interpretivist, qualitative approach. This approach has been advocated by Boje (1991, 1995) to gain an in-depth understanding of storytelling within a particular organisation, and has been adopted in research on corporate stories by authors including Ohara and Cherniss (2010), Volker et al. (2011) and Chen (2012). The organisations were selected from the major companies in the UK energy industry, comprising six electricity and gas suppliers, and 14 distribution network operators (DNOs), responsible for distributing electricity (Electricity Distribution, 2007). Agreement was secured to conduct research with one supplier and one DNO, referred to in this paper as Energy One and PowerOn. Energy companies have received criticism in the media and from the industry regulator, Ofgem, for their pricing strategies, profit margins, and sales tactics (Kavanagh, 2012; Chazan, 2013; Macalister, 2013). It is claimed that there is deep public and consumer mistrust in the industry, and as a result energy companies are investing in improving their image, particularly focussing on customer service (Joseph, 2013; Owens, 2013). Customer experience often depends on employees' behaviour (Morhart et al., 2009), therefore it is essential to gain employees' support in delivering corporate strategy. This emphasises the relevance of investigating how stories may encourage support for or resistance to corporate strategy.\nResults: Overall, 271 stories recounted by employees were identified in the interview data. Most of the stories were either supportive (52.4 per cent) or neutral (41.7 per cent). Few were subversive (only 5.9 per cent), although this did vary between different areas of the organisations. Table III summarises the stories recounted by employees.\nDiscussion: This study shows the important contribution of employees to the collective sensemaking process in organisations, by narrating supportive or subversive stories. This advances more traditional views of organisations, which sees employees as passive recipients of communication from organisation leaders (Heide and Simonsson, 2011), and where leaders and communication professionals are considered as the key organisational storytellers (as in Boje, 1995; Ohara and Cherniss, 2010; Dolan and Bao, 2012). In contrast, this study shows the relevance of storytelling for all employees, as part of their role as active communicators (Heide and Simonsson, 2011). The study also brings new insight into the variation in the use of stories by different groups in an organisation.\nManagerial implication and further research: One of the major managerial implications of the study is that all employees should be considered as organisational storytellers, rather than seeing this as an elite role reserved for leaders and communication professionals. Encouraging supportive storytelling by employees should be part of a broader focus on building positive relationships between employees, managers, and the organisation.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Storytelling is claimed to be an effective way of communicating corporate strategy within organisations. However, previous studies have tended to focus holistically on storytelling in organisations rather than investigating how different groups may use and be influenced by stories. The purpose of this paper is to address these gaps in the literature by investigating how storytelling in internal communication can either support or subvert corporate strategy.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A qualitative study was conducted into storytelling in two large companies in the UK energy industry. Data were collected through 70 semi-structured interviews, documentary research, and observation research. Impression management theory was used to analyse how stories supported or subverted corporate strategy.\nFindings: Storytelling by employees in the corporate and customer service areas of the organisations showed the greatest support for corporate strategy. There was more subversive storytelling in the operational areas, particularly by lower level employees. Stories subverted corporate strategy by recounting incidents and encouraging behaviour that contradicted the organisation's vision/goals and values.\nOriginality/value: The study shows the important contribution of employees to the collective sensemaking process in organisations, by narrating supportive or subversive stories. Engaging employees in storytelling can enhance support for corporate strategy, however, managers should also see subversive stories as an opportunity to identify and address problems in the organisation.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Antecedents of turnover in federal public administration	[ "Engagement", "Values", "Turnover", "Expectations", "Civil servants" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Although somewhat neglected, turnover in the Federal Executive Branch is a prominent aspect for public management. According to records, 21.3 thousand civil servants have separated - 7.1 thousand a year, on average - according to the Integrated Human Resources Administration System (SIAPE), accounting for nearly 25 per cent of the new vacancies authorized for that period. Of these, 48 per cent are volunteer requests of separation or exoneration[1]. The remaining separations in the Federal Government were related to taking on new office.\nTheoretical referential: Turnover: concept, costs and predictors\nHypotheses: The following research hypotheses were investigated in this paper:\nFindings: This section was organized in two topics to systematize the presentation of findings. The first one presents the sample descriptive data, that is, the mean and standard deviation of the variables of values (the four higher dimensions of Schwartz: Self-enhancement; Self-transcendence; Openness to change; and Conservation); expectations (of Career in the Organization, of Career and personal life and of Organizational Future); Affective Commitment to the Organization; and Turnover Intention.\nDiscussion and conclusion: The main goal of this work was to investigate how values and expectations of the federal civil servants could influence their behaviors in the organization and, thus, the intentions of quitting the Public Administration. This goal was pursued through the working hypothesis.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Understanding the reasons that lead civil servants to abandon their offices is an important step towards qualifying personnel management in the Federal Administration. The purpose of this study is to present an initial approach to the subject and to investigate variables that favor or reduce the turnover intention among civil servants in the Federal Executive Branch.\nDesign/methodology/approach: To fulfill the objective stated, the study resorted to variables of values, expectations and affective commitment to the organization. Variables were tested in a model of structural equations capable of verifying if these are antecedent or not of the turnover intention levels in a sample comprising 228 civil servants.\nFindings: The validation of a model of structural equations unveiled a statistically relevant relation of dependence among values, expectations and the affective commitment to the organization. Moreover, engagement proved to be a mediator of the relation between the other variables and the turnover intention.\nOriginality/value: The work contributed to literature by presenting evidence that low expectations among civil servants bring low affective commitment which, in turn, leads to higher willingness to quit organizations. On the other hand, the same model showed that self-transcendent values, typical to the public career (serve the public), prevail among civil servants and positively impact commitment. This scenario shows that in people management all these elements of values and expectations must be worked on to reduce the number of civil servants that quit the government every year, as well as the high costs associated with quitting.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Food fraud and consumers' choices in the wake of the horsemeat scandal	[ "Food safety", "Discrete choice models", "Food fraud", "Horsemeat scandal", "Ready meals", "Ready to heat" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Food has never been safer than nowadays; however, consumers are considerably uncertain, anxious and have an increasingly critical perception of food safety (Banati, 2011). This has generated a lively debate, with a growing number of studies focusing on the impacts of risk perception on consumers' food choices (Frewer et al., 2015). Indeed, consumers' choices regarding food have always been heavily influenced by risk, as risk perception strongly influences consumers' decision-making process (Grunert, 2002).\nBackground literature: Since the \"1990s, many studies in economics, psychology and marketing have looked at the effects of food safety, quality and origin on consumers\" risk perception. A number of studies explored consumers' preferences for reducing specific risk factors, such as avoidance of pathogens, pesticides or genetically modified organisms in food production (e.g. Hayes et al., 1995; McCluskey et al., 2005; Phillips and Hallman, 2013). Others focused on different features of the food product that might affect consumers' perception of risk and quality, such as traceability (Loureiro and Umberger, 2007; Wu et al., 2015), origin labelling (Loureiro and Umberger, 2003; Lagerkvist et al., 2014; Lim et al., 2014) and quality labelling (Barnett et al., 2016).\nResearch objective and experimental procedure: Research objective and hypotheses\nResults: The results from the RPL model estimations in WTP-space in each country are reported in Table III. All features were coded as dummy variables, with the reference dummies taking on the following values: current level of food safety, no information about the origin of the meat in the sauce, no DNA test and no improvement in retention of nutritional values. Each attribute was modelled as normally distributed, estimating the mean (m) and the spread of the distribution (s).\nDiscussion: The results highlight that European consumers would benefit from improved standards applied to the production of RTH products, especially to mitigate the impact of the horsemeat scandal. This is in line with evidence highlighted by Cope et al. (2010) after previous scandals. As in previous cross-countries research, this study highlights many similarities as well as some differences across the six countries examined. Generally, as shown by previous studies (Loureiro and Umberger, 2007), the country of origin matters, and it represents a relevant attribute for consumers. In particular, our results show that all consumers have strong preferences for meat produced in their own country. Indeed, for Italian and French consumers the price premium is at its highest for reassuring that the meat is nationally sourced, compared to other features in the DCE.\nConclusion: This study contributes to the literature on consumers' preferences and WTP for RTH lasagne using DCE focusing on four attributes: enhanced food safety, information on meat authenticity, its place of origin and nutritional values. This study was conducted right after the horsemeat scandal had spread across Europe in 2013.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: In 2012, the European food industry was hit by a food fraud: horsemeat was found in pre-prepared foods, without any declaration on the package. This is commonly referred to as the \"horsemeat scandal\". The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers' preferences across Europe for a selected ready meal, ready to heat (RTH) fresh lasagne, to consider whether the effects of potential food frauds on consumers' choices can be mitigated by introducing enhanced standards of RTH products.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An online survey was administered to 4,598 consumers of RTH lasagne in six European countries (Republic of Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Norway), applying discrete choice experiments to estimate consumers' willingness to pay for enhanced food safety standards and highlight differences between countries.\nFindings: Many similarities across countries emerged, as well as some differences. Consumers in Europe are highly concerned with the authenticity of the meat in ready meals and strongly prefer to know that ingredients are nationally sourced. Strong regional differences in price premiums exist for enhanced food safety standards.\nOriginality/value: This research adds relevant insights in the analysis of consumers' reaction to food fraud, providing practical guidelines on the most appropriate practices that producers should adopt and on the information to reduce food risk perception among consumers. This would prove beneficial for the food processing industry and the European Union. The survey is based on a representative sample of European consumers making this the largest cross-country study of this kind.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Managing supply chain risks and delays in construction project	[ "Risk management", "Construction projects", "Construction delays", "Simulation modelling" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Construction projects are inevitably related to a future period of time so that it is problematic to predict the results of their implementation. They depend on how accurately the amount of material and their associated flows during the project are forecasted. Insufficient information is a problem, and stochastic materials flow through the value stream likewise hinder the universal application of lean principles to the construction supply chain (Fearne and Fowler, 2006; Forsman et al., 2012; Eriksson, 2010). In essence, the lean concept focuses substantially on the process flow, and a synchronization of demand and production. Therefore, it is difficult to implement this in the construction industry, due to its inherent uncertainty and complexity, both of which cause disintegration in its supply chains (Voordijk et al., 2006; Briscoe and Dainty, 2005; Fearne and Fowler, 2006). Hence, the construction supply chain should be developed within the framework of the \"agile paradigm\" (Vrijhoef and Koskela, 2000). Nevertheless, this study supports the idea of using a material inventory to avoid supply chain disruption in the construction industry.\n2. Models and methods for managing construction delays: 2.1 Lean concept in construction supply chains\n3. Research methodology: This present research describes methods of assessing the risks associated with delays in construction projects through comparative analysis. It also explains the stochastic nature of risk factors in construction projects. A literature review was used to determine the risk factors (e.g. time and cost), as well as approaches for their management. An experimental analysis was used to empirically validate the findings from the literature, conducted using visual simulation modeling experiments with the help of AnyLogic and Vensim computer packages.\n4. Findings: 4.1 Base scenario of the system dynamics model for financial flow analysis\n5. Conclusion: At the beginning of construction project, it is necessary to consider supply chain risks, such as possible delays in the supply of materials and other resources, overcapacity or deficiency warehouse, on-time loading and shipment of goods. These risks can be divided between the owner and the contractor, but no rigid line can be drawn. The participants are interdependent, and both can benefit economically from the success of the project.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate models and methods for managing supply chain risks and delays in construction projects.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study mainly employs quantitative analysis in order to identify disruptions in construction supply chains. It also uses paradigms of simulation modeling, which are suitable for risk assessment and management. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through a literature review and details of specific construction projects, respectively. A dynamic modeling method was used, and the model was provided with an event-based simulation. Simulation modeling was used to measure the performance of the system.\nFindings: The study shows the benefits of applying the dynamic modeling method to a construction project. Using event-based simulation, it was found that construction delays influence both the magnitude and the probability of disruption. This method contributes to the existing theoretical foundations of risk management practices, since it also considers the time factor. This method supplements the Monte Carlo statistical simulation method, which has no time representation. Using empirical analysis, the study proposes increasing the safety stock of construction materials at the distribution center, so as to mitigate risks in the construction supply chain.\nResearch limitations/implications: The research considers a single case of a hypothetical construction project. The simulation models represent a simple supply chain with only one supplier. The calculations are based on the current economic scenario, which will of course change over time.\nPractical implications: The outcomes of the study show that the introduction of a safety stock of construction materials at the distribution center can prevent supply chain disruption. Since the consideration of risks at all stages of construction supply chain is essential to investors, entrepreneurs and regulatory bodies, the adoption of new approaches for their management during strategic planning of the investment projects is essential.\nOriginality/value: This dynamic modeling method is used in combination with the Monte Carlo simulation, thus, providing an explicit cause-and-effect dependency over time, as well as a distributed value of outcomes.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Equating the expected and perceived service quality: A comparison between public and private healthcare service providers	[ "Pakistan", "Service quality", "Hospitals", "Gap analysis", "Expected services", "Perceived services" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Quality continues to be reflected as much as imperative as the healthcare service quality itself because quality equally initiate the core of discussion in the healthcare service literature (Darzi, 2008). The developed countries took initiatives toward quality movements which are acting as roots for the healthcare agenda (Coye and Detmer, 1998), while other developing countries are still underwriting in quality movements because quality improvements in healthcare settings directly benefit to the ultimate population and resolve healthcare issues which helps in valuation and enhancement of services (Berwick et al., 2003). Different countries have made improvements in the healthcare industry but all this progress can only be implemented if the culture of quality becomes persistent within that industry (Lee et al., 2013).\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Service quality\n3. Research framework: The research framework is based on SERVQUAL model proposed by Parasuraman et al. (1988). This model provides the basis of disconfirmation paradigm which views service quality as the gap between the perceived and expected level of services (Figure 2). Perceived services are the consumers' evaluation of service providers (Lim and Tang, 2000), while expected services are the wants of consumers toward the hospital services (Edura Wan Rashid and Kamaruzaman Jusoff, 2009). The difference between perceived and expected services is termed as perceived service quality which is defined as the judgmental evaluation of consumers regarding the superiority/inferiority of service performance (Wilson et al., 2000).\n4. Research method: 4.1 Measures\n5. Analysis and results: Data were analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, and gap analysis was carried out between perceived and expected services to measure an overall perceived service quality. First of all, reliability analysis was carried out, which indicates the internal consistency between the items. Cronbach's a ranges from a=0.695 to a=0.887 for expected and perceived services of public sector hospitals, whereas Cronbach's a ranges from a=0.681 to a=0.921 for expected and perceived services of private sector hospitals. In public sector hospitals, the highest internal consistency is calculated as a=0.887 for diagnostic medical services, while in private sector hospitals, the highest internal consistency is calculated as a=0.921 for physician medical services. Further details are mentioned in Table III, depicting the reliability scores of public and private sector hospitals.\n6. Discussion: Considerable gaps were found between the expected and perceived services of public healthcare service providers, while minor gaps are found between patients' expectations and perceptions toward private healthcare service providers. These results are consistent with Yesilada and Direktor (2010). Private sector hospitals are doing well in meeting wants and needs of the patients that's why no higher differences found in the quality of expected and perceived services, results are consistent with the study of Arasli et al. (2008). On the other side, public sector hospitals are lagging behind the private hospitals as patient's perceived services are not according to their expected services which leads to the larger differences between the expected and perceived services. Although private hospitals are far better in meeting the expected services than their counterparts but still the expectations of patients from both public and private sector hospitals are not fully met because patients perceived lesser healthcare services as compared to their expected one from both public and private healthcare service providers. The accurate evaluation of quality is difficult for inpatients as the healthcare service quality is a unique area and different dimensions are fitted in a single unit (Hariharan et al., 2004; Hoel and Saether, 2003; Angelopoulou et al., 1998).\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate patients' views toward the perceived service quality of public and private healthcare service providers. Determinants of healthcare service quality were compared by carrying out a GAP analysis to equate perceived and expected services and examined differences in the service quality.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study sample comprises 310 inpatients of public and private healthcare service providers. Self-administered questionnaires were used along a five-point Likert scale and analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. GAP analysis was used to observe the difference between expectations and perceived service quality.\nFindings: A cross-sectional study revealed significant quality gaps between the expected and perceived services of public and private healthcare service providers; conversely patients' expectations are not fully met in both types of hospitals. Private hospitals surpassed in terms of overall perceived service quality from their counterparts. Perceived services were found better in terms of physician medical services in public sector hospitals, while rooms and housekeeping services were found better in terms of private sector hospitals.\nPractical implications: The result can be used by both public and private healthcare service providers to restructure their quality management practices which could only be possible through effective management commitment, regular patients' feedback and translucent complaint procedures.\nOriginality/value: The study conceptualizes the expected and perceived hospital service quality dimensions as an eight-dimensional framework. A comparison between public and private sector hospitals is made to get a better understanding about the differences in the perceived healthcare services among two sectors. Consequences of the study will aid hospital managers and policy makers to get a fuller picture of healthcare services in order to contrive enhancement practices.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Lean Six Sigma in the power sector: frog into prince	[ "Six Sigma", "Lean", "Power sector" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Power is one of the most important infrastructures for development. The main objective of the power sector is to meet the electricity needs of the different categories of customers. From low-income group of customers to high-profile corporate customers, there is a fundamental need for low-cost and uninterrupted power. A customer in the power sector is satisfied when there are generation and supply of electricity at the right time, right quantity, right quality and that too at right cost (Yadav and Naim, 2017). The most critical task in a power system starts with planning, designing, construction, engineering, procurement, handling and storing materials, in addition to transmission and distribution of electricity energy. To attain these critical activities, the critical tasks like planning, design, engineering, construction, customer service, procurement, handling and storing, operation and maintenance of plants, transmission, distribution feeders and cables, etc. are needed. After the inception of the electricity industry in late 1970s, this industry was a monopoly through the world. The developed country had embraced the deregulation reforms as the system had become inefficient. Besides, the sector was also unresponsive to changing customer demands. In India, the power sector reforms were driven so that the private investment could be attracted. The ever-widening demand-supply gap cannot be met with state-owned utilities; hence, private investment proved to be of an immense help. With almost one percent increase in GDP, the energy needs grow by roughly 1.5 percent (Michael and Mariappan, 2012), and hence, with the ever-widening demand-supply gap, it was impossible for the state to fund the power sector. Besides, the reforms will transform the erstwhile ailing power sector into financially viable standalone business unit (Ranjan Das, 2010; Sony and Mekoth, 2014). Therefore, the efficiency drive started in the Indian power sector. The Indian power sector that was primarily a State-owned industry unbundled itself, and corporations were formed. Subsequently, some of these corporations were privatized to meet the changing needs of Indian customers. These private sectors brought in various initiatives, which include the introduction of the quality management systems that was probably unheard in the Indian power sector. The Six Sigma, Lean Management, TPM, etc., were widely used in the Indian power sector. The primary objective was to be efficient in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity power. There are many activities to be carried out in tandem if the electricity energy must be transmitted from the generating station to consumer home. The generation, transmission and distribution elements should work as a system, with the support functions like customer complaint handling and other related ancillary functions. The methodology and tools of these quality management systems can be very helpful to improve the functioning of each element and as well as a system too. There has been a large amount of research in the field of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in various service sectors. Some studies have highlighted the positive side of LSS (Andersson et al., 2006; De Mast et al., 2006; Dannapfel et al., 2014), and others have mentioned that it is a passing fad (Naslund, 2008; Antony, Rodgers and Cudney, 2017). Previous studies have reported that one in three continuous initiative fails to achieve desired results (Ringen and Holtskog, 2013). It is also reported that 70 percent of Lean initiatives have failed (Pedersen and Huniche, 2011). A review of studies in some service sectors like health care has suggested that 62 percent of Six Sigma and Lean initiatives failed as a result of a lack of stakeholder acceptance (Glasgow et al., 2010). The power sector in India is plagued by various problems. Almost all investment-climate surveys point to poor availability and quality of power as critical constraints to commercial and manufacturing activity and national competitiveness. In addition, it is also critical to contemplate that 300 million Indians live without electricity, and those with power must cope with unreliable supply, pointing to huge unsatisfied demand and restricted consumer welfare. The enactment of the Indian Electricity Act. 2003 has resulted in power utilities focusing on both the dimensions i.e. performance and financial viability. While all three segments of the power sector (generation, transmission and distribution) are important, revenues originate with the customer at distribution, so subpar performance there affects the entire value chain (Pargal and Banerjee, 2014). LSS is a popular initiative, and if applied successfully can result in immense benefits to power sector organization. LSS could be remedy for the quality issues that exist within the power sector. Hence, there is a need for a study that will analyze the successful cases in the power sector. Thus, each element of power sector (generation, distribution and transmission) needs to be analyzed to examine the deployment of LSS. Nevertheless, studies on LSS that deal exclusively with the power sector are also lacking. Therefore, this study intends to fill this gap as the power sector is the critical sector for national development and the economic growth of a region. In this research, we seek to address the research question:\n2. Literature review: In this section, first, it is intended to review the literature about LSS, and subsequently, a review on the complexities of the power sector. At last, a summative analysis is undertaken to strengthen the theoretical underpinnings.\n3. Method: Case study research is used to study and explore events or phenomenon in its natural setting. Case study provides a single setting with multiple observations over an extended period of time. It gives an in-depth understanding of a phenomenon that has a large number of variables and is difficult to quantify using quantitative research (Yin, 2011). The purpose of this paper is to study the research question:\n4. Results and discussion: A detailed analysis of the multiple case studies suggests that LSS can be successfully applied in the power sector. The sample of case studies was done in developing country. The success stories of all five cases suggest the economic benefit to the organization due to the implementation of LSS. In case 1, the total generation cost was brought down due to the reduction in the consumption of demineralization water. The case 2 demonstrated that the down time was reduced by 25 percent, which resulted from increased business opportunity and increased customer satisfaction. Case 5 electricity AT&C losses was brought down from 35 to 23 percent, thus resulting in economic benefits. LSS has been found to be beneficial in increasing productivity and adding economic benefits to various organizations (Singh et al., 2010; Aziz and Hafez, 2013). In the cases examined, the three cases showed evidence for the increase in economic benefits. This result can be read with previous studies in other sectors, which showed that LSS can be financially beneficial. Thus, it can be proposed that implementation of LSS methodology is found to increase economic benefits in all main areas of power sector, i.e., generation, transmission and distribution:\n5. Limitations: The results of this case study may not be generalizable immediately. This could be a limitation. The objective of a case study is not generalizability. However, a case study should be used as a tool to understand the local and context-specific understanding of the phenomenon (Yin, 2011). This study wanted to explore how the application of LSS could be helpful in generation, transmission and distribution of electrical power.\n6. Conclusion: The power sector in a developing country like India is in a state of Chaos. To revive the sector, the Government of India has taken a lot of initiative to transform it. The sector has neither seen any efficiency gain in tariff reduction nor it has been able to attract private sector investment. The AT&C losses in the power sector are also very high compared to the world average. This depicts an immense opportunity to apply the concepts of variation reduction and waste elimination in the sector. There have not been many studies in the application of LSS in the power sector. This paper collates some cases in the power sector using LSS from Indian firms. Previous studies have proved the impact of LSS on manufacturing and service industries. This study demonstrates its application of LSS in power sector in India.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Lean Six Sigma is a most widely used technique in quality management. In manufacturing and service industries, this technique is used for process excellence. In the power sector, there has been hardly any study on the usage of LSS. Can LSS transform the ailing power sector organization from frog into princes? The purpose of this paper is to explore LSS impact on the power sector.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A multiple case study approach is followed. Five cases, one each from the generation, the transmission and three from distribution companies are studied based on the rationale of theoretical sampling.\nFindings: LSS is an important methodology that can be used in generation, transmission and distribution of electricity energy to drive out inefficiency and improve customer satisfaction, profits, etc. In addition, the success stories of all five cases suggest the sustainable economic benefit to the organization due to the implementation of LSS.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study intends to make an academic contribution to the pertinence of LSS in the power sector. The multiple case study approach is used on a theoretical sample of power utilities in India. This study will provide the theoretical contribution for LSS. In addition, this study will help the practitioner and managers to effectively implement LSS, especially in the power sector.\nPractical implications: This study can be used by power sector organizations to implement LSS. A special section on implication for practice is added so that organization can make use of it while implementing LSS in the power sector.\nOriginality/value: Power is one of the most important infrastructures for the development of a country. In a developing country, the power sector is ailing; the application of LSS can transform the power sector by driving out inefficiency, waste and variation. It will not only prove to be a boon to utilities, but it will also help the customer and society at large. Consequently, it will help in reducing the power tariff, which in turn will make power financially accessible to all categories of consumers. In addition, the private investment in this sector will also improve, if power sectors appeal, to financiers as an efficient organization, compared to loss-making one organization, at present.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The implementation of dynamic capabilities for SMEs in creating innovation	[ "Dynamic capability", "Resource orchestration", "Innovation capability", "Innovation", "Knowledge management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: How do small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exploit dynamic capabilities and knowledge in a changing environment? This is the addressed in this study. The two concepts - i.e. dynamic capabilities and knowledge - have been often discussed in literature, but there is still a lot of confusion regarding how these concepts interplay one another (Breznik and Hisrich, 2014). Furthermore, how these concepts are implemented in SMEs seems to have never been observed, as majority of scholars focus their investigation on large-sized companies. Meanwhile, strategies implemented in large-sized companies cannot be simply applied in \"reduced scales\"; SMEs are not a miniature of large-size companies because these firms have several characteristics not found in large-sized counterparts (Cucculelli et al., 2014; Garcia-Morales et al., 2007).\n2. Literature review: This study focuses on the relationship between dynamic capabilities and innovation. Dynamic capability is \"the firm's ability to integrate, build, and configure internal and external competences to rapidly changing environments\" (Teece et al., 1997). Based on this definition, firms follow different routes to adopt dynamic capability (Zahra et al., 2006), whereby new resource acquisition, modification and re-configurations are needed subject to emerging external conditions (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000). The manager plays a central role in implementing dynamic capabilities, but must transfer this capability by integrating it into the behaviour of each individual within the organisation (Birkinshaw et al., 2016) so that the optimum configuration can be maintained (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000).\n3. Research method: 3.1 Method: case study\n4. Analysis: M-Joint International uses open networks for detecting signals from the market. Two part-time staff who have expertise in website programming and simple data analytics are assigned to acquiring market information and analysing current market trends. The staff is also responsible for identifying and interpreting market signals as the input for the strategy formulation manager. For all companies, even large-sized ones, employing experts in the field of big data analytics is costly, and such talent is not easy to find (Schoenherr and Speier-Pero, 2015). M-Joint International is lucky as it is situated in Yogyakarta, a city of education in Indonesia, where university students are available in abundant numbers and can be hired on a part-time basis. Details regarding how the firm uses open networks to support its sensing activities are provided in Table II.\n5. Discussion: Capability must be built with an outside-in perspective, not the other way around - i.e. configuring the internal resources to adjust to external conditions (Day, 2011). The outside- in perspective allows companies to develop market-driven capabilities (Day and Schoemaker, 2016). The ability of the firm to transform accurate interpretations of weak signals into knowledge, which will eventually be utilised for undertaking innovation, is critical for the success of innovation.\n6. Implications: The paper contains suggestions for improving innovation capability through performance measurement. Using the results of this study, practitioners can enhance their innovation capability by measurement and by taking better account of different situations regarding the development of innovation capability. The framework clarifies the issue of how innovation capability and its determinants can be managed through measurement, and therefore, it assists especially SMEs in their attempts to cope with the increasing need for innovation as an asset of their business performance.\n7. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate dynamic capability and innovation are related concepts. From the empirical evidence presented, it is apparent that dynamic capabilities are prerequisites for companies to be able to create innovation. The innovation capability is the result of a continuous learning process based on dynamic capabilities. The learning process itself is dynamic; hence, to create dynamic capabilities, firms must adopt learning to develop dynamic capabilities over time. They must also be able to convert the information gained through into knowledge, and subsequently apply it to production systems, processes or techniques.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the adaptation process of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to volatile environment supported with learning, knowledge and innovation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study used an inductive approach to analyse qualitative data obtained from an SME operating in the international market. Various data collection methods, including interview, focus group discussion and observation, were used to allow the researchers to undertake triangulation.\nFindings: This study demonstrates that managers should be eager to adjust their innovation to a changing environment and continually update pre-determined plans. Learning is an ongoing process required for innovation, requiring up-to-date support from knowledge produced via learning. For this reason, learning is required in all dynamic capability processes.\nOriginality/value: This study offers insight to relatively empirical evidence on how firms respond and adjust to volatile environments using an integrative perspective covering learning, knowledge and innovation. In addition, this offers insight regarding how knowledge can be developed based on learning from the environment and converted into innovation through dynamic capabilities.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
A degradation model for maintenance improvement in respect of cost and availability	[ "Degradation-based reliability", "Inspection", "Markov", "Mean residual life", "Reliability-based maintenance", "Stochastic processes" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Maintenance is an important department in an industry because it can guarantee reliability and availability of the system (production line, railroad line, etc.). Different maintenance strategies can be encountered in literature (Nakagawa, 1979; Ait-Kadi et al., 2003). They concern the replacement of systems subject to random failures and whose states are known at all time. These maintenance policies aim to achieve an optimum between preventive and corrective maintenance which yields a higher availability and minimum maintenance cost. Another difficulty emerges when equipment are subject to a variable stress; that is particularly the case of mechanical equipment which can cope with variable mechanical stresses, a variable power demand, variable operating conditions (climate), etc. Then, it is obvious that the mean time to failure will depend on the stress applied on the item of equipment: maintenance has to be adapted. In order to choose the most adequate maintenance strategy, one has to know the reliability and the mean residual life of an item of equipment. There are mainly three approaches to obtain this information. The first one is based on the failure data on a same type of equipment. It consists in choosing the statistical distribution that best fits with the failure times. The second one supposes that the evolution of an indicator of the health state of the system is available. The indicator is recorded over time and prognostic methods are used to determine the distribution of time for which the expected evolution of that indicator reaches a given failure threshold. The last approach supposes that the physical degradation process is known a priori, which leads to an analytical relationship for the evolution of the degradation with uncertainties taken into account.\n2. Degradation-based reliability: 2.1. Notations and definition\n3. Maintenance model: 3.1. Notations and definition\n4. Methodology: In this section we present the methodology that consists in updating a reliability model based on degradation data as well as the maintenance optimization for preventive replacement. First, we start from an initial guess for the preventive time of replacement T\n5. Illustrative example: In this part we apply the methodology on pseudo degradation data. Data were obtained with a semi-Markov degradation model. A semi-Markov model behaves like a continuous Markov chain but without the limitation for the sojourn times to follow an exponential distribution (i.e. when the process reaches a given state, it remains in that state for a random amount of time). The simulation of a degradation-based semi-Markov model has the following assumptions:\n6. Conclusion: In this paper we emphasized the need for degradation data in order to improve the accuracy of a reliability model as well as the optimal time for a preventive replacement. The main originality of this paper is the introduction of the cost/unavailability criteria which help the maintainer to decide to postpone or not the generic preventive replacement time in order to fully exploit the residual life of an item of equipment. This model was then tested on a theoretical example. The pseudo degradation data were generated with a semi-Markov degradation model. The results showed a diminution of the expected cost as well as a small increase in the availability. Results obtained from the analytical models and by Monte Carlo simulations were confronted. Future works will consist to study the effects of the inspection/preventive costs and downtimes ratios. A real case study based on the degradation of cutting tools is also planned.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need for degradation data in order to improve the reliability and the mean residual life estimation of a specific item of equipment and to adapt the preventive maintenance tasks accordingly.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An initial reliability model which uses a degradation-based reliability model that is built from the collection of hitting times of a failure threshold. The proposed maintenance model is based on the cost/availability criterion. The estimation of both reliability and optimum time for preventive maintenance are updated with all new degradation data that are collected during operating time.\nFindings: An improvement for the occurrences of maintenance tasks which minimizes the mean cost per unit of time and increases the availability.\nPractical implications: Inspection tasks to measure the degradation level should be realized at least one time for each item of equipment at a specific time determined by the proposed methodology.\nOriginality/value: The introduction of a criterion which helps the maintainer to decide to postpone or not the preventive replacement time depending on the measured degradation level of a specific item of equipment.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Exploring the components of success for the Korean chaebols	[ "Suppliers", "Partnership", "Decision making", "South Korea", "Family firms", "Electronics industry" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this article.\nIntroduction: The genesis of this study was a wish to research the underpinnings of the marketing strategy and component strategy profiles of a number of major Korean multinationals in the belief that they would prove to be helpful examples of successful relationship marketing in themselves and also might help to inform western relationship marketing strategies. Using the context of Korean chaebols and their Korean suppliers, we research the association between the characteristics of chaebols and their supplier relationship dyad outcomes.The story of the remarkable post-war growth of the Korean economy revolved around the growth of its chaebols (Michael et al., 1998). A chaebol can be defined as \"a business group consisting of large companies which are owned and managed by family members or relatives in many diversified business areas\" (Yoo and Lee, 1987); \"a gigantic business group which is controlled by a family or closely related members, and growth aided by government support\" (Cho, 1997); and, as: \"Chaebols are a group of large companies which operate in diverse, mostly unrelated, industries and which are owned and controlled by a family\" (Shin and Kwon, 1999). A group of companies under a single owner, or family or associates, having 150 billion won in combined bank credits, is categorised as a chaebol or business group (Korea Company Yearbook, 2003).Buckley's (2004) analysis of Asian network configurations distinguished between the characteristics of the chaebols, Keiretsu and Guanxi and led him, in the context of the Asian recession and market maturity, to categorise the chaebols as closed, opaque, and high level networks. Chaebols have subsequently had to increase their international competitiveness and more open, less opaque and higher level networks have emerged.\nHistory and growth of chaebols: The chaebols may be examined across five stages (Cho, 2003; Loret, 2003; Pecht et al., 1998):1. First stage (1945-1960): Korean chaebols were mainly formed in the 1950s, a capital-gaining period. Due mainly to the non-stabilised social structure and market mechanisms at that time, chaebols were able to obtain their capital with substantial governmental support encouraging employment and general stability.2. Second stage (1961-1971): Korean chaebols grew rapidly under government leadership, and the chaebols oligopolised most of the domestic market, including light and heavy industry. They also had the benefit of favourable loans, the government's export-oriented support policies, and a growing domestic market.3. Third stage (1972-1979): the main features were: heavy involvement in heavy and chemical industries and other fast growing industries, using favourable loans, mergers and acquisitions, investments in real estate, and increased monopolisation.4. Fourth stage (1980-1987): the chaebols focused on increasing sales volume and new ventures with existing partners within their groups. The manufacturing sectors grew significantly while the chaebols tried to extend their activities into the financial field.5. Fifth stage (1988-present): chaebols were actively involved in new ventures, such as information and communication technology and supply chain management; and, the emergence of \"glocalisation\". At the same time, they heavily invested in the electronics and the automotive industries, both internationally and domestically. The chaebols also focused on developing high technology, and building the brand and marketing channels, partly through obtaining or investing in foreign companies.\nKorean electronics industry: Chaebols involved in the electronics industry have been selected for this focused study. Shin and Ho (1997) have suggested that the Korean electronic industry has been successful in moving from the low-value, labour-intensive production of the early 1970s to technologically sophisticated high-value production in the 1990s and onwards. However, they have also stressed that as the electronics industry has become increasingly mature, the government's role toward the industry, as well as the industry itself, must change to build competitiveness in an increasingly global marketplace. Kim and Campbell (1995) have reported that, within the Korean electronics multinational corporations, those chaebols with strong formal control processes have tended to perform more effectively than those with other control processes. Further, they have suggested that strategic processes have been more responsible for the differences in performance between Korean MNCs compared with organisational strategy or structure. Lee and Kim (1999) have identified partnership quality as a key predictor of successful outsourcing. Further, they have found that participation, communication, information-sharing and management support have tended to be positively related with partnership quality.\nLiterature review: Chaebols' characteristics\nModel development: As a starting point, the model (Figure 1) seeks to associate the six chaebol characteristics to four relationship satisfaction and performance outcomes, in the context of Korean chaebol-supplier relationships. Initially, 23 variables were gleaned from the relationship marketing, business-to-business and inter-organisational relations literatures, and from interviews with chaebol key informants. Confirmatory factor analysis was then applied to the data (see methodology for details), resulting in six dimensions having an Eigen value of greater than one, namely: structure-control, strategy-longevity, partnership, decision making, social exchange, and leadership.In the small number of buyer-seller studies conducted to date, relationships characterised by a high level of relationalism have tended to produce superior partnership outcomes (Simpson and Mayo, 1997), with, for example, relational characteristics building cooperation, conflict resolution and satisfaction (Palmatier et al., 2006), and network-based resources relating positively to relationship performance (Eng, 2005).In the above model (Figure 1), an association is posited between the six chaebol characteristics confirmed by factor analysis and the four relationship outcomes (as dependent variables), and is offered as hypothesis H1, that:H1. Higher levels of each of the six chaebol characteristics (structure-control, strategy-longevity, partnership, decision making, social exchange and leadership) will associate positively by suppliers with higher levels of each of the four relationship outcomes (relationship satisfaction, cooperation, conflict resolution, and performance).While some researchers have included relationship age as a measure of endurance in overcoming problem areas (cf. Anderson and Weitz, 1989; Heide and John, 1992), Black and Peebles (2005) have concluded that a longer-term industrial partnership does not necessarily invoke additional resources to develop relational norms. The authors posited that a specialisation in expertise and few supplier alternatives could result in long relationship endurance but not necessarily in the development of relational arrangements. Equally, Sampson (2005) found that the benefits of prior alliance experience depreciated rapidly over time; and Caniels and Gelderman (2005) found that perceived mutual interdependence and trust tended to increase only until a satisfactory partnership was achieved. From the studies above, we can formulate H2, that:H2. There will be similar perceptions among suppliers of the relative strength of the six chaebol characteristics regardless of the duration of the chaebol-supplier relationship.While a few studies have stressed the diversity rather than the similarity of supplier relationships in East Asia (cf. Kim and Michell, 1999), the large majority of studies have researched the strategies and characteristics of major structures such as the chaebols as a group (cf. Whitley, 1994). In comparing the main electronics chaebols, we have taken the latter perspective in formulating H3, that:H3. There will be major similarities and only minor differences in the perceptions of suppliers to each of the chaebols concerning the relative strength of the six chaebol characteristics.\nMethodology: The first qualitative stage involved in-depth interviews with key informants at seven of the top ten chaebols principally involved in the electronics industry, the details having been obtained from Korean business directories. At each chaebol, either two or three managers in the purchasing department were interviewed separately, on average for a total of two and a half hours. Semi-structured questionnaires, in Korean, were provided for the interviewees, together with an English version to aid communication. During the interviews, the Korean-speaking researcher checked the validity of the each of the 23 variables to be included in the profiles of the chaebols with the key informants, and obtained the official lists of suppliers for each chaebol.After successful piloting, as stage 2 the mailed questionnaire was dispatched to the full universe of suppliers to the ten chaebols most involved in electronics, 340 firms in total. After two mail-outs, 132 usable replies were received from the suppliers, a response rate of 39 per cent.A second follow-up qualitative stage involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with three Korean senior procurement managers with extensive Korean and global experience, working on short-term secondments with UK subsidiaries of three of the top five Korean electronics firms, to present to them the main results of the research, and to receive their comments and interpretations of the findings. The three selected firms were subsidiaries of three of the chaebols originally interviewed at stage 1 and also involved in stage 2.Sample of suppliers to chaebols\nResults: Chaebol characteristics and relationship outcomes\nDiscussion and managerial implications: We have found statistically significant associations between the decision making, social exchange, partnership, and strategy-longevity characteristics of the chaebols and chaebol-supplier relationship success. The first two characteristics, decision making and social exchange, were positively correlated with all four relational outcomes, satisfaction, cooperation, conflict resolution, and performance. Partnership as a chaebol characteristic was positively associated with three of the four relationship outcomes, cooperation, conflict resolution and performance, while strategy-longevity correlated with relationship satisfaction. Structure-control and leadership were not significant variables in a supplier relationship context.With quick decision making, chaebols can release capital and other resources through the supply chain, making decisions faster and acting more quickly, with the implication that chaebols tend to start initiatives quickly and adjust later. In particular, once decisions are resolved resource allocation across the supply chain is typically highly coordinated. Also, maintenance of the personal relationship and the enhancing of mutual benefits have been key elements of social exchange; and group harmony has been linked to opportunities for a smooth, constructive, conflict-free interpersonal and inter-organisational relationship.On partnership, chaebols (unlike smaller firms) can be nominated by Government to perform the largest projects, and as major employers also have negotiation powers with government. Also, closely related government and private sectors have contributed to South Korea's rapid growth. On strategy-longevity, Korean firms have historically believed in a longer-term business perspective, in relational coexistence and in long-term product presence.The similarity of results in relationships of differing durations, as seen in this study, are in line with a number of recent studies, including Black and Peebles (2005), who concluded that a longer-term industrial partnership did not necessarily invoke additional resources to develop relational success; with Sampson (2005) who found that the benefits of prior alliance experience depreciated rapidly over time; and, with Caniels and Gelderman (2005) who found that once satisfactory partnership strategies had been achieved then relational outcome tended not to increase further. Moreover, the profiles of the five major chaebols in this study had many more similarities than differences, suggesting that a number of commonalities exist in terms of characteristics and the emphasis between these characteristics.This study, as any other, had its contextual aspects, and thus the results should be interpreted with care when applied to other industries and countries. This study, of course, was undertaken in Korea, among Korean chaebols and their suppliers, in electronics. Different results might have been obtained from a different industry. The study focused on the primary layer of suppliers in the chaebol's network, which in the case of some chaebols' suppliers would include the sub-contracting of electronics parts to suppliers' suppliers. Such secondary suppliers, typically very small or highly specialised firms, were not included in this study.Several implications can be drawn from our research. The detailed findings will help Korean chaebols to develop a strategic agenda for future growth and to fine-tune their modes of supplier relationship. Equally, large multinational firms from other parts of the world, notably the west, can benchmark their supplier partnership profiles with those of the chaebols, and consider how, in a western context, they might try to address issues related to partnership marketing strategies and longer-term relations. Since the Korean economic crisis in the early 2000s, chaebols in electronics and other global industries have adopted or updated systems and operations to stimulate efficiency and other global standards. Chaebols have been especially seeking cooperative relations in technology with their suppliers, and to assist them with financial support to improve the supply chain in terms of higher quality, higher technology, and more consistent products. The potential combination of higher quality, lower cost products with linkages to a foundation of decision-making, social exchange, partnership and strategy-longevity appears to be a potent mix for global players, including western firms. The importance and relative pervasiveness of technology, quality, networks, speed and cost were stressed by the senior Korean managers in the in-depth interviews. For both chaebols and suppliers, it was expected that even greater focus would be placed on technology, systems efficiency and cost efficiency during the rest of this decade.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to discuss the profiles of Korean chaebols involved in global electronics\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The research was conducted among 132 of their Korean suppliers, with linked in-depth interviews with chaebol managers. From an initial set of literature-based variables, factor analysis is used to generate six chaebol characteristics, which are then correlated with four chaebol-supplier relationship outcomes.\nFindings: - \"Decision making\" and \"social exchange\", in particular, are found to correlate positively with all four chaebol-supplier relationship outcome measures, relationship satisfaction, performance, cooperation and conflict resolution. \"Partnership\" is associated positively with three of these outcomes, and \"strategy-longevity\" with relationship satisfaction. The chaebols' \"structure-control\" and \"leadership\" are not found to be predictors of successful relationship outcomes as measured in this study. A combination of higher quality, lower cost products with linkages to a foundation of decision making, social exchange, partnership and strategy-longevity appears to be a potent mix for global players.\nOriginality/value: - The paper provides the underpinnings of the marketing strategy and component strategy profiles of a number of major Korean multinationals in the belief that they would inform western relationship marketing strategies.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The role of project management office in developing knowledge management infrastructure	[ "Project management office", "Knowledge management", "Knowledge management infrastructure", "Project-based organization", "Oil and gas upstream industry" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Oil and gas industry can have a significant impact on global economy (Nematollahi et al., 2016); however, various oil and gas projects are experiencing significant cost overruns, as a major concern for the industry (Rui et al., 2017). Such projects are mainly divided into two categories of upstream and downstream sectors in the oil supply chain. In this respect, upstream oil and gas sector is made up of projects that identify, extract or produce raw materials but downstream ones are closer to end users or consumers (Noruwa and Christopher, 2012). Due to its nature, the upstream sector is also very complex as it deals with drilling and exploration. Successful exploration of oil or gas reserves is accordingly linked to the quality of information that a corporation acquires on a potential hydrocarbon reservoir and the manner in which the information is manipulated and interpreted (Sumbal et al., 2017). This can show the need for having a substantial volume of information and knowledge during exploration and drilling phases.There are voluminous factors in oil and gas upstream projects, leading to unsatisfactory outcomes. Although many causes of failure in upstream projects are related to high levels of uncertainty, arising principally from political, geological, geophysical and engineering unknowns, they can be prevented by taking advantage of lessons learned from previous projects (Asrilhant et al., 2007). Such lessons can expedite oil drilling processes, resulting in earlier commencement of production through knowledge or understanding acquired by experience (Sumbal et al., 2017). Additionally, in the upstream sector, employees generally have job rotations and work at various geographical locations. Therefore, they gain valuable knowledge on technical, geographical, cultural and network-related issues all through their career life (Sumbal et al., 2018). Nevertheless, they might not necessarily be able to transfer their acquired knowledge to their colleagues in an efficient manner. In summary, high uncertainty, a wide range of specialized activities and different types of knowledge in the upstream sector can highlight the need for upstream project-based organizations (PBOs) to adopt an appropriate approach for efficient management and delivery of data and knowledge in their companies (Grant, 2013; Derakhshanalavijeh and Teixeira, 2017).Knowledge management (KM) refers to the process of identifying, capturing and leveraging collective knowledge in an organization to help it excel (Von Krogh et al., 1998). If practiced effectively, KM can facilitate better and faster decision-making, improve productivity and make financial savings in organizations (Ajmal et al., 2010). However, operational execution of KM has turned into a challenge in PBOs due to the specific characteristics of projects (Hobday, 2000). As stated by Rauniar et al. (2019), projects are cross-functional and there are deep-rooted cognitive and motivational limitations in cross-functional teams interfering in knowledge-sharing. Another challenge facing effective knowledge-sharing is that projects are temporary and project members primarily focus on product delivery rather than knowledge-sharing activities (Loo, 2002). Moreover, individuals are reassigned to other projects once a case is completed. Moreover, the members of a dissolved team usually have insufficient time and incentive to convey their experience and knowledge to the teams working on next projects (Brady and Davies, 2004). Therefore, it is of utmost importance for PBOs to seek for methods and techniques to enhance KM within their companies. The KM use can be also addressed through knowledge governance, defined as choosing organizational structures and mechanisms shaping the processes of capturing, sharing and disputing knowledge (Pemsel and Wiewiora, 2013). One of the mechanisms of knowledge governance within PBOs is project management office (PMO) that can potentially act as a knowledge broker between projects and even projects and top management (Pemsel and Wiewiora, 2013).In general, this study aimed to determine the impact of PMO functions on KM infrastructure, essential for facilitation of KM success, through surveying Iranian upstream oil and gas industry. The study firstly provided a brief review of PMO functions and KM infrastructure, and then, the research methodology was explained. Subsequently, the results of data analysis were presented and discussed. Finally, conclusions were drawn through stating the potential contributions of the study and recommendations for future work.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 KM in exploration and production (E&P) companies\n3. Research model: To reflect on the relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructure, the following hypothesis was formulated:H1. There is a relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructure.To test the main hypothesis, five sub-hypotheses were subsequently proposed. The theoretical foundations of these sub-hypotheses are presented in the following sections:H1-1. There is a relationship between \"practice management\", as a function of PMOs, and KM infrastructure.H1-2. There is a relationship between \"infrastructure management\", as a function of PMOs, and KM infrastructure.H1-3. There is a relationship between \"resource integration\", as a function of PMOs, and KM infrastructure.H1-4. There is a relationship between \"technical support\", as a function of PMOs, and KM infrastructure.H1-5. There is a relationship between \"business alignment\", as a function of PMOs, and KM infrastructure.Considering the interplay between these elements, the research model was presented (Figure 1). 3.1 Sub-hypothesis 1-1 (practice management)\n4. Research methodology: The present study aimed at examining the extent of the relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructure in Iranian oil and gas upstream PBOs. Thus, two research questions were addressed. The first research question was \"to what extent is the relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructures in PBOs in Iranian oil and gas upstream industry?\" Since empirical knowledge of PMO functions and KM infrastructure in oil and gas upstream industry is minimal, the second question was \"which of the particular PMO functions does correspond with improvements in a certain area of KM infrastructure in I. oil and gas upstream industry?\" in order to understand this relationship in depth. A two-phase quantitative survey strategy was also employed. At first, the questionnaire was submitted to 47 PMOs of 41 selected PBOs to investigate the status of PMO functions and KM infrastructure. To determine the one-to-one effect of PMO functions on KM infrastructure and to verify the first survey results, the second survey was conducted, using the perceived effect of 19 oil and gas industry experts. The research steps in this study are shown in Figure 2. 4.1 The first survey\n5. Research findings: 5.1 The first survey results\n6. Discussion: The concept of KM brokers has been thus far discussed in numerous studies (Verona et al., 2006; Cillo, 2005; Kimble et al., 2010; Boden and Avram, 2009; Conklin et al., 2013) but only few investigations have introduced PMOs as knowledge brokers (Pemsel and Wiewiora, 2013; Julian, 2008). Nonetheless, the extent and the constituents of the relationship between PMO and KM have not been explored and recognized yet.The study results revealed that PMOs could act as facilitators for implementation of KM, by exerting influence on KM infrastructure, in Iranian oil and gas PBOs. The first survey results suggested that \"practice management\", as a function of PMOs, had the highest marked relationship with KM infrastructure in Iranian oil and gas PBOs. This could be explained by the second survey findings implying that \"practice management\" cumulatively had the most substantial impact on KM infrastructure among other PMO functions. The strong connection between \"practice management\" and KM was also supported by Desouza and Evaristo (2006), Hanisch et al. (2009), and Johansson et al. (2013), advocating that the sub-components of \"practice management\" including \"methods and standards\", \"KM project\" and \"establishment of benchmarks\" could improve KM in companies. \"Infrastructure management\" also came second in terms of having a strong linear relationship with KM infrastructure, after \"practice management\". Besides, \"governance\" was one of the sub-functions of \"infrastructure management\", indicating that PMO could act as a project management central governing unit in a PBO. However, Desouza and Evaristo (2006) and Singh et al. (2009) believed that although governance role of PMOs could advance KM in organizations, this enhancement might be strewn with challenges as CEOs of companies might consider this role as power delegation and accordingly hinder governance progress in PMOs. This could raise the point that existence of PMOs in PBOs might not simply lead to KM development in organizations, as there might be factors and challenges, which could potentially impede KM improvement.According to the study results, \"business alignment\" could affect \"organizational culture\", \"management support\", \"structure\" and \"processes and procedures\", as sub-components of KM infrastructure, which was in accordance with Gebert et al. (2003), Liew (2008), Teo (2012), Toriani and Angeloni (2011), and Schiuma (2012). Nevertheless, Teo (2012), and Toriani and Angeloni (2011) had also claimed that \"CRM\", as a sub-function of \"business alignment\", could have positive implications for the component of IT in KM. This might be due to differences in the industries examined in these studies, as Teo (2012) and Toriani and Angeloni (2011) drew their conclusions by reviewing non-oil-and-gas organizations, though further research could firmly address dissimilarities better.It is also noteworthy to mention that KM in organizations is mainly comprised of three components, namely, people, processes and technology/IT, which should be managed equally and in an effective manner to lead to organizational KM development (Lee et al., 2012; Becerra-Fernandez and Sabherwal, 2014; Ho et al., 2014; Igbinovia and Ikenwe, 2018). The research findings, however, pointed out that Iranian oil and gas PMOs were remarkably less effective in influencing the component of IT in KM than others, which could be a perceived shortcoming for PMOs.\n7. Conclusion and recommendations: Oil industry is currently undergoing profound and unforeseen changes such as reductions in production and increase in exploration costs. Such changes can pave the way for employment of KM activities in oil and gas organizations as successful implementation of KM in companies can help them adapt themselves to new changes beneficially. This is because effective execution of KM can improve organizational agility, expedite decision-making processes and augment innovation rate. Iran, as one of the countries endowed with a high amount of oil and gas reserves, has thus far made huge investments in upstream oil and gas industry. Accordingly, the KM rate can play a pivotal role for Iranian organizations in this sector. Based on the findings of this research, establishment of PMOs was recommended for Iranian PBOs in upstream oil and gas industry as their performance could facilitate and excel KM activities in these organizations.In today's world wherein oil and gas companies are intensely seeking to employ agile approaches, the knowledge-brokering role of PMOs can be vital as a competitive advantage in upstream oil and gas industry. Determining the details and the range of the relationships between PMO functions and KM infrastructure, oil and gas industry managers can thus focus more on PMO implementation, resulting in better employment of KM within their organizations. Oil and gas practitioners can also take advantage of the findings of this study to prioritize and to employ PMO functions, based on their roles in KM facilitation and their effects on designated KM infrastructure. This can lead to better division of practitioners' time and efforts on PMO implementation plans in upstream industry. It is hoped that PBO managers perceive the positive impact of PMOs on organizational KM, by observing the reduction in KM implementation issues, and take steps forward in supporting and improving PMOs in their companies.This study revealed that specific sub-components of KM infrastructure, namely \"processes and procedures\", \"human resources\" and \"organizational culture\", boosting KM in oil and gas PBOs, had been more affected by PMO functions than other KM infrastructure. \"IT support\", as a sub-component of KM infrastructure, on the other hand, had received the least impact from PMO functions compared with other KM infrastructure. This might indicate that the managers of oil and gas industry PBOs might better employ other KM approaches for improvement of IT support, as a KM enabler, in their companies. Those PMO sub-functions that could have the most significant effect on development of KM in Iranian oil and gas industry PBOs were \"KM\", \"structure\" and \"standards and metrics\", respectively.It should be noted that the present study was limited to the upstream sector of oil and gas industry; nevertheless, it could be generalized to other industry sectors by further research. The research constraints included limited statistical population. Thus, it was recommended to increase statistical population New York and sample size for future research. It was further suggested to employ qualitative research methods, such as qualitative interviewing, to explain \"how\" and \"why\" PMO functions affect KM infrastructure. Moreover, further research can examine one-to-one relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructure in oil and gas companies located in other countries. Their results can be then compared with the findings of this study. This can identify geographical, cultural or societal influences affecting the connection between PMO functions and KM infrastructure.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Knowledge management (KM) is regarded as an essential factor in project-based organizations (PBOs), leading to organizational learning across projects. Over recent years, most PBOs have inserted project management offices (PMOs) into their hierarchical charts to manage their projects much more coherently. These offices can correspondingly provide KM facilities in PBOs. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructure, as KM enablers in organizations, in Iranian oil and gas upstream PBOs.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A two-phase quantitative survey strategy was exercised in this research. The first phase was to investigate the relationship between PMOs and KM infrastructure and to prioritize PMO functions and KM infrastructure based on their existing implementation/establishment status in Iranian oil and gas upstream PBOs. The research participants, identified through the website of the National Iran Oil Company (NIOC), were comprised of 46 oil and gas upstream PBOs which applied for exploration and production (E&P) certificate in Iran in 2016 and 2017. Accordingly, a total number of 46 questionnaires were submitted to the aforementioned companies with a return rate of 41 cases. The second phase was fulfilled questioning 19 Iranian oil and gas industry experts to determine the one-to-one effect of PMO functions on KM infrastructure and to verify the first-phase results.\nFindings: The results indicated a strong relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructure. This relationship was significant with regard to \"practice management\" and \"technical support\", having the most considerable connections with KM infrastructure. According to the first-phase results, the main functions of PMOs in Iranian oil and gas industry were \"practice management\" and \"technical support\". Considering KM infrastructure, \"structure\" showed the lowest mean value while \"culture\", \"human resources\" and \"processes and procedures\" obtained the highest scores. The results also demonstrated that PMO functions could lead to more improvements in \"processes and procedures\", as a sub-component of KM infrastructure, compared with other sub-components. Furthermore, the oil and gas industry experts believed that \"organizational culture\" in KM could be shaped by most of PMO functions.\nOriginality/value: This study fulfilled the need for exploring the relationship between PMO functions and KM since academic literature lacked a thorough investigation, to the best of authors' knowledge, pertaining to the effects of PMO functions on KM development in oil and gas PBOs.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Understanding players' achievement values from MMORPGs: an exploratory study	[ "Fantasy", "Achievement values", "Adventure", "Focus group method", "Online games" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In the context of today's rapid development of digital entertainment, online games are a type of entertainment and internet-based information technology (Hsu and Lu, 2004). Studying the motivations of those who play online games is an increasingly popular topic in the internet age. Among the motivations for playing online games, the values of achievement is an important one, as values can guide people's lives and strongly influence their behavior and decision making in enduring and significant ways (Norman et al., 2008). In other words, it is a psychological state that strongly influences people's actions. In light of this power over people's actions, this study focusses on understanding players' achievement values in online game environments.\n2. Review of the literature: 2.1. Motivations for playing MMORPGs\n3. Methods: This research focussed on World of Warcraft (WoW) MMORPGs. WoW is the representative of MMORPGs style games (Liu and Peng, 2009; Smahel et al., 2008), with 11.5 million players subscription (Barnett and Coulson, 2010). The data presented in this paper were gathered from high-engaged WoW players in Taiwan.\n4. Results: There were 32 affinities of achievement values determined and named from previous focus group phase, as shown in Table III. Based on the application of EFA, three rules were determinant: the eigenvalue greater than one as the criterion to determine the number of factors, the screen test was used to confirm the rule of previous eigenvalue rule, factor loadings greater than 0.4 was used to decide whether an item could be considered part of a factor (Churchill, 1979). There were 32 affinities loaded with seven factors, including advancement of wealth and status; victory; socialization ability; self-actualization; fantasy satisfaction; adventure; and self-regulation achievement values.\n5. Discussion: 5.1. Summary of the findings\n6. Conclusion: The goal of this study was to understand the nature of the achievement values that move MMORPG players to become highly engaged in their games. The results suggest that achievement values are about the attainment of self-enhancement, and involve self-centered satisfaction. In this study, we found that these achievement values motivated players to seek personal success. These players also tend to strengthen their social positions and authority over others in MMORPGs. The six achievement values, which include advancement of wealth and status, victory, socialization ability, self-actualization, fantasy satisfaction, and adventure drive players to successfully meet social standards in MMORPGs. Additionally, they affirm players' sense of competence in the virtual world.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Achievement is considered to be an important value for students. The purpose of this paper is to explore what achievement values were derived from playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), especially for high-engaged MMORPGs players.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research employed two approaches to collect data: focus group and a web survey of online game players were conducted. Moreover, an addiction-engagement scale was used to ensure all participants were genuinely highly engaged MMORPGs players in data collection process. There are 12 highly engaged players were recruited as focus group members in Phase 1. The online survey yielded 315 responses, of which 267 were considered valid, and 177 of those were considered to be genuine highly engaged players in Phase 2. In the study, exploratory factor analysis was performed to reveal underlying structure of achievement values.\nFindings: The result focussing on popular MMORPGs reveal that highly engaged players derived six achievement values from playing MMORPGs, including fantasy satisfaction, adventure, victory, socialization ability, self-actualization, and advancement of wealth and status.\nOriginality/value: In view of the prevalence of MMORPGs, it is imperative to draw attention to understand students' achievement values derived from playing MMORPGs. By doing that, educators know how to bridge students' achievement values to their academic performance.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Evaluating the effects of supply chain quality management on food firms' performance: The mediating role of food certification and reputation	[ "Reputation", "Domestic and overseas performance", "Food certification", "Intra-/inter-supply chain quality management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Over the years, various research works have affirmed the importance of supply chain quality management (SCQM) in the growth and sustenance of organizations (Robinson and Malhotra, 2005; Yang and Wei, 2013). SCQM can be stated as \"the formal coordination and integration of business processes involving all partner organizations in the supply channel to measure, analyze, and continually improve products, services, and processes in order to create value and achieve satisfaction of intermediate and final customers in the marketplace\" (Robinson and Malhotra, 2005, p. 319). SCQM can lead to minimizing (or even eliminating) product defects in the supply chain and also ensures safety and quality from both inside and outside of the supply chain. Furthermore, SCQM can also be considered as a risk management strategy, which includes mitigating intra- and inter-organizational risks, or the combination of both (Juttner, 2005). The purpose of SCQM is therefore to ensure organizations to achieve its operational and strategic objectives (Yang and Wei, 2013), which might include protecting brand image, satisfying the consumers' or trading partners' requests and increasing product's traceability (Aberdeen Research Group, 2004).\n2. Literature review and hypothesis development: 2.1 Food supply chain and quality management from resource-based view (RBV)\n3. Research methodology and results: Data collection\n4. Discussion and theoretical implications: Review of the extant literature in food supply chain and SCQM indicated a dearth of open literature on the role of inter- and intra-organizational SCQM on a firm's performance. This research tried to bridge this important, but sparsely discussed gap in the SCQM body of knowledge by exploring the effect of SCQM of food supply chain on firms' domestic and export performance through the mediation of food certification and corporate reputation.\n5. Managerial and policy implications: The current study, by exploring the relationship between two types of food SCQM, signaling strategies and a firm's performance based on SCQM and signaling theories, expects to provide a set of managerial implications. First, food SCQM is a comprehensive managerial activity that includes both intra- and inter-organizational SCQM. Achieving only one of them cannot ensure the total quality and safety of food production and distribution. The current study indicates that two types of SCQM are not independent or contradictory to one another, but complement or depend on each other in order to achieve the best results. Intra-organizational SCQM expects companies engaging in food production to treat food quality management as the firm's strategy. Alternatively, it also encourages each department or function within the organization to realize and adhere to the quality and safety of food production and distribution. Inter-organizational SCQM demands all participants along the pipeline to fully communicate and cooperate on managing food production quality. It further proposes that without external cooperation, a single firm cannot realize traceability, and total quality management of supply chain.\n6. Limitations and future research activities: This study used secondary data to explore the relationship between food SCQM on firm's performance and the mediating effects of food quality certification and corporate reputation. The results of this study must be viewed in light of its limitations. First, the data collected mainly come from Western China and therefore, a replication of this study across other areas and provinces would augment the generalizability of the results. Second, this study only used cross-sectional, rather than longitudinal data, which also makes learning and improving effects difficult to detect. Therefore, in future, longitudinal data from agro-food industries should be analyzed. Finally, this research only studied how intra-organizational and inter-organizational SCQM influences certification, reputation, and performance but did not explore antecedents which drive firms' implementing intra-organizational or inter-organizational SCQM. Hence, considering the factors influencing intra-organizational or inter-organizational SCQM can serve as an important area for future research activities.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the two kinds of supply chain quality management (SCQM) capabilities: intra-SCQM and inter-SCQM, and explore the effect of intra- and inter-food SCQM on food safety and quality, and the effect of food SCQM on domestic and export performance through food certification and corporate reputation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Secondary data on food selling or processing firms in Western China were collected to test all the hypotheses. The data were then analyzed using the statistical technique of stepwise regression and inference was drawn based on the result.\nFindings: Through utilizing secondary data sources, it is found that intra-SCQM promotes sales in domestics market with mediating role of corporate reputation, while the realization of overseas performance depend both on intra- and inter-SCQM with mediating role of food certification.\nPractical implications: The paper study on food supply chain quality problem, the suggested approaches can be easily realized by agro-food companies to achieve international competitiveness by implementing both intra- and inter-SCQM. Meanwhile to Chinese domestic companies, it is important to strengthen inter-SCQM and food certification in order to achieve competitive advantage.\nOriginality/value: Review of literature indicated that there is a dearth of open literature that discusses food safety from the perspective of inter- and intra-organizational management. Furthermore, it was also observed that there has been no study that has taken the safety signaling perspective. The current research tires to shed some light on this important, but sparely discussed issue.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The implementation of the SADC code on HIV/AIDS and employment in Mauritius: successes and prospects	[ "HIV/AIDS", "Mauritius", "Human rights", "Employment", "SADC" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In the midst of diverse scourges and humanitarian predicaments crippling societies around the globe, the HIV/AIDS unprecedented pandemic is ranked at one of the highest positions on the list. Alarmingly, this is that kind of plague whose diagnosis instantaneously comes as a looming death sentence for those without the possibility of treatment and hence giving a wakeup call that it is time to stand before the ruthless truth that the world is now prey to a disease that may pull more people towards the jaws of death than any other outbreak in history. Accentuating on the fact that today HIV/AIDS is spreading like wildfire around the globe, Mauritius, despite being a tiny dot on the world map, has witnessed this disease very closely. Incontrovertibly, this is a harsh reality in the country hitting hard on all age groups.\n2. Statistics on HIV/AIDS and employment in Mauritius: The Code adopts the approach of balancing the rights of all parties, including those with and without HIV, employers, employees, state and others. This will include obtaining a balance between rights and responsibilities and between individual protection and co-operation between parties. Employees with HIV should be treated the same as any other employee. Employees with HIV-related illness, including AIDS, should be treated the same as any other employee with a life-threatening illness (SADC Protocol, Preamble para 4).\n3. Overview of the Code: The SADC region is severely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Acknowledging the severe health, political, social and economic impact that it could have on the various countries in the SADC region, a process by a group of NGOs and trade union in South Africa and Zimbabwe started in 1994 with the aim of persuading governments to develop a regional code of best practices on HIV/AIDS and employment. The idea was materialised in 1997 when the SADC Council adopted the Code which is now an official policy applicable for the region. The rationale behind having the Code is for member states to incorporate the Code's provision into their domestic legislations.\n4. Normative framework on HIV/AIDS and employment in Mauritius: Mauritius is a state party to the African Union and the SADC which have both come up over the years with a number of statements and guidelines on HIV/AIDS in Africa [1]. It implies that by way of signature or ratification, the State of Mauritius has the duty to implement domestically legal or political commitments it has taken at the international level. Section 4 reviews the normative framework in Mauritius consisting of legislative laws, policies and frameworks on HIV/AIDS and employment which will assist in determining to what extent the Code has been implemented in the domestic laws and policies of the country.\n5. Initiatives from corporate bodies: Certain body corporates have taken the initiatives of coming up with their own codes in relation to HIV/AIDS and employment. The Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), the national television channel of the country, has drafted aiming to ensure a work place free of discrimination against those living with HIV and ensure an increase in both the quantity and quality of coverage on this topic, both through the news and in programming. The MBC policy has taken regional and international normative framework as its guiding principles.[2] It has also recognised that some principles are being key to the application of the code - recognition of HIV and AIDS as a workplace issue, non-discrimination, gender equality, healthy work environment, social dialogue, confidentiality, continuation of employment relationship, prevention measures in the workplace and treatment by increasing access to affordable essential medicines including ARVs and related technologies, through regional initiatives for joint purchasing of drugs, investing in nutrition programmes (SADC) and care and support. The MBC policy has also extensively provided for the rights of workers with HIV/AIDS. It goes much further in comparison with the legislations available at the national level[3]. It is easily noticeable that the MBC policy has been greatly inspired by the Code with many of its principles similar to that of the Code, namely, occupational and accidental exposure, treatment care and support, awareness raising and education, confidentiality and testing.\n6. HIV/AIDS and judicial and quasi-judicial bodies: The Supreme Court of Mauritius has not yet heard and adjudicated on a case relating to HIV/AIDS and employment. It is a similar situation for quasi-judicial bodies such as the Equal Opportunity Commission and the National Human Rights Commission. Access to justice for HIV/AIDS infected persons who would be victims of discrimination is not as effective and desirable as one could think would be the case for a democratic country such as Mauritius. The absence of public interest litigation explains the fact that no case on the current subject matter has been taken to court. In addition, access to justice is relatively expensive, and a victim would be necessarily be encouraged to take the judicial route.\n7. Conclusion and recommendations: It is relevant to say that the Code is a normative instrument that is rather well-known and used for instance by corporate bodies in Mauritius. However, its implementation at the government level still seems to be at its infancy. An overall reading of all the legislations on the subject matter demonstrates that the Code has not yet been transposed in the domestic legislation. The focus for now is only protection from discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS at the workplace. The provisions from the Code which ensure that the right to work of persons with HIV/AIDS are not only respected but promoted and fulfilled have not yet found a place in the Mauritian legislation. Even the policy framework of the country focusses mainly on discrimination, and only discriminatory actions, if proven, can be remedied.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the implementation of the Southern African Community Development (SADC) Code on HIV/AIDS and employment in Mauritius. It focusses on the existing normative framework on HIV/AIDS and employment in Mauritius and the ways in which adopting various aspects of the SADC Code could further bolster the framework for more effective protection of people with HIV/AIDS at the workplace.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The methodology used is based on a mix of the legal research method and case study analysis. The SADC Code is analysed, and its application and relevance to the Mauritian context are assessed.\nFindings: The implementation of the SADC Code into the Mauritian legal framework is still at its infancy. Despite being a state party to it, Mauritius has not done much towards the domestication of the Code which explains the incomplete protection of employees with HIV/AIDS at the workplace from discrimination.\nPractical implications: This paper serves as a tool for civil society organisations and other stakeholders to understand the SADC Code and also to engage in a debate related to its implementation in Mauritius.\nOriginality/value: There has been dearth of literature on the legal aspects of HIV/AIDS and employment in Mauritius. This paper serves as a platform on which this debate can be initiated and continued.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Characterising the airtightness of dwellings: Its improvement over time and relationship to construction technique	[ "Compliance", "Buildings", "Statistics", "Bayesian inference", "Airtightness" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Under the Climate Change Act (2008), the UK faces the stringent requirement of an 80 per cent CO2 reduction from 1990 levels by 2050. Heating and cooling are responsible for approximately 40 per cent of buildings emissions, which are up to a third of total UK emissions (IEA, 1998, 2014). Improvement of the building stock is an important component of many countries' plans to reduce carbon emissions (e.g. DECC, 2011); greater attention to building envelope performance is therefore necessary (IEA, 2014). Indeed, Jones et al. (2015) predicted that up to 5 per cent of total UK energy demand, and 11-15 per cent of total UK buildings energy demand is due to unplanned infiltration. Making buildings more airtight may reduce heating demand by 20-30 per cent (IEA, 2013), and Lowe (2000b) identified airtightness as key to reducing CO2 emissions associated with ventilation, finding that the lowest level of energy use and CO2 emissions would be achieved in airtight dwellings with mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems.\n2. Methods: This paper makes use of the model developed in the studies of Crawley et al. (n.d.) and Love et al. (2017) to analyse a new airtightness data set and compare it to the results for the ATTMA data set studied by Crawley et al. (n.d.) and Love et al. (2017). The ATTMA data set comprises approximately 144,000 airtightness test results collected between August 2015 and September 2016 (Crawley et al., n.d.; Love et al., 2017). Metadata describing the construction type of tested dwellings is used to investigate the link between construction methods and airtightness, and its extent over five years is used to investigate the evolution of airtightness. The following section describes the data and approach taken in the analysis.\n3. Results and discussion: The results and discussion are presented concurrently, first, with the complete data set presented, then the data alongside the modelled distribution with parameters estimated using Minuit. The data are then disaggregated by year of construction and construction method, and the parameters estimated for each subset. The background (\"as-built\") distributions are then compared. This provides an indication of whether or not construction techniques have changed over the time of the data set, and whether different construction methods result in different background permeability distributions, whilst attempting to eliminate the effect of late stage modifications to the building envelope.\n4. Conclusions: To meet the 2050 targets of the Climate Change Act (2008), the efficiency of the dwelling stock must be improved. The airtightness of the building envelope is linked to the thermal efficiency of the building (IEA, 2013), and airtightness is thus a focus of international efforts to improve performance (Bailly et al., 2015; Vinha et al., 2015). In the UK, Lowe (2000a) argued in 2000 that minimum standards for airtightness, and associated testing, should be required. Furthermore, in order for ventilation systems to operate as intended, uncontrolled ex-filtration must be minimised. In 2006, the UK building regulations introduced a requirement that the airtightness of new dwellings must not exceed 10 m3/m2h at 50 Pa, or that the construction must follow guidelines taken from the Robust Details catalogue.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the distribution of dwelling airtightness test results for a developer, between 2007 and 2011. The changes in airtightness test results over time are discussed, and links between the airtightness test results and the construction technique are investigated.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A data set of airtightness test results was statistically analysed by applying probabilistic model of the distribution and using Bayesian parameter estimation techniques.\nFindings: The inferred background distributions, those estimated to describe dwelling performance before secondary sealing, suggest an improvement in airtightness between 2008 and 2011, the mode decreases from 5.46+-0.09 m3/m2h to 4.12+-0.07 m3/m2h with a corresponding shift in practice towards a more target-driven approach. The most airtight dwellings are constructed from reinforced concrete frame, followed by \"traditional\" (dry lined masonry), timber frame and lightweight steel frame.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study is limited by the size of the available data set (901 dwellings), and by the fact that the data set contains a larger proportion of flats to houses; however, the metadata has enabled the exploration of the link between construction practices and airtightness.\nPractical implications: Developers need better guidance surrounding how to meet more stringent airtightness requirements through improvements to the primary air barrier, with incentives and support to deliver changes in practice. Furthermore, if a large number of dwellings undergo secondary sealing, this may have implications for the long-term efficiency of the dwelling stock.\nOriginality/value: This analysis investigates two issues that have not previously been studied on a significant number of dwellings: the changes to the distribution of airtightness results over time and the link between construction methods and airtightness.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Education for flourishing: an illustration of boundary object use, peer feedback and distance learning	[ "Sustainability education", "Peer feedback", "Engineering education", "Sustainability-as-flourishing", "Flourishing business model canvas" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The work around sustainability done by industrial designers is both highly criticized and highly promoted. On the one hand, they are lauded as actors who are crucially important for their support of the transition to a more sustainable future (Yang and Giard, 2001). On the other hand, critics identify them as one of the \"most harmful\" actors in terms of sustainability (Papanek, 1971). Sustainability education, therefore, is needed to help industrial designers overcome this negative perception so that they can imagine and propose designs that promote sustainable consumption and production patterns. Universities have responded with new pedagogical approaches as practitioners and various types of organizations increasingly recognize society's demand for greater social and environmental sustainability. Teaching sustainable development at the higher education level offers unique opportunities to use integrated thinking, multi-disciplinary (and multi-national) collaboration which can enlarge traditional curricula. Sustainable education focusses on different fields of inquiry and uses various tools and methods that differ in both content and structure from those used traditionally in higher education. One particular field of inquiry is business model innovation (BMI) for sustainability which is in particular focussed on the integration of economic, social and environmental factors aimed at advancing enterprise performance towards tri-profitability goals (Upward and Jones, 2016). Throughout the BMI, visualization frameworks and tools are used to support the generation, interpretation and manipulation of information using images. These images facilitate, for example, problem-solving, communications and team building (Darren et al., 2001). BMI in general and for sustainability in particular requires changing the shared mindset, and frameworks/tools are particularly useful in doing that and in supporting organizational decision-making (Prahalad and Bettis, 1986). The use of these visualization frameworks and tools can help organizations solicit and create shared understandings among diverse groups (Tauscher and Abdelkafi, 2017). Such shared understandings are very important in situations, such as working with sustainability, when a change of mindset and a new dominant organizational logic are required. Therefore, it is important that universities find pedagogical approaches to facilitate learning and understanding of those frameworks and tools for not only business students but also engineering design students.\n2. Teaching business model innovation as a social and experiential practice: BMI is the process of designing and implementing feasible BMs. According to Aversa et al. (2015), three cognitive actions are required in the creation and evaluation of alternative BM designs (thinking, articulating, doing). Thinking refers to understanding a business and its goals; articulating refers to designing a simplified BM; and doing refers to making decisions and creating the routines needed to implement the BM. New enterprises often create and experiment with visual representations of possible BMs. Demil and Lecocq (2015, p. 34) explain that these visualizations are \"intended to synthesise and describe the way in which a business creates and captures value, and to make sense of and to portray it to the others\".\n3. Teaching sustainability in engineering courses: Education for sustainable development (ESD) is the umbrella term for various forms of learning and teaching associated with sustainability education. Olsson and Gericke (2016) describe two ESD teaching approaches:\n4. Peer feedback learning and distance learning: In general, institutions of higher education today compete for faculty, students and funding in highly competitive environments. Given such internal and external competitiveness, there is often little incentive to create multi-disciplinary or multi-national collaborative structures, in which actors share a common purpose. Because sustainability issues have no disciplinary or country borders, universities need to engage with sustainability education in ways that create learning environments favourable to multi-disciplinary and multi-national learning (Moore, 2005; Redman and Larson, 2011). These open, collaborative university spaces can contribute positively to the sustainability design process and to the students' learning process (Redman and Larson, 2011).\n5. Methodology: In total, 52 students in engineering programmes (at the master's level) participated in a multi-disciplinary peer feedback and distance-learning research experiment. Two peer feedback sessions were held (one oral and one written). Group A consisted of 20 students from Halmstad University who had previous knowledge of business modelling and the FBC. Group B consisted of 32 students from Ghent University who lacked this knowledge. Thus, this was a cross-ability experiment, in which the students had different skills and educational backgrounds: industrial product design vs industrial management. The students from both universities worked on creating flourishing BMs with a focus on the circular design economic model (sustain and re-use) rather than on the linear design economic model (make and throw away).\n6. Results: 6.1 Reflections on the experiment\n7. Discussion: Ideally, classrooms become settings in which students can use integrated thinking, engage in multi-disciplinary collaboration and develop their ability to generate new knowledge and to experiment in new ways. In such classrooms, students can learn to manage \"real-world\" situations and their challenges (Kurucz et al., 2014), as they nurture \"the seeds of change\" (Geels, 2002). However, researchers and educators disagree on how to engage students in multi-disciplinary and/or multi-national groups for sustainability learning (Bilodeau et al., 2014; Rampasso et al., 2018).\n8. Conclusions: This paper describes an experiment, in which 52 engineering students from two universities (one in Sweden and one in Belgium) provided feedback to each other related to the FBC. Using education for flourishing as its theme, the paper aims to increase our understanding of a particular framework for BMI for sustainability that is used as a boundary object in the context of interdisciplinary, peer-assessed distance learning. Main idea is to illustrate how universities can create a more open educational environment in which multi-disciplinary and multi-national learning promotes the key ESD component of integrated thinking (Guerra, 2017).\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Teaching sustainable development at the higher education level requires that existing curricula are supplemented with multi-disciplinary (and sometimes multi-national) collaboration and integrated thinking. The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of a particular framework for business model innovation for sustainability-as-flourishing that is used as a boundary object in the context of interdisciplinary, peer-assessed distance learning. This study is positioned in the broader picture of enlarging curricular content so as to reflect the systemic and interconnected nature of socio-technical and economic developments. The motivation behind this study is the authors' wish to achieve a deeper understanding of how students engage with the complex concept of sustainable business modelling, while using the flourishing business canvas (FBC).\nDesign/methodology/approach: An experiment was conducted on the use of the FBC as a boundary object among 52 engineering students at two universities. Data were provided by the following: iterations of the FBC; oral and written peer feedback; and an online survey.\nFindings: Based on an evaluation of the experiment, this study shows that the FBC supports the use of multi-disciplinary, multi-national peer and distance learning in sustainability education.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study used one test condition of multi-disciplinary, multi-national collaboration for peer and distance learning at one point in time. Additional tests, using the tools and approaches of this study, are needed.\nOriginality/value: Various tools and methods for use in education have been developed that support a new view of sustainability -sustainability-as-flourishing. Extant research focusses primarily on the development of tools and methods in this area. Not enough attention has been paid to the analysis of their implementation and use in higher education. This paper seeks to fill that research gap.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Grades or labels? Beef prices and quality	[ "Beef", "Quality", "Price development", "Quality indicators", "Labels", "Grades" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Over the course of Switzerland's positioning on the international markets - a process undertaken more and more explicitly owing to globalisation - a broad consensus has formed that the country can only compete through quality leadership (Ortner, 2000; Lobsiger and Wyss, 2008; Bystricky et al., 2014). Switzerland therefore is an excellent test bed to analyse quality strategies. The aim of this paper is to trace and demonstrate growing quality awareness in the agricultural sector, using the example of the price policy on the Swiss beef market. In contrast to numerous other markets, different qualities on the meat market are defined less via brand concepts, and more via quality labels on the one hand, and via the grading of carcasses on the other.\n2. Grades and labels on the beef market: Quality uncertainties increase cost (Wilson and Dahl, 1999), a fact that has led to attempts to certify different qualities since a long period of time. The USA, where the first recommendations on quality standards were published as far back as 1916, indisputably pioneered the systematic evaluation of meat carcasses (USDA, 1997). The so-called EUROP system has been used in the European Union since the beginning of the 1980s (Fisher, 2007). Switzerland's similar CHTAX system was based on studies by Leuenberger (1980) and Schlapfer (1988), and has been used for cattle and sheep since the 1990s. In it, C represents the highest grade and describes very well-fleshed animals, which in the case of cattle are recognisable by their exceptionally broad rumps and loins, in addition to their well-defined shoulders. X, by contrast, is the lowest product grade, and is awarded to cattle with poorly developed rumps, narrow loins and flat shoulders. Whilst beef cattle are almost never given an \"X\" classification, cows for processing are usually assigned to grades T, A and X. Until 1999, the abattoirs themselves were responsible for grading the carcasses. Since 2000, the industry organisation Proviande has held a Swiss Federal Government performance mandate for this process, and is present both at the livestock markets and in the abattoirs to perform the grading (Mann and Erdin, 2015).\n3. How do grades differ from labels?: Although there is little overlap between the literature on quality grades and quality labels, combining both research areas does shed some light on their similarities and differences. Thus, VanDyke (2000) states optimistically: \"When agricultural grades and standards are clearly defined and used, they provide the common language for defining product value\". This high expectation profile is indirectly confirmed by studies criticising the fact that e.g. meat fat content (and hence an important parameter for consumers) is not taken into account in the existing classification system (Cox et al., 1990).\n4. Method: Monthly data on beef and veal prices from the period 2000 to 2014, collected by the Swiss Farmers' Union, form the basis of this study. In this data set, prices are differentiated according to animal species, quality grades and labels used.\n5. Results: The exploratory analysis using the example of veal shows that between 2001 and 2014 there was a growing difference between all of the quality grades examined and grade T - upwards, of course, in the case of grades C and H, and downwards in the case of grade H Table II.\n6. Conclusions: The empirical results by and large confirm the hypothesis that price differences between the quality grades are rising, whilst those between the quality labels are falling. The only qualification that must be made here is the finding that certain quality grades do not allow any a priori positive price discrimination. This is remarkable, giving the fact that labels are always considered as an option to generate an added value.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The difference between quality grades and quality labels is that the latter are awarded on the basis of production processes, whilst the former are conferred on the strength of the actual production results. In the course of a de-ideologisation of society, it might be assumed that the price differences between quality grades would grow larger and larger, while those between quality labels would tend to shrink. The purpose of this paper is to develop and test this hypothesis.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Regressions for the calf market on the one hand and for 4,180 cattle-market data sets on the other are run with Stata.\nFindings: The results largely confirm the rising importance of grades between 2000 and 2014. In the period under consideration, a price spread occurs between the individual grades of the Swiss grading system, whilst the surcharge for organic products shrinks. No price discrimination is identified a priori for conventional labels.\nPractical implications: The focus of both chain management and policy makers should be put on effective grading systems rather than on labelling production methods.\nOriginality/value: This is the first econometrical comparison of the price effect of both grades and labels.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
A composite index for measuring performance in higher education institutions	[ "Higher education", "Performance indicators", "Analytic hierarchy process (AHP)", "Performance excellence", "Composite index" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Higher education (HE) relies heavily on government funding in many nations. The pressure is mounting on higher education institutes (HEIs) to make effective and efficient use of public funds (Gamboa and Melao, 2012). One means to demonstrate prudent management of these funds to relevant stakeholders is through the use of performance indicators (PIs). The use of PIs is needed to provide a basis for improved internal performance and internal and external communication. Governments, funders, and sponsors are increasingly linking the funding of HEIs with PIs (Patrick and Stanley, 1998; Taylor, 2001). Even HEIs that do not heavily rely on government funding need to continuously improve their performance to ensure a sustainable level of funding. To this end, the use of PIs is gaining recognition as an important tool for the continued survival of the HEIs.\nLiterature review: The need for performance excellence in HE is driven by growing competition, cuts in public expenditures by governments, a desire for internal performance improvement, and pressure from stakeholders to create value for money. The growing application of quality management and business excellence models in HEIs reflects the desire for performance excellence. As the well-known axiom says, \"what gets measured, gets managed\"; performance excellence has no meaning without performance measurement.\nDevelopment of key PIs and composite index: The determination of key PIs in HE is driven by the need to manage performance efficiently and effectively while working with limited resources and established priorities. Given that organisational resources are limited and there are numerous potential PIs, it is necessary to prioritize the indicators according to the needs of the HEI. Mapping of key PIs is, however, challenging given the differing subjective perceptions of those involved in such a process. As faculty may have different perceived priorities of PIs, it is important to carefully structure the development of key PIs.\nA case study: To test the application of AHP in the development of a composite index for HEI performance, a case study approach was used. A business college (College A) was selected as the representative case. The college is committed to the promotion of excellence in education, research, and service in HE. To that end, it offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in business. Recognising the need to progress towards performance excellence, the college has been working to improve its processes and recently obtained national accreditation for meeting quality assurance requirements. The college is also at the final stages of AACSB international accreditation. AACSB requires measuring, improving, and benchmarking performance against best performers (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), 2013). The standard also requires developing key PIs to track and compare performance. The determination of key PIs and development of composite index in this case was driven by AACSB international accreditation as well as internal need for performance improvement. A system of indicators is employed by the college to assess the performance. Some examples of the PIs employed by the college are as follows.\nDevelopment of a composite index: As shown in Figure 1, the procedure for the development of a composite index goes one step beyond the selection of individual PIs. To develop a composite index for HEIs, data regarding the performance of the institution is required (Singh et al., 2007). In this study, data regarding the performance of the case college with respect to the identified PIs was collected from a senior administrator responsible for the performance improvement initiatives. Using Liberatore's method (Liberatore, 1987; Singh et al., 2007; Tam and Tummala, 2001), the administrator was asked to rate the performance of the college relative to its peers, for each indicator, on a scale of outstanding (O), good (G), average (A), fair (F) and poor (P). The scale corresponds with values of 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, respectively. The difference in relative importance between two adjacent scales of Liberatore rating is constant (Liberatore, 1987; Singh et al., 2007; Tam and Tummala, 2001). Based on the equal differences between adjacent values the pairwise comparison was made and the eigenvector was calculated. The resulting priority weights of outstanding, good, average, fair and poor are found as 0.513, 0.261, 0.129, 0.063 and 0.033, respectively. This is shown in Table VI.\nConclusions: Pressure is mounting on HEIs for performance excellence; and the road to excellence starts from performance measurement. Performance measurement in HE is complex, multifaceted, judgmental, and requires the participation of key stakeholders in most cases. This paper provides a method for the development of key PIs through AHP. A decision hierarchy was developed where the ultimate goal, i.e. integrated performance measurement, was split into performance criteria and indicators. The method weighs the criteria and PIs and allows HEIs to decide what is important in their unique context. This gives rise to a composite priority weight for each indicator and highlights areas of performance that require particular attention.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Governments and funders are increasingly linking the funding of higher education institutions (HEIs) to their performance. Performance indicators (PIs) provide a means to measure and track performance of HEIs. The purpose of this paper is to provide a structured framework for mapping out key PIs and developing a composite index for measuring performance in HEIs.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper makes use of the analytic hierarchy process to develop the framework. The application of the framework is demonstrated through a case study.\nFindings: A structured approach to determining key PIs and developing a composite index in HEIs is elaborated. The framework developed in this paper is consensus-based, knowledge-intensive, and allows input to and ownership of the decision process and its output.\nPractical implications: While there are numerous PIs; organizational resources and capabilities to manage these PIs are usually limited. HEIs must manage and improve their performance within their unique contexts. This paper provides a methodology to do so.\nOriginality/value: The process of mapping out key PIs and developing composite indices for integrated performance measurement are not adequately understood and need further research. The framework discussed in this paper has not been elaborated on in previous publications.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Navigating barriers faced by women in leadership positions in the US construction industry: a retrospective on women's continued struggle in a male-dominated industry	[ "Women leaders", "Construction industry", "Career development", "Challenges and barriers", "Combatting mechanisms", "Male-dominated industry" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Women have spent considerable time and efforts trying to break the glass ceiling of bias and discrimination in the workplace, and progress is being made to eliminate work placement based on gender. In the late 60 s, it was nearly impossible to hear of a woman working as an electrician or welder in the construction industry. Nowadays, despite the low participation rate of women in the industry, women are able to integrate this male-dominated industry and prove themselves as being capable of doing the same jobs as males. In 2016, there were approximately 939,000 women employed in various occupation sectors of the US construction industry (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017a, 2017b). Nonetheless, women still remain underrepresented in this field. According to Astor et al. (2017):\nProblem statement: With the perception of women as a group lacking the necessary characteristics for the construction industry, they are often overlooked for hiring opportunities, promotions and face more backlash as members of the professional environment due to their position as unqualified outcasts, especially in an industry that is primarily male-dominated/friendly (Dainty et al., 2000; Chun et al., 2009). In the USA, although the number of women in the construction industry continues to grow, the representation remains very low compared with the overall women's presence in other women-friendly industries. Unveiling the challenges can help formulate a list of possible combatting mechanisms to strengthen women's resilience in such a male-dominated industry. According to Fielden et al. (2000), women continue to be underrepresented in the construction industry due to gender expectations. While there are several research articles that addressed these challenges, not many shed the light on the elements of resilience exercised by these women to remain in the industry albeit the challenges faced. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the lived experiences of women in leadership positions in the construction industry, to develop an understanding of the distinctive gender-bias challenges they face on a regular basis and develop and understanding of the combatting mechanisms/strategies used despite these challenges.\nResearch questions: The purpose of the present research is to examine the incidence and nature of barriers faced by women leaders in the US construction industry and examine the way they have made their way up the hierarchy despite those challenges. Thus, within the organizational context of the construction industry, this study addressed the following research questions:\nLiterature review: In this section, we discuss the general context of the construction management profession, provide an overview of women in leadership in male-dominated industries, we also discuss the status of women in the US construction industry and finally list and discuss the barriers found in literature for women in construction in the USA and select countries with similar economies as the US.\nTheoretical framework: The theoretical construct for the study was guided by three theories: Backlash, Role and Glass Ceiling theories.\nMethodology: The following study was conducted using a basic qualitative approach to study the lived experiences of the participants, situated in the post-positivist paradigm using both a qualitative and quantitative strategy. The second author's expertise is in the construction industry and has various contacts with WIC organizations; the first author's expertise is on diversity issues in male-dominated environments.\nSociodemographic characteristics of participants: 14 construction industry professional women participated in the study. The participants' ages ranged from under 30 to plus 51, with the highest age representation of the 31-50 age range group (64.29%). Participants were equally represented in the over 21 years of experience and less than 5 years in the construction industry (28.5%), with the remaining equally represented by participants with 5, 6-10 or 11-20 years of experience ranges (21.45%). Over 71% of the study participants had undergraduate degrees, with the remaining 28.7% having a master's degree. Half of the study participants have construction-related certifications, such as LEED, OSHA, CMIT CTQP, FDOT among others, while the other half did not have any construction-related certifications. The participants' occupations were placed in 4 categories: teaching, project management, project engineering and architecture design; the highest job representation was among the project managers with a total of 50%. Finally, of the total participants, 35.7% are located in North Carolina, 28.6% in Florida and the remaining 35.7% are from California, GA, Maryland, RI and South Dakota. Table 3 summarizes the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants.\nFindings: The purpose of the investigation was to confirm the challenges women in leadership positions face in the US construction industry. To attain the study objectives, a total of 14 women voluntarily participated in a survey that was deployed between September 2018 and August 2019. In this section, the authors present the findings in two major groups: the quantitative analysis results from the literature-based barriers, and the qualitative analysis of the experiences that highlight the key impact this male-dominated industry has on women.\nDiscussion: The authors' objective was to investigate the experiences of women leaders within the US construction industry. The authors suggested a conceptual understanding of the ongoing barriers they encounter and proposed a list of strategies and recommendations to navigate those challenges to help facilitate the women's career resilience and persistence. Based on the data analysis, the identified barriers were placed in two theme clusters: challenges for women's career development and strategies and combatting mechanisms to support women's careers in the construction industry. The findings were aligned with those found in the literature.\nImplications for HRD theory and practice: The study findings may have significant implications for those who desire to advocate for gender equity in the workplace and design policies and procedures that can improve women's recruitment and retention in male-dominated industries.\nLimitations and directions for future research: In this study, the authors hoped for a much larger sample, however, only 14 participants completed the survey. Nonetheless, the data collected provided rich examples of experiences about the prevalent issues women continue to face in the US construction industry. Subsequently, the authors believe this topic could be investigated in greater depth. The following recommendations are suggested for the HRD community:\nConclusion: From this study, the authors determined that women in the US construction industry repeatedly operate in environments that do not satisfy the basic needs for them to succeed on the job due to deeply-rooted gender-biased organizational culture and the lack of support. There are insufficient organizational mechanisms to support women in these types of environments, which leave them fighting on their own to find the proper coping mechanisms to persevere and resist or push many of them to give up and find a more women-friendly industry. Nonetheless, the women in this study provided evidence that they can resist and combat the gender-bias if they have the proper personal and organizational support, in addition to a clear vision and motivation to succeed on the job despite the barriers faced.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This investigation examined the challenges faced by women in leadership positions in the US construction industry. The overall purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the challenges, and identify suitable practices, strategies and suggestions to support the employment and retention of women in the US construction industry.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using a qualitative approach, the authors distributed a survey to the target audience composed of women leaders in the US construction industry, and 14 participants completed the survey.\nFindings: The outcomes of the study revealed the following challenges: negative perceptions of women in the industry manifested through discrimination and hostility; a stressful work environment that does not promote a good work-life balance; and a lack of role models that impacts women's retention and career development in the construction industry.\nOriginality/value: This study discusses possible strategies and recommendations for women in construction to rise through the ranks of power within the industry.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Understanding potential impacts from university-led educational travel	[ "Sustainability", "Educational travel", "GIS", "Universities", "Backstage", "Iceland" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: With the development of the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit and mitigate climate change, countries, organizations and individuals have committed to confront major global issues and find solutions. Universities are important actors in this arena, as they produce their own impacts as well as develop knowledge and technologies that can play an influential role. They have already been an active part of the sustainability movement, which has motivated many to participate in inter-institutional accords and green their campuses, curricula and operations (Leal Filho, 2010; Lozano et al., 2015; Beynaghi et al., 2016; Leal Filho et al., 2018; Washington-Ottombre et al., 2018). It only follows that universities seek ways to contribute to the SDGs (Kestin et al., 2017; International Sustainable Campus Network, 2018) and continue their efforts to help slow climate change (Lozano et al., 2015; Robinson et al., 2015; Washington-Ottombre et al., 2018). Unlike most other actors on the global stage, universities also formally serve as educators and role models for young adults and, thus, likely influence future environmental behaviors at broad spatial and temporal scales. As a result, it is important that universities not only educate students about the problems and solutions facing the world, but that they also try to embody the best sustainability practices.\nMethods: Study area\nResults: Potential for impacts from educational travel programs\nDiscussion: This study sought to understand what types of sites university-sponsored ETPs access during their stay in host destinations and how prone those sites are to degradation, both from the educational travel programs and within the context of tourism in the region. This type of information is essential for the future sustainability of ETPs. The desire to develop global citizens, common across many universities, requires these programs to develop conscientious travelers who tread lightly. As most studies that have examined the impacts of ETPs have focused on benefits for students, potential negative impacts on host destinations, albeit previously suspected, have been much less well-understood. As the host destination could be also viewed as an extension of the \"town-gown\" of a university, universities should also feel an obligation to be good neighbors in host destinations as they often do in their home communities (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2017). This means that programs and participants need to be aware and respectful of the ecological and social contexts of their destinations.\nConclusion: It may be no surprise that educational travel programs visit different sites than tourists. ETPs generally select sites based on their educational rather than recreational value and it makes sense that the sites are often more ecologically and socially sensitive and off the beaten track. However, this means ETPs risk significant impacts to these areas, a situation that must be avoided as universities strive to be sustainable members of society and create global citizens. Given that these impacts are usually accompanied by significant greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the travel itself, ETPs should be aware of all possible impacts and take steps to reduce any negative impacts in the region and where possible enhance positive impacts. As student participants in these programs will likely continue to travel in future careers and lives, lessons learned in ETPs could result in positive long-term changes in sustainable behaviors, while also protecting host destinations and environments from damage.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential for environmental and social impacts from university-level educational travel programs.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study analyzes the sites visited by 17 education travel programs to the Westfjords (Iceland) from 2014 to 2016. It uses a geographic information system (GIS) project to examine the potential for environmental and social impacts from these programs on local communities and environments. It compares them with similar data on general tourism to the region.\nFindings: The results reveal that educational travel programs visit sites that are generally in moderately sensitive areas environmentally and socially. They visit different sites from general tourists and sites that are more sensitive environmentally and socially.\nResearch limitations/implications: The research area was limited to the Westfjords of Iceland, and thus, the results may not apply globally to all educational travel destinations.\nPractical implications: These findings suggest that education travel programs carried out by and for universities the potential to have negative effects on the locations they visit. Universities need to design their educational travel programs so as to limit such impacts to host environments and communities and explicitly educate student participants about sustainable travel behaviors.\nOriginality/value: This is the first study to combine GIS with several environmental and social metrics to assess impacts from educational travel programs. Further, it is the first study to map the frontstage-backstage continuum as a quantitative metric.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Development of mobile application through design-based research	[ "Innovation", "Instructional design", "Pedagogy", "Design-based research", "Mobile learning", "Open and distance learning" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Mobile technology is an exceptionally fast-growing field that is closely connected with our work and day-to-day lives. There are new developments added to its growth every day with emerging new patterns of usage, having both positive and negative implications.\n2. Theoretical framework: 2.1 Mobile learning\n3. Context: The OUSL is unique in its teaching methodology as it is the only national university in Sri Lanka which is dedicated to open and distance learning. Unlike in conventional universities, the OUSL mediates instructions mainly through print course materials. With the advent of various technologies, the OUSL has gone through generations of technology integrating audio-visual, multimedia and online learning into the core print course materials (Jayatilleke et al., 2009).\n4. Methodology: In this study, design-based research model put forward by Ma and Harmon (2009) was used as the framework as it provided the processes clearly (Figure 1). The \"analysis of practical problems\" is the first phase as in the Reeves's model. In this phase, a practical problem is identified and the related literature about the practical problem is reviewed. The second phase is \"development of solutions\" for the practical problem identified in the first phase by conceptualizing a solution within theoretical framework, identifying research purpose and development method, developing a prototype that serves to address the research problem. The third phase is \"evaluation and testing of solutions in practice.\" The final phase is \"documentation and reflection\" where design principles are generated and documented in order to provide guidance for practitioners and researchers who are interested in conducting design-based research.\n5. Results and discussion: The views expressed by the novel users indicated that the developed mobile application was generally efficient, simple to learn, easy to navigate, appealing and engaging. It was also pedagogically constructive as the content and the tools used in the application were useful from the perspective of both the content experts and the educational technologists. Thus, accomplishing the primary goal of this research study by providing effective instruction through mobile learning. It was also found that the developed mobile learning system was appropriate to the overall purpose of the university, could be served as a mobile learning system for the entire university and also could be used as an academic support system for the OUSL from the perspective of the developer.\n6. Conclusion and future direction: Having gone through this process, it was felt that the design-based research build on the principles of stakeholder centredness was effective in developing mobile learning application. This was due to the fact that the researchers and the practitioners were actively involved throughout the whole process and supported each other to produce an effective mobile application. The framework used in this study embeded the evaluation and testing of the solution phase (Phase 3) within the development of the solution phase (Phase 2) as these two phases are interconnected and run concurrently. Owing to the iterative cycles of the design-based research enabled the development of an effective mobile solution through several refinements based on existing research and practices.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the development and testing of an innovative mobile application using design-based research.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper reports on the process of transformation of existing printed course material into digitized content through design-based research where design, research and practice were concurrently applied through several iterations of the mobile application. For this transformation, one session each from BSc in Nursing, Bachelor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences was selected. In the first phase of the design-based research, the main research question was formulated. In the second phase, a mobile learning application (OUSL MLearn) was designed and developed to address the research question. In the third phase, this application was evaluated by five groups of stakeholders: content experts to validate the content; educational technologists to check the alignment of technical and pedagogical features; novice users to check the overall effectiveness of the application; developer to develop the application, to check the ease of usage; and researchers to identify the impact of this innovation. These stakeholders were closely involved throughout the whole process which lasted over a period of four months. At the end of this development phase, the results were reflected upon and used for further enrichment.\nFindings: It was observed that the developed mobile application was accessible, appealing and pedagogically constructive for users. However, optimization, development time, technical and organizational issues, workload of academics and production costs were identified as major challenges.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study was based on the findings of a small sample of potential users.\nPractical implications: The findings have implications for designing culturally adaptive interactive mobile applications.\nOriginality/value: This study will benefit practitioners to design culturally sensitive mobile learning courses and researchers to conduct design-based research.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The relevance of aggression and the aggression of relevance: The rise of the accreditation marketing machine	[ "Value analysis", "Marketing theory", "Higher education", "Management strategy" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Higher education is promoted by arguments that it must somehow be relevant. The word relevance has no clear-cut definition, being used with interchangeable pejorative/laudatory associations according to context. I explore this floating characteristics as I connect my analysis to a number of current debates such as the McDonaldization of higher education (Ritzer, 2000), universities lacking relevance (Starkey and Madan, 2001; Gibbons et al., 1994), claims that \"learning is circulating along the same lines as money\" (Lyotard, 1984, p. 6) and that \"knowledge has ceased to offer the prospect of emancipation\" (Delanty, 2002, p. 46). The UK government wants higher education to expand and be relevant (Clarke, 2003) as does the USA government (Spellings, 2006) which promotes anxiety as well as reform. AACSB International places much emphasis on the relevance of business performance rather than the relevance of work and business as an aspect of social life which may be improved by researching business as opposed to research for business (AACSB, 2007d). In the midst of such discourses, academics in business schools in the UK and USA struggle with what is required of them while managers of global institutions such as AACSB International struggle for their place in the academic sun.According to the OECD (2005), the USA slipped to twelfth place in higher education attainment rankings. Only 66 percent of full-time, four-year college students complete their degree within six years (Berkner et al., 2003) and employers complain bitterly that college graduates are not prepared for the workplace (Business Higher Education Forum, 1999). Significant differences exist between white, Asian, black and Hispanic students. By ages 25-29 about 34 of every 100 whites obtain a bachelor's degree compared to 17 of every 100 blacks and just 11 of every 100 Latinos (Stoops, 2004). Such is the anxiety over higher education and the American competitive position that the Federal Government commissioned the report: A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of USA Higher Education (Spellings, 2006) and a number of special research papers that dealt with identified areas of major concern. One of those areas is accreditation and self regulation. A key recommendation of the issue paper on accreditation is that:Accreditation organizations are largely membership organizations governed by the institutions they accredit. Although accreditation organizations now have representation from the public on their boards, the level of presentation and engagement is not sufficient. Require accreditation organizations to be led by governing boards with balanced representation between all major public and private stakeholders including employers, federal, and state government (Schray, 2006).The Federal Government of the USA does not see the current state of accreditation as fit for purpose. Despite this, the accreditation body AACSB International promotes its product as the \"best\" accreditation for business schools throughout the world.US business schools are short of qualified PhDs to conduct research and teach the next generation (AACSB, 2003, 2007d). The shortage has driven average starting salaries from $64,000 in 1997 to $93,780 in 2005. According to Close (2006), starting salaries for a tenure track assistant professor (nine month) ranges from $63,500 to $140,000. Rightly or wrongly, it is not difficult for academic staff to develop the working hypothesis that AACSB International, and affiliated business schools, are keen to develop alternative sources of (cheaper) academic labor and that the USA government is keen to encourage immigration of highly qualified labor given the shortage of knowledge workers in areas identified as key to strategic success such as \"health care, education, and computer and mathematical sciences\" (Spellings, 2006, p. 7). In October 2000, the United States introduced an amendment to its immigration laws that made available 600,000 new visas for scientists and engineers (World Bank, 2002). Universities are increasingly active in the international market as a world-wide convergence in faculty labor is facilitated by the professional model of accreditation (Marginson and Van Der Wende, 2006, p. 16).It is within this accreditation background that one of the more progressive accreditation agencies is examined. AACSB International is chosen as a case because of its engagement with its partners (AACSB, 2006a, 2005a, 2005b), ethical business education considerations (AACSB, 2004, 2006c) and its role in sustaining educational standards (AACSB, 2003, 2002). Not because of but despite the highest levels of engagement with communities and commitment to ethics and higher education, AACSB International makes the case of the impossibility of particular institutions of accreditation to deal with the complexity of higher education as a global and scarce resource which makes for political antagonism both within and across national boundaries.\n2. Critical discourse analysis: In connection with the exploration of business school accrediation, the aim of this section is to outline the methodological approach with regard to key theoretical and analytical concepts drawn from two broad areas of theoretical work, the writings of Lacan and the writings of Laclau, which are then operationalised through systemic functional linguistics (Halliday, 1994; Fairclough, 2003) in order to investigate accreditation and relevance at the point of articulation. In this case, the points of articulation are carefully crafted AACSB International published documents. As the language of these documents is so carefully crafted, any linguistic \"slippage\" is all the more insightful for understanding accreditation, aggressivity and relevance.2.1 Ontology and relevance\n3. Analysis and findings: Section three of this paper examines the language used by the accrediting body AACSB International to position itself in the marketplace for knowledge accreditation and draws out the implications for such mastery of the language of accreditation. Empirical material gathered from AACSB International publications is analyzed through the lens of critical discourse and linguistic analysis to illustrate the aggressivity in any desire and attempt to impose a particular regional form of accreditation on a multi-cultural world of management higher education.3.1 Naming and changing\n4. Discussion and conclusion: delusional constructions: The micro analysis of language restricts the size of the data set considered in a single article. However, the micro analysis of language use provides insight into the ill-considered outcomes of aggressive competitiveness in the area of accrediting higher education by private institutions outside government or public control.Aggressivity is not simply aggression nor can it simply be interpreted as good, bad or indifferent. Rather, as part of the human condition, aggressivity is not likely to escape neither behavior nor the expressions used about behavior. In this sense, it is unavoidably part of communication. For those interested in \"advancement\" through education, particularly with regard to emancipation, an analysis of the communication of key institutions, such as governments and accreditation bodies can reveal this aggressivity.The revelation is not for the sake of revelation but rather to provide a point of reflection, in a Lacanian sense of reality, as to what may or may not be the meaning of marketing and policy communications from institutions that more than touch upon how well people may live in an educationally competitive environment. In the hectic world of the modern economy, it is often a comforting and self-accommodating thought to escape from unintended meaning through the auspices of a pressured office and competitive market. This is neither an excuse nor an adequate account for the meaning communicated by crafted institutional documentation.It may be seen from the analysis above that AACSB's aggressivity is not an entirely outwardly directed attack on competitors for the sake of self-preservation through growth. The aggressivity is also self inflicting. Such a consideration of human aggressivity is not simply a Freudian and Lacanian model but has a long-standing history of human reflection: \"don't ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee\" (Donne, 2007). The transmuted desire for such high ambitions of place and position in comparison with fellow others is not only always aggressivity, however marked in \"advancement\", but self destruction.The plight of the weaker international competition may be interpreted as an opportunity for growth. But further reflection may suggest that such an opportunity to \"beat\" the competitor is always a loss for another who may ill afford the loss. Such a discourse is accepted when competitors are equal or nearly matched or indeed when the outcome is not detrimental to society. But in the arena of accreditation, the result may be economically devastating for those countries who can ill afford to loose their most academically qualified faculty. Whether intended or not, AACSB International's ambition for growth may mean reverse rather than advancement for the many struggling to advance. And this is the same whether AACSB's intentions are for their own particular interest or are socially well intended.This analysis and interpretation suggests that accreditation cannot be left to self governed institutions who inherently fail to recognize the international political articulations of their own communications because of the narrow focus on the business of competitive accreditation. If the USA Federal Government and the governments of other economically developed nations see the knowledge economy as central to their competitive advantage, then the accreditation of knowledge producers is too important to be left to regionally specific and self-regulated institutions to govern the who and how of knowledge production.Given the competitive and aggressivity associated with the desire for knowledge production and accreditation, knowledge resources are likely to accrue to those who can simply take them regardless of the cost to those who loose both their resource capacity, in terms of people, and their capacity to accredit their own knowledge specific to regional need. The homogenization of accreditation is more to do with facilitating the desire to transfer knowledge assets and very little to do with the \"advancement\" of learning for all. In a global knowledge economy, higher education is too precious to be left to particular institutions of accreditation pursuing their particular interests. The better way may be to let local consumers decide for themselves based on legally required publication of key statistically data that makes comparison between institutions easy. That way consumers of higher education may decide for themselves based on what is important to them with regard to local conditions rather than some distant set of standards devised by \"Others\" who \"know\" better. This is likely to be a lot less costly in terms of faculty time, better spent on teaching and research, rather than administrative time spent on accreditation of \"up to seven years\" to achieve accreditation according to AACSB International and recurrent every \"five years\" to retain it. In addition to faculty time, business schools would save accreditation fees that could be put to better use. If we believe in freedom of choice and have faith in the consumer, take out the middle man of accreditation and give the consumer publicly regulated information to make a reasoned decision and let them decide for themselves. The hearts and minds of business schools will follow. At this time, the \"elite\" business schools rely upon the anathema of a self-regulated (production-oriented) system of accreditation.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how language functions to construct relevance at moments of articulation and how language functions as an aggressive marketing practice to promote a self-regulated (production-oriented) system of accreditation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Drawing on the political theory of Laclau and Lacanian psychoanalytical theory of desire and aggressivity, a linguistic case study is used to illustrate the construction and promotion of accreditation and relevance.\nFindings: - Aggressive competitive behavior in the area of higher education accreditation sets up inter-institutional antagonisms at the local and global level which may prove socially divisive and restrict the distribution of knowledge for the social good with the possible implication of restricting economic growth for competitively weaker countries.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The micro analysis of language restricts the size of the data set considered in a single article.\nPractical implications: - Stakeholders of higher education institutions may wish to consider the strategic implications of accreditation beyond inter-institution rivalry.\nOriginality/value: - Methodologically, this paper provides an innovative application of political, psychoanalytical and linguistic theory. Empirically, the paper provides new insights into the accreditation of higher education.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Sustaining corporate success: what drives the top performers?	[ "Innovation", "Leadership", "Core competences", "Market orientation", "Organizational culture" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: It's going to be brutal. When I said a while back that the 1980s were going to be a white-knuckle decade and the 1990s would be even tougher, I may have understated how hard it's going to get (Jack Welch, former CEO of GE).It seems that the intense business environment alluded to in Jack Welch's statement is now on us. Indeed, many would agree that we have reached a new era of hypercompetitive, ruthless markets. As predicted by D'Aveni (1994), competitive advantages are being compensated for by competitors increasingly quickly. As a result, a price-quality competition has developed which leads to companies' constantly having to innovate and increase quality - often while under pressure to reduces prices at the same time. Today's customers expect premium quality, but they expect to pay the lowest possible price for it. At the same time, there are overcapacities in many sectors of industry, and the increasingly transparent market has turned customers into well-informed, merciless buyers. It is also becoming extremely difficult for companies to differentiate themselves from competitors, again resulting in fierce competition on product quality and price. Furthermore, there is much to suggest that the majority of companies have all but exhausted their potential to reduce costs in their European locations. Many companies work on the assumption that there is little scope to optimize processes further. Senior executives are searching for a way out by taking what are in some cases drastic outsourcing measures and increasingly switching to low-wage countries.While such trends have existed in almost every market for some time now, the sheer speed at which the phenomena are occurring is unparalleled in history. As substantial profits are increasingly harder to come by, companies are bending over backwards just to survive in this brutally competitive environment. Yet, despite these overwhelming circumstances, there continue to be companies which manage time and again to be inordinately successful. What are the reasons for this recurring success? What are these top firms doing differently from all the others? The study sought to track down the answers to these questions and find the ultimate sources, or success factors, of a sustainable competitive edge.This is, of course, a most ambitious goal, and academics in management theory have been attempting to edge closer to this challenging goal for decades. The countless studies that have appeared over the last three decades have reached somewhat conflicting conclusions. Some of these studies only examined a small number of large successful companies (Collins, 2001; Peters and Waterman, 1982); others focused on small companies who were world market leaders (Simon, 2009). Still others restricted themselves to interviews with the CEOs of visionary companies with proven long-term success (Collins and Porras, 1998). Without doubt, most of these studies have helped us better understand why certain companies are more successful than others - they have drawn our attention to central issues such as vision and leadership, core competences, market orientation, corporate culture, and market share, to name a few.However, the individual studies conducted thus far have had some fundamental flaws that bring their various conclusions into question. First, not all of the studies on success factors were carried out with sufficient scientific rigor, with Peters and Waterman being criticized for not having approached the subject using reliable research methods (Kirby, 2005), for example. Many of the companies Peters and Waterman identified as successful were no longer in existence a few years later or ran into serious difficulties. Second, several projects have examined highly successful companies only, without comparing them to the rest. Looking at top companies in relation to others is essential to seeing what really separates the \"good\" from the \"great.\" Another problem is known by the term \"survival bias.\" Since particularly unsuccessful companies soon disappear from the market, it is very difficult to examine in hindsight the real reasons behind their failure. Finally, a phenomenon known in psychology as \"causal attribution\" can arise in studies that rely solely on interviews with entrepreneurs and senior executives. There is a tendency to attribute success to oneself and failure to other people or to circumstances.The researchers of this particular study, however, used a very complex research method that was specifically designed to counter such problems.Study\nResults: The results of the study suggest that the success of a company fundamentally depends on the factors identified above. In fact, as our statistical analysis with the partial least squared (PLS) approach revealed, the factors in the model account for 57 percent of innovation success and almost 50 percent of corporate success (see Figure 1).Figure 2 illustrates that companies in which the success factors have a strong, cohesive presence generally outperform the rest in the long-term.It is crucial for a company to understand that these success factors do not behave independently - that is, each one has a profound effect, whether direct or indirect, on all others. The fact that these parameters for success impact each other has an important implication: The purpose or intention of individual success factors cannot contradict one another. If two mutually dependent factors have divergent foci, they will be completely ineffective or, worse, deliver negative results. Top management must therefore align the strategic foci of the success factors in such a way that they are all ultimately geared towards common, company-wide objectives. Thus, the overall coherence of all elements within a corporate \"system\" is indispensable to a company's success.Now, let us take a closer look at some more specific components of success.The role of innovation orientation of senior executives\nConclusion: What do top companies do differently? The results of this study provide a great deal of insight on this matter. It identifies influential corporate success factors and reveals a number of challenges that companies should focus on. Ultimately, however, it is the innovation orientation of top management as well as its leadership skills that are the true sources of competitive advantages and above-average, sustained success. Appropriate attitudes, values and norms on the part of top management are essential to developing a company culture that fosters innovation. This culture must then be supported by strategic methods and processes that further the uniqueness of the company.Although the network of factors and their relationships is complex, a company that uses these success factors to shape its strategies and set priorities will most likely enjoy long-term, above-average success.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - In a world afflicted with hyper-competition, dynamic and increasingly rapid market changes, and global economic crises, there still exist, however rare, exceptional companies that have found a way to weather the storm and position themselves for a bright future. This study investigates success factors of top performing companies and drivers of innovativeness and corporate success.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Based on a research study of over 700 European companies, this article explores ways in which many top companies have surged passed their competitors and achieved sustained corporate success. A synthesis of scientific studies, practical experience, and numerous conversations with successful entrepreneurs and senior executives, the results of the project are discussed in order to direct readers' attention to those levers that can help companies create, maintain and strengthen a competitive edge.\nFindings: - The study identifies the pillars of success of high-performing companies and shows how leadership, entrepreneurship culture, market orientation, core competences and leadership influence innovativeness and corporate success.\nOriginality/value: - Based on a large-scale empirical study success factors are identified and it is shown how they work together. Examples of successful companies and interviews with senior executives give insights into the secrets of success of top performers.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
An integrated decision support model for a knowledge city's strategy formulation	[ "Decision making", "Emergent strategy", "Knowledge management", "Cities", "Citizens" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: According to Carrillo (2006a): \"few aspects of today's world may characterize better the dawn of the new millennium than the transformation of regions into knowledge societies\". Carrillo also underlines the fact that major international organisations (EU, World Bank, UN) have all stressed the critical importance of the knowledge economy as a global reality established over the turn of the century.In this context, the concept knowledge cities (KCs) came recently to the front. It is a subfield of knowledge-based development (KBD) and \"it constitutes one of the most complex phenomena ever faced by mankind and probably a critical one for its future evolution\" (Carrillo, 2006a). There are various definitions of what a KC is and of its main characteristics and advantages (Ergazakis et al., 2004, 2006a, b; Carrillo, 2004, 2006b; Chatzkel, 2006).Many cities have undertaken considerable efforts and initiatives so as to be developed or to enhance their status as a KC. However, their approaches were rather ad hoc, spontaneous and not based on a pre-defined method (see Ergazakis et al., 2004, 2006a, c). The field still lacks a consensus regarding appropriate conceptual and methodological frameworks (Carrillo, 2006b). This is the reason why the related research has begun to concentrate on the direction to substantiate the fundamental principles of KCs and to define unified methods for their design, development and operation.Under this prism, the authors have recently introduced a method, called \"KnowCis\" (Ergazakis et al., 2006c). The method consists of five main phases and takes into account nine different dimensions, so as to reflect the variety of social, economic and cultural life in a city (Ergazakis et al., 2004). This paper focuses on the second phase of KnowCis, i.e. the strategy formulation, which is a particularly complex procedure. The reasons for this complexity are related to the amplitude of the KC concept and to the factors that should be considered when a development strategy for any city is being formulated.The main aim of this paper is to present a multi-dimensional and integrated decision-making model so as to assist the authorities charged with the duty to develop a KC's strategy. Next section briefly presents the KnowCis method and the need for a decision support model. The following section analyzes the model's main building blocks, while the other section provides information on its pilot application to a Greek municipality. The final section is devoted to presenting some main conclusions and future research challenges.\nThe KnowCis method and the need for a decision support model: The KnowCis (Knowledge Cities) method was developed by the authors, in 2005 (Figure 1). It is the outcome of a multi-annual research on the fields of knowledge-management (KM), knowledge-based development (KBD) and knowledge cities. The first priority of the method is the setting-up of a committee (knowledge city committee - KCC) which is co-responsible, along with the city's local government, for the consultation and co-ordination of the whole effort, from its very beginning. Government representatives, and representatives of citizens, enterprises and cultural organizations can equally participate in the KCC.The method consists of five main phases:1. Phase 1: Diagnosis. Before any attempt to outline a strategy, the KCC proceeds to a thorough diagnosis of the current city's status as a KC, based on studies, opinion polls and qualitative evaluations.2. Phase 2: Formulation of strategy. The diagnosis of the previous phase is important for the formulation of strategy that will be adopted. This strategy considers nine dimensions comprising sets of particular actions. The specific characteristics, the particularities, strengths and weaknesses of the city determine which actions and interventions are needed as well as the priority of each one. Their implementation contributes to the attainment of various objectives which are substantial for the success of a KBD effort (Ergazakis et al., 2006b).3. Phase 3: Creation of detailed action plan. This phase is devoted to the creation of a detailed action plan for realising the defined strategy. The action plan comprises specific projects to be implemented (project-oriented approach) as well as interventions to specific processes that need improvement (process oriented approach). Each project or intervention is thoroughly selected, designed and prepared. They incorporate, by design, a component related to continuous sharing of knowledge. Obviously, the appropriate financing must have been reassured.4. Phase 4: Implementation. The KCC, the agencies and stakeholders participating in it, the local government, and other public or private organisations and companies are implementing the defined actions, measures and projects. In this way, each stakeholder remains committed and contributes to the effort.5. Phase 5: Measurement/evaluation. It is indispensable to measure the progress of the whole effort and evaluate the performance of the city as a KC, based on indicators and the consultation of evaluation experts.Horizontal aspects are also considered in the method, i.e. the open and equal participation of all citizens and stakeholders, the political and societal leadership/commitment and the KM procedures related to the effort.For further details on the method see Ergazakis et al., 2006c.It should be noted at this point that, in general, the following factors are important and affect the process of formulating development strategies for any city:* Availability of resources that can be allocated for the implementation of the strategy.* Main results achieved in the past and the efficiency of particular actions and measures.* Existence of time limits which may affect the strategy formulation process.* Expectations of various actors in the city, whose interests and needs may differ.* Particular characteristics of the city or special circumstances.* Threats and opportunities deriving from the international environment.* General socio-economical context of the country.Figure 2 presents these factors.Moreover, as it is proposed by many researchers in the literature (Carrillo, 2002, 2004, 2006a, b; Chatzkel, 2006; Dvir and Pasher, 2004; Ergazakis et al., 2004, 2006a, b, c, d, e; Garcia, 2004; Gonzalez et al., 2004; Malone and Yohe, 2002; Martinez, 2006; Montreal Knowledge City Advisory Committee, 2003; Palacios and Galvan, 2006; Ploeger, 2001; Raza et al., 2006; Rodriguez and Viedma, 2006), a successful KC should take under consideration many different aspects of social, economic and cultural life in the city, in order to achieve desired strategic objectives in the context of the knowledge economy. Thus, phase 2 of KnowCis (formulation of strategy) is the most complex and critical for the success of the whole effort and it incorporates nine different dimensions and 25 actions.In this way, it is understood that any authority (local government, city's development agencies, public institutions etc.) which is charged with the duty to select the appropriate strategic interventions for a KC, should consider a wide variety of factors, as referred to the last two paragraphs. Consequently the task of selecting and prioritising the needed interventions and actions is becoming a multi-parameter and complex procedure. Thus, a decision support model which could assist the decision makers in the above procedure would be really useful. The main objective of this paper is to present such an approach which, in combination with KnowCis, constitutes an integrated decision support model for a KC's strategy formulation.\nThe decision support model: The proposed model (depicted in Figure 3) consists of five main building blocks.Building block 1. Identification\nThe model's application on a Greek municipality: The Greek municipality of Maroussi, located in the north suburbs of Athens, has already been engaged in a KBD effort, adopting the KnowCis method. It should be noted that due to important restrictions regarding available resources, it was impossible to fully implement the KnowCis method. The reader could refer to Ergazakis et al., 2006e for further details. At the present stage, the detailed action plan has been almost finalised, taking into consideration the priority of the actions to be implemented. In what follows, the basic conclusions from the first two phases of the method and especially regarding the simulation that took place by using the developed decision support model, are presentedPhase 1: diagnosis of present situation\nConclusions and future research challenges: The concept of a KC and the advantages that can offer on a global and local scale are important, so as to be ignored by the policy makers (Ergazakis et al., 2006a). In this respect and given that the research on the field is still on embryonic phase, the need to identify and propose integrated and unified methodologies for the development and formulation of related strategies, is realistic.The authors, based on a recently developed method (KnowCis), proposed a decision support model for the formulation of KC's strategy. The model consists of the following building blocks: identification of the appropriate actions (based on KnowCis), modelling of the city's current status as a KC (via the development of related indicators), assessment of the necessity for the actions (based on the indicators' outcomes and through the benchmarking of other successful KCs cases), selection of the most appropriate form of each proposed action (based on their efficiency during the last reference period) and, finally, prioritisation of the proposed actions (based on a multi-criteria approach). The model has the following advantages:* Integrated. Combined with the KnowCis method, it constitutes an integrated tool that can be used by a city or urban region with the vision to develop a knowledge-based strategy.* Flexible. The model is easily adaptable so as to incorporate and reflect the city's specific strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and objectives. This can be achieved by the right selection of indicators and their thresholds, appropriate criteria and relative weights, and actions.* Encouraging preliminary results. As described in the last section, the preliminary results from the pilot application of the decision support model to a Greek municipality are encouraging, in the sense that variations between the two methods (based on experience and based on the model) are not important. Of course, as already stated, it is more than necessary to precise accurately the values for all the indicators, in order for this conclusion to be verified with absolute confidence.Two major streams of future research are the following:1. The development of an intelligent decision support system incorporating the building blocks of the proposed model. Such a system would help the decision maker to quickly implement the proposed model on this paper. Expert systems technology could offer a series of advantages for the design and development of such a system.2. Further enhancement of KnowCis method so as to render it more relevant and realistic in regards to the variety of aspects on a real city: incorporation of additional dimensions, actions and indicators are simple examples of such enhancements.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The concept of knowledge cities (KCs) offers advantages to any urban region. Many cities globally claim themselves as being already KCs, while other cities have elaborated strategic plans in order to integrate this concept into their operational structures. The examination of their approaches reveals however that these initiatives are fragmented. The purpose of this paper is to present a multi-dimensional and integrated decision support model for a KC's strategy formulation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Reference is made to a methodological approach (KnowCis) for the integrated development of a KC, consisting of five main phases and taking into account nine different dimensions. The strategy formulation phase is a particularly complex procedure for any authority (e.g. local government or city's development agency). The reasons for this complexity are related to the amplitude of the KC concept, to the variety of the factors to be considered as well as to the challenge for balancing the needs and interests of different target groups.\nFindings: - The proposed model consists of the following building blocks: identification of the appropriate actions (based on the KnowCis methodology), modeling of the city's current status as a KC (via the development of related indicators), assessment of actions' necessity (based on the indicators' outcomes and through the benchmarking of other successful KCs cases), selection of the most appropriate form for each proposed action (based on their efficiency during the last reference period) and, finally, prioritisation of the proposed actions (based on a multi-criteria approach).\nResearch limitations/implications: - The main suggestion for future research is the development of an intelligent information system which will incorporate the building blocks of the proposed model.\nOriginality/value: - The originality and value of the paper is that the proposed model can be a really helpful decision support tool for any city which is developing a knowledge-based strategy.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Office rents, mixed-use developments, and agglomeration economies: a panel data analysis	[ "Diversity", "Proximity", "Panel data analysis", "Agglomeration economies", "Mixed-use development", "Office rents" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Office rents are very much affected by economic conditions and long-run equilibria in the office market. Other determinants that affect office rents include physical accommodation, location, and tenure rights (Dunse and Jones, 1998). On the subject of agglomeration economies, the effect of combining different uses into a given amount of space may cause office rents in a mixed-use development to surpass those in single-use developments. Office tenants benefit from agglomeration as a result of more intensive interaction with other firms rather than interaction with firms within their own industry (Glaeser et al., 1992). Thus, rents in mixed-use developments are likely to be higher.\n2. The literature on rents and agglomeration economies: Enlightened by the magna opera of Ricardo (1817), Von Thunen (1826), Hurd (1903), and Alonso (1964), contemporary economists were curious as to why various economic activities clustered in one location (Fujita and Thisse, 1996; Vreeker et al., 2004) and what kind of synergy might have occurred from such agglomeration (Vreeker et al., 2004). Along the line of thought of Marshall (1920), who argued that a city's productivity can be enhanced by allowing labor market pooling, shared inputs, and information spillovers, Rosenthal and Strange (2004) contended that home market effects, rent-seeking, and urban consumption opportunities might cause agglomeration economies as well. Glaeser et al. (2001) claimed that larger cities increase their consumption due to the availability of goods and services that may not be available in smaller cities, where the provision of various artistic attractions and public facilities may be impractical. Also, larger cities have higher interaction speeds that may not be feasible in their smaller counterparts. Accordingly, Glaeser et al. (2001) suggested that some individuals are willing to pay higher housing prices in city centers, which tend to have better amenities.\n3. Hypotheses: A prominently situated office that enjoys a propinquity to different businesses could be beneficial to office users, as it allows them more opportunities for face-to-face dealings with potential clients, business partners, and collaborators. This is in line with the classical theory of office location, in which office rent is based on face-to-face opportunities (Heilbrun, 1987). Besides, two or more industries usually benefit from being in close proximity to each other due to their interactions with various firms, which create a cluster of different economic activities (Glaeser et al., 1992; Vreeker et al., 2004). A diversity of industries in one location is often considered an agglomeration economy. In the authors' case, office-based firms will benefit from a proximity to retail establishments and/or hotels, as they depend very much on these support services. Thus, these support services help stimulate office rents (Jennen and Brounen, 2009). In light of this, the authors put forward the first hypothesis:\n4. Methodology: 4.1 Method\n5. Empirical results and discussion: Our regression results were generated using the panel least squares method. Given the unbalanced data for a particular time period, the authors selected the period-specific fixed effect to control for certain undesirable effects, such as macro-economic shocks, so that their estimation results would be less biased. Nevertheless, the regional heterogeneities could not be completely controlled for by taking the region-specific fixed effect into account due to the problem of multicollinearity when performing the estimations. Yet, the authors had reason to believe that the region-specific characteristics, which normally deal with factors associated with physical geography and climate in most similar studies, would not impede their estimations by virtue of the rather geographically homogeneous nature of the business districts in a compact setting like Hong Kong.\n6. Conclusion: A mixed-use development is a widely accepted form of real estate and often one of the most popular options for planning practitioners and real estate developers - largely due to its environmental, social, and economic benefits. The authors' study intended to apply the hedonic regression technique by making an unbalanced panel data analysis of Hong Kong's Grade A office market. They hoped to uncover a relationship between office rents and mixed-use developments by drawing on the concept of agglomeration economies. As far as the authors know, this is the first empirical study on this topic.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between office rents and mixed-use development in the context of agglomeration economies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using a sample of 10,209 observations in 100 Grade A office buildings in Hong Kong from January 2001 to June 2011, the authors estimated office rent regression using unbalanced panel data analysis.\nFindings: The results show that rents decreased with an increase in distance from retailers and hotels. Furthermore, the results revealed that, ceteris paribus, office tenants were willing to pay higher rents in a mixed-use than in a single-use office development.\nResearch limitations/implications: There is an existence of agglomeration economies due to the clustering of various industries in mixed-use developments, which allow for their close proximity to potential clients.\nPractical implications: The diversity of activities in a mixed-use development benefit its tenants and, thus, convince them to pay higher rents. Higher rents generated by a mixed-use facility will attract more investors to it. Investors should seek opportunities to capitalize on their equity in mixed-use developments.\nOriginality/value: This paper attempts to uncover a relationship between office rents and mixed-use developments by drawing on the concept of agglomeration economies.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The use of the recognition heuristic as an investment strategy in European stock markets	[ "Investment decisions", "Behavioural finance", "Stock returns", "Financial market", "Recognition heuristic", "G11", "G12" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The recognition heuristic has its origins in psychology and tends to be described as a fast and frugal way of thinking to take decisions in a bounded rationality scenario.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 Recognition heuristic\n3. Methodology: The study of the impact of recognition heuristic in stock market returns first requires that the recognized stocks are identified apart from the unrecognized stocks. In this study, two different approaches were used.\n4. Analysis of results: 4.1 Survey\n5. Conclusions: The main objective of this paper is to study the performance of the recognition heuristic in the financial markets and to contribute to the knowledge in this field. Although many authors have already studied this heuristic when applied to financial markets there is a lack of consensus in the literature.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: People often face constraints such as a lack of time or information in taking decisions, which leads them to use heuristics. In these situations, fast and frugal rules may be useful for making adaptive decisions with fewer resources, even if it leads to suboptimal choices. When applied to financial markets, the recognition heuristic predicts that investors acquire the stocks that they are aware of, thereby inflating the price of the most recognized stocks. This paper aims to study the profitability against the market of the most recognized stocks in Europe.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In this paper, the authors perform a survey and use Google Trends to study the profitability against the market of the most recognized stocks in Europe.\nFindings: The authors conclude that a recognition heuristic portfolio yields poorer returns than a market portfolio. In contrast, from the data collected on Google Trends, weak evidence was found that strong increases in companies monthly search volumes may lead to abnormal returns in the following month.\nResearch limitations/implications: The applied investment strategy does not account for transaction costs, which may jeopardize its profitability given the fact that it is necessary to revise the portfolio on a monthly basis. Despite the results obtained, they are useful to understanding the performance of recognition heuristic strategies over a comprehensive time horizon, and it would be interesting to depict its viability during different market conditions. This analysis could provide additional information about a preferable scenario for employing our strategies and, ultimately, enhance the profitability of recognition heuristic strategies.\nPractical implications: Through the exhaustive analysis performed here on the recognition heuristic in the European stock market, it is possible to conclude that no evidence was found for the viability of exploring this type of strategy. In fact, the investors would always gain better returns when adopting a passive investment strategy. Therefore, it would be wise to assume that the European market presents at least a degree of efficiency where no investment would yield abnormal returns following the recognition heuristic.\nOriginality/value: The main objective of this paper is to study the performance of the recognition heuristic in the financial markets and to contribute to the knowledge in this field. Although many authors have already studied this heuristic when applied to financial markets, there is a lack of consensus in the literature.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
How does corporate social responsibility avoid the incidence of corruption in international expansion?	[ "Corporate social responsibility", "Corruption", "International context" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Corruption is still perceived as a major challenge for firms in international expansion.\nLiterature review: Corruption\nConclusion and discussion: CSR is in many ways interlinked with the process of international expansion. While CSR might be of a global nature, recent research suggests that it is applied differently across different social, economic, cultural, legal and political contexts (Gjolberg, 2009). The growing relevance of CSR in international expansion is our motivation for analyzing the impact that CSR has on corruption in international expansion. In the international business environment, it is difficult for internationalized firms to monitor and control CSR practices because of physical and cultural distance. Jamali (2010) claims that in the Lebanese context, internationalized firms are tailoring theirs CSR practices to reflect complexities of host country as well as the nature of the specific market environment encountered. Developing international CSR issues is a complicated challenge, as corporations have to deal with social issues within each domestic and international environment, making the firm responsible to both international and domestic stakeholders. Given the uncertainties regarding the internationalization, aligning CSR with corporate corruption is likely to be especially useful in understanding the role of CSR in avoidance of corruption in international expansion.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify factors in avoidance of corruption in international expansion.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Building on extensive literature, the paper includes three complexities, namely cultural, economic and regulation associated with corruption in an international context.\nFindings: The paper highlights that corruption can be addressed by three types of complexities.\nPractical implications: The findings of this study highlights the importance of corporate social responsibility for firms intend to expand internationally.\nOriginality/value: The paper is one of the first to highlight the effect of corporate social responsibility on corruption in an international context.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
How port aesthetics affect destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty?	[ "Tourist satisfaction", "Destination image", "Tourist loyalty", "Port aesthetics" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: 1.1 Research background\n2. Literature review and research hypotheses: The destination marketing literature examined the determinants of customer and loyalty. Several studies demonstrated that customer satisfaction can be influenced by the service quality (Baker and Crompton, 2000; Lee et al., 2011), destination image (Chi and Qu, 2008; Rajesh, 2013), tourist perception (Rajesh, 2013) and word of mouth (Satta et al., 2014). Other studies showed that tourist loyalty may be enhanced by tourist satisfaction (Chi and Qu, 2008), quality (Lee et al., 2011), destination image (Chi and Qu, 2008), motivation (Yoon and Uysal, 2005) and positive word of mouth recommendation (Satta et al., 2014). While the antecedents of tourist satisfaction and loyalty have been widely discussed in the tourism literature, an understanding of the perceptions of aesthetics and its relationships with destination image, satisfaction and loyalty at harbor or port tourism are lacking. Therefore, port tourism authorities should acknowledge the effects of aesthetics on destination image, customer satisfaction and loyalty of tourists.\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Measures\n4. Results of empirical analyses: 4.1 Agreement level with port aesthetics, destination image, tourist satisfaction and loyalty\n5. Conclusions and implications: This research attempted to explore the relationships between port aesthetics, destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty in the case of Hong Kong. Following recent developments in destination aesthetics studies (Kaplan, 1985; Kirillova et al., 2014), port aesthetics in this study was conceptualized as a five-dimensional construct, comprising of leisure and culture, design and cognition, atmosphere, recreational facility and memory. This study developed and validated a measurement instrument of perceived port aesthetics. Consistent with expectations, we found positive relationships between port aesthetics and destination image (H1), destination image and tourist satisfaction (H4) and tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty (H5). Specifically, this study found the impact of port aesthetics on tourist loyalty was mediated by destination image and tourist satisfaction. However, this research did not support the relationships between port aesthetics and satisfaction, destination image and tourist loyalty and port aesthetics and tourist loyalty.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This study aims to examine the linkages between port aesthetics, destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty in Hong Kong.\nDesign/methodology/approach: To achieve this objective, the authors surveyed 247 tourists in Hong Kong. Using factor analysis and structural equation model (SEM) to identify the constructs of port aesthetics and analyze its relationship with destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty.\nFindings: Five-port aesthetics constructs were identified, namely, leisure and culture, design and cognition, atmosphere, recreational facilities and memory. The results of SEM revealed the following: port aesthetics positively influenced destination image; destination image positively influenced tourist satisfaction; and tourist satisfaction had a positive influence on tourist loyalty. This research also found that the indirect effect of port aesthetics on tourist loyalty via destination image and tourist satisfaction.\nOriginality/value: While the environmental qualities of a port could potentially affect destination image, tourist satisfaction and loyalty, this study developed and validated a measurement instrument of perceived port aesthetics from a tourist's perspective. Specifically, this research proposed a structural model to explain the relationships between port aesthetics, destination image, tourist satisfaction and loyalty.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
B2C e-commerce web site quality: an empirical examination	[ "Electronic commerce", "SERVQUAL", "Research" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Web sites are being widely deployed commercially (Liu and Arnett, 2000; Robbins and Stylianou, 2003). Ample anecdotal evidence suggests the internet is an effective tool for commercial purposes (Huizingh, 2000). However, just doing online business does not guarantee competitive advantages. E-commerce firms depend on people visiting their sites, purchasing their products, and, more importantly, becoming repeat customers (Smith and Merchant, 2001). At the same time, customers have many web sites that they can use as alternatives. There are almost no barriers to switching to other web sites if performance is unacceptable (Bhatti et al., 2000). The question is \"What constitutes web site quality or what makes a web site effective?\" Without answering this question we are likely to continue floundering, wasting time and money creating some sites that are winners and many that are losers. Business decision makers need to know some guidelines for developing their e-commerce presences.Previous studies on web site quality have generally focused either on basic content management or on specific sets of web site functions. In analyzing web content, some researchers have evaluated the quality of online information (Bhatti et al., 2000; Gullikson et al., 1999), the relevance of information (Perkowitz and Etzioni, 1999), and the use of multi-media elements (Huizingh, 2000). Regarding functionality, there are evaluations of various search engines (Thelwall, 2000), waiting time (Weinberg, 2000), response time (Lin and Lu, 2000), and interface design (Slatin, 2001; Roy et al., 2001; Wen et al., 2001). A few investigators have also looked at the capability for and level of customer feedback (Light and Wakeman, 2001). It is often difficult to define what gives a web site that extra something that keeps people coming back for more (Pollard and Blyth, 1999; Hoffman and Novak, 1995). Berthon et al. (1996) call for research to reveal the true nature and effectiveness of electronic commerce.What composes web site quality and the factors that affect customers' perceptions on the acceptance of the site are unclear (Lin and Lu, 2000; Dhyani et al., 2002). Empirical research focusing on success factors of web sites has typically been exploratory in nature (Liu and Arnett, 2000). While many factors are associated with e-commerce web site success, little knowledge exists about the combination of these factors (Liu and Arnett, 2000). So, it is appropriate to assess factors that an e-commerce web site must have in order to attract and keep potential customers (Smith and Merchant, 2001). Using the IS success model in the context of B2C e-commerce, this research explores the following factors: information quality, system quality, service quality and attractiveness.While certain aspects of page/site design might seem intuitive (e.g. contrast and load time), other concepts may not be so straightforward and still others have yet to be identified. Hence, an empirical study is essential for the development and validation of a conceptual framework and their measures. The goal of this research is to identify those variables that capture e-commerce web site quality and to develop measures and empirically validate them. First, the literature on technology acceptance model (TAM) and IS success model (including SERVQUAL) is reviewed. Second, a framework is developed relating four essential factors of web site quality to customers' perceptions, preferences and intentions. Third, a set of instruments of web quality is developed and empirically verified by factor analysis. Finally, managerial implications and guidelines for web interface design are discussed.\nLiterature review: As e-commerce is a relatively new concept, no particular body of literature specifically addresses the concept of e-commerce web site quality. However, design principles as well as metrics for predicting and/or evaluating effectiveness may be gleaned from two relatively well-established areas of research. These areas address the TAM and IS success model including SERVQUAL.TAM\nConceptual framework: Web site quality is important and widely studied in the e-commerce literature (Aladwani and Palvia, 2002; Koufaris, 2002; Soliman and Youssef, 2003). Liu and Arnett (2000) derive a framework from IS and marketing literature. They identify four factors that are critical to web site success in e-commerce: information quality, system use, playfulness and system design quality. Barnes and Vidgen (2001) contend that WebQual should be used to evaluate a web site from a customer's point of view. We think that, from a customer's perspective, web site quality can be addressed via four components: functionality, content, service and attractiveness.Figure 1 illustrates the framework being developed to relate web site quality to customers' perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and further to customers' preference and intention to reuse the site. The framework is built upon TAM, SERVQUAL and the concept of trust (Delone and McLean, 1992; Parasuraman et al., 1985; Davis, 1989; Lin and Lu, 2000; Chen et al., 2002). The customers' perceptions of a web site are considered by applying TAM (Davis, 1989). TAM indicates that perceived usefulness and ease of use will influence an individual's attitude and intention to use a web site, and customers' beliefs (i.e. perceived usefulness and ease of use) are affected by web site quality (Davis, 1989; Eighmey and McCord, 1998; Liu and Arnett, 2000; Lin and Lu, 2000; Chen et al., 2002).There are many discussions on beliefs, attitudes and intentions based on TAM (i.e. the dotted-line box in Figure 1). For further discussion, please see Davis (1989); Lederer et al. (2000); Chen et al. (2002) and Lin and Lu (2000). This paper only focuses on the identification and validation of the dimensions that capture web site quality. Based on the previous literature review, four factors are identified: system quality, information quality, service quality and attractiveness. Web site quality may also depend on the types of web sites, e.g. music, book, travel, computer, clothes and flowers (perishable goods) (Liang et al., 2004; Kuo et al., 2004). Further, marketing channel types, incentive programs, transaction cost and even the generic strategy of the organization (i.e. focus, differentiation, or cost) may also complicate the users' perceptions of web site quality. However, this paper focuses on the quality of common and standard user interface in e-commerce sites that may be generalizable across different industries (Liu et al., 2003; Hsu et al., 2004; Kim and Kim, 2004).System quality\nMethodology: Measures/metrics are the sine qua non of solid, scientific research (Straub et al., 2002). In an effort to test empirically the suggested measures of web site quality, it is important to find a real-world application domain. We choose online bookstores as the application domain and students as users because many students buy books using the internet. Buying books over the internet is one of the early e-commerce applications that have matured to become relatively stable (Barnes and Vidgen, 2001) and online bookings have consistently shown a higher growth rate than most other online markets (Joergensen and Blythe, 2003). The bookstores chosen are amazon.com, biggerbooks.com and half.com. Students are mainly sophomore and junior who were taking the introductory computer applications class at the college level and are familiar with the internet. They are asked to assess the three web sites and then complete the survey.Because we focus our interest on e-commerce web site design, we select participants who match a profile of internet shoppers (students). It is essential that a homogeneous group of users be selected because users with different amounts of knowledge and experience of web shopping have different expectations of web site (Bouch and Sasse, 1999). The participants were given the same task series so that their path through the site was consistent. Participants were required to:1. go to the site and explore it first;2. view books;3. select a specific book that you want;4. add the chosen book to their shopping cart; and5. view the contents of their shopping cart.Respondents are asked to rate their perceptions of each of the sites using 1 to 7 scale which the anchor for 1 was \"strongly disagree\" and for 7 \"strongly agree\". In all, 213 completed and usable questionnaires were received from 71 students, each of who evaluated the three web sites. The body of responses came from a range of university degrees. The characteristics of respondents are 54 percent female and 46 percent male; age 32 percent less than 20, 64 percent 20-30, 2 percent 30-40 and 2 percent more than 40; 4 percent married and 96 percent unmarried; income 68 percent less than 10K, 20 percent 10-20K, 11 percent 20-50K, and 1 percent greater than 50K.\nResults analysis: Items were purified as recommended by Churchill (1979) by examining the corrected item to total correlation (CITC) of each item with respect to its specific component in the construct. As a general rule, items with a CITC score of lower than 0.50 were removed. Then the items (Table I) were submitted to exploratory factor analysis to check for factorial structures. Factor loadings greater than 0.50 are considered significant (Hair et al., 1995). To streamline the final results, factor cross-loadings below 0.4 were not reported. The results are shown in Table I.Seven factors emerge from the factor analysis with most factor loadings above 0.60. All items load on their respective factors except the construct of information relevance. It seems that information accuracy and information relevance are closely related to customers. Thus these two constructs load as one construct of information quality. The cumulative variance explained by all seven factors is 73.9 percent. After purification and factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess reliability (Table I). Alpha values greater than 0.80 are good for basic research (Nunnally, 1978). All the alphas are more than 0.80 except the construct of empathy, which is 0.71. Thus, this set of instruments is reliable.The means and standard deviations for each item are shown in Table I. From the results of these three web sites, the highest three constructs are information accuracy, responsiveness and search facility. Two items of the trust construct (i.e. being secure and being reliable) and two items of the attractiveness construct (i.e. being appealing and promoting excitement) have high rating scores. The factor analysis results indicate that e-commerce web sites should be designed to provide accurate information, reduce loading and searching time, make searching easier, and make the site secure because customers are most concerned with finding accurate information, searching fast and placing order securely. A quality web site should also be designed appealing.\nImplications and limitations: Managerial implications\nConclusions: Based on the TAM theory, IS success model, SERVQUAL and trust concept, this paper identifies and pools together a set of factors capturing the quality of an e-commerce web site, which in turn affects customers' perceptions, preferences and intentions. A set of reliable instruments for web site quality has been developed and empirically validated. These factors and instruments have significant practical meaning for e-commerce web designers and web managers.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - To identify what constitutes web site quality or what makes a web site effective.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This article examines and integrates four sets of factors that capture e-commerce web site quality using an IS success model: system quality, information quality, service quality, and attractiveness. A questionnaire survey was conducted to verify the measures of web site quality. Based on TAM, a framework is also developed relating web site quality to customers' beliefs (perceived usefulness and ease of use), attitudes (preferences for the site), and intentions (to revisit the site).\nFindings: - A set of instruments of web site quality has been developed and empirically validated by factor analysis.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The research is based on a sample of students browsing several book web sites and they may not sense the web site quality across different B2C commercial web sites such as music, computer, travel, clothes and flowers. Data in these domains should be collected in any future research to examine further the measures developed here.\nPractical implications: - Guidelines for web interface design are proposed.\nOriginality/value: - This paper fulfils the identification of web site quality and the development and validation of its measures and offers a framework and practical guidelines for e-commerce managers and web designers.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Leading into strategic growth: building capability at Global Suppliers	[ "Change management", "Strategy", "Leadership development", "Growth", "Capability", "Organization development" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In January 2015, Global Suppliers[1] was a $4.1 billion company with a lot to be proud of. Over the previous 20 years, the Milwaukee, WI-based global producer and distributor of building materials, including drywall, siding, and cement, had narrowly survived two hostile takeover attempts and the catastrophic impact of The Great Recession (December 2007-June 2009) (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Although that global economic crisis saw construction employment fall an estimated 29 percent (Norris, 2013), by the end of 2015, Global Suppliers had successfully restructured, substantially invested in improving operational excellence, and evened financial performance across its core business units. The organization had also demonstrated its recovery by announcing its first quarterly dividend in more than ten years. With these accomplishments in mind, Global Suppliers's senior leaders believed the organization was in a prime position to grow.\nMethods: This section identifies the research question and the study design, participants, instrumentation, and data collection procedures.\nResults: The data analysis process and research results are presented in this section. Interview data was coded and analyzed, enabling broad themes as well as distinct processes and practices to emerge. All names used herein are fictitious.\nRecommendations: In this section, the author proposes methods by which Global Suppliers can increase adoption and application of the model. Recommendations were grouped into three themes, rewards and recognition, stories, and processes and systems.\nConclusion: In this case study, the author explored an example of an organization in the midst of a cardinal strategic change. Global Suppliers has turned around and its outlook is bright. Yet, stepwise revenue growth requires leaders to evolve an offensive mindset and supporting capabilities. Senior executives chose the GSLCM to build leaders' imagination, assessment, execution, and relation capabilities. While some leaders experimented with the model and began applying it, others were apprehensive and voiced a need for explicit direction. Subsequently, Global Suppliers embarked on the present holistic, descriptive, single case study in an effort to understand how leaders internalized and utilized the model and, ultimately, build shared knowledge of leader practices.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The Global Suppliers leadership capability model (GSLCM) answers essential questions emerging from a strategy development framework in which leaders uncover their assumptions, test those assumptions in the marketplace, and learn from failure and success in an iterative cycle. The purpose of this paper is to explore Global Suppliers's approach to implementing the GSLCM and examine how its leaders have adopted and applied the model.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The primary method of data collection in this single, descriptive case research design was interviews with leaders across Global Suppliers.\nFindings: Results revealed adoption occurred through extensive sensemaking and several methods of knowledge transfer, including storytelling and teaching assignments. Manner of application varied under three themes: development of the self and others, performance management, and creating new paths. Three recommendations to promote further adoption and application emerged: align rewards and recognition, share stories across the enterprise, and embed processes and systems.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study was broadly intended to discern the processes and activities occurring as leaders became exposed to, explored, and integrated the GSLCM, data that was of immediate, practical significance to Global Suppliers in fueling its strategic reorientation. With this focus, treatment of the literature and extant theory was abbreviated. Further, as a single case study research design, generalizability was restricted.\nOriginality/value: Results provide a compelling, intimate portrait of a worldwide organizational effort to synergize leadership and strategic growth capabilities using a chiefly emergent approach. This illustration thus makes a unique contribution to the leadership development, organization development, and change management literature streams.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Influence of social capital on customer's relationship satisfaction in the Pakistani banking industry	[ "Social capital", "Service recovery", "Relationship satisfaction", "Negative word of mouth", "Re-patronage intentions" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In service business, it is hard to avoid service failures (Riaz and Khan, 2016). Service failures cause customer dissatisfaction, while dissatisfied customers minimize business share and indulge in negative word of mouth (Blodgett et al., 1997). Most critically, other firms can capitalize such service failures (Allen et al., 2014), which may pose a further challenge. In such circumstances, the major challenge for management is to properly utilize their resources. Employees are important resource of any service firm. Service firms have changed their internal business process from rigid criteria to flexibility and are utilizing human resources to manage customer relations (Faryabi et al., 2015). Employees facilitate relational customers with financial benefits and priority services (Sharma Bhaskar and Khera, 2014). Hence, employees can be viewed as a source of value addition for service firm with their asset of customer relations (Echchakoui, 2016). Furthermore, customer-employee relations are also supportive to influence customer behavior (Chirawattanakij and Ractham, 2015).\nLiterature review and hypotheses development: Relationship satisfaction\nResearch design: Data collection\nResults: The majority of respondents (62.8 percent) were male, 36.2 percent of the respondents were aged between 36 and 45, and 38.7 percent were between 46 and 55. Most of the respondents had a master degree (47.7 percent). Demographic characteristics of 478 respondents are presented in Table I.\nDiscussion: This study sought to explicate the effects of structural social capital, relational social capital and cognitive social on relationship satisfaction and also to investigate the extent relationship satisfaction that influenced bank customer's behavioral intentions in service recovery context. This study was drawn upon theory of social capital to understand whether embedded value in customer-employee social relations can be translated into organizational benefits via relationship satisfaction and behavioral intentions. In addition to discussion of results, major implications for academic research and industry practices are identified.\nConclusion: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of customer-employee relations on relationship satisfaction in the context of banking industry in the Pakistan utilizing social capital theory. Customer-employee relations are multidimensional involving, structural, relational and cognitive social capital, and are important in processing service recovery. This study investigated the impact of structural social capital, relational social capital and cognitive social capital on relationship satisfaction and subsequently relationship satisfaction impact on re-patronage intentions and negative words of mouth in service recovery. Furthermore, this paper tried to conceptualize a more holistic view on customer-employee relations by considering structural social capital, relational social capital and cognitive social capital in service recovery. This study has enriched our understanding of relationship satisfaction in banking industry, which provides a framework for bank managers to focus on structural social capital, relational social capital and cognitive social capital as these have been found to be the drivers of relationship satisfaction. In return, relationship satisfaction impacts on re-patronage intentions and word-of-mouth intentions. Mainly, this study provides important insights on how customer-employee relations are supportive to service recovery. However, to conclude that customers having relations with employees are entirely rational would be wrong. Previous research also suggested that love of a customer can turn into lasting hate (Gregoire et al., 2009) and in certain conditions relational customers can react more negatively to service failure as compared to non-relational customers (Wan et al., 2011).\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of structural social capital, relational social capital and cognitive social on relationship satisfaction, and also to investigate how relationship satisfaction is associated with negative word-of-mouth and re-patronage intentions, in service recovery.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A sample of 478 Pakistani banking industry clients, who registered a complaint to their bank recently, answered the survey. Variance-based partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis.\nFindings: Results demonstrate that all three facets of social capital have a significant positive impact on relationship satisfaction. However, relationship satisfaction enhances customer re-patronage intentions and restrains negative word-of-mouth intentions.\nPractical implications: Findings are important for service firms, particularly for banks to adjust their service recovery strategies.\nOriginality/value: The paper verified the influence of structural social capital, cognitive social capital and relational social capital on relationship satisfaction and tested the influence of relationship satisfaction on negative word-of-mouth and re-patronage intentions.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
"Who am I supposed to let down?": The caring work and emotional practices of vocational educational training teachers working with potential drop-out students	[ "Situated practices", "Emotions", "Teachers", "Education", "Drop‐out", "Identity" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: I really want them to have confidence in me and trust me. They should not be scared to call me in the morning and tell me \"Peter, I have a really bad day today ... \" (Peter, teacher at the VET College).In recent years literature and research on the emotional aspects of teachers' everyday lives has attracted considerable attention (Nias, 1996; Hargreaves, 1998; Sutton and Wheatley, 2003; O'Connor, 2008; Robson and Bailey, 2009).Sutton and Wheatley (2003) identifies a wide range of emotions connected to the practice of teaching including: love, care, joy, satisfaction, pleasure, pride, excitement, anger, frustration, anxiety, guilt, sadness. Emotions are recognized as an integral part of teachers' lives and as stated by Nias (1996) this should not be of any surprise:Small wonder that they [the teachers. ed.] feel, since the bulk of their working lives is spent in close, even intimate, contact with other human beings for whose conduct and progress they are held responsible (Nias, 1996, p. 296).Amongst others Hargreaves (1998) has stated that \"emotions are at the heart of teaching\" (Hargreaves, 1998, p. 835), hence teaching cannot be reduced to rationality and technical standards, it is an emotional practice. Hargreaves outlines the importance of recognizing the sensitivity that teachers demonstrate dealing with young people in educational settings. Likewise van Maanen (1995) uses the notion of \"the tactful nature of teaching\" underlining the potentialities of the teacher's sensitivity in \"reading\" his/her students. With this \"reading\" the teacher tactfully senses when to engage with a student and when to keep a distance from him/her being careful not to expect too much of the student in a specific situation. However teaching does not only involve emotional sensitivity. It also requires huge amounts of emotional labor (Hochschild, 1983). From this perspective caring for and about the students requires managing and expressing an appropriate external display of feelings in order to perform one's job well. The appropriateness of the emotional labor is depended on the specific organizational context with its specific consumers, clients, business strategies etcetera. Whilst the above illustrates the inevitable aspect of dealing with emotions within an educational organizational setting several researchers (Hargreaves, 1998; Avis and Bathmaker, 2004; O'Connor, 2008; Robson and Bailey, 2009) have noted that the emotional dimension of teaching is often ignored or downplayed among policymakers within educational policy.Within research concerning educational policies pertaining to retention of students several studies (Finn, 1989; Croninger and Lee, 2001; Lee and Burkam, 2003, Felner et al., 2007) point to the importance of engaging, supportive teachers and the establishment of safe learning environments strengthening the students' self-esteem and their sense of belonging in the social setting of education. By listening to stories of students who dropped out of a vocational school for care work Jonker (2006) finds a strong theme of hurt and hopelessness. Due to their experiences in primary and secondary school, these students see themselves and are seen by others as being demotivated and having failed at learning. Hence school failure becomes a central part of their personal and social storyline. However the existing retention/drop-out literature does not explicate the emotional possibilities and limitations of how teachers create supportive and engaging relationships to a group of students, who bring in personal, social and/or academic problems to the educational setting. Furthermore, the emotional aspect of vocational educational teachers' work generally is largely under examined in comparison to the amount of literature concerning teachers and emotions within primary and secondary school. This paper reports on the findings of a qualitative study exploring the emotional dimensions of teachers' practices trying to implement a policy aiming at retention of possible drop-out students within the Vocational Educational Training (VET) system. In this paper, I will provide an analysis of VET teachers' emotional relationships with their students, asking the research question: How do the teachers navigate in the use and management of emotions and care in their professional work?\nTheoretical perspectives: The emotional practice of teaching\nThe empirical context and research methods: Vocational educational training colleges and drop-out\nFindings: Seeing and sensing the student establishing intimacy\nDiscussion and final considerations: The above preliminary analysis shows how the VET teachers have a strong orientation towards care and the handling of emotions and relationships in a way that establishes trust, safety, and positive self-images among the students, making them feel comfortable with participating in the educational setting. While trying to create and maintain a stable source of support, they are also involved in solving the students' personal difficulties so they may cope with the educational setting. Consistent with the findings of Avis and Bathmaker (2004), caring and establishing trustful, empathetic relationships with the students appears to be pivotal to constructing and maintaining a preferred identity as a teacher.However, it is not only the teachers' identity work that might benefit from those emotional practices. As presented in the analysis the specific educational context and the work-based practices within it can help the student to experience positive emotions such as pride, joy, satisfaction, engagement, self-confidence. Using situated practices, such as the craftsman's work, as the foundation for managing emotions, teachers and students use both their hearts and hands, and the teachers have the possibility to help the student build an identity of mastery (Lave and Wenger, 1991) as an alternative to the identity of someone not being able to succeed in life. Even so, looking upon teaching and learning as emotional practices Hargreaves states that:[...] it is important to engage with the emotional arena in education; it is important to do so critically and not sentimentally or self-indulgently (Hargreaves, 2000, p. 813).As demonstrated in the findings, managing one's own emotions in addition to the emotions of the students not only involves joy and satisfaction but also dilemmas and struggles. Avis and Bathmaker (2004) discuss the importance of critically reflecting on the ethics of care. The emotional demands of teaching might involve a romantic rhetoric and a super exploitation of teachers, expecting themselves, and being expected by others, to become some kind of hero. From the perspective of Hochschild (2003) one might think about the VET teacher as an actor within the educational setting actively engaged in managing the institutionalization and professionalization of human care. However, support and care might be regarded as \"soft\" female services with low value. Robson and Bailey (2009) reflect on the possible consequences of engaging in the work of caring, which in western societies is attached to low value and inferior rates of payment. Providing care, support and engagement might be associated with becoming:[...] distanced from the values of objectivity and authority that underpin a traditional discourse of professionalism (Robson and Bailey, 2009, p. 112).Nonetheless the work of caring is a daily aspect of the way VET teachers work on preventing students from dropping out of college. Accordingly emotions become an institutional resource, which can be a productive force in accomplishing the policy driven goal that 95 percent of a youth cohort must complete a youth education educational. However the emotional demands of teaching may not be realized by administrators within the VET colleges and policy makers within education. Establishing an educational setting in which several students' academic and personal needs might be activated simultaneously, makes it difficult for several of the teachers to overcome both sets of needs of all students. It almost seems as if it is embedded within the institutional educational set up that someone has to be let down. However, it is the individual teacher situated in the classroom who has to make the daily decisions about \"letting someone down\" and then feels responsible as an individual. Hence it seems that the teachers are left with the practice of an individualized discourse of care.Situated alone in the classroom, feeling responsible for keeping the students from dropping out and feeling responsible for helping the students manage their problematic life issues, there might be a risk that the educational setting is mixed up with something that might resemble a semi-therapeutic setting. According to Furedi (2003), in western countries a therapeutic culture has been adopted in several social institutional settings, including education settings, with its actors practicing some kind of a therapeutic ethos. Therapeutic ways of thinking, acting, and the thought of \"being in touch with one's emotions\" (Furedi, 2003, p. 7) characterize an increasing concern with one's own and others' emotional life. Looking at the findings presented in this paper, it could be possible that the practice of seeing, sensing, and managing the emotional well-being of the students might seduce both students and teachers and reflect a situated trend within western societies. Engaging in this emotionalization, both teachers and students might feel an increasing distress. Hence the teacher professionally must be able to balance on a knife's edge, managing emotional practices in ways where neither the student feels emotionally invaded nor the teacher gets lost in the student's problems and possible diagnoses.\nConclusions: Emotional practices seem to construct a productive force that can help accomplish an organizational and societal goal of preventing young people from dropping out of education. The specific vocational educational setting, with its work-based practices, makes out a context in which it is possible to help the students move away from frustrations and hopelessness and instead recognize their educational and vocational potentials, ultimately building identities of mastery. However the emotional dimension remains to be recognized and critically discussed more widely among stakeholders at different levels within the VET system and policy makers within education. Hence, handling both the possibilities and the pitfalls of emotional practices requires that teachers are not left alone feeling responsible for the fate of their students. Inspired by Robson and Bailey (2009) it might be suggested that stakeholders at different levels within the VET College and policy makers might:[...] adopt what Hochschild calls a \"warm modern solution\" [...] developing a collective culture of support and care for students across the college (Robson and Bailey, 2009, p. 114).\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - Because of high drop-out rates among the students entering vocational education in Denmark retention of students has become pivotal to Danish educational policy. Thus vocational educational training (VET) colleges have been asked to work on implementing different kinds of retention initiatives and as a result, most colleges have established extended basic courses aimed at students with personal, social and/or academic difficulties. This paper aims to explore the emotional aspects of vocational educational teachers' work and present a preliminary analysis of the notion of care as socially situated within the vocational educational system.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper derives from a study based on fieldwork at a VET college offering extended basic courses. During the fieldwork nine weeks of participating observations and 13 interviews with teachers were conducted.\nFindings: - The paper provides empirical insights into the emotional practices and the management of emotions related to prevention of dropout within an educational setting. It shows how emotional practices can provide both teachers and students with positive identities and make out a productive force that prevents students from dropping out. However the management of emotions also involves a range of dilemmas and ambivalences revealing the difficult limitations related to an institutionalization and professionalization of human care.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Because of the chosen research design more studies on the emotional aspects of prevention of drop-out from both the perspective of teachers and students are needed.\nPractical implications: - The emotional dimension of retention remains to be recognized and critically discussed more widely among stakeholders at different levels within the VET system and policy makers within education. Handling both the possibilities and the pitfalls of emotional practices requires that teachers are not left alone feeling responsible for the fate of their students.\nOriginality/value: - The paper contributes with descriptions of how emotions can be productive forces preventing students from dropping out of education. At the same time it identifies a need for further critical examination of the emotional aspects of teachers' working life.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
On extending social informatics from a rich legacy of networks and conceptual resources	[ "Sociology", "Computers", "Social change" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Rob Kling, his research interests, and his advocacy were at the center of a movement in analytical inquiry and empirical research that he called \"social informatics\". The movement he fostered has grown to encompass a widening and interdisciplinary interest in research that carefully examines the ways in which information and communications technologies (ICTs) are bound up in everyday social and organizational structures. His unexpected death in May 2003 was, for us, both a personal and professional loss. Moving beyond the personal loss is difficult. Like others who engage in social informatics research, we can, however, find some unity in strengthening and furthering the conceptual perspective, analytical approaches, and intellectual contributions of social informatics.Social informatics is emerging as a transdiscipline that draws researchers who focus on the inter-relationships among people, their institutional and cultural contexts, and their uses of ICTs. Social informatics research is informed by theories of social behavior, engages the situated nature of ICTs' uses and builds on detailed analyses of empirical research. This is a vibrant intellectual space characterized by an active and growing community of social informatics scholars.Here we highlight some of their current research directions and we outline how this growing body of work provides a basis for developing analytic techniques and conceptual tools - a social informatics resource kit - that includes:perspective lenses through which research data can be critically viewed;techniques for building theory and developing models from socially rich empirical data; and*common body of knowledge regarding the uses and effects of ICTs.We conclude by identifying opportunities to engage new scholars in social informatics discussions, and by suggesting new venues for promoting and extending the work of scholars already enrolled in the social informatics movement.\nSocial informatics as a trans-discipline: Kling (1999, p. 1) notes that: \"A serviceable working conception of 'social informatics' is that it identifies a body of research that examines the social aspects of computerization. A more formal definition is the interdisciplinary study of the design, uses and consequences of information technologies that takes into account their interaction with institutional and cultural contexts\".Seen this way, social informatics is a body of rigorous empirical research that focuses on the relationships among people, ICTs', and the social structures of their development and use. Social informatics studies engage a broad range of ICTs - from large, formal, organizational information systems such as medical records systems to everyday, informal, often highly-personalized devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants. In these studies, ICTs are seen as embedded within a larger social milieu that infuses meaning and purpose into their shaping and uses. For social informatics researchers, this embeddedness means that ICTs and people can only be fully examined through socio-technical perspectives that transition understanding between social and technical dimensions within an overarching theoretical view. This social informatics view is still emerging from an operational approach that Rob Kling developed incrementally as he extended his personal and professional networks.Rob's operational approach\nA social informatics resource kit: Owing to the hard work of many researchers whom Rob has rounded up and harnessed to his quest over the years - some who may not even realize they have been set to this task - social informatics researchers have a set of resources which we liken to an explorer's kit for carefully examining and mapping a new domain. Metaphors and analogies have their limitations, but this one can help us see the value of multiple perspectives (as powerful telescopic and microscopic lenses) - each of which is better for some purposes than others. Some are multipurpose lenses, like the socio-technical perspective; while other lenses, like critical perspectives, can bring into sharp focus parts of the landscape that may shape the trajectory of an upcoming journey.The resource kit also contains direction finders and distance gauges (i.e. methods, techniques and approaches) that can help researchers plot a path through the dense underbrush of computing contexts. In addition, the kit includes a common basis of knowledge. This knowledge often shows up as \"rediscovered\" findings from prior studies - findings that help to anchor understandings of uses, values and shaping forces surrounding uses of old and emergent ICTs.Synthesizing related research\nMoving forward: To move forward from this rich legacy, we have several options and also some responsibilities. We certainly want to preserve the legacy that Rob has left us, and to build on it where we can - that is essentially the purpose of a Gedenkschrift and of this special issue. We want to extend Rob's legacy network, which was neither static nor complete by (re)enrolling, and (re)engaging, people social informatics research. And, we want to move past some of the stumbling blocks that have too-often impeded this kind of work.As we noted above, social informatics concepts and findings need to be more accessible to designers and implementers. Detailed, complex, socially rich studies rarely make it into computer science textbooks, and so do not have much opportunity to dispel the disarmingly simple (and cognitively easy) technologically deterministic explanations that abound. Despite our own protestations, perhaps, we do have one common, simply put, strong message to engage with this audience: \"Context matters!\" But social informatics needs a stronger voice to get the message out.That stronger \"voice\" can take shape in two ways: first, by increasing the number of social informatics researchers, and second by providing more opportunities for publishing their work in high-quality and high-profile outlets. As readers will note, the second option will lower the barriers that discourage new entrants to the social informatics network; and so extending the network, expanding publication opportunities, and extending the resource kit are all interrelated activities.Social informatics is not an archive, something that is solely to be preserved. It is not a doxa, something that should not be changed. Social informatics is a dynamic, growing body of knowledge that is always in play. Therefore, there are now (and always will be) open issues about, for example, how to conduct or engage in doing social informatics without becoming method-bound. Just what does one need to do to do social informatics? Further concerns arise when researchers try to come to terms with the need to focus ensemble on the social and technical aspects of computerization phenomena. Just how does one best conceptualize the socio-technical, the socio-economic, the socio-political and all their inter-relationships in practice?In this issue\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - To extend the work of Rob Kling, whose research interests, and advocacy were at the center of a movement in analytical inquiry and empirical research now known as \"social informatics\".\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Reviews the work of those who engage in social informatics research to strengthen and further the conceptual perspective, analytical approaches, and intellectual contributions of social informatics.\nFindings: - The vibrant and growing international community of active social informatics scholars has assembled a social informatics resource kit that includes: perspective lenses through which research data can be viewed critically; techniques for building theory and developing models from socially rich empirical data; and a common body of knowledge regarding the uses and effects of ICTs.\nOriginality/value: - The paper identifies opportunities to engage new scholars in social informatics discussions, and suggests new venues for promoting and extending the work of scholars already enrolled in the social informatics movement.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Shine your light: using talent management as a driver for business success	[ "High flyers", "Performance focus management", "Organizational performance" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Simon is a real shining light, a true high flyer. Loyal to his first company, he has spent the past nine years developing his ability in infrastructure and more recently people management. So well has he picked up the challenges that he now mentors a new manager, helping with those early flurries of uncertainty. The company has provided little help, so he has become self-sufficient, taking learning wherever he can find it.\nCultural impact on success: No one performs in isolation. The prevailing culture of your organization has a direct influence on the results of the business. My recent research defined seven success behaviors: take responsibility; build relationships; embrace change; be passionate; invite opportunity; be conscious of your impact; get focused. Take the time to understand how these behaviors will improve your chances, then embed them in the daily norms of your business. Once the working culture parallels those drivers for success, the business will benefit.The pivotal behavior is that of taking responsibility - everything else leads on from there. Every company needs people who are willing to see the business as their own, so they speak their minds appropriately, come up with good ideas for improvement and acknowledge mistakes when they happen. This is the key to success.It is a paradox, but leaders signal their support for a success culture through their attitude to mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, especially when the business is driving forward; handle them well and you have some great learning material. However, this belief must be role-modeled consistently by those of influence, with any contrary behavior being addressed immediately. It takes just one blaming moment for people to pull in their necks and all your good work will be lost.\nReluctant managers: The selection of managers is a real statement of where culture and people sit on a company agenda. All too often the decision is driven by success in a skill, which means taking great technicians, accountants or sales people out of what they do well, to reward them with a job they cannot do or do not want to do. Just how many managers do you know who are miserable and no longer enjoying work, because they cannot do what they do best?These \"reluctant\" managers drain a company in a number of ways:* they no longer deliver the exceptional results that delighted them and their boss;* they leave talented people to languish or move to a better manager elsewhere; and* they ignore under-performance - this tough job is just beyond their people skills, so they do not even try.A first and very important step in delivering shining talent is therefore to relieve your reluctant managers of the burden. Let them return to the work that matters and the work that they love. It will be a real service to them and the business.Then look for those who really do have people skills. They may not be experts - their real benefit is in getting the best from your employees, so value them for that and let them do a great job.\nInspirational managers: Real inspirational managers are those who evoke passion and commitment in their people. These fortunate direct reports will talk about loving their manager and being determined to see them succeed. What business would not want to hear that from its employees?The key to business success, people management, is rarely given the focus it deserves, so it is a no-brainer in terms of jumping ahead of your competitors. Build a community of inspirational managers who learn together, talk together and review people together and they will make the most of every opportunity that presents itself. They are the ones who enable your high flyers to do great work on a daily basis - they are the true VIPs of the business world.\nNurturing your talent: Inspirational managers get to know their people, then build coaching and delegation around their success drivers. Success is built up of three factors - security, challenge and fulfillment. All are relevant, but each person will put a different weighting on each factor. Knowing the success equation for direct reports gives the manager a head start.Think of success as a journey that goes through a number of iterations. A true serial achiever - someone who goes from strength to strength in his or her life - is real leadership material, but keeping up with the person's progress and changes can be demanding.The Life Alignment Curve(r) is a process of change that high achievers can go through, learning more each time, so they can reposition themselves for the next interesting challenge. Even the best leaders/achievers will go through ups and downs in their careers - in the long run it is what makes them so productive. It may not be easy to recognize, so understanding the process is a real help.There are set stages to the Life Alignment Curve(r):* When work starts to lose its shine, serial achievers become restless. They know something is not right, but are not sure what or why.* Once they accept that change is under way, they enter into incubation - a time of brewing on what needs to happen next. This lasts for a variable length of time - anything from a week to years, dependent on the support they receive. Some people manage incubation by trying out different options, others go into deep personal reflection. Managers who understand the natural preference have more chance of making the move out of incubation an easy one.* Once the penny drops, there is an epiphany - they know exactly what they want to do and have plenty of energy to get there.* This puts them into a state of drive, where they have laser focus and endless determination. Inspirational managers aim to have their serial achievers in drive as much as possible, since this is when they can add real benefit to the business.* As the challenge reduces and they become familiar with the new job, approach or project, they settle into stability. Now is the ideal time to have them help others. Asking Simon to mentor others is a good example. He can pass on his own learning, gaining experience as he goes.Of course, once the work becomes too familiar, restlessness will raise its head again and the whole process is repeated. Managers who pay attention will spot this approaching and take action to jump over or reduce time in incubation. Keeping the stimulus and interest up is the perfect way to ensure exciting work that is fully absorbing and satisfying.\nShining your light: Business thrives when talented people are encouraged, given their head and feel fully involved. You will have serial achievers right now in your company who are restless and feeling ignored, just as you will have customers, internal and external, who do not feel totally valued.Understand that it is people who actually do the business; who make your customers feel valued and who deliver the results. Help your people to live their personal success fully and they will run your business for you in the best way possible, giving great service along the way.\nNote: Judith Leary-Joyce is a psychologist, management consultant, personal coach, inspirational speaker and author of The Psychology of Success - Secrets of Serial Achievement. She can be e-mailed at judith@judithlearyjoyce.com\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - Emphasises the close links between how a company manages its talent and lasting business success.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper aims to argue the case for effective talent-management policies and practices. It also aims to describe the case for the Life Alignment Curve(r), which is a process of change that high achievers can go through, learning more each time, so they can reposition themselves for the next interesting challenge.\nFindings: - The paper reveals that, to make the best of talent at all levels of an organization: the working culture needs to promote success behaviors; managers need to understand their role as talent scout; and high performers need to be given their head and supported to deliver innovative solutions.\nPractical implications: - The paper warns organizations against taking great technicians, accountants or sales people out of what they do well, to reward them with a management job they cannot do or do not want to do. It argues that these reluctant managers no longer deliver the exceptional results that delighted them and their boss, leave talented people to languish or move to a better manager elsewhere and ignore under performance, as this tough job is beyond their people skills, so they do not even try.\nOriginality/value: - The paper warns against allowing the practicalities of the business to take over, especially in challenging times, so that people development goes on to the back burner, affecting performance management, reducing creativity and increasing recruitment costs.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Meta modelling of job satisfaction effective factors for improvement policy making in organizations	[ "Neural network", "Clustering", "Job satisfaction", "Regression analysis" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Job satisfaction research has sought to establish the mechanisms through which job characteristics affect employee outcomes such as performance and well-being. Employee learning has been proposed as one such mechanism (Parker and Wall, 1999). The basic premise of the job satisfaction-learning mechanism is that job characteristics stimulate the learning process. This leads to the acquisition of knowledge about the job and its context, enabling the employee to perform more effectively and to cope better with demand. An additional benefit of the employee being able to cope better with demand is an improvement in well-being (Frese and Zapf, 1994; Karasek and Theorell, 1990). Consistent with this view, studies have found support for a job satisfaction-learning mechanism in relation to two employee outcomes, task performance (Wall et al., 1992), and well-being (Holman and Wall, 2002; Taris and Kompier, 2005).\n2. Job satisfaction effective factors: Having concentrated so far on the single relationships between predictors and job satisfaction, we will now review research that has combined several variables in predicting job satisfaction. Seers and Graen (1984) established a model combining task characteristics and LMX in their relationship to job satisfaction. LMX was positively related to the overall job satisfaction and facets of job satisfaction. In addition, both LMX and task characteristics were found to add to job satisfaction in a complementary way. In general, Stepina et al. (1991) replicated these findings. A similar but more complex model was established by De Jonge et al. (2001). In a sample of nurses, in controlling gender, age was negatively affected and a negative relationship between task demands (time pressure, hard work, complexity) at Time 1 and job satisfaction at Time 2, as well as a positive relationship between work-place social support (by supervisor and by colleagues) at Time 1 and job satisfaction at Time 2 were found. Job autonomy 1 did not have an impact on job satisfaction.\n3. Methods and materials: Several studies have shown that task demands, social structure, and LMX are positively related to job satisfaction. In the dual attachment model (Seers and Graen, 1984), two factors, task characteristics, and LMX, were combined in order to evaluate their complementary influence on job satisfaction. In the present study, the aim is to extend the model to be more general by addition of social structure to the prediction of job satisfaction. In different organizational contexts, these factors might enhance job satisfaction to differing degrees depending on, for example, the task that employees have to fulfill or the strength of the organizational structure. Thus, the results obtained by Seers and Graen (1984) and, in part, those obtained by De Jonge et al. (2001) should be replicated and extended in a heterogeneous sample rather than in a one-organization sample.\n4. A case study: The case study developed here was performed at Mazandaran Gas Company in Iran. Mazandaran Gas Company is an organization with more than 700 employees. A methodology for job satisfaction evaluation given by Mahdavi et al. (2010) was implemented to determine the job satisfaction status in the organization. Mahdavi et al. (2010) first analyzed the employees considering categorized factors as given in Figure 3.\n5. Conclusions: First, two categories for job satisfaction were considered namely, concept and application. Concepts were easier to be asked for job satisfaction evaluation and as shown by the existing research, applications were simpler for strategy formulation. Then, a relationship between the category of concept and application was established. After that, we formulated job satisfaction improvement strategies based on the concept factor. To hold a relationship between concept and application, a multiple linear regression model was developed. The aim was to find which concept factor is effective on any application factor and to what extent. After performing three regressions for the concept factors, a second analysis was performed to determine the effectiveness of the concept sub-factors on the regressed application factors. The concept sub-factors were the ones corresponding to each concept factor being asked from the participants via a questionnaire. The aim was to prepare the sub-factors for clustering. Therefore, a comprehensive data analysis technique was required to relate the concept sub-factors to the regressed application factors. A neural network was proposed to perform this task. Neural network helped to relate some input parameters (concept sub-factors) to some outputs (regressed application factors) via a training process using the past data. Then, using the values of sub-factors and the obtained values of regressed application factors, clustering was performed to classify the sub-factors into groups to simplify and organize the improvement policy-making process. The process was fully verified and shown to be effective in a case study conducted in Mazandaran Gas Company in Iran.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose a Meta modeling based on regression, neural network, and clustering to analyze the job satisfaction factors and improvement policy making.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Since any job satisfaction evaluation supposes to improve the status by prescribing specific strategies to be performed in the organization, proposing applicable strategies is decisively important. Task demand, social structure and leader-member exchange (LMX) are general applications easily conceptualized while proposing job satisfaction improvement strategies.\nFindings: On the basis of these empirical findings, the authors first aim to identify relationships between LMX, task demand, social structure and individual factors, organizational factors, job properties, which are easier to be employed in strategy formulation for job satisfaction, and then determine the sub-factors and subsequently cluster them. The effectiveness of the proposed model is verified by a case study.\nOriginality/value: Here, a Meta modeling based on regression, neural network, and clustering is proposed to analyze the job satisfaction factors and improvement policy making.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The IDS Project: promoting library excellence through community and technology	[ "Library cooperative", "Innovation teams", "IDS Search", "Benchmarking", "Community of trust", "Libraries" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Desperation can be the necessary catalyst to inspire change among a community (Figure 1). So it was in the spring of 2004 when 12 State University of New York (SUNY) Library directors began to discuss a deeper level of cooperation among libraries. This element of desperation was due to economic challenges in New York State combined with an integrated library system that did not have the capacity to connect SUNY libraries with a functioning consortial circulation borrowing system. There had to be a way that these libraries could optimize resource sharing among their partners.\nIDS Project overview: The Information Delivery Services (IDS) Project was born when a small group of library directors and staff decided to face these challenges by identifying the problems with resource sharing and working together to solve them. What no one could have imagined in 2004 was that by 2012, the membership would grow to more than 75 libraries in New York and develop innovative resources that would be used by libraries across the nation.\nPerformance analysis: Because the IDS Project has a \"Trust but verify\" ethos and an interest in transparency, the prospect of having a benchmark with no way to measure performance was one of the early challenges faced by the cooperative. In response to this challenge, Mark Sullivan, Systems Administrator at SUNY Geneseo Milne Library, developed the Transaction Performance Analysis Module (TPAM) as a means of determining whether member libraries were meeting established benchmarks. TPAM enabled groups and individual libraries to diagnose problems in workflow, delivery systems, etc. Because all IDS Project libraries use ILLiad, TPAM uses SQL queries across all member institutions. The query results create a web based hierarchical series of interactive reports. These reports are easily accessible by all IDS Project libraries\nMentoring program: A number of problem solving teams and best practices have emerged which form a core knowledge base for project participants, such as the Workflow Toolkit, WorkflowToolkit-L listserv, and mentor program. Each has evolved as the organization\nTechnological innovations: The Article Licensing Information Availability Service, or ALIAS, is an unmediated article requesting service which incorporates a load leveling function and is smart enough to prioritize library holdings for electronic serials with ILL rights over holdings for print serials. The ALIAS development story says a lot about the IDS Project\nConclusion: The IDS Project continually evaluates and addresses the challenges of resource sharing. Moving forward, cooperative or community collection development that strengthens cooperation, diversifies holdings, and streamlines resource sharing is a critically important strategy. GIST tools for ILLiad, collection gifts, and collection management were developed to answer these at a technical and process level; however, the key to real changes we have seen among IDS Project libraries and others is the willingness to cooperate in strategies of organizational change.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This paper aims to report on the IDS Project, a volunteer-driven library cooperative known for its technological innovations, to describe how the project has evolved, and to review some of the technological innovations it has spawned and the benefits those innovations have brought to both members and non-members.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors use a case study approach to highlight some of the major accomplishments of the IDS Project.\nFindings: Although the IDS Project is typically known for its technological innovations, those innovations are really an outward manifestation of the community of trust and mutual support that members have carefully nurtured from the project\nOriginality/value: Readers will gain an understanding of the IDS Project, how its community of trust and support contribute to its ongoing successes, and how that trust and support might be scaled up to benefit the entire resource sharing community.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The growing anisotropy of the multinational corporation in the "new normal": Challenges for organizational architecture	[ "Multinational corporations", "Organizational change", "Anisotropy", "Corporate periphery", "Internal organization" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: \"Anisotropy [is] the quality of exhibiting properties with different values when measured along axes in different directions.\"Encyclopaedia Britannica\nIntroduction: It has become increasingly clear that a restructuring of the economic order has been taking place and, in particular, has affected multinational corporations (MNCs) and others doing business across borders. For example, after the 2008 crisis, capital flows between countries and trade in goods and services have retreated significantly to levels not seen in a quarter of a century (Sharma, 2016, p. 2). The evidence of a new era of \"anti-globalisation\" became evident to practitioners, policy analysts (Ludena, 2017) and academics (Kobrin, 2017; Globerman, 2017; Meyer, 2017). The new economic order means costlier capital, an expanded government role, reinvented trade barriers, restriction of workforce movement between countries and a much larger regulatory and taxation burden as firms find it more difficult to shift activities and park funds in the most favourable locations. Our essay points out that the \"new economic order\" is merely a partial restoring of the state of the global economy which existed prior to 1992 and which was characterised by high anisotropy of the economic space that affected the structure and functioning of the (western) MNCs. We introduce the research construct and properties of anisotropy in the corporate space, and outline promising research avenues for organisational studies, especially research related to the changes in the organisation and functioning of large MNCs.\nDiscussion: The peripheralisation of Russian subsidiaries due to the radically increased compounded anisotropy can be seen as an extreme example of the sudden expansion of the corporate periphery, partially caused by political factors. However, we can anticipate quick expansion of the corporate periphery in many countries in the years to come due to other factors contributing to the increase of anisotropy in the corporate space. First, there are raising barriers for capital movement, supported by massive advocacy against transfer pricing techniques and offshore tax heavens employed by leading MNCs (see Phillips et al., 2016). Second, they are raising tariff and non-tariff barriers for the movement of goods (like the prohibitive tariffs on imports of Bombardier jets to the USA or the developing trade war between USA and China). Third, there is a quick erosion of the global mindset (see Javidan et al., 2007) as corporate executives should adapt their way of thinking and acting to largely different institutional environments in various host countries. More importantly, the growing economic nationalism enforces exit barriers for both assets and people from \"difficult locations\" (we can mention here \"the travel ban\" on foreign nationals that can be imposed in China, prohibiting a foreign national involved in any kind of business or legal dispute from leaving China until the matter is resolved which, in some cases, can take years, see Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2017).\nConclusions and suggestions for further studies: We introduced a new research concept of anisotropy of the corporate space and demonstrated how this research construct can provide a fresh look on a number of issues in the organisation and functioning of MNCs - from presenting a new way for the desalination between the corporate core and the corporate subsidiaries to providing a more balanced view of the organisational consequences of \"building the global factory\". We should indicate promising avenues for further use of the proposed research constructs in organisational studies.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new research construct to depict more accurately organisational structure and the direction of organisational changes in large multinational corporations (MNCs).\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper presents an overview of the existing literature on the phenomenon of anisotropy in natural sciences and the organisation of large corporations, and transforms an identified phenomenon into a research construct of organisational theory.\nFindings: This paper demonstrates that anisotropy, that is, the differences in the speed and conductivity of the movement of capital (money), products (goods and services), ideas (knowledge) and talent (people) in different directions within the corporation (from the centre to the subsidiaries, from the subsidiaries to the corporate centre and between subsidiaries) is the normal state of the internal space of the MNC. Anisotropy is increasing with the on-going restructuring of the global economic order. This leads to the divergence of business units in MNCs into the core and the periphery.\nResearch limitations/implications: The paper outlines a series of promising research avenues in organisational studies.\nOriginality/value: The paper provides a novel treatment of the composition of MNCs.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Integrated leadership development	[ "Leadership planning", "Assessment", "Coaching", "Learning", "Experiential learning", "Business" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Many organizations are devoting considerable energy to building their leadership capacity to gain competitive advantage. However, this effort is a struggle for many. Part of the reason is that current approaches to building leadership capacity are failing to hit the mark, and many senior leaders have little confidence in their organizations' leadership development programs.\nThe traditional approaches to leadership development: Traditionally, organizations have relied primarily on two approaches to building their leadership capacity. We refer to these as the single-solution approach and the multiple-solution approach. In this section we review these two approaches and consider their strengths, weaknesses and limitations.The single-solution approach\nThe need for an integrated solution: A leadership gap often persists in organizations that implement either single-solution or multiple-solution approaches to leadership development. However, several factors are creating a new sense of urgency for organizations to evolve to an integrated solution to leadership development:1. The complex business environment. Organizations need to understand that the emerging environment in which leaders operate today is more complex and intense. It is placing greater pressure and demands on leaders. As a result single-solution and multiple-solution approaches to leadership development are not robust enough to build the leadership capacity required today. Leadership development in today's world needs to be more integrated and sophisticated.2. The need to deliver results on many levels. Today, the stakes are higher, and leadership development must deliver on many levels. It must not be done just for the sake of doing it but must achieve the following:* transfer vital skills and ideas to leaders;* enhance performance;* reinforce corporate culture and values;* drive business results; and* adapt to changing business realities.In essence leadership development must be relevant, align to business strategy and add value to leaders:3. The high expectations of leaders. Higher expectations are being placed on organizations. First, senior executives want to ensure that their investment in leadership development is maximized and delivers on the promise to build the leadership capacity needed. Second, the leaders who are the participants of leadership development also have extremely high expectations and want their organizations to implement integrated and high-value leadership development options. Consequently, HR and leadership development practitioners are under tremendous pressure to deliver results. A common \"failure\" path is to embrace the single- and multiple-solution approaches to leadership development.4. The need to sort through a maze of leadership development options. Leadership development is big business, and there is no shortage of development options for organizations to consider. At times, the number of development options can be overwhelming, and business leaders may be ill equipped to identify the best ones effectively. The maze of leadership development options actually reinforces the conditions for fragmented multiple-solution approaches in organizations. Therefore, organizations need to develop the internal expertise or rely on external guidance to help them sort through the maze and identify the options that have the potential to be offered in their organization in an integrated manner.\nThe integrated-solution approach to leadership development: The field of leadership development is in the midst of an evolution. This evolution is depicted in the Figure 1.We believe that organizations must implement what we refer to as an \"integrated-solution\" approach to leadership development. We define this approach as one that brings together and unites an array of development options so that they add value to one another. But there is more. The integrated-solution approach is more comprehensive, rigorous and long-term in focus. It also is more complex and requires greater commitment on the part of organizations. In the end, it is the most effective approach to building leadership capacity and overcoming the leadership gap. There are three reasons for this. The reasons can be summarized in three \"Ss\":1. Strategic. The integrated-solution ensures that all development options are focused on helping the organization gain competitive advantage. This approach involves creating a comprehensive strategy for leadership development and implementing the strategy effectively.2. Synergistic. Instead of implementing a hodgepodge of discrete development options, the integrated-solution approach is more synergistic. It strives to select and implement development options in a seamless manner so that they add value to one another.3. Sustainable. The integrated-solution approach is sustainable in that it takes a long-term perspective to leadership development. It recognizes that leadership development today is an emergent and iterative process that needs constant attention, focus and resources. It is not work to be delegated to an HR department, but rather it needs to become an organizational priority.\nThe eight steps to implementing an integrated-solution approach to leadership development: Below we explore the eight steps to successfully implementing an integrated-solution approach to leadership development:1. Develop a comprehensive strategy for integrated leadership development.2. Connect leadership development to the organization's environmental challenges.3. Use the leadership story to set the context for development.4. Balance global enterprise-wide needs with local individual needs.5. Employ emergent design and implementation.6. Ensure that development options fit the culture.7. Focus on critical moments of the leadership lifecycle.8. Apply a blended methodology.Step 1: develop a comprehensive strategy for integrated leadership development\nClosing comments: The integrated-solution approach to leadership development represents a more strategic, synergistic and sustainable way for organizations to build the leadership capacity they require to gain competitive advantage. The integrated solution is intense. It requires serious commitment on the part of organizations, their senior leaders and from HR. The process also is more complex. In the long-term though, the integrated-solution approach delivers greater value to organizations and ensures that their investment in leadership development is optimized.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - Leaders' capacity has become mission-critical in many organizations today. However, this business challenge is a struggle for many. Part of the reason is that current approaches to building leadership capacity are failing to hit the mark, and many senior leaders have little confidence in their organization's leadership development programs. This article aims to examine how organizations can close the leadership gap in their organizations by implementing an integrated approach to leadership development.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The evolution of leadership development is discussed and a framework is presented to examine traditional approaches and consider their limitations.\nFindings: - The integrated-solution approach to leadership development represents a more strategic, synergistic and sustainable way for organizations to build the leadership capacity they require to gain competitive advantage. The integrated solution is intense. It requires serious commitment on the part of organizations, their senior leaders and from HR. The process also is more complex. In the long-term though, the integrated-solution approach delivers greater value to organizations and ensures that their investment in leadership development is optimized.\nOriginality/value: - The article presents practical and proven strategies to overcome the leadership gap in organizations today\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Stock market development and income inequality	[ "Income inequality", "Stock market development", "Economic growth and policy", "South of Euro-zone", "E6", "G15", "G18" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The relationship between income inequality and economic growth has been examined extensively in the relative literature. However, there is no consensus among researchers either on the sign or on the significance of this relationship. In other words, in the early researches, we can find papers that report on a negative relationship between income inequality and economic growth (e.g. Perotti, 1993; Helpman, 2004; Sukiassyan, 2007), a positive relationship (e.g. Li and Zou, 1998; Forbes, 2000) or no conclusion (e.g. Barro, 2000; Shin et al., 2009). In general, income inequality is a measure of the gap between the rich and the poor in a country. On the other hand, economic growth is mainly related to the increase in GDP per capita.\n2. Data, variables and methodology: 2.1 Data and variables\n3. Empirical results: Table I presents the results of descriptive statistics for the period 2002-2013.\n4. Concluding remarks: In this paper, we examine the effect of income inequality on SMD and thus on economic growth (indirect relationship) in countries South of the Euro-zone and the USA during the period 2002-2013. On the one hand, the existing literature reports disagreements both in the sign and in the significance of this relationship. Furthermore, the period under consideration includes the sub-period of crisis where countries South of the Euro-zone faced significant funding problems resulting in imposition of austerity measures that led to strong income inequality. Therefore, we have all these incentives to examine by means of this relationship whether the externally \"imposed\" policy (by IMF) helps the countries to recover growth or whether it is a major obstacle that results in continuous recession. In addition, we define a model of economic policy that will restore the development trajectory to these countries.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper, in contrast to other studies, is to examine an indirect relationship in terms of the effect of income inequality with stock market development in countries South of the Euro-zone during the period 2002-2013.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The author adopts a new econometric method, the Improved Augmented Regression Method, to obtain bias-reduced and stationary-corrected estimators.\nFindings: The results reveal a negative relationship that puts into doubt the recovery of growth.\nOriginality/value: The new econometric methodology leads to a novel suggested policy on the need for reforms adopting a low-income tax rate system and reinforcement of export-oriented productivity. This conclusion is strengthened by the respective relationship in USA.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Managing effectiveness and efficiency through FM blueprinting	[ "Process management", "Customer perspective", "Effectiveness", "Efficiency", "Core and support business", "Facilities management", "Modelling", "Customer service management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Organisations can be described as complex systems in which value-adding activities take place and necessary governance is predominantly achieved by managing processes (Ruegg-Sturm, 2004, p. 65). This applies to goods producing organisations, such as manufacturing, as well as to service organisations, such as banks or insurance corporations. For facilities management (FM), the main task is to engage in value-adding activities that support and improve the effectiveness of the core business (EN 15221-1: 2006). These supporting activities often take shape in processes as well. Thus, knowledge of processes has a great importance for modern management and one major challenge can be described as the monitoring and supervision of several interdisciplinary interfaces concerning these various related processes.Integral process management can be considered as fundamental for management. Hence, the successful integration of core and support activities makes up a competitive advantage in various markets. Nevertheless, little attention has been directed to the proper integration of these intertwined process strings. As Wiesinger (2006, p. 2) points out: \"This requires a detailed process analysis which describes the interaction of the processes\". Complexity even increases when it is taken into account that FM does not only have to manage interfaces to internal and external organisational units (e.g. suppliers). In addition, due to customer integration into the service process, there are interfaces between FM and the (internal) customer/user that are mostly unexplored in FM research. The fact that the FM provider is dependent on customer/user participation causes complexity in managing FM processes. The large number of activities, as well as the many connections between them, constitute a major challenge when it comes to transparency and responsibilities within the system. As a result, \"further development [...] will, therefore, rely on a better understanding of the processes involved and the mechanisms for their integration. These processes need to be identified and described, mapped and modelled to produce a framework for Facility Management\" (European Committee for Standardisation, 2009, p. 11). It would thus be of great interest to learn how the various intertwined core and support processes can be appropriately displayed to show the interfaces and improve the effectiveness of the whole system.Service blueprinting, a technique known from services management, sheds some light on this issue and provides a practical framework for improving interdisciplinary transparency for core and support processes. Therefore, the primary objective in this paper is to explore the potential role that service blueprinting can play in managing the interfaces for the integration of core business and FM. The proposed goal of this paper is achieved by:* showing how blueprinting can help to design, document, and analyse FM processes;* identifying relevant interfaces, in particular with the customer/user involved; and* integrating the FM processes to achieve effectiveness and efficiency within the core business.Thus, transparency within and between the interfaces of core business and FM can be obtained. The insights of this research are based on an explorative approach involving the examination of FM blueprinting case examples.\n2. Characteristics of FM process management: 2.1 Relevance of process management within organisations\n3. Service blueprinting: a practical technique for process modelling: 3.1 Components and benefits of service blueprinting\n4. FM blueprinting: a tool to achieve effectiveness and efficiency: 4.1 Application of service blueprinting in FM process modelling\n5. Conclusion: When managing processes in organisations, interfaces and interrelationships are crucial for success. In FM, these challenges are felt even more keenly, because diverse core and support processes have to be synchronised and checked for effectiveness and efficiency. Due to the supporting role of FM, specific challenges apply and the method of FM blueprinting introduced in this paper promises to be a suitable technique to visualise and design effective and efficient core and support processes to generate value for the customer. In the conceptual research presented, based on insights from services management and process management literature, the authors present a method of depicting core and support processes synchronously. As pointed out, the FM blueprinting method can take several shapes and represent different degrees of detail. The major limitation of blueprinting can be described as its inability to cover 100 per cent of any possible process step. Instead, the method shows the suggested, most typical mainstream steps without covering every possible detail. Nevertheless, this method offers a helpful technique to visualize the most relevant process steps that create value for the customer in FM. The introduction and practical application of blueprinting to the field of FM reveals that the effectiveness and efficiency of processes can be transparently visualised. Thus, FM blueprinting can contribute insights into the integration of core and support processes within organisations.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the specifics of facilities management (FM) process modelling and the application of the service blueprinting technique within the field of FM. The paper aims to develop a visualisation method for optimised management of process interfaces to better integrate core and support processes and increase effectiveness and efficiency.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Based on an extensive overview of general management literature about process management issues in FM, certain challenges and requirements of FM process modelling are presented and discussed. Service blueprinting, a technique known from services marketing, is introduced and characterised in detail. Subsequently, the application of blueprinting within the FM sector is discussed and the specifics of FM blueprinting are presented. A qualitative case-based research in the health-care sector was conducted to provide a practical insight into this technique.\nFindings: - The paper argues that the implementation of FM blueprinting gives management the opportunity of improving process steps and dependent interrelationships between core and support processes. The insights not only apply to the field of management, but can also readily be used for operations.\nOriginality/value: - The paper presents a new process modelling method that supports the customer-oriented perspective within FM and facilitates the visualisation of simultaneous complex process networks within core and support businesses. The paper introduces the possibility of including measures to achieve effectiveness and efficiency within one single process visualisation.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Somewhere over the rainbow: sexual orientation and earnings in Germany	[ "Gender", "Earnings", "Sexual discrimination", "Same-sex" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: There is a significant literature dealing with the gender gap in pay. A much smaller literature deals with a pay gap based on sexual orientation, whether gay, lesbian or bisexual. Recent surveys show that gay men and lesbian women are differently paid compared with their heterosexual counterparts (e.g. Badgett, 2006; Black et al., 2007; Ozeren, 2014). This paper uses the recently published wave of the 2009 German Mikrozensus to analyse possible sexual orientation discrimination in earnings. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first paper of its kind focusing on Germany[1].\n2. Review of homosexuality in Germany: Before I discuss the data in more detail, I shall give an historic overview of German legislation governing same-sex behaviour. Since the founding of the German Reich in 1871, male homosexuality was strictly forbidden. With slightly changes the article 175 of the German criminal code was in legal use till 1994. In Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945 gay men were arrested in concentration camps and murdered. After the end of the Third Reich, Eastern and Western Germany behave differently in criminalizing same-sex behaviour. While the German Democratic Republic liberated the law over time and legalize homosexuality of men and women in 1988, the Federal Republic of Germany used the former law of the Third Reich till the 1970s. Indeed, only four years after the German Unification in 1990, same-sex behaviour in general was legally permitted (LSVD, 2012). In 2001 a significant step in equalizing same-sex couples and traditional marriages was taken in Germany by implementing a new law on same-sex partners (in German: Lebenspartnerschaftsgesetz). This has allowed registered unions between partners of the same-sex (in German: eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft). Registration is similar to a traditional opposite sex marriage, but it does not carry the same legal status. Registered same-sex partners are equal in inheritance laws, but not in income taxation[4]. Meanwhile in 2013 the highest court in Germany decided that homosexuals are allowed to adopt a partner's biological child.\n3. Theoretical considerations and empirical evidence: As discussed in the introduction, discrimination can be based on individual distaste, or on statistical considerations. In chapter 10 of his textbook on labour economics Borjas (2008) describes that distaste of an employer against a special group means additional costs of hiring. This leads on one hand to lower hiring rates of homosexuals and on the other hand to unequal payments of equal work, because of the additional costs. In this topic it may be also the case that consumers have a distaste towards homosexuals. This leads to unequal payments, as well. Statistical discrimination is driven by general assumptions of potentially different productivity levels of different groups. This means different treatments of similar individuals based on one characteristic, e.g. ethnicity or sexual orientation.\n4. Estimation strategy and data: The Mikrozensus is the largest German cross-section micro data set offered by German Federal Statistics. Every year 1 per cent of all German households, approximately 400,000, are interviewed about aspects of family and work. Because participants are obliged by law to answer the questions, the data set is reliable and has no missing answers. Based on this data, I cannot identify gays or lesbians, who do not live with a partner in the same household[7]. Another data limitation is that bisexual individuals are not observable.\n5. Empirical results: Based on stereotypes, gay men and lesbian women may differ in their occupational choice to heterosexual men and women. This seems to be the case. Descriptive statistics show that gay men select more often than heterosexuals into jobs in services, health, and trading, and have a higher share in social and education work, and administration. Both heterosexual and lesbian women work in typically female attributed jobs, such as health, trading, and administration. However, lesbian women choose more often social and educational work, and some male attributed jobs, such as those in technology, transportation, and security.\n6. Conclusion: This paper has considered differences in incomes between heterosexual and homosexual men and women in the German population. This is probably the first paper of its kind for Germany. I used the Mikrozensus (2009) to analyse if selection into specific occupations drive income differences, as discussed in the literature (e.g. Blandford, 2003; Black et al., 2007; Antecol et al., 2008). However only a small part of the difference is explained by this.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to observe sexual orientation-based differences in German incomes. Gay men and lesbian women sort themselves into different occupations and sectors than their heterosexual counterparts.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Analysis of German Mikrozensus data for 2009. Mincer-style OLS income regerssions.\nFindings: The author finds evidence that cohabiting gay men have an income penalty of 5-6 per cent compared with married men, while lesbian women have a premium of about 9-10 per cent compared with married women. Lesbians in a registered same-sex union have an income gain of about 12-16 per cent, while the effect for men is not statistically significant.\nOriginality/value: This is the first paper using German data to analyse income differentials based on sexual orientation (gays and lesbians).\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Technological congruence and perceived quality of brand extensions	[ "Brand extensions", "Brand management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this article.Early in the twentieth century, as technology began to improve and impinge upon day-to-day life, consumers developed mixed feelings toward technological advancement. Early science fiction was replete with stories of technological inventions turning on their creators or society, from Frankenstein (Shelley, 1831) to HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey (Clark, 1968). Humans' perceived fear of technology motivated Isaac Asimov, in his classic book, I, Robot, to include \"three laws of robotics\" designed to protect humans from technology:1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law.3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law (Asimov, 1950).After more than five decades, robots are still not a part of our everyday lives, and evidence remains that fear of technology is pervasive. In 1994, researchers with Dell Computer Corporation found fear of technology to be the most prevalent phobia of the 1990s (Harper, 1994). Others have documented the fears of technological complexity and rapid obsolescence that may act as barriers to consumer adoption of high-tech products (Dhebar, 1996; Higgins and Shanklin, 1992). Mick and Fournier (1998) provided a more balanced view, delineating the paradoxes that consumers face with regard to technology, including both positive and negative emotions experienced in the ownership of technological products as well as the strategies people employ to cope with technological advancement. Despite consumer apprehension, however, companies continue to successfully forge ahead on the technology front through advancements in a broad range of new high-tech and traditionally low-tech products, typically in the form of brand extensions. These opposing forces of consumer uncertainty and corporate drive create an ambivalence toward technology in the marketplace: consumers' responses to brand, product, and attribute technology appear to be neither universally positive nor negative, nor are they monotonic. This ambiguous marketplace reality constrains firms' ability to extend brands to new product categories and may inhibit the perceived value of differentiating attributes. While the technology content of products differs in scope and scale from the dangers posed by robots, we propose that a set of hierarchical precepts, similar to Asimov's laws of robotics, underlies consumers' responses to technology in the marketplace. These \"three precepts of brand extension technology\" are as follows:1. Higher technology brands produce higher quality brand extensions.2. Brand extensions in which brand, product, and attribute technology levels are congruent are of higher quality than those in which technology levels are incongruent.3. Brand extensions of higher overall technology content are of higher quality than those of lower technology content.Just as Asimov's laws constrained robotic behaviour in order to protect humans, we propose that these precepts of brand extension technology may serve a protective function by guiding consumers' evaluations of brand extensions. To the extent that consumers adopt these maxims in the face of their misgivings about new market offerings, the following outcomes may be observed. First, consumers will generally prefer brand extensions from higher technology brands, regardless of technological congruence/incongruence (precept 1). Beyond this initial bias, consumers will seek technological congruence between the brand, product, and featured attributes (precept 2). However, the effects of technological congruence/incongruence may be offset by differences in overall technology content (precept 3). The purpose of the empirical analysis in this research is to test the operation of these precepts as consumers evaluate market offerings.\nBrand extensions and fit: Over the past two decades, companies have increasingly turned to brand extensions as the preferred way to introduce new products to the marketplace (Aaker, 1990; Aaker and Keller, 1990; Shocker et al., 1994). In response to this trend, marketing researchers have sought to determine the keys to successfully extending a brand. Numerous studies have examined the effects of \"fit\" on consumers' processing of brand extensions (see, e.g. Aaker and Keller, 1990; Bridges et al., 2000; Park et al., 1991). While there appears to be little doubt that increasing the level of fit between a brand and an extension increases the transfer of positive beliefs and favorable attitudes from the parent brand to the extension, fit has been conceptualized in many different ways. Aaker and Keller (1990) proposed a fit construct comprised of three dimensions: the extent to which the extension is a complement to the brand's primary product, the extent to which the extension is a substitute for the brand's primary product, and the perceived ability of the firm to transfer skills acquired in making existing products to the manufacture of the extension. Other researchers have focused on the effect of similarity or \"relatedness\" between the brand's primary product category and the extension category on product evaluation (Chakravarti et al., 1990; Herr et al., 1996). In addition, Meyers-Levy and Tybout (1989) investigated the effect of overall schema congruity of a product with its product category on processing and evaluation of new products while Park et al. (1991) examined product feature similarity and brand concept consistency as components of fit. Recently, Bridges et al. (2000) proposed that fit is not specific to any single product or brand attribute but rather is a function of category cohesiveness resulting from consumers' ability to find explanatory links between the parent brand and the extension. We believe that one element missing from these conceptualizations of fit is technology, and propose that technology plays an important role in both concrete, product-based notions of fit such as feature similarity as well as more abstract philosophies of fit, including concept consistency, perceived relatedness, and schema congruity.In addition to overlooking technology's role in fit judgments, past research on brand extensions has primarily focused on the level of fit between the extension and the brand (or the parent product category) but has generally neglected two other potentially important fit judgments: the fit between the brand and specific extension attributes, and between the extension product and the attributes. In addition, the proactive use of attributes as an element of brand extension strategy has not yet been examined. Although Aaker and Keller (1990) demonstrated the importance of elaborating on a parent brand attribute that may have a negative connotation in the extension product category (e.g. the flavor of Heineken Popcorn) in order to neutralize its impact on the extension evaluation, their research did not examine the possibility of enhancing fit (and thus, brand extension evaluations) through the use of attributes. Therefore, the potential impact of attribute fit on consumers' evaluation of differentiated products remains to be explored. The present research seeks to do so in the specific context of high- and low-tech brand/product/attribute combinations.Technology and brand extensions\nPretests: In order to construct brand/product/attribute triads of varying technology levels and congruence/incongruence for the main study, it was necessary to first measure consumers' perceptions of the technology level of various brands, products, and attributes. Separate inventories of 80 brand names, 30 products, and 65 attributes were assembled from a variety of sources, including prior research (e.g. Aaker and Keller, 1990) and current print, online, and television advertising. For each inventory, four different orders were used to randomize the presentation between respondents. Different groups of students participated in each of the three pretests for partial course credit. In the brands pretest, 59 respondents rated the extent to which each brand \"produces high quality,\" \"provides high levels of service,\" \"employs high levels of technology,\" and \"produces fine craftsmanship,\" all on seven-point scales, anchored by \"1 - strongly disagree\" and \"7 - strongly agree.\" In the other two pretests, 180 respondents rated each product on the \"level of technology required to produce\" the product and 198 respondents rated each attribute on the \"level of technology required to add the attribute to a product\" on seven-point semantic differential scales, anchored by \"1 - very low technology\" and \"7 - very high technology.\"Pretest results\nPilot study: While previous research examined the relationships between brands and products, fit relationships between products and attributes have been largely ignored. Consequently, we conducted a pilot study to explore the relationship between technology congruence/incongruence and perceived fit between products and attributes.Pretest results were used to construct ninety product/attribute dyads that are congruent (e.g. video camera/microchip control, bicycle/modular construction) and incongruent (e.g. video camera/solid wood components, bicycle/laser cut materials). Study participants were informed that they would see a series of products, along with potential improvements to those products. They were advised that some product improvements might appear to be a better fit for some products than others and instructed to \"judge how well the improvements 'fit' the product and rate this level of fit on a five-point scale,\" which was anchored by \"1 - very poor fit\" and \"5 - very good fit.\" A total of 64 university students participated in the study for partial course credit.Pilot study results\nExperiment 1: Brands, products, and attributes from the pretests and pilot study were combined to construct triads that varied on the level of technological congruence among the three elements. These triads were then rated in a computer-mediated environment.Method\nExperiment 2: While the results for high-tech brands in experiment 1 support precept 3 (the power of technology content), the results for low-tech brands indicate that the effects of precept 2 (the power of technology congruence) may be superior to technology content effects. In addition, in the first experiment, congruence with the brand is confounded with product and attribute congruence. Although the pilot study results indicated that technology incongruence between products and attributes resulted in lower perceived fit, the effects on perceived quality have not been tested. A second experiment was conducted to test precepts 2 and 3 in the absence of brand effects. Product/attribute dyads were constructed from the stimuli used in the first experiment. These dyads were then rated in a computer-mediated environment.Method\nDiscussion: Regression analysis and a series of planned contrasts support the precepts of brand extension technology proposed here, as well as the conceptual model of the relationships of these precepts to each other, as depicted in Figure 1. These results suggest that brand, product, and attribute technology all contribute to perceived product quality, but consumer response to technology is a complex phenomenon. In general, higher technology content results in higher perceived quality for a new market offering, whether or not brand is considered in the evaluation (precept 3). In addition to this basic relationship, however, brand technology perceptions and technology congruence/incongruence may outweigh simple technology content in significantly influencing consumer perceptions of quality for brand/product/attribute combinations. Specifically, the effect of brand technology (precept 1) appears to be superordinate in its influence on perceived quality. Brand technology has the largest coefficient in the overall regression analysis, suggesting that its influence on quality perceptions is substantial, even when controlling for the effects of product and attribute technology and the interactions among the three technology components. This is not surprising given the well-established importance of overall brand perceptions and evaluations on the success of brand extensions, but the specific effect of brand technology levels on quality judgments has not been examined before.In addition, technology congruence has been shown to have two distinct effects on quality evaluations. First, tests of precept 2 indicated that technology congruence does influence the perceived quality of a brand extension. Second, although the pilot study showed that technology congruence for products and attributes is significantly correlated with perceived fit, results of the second experiment indicate that this lack of perceived fit does not result in lower quality ratings in the absence of brands. Higher technology content consistently resulted in higher perceived quality regardless of technology incongruence. Undoubtedly, this effect was operative in the first experiment, but was unobservable due to the inherent confound between technology level of products and attributes and brand technology congruence.Managerial implications\nConclusion: The literature on the positive and negative effects of technological advances and consumers' ambivalence toward them is extensive (see, e.g. Glendinning, 1990; LaPorte and Metlay, 1975; Mick and Fournier, 1998; Rosen and Weil, 1997; Segal, 1994; Tenner, 1997), yet there is a continual stream of new and higher-tech offerings into the marketplace. The precepts of brand extension technology attempt to capture the heuristics consumers use in an effort to make sound, safe judgments of these products. While consumers may fear technology at some level, they also appear to use it as a cue for quality in both an absolute sense (i.e. higher technology means higher quality) as well as with regard to brand congruity (i.e. brands are more trusted in their production of extensions of similar technology). These precepts further serve as the basis of a conceptual model that attempts to identify more precisely the multiple ways in which technology content and technological congruence can impact brand extension evaluation. The principle contribution of this work to the brand extension literature is the more thorough examination of technology effects than has previously been done. In addition, technology is explored as an important underlying component of the numerous conceptualizations of fit previously offered in the literature. Although technology has received very limited attention by branding researchers, it appears likely that perceived technology congruence serves as the basis of many higher-order fit judgments that affect brand extension evaluation. Finally, this research differentiates between brand/product fit and other fit relationships, emphasizing the importance of attribute-related fit and the potential strategic use of attributes in proposed extensions. While past research has relied primarily on brand-product combinations only, our studies demonstrate the contribution of attribute technology-to-technology content and technological congruence of brand extensions.Limitations and future research\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a series of precepts which explain the role of technology and technology congruence in consumers' perceptions of brand extensions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A series of relationships between technological congruence and consumer evaluations of brand extensions is proposed. Regression analysis and a series of planned contrasts are employed to test these relationships.\nFindings: - In general, extensions that are higher in overall technology content are perceived as being higher in quality. Higher technology brands benefit from a superordinate brand technology effect. However, this technology content effect is moderated by the congruence/incongruence of the levels of technology of the brands, products, and attributes.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The primary limitations of this research are that it focused on a relatively small and homogeneous segment of the population (average age 24) and it tested the effects of technological incongruence only on perceived quality.\nPractical implications: - These results have extensive implications for designing and positioning brand extensions in the market. The implications are particularly salient for brands that are perceived as employing relatively low technology.\nOriginality/value: - These results improve one's understanding of customers' responses to brand extensions, particularly when the product or associated attributes are technologically incongruent with the brand.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The birth satisfaction scale	[ "Childbirth", "Women", "Patient care", "Midwifery", "Auditing", "United Kingdom" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction, background and context: One may ask why birth satisfaction is important. This question can be answered in two words \"cost\" and \"quality\" (Ware, 1994). Healthcare cannot be high quality unless a person is satisfied with the care she or he receives (Mahon, 1996). For this reason, women's birth expectations and experiences are important. For the midwife, consumer and researcher, birth satisfaction incorporates diverse meaning and content. For instance, being treated with respect, having one's comfort considered, being listened to, receiving a particular type of pain relief, coping well during labour, feeling in control, being well prepared, receiving minimal obstetric injuries and/or achieving the desired delivery style. Every woman constructs childbirth expectations differently and appreciation varies (Dannenbring et al., 1997; Gibbens and Thomson, 2001). A report from a superimposed scale of women's views about their birth experience, with scores out of 150, helps researchers, maternity care experts and consumers construct a meaningful picture of what constitutes likes or dislikes. To compare women, institutions or specific care, a quantitative measure is required (Carr-Hill, 1992). Our aim was, therefore, to undertake a literature review and develop a psychometric scale - the birth satisfaction scale (BSS).\nDesign and setting: Reviewing and transcribing research-based birth satisfaction and dissatisfaction expressions from the literature into statements helped us develop a scored questionnaire. Libraries, CINAHL, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, The Cochrane Database and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) were explored for information about women's birth experience satisfaction and dissatisfaction with intranatal care. Keywords included: birth satisfaction; audit and care provision.\nData analysis: Relevant studies were reviewed and themes highlighted. Short birth satisfaction and dissatisfaction conceptual descriptions were allocated, themes and sub-themes labelled. Labels were compared and a framework gradually developed.\nFindings: We located three overarching themes relating to women's birth experience satisfaction and: quality of care; personal attributes; and stress experienced during labour. Themes, underpinned by sub-themes, are presented in Table I.Care provision\nMeasurement: Research-based birth satisfaction and dissatisfaction perceptions were transcribed into statements. Data were formatted into straightforward declarations that childbearing women could respond to on a Likert-type scale. In relation to the sub-theme ability to cope during labour, for example, responses on the five-point scale are agreements with the statement. Half the items were reverse scored, with scores ranging from 30-150, where 30 represents least satisfied and 150 most. Reverse scoring permits internal consistency measurement post data collection, with correlations testing whether items that propose to measure the same general construct produce similar scores. For example, if a respondent expressed agreement with the statement \"Giving birth was incredibly painful\" and disagreement with the statement \"Labour was not as painful as I imagined\", this would be indicative of good internal consistency of the test. An example question is provided in Figure 1.Following this process, a 30-item self-report scale was developed for gaining new insights into childbearing women's birth satisfaction:1. I coped well during my birth.2. The delivery room staff encouraged me to make decisions about how I wanted my birth to progress.3. I was well prepared for my labour, i.e. read much literature and/or attended parenthood education classes.4. I found giving birth a distressing experience.5. I came through childbirth virtually unscathed.6. I gave birth to a healthy normal baby.7. During labour I received outstanding medical care.8. I received much medical intervention, i.e. induction, forceps, section etc.9. I had a swift and speedy labour.10. I felt well supported by my partner during labour and birth.11. I was encouraged to hold my baby for a substantial amount of time after birth.12. My birth experience was considerably different to what I intended13. I had the same midwife throughout the entire process of labour and delivery.14. I felt that the delivery room was unthreatening and comfortable.15. I felt very anxious during my labour and birth.16. I felt out of control during my birth experience.17. I felt it was better not to know in advance about the processes of giving birth.18. I was not distressed at all during labour.19. I felt mutilated by my birth experience.20. My baby was avoidably hurt during birth.21. The staff provided me with insufficient medical care during my birth.22. I had a natural labour, i.e. minimal medical intervention.23. I thought my labour was excessively long.24. I felt well supported by staff during my labour and birth.25. I was separated from my baby for a considerable period of time after my birth.26. My birth proceeded as I planned it.27. The staff communicated well with me during labour.28. The delivery room was clean and hygienic.29. Giving birth was incredibly painful.30. Labour was not as painful as I imagined.\nIssues to consider when using the BSS scale: Our research-based birth satisfaction scale development goal was achieved. However, the birth satisfaction determinants we collected were unsystematic, univariate and uniphasic, which raises concerns about ambiguous outcomes. Despite this observation, several psychological, medical and environmental factors we found promoted maternal satisfaction and dissatisfaction with intra-natal care. There are other issues to consider when assessing birth satisfaction: who collects data; and where and when will assessments take place?Who collects the data?\nConclusion: We focused on what birth satisfaction means to women. Defining birth satisfaction is not about an object or practical concept such as date of last menstrual period. It is complex and includes a multifaceted, imprecise collage. We have attempted to capture the concept generally and incorporate it into an evidence-based measurement. We acknowledge that women construct rewarding birth experience differently. Views are directed by personal beliefs, reactions, emotions and reflections, which alter in relation to mood, humour, disposition, frame of mind and company kept. Nevertheless, healthcare professionals can use the BSS to assess women's birth satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Scores measure care quality that women perceive during labour.From a research perspective, the BSS has potential to develop into a multi-dimensional scale. However, validity and reliability tests are needed to justify its use as a unidimensional or multidimensional tool. Conducting factor analysis informs whether the BSS includes the proposed dimensions. With further development, the questionnaire could be used to improve care provision. The BSS also could be used to: identify birth dissatisfaction aspects that may be remedied with good psychological care; establish correlates with other psychometric measures, i.e. self-efficacy, anxiety, depression, locus of control and bonding; and evaluate models or care systems as a stand-alone instrument, or as a screening test prior to detailed qualitative work. Finding out more about what causes birth satisfaction and dissatisfaction helps maternity care professionals to improve intra-natal care standards and allocate resources effectively.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to develop a psychometric scale - the birth satisfaction scale (BSS) - for assessing women's birth perceptions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Literature review and transcribed research-based perceived birth satisfaction and dissatisfaction expression statements were converted into a scored questionnaire.\nFindings: - Three overarching themes were identified: service provision (home assessment, birth environment, support, relationships with health care professionals); personal attributes (ability to cope during labour, feeling in control, childbirth preparation, relationship with baby); and stress experienced during labour (distress, obstetric injuries, receiving sufficient medical care, obstetric intervention, pain, long labour and baby's health).\nResearch limitations/implications: - Women construct their birth experience differently. Views are directed by personal beliefs, reactions, emotions and reflections, which alter in relation to mood, humour, disposition, frame of mind and company kept. Nevertheless, healthcare professionals can use BSS to assess women's birth satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Scores measure their service quality experiences.\nSocial implications: - Scores provide a global measure of care that women perceived they received during labour.\nOriginality/value: - Finding out more about what causes birth satisfaction and dissatisfaction helps maternity care professionals improve intra-natal care standards and allocate resources effectively. An attempt has been made to capture birth satisfaction's generalised meaning and incorporate it into an evidence-based measuring tool.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
A process model for identifying online customer engagement patterns on Facebook brand pages	[ "Behaviour change", "Ethnography", "Brands", "Social network analysis", "Customer relationship management (CRM)", "Brand engagement", "Social networking", "Business innovation", "Customer engagement dimensions", "Customer engagement patterns" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In the present competitive world, the need for delivering value and providing better services has led the organizations to strive for measures to engage its customers even more than before. Various organizations emphasize customer engagement as one of the critical techniques for better customer relationship management. Hence brands regularly engage with customers on Facebook and other social media platforms to expand their loyal customer base. Marketing literature recognizes customer engagement as a relevant area of study (Brodie et al., 2011; Gambetti and Graffigna, 2010; Sawhney et al., 2005; Van Doorn et al., 2010; Vivek et al., 2012) and practitioners also support it (Sashi, 2012). Several models of online customer engagement are proposed in the literature comprising of different engagement dimensions (Bowden, 2009; Court et al., 2009; Van Doorn et al., 2010). Some of these dimensions include communication, awareness, acquisition, conversion, retention, interaction, satisfaction, bonding, recommendation, etc. Such models aim to transform a customer (through an engagement process) to become a brand advocate, i.e. customers start to recommend products/services they have used. However, customers may not experience all these dimensions when they interact with the brands on a social platform such as Facebook. Hence, understanding and identifying the most common patterns of engagement that lead to recommendation/advocacy becomes a significant research problem. Further, the process, through which the customers go to become a brand advocate is also an under investigated area of research. We address these two fundamental problems in this paper.\n2. Literature review and theoretical background: The literature described in this section covers three important aspects that relate to the proposed research. The first section justifies having \"experience\" as an independent dimension to explain the process of online customer engagement. The second section provides reasons to investigate customer engagement process from a multidimensional perspective. Finally, the third section outlines the key dimensions covered in the existing customer engagement models proposed in the literature.\n3. Conceptual process model of online customer engagement: The proposed conceptual process model (Figure 1) comprises seven dimensions, which are communication, interaction, experience, satisfaction, continued involvement, bonding and recommendation.\n4. Research methodology: 4.1 Netnography research method\n5. Discussion and conclusion: 5.1 Research implications\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a process model (comprising of seven dimensions), for identifying online customer engagement patterns leading to recommendation. These seven dimensions are communication, interaction, experience, satisfaction, continued involvement, bonding, and recommendation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors used a non-participant form of netnography for analyzing 849 comments from Australian banks Facebook pages. High levels of inter-coder reliability strengthen the study's empirical validity and ensure minimum researcher bias and maximum reliability and replicability.\nFindings: The authors identified 22 unique pattern of customer engagement, out of which nine patterns resulted in recommendation/advocacy. Engagement pattern communication-interaction-recommendation was the fastest route to recommendation, observed in nine instances (or 2 percent). In comparison, C-I-E-S-CI-B-R was the longest route to recommendation observed in ninety-six instances (or 18 percent). Of the eight patterns that resulted in recommendation, five patterns (or 62.5 percent) showed bonding happening before recommendation.\nResearch limitations/implications: The authors limited the data collection to Facebook pages of major banks in Australia. The authors did not assess customer demography and did not share the findings with the banks.\nPractical implications: The findings will guide e-marketers on how to best engage with customers to enhance brand loyalty and continuously be in touch with their clients.\nOriginality/value: Most models are conceptual and assume that customers typically journey through all the stages in the model. The work is interesting because the empirical study found that customers travel in multiple different ways through this process. It is significant because it changes the way the authors understand patterns of online customer engagement.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Informatics for cultural heritage instruction: an ontological framework	[ "Higher education", "Digital libraries", "Information-seeking behaviour", "Ontologies", "Curriculum", "Information literacy", "Digital humanities", "Academic libraries – relations with faculty", "Galleries", "Libraries", "Archives and museums", "Primary source instruction" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Archives and other cultural heritage (CH) repositories thrive when used in the classroom. Archivists increasingly see education as a key role of archives (Maher, 2001; Visser, 2003; Carini, 2009). The educational process, in turn, has more depth when primary sources are included. Lois Hendrickson (2016) describes some benefits of using CH artifacts and other primary sources in education. \"Artifacts, material culture objects from the past, fascinate students. [...] At the same time, engaging students with artifacts and special collections enriches student learning, stimulates critical thinking, and increases historical literacy. Students gain skills in solving problems, analyzing and synthesizing evidence, and communicating the results\" (p. 1).\nInformatics for Cultural Heritage Instruction: The education domain and the CH domain have strong interests in, and face barriers to, using primary sources in classrooms. Education literature abounds with discussions of the benefits of and techniques for teaching subjects from history to biology with original documents. Despite advances in discovery tools, finding relevant sources to include in instruction can be challenging. Teachers must first locate, and then navigate, the multiple electronic search tools that describe CH resources - manuscript collections, university archives, audiovisual holdings, electronic databases, digital collections, museum holdings and so on. While catalogs typically describe resources by subject, teachers are looking for primary sources that will fulfill course learning objectives and that can be used in courses objectives. CH professionals at archives, libraries and museums strive for more use of their holdings, whether physical holdings or digital surrogates, in education. Archivists, librarians, or and curators trying to find courses that could utilize their holdings face access permission and rights barriers. Few have access to rich course metadata in course proposals and syllabi. Archivists' only access may be to the brief descriptions of courses contained in catalogs and program guides. Search capability of these listings varies from school to school; even simple keyword searches of course metadata may not be possible.\nDeconstructing the problem domain using research literature: Deconstructing current research can help to identify linguistic and conceptual building blocks of the problem domain. The approach is aligned with the present approach to analyzing \"big text\" data using domain-specific dictionaries and ontologies. (Chandrasekaran et al., 1999; Gruber, 2009). Some domains, such as medicine, have well-specified and continuously updated dictionaries and ontologies (e.g. MESH). However, most domains do not. The proposed approach is a way to structure the terminology of ICHI systematically. The building blocks, dimensions and elements, can be used to construct a natural-language framework which can place the narratives within the domain. First, verbs (functions) and nouns (semiotics) utilized in research literature about connecting cultural heritage resources with instruction will be identified. Semiotics are the symbolic representations of cultural heritage (CH) artifacts and instruction at different levels of abstraction, the data, information and knowledge in of each domain. Functions are verbs, and semiotics are nouns.\nFunctions and semiotics: How do librarians and archivists try to get more use of their holdings by faculty? What functions are involved? Archivists most often describe collections face-to-face to augment discovery tools to increase faculty and student knowledge of their holdings, with orientation sessions for undergraduates being the most common method (Allison, 2005). Archivists create information about collections, in the form of research guides and online tutorials (Allison, 2005). Burckel (2008, p. 12), Tibbo (2008, pp. 39-43) and Mitchell et al. (2012, p. ix) find that creating digital resources is particularly effective for engaging students.\nICHI framework: Table II, with three dimensions, is the beginning of the ontological framework that represents the problem domain (Gruber, 2009). The framework describes methods of transforming information, the informatics, for instruction with CH. The ICHI is a domain ontology that \"helps identify the semantic categories that are involved in understanding discourse in that domain\" (Chandrasekaran et al., 1999, p. 23). The framework is shown in Figure 1. The method of construction of the framework is based on Ramaprasad and Syn (2013, 2014). The taxonomies are arranged in dimensions, columns. The framework is organized such that concatenating a word from each dimension with the connecting works makes a natural-English sentence. Each sentence describes a potential pathway of ICHI. For example, the technique of outreach that describes holdings information to find a collection that would match the research area of faculty for them to investigate could be represented with the pathway:\nPathways of ICHI: Three illustrative pathways of ICHI, drawn from research discussed earlier, are:\nValidity of ICHI framework: The \"big picture\" portrayed by the ontological framework will be only as good as its validity. The validity will in turn determine the strength of the analysis derived from the framework. The framework is logically constructed but grounded in the theory and practice of the domains - CH and instruction (Macdonald, 1986). The dimensions are logically specified, not empirically generated. They are deduced from the definition and nature of ICHI. The dimensions and taxonomies are grounded in existing literature on ICHI among CH objects, instruction design and related disciplines. In contrast to this method, a framework may be induced from the corpus of a domain. Automated ontology extraction tools based on linguistic extraction techniques, such as Part of Speech tagging and Natural Language Processing (Alani et al., 2003), can help develop comprehensive and detailed (with reference to the corpus) Web Ontology Language-based ontologies (W3C OWL Working Group, 2012), thesauri of hierarchically arranged terms and other ISO-based ontology exchange standards (Ahmad and Gillam, 2005). The automated tools are designed for standardizing terminologies (Staab et al., 2004; Burton-Jones et al., 2005; Evermann and Fang, 2010), as, for example, in medicine, but not to deduce semantically meaningful logical pathways of a domain as the paper seeks to do. The automated tools cannot yet formulate a structured natural-language framework that is concise as the one proposed herein, and organized such that the domain pathways can be concatenated to form natural-language sentences.\nDiscussion: The ontological framework is a lens to study the anatomy of ICHI. For a complex problem like matching two domains, there may be other lenses to study the problem and each can be encapsulated by a different framework. They will provide different perspectives. The present one will be discussed in detail.\nFuture research and barriers: In summary, the framework can be used to study the anatomy of ICHI systemically and systematically. It helps to describe the research on and the realization (or non-realization) of ICHI. Mapping the growing research corpus on the topic, as shown earlier, has highlighted its areas of emphasis, lack of emphasis and oversights. The insights from such mappings can be used to develop a roadmap for future research and practice. The authors are using text mining to automate the mapping of research literature onto the ontological framework. The results will be mapped onto the structured natural-language framework using NVivo, presented as maps of monads and clusters of structured framework elements. The potential reasons will be explored for the differences in emphases, discuss potential corrections and develop a path forward for research and practice.\nInstructional impact: The impact of such a system would be to increase knowledge of both the CH and instruction domains, which would allow for significant enhancements of each. This would serve to enhance instruction informed from collections and vice versa. The increased knowledge of the domains would create the opportunity for:\nConclusion: Educators and CH professionals' shared the goal of integrating primary sources into curriculum is more easily discussed and attained with a common language. The framework of ICHI provides this language and a structure. The framework can be used to map the anatomy of a system and the research on such systems. It can also be used to compare and contrast systems. The mapping can be used to generate ontological charts that will clearly illuminate the elements or pathways of the ICHI that are frequently present, less frequently present and absent in research and practice.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to suggest a framework that creates a common language to enhance the connection between the domains of cultural heritage (CH) artifacts and instruction.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The CH and instruction domains are logically deconstructed into dimensions of functions, semiotics, CH, teaching/instructional materials, agents and outcomes. The elements within those dimensions can be concatenated to create natural-English sentences that describe aspects of the problem domain.\nFindings: The framework is valid using traditional social sciences content, semantic, practical and systemic validity constructs.\nResearch limitations/implications: The framework can be used to map current research literature to discover areas of heavy, light and no research.\nOriginality/value: The framework provides a new way for CH and education stakeholders to describe and visualize the problem domain, which could allow for significant enhancements of each. Better understanding the problem domain would serve to enhance instruction informed from collections and vice versa. The educational process would have more depth due to better access to primary sources. Increased use of collections would reveal more ways through which they could be used in instruction. The framework can help visualize the past and present of the domain, and envisage its future.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up interactive bi-lingual resources to support the delivery of sex and relationships education for students aged 5 to 12 years	[ "Health education", "Sex education", "Healthy schools", "Sex and relationships education", "Primary education", "Resources" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: It is widely recognised that since 1992 Wales has had the highest teenage conception rates in western Europe. Evidence reveals that the rates in Wales are over twice as high as France, nearly three times higher than Germany and five times higher than the Netherlands (Office for National Statistics, 2013).\nThe development of the Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up resources: The author works as a Senior Healthy Schools Practitioner in a Local Authority in North West Wales. All primary, secondary and special schools within the Local Authority are Welsh medium schools providing bi-lingual education, i.e. Welsh and English.\nDissemination of Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up: Pedagogical SRE training for teachers was seen as crucial in ensuring teachers were fully aware of how to utilise the Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up resources within the primary curriculum and their potential in facilitating the delivery of an SRE programme.\nEvaluation process: Questionnaires were designed to obtain qualitative and quantitative feedback on the teaching and learning experiences of teachers and students in relation to the Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up resources. The technology used for the evaluation process allowed for the questionnaires to be completed online by students and teachers via the Moodle platform within the Local Education Authority.\nDiscussion: Data analysis demonstrated how the Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up resources have contributed towards providing positive learning experiences of SRE. The interactive capability of the floor mat as well as the web-based programme has impacted on increasing students' knowledge and skills.\nConclusion: Despite the development of key strategies, policies and guidance by Welsh Government in an attempt to reduce teenage conceptions in Wales by 2015, the impact is seen to be minimal. The non-statutory status of SRE in Wales allows individual schools and teachers to have the freedom to make decisions on its delivery. This results in an ineffective, ad-hoc provision across the country which does not comply with Welsh Government guidance.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of new interactive, bi-lingual Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) resources called Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up, suitable for students aged between five and 12 years. It also discusses the evidence used to support the development of the resources, the support provided for teachers and parents and an initial evaluation following their use.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up are interactive bi-lingual (Welsh and English) SRE teaching resources for primary schools suitable for students aged five to 12 years. These resources comprise of two components, an interactive electronic web-based programme and a floor mat illustrating a naked boy and girl. The electronic web-based programme is used to introduce puberty changes, loving relationships, conception, pregnancy and birth and is suitable for students aged nine to 12 years. The floor mat is suitable to be used with students aged between five and 12 years. Teaching activities can include naming body parts, discussing gender differences, personal safety, distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate touching, discussing puberty changes and other health promotion activities as well as delivering aspects of the National Curriculum for Wales.\nFindings: The results from the initial evaluation undertaken with year six students and teachers demonstrates how the resources have impacted on the teaching and learning experiences of primary teachers and students. It also demonstrates how the teacher training sessions and using the Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up resources have increased teachers' confidence in delivering SRE.\nPractical implications: The learning experiences of students and their enjoyment of using the Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up resources were significantly high. The implementation of teacher training improved teaching practice and increased teachers' confidence in the subject. The resources have facilitated the delivery of effective whole school comprehensive SRE programmes for primary schools. These factors confirm the value of the investment given to their development. The resources could easily be customised in line with diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious requirements.\nOriginality/value: This paper demonstrates how the Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up interactive SRE resources have influenced the teaching and learning experiences of primary school teachers and students.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Do services marketers' success measures match their strategies?	[ "Services marketing", "Financial services", "Marketing strategy", "Performance measures" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this article.\nIntroduction: Services marketers (SMs) care about the success of their service development programs (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2000) and are increasingly aware that their organizational performance relates to the success of their new services programs (Avlonitis et al., 2001; Easingwood and Storey, 1993; Edgett, 1994; Johne, 1999; Johne and Storey, 1998; Lievens and Moenart, 2000; Martin and Horne, 1993; Syson and Perks, 2004; Vermeulen, 2004). Their service development (SD) programs include a variety of SD projects, which may range from the most innovative in the world to the most mundane of modifications. In the case of banking services, this range may be seen in leading-edge innovations that enable customers to make secure funds transfers wirelessly to cost-reducing conversions from paper to electronic statement delivery. As such, SD programs are a direct expression of SMs', strategic type and are directed at producing very different types of success. This leads to the question of whether all SMs should use the same success measures for their SD programs, as the success literature seems to do. Shouldn't SMs' strategic types drive which SD program performance measures they consider more important?Our study theorizes that the SMs' strategic type should significantly affect which SD program success measures they consider more important, because each type seeks to succeed in different ways. This theory is grounded in research conducted by the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), an association of product development practitioners and academics (Griffin and Page, 1996). The PDMA research suggested, for example, that Prospectors, the strategic type most likely to introduce new products to new markets, should place greater importance on program performance measures that are consistent with their orientation toward growth. Defenders, on the other hand, the strategic type most likely to maintain stable service lines for existing markets, should place greater importance on performance measures that are consistent with their orientation toward efficiency.Although the PDMA study was not specifically formulated for the services industries, our expert interviews with services marketers indicated that each of the specific strategy and performance concepts cataloged is equally appropriate and applicable in the services context. Furthermore, numerous studies support the notion that firm strategy has a significant impact on the marketing and development of services (Fox-Wolfgramm et al., 1998; James and Hatten, 1995; McKee et al., 1989; Smith and Fischbacher, 2005).The issue of different performance measures for different strategic types is especially critical because SD success literature has largely used the same measures for different types. Edgett (1994) and Martin and Horne (1993) use one common performance measure - the success rate of projects attempted - for all types of respondents, though this metric may not be appropriate for the more risk-taking type SMs. Storey and Easingwood (1998) and Easingwood and Storey (1993) use another common measure - future opportunities or market standing - for all types of respondents, though it may not be appropriate for less market-sensitive type SMs. The logic that performance measures for programs should match SM strategy is inescapable (Griffin and Page, 1996). The orientation of SD programs, constituting the collective efforts of SMs in executing their market entry and service line strategies, should differ by their strategic types. To the point, if SMs have different SD program orientations, based on their strategic type, shouldn't the SD success literature use different measures for different strategic types?Hence the principal domain of our study is the strategy of SMs and the performance measures of their SD programs. The research question addressed in this paper is whether strategic type affects the perceived importance to SMs of different SD program performance measures. While SMs increasingly realize the necessity to relate their SD efforts to their business strategies, the literature to date provides little guidance on which SD performance measures should be emphasized to determine success. Therefore, our study of SD program measures is intended to be current and relevant both to service industry professionals and for academic researchers. We advance the theoretical question in the context of financial services marketed to corporate customers by SMs and find support.We propose that the specific study of SM strategy and SD program performance measurement deserves greater academic attention than it has previously received. We should note that the new product and service development literature is often presented without specific differentiation. And, while a limited number of studies focus on SD, the findings for physical products are often found to be applicable to services (Storey and Easingwood, 1998). However, though the study of service development often draws upon manufacturing firms' strategies and new product performance measures, we must regard differences carefully. Because services providers may differ from product manufacturers, we address specific questions to confirm the applicability of firms' strategic types and product success concepts to our SM and SD program research. We propose that academicians should apply those performance measures, which are consistent with SMs' actual business strategies, in order to accurately portray SD success.\nTheory development: The following sections address three specific questions:1. Do services marketers vary by strategic type?2. Do services marketers' strategic types relate to their SD program orientations?3. Does the perceived importance of SD performance measures vary by program orientation?Confirming answers to these questions, we can proceed to test whether SD program performance measures vary by strategic type. Following this introductory discussion, we describe the hypotheses, methods, findings, and conclusions.Services marketers' strategic types\nMethods: We defined the variables in our research model based on prior research. A validated typology (i.e. MS strategic types) and a generally accepted instrument and metrics from previous research (i.e. PDMA survey and measures) operationalize the two major constructs in our study. The financial services industry is appropriate for this investigation of developments by service marketers (Akamavi, 2005). The financial services industry, specifically, has been studied successfully using the MS typology (Fox-Wolfgramm et al., 1998; James and Hatten, 1995; McDaniel and Kolari, 1987; McKee et al., 1989). As in previous research involving the MS typology, we use self-descriptive paragraphs to determine SMs' strategic types. Each MS paragraph describes a Gestalt that survey respondents readily recognize as their SMs' strategies (James and Hatten, 1995).Validation of survey instrument\nFindings: The 202 US service marketers in our study are represented by senior mangers who are employed by 171 single-state commercial banks and 31 non-bank SMs. The 171 commercial banks include single-state bank subsidiaries and bank service corporations of 95 multi-state, multi-bank holding companies (MBHCs). Each of the 95 MBHCs employs 1.80 of our survey respondents, on average, ranging from one to five respondents. For example, USBank, a large multi-state, multi-bank holding company, employs five of the respondents in five different single-state banks and service corporations. The most senior respondent is chosen to represent each of the 171 single-state bank subsidiaries or service corporations. Twenty bank respondents, whose single-state banks are already covered by the electronic survey responses, are eliminated in this process. The 31 other SMs include investment advisors, commercial credit companies, and financial consultants. There is only one respondent for each of the 31 non-bank SMs.Strategic type of respondents\nConclusions: Our general conclusion is that SD Program performance should be measured in terms of growth, efficiency, and objectives. SMs should match the importance that they place on each of these three measurement factors to firm strategy. SMs' different core business problems and SD program orientations are clearly related to different program performance measures. Therefore, all SMs need not use the same SD success measures. Prospectors, Defenders, and, interestingly, even \"hybrid\" Analyzers should contextualize their success in SD programs based on their unique strategic types. This conclusion resonates with Montoya-Weiss and Calantone's (1994) findings that \"strategy\" or strategic fit is a key determinant of success, though it is, unfortunately, not included consistently in performance research. We can therefore challenge the implicit assumption in the mainstream of SD success literature that performance can be determined and measured without regard to strategy. Certainly, different sets of metrics are appropriate for different strategic types.Our general conclusion also resonates with the strategic rationales for the perceived importance of program performance measure to SMs, as suggested by the PDMA research and our preliminary expert interviews (Table I). Prospectors perceive the growth factor, which indicates success with early market entry and new service line strategies, as more important. Defenders perceive the efficiency factor, which indicates success with secure market niches and narrower service lines, as more important. Remarkably, even Analyzers perceive the objectives factor, which indicates success in strategically balancing expansion of new and existing markets and service lines.Conclusions regarding program performance measurement factors\nManagerial implications: Our findings suggest that SMs could be more effective and efficient in evaluating their SD programs by matching measures to strategies. The use of strategy-based performance measures may provide better feedback to service marketers, enhance the program evaluation process, and contribute to overall program success. SMs are advised to choose performance measures consistent with their business strategies to evaluate their SD programs. Prospectors, for example, are advised to emphasize the growth factor associated with their growth-oriented strategy, as indicated in the PDMA survey. On the other hand, Defenders may choose the efficiency factor associated with their business strategy in evaluating their program. Analyzers may place greatest importance on the objectives factor, as discovered in our study. This strategic refinement to SMs' evaluation processes may actually improve the likelihood of overall SD program success.Furthermore, SMs, regardless of strategic type, may better evaluate their SD programs by focusing on the more important individual performance measures (i.e. strategic fit, future opportunities, and new profits). other less important performance measures (i.e. program return on investment) may be deferred or dropped, so that the evaluation process may be more concise and timely (Hart et al., 2003). Another option is for SMs to evaluate their SD programs assigning greater weights to their more important strategic measures.Academicians may wish to align success measures with practice\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The paper seeks to show that the strategic types of service marketers (e.g. Prospectors, Defenders or Analyzers) match the types of success measures that they use to evaluate new services.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A theory is developed to show why service marketers of different strategic types use different success measures for the evaluation of new services. Using responses from 202 financial services marketers, strategic types are shown to relate in theoretically expected ways with the importance ratings of the categorized success measures.\nFindings: - Notable relationships among strategic types and their success measure are identified. Prospectors, for example, attach greater importance to growth performance measures, consistent with the growth orientation of their service development programs. Defenders, on the other hand, attach more importance than Prospectors to efficiency performance measures, which relate to their programs' efficiency orientation. Analyzers, interestingly, place more emphasis on objectives-based performance measures, including strategic fit, than Prospectors.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The sampling frame purposely contains only US financial services firms; as such, future research may build upon this single-industry, single-country study.\nPractical implications: - Academic success literature generally disregards the strategic types of respondents in measuring the success of service development programs. Practitioners, however, seek performance measures that are consistent with their firm's business strategy. This study provides a categorization of the most important success measures as appropriate to different strategic types.\nOriginality/value: - The service success literature has often dealt with the question of \"what causes success?\" and has rarely confronted, head-on, the question of \"what is success?\". This paper addresses this critical research gap.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Why not be "smarter"? Examining the factors that influence the behavioral intentions of non-smartphone users	[ "Innovation", "Smartphone", "Consistent partial least squares", "Heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT)" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In the past decade, consumers around the world have witnessed a dramatic and rapid increase in the use of smartphones (Chun et al., 2012; Kim et al., 2014). Smartphones have become increasingly smarter as mobile phone technologies continue to evolve. Compared with traditional mobile phones, smartphones have advanced advantages such as diverse internet content, multimedia players, and mobile instant messaging (Jung, 2014; Ha et al., 2015). Because of these advanced functionalities and use advantages, smartphones have been rapidly replacing traditional cellular phones since 2007, when Apple launched the first iPhone (Kim et al., 2014). Eight years after the launch, Apple continues to dominate the market, having launched its new smartphones in 2015. An increasing number of consumers are switching to smartphones, and its use has become an integral part of most people's lives.\nResearch model and hypotheses: Theory background\nMethodology: Measurement\nResults: To test the goodness of fit measure for proposed model, this research used the standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) that introduced by Henseler et al. (2014) and the bootstrap based test of exact fit (Dijkstra and Henseler, 2015a). The results of PLSc show that the fit indices for this structural model are fairly good. The value of the SRMR is 0.068, which is lower than the recommended 0.08 thresholds for good fitness of model. Also, it is lower than 95 percent bootstrap quantile (HI95 of SRMR=0.086). Both assessments indicated a good level of fitness for the research model (Hair et al., 2014; Henseler et al., 2016). Overall, the explanatory power of the research model appears to be quite acceptable. The R2 and adjusted R2 for the structural model that predicts the intention to resist are 0.382 and 0.367, whereas those for intention to switch are 0.356 and 0.341. The two R2 and adjusted R2 values satisfy the requirement of at least 0.250 (Hair et al., 2014; Wong, 2013).\nDiscussion and conclusion: Despite a dramatic and rapid increase in the use of smartphones, there are still a small number of laggard users in high-technology adoption countries, such as Korea and Taiwan (Google, 2013). Thus, this study investigated non-smartphone or laggard users and aimed to provide deeper insights into consumers' adoption and resistance of smartphones. Three smartphone characteristics (relative advantage, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use), two consumer psychographic variables (price consciousness and nostalgia), and consumer demographics are utilized to explains the mechanism of laggards' smartphone adoption.\nImplications: The results suggest several valuable implications for academic research and retail managers. First of all, this study expands the sparse research on non-smartphone users' behaviors. As mentioned before, most prior research focuses on the investigation of early adapters (e.g. Chen et al., 2009; Joo and Sang, 2013; Park et al., 2013; Jung, 2014) and only few studies have focused on the laggards' behaviors (e.g. Kim et al., 2015; Verkasalo et al., 2010). The results extend our understanding of laggards' adaption or resistance of smartphone.\nLimitation and future research: This study has several limitations that serve as avenues for future research. First, although theoretically, younger consumers with higher social status are more likely to be smartphone adopters (Rogers, 2010), the direct effects of all consumer demographics were not significant. Therefore, testing the moderating effects of the demographic variable on another sample could be a potential direction for future research. For example, future studies could test the differences between young and old nostalgic consumers. Determining whether young nostalgic consumers display similar behaviors as old nostalgic consumers would be an interesting topic to explore.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Despite the evident and dramatic increase in smartphone usage worldwide, some consumers continue to use traditional mobile phones. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the behavioral intentions of these laggard and non-smartphone users.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This current study examines the effects of consumer demographics, psychographics, and smartphone characteristics on the intentions of non-smartphone consumers to switch or resist the use of smartphones. Data were collected using a convenience sample of non-smartphone users in Taiwan. The proposed model is tested using the consistent partial least squares (PLSc) path modeling technique.\nFindings: PLSc results indicate that consumer psychographics and smartphone characteristics play more important roles than consumer demographics. Specifically, price consciousness, nostalgia, and perceived ease of use are good predictors of intention to switch, whereas perceived usefulness and ease of use are strong predictors of the intention to resist smartphone adoption.\nPractical implications: The results of this study have implications for mobile phone vendors and mobile manufacturers who target non-smartphone users or laggard adopters.\nOriginality/value: This study is among the few that focus on non-smartphone users' perceptions of smartphones. Hence, this empirical study could contribute to the development and testing of theories related to the smartphone adoption process.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Does ICT influence supply chain management and performance? A review of survey-based research	[ "Supply chain management", "Information technology", "Communication technologies", "Information and communication technology", "Survey‐based research", "Review" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction and background: It is indisputable that information and communication technology (ICT) has an enormous effect on contemporary business. However, the relationship between ICT and the performance of supply chains (SC) is less straightforward. Some studies show that there is a positive relationship between them (Jayaram et al., 2000; Olson and Boyer, 2003), but other studies present less evidence (Narasimhan and Kim, 2001; Da Silveira and Cagliano, 2006) or do not even find a relationship (Jeffers et al., 2008). In an attempt to better understand the relationship ICT-SC performance and the underlying mechanisms, researchers have investigated the indirect effect of ICT on SC performance through supply chain management (SCM). Again the results are mixed. A number of studies (Kent and Mentzer, 2003; Sanders and Premus, 2005) show that ICT positively affects SCM and improves SC performance. For example, ICT can strengthen buyer-supplier relationship through more efficient processes and can reduce lead time (Cagliano et al., 2003; Ward and Zhou, 2006). However, others (Sriram and Stump, 2004) found no obvious relationship between ICT and SC performance. We also noticed that different measurements and constructs where used to capture the central elements in the relationship. For example, some papers (Sanders and Premus, 2005; Zhang and Dhaliwal, 2009) measure ICT in rather aggregate terms, while others focus on specific technologies like EDI (Lai et al., 2008) or APS/ERP (Swafford et al., 2008). Similarly, it seems that SCM and performance are measured in different ways.These contradictions in empirical findings and differences in measurements motivated us to start a systematic review and analysis of the research in this field. The main question to be addressed is if ICT has a positive effect on SC performance, either directly or indirectly through improved SCM. First, we investigate what constructs and measurements for each of the central concepts - ICT, SCM, and SC performance - are used in papers investigating the relationship between ICT, SCM, and SC performance. Then, we address the question which of the possible relationships have actually been taken into account in earlier research. Investigating these two questions, can help to find which aspects of ICT have been investigated and which ones seem to be effective. Additionally, it will shed light on the actual mechanisms that help to use ICT in an effective way. It might be that differences in measurement and concept can account for different findings. It might as well be that findings, that seem to be similar, actually deal with different aspects of the relationship between ICT, SCM, and SC performance. Finally, we will investigate whether the context of the SC (Ho et al., 2002) plays an explicit role in different studies examining the relationships between ICT, SCM, and performance and assess the role of context in explaining different results, To answer that question we investigate systematically if contextual factors are investigated, which contextual factors are used and what their effect is.In short, the aim of this paper is to systematically review and analyze those survey studies that have reported on the relationship between ICT, SCM, and SC performance, in order to detect possible sources for similarities and differences in reported findings. We restrict the review to survey-based research, as that research methodology is generally accepted as being specifically suitable for theory testing.The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 will discuss the central concepts and present the research framework. In Section 3, we describe our methodology, explaining how we selected the papers for the review. Section 4 presents an analysis of the measurements of the three main concepts: ICT, SCM, and SC performance used in the reviewed papers. In Section 5, we explore different types of relationships found in the selected papers. Section 6 will analyse and discuss the findings. In Section 7, we will present the main conclusions and directions for future research.\n2 Central concepts and research model: As explained in the introduction our main point of interest is to explore the effect of ICT on SC performance. As said, different, opposing results have been reported in the literature. In an attempt to better understand these results and thus how ICT can improve SC performance, research has incorporated different aspects of SCM. Incorporating SCM helps to understand through which mechanisms SC performance improvements can be reached. So far, the literature does not offer a unified theoretical framework. Different theoretical lenses have been applied, resulting in different basic mechanism and choices for particular aspects of SCM. Some authors (Ray et al., 2004; Jeffers et al., 2008) start from a process-oriented view of value creation. That perspective results in models, where SCM mediates the effect of ICT on SC performance. Another theoretical point of departure is the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm (Barney, 1986, 1991) resulting in the idea that ICT is a firm's resource. Performance improvement in that theoretical perspective stems from the interaction between ICT and SCM. In other words, SCM is modeled as a moderator of the relationship ICT and SC performance. A final line of thinking is closely related to contingency theory (Thompson, 1967; Mintzberg, 1979). This view follows the central idea of the contingency theory that the effectiveness of certain practices, such as the use of ICT and SCM, might depend on environmental characteristics (Flynn et al., 2010) as organizational size or uncertainty in demand. The above short sketch of the theoretical background of recent work in our area of interest leads to the need to define the central concepts of our study: ICT, SCM, SC performance and context. We have chosen for generally accepted definitions and descriptions of these concepts, which also reflect the broad scope of the research. Next, we will explicitly address the different models that result from the different theoretical perspectives in the literature, which are used to classify the literature.ICT can be defined as a family of technologies used to process, store and disseminate information, facilitating the performance of information-related human activities, provided by, and serving both the public at-large as well as the institutional and business sectors (Salomon and Cohen, 1999). In this paper, we also incorporate investment in ICT and relevant infrastructures. This rather broad definition enables to distinguish between different types of ICT and at the same time incorporate all different types and approaches that are grouped under this description. In addition, it seems that a number of the relevant papers use a rather broad definition of ICT, as well.SCM has numerous definitions, usually with a similar underlying theme of integrating the firm's internal processes with suppliers, distributors, and customers (Tan et al., 1998, 1999; Elmuti, 2002). An often cited definition comes from the Council of Logistics Management (2000): SCM is the systemic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions and tactics across these businesses functions within a particular organization and across businesses within the SC for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual organizations and the SC as a whole. Again, this is a well-accepted definition that incorporates many different SCM aspects.SC performance is usually defined in terms of reliability, responsiveness, flexibility, cost, and asset management efficiency (Supply Chain Council, 2003). A closely related definition is the one given by Slack et al. (2007) which is related to the general accepted performance measures in operations management: cost, speed, dependability, quality, and flexibility. Following a recent review of surveys of SCM research (Van der Vaart and Van Donk, 2008), we also consider more general - less operational - measurements reflecting the effectiveness or efficiency of the activities of a SC, such as turnover, market share and financial performance as indicators of SC performance.With respect to the contextual factors, we follow Ho et al. (2002) who define context as the setting in which organizational practices are established and applied. Consequently, contextual factors can be defined as the main factors that determine and characterize the organizational setting. Relevant factors for SCM are for example the complexity of the SC, the position in the chain, and technological and demand uncertainty.Figure 1 shows the major relationships between ICT, SCM, and SC performance, resulting from the literature as described above. The first model assumes that ICT will have a direct impact on SC performance. Argument for this the relationship is that the use of ICT (in any form) is directly improving SC performance through, e.g. better information availability, accuracy or through direct computer-to-computer links. In the second model, the relationship between ICT and SC performance is assumed to be mediated by SCM. An example might be that the use of a specific computer-to-computer linkage will improve information sharing and/or collaboration (as parts of SCM). Increased information sharing and/or collaboration in turn will improve SC performance. The third model assumes that the relationship between ICT and performance is moderated by SCM. The line of reasoning is that ICT becomes effective under a certain condition: a high level of SCM, while ICT might have limited or no effect if SCM is low. Finally, the fourth model relates to research that investigates the link ICT-SCM. Such research might be done in the context of a mediation model or the research has the implicit assumption that improvements in SCM will automatically lead to an improved SC performance. We refer to the literature for further explanation and motivation for the hypotheses underlying each of the four models.In addition to the above-elaborated relationships between the three key concepts SCM, ICT, and performance, we will also classify and investigate the effect of contextual factors. A variety of factors have been considered as contextual factors such as firm size and competitive environment. The expectation is that such factors might positively or negatively affect relationships. An example might be that only in large firms ICT will have a positive impact on performance.\n3 Methodology: journal and paper selection: This paper aims to review survey-based research on SCM and ICT. In order to do so, we collected papers from journals in three research areas: operations management, information system, and logistics. In this study, we aim to review papers from journals that are generally accepted as the journals having the highest standard and quality in their respective fields. Indicators for quality are impact factors, perceived quality and impact by professionals, and selection of journals in earlier review papers. Applying these criteria on each of the three areas, resulted in the selection process outlined below.The operations management journals have been based on previous studies that classified and ranked the most significant journals within this field (Vokurka, 1996; Goh et al., 1996; Soteriou et al., 1999; Donohue and Fox, 2000; Barman et al., 2001; Vastag and Montabon, 2002). As a consequence seven operations management journals were selected (Table I).Information system journals have been selected by considering both the journal ranking and impact factors (Whitman et al., 1999; Mylonopoulos and Theoharakis, 2001; Peffers and Ya, 2003; Lowry et al., 2004; Rainer and Miller, 2005). We excluded pure computer science journals and focused on those journals that focus on management issues. As a result we included four information system journals (Table I).Logistics journals have been chosen by analyzing journal assessments (see operations management references mentioned above) and by examining review papers in the field of SCM (Croom et al., 2000; Gunasekaran and Ngai, 2005; Gibson and Hanna, 2003; Zsidisin et al., 2007; Van der Vaart and Van Donk, 2008). We ended up with four logistics-related journals (Table I).Paper selection\n4 Factors, constructs, and items: measuring the key variables: In this section, we focus on the factors, constructs, and items used to measure ICT, SCM, and SC performance.4.1 ICT\n5 Core findings: the effects of ICT: Following the models shown in Figure 1, four different types of relationship can be detected in the articles considered in this paper. A direct relationship between ICT and SC performance, a relationship ICT-SC performance mediated by SCM, a relationship ICT-SCM, and a relationship moderated by SCM. Table VI shows the distribution of the papers over these different relationships.ICT-SC performance\n6 Analysis and discussion: The central theme of this paper is to systematically review and analyze survey studies that have reported on the relationship between ICT, SCM, and SC performance, in order to detect possible sources for similarities and differences in reported findings. As concluded above most studies show that ICT has a positive effect on performance either directly or indirectly via SCM. At the same time, the reviewed papers do not help us to derive a comprehensive view on why and how ICT attributes to SC performance. Therefore, below the findings are explored to detect what is actually measured, to investigate differences in measures, and the possible effect thereof. These analyses are the basis for finding directions and guidelines for future research. Below we further discuss the measurements, followed by the analysis of the relationships.6.1 Measurement of variables\n7 Conclusion and further research: This paper started with contradicting findings in the survey-based research on the relationship between ICT, SCM, and SC performance. Based on the systematic exploration of papers from the top journals in the field, this paper presents a number of concerns and possible explanations for the findings presented in these papers. A majority of the papers confirm a positive relationship between either ICT and performance or ICT and SCM. However, our findings and analyses raise some doubts about the actual effect of ICT. Our main concerns can be summarised as follows:* The main concepts ICT, SCM, and performance have been conceptualized and measured differently. While the effect of ICT is generally positive, it is hard to say which individual technologies positively affect specific performance measures and how the mechanisms underlying positive effects actually work.* ICT has often been conceptualised and measured as an aggregate, holistic entity ignoring the difference between technologies (e.g. ERP, EDI) and ignoring the difference between inter-organisational and intra-organisational ICT.* Contextual factors have been largely ignored, therefore little is known about the effects of specific types of ICT under different circumstances.* The majority of the research so far, follows a similar path ICT-SCM-performance, e.g. ignoring possible interaction/moderating effects of ICT and SCM.Some of the above conclusions are similar to the findings of earlier reviews in the field of SCM (Chen and Paulraj, 2004; Van der Vaart and Van Donk, 2008), but some specific and new elements related to ICT have been detected. Our overall conclusion is that the current survey-based research does not pay sufficient attention to the complexities and interrelationships between different aspects of SC integration and the role of ICT in improving different elements of SC performance. While the above concerns partly explain the initial confusion, an additional possible explanation is that disagreeing findings arise due to different stages in the employment of ICT, as supported by the RBV of the firm.Our review suggests a number of research implications\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to review and classify survey-based research connecting information and communication technology (ICT), supply chain management (SCM), and supply chain (SC) performance. The review evaluates present empirical results and aims at detecting explanations for similarities and differences in reported findings in the current literature.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper is based upon a structured literature review of the major journals in the fields of operations management, logistics, and information systems.\nFindings: - The point of departure in this paper is the possible inconsistency in reported findings within this field of research. The paper finds that measurements and constructs in all three major variables (ICT, SCM, SC performance) are different and often incomparable, and contextual factors are not systematically considered. Surprisingly, despite these differences, the papers reviewed show that generally, there is a positive direct or indirect effect of ICT on performance and SCM.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The paper aims at reviewing the survey-based literature only. Findings from case studies and other types of studies are not considered. An implication of this paper might be to reconsider how future survey studies should be designed and what constructs and issues need to be incorporated. Specifically, the relationships between single technologies, aspects of SCM and performance dimensions need specific attention in future research.\nOriginality/value: - The paper offers a systematic review that helps to further develop our understanding of the relationship of SCM, ICT, and SC performance.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Abusive supervisors and employees who cyberloaf: Examining the roles of psychological capital and contract breach	[ "Abusive supervision", "PsyCap", "Cyberloafing", "Psychological contract breach" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The past 17 years have witnessed a sharp rise in research focused on abusive supervision (Liu et al., 2016; Yu et al., 2018). Abusive supervision is defined as \"subordinates\" perceptions of the extent to which their supervisors engage in the sustained display of hostile verbal and non-verbal behaviors, excluding physical contact (Tepper, 2000, p. 178). Recent reviews and meta-analyses on the subject have demonstrated that abusive supervision is deleteriously associated with a range of workplace outcomes, including workplace deviance behaviors (Agarwal, 2018; Oh and Farh, 2017; Tepper et al., 2017). Deviant employees act against organizational norms, and in doing so, threaten the well-being of the organization and/or its members (Bennett and Robinson, 2000). Anchored in the social exchange theory and based on reciprocity principles (Gouldner, 1960; Homans, 1961), several studies have parsimoniously examined the impact of an abusive supervisor on the workplace deviance relationship (Martinko et al., 2011; Mitchell and Ambrose, 2007; Park et al., 2017; Tepper, 2007; Thau et al., 2009). Taken together, these studies suggest that abusive supervision decreases individual perceptions of social exchange quality and motivates employees to seek equity by engaging in deviant behaviors (Greenberg, 1990).Despite an impressive body of research on abusive supervision and workplace deviance (Mitchell and Ambrose, 2007; Tepper, 2000; Thau et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2012), several important but unanswered questions remain. First, the underlying mechanism(s) that can account for the effects of abusive supervision on employee deviance is rarely explained and even more rarely empirically assessed (Martinko et al., 2013; Tepper et al., 2017). What has also been missing from this line of research is an examination of potential moderators in general and specifically concerning factors that can mitigate or accentuate the adverse effects of abusive supervision on employee deviance. In the competitive global marketplace, such information is critical for addressing abusive supervision and preventing its debilitating effects.In recent years, cyberloafing, a form of deviant workplace behavior, has attracted attention of practitioners and academicians (Agarwal, 2019; Lim, 2002). Cyberloafing is defined as any \"voluntary act of employees\" using their companies' internet access during office hours to surf non-job-related websites for personal purposes and to check (including receiving and sending) personal e-mail (Lim, 2002, p. 677). While this behavior may seem innocent enough, the crippling effects of cyberloafing on employee, as well as organizational productivity, are well documented (Betts et al., 2018; Kish-Gephart et al., 2010). Despite its debilitating effects, efforts to identify its antecedents as well as its underlying mechanisms are in embryonic stages (Koay et al., 2017; Lim, 2002; Lim and Chen, 2012; Mercado et al., 2017). Previous studies seeking to expose and solve this significant organizational conundrum have either speculated on solutions or ignored empirical tests confirming their propositions. Thus, addressing this existing literature gap, anchored in the social exchange and conservation of resource theories, this study examines the processes and mechanisms detailing how and when abusive supervision influences cyberloafing. The purpose of this research is to fill the gap in current literature as well as provide practical insight for organizations to address this issue.Tepper's (2007) model of abusive supervision postulates the role of subordinates' psychological resources in addressing the workplace challenges to address employee deviance. One such personal psychological resource that has gained attention in affecting subordinates favorable and unfavorable work behavior is psychological capital, also called as PsyCap (Avey et al., 2011; Norman et al., 2010). Research has yielded support for the direct effects of PsyCap on workplace deviance (Avey et al., 2011; Norman et al., 2010). However, the relationship between PsyCap and cyberloafing has not been well understood. To better understand the integrated relationships between abusive supervision, cyberloafing and PsyCap, we considered the conservation of resources theory, which suggests work events and behaviors (such as abusive supervisory behavior) have implications for personal resources (like PsyCap), which in turn trigger employee deviance (like cyberloafing). In other words, PsyCap may be a key explanatory mechanism to understand the relationship between abusive supervision and a specific form of employee deviance (cyberloafing).Recent scholarship suggests that the employee's evaluation of the quality of social exchange in the relationship with their supervisor may temper the magnitude of effects of work events on employee outcomes (Gupta et al., 2016). Using the lens of psychological contract breach (PCB), this study tests the impact of the quality of social exchange in the abusive supervision-PsyCap-cyberloafing relationship. PCB refers to the cognitive evaluations of employees about their organizations' failures to fulfill the promised obligations tacitly agreed upon in the employment relationship (Morrison and Robinson, 1997). Examining the effects of PCB is particularly important because meeting employees' expectations remains a challenging issue for most contemporary organizations (Lapointe et al., 2013).Taken together, the incremental contributions of our study are threefold. This is one of the first studies examining how abusive supervision affects cyberloafing, namely, through PsyCap. Second, by testing boundary conditions that may influence the manifestation of abusive supervision, the study significantly advances our understanding of workplace mistreatment. Integrating the social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) with the conservation of resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1989) and the concept of PCB is generative because it sheds light on the social exchange process and personal resources underlying the abusive supervision/cyberloafing relationship.This study also contributed in terms of its context. Compared to countries with low power distance, abusive supervision occurs more frequently in countries with high power distance, (e.g. India), where it is more acceptable to have unequal power distributions within social institutions (Hofstede, 2001). This study investigates the above-mentioned relationships in a previously overlooked, yet important, sample of managers in a non-western, Indian business context.Abusive supervision and cyberloafing\nMethod: Sample and procedures\nResults: Descriptive statistics\nDiscussion: By drawing on the theories of social exchange (Blau et al., 2006) and COR (Hobfoll, 1989), we hypothesized that abusive supervision engenders cyberloafing through PsyCap, and this relationship is moderated by PCB. We found abusive supervision is significantly related to PsyCap and cyberloafing. The findings of the study also suggest the effect of abusive supervision on cyberloafing was not direct; abusive supervision reduces PsyCap, which in turn affects cyberloafing. It was also found that PCB moderates the effects of abusive supervision and PsyCap on cyberloafing.Although the abusive supervision literature has matured in the past decade, reviews suggest major omission in examination of why and when abusive supervisor may simultaneously influence work outcomes (Tepper, 2007; Tepper et al., 2017). By examining PsyCap as the underlying mechanism, this study addresses the gap of why abusive supervision influences work-related outcomes simultaneously. Commensurate to the social exchange view of the employment exchange process, the study results suggest that unfulfilled implicit expectations exacerbate the effects of abusive supervision and PsyCap on cyberloafing. Testing the mediating role of PsyCap and moderating role of PCB in the abusive supervision-cyberloafing relationship is generative and addresses recently raised concerns that abusive supervision research risks becoming atheoretical (Tepper, 2007).This study makes important theoretical contributions to different bodies of knowledge: abusive supervision, PsyCap and cyberloafing. The study significantly advances the literature on PsyCap. Despite emerging empirical work on PsyCap, much remains to be done, especially in examining not only the effects of PsyCap on a range of important work outcomes, but also its antecedents. PsyCap research has also tended to consider the main effects of PsyCap on individual and organizationally related outcomes and has rarely considered moderators of these relationships. This study adds to the PsyCap literature by examining all the four, core dimensions simultaneously, as such efforts are limited.With growing incidences of cyberloafing and the economic and social costs associated with it, organizational researchers' interest in understanding its antecedents and underlying mechanisms has increased. The results of our study suggest that to the extent employees put in time and effort to fulfill their job duties, they expect to be fairly treated by their employers. When employers fail to reciprocate by treating these employees with respect and dignity, it becomes all too easy for employees to invoke the metaphor of the ledger and neutralize their subsequent attempt to take time back from their employing organizations through such acts as of cyberloafing. A more unique contribution of this study was the person-situation interactive perspective taken to examine how the abusive supervision-PsyCap-cyberloafing association may vary under certain situational contexts. Such a proposition is intriguing, in that it situates the cyberloafing literature within the well-established abusive supervision and PsyCap literature. This research adds to research on workplace deviance by linking the research domains of positive psychology and these organizationally oriented individual-level behaviors.Managerial implications\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of abusive supervision on cyberloafing behavior, to test the mediating role of PsyCap in this relationship and the extent to which these relationships are moderated by psychological contract breach.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A total of 394 full-time managers across different Indian organizations served as the sample for this study.\nFindings: The results revealed that the abusive supervision and PsyCap are significantly correlated with cyberloafing, the relationship between abusive supervision and cyberloafing is partially mediated by PsyCap and the impact of abusive supervision and PsyCap on cyberloafing is moderated by psychological contract breach such that the effects of abusive supervision and PsyCap on cyberloafing are stronger when employees perceive high psychological contract breach.\nResearch limitations/implications: A cross-sectional design and use of self-reported questionnaires are a few limitations of this study.\nOriginality/value: This is one of the first studies examining cyberloafing in response to abusive supervision and one of the few attempts to examine the effects of abusive supervision on individual resources (PsyCap) in response to workplace mistreatment. This study is also the first to examine these phenomena in the Indian context.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Towards a multi-level servitization framework: Conceptualizing ambivalence in manufacturing firms	[ "Servitization", "Product-service systems", "Service orientation", "Ambivalence", "Solutions", "Operational challenges" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Servitization, the trend whereby manufacturing firms offer increasingly advanced services, is becoming an important topic of enquiry (Vandermerwe and Rada, 1988; Ulaga and Reinartz, 2011; Bastl et al., 2012; Kohtamaki et al., 2013; Lightfoot et al., 2013; Smith et al., 2014; Raddats et al., 2016; Baines et al., 2017). A servitization strategy is believed to allow manufacturing firms to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty and achieve competitive advantage (Baines et al., 2009; Durugbo and Erkoyuncu, 2016). However, despite the well-documented importance of servitization as a strategy for manufacturing companies, most firms still struggle to operationalize and execute such a strategy (Lightfoot et al., 2013; Kowalkowski et al., 2015).\n2. Theoretical background: 2.1 Servitization and co-existing product and service orientations\n3. Method: 3.1 Research approach\n4. Findings: 4.1 Triggers of ambivalence during servitization\n5. Toward a framework of organizational ambivalence during servitization: Drawing upon empirical insight, we propose a framework of organizational ambivalence during the servitization journey (Figure 2). The proposed framework explains the path that links the triggers, manifestation and consequences of organizational ambivalence. This provides an overview of how the co-existence of conflicting product and service orientations during servitization triggers organizational ambivalence and how ambivalence spreads and affects the organization performance.\n6. Discussion and conclusions: 6.1 Theoretical implications\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The dominant-view within servitization literature presupposes a progressive transition from product to service orientation. In reality, however, many manufacturing firms maintain both product and service orientations throughout their servitization journey. Using the theoretical lens of organizational ambivalence, the purpose of this paper is to explore the triggers, manifestation and consequences of these conflicting orientations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A multiple case study method was used to analyze five large manufacturing firms that were engaged in servitization. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 respondents across different functions within these firms.\nFindings: Servitizing firms experience organizational ambivalence during servitization because of co-existing product and service orientations. This paper provides a framework that identifies the triggers of this ambivalence, its multi-level manifestation and its consequences. These provide implications for explaining why firms struggle to implement servitization strategies due to co-existing product and services orientations. Understanding organizational ambivalence, provides opportunity to manage related challenges and can be vital to successful servitization.\nOriginality/value: Considering the theoretical concept of ambivalence could advance the understanding of the effects and implications of conflicting orientations during servitization in manufacturing firms.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Librarian's perspective for the implementation of big data analytics in libraries on the bases of lean-startup model	[ "Big data", "Analytics", "Libraries", "Entrepreneurship", "Librarians", "Competencies" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The advent of communications technology and digital footprints has accelerated the global data on large numbers of digital resources:\n2. Purpose of the study: This study explored the possibilities of the implementations of BDA in libraries and information centers. The philosophical thoughts of Dr Ranganathan, lean startup method and freely available online tools are also discussed in the library's perspective. This research also intends to create awareness among LIS professionals and discuss their new role in the environment of big data. A session conducted by the researcher during the convention of the Pakistan Library Club (PLC) association. The perspective of LIS professionals was analyzed in the meeting by distributing a questionnaire. The responses about required skills and competencies of LIS professionals were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, such as p-value, the mean and standard deviation. The LIS community needs to evaluate the current practices of their fields following the burgeoning technological sophistication.\n3. The objective of the research: This research provides an insight into the implementation of data analytics by using the lean startup model and opting for the proposed five aspects model for the improvement of library infrastructure and services. Therefore, the main objectives of the study are to:\n4. Theoretical background of the research: In this study, the research has purposed the model on the theoretical framework of the Lean model and the essential philosophical roles of library and information science.\n5. Proposed model to develop the library services on big data: On the bases of Mathews' s guidelines, Lean Startup method and basic library principles of Dr Ranganathan in the digital era, librarians have to develop their skills for the application of big data. Therefore, to provide the library services, technical and skillful professionals required for the implementation of big data technology and services. In this competitive environment, organizations require the multifarious forte LIS professionals, who not only know about librarianship but also sufficient knowledge and skills of the new knowledge-based system. Moreover, LIS professionals require the higher sophisticated realizations to improve the library services for the gratification of library users, also upgrade the library infrastructure and resources. The methods suggested below can be adapted to provide the library services in the current advanced digital environment. In this context, Noruzi (2004) also presented the applications of Dr Ramanathan's laws in the digital environment.\n6. Literature review: Due to the advancement in technologies and internet of things, the amount of data is increasing rapidly; in this perspective, different analytics models are used for the utilization of data in the organizations. Library innovation developers have contributed to the development of the industry in a meaningful way and have updated the work of the internal library (Costello, 2018). Similarly, Cervone (2016) purposed a model that presents the eight aspects for the implementations of BDA. He proposed a checklist of eight elements that can be helpful for the application of BDA in libraries that started for big data on the impact of BDA in the organization. In this context, Wang et al. (2018) research report that data quality, data environment, and information technology can have a positive impact on the attitudes of users and intent. The culture of startup described in Mathew's study narrated that why there is a need that LIS professionals have to think about changing the environment in the digital era. He also tried to explain the needs why librarians have to change their old practices of the services. He used the term DNA for the changing of organizations' environment. In the current situation, Zhuge (2015) says that the companies are changing their infrastructure not only to improve the customer relationship but also to support big data management because the current trends do not support the traditional systems of knowledge sharing. In this context, the research of Oussous et al. (2018) The high-current data platform supports a variety of dynamic analysis and visualization tools. Such platforms allow the extraction of knowledge and value from complex dynamic environments. They also support the adoption of recommendations and automatic detection of anomalies, decision-making behaviors for special situations, or new trends. The need for library staff lies in the experience, training, and development of the information services as well as in expanding its role as research data management, which is the justification for further research (Shelly and Jackson, 2018).\n7. Big data analytics: In previously conducted studies, the literature review shows that big data has been useless for the organizational process in a vacuum. The potential value of big data realized when borrowing the decision-making ride for the evaluation of products and services. Therefore, to activate planning based on the evidence, organizations need an efficient process. In this perspective, Gandomi and Haider's (2015) study shows the importance of human collaboration for the visualization of data. With this, rapid movement and diversifying data processing with high throughput valuable insights into big data. Now companies are taking big data as an asset. The decisions by the CEO have taken on the bases of big data decision support systems. Regarding the challenges of big data (Jagadish et al., 2014), studies show that in the refining of the significant data process, the role of human collaborations is essential. Every action requires the \"decision\" of a human.\n8. Challenges and opportunities of big data analytics: Opportunities and challenges are always connected because big data is an emerging technology. The application of big data implemented in many fields of the study, such as a business, corporation, enterprises, IT, education and government agencies. Machlis (2015) presented the list of free tools for the analysis and visualization of big data. In this, Sharon Machlis presented the features and described the required skills:\n9. Method of the study: The methodology of research the population of the study consisted of the LIS professionals who were working in different public and private sectors educational institutes. A research tool was constructed on BDA, an entrepreneurship-oriented strategy to propose a model for solving the institutional challenges. In data collection to the responses of librarians, a structured questionnaire was developed with the help of a literature review. The number of total participants was (110) in PLC convention 2018. For data analysis, all the (22) variables of the study measured by using the five-point Likert scale (Strongly Disagree to Agree Strongly). The response received from 74 (67.27 per cent) respondents and considered final to analyze statistical software SPSS. In the analysis of results, the independent t-test applied to know the mean value of the overall response rate. This technique so far used by many research scholars, including Boruff and Harrison (2018), Federer (2018). In this research, the same research technique applied to assess the competencies of librarians in BDA and evaluating the role of librarians, respectively. The t-test is the essential technique in statistics to evaluate the mean value of the variables as the role and responsibilities of librarians toward the implementation process of BDA in libraries. Finally, through the combination of different impact analysis, the influence of librarians' role and abilities on a technical library system is proved. The use of BDA models in libraries on the bases of the lean-approach and fundamental laws of library and information science are helpful, which leads to the new paradigm for practices of libraries and information organizations.\n10. Results: These results are based on the delivered session on BDA in libraries to the LIS professionals in the field of library and information science. The participants in the convention of the PLC were the population of the study.\n11. Role and responsibilities of LIS professionals in big data analytics environment: In the BDA environment, the role and responsibilities of LIS professionals comprised of seven statements. The responses of LIS professionals and each role/responsibilities statement in the form of mean, standard deviation (SD), and the ranked presented distinctly in Table III. With this, to know the significance of each role/responsibilities statement, the p-value also reported.\n12. Required competencies and skills: LIS professionals validated all of the ten competency statements about BDA. The statement \"expertise in database and data format\" obtained the highest mean score of 4.34. Similarly, \"knowledge of metadata skills\" was ranked very close with securing the mean score of 4.31. All statements mean score was above 4. Only one comment listed 10 obtained the mean score 3.99.\n13. Discussions: Many organizations, including information centers, have started BDA as an entrepreneurial venture (Startup) under uncertain conditions for the accomplishment of organizational goals. Therefore, from the lean startup model, library philosophy described a new value of the pathway of a model for data identification, integration, utilization and organization of the data. By implementing such type of cooperative environment of libraries that provide immediate solutions to meet the expectation of library users. Using an opportunity to open-source software are helping to integrate the library resources and services. In this context, the results of Table II show that the role of librarians, such as; acquiring data, providing data literacy instructions, and data management techniques, are significant for the implementations of BDA in libraries. In Table II, all listed variable mean score ranks high above to the 4, only one variable's statement secured the mean score of 3.77 points. The four accounts of variables about data protection, data availability, data organization, and data literacy receive the mean of 4.15 to 4.28. The two variable's comments about privacy policies and digital curation of the organizational materials received mean the score of 4.08 to 4.11. In this context, the studies of Burton et al. (2018), Frank and Pharo (2016) also highlighted the importance and the role of librarians in data privacy, data accessibility, data management, data acquisition, data privacy policies, digital data curation and providing the consultancy to government and private business organization.\n14. Conclusions: The importance of BDA is being realized now in many organizations, government agencies, enterprises, institutions and libraries. Analysis of the literature on big data, and given the incoherent approach of our results, the role and capacity of librarians, as well as the support of several groups of the organizations, can play a more critical role in this space. At present, librarians need to take measures to make the library services updated, and they are also well responsive to the implementation of big data technology and changed the paradigm. The free data analysis tools and visualization data solutions listed in research helps to improve the library systems and services. The explained standard on the lean-startup model, Matthew's guidelines and the new value of path describe the indeed skills for the implement BDA technologies and improve library services and structure. As the results of this study, show that LIS professional's activities and interest in the use of BDA help gain the status of librarians and the role of libraries in society. LIS professionals are also conscious through the concept and application of BDA as a new emerging trend, but there should be provisions to provide the proper training and education.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This study aims to propose a model based on philosophical thoughts of Dr S.R Ranganathan and the lean-startup method for the execution of big data analytics (BDA) in libraries. The research paves a way to understand the role and required competencies of Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals for the implementation of BDA in libraries.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In the BDA analytics context, a session with a proposed model was presented to the audience to get the response of librarians about the required competencies and skills. The research tool was developed based on the literature review to know the role of LIS professionals and their required competencies/skills for BDA. The questionnaire was distributed in the BDA session to collect the responses of the participating audience on the variables that focused on the role and core competencies of LIS professionals in BDA. In the analysis of results, the independent t-test was applied to know the mean value of the overall response rate.\nFindings: The findings show that perceptions of LIS professionals in the understanding of BDA ranked high in data privacy, data availability, data organization and data literacy. Digital data curation, policies supervision and providing the data consultancy also showed a significant relationship among these variables. Besides, the correlation between the required skills for BDA, metadata skills, data ethics, data acquisition, data cleaning, data organization, data analysis, digital curation, data clustering, data protection rules and digital visualization also showed a beneficial relationship.\nOriginality/value: This study also helps to understand the perspective of LIS professionals for the implementation of BDA in libraries and to fill the literature gap in the respective.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Challenges in transitioning from new public management to new public governance in a developing country context	[ "Developing country", "New public governance", "New public management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: New public management (NPM) emerged as a key agenda within public service reform initiatives in many developed countries at the end of the1970s (Hood and Dixon, 2015). This emergence was symbolised as a paradigm shift when the rules-driven and highly processed Weberian management style was replaced by business management practices incorporating the logic of economics while retaining core public values (Osborne, 2006). Within a short period, public services in developed countries started to follow NPM and delivered public services mainly through competitive external service providers (Brinkerhoff and Brinkerhoff, 2015). In developing nations, such as in Bangladesh, NPM was introduced in the late 1980s by international aid agencies (IAAs) such as the World Bank and IMF (Sarker, 2006). Reforms in the public sector and decentralisation of administrative units as per NPM rhetoric were set as a pre-requisite and benchmark for aid assistance over the last two decades of the twentieth century (Mansuri and Rao, 2013).\nGrowth and death (?) of NPM and birth of NPG: NPM is denoted as a paradigm shift when the policy-driven and highly bureaucratic old public management style is replaced by a new process that embraces business philosophy in public service delivery in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public sector institutions (Hood and Dixon, 2015). It is an umbrella term, which covers competition, contracts and control. Here, \"competition\" entails the business philosophy represented by cost-cutting services; \"contracts\" involves the provision of market-based competitive and quicker delivery of services; whereas \"control\" relates to necessary changes in organisations for achieving standards in public services. Researchers recognise eight main elements of NPM: cost effectiveness, greater transparency in resource allocation, decentralisation of traditional bureaucratic institutions, management efficiency within public agencies, disaggregating public service functions from their purchases, introducing stakeholder approaches, performance-based management and contractual services (Dan and Pollitt, 2015).\nNPM and NPG initiatives in Bangladesh: Since the late 1980s, many developing countries started to implement NPM reforms mainly to reduce costs through downsizing, decentralising and outsourcing their public services (Lee and Haque, 2006; Islam, 2018). Similar to developed countries, not all developing nations have been successful in implementing NPM strategies. For example, Singapore is a success story among the developing nations in introducing NPM, while these initiatives have had mixed results in Malaysia and Sri Lanka (Samaratunge et al., 2008). Researchers argue that poor management and accountability systems in public sectors in Malaysia and Sri Lanka are mainly responsible for unsuccessful implementation of NPM reforms in those countries (Haque, 2007; Samaratunge et al., 2008).\nMethod: A qualitative method was used in this research to explore the use of NPM practices by different officials, public representatives and local community groups during the implementation of infrastructure development in regional Bangladesh. Different qualitative research techniques, such as face-to-face interviews and focus group interviews were conducted with selected participants in order to gather in-depth information (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000). Six cases related to two main development projects, across three local administrative bodies (Upazila Parishad) in Bangladesh, were selected for this study. These two development projects are the \"Regional Growth Centre Development Project\" (infrastructure for the rural market) and the \"Primary School Development Project\".\nFindings: Text from similar questions across interviews was used as codes to organise the data under four separate themes derived from the literature, namely, decentralisation, market-based services, efficiency and accountability. Using King's (2004, p. 258) method of hierarchical coding, texts at different levels of specificity from the broad overarching themes of NPM were analysed to the more specific and detailed elements comprising these themes further down the hierarchy.\nDiscussion and conclusion: The analysis of the interview data shows that the major public management elements, such as decentralisation, market-based services, efficiency and accountability, have not been implemented successfully through NPM practices in Bangladesh. Despite some major initiatives in terms of decentralisation, the management culture in local administrative units remains centrally regulated and highly bureaucratic. Mainly the central bodies control the decision-making processes in these institutions, which leaves local level decision-making processes dysfunctional. Furthermore, local managers have no, or limited authority to make local market-based decisions for ensuring better services.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the transitional status of new public management (NPM) into new public governance (NPG) in a developing country context. Some authors, based on their research in developed countries, have claimed that NPM is dead. However, such claims have apparently ignored the transformational status of NPM in developing countries. This paper addresses that gap.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A qualitative method was used in this research. Public officials, elected representatives and local users who were responsible for public service management at local levels in Bangladesh were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires tailored to each group. The interview texts were then organised and analysed using NVivo software.\nFindings: This research reveals that four public management elements comprising decentralisation, market-based services, efficiency and accountability, which are prerequisites for creating an appropriate environment for NPG, have not been established successfully in Bangladesh. This finding suggests that NPG may not be achieved without effective implementation of these elements through NPM practices. The study concludes that NPM needs to be practiced for more time in Bangladesh for the effective transformation of public management into public governance.\nResearch limitations/implications: Findings from this research will help public policy makers and researchers to identify barriers to and design the pathway for a smooth shift from NPM to NPG.\nPractical implications: The findings of this research would help the Government of Bangladesh and international aid agencies to better understand the status of NPM and NPG in regional Bangladesh.\nSocial implications: The research findings may help identify barriers to enhancing participatory activities in a developing society.\nOriginality/value: Though NPM is an obsolete theory for developed countries, it needs to be implemented successfully in developing countries prior to the implementation of NPG.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Top management control and knowledge creation in new product development	[ "Control", "Innovation", "Knowledge creation", "New products", "Product development", "Senior management" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Our concern in this paper is with how top managers can exercise control over new product development (NPD) projects without hampering the process of knowledge creation and ultimately innovation. Top management has an important role in stimulating innovation in companies, but they also face the challenge of finding a balance between exercising control and at the same time granting the autonomy necessary for a flexible, knowledge-creating and innovative organization.Top management support is often mentioned as being positively correlated with NPD success (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1995). However, the role of top management in stimulating innovation is far from straightforward. Too little control can be negative, as the team does not get guidance and feedback from top management (Karagozoglu and Brown, 1993). Yet, if top management goes beyond a directive role and takes control of a project in detail, lower team performance results (Bonner et al., 2002); in addition extensive involvement with many formal controls reduces autonomy and takes time away from the NPD team.In control theory literature (Jaworski, 1988; Ouchi, 1979) control mechanisms are classified as formal and informal and provide a framework to illustrate how environmental factors and control influence organizational outcomes. There are extensive discussions of the effects, both pro and con, of formal control mechanisms such as written specifications and phase-gates on the stimulation of innovation in NPD (Bonner et al., 2002; Christiansen and Varnes, 2009; Cooper, 1993; Jaworski et al., 1993; Ouchi, 1979; Wheelwright and Clark, 1992).However, in the context of NPD there is surprisingly little on the role in stimulating innovation of informal control mechanisms, such as unwritten mechanisms and top management's personal involvement (Simons, 1994, 1995) and therefore more research is needed (Bonner et al., 2002; Poskela and Martinsuo, 2009). To fill this void, our concern in this paper is the informal control mechanisms that exist before and during a NPD project and not formal control mechanisms.As a consequence of our concern with on-going NPD projects, outcome measures of innovation are inadequate since outcomes are unknown. Instead we examine the link between informal control mechanisms and knowledge creation. We chose knowledge creation as our dependent variable since knowledge creation has been shown to be the key resource for innovation (Grant, 1996b; Kogut and Zander, 1992; Spender, 1996; Teece, 1998; Zander and Kogut, 1995) and a prerequisite for innovation (Darroch, 2005; Darroch and McNaughton, 2002; Leonard-Barton, 1995; Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995).The purpose of the paper is to identify how top management's informal control affects knowledge creation in NPD. Our aim is to complement Bonner et al.'s (2002) study on the effects of formal and informal control on NPD performance. The paper is organized as follows. First, we review the literature on top management control and knowledge creation. We then go on to explain how we collected and analyzed data. From our empirical findings, we draw more general conclusions on the effects of top management's informal control on knowledge creation. Finally, we discuss managerial implications and directions for future research.\n2 Theoretical review and definition of research question: 2.1 Top management control and the NPD process\n3 Research methodology: To identify how top management's informal control affects knowledge creation in NPD projects our research utilizes case study methodology, which allows us to investigate the phenomenon of interest in depth aiming for theory building (Yin, 1994). Using theoretical sampling, two companies were identified from a reference population of seven companies. The unit of analysis is a NPD project inside the organization, and we chose to study six projects in two companies. Since each project corresponds to a case, we employed a multiple-case-study methodology and thus both avoid the limitations of a single case, such as generalizations and other potential biases, and produce more robust results (Eisenhardt and Graebner, 2007; Yin, 1994, pp. 45-6).3.1 Sample selection and case selection\n4 The studied companies and NPD projects: Communication Ltd is a global company in the telecommunications technology industry that has moved from developing and producing single products to offering more complex compound products (Processor and System projects). Support Inc. is a global software company developing and producing various types of software-based products (Component, Integration, Message, and Java projects) (Table III).To give the reader an impression of the informal control exercised by top management throughout the projects' life cycles, we present below the main findings from the cases and summarise the discussion in Table IV. The projects are described in three main phases, initial phase, mid-phase, final phase (following Rule 2 in the template for reduction of data) - to make comparisons between the projects easier despite the fact that they have different time frames.4.1 Top management control in the system project\n5 Effects of top management control on knowledge creation: The aim of the paper is to determine the effects of top management's interaction with NPD project members on the socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization taking place within NPD projects. From our findings, it is clear that top management had an important effect on knowledge creation in the projects studied through the informal control they exerted over the projects. In Table V, we indicate the relationships identified between top management's informal control and the four knowledge creation modes (see Appendix and Rule 3 for a discussion of how we arrived at the table). The table indicates that the informal control affected each of the knowledge creation modes. In determining the effect on knowledge creation, we followed the reasoning in existing literature on the relationship between top management control and innovation and thus focused on whether top management's informal control had a positive or a negative effect on knowledge creation. Below we discuss the details of the relationships on the basis of our empirical findings. To illustrate our findings we use examples from the projects we have studied.5.1 The effect of top management control on socialization\n6 Informal control mechanisms and knowledge creation in NPD: With our replication logic, we could identify a pattern that cut across all our cases and both companies. This pattern shows that as top management increases their control they rely more on formal than informal control mechanisms. The implication is that by doing so top management assumes a detail-oriented controlling role that emphasizes explicit knowledge rather than adopting a facilitating role that values both explicit and tacit knowledge, and their crucial interplay. In addition, even when top management increases their control through informal mechanisms, they focus more on explicit knowledge.Our main findings are summarized below and we have included propositions. These propositions concern the effect of top management's informal control on knowledge creation and as a consequence, the importance of informal control in various phases of an NPD project:* First, our findings indicate that top management control is beneficial when there is a need to prioritize explicit knowledge. The need to focus explicit knowledge often occurs late in NPD projects after there is a clear understanding among project members of their end goal and how to attain it, i.e. when the uncertainty surrounding the tacit knowledge in a project is reduced (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). This leads us to propose the following:P1. Top management's informal control can positively affect knowledge creation in the later phases of an NPD project.P2. Top management's informal control can negatively affect knowledge creation in the early phases of an NPD project.* Second, our findings indicate that top management needs to be careful in exercising control during the initial phases of an NPD project because that is when tacit knowledge is transformed into explicit knowledge (i.e. the socialization and externalization modes); in particular the process of socialization is often described by Nonaka and colleagues (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995) as taking place early in a project. Leading to the following two propositions:P3. Top management's informal control can positively affect the creation of explicit knowledge.P4. Top management's informal control can negatively affect the creation of tacit knowledge.Furthermore, our findings also help to nuance the work of Simons (1994, 1995), which only discusses the need for top management to have informal control mechanisms in place, and thereby ensure that top management is personally involved in the progress of NPD projects. However, Simons says nothing about the effects of top management's informal control over time. Our findings indicate that top management has to be able to interact with a NPD project throughout the project's entire lifespan, but in different ways. Initially, there are advantages to granting autonomy, i.e. little informal control, while at later stages there are reasons to increase control, as there is an increased need to make the knowledge created more explicit.Finally, we also compared projects to determine whether there were similarities or differences among them that depend upon their internal characteristics, i.e. contingencies (Lawrence and Lorsch, 1967). We examined the following characteristics:* type of customer (internal vs external);* type of project (derivative or platform);* hardware vs software; and* duration of the projects (less than one year, over one year).The comparison showed that regardless of the projects' characteristics, no differences could be identified among the projects, which increases the confidence in our findings.\n7 Conclusions and future research: Our study adds to the body of knowledge on control mechanisms in NPD by having examined how top management's informal control affects knowledge creation in NPD projects. We show that as top management increases its informal control they emphasize explicit knowledge. As such, they may miss the vital interplay between tacit and explicit knowledge needed for knowledge creation and ultimately innovation which can be achieved through more informal control mechanisms.Previous research on control mechanisms and the NPD process has largely been concerned with top management support or formal control mechanisms, missing the vital link between top management's informal control and knowledge creation. Studies on top management support has shown that such support can be linked to higher NPD performance (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1997; Cooper and Kleinschmidt, 1987; Imai et al., 1985; Jelinek and Bird Schoonhoven, 1990; Zirger and Maidique, 1990). Top managers here play the role of a catalyst (Imai et al., 1985), or they play an integrating and encouraging role (Jelinek and Bird Schoonhoven, 1990). Studies on formal control mechanisms have argued for the benefits of top management relying on written specifications, phase-gates, etc. (Cooper, 1993; Cooper and Kleinschmidt, 1995; Wheelwright and Clark, 1992) against which the progress of a project is checked.We add to the body of knowledge on control mechanisms in NPD by having examined how top management's informal control affects knowledge creation in NPD projects. Specifically we offer an understanding of the consequences of what happens when top managers go beyond a facilitating role into a more detail-oriented, micro-managerial role, where top management actively changes decisions taken, and may even redirect an entire NPD project before its conclusion. Thus, we go beyond a focus on formal control and a view of the NPD process as a static process that can be controlled through formal measures (Jaworski, 1988; Jaworski et al., 1993).The main conclusion of our study is that top management's informal control over an NPD project influences the creation of knowledge in different ways. In particular, we show that top management's informal control focuses on explicit knowledge and not tacit knowledge. Thus, if control is exercised during the wrong phases in an NPD, it may reduce knowledge creation and ultimately innovation.Bonner et al. (2002) discuss the importance of having early involvement and highlight the importance of top management intervening cautiously in a project. We argue that the main reason for this is that top management can positively or negatively affect the knowledge created in NPD projects, which will ultimately be linked to innovation (Darroch, 2005; Darroch and McNaughton, 2002; Leonard-Barton, 1995; Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995; Soo et al., 2002).The advice, or perhaps challenge, for managers that derives from our findings is with regards to the importance of knowing when to exercise control, or not, and what type of control to exercise. Our messages to managers are as follows:* First, it is important for top management not to exercise detailed control in the early phases of a project. Instead the process of knowledge creation needs to be facilitated, allowing for tacit and explicit knowledge to interact. It is thus important early in an NPD project for top management to have an open view of the project and deliberately push it towards the use of figurative language and imagination in order to elicit tacit knowledge from the people engaged in the project.* Second, in later phases of a project, where there are demands for results and there is a need to communicate the project's importance both internally and externally, top management's informal control can have a positive influence by stressing explicit knowledge such as results and links to goals. Thus, much more emphasis can be put on reducing project ambiguity through a focus on explicit knowledge.As with all research, ours is not without limitations. More research is clearly needed in order to validate our findings. The limitations here are of several different types. We chose to conduct our research in the information technology and telecommunication industry. More research is needed to examine the relationship between top management control and knowledge creation in industries with different characteristics. Another limitation is the small sample. Hence, opportunities for future research lie in doing survey-type research.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of top management control in stimulating innovation through their effect on the creation of knowledge in new product development (NPD) projects. Top management has a crucial role in stimulating innovation in companies, in particular as top managers affect knowledge creation through their interaction with project teams before and during an NPD project, which can of course affect innovation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Through comparative case-based research in two companies in high-velocity industries, chosen through theoretical sampling, the authors have studied six NPD projects.\nFindings: - The control top management exercise over an NPD project influences the creation of knowledge in different ways, both hampering and facilitating knowledge creation. In particular, this control focuses on explicit knowledge, and not tacit knowledge, which may reduce the overall capacity for knowledge creation and ultimately innovation.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The results are considered to be generalizable within high-velocity industries. In terms of future research the results should be tested in other industries using either case-based research or by increasing the sample and doing survey-type research.\nPractical implications: - The advice, or perhaps challenge, for managers is to know when to exercise control, when not to and what type of control to exercise. In particular the paper highlights the importance of managers not solely controlling projects by focusing on explicit knowledge in the project, but also by understanding that tacit knowledge is necessary in order to facilitate knowledge creation and innovation.\nOriginality/value: - The paper helps clarify the relationship between top management control and knowledge creation by specially examining how and why top management control hampers or facilitates knowledge creation.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
On coordinating maintenance, production and subcontracting: insights from simulation models	[ "Maintenance", "Production", "Subcontracting", "Simulation", "Modelling" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Let us consider a manufacturing system consisting of machine M1 and its subcontractor machine M2, both subject to random breakdowns characterized by an increasing failure rate. The manufacturing system must supply a constant single-item demand with the objective of minimizing shortages. Arena(c) simulation models (Kelton et al., 2010) will be used in order to establish the optimal parameters of an age-dependent preventive maintenance policy which returns the machines to the \"as-good-as-new\" condition and to assess the impact of various demand allocation schemes between the contractor and the subcontractor. The impact of inventory accumulation will also be examined.Bertrand and Sridharan (2001) justify the use of subcontracting by the lack of adequate internal manufacturing technology or by the inability to deliver the requested quantities, while Liang and Mai (2006) describe subcontracting as a popular method to organize production so as to increase competitiveness and reduce production costs. We now proceed with a succinct review of the combined production and maintenance literature. Boukas and Haurie (1990), Gharbi and Kenne (2000) and Kenne and Gharbi (2001) consider the ordering of the production flow and preventive maintenance by means of a Markov model. Van der Dyun Schouten and Vanneste (1995) propose a preventive maintenance policy based on the age of the machine and the capacity of a stock for a production line consisting of two machines separated by a buffer stock. Meller and Kim (1996) studied the impact of preventive maintenance on a system with two machines separated by a buffer stock of fixed capacity. Srinivasan and Lee (1996) analyzed the combined effects of preventive maintenance and production/inventory policies on the operating costs of the production unit. For their part, Cheung and Hausmann (1997) proposed the simultaneous optimization of stock and an age-type maintenance policy.Sarker and Haque (2000) simulated a production system with a random failure rate to analyze jointly spare parts provisioning and maintenance. Based on the economic manufacturing quantity, Ben-Daya (2002) examined the conditions for building buffer stocks so as to guarantee the continuous supply of the subsequent production unit during the interruptions of service due to repair or preventive maintenance. Iravani and Duenyas (2002) presented an integrated maintenance/repair and production/inventory model using a Markov decision process. Kenne and Gharbi (2004) studied the stochastic optimization of a production control problem with corrective and preventive maintenance. They propose a method to find the optimal age of preventive maintenance and production rates for a production system composed of identical machines. In Aghezzaf et al. (2007) the objective is to determine an integrated production and maintenance plan in a multi-item, multi-period situation that minimizes the expected total production and maintenance costs over a finite planning horizon. Meantime, Panagiotidou and Tagaras (2006) developed a model for the optimization of preventive maintenance procedures in a production process that may operate in one of two different quality states and is also subject to failure. For their part, Chelbi et al. (2008) developed a mathematical model and a numerical procedure to determine the optimal preventive maintenance interval and buffer size, which minimize the expected total cost per unit of time over an infinite horizon. Included are the maintenance costs, holding and shortage costs and waste cost due to the fact that the product is perishable.Dellagi et al. (2007) analyzed a similar type of contractor-subcontractor environment as we do here, but their policy was defined as follows:* a preventive maintenance action is carried out on M1 at age m if it survives until then and M2 is up;* a preventive maintenance action is carried out on M1 at age m+D if it survives until age m and M2 is down at that time; and* a corrective maintenance action is carried out on M1 if it fails before age m.For their part, Rezg et al. (2004) combined simulation, experimental design and analytical means to model and solve production and maintenance control problems, but without the use of subcontracting. Meantime, Cormier and Rezg (2009) formulated mathematical models in order to compare the cost performance of three operating policies which depended on whether or not the subcontractor shared information about the status of his machine with the contractor along with the impact of inventory accumulation. Finally, we note that the classic way of devising optimal maintenance policies is by means of analytical models, e.g. Jardine and Tsang (2006). However, simulation modelling is becoming more widespread since on the one hand computer tools are now widely available which facilitate its practice, and on the other hand a broader range of assumptions can be accommodated than that allowed by analytical models (Altuger and Chassapis, 2009).The remainder of this paper is structured as follows. In the next section, the optimal age of preventive maintenance which returns the machines to the \"as-good-as-new\" condition will be determined for various probability density functions of failures. In section 3, the main concern is to determine the optimal allocation of production between the contractor and the subcontractor under the assumption that the allocation remains unchanged for the duration of the planning horizon. For its part, section 4 will tackle the subject of changing this allocation dynamically during the planning horizon, specifically reassigning M1's previously assigned portion of demand to M2 whenever M1 is down for maintenance. Finally, the potential impact of inventory accumulation in terms of reducing shortages will be assessed in section 5.\n2. The optimal age of preventive maintenance to minimize shortages: Jardine and Tsang (2006) provide an analytical model which relates downtime to the replacement age (that is, the age of preventive maintenance) of the equipment, as given in equation (1). Note that the denominator is simply the average length of a cycle, while the divisions by D are for scaling purposes since mi is here specified in terms of number of uses instead of time.Let:D =per-period demand (corresponding also to the per-period production rate);mi =age at which a preventive maintenance action occurs on machine Mi, returning it to the \"as-good-as-new\" condition (expressed in number of uses);mpi =average time required to perform a preventive maintenance action on Mi, i=1, 2;mci =average time required to perform a corrective maintenance action on Mi, i=1, 2;fi(t) =probability density function of failures of machine Mi, i=1, 2;Ri(t) =reliability function of machine Mi, i=1, 2;Fi(t) =cumulative distribution of failures of machine Mi=1-Ri(t), i=1, 2;g(mi) =shortages, as a fraction of demand, given mi. Equation 1 We seek to minimize shortages, or equivalently in this case, downtime. Although solving the previous model can accomplish this, we took the simulation route instead since we were at any rate developing such models for the other purposes of this study. That said, equation (1) was still used in order to validate the simulation models, as shown in the following numerical example.Numerical example: simulation model validation\n3. Optimal allocation of demand between the contractor and subcontractor without dynamic demand reallocation: Let us assume that:* the quantity the contractor intends to purchase from the subcontractor is fixed at the outset and does not change during the planning horizon (as sketched in Figure 2);* a fixed probability density function (pdf) of failures for the contractor, namely f1(t)=N(50, 10); and* for the purpose of experimentation, varying pdfs, f2(t), of failures for the subcontractor as previously listed in Table I along with the corresponding values of m2.For each f2(t) we seek to answer the question of what proportion of total demand the contractor should supply himself, i.e. what is the optimal allocation of demand between the contractor and the subcontractor.Not surprisingly, Table II reveals that the shortages decrease as the reliability of the subcontractor increases. Moreover, we can again observe the sensitivity of the shortages to the quantity supplied by the contractor. Taking for instance f1(t)=f2(t)=N(50, 10), we obtain Figure 3, which confirms a certain intuition that, given identical failure patterns, demand should be divided equally between the contractor and subcontractor while the increase in shortages will be symmetrical around the optimum.\n4. Optimal allocation of demand between the contractor and subcontractor with dynamic reallocation: We now perform the same type of experiment as that reported in Table II, except this time we allow the dynamic reassignment of demand from the contractor M1 to the subcontractor M2 during the planning horizon if the former is down due to maintenance (see Figure 4). It was found that, irrespective of f2(t), it is always optimal for M1 to initially attempt to satisfy 100 per cent of demand on its own and only acquire items from M2 when it is down. In other words, there is nothing to be gained by pre-emptively allocating any demand to M2 given that M1 can at any rate do so dynamically during the planning horizon. Figure 5 illustrates this fact for the case of f2(t)=N(200,10), which is the highest reliability for M2 considered in this study and which still results in M1 being allocated 100 per cent of demand at the start.As shown in Table III, it turns out that dynamic demand reallocation can be an extremely valuable tool to reduce shortages, and all the more so when the subcontractor's reliability increases. In fact this exercise indicates that it might be to the customer's advantage to pay a financial incentive to encourage the contractor and subcontractor to secure such an arrangement so as to reduce the risk of shortages. In addition, this could even be beneficial for the subcontractor, depending on his reliability, the aforementioned financial incentive, as well as the number of contractors he is dealing with at the same time, which would allow him to increase his total sales while also getting paid a premium.It must also be emphasized that even with dynamic demand reallocation the contract can be quite specific in terms of the quantities supplied by the subcontractor, provided it is estimated via computer simulation. As an example, let us assume that f1(t)=f2(t)=N(50, 10), D=20 units/hour, and 2,000 hours of operation per year. Then, for the no dynamic demand reallocation situation, the simulation model reveals that the subcontractor would supply 7,664 units/year, while Table II yields corresponding shortages of 0.23392,000 hours/year20 units/hour=9,356 units/year. Meantime, under the dynamic demand reallocation scenario, computer simulation shows that 5,827 units/year would need to be fulfilled by the subcontractor, with shortages in the amount of 0.09092,000 hours/year*20 units/hour=3,636 units/year. Hence dynamic demand reallocation has resulted (somewhat paradoxically) in a simultaneous reduction in the amount supplied by the subcontractor of 24 per cent and a corresponding reduction of 61 per cent in shortages.\n5. Effect of inventories on shortages: Note that to this point we have not preoccupied ourselves with the possibility of accumulating inventory so as to further reduce the risk of shortages, as depicted in Figure 6 which, as a result of the previous section, also assumes that 100 per cent of demand is initially allocated to M1. Note that an attempt is first made to fulfill demand directly from inventory on-hand. If none is currently available, then we simply revert back to the situation of section 4, that is, we try to satisfy demand via immediate production, the only thing preventing this from happening being if M1 and M2 are both down. This essentially implies that the only allowed lead time in fulfilling demand is one production cycle, i.e. the time it takes to produce a single item. We also point out that a separate process generates production requests and that production stops either when the machines are down or when the maximum inventory level has been reached.Let us assume once again that f1(t)=f2(t)=N(50, 10) and D=20 units/hour, which we know from Table III gives us shortages in the order of 0.0909 (with a 95 per cent confidence interval half-width of 0.0035) in the case where dynamic demand reallocation from M1 to M2 takes place but inventories are not accumulated. Table IV presents the shortages under the same circumstances except with the use of inventories. Note that the first and second numbers in the last row are respectively the middle and half-width of the 95 per cent confidence intervals. The improvement is hence significant at the 95 per cent confidence level, and increases with the maximum inventory level. Figure 7 illustrates the percentage reduction in shortages at the middle of the confidence intervals, as a function of the maximum inventory level. It is clear that the reduction in shortages that can be achieved through the use of inventories is quite significant.\n6. Conclusion: This study analyzed, via computer simulation with the language Arena(c), various scenarios for the situation of a contractor, referred to as machine M1, and a subcontractor, machine M2, who together must fulfill the constant demand of a single item. Both machines being subject to an increasing failure rate, the first part of our study established their respective optimal preventive maintenance age which returned them to the \"as-good-as-new\" condition with the objective of minimizing shortages. Established next was the optimal allocation of demand between M1 and M2 under the assumption that the allocation is done at the outset of the planning horizon and does not change afterwards. It was shown that the less reliable M2 is the more biased in favour of M1 will be the optimal demand allocation. Another scenario that was analyzed entails the dynamic reassignment of demand from M1 to M2 during the planning horizon whenever M1 is down for reasons of preventive or corrective maintenance. The two major observations here are that 100 per cent of demand should initially be allocated to M1 (that is, at the outset of the planning horizon) and that dynamic demand reallocation yields substantial reductions in shortages. It was also emphasized that although such a concept could give the impression that the amount the subcontractor must supply would be difficult to specify in a contract, such is not necessarily the case if computer simulation is used. The final experiment conducted sought to establish the degree to which it could be beneficial to accumulate inventories so as to continue supplying demand even when both machines are down. The accompanying reduction in shortages was quite substantial and approximately linear in the maximum allowed inventory level.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this study is to gain some insights into the number of shortages resulting from two alternative demand allocation schemes between a contractor (machine M1) and subcontractor (machine M2), on the one hand, and from inventory accumulation, on the other hand. The shortages stem from random machine breakdowns, and each machine undergoes preventive maintenance. The motivation behind inventory accumulation is to allow demand to be fulfilled even when both machines are down.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The number of shortages stemming from all scenarios under consideration was established via computer simulation with the Arena(c) language.\nFindings: - For demand allocation that remains unchanged for the duration of the planning horizon and constant reliability of M1, it was found that, the less reliable M2 is, the more biased in favour of M1 will be the optimal demand allocation and the greater will be the number of shortages. Moreover, both dynamic demand reallocation over the planning horizon and inventory accumulation result in a substantial reduction in shortages.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The results are representative of the specific data, which were assumed in the simulation models. Nevertheless, this methodology is recommended for this type of analysis, as it is highly flexible and can take into account many practical considerations, which an analytical approach cannot.\nPractical implications: - Within the context of unreliable production machines, the most important practical implication of this study is that the dynamic reallocation of demand between a contractor and subcontractor, along with inventory accumulation, both have the potential to yield important reductions in the number of shortages.\nOriginality/value: - The subject-matter of this paper was not previously reported in the literature. Furthermore, the insights gained as a result of this study can yield substantial benefits to companies in terms of improving their service levels as measured by reduced shortages.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The Landmark London's journey to Investors in People gold: Luxury hotel earns champion status	[ "Awards", "Empowerment", "Hotels", "Employee involvement", "Employee development", "Employee behaviour" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: A five-star luxury hotel has achieved the Investors in People gold award after only eight months.\nEmployer of choice: \"I believe that it is essential for the development of a business to truly engage team members at all levels,\" she continued. \"My vision for The Landmark London has always been to become an employer of choice where everyone feels valued and can make a real difference to the business. My aim has been to develop a culture where everyone is free to grow as a person, a team member or manager in the business, where we can all feel trusted, valued and belong to something special.\"We were at Investors in People bronze status when I started at The Landmark London and our aim was to move this forward; we achieved silver in under a year and, as we are focused on continuous growth of our people as well as the business, we decided to make the Olympic year our going-for-gold year, too.\"We introduced team-member taskforces to help us to identify areas for improvement and worked closely with Lorina Pilgrim, director of investors' services at Investors in People, in looking to strengthen the areas that our team members highlighted to us. With the clear focus, drive and energy of our teams to address these areas, many initiatives were implemented. Since then, we have maintained our Pride Through our People taskforce that continues to look at ways we can up our game.\"I believe we set ourselves apart at The Landmark London with our staff-engagement policy, ensuring that team members and their opinions are included in our decision making. Our management don't guess what their teams want; we ask them. We also included team members in the process of choosing new recruits and all departments are involved in the welcome process of new team members.\"Nicola Forshaw explained that the hotel's journey had not ended with the achievement of the Investors in People gold award. \"We are thrilled with the award of champion status by Investors in People, which is truly the icing on the cake,\" she said. \"We are delighted to be upheld by Investors in People as an example of best practice and are looking forward to undertaking our role in the champions program. Alongside this, we will continue with all the staff-engagement initiatives that we have put in place over the last two years and aim to maintain our growth as individuals, teams and as a business.\"\nConfidence to drive forward new ideas: Lorina Pilgrim commented: \"I have been with The Landmark London throughout its journey and therefore seen for myself the dramatic improvements that have been made and have enabled it to attain champion status.\"She said that managers had:* transformed the way they engage with people;* given people the confidence to come up with new ideas and take responsibility for implementing them;* provided an open, receptive environment that supports people in what they do; and* encouraged them to learn and develop so they see their future at the hotel.The Landmark London's Back to Basics cross-training, Memorable Moments guest-satisfaction objective and the growth of focus groups that take ownership of key developments in the hotel were good examples.\"The Landmark London's managers have worked hard to put people working in front-line roles at the forefront of everything they do,\" Lorina Pilgrim continued. This includes the large group of people working as interns, those working on a casual basis and at night. They are groups that are very important to the success of the hotel and provide a rich resource from which future employees can be selected and the reputation as a good employer established.\"The measures that have been made to include them and gain access to their ideas and experiences are another example of good practice here - Investing in People has become a way of working for The Landmark London.\"Of the hotel's Investors in People champion status, Lorina Pilgrim commented: \"This will give The Landmark London the chance to tell its story widely within the group, the sector and to other organizations, which I hope will also mean opening up wider networks and good business opportunities, too.\"\nMaking the team feel like a family: Anastasia Schneider, guest-relations manager and Landmark Spirit ambassador, said: \"I received the opportunity to become a Landmark Spirit ambassador during my first year of joining and was intrigued by the idea of helping to build an effective and happy taskforce based on making the team feel like a family.\"As a Landmark Spirit ambassador, I am allowed to do this throughout the hotel by showing what can be gained from a positive outlook to work. I seek to increase the motivation of team members by showing them what great benefits are linked to working at The Landmark London.\"I also help to raise awareness of the importance of communication among colleagues and portray how flexible the business can be. I have found that this creates the Landmark Spirit, leading to better employee relations, allowing team members to feel they can make a difference as an individual, and enhancing the way we carry out our jobs.\"The Landmark London has provided me with the opportunity to grow myself and I have become more comfortable presenting to and motivating people. It has been, and continues to be, a great opportunity to learn. I have, for example, learned to identify my own strengths and weaknesses as, when talking to others, you learn to see your role in the business from a different perspective.\"\nSpreading the word about career opportunities: Rachel Banks, human-resources administrator and Springboard ambassador, commented: \"The Landmark London provided me with the opportunity to become a Springboard ambassador, starting with a two-day training course with the Springboard organization.\"Springboard ambassadors are highly-motivated people working in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry. They are recruited and trained to spread the word about the exciting and varied career opportunities available in the industry and to promote their own organizations' brand to potential recruits and career influencers.\"Springboard ambassadors help their employers to get the message out to the labor market that they are a great organization to work for, with outstanding career opportunities.\"In becoming a Springboard ambassador with The Landmark London I have been given opportunities to work with the local community, recruited new team members through the organization's events, collaborated with sister hotels and worked with the hotel's green team and local charitable partnerships.\"It has enabled me to meet and learn from others in the industry, increased my understanding of the hospitality sector and given me more confidence in my role.\"\nAssessing potential candidates: Michael Blin, assistant director of sales/head of entertainment sales and departmental trainer, said: \"The Landmark London has allowed me to grow in my professional career on several levels. I was able to perfect my knowledge in recruitment and develop my ability in assessing potential candidates with the We Seek to Hire training that the hotel enabled me to undertake.\"The Landmark Spirit and train-the-trainer programs have helped me to hone my skills in communication, training and coaching. I have also been able to undertake further courses to perfect my sales skills with the Leading Learning Institute through the hotel's membership of Leading Hotels of the World.\"My professional confidence has grown and this has enabled me to become a departmental trainer, ensuring that all my colleagues are well-equipped to maximize their performance in the business. I have also been able to nominate my team members for the Leading Learning Institute and organize training on specific market segments so they too can improve their sales skills and capture more business for the hotel.\"\nInvestors in People explained: Investors in People specializes in transforming business performance through people. The aim is to help organizations to achieve growth through a framework of best practice. Investors in People then provides independent assessments to track progress based on interviews with the organization's members of staff, to provide a true representation of the company in question.There are 196 evidence requirements in the Investors in People standard. An organization needs to meet at least 165 of them in order to achieve gold, 115 to reach silver and 65 to reach bronze. In order to move up the standard, the organization must demonstrate ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.Investors in People champions are a group of role-model organizations that promote Investors in People by arranging best-practice sharing activities through the champions program. This is intended to disseminate good practice in people management, letting the champions lead by example of how they improved their business performance using Investors in People. This is done in various ways, including arranging and delivering four best practice activities a year through presentations, mentoring and hosting open days.Investors in People asks organizations to communicate their vision of what they are trying to achieve to everyone who works with them, to ensure that team members have the skills, knowledge and experience to achieve the vision, and to create a positive working environment in which people can thrive and develop. This is in keeping with The Landmark London's human-resources strategy as a key tenet of its own vision.\"Research shows that in doing so, business performance improves and high standards are maintained,\" Lorina Pilgrim concluded. \"Sometimes, managers think that their role must be to make all the decisions on their own. They can therefore miss what front-line teams see every day. But this is not the case with The Landmark London.\"\nNote: David Pollitt, Human Resource Management International Digest editor, wrote this article.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to describe the journey to Investors in People gold, and champion status, at five-star hotel The Landmark London.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper explains why the company set out on the journey, the policies and procedures it involved and the benefits it has brought. It includes the views of members of staff.\nFindings: - The paper details the roles of team member task forces, staff engagement policies and employee involvement in helping to ensure that employees' voices are heard in running the hotel and that \"memorable moments\" are created for the hotel guests.\nPractical implications: - The paper explains how individual employees have benefited from development opportunities linked with the Investors in People standard.\nSocial implications: - The paper reveals that all employees, including interns, night staff and temporary staff, are made to feel part of the empowerment process.\nOriginality/value: - The paper highlights the substantial benefits that can accrue to an hotel and its guests when the company sets out to achieve an Investors in People award.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The mediating effect of LMX in the relationship between school bureaucratic structure and teachers' proactive behavior	[ "Bureaucracy", "Proactive behaviour", "Leader-member exchange", "School structure" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The proactive behavior of an employee can be essential to an organization's success in competitive and rapidly changing work contexts (Crant, 2000; Morrison and Phelps, 1999). Employees are not only expected to accomplish assigned jobs but also to be proactive, which is a desirable qualification for many jobs (Parker et al., 2010; Zhang et al., 2012). Proactive behavior is defined as \"taking initiative in improving current circumstances or creating new ones; it involves challenging the status quo rather than passive adapting to present conditions\" (Crant, 2000, p. 436). Proactive behavior involves actions that are self-starting, are driven by problems or opportunities, and aim at the improvement of the overall work conditions (Fay and Sonnentag, 2012; Parker et al., 2006). Such actions go fall beyond employees' core task responsibilities and are anticipatory in nature (Fay and Sonnentag, 2012). Employee proactive behavior is positively associated with various individual and organizational outcomes, such as organizational commitment, work job satisfaction, organizational performance, and employee performance (Thomas et al., 2010). Thus, this behavior constitutes an important force for the sustenance of organizational success.\n2. Theory and hypotheses: 2.1 The relationship between school bureaucratic structure and proactive behavior\n3. Methods: 3.1 Participants\n4. Results: Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses are presented in Table I. Table I showed that proactive behavior is positively related to enabling school structure (r: 0.515) and LMX (r: 0.350). And correlation analysis indicated that enabling school is positively related to LMX (r: 0.450).\n5. Discussion: As schools operate in competitive and complex environments that trigger the desire for change (Somech and Wenderow, 2006), their success and effectiveness depend on teachers' proactive behavior performance which is change-focused action. In this respect, it is important that teachers engage proactive behavior. The results of this study reveal that enabling school structure both directly and indirectly affect classroom teachers' proactive behavior via LMX. The result of this study suggests that one way of promoting proactive behavior by teachers is for schools to be structured as enabling. The literature on proactive behavior shows that employees require a relatively flexible, unformalized and uncentralized of organization (Batistic et al., 2016; Sonnentag and Spychala, 2012), because such structures motivate employees to be proactive (Chen et al., 2010). Also, relatively flexible, unformalized and uncentralized structures motivate the employees to share their views to develop new ways to perform tasks. In this structure, employees feel more able to adapt to changes and more prepared to accept new challenges. These conditions encourage them to be more proactive (Alavia et al., 2014). Likewise, and consistent with the present results, previous research has indicated that the bureaucratic structure of an organization has a negative effect on proactive behavior (Stamper and Van Dyne, 2001).\n6. Implications: The results of this study make a few theoretical contributions. First, this research combines with prior research streams by jointly exploring school structure and the quality of LMX relationships as predictors of teachers' proactive behaviors.\n7. Limitations and future research: This study has some limitations. First, the data were based on teachers' self-reports, so the relationships among the variables could be inflated by common method bias. The interpretations of LMX by teachers and principals may be conceptually distinct and have differing effects. Thus, principals' perceptions of LMX may provide additional insight. The data related to proactive behavior were also obtained through teachers' self-reports. There are good reasons for such data collection: employees have easy access to examples of their behaviors and may determine differences among their behaviors to a greater extent than do managers (Ghitulescu, 2013). In addition, because proactive behavior can include questioning instructions and challenging prescribed activities, it may not always be accepted with pleasure by managers and indeed may be appreciated negatively (Parker et al., 2006). Parker et al. (2006) argued that self-report measures are a valid way to measure proactive behavior. In this case, however, since teachers' perceptions of proactive behavior were the items of interest, principals' perceptions of this was expected to provide additional insights. Furthermore, cross-data were collected at a single point in time, which does not allow the researcher to determine causality between the variables. Considering these limitations, future studies should attempt to replicate the findings of this study by measuring the LMX and proactive behavior of both teachers and principals, using a longitudinal and experimental research design.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of leader-member exchange on school bureaucratic structure and teachers' proactive behavior.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study was carried out in elementary schools in Turkey. Classroom teachers proactive behavior was measured using the taking charge scale developed by Morrison and Phelps (1999), school bureaucratic structure was measured using enabling school structure scale developed by Hoy and Sweetland (2000), and LMX quality was measured using the seven-item LMX scale developed by Graen ve Uhl-bien (1995).\nFindings: It was found that school bureaucratic structure had both directly and indirectly effect on teachers proactive behavior via leader-member exchange.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study contributes to complete proactive behavior literature by investigating how such behavior is related to the quality of LMX relationships and school bureaucratic structure. The investigation of these relationships is likely to advance understanding of the consequences of teachers' proactive behavior.\nOriginality/value: This research combines prior research streams by jointly exploring bureaucratic school structure and the quality of LMX relationships as predictors of teachers' proactive behaviors.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The evolution of goal-based information modelling: literature review	[ "Information", "Modelling" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: As the editor of a recent issue of Aslib Proceedings (Boyd, 2004a), the author suggested that new methods were needed to contextualise and understand the increasingly complex information eco-system. Over the past three years, he has presented in this journal derivatives of the goal-question-indicator-measure (GQIM) paradigm as one promising information modelling method (Boyd, 2002; 2004b; 2005). This work and additional case-based research has led to the development of the goal-based information framework (GbIF). Over a series of three articles, the author will present the thinking that led to the GbIF as well as an initial specification of the framework.This first paper presents a review of the goal-based literature, paying particular attention to GQIM and its predecessor goal-question-metric (GQM). The second article in the series will overview the recent case-based research, placing the previous work that appeared in this journal in context. The third and concluding article will present a specification of the model in the form of a user's guide for researchers and practitioners.While an attempt has been made to keep the articles as free of jargon as possible, the nature of the subject does not always make that possible. As such, terms and acronyms are generally defined when first used. Additionally, frequently used terms and acronyms are outlined in Table I.\nReview of goal-question-metric (GQM) literature: This paper overviews two of the most promising goal-based methods: Basili and Weiss' GQM paradigm (often attributed in the literature to Basili and Rombach, 1988) and Park et al.'s (1996) GQIM. Of the two, GQIM seems to be the most complete and useful as the basis for a new information modelling technique.The GQM paradigm\nConclusion: strengths and weaknesses of goal-based methods: Clearly defined and widely accepted metrics and models are crucial for measurement success. A goal-oriented approach is helpful in three ways:1. it \"ensure[s] the adequacy, consistency and completeness of the measurement plan, and therefore, of data collection\";2. it \"manage[s] the complexity of the measurement programme\"; and3. \"stimulate[s] a structured discussion and promotes consensus about measurement and improvement goals\" (Briand et al., 1997, p. 2).Specifically, this research has found GQM to be:* Rigorous. As seen above, the literature puts forth several examples of the successful use of GQM and goal-driven derivatives. The real-world use of GQM, and subsequent publication of case studies, spans nearly 20 years indicating that the methodology is truly useful and not just a passing \"fad\".* Adaptable. As illustrated in the industry examples, as well as GQIM, the GQM methodology in practice today differs significantly from the original idea put forth by Basili and Weiss (1984). As a framework, GQM has proven itself to be adaptable to different organisations and the changing environments of software measurement. The very fact that it is adopted by and used in commercial organisations indicated that there is inherent value in the methodology. In the Darwinian world of software development, rarely do things that do not provide value survive. There seems little reason why GQM could not travel outside the context of that original use to be applied in information integration and retrieval scenarios.* Flexible. Not only is the framework adaptable, but also it is flexible as well. As seen in the Nokia, IBM and CS Foundation cases, GQM works well with additional methodologies and can be adapted for a particular organisation. GQM can also be restricted to a subset of goals and grow with success.Although the literature is conspicuously absent of meaningful criticisms, GQM is not without limitations. One of the major weaknesses is the propensity for the number of metrics to grow to an unmanageable amount (Expansive). The production of questions is situation and even organisationally dependant. These two factors lead to questions of repeatability and limiting scope (\"non-terminating\"). Card (1993, p. 94) argues that GQM can very quickly grow beyond its usefulness; one study he references consisted of four goals that grew to over 100 questions. And since multiple teams produce different questions, the results are likely not repeatable. Lastly, he points out that questions that arise from the GQM exercise may not be answerable unless organisational changes are made. Given these limitations, Card feels that GQM should be used as a supplemental methodology. Although in conclusion of his editorial (1993, p. 95) he concedes that GQIM is better than what was previously available - that was, \"largely nothing\".Another weakness, briefly touched upon by Kilpi is the overheads associated with managing GQM (Expensive) - from dedicated implementation teams to time consuming goal setting sessions and negotiations, it could be costly. This could be particularly limiting in low maturity environments.Additionally, as outlined by Mendonca et al., a \"top-down\" measurement approach alone does not allow for discovery and can often ignore or overlook legacy data (Focus). McKeehan et al. (1998, p. 5) take a more vitriolic tone when discussing the weaknesses of GQM by surmising that \"although this approach [GQM] is better than none at all, it is beset with problems\". The researchers assert that GQM \"fails to recognise that managers don't always know what their goals should be\". They go on to suggest that:Top-down methods lack support and enthusiasm from practitioners. It encourages \"data-manipulation\". With a set goals [sic], the data collection or processing procedures tend to produce results that show improvement because that people developing the measures are focused on the goal and what the numbers are expected to show (McKeehan et al., 1998, p. 5).Although McKeehan et al. raise some interesting points, their references are unclear and thus the majority of their arguments remain unsupported by the literature. However, the point about managers failing to properly set goals is also highlighted by Wilson et al. in their recognition that business strategies (and consequently goals) may not be fully articulated:IT Staff like to ask \"the business\" (whoever that is) for the \"business strategy\" (whatever that is) - which they expect to be predetermined, formalised and explicit - so they can \"support it\" by \"solving business problems\" (Wilson et al., 2002, p. 198).The double-quotations and parenthesised comments indicate that Wilson et al. do not necessarily believe that it always possible for an organisation to be fully aware of, or able to articulate, its strategies. If this is true, it is probably safe to assume that it is also true with organisational goal setting. That is why a structured, goal-elicitation process such as GQIM is desirable, as the process forces both managerial and IT staff participation.To reduce risks associated with the GQM approach, there are several learnings that can be gleaned from the literature:* Limit metrics. As pointed out above, a GQM programme can quickly grow out of control as new questions are added. However, at Nokia, it was recognised that many of the project goals and questions could be reused, thus reducing the costs of managing a GQM measurement programme.* Start small and grow/pilot implementations. The programme is likely to morph and change. Therefore, it is a good idea to start with smaller, achievable, goals and to pilot projects before wide-scale rollout.* Be mindful of human and cultural issues. For the programme to be successful, people factors must be considered. Several suggestions were put forth recommending that resulting information be masked when presented and that information not be used to \"punish\" poor performers. Without the risk of the information being used against the participants, cooperation is more likely.* Automate data collection. Any additional work or overheads that make employees jobs more difficult will be resisted. Some (likely higher maturity) organisations will have the resources to assign dedicated personnel to a project. However, in low maturity organisations, as much of the information gathering as possible should be automated.Clearly, GQM/GQIM may not be the right tool for all information retrieval situations. However, given its history of success, rigor, flexibility and adaptability, it is likely that it will be useful in many modelling multi-source information retrieval scenarios. The next article in the series will show how goal-based methods have been adapted for information modelling.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The first in a series on goal-based information modelling, this paper presents a literature review of two goal-based measurement methods. The second article in the series will build on this background to present an overview of some recent case-based research that shows the applicability of the goal-based methods for information modelling (as opposed to measurement). The third and concluding article in the series will present a new goal-based information model - the goal-based information framework (GbIF) - that is well suited to the task of documenting and evaluating organisational information flow.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Following a literature review of the goal-question-metric (GQM) and goal-question-indicator-measure (GQIM) methods, the paper presents the strengths and weaknesses of goal-based approaches.\nFindings: - The literature indicates that the goal-based methods are both rigorous and adaptable. With over 20 years of use, goal-based methods have achieved demonstrable and quantifiable results in both practitioner and academic studies. The down side of the methods are the potential expense and the \"expansiveness\" of goal-based models. The overheads of managing the goal-based process, from early negotiations on objectives and goals to maintaining the model (adding new goals, questions and indicators), could make the method unwieldy and expensive for organisations with limited resources. An additional challenge identified in the literature is the narrow focus of \"top-down\" (i.e. goal-based) methods. Since the methods limit the focus to a pre-defined set of goals and questions, the opportunity for discovery of new information is limited.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Much of the previous work on goal-based methodologies has been confined to software measurement contexts in larger organisations with well-established information gathering processes. Although the next part of the series presents goal-based methods outside of this native context, and within low maturity organisations, further work needs to be done to understand the applicability of these methods in the information science discipline.\nOriginality/value: - This paper presents an overview of goal-based methods. The next article in the series will present the method outside the native context of software measurement. With the universality of the method established, information scientists will have a new tool to evaluate and document organisational information flow.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Becoming lean: the employee perspective	[ "Strategy", "Lean implementation", "Perceived job security", "Perceived personal benefits of lean", "Placement of lean practices", "Training on lean" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Is lean for everyone? Which organization would not want to reduce wasteful delays, defects and oversized inventories? We see many companies \"becoming\" lean, or at least trying to become so, with varying degrees of success. But why do some companies appear to be unfazed by, or even oblivious to, the \"lean craze\"? And for those companies that are completely focused on these methods, why are they not always successful and satisfied? Why do some companies succeed in operational effectiveness and others do not? The short answer to these questions - and the contention of this paper - is: strategy matters.\nDefinition/terminology: The term \"lean manufacturing\" became widely used when the book The Machine that Changed the World was published in 1991. In this paper, Worley and Doolen's (2006) definition of lean manufacturing \"the systematic removal of waste by all members of the organization from all areas of the value stream\" is used. Lean manufacturing has become an established and commonly implemented technique by manufacturing firms around the world in recent decades in an effort to achieve operational excellence (Womack et al, 1991; Rinehart et al., 1997). Nahm et al. (2012) suggest that lean practices are especially critical in turbulent times for firms to bolster their internal capability and increase their value within the supply chain.\nExamples of successful lean implementation: There are countless examples of companies that have successfully created lean organizations. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems at its Mesa, AZ facility, which builds the Apache helicopter, achieved an 85 per cent reduction in the number of hours spent on assembly and shortened throughput times by 66 per cent without adding additional staff or capacity through implementing lean (James, 2006). Steelcase Inc., a Grand Rapids, MI, office furniture manufacturer with over 100 years in the industry, implemented lean manufacturing techniques at its City of Industry plant in California, resulting in decreased cycle time for seats from six to eight days to less than 3 h. Additional productions statistics from Steelcase reflect a 40 per cent efficiency gain, a 250 per cent improvement in material turns and decreased paint-cycle time from 150 to 85 min or less (Carter, 2006). Steelcase is now implementing these techniques at other US facilities and the 30 others it operates globally.\nSupportive factors for lean: This study examines the strategy-lean fit by looking at the link between strategy and the supportive factors for lean. The three factors examined are as follows:\nTypes of strategy: We examine four strategy types, based on research results from Venkatraman (1989) and Miles and Snow (1978). They are:\nResearch methods: Linkages between types of strategy and supportive factors for lean are examined by surveying firms that have implemented lean, asking their workers about their experience and asking managers about their strategy. In total, 11 firms took part in the study. They are all mid-sized firms operating in mature industries (industries that have been in place for a while, are established as necessary and where most customers are repeat buyers) (Porter, 1980), and located in the same Midwest state in the USA. In total, 180 employees completed the survey regarding their perception of lean. Of all, 76 managers submitted answers regarding strategy. The sample firms are divided based on being high or low on each strategy type. The high/low groups in strategy are then compared, examining the supportive factors for lean. The significance level of 0.10 is used to determine whether the differences in the mean were statistically significant.\nResults and discussion: Prospectors and lean supportive factors\nConclusion: This research demonstrates that, when it comes to lean, strategy matters. When looking at the four different types of strategy - prospectors, defenders and analyzers would have to carefully calibrate the way they go about lean to make sure they would get the most out of it. This is because the nature of these strategies have an element that may have a counter effect upon their workers' perception of lean, a critical element in lean implementation (Womack and Jones, 2003; Liker and Hoseus, 2008). The futurists turn out to have the most desirable fit between the nature of their strategy and the supportive factors for lean. The greatest risk for futurists would be to be oblivious of the excellent opportunities they have at hand. Ultimately, prior to implementing lean, all organizations should consider the fit with their strategy.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: This study aims to explore how placement of lean practices (removal of waste from all areas of an organization's value stream) (Worley and Doolen, 2006) within different organizational strategic contexts can affect the factors that lead to lean implementation success.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors use empirical data to examine how strategy affects various factors that are identified as prerequisites for successful lean implementation. Specifically, this study uses Venkatraman's (1998) measures to examine various types of strategy within organizations, how they correlate with both the workers' mindset (perceived job security and perceived personal benefits of lean) and the processes in implementation (training on lean concepts and techniques).\nFindings: Findings indicate that a relationship exists between strategy and factors needed for lean implementation success. Perceived job security had a positive relationship with all four types of strategies examined (proactiveness, defensiveness, analysis and futurity) (Venkatraman, 1998). Moreover, perceived personal benefits of lean had a positive relationship with futurity but negative relationships with proactiveness and defensiveness strategies. Finally, training on lean concepts and techniques was positively related to analysis and futurity strategies but negatively related to proactiveness strategy.\nOriginality/value: The authors' research illustrates the positive impact of aligning lean with strategy. This topic may be of particular interest to executives, especially middle managers, looking to improve firm performance.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
The global rise of "fake news" and the threat to democratic elections in the USA	[ "The USA", "Fake news", "Democratic elections" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nDistinguishing between news and \"fake news\": As the World Economic Forum (2013) recently warned, a kind of so-called \"digital wildfires,\" i.e., unreliable information going viral online (fake news) could be noted as one of the biggest threats faced by governments and societies. The debate surrounding \"fake news\" has been around for decades - although often defined by different names - and only recently has the term been popularized. The Miriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.) explained that \"fake news\" has been in use for over 125 years but has recently taken on new meaning. It defined \"fake news\" as a kind of news that is \"frequently used to describe a political story, which is seen as damaging to an agency, entity, or person.\" Allcott and Gentzkow (2017) noted the related topics have been \"extensively covered\" by literature in economics, psychology, political science and computer science. Scholars have, for the past decade, analyzed the ways in which entertainment may have an impact on politics. Particularly, the satirical nature of talk shows, such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart or The Colbert Report, has drawn into question how entertainment-driven news may impact the political landscape. In his study on entertainment television and politics, Holbert (2005) defined The Daily Show as \"a program that embodies the fake news subgenre.\" He further defined the genre as one which \"represents programming where either the program's central focus or a very specific and well-defined portion is devoted to political satire.\" This emphasizes a particularly important point that the most common fake stories revolve around politics, and we cannot undermine the impact this has had on societies.\nThe impact of social media: In 2016, Facebook user numbers per month reached 1.8bn and Twitter numbered 400m; this was reinforced by a Gallup poll which indicated that there was \"a continuing decline of 'trust and confidence' in the mass media\" (Allcott and Gentzkow, 2017). \"Fake news\" has become dominant across platforms, and the biggest factor behind \"fake news\" stories' success is their high level of social engagement. Leading up to the 2016 US presidential election, the public's engagement with \"fake news\" through Facebook was higher than through mainstream sources (Silverman, 2016, November 16). A post-election survey conducted by Allcott and Gentzkow (2017) found for the month before the 2016 election, people reported spending 66 min each day \"reading, watching or listening to election news\" - 38 percent was on social media. Diehl et al. (2016) conducted the first study in 2016 to help demonstrate the relationship between news consumption and persuasion in social media, and since then, studies on this relationship have increased and further extended to the realm of \"fake news.\"\nPolitical polarization and individual responsibility: The impact of social media on a country's political psyche cannot be underestimated. Increasingly, political polarization is perpetuated by media bubbles, creating environments where individuals are not exposed to conflicting perspectives challenging their beliefs. Spohr (2017) related this to the spread of \"fake news,\" as platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow for news stories to be published shared \"without fact-checking and editorial mechanisms in place.\" Additionally, Anand (2017) argued that the political polarization of social media is the fault of \"sorting based beliefs,\" when \"viewers watch news programs and channels whose positions match their tastes and beliefs.\" He explained, \"we watch what we believe, but what we don't watch, we don't believe.\" Therefore, individuals create their own media filters through viewing programs aligning with their beliefs due to confirmation bias, a rejection of \"valid information that is not consistent with our beliefs.\" This self-imposed media bubble is as a result reinforced and perpetuated using algorithmic filters on Facebook and Google to bring users content that aligns with presumed interests based on search histories and personal associations. However, studies have shown that individual choice has more of an effect on exposure to differing perspectives than \"algorithmic curation\" (Bakshy et al., 2015). The individual's tendency to exhibit \"selective exposure behavior\" and \"confirmation bias,\" as it is often referred to, ultimately increases ideological polarization, and this proves extremely important when analyzing individual responsibility in a culture which perpetuates \"fake news.\"\n\"Fake news\" and the 2016 US presidential election: By the time of the 2016 US presidential election, Pew Research Center found that 77 percent of adults who used the internet used social network sites compared with 16 percent in 2006 (Perrin, 2015, October 8). Clearly, the environment surrounding the 2016 election was fundamentally different from any other in the American history. The populace of the USA had become increasingly divided over the past few decades and it also made \"fake news\" transforming as a popularized term. \"Fake news,\" as Finneman and Thomas (2018) asserted, \"soared\" during the election, it would always lead to the result of increased distribution access and a decline in trust in the mainstream media. Issues such as \"filter bubbles\" are especially relevant during the election, as partisan politics continue to divide the nation along the ideological lines. Such an election held in 2016 is a typical example of the effects \"fake news\" that can have on a population and highlights the ways in which it is disseminated and consumed, allowing for a better understanding of the possible effects \"fake news\" may have in the future.\nWhere do we go from here?: Ultimately, the effects of \"fake news\" can have detrimental consequences for the government of a polity and its democratic process. To be simple, the entire political process of democracy is based on reliable information. With large-scale and widespread dissemination of \"fake news,\" this crucial foundation has been more or less violated. As a result, citizens are not always able to form well-considered opinions and hence make rational political decisions. Such a result is an increasing correlation between viewing \"fake news\" and attitudes of inefficacy, alienation and cynicism toward politics (Balmas, 2014). One of the dangerous consequences that factually \"fake news\" has on the US democracy is that people often confuse or conflate the two distinct types of \"fake news,\" factual and ideological, providing validity to ideological claims of \"fake news.\" This has left the populace in the USA unwilling to trust the mainstream media and becoming more politically polarized, resulting in individuals adhering to alternative sets of facts, or worse, not knowing what to believe. \"Fake news\" at this point diminishes the possibility of democratic debate and the subsequent legitimacy of the democratic process. It also presents a destabilizing capacity which effects citizens' trust in policies, governments or even in democracy as a whole. Perhaps more debilitating, such destabilization would lead to the result in tensions between citizens and in citizen-media interactions. Bishop (2008) argued in his popular book \"fake news\" creates communities that act as feedback loops where we are \"hearing our own thoughts about what's right and wrong bounced back to us by the television shows we watch, the newspapers and books we read [...] and the neighborhoods we live in.\" Such political polarization creates immense consequences for the success of democracy, as individuals are utilizing the destabilizing properties of \"fake news\" to propel partisan politics.\nMany options, but no solution: Allcott and Gentzkow (2017) summarized the problem when they wrote that \"it is both privately and socially valuable when people can infer the true state of the world.\" Scholars are continuing to suggest new ways to address \"fake news\" in the media. Allcott and Gentzkow (2017) argued that social planners should increase information about world affairs while simultaneously increasing incentives for consumers to \"infer the true state of the world.\" Others proposed the responsibility falls on technology companies to redesign algorithms that encourage \"fake news\" and \"filter bubbles.\" Still, some still insisted that it is absolutely one of the government's duties to properly regulate \"fake news,\" creating laws that would make willfully authoring and/or distributing false and deceptive news stories punishable. In the USA, there currently exist 27 states with fraud statutes in place. Whether such statutes will pass muster at the constitutional level remains to be seen. The argument follows that while the retention of such laws may conflict with the currently dominant interpretation of the First Amendment, retention, as expected, could be helpful to a kind of better-functioning democracy and meanwhile civil society. The question thus remains if we, the audience, are responsible for filtering what we read and/or share or whether the responsibility falls on the government of a polity.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: Since the end of 2016, \"fake news\" has had a clear meaning in the USA. After years of scholarship attempting to define \"fake news\" and where it fits among the larger schema of media hoaxing and deception, popular culture and even academic studies converged following the 2016 US presidential election to define \"fake news\" in drastically new ways. The paper aims to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In light of the recent elections in the USA, many fear \"fake news\" that have gradually become a powerful and sinister force, both in the news media environment as well as in the fair and free elections. The scenario draws into questions how the general public interacts with such outlets, and to what extent and in which ways individual responsibility should govern the interactions with social media.\nFindings: Fake news is a growing threat to democratic elections in the USA and other democracies by relentless targeting of hyper-partisan views, which play to the fears and prejudices of people, in order to influence their voting plans and their behavior.\nOriginality/value: Essentially, \"fake news\" is changing and even distorting how political campaigns are run, ultimately calling into question legitimacy of elections, elected officials and governments. Scholarship has increasingly confirmed social media as an enabler of \"fake news,\" and continues to project its potentially negative impact on democracy, furthering the already existing practices of partisan selective exposure, as well as heightening the need for individual responsibility.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Entrepreneurial intentions of Colombian business students: Planned behaviour, leadership skills and social capital	[ "Social capital", "Latin America", "Leadership skills", "Theory of planned behaviour", "Entrepreneurial intention" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Entrepreneurial intention is a process antecedent to entrepreneurial action that involves recognizing opportunities, looking for information, finding resources and establishing business strategies (Boyd and Vozikis, 1994; Krueger and Carsrud, 1993; Lee et al., 2011). There are various models that have tried to explain entrepreneurial intention, but in theory-driven work one of the most widely used has been the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991, 2005). This model focusses heavily on individual normative beliefs and attitudes. Empirical evidence has shown that this model in many circumstances constitutes an adequate framework for the prediction of human behaviour (Ajzen and Cote, 2008) and can be successfully applied to understanding and explaining entrepreneurial intentions (Angriawan et al., 2012; Ajzen, 2005; Gird and Bagraim, 2008; Engle et al., 2010; Iakovleva et al., 2011; Nabi et al., 2010; Otuya et al., 2013; Souitaris et al., 2007). This paper proposes a reconceptualization of TPB in which cognitive social capital (Bandura, 1989; Davidsson and Honig, 2003; Linan and Santos, 2007) is equated to and incorporates the TPB construct of social norms, that is the perceived normative social pressure to undertake a particular action. Cognitive social theory holds that an individual's behaviour, in this case entrepreneurial intention, is informed not only through internal self-generated means, but also externally through observation of and engagement with others in a social context (Bandura, 1988, 1989), and has found expression in models of entrepreneurial intention through the concept of self-efficacy (Krueger et al., 2000). However, this also provides an expanded framework through which not only internally perceived social norms but also externally generated social capital bonding and bridging, through family background and perceived leadership ability, might influence entrepreneurial behaviour.\nLiterature review and conceptual development: Previous literature\nMethodology: Context\nResults: The hypotheses were tested using a structural equation estimation of the conceptual model set out in Figure 1. This estimation method is asymptotically distribution-free to allow for the non-normality of the set of variables used in estimation (Browne, 1984). The model was estimated using the AMOS package within SPSS (Byrne, 2001). Results for this are shown in Figure 4. The kh2-statistic in this case is a \"badness of fit\" statistic, and the reported statistic of 4.352 with 4 degrees of freedom has a p-value of 0.360, indicating that the model has a high level of explanatory power. This is confirmed by the other summary goodness of fit statistics, goodness of fit index, adjusted goodness of fit index and comparative fit index, all of which are very close to one. Correspondingly the root mean squared error of approximation is close to 0, and below the threshold of 0.06 which has been proposed (Hu and Bentler, 1999). Overall the model obtained has a satisfactory goodness of fit, and can therefore explain the relationships among the set of analysed variables.\nDiscussion: The findings here provide some support for the reconceptualization of the TPB using social cognitive theory to include social capital in a model of entrepreneurial intentions, in the particular context of Colombia. However, the model is only partially supported in terms of the role of bonding cognitive social capital. Whereas subjective norms on the social acceptability of entrepreneurship are found to be positively associated with both perceived desirability and feasibility, no relationship between FEB and either of these two key constructs in the TPB is found. One explanation for the relative weakness of these findings concerning any causal linkage between bonding social capital and entrepreneurial intentions relates back to prevailing attitudes at the societal level in Colombia. As noted early, international comparative data (GEM) suggests that there is already a very high level of social and cultural acceptance of entrepreneurship in the country. This implies that there may be little variation in attitudes across a relatively homogeneous sample of young people. In particular, the high level of social connection between young people and practicing entrepreneurs in the wider family and social milieu (as reported in Figure 2) may imply little distinction in the assessment of the entrepreneurial desirability between those with a strong immediate family background and those without. Intending student entrepreneurs are able to find bonding social capital resource without necessarily turning to their parents and immediate family members. Nevertheless, bonding social capital is to be found more generally in subjective assessments of shared attitudes towards entrepreneurs, particularly in the subjects' assessment of the perceived feasibility of entrepreneurship, where the regression coefficient is large (0.50) and statistically significant.\nConclusion: Entrepreneurial intention is seen across a large body of research literature as an important topic for research since it is grounded in the proposition that psychological intention is a good predictor of subsequent action. The TPB has been used in the context of entrepreneurship research to identify antecedent constructs for intentions, particularly in the context of understanding career choices of young people. This paper has investigated the way in which TPB may be reconceptualized to allow the key constructs of perceived desirability and feasibility to mediate the role of cognitive social capital in determining entrepreneurial intentions. Recent work has argued that entrepreneurial intention and leadership skill may share significant features in common, such as attitude to risk, proactivity and the ability to develop a wider, shared vision of future opportunity.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to reconceptualize the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in the light of social cognitive theory to investigate the role of social capital, specifically the leadership skill as a social capital generating influence in the formation of entrepreneurial intentions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A new conceptualization of TPB is proposed to allow the impact of bonding and bridging cognitive social capital to be mediated by TPB constructs of perceived desirability and feasibility of entrepreneurship. Hypotheses are developed related to leadership skills, family background and social norms as external and internal indicators of social capital, and tested on primary data from 322 student respondents in a Colombian business school.\nFindings: Leadership skills, indicative of bridging cognitive social capital, are found to be strongly and significantly associated with entrepreneurial intentions through the mediating role of the core TPB constructs. Evidence for the role of bonding social capital through measures of the social acceptability of entrepreneurship and family background is mixed, and in the case of family background no indirect association with intentions is found.\nResearch limitations/implications: Although the Latin American context would suggest significant population variation in personal and background resource, there is relatively little variation across this sample, particularly in terms of family background. Thus, rates of graduate entrepreneurship may relate more closely to constraints acting on entry into higher education than on other background characteristics, and therefore future work in similar contexts ought to be conducted across a wider socio-economic sample.\nPractical implications: Opportunities to develop and enhance student perception of leadership ability through either education or experience might improve levels of graduate entrepreneurship, alongside traditional activities to raise self-efficacy and perceived salience of entrepreneurship.\nOriginality/value: Student leadership skills have rarely been addressed in the context of entrepreneurship development. This paper highlights the relevance of this in a developing economy context.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Quay crane scheduling for multiple hatches vessel considering double-cycling strategy	[ "Container terminal", "Mixed integer programming", "Delay risk", "Double-cycling strategy", "Multiple hatch covers" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Nomenclature\n1. Introduction: The growth of the world economy promotes the increase of international trade, which leads to the sustained growth of container transport. The throughput of global container ports achieved 781.6m TEU in 2018, and it is expected to reach 850m in 2020 according to the Drewry. The continuous increase of port handling has also directly placed tremendous pressure on container handlings, which results in high risk of vessel departure delay. Additionally, with the increasing size of container vessels, terminals also face operation challenge of servicing mega-ships. Therefore, it is important to improve the operation efficiency and the service at container terminals (Meng et al., 2017).\n2. Literature review: Many former research studies have addressed terminal problems, including berth template planning (Imai et al., 2014; Moorthy and Teo, 2006), yard template generation (Zhen, 2014; He and Tan, 2018; Tan et al., 2017) at the strategic level and berth allocation (Arango et al., 2011; Lee and Wang, 2010), crane scheduling (Kim and Park, 2004; He et al., 2018), yard space allocation (Jin et al., 2016; Chen and Yahalom, 2013; Chen et al., 2017) at the operational level. For a general overview, review works are given by Vis and Koster (2003), Steenken et al. (2004) and Stahlbock and Voss (2008). From these review works, we also can find that most research studies use an optimization model-based mixed integer model to conduct the various terminal operational problems.\n3. Problem description: 3.1 QC scheduling problem\n4. Model formulation: 4.1 Assumptions\n5. Computational experiments: To validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a series of numerical experiments with different sizes are conducted. This section consists of three parts: case study, performance analysis and sensitivity analysis. First, a case study is presented to apply the preceding model. Second, the results between the proposed method and the method based on single-strategy are compared to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Finally, several experiments are computed to test the sensitivity with different scenarios.\n6. Conclusions: The development of mega container ships and the market competition put forward higher requirements on the operational ability of container terminals. This paper aims to propose an effective method for QC scheduling to reduce the delay risk of vessel departure. An MIP model, which covers the main operational and structural constraints, is formulated to solve the QCSP with a novel objective. A case study is presented and a number of numerical experiments are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model. Moreover, sensitivity analysis is also performed in this paper. The main findings may also inspire the operation management in a container terminal. Besides, there are some limitations in the current study, such as the objective function of the model cannot precisely evaluate the QC efficiency. Moreover, we plan to find a more effective algorithm to solve the QCDCP in the future.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The development of mega container ships and operational pressures puts forward higher requirements on the operational ability of the container terminal. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to propose an effective method for quay crane (QC) scheduling of multiple hatches vessel considering double-cycling strategy to improve the operation efficiency and reduce the risk of delay.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A mixed integer programming model, which covers the main operational constraints in a container terminal, is formulated to solve the quay crane scheduling problem (QCSP) with a novel objective.\nFindings: A case study is presented and a number of numerical experiments are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model. Meanwhile, management insights are proposed. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can efficiently solve QCSP in a container terminal, and an interesting finding is that reducing the stack layers on the vessel can improve the operation efficiency of QC.\nOriginality/value: A new mathematical model is proposed for QC scheduling at the operational level, which considers the constraints of double-cycling strategy, multiple hatches and hatch covers. The proposed model also provides methods to research the QC double-cycling problem considering the balance between energy cost and operation efficiency.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Consumer behavior and purchase intention for organic food	[ "Ecological awareness", "Consumer purchasing behaviour", "Consumer satisfaction", "India", "Organic foods", "Buying behaviour" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this article.\n1. Introduction: Marketers are keen to sell the organic products with the increasing awareness of issues such as environment, naturopathy and green world. Environment friendly products are gaining popularity among consumers because they are more aware about their health and protection of the environment. Marketers involved in sales of organic food have to segment their market scientifically in order to maximize the market share. People who believe in health benefits, taste and protection of environment and believe to improve their life style can be the potential consumers of organic food. Moreover consumers are willing to \"pay for the privilege of buying green\" (Mintu-Wimsatt and Bradford, 1995).During the last four decades, a progressive increase in environmental consciousness has emerged as the environment moved from a fringe, to a mainstream issue (Grant, 2007; Goleman, 2009). Many factors induced the consumers to be attracted towards environment, explained by numerous studies during this period. This issue also attracted the media to explore, resulting more stringent legislation, which further resulted in the rise of premier group activities that has led consumers to become more concerned about the environment, resulting further, in great stirs of major industrial disasters (Schlegelmilch et al., 1996). Besides these efforts consumer awareness also encouraged consumers to take some responsibility to reduce environmental damage through recycling and purchasing ecologically sound products (Paladino and Baggiere, 2008).Coddington (1993) also mentioned the change in the perspective of the consumers. Consumers were worried about the impact of environmental damage on their health and safety. Their anxiety compelled the marketers to incorporate environment issue in their decision making. Further two important attitudes, i.e. confidence in food and health consciousness have emerged as main attractions for the consumers towards organic food. This consciousness towards health is growing gradually with the increase of age. Even Germany is not far behind with regard to the attitude towards organic food (Von Alvensleben, 1998). Furthermore, Nigerian consumers are also aware as well as agree that organic food is healthier, tastier, has no harmful effects and is of better quality than the inorganic food (Dipeolu et al., 2009). Consumers buy organic food mainly because of health benefits (Shepherd et al., 2005). Effective campaigns play eminent role in creating awareness in the minds of consumers and they are ready to spend more money for green products (Garcia-Gallego and Georgantzis, 2011).All the studies mentioned above have played an important role in understanding the purchasing pattern of the consumers and encouraging the expansion of green products at a fast pace. Every market has different factors determining the popularity of organic food. The change in attitude towards organic food was initially seen at a political level first in Europe and then followed by North America and Japan, which came in response to the growing interest in organic products due to the serious problems caused by the dominant world view underlying the theories and methodology of technology such as over production, environmental pollution, food scare and the depopulation of rural areas (Lockeretz, 2007; Padel and Lampkin, 2007).On the one side, due to organic trend being weakened in the Eastern and southern Europe, Italy being an exception, consumers of these areas were not much interested in the organic food (Dabbert et al., 2004; Padel et al., 2008), whereas on the other side, the developed and industrialized cities in these areas showed a remarkable growth in the market share of certified organic food products (Aschemann et al., 2007; Richter, 2008). Among developing countries, India is one of the most potential markets for marketing organic food. Many people since centuries are well aware that the organic food is much superior from the point-of-view of health than that of the inorganic food, India had been one of the main follower of organic food in fact it had been fully dependent upon the natural fertilizers. Therefore, India can be the best potential market for the marketers of organic food, but to fit themselves in, they will have to have the confidence of the consumers, who are the loyal customers of organic food, with their quality products (Chakrabarti, 2010).1.1 Ecological awareness\n2. Theoretical framework: This study focuses on the factors which influence the intention of consumers to purchase organic food. These factors create ecological awareness and develop ecological preferences among consumers which influence the intention of consumers to purchase. It becomes easy for ecologically aware consumers to include organic food in their regular purchase and get satisfied with it. In fact consumers purchase organic food if overall satisfaction from such food is more than inorganic food but their level of satisfaction varies for different attributes (see Figure 1).2.1 Influences\n3. Research methodology: The research methods employed in this study can be divided as follows.3.1 Questionnaire development and instrument\n4. Results: 4.1 Influence of demographic factors (H1)\n5. Discussion: Consumers were satisfied with organic food for variety of reasons. Healthy content came first in their mind over environmentally safe, satisfies changing taste, attitude of the customers, and helps in maintaining status in the society. Quality of the product was also a very important factor for consumers, of organic food. Overall satisfaction of consumers for organic food was high than inorganic food. That means consumers of this food were quite happy with the food. Consumers think that organic food is costly. But at the same time they believe that higher price can be paid for the healthy contents and eco-friendly of the product. Consumers were not stick to the organic food purchase only. They bought inorganic food in combination with organic food. It can be inferred that the Marketers need to segment their market carefully and frame their marketing strategy to convince these potential consumers effectively.\n6. Managerial implications: This study provides guidelines and suggestions for retailers who are selling organic food. Besides this, the study can be helpful for the organic food manufacturers to identify their target consumers by showing the influence of demographic factors on organic food purchase. Retailers of organic food can segment their market and can make their marketing strategy accordingly. It can provide a valuable insights for them by indicating health benefits is the most important determinant among various factors. They can focus on this factor in their marketing strategy. The findings of this study also suggest that availability also affect the intention to purchase organic food therefore retailers can incorporate this element also in their marketing strategy. They should ensure the timely availability of organic food to their consumers at proper outlets. The findings of this study also suggest that consumers are willing to pay more price for organic food but retailers will have to convince them for its benefits. Further the study suggests that organic food retailers might attract potential consumers by providing information regarding other benefits like quality, taste freshness and environmental benefits also.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: - The main objective of this study is to understand the behavior of ecological consumers and their intention to purchase organic food. The study aims to determine the factors influencing consumer behavior towards organic food.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The method used for the data collection was a face-to-face interview, using a structured questionnaire, with closed-ended questions. In total, 463 respondents participated in the survey. It was decided to use various multivariate analyses like multiple regressions, factor analysis and cluster analysis with large sample size.\nFindings: - The results indicate that health, availability and education from demographic factors positively influence the consumer's attitude towards buying organic food. Overall satisfaction of consumers for organic food is more than inorganic food but the satisfaction level varies due to different factors.\nPractical implications: - This study suggests that retailers can develop effective marketing program and strategies to influence consumers positively. They can emphasize the health benefits and quality of organic food. They can make these products easily available to attract consumers to buy organic food.\nOriginality/value: - This study provides valuable insight into consumer behavior regarding organic food by examining the factors that influence consumers' intention to purchase organic food, within the Indian context. The lessons can also be replicated in other countries for marketing organic foods.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]
Efficiency ranking method using DEA and TOPSIS (ERM-DT): case of an Indian bank	[ "Indian Bank", "Keywords data envelopment analysis (DEA)", "MCDM tools", "Technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS)" ]	[ { "content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: A decision maker evaluates several business alternatives, using multiple criteria before making the final decision. In such a scenario, multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) tools play an important role in making the evaluation transparent and simple. These MCDM tools use numeric techniques to help decision makers choose from a discrete set of decision alternatives. Various decision alternatives are evaluated on the basis of pre-defined criteria and are ranked accordingly. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) (Charnes et al., 1978) is one such decision-making tool that enables a practicing manager make proper evaluation and assessment of the complex business situation. DEA is being used widely for its advantages. Few of them being:\n2. Preliminaries: In this section, the three multi-criteria decision-making tools, namely, DEA, Super CCR and TOPSIS are briefly discussed.\n3. Proposed framework: In this section, we explain the proposed framework. This approach is based on the following theme. Initially, we compute the efficiency of a DMU using Expression (1) based on Farrell (1957) approach. The various input and output combinations, will lead to a range of efficiency scores. Then, given an input-output combination, we identify the best and worst efficiency values, across all DMUs. Later, for each DMU, known efficiency values, for all the input-output combinations, we compute the Euclidean distance from the best value and the worst value. Based on the Euclidean distances, a score (closeness value) is obtained. This score is used for ranking the DMUs. The proposed framework is explained elaborately, in the next sub-section.\n4. An application of the proposed approach: In this section, we illustrate the application of the proposed framework for various branches of a nationalized bank operating in India. This premier Indian Bank has the largest network of branches in any public sector bank in the state of Maharashtra. The bank has 1,728 branches, with nearly 14,000 dedicated work force managing the total business of INR 1,707.34 billion (as on March 31, 2013). All the branches provide \"anywhere any time banking\" facilities.\n5. Conclusions: The conventional DEA (CRS DEA) model has seen its applicability in the past. However, few researchers have pointed out some limitations. Various improved versions of DEA such as super efficiency DEA model, cross-efficiency DEA model, etc., have been suggested to overcome some of these limitations.\n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a tie-breaking procedure for computing performance efficiencies to improve benchmarking and performance evaluation process in a business situation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors propose a unified approach based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), to overcome the difficulty of unique ranking in the prevalent benchmarking and performance evaluation processes such as DEA, Super efficiency DEA model, etc., under constant return to scale (CRS) assumption. This model is called as efficiency ranking method using DEA and TOPSIS (ERM-DT). In order to check the consistency of the approach, various input-output combinations (to calculate the efficiencies) have been illustrated. Further, the authors present a case of an Indian Bank to illustrate an application of the proposed approach.\nFindings: The proposed approach, ERM-DT enables assign a unique rank to decision making units and provides a tie breaking procedure. Results obtained using the proposed approach are statistically compared with those obtained from the CRS DEA approach and super efficiency DEA approach using Friedman's test.\nPractical implications: The proposed model provides an efficiency ranking method based on a score obtained by considering the minimum distance from the best value and maximum distance from the worst value. The proposed methodology is capable of handling negative data and undesirable output variables. This approach is unit invariant and makes the calculations simple. The authors present an application to compute the efficiency of various branches of an Indian bank. The authors hope the proposed method can enhance the decision-making ability of the management in complex situations.\nOriginality/value: The authors propose an integrated DEA and TOPSIS framework for better benchmarking and performance evaluation. This approach provides a tie-breaking procedure for the efficiencies computed using CRS DEA approach. Ranks are assigned based on score obtained by considering the distance from the worst and the best solution. The proposed approach can be used with non-positive data points and undesirable output variables.\n", "role": "assistant" } ]

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