title
stringlengths 6
301
| keywords
listlengths 0
23
| messages
listlengths 2
2
|
|---|---|---|
Perceptions and practices of paediatric occupational therapists: The challenges of implementing the national assessment of need (AON) process
|
[
"Assessment of need",
"Pediatric advisory group (PAG)",
"Pediatrics"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Occupational therapists working in paediatrics aim to work with children with a variety of diagnoses to provide assessments, interventions and follow-up services (Case-Smith et al., 2000). The assessments utilised and format of assessment can vary as does the approach or frame of reference taken during assessment and interventions (Brown et al., 2005). In Ireland, the Disability Act (2005) dictates that children are entitled to an assessment of need (AON) if they meet certain criteria; however, anecdotally, members of the Paediatric Advisory Group (PAG) (a subcommittee of the Association of Occupational Therapists Ireland [AOTI]) have highlighted various concerns relating to this practice.\nBackground to the AON: Under Part 2 of the Disability Act (Government of Ireland, 2005), children under five years (on 1 April 2007) with a disability are entitled to an independent assessment of their health and educational needs arising from their disability, an assessment report and a statement of the services they will receive. The AON is arranged by an independent assessment officer employed by the Health Service Executive (HSE). Following on from the assessment, a service statement is then drawn up by a liaison officer or case manager. There are also independent complaints and an appeals process for people who are dissatisfied with the assessment process. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) recently amended standards for the AON to stipulate that children born after the 1st of June 2002 are eligible to apply for an assessment.\nAim: The PAG considered it important to gain more insight into occupational therapists perceptions of completing the AON process with their client group. The purpose of the survey was to evaluate the level of understanding and knowledge that therapists have of the AON, as well as highlighting any concerns that are being faced in daily practice. The survey aimed to gather feedback from qualified occupational therapists who had experience using the AON. Participants who were not qualified occupational therapists or who had not administered the AON were excluded. The survey was distributed between September and December 2015 through email.\nMethod: Feedback from occupational therapists nationally was gathered through an online survey developed by the PAG committee, as no other appropriate questionnaire existed, and the questionnaire used by the NDA was not specific enough for the Occupational Therapy population. The survey aimed to help the PAG committee to gather further information from therapists in relation to their knowledge and experience of completing the AON and any concerns related to this area of practice. The survey consisted of 18 multiple-choice questions in total. Information was sought regarding how the AON process is carried out by occupational therapists in terms of the time involved with the AON and the value of the process. The questionnaire was designed to accumulate further information on the following areas of the AON: format of how the AON is completed, therapists' contact with other professionals involved with the child, the role it plays in diagnosis, the frequency of referrals and the impact it has on the other services provided (see survey questions Appendix 1).\nResults: The survey was completed by 98 respondents (n = 98). In relation to the demographic data, the respondents represented a national geographic spread; however, a higher percentage were from Dublin North (16 per cent), Dublin South/Wicklow (20 per cent) and Cork (20 per cent) (see Figure 1).\nTraining, frequency of reviews and increasing age criteria: Clinicians revealed that little training to complete AON assessments had been provided at both the local and national level. Only 25 per cent of clinicians reported receiving training on the AON process within their team/department with the majority stating that they had not received a copy of guidelines and how to refer to them and also were unaware of any guidelines and training available to them. Less than 20 per cent reported that they had received organised training from AON officers/teams or other external bodies. In terms of the feedback or mentoring received by occupational therapists in relation to the content and quality of the AON reports; the majority reported they never receive any from their managers, schools or the rest of the AON team.\nSuggestions for improvement: Suggestions for how to improve the AON process were highlighted to include: \"national template for reports\", \"liaison between AON officers and clinicians on monthly basis regarding AON referrals\", \"AON process is not useful for seeking a diagnosis and therefore specialist teams would be more beneficial\", \"assessment only is not fair or practical to parents\", \"increase in resources and staffing\". Other respondents recommended establishing an AON committee and highlighted the shortfalls in the AON process, including no cover for sick leave of maternity leave for AON officers which results in a backlog in AONs being processed; however, this appears to vary across the country.\nDiscussion and clinical implications: The results from this survey of paediatric occupational therapists in Ireland about the AON process highlighted various disparities in relation to the amount of time spent on assessments, the format in which they were completed, whether a diagnosis was given or not, the length of assessment reports and the impact on occupational therapy interventions. The results also suggest the need for improved training and frequency of reviews and raised concerns about the increasing age criteria with no increasing resources and provided some suggestions for improvements for the future.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to feedback the results of a survey of paediatric occupational therapists completed by the Paediatric Advisory Group (PAG) regarding perceptions and practices of the assessment of need (AON) process. This survey was completed to gather feedback from occupational therapists about the impact of the AON process on paediatric occupational therapy practice in Ireland.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was developed by the authors, who were on the PAG committee, to specifically gather quantitative and qualitative information about the AON. A snowball sampling method was utilised. The results were grouped into themes related to the practices and recommendations from occupational therapists nationally.\nFindings: Surveys were returned from 98 paediatric occupational therapists with a wide national geographical spread with the majority working in the HSE. The amount of time spent on AON assessments, as well as the length of reports, varied nationally. The process of how assessments were completed (unidisciplinary or multidisciplinary) and whether a diagnosis was provided was inconsistent. Concerns were raised about the negative ethical impact of the AON on service provision and intervention and the need for further training of staff along with more frequent assessment reviews. The respondents also highlighted concerns about the increasing age of the AON criteria, with no increase in resources, and they provided suggestions for improvements for the future.\nResearch limitations/implications: The survey was sent to all AOTI and PAG members via gatekeepers and then forwarded to others, resulting in a snowball sampling technique; however, this does not represent all paediatric occupational therapists nationally as membership in these groups is voluntary.\nPractical implications: The concerns and inequities raised in the survey regarding occupational therapy practices of completing the AON process need to be shared with relevant stakeholders both at the occupational therapy management level and in the HSE and Department of Health/Disability. The PAG will continue to highlight these concerns from their members to relevant parties and by disseminating findings in articles such as this.\nSocial implications: Ethical concerns were raised by some members about the equity of access to interventions as a result of the AON process. The social implication of this for families and children is pertinent, particularly in the context of the increased age in the AON criteria without any increase in resources.\nOriginality/value: The PAG aims to support paediatric occupational therapists nationally and the committee often gathers feedback from members regarding concerns which affect day-to-day practice in paediatric OT. Sharing of this information with IJOT readers helps to highlight the challenges faced by paediatric occupational therapists nationally.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Heroic leadership in Australia, Sweden, and the United States
|
[
"Leadership",
"Culture",
"Management",
"Performance",
"Change",
"Effectiveness"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Much of the literature on leadership in business and education has argued against \"heroic leadership\" (Burns, 1978; Gosling and Mintzberg, 2003; Manz and Sims, 1991; Murphy, 1988) as being autocratic, hierarchical, non-participative and generating dependency. Critics opposed to heroic concepts argue for alternative approaches which are more democratic (Badaracco, 2001a, b), or \"post-heroic\" (Dutton, 1996; Huey and Sookdeo, 1994), or someone that is facilitative, collaborative, empowering and encourages ownership. Heroic leadership is seen as negative while the post-heroic leadership is seen as more relevant to today's needs. In this paper, we present case studies of successful school principals in three countries (Melbourne, Australia; Umea, Sweden; Arizona and Texas in the USA), who each show aspects of heroic and post-heroic leadership.\nTheoretical framework: Traditional notions of heroic leadership supported the taken-for-granted assumption that leadership was a single-person task (Crevani et al., 2007), with leaders who were distinct in their psychological traits and personal characteristics from ordinary, inferior individuals. Subordinates maintained a co-dependency on heroic leaders who were perceived to possess superior knowledge and information (Eicher, 2006; Murphy, 1988). The heroic leader was seen to be successful within a traditional hierarchical bureaucratic organisational structure that perpetuates the idea of unitary command and control (Pearce and Manz, 2005). Often charismatic, the heroic leader drew upon the moral realm of leadership by inspiring followers as extraordinary visionaries of change (Furman, 2004; Murphy, 1988). Murphy (1988) further explained that as heroic leaders, principals of effective schools were expected to dominate their organisations with a clear sense of vision and moral purpose.\nResearch design and methods: The case studies from the three countries, we report on here are part of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP; Leithwood and Day, 2007; Moos et al., 2011; Ylimaki and Jacobson, 2011). Since 2002 this project has sought to understand the characteristics, dispositions and qualities of successful principals in successful schools. Success was characterised by high academic results, reputation and other supporting data available in each country. Over more than 100 cases in 20 countries, the core methodology has remained the same throughout the project, with multiple-perspective case studies involving semi-structured individual and group interviews with the principal, teachers, students, parents and school board members used to understand the contribution of principal and other leadership to school success. Document searches were also used to enhance the case studies (e.g. by providing evidence of success). Some of the cases reported here also involved revisiting the schools. Interview data were analysed inductively in light of traditional heroic and post-heroic leadership perspectives. Considering the demographic, social, economic and cultural challenges of the areas in which these schools are immersed, we were mindful in focusing comparisons based on the sociopolitical climate of these locations, and conditions of students and their families.\nFindings: Australia\nConcluding thoughts: The idea of superheroes still triggers our imagination, hence the motivation to portray schools and principals using \"Waiting for Superman\" metaphors (Guggenheim, 2011; Dutro, 2011). Dutro (2011) humorously described Superman as:\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to draw from data collected as part of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) and present cases of democratic and heroic leadership from three countries, discussing to what extent successful school principals in each of their research sites (Melbourne, Australia; Umea, Sweden; Arizona and Texas in the USA) carry old and new perspectives of heroism in their leadership. In particular the paper explores two questions: first, how do school principals describe aspects of heroic and post-heroic leadership in their practices? and second, how do these heroic and post-heroic leadership practices meet contemporary demands such as accountability standards and build inclusive and collaborative school communities in challenging contexts?\nDesign/methodology/approach: Multiple-perspective case studies involving semi-structured individual and group interviews with principals, teachers, students, parents and school board members were used to understand the contribution of principals and other leadership to school success.\nFindings: The definitions of heroic and post-heroic leadership are inadequate in defining successful principal leadership. The Australian, Swedish and American principals showed characteristics of both heroic and post-heroic leadership. They showed heroic qualities such as: inspiring and motivating others; challenging the status quo; showing integrity in conflicting situations; putting duty before self; taking risks to champion a better way; showing courage to stand up to those in authority; advocating for students in struggling neighbourhoods under the scrutiny of both district and public expectations; and, showing uncommon commitment. Yet our principals showed post-heroic leadership such as involving others in decision making and recognising that school success depended on collective effort, and being sensitive to community needs through a deep respect for the local culture.\nOriginality/value: The research shows that we may need to redefine and recast our images of who school principals are today, and what they do to generate academic success for students. Both heroic and post-heroic images of leadership are needed to explain successful school leadership.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Work-family conflict and synergy among Hispanics
|
[
"Gender differences",
"Job satisfaction",
"Personal health",
"Coping",
"Turnover",
"Ethnic groups",
"Hispanics",
"Work family conflict",
"Non-Hispanic whites",
"Work-family synergy",
"Job demands-resources"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Hispanics represent an increasing percentage of the employment population in the USA (Marron, 2012). The working definition of Hispanic refers \"to those individuals who reside in the United States and who were born in or trace their background of their families to one of the Spanish-speaking Latin American nations or to Spain\" (Marin and Marin, 1991, p. 1). We recognize the similarities and differences of individuals and groups subsumed under this term (Blancero and DelCampo, 2012). According to the 2010 Census, Hispanic's represent about 16 percent of the US population and account for nearly half of the US growth rate (Ennis et al., 2011). High birthrates among the Hispanic population suggest that this segment of the population will continue to grow at a rapid pace and represent an increasing share of the US workforce in the future.\nTheoretical background on work-family conflict and synergy: Work-family conflict has been defined as \"a type of inter-role conflict that occurs as a result of incompatible role pressures from the work and family domains\" (Greenhaus and Beutell, 1985, p. 77). Essentially, excessive demands from work (family) can make it more difficult to meet or comply with demands and expectations in the family (work) role. As such, it is simultaneous pressures arising from aspects of work and family roles that cause work-family conflict. In essence, work can interfere with family as well as family interfering with work (FIW). Thus, research has examined directional effects of work interfering with family (WIF) and FIW (e.g. Greenhaus et al., 2006). The two types of conflict are distinct but appear to be related in a reciprocal fashion (Byron, 2005).\nWork-family conflict among Hispanics: The vast majority of work-family research has been conducted on non-Hispanic whites. And although this research is quite important, the time has come to embrace more culturally diverse approaches in this area (e.g. Marron, 2012). It is essential to expand and broaden the studies of work-family conflict to different groups of workers as the US workforce rapidly increases in diversity (e.g. large increases in Hispanics in the workforce). We need to know about the work-family experiences of diverse groups, to determine the antecedents and outcomes of conflict and synergy among them, and to examine corporate work-family policies that may not be as culturally sensitive as they need to be.\nJob demands-resources (JD-R) in relation to work-family conflict and WFS: The JD-R model (e.g. Bakker and Demerouti, 2007; Demerouti and Bakker, 2011), along with the work-family model just reviewed (e.g. Greenhaus and Beutell, 1985), are the main theoretical models underpinning the hypotheses for this study. The JD-R postulates that stress in any occupational position emanates from two sources: job demands and resources. Job demands are factors that require attention, focus, energy, and on-going physical and/or mental effort, and, therefore are associated with certain costs derived from such effort. Demands can be a function of physical, psychological, social, or organizational aspects of the job. Examples of job demands include long work hours, schedule inflexibility, inadequate work environment, and irregular hours of work among many others. Job demands are not necessarily bad per se, but they can serve to increase stress levels (Demerouti and Bakker, 2011).\nSatisfaction outcomes: Satisfaction is one of the most frequently studied outcomes in the work-family literature (Allen et al., 2000; Grandey et al., 2005). Job satisfaction is an overall construct indicating an employee's feelings and attitudes about the work position they occupy, ranging from negative to positive. Life satisfaction, though similar, assesses one's life as a whole at a particular point in time. WIF have been found to be inversely related to both job and life satisfaction (e.g. Beutell, 2006). Allen et al. (2000), for example, found average relationships between WIF and job satisfaction of -0.24 and for WIF and life satisfaction of -0.28. Mesmer-Magnus and Viswesvaran (2005) reported similar findings in their meta-analytic study. There is also research indicating that WFS is related to satisfaction. Beutell (2010b) reported some evidence that WFS was positively related to both job and life satisfaction. Hill (2005) reported similar findings.\nHealth and work-family conflict and synergy: The JD-R model posits a psychological process relating to job strain. Job-related strain can occur when jobs are poorly designed or when excessive demands on the job lead to job distress and exhaustion resulting in the depletion of an employee's physical and psychological resources. Employees subjected to such an environment, over time, may develop health problems. Demerouti and Bakker (2011) have labeled this the \"health impairment\" process. This is also consistent with the COR model. Demerouti and Bakker (2011) cite Hockey's (1993) performance-protection strategies in this context:\nHealth, coping, and life satisfaction: Studies suggest that the way that individuals cope with stressful events can influence their sense of well-being (e.g. Diener et al., 1999; Park and Adler, 2003). Coping is a resource in the JD-R and COR sense. Coping is defined as \"cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person\" (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984, p. 141). Our interest is in the impact of coping with depression and health on overall life satisfaction. Specifically, we examine perceived control (Thompson and Prottas, 2005) and optimism in the face of difficulty from a coping style perspective (Park and Adler, 2003). Thompson and Prottas (2005) found that perceived control, one of the items in our coping measure, mediated most of the relationships in their study of organizational work-family support. Control is important in people's lives, and, a sense of control over situations is related to health and well-being. For example, recent research has shown that control beliefs are related to depression and life satisfaction (Wardle et al., 2004). Our approach to coping is similar to Hall's (1972) role reorientation. Greenhaus et al. (2006) identified it as emotion-focussed coping as this type of coping does not actually change the structural characteristics of the situation.\nJob satisfaction and turnover intentions: Given the increasing representation of Hispanics in the US workforce, it is important to study outcome variables such as turnover intentions (Mallol et al., 2007). As Mallol et al. (2007) have argued:\nMethod: Sample\nResults: Figure 1 shows the structural equation model (SEM) depicting the major study variables and hypotheses. Table I shows the means and standard deviations for the study variables. Pearson correlations are presented for Hispanics on the lower left and non-Hispanic whites on the upper right side of the table. The diagonal reports reliability coefficients for multi-item scales. The majority of correlations are significant and in the expected direction.\nDiscussion: The present findings add to the work-family literature in several ways. This is the first study, to our knowledge, that simultaneously examines both directions of work-family conflict along with WFS among Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites using a theory-derived structural model including antecedents and outcomes. Given the increasing diversity of the workforce we need a more complete view of work-family variables among different ethnic groups. As hypothesized, Hispanic women reported significantly higher WIF and FIW levels than Hispanic men and non-Hispanic whites. Counter to our expectations, Hispanic women (not Hispanic men as hypothesized) also reported the highest WFS levels. As far as we know, this is the first empirical evidence demonstrating the impact of ethnicity on WFS. We believe that gender role attitudes, along with the belief, that for Hispanics, work is viewed as an extension of and support for family (e.g. DelCampo and Hinrichs, 2006) is an explanation for our findings.\nConclusions: Our findings make unique contributions to the developing literature on work-family conflict and synergy among Hispanics as well as non-Hispanic whites. Our model included job demand and resource variables that revealed similarities as well as differences for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites in relation to work-family conflict and synergy. The results for the job satisfaction-turnover linkages reiterate the importance of employee affective responses and withdrawal behaviors in organizations. We show that the relationship between health and work-family conflict and synergy are stronger for non-Hispanic whites than for Hispanics. And, coping differentially mediated the depression- life satisfaction relationship for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. These coping results can help in understanding individual adjustment, treatment interventions, and organizational health care costs. Finally, our findings on satisfaction have important implications relating to overall quality of life that may be different for Hispanic men and women.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Hispanics represent a growing segment of the US population and workforce, yet there is a lack of empirical research on Hispanics in relation to work-family conflict and synergy. Drawing on work-family and job demands-resources theories, the authors model predictors (autonomy, schedule flexibility, social support, work hours) and outcomes (health and satisfaction) of work-family variables among Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. The paper aims to discuss these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This quantitative study examined responses from respondents (n=2,988) of the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVAs, and structural equation models (SEM). The paper focusses primarily on Hispanics and also examined gender differences for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites.\nFindings: Hispanic women reported the highest work-family conflict (work interfering with family (WIF) and family interfering with work (FIW)) and synergy (work-family synergy (WFS)) levels. Job resources are related to WIF for Hispanic women but not Hispanic men. Autonomy was the best predictor of WFS for all groups. Coping mediated the depression-life satisfaction relationship. WIF and WFS were each significantly related to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction and life satisfaction were significantly related for all groups except Hispanic women. Job satisfaction-turnover paths were significant.\nResearch limitations/implications: Although based on a high-quality national probability sample, all information was gathered from one extensive interview. There is also a need to examine subgroups of Hispanics beyond the scope of this data set.\nPractical implications: Results suggest similarities as well as differences in work-family variables for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. Corporate work-family policies and initiatives may need to be altered in light of ethnicity and gender issues as the workforce becomes more diverse.\nOriginality/value: This study examined work-family conflict and synergy among Hispanics. The predominance of research on non-Hispanic whites needed to be extended to different racial/ethnic groups who may experience WIF, FIW, and WFS differently.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Effects of role models and gender on students' entrepreneurial intentions
|
[
"Gender",
"Iran",
"Entrepreneurship education",
"Theory of planned behaviour",
"Entrepreneurial intentions",
"Entrepreneurial role model"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized as an important driver of productivity, innovation, job creation and both economic and social development (Audretsch, 2012; Shane and Venkataraman, 2000; Parker, 2009; Wennekers et al., 2005). Given these positive effects of entrepreneurship, many developing countries - including Iran - have examined entrepreneurship as a fundamental solution for such problems as lack of economic improvement, increasing unemployment rates, an excessive number of college graduates and an inability of both the public and private sectors to provide sufficient work for graduating students (Karimi et al., 2010). While entrepreneurship has been viewed as crucial to economic growth and progress in developing countries, surprisingly little attention has been paid during the past decade of research to factors which influence the intention of individual to start new businesses and particularly the entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) of those still within the education system (Karimi et al., 2010). It is obviously crucial that those factors which influence the EIs and behaviour of college students be adequately understood to develop and implement effective strategies to stimulate these. Stated differently, identification of a suitable theoretical framework and sufficient understanding of the determinants of EIs and behaviour can help entrepreneurial educators, consultants, advisors and policymakers to foster entrepreneurship starting at universities and within society as a whole.\n2. Theoretical framework and hypotheses: 2.1 Theory of planned behaviour\n3. Research method: 3.1 Sample and procedure\n4. Results: 4.1 Exploratory factor analysis\n5. Discussion: This study contributes to our understanding of the development of EIs, particularly within the context of a developing country. Based on the TPB, institutional approach, social cognitive career theory and social cognitive theory but also the literature on entrepreneurial role models and gender differences in entrepreneurship, we formulated a number of hypotheses regarding the determinants of Iranian students' EIs and investigated the mediating and moderating effects of these determinants within a model of EIs.\n6. Implications: 6.1 Theoretical implications\n7. Limitations and future research: The current study has several limitations which point to directions for future research. First, the study utilized a convenience sample composed of students from public universities in Iran. The study findings may therefore not be generalizable to other universities or other contexts. Future research should employ a larger, more representative and randomly selected sample of university students from both public and private universities and other institutions in Iran. This will help validate the present findings. Second, the data collected for this study were all self-report. Future research on EIs should include other types of data and methods of collection. Third, the present study was a cross-sectional study, which prevented us from examining the influence of role models on entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions over time. Longitudinal study is therefore recommended in the future to trace the influence of role models and any changes in the entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions of students over time. Via longitudinal study, the subsequent effects of intention on the actual occurrence of entrepreneurial behaviour can also be documented.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to, drawing on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), explore the effects of entrepreneurial role models on entrepreneurial intention (EI) and its antecedents and examines the question of whether the effects vary by gender.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Data were collected from a sample of 331 students at seven universities in Iran. Structural equation modelling and bootstrap procedure were used to analyse the data.\nFindings: Consistent with the TPB, our results show entrepreneurial role models to indirectly influence EIs via the antecedents of intention. No gender differences in the relationship between perceived behaviour control and EIs were found, but gender did moderate the other relationships within the TPB. Attitude towards entrepreneurship was a weaker predictor and subjective norms a stronger predictor of EIs for female students than for their male counterparts. Furthermore, perceived behaviour control and attitudes towards entrepreneurship were more strongly influenced by role models for females as opposed to male students.\nResearch limitations/implications: Future studies should go beyond examining the mere fact of knowing entrepreneurial role models to examine the mechanisms underlying the relationship between role models and EIs.\nPractical implications: The results of this study have clear implications for both educators and policymakers.\nOriginality/value: The study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by incorporating entrepreneurial role models and gender into the TPB and investigating their mediating and moderating effects within the model.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Powerful or powerless customers: the influence of gratitude on engagement with CSR
|
[
"CSR",
"Power",
"Customer engagement",
"Gratitude expression",
"Matching donations",
"Social worth"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: As demonstrated by the amazing success of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, customer engagement is becoming a key focus in firms' corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Engaging customers in CSR is particularly important for service firms (Casado-Diaz et al., 2014; Mattila and Hanks, 2012; O'Brien et al., 2015; Zhang and Mattila, 2015). Service businesses typically involve customer co-production (Auh et al., 2007; Dong et al., 2008), and more and more service firms are looking for ways to engage customers to co-create an enhanced consumption experience (Russell-Bennett and Baron, 2015; van Doorn et al., 2010). To that end, engaging customers in CSR practices such as inviting customers to make matching donations to a charitable cause can strengthen the sense of connectedness between a customer and a service firm and may further induce other customer engagement behaviors such as retention and positive word-of-mouth (Choi and La, 2013; Liu et al., 2014; van Doorn et al., 2010).\n2. Theoretical background: 2.1 Customer engagement in service firms' corporate social responsibility practices\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Design and participants\n4. Results: 4.1 Manipulation check of power\n5. Discussion: An increasing number of service firms have incorporated CSR initiatives into their marketing practices (Cheung and McColl-Kennedy, 2015; Liu et al., 2014; O'Brien et al., 2015). CSR initiatives can take various forms, such as diversity initiatives, recycling programs, eco-friendly materials, support of community events and monetary donations to charitable causes (Sen and Bhattacharya, 2001). The practice of matching donations, the focus of the present study, might be particularly relevant to service firms. With a heavy reliance on customer co-production (Auh et al., 2007; Dong et al., 2008), service firms are looking for ways to engage customers to co-create an enhanced consumption experience (van Doorn et al., 2010). To that end, inviting customers to make matching donations toward charitable causes can strengthen the sense of connectedness between a customer and a firm, thus further enhancing customer engagement behaviors such as retention and positive word-of-mouth.\n6. Managerial implications: Despite the popularity of gratitude expressions in marketing communications, the impact of thank you messages on customer engagement in CSR initiatives remains relatively under-explored. The findings of this research suggest that the positive impact of gratitude expressions is not universal. Although thank you messages enhance powerless consumers' perceptions of social worth and their intentions to make matching donations, such a marketing strategy is relatively ineffective among powerful consumers. In fact, gratitude expressions might back fire when targeted at powerful individuals, as they tend to be cynical about firm motivations for prosocial behaviors (Inesi et al., 2012). Consequently, service organizations need to be cautious when incorporating gratitude expressions in their CSR initiatives. Previous research shows that social status is an important source of one's sense of power (Rucker and Galinsky, 2008). Therefore, service providers catering to high-status individuals (e.g. luxury services) might want to avoid gratitude expressions in their CSR communications.\n7. Limitations and future research: There are several limitations and directions for future research that are worth noting. First, we only tested the proposed hypotheses in one cultural context. Cultural differences in power beliefs may further complicate the joint effects of power and gratitude expression. Although certain cultures construe power as one's control over others, other cultures believe that power is embedded in the benefits one brings for others (Torelli and Shavitt, 2010; Winter, 1973). Thus, we believe that cross-cultural extensions of the current research might result in interesting insights to the topic. Second, our dependent measures were limited to consumer's attitudes and behavioral intentions toward the company's CSR initiative. It is important to note that there is a difference between an individual's donation intention and actual donations. By taking a field experiment approach, future research is needed to examine the impact of gratitude expressions on actual donation behaviors and to test if gratitude expressions influence the amount of donation. Finally, the impact of gratitude expressions might vary across message contents and beneficiary groups. Examining such boundary conditions would be another fruitful avenue for future research.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how gratitude appeals and consumers' sense of power jointly influence customer engagement in a service firm's corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Based on previous literature, the authors propose that power moderates the effect of gratitude expression on consumers' attitudes and behavioral intention to engage in matching donations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A 2 (power: powerful vs powerless) x 2 (gratitude expression: included in the request vs none) between-subjects experiment was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses. Participants were asked to imagine that they recently saw a donation request while dining at a local restaurant and they then complete scales that measured their attitude and donation intention to engage in a restaurant's CSR practice.\nFindings: The findings of this study indicate that an expression of gratitude enhanced powerless but not powerful customers' intention to engage in CSR practices. In addition, moderated mediation tests revealed social worth concerns as the underlying mechanism between gratitude expression and customer engagement for powerless consumers. However, such mediation effects were not observed for powerful consumers.\nOriginality/value: The current study identifies sense of power as a new psychological state that can influence donation behaviors in the context of CSR. In addition, the current study shows that the serial mediating role of social worth between gratitude expression and prosocial behaviors only holds true for individuals with a low sense of power.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Five competitive forces of effective leadership and innovation
|
[
"Innovation",
"Decision making",
"Organizational culture",
"Intelligence"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: How do organizations innovate? Are the main drivers the external environment impacting the organization, or a set of practices and processes within the organization? The unprecedented change in the global environment affects both organizational survival and management's capacity to innovate. Climate change, the war on terrorism, digitization of production, global information flows, and the rise of new competitors such as India and China add to the mix of uncertainties, which Peter Drucker presciently called The Age of Discontinuity.Organizations can apply uncertainties, some predicable or relatively probable, into their decision models, but most do not. Corporate managers take seriously the five competitive forces leading to organizational rivalry first articulated by Porter (1985) and widely adopted in corporate management and investment analysis. Despite the application of competitive forces and calculations for industry positioning, other factors determine corporate survival and success. Indeed, as long as firms focus on competitive rivalry, there may well be an economy of focus on organizational processes. What often separates many firms bordering on the precipice and those that innovate constantly stems from internal configurations of decision processes and design. This paper sets out a model of corporate innovation and the implications of the management processes of innovation.\nThe basic model: Organizational innovation forms the core metric of both organizational efficiency (more outputs from fewer inputs) and organizational effectiveness, i.e. long-term survival. In general, there is a difference between invention, the discovery of an idea, or innovation, the exploitation of ideas into organizational practice. The distinction between invention and innovation is similar to primary or basic research (carried out in government or university laboratories by scientists and engineers) and applied research, usually carried out in business firms (Simon, 1983). In reality, there is a basic continuum between many aspects of invention and innovation.In general, innovation comes from more than technological applications, even relatively simple ones like camera functions in a cell phone, or placing toner in a cartridge for a photocopier or printer. Indeed, innovation may be rarely detected by consumers or the public. It may be embedded in the product, or form part of the innovative processes within the organizational structure. Japanese firms, once seen as copiers and imitators, were true innovators because they took basic products or processes and made fundamental changes.What are the internal competitive forces that foster innovation? Within organizations, competitive forces imply resource rivalry for personal attention, either for the parochial good of the individual, or for the good of the organization. Internal forces affect the core values of the organization, its DNA, through the social psychology of its members, the processes of decision flows, the formal and informal role sets of individuals and groups. Such issues impact how incentives are skewed towards executive advantage versus organizational advantage. By its nature, innovation is a process and a design change from one state to another, involving a range of social and behavioral process, from surprise, disruption, grand leaps, to the unknown or unforeseen.The basic model is set out in Figure 1. The five forces of effective leadership are:1. core organizational skills and competencies;2. institutional capacity to listen, via institutional study and analysis of decision alternatives;3. capacity to learn from history of former decisions, alternative practices, and multiple sources of ideas and outcome analysis;4. capacity to mobilize the organization, not only from motivating people with clever incentives, but projecting a clear picture or vision of the organization; and5. the capacity for organizational innovation, which is impacted by the previous four drivers.Innovative organizations often display a unique characteristic: they have a history of innovation, where the adaptive processes are built into the role sets, authority systems, and decision processes. Constant innovation stems from an organizational culture where experimentation, playfulness, and a sense of achievement are constantly rewarded. Money rewards are rarely the issue, nor are myths like unionization, government regulation, or forms of ownership. Innovation comes from a configuration of reinforcing drivers like strategies, structures, decision processes, and incentives.By contrast, low innovation cultures are driven mainly from a single cause: management. The CEO and senior executives set the tone, the climate of decision-making, and the reward structure, but also by their own example. They provide soft signals that often unwittingly get recognized by staff and workers, which establish the emotional DNA for the entire firm. Arrogance, executive ego, hubris, an imperious style, and a host of personal foibles reinforce the culture of the organization that can impede learning. A \"Reporter's notebook\" (International Herald Tribune, 2007), discussing the problems of the Big 3 manufactures in Michigan neatly captures the essence of the challenge: \"I remember when GM shut down 11 plants, some of which were in the Great Lakes region. They said, 'We can't afford to keep doing business like this.' But do you know what happened at the upper echelon of GM? They got six-figure bonuses at the end of the year. It's really hard to feel sorry for a company that's lived so high on the hog.\"Consider the discrete elements of the model in Figure 1.Skills and competences\nInnovation drivers: Increasingly, all aspects of organizations, i.e. the entire value chain from suppliers to customers and beyond (what happens to products when they are disposed), are subject to new and potentially radical technology processes, where products can become obsolete overnight, or they can be transformed by incremental, constant improvements. The managerial challenge is to understand the linkages between competition and innovation, between technological innovation and organizational rigidities, between management inertia and the need for organizational change. Organizational rigidities, as depicted in Table I, get built into enterprises at different levels. Corporate change, in new strategies and in innovation, is a form of rebellion against the status quo, against familiar routines and cognitive maps. Past performance and old assumptions often guide organizational decision-making, and these rigidities can lead to decision paralysis and organizational pathologies.Organizational innovation, especially for business firms, faces a constant process of shifting cost curves, where fixed costs of a given output combines with marginal costs that can be next to nothing. Technology, or knowledge, has the unique feature that once it has been created, the use of it does not preclude the use of it by another. Widespread use of a technology, as history shows, impacts an infinite range of models, applications, and company-specific advantages. Organizations thus vary tremendously, from being industry (or global) leaders, to being laggards and followers, or positions in between (Figure 4).\nSummary and conclusions: Thomas Carlyle, the nineteenth century Scottish writer who coined such iconographic phases as \"the dismal science\" and \"captains of industry\" believed in heroes, and great men. \"The history of the world is but the biography of great men,\" wrote Carlyle. Today, business writers, biographers and the media follow this tradition, and apply descriptive adjectives for them: entrepreneurial, charismatic, bold and audacious, risk taking, hardworking, decisive, and visionary. Such terms all invoke theories of effective leadership, ignoring how leadership and innovation are bounded in organizational reality and complexity of everyday decisions. As Porter (1985) notes, the \"five-forces framework does not eliminate the need for creativity in finding new ways of competing in an industry.\"This paper defines leadership and innovation as organizational processes embedded in decision streams. Five forces of leadership and innovation provide a model of decision processes:1. skills and capabilities;2. capacity to learn;3. capacity to listen;4. capacity to motivate; and5. innovation.In this sense, organizations, facing massive uncertainties - external and internal - vie for certainty, like a sailboat in a storm, employ known techniques, routines, and time-honored habits, based on a leader's experience and rulebook, but guided by the quality and training of the crew. Decision making comes from unconscious processes based on past experience and present perils, where calm deliberation gives way to team work, trust, and gut instinct. Innovation comes from irregular and idiosyncratic structures and behaviors. In uncertain times, managers need imagination and creativity, not old routines and dated measures of innovation performance. Real leaders know the difference in measures like gallons per mile, not miles per gallon, or increasing computing power at lower costs, not more computing power per machine.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper sets out a model of organizational innovation, where leadership and innovation are defined as organizational processes embedded in decision streams in the organization.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper reviews the organizational literature on successful and unsuccessful decision processes, placing less on individuals and more on embedded organizational systems that impede quality outcomes.\nFindings: - The paper defines five forces of leadership and innovation that provide a model of decision processes: skills and capabilities, capacity to learn, capacity to listen, capacity to motivate, and innovation.\nPractical implications: - The article provides managers with benchmark tools to assess an organization's decision system, its capacity to learn, and its feedback mechanisms.\nOriginality/value: - The paper raises serious questions about traditional bureaucratic hierarchies, conventional models of leadership and innovation, and offers a fresh perspective on quality organizational innovation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Relational capital and supply chain collaboration for radical and incremental innovation: An empirical study in China
|
[
"China",
"Innovation",
"Relational capital",
"Supply chain management",
"Information sharing",
"Joint decision making",
"Benefit and risk sharing"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: According to the relational view, firms can achieve innovation through relational rents created by collaborating with other supply chain members (Sukoco et al., 2018; Zimmermann and Foerstl, 2014). In recent years, supply chain collaboration (SCC) has created new and unique value propositions for firms, such as radical and incremental innovation (Francesco et al., 2015). However, successful collaboration for innovation is not a straightforward process due to the fact that approximately 60 per cent of collaborations end in failure (Faems et al., 2005; Tukamuhabwa et al., 2017). Moreover, most of the disastrous supply chain failures occur in developing countries (Tukamuhabwa et al., 2017). One reason for such failures is the lack of relational capital among supply chain members (Fawcett et al., 2015; Villena et al., 2011).\n2. Literature review and research hypotheses: 2.1 Supply chain collaboration\n3. Methodology: 3.1 Measures\n4. Conclusion: This study investigated the role of relational capital in collaboration and innovation and distinguished the role of collaboration in radical and incremental innovation. Researchers, such as Blonska et al. (2013) Handoko et al. (2018) and Krause et al., 2000), suggest that relational capital is the foundation for successful collaboration and innovation. In contrast to the previous studies approaching relational capital and collaboration as a common concept of establishing relationships between two or more firms in developed countries, this study focuses on the role of relational capital from the suppliers' standpoint on SCC and innovation in the context of a developing area in Asia. We also consider SCC in the implementation process where the relationship is fully established. In doing so, we discuss the role of relational capital, which comprises trust, trustworthiness and reciprocity in SCC and innovation in an integrative framework. SCC is investigated as the process whereby firms share information, risks and benefits, and engage in joint decision making. These three dimensions of collaboration embody the way suppliers work with buyers during the operational process of SCM (Mei-Ying et al., 2012; Liao et al., 2017). The results demonstrate that relational capital has a significant effect on information sharing and benefit/risk sharing. Relational capital can facilitate information sharing and benefits and risks sharing because it provides security and reciprocity within the relationship (Carey et al., 2011). In long-term collaboration, a high level of relational capital can facilitate firms to integrate and act as one firm to share information to achieve common goals, improving the efficiency of delivering goods and services to customers (Sukoco et al., 2018; Yao et al., 2016). Furthermore, when suppliers trust and interact with their buyers in an appropriate way, they are not reluctant to share market and product information (Ha et al., 2011; Werner et al., 2016), and they are willing to take risks and share benefits (Blonska et al., 2013) in order to achieve radical and incremental innovation (Jimenez-Jimenez et al., 2018). The findings of our study also reveal that information sharing and joint decision making are the determinants of radical innovation, while benefit and risks sharing can facilitate incremental innovation. Because radical innovation requires a high level of novelty, it can be achieved through the exchange of knowledge and relevant information (Yunus, 2018). The high level of centralisation created by joint decision making can reduce the lack of resources and competence when firms pursue radical innovation (Cheng and Chen, 2013). Moreover, the fair and stable environment created by sharing benefit and risks with partners can facilitate the incremental innovation on products and services to serve customer better (Shapiro et al., 2017). We also examine the mediating role of SCC in the relationship between relational capital and innovation. The results suggest that relational capital also leads to radical and incremental innovation through information sharing and risk and benefit sharing. In particular, relational capital helps suppliers achieve radical innovation by facilitating the sharing of information with their partners (Jimenez-Jimenez et al., 2018). The more information they share, the more breakthrough ideas can be generated (Yunus, 2018). Also, trust, trustworthiness and reciprocity can facilitate them to share risks and benefits with buyers (Blonska et al., 2013; Carey et al., 2011), a process which in turn can create a certain environment in which it is possible to achieve incremental innovation. The results suggest that relational capital has a positive influence on collaboration for radical and incremental innovation, and relational capital also leads to innovation through information sharing and risk and benefit sharing.\n5. Limitations and future research direction: While this study has made significant contributions to the literature and applications, there are still some unavoidable limitations. The study focuses on the concepts of relational capital in supply chain networks, but the data do not focus on a specific sector. Because we used cross-sectional data, we could not consider control variables such as sector or firm size. It must be accepted that it is difficult to control the specific features of innovation in specific sectors when using cross-sectional data. This limitation may lead to unclear outcomes of the effect of relational capital on innovation when applied in a specific context. In future investigations, researchers should employ a longitudinal study to enhance the validity of the results. Moreover, to expand the findings, future research should approach relational capital in interpersonal networks to explain the implementation of collaboration and innovation. Such analyses could provide more understanding of the various aspects of collaborative activities towards innovation.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between relational capital and supply chain collaboration (SCC) and how this relationship relates to innovation. The authors propose a theoretical framework to illustrate the effect of relational capital on three dimensions of collaboration and radical and incremental innovation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper has a quantitative approach. The authors conducted the survey to collect the data from 225 suppliers in the Hunan province of China. The proposed model is tested with exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.\nFindings: The findings show that relational capital can facilitate information sharing and benefit/risk sharing when firms work together to achieve innovation. Furthermore, the results indicate that relational capital leads to radical innovation through facilitating information sharing among firms and helps in generating incremental innovation by encouraging firms to share risks and benefits with their partners.\nPractical implications: The findings of this study give some suggestions for managers of the firms in terms of building their collaborative strategies. Managers should exploit relational capital to build successful and long-term collaboration. Also, through relational capital, managers can share information to create radical innovation or pool risks and share benefits with their customers to achieve incremental innovation.\nOriginality/value: This study provides a nuanced understanding of the relationship between relational capital, different dimensions of SCC and innovation in the context of a developing economy. Moreover, the findings provide a clearer understanding of the collaborative mechanism of relational capital and collaboration to achieve radical and incremental innovation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Leading with purpose: a case for soul leadership
|
[
"Leadership",
"Leadership development",
"Self assessment"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Scanning various social, economic, and geo-political landscapes, one finds many stories of leaders, but sadly not always of leadership. In spite of active efforts from leadership development practitioners and collective industry alike, this remains an area of substantial investment but unconvincing impact. If little or nothing has changed in the last 100 years in the way great leaders lead, then perhaps it is time for the industry to re-examine its assumptions and acknowledge a key truth: a leader is not the sum of their skills, but the expression of their true nature.\nLeadership starts with the individual: the 4Ps of soul leadership: The questions of talent, potential and self-worth, and one's ability to realize and live these aspects of oneself have long been a source of inspiration for me. Spending the better part of the last decade within a large global brand provided an excellent playground to explore these questions, where time in various commercial roles and leading the learning and development function, surfaced rich insights and evidence from which the differential concept of soul leadership was borne.Discussion with leadership peers, experts and leaders alike frequently highlights for me an uncomfortably significant premise of how leadership has been studied and practiced. Fundamental leadership theory only echoes that throughout the ages leadership has consistently been defined as a variation of two expressions:1. In terms of its relationship to followers. Countless texts and models focus on a leader's role in harnessing performance and engagement from their team.2. Anchored in the question of \"how can the organizational machine be made to work better?\" In essence, actions that leaders are encouraged to take to net the highest profitability-influencing yield from each employee, function or business.While both interesting and important questions in an organizational context, perhaps a clue to the question of why the industry has yet to find the mechanisms to make lasting and impactful leadership changes is that with these two external orientations (focus on follower and performance efficiencies) the departure point is apparently skewed - leadership starts with the individual.By contrast, a cross-section of significant leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, Mother Theresa or Walt Disney did not begin their leadership journey with the promise of money and power over followers if the good of an organization was served. They led from a dream inside each of them for a different tomorrow. They are distinctive in their leadership because of their clarity of purpose, their expression of passions and because in their respective areas they dared to explore and act on the possibilities that came from asking \"What if (it were different)?\" They are soul leaders expressing what I call the 4Ps of soul leadership - leaders of substance who by living the truth of their unique purpose, following their passions and highest possibilities for themselves, came to find their place in the world - inspiring movements of change and a following as a result.Academics and industry leaders have attempted to distill the skills and qualities of such leaders: visioning, leadership identity, influencing, persistent learning, good decision-making, creativity and innovation - typically with the assumption that to develop these qualities will improve the performance of followers and the efficiency of the overall organizational machine. My experience is that without an individual's awareness of their 4Ps these development efforts struggle to stick because they have little or no personal context or meaning to resonate with - more often than not developing \"strong weaknesses\" rather than enhancing unique talents. In these situations organizations can quickly ring up the $50 billion plus bills that make up the leadership and learning industry - without obvious return in the way of a deeper and more ready bench of leaders, nor individual and therefore collective organizational growth.\nSelf-knowledge is a super-power: Soul leadership is not about training or embodying the qualities of leadership to an agreed norm, but about the very core and essence of the individual. Soul leadership is not exclusive, nor is it bestowed by talent planning: it already exists in every single individual. It is the process of self-discovery that connects individuals to their 4Ps and therefore activates and magnetizes the leader in everyone.Viewing the prevailing talent crisis through the lens of soul leadership reveals that there is less a shortage of leadership and talent, and more an epidemic of individuals at all levels that have not yet made a connection to their 4Ps. Without clear knowledge and utilization of their passions, without a sense of a bigger purpose beyond the role or organizational context they are in, and without acknowledgement of higher possibilities for themselves, it becomes almost impossible for individuals to know their place in the world with conviction.As the world moves into the so-called \"conceptual age\" (Pink, 2006) it is only fitting to acknowledge that the relationship of power and information has fundamentally changed and with it, development needs have shifted. The industrial age and its hangover was constructed around the premise that knowledge is power and saw suitably aligned training programs imparting knowledge and skill investments at the upper end of the hierarchy. The information age challenged this on the grandest scale revealing a new framing; fueled by a surge of technology and community-enabled development efforts focused on delivering scalable learning solutions to growing global audiences, access to knowledge is power.Today, a number of leaders, institutions and authorities alike cite the biggest challenge for leadership, as having to face increasing change and complexity for which there is no precedence. With nowhere else to go to inform a response, no historic reference, leaders will have no choice but to go inside themselves to find the answers and grounding to weather such relentless change. The leadership and individual development premise that will come to define this age is the realization that in fact self-knowledge is the only true power.\nThe only way forward is in: To some, the notion of mass empowerment is threatening or seemingly impossible. To a learning and development industry whose assumed purpose is to ignite human potential; whose passions are people, growth and development; that has long entertained the possibilities that come from asking, \"What if everyone was the best version of themselves they could be?\" To this industry, I would offer that the facilitation of soul leadership and connecting people with their 4Ps informs our place and role within organizations and communities. It is the best possible foundation for future learning.As with any powerful self-reflection learning methodology, it invites the executive question, \"What if we invest in people and they leave?\" Perhaps a more pertinent question in today's complex global trade and economic climate is \"What if we do not, and they stay?\" In a recent talk John Hagel (2010) highlighted that the average life expectancy of a company in the S&P 500 has dropped, from 75 years (in 1937) to 15 years. Weathering this trend will mean that the strongest organizations are those that are magnetic in their clarity of their own 4Ps - attracting soul leaders intent not on taking a job in exchange for a wage, but drawn to actively contributing through their 4Ps.This change will happen with or without the industry's assistance. The sheer pace and demand of today's world is already prompting talent to question the meaning of what they are doing and their unique purpose. Rather than be threatened by this and the changes it asks of the development industry, our role is to celebrate and accelerate this. The industry stands on the cusp of a defining moment for global leadership: the opportunity to facilitate a movement of mastery - of lasting impact aligned with the values of truly realizing human potential.Perhaps the toughest aspect of activating the 4Ps of soul leadership is that it challenges the very architecture of our society. It starts an evolution. From the pursuit and acquisition of perceived power over others, through monetary or hierarchical means as a source of motivation, to a conscious empowering of self and others. In acknowledging our own uniqueness and 4Ps, soul leadership challenges us as leaders to seek, trust, encourage and value this uniqueness in our environment. The organizational machine works better when we create a pull from the inside out. Individuals who live the truth of their unique 4Ps give permission for others to do the same, creating a culture that disarms corrosive competition and the fear of failure currently stopping people experimenting, learning, making mistakes and subsequently, genius discoveries.If one pauses to think about it, why would one tolerate a leader who has yet to connect with their individual purpose, passions and possibilities and who accepts that their place in the world is determined by the next promotion? Yet this is daily practice. To tolerate anything less than leadership of substance, purpose and of the soul is as much a reflection on us as it is on the leader. So the next time you meet a leader, ask them what their purpose is and how they are living their truth.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper seeks to explores the notion that leadership is not the accumulation of leadership skills but the discovery and expression of a leader's true nature. The paper also aims to introduce the concept of the 4Ps of soul leadership.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper offers the author's independent perspective and commentary on leadership development in the current organizational context.\nFindings: - The paper finds that the strongest leaders are those that lead through an awareness and expression of their unique 4Ps (passion, purpose, possibilities, place) of soul leadership. This is increasingly true in complex, global environments of unprecedented change.\nPractical implications: - Leadership development (and skill building in general) is more effective if built on a foundation of self-awareness and connection to an individual's 4Ps.\nSocial implications: - Soul leadership encourages individuals and organizations to be the best possible version of themselves. In aligning to one's passions and purpose natural leadership, productivity and creativity are likely to come to the fore, which fuels individual, organizational and societal growth in turn.\nOriginality/value: - Reframing leadership as a unique expression of an individual's 4Ps with implications for individuals, organizational leaders and learning and development practitioners.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A technique for integrated modelling of manual and automatic assembly
|
[
"Petri net",
"Assembly",
"Assembly instructions",
"BOM",
"PLC",
"Route card"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The transition from product design to production process design is a major challenge, and the development of techniques and tools for improving this transition is a high priority (Kovacs et al., 1998; Ou-Yang and Jiang, 2002; Van der Aalst et al., 2009). While some recent papers deal with specific parts of the transition from product design to production design (e.g. Demloy et al., 2011; Hsu et al., 2011; Mass et al., 2011) the need for a comprehensive framework persists (Heilala and Voho, 2001; Magnusson et al., 2009). Such a framework must support real manufacturing flexibility meaning instant code generation for shopfloor execution (Rosati et al., 2009, 2013). Catering to this need, this paper describes a new hierarchical modelling framework for the assembly process of complex products. This modelling framework could be utilized for tracing, controlling, simulating, and implementing an assembly process for a complex product. The proposed approach models the dynamic progress of the assembly process while utilizing only typical product documentation such as bill of materials (BOM) and assembly instructions (e.g. route cards).\n2. Model's upper level - part I: the static sub-model: The proposed framework assumes that the natural planning of the assembly operation should progress sequentially:\n3. Model's upper level - part II: the dynamic PN sub-model: While the static version specifies the assembly structure requirements the assembly operation is dynamic, and a dynamic model is required for modelling the assembly system behaviour (Rajakumar et al., 2005). Based on the static structure described in Section 2, the dynamic model is our proposed version of PN specifically adapted for modelling the material flow of assembly process. A PN is a network that connects two types of nodes: \"places\" and \"transitions\", and allows dynamic movement of tokens from the input places of a transition to its output places, by means of transition activation (see Murata, 1989 for definitions and other details on PN).\n4. Model's detailed level: modelling the inputs and outputs: Since automatic control uses electrical inputs and outputs, one more level of detail is necessary. Namely, tracking the changes in these elements during assembly activities and at each transition between assembly activities. The basic graphic scheme of this detailed level is named E-transition (for \"elementary transition\"). E-transitions describe the changes in detailed level elements such as inputs, outputs, and registers, required for automatic execution of the model. E-transitions arrange the elements in a meaningful way that enables immediate comprehension of the cause and effect of each movement in the system's behaviour. The E-transitions consist of the following elements: places, triggers, and arcs. These elements are all depicted in Figure 6. Each transition is activated by one or more triggers. The triggers are denoted by triangles pointing at a thick vertical line that symbolizes the transition. Places (denoted by circles) represent the inputs, outputs, events, and variables.\n5. Model's detailed level: translating the model to LD: LD is a popular PLC code (Bolton, 2009) formally defined in the international standard IEC 61131-3. Today, most of the discrete control programs on production shop floors are developed using LD. Therefore, it is important to translate the model to LD. We propose adopting the translation approach taken in Cohen et al. (2010). To complete the framework, this approach, as it pertains to the assembly process, is briefly presented in this section. The proposed generation of the LD rungs arranges the rungs in three main blocks as follows: first, events identification, second, transition triggers, and third, transition effects. The suggested block arrangement may be counter intuitive since the assembly process combines the effects, the triggers, and the effects. However, algorithmically it is easier to generate these blocks correctly from the higher level PN and check them. The construction of the above three blocks is presented in Sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3.\n6. An illustrative implementation example: A robotic cell with arrival dock, two machines and departure dock is used for the example. Figure 8 describes the material flow at the robotic cell using a high-level PN scheme.\n7. Conclusion: This paper presents a new comprehensive modelling framework for planning, the manual and automated assembly operations enabling simulating, tracing, and controlling the assembly process. The framework utilizes common assembly documentation (such as BOM, AON, and route cards) to generate a full model of the assembly process down to the electric input/output changes required for automating the assembly process. The framework has a potential to be used for validation, code generation, and code maintenance.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe a comprehensive modelling technique that supports the assembly of very complex products that require intensive use of both computerized worker guidance and automation. The modelling enables the planning of this complex process.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The proposed approach utilizes and extends typical product documentation (such as route cards and bill of materials (BOM)) to form hierarchical Petri net in a stepwise process. The suggested framework models the dynamic progress of the assembly process, and can generate route card instructions for manual operations, or ladder diagrams (LDs) for automation.\nFindings: The model can help the generation of computerized control over route cards for manual assembly operations. For automated processes, the translation algorithm of the model to LD enables its application on currently available equipment (programmable logic controllers (PLCs)).\nResearch limitations/implications: The proposed framework heavily depends on the BOM data quality. So it is crucial to verify that the BOM data is not ill-defined before applying the proposed framework. Future research could report on the implementation of this model in assembly processes, or suggest another modelling technique.\nPractical implications: The model enables the integration of computer control over both manual and automated assembly processes. This enables seamless transition between these two very different operations. This ability carries the promise of reducing the cost of code generation and maintenance, and contributes to the progress towards more flexible automation.\nOriginality/value: This paper presents a new comprehensive modelling technique that may support planning, simulating, tracing, and controlling the assembly process. The technique for the first time integrates modelling of both manual and automated assembly operation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Achieving confidence in competencies through authentic assessment
|
[
"Leadership competencies",
"Authentic assessment",
"Competency-based learning"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nBackground: The Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business (ALJGSB) Master in Human Resource Management (MHRM) is a professional Master's Program intended to prepare students for practice in a range of areas in Human resource management (HRM). The program is intended to develop the business competencies, cultural skills and global mindset essential for success. Currently, the Business School, which is situated in Trinidad and Tobago, encourages the use of authentic assessments, which are \"forms of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills\" (Mueller, 2016). This kind of creative thinking and application is best demonstrated through assessments that \"require students to apply, integrate, and synthesize knowledge and skill in a manner that reflects the real world and transcends the classroom\" (McAlister, 2000, p. 23).\nAuthentic assessment: It has been argued that assessments should not only be used to evaluate learning but also to facilitate learning. Both assessment of learning and assessment for learning are important. Zessouks and Gardner (1991) sum this up in the following way \"assessment is to be a moment in an educational process rather than simply an evaluative vehicle\" (p. 51). Authentic assessment as one form of assessment, has its roots in the work of Piaget (1954, 1974), who believed that the learner must be active to be engaged. As a pedagogical approach, authentic assessment has theoretical foundations in situated learning theory, proposed originally by Lave (1988) and later elaborated by Brown et al. (1989). Authentic assessment is also supported by constructivist theorists who promote the concept that bringing the real-world context into the classroom can promote learning (Mims, 2003). In teaching environments where authentic assessments are used, students are more engaged and gain greater confidence in the content and their skills in the specific area, thereby improving overall performance and ultimately learning transfer and potentially mastering competencies (Wiggins, 1990; Newmann et al., 1995).\nCompetencies and competency-based education: While there has been support for the idea of authentic assessments promoting learning, the connection between authentic learning and mastery of competencies is perhaps not always explicit.\nA competency-based approach at a business school in Trinidad and Tobago: The Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business (ALJGSB) has been promoting a competency-based approach using a situationalist perspective. The competencies of the graduate of ALJGSB are benchmarked against the competencies identified by the Society for Human Resource Management, (SHRM, 2018). These are identified by Harewood (2016) as: leadership; strategic orientation; creativity and innovation; interpersonal connectivity; ethical; global actor. With regard to the graduate of the MHRM program in particular, the specific competencies are human resource business acumen; evaluative judgment; effective communication skills; leadership; professional integrity; consultative skills; innovation and problem solving (Mason-Roberts and Thurab-Nkhosi, 2015). These will be considered as the baseline competencies for this study.\nMethods: Consent was obtained from students, the Institution and the client for use of information in this qualitative case study. A 20-item Likert Scale Survey for students, with four open-ended questions, was developed based on the five-dimensional framework for authentic assessment (Gulikers et al., 2004), namely task, physical context, social context, assessment result or form, and criteria and standards, to guage perceptions on authenticity. The open-ended questions sought responses on the students' perceptions on competences achieved. This survey was distributed to the nine students in the two courses. Given the small number of students, a focus group session was also conducted and students were asked to comment on their perceived level of confidence related to each of the baseline competencies.\nFindings and discussion: Perceptions on authenticity\nSummary discussion and conclusion: Engaging students in tasks that simulated an internal and an external consultancy, as well as identifying one training issue and developing a case on this issue were perceived as forms of authentic assessment by lecturers, students and clients, when a framework for authentic assessment was applied. While the nature of these assessments provided the physical and social context, as well as the form and assessment criteria that allowed them to be considered authentic, it is clear that more work needs to be done to allow for adequate time and better choices of clients. The lecturers involved in the delivery of these courses recognized that size of classes is important to allow for coaching of students with little professional experience. Teamwork preparation of students for authentic assessments is also critical, particularly in situations where students have little relevant work experience. There is a tendency for students to fail to anticipate the scope and intensity of authentic assessments and as a result, monitoring of task completion and assistance with project planning is necessary. What is significant, however, is the positive response of the students and the client involved in the external consultancy and the impact on confidence noted by the students.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which student assessments used in two capstone courses in a Master's in Human Resource Management (HRM) Program were authentic, and encouraged confidence in competencies identified.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was taken to evaluate the perception of lecturers, clients and students regarding authenticity of assessments and the competencies achieved. The authors used a five-dimensional framework for authentic assessment developed by Gulikers et al. (2004) as a basis for an online survey of the students and focus group, reflection of the client and for self-reporting their reflections.\nFindings: It was found that the assessments in the two courses were aligned with the five criteria of the framework for defining authentic assessments developed by Gulikers et al. (2004), however, there were challenges noted by the students and clients. Students reported attaining some of the competencies identified in the HRM graduate competency profile but needing reinforcement for more confidence. While the students felt that they benefitted, one major challenge of the authentic assessments was the heavy workload.\nPractical implications: Graduate programs in HRM may be producing students without the relevant competencies and the confidence to perform, partly because approaches to teaching and learning and in particular design of assessments may not be sufficiently practical. The findings of this study can provide support for more authentic assessments in professional business education programs.\nOriginality/value: Few cases studies exist on application of authentic assessments to mastery of competencies in developing countries. This contributes to the discussion on competency-based education and authentic learning, with particular reference to developing country contexts.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Supply network delegation and intervention strategies during supplier involvement in new product development
|
[
"Suppliers",
"Delegation",
"Product development",
"Supplier relations"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: Suppliers are important to consider as partners in new product development (NPD) projects, because they provide access to specialized design and development capabilities. Indeed, a substantial body of literature on supplier involvement in NPD has evolved over the last 25 years or so (Imai et al., 1985; Clark and Fujimoto, 1991; Wasti and Liker, 1997; Petersen et al., 2005), suggesting that early and extensive involvement of key suppliers in NPD projects is critical for NPD success.However, there are many management challenges associated with achieving performance benefits from supplier involvement (Hartley et al., 1997; Eisenhardt and Tabrizi, 1995; Karlsson et al., 1998; Van Echtelt et al., 2008). One of these challenges is for companies to look beyond their immediate first-tier suppliers and consider how they can exploit their wider supply network (Staudenmayer et al., 2005). This is pertinent in increasingly dynamic and complex industries, which necessitate that a range of complementary technologies and capabilities are incorporated into innovative product/service offerings. Yet, there is a paucity of research that has examined the strategies that companies can employ to access the indirect suppliers that reside in their wider supply network, for example in terms of how they delegate NPD responsibilities and in which ways they seek to intervene in NPD decisions within supply networks. This is important both because the performance of direct suppliers depends on lower tier suppliers and because sources of innovation often stem from distant relationships within the wider network (Hakansson, 1987; Birkinshaw et al., 2007). Identifying the most appropriate ways of exploiting the wider supply network for improved NPD performance through delegation and/or intervention is therefore a theoretical and a practical research imperative. This paper seeks to contribute to existing research by exploring the manifestations and implications of supply network strategies when applied as part of supplier involvement in NPD. The research questions driving this study were:RQ1. In what ways are supply network intervention and delegation strategies manifested during supplier involvement projects?RQ2. What are the multi-actor implications of supply network intervention and delegation strategies for the processes of supplier selection and communication during supplier involvement projects?The paper builds on and brings together the traditional NPD literature and the literature on managerial intervention and delegation found in the organizational behaviour and organizational economics literature. Bringing together these two literatures furthers our understanding of involving supply networks, rather than merely direct suppliers, in NPD. In particular, this contributes to understanding the concepts of delegation and intervention strategies.The paper is organized as follows. The following section reviews research into supplier involvement in NPD focusing on the role of supplier selection and communication. Section 3 defines the concepts of delegation and intervention and discusses how these can be applied in a supply network context. Section 4 outlines the methodology and Section 5 reports the findings from three in-depth case studies of supply network delegation and intervention during NPD projects. Section 6 discusses the findings on delegation and intervention strategies. Section 7 discusses the different manifestations of delegation and intervention strategies and Section 8 outlines the conclusions.\n2 Supplier involvement in NPD: There is a flourishing body of research that has developed and tested how companies can make the most of supplier involvement in NPD. Selecting the right suppliers has been identified as one key success factor. Suppliers should have strong complementary technical capabilities (Hartley et al., 1997; Petersen et al., 2005) and agree technical metrics and targets. Furthermore, Ragatz et al. (1997) identified the role of shared training, trust, risk and reward sharing, agreed performance measurements, top management commitment and supplier capability confidence. Likewise, Petersen et al. (2003) suggested that supplier representation on NPD development teams is critical. LaBahn and Krapfel (2000) further pointed out that the power dynamics within buyer-supplier relationships should not be underestimated and that powerful customers, who behave opportunistically, may ruin the trust and commitment that have taken a long time to evolve (Cousins and Crone, 2003). Development of trust and commitment is therefore a pre-condition for successful supplier involvement in NPD.Open and frequent knowledge sharing and communication is a recurring theme in the supplier involvement literature Littler et al. (1995) found that frequent inter-company communication increased the likelihood of success. Ragatz et al. (1997) further identified direct and cross-functional inter-company communication as the most widely used technique for supplier integration in NPD (Petersen et al., 2003; Wasti and Liker, 1997). Similarly, in Takeishi's (2001) study of Japanese automakers and suppliers, frequent face-to-face communication and early integrated problem solving were found to positively affect design quality. Recently, Lawson et al. (2009) reported on a study of knowledge sharing in inter-organizational NPD teams; they found knowledge sharing to be positively associated with NPD performance, and that formal and informal socialization mechanisms facilitated knowledge sharing and the development of trust within buyer-supplier relationships.Various authors highlighted the need for a supplier involvement typology, segmenting the level of involvement according to, for example, the level of supplier responsibility and development risk (Wynstra and Ten Pierick, 2000; Petersen et al., 2005). Similarly, Fliess and Becker (2006) emphasized how supplier integration, coordination and communication differ according to the type of supplier involvement, i.e. contractual, coordinated or joint development, and the development stage. However, even using classifications, most research on supplier involvement in NPD focuses on dyadic relationships between manufacturers and their direct suppliers. Yet, there is a strong and long-established body of research, which emphasizes the need to understand the embeddedness of dyadic relationships in wider industrial networks (Ford et al., 2003; Hakansson, 1987). This raises the question of how companies can involve not only their direct suppliers, but also those that exist within their wider supply networks.\n3 Supply network intervention and delegation strategies: This study focuses on the role of supply network delegation and intervention as ways to involve indirect suppliers in NPD. Although the concepts of intervention and delegation are not new to the wider management literature, little research appears to have been conducted within the realms of NPD. Therefore, the next section briefly reviews research on intervention and delegation in the general management literature, particularly the fields of organizational behaviour and economics. Combined with the more traditional NPD literature, this body of literature is used to explore the role of supply network intervention and delegation strategies during supplier involvement in NPD.3.1 Managerial intervention and delegation\n4 Research method: 4.1 Case study rationale and data-collection process\n5 Contextual analysis: Table I compares some important contextual characteristics across the three cases and Table II provides a brief background description of each case. The FCs were suppliers to assemblers, or first-tier suppliers. The projects in each case study shared several features but also differed in some respects, for instance, in relation to the extent of product modularity and innovation: the Asian car development project involved radical innovation in the form of the application of a material that had not previously been used in high-volume car production. The other two cases concerned more incremental developments.Moreover, the Asian car development project concerned the development of a car (an end product), although the FC was an engineering supplier, with a wide-spanning project management role. The fuel tank and the base station projects focused on the development of components and the wider end product perspective was accounted for by end customer interviews.\n6 Analysis of intervention and delegation in supplier selection and communication: The inter-case analysis reports on patterns of responses across the three cases. The case study design enabled analysis of the intervention and delegation strategies employed by both FCs and FC customers. In fact, respondents often divulged how intervention and delegation were used by other companies within their supply network rather than themselves. The in-depth case studies therefore illustrated multi-actor strategies within the supply networks.The findings suggested that companies generally felt a strong need to involve key \"partnership\" suppliers early and extensively in their NPD projects. However, there was much variation in the extent to which companies actively sought to involve sub-suppliers during the NPD process and the strategies they employed to seek wider supply network involvement. The following sub-sections report on the manifestations of intervention and delegation strategies identified in supplier selection and communication during the NPD projects.6.1 Supplier selection\n7 Discussions and conclusions: In summary, the three case studies show that companies do attempt to involve not only direct suppliers but also key sub-suppliers within the wider supply network. Some companies involved indirect suppliers much more extensively than others, however, and there were evidently both positive and negative implications of engaging in the wider supply network.The fuel tank case exhibited the most extensive supply network intervention, predominantly by J-Car. This company intervened in the key sub-supplier selection process, and in communication of critical design changes and commercial negotiations with key sub-suppliers; J-Car thus exerted strong power and influence over its entire fuel tank supply network, leaving EuroPart as the (supposedly) full systems supplier of the fuel tank in a very difficult situation. Consider the other automotive case, the Asian car project: here, the vehicle assembler relied much more extensively on delegation and employed intervention in a more indirect and subtle manner. However, the base station project resembled the fuel tank project in several ways, notably the use of intervention in sub-supplier selection. The base station case showed how delegation was used in combination with intervention with seemingly good results, causing far less friction amongst supply network actors.7.1 Manifestations of supply network intervention and delegation strategies\n8 Conceptual and managerial implications: This paper has proposed two strategies that companies can employ to access indirect suppliers: supply network delegation and supply network intervention. These two concepts have received some attention in previous research (Lamming, 1996; Johnsen and Ford, 2005, 2007). This paper has contributed to a better definition and conceptualization of these two strategies, by building on the traditional NPD, organizational behaviour and economics literatures. Where Johnsen and Ford (2007) focused on situations of delegation and intervention deployment, this paper has added further conceptualization and explored both manifestations and multi-actor implications of delegation and intervention in supply networks.The findings have shown the different manifestations of the two strategies, when applied as part of supplier involvement in NPD. Delegation may be manifested through issuing parts lists, encouraging communication and problem solving, and an implicit \"leaving it to suppliers\" approach. Intervention may be manifested through specifying sub-suppliers, either by nominating suppliers or specifying components, purchasing from and negotiating directly with sub-suppliers, communicating design changes and commercial information directly to sub-suppliers, and uniting sub-suppliers for knowledge sharing and problem solving.The findings have also elucidated positive and negative implications of delegation and intervention strategies. This seems to be dependent on the actor perspective, i.e. from a downstream manufacturer perspective, there is a perceived need to control the NPD process across several supply network tiers through direct intervention in supplier selection and communication, but from an upstream perspective these actions are likely to be restricting for suppliers and lead to sub-optimization (Williamson, 1996). In comparison with the mainstream supplier involvement literature, which remains largely dyadic (Wasti and Liker, 1997; Petersen et al., 2005), the paper has contributed to a better understanding of how to involve not only direct suppliers, but also indirect (sub-) suppliers in NPD. The paper proposes that the concept of \"tying the manager's hands\" (Foss et al., 2006) may equally apply in an inter-organizational supply network context, expressed as \"tying the supplier's hands\". Below, two managerial implications are briefly outlined.Reach out to entire supply networks\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper proposes and empirically investigates two strategies that companies can employ to involve indirect suppliers in new product development (NPD): supply network delegation; and supply network intervention. The implications of the two strategies are explored.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The paper brings together the traditional NPD literature, organizational behaviour and organizational economics literature, and reports on three in-depth case studies of NPD projects, involving 39 semi-structured interviews across three supply networks.\nFindings: - The findings reveal different manifestations of the two strategies of supply network intervention and delegation, when applied as part of supplier involvement in product development, and positive and negative indications of delegation and intervention, depending on the actor perspective: manufacturers perceive a need to control the product development process across several supply network tiers through intervention in supplier selection and communication, but these actions are likely to \"tie the hands of the suppliers\".\nPractical implications: - Managers are advised to explicitly delegate decisions to suppliers, for example, by issuing parts approval lists and encouraging communication and problem solving amongst suppliers, and to exercise caution in applying the intervention strategy.\nOriginality/value: - The paper contributes to a better understanding of how to involve indirect (sub-) suppliers in product development, and the implications of these actions for multiple supply network actors.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The value of prime customer relationships
|
[
"Customers",
"Loyalty",
"Share",
"Profitability",
"Relationship",
"Management",
"Profit",
"Customer loyalty"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Even without the recession that is still challenging us all, it is a tough business landscape out there. Not enough people are buying stuff. So almost no matter what particular product or service you are selling, it is very likely that someone, somewhere, is trying to steal your customers.\nAbout the author: Stuart E. Jackson is a Vice President of L.E.K. Consulting and author of Where Value Hides: A New Way to Uncover Profitable Growth for Your Business (Wiley, 2007). He can be contacted at: s.jackson@lek.com\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The author has previously written about the concept of \"strategic market position.\" Simply stated, SMP is a strategic discipline which ties together the principles of customer preference, producer economics, and corporate finance and helps companies understand when and how increased market share leads to stronger competitive position and higher profitability. This enables businesses to make smart decisions about where to expand and go after increased market share - and, conversely, where not to dig in deeper. Customer Market Position (CMP) carries SMP down to the individual customer level. It keys off the extra value inherent in what the author calls \"prime customer relationships.\" This paper aims to address these issues.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The author discusses the benefits that accrue to businesses that have a high CMP with customers that account for the majority of their business. He cites a number of case examples of businesses that have reinforced their commercial success through closely managing their relationships and share of wallet with key customers. Examples of businesses in the article include medical products, e-commerce and traditional retailing. The author then draws lessons that can be applied broadly by any business.\nFindings: - The author proposes four key applications for businesses wishing to apply the concept of CMP: benchmarking CMP against competitors to understand strengths and weaknesses; assessing profitability for customers in different tiers of CMP to stop subsidizing less loyal customers; identifying untapped potential to build further business with high-CMP customers; using CMP as a leading indicator of future performance when making investment decisions.\nOriginality/value: - This article sheds light on the economics and value of nurturing a business's most loyal customers and introduces a new metric to manage and monitor this.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Stakeholder perceptions of green marketing: the effect of demand and supply integration
|
[
"Demand and supply integration",
"Green initiatives",
"Customer value",
"Firm performance",
"Stakeholders",
"Green marketing"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The Wall Street Journal recently published a story concerning an apparent disconnect between environmental marketing tactics employed by producers and sellers of clothing made from bamboo and its pollution-intensive supply chain (Binkley, 2009). The resulting fallout with consumers, consumer advocacy groups, and the Federal Trade Commission forced a number of firms selling bamboo clothing in the US to change their environmental marketing tactics and strategies (Binkley, 2009). This illustrates how the lack of integration between a firm's demand and supply functions has become increasingly externally visible and impacted by perceptions of external stakeholders. While the bamboo clothing sellers were forced to alter promotional messages, a return to environmental marketing tactics could be accomplished by making the necessary changes within the supply chain, if possible.The preceding example represents a critical issue for companies that employ environmental marketing campaigns: how to integrate the marketing and supply chain functions in order to present a unified product message that positively impacts stakeholder perceptions of the company, its products, and its marketing messages. While firms have made progress in the integration, coordination, and cooperation of the demand and supply functions, significant opportunities for improvement remain (Bowersox et al., 2000; Esper et al., 2009). One opportunity with the potential to improve firm performance, contribute to customer value, and provide competitive advantage, is a focus on the development of environmentally responsible initiatives, supported by the integration of demand and supply activities in the firm. To address this issue, we utilize a framework of cooperation and interdependence of a firm's marketing and supply chain management (SCM) functions commonly referred to as demand and supply integration (DSI) (Esper et al., 2009).Customer value perceptions are theorized to be an important reflection of the level of DSI in a firm (Heikkila, 2002). When a firm's marketing and supply chain functions are managed in such a way that their coordination ensures customers receive what they are promised (e.g. a reduction in the firm's carbon footprint), then customers perceive value from the firm's products and services (Fisher et al., 1997; Juttner et al., 2007). While customer perceptions are a component of the broader concept of stakeholder perceptions, how customers perceive a firm are of particular interest, as these perceptions are directly affected by how the organization presents itself (Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006; Post et al., 2002), including information regarding a firm's products and operations that are deliberately communicated.Segments of stakeholders have become increasingly sensitive to green practices in both marketing and supply chain activities (Crane, 2000; Karna et al., 2003). As such, the purpose of this paper is to extend the stream of thought regarding DSI within the domain of environmental responsibility and green marketing. We contend that there is substantial potential for environmental initiatives to flow seamlessly throughout a firm's marketing and supply chain departments in ways that can help improve financial performance. This integration is especially worthwhile if the firm is able to successfully influence external stakeholder perceptions of the firm in a manner consistent with its commitment to DSI. While external stakeholders encompass a variety of groups, we focus primarily on consumer stakeholders.We draw from literatures in DSI, green marketing, green SCM, and stakeholder theory to support the concept that environmentally responsible initiatives supported by strong DSI can have positive outcomes for a firm. We conclude by offering propositions of these relationships and encouraging future research to address these issues empirically.\nLiterature review: Demand and supply integration\nFocus on consumer stakeholders: research directions: Increasingly, stakeholders demand that companies operate in a manner that exhibits an environmental commitment, both in their product offerings and in their operations (Rivera-Camino, 2007). The degree to which a company communicates their level of environmental commitment is especially important to consumer stakeholders who meet criteria to be classified as \"green consumers\". Green consumers are characterized by their willingness to limit the amount of resources consumed, to limit using materials that endanger the environment, and to avoid using products that endanger the health of consumers (Peattie, 2001). In general, green consumers are a rapidly growing consumer segment, especially in Westernized marketplaces. From a strategic standpoint, firms that are innovators of green products and use green marketing can find these actions to be a source of competitive advantage, especially, if the firm's primary stakeholders value environmental initiatives (Rivera-Camino, 2007). Therefore, from a stakeholder perspective, green consumers are an important primary stakeholder group on which to focus in order to understand the benefits and consequences of DSI.A focus on consumer stakeholders is a keystone of the DSI framework, which also stresses that firms generate market intelligence from other external forces and apply that intelligence to supply chain processes accordingly. For example, recognizing competitor strategies gives insights into customer needs and wants and helps firms by both allowing responsiveness to competitive and customer pressures, assuming that a competitor's customers are similar to the firm's own.Though seemingly a simple relationship, research portends that stakeholders who want firms to behave in a more environmentally responsible manner have become watchful and critical of the processes and strategies firms utilize to improve their environmental commitment (Lash and Wellington, 2007; Solomon and Lewis, 2002). Empirical evidence shows that while many firms seek to diffuse stakeholder concerns, they acknowledge that the problem of legitimacy of marketing claims often lies with properly managing the supply chain (Crane, 2000). Collaboration between the demand and supply functions of the firm through DSI could lend credibility to marketing claims and therefore, improve satisfaction levels of these stakeholders (Crane, 2000; Newman and Breeden, 1992; Polonsky and Rosenberger, 2001) and consumer trust in the marketing claims.While this last point is a reasonable assumption, no empirical evidence exists to reach a concrete conclusion either way. Therefore, it is apparent that investigating consumer stakeholder satisfaction with, and value perceptions of, firms that integrate their demand and supply functions as they relate to corporate environmental responsibility, is of key concern. Specifically, we call for research to address the following questions:RQ1. How do consumer stakeholders perceive claims of green marketing campaigns?RQ2. To what degree, if at all, do consumer stakeholders make assumptions about green supply chains in relationship to products promoted with green marketing messages?RQ3. Does the degree of DSI in firms who claim environmental responsibility influence consumer stakeholders' perceptions that the firm is environmentally committed (e.g. how far down the supply chain do processes affect consumers' perceptions)?RQ4. Do green initiatives that successfully incorporate DSI lead to competitive advantages and/or increased profitability?Based on our literature review, we offer a set of propositions to help answer the questions presented. We contend that a significant contribution to the literature will be achieved through a better understanding of how environmental strategies are perceived by stakeholders. The following propositions should be examined in empirical studies:P1. Consumer stakeholders' perceptions of a firm's environmental commitment is related to the firms' ability to develop green processes within the supply chain, and communicate these processes back to customers. The success of influencing consumer perceptions is dependent on the degree of DSI within the firm.P2. Consumer stakeholder value is related to a firm's ability to exhibit high levels of environmental commitment through DSI.P3. Consumer stakeholders who value environmental responsibility will have more favorable perceptions of green marketing campaigns in firms that exhibit higher levels of DSI.P4. Firm performance is related to a firm's ability to communicate higher levels of DSI in their environmental commitment, especially when the initiatives offer distinction from competitors in the marketplace.\nDiscussion and future research directions: Stakeholder perceptions of corporate environmental commitment are a high profile issue in the business world today. Scholars should benefit from ideas and questions put forth in this paper as it suggests specific avenues to pursue empirically in order to understand stakeholder perceptions of a firm's environmental commitment. Firms will benefit from attention to this issue by better understanding the benefits of DSI in creating marketing campaigns for environmental products and services that stakeholders perceive as legitimate.The ideas presented in this paper are part of a larger framework of environmental responsibility and the strategic implications of DSI. Here, we have concentrated on consumers as a sub-set of stakeholders. Future research must expand on these considerations to address perceptions of other critical primary and secondary stakeholder groups including government, NGOs, suppliers, and employees. One major concern will inevitably be to assess and prioritize the influence of stakeholder groups on firms' decision whether or not to incorporate a DSI framework into their organizational structure. In particular, research should focus on addressing the magnitude to which environmental commitment may be a motivating force encouraging firms to adopt DSI practices, and in return, how the integration of supply and demand within a firm can contribute to achieving competitive advantages through mechanisms such as customer trust and confidence. These issues of trust and confidence should be explored in both the business-to-business and business-to-consumer contexts.While we argue that a green consumer segment exists in the marketplace, wielding considerable influence on brand and product choice, firms should also consider the possibility that misapplying a market's demand for green products and processes may result in negative outcomes for the firm. For example, firms who are truly market oriented and able to accurately project future demand for green products and processes may be better positioned to capitalize on DSI. This would be likely if specific customer and stakeholder segments can be identified and DSI initiatives are communicated only to those segments. On the other hand, firms who are less sophisticated in their methods of forecasting market demand, and who may not confidently understand their customers and other stakeholder segments, might instead create an awareness surrounding a firm's environmental commitment, or lack thereof, that would not have existed otherwise. If the firm is not holistically integrated at all levels of its supply chain, the creation of this new awareness may create damaging results for the firm.In addition, while some firms have yet to make green marketing claims with respect to a substantial number of products offerings, firms can still benefit from integrating stakeholder concerns for behaving in an environmentally sound manner by promoting green internal processes and long-term sustainability commitments. For example, Colgate-Palmolive has recently made a concerted effort through a multi-million dollar media campaign to educate shareholders and consumers about their sustainability efforts and leadership in energy and environmental design certified production facilities (Colgate-Palmolive, 2010). The company web site provides data related to several key indicators that communicate critical success factors related to sustainable planet initiatives, offering stakeholders a way to analyze firm claims.Addressing the issues from a multi-method program of research is desirable so that all facets of DSI related to stakeholder perceptions and environmental responsibility and commitment can be understood. Qualitative research methodologies can help begin this process. Later, experimental methods will be able to test the effects of various firm activities and structures (e.g. levels of DSI, types of marketing communications, stakeholder value) on stakeholder perceptions of the firm, and eventually firm performance. Phenomena that involve corporate responsibility are considered challenging to research empirically, due to the increased possibility of bias among the respondent sample. Experiments, rather than surveys, should be employed to reduce bias and to empirically test potentially sensitive issues. We expect that the results of these research streams will help to support our propositions.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to extend the stream of thought regarding the concept of demand and supply integration (DSI) within the domain of environmental responsibility and green marketing.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Conceptual application of theory to strategic-level concepts is used to develop propositions representing a theoretical approach to the integration of green marketing and green supply chain management (SCM).\nFindings: - Based on stakeholder theory, the authors propose that greater value will be perceived by customer stakeholders when the firm is able to successfully manage and coordinate demand (marketing) and supply (SCM) functions, ensuring that customer stakeholders receive what they are promised in regard to environmental products and services. For this relationship to offer competitive advantage and higher firm performance, the authors contend that it is necessary to better understand how customer stakeholders perceive firms' environmental initiatives, and to investigate if the degree to which a firm's demand and supply functions are integrated influences these perceptions.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Scholars will benefit from ideas and questions put forth in this paper as it suggests specific avenues to pursue empirically in order to understand stakeholder perceptions of a firm's environmental responsibility activities.\nPractical implications: - Managers will benefit from the results of this paper by better understanding the benefits of DSI in creating marketing campaigns for environmental products and services that stakeholders perceive as legitimate.\nOriginality/value: - The authors introduce the concept of DSI to the green marketing and green SCM literature and position DSI within the broader rubric of environmental commitment in the firm.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Intra-industry variety as an outcome of intellectual capital
|
[
"Intellectual capital",
"Knowledge management",
"Computer software",
"Innovation",
"Video games",
"Finland"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Topic of the paper\nVariety among firms and industry development: Neoclassical economics and the nature of the firm\nWhat makes a firm special?: Operationalisation of variety in earlier research\nIC as the basis for the originality of the firm: What is new?\nConclusions: The starting point of this paper has been that variety in the characteristics of firms is essential for economic progress. It is important that firms are different from each other in terms of what they do and how they do it. The main problem is thus the nature of differences making the firms unique and what matters in this sense. So far, the operationalisation of variety in empirical research has been quite straightforward and quantified measures, such as price, quality and productivity, have been used. The problem is that such measures that are applicable in all contexts do not necessarily capture the uniqueness of each firm.The existence of differences in what firms do and how they do it has been a core assumption in the evolutionary theory of economic change. This has been analysed with the concepts \"routines\" and \"dynamic capabilities\". Both have their shortcomings. Routines are taken as given and practically no attention is paid to how they emerge, how they are developed and how some routines are replaced with others. Thus, a firm is in a way doomed. Dynamic capabilities are seen as objects of development and management but this is done only as a reaction to the changing environment. Furthermore, the role of individual people in the dynamic capabilities perspective is minimal and only the organisation level capabilities matter.IC is a good option as a concept to capture the uniqueness of a firm. Firstly, the importance of individuals and their skills, actions and determination is acknowledged. Secondly, the relationship to the environment is more proactive than reactive. Firms can make a difference in constructing the environment and consciously aim at stimulation of demand, for example. Apparent differences in product characteristics are not all that matters, but the uniqueness of a firm arises fundamentally from aspects internal to the firm. Thus, ex post differences in product characteristics are produced by ex ante differences within the firms.As the operationalisation of variety among firms in empirical research has proven problematic, perhaps inspiration could be sought from the IC literature as firm level measurement is a vital part of IC research, whereas such measurement is virtually non-existent in the literature on routines or dynamic capabilities. Furthermore, the border between the management and economics literature and research could be lowered as synergies can be found by crossing the border. Nelson (1991, p. 61) points out that economists are interested in the working and the outcome of the economic game whereas the management field is interested in the performance of individual firms. However, these two perspectives are not so different and it is virtually impossible to concentrate on just one and to exclude the other.One of the contributions of this paper is tying IC research to economic theory. IC research has so far been very pragmatic and managerial, and thus it is important to link it to past and present research in relating fields that are more well-established. Such a link may prove valuable in the further development of the IC field. Furthermore, analysing IC at the industry level is a novel approach which will hopefully receive more attention in the future.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to argue that the kind of variety among firms that is a condition for economic progress is fundamentally based on the intellectual capital (IC) of each firm.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The theoretical analysis is illustrated with case study findings from the Finnish games industry.\nFindings: - The firm heterogeneity essential for the development of a knowledge-intensive industry cannot be accurately captured with the concepts \"routines\" or \"dynamic capabilities\". Instead, IC should be adopted for this purpose as it emphasises the skills, actions and determination of people and their interactions, thus capturing the uniqueness of each firm.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Case study findings from other knowledge-intensive industries would be needed to make the argument more general.\nOriginality/value: - Papers approaching IC from the industry-level have been scarce, likewise papers tying IC to the evolutionary theory of economic change.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Business training for foreign students in UK
|
[
"Teaching styles",
"Learning styles",
"Communication",
"Overseas students",
"United Kingdom"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Professional trainers in the UK involved in business training, both academic (e.g. MBA), and on specialised management development courses run by companies themselves or by dedicated management training institutions, need to be aware of the challenges and potential problems presented when dealing with those from cultures where the academic education system in the home country differs from that in the UK. This concern was noted by the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD), in a survey in 2007 that stressed the importance of assisting those from overseas to adjust to the UK approach to teaching and learning. This is particularly the case at a time when the UK is anxious to recruit potential business talent from overseas to fill acknowledged skills gaps in the UK economy, especially in such areas as computing and engineering. This approach is further recommended by Foot and Hook (2008) when writing on the roles of learning and development specialists in international organisations.\nResearch aim: This paper, therefore, seeks to examine the different learning environment and teaching styles to which many foreigners have been accustomed in their home country. The author has been very aware of the above requirement, both as a lecturer at universities teaching postgraduate foreign students on MBA and other management courses, and as a trainer with international companies. As a result, a survey was conducted among groups of foreign students to compare their previous learning and teaching experiences with those they now encounter in the UK. The investigation also included discussion with students, lecturers and trainers along with staff in in-service training sessions. The research was reinforced by the completion of a structured questionnaire by a sample of 150 foreign students from 30 countries, currently attending courses in the UK.\nTrainers'/lecturers' personal profile: As a precursor to the survey, it was already evident that trainers and lecturers needed to appreciate fully how their own cultural style is perceived by those from other cultures. This is particularly important in respect of their communication style. They should consider assessing whether their own style of communicating is predominantly:* formal or informal;* lecturer-based or interactive;* concise or expressive;* impersonal or more emotional; or* indirect and implicit (high context) or direct and explicit (low context).In addition, they should consider whether they are happy to be interrupted and have their views openly challenged by individuals within the group. This increased self-awareness helps them realise how their style is perceived by others of different cultures, thereby helping them to identify more accurately their own personal style of communicating. This will be helpful when deciding whether they may need to adapt or modify their approach when working with those of other cultures.\nThe survey: The survey itself was carried out in postgraduate courses taught by the author and colleagues at the University of Westminster and the London campus of the American Schiller International University in 2009 (see the Appendix). This followed a series of staff in-service training seminars held at the American university in February and March 2008 which examined the strategies needed to teach foreign students. The main findings, where there are significant differences between the teaching and learning strategies in the home country compared to those experienced in the UK, are covered in the following paragraphs.\nBritish and North American teaching and learning styles: Perhaps not surprisingly there were no great differences between the two, especially when compared with other cultures. There were, however, some variations in emphasis. The American academic system is characterised by a continuous assessment of student performance through a variety of grading tools such as quizzes, multi-choice tests, mid-term and final written examinations, team and individual projects, group and class discussion, graded student presentations and theoretical and practical projects. In this way students are constantly informed about their own progress. As a result the American grading system reflects not only the marks in a final examination but the students' overall performance throughout the term.American students have their progress measured in credit hours, of which the student must earn a defined number to graduate with a Bachelor's degree, the standard undergraduate American university degree. US first degree courses normally take four years to complete and students are usually able to study a wide range of subjects in their first year before deciding on which area to focus.In British universities, however, students usually study for three years for their first degree, and while results in some degree courses may depend largely on examination results, there is increasing reliance on course work for the assessment of the quality of the degree to be awarded. Generally, less weight is given to continuous assessment in the form of course work and written assignments in the British system than in the American, where as much as 50 per cent of the final grade for a course may be assessed on the basis of course work rather than assessments done under examination conditions. Thus a British student may well have a more in-depth knowledge of a chosen subject, while his American counterpart may have benefited from a more general and wide approach to a given subject area.Both British and American universities put emphasis on what Hofstede (1994) describes in his dimension of individualism, as placing high value on individual performance and achievement. Both cultures are essentially monochronic, rather than polychronic, placing importance on punctuality, and adherence to following plans and regulations. These are valuable lessons for work in the future and should be emphasised to all students, particularly those from polychronic cultures where less of a premium is placed on time management.The British and American approach is to encourage active participation, to challenge and to invite discussion, even on potentially controversial issues. The American students and lecturers agreed that the class sizes they had experienced in the UK were usually smaller than in the USA and that there was more feedback on their work and general progress. Direct access to lecturers was encouraged and tutorial groups were often used. A key principle of British and American life is that people have the right to hold opposing views and to express them. Understanding the other person's point of view and the right to express it, within clear limits, is a valued quality. In both cultures the education system encourages questioning and the expression of personal opinions. The Americans prefer informality more than the British. Their communication style is always confident and positive. Challenging the teacher is acceptable in both cultures. American students and British students agreed that it was common practice for them to give individual presentations on their work. The debating tradition is an important part of British and American education systems and expressing one's views and discussing with others is a key skill which is of great value in the competitive world of work, but such an approach is often alien to a number of foreign cultures.The small number of Canadians surveyed generally agreed with the above comments.\nAsian teaching and learning styles: Many foreign students, particularly those from China, Japan, Thailand and Korea who come to the UK, have experienced a home education system which does not encourage interaction with other students and teachers. Many are expected in their home country to absorb large amounts of information and reproduce it mainly from rote learning, often without much academic analysis or criticism. The information is often passed to them by teachers who address very large groups of students in a formal manner, with few, if any, visual aids and little or no time devoted to answering questions.The reluctance of some Asian students to respond initially to the British and American approach is also due to the inherent respect shown to their teachers, because of reverence for status, authority and age and the resulting belief that it is inappropriate to challenge a teacher or argue a point in class. The most obvious difference in student response is the reluctance of some students to participate in discussion, much less challenge the ideas of others. This is partly due to the teaching styles to which they are accustomed in their own countries, but also to the possibility of losing \"face\". This attitude is also complicated by what is sometimes described as \"comfort with silence\". In class, many Asian students are usually very quiet; they do not discuss or debate with their lecturers or other students, nor do they express personal opinions, in contrast to those who come from predominantly Western cultures. These students are more reserved and less assertive as their cultures place strong emphasis on harmony and respect for authority. (Lin and Yi, 1997). They are often reluctant to volunteer answers to questions that are put to the group as a whole. They are more comfortable keeping silent and listening closely from the beginning to the end, even if they have areas that require elucidation. In reality, they may want to ask questions or give an opinion, but they are afraid of perhaps seeming stupid or giving a \"wrong\" answer and thus losing \"face\". They prefer to look up a topic later or ask the lecturer privately at the end of the session. Silence can of course also be for other reasons: it can be an attempt to hide embarrassment caused by lack of understanding, often due to a poor grasp of English.Because such students are often silent, it does not necessarily mean they would not like to say something. Their silence may be because they are considering whether it is appropriate or impolite to break into other people's conversations, or to force their opinions on others. It can also be because in their culture a teacher would be highly embarrassed if he or she were challenged or asked a question, as this would indicate that the teacher had failed to make the point clear in the first instance. For those students who come from a culture with traditional Confucian principles, we should bear in mind that over-competitiveness is discouraged. They come from cultures described by Hofstede (1994) and Trompenaars (1994) as \"collectivist\", with the emphasis on relationships within the group and the value of team effort rather than an individualistic approach. Their respect for age and status is fundamental to the acceptance of hierarchy. In most Asian cultures it is important to show this respect as it assists the person so distinguished to fulfil the expectations that society has of him or her as a teacher. Asian students are generally less used to working in small groups and many have limited experience of giving individual presentations. The Chinese are used to large classes in their country and welcomed the smaller size of classes in the UK which afforded greater opportunity for personal contact with their lecturers and more feedback on their progress.The Japanese are careful not to disagree with the teacher or presenter and are anxious not to lose face. Their presentation style tends to be low-key and without emotion. They take time to consider answers to questions and are comfortable with silence for reflection, which can be disconcerting for those of Western cultures.\nWest European teaching and learning styles: Among European students, the Germans in particular reported that their classes at home were large and formally conducted, making it more difficult for lecturers to take personal interest in students' progress and there was relatively little opportunity for discussion in lectures. The relationship between students and lecturers was conducted in a generally formal manner. Many of the German responses were similar to those of the French students, but the latter had relatively little direct contact with lecturers and received few printed handouts or oral feedback on their work. Both German and French students were accustomed to giving formal individual presentations.French students often display a thinking process that is deductive, beginning with an idea or a theory and making deductions. This approach is based on a strong intellectual Cartesian tradition that prizes rational and logical thinking. They welcome the ensuing discussion. Germans also prefer logical arguments and will ask detailed questions and politely challenge their teachers.Those from Southern Europe, particularly Spaniards, Greeks and Italians, are confident to enter into discussion with both teachers and their fellows. They all tend to have good communication skills and to argue passionately to defend their position.\nRussian teaching and learning styles: Russian students reported large numbers in their home classes as opposed to their experience in the UK and this factor restricted questions to lecturers and the expression of personal opinions, although the latter were strongly encouraged in small group activities. Relations with lecturers were usually formal, but access to lecturers was readily available. All were used to giving individual presentations and have good speaking skills that are valued and developed in their education system. There is a significant amount of oral examination in the assessment of their degree grade.\nCentral and Eastern Europe: Among the students from Central and Eastern Europe, including those from Serbia, Bulgaria, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Romania, there was general agreement that most were less encouraged to question their lecturers or to express personal opinions in class, although this situation was changing, owing to greater contact with Western styles of teaching. Small group activities were not widely used, but most students were used to giving individual presentations on their work. They were more used to receiving clear and detailed directions with the emphasis on what were the important points and the essential reading.\nAfrica: In the case of students from Africa there were wide differences in the responses, often depending whether they were from Francophone or Anglophone countries. Small groups were not widely used, but students were encouraged to ask questions, although the expression of personal opinions in class was not universal. The majority had experience of giving personal presentations in class.\nMiddle East: The Arabs in particular value verbal communication rather than written. Their style of communication is more circular in contrast to the Western linear approach. They are comfortable with interruptions and these are seen as the interaction of ideas and show a continuous exchange of information. Most reported that they are encouraged to work independently, but sometimes in small as opposed to large groups, and were accustomed to express their views with colleagues and teachers. Not all had experience of giving individual presentations.\nOutcomes of the survey: The survey highlights a number of potential problem areas. These are discussed below with suggestions as to how they can be overcome.Language and understanding\nConclusions: It must be emphasised that although national culture is the prime factor informing attitudes to learning, individual characteristics are often just as important. Thus, those from a mainly individualist culture might well be by nature shy and retiring and so be reluctant to participate in class. Upbringing and individual family background also play an important role. It is therefore important for trainers to attempt to find out as much as possible about a participant's background. It would appear that the personality of the trainer and his/her ability to empathise is probably still the most important factor in overcoming any lack of confidence.It would also be beneficial for trainers to attend in-service training sessions devoted to advice on how and when to adapt their own communication styles to take account of the cultural background of their foreign course members. This approach is of value as foreign students \"cannot simply shake off their own culture and step into another\" (Byram and Morgan, 1994).The ultimate training challenge is to create a positive, dynamic and progressive climate where people from different cultures learn together harmoniously, recognising their strengths and cultural differences. The training skills are in harnessing their talents and indeed their differences to maximise their potential.If the UK is to maintain its position as a leader in business training, it should endeavour to make the most effective use of foreign-educated personnel attending such courses in the UK in order to gain the maximum from their training. Such an approach is vital if the UK economy is to gain the optimum benefit from the training of those from overseas.At the same time, these developments should be tailored to meet the requirements of foreign students who wish to study and possibly find employment in the UK. The British approach is often unfamiliar to a number of foreign students. Lecturers should encourage the development of self-confidence and powers of self-expression in all their students, while at the same time recognising and respecting their cultural differences and their various degrees of English language proficiency. This can present a challenge to lecturers, particularly at the early stage of a course. It would be highly beneficial for lecturers to attend INSET sessions devoted to advice on adapting their teaching style to the cultural needs of their international students.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper seeks to highlight the differences foreign personnel undergoing business training in the UK may encounter because of the different teaching and learning environments in their home country as opposed to those they will experience in the UK. It aims to include research in the area among a sample of foreign students, discussion with trainers and teaching colleagues, as well as the results of in-service training (INSET) held with staff in this area. It also aims to highlight differences and recommendations made to overcome them.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The methodology includes discussion, INSET and a structured questionnaire survey comparing the different teaching and learning styles experienced in the foreign culture with those in the UK.\nFindings: - The paper concludes that relatively few differences exist between British and Americans, but a significant range of differences are encountered primarily by Asian students and some by European, Africans and those from the former Soviet Union. In addition, trainers should be given some initial training on the cultures of those on their courses and practical steps taken to overcome weaknesses in understanding of English.\nOriginality/value: - This is an increasing area of concern as the numbers from overseas undergoing business training in the UK is likely to increase to help reduce the skills gap in certain areas. The paper suggests how the cultural differences in teaching and learning can be reconciled to make their business training in the UK more effective.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
How are supply chains coordinated? An empirical observation in textile-apparel businesses
|
[
"Textile industry",
"Supply chain management",
"Vertical marketing"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In recent years, there have been drastic changes in globalizing businesses due to profound advances in the communication and coordination process management and technologies. Perhaps the phenomenon is attributable to the consumer fickle demands and more customized market requirements. On these premises, it is widely believed that the development of supply chain management (SCM) can effectively provide better value to the end customers in terms of innovative or cost-conscious products and services, and at the same time to maximize total supply chain profitability (Chopra and Meindl, 2003). However, the objectives and interests of each supply chain members are varied and always conflicting. Thus, supply chain coordination becomes so vitally importance to determine the whole chain's performance.Today's textile and apparel industries make a significant contribution to many national economies both in the developing and developed world (Abernathy et al., 2004; Dickerson, 1995; Dicken, 1998; Jones, 2002). Textile-apparel supply chain is relatively complex because it encompasses several chucks of manufacturing processes such as fiber and yarn processing, fabric manufacturing/finishing, garment manufacturing and retailing. There are also many intermediate processing steps, and auxiliary materials production and service sectors involved (Forza and Vinelli, 1997). Yet, as the final product of the textile and apparel supply chain, apparel fashion is characterized by a number of marketing factors, such as short lifecycle, high volatility of market demand, low predictability, and high impulse purchase (Fernie and Sparks, 1998). The long supply pipeline makes the lead time of textile-apparel supply chain relatively long and uncertain in response to the volatile characteristics of fashion markets. The coordination in textile-apparel supply chain becomes even more important.In academia, Forrest (1958, 1961) introduces the theory of industrial dynamics, which anchors the current understanding of supply chain coordination. It has not been paid enough attention until the emergence of SCM philosophy in the early 1990s. After that, there is a growing stream of literature attempting to better understand supply chain coordination from multiple disciplines (for example, Lee et al., 1997a, b; Lee and Staelin, 1997; Mahajan and Vakharia, 2002; Whitfield et al., 2000a, b). Unfortunately, coordination in textile-apparel supply chain is still an unresolved question both from the theoretic and practical points-of-view. This paper intends to fill in the gap. Employing the methodology of case study, the paper examined three different types of coordination practice in three different structures of textile-apparel supply chains, which are vertical integration chain, efficiency oriented chain and 3P-hub chain. The coordinators are three leading Hong Kong based international textiles and apparel companies in these cases. The case sources are published articles, company websites and some open seminars made by the case companies. Through the research observations and analyses in the cases, the empirical issues of the implementation of coordination for textile-apparel supply chains are revealed.\nPrevious studies: Supply chain coordination\nDesigning the ideal coordination structures of textile-apparel supply chain: This paper examines the experience and implication of coordinating and integrating collaborative work in the international fashion businesses. The research presented here is based on the contingency perspective of organizational coordination; wherein the appropriate forms of supply chain processes are subject to the kinds of competitive performance requirements and the market demand environments with which the companies deal. In the cases studied, well-known Hong Kong based textile and apparel companies that supported existing worldwide textile and apparel manufacturing and distribution in US, Australia and Europe were ethnographically researched.Type I coordination practices in vertical integration chain\nEmpirical issues of implementation of coordination for textile-apparel supply chain: From the three types of coordination practice in textile-apparel supply chain, the empirical issues of implementation of coordination for textile-apparel supply chain are shown in Table II.As shown in Table II, different types of companies play the role of coordinators in different structures of textile-apparel supply chains. In vertical integration chain, vertical integrated company is the coordinators. In type II, efficiency oriented chain, either powerful brand owners such as Nike or powerful garment manufacturers such as TAL can be the coordinator. In type III, 3P-hub chain, the trade agent, who functions as the hub, is the coordinator. In vertical integration chain, the vertical integrated company should do their best to achieve the agility of the supply chain for high fashion products. In efficiency-oriented chain, coordinator should collaborate with the other members of the supply chain to make the chain lean enough. It is better configured for mass fashion products. While in 3P-hub chain, under the coordination of the powerful trade agent such as Li & Fung, both high fashion and mass fashion products are suitable. From strategic or tactical perspective, centralized decision making mechanism is for type I coordination, while decentralized decision making mechanism is for type II and type III coordination. From operational perspective, no matter what types of coordination, information sharing and physical flow coordination should be full enough.\nConclusions and future research: Supply chain coordination encompasses every effort of information exchange and integration during the courses of developing, producing and delivering a product or service to end marketplaces. In reality, the objectives and interests of different members along a supply chain are tending diverse and conflicting. Thus, supply chain coordination becomes so vitally important to achieve the all-level consensus, through which different members along a supply chain can react to market requirements in highly congruous ways.Companies in different supply chains, pertaining to their individual needs, resource constraints and supply chain contextual requirements, adopt different supply chain systems and workflow structures to support the effective communication and coordination. In textile and apparel industries, brand owners generally coordinate the supply chain. There are also other coordination practices in industries. Through the research observations and analyses in the cases, the integrated company, powerful garment manufacturer and trade agent play the role of coordinators in vertical integration chain, efficiency oriented chain and 3P-hub chain, respectively.No matter what type of coordination practice, information sharing and product flow coordination should be full enough. Centralized decision-making mechanism is conducted in type I coordination practice in vertical integration chain, while decentralized decision-making mechanism is in type II and type III coordination practice.From the perspective of the product type, the coordination practice in vertical integration chain is better configured for high fashion. On the contrary, the coordination practice in efficiency-oriented chain is better configured for mass fashion. Powerful enough, the third party can coordinate the whole supply chain to provide both mass fashion product and high fashion product.Coordinators try to make the information and product flow seamlessly in the four processes of creating and marketing an apparel line, which are product development, sourcing and buying, production and distribution and retailing. They are the information centers of the whole supply chain. They should have power to manage the supply chain. They should actively integrate the whole chain for the maximum total profitability.This paper is just the overview of coordination practice in textile-apparel supply chains. The case sources are published articles, company websites and some open seminars made by the case companies. They are not enough. For future research, the detailed coordination practice of the four processes of creating and marketing an apparel line should be decomposed thoroughly. Another deserved issue is the qualitative and quantitative qualifications for coordinators in textile-apparel supply chain.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to reveal the empirical issues of the implementation of coordination for textile-apparel supply chains.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Employing case study, the paper examines three different types of coordination practice in three different structures of textile-apparel supply chains: vertical integration chain, efficiency oriented chain and 3P-hub chain. The coordinators are three leading Hong Kong based international textiles and apparel companies in these cases. The case sources are published articles, company web sites and some open seminars offered by the case companies.\nFindings: - In textile and apparel industries, brand owners generally coordinate the supply chain. There are also other coordination practices in industries. Through the research observations and analyses in the cases it is found that the integrated company, powerful garment manufacturer and trade agent play the role of coordinators in vertical integration chain, efficiency oriented chain and 3P-hub chain, respectively. No matter what type of coordination practice, information sharing and product flow coordination should be comprehensive. Coordinators are the information centers of the whole supply chain. They should have power to manage the supply chain. They should actively integrate the whole chain for maximum total profitability.\nResearch limitations/implications: - This paper is just an overview of coordination practice in textile-apparel supply chains. The case sources are published articles, company web sites and some open seminars made by the case companies. The methodology should be more systematic.\nOriginality/value: - Coordination in textile-apparel supply chains is still an unresolved question both from the theoretic and practical points of view. This paper fills in some of the gaps.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A study of software development project cost, schedule and quality by outsourcing to low cost destination
|
[
"Outsourcing",
"Global software development",
"Team distribution"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Software project management has been the focus of considerable attention during the past two decades in the information systems (IS), especially after the advent of outsourcing. Effective software project management focusses on the three P's: People, Problem and Processes (Pressman, 1997). The human resource is the most important factor in the development of a software product. In spite of development in technology and processes, the productivity of human resources remains the most dominant factor for cost and schedule of software development projects, which are also the most important reasons for outsourcing (Alpar and Saharia, 1995; Loh, 1994). Based on the standards and tradition in the software development field, the most common combination of criteria used to measure the success of a project concerns meeting time, cost, functionality and quality goals (e.g. Anda et al., 2009; El Emam and Koru, 2008; Kappelman et al., 2006; Lai, 1997). This paper presents a study that explores the effect of division of work between onsite and offshore location and training effort at onsite and offshore locations on the development cost and schedule of a development project in global software development (GSD) environment.\n2. Relevant literature: Distributed software development (DSD) is nowadays a common practice within the software industry (Hernandez-Lopez et al., 2010). GSD is a particular type of DSD in which teams are distributed beyond the limits of a nation (Herbsleb and Moitra 2001). The literature on software project management discusses about issues such as cost, schedule, knowledge transfer, productivity and quality in the outsourcing environment. Project management challenges are multiplied due to issues related to knowledge transfer, communication, project management, quality management and infrastructure (Kobitzsch et al., 2001). The outsourcing life cycle management can be critical in GSD (Beulen et al., 2011). Effective knowledge sharing is considered essential for high performance in both co-located and distributed settings. The knowledge transfer culture and alignment between IS and business strategy can influence knowledge transfer to offshore location (Mayasandra et al., 2011; Chua and Pan, 2008). The time zone difference between various countries also adds to project management inconveniences (Lacity and Rottman, 2009). The GSD is challenging due to prevalence of co-ordination and communication issues (e.g. Avritzer et al., 2010; Casey and Richardson, 2009; Conchuir et al., 2009; Cusumano, 2008; Garcia-Crespo et al., 2010). There could be loss of communication richness (physical distance, time zone, and domain expertise), co-ordination breakdown (software architecture, integration and configuration management), geographical dispersion (vendor support, governmental issue) and loss of team-ness (feeling of belonging in the team) in GSD (Battin et al., 2001). The outsourcing life cycle management can be critical in GSD (Cullen et al., 2006; Webster and Watson, 2002).\n3. Research methodology: One of the important purpose of our research is to calculate software team productivity in GSD environment. System dynamics is used to capture the changes in project performance variables with respect to execution time. The models for productivity estimation in literature can be broadly divided into static and dynamic models. The static models can be roughly categorized as either analytical relying on mathematical formulas or experience-based. COCOMO II and SLIM are the most conventionally used mathematical static models (Boehm, 1981; Kemere, 1987). The International Software Benchmarking Standards Group database can help in making experienced-based estimates for analysis, bench-marking and comparison of various kinds of software projects (ISBSG, 2009).\n4. System dynamics model sectoral overview: The system dynamics model developed consists of four major sectors: policy decisions, knowledge transfer, team productivity and error proneness, and software development sector with various flows connecting them. Figure 1 provides the overview and interconnection of model's four sectors.\n5. Model validation: The simulation model development can be carried out in three stages: first, defining the system problem entity; second, building the conceptual model; and third, converting the conceptual model to a computer executable model (Sargent, 1981). All these three stages of simulation model building require either subjective or objective validation. The conceptual model building phases needs verification on theory framework and assumptions. The computer executable model requires that the conceptual model is implemented without errors and, also operational data are able to produce the system behavior for the intended system under study (Sargent, 2010) The operational validation is the most important validation process where the output data are verified to ensure that all aspects of model such as input data, model framework and computer simulation are reliable. The verification and validation for a system dynamics model cannot be 100 percent reliable as no single model can represent the entire reality, since such model will be expensive to construct and more difficult to manipulate (Pidd, 2000). The purpose of our research is to find out the cost, schedule and quality of development project in GSD, the verification and validation install enough confidence in us for policy analysis.\n6. Policy run of the model: 6.1. Model base run\n7. Results of model run: The model run results for various combinations of onsite/offshore resources ratio and offshore training time are discussed in this section. We have discussed two scenarios for onsite/offshore resources ratio of 0.75/0.25 and 0.5/0.5. The model simulation with onsite/offshore resources ratio of 0.25/0.75 affects the project cost and schedule in a very adverse manner. So it is not advisable to execute the development project with higher percentage of resources at offshore location and is ignored in the discussion.\n8. Summary of research findings: The research work to find out the policy to improve the cost and schedule for development projects in GSD environment by simulation. The purpose of our model was to study the project characteristics in GSD for various combinations of onsite-offshore manpower, training time with business user, offshore training time and suitable time to introduce the offshore team. We found that there is drop in productivity in GSD as reported by various researchers in literature (e.g. Muhairat et al., 2010; Ramasubbu and Balan, 2007). The EOR and EOL values increased with the increase in team size at offshore location. So there is a possibility of higher latent error for software projects executed in GSD environment. In spite of all the shortcomings, we found that there is a possibility to save development cost in GSD.\n9. Conclusion: Cost reduction and control are often offered as internal reasons for outsourcing IS (Smith et al., 1998; Alpar and Saharia, 1995; Lacity et al., 2004). But it can have negative influence on project efficiency (Bosch and Bosch-Sijtsema, 2010; Smite et al., 2010). The geographical dispersion can have negative influence on software development productivity and project performance (Avritzer et al., 2010; Casey and Richardson, 2008, 2009; Milewski et al., 2008). The paper found out that there can be cost saving for development projects in outsourcing environment by keeping offshore team only for coding and testing work. The project schedule is affected by having a offshore team. The larger the offshore team, bigger is the deviation in project schedule in comparison to onsite only execution. The requirement analysis and design work should be executed at onsite only. The offshore team should be trained in basic business knowledge to be effective in coding and testing work.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to find good values of onsite-offshore team strength; number of hours of communication between business users and onsite team and between onsite and offshore team so as to reduce project cost and improve schedule in a global software development (GSD) environment for software development project.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This study employs system dynamics simulation approach to study software project characteristics in both co-located and distributed development environments. The authors consulted 14 experts from Indian software outsourcing industry during our model construction and validation.\nFindings: The study results show that there is a drop in overall team productivity in outsourcing environment by considering the offshore options. But the project cost can be reduced by employing the offshore team for coding and testing work only with minimal training for imparting business knowledge. The research results show that there is a potential to save project cost by being flexible in project schedule.\nResearch limitations/implications: The implication of the study is that the project management team should be careful not to keep high percentage of manpower at offshore location in distributed software environment. A large offshore team can increase project cost and schedule due to higher training overhead, lower productivity and higher error proneness. In GSD, the management effort should be to keep requirement analysis and design work at onsite location and involves the offshore team in coding and testing work.\nPractical implications: The software project manager can use the model results to divide the software team between onsite and offshore location during various phases of software development in distributed environment.\nOriginality/value: The study is novel as there is little attempt at finding the team distribution between onsite and offshore location in GSD environment.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Consumer reactions to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Thailand: The moderating effect of competitive positioning
|
[
"Thailand",
"Corporate social responsibility",
"Consumer behaviour",
"Consumer reactions",
"Competitive positioning"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been the subject of academic study for over 50 years, and is now a major focus of organisational studies (Dentchev, 2009). The concept of CSR is broad and characterised by considerable debate. This debate is largely driven by a lack of consensus on CSR, attributable to the myriad theories, measures and empirical methods used in the field (Punch, 2003). One significant issue is the scarcity of research about CSR in developing countries (Dobers and Halme, 2009; Jamali and Mirshak, 2007). In these countries, CSR shows a distinctive set of agenda challenges that are collectively quite different to those faced in developed countries (Visser et al., 2010). This study addresses the issue of CSR in developing countries specifically.\nCSR in Thailand: While studies of CSR in developing countries is nascent, and almost entirely absent in Thailand - Thai firms do engage in a number of socially and environmentally oriented practices. These activities mainly involve donations, social contributions and engagement with local communities (Yodprudtikan, 2009). Many are also related to development projects established by the King. Mavro (2010) points out that community service and philanthropy are also expressive of CSR in Thailand - largely because businesses see these types of contributions as part of their \"duty\" (Urip, 2010). A number of government and professional bodies have recently created various CSR promotions, including awards and events (Virakul et al., 2009). The local practice of CSR has also been influenced by how foregin firms - and global bodies - engage in the discussion about, and activities associated with CSR. Groups such as the United Nations Global Compact and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand have introduced standards and guidelines to extend aspects of companies' social practice (Prayukvong and Olsen, 2009).\nConsumer-related CSR studies: Company \"use\" of CSR for strategic reasons has coincided with consumers becoming more interested in CSR (Bhattacharya and Sen, 2004). As Carrigan et al. (2004) noted, a growing number of consumers in various parts of the world are now taking ethical and social issues into account when buying products, and avoiding companies they recognise as being insincere in their CSR activities. Experimental studies (Becker-Olsen et al., 2006; Brown and Dacin, 1997; Ellen et al., 2006; Sen and Bhattacharya, 2001) report that consumers are more likely to purchase from firms that engage in CSR initiatives, particularly when they perceive a compatibility between the company and the cause, sincerity of the company's CSR motives, and some overlap between their perceptions of themselves and their perceptions of the company. This alignment has also been found to increase consumers' loyalty and advocacy behaviours towards the company (Du et al., 2007).\nConceptual framework: In this study, the conceptual framework developed by Du et al. (2007) was used to examine consumer reactions to aspects of CSR brands in Thailand. These included determinants, namely, CSR awareness and CSR attributions; and consequences of consumers' CSR beliefs, namely, Consumer-Company (C-C) identification, loyalty and advocacy; and how these coexist with their corporate ability (CA) beliefs, that is, beliefs held by consumers that relate to a company's expertise in producing and delivering services. While consumers' reaction will depend on both their CA and CSR beliefs, this paper focuses on the latter. Specifically, this study aims to explore how differences in brand's competitive positioning on CSR influence these relationships (see Figure 1).\nHypothesis development: The conceptual framework developed by Du et al. (2007) proposed two antecedents of CSR beliefs: CSR awareness and CSR attributions. CSR awareness refers to consumers' knowledge and perception of a brand's CSR activities, while CSR attributions refer to the motivation of a brand for integrating CSR activities within business strategies. CSR awareness may not lead to favourable CSR beliefs because consumers' perceptions of the underlying motivations for company actions may drive their evaluations of that company. Ellen et al. (2006) argue that consumers can attribute such a company with being motivated by both extrinsic and intrinsic motives. Extrinsic attributions include those that are made to the selfish interest of the company (e.g. increase sales and profits, or boost a specific brand), whereas intrinsic attributions are more about a company's desire to \"do good\" for society (e.g. assisting with community development or cause that is the focus of CSR initiatives). These two types of motive can be conceived of as extremes on a continuum in which consumers locate the general balance of company motives in their CSR involvement.\nMethodology: Research design\nMeasures: Measure development\nHypothesis analysis and results: The hypotheses of the conceptual framework were tested using t-tests for hypotheses H1 and H4, and multiple regression analysis (MRA) for hypotheses H2a, H2b, H3 and H5. In order to test these hypotheses, brand-specificity was formed applying an indicator coding in which D=1 if the brand is AIS or True Move and D=0 if the brand is DTAC. D\nDiscussion: The aim of this paper was to investigate whether aspects of the \"business case\" for CSR is as well understood in western, developed countries plays out similarly in a developing country namely Thailand. Specifically, this study investigated whether firms positioning themselves as CSR had significant implications for how consumers react to that firm.\nImplications and future research: This study contributes to understandings about the strategic benefits that firms can extract from CSR in to the context of developing countries. While CSR has become of strategic importance in western, developed countries and is being used for competitive positioning, similar benefits are possible in Thai mobile phone service providers and potentially other developing countries. Thus, as consumers become more aware of CSR, they will make more favourable attributions of service providers positioned as a CSR emphasised brand, and they will consider it to be more socially responsible, than its competitors. However, the strategic potential of this positioning may be limited in so far as CSR positioning in Thailand does not seem to flow through to increased loyalty on the part of consumers - regardless of CSR, consumers remain loyal to their current service providers. Of significance would be to explore more specifically the relationship between branding, CSR and loyalty. Does CSR contribute to attracting new customers, in new areas, rather than securing customers from competitors?\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand the business case for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Thailand by focusing on the consumer-organisational relationship and test the conceptual framework of Du et al. (2007).\nDesign/methodology/approach: A quantitative study was conducted using a mall intercept survey of 184 Thai mobile phone service provider consumers in Bangkok, Thailand.\nFindings: A CSR emphasised brand is more likely than non-CSR emphasised brands to accrue consumer CSR awareness, positive attitude to company motivations and beliefs in the CSR of that company. Although beliefs are associated with consumers' greater identification and advocacy behaviours towards the CSR emphasised brand than the non-CSR emphasised brands, they are not associated with loyalty.\nPractical implications: The paper provides potential guidance for companies to more effectively position and communicate their CSR activities to create differential advantages.\nOriginality/value: Findings of the study demonstrate some support for a business case for CSR in Thailand.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Information need as trigger and driver of information seeking: a conceptual analysis
|
[
"Information behaviour",
"Information need",
"Information seeking",
"Models of information behaviour",
"Models of information need",
"Motivators for information seeking"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The question of what motivates information seeking belongs to the perennial issues of research on human information behaviour (HIB). Even though this issue has been examined since the 1960s, the picture of the factors triggering and driving information seeking is still fragmented and somewhat unclear. The multiplicity of such factors is recently elucidated by Robson and Robinson (2013, pp. 184-185). According to them, the factors that affect information behaviour include, for example, context: the environment in which an information actor operates. This includes location, social influences, culture, activity-related and work-related factors, finances and technology. As an umbrella term, context may also include personal factors: demographics, expertise and psychological factors. Second, an information actor's knowledge, education, training and experience relevant to a subject area, task or use of information sources can affect information seeking. Third, there is a host of psychological factors: an information actor's personality and mental processes including: self-perception and self-efficacy, perception of the knowledge gap, cognitive dissonance, perception of risk, ability to cope with stress; and thoughts and feelings while searching for information. Finally, there are an information user's needs, wants and goals giving impetus to information seeking. Factors such as these may be internally or externally prompted, and they can be recognised or unrecognised, anticipated or unexpected, cognitive or affective.\nBackground: The nature of HIB models\nResearch questions: Previous studies have provided overall reviews of diverse HIB models (e.g. Case and Given, 2016, pp. 141-175; Robson and Robinson, 2013; Wilson, 1999) or scrutinised the features of individual frameworks such as Wilson's (1997) general model of information behaviour (Niedzwiedzka, 2003). However, none of the prior investigations have examined the nature of triggers and drivers of information seeking conceptualised in HIB models. The present study fills gaps in HIB research by addressing the following research questions:\nResearch material and analysis: To identify relevant research material, databases such as EBSCO, Google Scholar and Library and Information Science Abstracts were searched. The keywords used in literature searching included information need, need, motivation, information seeking, information search and information searching, for example. In addition, major reviews of the models for information seeking (e.g. Case and Given, 2016, pp. 141-175; Wilson, 1999) were scrutinised to substantiate the searches. These efforts resulted in the identification of 48 items relevant to the research topic. The sample of such studies is relatively small, indicating that researchers have seldom scrutinised the conceptual nature of information need despite the fact that this concept is heavily used. After having excluded redundant studies mainly reviewing the findings of previous investigations, the final sample included 26 studies explicitly characterizing information need as triggers and drivers of information seeking. The investigations subjected to conceptual analysis are included in the list of references. The main attention was directed towards studies explicating HIB models.\nFindings: The conceptual analysis revealed that in HIB models developed so far, information need has been approached from two major perspectives. On the one hand, it is conceptualised as a primary trigger or driver of information seeking. The findings characterizing this approach will be reported first. Thereafter, the focus will be placed on conceptualizations that approach information need as a secondary factor whose nature is determined by fundamental triggers and drivers such as the requirements of problem solving or task performance.\nDiscussion: The present study addressed two research questions. First, it was asked how researchers have approached the category of information need as a trigger and driver of information seeking in the models for HIB? The answer to this question is summarised in Table I.\nConclusion: Information need is a perennial and perplexing topic in HIB research. The main contribution of the present study contributed to this area is the elaboration of the picture of information need as a trigger and driver of information seeking. The findings deepen our understanding of the ways in which people initiate information seeking and keep this process in motion. The results complement the picture of information need theorized by Cole (2011, 2012). He focussed on the elaboration of Taylor's (1968) classic model which specifies four levels at which information needs are articulated as primary triggers and drivers of IR and information searching. The present study examined a broader repertoire of studies conceptualising information need as both primary and secondary triggers and driver of information seeking.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the picture of the motivators for information behaviour by examining the nature of information need as a trigger and driver of information seeking.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A conceptual analysis was made by focussing on the ways in which researchers have conceptualised information need in models for human information behaviour (HIB). The study draws on conceptual analysis of 26 key studies focussing on the above topic.\nFindings: Researchers have employed two main approaches to conceptualise information needs in the HIB models. First, information need is approached as a root factor which motivates people to identify and access information sources. Second, information need is approached as a secondary trigger or driver determined by more fundamental factors, for example, the information requirements of task performance. The former approach conceptualises information need as a trigger providing an initial impetus to information seeking, while the latter approach also depicts information need as a driver that keeps the information-seeking process in motion. The latter approach is particularly characteristic of models depicting information seeking as a cyclic process.\nResearch limitations/implications: As the study focusses on information need, no attention is devoted to related constructs such as anomalous state of knowledge and uncertainty.\nOriginality/value: The study pioneers by providing an in-depth analysis of the nature of information need as a trigger and driver of information seeking. The findings refine the picture of motivators for information behaviour.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Evaluation and improvement of maintenance management performance using a maturity model
|
[
"Performance evaluation",
"Maintenance management",
"Maturity model"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The identification and characterization of maturity levels have been discussed in various knowledge areas, such as in project management, quality management and systems development, and practical application of findings has led to the achievement of better results. The first maturity model was introduced in the quality management area by Crosby (1979). Maturity models allow an organization to have its methods and processes evaluated in accordance with good management practices and with a set of external parameters.The industry trend of becoming increasingly technology-intensive as well as to adopt a production paradigm such as Just-in-Time leads maintenance to assume a more and more important role in achieving high productivity and quality. The identification of maturity in maintenance management can highlight weaknesses in this area and boost the implementation of improvements that will strengthen the area's ability to achieve high performance of manufacturing equipment.Not much-published literature is reported on the development and application of maturity models in physical asset maintenance (Chemweno et al., 2015). Antil (1991) and Wireman (1992) proposed maturity models that are adaptations of the Crosby model to maintenance management. However, maintenance management has particularities and important differences from quality management that have to be assessed and improved to achieve better performance. Cholasuke et al. (2004) categorized the maturity of the companies that replied to a questionnaire according to their maintenance management practices. Based on this categorization, companies can identify the group to each they belong. However, since the categorization is based on the adoption of certain methodologies and the values of performance indicators, companies cannot easily identify the actions that allows them to reach the next maturity levels, as in Chemweno et al. (2015) and in some classes of the model of Campbell and Reyes-Picknell (2006).For the purpose of both, assessment of maturity and direction indication for improving performance, this paper proposes a maturity model focused on behaviors to allow identifying the next steps that should be taken to reach higher maturity levels. It is not intended that the model specifies the methodologies that should be used or the values of indicators that companies should achieve. Among companies that claim to adopt a certain methodology or use a particular tool, their degree of implementation or use can vary widely as stated in the study of Oliveira et al. (2015) and, therefore, it does not guarantee the achievement and sustainability of good results. Regarding performance indicators, indicators with the same designation are often calculated differently from company to company. Furthermore, an indicator value used to define a stage may be suitable for one business sector and too high for another, since it depends on the technological level and maintenance impact.According to Maier et al. (2012), maturity models can be used both as an assessment tool and as an improvement tool. Such as the EFQM model that is used for Excellence awards assignment in Europe, the model proposed in this paper is based on how companies act in the maintenance area and are not prescriptive in terms of methodologies or techniques. The evaluation categories and respective levels or stages of maturity were defined based on an extensive literature review. The world-class practices that define the highest maturity levels were identified taking into account recent works on the literature.The paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, a literature review about maturity models or grids is presented. Section 3 introduces and describes each category of the model and respective levels. The application of the model to the maintenance area of three companies as well as a discussion on the results is described in Section 4. Finally, the conclusions are presented in Section 5.\n2. Literature review: maturity models: Maturity models have been widespread developed in many fields of knowledge to improve organizational performance. 2.1 Maturity models in different knowledge area\n3. The model development: The model to be developed is a grid with different classes for maturity evaluation, presented in the rows, and for each class, the progressive levels of maturity, from the worst to the desired level, presented in the columns. The first step in developing the maturity model is the identification of the significant factors that contribute to the performance of the area. These factors are considered the classes of the model.For the proposed model, ten evaluation classes were considered as follows: (1) organizational culture, (2) maintenance policy, (3) performance management, (4) failure analysis, (5) planning and programming of preventive maintenance activities, (6) CMMS, (7) spare parts inventory management, (8) standardization and document control, (9) human resource management and (10) results management (maintenance costs and quality).The identification of the significant factors was made considering the enablers that cover the entire maintenance management chain. These enablers were identified in the literature.According to Marquez and Gupta (2006), three main pillars support maintenance, namely, IT, maintenance engineering (ME) and organizational (or behavioral) pillar (BE). The considered classes were defined to involve these three pillars (IT - CMMS; ME - failure analysis, planning and programming of preventive maintenance activities; BE - organizational culture, maintenance policy, human resources management) but also to cover all the maintenance management activities. The standard EN 13306:2010 (2010) defines maintenance management as all the activities of the management that determine the maintenance objectives or priorities, strategies and responsibilities and implement them by means such as maintenance planning, maintenance control and supervision, improvement of methods in the organization including economical aspects. Historical records (made through CMMS - Class 6) and failure analysis (Class 4) are important to provide information for the planning and programming of maintenance activities (Class 5). And, in its turn, the effectiveness and efficiency in the execution of the maintenance plan depend on spare parts inventory management (Class 7), on the availability of standards and documentation (Class 8) and on human resources management (Class 9). The use of performance indicators (Class 3) allows converting data into information that supports decision making to improve maintenance results (Class 10). In addition to involving, through the ten defined classes, the factors that influence all maintenance activities, the model, covers the strategic, operational and tactical levels of maintenance management.Comparing to previous works, the considered classes cover the key ingredients or factors for effective maintenance identified by Cholasuke et al. (2004), except the contracting out maintenance factor since the model is focused on the internal management.The proposed maturity model is focused on behavior and not on results since the latter may have different magnitudes depending on the industry sector. The behaviors that lead to good results for each class of the model have been identified by an extensive literature review, and the levels established supported by the authors' experience in maintenance management.Five levels of progression, as most of the maturity models previously proposed, were considered. The model is presented in Table II. In each cell of the grid, statements aim at defining the behavior or practices adopted in the maintenance area.Each class is explained below justifying its influence on maintenance operation and performance, and identifying the associated relevant elements (or aspects) and world-class behaviors that supported the maturity levels definition. 3.1 Organizational culture (1)\n4. Model application: In order to test the proposed maturity model, it was first applied to a textile company located in Portugal, and after to companies of two different sectors of the industrial center of Manaus (Brazil).Concerning the Portuguese company, a work intended to analyze the maintenance area and set some improvement initiatives was recently held in the company by a graduate student within the scope of his master's thesis (Pereira, 2016). The analysis made by Pereira (2016) in the maintenance area allowed gathering relevant information to identify the company' maturity for some of the model classes. However, additional information was necessary to apply the whole model, and was gathered by interviewing the maintenance staff.This first application was made by the authors and functioned as a pre-test of the model. However, the following two applications were made by the companies themselves, since the model is intended to be a self-assessment tool. For these applications, the model was sent to the companies to be used by the person in charge of maintenance management. Latter, the person in charge was interviewed in order to obtain information that contributes to the evaluation and clarification of the selected levels. Then, improvement actions aimed at reaching the highest maturity levels were identified together with the person in charge. Finally, information about the model and suggestions for improvement were collected. 4.1 Company of the textile sector\n5. Conclusion: Maturity models are tools that support decisions, since they assist in the recognition of the current state of the organization and promote the adoption of measures so that improvement actions are identified, implemented and measured. The use of maturity models can lead to a positive spiral in maintenance management, preparing the organization for future steps to be given, around powerful support systems based on best practices developed in the scope of organizational management.This paper proposes a new maintenance maturity model which main focus is the improvement of the maintenance area, instead of being oriented to external benchmarking. To its development, the previous maintenance maturity models were reviewed and an extensive literature review was performed to identify the relevant factors in maintenance management and the best maintenance management practices. Then, the model was applied in three companies for testing its effectiveness and making improvements which lead mainly to clarify some statements. The model allowed defining the direction for future improvements in the three companies.The model allows the recognition of the current state of the maintenance area and gives the necessary support to achieve the following stages of evolution. In addition, it allows knowledge transfer on maintenance management best practices to maintenance managers. The self-evaluation through the model and identification of improvements actions is an easy and prompt task since the levels are based on maintenance management behaviors or practices.In the future, an assessment guideline with a sequence of questions to support the model application, as well as a computer application for information gathering, will be developed.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a new maturity model to identify the current state of maintenance area of organizations and drives actions to increase efficiency and effectiveness toward the concept known as world-class.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The model was developed based on an extensive literature review on maintenance management and maturity assessment, which allowed identifying the relevant factors in maintenance management and the world-class behaviors for each factor. The progressive maturity levels for each of the identified ten factors form the model. To test its effectiveness, it was applied to the maintenance area of three companies.\nFindings: The model application showed that, in addition to being a self-assessment tool, it provides knowledge, to those who use it, on behaviors or practices that enable world-class results. For each factor, potential gaps and the desired state were defined focusing on behaviors rather than on indicators values or adopted methodologies, which facilitates the identification of improvement actions that lead to better performance.\nResearch limitations/implications: Through its use, maturity levels can be identified for all considered maintenance management factors, however, the overall maturity of the maintenance area is not determined. Although this overall evaluation can be done assigning a weight to each factor, it was not considered an added value for the set purpose.\nOriginality/value: The proposed maturity model contributes to the understanding of the maintenance management process and how to stand out nowadays in an area that has an increasingly important impact on productivity and quality.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Universal appeals with local specifications
|
[
"Brand image",
"Automotive 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: With the accelerated movement of globalization (e.g. Levitt, 1983; Szymanski et al., 1993), the emergence of brands across nations revitalizes the age-old issue of which brand image strategies, standardization versus customization, should be used in which market. Previously Belk and Pollay (1985) suggested that cultural variations may influence how consumers organize the brand image in their mind in two interrelated ways:1. the content of communication messages delivered by the markets: and2. the kind of associations consumers focus on when perceiving a brand.Following this thought, proponents argue in favor of a customization strategy in order to cater to the specific characteristics of each market. Alternatively, others argue that the representation of the brand image, i.e. the number and the definition of the basic image dimension, remain largely similar across countries owing to culturally related individual values (Schwartz, 1994) and needs (Park et al., 1986). Furthermore, as consumers are becoming more similar psychologically amid the process of globalization (Hermans and Kempen, 1998) evidence also suggests that in some product categories there is a widespread acceptance of foreign products across the world in arising from the assumption that these products respond to the universal needs and wants of consumers (Levitt, 1983).Some scholars have expressed skepticism about the value of a standardization strategy because important national differences are often overlooked (Whitelock and Chung, 1989). At the same time, a customization strategy might neglect the homogeneity between nations and could result in diseconomies of scale. The balance between standardization and customization of international brand image strategy may lie in the extent to which the existing brand image that people perceive and focus is similarly or differently perceived across the globe.Aaker and Benet-Martinez (2001) examined the similarities/differences of the number and nature of brand personality dimensions between two culturally distinctive countries (i.e. Spain and Japan) and identified both common and cultural-specific brand personality dimensions. According to Keller (1993) brand image construct is composed of three types of brand associations:1. attribute;2. benefit; and3. brand attitude.Unlike Aaker and Benet-Martinez's (2001) study where non-product attribute-based brand associations were investigated, our study focuses instead on benefit-based brand associations. The aim of this article then is to examine the extent to which consumers across countries share a similar perceptual representation of the benefit-based multi-dimensional brand image in a wider variety of markets.The issue of brand globalization is particularly important in the context of the automotive industry. As competition continues to grow in domestic markets, an increasing number of companies, such as Daimler-Chrysler, General Motors, Ford and Volkswagon are attempting to offset low market growth in domestic markets by entering the new emerging car markets, such as China. With the adoption of brand management (Lienert, 1998) auto-manufacturers are competing fiercely in meeting consumer needs by reconfirming the links between associations and brands in consumers' minds. Images of brands can become well formed in customers' minds through high marketing expenditures and high market penetration of the product (Kirmani and Zeithaml, 1991). Thus, it is expected that the issue of brand image management will continue to play a critical role in the automobile industry.The next two sections provide background on the conceptualization of benefit-based multi-dimensional brand image and the national cultural and economic factors that might influence the factor structure of brand image. Then the characteristics of data set employed are described. Results are reported at global and nation level and their implications are discussed. Finally, limitations and extensions for future research are suggested.\nLiterature review: The supporting literature consists of three inter-related sections that illustrate the relationships between brand image and countries national characteristics. First, how brand images are derived from brand associations and subsequently how these are structured are illustrated. Then brand image structure and its inter-relationship with countries national factors conclude the literature review.The conceptualization of brand image perception\nAn empirical application: We present results by applying the proposed benefit-based multi-dimensional image construct to automobile brands for two reasons related to product feature. First, we are interested in exploring image dimension for a product for which both utilitarian and non-utilitarian motives are a motivating factor. Second, we are interested in a product category in which majority of brands have a well-established image in international markets.Description of the existing data set employed\nResult of the empirical analysis: Examining the formation of brand image at globe level\nConclusions: This paper has aimed to explore the factorial structure of automobile brand image in the context of a cross-national study. Brand image has been conceptualized with a set of benefit-based brand associations that reflect its complex and abstract structural properties. The proposed benefit-based multi-dimensional brand image construct has been examined with the use of data collected in an existing survey covering 20 nations. We have also sought to reach three research aims.In line with our first research proposition, this study has provided empirical evidence that supports the applicability of multiple brand image dimensions corresponding to the consumer's sensory, utilitarian, symbolic and economic needs at the global level. The image dimensions uncovered not only cognitive attitude components (i.e., utilitarian and economic dimensions) but also affective components (i.e. sensory and symbolic dimensions). This finding contributes to the understanding of the underlying image dimensions of durable goods and provides a conceptual basis for linking brand image and consumer needs. The brand image dimensions verified in our study could serve to guide marketing managers in charting global strategies for their products.Our study also shows that the factorial structure of brand image - in terms of the relative importance of the image dimension, the correspondence of the specific associations underlying each dimension, and the interrelationships among the underlying associations - vary across markets. These results are consistent with our second and third research propositions that the factor structure of brand image reflects a nation's culture and its level of economic development. Consumers from well-developed markets such as Australia, the UK, Canada, Germany and the USA tend to have rather convergent brand associations underlying the various brand image dimensions. In contrast, consumers from less developed countries tend to be reliant on a single association. Where cultural effect is concerned, the symbolic dimension is generally the most important image dimension that differentiates one brand from another regardless of cultural differences. However, in Belgium, France and The Netherlands, which are rated with a moderate to high level of uncertainty according to Hofstede's (1991) country rankings, the utilitarian dimension is the most important.The findings of this study highlight the importance of national culture to the factorial structure of brand image perceptions. These findings are important from a theoretical perspective because they may help us understand why the underlying benefits of image in each dimension are differently defined and why certain image appeals are not effective in some countries. It is also important from an applied perspective, because the key to establishing a successful international strategy lies in understanding the effectiveness of marketing programs in different markets. Understanding the similarities or differences of the factorial structure of brand image across the globe facilitates the formation of a successful global image strategy. By exploring brand image structure at the global level and determining the relative importance of image dimensions and their underlying brand associations at the national level, a multi-national firm may reach global consumers by employing the universal appeal (i.e. the super-ordinate image dimension) of its products while attracting local consumers by supplementing the universal appeal with the specific focus (i.e. correspondence of associations) of the products.Furthermore, from the PCA results, the type of interrelationship among associations - i.e. associations are causally related, associations are related by attributing to a common antecedent, or associations are related for representing the same meaning - can be explored. The specific interrelationships among the corresponding associations underlying an image dimension serve as an effective lever in developing the communication message: a scenario - where the message relevant to the consumer's cognitive representations of brand associations is delivered - can be created along with the supplementary information regarding the cultural profile of the particular country for the local market. A global brand image that delivers a universal appeal while highlighting specific emphases for local markets would be able to maximize turnover in a globally competitive environment.Finally, as most major consumer behavior theories have been developed and tested in the USA, very little attention has been devoted to investigating the validity of the theories in a cross-national context (Lee and Green, 1991). The results derived from the 20 diverse nations in the present study, which is considered to be substantive compared with the existing cross-national research, not only enhance our understanding of brand image structure but also provide a strong test of the empirical generalizability of automobile brand image dimensionality in a global context. As the globalization process quickens and more non-Western countries join the global market, examining the cross-national applicability of consumer behavior constructs is becoming increasingly important.\nLimitation and extensions: Although the findings drawn from the diverse nations suggest that the cultural dimension and the level of economic development of a country might be related to the importance of image dimension and the formation of brand associations, stronger statistical evidence that reveals the significant effect of national factors on brand image are desirable. In addition, as with any empirical study, this research inevitably has its limitations, which presents opportunities for further research:* extensions of the present framework to other product categories;* extensions of the national factors;* extensions of the brand associations; and* measurement improvement.First, as much of the existing brand image research pertains to consumer goods (e.g. Aaker and Keller, 1990; Park and Srinivasan, 1994) industrial goods and services would be an interesting area for extension; the generalizability of the results to other product categories could then be explored. Second, future research could investigate other typologies of national characteristics, such as the one developed by Schwartz (1994), or it could extend the current framework by including the Confucian dynamic dimension. Apart from cultural factors, tariffs, non-tariff barriers, automobile import regulations and the general predisposition of a population towards imported brands are other possible factors affecting consumers' perception of brand image. Where brand difference is concerned, the length of time that the brand has been in the market, the competitive conditions under which the brands are operating, advertising and marketing expenditures, and the positioning strategies applied in each case might also affect the formations of brand image perception. For instance, Kirmani et al. (1999) concluded that consumers perceive prestige brands differently than functional brands in that prestige brands are more closely connected to a consumer's self-concept. However, the aggregated analyses of this study have not taken into account brand differences. Third, the set of brand associations could be expanded to include users' imagery, given that brands could be used to express consumers' personalities and characteristics, and both hold distinct meanings to consumers. The interrelationships between these extensive image dimensions, which represent various associations, could shed some light on the complexity of brand image structure. All these potential factors could be considered in future cross-national studies so that the universal validity of brand image research may be achieved. Further, broadening the scope of information would afford better insight into key differences that determine the importance of the image dimension and the structures of associations.Finally, with any empirical research, measurement improvements are possible and important for future research. For instance, cumulatively, the top five components explained only about 40 per cent of variance. This might be due to the use of the dichotomous scale. If the perception of brand association was measured using the interval scale instead of the dichotomous scale, the percentage of variance explained might be higher. Also, the relatively poorer quality of PCA results for the less developed countries, such as China, Russia, India and Turkey, might have hampered further analysis. Specifically, the KMO and Bartlett's test of Sphericity for the Indian sample appeared to be inappropriate. These might also have been caused by the nature of the measurement scale used. Given that the data set used in our study has been taken from a global survey conducted by a research firm, the potential measurement problem derived from the instrument used has been beyond our control. Moreover, the employed data set is a little dated. As such, whether the differences found between developed and less developed countries are \"real\" and \"reflective\" of current situation or not warrants further study. Therefore, another direction for further research would be to conduct tracking studies to monitor any possible changes.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Aims to explore the factorial structure of automobile brand image in the context of a cross-national study. More specifically, we intend to answer two questions: whether the factor structure of brand image perception differ across countries, and whether these differences are owing to nation's culture and level of economic development.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - An existing data set, which consists of data collected from survey research, was employed. Data covering the top 20 automobile markets consisting of 4,320 eligible new car owners. Perception of and attitude towards automobile brand associations were measured using nominal scales.\nFindings: - Provides empirical evidence that supports the applicability of multiple brand image dimensions corresponding to the consumer's sensory, utilitarian, symbolic and economic needs at the global level. The study also suggested that factor structure of brand image differs across nations and these differences might be reflective to a nation's culture and its level of economic development.\nResearch limitations/implications: - As with any empirical study, this research inevitably has its limitations, which presents opportunities for further research: extensions of the present framework to other product categories; extensions of the national factors; extensions of the brand associations; and measurement improvement.\nPractical implications: - Understanding the similarities or differences of the factor structure of brand image across the globe facilitates the formation of a successful global image strategy. First of all, by exploring brand image structure at the global level; and the specific interrelationships among the corresponding associations\nOriginality/value: - The results derived from the 20 diverse nations in the present study not only enhance our understanding of brand image structure but also provide a strong test of the empirical generalizability of automobile brand image dimensionality and factor structure in a global context.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The verification of effective leadership style for TQM: A comparative study between USA-based firms and China-based firms
|
[
"Transformational leadership",
"Contingency theory",
"Structural equation modeling (SEM)",
"Total quality management (TQM)",
"Transactional leadership",
"Universality of TQM practices",
"Isomorphism of TQM",
"Institutional theory"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In the early 1980s, quality management (QM) came to be recognized as a major reason for the success of Japanese companies in the global marketplace (Hayes et al., 2005). As a result, the QM movement was rapidly adopted by companies in the USA as well as in many other countries. Particularly, ever since the US government established the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act of 1987, their total quality management (TQM) program has become not only \"one of the most popular improvement programs\" (Hayes et al., 2005, p. 323), but also \"one of the popular management programs investigated as an indicator of organizational isomorphism\" (Jun et al., 2006, p. 793). The isomorphic attribute of TQM is advocated, based on the view of the \"institutional theory,\" which states that organizations come to be institutionalized by adapting to the values, norms, and practices of social institutions (Selznick, 1996). The institutional theory-based proponents of TQM insist that the isomorphic nature of TQM would result in the \"universality of TQM practices\" (Jun et al., 2006, p. 792). Furthermore, they uphold that, eventually, the universality of TQM practices could contribute toward producing similar TQM performances across organizational boundaries (Mitki and Shani, 1995; Yavas, 1995; Dahlgaard et al., 1998). The study of Hendricks and Singhal (1997, 2001) also supports such an isomorphic nature of TQM, presenting that firms which are granted an award for quality outperform those that are not.\nTheoretical background and hypothesis development: Research model\nMethodology: Sample and data collection\nResults: Validation of the measurement model\nDiscussion: Implication\nConclusion: In spite of some limitations, we believe that our study makes some meaningful contributions to the existing literature on TQM. Above all, while most of the existing literature on TQM assumed that the most effective TQM-leadership style would be universal across organizational or international boundaries, findings from our study revealed that the most effective leadership style for the successful implementation of TQM practices is contingent on the cultural background embedded within the firm. Therefore, we foresee the findings of our study guiding future research on TQM and creating a new path for finding solutions not only for optimizing the successful implementation of TQM, but also for minimizing the current high level of TQM failures.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to verify the universal applicability of total quality management (TQM) across national boundaries. Specifically, the authors examined the validity of the isomorphic nature of TQM leadership style by comparing survey samples from both USA-based firms (n=112) and China-based firms (n=121).\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors collected the primary data through a survey research method. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were adopted to test the hypothesized research model.\nFindings: The study results did not support the universality of TQM practices. For example, the results reveal that in the USA-based firms, transformational leadership has a more significant positive influence on TQM practices, while in the China-based firms, transactional leadership has a more significant positive impact on TQM practices.\nOriginality/value: Most of the existing literature on TQM assumed that the most effective TQM leadership style would be universal across organizational or international boundaries. However, our findings imply that the effective leadership style for successful implementation of TQM practices could be contingent on the cultural background embedded within the firms. Therefore, the authors anticipate the findings of the study will guide future research on TQM and create a new path to find solutions not only for optimizing the successful implementation of TQM, but also for minimizing the current high level of TQM failures.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Differential evolution algorithm for supply chain inventory planning
|
[
"Inventory",
"Supply chain management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Over the past decade, there has been an increasing emphasis on supply chain management (SCM) as a vehicle through which firms can achieve competitive advantage (Dyer et al., 1998). SCM is a set of approaches to integrate suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses, and stores efficiently, so that merchandise is produced and distributed at right quantities, to the right locations, and at the right time, in order to minimize system-wide costs while satisfying service level requirements (Simchi-Lev et al., 2000). So the supply chain consists of various members or stages. A supply chain is a dynamic, stochastic, and complex system that might involve hundreds of participants. It can be defined as a network of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers, who are collectively concerned with the conversion of raw materials into goods that can be delivered to the ultimate customer.There are three kinds of flow in any supply chain: material flow, information flow, and cash flow. The material flows in the downward direction and cash flows in upward direction of the supply chain, whereas the information flows in both the directions and inventory exists at all stages of the supply chain. The primary purpose of these inventories is to buffer against uncertainty arising from demand, process (Strader et al., 1998) and supply. Inventory in the supply chain increases the product availability and reduces the cost by exploiting any economies of scale that may exist during both production and distribution. Inventory is major source of cost and it has a huge impact on customer responsiveness. Since the development of the economic order quantity (EOQ) formula by Harris (1913), researchers and practitioners have been actively concerned with the analysis and modeling of inventory systems under different operating parameters and modeling assumptions. Clark and Scarf (1960) discussed the problem of determining optimal purchasing quantities for multi-echelon inventory models. Robinson et al. (1993) developed an optimization-based decision support system for designing two-echelon, multi-product distribution systems and the optimization procedure gave management the analytical support it needed to eliminate uncertainties and develop guidelines for change. Both Lee and Billington (1993) formulate and solve a nonlinear optimization problem that minimizes only the supply chain's inventory costs subject to user-specified customer service level requirements. Glassman and Tayur (1995) discussed the effective management of inventories in large-scale production and distribution systems and did sensitivity analysis for estimating base stock levels for multi-echelon production inventory systems. Stenger (1996) presented a method to help a firm to identify the relative impact of various determinants of inventories as a means of setting priorities for inventory reduction. Moinzadeh and Aggarwal (1997) discussed a multi-echelon inventory system where all the stocking locations have the option to replenish their inventory through either a normal or a more expensive emergency resupply channel. Viswanathan and Mathur (1997) proposed an heuristic to determine replenishment policies for a central warehouse and many retailers that stock a number of different products to minimize long-run inventory and transportation costs. Graves et al. (1998) developed a model for requirements planning of multi-stage production inventory systems. The multi-level inventory models and methods are used in SCM as these multi-level techniques may reduce the total cost of the system substantially. It is very difficult to determine an optimal control policy for a multi-level inventory system due to the fact that such a policy depends on the structure of the system and should be based on the states of the whole system. Moreover, even if such a policy can be identified, it usually has a very complex structure and is not suitable for implementation. Therefore it is reasonable to consider simple, cost-effective heuristic policies, which can be easily implemented in practice (Silver et al., 1998). Ganeshan (1999) presented a near-optimal (s, Q)-type inventory policy for a production/distribution network with multiple suppliers replenishing a central warehouse, which in turn distributes to a large number of retailers. The model is a synthesis of three components: the inventory analysis at the retailers; the demand process at the warehouse; and the inventory analysis at the warehouse. The key contribution of the model is the seamless integration of the three components to analyze simple supply chains. The decisions in the model were made through a comprehensive distribution-based cost framework that includes the inventory, transportation, and transit components of the supply chain. In today's environment, every supply chain wants not only to minimize the system wide cost, but also to keep minimum inventory along the supply chain while maximizing service level requirements of the customer. This is because of the new innovative technology has made the product life cycle become short and increased the demand variability. The excess inventory in the supply chain will block the cash flow and indeed gives an adversely effect on the enterprise. The supply chain managers are thinking about including increasingly more of the supply channel in their planning processes, inventories that span more than one channel echelon become a focus. Rather than planning inventories at each location separately, planning their levels in concert can lead to lower overall inventory quantities. Multi-echelon inventory planning has been a particularly difficult problem to solve, but not much progress is being made in methods useful to managers (Ballou, 2003). In this paper, a mathematical model has been developed for inventory planning (i.e. determine ordering/production quantity and service level for each member) of a serial supply chain consists of a retailer, a warehouse and a manufacturer to minimize the total system wide cost i.e. supply chain inventory capital, supply chain ordering/set-up cost and supply chain inventory stock out cost.\n2. Development of mathematical formulation for supply chain inventory planning: While formulating inventory policy in the distribution system of the supply chain, the two main objectives are:1. Maintaining the specified service level to the customer, i.e. availability of stocks at the right time at the right place.2. Reducing the inventory levels in the supply chain to minimize the investment in inventory.It is obvious that these two objectives are mutually contradictory in nature. Availability of stocks at the right place at right time requires that more stocks be kept to avoid a loss of sale, which means higher inventory carrying costs. It is therefore necessary to optimize the dispatches and production such that both objectives are satisfactorily met. A serial supply chain is one in which the companies are arranged in a series. The purpose of model is to provide a optimal reorder point, order quantity/production quantity and service level for a serial supply chain which consists a retailer, a warehouse and a manufacturer that each member should produce/maintain to minimize the total system wide cost and maximizing the service level subject to supply chain inventory constraints. The total cost in this study includes ordering cost, set-up cost, inventory holding cost and stock out cost.The assumptions are:* The model assumes a three-echelon inventory for single product, which consists of single-manufacturer, single warehouse and single retailer.* The model assumes that a single product, with a constant unit price at different points flows from manufacturer to distribution center and then to retailer shop from where the customer purchases the product.* A continuous review policy (Q, r) is used to keep track of inventory at each stage at all times.* The mean rate of demand is assumed to be constant. This assumes that the processes generating the demand remain unchanged over a considerable length of time. After that the rate of demand changes very rapidly (like technology advancement, phasing in a product, phasing out a product, fashion trends etc.). The model assumes a normally distributed demand over a period of time.* The safety stock level of each company is a positive quantity.* The lead-time is constant.* The manufacturing organization is going for batch production.The following notations are used to the model:D - Excepted demand during a period; units/period.\n3. Development of the differential evolution algorithm for supply chain inventory planning: The differential evolution (DE) algorithm is an improved version of genetic algorithm (GA) (Kalyanmoy, 1996). DE has been successfully applied in various fields. The various applications of DE are: digital filter design (Storn, 1996), batch fermentation process (Chiou and Wang, 1999; Wang and Cheng, 1999), dynamic optimization of continuous polymer reactor (Lee et al., 1999), optimization of heat exchangers (Babu and Munawar, 2000), optimization of non- linear functions (Babu and Angira, 2001), fuzzy decision-making problems of fuel ethanol production (Wang et al., 1998), multi sensor fusion (Joshi and Sanderson, 1999), etc. Unlike simple GA that uses binary coding for representing problem parameters, DE uses real coding of floating point numbers. The advantages of DE are its simple structure, ease of use, speed and robustness. Price and Storn (1997) gave the working principle of DE. The key parameters to be adopted for a problem are to be determined by trial and error. The key parameters of control are:NP - the population size;\n4. Results and discussion: DE algorithm has been applied to solve the problem. To illustrate the above model, the input parameter given in Table I is considered. The population size, the crossover constant, the scaling factor and maximum number of generations were set to 60, 0.5, 0.8 and 2,000 respectively. The supply chain inventory not more than 1,500 at any instant of time for the given input as shown in Table I, the manufacturer production quantity, distributor order quantity to manufacturer and retailer order quantity to distributor are calculated as 878.5, 580 and 367.5 respectively while minimizing the total system-wide cost. The service levels at different stages are also calculated as 1.3, 1.376 and 1.7619 respectively. Once the service levels are found out, then the safety stocks (multiplying service level with standard deviation during lead time) and reorder points (adding safety inventory with demand during lead time) can be calculated. For maximum average supply chain inventory less than equal to 1,500, 1,000 and 800, the order/production quantity, safety stock and reorder point for each member are calculated and it is shown in Tables II-IV. For maximum average supply chain inventory less than equal to 1500, 1,000 and 800, the order/production quantity, safety stock and reorder point for each member are calculated and it is shown in Tables V-VII. It is found that the results obtained by DE are better than optimization tool (MATLAB). The results are shown in Table VIII.\n5. Conclusions: In today's competitive world, companies are forced to minimize the system-wide cost and optimize the service level. The model is useful to solve inventory problem of a serial three-echelon supply chain considering these objectives. The model can be implemented through proper sharing of information along the supply chain. This would make it easy for the decision variables (production quantity at the manufacture, order quantity at the warehouse and retailer and safety factor for manufacture warehouse and retailer) of the supply chain to respond dynamically to any changes in costs, demand, lead-time and etc. The members of the supply chain should change their inventory policies to achieve these objectives. The DE algorithm and optimization tool (MATLAB) have been used to solve the mathematical model. It is found that the results obtained by DE algorithm are better than the results obtained from optimization tool (MATLAB).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper discusses the inventory planning of a supply chain, which consists of a manufacturer, distributor and retailer.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The differential evolution algorithm is developed to minimize the total system-wide cost, which consists of supply chain inventory capital, supply chain ordering/set-up cost and supply chain stock-out cost.\nFindings: - The differential evolution algorithm helps in determining ordering/production quantity and inventory/service level that should be maintained by each member of the supply chain.\nOriginality/value: - The algorithm developed is useful in increasing the customer service level and in decreasing the inventory level throughout the supply chain.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Self-directed social learning: the role of individual differences
|
[
"Self managed learning",
"Experiential learning",
"Social interaction",
"Personality"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: People's ability to engage in self-directed learning has become increasingly important in contemporary organizational settings. This development results from more broadly defined roles where people need to exercise personal judgment, more complex and inter-dependent work arrangements, and employment relationships that shift responsibility for employability and career advancement from the organization to individuals (Cappelli, 2000; Clarke and Clegg, 2000; Parker, 2000). Instead of relying on formal training and guidelines, people need to develop their abilities through the ongoing engagement with their task and social environment. Such learning can principally occur in two ways. The first is experiential learning involving the ongoing reflection upon one's actions and their outcomes. A considerable body of scholarship has contributed towards our understanding of this form of self-directed learning (Kolb et al., 2001). The present article focuses more specifically on a second way - self-directed social learning - and its individual antecedents.In this article, self-directed social learning is defined as cognitions by which people attend to, or reflect upon, cues from their social environment in order to strengthen the confidence in their abilities at work (i.e. self-efficacy). Social learning theory suggests that such learning is useful when the trial-and-error process of experiential learning is either not feasible, or cumbersome and lengthy (Bandura, 1977, 1997). Observing role models is a prime source of social learning. Furthermore, self-directed social learning takes place whenever people seek the advice, guidance and encouragement from their colleagues, superiors, clients and friends (Ashford and Cummings, 1983; Bandura, 1997; Morrison, 1993). By means of self-directed social learning, a person can tap into other people's experiences, gain insight about implicit work practices, and learn about social expectations that influence one's achievement and longer-term career advancement (Higgins and Kram, 2001; Ibarra, 1999; Morrison, 1993; Wenger, 1998).From a management development perspective, it is important to consider whether the expectations associated with self-directed social learning are actually fulfilled. One of the aspirations is that self-directed social learning is more appropriate and actionable than formal training because it is driven by people's actual learning needs. Another hope is that it sets free people's initiative, enterprise and collaboration across functional and organizational boundaries. Yet, these aspirations are constrained in at least two ways. Firstly, individual differences influence people's initiative, self-direction, and cognitions (Crant, 2000; Markus and Wurf, 1987). Secondly, self-directed social learning may not be beneficial if that which employees consider to be relevant and important learning does not actually help them to achieve and advance within the organization.The role of individual differences in self-directed social learning\nMethods: Data collection and sample\nFindings: Correlations\nDiscussion: Much research on self-efficacy formation suggests that people develop self-efficacy through social learning (Bandura, 1997; Gist, 1989; Shea and Howell, 1999). This study reveals that people's self-directed social learning in field settings may have a limited influence on their self-efficacy. Instead, the study identifies individual differences as important antecedents of self-efficacy. A key finding was the difference between inter-dependent self-construal on the one hand and agreeableness and extraversion on the other. Whereas a person's inter-dependent self-construal was a more significant predictor of self-directed social learning than either agreeableness or extraversion, inter-dependence was associated with low self-efficacy, while the two pro-social dispositions predicted high self-efficacy. Moreover, the link between inter-dependent self-construal and self-efficacy was fully mediated by people's self-directed social learning. In contrast, the effect of agreeableness and extraversion on self-efficacy was largely independent of social learning. It should be noted that these differences do not mean that inter-dependence and pro-social dispositions would represent opposite ends of a continuum. Rather, they are different dimensions of a person's self-system (Markus and Wurf, 1987).The findings challenge the expectation that people with an inter-dependent orientation would be more confident in the relational skills that are demanded by many organizations. Instead, they suggest that valuing harmony, being attentive to others' needs and supporting others in their work - qualities commonly associated with an inter-dependent self-construal (Singelis, 1994) - do not necessarily contribute towards confidence in communicating, influencing, and negotiating in contemporary work places. This dilemma applies in particular to people from collectivist cultures. An inter-dependent orientation may be self-limiting because it weakens a person's assertiveness in relations to others. Even though contemporary management rhetoric aspires to relational competencies, work places are largely dominated by values that endorse an independent and assertive view of self in relations to others. Our work requires relating to others but our achievement is often evaluated based on our ability to advance our own agendas within these relationships.The negative relationship between relating and self-efficacy can be explained by Festinger's (1954) argument that people attend to social cues when they feel uncertain about internal standards. Surprising in this respect was that stable individual differences, rather than a lack of experience, predicted self-efficacy. The negative relationship between inter-dependent self-construal and self-efficacy may be explained in two ways: firstly, anchoring one's view of self-efficacy in an inter-dependent self-construal shifts attention to the external context. Since this context is prone to change regularly, people with an inter-dependent self-construal may always feel more at the edge of their abilities than those who do not even give much attention to contextual requirements. Secondly, the influence of people's stable self-construal on their self-directed social learning may provide them with a better understanding of the environment and develop their skillfulness in dealing with this environment. But, given the permanence of inter-dependent people's social learning orientation, they may fail to update their belief in intrinsic abilities. They may possibly do quite well in collaborating and adapting to the needs of their environment. Yet, since they do not espouse to seeing themselves as assertive and independent in relation to others, they may deselect themselves from tasks that demand such competencies. They may also be less likely to seek out professional opportunities for developing these skills and gain recognition from their peers and superiors.Extending the focus in much of the self-efficacy literature on learning from experience and social feedback (Bandura, 1997), this study proposes the two intrinsic dispositions of agreeableness and extraversion as sources of self-efficacy. In contrast to inter-dependent people's view of their abilities as being intertwined with those of others and their situation, both agreeableness and extraversion refer to internal abilities and characteristics. If pro-social abilities are grounded in a view of self as being independent and autonomous, one's belief in these abilities may be less likely to be challenged by feedback. The lack of attention to feedback from interaction with others and social referents that was observed among extraverts and agreeable people may allow them to remain more persistent and resilient despite setbacks and criticism. Yet, they may also be less likely to consider and adapt to the expectations of those with whom they need to collaborate.Limitations\nConclusions: This study contributes to our understanding of the role of individual differences in self-directed social learning and self-efficacy. Further research is required to examine more antecedents of self-directed social learning and a wider range of its outcomes. In addition to the influence of individual differences examined in the present study, we still require a better understanding of the influence of contextual variables such as task design, availability of feedback from the work setting, social networks, and leadership style. Longitudinal research may also examine whether people's reliance on particular ways of social learning changes over time as they gain more experience and self-efficacy. Based on the recommendation to personalize learning interventions, it is also important to examine effective ways of training and coaching that take account of these individual differences. Moreover, further research may include a wider range of outcome variables such as goal setting, organizational or task commitment, and performance. To address these issues, further confirmatory research requires longitudinal and experimental research designs.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This study aims to examine the influence of individual differences on self-directed social learning and self-efficacy. Inter-dependent self-construal, agreeableness, and extraversion were expected to predict five ways of self-directed social learning: relating, benchmarking, modeling, identifying, and distancing.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The sample consisted of 356 responses from professionals to a questionnaire survey. Using step-wise regression analyses, the effect of individual differences on social learning and self-efficacy, as well as the mediation of the latter relationship by the five ways of social learning, were examined.\nFindings: - Inter-dependent self-construal predicted social learning and self-efficacy. Its negative effect on self-efficacy was mediated by relating. Agreeableness and extraversion predicted high self-efficacy. Extraversion predicted modeling, identifying and distancing. Surprisingly, women appeared more likely to engage in social learning.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The cross-sectional design does not permit conclusions about causality and results may be biased by the exclusive use of self-report measures.\nPractical implications: - Understanding how individual differences influence self-directed social learning and self-efficacy assists managers and organizations in providing more personalized coaching. Since the link between an inter-dependent self-construal, social learning, and low self-efficacy is more likely among minorities from collectivist cultures, they may be less inclined to pursue opportunities for professional growth. They may be systematically disadvantaged in organizations that value assertiveness over attention to one's social environment. In contrast, individuals whose self-efficacy judgments are grounded in extraverted or agreeable dispositions may ignore feedback and social referents that indicate a need for adaptation.\nOriginality/value: - This article indicates that individual differences predict self-directed social learning and self-efficacy.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Adult attachment and perceived parental style may shape leadership behaviors
|
[
"Attachment",
"Leadership",
"Parental style"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Theoretical and empirical studies of organizational behavior have repeatedly shown that leaders fulfill a significant role in employees' well-being, commitment, job satisfaction, and retention (e.g. Karimi et al., 2014). Employees often declare that few things matter more to them than how they are managed and led (e.g. Aabdeen et al., 2016). For many employees, the supervisor is one of the most influential factors in the workplace, and their relationship with their direct manager has a major impact on their performance and workplace engagement (Bommer et al., 2004). However, despite the familiar associations between effective leadership and employee satisfaction, commitment, extra effort, and many other positive consequences (e.g. Bommer et al., 2004; Grant, 2012; Lopez-Dominguez et al. 2013), scholars also claim that our knowledge regarding the antecedents of effective leadership behaviors is deficient (e.g. Braun et al., 2013; Popper et al., 2000). Given previous evidence that supports the notion that early childhood experiences may impact leadership schemas (e.g. Hall and Lord, 1995) the current study aimed to explore a number of childhood antecedents in leadership behavioral patterns. The rationale for our study stems from scholars' (e.g. Keller, 2003) idea that in light of the dyadic nature of leadership, it is valuable to observe other literatures that deal with dyadic relationships such as parent-child relationships. In this context, we shall explore the attachment literature as well as the parental style literature. Both theories provide in recent years a theoretical foundation to explore individual differences in leadership theories (e.g. Keller, 2003; Popper et al., 2000).\nAdult attachment style and leadership: Although originally the attachment theory explained individual differences in the infant-caregiver relationship (e.g. Ainsworth et al., 1978), research in recent decades has shown that the theory is a highly relevant framework for explaining relational cognitions and behaviors across the entire life span (Rom and Mikulincer, 2003). Attachment style has been found to be an important factor in interpersonal relationships that accounts for individual differences in terms of the affective ties formed with significant others along the years (Rom and Mikulincer, 2003).\nParental style and leadership: Traditionally, the parental style is seen as of central importance in the family climate and childhood experiences and development (Dreikurs, 1995). Dreikurs et al. (2004) stated that parental style affected the personality development and interpersonal patterns of children and adolescents. They considered parents as leaders, educators, and role models, and thus provide a conceptual linkage between parental style and leadership. But actually, as mentioned earlier, it was Freud (1939) who introduced back in the 1930s the metaphor of the leader as a father, although this analogy was only recently directly tested by Popper and Mayseless (2003).\nTransformational and transactional leadership: The full range leadership model was initially articulated by Burns (1978) and subsequently elaborated by Bass (1985). The model states that transformational leaders establish themselves as role models and tend to gain trust and confidence among their followers. Transformational leadership, much like parenthood, is developmental in nature. It places special emphasis on processes of empowerment, building the follower's confidence, and assisting in reaching self-actualization (Burns, 1978). Transformational leaders state future goals and demonstrate ways to achieve them. These leaders constantly challenge the status quo and encourage innovative thinking, mentor their followers, and empower them to their full potential (Eagly et al., 2003). Transformational leadership is often characterized by idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration. Leaders who implement these behavioral patterns are expected to have high standards of moral and ethical conduct, strong and appealing vision of the future, enthusiasm, and inspiration. Transformational leaders dare to challenge the norms and encourage diversity while taking their followers' unique growth needs into consideration (Avolio and Yammarino, 2013; Bono and Judge, 2004).\nThe current study: Despite these encouraging results, Bommer et al. (2004) argued that more research is needed to tap into the mechanisms that underlie the association between leadership and its antecedents. Thus, in the current study we wish to follow Bommer's suggestions and further examine whether the parental style and the attachment style are associated with leadership style. Deriving from leadership scholars (e.g. Avolio and Yammarino, 2013; Braun et al., 2013; Burns, 1978; Eagly et al., 2003; Jones et al., 2015; Popper and Mayseless, 2003), we hypothesized that there will be an association between the experienced parental style and transformational leadership style. This linkage stems from the notion that both leadership and parenthood are asymmetrical relationships by nature that hold dependencies. A dependency exists both between children and their parents as well as between followers and leaders (Popper and Mayseless, 2003). The role of both parents and transformational leaders is to assist others (children and followers, respectively) to achieve their goals. Based on the analogy between transformational leadership and effective parenting (Popper and Mayseless, 2003), our first prediction was as follows:\nMethod: Participants\nResults: The correlation matrix for all the variables is presented in Table I. The table shows that the subscales of parental style are intercorrelated, and also the two attachment subscales and the leadership subscales. In addition, there were some associations between parental style and attachment. Specifically, parental autonomy granting was negatively correlated with both anxiety and avoidance in attachment.\nDiscussion: The main objective of the current study was to explore whether perceived parental style and attachment style can account for leadership behavior. Overall, the results provide important information regarding these associations and demonstrate the relevance of both parental and attachment styles in explaining leadership tendencies.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of both attachment and parental styles in shaping leadership behavioral patterns. Research predictions were that childhood perceived parental experiences will be associated with attachment style, and that both perceived parental and attachment styles will fulfill a significant role in shaping the individual's leadership orientation in adulthood.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors tested the research hypotheses with a field survey data from 90 supervisors belonging to diverse industrial and service organizations. During their attendance in a leadership seminar, the managers' attachment style was assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationship Inventory. They were also asked to report on their childhood experiences using the Parenting Style Index, and to answer questions regarding their leadership behavior, using a short version of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire.\nFindings: Results indicated associations between parental style, attachment style, and leadership. Specifically, parental autonomy granting was negatively associated with both attachment anxiety and avoidance. Both transformational and transactional leadership styles were positively associated with parental autonomy, but only transformational leadership was also positively associated with parental involvement. In addition, transactional leadership was positively associated with attachment avoidance in close relationships.\nResearch limitations/implications: Testing the contributions of perceived parental style in childhood and attachment style in adulthood to the manager's manifested leadership style helps to advance our theoretical understanding of important leadership antecedents. The findings may also help practitioners in developing leadership skills and assisting managers in finding ways to moderate their natural tendencies and better depend on, delegate, and empower subordinates.\nOriginality/value: This empirical study provides evidence of the important role of perceived parental style in the development of adult attachment and leadership styles. The effects found in the study also extend the existing findings by showing that not only the attachment style but also parental style play a significant role in shaping the individual's leadership behaviors.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
I am from a fantasy, where Freire quotes become reality
|
[
"Voice",
"Identity",
"Visual art",
"Arts-activism",
"Spoken word"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Jenna Cushing-Leubner and Brian Lozenski\nProgram description and artists' bios: We are two youth artists, researchers and activists who use spoken words and graphics to represent our research. As a bilingual Spanish-speaking Latina and a young Black woman, we use artistic expression as a way to voice ourselves and to give voice to the work we do as members of two youth research collectives. As individuals, we are members of two different youth participatory action research groups with different goals and ways of making sense of the world. But our groups have also come together to collaborate on issues that were important to both.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to show the viewpoint of two youth artists, researchers and activists who use spoken word and graphic arts to represent their research.\nDesign/methodology/approach: As a bilingual Spanish-speaking Latina and a young Black woman, the authors use artistic expression as a way to voice themselves and to give voice to the work they do as members of two youth research collectives. As individuals, they are members of two different youth participatory action research groups with different goals and ways of making sense of the world. But these groups have also come together to collaborate on issues of shared importance.\nFindings: As youth artist-activists, the authors' work could stand on its own, but they believe that they are stronger together. They have created a conversation of images and voices that represent the strength they have when they can be themselves. They work together to make a world one deserves to live in.\nOriginality/value: The authors' work originates from within and is influenced by their experiences in the world, by the communities surrounding them, by those who love them, by those who have come before them and by the challenges that are thrown at them. They believe that their words and images have value because they do.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Design of Blockchain-based Precision Health-Care Using Soft Systems Methodology
|
[
"Design Science Research",
"Trust-less platform",
"Digital Healthcare"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Challenges facing Precision Health-Care: An emerging trend in the practice of medicine known as Precision Health-Care (PHC) has been suggested as a promising service on digital health ecosystems or clouds. It is defined as the development of a quantitative model which links the individual EHRs to the population and derives the benefit of aggregating EHRs with consideration to social context (Colijn et al., 2017). Although there are distinctions made between PHC and personalized medicine, a simplifying assumption is that the former is a system-level perspective whereas the latter is patient-centric. More specifically, PHC comprises health and medical records which are networked to various front-end clients. It is an instance of an evidence-based approach which provides personalized medicine, including clinical decisions, treatments and products to the individual patient (Lu et al., 2014; Zimmerman, 2019). This approach is driven by data analytic models, which possess the ability of dealing with large amounts of genome information which combine genetic diagnoses with EHRs or EMRs (Mehta and Pandit, 2018).\n2. Background review of health Blockchains: Blockchain is a decentralized, distributed, anonymous, time-stamped ledger of data records (Shuaib et al., 2019) which seems to intuitively fit with current digital health environments. Blockchains have received scholarly attention for their unique security characteristics such as being tamper-proof and transparent (Naerland et al., 2017). Note that whilst a decentralized and distributed platform does not provide any security nor privacy guarantees, the unique functional attributes of the technology do. For instance, it is possible to exchange data records on such a network without the need for a centralized TTP (Agbo et al., 2019) nor a \"new clearing house\" or \"safe deposit box\", but an intelligent control of records with a time-stamped, programmable ledger (Halamka et al., 2017). Data in blocks form a chain of events, for example, the enrolment of a patient with a healthcare provider and her subsequent health transactions. Additions to these blocks are allowed if and only if broadcast by authorized entities and any changes are traceable (Xia et al., 2017). Moreover, they are also synchronised and immutable; when a change occurs, all nodes in the network are notified and typically the change is effected when there is >50 per cent consensus (Shuaib et al., 2019). In terms of functionalities, Blockchains go beyond the common use-case as crypto-currencies (Underwood, 2016).\n3. Field research method: PHC ecosystems are complex and involve multiple \"clients\" (users), \"actors\" (stakeholders), \"purposeful activities\" (clinical protocols), \"work-views\" (health outcomes) and \"environmental constraints\" (ethics, policy, legislation, etc.). In such a context, the Soft System Methodology (SSM) appears appropriate for action research which helps to clarify ill-defined system requirements (Checkland, 1995, 2000; Checkland and Scholes, 1999; Staker, 1999). Over a 30-year period, it had been applied to hundreds of complex projects including diverse design challenges such as the Concorde Aircraft and the National Health Service in the UK. SSM originated from \"systems thinking\" and is an element of research which \"concentrates on situations in which people are trying to take action\" (Checkland, 2000, p. S41).\n4. Problem specification of Blockchain-based PHC: 4.1 Problematic consideration\n5. Solution design of Blockchain-based PHC: The design of a solution and its validation is a check of whether the design artefacts are acceptable and useful for addressing the challenges identified (Peffers et al., 2007). In SSM, relevance is the key aspect of design validation (Checkland, 1995). It can be learned through listening to and analyzing stakeholders' world-views about the problematic situation and proposed solution. Such an analysis entails both a reflection of issues in the real world and the values of stakeholders (Hanafizadeh and Mehrabioun, 2018). As design input was collected through several role-specific interviews across the healthcare eco-system, the generalization of world-views using procedures and techniques discussed in Section 3 is consistent with scholarly practices (Dorussen et al., 2005). The resulting solution is presented in this section.\n6. Discussion and implications: This paper has derived using SSM a set of comprehensive and parsimonious design rules for a Blockchain-based PHC augmented with programmable SCs. As current PHC eco-systems are not capable of justifying how or when patients' data or providers' diagnosis will be utilized, PHC remains an untrusted service to the majority of its potential beneficiaries. This is attributable not only to the subjective perceptions of patients, but also the realization that current practices are unable to provide for adequate security and privacy. As our study revealed, fear of data abuse in legal proceedings, insurance matters and employment prospects also remain patients' concerns. This finding corroborates prior research (cf. Abouelmehdi et al., 2018; Bruynseels et al., 2018; Xia et al., 2017; Yue et al., 2016). Related research also corroborates that Blockchain could be developed to improve the security and privacy levels of trust-less PHC platforms (cf. Agbo et al., 2019; Park et al., 2019; Shuaib et al., 2019; Vazirani et al., 2019; Yaeger et al., 2019). Security and privacy breaches are persistent and costly (Ponemon, 2016) and patients' enrolment in PHC has not increased with its potential. As a consequence, the higher opt-in levels would improve the existing network effects and overall healthcare service level.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of soft systems methodology (SSM) to address the problematic situation of low opt-in rates for Precision Health-Care (PHC).\nDesign/methodology/approach: The design logic is that when trust is enhanced and compliance is better assured, participants such as patients and their doctors would be more likely to share their medical data and diagnosis for the purpose of precision modeling.\nFindings: The authors present the findings of an empirical study that confronts the design challenge of increasing participant opt-in to a PHC repository of Electronic Medical Records and genetic sequencing. Guided by SSM, the authors formulate design rules for the establishment of a trust-less platform for PHC which incorporates key principles of transparency, traceability and immutability.\nResearch limitations/implications: The SSM approach has been criticized for its lack of \"rigour\" and \"replicability\". This is a fallacy in understanding its purpose - theory exploration rather than theory confirmation. Moreover, it is unlikely that quantitative modeling yields any clearer an understanding of complex, socio-technical systems.\nPractical implications: The application of Blockchain, a platform for distributed ledgers, and associated technologies present a feasible approach for resolving the problematic situation of low opt-in rates.\nSocial implications: A consequence of low participation is the weak recall and precision of descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytic models. Factors such as cyber-crime, data violation and the potential for misuse of genetic and medical records have led to a lack of trust from key stakeholders - accessors, participants, miners and regulators - to varying degrees.\nOriginality/value: The application of Blockchain as a trust-enabling platform in the domain of an emerging eco-system such as precision health is novel and pioneering.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A new view to assist public agency development
|
[
"Assessment",
"Project management",
"Appraisal",
"Evaluation",
"Evidence-based policymaking",
"Green Book"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Politicians, the media and the public scrutinise public agencies' decisions, particularly when those agencies must choose among a variety of interventions to undertake or projects to support. This is the case with economic development agencies (EDAs), many of which have begun to embrace \"evidence-based policymaking\" (Head, 2010) by relying on standardised measurement approaches to justify agency choices. This study looks inside one EDA to show how a theoretical model proposed in studies of science development (Callon, 1986; Latour, 1987, 2005; Law, 1986, 2009) can be adapted to clarify the concerns raised within an agency in carrying out evidence-based policymaking. Based on interviews at a large British EDA, we re-characterise its work as a \"centre of calculation\" (Latour, 1987), a model that retains the complexity of public agency development issues while also helping to coordinate ways of addressing these issues.\nEvidence-based policymaking as motivation for standardisation: LH management's efforts to standardise measurement for economic development projects are a typical reaction to the call by public officials for evidence of \"what works\" in public policy and agency activity (Head, 2010; Davies, 2012 summarise this trend). Broadly put, evidence-based policymaking tries to provide an objective approach towards policy through the collection and analysis of data, and a non-political evaluation of outcomes. As Head (2010) notes, however, objectivity is hard to achieve and politicking is an unavoidable part of policymaking. Botterill and Hindmoor (2011, p. 368), drawing inspiration from Fleck's (1935/1978) studies, emphasise the \"simplification of science\" that occurs when evidence is gathered for use in evidence-based policymaking. The authors show how the constraints imposed by bounded rationality affect policymaking even before groups use the evidence. In particular, as evidence moves from expert gatherers to the community of users, caveats and alternatives often are overlooked, in part due to the users' prevailing \"thought style\" - Fleck's term for the models, assumptions and beliefs within the community.\nThe institutional context: assessment and its standardisation in the UK: For LH and other EDAs, project assessment falls into three broad categories: appraisal (forecasting effects to justify undertaking an intervention), monitoring (gauging progress during the course of an intervention) and evaluation (summing up benefits and costs at the end of a project). Theoretically, these categories are connected, with appraisal guiding monitoring, monitoring providing feedback on aims expressed during appraisal, evaluations feeding into the agency's store of knowledge for future undertakings and appraisals using the results expressed in prior evaluations to assess the likelihood of benefits coming from a new intervention.\nMethod of inquiry: We held individual, semi-structured interviews lasting from 30 to 60 minutes with 19 LH managers and staff. The senior manager at LH who enlisted our service selected participants, following our request to speak with a variety of employees familiar with the agency's efforts at evidence-based policymaking (this manager did not participate in the interviews). We informed participants that all comments would be separated from participant names. Participants were free to stop their interview at any point; none chose to do so. We structured our questions around four broad themes: the EDA's development, relationships between LH and external parties, relationships within the agency and assessment techniques in practice, compared to recommended standards.\nFindings: The role of measurement issues\nA contribution to theory: re-visioning the EDA as a centre of calculation: LH focused on a technical issue involved in evidence-based policymaking, but we have seen that the agency faces questions of organisational learning and culture, and the particulars of project managers' perspectives and behaviours. To use the EDA's technical aspects to address its social side, reflecting the situation public agencies deal with in practice, we join the different concerns and lines of research noted above through the model of a centre of calculation (Latour, 1987). This re-visioning takes up Latour's challenge to expand the observations of \"science in action\" to the realm of economic events (Latour, 1987, pp. 247-257). Work by Latour (1987, 2005) and other researchers in the development of science (Callon, 1986; Law, 1986, 2009) views human activity as a constant attempt to (re)assemble social content (Latour, 2005), including efforts by individuals or groups to win others to their view of phenomena and issues. To help in this convincing, advocates form networks of actors (which can be animate or inanimate, such as tools, techniques and systems) to defend their perspective against challengers and to try to force challengers and others to go to the advocates as \"obligatory passage points\" on the way to understanding the phenomenon or issue (Latour, 1987). Becoming a centre of calculation is one way an actor institution can develop into an obligatory passage point.\nFuture research, practical recommendations and conclusion: This study raises questions to be addressed by future research into organisational change driven by evidence-based activity. It would help to know what influences managers to use evidence symbolically in regimes pushing for the standardisation of measurement. Similarly, to what extent are project managers willing to defend the standardised measures they use when reviewed? One also can expand insights into evidence-based policymaking and its effects on organisational change by observing who within the public agency interacts with which parties within a supervisory government office in situations that are facilitated by the use of standardised measures. Finally, understanding the micro-operations of evidence-based policymaking can be advanced by knowing what affects the status of the researchers (analysts) within the agency and how their status differs from that of external experts.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to expand the research into the \"micro-level\" of the effects of evidence-based activity on organisational change by focusing on an economic development agency's (EDA's) effort to spread the use of standardised measurements to improve accountability for the use of public funds.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors interviewed 19 key managers and staff of a large British EDA. Participant comments revealed concerns deeper than the technical measurement issue the agency brought in to study. The authors reconceptualised these concerns using the notion of a centre of calculation.\nFindings: Although the EDA focused on standardised measurement as a technical issue, the authors find organisational issues such as the need to reconcile differing perceptions of the importance of measurement, a desire to improve organisational learning and a tension between analysts and project managers impeding accountability efforts and delaying agency growth.\nResearch limitations/implications: Findings are based on interviews at one agency. The experience, however, suggests these issues are common to public agencies.\nPractical implications: This model reveals technical concerns as part of more complex organisational issues - an understanding that may help public agencies better focus their accountability and development efforts.\nOriginality/value: The model the author's introduced informs studies of evidence-based policymaking at the intra-organisational level by showing that the technical aspects of agency work are part of a larger social concern. It also shows how standardisation for the sake of accountability paradoxically helps build agency power.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A global strategic plan for corporate philanthropy
|
[
"Corporate social responsibility",
"Philanthropy",
"Ethics",
"Strategic planning"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: A recent editorial of The Economist (2005) brought up once again the issue of the legitimacy of corporate philanthropy (CP hereafter). Part of this paper argued that philanthropy is an illegitimate diversion of corporate funds from shareholders. However, the arguments offered in The Economist editorial represent only one side of the debate.Models or indications have been proposed for planning and implementing what is called strategic CP, either by scholars (Adkins, 2000; Austin, 2000; McAlister and Ferrell, 2002; Mullen, 1997; Porter and Krammer, 2002; Sagawa and Segal, 2001) or by consulting companies and foundations promoting corporate community involvement (e.g. Business in the Community, The London Benchmarking Group, The Corporate Citizenship Company, Points of Light Foundation). These models could plausibly overcome the main criticisms often found in an Anglo-Saxon cultural settings, where CP is considered an illegitimate activity if it does not result in economic benefits. Nevertheless, as companies internationalize their CP strategies (Simon, 1995; Ostergard and Barber, 2001) they face a completely different set of criticisms.These criticisms stem from a different ideological position. A consequence of the strategic approach to CP is that companies plan and implement corporate philanthropic activities with the aim of, inter alia, improving their reputation, gaining legitimacy, fostering loyalty among employees and consumers, or increasing shareholder value (Genest, 2005). Criticisms have arisen against this approach to CP. If CP is oriented towards achieving corporate economic objectives, then CP cannot be understood as an expression of corporate social responsibility. Therefore, in other cultural settings CP is considered an illegitimate activity if it does not result in social benefits (Hamil, 1999; L'Etang, 1995; Pares i Maicas, 1994).Therefore, previous models are obviously \"biased\" to the extent that they try to build legitimacy within the cultural values of Anglo-Saxon countries. These models could be of little help to companies operating in different cultural and political contexts, since their CP strategy will be judged against a different set of criteria.This paper is an attempt to develop a framework for planning and implementing CP. Firstly, it will briefly review the debate on CP, showing the two main arguments against it. Secondly, it will propose a planning and implementing model, grounded on two theories. From these theories, a set of criteria are outlined, in order to overcome the criticisms against CP.\nThe debate around corporate philanthropy: The arguments against CP are diametrically opposite along a continuum. Scholars at one end, labeled here the \"shareholderism\" perspective, argue that CP is a violation of the stewardship principle, since it implies diverting profits to an activity that may not create value for shareholders. The stance at the other end (\"statism\" or \"socialist\" perspective) is that CP implies taking over a governmental role: wealth distribution. Companies are not legitimized to do so, given their obvious democratic deficit and their lack of accountability. Each position stems from a different understanding of corporate motivation for giving money away; both positions have in common the rejection of this motivation, in the belief that this is what renders CP illegitimate.Shareholderism view against corporate philanthropy\nGrounding a global strategic plan for CP: defining the constraints: The previous discussion has shown that a CP policy must comply with these two imperatives: it must increase economic results and it must result in a net benefit for the recipients of the aid. Both views hold a utilitarian approach to CP: CP is not rejected as long as certain conditions are met when designing and implementing a CP plan.The solution offered in this paper is to develop a strategic model grounded on corporate social responsibility (CSR hereafter) and Godfrey's (2005) moral capital theory. It goes beyond the scope of this paper to analyze in depth these two theories. Suffice it to say that, after reviewing the literature on these topics, five constraints for the CP model are identified. These constraints represent a set of principles to orient the subsequent framework so that both views on CP are reconciled, bearing in mind that it is virtually impossible to reconcile them completely. Therefore, the aim here is to develop a socio-economic model for CP, so that a CP plan would achieve the objective of increasing social welfare and shareholder value.Constraints derived from the corporate social responsibility theory\nA framework to planning and implementing CP strategy: Based on the constraints set in the previous section, a global model for CP is developed so that it meets the requirements of both sides at the spectrum. In a nutshell, this model has to balance corporate objectives and societal needs. This model (Figure 1) distinguishes between two types of decisions: strategic (labeled planning checkpoint) and operative (action checkpoint). It presents in a logical order the decisions to be made. Each of these decisions must be made on the basis of the constraints set above. The connection between constraints and decisions will be explained in turn below.Environmental and internal strategic analysis\nConclusions: Criticisms of CP are different across cultures. In essence, opponents of CP fear the lack of economic returns or the lack of social efficacy of corporate donations. This paper proposes a managerial model that may overcome both set of criticisms, so that CP plans can be globally designed and implemented.Two theories have been used to ground the model: corporate social responsibility theory and moral capital theory, as presented by Godfrey (2005). The former sets the constraints that will ensure the plan increases social welfare. Constraints stemming from the latter sustains why CP may increase economic performance.The plan proposed here distinguishes between strategic and operative decisions. The main points of this plan are, firstly, the need for establishing a continuous dialogue with all stakeholders to design the strategic plan; this includes internal stakeholders (e.g. employees, chiefs of the involved functional and business units) and external ones (e.g. customers, suppliers, retailers, charities, and public authorities).Secondly, the firm must monitor results. Previous proposals of CP plans stressed the need for measuring economic results. Yet, firms should monitor the economic and the social impact of projects implemented in the CP strategy. To overcome criticisms, firms must ensure that the firm is creating value for all their stakeholders, not only shareholders.Finally, companies must report the outcomes of its CP strategy. They should be able to specify the economic and social performance of the CP.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Criticisms of corporate philanthropy (CP) are different across cultures. In essence, opponents of CP fear the lack of economic returns or the lack of social efficacy of corporate donations. The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical model that may overcome both set of criticisms, so that CP plans can be globally designed and implemented.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Two theories have been used to ground the model: corporate social responsibility theory and moral capital theory. The first one sets the constraints that will ensure the plan increases social welfare. Constraints stemming from moral capital theory set the conditions for CP to increase economic performance.\nFindings: - On the basis of these constraints, the model stresses the need for ongoing dialogue with internal and external stakeholders, and the continuous monitoring and reporting of the economic and social impact of implemented projects, as the means of overcoming opponents' criticisms of CP.\nOriginality/value: - After analysing the main criticisms posed to CP in different cultural settings, a globally acceptable model is offered, which draws on and completes existing managerial and theoretical guidelines for strategic CP.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Hobbyists, artisans and entrepreneurs: Investigating business support and identifying entrepreneurial profiles in the Irish craft sector
|
[
"Ireland",
"Sustainability",
"Entrepreneurship",
"Small enterprise",
"Creative industry",
"Business Support",
"Female entrepreneurship",
"Micro enterprise"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: A large body of literature exists debating the need for supporting small and medium enterprises (SME) and seeking to evaluate the return-on-investment of public expenditure into business support, in particularly in the case of \"soft\" support (Wren and Storey, 2002). Business support is argued to have one main goal, the support of economic growth through the creation of jobs (Bridge et al., 2003).\nPurpose of research: General context\nMethodology: This research was designed to highlight comparisons between the needs and ambitions of the Craft sector and the nature and goals of the support programs available to craft businesses. It demanded a wide and deep approach to information gathering, thus warranting the use of a combined approach (Bryman, 2008). The evidence used in this paper was therefore collected in two phases: an exploratory stage where data on craft businesses and support history was collected and an inquisitive stage where experiences of support and official support discourse were investigated (Silverman, 2010; Collins, 2010).\nFindings: Characterisation of owner-managers\nResearch in context: Although this research was concentrated on craft businesses in Dublin, its satisfactory response rate in the largest concentration of craft businesses in Ireland, provided a comprehensive exploration of craft businesses structure, support history, business goals and values. The recently published UK Craft Council report \"Craft in an Age of Change\" presents a similar picture in terms of respondents and business profiles (Table II). The conclusions from this research can therefore be seen to be valid for craft business in Ireland and in the wider context of craft micro-businesses in Great Britain and Ireland.\nOpportunities for development of research: The interviews gathered during the qualitative part of the methodology showed a vast difference in the language used by the craft practitioners and the support providers. A semantic analysis of the interviews would likely have shown thematic and symbolic differences, not only between the micro-business but between the sector development agency and the micro-business support agency. Such deep rooted cultural differences between the members of the support relationship have been already highlighted (Gibb, 2000), with remit and accountability driving the business support offer (Wren and Storey, 2002). Further research could be undertaken on a common language or discussion format to help target-driven business support agencies develop an empathic understanding of intrinsically rewarded (Poettschacher, 2005) creative micro-businesses.\nConclusion: This paper presented research undertaken on micro-businesses in the Craft sector in Ireland. It borrowed from argumentations on performance of business support for SME's and on the objectives of micro-businesses owner-managers, to evaluate the business support received by craft micro-businesses in Dublin and identify avenues for improvement.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into the goals and values of craft practitioners in Ireland, and assesses the validity of the business support provided to Dublin based craft practitioners. This research aimed to identify entrepreneurial traits in craft businesses and to challenge the objectives of public business support programs. This research enquires into what support practitioners have participated in and the perceived relevance to their professional needs and goals. Indeed, does demand or policy shape business support programs for craft in Dublin?\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper is based on a mix of quantitative and qualitative research using surveys and interviews.\nFindings: The research provides new insights into the goals and values of craft practitioners in Ireland. It identifies discrepancies between the needs of these businesses and the support programs available in Dublin. This study also highlighted three profiles of craft practitioners with distinct goals and values: the hobbyist, the artisan and the entrepreneur.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study was limited to members registered with the Craft Council of Ireland in Dublin. It therefore excluded any professional craft business non-registered with the agency.\nPractical implications: This paper provides valuable insights on craft practitioners goals and values and offers useful recommendation on business support for craft micro-businesses in Ireland.\nOriginality/value: This paper offers empirical data entirely new for Ireland and highlights the similarities between craft businesses and other micro-businesses, questioning business support rationale for the whole of this sector.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Does transparency mitigate the political budget cycle?
|
[
"Transparency",
"E-Governance",
"Internet data (Google data)",
"Political budget cycle",
"Google search data",
"P16",
"G38",
"D72",
"E32"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In the past years, governments developed new transparency measures mainly due to a growing public demand in the internet age. Therefore, the role of the internet and social media has gained significant importance in the political process. During political elections the usage of social media to target potential voters is common today, such as in the US presidential election or the election campaign of the German Bundestag. Moreover, even other political events, such as the fall of Mubarak in Egypt or the Syrian revolution in April 2011, have demonstrated the importance of social media. The worldwide and mobile access to information is a catalyst for transparency. Consequently political change and the budget cycle should be affected in the internet age.\n2. Literature review: There exists a variety of seminal papers on the topic of PBCs (Alesina, 1988; Nordhaus et al., 1989; Persson and Tabellini, 1990). Remarkably, there is only little literature on the issue of transparency or e-governance and the PBCs. To our knowledge, the only exception is Klomp and De Haan (2011) who partly touches on the issue of transparency. A first discussion of this issue can be found in Herzog and Haslanger (2014).\n3. Theoretical model: Our theoretical model extends the basic version of a dynamic political business cycle model a la Nordhaus with the new feature of transparency. The new element is captured by two parameters: new rate of decay of memory due to transparency, r; and an information measure, E.\n4. Data and econometric methodology: While fiscal transparency has been an issue in public finance debates for years, a unique measure does not exist until today. In literature there are several attempts to define and measure transparency. Some researchers rely on expert ratings of \"government transparency\" (Akhmedov and Zhuravskaya, 2004). Others use specific transparency indices developed by international organizations such as the United Nations (UN). In this paper, we use the standard measures provided by certain organizations. However, in addition to existing measures, we gather Google search data. Internet search data are a novel measure of transparency and we are the first using it in this field of literature. In finance, Google data have been already utilized as a measure of transparency by Da et al. (2012) and Herzog (2015). The advantage of Google data is the easy and timely availability. Moreover, it is currently the only direct measure of public attention and transparency.\n5. Empirical results and discussions: In this section, we study the effect of transparency empirically. First, we look at the size of the PBC and utilize several measures such as Google search queries. Interestingly, there already exists anecdotal evidence in line with our hypothesis by Persson and Tabellini (1990) and Brender and Drazen (2005). Both papers find the absence of an electoral cycle if they restrict the sample to industrialized countries. In fact, according to our transparency measures (including Google) industrialized countries are more transparent. This points evidence in our direction. Overall, we demonstrate that the size of the political cycle is dependent on the state of the economy and the level of transparency. Second, we demonstrate that the mitigation effect of the political cycle is more pronounced for transparent countries.\n6. Conclusion: As demonstrated in our paper, the level of transparency mitigates the magnitude of the PBC over time and across countries. In addition, the mitigation effect of the PBC is greater for advanced than developing countries. Overall, we have robust empirical evidence of this effect in our sample consisting of 99 developing and 34 OECD countries. In addition, the unique utilization of Google data provides novel insight to this topic. There is no doubt, as already confirmed in literature, that Google data are informative and a new measure for public transparency. Overall, the model proposition is proved and we do not reject the empirical hypothesis that transparency mitigates the budget cycle. Going forward, Google data will definitely enhance economic research on this topic.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of transparency on the political budget cycle (PBC) over time and across countries. So far, the literature on electoral cycles finds evidence that cycles depend on the stage of an economy. However, the author shows - for the first time - a reliance of the budget cycle on transparency. The author uses a new data set consisting of 99 developing and 34 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. First, the author develops a model and demonstrates that transparency mitigates the political cycles. Second, the author confirms the proposition through the econometric assessment. The author uses time series data from 1970 to 2014 and discovers smaller cycles in countries with higher transparency, especially G8 countries.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Mathematical model and a respective econometric model testing.\nFindings: First, the author shows in the theoretical model that higher transparency mitigates the PBC. Second, the author confirms the theoretical proposition through the econometric model. The author confirms that the countries with higher transparency have smaller budget cycles. Or technically, the author cannot reject the null-hypothesis that the budget cycles are different due to transparency.\nResearch limitations/implications: As explained in the paper: one issue is the data limitations in respect to the transparency measures. Data for Google are just available since 2004. Data for broadband-subscription are just on annual frequency. But both limitations can be tackled in the future. Hence, the findings are first evidence and a benchmark for future studies.\nPractical implications: First, higher public transparency implies smaller budget cycles. In the end, this enhances the stability of economic and fiscal policy. Second, policy-makers have to consider the impact of higher transparency in respect to future election pledges. In a more transparent world, all voters can easily check the commitment of previous election pledges.\nSocial implications: Transparency helps to improve democracy and thus enhances the political credibility because it allows the voters to check the commitment of the elected policy-makers.\nOriginality/value: First, the author shows - for the first time - a reliance of the budget cycle on transparency. Second, the author is the first that build a new theoretical model that extends the existing literature in respect to transparency and the size of the budget cycle. Third, the author uses for the first time - in this literature - new internet-based data such as broadband-subscription and Google search data. Fourth, the author empirically proves the new hypothesis based on the new data sources.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Tell me the rule - I have plenty of good information: rule 1: leadership development is first about leaders who are develop-able
|
[
"Leadership",
"Communication",
"Succession planning",
"Leadership development"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Recently, I watched our founder, Suzanne Bates, expertly ply her significant teaching talents with a group of PhDs and a very bright leader of a Fortune 500 chemical company division. I tried to pinpoint the elements of her style that so effectively pierced the intellectual barricade surrounding these talented individuals and caused them to watch and learn so intently. On a break I overheard one of the participants articulate to Suzanne exactly what I was looking for. He thanked her for the material that he found helpful and added, \"I am trained as a scientist so I am used to data and information. What you did for us is provide the rule behind the information that the data support. That's what really matters\".\nCharacter: As my good friend Dr Phil Martin says, this is imperative. In today's business world character is simply the price of entry as a leader of people. If you intend to select leaders for the next level in your organization, your selection criteria must start here. And please remember, character is values in action.Competence\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper is intended to inform the reader of the author's expertise.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The author's opinion is based primarily on 27 years of leadership and executive leadership development in the business realm and over five years of related practical research.\nFindings: - Only leaders with demonstrated ability in key areas and a desire to learn can be significantly developed.\nPractical implications: - Leadership development and succession planning should focus on correctly identifying leaders as a first priority.\nOriginality/value: - The paper serves as a reminder to executives and HR leaders charged with the responsibility of identifying and developing leaders for the future of their organization.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Does risk affect capital structure adjustments?
|
[
"Firm-specific risk",
"Macroeconomic risk",
"Capital structure adjustments"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Since the seminal work by Modigliani and Miller (1958), researchers have devoted considerable effort to investigate the factors that are significant in explaining the dynamics of firms' capital structure. Nevertheless, stylized facts to-date indicate that it is hard to fully explain the time-series or cross-sectional patterns of firm leverage referring to a particular theory of capital structure. Recently, researchers have shifted their attention to investigate the factors that affect the rate at which firms reduce deviations from target capital structure. According to the trade-off theory of capital structure, firms have leverage targets, and thus, they strive to restore themselves to these targets whenever they deviate from them. However, firms cannot do so easily because of the existence of adverse selection problems (Myers and Majluf, 1984), the presence of relative time-varying costs of issuing debt to equity (Baker and Wurgler, 2002) or the possibility of trade-offs between the costs and benefits of debt vis-a-vis equity financing (Myers, 1984). In fact, prior empirical work provides evidence that firms deviating from target capital structure do not make immediate adjustments. Rather, they adjust their capital structure toward the target gradually due to positive adjustments costs (Hovakimian et al., 2001; Flannery and Rangan, 2006).\n2. Capital structure adjustments, prior evidence and risk: The question when and how quickly a firm adjusts its capital structure toward its target has recently received substantial interest in the corporate finance literature. A plethora of empirical papers have estimated the speed at which firms move toward their target leverage ratio. In their investigation, researchers relate the adjustment process of capital structure to firm-specific characteristics as well as to macroeconomic conditions. For instance, in a recent paper, Elsas and Florysiak (2011) analyze how firm-specific factors affect US firms' SOA by estimating the standard partial adjustment model of capital structure. They find that the market-to-book equity value of firms affects SOA toward target capital structure positively, while firm size affects adjustment speeds negatively. Further, they show that highly over-levered firms adjust their leverage with a relatively rapid speed of about 50.5 per cent per year, while highly under-levered firms do so with a speed of about 45 per cent per year. They also find that firms that have large deficits or surpluses with above-target leverage adjust their leverage with a speed as high as 59.2 per cent per year.\n3. Data: This paper uses a firm-level unbalanced annual panel data set for UK manufacturing firms, covering the period from 1981 to 2009. The data are obtained from DataStream. Each firm in the data set contributes at least five years of observations[3],[4]. All firm-specific variables are scaled by total assets and are winsorized at the first and ninety-ninth percentile to eliminate the adverse effects of outliers[5].\n4. Empirical models: To examine the impact of risk on capital structure adjustment decisions, we augment a standard leverage model by incorporating firm-specific and macroeconomic risk measures. Specifically, the model takes the following form:\n5. Empirical results: 5.1 Estimation methods\n6. Conclusions: In this paper, we hypothesize that if risk affects the cost of adjusting firm leverage toward the target, then it should affect the SOA. To investigate this hypothesis, we examine the role of firm-specific and macroeconomic risk on firms' capital structure adjustments. We estimate an extended reduced-form partial adjustment model of capital structure using a panel of UK manufacturing firms over the 1981-2009 period.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to theorize that if risk affects costs and benefits of capital structure adjustments, then it should affect the speed at which firms adjust their leverage toward the target. To investigate this hypothesis, the author empirically examines the role of firm-specific and macroeconomic risk on firms' capital structure adjustments.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The author augments the standard reduced-form partial adjustment model of capital structure by incorporating firm-specific and macroeconomic risk. The two-step robust system-generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator is used to estimate the proposed model for a large panel of UK manufacturing firms. An unbalanced annual panel data set covering the period from 1981 to 2009 is utilized for empirical analysis.\nFindings: The estimated adjustment speeds indicate that both firm-specific risk and macroeconomic risk significantly affect the speed at which firms adjust their capital structure toward the target. In particular, the author shows that firms adjust their leverage faster toward the target when firm-specific risk is relatively low. This is perhaps because firms face lower costs of adjustment when both firm-specific and macroeconomic risks are low. Overall, the paper provides evidence that different levels and different types of risk exert asymmetric effects on capital structure adjustments.\nPractical implications: The results presented in this paper suggest that managers have to carefully consider both the overall state of the economy and the solvency of their own business activities when making their financing decisions. The results also help in explaining why firms time equity and debt markets.\nOriginality/value: The paper significantly adds to our understanding of asymmetries in adjustment speed across firms and over times. The paper can also be useful to understand why firms would not aggressively act to offset the effects of changes in the market value of equity or gains and losses in earnings.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Beyond formalization: rethinking the future of work
|
[
"Economics",
"Working practices",
"Ukraine"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Across the social sciences, a recurring narrative is that over the long run of history, there has been a natural and immutable shift of work from the informal into the formal economy. Although in the past, people toiled in their fields and homes on a subsistence basis and bartered, the production and distribution of goods and services is today seen to largely occur through the formal economy. In this formalization thesis, therefore, the informal economy is represented as some minor residue or leftover that exists in the margins and is rapidly disappearing from view. This paper evaluates critically this representation of the informal economy so as to question this thesis that the future of work is inevitably and immutably one of formalization.In the first section, therefore, the formalization thesis that depicts the informal economy as a residue of some pre-capitalist era will be reviewed along with various alternative re-articulations of the relationship between the formal and informal economies that have emerged as it has been recognized that the informal economy is persistent and even growing. The second section will then report a study of the work practices of 600 households conducted in Ukraine during 2005/2006 so as to both evaluate the validity of the formalization thesis and to re-articulate the relationship between the formal and informal economy. Displaying the relatively shallow permeation of formalization in this post-socialist society and how the informal economy is relied on not only by a large segment of the population off-loaded onto this sphere to eke out a living but also those currently immersed in the formal economy who depend on such informal work to secure their livelihood, the paper concludes by arguing that the informal economy is a core integral component of contemporary work organization in Ukraine that can no longer be ignored or swept under the carpet by tales of its imminent formalization.Before commencing, however, it is necessary to define what is meant by the informal economy. Here, the \"informal economy\" is defined as all work that is not \"formal employment\", that is, paid work registered with the state for tax, social security and labor law purposes. This defining of the informal economy in terms of what it is not reflects the centrality of formal employment in contemporary society and how all work that is leftover is cast into this residual catchall umbrella category. The outcome is that diverse activities are grouped under this heading. To more adequately define its scope, therefore, analysts have differentiated three types of informal work: \"self-provisioning\" which is the unpaid household work undertaken by household members for themselves or for other members of their household; \"unpaid community work\", which is unpaid work conducted by household members by and for the extended family, social or neighborhood networks and more formal voluntary and community groups; and \"paid informal work\" which is monetized exchange unregistered by or hidden from the state for tax, social security and/or labor law purposes but which is legal in all other respects (Leonard, 1998; Pahl, 1984; Renooy, 1990; Williams and Windebank, 2003). In addition and sometimes included under paid informal work, there is gift exchange where people conduct work for each other for gifts (rather than money). Here, therefore, it is not tasks (e.g. cleaning, cooking) that are viewed as differentiating one form of work from another but rather the social relations within which work is conducted (Morris, 1994; Pahl, 1984; Williams and Windebank, 1998).\nThe formalization thesis and its progeny: To introduce how the persistence and growth of the informal economy has led to a rethinking of the future of work, firstly, the long-standing formalization thesis is reviewed and following this, some schools of thought that have sought to re-articulate the relationship between the formal and informal economies.The formalization thesis\nBeyond the formalization thesis: a case study of Ukraine: To evaluate critically both the formalization thesis and these competing re-articulations of the relationship between formal and informal work, a case study of Ukraine is here reported. To commence, the methodology used is introduced followed by an analysis of results.Methodology\nConclusions: The starting point of this paper was the recurring narrative that over the long run of history, there has been a natural and immutable shift of work from the informal into the formal economy, and that the informal economy is little more than a mere residue or leftover from some pre-capitalist era. This paper has critically evaluated this formalization thesis so as to question whether the future of work is inevitably and immutably one of formalization.To do this, evidence from Ukraine has been reported. This has revealed the relatively shallow permeation of formalization and that the informal economy is strong, extensive and a core integral component of contemporary work organization in this post-socialist society. It also reveals that in contemporary Ukraine, participation in the informal economy is not a chosen alternative to the formal economy, nor a complement to the formal economy that benefits those already benefiting from the formal economy. Instead, it is the by-product thesis that most closely reflects lived practice. Informal work, that is, is largely a substitute for formal work and heavily relied on by those excluded from the formal economy and off-loaded onto this sphere to eke out a living.However, although this by-product thesis comes closest to articulating the relationship of formal and informal work and reflecting the lived realities of work organization in Ukraine, its articulation of the relationship between the formal and informal economy perhaps requires some slight modification to reflect more fully the lived realities of work organization in Ukraine. This study reveals that the informal economy is relied on not only by some 28 per cent of all households who, excluded from the formal economy, depend on this sphere as their livelihood practice but also, and so far missed by the by-product perspective, the vast majority of those immersed in the formal economy who report that they also heavily depend on informal work to secure their livelihood. As such, it would be perhaps more accurate to portray the informal economy not as a by-product of a new form of work organization (which intimates a somewhat marginal role for this sphere) but rather, as a core integral component of contemporary work organization. If this paper thus encourages the realization that the informal economy can no longer be ignored and swept under the carpet by tales of its imminent formalization when discussing the future of work in post-socialist societies and beyond, then it will have achieved its objective. These societies are without doubt in transition but it is by no means certain that the transition to formalization is anywhere near complete or even inevitable.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - A long-standing meta-narrative regarding the future of work is that, over history, economic activity has shifted from the informal into the formal economy and that the informal economy is now a residue existing only in the margins. This paper aims to evaluate critically this formalization thesis so as to question whether the future of work is inevitably and immutably one of formalization.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Primary data are drawn upon from a study of the work practices of 600 households in Ukraine conducted during 2005/2006 to evaluate the centrality of the formal economy in this post-socialist society.\nFindings: - This study reveals only a relatively shallow permeation of formalization in this post-socialist society and how the informal economy is a core integral component of contemporary work organization relied on not only by some 28 per cent of households who, excluded from the formal economy, utilize this sphere as their principal livelihood practice but also by the vast majority immersed in the formal economy who heavily depend on informal work to secure their livelihood.\nResearch limitations/implications: - This snapshot survey identifies only that the informal economy is not some minor residue as depicted by the formalization thesis. It cannot decipher whether there is movement in Ukraine towards greater reliance on the formal (or informal) economy.\nOriginality/value: - This paper de-centers the formal economy by re-positioning it as just one of a plurality of work practices and foregrounds the informal economy as a core component of work organization in this post-socialist society.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Fostering expatriate affective commitment: a total reward perspective
|
[
"Finland",
"Job satisfaction",
"Psychological contracts",
"Expatriates",
"Remuneration"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Loyalty refers to an employee's perceived socio-emotional link and attachment toward their employing organization. Affectively committed employees are regarded as being willing to build and maintain long-lasting relationships with their employer. Multinational organizations face the strategic challenge of affectively committing their valued international employees such as assigned expatriates (AE) despite offering competitive compensation packages.Compensation for expatriation is often considered extremely costly and time consuming for the organizations involved. This perception pressures companies to either decrease their investment in international experience and knowledge (Bonache and Pla-Barber, 2005; Pate and Scullion, 2010; Schell and Solomon, 1997) or to look for alternate international employee populations, such as self-initiated expatriates (SIE) (Meyskens et al., 2009; Thite et al., 2009). However, there is a danger that the financial pressure that the organizations feel to reduce compensation costs may lead to an alteration in the expatriates' perceptions not only of their compensation package, but also of their whole employment relationship leading to a change in attitude toward their employer.Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine whether organizations can influence the loyalty of their expatriates (AEs and SIE ones) through the composition of their compensation package they provide. From a psychological contract (PC) theory point of view, Rousseau and Ho (2000, p. 274) postulate that \"HR practices influence business strategies implementation through their effects on the PCs individuals form with their employers and the motivation levels that result\". From a strategic HRM perspective, Bowen and Ostroff (2004) and Wright and Nishii (2007, p. 4) argue that \"HR practices serve as communication mechanisms signaling employees to engage in certain behaviors\". Located between these two approaches, the empirical study by Malhotra et al. (2007) shows a link between perceived rewards and employees' affective commitment. Taken together, these three complementary perspectives point towards the importance of employee perceptions of HRM practices and their possible link to individual behaviors and attitudes.The main contribution of the present research is the combination of two new theoretical approaches to explain affective commitment. First, a practical-oriented \"total reward perspective\" which finds echoes in the academic notion of \"bundle of valued returns\" (Bloom and Milkovich, 1996) is introduced to address expatriate compensation as a bundle of intangible particularistic and tangible universal rewards (TUR) (Foa and Foa, 1975). Second, the theoretical construct of the state of the PC (SPC) (i.e. perceived discrepancy between the received expatriate compensation package and the package which had been understood as promised) is applied and operationalized based on a PC evaluation-oriented measure advocated by Rousseau and Tijoriwala (1998). It is argued here that to understand the potential link between the delivery of the expatriate compensation package and the affective commitment of expatriates, we need to consider the employment relationship in which the exchange of rewards is embedded, and the way the delivery of this package is perceived by the expatriate.\nTheoretical background: In the following paragraphs, I present the three different theoretical constructs used to study the link between the perceptions expatriates have of their compensation package and their affective commitment.Affective commitment\nExpatriate compensation: a total reward perspective: The expatriate compensation package, also known as the \"total compensation package\", has traditionally been studied from organizational and financial perspectives advocated by organizational control theories, such agency theory (Fama and Jensen, 1983; Jensen and Meckling, 1976). Authors have thus discussed and described how employing organizations provide their expatriates with packages that include three main component categories:* fixed pay and flexible pay;* benefits; and* allowances (Bonache, 2006; Gomez-Mejia and Welbourne, 1988; Harvey, 1993a, b; Schell and Solomon, 1997; Suutari and Tornikoski, 2000).In this paper, the expatriate's perspective of their compensation package is adopted. This individual perspective is combined with a total reward approach. The latter implies that \"each aspect of reward, namely base pay, contingent pay, employee benefits and non-financial rewards, which include intrinsic rewards from the work itself, are linked together and treated as an integrated and coherent whole\" (Armstrong and Stephens, 2005, p. 13), embracing \"everything that employees value in the employment relationship\" (O'Neal, 1998). Consequently, this approach provides a much broader perspective of the compensation package and leads to the consideration of the whole expatriate package as a \"bundle of valued rewards\" (Bloom and Milkovich, 1996) in exchange of contributions (Blau, 1967).Although components of any compensation bundle are interrelated, a distinction between the different types of components is needed to differentiate the traditional compensation package from the total reward one. The distinction made between two dimensions by Foa and Foa (1975) to classify returns is useful in this regard. The first dimension labeled particularism \"indicates the extent to which the value of a given resource [i.e. return] is influenced by the particular persons involved in exchanging it and by their relationship\" (Foa and Foa, 1975, p. 80). The second dimension, concreteness, \"ranges from concrete to symbolic and suggests the form or type of expression characteristic of the various resources [or returns]\" (Foa and Foa, 1975, pp. 80-1).The difficulty in using such distinctions is that very few academic studies have referred to it previously. Among the exceptions are the theoretical developments by Rousseau and Ho (2000) on psychological issues in compensation, and Rousseau (2001), and Rousseau et al. (2006) with regard to the content of idiosyncratic deals (i-deals). Previous empirical research on compensation has distinguished between either financial vs non-financial (Armstrong and Stephens, 2005) rewards or intrinsic vs extrinsic rewards (Deci, 1972; Malhotra et al., 2007), or hygiene vs motivator factors (Herzberg, 1966), thereby rendering the comparison of empirical findings problematic. This difficulty is exacerbated by the lack of consensus among researchers on what components should be included in these different categories (Werner and Ward, 2004).It is important to stress here that Foa and Foa (1975) considered \"particularism\" to be similar to Blau's (1967) notion of extrinsic and intrinsic rewards and that Sachau (2007) argues that Herzberg's (1966) hygiene and motivator factors should be understood as extrinsic and intrinsic rewards too. Therefore, for clarification purposes (even though this would require much more theoretical discussion), this study assumes that particularistic returns encompass intrinsic rewards, motivator factors and non-financial rewards whereas non-particularistic ones (also referred to as universal) encompass extrinsic rewards, hygiene factors and financial rewards. In terms of \"concreteness\", rewards which are neither visible symbolically and physically, nor easily computable and comparable between them or with those of other employees are included in the category \"intangible\". Those which are easily computable and comparable by employees are encompassed by the category \"tangible\".Fixed pay, flexible pay, benefits and insurance, as well as expatriates allowances, can thus be classified as TUR, whereas opportunities for higher professional status and good working conditions which are important to expatriates (Suutari et al., 2009) are classified as intangible particularistic rewards (IPR). Also, included in this latter category are all the non-financial rewards related to the work itself, such as having a meaningful role, a wide scope of responsibilities and a strategic role in the organization. These exchangeable rewards are those that expatriates seem to strive for. They are all linked to developmental growth (see Herzberg's (1966) similar concept of \"psychological growth\"), which attracts international mobile employees and represents what global leaders seem unwilling to sacrifice (Suutari et al., 2009).It is therefore expected that studying the link between the perceptions expatriates have of their total compensation package and their affective commitment will provide employing organizations with information and a means to influence both ends of this link. More specifically, this means is the understanding of the state of their employees' PC.\nState of the psychological contract: The SPC describes employees' subjective perceptions (accurate or not) of the actual HRM practices of their employer in comparison to their PC (Guest, 1998, 2004a, b; Guest and Conway, 2002; Conway and Briner, 2005). This state is directly related to, and yet distinct from their \"psychological contract\". Indeed, a PC refers to individuals' beliefs regarding the terms and conditions of an exchange relationship between themselves and their employer (Rousseau, 1989). Each employee holds beliefs regarding the \"ideal\" returns (Foa and Foa, 1975) their employer has agreed (either implicitly or explicitly) to provide him/her with in exchange for his/her contribution. The SPC (Guest, 1998; Guest, 2004a, b; Guest and Conway, 2002) is thus operationalized as the employee's perceived discrepancy between this \"ideal\" return and the \"actual\" one they perceive as receiving from the organization (HRM practices such as compensation and rewards in this case). As in Robinson's (1996) study, the focus of this study is not the accuracy of the perception, but the employee's subjective perception of this discrepancy.In this paper, I posit that employees hold a \"sub\" PC for each particular set of HRM practices (e.g. recruitment, career development), and that they automatically and systematically assess their discrepancies throughout the duration of their exchange relationship (Eagley and Chaiken, 1993). Moreover, they cognitively assess each of the HRM practices during their exchange relationship. The interrelation of all these discrepancies or variances (Wright and Nishii, 2007) provides the Global SPC (GSPC) of the exchange relationship, which can be either described as relational, transactional transitional or balanced (Rousseau, 1995; Rousseau and Ho, 2000). In this paper, I focus on the SPC relating to reward practices.A SPC can be either negative or positive. The negative state, i.e. \"breach\" (Robinson and Rousseau, 1994), has been defined as \"a global cognitive appraisal of the extent to which prior transactions have not fulfilled the perceived promises of one's psychological contract\" (Dulac et al., 2008, p. 1082). This study shares the view that breach and \"over-fulfillment\" are two possible opposite states of the PC (Conway and Briner, 2002).Consequently, by following this logic, over-fulfillment is a global appraisal of the extent to which prior transactions have exceeded the perceived promises of one's PC. \"Fulfillment\" (a perceived adequacy between the \"actual\" delivery and the \"ideal\") is thus also considered to be a positive SPC (Rousseau, 1989). Indeed, if employees perceive that they are receiving the rewards they had understood they would receive, they are satisfied, and perceive their exchange relationship positively in terms of compensation and rewards. In other words, the state of \"fulfillment\" is not considered as a \"neutral\" SPC. Hence, when discussing the positive state of expatriates' PCs, it includes the notions of both fulfillment and over-fulfillment. The perception of this positive or negative discrepancy in the delivery of an expatriate bundle of rewards is therefore expected to influence expatriate affective commitment.When combining these three previous theoretical perspectives (affective commitment, total rewards and the SPC) into a theoretical framework, several hypotheses can be formulated.Hypotheses\nMethod: Sample\nResults: Ordinary least square regressions were used to test the hypotheses. First, all control variables pertaining to the respondent and the organizational characteristics were included to obtain the baseline models, \"Model 1\" for the sub-sample who perceived a breach related to TUR, \"Model 3\" for the sub-sample who perceived a positive SPC related to TUR and Model 5 for the whole sample. All the regression results are displayed in Table III.A hill curvilinear relationship between a breach SPC related to TUR and affective commitment was expected in H1a. Model 2 shows that the curvilinear relationship is indeed negative, but it is not statistically significant. Thus, these results do not support H1a. In H1b, it is argued that there would not be any relationship between the SPC and the dependent variable when expatriates perceive a positive SPC relating to TUR. Model 4 (compared to Model 3) shows that the relationship is positive but not significant. So, the null hypothesis H1a is supported. The results of these two hypotheses partially support the hypothesized curvilinear hill relationship between the SPC and affective commitment for TUR as shown in Figure 1.In H2, a linear relationship between expatriates' perceived discrepancy related to the delivery of their IPR sub-package and their affective commitment was predicted. Model 6 shows that the relationship is positive and strongly significant (DR2=0.042; b=2.78; SD=0.62; p<0.001). This result provides strong support for H2.Displayed in the same Table III, Model 7 examines the linear relationship between the SPC related to the total reward package and the dependent variable. The results indicate that the linear relationship is also positive and strongly significant (DR2=0.041; b=2.71; SD=0.63; p<0.001). These results thus find support for H3.\nDiscussion: This study provides an answer to some of the many questions relating to the assessment of HRM practices by employees and the link it has with their behaviors and attitudes. It shows a strong and positive link between expatriates' SPC relating to their total reward and their affective commitment.Contributions\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine whether organizations can encourage the loyalty of their international employees through the composition of their expatriate packages.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Two separate but complementary theoretical perspectives - the total reward approach, and the exchange-based construct of state of the psychological contract (SPC) - are used to explain the affective commitment of expatriates. Hypotheses are developed and tested on a sample of 263 assigned and self-initiated expatriates from Finland.\nFindings: - A positive SPC relating to tangible universal rewards (i.e. the compensation package traditionally considered in previous expatriate research) is not linked to an increase in the overall affective commitment of expatriates. In contrast, a very strong positive relationship was found between the expatriates' SPC relating to total rewards (which include intangible particularistic rewards (IPR)) and affective commitment.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The sample only includes highly educated Finnish expatriates, which limits the external validity of the results. Moreover, the cross-sectional nature of this study does not allow for confirmation of the cause-effect relationship between the SPC and affective commitment.\nPractical implications: - The results suggest that, as a rule, organizations could improve the retention of their valuable international employees via the exchange of IPR usually found in socio-emotional and trusting employment relationships.\nOriginality/value: - First, this paper focuses on expatriate perceptions regarding their compensation. Second, it applies the \"concreteness\" and \"particularism\" dimensions developed by Foa and Foa to distinguish between the constituting components of the bundle of total rewards and provide an evaluation-oriented measure of the SPC relating to this bundle. Third, this approach enables explaining expatriates' affective commitment.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Leveraging board talent for innovation strategy
|
[
"Human capital",
"Innovation",
"Governance",
"Board of directors",
"Pharmaceutical industry",
"Upper echelons theory",
"Board demographics",
"Critical mass theory",
"Human capital resource theory"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Why are people appointed to corporate boards of directors? In some cases, it may be a result of \"who you know,\" whether a membership in the same country club as the CEO or having gone to the same university as another board member. This was especially true when boards were viewed as rubber stamps of management decisions. However, more recent and accepted wisdom is that board members should make strategic contributions to the firm and provide valuable advice. Thus, the resources that board members bring to the firm, referred to here as human capital, are a critical contribution that must be considered when determining the composition of the board. Human capital is defined as the knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics embodied in people which are derived from education, training and experience and contribute to individual performance and ultimately to organizational performance. However, the human capital of board members should not be considered as merely a collection of individual capabilities and knowledge that is assembled in a haphazard manner. Rather there exist complementarities among individual members which can make a more significant impact on corporate strategy. This paper uses human capital resources theory to discover how complementarities might predict innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.\nHuman capital resources: Human capital has been an important theory both in economics and the social sciences. In an organizational context, people with high levels of human capital have an advantage over other employees or applicants. For example, the presence of human capital, including differences in education, skills and experience, and the investment in acquiring these assets enhance a person's value to the firm and correspondingly result in rewards such as higher pay levels and promotions (Singh et al., 2008). Human capital in the form of education and experience may also be treated as a surrogate for a manager's general ability, and thus age and tenure may also be proxies for abilities and skills leading to higher levels of compensation. Distinctions are also made between general and firm-specific human capital, with firm-specific human capital more valuable for advancement within an organization and more broad-based human capital more likely to provide opportunities outside the firm.\nHuman capital resources as a function of the board of directors: The provision of human capital is a primary reason directors are appointed to a board. The board has the potential to influence a firm's strategic direction, and directors' human capital should match and enhance the firm's strategic objectives to maximize their effectiveness. The main role of directors' human capital resources should be to provide highly qualified and relevant advice to the managers of the firm, which then contributes to firm level outcomes. However, the human capital of outside board members may vary based on several dimensions, including education, knowledge and technical experience.\nResearch design and results: The pharmaceutical industry was chosen as the basis for this study because of the critical importance of innovation in the creation of patentable discoveries. Although the results obtained may not be generalizable to all other industries, some industries share several of the characteristics of this focal industry. The industry is well established (the American Pharmaceutical Association was formed in 1851), yet is subject to a number of environmental forces that call for collaboration between upstream and downstream partners, government agencies, universities and industry alliances, requiring a broad range of knowledge and experience. Further, preliminary analysis shows a wide range in the size of pharmaceutical companies, potentially offering significant variation within the sample. As a result, pharmaceutical companies provide a rich framework in which human capital resources theory can be tested.\nDiscussion: At the outset, it should be noted that both measures at the unit level of human capital resources, the existence of a founder and board tenure were independently predictive of firm innovation. For a young firm, it might be advisable to retain its founder on the board even after he or she retires from management to encourage continued innovation resulting in patent applications. Longer board tenure as an independent variable was negatively associated with patent filings; however, when coupled with board scientific human capital, the variable was significant and positive. Thus, insuring longevity among board members with scientific human capital rather than making frequent changes may be a strategy for insuring innovation. Of course, management should be mindful that members who have worked together over a long period may become too cohesive and fall into a groupthink trap where ideas are not questioned or challenged. Further, longer-service members tend to be older and perhaps more conservative in evaluating new research proposals.\nConclusion: Managers and incumbent directors are the main sources of identifying new members of the board. The skill sets of potential directors are an important factor in selecting new members, but often the complementarities with existing directors and with the overall structure and make-up of the board are ignored. Managers should carefully consider the impact on the function of the entire board when making decisions on adding or replacing board members. When innovation is central to the firm's survival, how directors can both foster and initiate innovative ideas and strategies becomes an overriding consideration. Hundreds of configurations may be taken into account, and it is up to management to determine the mix of talent that will lead to optimal decision-making.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Human capital has been traditionally viewed in terms of how an individual's investment in knowledge, skills and abilities can lead to higher pay or promotions. More recently, human capital has been regarded as a unit-level resource using the term \"human capital resources\" to consider the aggregate effects of human capital. The purpose of this paper is to examine the collective human capital present in a firm's board of directors as a valuable resource leading to superior firm outcomes.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study examined the effects on firm innovation of the scientific expertise of corporate directors, average board tenure and the presence of a firm's founder on the board. Data from a sample of pharmaceutical firms were analyzed with the dependent variable, innovation, measured as patent applications and both individual and unit-level human capital measures of the predictor variables.\nFindings: The results show that the presence of a founder-director is positively related to innovation and more pronounced when combined with the board's scientific expertise. Board tenure shows a relationship to innovation and is more evident in combination with the board's aggregate level of scientific expertise. The effect of directors' scientific expertise is also greater when measured at the board level of scientific expertise.\nResearch limitations/implications: Future studies should examine these relationships within a broader context extending the research to other industries thereby incorporating wider variation in both the antecedents and measures of innovation. In addition, future studies might investigate a likely non-monotonic relationship of board tenure with strategic outcomes, recognizing the non-linear nature of effects of board tenure.\nPractical implications: In addition to the theoretical and empirical implications, this research may also inform practicing managers charged with constituting their boards of directors and provide some guidance for the recruitment and retention of board members. The research may also assist top managers and investors in knowing when the presence of a founder on the board is useful and supportive of the firm's strategic direction.\nOriginality/value: The study extends scholarly understanding of human capital theory beyond the top management team to boards of directors demonstrating the importance not only of directors' individual capital but also how it combines with that of other directors. Moreover, it enhances understanding of board characteristics beyond the bounds of demographic characteristics to show that additional qualities affect firm strategy. This research also informs managers, boards and investors how boards might be more effectively constituted to impact firm strategy.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Effects of customer experience across service types, customer types and time
|
[
"Structural equation modelling",
"Customer experience",
"Customer type",
"Longitudinal survey",
"Utilitarian/hedonic service"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: There is an increasing trend for creating a unique experience for the customers to gain their confidence and loyalty (Klaus, 2014). Services firms across industries are slowly recognizing the importance of creating a \"wow\" factor for the customers through service delivery (Kim et al., 2011). In an early attempt, Parasuraman et al. (1988) conceptualized the SERVQUAL to measure customer experience from the service quality perspective. SERVQUAL measured the gap between the expected and the actual service based on five dimensions - reliability, assurance, tangibility, empathy and responsiveness. Pine and Gilmore (1999) were among the first few to understand the importance of experience and propose the possibility of an \"experience economy\" as they noted, \"A new, emerging economy is coming to the fore, one based on a distinct kind of economic output, goods and services are no longer enough\" (p. 11). Subsequently, consumer researchers further refined the concept and definition of customer experience. However, later researchers (Coulthard, 2004; Klaus and Maklan, 2011) commented on the conceptualization and methodology of the SERVQUAL, especially because it did not serve as a comprehensive tool to measure customer experience in real-life business scenarios.\nLiterature review: The concept of experience\nMethodology: Developing nations such as India, China and Brazil have shown evidence of economic growth and hold potential for the service sector internally and externally (Clark and Rajaratnam, 1999; Javalgi and White, 2002; Riddle, 1996; Wirtz, 2000). Researchers have rooted this growth of the services sector in India to liberalization and economic reforms (Jain and Ninan, 2010; Arnold et al., 2016). Thereby, the choice for India as the focal country for the study is justified, and the findings would be relevant for developing nations (if not for others).\nResults: The sample in all three studies was fairly balanced in gender and age to negate any possible bias due to the demographics (refer to Table II for sample demographics). The manipulation check questions found that consumers correctly perceived the bank as a utilitarian service and the restaurant as a hedonic service (Study 1 only). Study 1 was intended to explore the differences between the effect of perceived experience consumers of a hedonic service vis-a-vis utilitarian service. Once the differences were ascertained, Study 2 explored the differences in the effects of EXQ on consumer attitudes of regular versus first-time customers. Study 3 continued from Study 2 and investigated the change in the effects of EXQ on loyalty and WOM behavior for satisfied customers in a temporal framework.\nDiscussion: Our study contributes to the existing research on customer experience and EXQ (Klaus and Maklan, 2013) in multiple ways and supports the call for linking various related concepts in services marketing into a single study (Helkkula, 2011). First, the present study brings out an important difference in the role of service experience in influencing the consumer attitudes in case of hedonic vs utilitarian services. The present study found a stronger effect of service experience quality (EXQ) on consumer attitudes for a hedonic service compared to a utilitarian service. Thereby, it supports the assertion that different services may generate need satisfaction at different levels (Oliver, 1997; Herzberg et al., 1959). In addition, it supports the general notion that experiences would matter more for a hedonic service compared to a utilitarian service (Jones et al., 2006). As a hedonic service is more related to the fulfillment of emotional/sensory gratification (Wakefield and Blodgett, 1999), it is expected that a service experience in the same would generate a stronger effect on the consumer attitudes than a utilitarian service that is related to task-related consumption (Batra and Ahtola, 1991). The same is supported by the findings of the present study. At the same time, it does not negate the role of customer experience in utilitarian services, as Study 1 indicated a significant effect of EXQ on all consumer attitude variables. This supports the notion that utilitarian services may generate affect in a rational manner than emotional (Jiang and Lu Wang, 2006) from experiences, but is relevant.\nManagerial implications: The present study has several managerial implications. First, the differential effects of hedonic vs utilitarian service on the consumer attitudes underline the need of creating a favorable service experience in case of a hedonic service provider. The consumer may be more interested in the functional elements of a utilitarian service and thus may be discounting the experiential element if the functional aspects go right. Thus, a utilitarian service provider may have to focus more on the functional experience of the service. For example, a banker may need to create an experience that reduces waiting time. On the other hand, a hedonic service provider has to create the right service experience at the emotional level so that it reinforces the sensory aspects of the service. For example, a restaurant manager may have to focus more on the color palate and aromas that a customer may experience while in the restaurant. Thereby, a well-crafted experience creation strategy may be required by both types of services with differences in the definition of experience. The same would create satisfied and loyal customers and may spread good WOM.\nConclusion: The present study compares the role of EXQ across service types and customer types. The findings implied a differential effect of EXQ on the hedonic vs utilitarian services and regular vs new customer outcomes. A temporal change in behavior was observed for the customers who converted from first-timers to regular.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relevance of customer experience quality (EXQ) across three different aspects. It compares the effect of EXQ on customer attitudes for hedonic vs utilitarian services; regular vs new customers; and new customers if they revisit or become regular customers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study uses a survey design with structured questionnaires and established scales. Part of the data is collected using a longitudinal survey. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling are used as analytical techniques.\nFindings: Major findings indicate a stronger effect of EXQ on consumer attitudes for a hedonic service. The effect of EXQ is found to be different on attitude variables for new and existing customers. A temporal change is observed for the new customers when they become regular.\nResearch limitations/implications: The findings emphasize on the differential effect of EXQ depending on the service type and customer type. The findings also support the temporal nature of customer experience.\nPractical implications: The findings emphasize on the role of customer experience in retaining customers. The findings further imply that a service provider should consider the effect of experience both during and post-consumption for better service delivery and growth.\nOriginality/value: The novelty of the study lies in the comparison of the effects of experience across different service types. In addition, longitudinal exploration of changing effects of customer experience is tested for the first time as per the author's knowledge.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Who are sustainably minded apparel shoppers? An investigation to the influencing factors of sustainable apparel consumption
|
[
"Consumption",
"Theory of planned behaviour",
"Control beliefs",
"Sustainable apparel"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Environmentally friendly consumerism has widened from the exceptional fashion to the mainstream trends in the US society (Han and Yoon, 2015). Researchers have studied to understand this social change by investigating the effects of various aspects, such as environmental knowledge, on consumers' environmental behaviours. Nowadays, consumers are more conscious about environment-related issues (Lee, 2011). Additionally, environmental behaviours have been encouraged not only because of the short-term welfare of an individual, but also because of the long-term well-being for a society and across the nations. However, consumers' environmental behaviours are not always the result of their positive attitudes towards environments. Their actual environmentally friendly behaviours are sometimes contradicted by their attitudes towards the behaviour or behavioural intentions. This means that people, who have positive attitudes about sustainable products and say that they plan to purchase them, may not actually buy them. Also, consumers often do not want to spend a lot of money on buying sustainable products, although their expectations about sustainable products or companies are growing higher (Bezencon and Etemad-Sajadi, 2015; Kim et al., 2014). Thus, more research is needed to explain this gap between consumers' minds and their actual buying behaviours.\nLiterature review: TPB\nThe conceptual framework: The overall purpose of this research is to apply the TPB to explain consumers' sustainable apparel buying behaviour process. Thus, the conceptual framework is developed to investigate how consumers' environmental apparel knowledge, general and apparel environmental attitudes, as well as subjective norms and perceived behavioural control influence their intentions to purchase sustainable apparel products. Furthermore, how consumers' intentions to purchase sustainable apparel affect apparel buying behaviour is projected in the framework. Also, money availability and perceived accessibility to the store carrying sustainable apparel are used as antecedents of perceived behavioural control since these perceived money availability and perceived store accessibility can explain the control beliefs (see Figure 1).\nMethodology: Participants and data collection\nResults: Demographic information\nConclusion and implications: This study successfully applied the TPB to explain consumers' sustainable apparel buying behaviour. Suggested relationships among constructs in the TPB were also supported by the findings of this study. These findings are: first, environmental apparel attitudes (e.g. apparel resource conservation concerns), subjective norms (e.g. important people's opinion on buying sustainable apparel), and perceived behavioural control (e.g. perceptions about capabilities to control sustainable apparel buying behaviour) influenced sustainable apparel buying intentions (e.g. intentions to buy apparel made from recycled materials or second-hand apparel) (Carrington et al., 2010). Also, actual sustainable apparel buying behaviour was influenced by buying intentions. Even though previous literature often found the gap between the behavioural intentions and the actual behaviour (Carrington et al., 2010), this study found the respondents of this study walk their talk. Yet, there was no direct effect of consumers' perceptions about their control over the actual sustainable apparel buying behaviour on the actual behaviour. Perceived behavioural control may not be accurate compared to actual behavioural control. Another interesting finding from this study is that environmental apparel knowledge was not a reliable variable, which is different from previous research findings (Sadachar et al., 2016). The reason why the variable itself was not reliable may be because the questions were originally developed by true/false questions and revised to fit a five-point Likert-type scale. Thus, a more rigorous scale to measure the consumers' environmental apparel and textiles knowledge is needed.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Consumers' environmental behaviours are not only the result of their positive attitudes towards environments, but also different reasons and motivations exist. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to find out important factors affecting sustainable apparel buying behaviour. Applying the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study further examines how knowledge about sustainable apparel, perceived money availability, and perceived accessibility to the store influence sustainable apparel consumption.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Using a purposive college student sample, 235 usable responses were collected to answer the questions. An exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis was first performed followed by confirmatory factor analysis, and a structural equation modelling analysis.\nFindings: Results revealed that the TPB was successfully applied in the context of sustainable apparel buying behaviour. Furthermore, it was found that consumers' perceived money availability and perceived store accessibility are important factors that affect control beliefs and sustainable consumption.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study found the needs of educating college students for contexts of environmental apparel and textiles issues.\nOriginality/value: Even though previous literature often found the gap between the behavioural intentions and the actual behaviour, this study found the respondents of this study walk their talk. This study successfully applied the TPB to explain consumers' sustainable apparel buying behaviour.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
In-company education: an example of best practice?
|
[
"Training",
"Management development",
"Partnership",
"Qualifications",
"Retail management",
"United Kingdom"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Traditionally, if an individual wanted to obtain a higher education qualification they had two options on how they obtained it. They could either physically attend the university itself for several years, or the more committed and determined could purchase books and learning materials and enroll on a distance learning course, open university, for instance. A third option is now emerging, that of the \"corporate university\", the USA leads the way having about 2,000 corporate universities and predictions are that there will be over 4,000 by the year 2010 (Lewis, 2005). It is also reported that there are over 200 corporate universities in this country (Lewis, 2005). The current Labour Government has set a target of 50 per cent of young people to go to university by the year 2010 (Haplin and Blair, 2004). Various academics, (Honey and Kandola, 1999), for instance, argue that no commercial organisation can ignore, or admit to ignore learning. Other academics (Prestoungrange, 2002) make a powerful case for accrediting learning that takes place in the workplace; it is partially this that drives the provision of our programmes.The Advanced Diploma in Leisure Retail Management is awarded by Nottingham Trent University for J.D. Wetherspoon's managers who have completed the \"pub manager\" programmes offered to managers within the pub estate. The programme has a business development profile though involves a suite of modules aimed at managers taking on a JDW pub for the first time. Typically, managers have completed a number of in house operational, supervisory and management training programmes involving a combination of on-job and off-job courses. In the early stages of presentation, some training personnel and area managers have been encouraged to undertake the Advanced Diploma. The first full year of operation, completing in the autumn 2005, have mostly been pub managers with a small number of area managers.This case builds on previous research for a number of clients and is informed by a research model developed by the authors for the Hospitality Training Foundation (Eaglen et al., 1999) which has explored the business benefits of training programmes to staff and management personnel. Fundamentally, the conceptual model suggests that the benefits of training and development cannot be captured by solely economic measures, but a balanced score card of measures which include trainees views, measure of employee and customer experiences as well as financial measures. Previous research suggested therefore:* management development programmes focused at managers running one of the company's pubs typically leads to improved business performance; and* measures of improved performance need to use a broad range of measures which reflect stakeholder interests and extend beyond narrow financial measures.\nAims of the research: Bearing in mind that the company has a reasonable management information system:* produce a simple checklist of comparative performance measures which contrast and compare individual \"diplomates\" performance with their performance before and after the programme, and against company averages; and* develop a qualitative picture of the benefits of training and development in a sample of managers who have successfully been awarded the Advanced Diploma in Leisure Retail Management.\nResearch issues: Attempts to measure the business benefits from a training or development programme are difficult. Sales growth, increased profits and reduced costs are often difficult to link directly to a specific training intervention, and may result from effects outside of the business. That said, there is now considerable evidence that training and development does benefit business performance, and a whole array of tangible and intangible benefits result from attempts to improve the skills of unit management personnel.Earlier research projects show that there are benefits to be gained, and that a model developed by the Eaglen et al., 1999) can be applied across a wide range of leisure retail operations. Essentially, the approach recognises that:* the benefits of training are not always effectively captured by narrow financial measures, for example traditional financial measures fail to measure the costs of customer complaints or the value of loyal customers;* measures need to include a mix of tangible and intangible measures capable of evidencing the benefits for a range of stakeholders; and* a \"balanced score card\" technique is required as it focuses on the stakeholders involved.The following list suggests measures that might be applied to identify the benefits to the lessee retailer, customers, the company, and staff.Given the context of simple and restricted information systems, it was difficult to gather information directly from each of the stakeholders listed in Table I. The research gathered information on these themes from the two principals involved, namely the company and the managers who have passed through the programme.The research instrument recognises the focus of the company's Pub Manager Programme as being chiefly concerned with business development and the improvement of unit level management performance. Figure 1 lists the modules included in the company's development plan, and the research instrument will be sensitive to the issues covered in the Pub Manager programme. The issues and stakeholder perceptions suggested in Table I reflect the legal, leadership and motivation, financial, sales and marketing, and business development themes reflected in both company's modules and the university's Advanced Diploma scheme.\nResearch approach: The research was carried out in two stages. The first stage involved work with company personnel to build a picture using company records, and performance measurements. This focused on company measures, though included some of the customer, quality and staff measures indicated above. The second phase was in the form of a telephone survey of managers who had been awarded the Advanced Diploma. Most programme participants were operators in situ prior to attending the programme and the company was able to provide some trading data for all participants, showing before and after trading performance. That said, it was found that some participants were no longer in the same property and these were excluded from the survey, but a comparison was made to establish manager retention rates between programme participants and the estate population.The sample explored the performance of all pub managers and area managers who have been awarded the Advanced Diploma and compare post programme performance with pre-course performance and with averages for the company or comparator units (Table II). The telephone survey included 50 per cent of the pub managers and area managers who have completed the programme at the time of the survey.The final sample framework was developed in conjunction with company personnel so as to reflect either, the proportions of revenue turnover up/down; or according to meeting the initial criteria, or not. The telephone survey followed a semi-structured interview format. This instrument was adapted for interviews with area managers.\nFindings: Recognising that the benefits of training and development are experienced on a number of levels, the following findings are organised round a number of themes. In the first instance, the Advanced Diploma programme was undertaken primarily by individuals, as pub managers and area managers. These individuals have a view of how the programme was presented and the impact it made on them, and flowing from this, how it changed their behaviour. What did participants do after the programme that they were not doing before they attended?The programme has a major business development focus. It is necessary to note which aspects of the programme were acted upon, and the impact of these actions had on the performance of the business. In addition to the managers, customers, staff and the company itself are other stakeholders who have a view about the impact of the programme. Whilst one weakness of this research project is that the research approach did not gather information directly from these other stakeholders, interviewees were able to comment on their perceptions of the impacts on other stakeholders, particularly customers and employees.Impression and impacts of the programme\nConclusions: The results from this qualitative survey of a sample of participants on the Advanced Diploma in Leisure Retail Management are impressive. Around eight out of ten pub managers interviewed reported positive impressions of the course and went on to state that their property had increased sales, profits, customer and staff satisfaction. In almost all cases, respondents reported that they had increased their monitoring of the business and in many cases managers suggested that the programme had encouraged them to think more about the business rather than operate within it. \"Spending time on the business, rather than in the business\", as one interviewee put it. Apart form the obvious inputs relating to sales generation and marketing the business more effectively; the programme does seem to have had a positive impact on the \"professionalism\" with which pub managers manage their pub.Results from company sales and performance data support the impressions created by these qualitative interviews. Sales, gross profit and unit profit performance all show overall improvements in performance compared to company averages. In some cases, the improvements have been truly dramatic. Even though a minority of establishments reported lower performance across sales and profits in the year concerned, qualitative data from interviews suggested that adverse competitor activity or other external environmental factors adversely affected performance. Several interviewees made the point that the situation might have been worse, and that the program had enabled them to respond to the worsening environment more positively. In other words, things might have been a lot worse if the manager had not developed a new range of skills on the programme.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Nottingham Business School recently validated a suite of generic qualifications based round the theme of leisure retailing. The purpose of this paper is to describe the Advanced Diploma, where one of the first cohorts on the programme was pub managers and area managers from J.D. Wetherspoon.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper presents the findings of a telephone survey of 17 pub managers and three area managers who had successfully completed the Advanced Diploma in 2005.\nFindings: - Around eight out of ten pub managers interviewed reported positive impressions of the course and went on to state that their property had increased sales, profits, customer and staff satisfaction. Results from company sales and performance data support the impressions created by these qualitative interviews. Sales, gross profit and unit profit performance all show overall improvements in performance compared to company averages.\nPractical implications: - Apart from students obtaining a university qualification it would appear that in every case individual pubs reported a substantial improvement in their business. The other implication is that the way in which these students are able to obtain a degree might well become the accepted alternative to full time education and all the financial implications that go with it.\nOriginality/value: - The paper provides a model for evaluating the impacts of education and training interventions that could be employed by both university teams and professional in-company trainers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Work organisation practices for lean production
|
[
"Lean production",
"Working practices",
"Team working"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The manufacturing practices developed by Taiichi Ohno at Toyota have influenced production activities around the world. The Toyota system, which Krafcik (1988) called lean production (LP), has been widely discussed in the literature. However, some aspects of LP have scarcely been studied. We feel that work-organisation practices applied in companies that use LP methodologies are under-represented in the literature. LP is contingent on many aspects, including available suppliers and infrastructure. Work organisation for LP must be tailored to local labour laws, culture and collective agreements. Furthermore, LP is considered to be a philosophy rather than a set of tools (Bhasin and Burcher, 2006), and is constantly evolving (Papadopoulou and Ozbayrak, 2005).LP can be achieved through various work organisation schemes. For example, in the 1990s, Toyota changed from a seniority-based scheme to a skill-based one (The Japan Institute of Labour, 2000). LP companies also vary in their practices (e.g. not all LP companies employ task rotation). However, there are certain work organisation practices that are consistent with LP. We analyse these practices here, which, apart from literature sources, were also researched through expert interviews.The use of the word \"lean\" must be clarified if we are to properly define the scope of this work. In the literature, Toyota's techniques are called the Toyota production system or LP. Nevertheless, the word \"lean\" is sometimes used to refer to practices only remotely related to Toyota's methods, especially with respect to work organisation (Benders and van Bijsterveld, 2000). The expression \"lean work team\" is used to denote teams with characteristics including task rotation, self-quality control and standardised methods, even for non-LP cases. For example, Lorenz and Valeyre (2004), stated that 28.2 per cent of European companies have \"lean work teams\". However, the authors did not mean that such a large proportion of companies actually apply LP. The word \"lean\" is also used to refer to work performed in organisations that have eliminated many positions by outsourcing or through technology, thereby extending the functions of certain jobs and substantially changing the requirements for workers (Holbeche, 1998).Some authors and companies have developed methodologies inspired by LP but which do not completely follow its principles. Osterman (2000) uses the expression \"high-performance work organisations\" to refer to organisations that use self-directed work teams, total quality, quality circles and task rotation. The modern operating agreement, reached between Chrysler and the American automobile union UAW, implied more worker functions, a drastic decrease in the number of categories, more front-line supervisors, removing privileges that give status and introducing a participative culture, according to Hunter et al. (2002). Similar schemes were later adopted by other companies. Therefore, we must distinguish between \"lean work teams\" and \"work teams for lean production\" and other work organisation practices for LP. \"Lean work teams\" is an expression used in many different contexts; it refers to extended functions and strict control. Work teams and other work organisation practices for LP are developed to apply LP. Our goal here is to analyse the practices of factories that successfully follow LP principles. Naturally this does not mean that these practices guarantee success, as reported by Pardi (2007).\nClassification: In order to study LP work practices, we first had to establish certain criteria. We began by classifying practices according to their final aim. This in turn required an understanding of how information on LP has been disseminated. LP is based on real manufacturing work and has theoretical and practical components. LP theory has mostly been spread by the publications of Monden (1983), Ohno (1988) and Womack et al. (1990), whereas LP practices have been diffused by former Toyota engineers. Each of the aforementioned publications offers a unique explanation of the principles and results of LP, with varied content on work organisation. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, there are no open disagreements about the goals and practices of work organisation for LP. For example, although much of the literature on LP does not mention quality circles, it does not challenge the value of quality circles for LP, either.We used the following method: Firstly, define a tentative list of work organisation objectives for LP based on pre-established ideas of the authors and interview experts. We conducted unstructured interviews with experienced LP practitioners and consultants. All of the experts assessed our established set of work practice objectives favourably, thereby validating it for research use. They emphasised flexibility and a commitment to quality and improvement as key elements for LP. Secondly, analyse a set of publications to determine whether each objective is clearly included as part of an LP system, indirectly considered by including a related practice, expressly refused, or absent. We used six books by leading authorities on LP. The objectives selected summarize the central concepts found in the literature. They are \"Standardisation, discipline and control\", that aim to obtain the uniformity of the work; \"Continuing training and learning\"; \"Team-based organisation\", i.e. an organisation where work is assigned to and done by teams; \"Participation and empowerment\", defined by the fact that the functions assumed by direct workers are more extended; \"Multiskilling and adaptability\"; \"Common values\" and \"Compensation and rewards to support LP\". Naturally, the absence of an objective should not be interpreted as an outright rejection of it or of the practices applied to reach it, and other classifications are possible. All the objectives are explicitly supported by at least some of the works reviewed, and not rejected by the others. The results are presented in Table I.The publications cited in the table provide few details about the practices employed to attain each objective, even when the objective is mentioned. To define these practices we consider in addition the works of MacDuffie (1995), Forza (1996) and Karlsson and Ahlstrom (1996b), references therein and other works dealing with specific work organisation practices.\nPractices: Standardisation, discipline and control\nConclusions and further research: Major publications on LP mention, but do not include, detailed descriptions of work organisation. These works mainly focus on the requirement of certain characteristics of work organisation for implementing LP. More complete information can be found in the literature addressing work aspects of LP, with very detailed analysis of specific aspects being presented. The focus is largely on the effects on the workers. Other publications are descriptive. Finally, a group of publications tries to disclose the roots and leading principles of work in LP factories.Our work adopts a different point of view. We have systematically analysed the policies and practices of work organization applied by LP factories to obtain common policies and practices through data culled from literature analysis and expert interviews. It was unclear at the beginning of the study that there are similarities between the different sources in terms of defining a set of policies and practices covering all the aspects of work organisation. However, we have shown here that there are indeed work organisation practices characteristic of LP. The experts interviewed for this study have validated the set of work organisation objectives for LP that we established. Although, some of these practices are only supported by a few reports, they are not dismissed in any reports as not pertaining to LP. Nonetheless, further validation of these results is required, as is research to relate work organisation practices for LP to factors such as geography, industry and level of implementation of LP.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to obtain and to expose work organisation practices common to the factories that successfully follow lean production (LP) principles.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Analysis of the literature and interviews with experts.\nFindings: - An analysis of the literature reveals clear connections between work organisation practices and LP. However, general reports on LP barely deal with work organisation. A set of work organisation objectives for LP was established for the authors and interviewed experts and analysed by reviewing the literature. Similarities are found between the different sources in terms of defining a set of policies and practices covering all the aspects of work organisation. It is shown that there are indeed work organisation practices characteristic of LP.\nOriginality/value: - This paper is believed to be the first complete analysis of work organisation practices for LP.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
European labor market integration: what the experts think
|
[
"Economic crisis",
"Migration",
"European integration",
"Labour market reforms",
"Labour mobility",
"J40",
"J61",
"J68"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: The single market in Europe is supposed to guarantee the free movement of goods, services, capital, and workers. The idea of the free movement of workers, however, was developed long before the \"Single Market Act\" was established in 1992[1]. In 1951, the Treaty of Paris allowed for the free movement of workers in the coal and steel industries, followed by the Treaty of Rome in 1957 establishing the right for the free movement of workers throughout the European Economic Community member states[2]. By fostering growth through a more efficient allocation of labor between countries with labor surpluses and those with labor shortages, the free movement of labor can create higher economic welfare (Zimmermann, 2005). Moreover, from a social perspective, mobility within Europe potentially increases the European social-cultural integration and strengthens European identity (Bonin et al., 2008).\n2. A SELM: A SELM in particular involves the free movement of workers. Theoretically, migration contributes to the functioning of a market economy as an adjustment mechanism for the optimal allocation of scarce resources. Through labor mobility the capital-to-labor ratio and regional income disparities have the potential to equalize. Mundell (1961) describes in his seminal paper that high-factor mobility (capital and labor) are an essential determinant of a single currency area for economic stability and to absorb shocks. But as Pissarides and McMaster (1990) have shown for the UK, labor mobility does not always function well to serve this end.\n3. IZA Expert Opinion Survey: What do labor market experts think about the state of European integration? In this section, we present unique data answering this question using the IZA Expert Opinion Survey that was conducted in early 2014.\n4. Regression analysis: It is likely that the economic conditions in the respondent's country of origin or residence shape survey answers. Therefore, we present results of several regressions in this section. We explore three sources of country heterogeneity: a high vs low unemployment (UE) rate (defined by an UE rate higher than or equal to the median UE rate of the origin/residence countries in the sample), a high vs low net migration rate (defined by a net migration rate higher than or equal to the median net migration rate of the origin/residence countries) and having experienced a stronger crisis effect. The latter category includes Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, plus Cyprus in the case of the residence countries. Therefore we estimate six regressions per outcome variable. Tables II-VI display the probit regression results.\n5. Conclusions: A SELM involves free labor mobility across Europe. In this paper, we present the results of the IZA Expert Opinion Survey 2014, in which the labor market experts were asked for their opinion on the achievement and the importance of the SELM. The respondents agree that a SELM is important for overall economic welfare, economic integration, and society. However, most experts object that the SELM has been sufficiently achieved. In other words, mobility within Europe is not high enough to fully generate the expected benefits. Although low net migration does not necessarily imply that a SELM is not functioning, relatively high mobility rates indeed appear as a necessary condition to achieve a SELM. The experts identify a more efficient recognition of professional qualifications, the harmonization of social security systems, and the knowledge of several languages as the key factors to enhance labor mobility across Europe. Moreover, a reduction of migration costs, such as easier access to information about schools and childcare facilities, is also expected to increase mobility.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current state of the single European labor market (SELM), its related risks and opportunities, and identify useful measures for reaching the goal of increased European labor mobility.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors conducted an online survey among European labor market experts (IZA research and policy fellows) on the current state of the SELM, its determinants, and the role of the Great Recession. The authors evaluate the data using descriptive and regression-based methods.\nFindings: The experts agree on the SELM's importance, especially for larger economic welfare, but are not convinced that it has been achieved. To enhance labor mobility across Europe, the respondents identify key factors such as recognizing professional qualifications more efficiently, harmonizing social security systems, and knowing several languages. Moreover, at least 50 percent of the respondents consider positive attitudes - by policy makers and citizens alike - toward free mobility to be important to enhance labor mobility.\nOriginality/value: The IZA Expert Opinion Survey presents a unique opportunity to learn how numerous experts think about the important issue of European labor market integration and moreover constitutes a valuable extension to public opinion surveys on related topics. This survey's findings provide a sophisticated basis for a discussion about policy options regarding the SELM.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Political trust, political party preference and trust in knowledge-based institutions
|
[
"Finland",
"Science",
"Media",
"Institutional trust",
"Political trust",
"Party"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The issue of free and neutral science and media is a crucial part of a knowledge-based democratic society. In the real world, knowledge and those involved with research and media are not always considered neutral in terms of what is being produced (Barnett and Duvall, 2004; Miller, 2007). The main issue in the so-called post-truth era is how we trust the institutions that produce knowledge and information about our society (D'Ancona, 2017). For example, citizens' mistrust of traditional media actors has increased in many western societies (Ardevol-Abreu and Gil de Zuniga, 2016).\nTrust in different knowledge-based institutions: Knowledge-based institutions play a significant and central role in acting as sources of expertise and authority in a variety of areas. These institutions include media, universities, scientific and political bodies. They are involved in setting standards of knowledge that lend themselves to social order through affecting and even constructing frameworks that guide populations' understanding of key problems, societal issues and social behaviors. Moreover, they represent monitoring and verification programs that have been institutionalized, for example, in the form of independent bodies that have been granted specific tasks based on specialized expertise (Barnett and Duvall, 2004; Miller, 2007).\nCumulation of political trust and political fragmentation: Trust in the political system and politics is one of the cornerstones of modern-day democracy (van der Meer, 2010), as it represents a fundamental aspect of societal decision making affecting policy and therefore the lives of the population, albeit the distribution of those effects can be unequal (Newton, 2007). In Europe, there is a strong connection between how much people trust in parliament and how satisfied they are with democracy (OECD, 2017). Approximately half of the citizens in democratic countries trust in their parliament (Holmberg et al., 2017). In Nordic countries, the trust in parliament is at the highest level in Europe, while people trust far less in southern and Eastern Europe (OECD, 2017).\nResearch setting: The data of the present study are based on a population level survey carried out in March 2017, which is representative of 18-84-year-old Finns living in Finland (n=1,648). The original sample (n=4,001) was gathered as a simple random sample through the population register (Koivula, Sirppiniemi, Koiranen and Oksanen, 2017). Results are adjusted with the post-stratification weights formed to balance the non-response bias in terms of age and gender.\nResults: Figure 1 shows party supporters' proportions to have high trust in universities and YLE. The supporters of populist parties are generally less likely to have high trust in both knowledge-based institution, which supports the first and second hypotheses. Regarding both trust dimensions, the populists' probability is approximately 20 percentage points lower compared to others. However, it is noteworthy that a clear majority of populists trust in universities, unlike YLE, which is only trusted by 40 percent of populists.\nDiscussion: Citizens' dissatisfaction in politics has fostered a shift from the status quo among major portions of national populations, resulting in a rise of neopopulism and linked anti-establishment sentiments (Barr, 2009). Central in this societal evolution has been a distrust of actors or institutions considered part of the elite or the establishment; these include media, universities and political elites. Given the variation across national boundaries in the scope of this shift, cross-national comparison becomes a valuable asset in understanding how population groups trust in the post-truth era.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the association between political party preference and trust in knowledge-based institutions, while also considering how political trust facilitates the association. The authors focus on the opinions of supporters of the six largest parliamentary political parties in Finland.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The data are based on a population level survey. First, the authors compared party supporters' trust in universities and YLE media. Second, the authors analyzed how political trust contributes to party supporters' trust in knowledge-based institutions by estimating predicted probabilities. Third, the authors derived the partial correlations from the non-linear probability models incorporated separately between trust in YLE, Universities and political trust, and compared the correlations across the parties. Finally, the authors conducted the logit models from which the authors post-estimated the predicted probabilities of having high trust in YLE and Universities according to the levels of political trust separately for each party.\nFindings: The results showed a cumulation of trust, reflecting especially on the attitudes of the populist party supporters who tended to have lower trust in knowledge-based institutions and distrust was highly associated with low political trust. This cumulation of trust shows an interesting dynamic in how closely institutions are linked together in terms of attitudes on their legitimacy.\nOriginality/value: This study assesses the cumulation of distrust, while providing an alternative political spectrum to the US two party system that has been the major focus of past research. Furthermore, the study fills a gap in the research by being the first to assess the intersection of the trust dimensions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
An indisputable "holy trinity"? On the moral value of equality, diversity, and inclusion
|
[
"Moral value",
"Diversity management",
"Morality",
"Equality",
"Affirmative action",
"Reverse discrimination"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Equality, diversity and inclusion are three closely-related concepts. The concept of diversity builds on the fact that there are numerous categories, often referred to as dimensions of diversity, that can be used to describe humans, and that humans can utilize to describe themselves. These dimensions of diversity, such as age, sexual orientation, gender, nationality, etc., can assume different shapes or manifestations; for example, being male, female or intersex, in terms of the dimension of gender. Every human, at a given time, represents at least one manifestation of every dimension of diversity, within a given context. The vast number of shared similarities, and prevalent differences, between humans, alongside a conceptually infinite number of dimensions, represents the diversity of, for example, a given workforce, a nation or even of humanity as a whole. Since it is often the case, in given contexts, that certain manifestations of specific dimensions are valued more highly than others, the concept of equality is concerned with the way in which an individual (or group) displaying specific manifestations (of any dimension of diversity) is related to that individual's (or group's) (un)equal achievements, status or access to resources. Figurative terms that are often used in this context, in order to describe the (un)equal positioning or standing of the representatives of differing manifestations of given dimensions of diversity, are \"hierarchy\"/\"hierarchization\" or \"marginalization.\" In this context, the concept of inclusion refers to the way that these differing manifestations are organized alongside, for example, societal, national or organizational hierarchies; inclusion can also refer to the process of (de)hierarchizing these manifestations. Most voices in the academic and practical discourse on equality, diversity and inclusion assume that a high level of inclusion is positively related to a high level of equality amongst the representatives of the differing manifestations of the dimensions of diversity in question. For many, the state of equality seems to be a positive condition per se, which is therefore worth striving for. Thus, it seems to have become an imperative that diversity should be handled (or managed) in a way that promotes the highest degree of inclusion and, with it, the highest degree of equality, possible. Average group values over the specific manifestations of each dimension of diversity often serve as an indicator for this degree. However, it would seem that, within the discourse on equality, diversity and inclusion, it is equality that holds a central position. It seemingly prescribes and legitimates the way in which the inclusion of diversity should happen. The most common term for attempts toward this inclusion is \"diversity management.\" Literature on the moral value of EDI is very scarce (Byrd, 2018; Nkomo, 2014; Oswick and Noon, 2014; Sposato et al., 2015).\nEquality and the moral \"goodness\" of Initiatives toward diversity and inclusion: Diversity management and related initiatives toward the inclusion of a diverse workforce are currently a globally widespread practice amongst organizations and territorial authorities, and the diffusion of such initiatives is still increasing (Martinez-Arino et al., 2018; Vasconcelos, 2017). Besides citing business case arguments for the implementation of these practices (Heres and Benschop, 2010; Kulik, 2014; Soltani et al., 2012), organizations tend to present diversity management as some kind of morally \"praiseworthy\" or \"good\" organizational practice in their internal and external communication. They \"often try to project the estimated 'goodness' of these actions onto the actors themselves, aiming at giving the company [or organization] a general label of ethical 'goodness'\" (Kollen, 2016, p. 216). Often without stating it explicitly, \"equality\" is assumed to be a crucial indicator for the degree of organizational \"goodness\" (or even \"justice\"), which therefore, for many, can be seen as the intended, morally praiseworthy outcome of diversity management initiatives or organizational programs of \"inclusion\" of a diverse workforce (see, e.g. Brewis, 2017).\nThe moral legitimization of the different approaches toward equality: Equality is mostly discussed in the form of equality of opportunity (Fleurbaey et al., 2017), equality of outcome, or, less frequently, equality of treatment (Dahlerup, 2007; Klarsfeld et al., 2016) for all employees, regardless of their diverse demographics or backgrounds. Organizations mostly present their attempts to work toward any of these forms of equality as something that is morally praiseworthy or morally good, although they only rarely accentuate this as being their primary incentive (Barclays, 2002; Demuijnck, 2009; Guarnieri and Kao, 2008). In some cases quite explicitly (Fujimoto et al., 2013), but mostly in an implicit way, a state of equality is equated with a state of fairness and (social) justice (Brewis, 2017; Choi and Rainey, 2014). Depending on the form or type of equality in question, this perceived justice can then occur in the form of interactional justice (Bies, 2015), distributive justice (Villanueva-Flores et al., 2017), or procedural justice (Kim and Siddiki, 2018). In this context, the moral value of equality seems to be non-disputable and irrevocable (Frankfurt, 1987; Westen, 1982), and the moral goodness of an organization (or at least of its values) seems to be determined by the ways in which it strives for equality, and the intensity with which it strives.\nThe moral (Il-)legitimacy of AAs: One group of arguments in favor of AAs, no matter whether they are labeled as such within organizational diversity management initiatives, is related to the consequences of these actions. Besides potentially positive economic consequences, other alleged positive consequences of these actions are also pointed out in literature.\nConclusion, this special issue and future research: Conclusion\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: There seems to exist a widespread, unquestioned and unquestionable consent, both in research and practice, that there is a moral value inherent in equality and related initiatives toward diversity and inclusion. However, this consent is primarily based on political convictions and emotional reasons, and is without any strong ethical grounding. Whilst a considerable volume of research has been carried out into different facets of the economic value of initiatives toward equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), comparatively little research has been undertaken into its moral value. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to structure the moral perspectives on EDI more precisely and more critically.\nDesign/methodology/approach: After discussing the interrelation of the three concepts equality, diversity and inclusion, the authors discuss the way in which initiatives toward diversity and inclusion are justified morally in literature. The authors point out the crucial position of equality, and then, subsequently, outline how different approaches to equality try to achieve moral legitimacy. Being an important group of initiatives in this debate, the authors subsequently reflect upon the moral (il)legitimacy of affirmative action (AA). The concluding section of this paper provides a brief summary of the findings.\nFindings: The moral evaluation of equality, diversity and inclusion remains an under-theorized field. Within the discourse on equality, diversity and inclusion, the term \"justice\" is largely used in an intuitive way, rather than being rooted in a specific moral philosophy. As there are several conceivable, differing moral perspectives on EDI, one cannot expect an indisputable answer to the question as to whether a given approach toward equality, diversity and inclusion is morally praiseworthy or just. However, the widespread assumption that equality is morally praiseworthy per se, and that striving for equality morally justifies any initiative toward diversity and inclusion, is untenable.\nOriginality/value: This paper addresses the lack of theorizing on the moral value of initiatives toward equality, diversity, and inclusion, such as diversity management, AA or various equal opportunity approaches. Future research could enrich the discourse on the moral evaluation of diversity management, inclusion programs and organizational equality approaches with new philosophical facets and perspectives, perspectives that might differ from those taken in the predominantly American discourse.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
An effective approach for automatic interpretation of Chinese nominal compounds
|
[
"Information technology",
"Resources",
"Information retrieval",
"Resource management",
"Information management",
"Research"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Automatic interpretation aims to construct the interpretation of text which represents semantic meanings and help people understand text better. Chinese Nominal Compound is a phrase that contains two nouns which are constituted together directly (Ma, 1999), for example, \"huanjing wenti, Huan Jing Wen Ti (Environmental issues)\" and \"pingguo shouji, Ping Guo Shou Ji (iPhone)\", which is common in social media data. In syntax analysis, the Nominal Compounds can be classified into four types of relation: head-modifier relation, coordinate relation, appositive relation and subject-predicate relation. Automatic interpretation of Chinese Nominal Compound could be applied to dig out the semantics under Nominal Compounds for further analysis and applications, such as information retrieval (Wei and Yuan, 2014), sentence understanding, machine translation, question-answering system and so forth. For example, social media is growing rapidly and provides large-scale text for research (Effing and Spil, 2016). Some compounds in these texts cannot be understood and often cause misunderstanding, such as \"Ping Guo Shou Ji (iPhone)\" may be misunderstood as \"Ping Guo He Shou Ji (apple and phone)\". If we can paraphrase \"Ping Guo Shou Ji \" as \"Ping Guo Gong Si Sheng Chan De Shou Ji (phone produced by Apple Inc.)\", then we could understand the knowledge of the whole text better.\nPreliminaries: Head-modifier compounds have rich semantic meanings. The automatic interpretation of them digs out their hidden semantic meanings. When two nouns have been combined together to form a compound, they usually have some verbs hidden in the compound. The automatic interpretation is to figure out the hidden verbs and take these verbs as paraphrasing verbs to get the ontological meanings (interpretative phrases) of the compounds. We propose the definition of paraphrasing verb and paraphrasing template as follows:\nAutomatic interpretation model: The general process of Nominal Compounds automatic interpretation can be summarized as follows:\nExperiments and result analysis: The data set that we use is Nominal Compounds taken from the first half year of 1998 from \"People's Daily Corpus\" and \"Xinhua\" Corpus from 2000 to 2002. In the experiment, we use regular expression to match the Nominal Compounds and calculate the frequency of compounds. Then, we remove N + N sequence of which the left and the right collocated words are relatively fixed (frequency of left or right collocated words higher than 90 per cent) and finally obtain 1,069 Nominal Compounds as test set.\nConclusion: In this paper, we propose a method based on rules and large-scale corpus for Chinese Nominal Compound automatic interpretation. It has benefits for text understanding and knowledge management. For specific, we propose a word extension strategy and rules for automatic interpretation. Extensive experimental evaluation demonstrates that our proposal is more efficient than the baseline strategy. In the future, we will concentrate on the automatic interpretation of Nominal Compound with three or more component nouns.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Automatic interpretation of Nominal Compounds is a crucial issue for many applications, for example, sentence understanding, machine translation, question-answering system and so forth. Many automatic interpretation models of Nominal Compounds use the strategies based on verbs or rules to obtain the interpretation of compounds. However, the performances of these models are still limited. The purpose of this paper is to propose an effective approach for automatic interpretation of Chinese nominal compounds.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors propose a top-down and bottom-up model based on rules and large-scale corpus for automatic interpretation of Nominal Compounds.\nFindings: Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art automatic interpretation model.\nOriginality/value: The paper is an up-to-date study of automatic interpretation for Nominal Compounds. It can help people understand the meaning of Nominal Compounds in reading. With a better understanding of Nominal Compounds, we can discover more hidden knowledge in them.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Risk measurement framework: An extension and validation of food safety risk in international travel destinations
|
[
"Risk perception",
"Risk characteristics",
"Risk reduction strategies",
"Food safety risk",
"Structural equation modelling",
"International travel",
"Food safety",
"Risk analysis"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Food is considered as part of local culture and becomes one of the attractions for tourists (Hjalager and Corigliano, 2000). However, the frequent reports of food poisoning from overseas travel make people associate food safety risk with international travel destination. A number of researchers have investigated food safety risk among other travel risks, such as terrorism, political instability, crime, and cultural barriers and found that food safety risk is the top concern (e.g. Carter, 1998; Lepp and Gibson, 2003; Reichel et al., 2007).Food safety concern in destination has been studied for more than a decade. For example 71 papers were presented at the first National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International Conference on Food Safety in Travel and Tourism held in Barcelona, in 2000 (MacLaurin, 2001). Even so, the topics emphasized an industrial reaction either to setting standards to improve food safety and prevent food borne diseases, or to developing proactive food safety systems to sustain consumer confidence and customer satisfaction; little research has focused on how tourists respond to food safety risk in international destination selection. Slovic (1987) argues that public perceived risk assessment differs from technical risk measurement and the former largely affects subsequent behavior. He further suggests that each risk factor, such as food safety, disease, or terrorism, has its own risk characteristics, and the characteristics of each risk factor instead of the risk factor per se influence risk perception. Despite the impact of perceived food safety risk in travel and tourism, the subject matter has not been adequately studied so far. The characteristics of each risk factor and risk reducing mechanism to reduce the exposure of food safety risk adopted by tourists have received even less attention.Past research shows that perception of travel risk has an impact on tourist travel planning and destination choice. Many researchers have looked into the effect of tourist risk perception on different types of travel risk (e.g. Sonmez and Graefe, 1998a; Fischhoff et al., 2004), the relationship between risk perception and destination choice (e.g. Lepp and Gibson, 2008; Slevitch and Sharma, 2008), and the effect of holiday type on risk perception (e.g. Reichel et al., 2007), as well as the influence of tourist personality (e.g. Roehl and Fesenmaier, 1992; Carr, 2001). Most studies attempt to apply the concept of perceived risk from consumer behavior studies specifying perceived risk as a range of risk components upon destination choice instead of a particular travel risk category (e.g. Roehl and Fesenmaier, 1992; Pizam and Sussmann, 1995; Sonmez and Graefe, 1998a, b; Lepp and Gibson, 2003; Fuchs and Reichel, 2004, 2006). Until recently, the characteristics of risk and perceived risk components, as well as risk reducing mechanism of each travel risk in an international destination, are not clearly defined.The aim of this study is twofold: first, to examine and identify the characteristics of travel risk, the key components of risk perception and risk reduction when tourist faces an unresolved travel risk; and second, to develop a risk measurement framework that can serve as an instrument to measure the effect of risk characteristics, risk perception, as well as risk reduction strategies adopted by tourist in responding to a risk category in overseas travel. Food-related illness in overseas destination was chosen as the context of this study because food safety or health-related risk, due to poor food hygiene and water quality, are the top concern as discussed earlier (e.g. Carter, 1998; Lepp and Gibson, 2003; Reichel et al., 2007). Moreover, the incident rate of food poisoning is increasing at some destinations and is as high as 70 percent (Connor, 2009). There are notable cases of food poisoning occurring on cruise ships and aircraft. For instance, a few incidents were caused by the failure of the transportation system from ground source to the aircraft, and the source of some spoilt food came from the ground, and some cruise ship outbreaks were attributed to shore visits for a luncheon buffet (Berkelman et al., 1983; McMullan et al., 2007). These incidents imply that destination is suspected to be the cause of food poisoning.\nRisk measurement framework: A number of studies have examined travel risk types and tourist risk perception; however, these studies are limited to travel risks associated with diseases, natural disasters, crime, problems with hygiene and food (e.g. Reisinger and Mavondo, 2005). Some studies cover certain components of perceived risk ranging from physical to social, and from functional to psychological (e.g. Sonmez and Graefe, 1998a; Pizam and Sussmann, 1995; Lepp and Gibson, 2003; Fuchs and Reichel, 2004). The measurement scale differs among research on travel and destination risk, and there appears a lack of an integrated risk measurement framework in the context of the international tourism destination.Building on earlier contributions from psychological (Slovic et al., 1980) and marketing disciplines (Bauer, 1967), Yeung and Morris (2001), focusing on microbiological risk in general meat purchase, conceptualize the notion of consumer risk perception relating to risk characteristics, as well as risk reduction strategies adopted by the consumer during a period of food safety concern. They define risk perception as \"the probability of a loss occurring and the magnitude/seriousness of the loss once it has occurred\", risk characteristic as \"the social and psychological interpretations of a risk per se\", and risk reduction as \"action taken by the consumer to reduce exposure to risk\". They further propose a possible link between risk characteristics, risk perception, and risk reduction, and in turn the subsequent purchase.Risk characteristics\nMethodology: Scale development\nResults: Factor identification\nEvaluation of measurement model: The estimates for the overall measurement model were assessed in terms of their reliability and validity. Item and composite reliability were assessed for the reliability of the measurement model. Most items met or exceeded the recommended guideline of 0.40 for item reliability (Bagozzi and Baumgartner, 1994), and only a few items were marginally below the acceptable threshold, for example, [HIDDEN] and [LOCALREG] with values of 0.32 and 0.34 respectively. The results suggested that all items were reliable as they reflected generally the true scores for the intended constructs. The composite reliability ranged from 0.56 for Destination reputation to 0.86 for Dread, which exceeded the desirable level of 0.50 indicating the internal consistency of the construct was satisfactory (Hatcher, 1994; Fornell and Larker, 1981). This figure suggested that the variance captured by the factor was greater than that of the error component. On the whole, both item and composite reliability were assumed, since the measures of reliability provided evidence of measurement consistency in the model. Some constructs were measured by a single item, namely Controllable, Past Experience, Marketing Activity and Precaution, which were acceptable because single item measure can be used effectively to measure psychological constructs (Robins et al., 2001).The validity of the overall measurement model was tested for convergent and discriminant validity. Apart from choosing the valid observed items from the rotated component matrix and testing the unidimensionality of each construct, the correlation coefficient from the fitted covariance matrix was checked. The relationship between items from the same constructs was comparative high and the intercorrelations for all item pairings from different constructs were comparatively low (lower than the convergent correlations). The tests provide evidence to support each observed item of the overall measurement model loaded on one and only one construct and the 12 sets of each observed item were uncorrelated with each other.A confirmatory measurement model utilizing LISREL VIII was administered to test the overall measurement model. The fit indices of the overall model with kh2(315)=1408.58 (p < 0.001), GFI=0.88, AGFI=0.83, and RMSEA=0.070 were acceptable. Table IV shows the pattern of items loading onto the underlying constructs, and their derived coefficients, together with the t-value obtained from the CFA. The results indicate that all observed items significantly measured the underlying constructs at 0.01 significant level with minimum t-values=10.40 (p<0.001) for [SWTIME].The overall measurement model of determinants on destination choice in the context of perceived destination food safety risk at international travel is shown in Figure 1. The final model composed of 12 constructs with two constructs of tourist risk perception, namely Uncertainty and Consequence, and five constructs of risk characteristics, namely Dread, Framing effect, Controllable and Regulation and Past experience, as well as five constructs of risk reduction, namely Travel Information, Safety Assurance, Destination Reputation, Marketing Activities, and Precaution. In total, 28 observed items were loaded on the 12 constructs in the following pattern: 4 items, [LSICK], [LWTIME], [LSHORT] and [LSTRESS] onto the construct of Uncertainty (rp1); 5 items, [SSICK], [SWTIME], [SDISAPP], [SSTRESS], and [SSPOIL] onto the construct of Consequence (rp2) for risk perception; 2 items, [AGENCY] and [GUIDEBK] onto the construct of Travel Information (rr1); 2 items, [BEFORE] and [RATING] onto the construct of Safety Assurance (rr2); 3 items, [DOMEST], [REPUT] and [HYGIENE] onto the construct of Destination Reputation (rr3); 1 item, [REDUCT] onto the construct of Marketing Activities (rr4); 1 item, [VACCINE] onto the construct of Precaution (rr5) for risk reduction; and 5 items, [CONCERN], [THREAT], [HARMFUL], [DEATH] and [SERIOUS] onto the construct of Dread (rc1); 2 items, [SQUICK] and [SEASY] onto the construct of Framing effect (rc2); 1 item, [PREVENT] onto the construct of Controllable (rc3); 2 items, [LOCALREG] and [INTREG] onto the construct of Regulation (rc4); and 1 item, [EXPERI] onto the construct of Past Experience (rc5).\nDiscussion and implications: This study identifies 12 factors which are under three separate categories, namely tourist risk perception, risk characteristics and risk reduction.Two-component model of risk perception\nConclusion: Utilizing multi-dimensions in a two component model of perceived risk, this study provides a precise specification for measuring tourist perception of food safety risk in the context of international travel. The results identify six travel risk characteristics, namely dread, framing effect, controllable, regulation, and past experience; five risk reducing strategies that would be used by tourists, namely, travel information, safety assurance, destination reputation, marketing activities and precaution; together with two tourist risk perceptions, namely, uncertainty and consequence. The CFA successfully builds a risk measurement framework and identifies the factors and the effect of risk characteristics, risk perception and risk reducing strategies adopted by tourists when travelling overseas.This study reveals the deficiency of the past research of either using a two-component model of perceived risk or a multi-dimensional model. The findings also confirm that there is a distinction between the characteristics of the risk factor, the risk factor per se, i.e. food safety risk in this case, and perceived risk, as well as risk reduction. In addition, the underlying risk characteristics of each risk factor bring forth the perception of various loss components and spur tourists to develop a set of risk reduction strategies. The impact of these risk characteristics and risk reduction strategies, as well as risk perception on destination choice, warrants further investigation.The results reported, however, require careful interpretation due to the non-random sampling method with the assumption of homogeneity among respondents, the study focusing only on food safety risk and Macau was chosen as the destination. Though food safety risk is considered as a controllable micro-environmental risk factor in the study, the results may also be applicable to uncontrollable macro-environmental risk factors, such as natural disaster. The risk measurement framework provides a quantitative basis for academic and practical research in travel and tourism, and may lead to the development of an instrument to assess the social and economic impact on tourist perception of international travel risk to the host community; it also forms a basis for formulating and evaluating risk and for devising communication management strategies at the international destination.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - Adapting from the extant literature, this paper aims to present an empirical framework of risk measurement in the context of food safety risk in overseas destinations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Data were collected from 715 respondents visiting Macau in October 2008 by using intercept method. Principal component analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis were utilised for data analysis.\nFindings: - The research yielded 12 factors, of which five factors, namely Dread, Framing effect, Controllable, Regulation and Past experience measure risk characteristics; two factors, namely Uncertainty and Consequence measure tourist risk perception, and five factors, namely Travel information, Safety assurance, Destination reputation, Marketing activities and Precaution measure risk reduction, especially related to food safety risk in international destinations.\nPractical implications: - The tourist industry should understand more specifically what tourists want to know so as to devise appropriate communication management strategies at the international destination.\nOriginality/value: - The risk measurement framework provides an insight for the development of an instrument to assess the social and economic impact on tourist perception of international travel risk.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Managing knowledge in open innovation processes: an intellectual property perspective
|
[
"Intellectual property",
"Knowledge management",
"Open innovation",
"Patents",
"Innovation process",
"Success drivers"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In late 2011, personal care conglomerate Beiersdorf \"celebrat[ed] the most successful deodorant launch ever seen in the almost 130-year history of the company\" (Beiersdorf, 2011). The deodorant leaves no stains or white marks on clothes, but peculiar about the new product is that it was co-developed in an open innovation project with partners using the recently launched online platform Pearlfinder. It was established to guarantee a new level of openness in research and development (R&D) projects and to leverage new collaborations with external partners (Beiersdorf, 2014; Bilgram et al., 2011, 2013; Mattes, 2011). From an intellectual property perspective, Beiersdorf's platform differentiates to competitor initiatives concerning the confidentiality of submitted knowledge. The intellectual property rights remain with the inventors and are not automatically assigned to Beiersdorf. Instead, a mutual agreement is signed that guarantees reciprocal confidentiality and no sole patent activity so that the benefits of the joint work are shared among Beiersdorf and the inventors. Conversely, when submitting to P&G's connect + develop initiative, knowledge can only be proposed if some form of intellectual property protection exists (Procter and Gamble, 2014b). Further, P&G will not sign non-disclosure agreements (Procter and Gamble, 2014a).\nReview of relevant literature: Chesbrough et al. (2006) and Chesbrough (2012) defined the open innovation paradigm as \"the use of purposive inflows and outflows of knowledge to accelerate internal innovation and expand the markets for external use of innovation\". Gassmann and Enkel (2004) defined three core process archetypes how firms apply open innovation activities to source and commercialize internal and external knowledge: outside-in, inside-out and coupled (joint outside-in and inside-out) processes.\nSuccess drivers: The relation between intellectual property rights and open innovation remains controversial. While some scholars view intellectual property rights as hindrance to open innovation activities, the majority discover at least some positive effect of intellectual property rights on open innovation processes. Nonetheless, that intellectual property rights are an integral part of open innovation processes is commonly shared in prior research at the interface of these two literature streams. To assess the role of intellectual property rights in open innovation processes and to enable the sharing of knowledge via intellectual property rights, we identify success drivers of open innovation activities and classify them in five distinct groups: planning; partnering; governance; competence, culture and mindset; and competitive landscape.\nThe Open Innovation Life Cycle: Prior research identified success drivers of knowledge sharing in open innovation. Various drivers involve the strategic use of intellectual property rights and thus support the integration of knowledge sharing in open innovation. However, prior research focusses on actual collaboration activities up to commercialization (West and Bogers, 2014). Scholars neglected to regard the entire innovation process of open innovation, i.e. from preparation to termination (Granstrand and Holgersson, 2014; Manzini and Lazzarotti, 2015). The open innovation paradigm concentrated on the modus operandi of open innovation (Chesbrough, 2012). Up- and downstream activities, i.e. preparing and terminating collaborations among partners, are neither deliberately excluded nor explicitly considered at the interface of intellectual property and open innovation (Granstrand and Holgersson, 2014). Exceptions such as the assessment which form of intellectual property protection should be applied at which stage during the open innovation process are rare (Manzini and Lazzarotti, 2015).\nCase: Lyrica: To illustrate the phases and levels of the Open Innovation Life Cycle, it is beneficial to analyze a specific case on how the success drivers have been applied. For this purpose, we rely on the example from the pharmaceutical industry, the drug Lyrica. We chose this case for multiple reasons. First, it was developed in a public-private partnership between Northwestern University, Professor Silverman and his team on one and the pharmaceutical multinational Pfizer on the other side. Public-private partnerships are typical for open innovation as they allow for the realization of projects that partners themselves cannot independently develop and commercialize successfully (Hunter and Stephens, 2010; Perkmann and Walsh, 2007). Second, innovations in the pharmaceutical industry are typically developed in open innovation projects (Gassmann et al., 2010; Hunter and Stephens, 2010). As Professor Silverman noted: \"Academic scientists are not constrained by the requirement of making products to remain viable,\" but \"if successful [...] larger companies [will be interested] to bring these technologies to the market [...] especially in the case of new pharmaceuticals\" (Silverman, 2016). Third, as can be seen below, Lyrica is a prominent case of open innovation collaborations: An inventor who by basic research identifies new knowledge without precise applications and teams up with external partners covers all aspects of open innovation. Together with Pfizer, the Northwestern University team did not only solely commercialize its knowledge through an incumbent but also jointly developed it. Fourth, the case is illustrative for the Open Innovation Life Cycle, as it encompasses the majority of the identified success drivers. By its nature, it is unlikely to find a case where all success drivers are applicable, hence underlying the need for case-by-case intellectual property approaches (Alexy et al., 2009).\nDiscussion: The examples of Lyrica, Beiersdorf and P&G demonstrate that firms use diverging approaches to successfully managing knowledge to enhance their market performances. With this paper, we researched the question how firms manage and apply their knowledge via intellectual property in open innovation and identified that the practical examples confirm our findings.\nAcknowledgement: Prior versions of this paper have been presented and were included in proceedings of conferences, including OUI Conference 2014, IPDMC 2015, PICMET 2015, and AoM Annual Meeting 2016. For example: Bican, P.M., Guderian, C.C. and Ringbeck, A.K. (2015), \"Intellectual property: Tension on Open Innovation?\" 2015 Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), 1026-1035.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: As firms turn their innovation activities toward collaborating with external partners, they face additional challenges in managing their knowledge. While different modes of intellectual property right regimes are applied in closed innovation systems, there seems to be tension between the concepts of \"open innovation\" and \"intellectual property rights\". The purpose of this paper is to investigate how firms best manage knowledge via intellectual property rights in open innovation processes.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Following a mixed methods approach, the authors review relevant literature at the intersection of knowledge management, intellectual property rights, strategic management of intellectual property rights and the open innovation process. The authors identify success drivers through the lenses of - but not limited to - intellectual property rights and classify them in five distinct groups. Expending the view on open innovation beyond its modus operandi, the authors develop the Open Innovation Life Cycle, covering three stages and three levels of the open innovation process. The authors apply their findings to a case study in the pharmaceutical industry.\nFindings: The authors provide four key contributions. First, existing literature yields inconclusive results concerning the enabling or disabling function of intellectual property rights in open innovation processes, but the majority of scholars detect an ambivalent relation. Second, they identify and classify success drivers of successful knowledge management via intellectual property rights in open innovation processes. Third, they advance literature on open innovation beyond its modus operandi to include three stages and three levels. Fourth, they test their findings to a case study and show how management leverages knowledge by properly using intellectual property rights in open innovation.\nPractical implications: The findings support firms in managing knowledge via intellectual property rights in open innovation processes. Management should account for the peculiarities of open innovation preparation and open innovation termination to prevent unintentional knowledge drain.\nOriginality/value: This is one of the first studies to view open innovation as a process beyond its modus operandi by considering the preparations for and termination of open innovation activities. It also addresses the levels involved in managing knowledge via intellectual property rights in open innovation from individual (personal) to project and firm level.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
From illusion to reality: schools as learning organizations
|
[
"Organizational learning mechanisms",
"Organizational learning",
"Organizational memory",
"Learning organizations",
"Schools"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Organizational learning (OL) has been conceptualized as a critical component in school change. Accumulating evidence indicates that high-performing schools function as learning organizations (e.g. Silins and Mulford, 2002). Despite wide acknowledgement concerning the importance of OL for the adoption of effective change, the notion of OL remains murky and difficult to comprehend (Louis, 2006; Schechter, 2008; Stevenson, 2001). Numerous conceptions of OL in schools have been proposed, including coordinated group efforts, professional development programs, shared goals, active commitment to continuous improvement, horizontal networks of information flow, open culture, and teachers' leadership; however, such conceptions have rarely been translated into sustained operational structures and processes in school reality (DuFour et al., 2005; Silins et al., 2002). Hence, the purpose of this paper is to first lay out the mystifying OL concept and then to suggest an alternative framework for developing and analyzing schools as learning organizations.\nMystification of the OL concept: Learning is considered essential for every organization if it is to survive in complex and uncertain environments (e.g. Giles and Hargreaves, 2006). Scrutiny of the literature, especially from the past decade, reveals that OL is regarded as a \"fundamental concept in organizational theory\" (Arthur and Aiman-Smith, 2002, p. 738) and has become a critical concern for organizations and administrators. However, there seems to be little questioning today as to whether organizations can learn and, if so, what benefits such learning may furnish for organizations' long-term survival (Friedman et al., 2005). Moreover, research in this field has suffered from conceptions that are excessively broad, encompassing almost every dimension of organizational change (Schechter, 2008). Thus, despite the voluminous existing literature on OL, disagreements and even profound confusion abound concerning OL and its feasibility (Schechter, 2005). According to Friedman et al. (2005), four characteristics of the literature on OL have contributed to the mystification of this important concept: anthropomorphism, reification of terminology, visionary-skeptic dichotomy, and excess of definitions.Anthropomorphism\nDemystifying schools as learning organizations: Despite the popularity of the idea of OL in the educational literature, conceptions of OL are still ubiquitous and excessively broad, hindering schools' ability to move from the conceptual level to levels of action and capability (Fullan, 2005). Marks and Louis (1999) have correctly remarked that in order to serve as a prototype for effective change, OL should be explored in a manner more conducive to empirical research and consequently to appropriate application in school settings; otherwise, OL will surely become merely another theoretical fad. In order to demystify the concept of OL, Friedman et al. (2005) suggested several research strategies, including the organizational shift from individual learning to OL, the definition of the conceptual framework of inquiry, and the use of a multidisciplinary and evidence-based approaches.Organizational shift from individual learning to OL\nA conceptual framework for schools as learning organization: OL has been conceptualized as a critical component for school effectiveness, especially in view of the increasing amounts of information available in societies today. In this regard, Louis (2006) argued that schools' capacity for innovation and reform relies on their ability to collectively process, understand, and apply knowledge about teaching and learning. According to Barnes (2000), a focus on the gathering and processing of information requires schools to establish opportunities for teachers to collectively think and share information on a sustained basis. Therefore, as learning organizations, schools should develop processes, strategies, and structures that would enable them to learn and react effectively in uncertain and dynamic environments (Giles and Hargreaves, 2006; Kruse, 2003; Louis, 2006; Silins et al., 2002; Strain, 2000). From an educational change perspective, Wohlstetter et al. (1994) argued that the major element common to actively restructuring schools is the extent to which they use collective learning mechanisms (e.g. circulation of instructional reference materials and reports) that generate interactions among staff members around issues related to curriculum and instruction.Schools need to institutionalize learning mechanisms in order to revise their existing knowledge. Without such mechanisms, a learning organization is unlikely to emerge (Armstrong and Foley, 2003). According to a management science perspective, the essential mechanisms for OL comprise \"organizational learning mechanisms\" (OLMs), which constitute concrete social arenas where knowledge can be analyzed and shared by individual members and then become the property of the entire organization through dissemination and changes in standard routines and procedures. OLMs serve as an analogue to the individual nervous system and explain how the organization can learn in a non-metaphorical way (Lipshitz and Popper, 2000) through networks of learning arrangements. OLMs are institutionalized structural and procedural arrangements for collecting, analyzing, storing, disseminating, retrieving, and using information, that is, relevant to the performance of the organization and its members (Popper and Lipshitz, 2000). The management science perspective, elaborated in Huber's (1991), Marquardt's (1996), and DiBella et al.'s (1996) works, has classified five phases of the information processing (learning) cycle: organizational memory, information acquisition, information distribution, information retrieval from memory for organizational use, and information interpretation.Organizational memory\nLimitations, implications, and future research: Several questions and critiques can be directed at the OLMs analytical framework: whose interests are being served by extensively using OLMs? Does organizational information processing help to secure the hegemony of the administration? Can OLMs encompass not only knowledge that can be communicated through dialogue, but also more implicit knowledge, such as intuition and nonverbal communication? Can learning be shaped only through conscious rational communication? Do OLMs assume that information processing can be free of coercion or deception? Do OLMs represent an organization-centered philosophy at the expense of workers' needs (Fenwick, 1997)? How can the development of the individual be integrated with the promotion of shared organizational identity through OLMs? Can formal channels of information processing (vs informal ones) be advantageous in an environment characterized by high levels of uncertainty and changeability?In the \"knowledge society\" mentioned by Hargreaves (2003), schools should become learning organizations in order to adapt to the changing environment. However, the theoretical confusion with regard to OL in schools prevents teachers and administrators alike from translating this abstract and generally amorphous notion into structures and processes in school reality. In light of the rooted fragmentation in schools' structure (e.g. subject matters), principals need to orchestrate the time and place for OLMs, creating and sustaining networks of learning arrangements. Principals are key players not only in introducing learning spaces or forums into the ongoing school structure but also in promoting a learning culture conducive to productive information processing. In other words, principals need to invest in teachers' learning (Louis, 2006) by providing structural learning forums founded on a more favorable learning culture, which in turn can transform the school into a learning organization that reacts effectively to the changing environment.It is important to inquire whether the general lack of OLMs within today's schools - and between them and governmental/policy institutions - results in a vicious cycle that inhibits the significant impact of policy-driven reforms on school life, thereby increasing professional saturation, distraction, and cynicism among practitioners (see Brooks et al., 2003). Moreover, policy makers need to consider a paradigmatic shift from viewing schools as strictly \"teaching institutions\" (that emphasize transfer of information to students) to \"learning institutions\" for all their stakeholders, which emphasize the gathering, analyzing, and sharing of information in the collective arena. By continually promoting and introducing educational change initiatives, policy makers disrupt schools' balance by raising the level of perceived uncertainty. This may cause teachers to use OLMs more actively in order to reduce the high levels of perceived environmental uncertainty. That said, policy makers' support for the notion and practice of collective information processing, as a means of transforming schools into learning organizations, is crucial. Lacking governmental/policy support for collective learning in an age of accountability will serve only to perpetuate practitioners' isolation.It is also important to examine how the OLM construct is related to other well-established constructs. For example, how do the OLM dimensions relate to other school effectiveness measures? What is the relationship between the extent of using OLMs and school climate, which has already been found to predict achievement differences among schools? Can OLMs serve as a mediating variable between the system level (e.g. district's support, principal's leadership) and the classroom level (e.g. teachers' innovative pedagogical practices)? How does the extent of OLMs affect administrative legitimacy? What is the role of the principal in developing these learning structures and processes? Under what conditions do schools increase or decrease their use of OLMs? What is the role of OLMs during periods of change and transition? As formal channels of information processing are less feasible in an environment with high levels of uncertainty and changeability, can schools successfully integrate the informal channels of information processing and the formal structures of OLMs?Finally, neither the proportion of veteran teachers in school nor the amount of time that groups of teachers have worked together was found to be related to the extent of OLMs in schools (Schechter, 2007). Therefore, it is important for future research to study the relations between other demographic variables (e.g. socioeconomic status of school population, years of administrative experience, teachers' academic degree) and school OLMs.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The notion of organizational learning remains murky and difficult to comprehend, and it is rarely translated into sustained operational structures and processes in school reality. The purpose of this article is to lay out the mystifying concept of organizational learning and, then, to suggest an alternative framework for schools' development as learning organizations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - After discussing the profound confusion about what organizational learning is and its feasibility, the article presents the notion of organizational learning mechanisms as a possible framework for analyzing schools as learning organizations.\nFindings: - The article presents limitations, implications, and avenues for future research regarding organizational learning mechanisms.\nOriginality/value: - The framework of organizational learning mechanisms may help schools develop processes, strategies, and structures that would enable them to learn and react effectively in uncertain and dynamic environments.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Case study on knowledge-management gaps
|
[
"Knowledge management",
"Competitive advantage",
"Case studies"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Knowledge is one of the critical assets to leverage when pursuing enterprise competitive advantage (Sang and Soongoo, 2002; Lee and Choi, 2003; Sharkie, 2003). The key knowledge-management (KM) challenges facing companies today are determining what robust knowledge-management systems (KMS) to implement, which user friendly processes and practices to institute that are not cumbersome, and what added value intellectual capital to capture. Organizations have traditionally identified knowledge with a repository of information that is leveraged judiciously (Gupta et al., 2000), however, it is well known that knowledge is a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight (Davenport and Prusak, 1998). Furthermore, knowledge activities are dynamic as well as humanistic with active and subjective natures created by social interactions dependent on individuals, their community and organization interactions, and applicability to needs (Holsapple and Joshi, 2002).The majority of studies show that knowledge can be classified as being either tacit or explicit (Hedlund, 1994; Engelhard and Nagele). Tacit knowledge is defined as experience based knowledge that resides with an individual, whereas explicit knowledge is precise and formally articulated and documented. In organizations, knowledge is often embedded in repositories, documents, routines, operational processes, practices, and norms. It is generally accepted that knowledge also comes from the meaningfully organized accumulation of information through experience, communication, or inference (Zack, 1999).In response to issues arising from the uncertainty over identifying the enablers and barriers to implementing KM, a number of value studies have been published addressing this concern (Nonaka, 1991; Barney, 1995). Several studies proposed the concept of \"knowledge gap\" to describe the difference between the enterprise's current capability and the capabilities required for KM. Lorrich and Pierce (1984) identified knowledge gaps that are measurable and identified two distinct categories of gap attributes. Trans-situational attributes are socioeconomic whereas situation-specific attributes are driven by policy-relevant personal motivations. The results of this study revealed that the situation-specific influences on knowledge levels are more severe than others. By understanding the components of the KM technology framework and evaluating the existing infrastructure, Tiwana (2001) identified infrastructure gaps that hinder the building of KMS. Hall and Andriani (2002) identified gaps occur between existing knowledge and knowledge requirements and particularly occur when a firm is trying to introduce new process or products. Wild et al. (2002) defined the knowledge gap as the quantitative and qualitative difference between the knowledge needed and available in the organization. Beyond the aforementioned knowledge gaps, there exist different perceptions of KM activities and implementation amongst employees of differing levels and positions.The inability to identify and resolve any gaps prior to implementation will greatly impact the implementation process. Thus, it would be beneficial for the enterprise to build a framework that would analyze the corporate knowledge needs, evaluate the implementation activities of KMS and identify any inhibitors to success. Therefore, we propose this framework to identify an organization's KM gaps that might occur during implementation. This study validates the construct of the proposed framework through data and information, obtained from in-depth interviews with senior managers, necessary to understand the impact of these knowledge gaps.\nKnowledge-gap framework: Based on the concept of Holsapple and Singh's (2001) knowledge value chain and Nonaka's (1991) spiral of knowledge, we propose a holistic framework for the \"KM gap\" to fully illustrate the management gaps that might occur during the implementation of KMS. As shown in Figure 1, there are six KM gaps that can be viewed from four different aspects: strategic aspect, perception aspect, planning aspect and implementation aspect. The detailed descriptions of the four aspects are stated as follows:1. The strategic aspect. Enterprise should review their internal and external environment to determine the knowledge required to enhance its competitiveness (Suyeon et al., 2003). Fail to do so may result in a gap between the knowledge required to enhance the competitiveness of an enterprise as perceived by the top managers and the knowledge actually required (i.e. gap 1). Fail to evaluate the performance of KM may result in a gap between the results of implementation and that perceived by the top managers (i.e. gap 4).2. The perception aspect. Top managers may not be able to define clearly what they need (Kwan and Balasubramanian, 2003). This may result in a gap between the perception of the top managers and the enactment of the KMS plan (i.e. gap 2). Within a company there may be gaps between perceptions of the top managers and that of the employees due to difference in position, role, and professional knowledge (i.e. gap 5). Finally, it may exist a gap between the knowledge required to enhance an enterprise's competitiveness and that as perceived by the employees when they implement the KM (i.e. gap 6).3. The planning aspect. Understanding the enterprise's internal and external environments will enable the top managers to enact a proper plan for KM implementation (Liebowitz et al., 2001). If top managers cannot convey this knowledge into the implementation, then it may result in gap 2. If employees do not understand the KM plan while engaging in KM, then it may result in gap 3.4. The implementation aspect. Implementation should fit the plan, or gap 3 will occur. Furthermore, during implementation the employees should have the right perception about what knowledge required to enhance enterprise's competitiveness, or gap 4 will occur.Thus, the definitions of the six KM gaps are stated as follows:* Gap 1. The gap between the knowledge required to enhance the competitiveness of an enterprise as perceived by the top managers and the knowledge actually required to enhance its competitiveness.* Gap 2. The gap between the knowledge required to enhance an enterprise's competitiveness as perceived by the top managers and the plan to implement KM.* Gap 3. The gap between the plan to implement KM as proposed by the top managers and the implementation progress of the KM plan.* Gap 4. The gap between the knowledge obtained after implementing the KMS and the knowledge required to enhance an enterprise's competitiveness.* Gap 5. The gap between the knowledge required to enhance an enterprise's competitiveness as perceived by the top managers and as perceived by other employees.* Gap 6. The gap between the knowledge required to enhance an enterprise's competitiveness as perceived by employees and the knowledge actually obtained after implementing the KMS.\nResearch methodology: Research methods can be generally divided into two types. One is quantitative research and the other is qualitative research. The main objective of this research is to explore the framework of KM gaps with emphasis on the \"contextual\" factors suitable for further exploration in qualitative research (Hammersley, 1996; Berg, 2000). The case study represents one of the most common research designs for qualitative research. Case analysis is a good starting point in the inductive process of theory building (Yin, 1988). In addition, case analysis is the method of choice for inductive or teleological studies since it permits the researcher to observe and gather information about new or never researched natural phenomenon. The purpose of our case study is to explore the causes for these gaps and provide several fundamental approaches to bridging these gaps. As this research is rooted in organizational rather than technical interests, the case study approach is, therefore, most appropriate. Usually, we can develop the core categories of the constructs from the case study (Yin, 1994).The study design\nCase study: Our case study examines the cause and corrective actions of KM gaps within an enterprise. We have selected two companies for research purposes - the first company is in the consumer goods/food manufacturing/convenience stores industries while the other is involved in the semiconductor/integrated circuit (IC) packaging industries. In the following, we provide background and a profile of the competitive environment for these two companies.Uni-President was established in 1967, since then its business scope has diversified from its original activity of flour manufacturing, animal feed, and beverage to convenient chain stores, distribution, construction, etc. - all consumer related commodities and services to become a life industrial group with diversified operations. The company believes in and practices the concept of best quality, highest credibility, best service, and reasonable price. They belief that human resources are its company's biggest asset have led them to undertake a series of human resource management developments and innovations. They encourage employees to participate in more executive management courses, and share their experiences with different people among different business fields (www.uni-president.com/). The company initiated the implementation of KM in July 2000. Due to the low homogeneity of the core knowledge owned by different business units, the company separates the units into different clusters based on the possibility of core knowledge sharing. However, each cluster obtained different results; as the implementation levels and the effectiveness of the projects are dependent on the commitment of the directors of each cluster.Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc. (ASE Inc.; see www.asetwn.com.tw/) was founded in 1984. It is one of the world's leading providers of semiconductor manufacturing services and takes pride in being the leader in offering a comprehensive range of advanced integrated circuit (IC) packaging. The company possesses expertise in product and process technology for the manufacturing of chip scale package, high frequency packages, multi-chip module, flip chip and wafer bumping manufacturing. It offers customers turnkey services for integrated tests, packaging, system assembly and product delivery. The company's vision is to become the world's best and largest IC package foundry with a mission to satisfy the needs of its valued customers while improving overall employee satisfaction. The company can accomplish this by remaining as flexible as possible while working with its customers and partners. The company has always considered its employees as its most important asset and treats employees with fairness, provides the best training opportunities available in the industry and promotes a happy and open working environment (ww.asetwn.com.tw/). The company has a strong culture, which unites everyone in the organization with emphasis on respecting humanity, encouraging dedication, and enabling involvement and team work. The company built its center of knowledge management in-house, after first rolling out a careful and sequent assessment then challenging the engineering departments to take serious actions of KM independently.In order to find the comprehensive set of causes for these gaps, we selected both traditional and high technology industries to interview. Uni-President is the leading food industry company in Taiwan, and clearly a good example of a \"traditional industry\" model; while ASE Inc. is the leader in the Taiwan IC packing industry, and a representative model of the high-technology industry. Both companies established dedicated departments to implement KM, and are recognized as having successfully adopted KM and quality philosophies.\nCase findings: In the following we provide a description of our findings and describe the main theoretical constructs and related variables associated with the six KM gaps.Gap 1\nConclusion and future research direction: From the aspects of strategic, perception, planning and implementation, we have derived six management gaps in implementing the KMS. After interviews with two companies a clear picture was obtained, and the findings were used to develop questionnaires, which is designed to verify whether the qualitative data from the interviews matched the quantitative responses. We identified the major theoretical constructs and their relevant problems associated with these six KM gaps. The results reveal that:* From the strategic aspect, to reduce gap 1 and gap 4, the upper management should address the enterprise's strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats, and then formulate a suitable KM strategy (Hooff et al., 2003; Pana and Leidnerb, 2003). Furthermore, they should be equipped with information about the activities and performance throughout the organization.* From the perception aspect, to reduce gap2 and gap 5, the critical task of the top managers is to identify the core knowledge required to maintain competitive advantage. Employees and top managers work together for a common goal; thus, employee efforts can guarantee a successful implementation of the KMS (Barrett et al., 2004). Therefore, an enterprise should provide suitable training and resources to the employees, and use information technology to provide a friendly repository to standardize and store knowledge (Kwan and Balasubramanian, 2003). The enterprise should also establish an atmosphere emphasizing knowledge sharing and innovation and encouraging employees to form such a culture through a reward system (Tiwana, 2001). Then, gap 6 can be reduced.* From the planning aspect, the action plan should include schedule, people involved and resources required, although it is difficult to transfer the necessary knowledge to the KM plan due to non-standardization. Employees' orientation toward KM, including the awareness of the importance and benefits of KM and IT skills for KM process, should be completely addressed (Desouza, 2003). Then, gap 2 and gap 3 can be reduced. knowledge-oriented employee assessments can also fail if they are not linked closely to existing incentive systems (Probst et al., 2000). The company should take steps to build up the trust of the knowledge owner's by associating knowledge sharing to pay and incentives.* From the implementation aspect, a robust set of metrics that evaluates the value of the KMS after implementation will need to be developed (Mitri, 2003). It is essential that the top managers instill in the employees the importance and benefits of KM. Employees often fear that if they pass on their knowledge to others, they will endanger their own position, authority, even power in the organization. Training and communication are essential to calm down employees' fears of change, and perhaps to help them to enjoy new ways of working with their colleagues (Probst et al., 2000). Thus, firms need to create the right circumstance around the organization, primarily in the areas of KM activities and culture (Barrett et al., 2004). Then, gap 3 and gap 4 can be reduced, and the implementation of KM can truly enhance the enterprise's competitiveness.Every organization has its own way of dealing with data, information and knowledge, and it creates its own structures, jobs and system for that purpose (Nonaka et al., 2000). Therefore, there are no standard methods for introducing KM; the best way is to start with the existing structures and methods, and then apply them effectively to achieve the company's knowledge goals (Hall and Andriani, 2002). In the start activities, our study provides a useful reference to realize what problems many happen and how to conquer them. However, this study has only done in-depth interview with two firms and do survey with five companies for validating the proposed framework of KM gaps. Although we obtained valuable results from our framework, it may be necessary to conduct survey with larger size of samples to validate it empirically and obtain more robust survey instrument is ready to be mailed to conduct quantitative analysis following a pilot test of the same after these case studies. Such analysis will provide a foundation to understand those aspects that are unique and different for different KMS; as long as appropriate changes in the model and instrument are made to reflect those differences. Furthermore, through analysis of the relationship between the gaps and their influence factors, we can develop concrete measurement indices for the KM gaps.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - To propose a holistic framework for understanding the \"knowledge-management (KM) gap\" - illustrating six types of gaps that might occur within KM activities.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The content-analytical approach with the thematic analysis was implemented in the study. Through an in-depth interview with the top managers of two firms, explores the causes of these gaps and fundamental approaches to bridging these gaps.\nFindings: - This study identifies a comprehensive set of factors that could potentially impact the magnitude and direction of these gaps and the corrective actions to enhance the success of the implementation of the KM system.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The study has done in-depth interviews with only two firms and five companies. The results may need to be validated by a robust survey. Reasons for these gaps and several fundamental approaches to avoid them are presented.\nPractical implications: - This framework is expected to provide a convenient way to audit KM gaps and, thus, enterprises can make corrections and adjustments accordingly to greatly enhance their chances of success while implementing the KM system.\nOriginality/value: - Proposes an innovative framework of \"KM gaps\" to fully illustrate the management gaps that might occur during the implementation of KM. Furthermore, the actions to reduce the misfit between the capability and implementation of KM systems are also demonstrated.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Comparative performance of PPPs and traditional procurement projects in Indonesia
|
[
"Asian emerging economies",
"Comparative performance",
"Power plant projects",
"Procurement strategies"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Power generation infrastructure delivery in emerging economies frequently seeks private participation via public-private partnerships (PPPs) as one of the key mechanisms to attract private finance and, thus, overcome financing gaps in government budgets (2009; Eberhard and Gratwick, 2011). The Asian Development Bank projected that coal will continue to have a large share of the energy mix in the Asian and Pacific regions. The consumption of coal is projected to increase by 81 per cent between 2010 and 2035 (Asian Development Bank, 2013) and this concerns many commercial finance institutions who seek policies that drive reductions in carbon emissions (Williams, 2013). Conditions imposed as a part of international financing structures have led to increased support for power projects that utilise renewable technologies. These international project finance policies may have different impacts depending on how the power stations are procured. It is, therefore, important to compare outcomes of power projects in Asian emerging economies via PPPs vs those delivered by traditional public procurement.\n2. Methods: The proposed approach is to undertake a detailed comparison of the development, delivery, and operation of power projects in Indonesia against the performance criteria of time, cost, and quality.\n3. Results: The results of the comparative performance between PPPs and traditional power projects are presented in Table VI. The time and cost findings are summarised diagrammatically in Figure 1 and then the time and cost outcomes are discussed. The quality results are summarised in Figures 2 and 3 and then the findings on quality are discussed.\n4. Discussion: The results of project performance benchmarking are important findings in that they provide empirical evidence on what can be expected from power projects procured using PPPs or traditional public procurement in Asian emerging economies like Indonesia. These are discussed below under the headings of: project cost performance comparison, time performance comparison, and quality performance comparison.\n5. Conclusions and policy implications: This paper compares the performance between PPPs and traditional procurement methods for Indonesian power projects. It measures the outcomes of a project based on the dimensions of time, cost, and quality performance. Project performance of ex ante commercial operation date was used to compare project time and cost performance between PPPs and traditional power projects. These two dimensions of project performance were measured between original contractual commitment and actual completion of project construction and commissioning. The power plant availability performance for the first two years ex-post commercial operation date was used to compare project quality performance between these two procurement methods.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the outcomes of Indonesian power projects as representative projects of Asian emerging economies that were procured via public-private partnerships (PPPs) and traditional public sector procurement. Power generation infrastructure delivery in emerging economies frequently seeks private participation via PPPs as one of the key mechanisms to attract private finance. Undertaking a comparative benchmark study of the outcomes of Indonesian power projects provides an opportunity to explore the historic evidence as to whether PPPs deliver better outcomes than traditional public procurement in emerging economies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper reports on a study of the performance of 56 Indonesian power projects procured via either PPPs or traditional procurement. First, it focusses on project time and cost outcomes of power plant facility during construction and commissioning and then extends this comparison to consider the operating availability of power plants during their first two years of operation.\nFindings: The results indicate that PPP projects had superior time and operating availability to those procured traditionally whereas no significant differences were identified in the cost performance between PPPs and traditionally procured projects. These findings highlight the importance of adopting policies that are supported by broader sources of international financiers and high quality power plant developers.\nResearch limitations/implications: The quality performance analyses of projects (based on equivalent available factor indices) were limited to the power plants in the Java-Bali region where the majority of projects are large scale power plants.\nPractical implications: This study provides an empirical basis for governments of emerging economies to select the most beneficial procurement strategy for power plant projects. It highlights the importance of selecting experienced providers and to adopt policies that attract high quality international project financiers and power plant developers. This includes the need to ensure the commercial viability of projects and to seriously consider the use of cleaner power technologies.\nOriginality/value: This study is the first to compare the outcomes of power projects in Asian emerging economies delivered via PPPs against those delivered by traditional public procurement that includes consideration of the quality of the delivered product.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Institutionalising emergent organisation in health and social care
|
[
"Translational Mobilization Theory",
"Care Trajectory Management",
"Emergent organization",
"Healthcare quality and safety"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Failures of coordination are well-recognised threats to the quality and safety of health and social care (Institute of Medicine, 2001). Recent decades have witnessed an explosion of neoliberal management and governance technologies to \"measure and manage\" these risks (Allen, 2017; Waring, 2009). Yet, health and social care is a complex adaptive system (Braithwaite, 2018) and a significant and growing proportion of service delivery is emergent and uncertain. Here, successful integration depends not on rational planning processes, standardisation and regulatory structures, but negotiations and adjustments to treatment and care arrangements in response to contingencies (Strauss et al., 1985). While ubiquitous in health and social care systems, these emergent forms of organisation lack legitimacy and are not well served by prevailing management discourses. This paper argues for explicit acknowledgement of emergent forms of organisation in health and social care and offers a conceptual framework for this purpose.\nThe challenges of coordination in health and social care: Health and social care is arguably the most complex system of work in contemporary society (Allen and Pilnick, 2005). Patients receive input from different providers and these relationships are conditioned by differences in knowledge, occupational cultures, social worlds, power and prestige. Service delivery is characterised by action and knowledge that is distributed across time and space (Zerubavel, 1979); fragmented and multiple understandings of the patient (Mol, 2002); and staff that make largely independent contributions to care (Allen, 2015). This complex system of work is also embedded in a turbulent environment; care organisations have less control over workflows than do other services and experience constant churn (Duffield et al., 2007). As \"people work\" health and social care has additional singular qualities, including a high degree of unpredictability - increasingly so in aging populations with complex needs - and the requirement to engage with patients and their families as both producers and consumers of services (Osborne et al., 2013). These features pose very real challenges for the integration of care, with failures of coordination now a well-recognised threat to the quality and safety of care provision (Kobewka et al., 2016; Waring et al., 2016; Weinberg et al., 2007). For example, a World Health Organization Europe (2012) report maintained that service fragmentation and insufficient coherence were the main factors inhibiting the efficiency of interventions and quality of healthcare outcomes and, in the North American context, the Lucian Leape Institute (2012) report, \"Order from chaos: accelerating care integration\", concluded that poor care integration is linked to adverse events, and that improvements in this area should be among the top priorities for achieving consistently safe, effective and efficient healthcare.\nStraussian foundations: The phenomenon of emergent organisation in healthcare was captured by Strauss et al. (1985) in the notion of an illness trajectory, which they defined as \"the physiological unfolding of a patients' disease\" and \"the total organization of work done over that course, plus the impact on those involved with that work and its organization\" (p. 8, original emphasis). For Strauss et al., the challenges of coordination stem not only from the uncertainty of attending to injury and disease, but also from the complexity of the division of labour, the turbulence of the work environment, and biographic and psycho-social considerations relating to patients, kin and staff. Thus, while some trajectories can be predictable and controlled through generic strategies such as standards and routines, others are contingent and uncertain and more challenging to manage:[A] helpful image of what goes on with relatively problematic trajectories is this: efforts to keep the trajectory on a more or less controllable course look somewhat gyroscopic. Like that instrument, they do not necessarily spin upright but, meeting contingencies, they may swing off dead center - off course - for a while before getting righted again, but only perhaps to repeat going awry one or more times before the game is over. Sometimes, though, the trajectory game finishes with a total collapse of control, quite like the gyroscope falling to the ground.(Strauss et al., 1985, p. 20)\nCare Trajectory Management: a framework for institutionalising emergent organisation in healthcare systems: Translational mobilisation and the organising work of hospital nurses\nConclusion: In this paper, I have made the case for acknowledging emergent organisation in health and social care and institutionalising the work involved in Care Trajectory Management. Taking Strauss et al.'s (1985) concepts of illness trajectory and articulation work as a point of departure, I have extended these ideas through a reworking of an ethnographic study on the organising work of hospital nurses in combination with TMT. Care coordination in health and social care is a well-recognised risk to quality and safety, but the requirement for emergent organisation is not acknowledged in prevailing approaches to service management, which are over determined by neoliberal Organisation-I discourses. Being explicit about the requirement of Care Trajectory Management work and the mechanisms involved provides an alternative Organisation-II discourse and logic on which to develop strategies and technologies to support emergent organisational processes in acute and community care contexts.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to argue for the institutionalisation of emergent forms of organisation in health and social care and offer a conceptual framework for this purpose.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Drawing on ethnographic research on the organising work of nurses and Translational Mobilisation Theory, this paper extends two classic Straussian sociological concepts - illness trajectory and articulation work - to conceptualise emergent organisation as Care Trajectory Management.\nFindings: Failures of coordination are well-recognised threats to quality and safety and recent decades have witnessed an explosion of neoliberal technologies and governance arrangements designed to \"measure and manage\" these risks. Yet in a significant and growing proportion of health and social care provision successful service integration depends not on rational planning, but iterative negotiations and adjustments in response to contingencies. While ubiquitous in health and social care systems, these emergent forms of organisation lack legitimacy, the work involved is relatively invisible and practice is poorly served by prevailing management discourses.\nOriginality/value: The Care Trajectory Management Framework provides an alternative discourse and logic on which to develop strategies and technologies to support emergent organisational processes in acute and community care contexts.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Impact of entrepreneurial passion on entrepreneurial orientation with the mediating role of entrepreneurial alertness for technology-based firms in Mexico
|
[
"Entrepreneurial orientation",
"Entrepreneurship",
"Technology-based firms",
"Entrepreneurial alertness",
"Entrepreneurial passion"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as an organizational construct is one of the most important and established concepts within the field of entrepreneurship (Wales et al., 2011). According to Covin and Lumpkin (2011), an EO construct analyzes the ability of firms to transform entrepreneurial opportunities into new growth trajectories. Previous studies have found that firms with a higher EO perform better, with a relationship positive to different measures of EO and performance (Rauch et al., 2009; Saeed et al., 2014; Wales et al., 2013). Wales et al.'s (2013) study revealed that, over the past three decades, the literature has investigated several antecedents of EO, though none have to do with effect on entrepreneurial passion, in particular. Entrepreneurial passion involves the experience of intense positive feelings for activities that are central to the self-identity of the individual (Cardon et al., 2009). Passion is at the heart of entrepreneurship, and it can become a key driver of entrepreneurial action (Cardon et al., 2005, 2013; Murnieks et al., 2014), which can be represented by the nature of EO.\n2. EO: The origin of EO can be found in the work by Miller (1983), which was later extended by Covin and Slevin (1989). EO is a construct that has been developed on the basis of accumulated knowledge in recent decades, so it is sufficiently robust and rigorous (Wales, 2016). Much of the research on EO has been at the firm level, which predominantly has been considered a strategic construct that considers administrative practices, philosophies, and styles in making decisions that are of entrepreneurial nature (Anderson and Eshima, 2013). After more than 30 years of research, it is accepted that EO reflects the degree to which a business's growth objectives are driven by identifying and taking advantage of opportunities that have not yet been exploited (Baker and Sinkula, 2009).\n3. Entrepreneurial passion, alertness, and orientation: 3.1 Entrepreneurial passion and orientation\n4. Method: 4.1 Sample and data collection\n5. Results: The descriptive statistics and correlations for the study variables are presented in Table III. The italics values placed on the main diagonal are the values of the square root of AVE of each construct. Those values are considered satisfactory when they are higher than the correlations with other variables (Hair et al., 2006). A hierarchical regression analysis was used to test hypotheses (Cohen and Cohen, 1983). Considering the possibility of multicollinearity in the regression analysis, the variance inflation factor (VIF-test) was calculated. The VIFs were all lower than the critical value of 10, which indicates that the regression performed in this study do not present a multicollinearity problem (Aiken and West, 1991).\n6. Discussion: The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of two predecessor variables of EO - from one perspective, the direct relationship between entrepreneurial passion and EO and, on the other, incorporating entrepreneurial alertness as a mediator variable. Previous studies have argued that passion has an important influence on the identification and exploitation of opportunities (Baron, 2008; Cardon et al., 2009). In addition, entrepreneurial alertness has been considered a state of mind (passively or actively) that understands various opportunities that arise in the environment (Short et al., 2010). Thus, this study analyzed the relationship between emotional and cognitive elements and their influence on EO.\n7. Conclusion: This study should be of interest to those who consider research in different levels of analysis necessary, because it explicates the interplay between the underexplored concepts of entrepreneurial passion and alertness with EO. This study has highlighted how individual characteristics (passion and alertness), which have implications for entrepreneurs, influence organizational-level EO.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the mediating role of entrepreneurial alertness in the relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial orientation (EO).\nDesign/methodology/approach: This is a quantitative study using a self-report survey for information gathering. The hypotheses are tested with a sample of 112 entrepreneurs from technology-based firms in Mexico using hierarchical regression analysis. The study follows procedural and statistical recommendations from previous studies in order to strengthen the results.\nFindings: The results demonstrate a significant and positive relationship between entrepreneurial passion and EO, and this relationship is mediated for each dimension of entrepreneurial alertness.\nResearch limitations/implications: Although there are interesting results in the study, some limitations should be recognized. First, it is important to consider the stage in which the firm is operating because it influences the firm's behavior. Second, the generalization of the results should be validated in non-technology-based firms that operate in different contexts and conditions. The study's findings have implications for small business support programs and entrepreneurs.\nOriginality/value: The study contributes to the emerging research of entrepreneurial passion in the field of entrepreneurship and to the scarce empirical research on entrepreneurial alertness. Both constructs are related to one of the most representative topics in the field, as is EO.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Intangible assets and performance: Analysis on manufacturing SMEs
|
[
"Intangible assets",
"Strategic management",
"Manufacturing industries",
"Small to medium‐sized enterprises",
"Performance management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In today's knowledge economy, investments in intellectual assets are considered more and more to be key strategic elements to maintain a business' growth, profitability and competitiveness (Bose and Oh, 2003; Cohen and Kaimenakis, 2007; Kaufmann and Schneider, 2004). Yet, although the strategic role of these assets is well accepted, little is known on how businesses, let alone small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), use and structure them, on how their interaction affects the organization and its performance, as well as the dimensions of performance affected, whether directly or indirectly. This knowledge gap contributes to an inefficient management of these assets for it is difficult to understand how a company can develop them.Many studies have focused on identifying and measuring components of intellectual capital (IC), without a consensus ever emerging on the definition of this complex concept. Also, many authors have tried to establish a link between IC and business performance (Cater and Cater, 2009; Cohen and Kaimenakis, 2007; Ittner, 2008; Mavridis and Kyrmizoglou, 2005; Tovstiga and Tulugurova, 2009; Wang and Chang, 2005). However, these studies do not identify, in the absolute, which elements of IC contribute most to performance and how they are able to create value.Moreover, analyzing a company's performance as well as what induces it must take into account the context in which it operates such as proposed by contingency theory (Ittner, 2008) or the various strategies that managers implemented (Aragon-Sanchez and Sanchez-Marin, 2005; Grasenick and Low, 2004; Raymond and St-Pierre, 2005). In fact, SME heterogeneity, context diversity, and the difference in strategy proposed by owner-managers make each business configuration specific. It is thus plausible to expect that IC components, as well as the related performance indicators, vary from business to business (Auh and Menguc, 2005).The purpose of this exploratory study will be to shed light on the nature of IC in SMEs and how it is linked to specific performance. Components of IC present in SMEs will be identified and it will be verified if these vary according to strategy. Finally, existing relationships between components of IC and SME performance will be highlighted. The study is based on a sample of Canadian and French manufacturing SMEs from sectors not necessarily linked to activities requiring high levels of knowledge. This contrasts with many studies conducted on the subject where authors favored knowledge- and technology-intensive sectors, which in turn increases the presence of IC.In the following sections a review of the research on IC will be presented, together with the existing links between this concept and SMEs' performance and strategy. Doing so will allow to define the conceptual framework for this study. Then, the methodological design will be presented, followed by the study's findings and a discussion on implications. Finally, the paper will conclude with the study's main contribution and limits, as well as express a few avenues for further research.\nResearch review: Definition of IC\nConceptual framework and hypotheses: Figure 1 illustrates the relationship between IC, performance, and the role strategy plays in the specific SME context. This framework is based on the model of Wang and Chang (2005), theoretical underpinnings above, and empirical results of past studies. The customer capital variable of the original model was substituted with relational capital because these intangibles include not only the knowledge found in the firm's customers, but also in suppliers, governments, or related industry associations (Bontis, 2002; Cohen and Kaimenakis, 2007). An additional relationship between process capital and relational capital was also included, following results by Cohen and Kaimenakis (2007). In their study of 52 Greek SMEs service companies, these authors found a significant positive relationship between organizational and customer capital. Even though the statistical significance of this correlation diminished when human capital was taken into consideration, their findings contrast with what has been evidenced in larger firms and warrant that this relationship be tested.As Wang and Chang (2005) suggest, there should be a direct relationship between innovation, process, and relational capital and SME performance. A direct relationship between human capital and performance is not anticipated considering that this capital acts as a stimulus on other forms of capital that, in turn, will only be profitable to the firm if they are correctly deployed. Human capital's driving role thus becomes to energize other types of capital to add value to the firm. Just as Wang and Chang (2005) suggest, SMEs compensate for their smaller size by managing more strategically their human resources, which become the main value source for other types of capital. Moreover, since SMEs make up a heterogeneous group and they do not all follow the same objectives, IC components as well as the relationship between IC and performance will be specific to the strategy pursued by the head manager (Aragon-Sanchez and Sanchez-Marin, 2005; O'Regan and Ghobadian, 2005). Accordingly, the following hypotheses are proposed:H1. Strategy influences the composition of IC in SMEs.H2. Strategy influences the relationship between IC and SME performance.\nMethodology: Sample\nFindings and implications: The sample is composed of rather mature SMEs with 20 years of existence (median) and of medium size (median value of 43 employees). Return on assets as well as sales growth were relatively modest (5 percent and 11 percent) (see Table II).IC components present in SMEs were first identified, while second, tests were performed to see if these components vary according to the selected strategy. Findings presented in Table II show that among the studied SMEs, many of the IC components, as defined above, are implemented at varying degrees. Most studied SMEs hold no patents (Patents) and have very few employees dedicated to R&D (RDStaff). However, nearly half declared having a person in charge of R&D (RDResp) among them. As for process capital, a rather low rate of implementation of internal communication network (IntComNet) was found and a limited adherence (less than half) to explicit quality standards (QualNorm). These findings can be explained by the fact that the sample is composed of manufacturing SMEs that do not operate in technology-intensive sectors.Moreover, as suggested by the first hypothesis, these components vary according to the adopted strategy, but not necessarily in the intended direction. Using t-test for continuous variables and Chi-square for dichotomous ones, statistical results on differences between defenders and prospectors are presented in Table II. The results for all strategies include the analysts group for complementary information.It was expected to find more developed process capital in defenders, which is not the case here. On the other hand, prospectors have a stronger relational capital than defenders. These results are in line with findings by Cater and Cater (2009), who observed that IC was more developed in businesses that adopted a prospector-type strategy. Finally, prospectors and defenders do not exhibit different results for the three performance indicators. These results contrast those found by O'Regan and Ghobadian (2005).These univariate statistics confirmed the first hypothesis regarding the influence of strategy on composition of IC. But they do not inform us on the relationship between IC and SME performance, when taking strategy into account, nor do they indicate the performance dimensions affected. To measure these relationships and test the hypotheses, structural equations (PLS) were used. Considering that no universal measure exists for each IC component, each of the variables presented in Table I were first introduced into the model. Final construct identification was done by keeping only observed variables with a loading superior to 0.7, guaranteeing the construct an AVE superior to 0.5. Certain variables with a coefficient under 0.7 were kept to enrich each construct which otherwise would have included only one variable.The model was first tested with all the businesses regardless of strategy, in order to shed light on the expected relationships between capital and performance. Figure 2 shows that human capital influences innovation and process capital as in Chen et al. (2004). But, contrary to Wang and Chang (2005), it does not play a significant role in relational capital. Also in contrast to observations by Chen et al. (2004) and Wang and Chang (2005), innovation capital is not linked to performance. Regression coefficients for each construct are also clearly lower than those obtained by Wang and Chang (2005) which can be attributed to the differences in variable definitions as well as the fact that the sample is made up mainly of \"traditional\" SMEs. Also, maybe the fact that the sample is not composed of technology-intensive businesses greatly reduces the role played by these variables.This exploratory study focused on studying the influence of strategy on SME IC composition and its link with performance. Results presented in Figure 3 confirm this influence on both the relationship between model components, and the elements that help define model constructs. For defenders, human capital does influence innovation capital and process capital but none of these are related to performance. However, relational capital is significantly linked to performance, which may appear surprising. Performance dimensions expressed through the construct are linked with efficiency but also growth. Since pursuing a growth strategy is not a priority with defenders, such a strategy may be made easier if backed by efficient relational capital, such as strong relationships with main partners, including clients (O'Regan and Ghobadian, 2005). As for prospectors, their human capital significantly influences the three other IC components. However, none of the different forms of capital has an influence on performance, which is measured through productivity.Table III confirms that, for SMEs, IC is not made up of the same elements when strategies vary, and supports the first hypothesis. It can be observed that prospectors value actions or practices that are strongly linked to innovation (information sharing, level of education, administrative and sales expenses, communication, commercial intelligence) while defenders have more conservative or usual business practices, just as observed by O'Regan and Ghobadian (2005). On the other hand, prospector performance is mainly linked to productivity, while growth and ROA are key aspects of defender performance.Elements of IC studied here did not all appear to act as key factors in performance as suggested by many authors. These results, which appear to contrast with current literature, may be explained by the fact that particular aspects of innovation, such as product, process, equipment or organizational process innovation were not specifically identified here since data were aggregated. However, the influence relational capital has on defender performance, even though it does not reach usual standards of significance, is in accordance with current practices aiming to meet client needs with possibly less expensive products rather than innovative products. This particular finding is in accordance with those by O'Regan and Ghobadian (2005), who found that defenders are five times more likely to change existing products rather than introducing new ones on the market. It also supports findings by Cater and Cater (2009), who observed that performance of businesses that adopt a cost leadership strategy (associated with defenders) is mainly influenced by customer capital. Also, defender-type SMEs, which are known for valuing efficiency and cost control, would use their relational capital to foster growth and return on assets rather than productivity as suggested by Matsuno and Mentzer (2000, in Auh and Menguc, 2005).When considering prospectors, formalizing innovation activities regardless of innovation area may aim to add value to a product and in turn raise sales prices so as to improve productivity by making more revenue with the same number of employees. Furthermore, the relational capital's weak influence may be explained by the innovative aspect of their products but also by the fact that they are on the look-out for new markets, which is not taken into account in this measure. This explanation appears plausible when compared to the practices favored, particularly stronger technology watch, tighter client need follow-up, and a more intensive use of communication technology. This is in line with findings by Aragon-Sanchez and Sanchez-Marin (2005) as well as O'Regan and Ghobadian (2005), who both observed that prospectors distinguish themselves through a better technological position, more innovation, and better use of information technology than defenders.\nConclusion, limits, and avenues for future research: This exploratory study aimed to understand how manufacturing SMEs used their IC, to verify if it varies according to the strategy in place, and, as a last resort, to document its relationship with business performance. The statistical analysis provided many new research questions that deserve attention.Findings confirm that SMEs that adopt different strategies organize their IC in a particular and adapted way. When one attempts to link IC components to performance, it can be noticed that the latter is strategy specific, just as the variables that influence performance. As observed by Aragon-Sanchez and Sanchez-Marin (2005), prospectors dominate defenders on most IC components, which do not mean that they dominate other SMEs when it comes to efficiency or contribution to the economy. Each SME type has its own objectives, organizational means, and orientations, which force us to take these dimensions into account, as well as their interaction between them, when wishing to study SME performance.The fact that these results seem less meaningful than those by Wang and Chang can be explained by, among other things, methodology, sampling, and variable definition. On the other hand, they nevertheless highlight SME behavior heterogeneity as well as the diversity of their organizational means. Also, these results press us to question the means used by SMEs from different sectors to remain competitive in their turbulent environment, which is more and more characteristic of the global economy, as well as the contingency factors that explain the diversity of their situations.Study limits\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the nature of intellectual capital in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and how it is linked to strategy and performance.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Using structural equations, a multivariate model is presented where multiple relations are tested between different components of intellectual capital and performance. The model is tested first on a unique sample of 267 SMEs and second on two subsamples where SMEs are grouped according to their strategic profile.\nFindings: - Findings confirm that SMEs that adopt different strategies organize their intellectual capital in a particular and adapted way. When an attempt is made to link intellectual capital components to performance, it is noticed that the latter is strategy specific, just as the variables that influence performance. Prospectors dominate defenders on most intellectual capital components.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Use of secondary data may provide less precise results that could make an incentive to conduct other studies with specific determinants of intellectual capital and try to make clear definition and measurement of this concept and its components.\nPractical implications: - Even if the results have an exploratory nature, they confirm that SMEs organize and develop their intellectual capital in conjunction with their needs and strategic profile, revealing their heterogeneity. This has implications on the ability to generalize specific behaviors to all SMEs, and could prevent government from developing public policies that are supposed to fit all SMEs.\nOriginality/value: - Most research on intellectual in capital SMEs is conducted on specific sectors linked to activities requiring high levels of knowledge or technology. But these results concern a small proportion of SMEs. This study expands those analyses to a much broader variety of sectors, revealing some links between specific components and performance taking into account strategic orientation. This is the first study on manufacturing SMEs that considers various non-technological sectors and strategic profiles.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Sustainable campus: engaging the community in sustainability
|
[
"Sustainable",
"Sustainability",
"Engagement",
"Community",
"Campus",
"6-P framework"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In recent years, sustainability has become an important part of many corporate social responsibility agendas. The findings and evidence presented in the United Nations Climate Change Conferences in Mexico (2010) and South Africa (2011) have further highlighted the need for a paradigm shift towards building a low-carbon sustainable society to deal with climate change. As such, there is an urgent need for every level of society to review their actions and aim to be better stewards of our natural resources for developing low-carbon economies.\nSustainable campus community engagement: A sustainable university campus can be defined as:\nDrivers of community engagement in sustainability: Within the psychology discipline, many models have been developed to steer consumer behaviour towards environmental sustainability. For example, the reasoned action paradigm (Kaiser et al., 1999), the norm-activation model (Thorgersen, 1999), the value/belief-attitude-immediate sequence-behaviour school (Scott and Jobber, 2000) and the awareness-information-decision-action model (Barr, 2003). Although these theoretical models vary in their names and descriptions, they share a common conceptual foundation, i.e. environmentally sensitive behaviour starts with individuals having an understanding of the consequences of their behaviours (knowledge). It affects their attitudes about the environment, leading to behaviours congruous with the sustainability agenda. To this end, many programmes promoting sustainable behaviour have featured information-intensive campaigns to enhance the environmental knowledge of their target audience. Yet, studies have shown that knowledge alone has little impact on changing behaviour. Further, empirical attempts to establish a clear causal pathway from knowledge and attitude to environmentally sensitive behaviour have yielded ambiguous results. Thus, there could be other contributing factors in addition to knowledge and attitude.\nA 6-P community engagement framework for a sustainable campus: The subject of engaging the community in sustainability has been the focus of many researchers in various disciplines. The preceding section has illustrated that while the terms used in each professional discipline may suggest some points of differentiation, a common theme that cuts across them all is how to encourage more positive practical actions towards sustainability. For example, within psychology, this topic has been approached from the perspective developing behaviour modification models to identify the factors that influence sustainability choices. Along the same vein, the marketing discipline has focused on identifying attributes that consumers value in green products/services. It can thus be inferred that in the development of sustainability programmes, these attributes should also be considered to better engage the community. The empirical findings from many urban planning studies are also informative in relation to the physical factors influencing the choice/decisions of communities in sustainability.\nCase studies: Having developed a holistic framework for community engagement in sustainability, the paper will now illustrate the application of the 6-P framework in two university communities. The two case studies will examine how the 6Ps are evident in the sustainability programme and how the different 6P factors have been factored into the different sustainability projects that make up the sustainability programme.\nConclusion: This paper has developed the 6-P community engagement framework for developing a sustainable campus and has illustrated its application through a case study method to review the current sustainability programmes adopted by two university campuses. These case examples clearly illustrate the need for a holistic approach to engage any community in sustainable development.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the major factors necessary for engaging university campus community in sustainability. While general awareness in sustainability issues has improved in recent years through mass media coverage, this knowledge is not always translated into actual sustainable practice. Studies have indicated that there are many factors for engaging the community in sustainability.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A multi-disciplinary literature review is first undertaken to distil the drivers that enhance participation in sustainability programmes by the university community. Next, to illustrate the applicability of the factors identified in the community engagement framework, two case studies are undertaken to highlight the importance of the identified factors in influencing the level of community participation in their sustainability programmes.\nFindings: The 6-P framework for community engagement includes factors such as psychological needs, physical facilities, personal motivations, public perception, price mechanisms and policies. The case studies of two universities' sustainability projects illustrate that the framework is highly applicable to university communities.\nOriginality/value: While research on behaviour change has been undertaken by various disciplines such as urban planning, marketing and psychology, these have been done in isolation. The originality of this paper is therefore achieved by drawing together the knowledge from these well-established disciplines to develop an original 6-P framework. This framework has the potential of assisting university leaders in the development of their community engagement strategy to mobilise and motivate their community members to take practical steps towards building a sustainable campus. However, the robustness of this framework will need to be further validated in future studies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Prioritised best practices in a ratified consulting services maturity model for ERP consulting
|
[
"Manufacturing resource planning",
"Best practice",
"Modelling"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: The successful implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can provide organisations with many benefits including increased accuracy of information, quicker response to customers' needs, reduced order and delivery times, and elimination of unnecessary or redundant processes (Bendoly and Schoenherr, 2005; Hendricks et al., 2007; Solimon and Youssef, 2001). These benefits are achieved through its data structuring capability (Bendoly et al., 2006). However, there are several drawbacks of the ERP system including vast storage and networking requirements, huge scale of business process re-engineering and customisation, which all result in difficulty of implementation and large financial, time and human resource costs (Bozarth, 2006; Davenport, 1998; Shehab et al., 2004). These costs can impact very heavily on an organisation so typically specialist consultants assist companies with the complex implementation (Wu and Wang, 2006). It is not just the cost problem that has been a major drawback of ERP. ERP implementation may also be prone to failure, particularly during the implementation stage for Davenport (1998). As Beheshti (2006, p. 185) has noted, \"the failure rates for ERP projects are relatively high and could lead to bankruptcy of the corporation\" and he provides some examples of abandonment including Dell Computers and Allied Waste and also of consequential bankruptcies and law suits. Beheshti (2006) cites lack of availability of adequate skills as one reason for failure. Therefore, the main reason for conducting our research, the findings of which are reported in this paper, was to develop a best practice consulting model that would assist companies to implement an ERP system that would be cost effective and successful, avoiding the mistakes of the past (de Burca et al., 2005). As will be shown, our survey results have enabled us to construct a state of the art, ratified consulting services maturity (CSM) model, which articulates prioritised best practices for implementation. We begin our paper with a discussion of the theoretical foundations for our study. This includes IT/ERP consulting and maturity models with the major focus on the CSM model. Thereafter we provide the five research questions that guided the research. Next, we describe our research method which consisted of a mix of qualitative and quantitative data gathering techniques. Our findings are then presented and discussed and lastly we conclude that Tier-1 ERP firms do not presently achieve best practice in their consulting services business. For this reason we have constructed an improved and refined CSM model which includes prioritised best practices.\n2 Theoretical foundations: Sharif et al. (2005) suggest that leadership is particularly important when implementing ERP because of the complexity involved in changing a functional organisation into a process one. The results of studies conducted by Simon (1993) and Ettlie et al. (2005, p. 967) \"reaffirm the importance of leadership\" for successful enterprise systems deployment.Maturity models\n3 Background to the research: The research was conducted over a three-year period in Australia and its aim was to determine the leading consulting services practices used by Tier-1 ERP companies. At the turn of the millennium, nearly 50,000 ERP installations had occurred throughout the world (Doane, 2002). When this research commenced in 2003 there were a total of five Tier-1 ERP vendors (Jacobs and Weston, 2007). These included SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, J.D. Edwards and Baan who were vendors, developers and implementers of Tier-1 enterprise software. Then they controlled about 70 percent of the market share (Shehab et al., 2004). Over the past five years, the global enterprise-class applications market has changed its shape almost entirely. Out of five Tier-1 ERP vendors, only SAP and Oracle Corporation remain. As the structure of the companies operating in this market has changed, so have the products, the implementation methodologies and customers' expertise, creating a very dynamic environment for our research. Traditionally, customers looked to ERP applications to provide the core of their integrated computer systems. Recently, ERP systems have become back office systems, e-commerce has come of age and new kinds of front office applications are being developed. These recent changes indicate how dynamic the ERP marketplace is and will affect the way the companies approach business.Purpose of the research\n4 Method: This research used descriptive, exploratory and hypothesis testing techniques to develop a CSM model. Initially when the research problem is unstructured, qualitative methods are more suited. Later quantitative methods are more useful for testing of hypotheses. The exploratory research conducted initially, using an adapted generative model described by Simon et al. (1996) and Sohal et al. (1996), assists the construction of the quantitative instruments used in the latter part of the research (Zikmund, 2003). This research model, consisting of three phases, is summarised in Appendix 1 and combines both qualitative and quantitative methods in an overall research process. It is both inductive and deductive as it commences with qualitative methods, which determine the key issues that are then tested using quantitative techniques. In Phase 1, the crucial themes/concepts leading to consulting success were generated from the target population. This was done by conducting 20 non-standardised interviews and three focus group sessions.In Phase 2, a web survey was developed and administered. In Phase 3, a panel of experienced ERP sector practitioners assessed the model's efficacy and this iterative process led to a final refined and ratified model.Phase 1 of the research commenced with a review of relevant literature, including significant prior research, to determine the factors that lead to consulting success. The literature review covered reports, books, journals, dissertations, and electronic media going back at least ten years and further for keynote authors. The themes and concepts established in the literature review were then used to construct an initial CSM model for consulting services best practice. An interview schedule was constructed based upon the initial CSM model developed after the literature review. The purpose of the interviews was to determine what constitutes consulting service best practice and the company's position relative to best practice. The interview schedule was pre-tested by conducting five non-standardised scheduled interviews with staff and customers of targeted ERP companies. The interview schedule was refined and a further 15 non-standardised scheduled interviews were conducted. The convenience sample included managers and consultants from the Tier-1 ERP vendors.Building on the findings so far, the non-standardised scheduled interviews were followed by the development of a focus group method to elicit ideas and stimulate thinking about the key areas of focus for the model. A purposive (judgmental) sample of consultants, solution architects and managers was used to select the participants for the focus group sessions. The first focus group session was conducted in order to pre-test the procedure and to formulate the problem to be researched. The focus group procedure was refined and a further two focus group sessions were conducted. The second session was with consulting practice managers and executives from one of the Tier-1 ERP firms. The third session was with consultants working on site and the staff from a large ERP client company. The synthesis and reorganisation of data from the interviews and focus groups led to the development of themes and patterns for revision of the CSM model. At this point, the model was changed quite extensively based on the results of this qualitative research. The KFAs were expanded to cover each of the three levels of CSM. Twenty depth interviews and three focus groups were considered sufficient for the purposes of refining the initial model developed from the literature review. In addition, the sample consisted of a good cross section of executives, managers, consultants and clients of Tier-1 firms.During the quantitative Phase 2 of the research, the crucial generated research themes were tested by using a web-based questionnaire. This questionnaire is available from the first author of this paper. The purpose of the questionnaire was to conduct a cross-sectional survey amongst CEO's, CIO's, professional services managers and consultants in the various ERP consultancies in Australia along with customers of these firms. Likert scales were used to evaluate the relative importance of variables that lead to consulting success. Ordinal-level questions were used to determine how important the raters considered the best practices to be. One thousand questionnaires were mailed out. The response rate was less than 5 percent so we sent out a further 300 questionnaires using a snowball sampling technique. Sixty-six questionnaires in total were returned. Saturation point was reached because we were unable to elicit additional responses after sending out these 1,300 questionnaires. Given this low response rate, tests were performed to check the validity and the reliability of items in the questionnaire scales and this is discussed in the next section.In Phase 3 of the research, the initial CSM model, constructed earlier, was further refined into a best practice consulting model for ERP companies. The CSM model was finalised based on the findings of the research up to that point in time but it now needed to be assessed for efficacy by a panel of judges. The panel was made up of eight experienced ERP sector practitioners in the ERP services area and they were drawn from the consulting services practice managers and directors from a Tier-1 ERP consulting organisation. The CSM model was presented and explained to the panel. Thereafter a short questionnaire and supporting documentation were issued to the panel for comments about the final model. The feedback obtained was used to add just two subtle refinements into the final CSM model.Validity and reliability\n5 Findings and discussion: Relationship of capabilities and indicators of success to achieve best practice\nDiscussion: Practical implications of the results\n6 Conclusion: Limitations of this study\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that lead to consulting success in the enterprise software environment and thereby develop a refined consulting services maturity (CSM) model which includes prioritised best practices grouped under eight key focus areas (KFAs).\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The research is conducted among Tier-1 enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendors using interviews, focus group sessions, and a web survey. Based on the findings of the survey, the CSM model is improved, refined, and ultimately ratified by a number of experienced ERP sector practitioners.\nFindings: - The fundamental basis of the CSM model is that an enterprise software company will be able to improve the maturity level of its consulting services operations by focusing on certain key areas and adopting prioritised best practices in each of the key areas. These key areas include leadership, values, consulting skills, consulting success factors, adaptability, project management practices, profitability, and customer focus. The level of maturity of the organisation increases as best practices are implemented and continuously refined.\nPractical implications: - The outcome is a blueprint for best practice consulting services for companies operating in the ERP software environment that can be adopted for very little cost. When implemented, the CSM model readily helps a company improve the performance of its consulting services business.\nOriginality/value: - Business performance is enhanced by selecting KFAs, including their associated best practices, and then targeting these for improvement. As further best practices are implemented and refined, the maturity level of the consulting practice increases. This model can easily be adopted by any consulting services company and with the necessary focus, it should lead to a dramatic improvement of most dimensions of a consulting practice.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Cruise brand experience: functional and wellness value creation in tourism business
|
[
"Customer satisfaction",
"Behavioral intention",
"Cruise brand experience",
"Functional value",
"Service expertise",
"Wellness value"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Improvements in customer knowledge and interest in cruise tourism have facilitated the growth of the cruise industry. The cruise industry has rapidly grown and has become an important segment of the tourism and hospitality industry (Skift, 2018; Chua et al., 2017). The number of cruise customers has increased recently (Jones et al., 2017; Lyu et al., 2017). According to Cruise Lines International Association's (CLIA) report (2016), 25.8 million customers used cruise lines in 2017, and the demand for cruises for vacation and travel increased by 62 per cent in 2015 compared with the percentage in 2005. An increasing number of customer tourists use cruises, and cruises have become a rapidly growing industry with an annual growth rate of nearly 10 per cent between 1980 and 1993 (Teye and Leclerc, 1998). From 2012-2016, the cruise market welcomed 112.3 million guests (CLIA, 2017), and 27.2 million passengers are expected to cruise in 2018 (CLIA, 2017).\nLiterature review: In 1970, only half a million passengers went on cruises, and this sector was less popular than other transportation or tourism products. However, almost five million customers went on cruises for their vacations in 1994, showing an 8 per cent increase compared with the value in 1993 (Teye and Leclerc, 1998). The growth rate of annual cruise customers was 7.2 per cent from 1990 to 2009 (CLIA, 2009). Although the cruise industry has a relatively shorter history compared with other traditional tourism sectors, it exhibits a great potential for growth. From 2009-2013, the cruise market welcomed 51 million guests (CLIA, 2009), and cruise capacity was increased. An estimated 26.7 million customers used cruises in 2017, and the value is expected to increase to 28 million in 2018 (Skift, 2018). These trends increase the importance of understanding customers' attitude and behavior in the cruise industry (Lee et al., 2017).\nMethods: Sampling and data collection\nAnalysis and results: Measurement model analysis\nDiscussion and conclusions: Conclusions\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Experience and value creation have become integral themes for tourism service providers. This study aims to understand the role of different types of experiences in formulating customers' perceived value. Studies on this area are scarce, especially in the cruise industry.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A research model that includes two value variables, namely, functional and wellness values, and four cruise brand experience variables, namely, sensory, affective, behavioral and intellectual factors, was tested through partial least-squares (PLS) structural equation modeling approach. A total of 389 usable cruise customer responses were obtained and analyzed using SmartPLS software.\nFindings: Results revealed the relative effects of sensory, affective, behavioral and intellectual factors on perceived functional and wellness values. The positive impact of perceived value on customer satisfaction and behavioral intention and the moderating role of service expertise in the relationship between cruise experience and perceived value were examined.\nResearch limitations/implications: Future research can examine how types of leisure facilities (e.g. casinos, restaurants, bars and shows), cultural differences (e.g. Eastern and Western) and customers' travel characteristics (e.g. visiting purpose and companions) may influence the relationships between cruise brand experience and perceived value.\nPractical implications: From a practical point, the relationships among multidimensional cruise brand experience, functional and wellness values, customer satisfaction, revisit intention and service expertise provide a clue on how cruise brands can enhance customers' perceived value to retain current customers.\nOriginality/value: This study contributes to literature by providing a theoretical framework and empirical evidence for predicting and explaining cruise customers' behavior. From a managerial perspective, this study identified critical factors that are essential to value creation and discussed the implications of predictive factors on developing marketing strategies that enhance customers' positive attitude and behavior toward the cruise brand.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
E-government adoption in ASEAN: the case of Cambodia
|
[
"Cambodia",
"Innovation",
"Government",
"Trust"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Since the advent of a worldwide revolution in information and communication technologies (ICTs), across the world, 173 of 190 countries use ICTs, particularly the Internet as a tool to deliver government services (Gant, 2008) in order to enhance their public services and increasing their efficiency in terms of accessing information and transaction services (Gant, 2008; OECD, 2003; Song, 2004). The member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are no exception. In 2000, all ASEAN member states - Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam - endorsed the e-ASEAN Framework Agreement to promote co-operation to develop, strengthen and enhance the competitiveness of the ICT sector in ASEAN, reduce the digital divide within individual ASEAN economies and amongst member states, as well as between the public and private sectors to realise the e-ASEAN vision, and to liberalise trade and investment in ICT to support the e-ASEAN initiative (ASEAN, 2000). The agreement rest on six pillars (ASEAN, 2000):1. Establishment of ASEAN information infrastructure.2. Facilitation of growth of electronic commerce.3. Liberalisation of trade and investments in ICT products and ICT services.4. Facilitation of trade in ICT products and ICT services.5. Capacity building and e-society.6. e-Government.To reach the vision of e-ASEAN initiative, especially in the e-Government pillar, governments of the ASEAN member states have launched several significant national e-Government initiatives in recent years. Some selected examples of e-Government initiatives in certain ASEAN member stats are given below.In Malaysia, the government has launched the multimedia super corridor (MSC). One of the MSC flagship applications is e-Government. According to MSC (2008), the main objective of e-Government flagship application is to enhance government service delivery. It was launched to lead the country into the information age. It will improve both how the government operates internally as well as how it delivers services to the people of Malaysia. It seeks to improve the convenience, accessibility and quality of interactions with citizens and businesses; simultaneously, it will improve information flows and processes within government to improve the speed and quality of policy development, coordination and enforcement. It has seven pilot projects: project management system (SPPII), human resource management information system (HRMIS), generic office environment (GOE), electronic procurement (EP), electronic services (e-Services), electronic labour exchange (ELX), and e-Syariah.The Governement of Singapore (2004) has introduced an eCitizen portal to enable users to search for and access a diversity of information from government agencies and to conduct a wide range of transactions online with government agencies. In addition to this, a wide range of e-services are offered by government ministries and agencies through the eCitizen portal. A few of the popular e-services offered are: submitting application forms for purchase of apartments, searching for school information, employment search, career development, and voter registration (Pascual, 2003).In the Philippines, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has launched an electronic payment confirmation scheme using short messaging system (SMS) on mobile phones to guard against \"fixers\" who issue fake receipts to taxpayers. Known as e-broadcasting, the system provides taxpayers with direct confirmation within 38 hours that their payment has been received by the BIR's authorised agent banks (Pascual, 2003).In Myanmar, the government has introduced e-procurement system as part of a series of projects involving the e-national task force. This system allows a total of over 40 departments and state enterprises to handle purchase of goods and services as well as tender sales and quotation (Xinhuanet, 2004).In Vietnam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City each has introduced the so-called Vietnam's Tale of Two Cities web development projects for business services agencies to serve as the first point of contact for potential investors, especially foreign investors. That is, the web portal provides all information critical to starting a business in Vietnam. Companies can submit their applications through the agency web site, although the paper filing option still remains. The information submitted in the application enters a database log file, which generates a text copy that is transferred via email to a designated representative (Desai and Magalhaes, 2001).As the newest member state of the ASEAN, Cambodia has also made great effort to commit the e-ASEAN initiative. One of which was the implementation of e-Government initiative project, in a form known as Government Administration Information System (GAIS). The GAIS was to connect and computerise the government with four core applications: the electronic approval system (EAS), the real estate, resident, and vehicle registration system, as well as the presence of the government on the worldwide web. It was designed and implemented with total participations from each individual ministry, the state secretariats and the Phnom Penh municipality through its representatives in the working group with the National ICT Development Authority (NiDA) Secretariat as the focal point. The infrastructures for the four applications include the local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) for 27 ministries, state secretariats and the Phnom Penh municipality. All 27 government ministries at the national level and the municipality of Phnom Penh are now fully connected. The connection allows all government offices to communicate electronically and to access to the Internet and email at their convenience. The real estate, resident, and vehicle registration systems are in operation and are widely used (Phu, 2003). These computerised registration systems help facilitate the registration process and make people lives easier because they do not have to stand and wait in line wasting their precious time that could turn into other profitable activities. However, the EAS does not yet enjoy wide use, even though the EAS has many useful functions, including electronic approval system, mail, bulletin board, user and organisation chart, document management, and administration tool. Only a few technical documents or reports have been sent using the EAS. Users still prefer the traditional means of processing for other administrative documents function has been in operation but not widely used (Phu, 2003).One of the key problems for the infrequent use of e-Government (e.g. EAS) is a lack of awareness of the potential factors that help citizens to adopt and use e-Government services and the ability of the government to implement e-Government to match the needs of the citizen and web visitor (Gant, 2008; Prattipati, 2003). Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence e-Government adoption in Cambodia as one of ASEAN member states.The remainder of this paper is organised as follows. Section 2 provides a literature review. Section 3 presents a description of the proposed research model and hypotheses. Section 4 describes the research method. Section 5 presents the analytical results of the study. Section 6 discusses the results of the findings. Finally, Section 7 brings this paper to a conclusion, including implications and suggestions for future research.\n2. Literature review: 2.1 E-Government\n3. Research model and hypotheses: Based on the preceding theoretical background, the TAM, TAM2, DOI, and trust are integrated to propose a model of user adoption of e-Government (see Figure 3).3.1 e-Government and the TAM relationship\n4. Research method: 4.1 Sample\n5. Results: 5.1 Descriptive statistics\n6. Discussion: H1 is supported. This indicates that an increase in perceived usefulness positively influences users' intention to use e-Government services: that is, users will use it if they perceive its efficiency and effectiveness with respect to their job or work. The web portal, for example, is an important tool that allows public officers to search for information or administrative procedures they want quickly and accurately. In addition to this, the web portal needs to be updated on a regular basis in order to prevent the proliferation of inaccurate information, broken links, and incorrect email contact information. By maintaining the portal sites and placing more materials online, governments could encourage users to go online and use e-Government resources (West, 2008). Furthermore, each government agency should concentrate on how delivering their services online could save users' time and money.Moreover, each government agency could help its own public officers understand the importance of the e-Government systems by providing further training to make the systems attractive to them. Training programs should stress the potential of the e-Government systems rather than concentrating on only basic skills (such as typing skills), especially because some public officers do not need to type documents by themselves.H1b and H1d are supported. That is, the two main determinants of the perceived usefulness in the model - image and output quality - have a direct effect on perceived usefulness. This implies that as public officers perceive the e-Government systems as a status symbol of their organisation, they consider it to be important. Furthermore, they perceive it to be useful when it does the required tasks adequately or when the quality of the output they get from the systems is high. Therefore, each department or agency within a government organisation that provides services through an electronic channel needs to ensure that the information they display on the web site is useful, relevant, accurate, and up-to-date, in order to provide a high level of information quality.H3 is supported. The result reveals that trust of e-Government services have a significant effect on the user adoption of e-Government services. This result is consistent with previous studies (Carter and Belanger, 2005). User adoption of the e-Government systems will increase if they perceive it to be trusted and secure, because they are concerned about the level of security present when performing administrative transactions or providing sensitive information online. They are only willing to participate in these interactions if a certain level of trust is present. Hence, it is vital to develop capabilities to provide a secure ICT infrastructure and make investments to address cyber security. This is because of the fact that e-Government systems are exposed to security vulnerabilities and computer systems are vulnerable to unintentional threat such as environmental hazards including earthquake, tsunamis, power failures, hurricanes and fires (Gant, 2008). Therefore, trust, security, and disaster recovery plan strategy for e-Government systems should be developed. The e-Government security strategy is detailed in Table IX.In addition to the strategy mention above, a legal framework for the e-Government systems (particularly EAS application) should be set up which includes laws for acceptance of documents in electronic format (such as downloaded documents), laws that protect against unauthorised access, and laws to enable electronic authentication.H5 is also supported. This indicates that higher levels of perceived relative advantage are associated with increased user adoption of e-Government systems. This result is consistent with previous studies (Carter and Belanger, 2005). This implies that the users will use e-Government systems if it helps them work more efficiently and the systems are perceived to be better than previous existing ways of working (for example, gathering information from government agencies). In this connection, governments should help users understand the value of e-Government systems over the existing systems. For instance, e-Government systems can improve transparency, facilitate information-sharing, generate saving on data collection and transmission (OECD, 2003).\n7. Conclusion: The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants that influence e-Government adoption in Cambodia as one of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. The contributions of this study have both theoretical and practical implications. For theoretical implications, the study proposed a comprehensive theoretical framework to identify determinants of user adoption of e-Government services. At the same time, the study not only introduces new additions to existing technology acceptance research, but also provides empirical supports and validates the findings of previous research. In addition to this, the technology acceptance and adoption theory has been widely studied in developed countries. However, few studies have been done in ASEAN, and it has not been studied in Cambodia. Thus, this study is unique to the Cambodian context. Further, the study can be served as a starting point for other e-Government adoption researches in Cambodia. Moreover, it is the first study of e-Government that provides the Royal Government of Cambodia with the type of empirical analysis, which is necessary for fostering adoption and usage.For practical implications, the study would help government policy decision makers design and implement policies and strategies to increase the adoption of e-Government services in Cambodia as well as in other countries, particularly ASEAN member states that have similar situation. For instance, they should implement policies and strategies that emphasise the usefulness, the efficiency, and user trust of e-Government services. More specifically, Cambodia is still in the early stage of e-Government implementation. Therefore, understanding of these factors would help the government policy makers better plan its e-Government services.Even though the results can be considered statistically significant in most parts, the study has some limitations. The first limitation is that though the research model in this study explained some of the variance in public officers' perceived usefulness, relative advantage, and trust, much of the variance remains unexplained. Therefore, identifying the independent variables that account for the remaining variance is important suggestion for future research. Additional variables may include determinants such as information quality, service quality, user satisfaction, risk, culture and other socio economic constraints. The second limitation is that the sample is devoted to the public officers situated in Cambodia. The view of the public officer may differ from those who are in the other ASEAN member states. Thus, the result may be limited to the specific location. Hence the future study is needed in order to overcome these limitations.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence e-government adoption in Cambodia as one of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This study uses the technology acceptance model (TAM), the extended TAM (TAM2), the diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory, and trust to build a parsimonious yet comprehensive model of user adoption of e-government. The authors test the model with an empirical study. Data are collected from a total of 112 public officers in 12 ministries in Cambodia. The research model is then assessed with multiple regression analyses.\nFindings: - The findings in this study show that the determinants of the research model (perceived usefulness, relative advantage, and trust) are support. At the same time, the important determinants of perceived usefulness include image and output quality.\nPractical implications: - The study would help government policy decision makers design and implement policies and strategies to increase the adoption of e-government services in Cambodia as well as in other countries, particularly ASEAN member states that have a similar situation.\nOriginality/value: - This paper is one of a few studies on e-government adoption in ASEAN and the first study on e-government adoption in Cambodia.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Synergetic success factors of total quality management (TQM) and supply chain management (SCM): A literature review
|
[
"Supply chain management (SCM)",
"Supply chain quality management (SCQM)",
"Success factors",
"Total quality management (TQM)"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Industries have played an important role in terms of the economic growth and national development. But at the present stage, as a result of globalization, Indian organizations are under pressure to search new methods to enhance profitability and sustainability in today's market (Sundharam et al., 2013; Govindan et al., 2016). Moreover, nowadays, customers' major considerations are product quality and service quality; they want high-quality products, fast delivery and sufficient flexibility. All such factors have created challenge for companies around the world to improve their goods and services to become competitive. One way to gain competitiveness is to increase the productivity of manufacturing operations and responding as per the changing taste of customers. These challenges can be addressed through various improvement strategies such as total quality management (TQM) and supply chain management (SCM). Customer satisfaction in terms of product availability, delivery, innovation and quality dimensions can be achieved by the implementation of TQM and SCM strategies (Sharma and Modgil, 2015).\n2. Research objectives and methodology: The primary objective of this study is to identify a set of practices which support synergy of both TQM and SCM implementations in organizations in order to explore the concept of SCQM. For this purpose, first, a set of critical practices for both strategies TQM and SCM on the individual basis is identified and then a conceptual model depicting the concept of SCQM is developed by identifying overlapping practices of both TQM and SCM.\n3. Business performance improvement by TQM: critical factors: TQM can be defined in numerous ways, particularly as a management philosophy that focuses on the integration of all levels of organizational functions, continuous improvement, production of quality products and services, customer satisfaction and performance measurements (Deming, 1986; Polo and Padhi, 2005). TQM is a management approach established in the 1950s to find the sources of continuous improvement to improve the quality of products and services to customers or clients (Pandi et al., 2009). TQM emerged as the driving force for enhanced business performance and helps to gain competitive advantage (Talib et al., 2011b). TQM is recognized as the most important comprehensive improvement paradigm in the modern economy (Slack et al., 2010) for organizational excellence (Goetsch and Davis, 2013).\n4. SCM and its critical practices for manufacturing industry: a review: In recent years, working collaboratively with suppliers and customers became essential because the cooperative relationship between members of supply chain helped to achieve competitive advantage (Kushwaha and Barman, 2010). This collaboration led to the forming of SCM (Casadesus and Castro, 2005). SCM has been increasingly recognized as an important source of competitive advantage (Carter, 2011).\n5. Supply chain quality management (SCQM): synergetic approach: TQM and SCM are management philosophies play an important role in terms of improving organizational competitiveness (Talib and Rahman, 2010). Some studies define the integration between QM and SCM as the concept of SCQM (Lin and Gibson, 2011). Robinson and Malhotra (2005) defined SCQM 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. Kuei et al. (2008) considered SCQM as an SCM extension that is designed to help firms to establish a competitive supply chain through the application of QM practices. Further, SCQM deals with upstream activities, internal processes and downstream activities (Quang et al., 2016) and involves both intra- and inter-organizational issues.\n6. Conclusion: In this paper, a systematic review of the QM and SCM was undertaken, with a view to explore unrevealed potential of their integration, i.e. SCQM. Significant benefits of integrating QM and SCM were observed in terms of performance improvements. Analysis of literature retrieved a set of practices which ensure the successful implementation of TQM and SCM applicable to different organizations. Tables I and II represent these practices as recommended by different authors. Further, to identify critical practices for TQM and SCM on individual basis, a reduced set of practices was selected based on their rate of occurrence in different research papers as well review papers and treated as critical practices.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to present a set of critical factors for total quality management (TQM) and supply chain management (SCM) practices through an extensive literature review; and, second, to identify the relationships among them by comparing the identified TQM and SCM practices in order to explore the concept of supply chain quality management (SCQM).\nDesign/methodology/approach: To meet the goals of this work, a review of published quality research papers was carried out. For this, the authors identified papers on TQM and SCM practices and observed how these practices improve the business performance of organizations. Further, on the basis of identified practices, a conceptual model of SCQM was developed.\nFindings: The results presented a set of six critical factors each for TQM and SCM practices. Further, it was found that management support and commitment, customer focus, information and supplier partnership are the most common practices found in both TQM and SCM practices. The integration of TQM and SCM (SCQM) throughout the supply chain has the strongest impact on the organizational performance.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study used data from various research papers of reputed journals which considered the study of India's manufacturing industry as well as other countries, which may not provide a clear picture. However, this can be overcome by applying the findings of this paper to collect data from Indian manufacturing industry in future studies.\nPractical implications: Indian manufacturing industry can improve its competitive image through the synergy of TQM and SCM. The result of this paper will help in providing a greater understanding of identified TQM and SCM practices that will lead to the successful implementation of TQM and SCM strategies to enhance business performance in terms of the improved levels of customer service.\nOriginality/value: Much of the attention is given on TQM and SCM practices, and very few studies have been undertaken to integrate TQM and SCM practices. But as far as the authors know, there is no study undertaken to integrate TQM and SCM practices in India for the manufacturing class. Therefore, this study compares TQM and SCM practices and considers their integration and can be thus treated as filling a gap in the extant literature. Therefore, the findings of this review paper will contribute in future research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Tunisian National Innovation System futures: an actors' analysis focus
|
[
"Innovation policies",
"Scenarios",
"Key players"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: In Tunisia, science, technology and innovation (STI) have been recognized as a major concern of public policy over the past three decades. Over this period, a comprehensive framework to support innovation has been established; specific programmes to harness science with economic purposes have been launched and a new culture of entrepreneurship and innovation has gradually emerged in society (Dani and Mahieu, 2018).\n2. Methodology: 2.1 Twofold foresight approach principle\n3. Main results of the analysis: Tunisian National Innovation System futures: The main results achieved through the implementation of the above approach are presented below in two sections. They address the implementation of the first and second steps of the twofold foresight approach.\n4. Conclusion: This paper has elaborated the approach, process and main results of a twofold foresight approach, combining scenario development and actors analysis, as implemented in Tunisia for the NIS. The first step entailed scenario exploration which led to the development of three alternative scenarios: \"Dynamic Islands System\", a risky \"Dislocated System\" and the optimal scenario, \"Integrated System\".\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to focus on the Tunisian National Innovation System (NIS) and the conditions that might foster its aptitude to support socio-economic transformation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper adopts an original twofold foresight methodology combining the analysis of key players with the exploration of scenarios. While usually, a foresight exercise considers only one of these two futures studies approaches.\nFindings: The \"Dynamic Islands System\" scenario reflects the present situation and current trends. It shows that all expected components of an efficient system are in place, but they are evolving more or less independently. \"Connected System\" is the most desirable option because it reflects the potential to improve strongly productivity, competitiveness and social inclusion. The \"Dislocated System\" is a third possible but risky scenario. Despite the interesting insights provided through futures imaging, the scenario approach is not sufficient in providing indications of how and which actors can make happen the changes needed to move towards the desired state. So, a second step of the adopted twofold foresight approach addresses the role of key players. The analysis aims to reveal which actors are in a position to implement the required changes and thereby support the transition from the present to the desired scenario.\nPractical implications: The challenges ahead are then pointed out, namely, that the private sector and firms would have to take the lead in the future; and that the less influential players would have to work side by side to be able to direct the NIS to the \"Connected scenario\".\nOriginality/value: The clue in this approach is to transform a sub-optimal reality to achieve a desired end-state by understanding the trend scenario. The actors' analysis helps to clarify the respective attitudes and concerns of the players vis-a-vis the required changes. In this two-step foresight approach, the desired scenario is considered as a specific project.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Modified sewer asset management to accommodate London's future sustainable development
|
[
"Asset management",
"Service life",
"Maintenance and inspection",
"Sewers and drains"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Asset management (AM) is a vital tool for virtually all the institutions concerned with service delivery in the world because it combines the financial, management, technical and engineering practices. These help in ensuring that the service delivery level is up to the expectations of the customers, whilst at the same time ensuring minimal cost and assured longevity of such facilities.\nSewerage network pathology: If we extend the topic of building pathology to that of an infrastructure system that includes buildings and their external civil engineering services networks such as SN, then to some extent the system has already partially failed because it will not easily accommodate the proposed new and higher densification of population.\nLiterature review: In the area of infrastructure, an early use of systematic AM was by the American Highway Administration (Berger, 1978). Earlier, around 1900 in the financial industry, whilst growing in importance, AM remained a subsidiary concern (Nigel, 2017). Contemporaneously, engineers were studying water pipe corrosion and implicitly systematic AM (Colebrook and White, 1938). So, AM had implicit and multi-point origins as a systematic approach, but it was something of an afterthought. In many developed urban areas worldwide it still is a second string discipline.\nAsset management framework: There are a number of conservation strategies which may be applied in the AM of SN to ensure the expected service delivery level. Each sewer repair will need to satisfy a cost benefit target. Therefore, to know the condition of the asset, the maintenance options of such an asset should be calculated and the cost calculations should be done to ensure maximum service level while incurring the lowest expense. In this research paper, focus will be on inspection planning to support effective decisions on future investments. Another key factor to take note of is the need to consider the varied types of sewers to deal with the additional system complexity of the network system.\nAsset management approach: With regard to the framework put forward by the Institute of Asset Management, the management process of the asset begins from the optimisation of life cycle of the very small components of the system and goes on until the point of considering the projects expected value. This is obtained from the entire system of portfolio, information, knowledge, people, network and all the other components as presented in Figure 3. Increase in the complexity of the system is represented by each layer with the key challenges of substantiating the costs, sustainability, performance and the risks shown in every layer in Figure 3.\nAsset maintenance strategies for sewer network: critical analysis: The SN is a vital part of all urban infrastructures. It, however, has a varied range of challenges both from the systems operational and the public health viewpoints, respectively. Most especially, the buried nature of this asset makes identifying faults and problems difficult. The management of the SN is constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated with time. This is because the systems are wearing out and being rendered more vulnerable to failures, thus increasing the cost of operation and maintenance.\nMethodology: An essential aim of the research was to determine with improved precision and reliability the effective lifetime of SN with different materials, sizes and effluents. This is the core quantitative tool which allows the development of proactive models for AM, risk management and advising development teams on likely SN capability.\nRisk management: In the management of risks, the key potential hazards must first be defined, their potential impacts and likelihoods analysed, and eventually outlining the most appropriate procedures that can be applied in response to their occurrence. Analysis of risks forms a very basic component of management of such risks as it defines as well as dissolves them, whereas the risk management seeks to establish the solution to such shortcomings.\nDevelopment of framework: As shown in Figure 11, data from the utilities database are analysed to identify levels of criticalities. The individual criticality goes into different programmes:\nConclusion: The paper has developed an improved reliability for predicting the remaining lives of concrete sewer cohorts. It also improves practice by allowing the risk appetite of the asset manager to be reflected in the assignment of modified service factors to the SD of the degradation curve. This more precise information permits the asset manager to prioritise inspection plans and control the risk and altered frequencies of inspections. There is anecdotal evidence from the experts consulted for other parts of the paper that in a modified way, SN follows a bath tub curve and this paper clarifies the medium and long-term characteristics once the system has been commissioned.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper is about best practice in managing legacy drainage assets to support sustainable urban regeneration. The purpose of this paper is to describe best practice sewer asset management (AM) and to adjust the current reactive maintenance approach for sewers, to one that accommodates long-term operational and town planning needs. The development of an improved sewer deterioration model (DM) provided an important tool for this.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This research adopts a mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyse a total network length of 24,252 km which represents 703,156 records of historic sewer structural condition inspection data. This was used to build an improved DM. These models were used as inputs into a proactive AM approach that improves upon recommendations in the Sewerage Rehabilitation Manual developed by Water Research Centre.\nFindings: This is a paradigm shift and goes beyond the current culture of OFWAT (Water Services Regulation Authority) supervision, five-year asset management period and occasional environmental penalties. A new legislative model may be needed; especially because a report by UKWIR (Water Industry Research) in 2015 identified that nationally the rate of sewer network deterioration is outpacing available investment and significant health problems may arise in addition to those from developmental pressures.\nResearch limitations/implications: The authors have researched and managed old sewer networks and present a review of the new issues raised by intensive development, particularly for the London region, but applicable elsewhere, and how these must lead to a modified risk, and novel incentive-based approach to AM, if the system is not to fail.\nOriginality/value: Large, legacy databases of several decades of sewer network performance records have been combined and analysed as stratified, heterogeneous sets with Gaussian distributions; thereby improving on previous assumptions of homogeneous data. The resulting rigorous DMs are the foundation of new approaches to sustainable risk management of large urban networks.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Exploring the food tourism landscape and sustainable economic development goals in Dhofar Governorate, Oman: Maximising stakeholder benefits in the destination
|
[
"Oman",
"Destination",
"Food tourism",
"Stakeholder benefits",
"Salalah"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Oman's unique human and physical geography provides important resources with which the government's stated economic development goals can be achieved. These resources vary in quantity, quality and distribution across the country's regions as do population, key economic performance indicators, contributions to GDP and composition of main stakeholder groups. Oman's economic policy is based on four pillars: sustainable development within a stable macroeconomic framework; a diversified, dynamic and globalised economy; advanced human resource development; and a competitive and efficient private sector (WTO, 2014, p. 3). Oman Vision 2020, launched in 1996, is a long-term development plan aimed at delivering economic and financial stability by diversifying the economy, increasing private sector participation and investing in the local workforce (Oxford Business Group, 2015b). Tourism development is capable of delivering these aims and thus represents a vital plank in the country's wider strategy to move away from oil and gas, which contributes around 50 per cent of GDP (Oxford Business Group, 2015b).\nLiterature review: Food represents a major industrial income generating sector in its own right; it is central to political, social, economic, technological and environmental dimensions of sustainability (Beer et al., 2002, p. 207). Financially viable food production systems may contribute towards maintaining local economies, cultures, societies and environments; this prompts a close look at the role of food both in local economies and the tourism industry (Beer et al., 2002, p. 207) and the need to assess the natural and human resources on which food tourism relies along with related economic development opportunities in Dhofar.\nMethodology: Qualitative and quantitative methods are employed in this baseline study of Dhofar's food tourism landscape and sustainable economic development goals. These comprise the case study method (focussing on tourism and economic development in Dhofar Governorate, with special emphasis on its capital Salalah), trend analysis (examining Dhofar's tourism figures, consultancy and tourism industry reports and how recent global food and drink trends apply to the case), a pilot survey of key Government stakeholders in Oman's Ministry of Tourism (names and positions are withheld to maintain requested anonymity, see interview themes below), direct and participant observation (such as price comparisons of food and drink at case venues and noting visitor menu options and selections) and three food factory tours (fish, flour and macaroni) in addition to interviews with their respective executives in Dhofar (see themes below). Tastings of new foods in Dhofar also informs the study.\nResults: This section presents the study's secondary data and qualitative results before discussion ensues. The annual Salalah Tourism Festival runs from 15 July to 31 August (Oman Ministry of Tourism, 2016). It is popular with expatriates, Gulf nationals and other foreign tourists, thus catering for many market segments. Its timing coincides with the Khareef season, to celebrate the monsoon. Over the course of time, the event has grown into an international festival, due mainly to the long-standing efforts of the authorities to develop tourism infrastructure in Salalah. The festival features cultural, art, heritage, sport and shopping activities besides various contests. Food also forms an integral part of the festival experience though it is not clear that the event organisers employ deliberate strategies to either emphasise or layer food tourism pathways through this event.\nDiscussion: Tourism data from this case study of Dhofar reveal fluctuations throughout each year's performance; these occur within industry sectors e.g. transport, attractions and accommodation and market segments, despite efforts of public and private sectors to reduce the effects of temporal imbalances in tourism (Butler, 2011, p. 5). This highlights the persistent challenge in the destination posed by seasonality. The two main influences on seasonality (natural and institutional) noted by Butler (2011, pp. 6-7) may be counteracted with strategic thinking, better knowledge of target markets and careful development and planning of new food tourism products, services and experiences. Many factors influence tourism performance, still there is considerable capacity for this sector to improve. Local jobs and livelihoods of many stakeholders may well depend upon it.\nConclusions: This study has employed qualitative and quantitative methods to examine Dhofar's current food tourism landscape and sustainable economic development goals. It has considered seasonality issues and options for expanding the region's main tourism season that features the Khareef from late June until September. This was done by analysing recent tourism statistics for Dhofar and the latest trends in global food tourism to identify a small range of popular products that may be adapted for Salalah and the Dhofar Region, namely, food tours, food factory tours and shops, food festivals, and food cookery classes and holidays.\nLimitations of the study: The limitations of this study include the investigator's being based in Muscat, the vastness of Dhofar, not all of which is covered by the study, constrained access to its tourism stakeholders and all the research taking place in English, with Arabic Oman's national language.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This exploratory research opens a new avenue of tourism destination enquiry for Dhofar Governorate, Oman. It examines the relationship between the food tourism landscape in the country's southernmost region and the Government's stated economic development goals. Tourism is a new industry here and in need of sustainable development. The purpose of this paper is to identify how the natural and human resources of the region may be harnessed to expand food tourism pathways and achieve sustainable economic development e.g. maximising stakeholder benefits.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The literature review highlights many new developments in food tourism for this baseline study. Qualitative and quantitative (i.e. mixed) methods are used including a case study, a pilot survey of key Government stakeholders in Oman's Ministry of Tourism, food factory tours and interviews with their executives in Dhofar, direct and participant observation at food establishments and events, visits to popular roadside and market food stalls in Salalah and tourism trend analysis.\nFindings: Some recent trends in food tourism elsewhere may be adapted in Salalah and spark interest in the food culture and heritage of Dhofar. This, in turn, may bring multiple benefits to the destination's stakeholders. The governorate's environment yields a rich variety of agricultural and other food products that may be used to provide new forms of food tourism and increase the region's appeal to tourists beyond the Khareef season. Further possible benefits include safeguarding local food knowledge, production, culture and heritage, developing SMEs, creating new jobs and increasing visitor stay and spend.\nResearch limitations/implications: The study is conducted solely in English, whereas Arabic is the mother tongue in Oman. Dhofar is the country's largest governorate occupying a vast area, not all of which is covered by the study. More data are needed to inform tourism development, policymaking and planning in Dhofar.\nPractical implications: Improving tourism's sustainability profile, creating successful food tourism products and services and achieving Dhofar's economic development goals require concerted effort. All are in the best interest of the tourism stakeholders concerned.\nSocial implications: This paper provides a foundation for future research on this topic. It highlights the importance of placing food tourism development on a sustainable footing to protect and preserve Dhofar's unique food culture, heritage, traditions and environment, extend the main tourism season and maximise benefits to stakeholders.\nOriginality/value: Recent trends in food tourism are investigated to gauge their applicability in this dynamic region of Oman. Ideas are presented demonstrating possible food tourism pathways to sustainable economic development that benefit a wide range of stakeholders e.g. food tours, food factory tours and shops, food festivals and cookery-school holidays and/or classes.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Twenty-five years of Benchmarking: An International Journal (BIJ): A bibliometric overview
|
[
"Benchmarking",
"Operations management",
"Scopus",
"Bibliometric",
"Gephi",
"VOSviewer"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Benchmarking: An International Journal (BIJ) is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes academic literature in the field of quality management. The Editor-in-chief Angappa Gunasekaran is presently working as Dean and Professor at School of Business and Public Administration, California State University, Bakersfield, the USA. The journal was started in 1994 as Benchmarking for Quality Management & Technology, and it obtained its current name in 1999. BIJ is published by Emerald Group Publishing and is abstracted and indexed in INSPEC, ProQuest and Scopus.\n2. Methodology: Bibliometrics is defined as \"the application of mathematical and statistical methods to books and other means of communication\" (Pritchard, 1969). It is a research methodology primarily used in the library and information sciences. It uses both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to study the bibliographic material of a field (Broadus, 1987). Bibliometrics is widely used to synthesize the most representative results of bibliographic documents (Martinez-Lopez et al., 2018). In recent years, bibliometric papers have extended into different disciplines of management, for example economics (Bonilla et al., 2015; Wu et al., 2018), hospitality and tourism (Garcia-Lillo et al., 2016; Gomezelj, 2016; McKercher, 2008; Mulet-Forteza et al., 2018; Okumus et al., 2018; Strandberg et al., 2018), marketing (Chabowski et al., 2013; Kim and McMillan, 2008; Martinez-Lopez et al., 2018; Tellis et al., 2006; Valenzuela et al., 2017), finance and accounting (Heck and Bremser, 1986; Zhang et al., 2019), and operations and supply chain (Fahimnia et al., 2015; Laengle et al., 2017; Liao et al., 2018).\n3. Bibliometric analysis: 3.1 Number of articles published\n4. Conclusions: Since its first issue, way back in 1994, BIJ has grown in impact in its field. The journal has been cited over 15,000 times by thousands of authors in hundreds of other high-quality refereed journals. This study aimed to uncover publication trends and themes published in this journal. Although BIJ is a US-based journal, we have found that many of the contributions to BIJ have come from Indian authors and institutions. We speculate that this is because of the prominent nature of Indian authors that aligns well with the aims and scope of the journal. We also find that both productivity (as measured by number of publications per year) and reputation (as measured by number of citations per year) have grown considerably since 1999, indicating the success of the journal.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This year, Benchmarking: An International Journal (BIJ) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The purpose of this paper is to show the historical connections and professional impact of the journal over the years. This is accomplished through a detailed bibliometric analysis (BA) of its content from 1994 to 2018. This paper also identifies leading trends that have affected BIJ during this time frame.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In this paper, the authors employ BA on data retrieved from the Scopus database. The authors used various indicators such as the most productive authors, institutions and countries, as well as the most cited papers, citing journals and articles most cited by BIJ between 1994 and 2018. Additionally, the authors have used the Gephi, VOSviewer software to map journals, keywords and institutions with bibliographic coupling and co-citation analysis.\nFindings: The journal has improved its impact, productivity and reputation in the period under review. Articles published in BIJ have been cited in other journals more than 15,000 times. The most prominent themes among the articles published in BIJ are benchmarking, supply chain management and performance improvement. Significant contributions have come from authors and institutions around the globe. Co-authorships, though global, have centered around India, the USA and the UK. There is also a thematic similarity between articles from India and Thailand, and the USA and Germany, indicating high academic collaboration or prevalence of similar issues.\nPractical implications: This paper provides evidence of the impact of BIJ, and in so doing, it helps authors to decide on the appropriateness of this publication for their research. The reader will also understand leading trends occurring in BIJ over the history of the journal.\nOriginality/value: This is the first paper that traces the progress of BIJ covering a time span of 25 years.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The evolution of management from a trust to arm's length model in family run businesses: The case of the diamond industry
|
[
"History",
"Trust",
"Management",
"Social networking",
"Diamonds",
"Industry evolution",
"Family-owned firms"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Family-managed firms play a significant role in economies around the world, especially in terms of gross domestic product growth and employment. Large, multidivisional businesses such as Michelin, Armani, Wal-Mart, Home Depot and IKEA were all founded - and are still controlled and managed - by families (Miller and Le Breton Miller, 2005). One industry in which family firms have been prominent for centuries is in the sourcing, manufacture and sale of diamonds (Berger and Herstein, 2015). Partly through family control, inter-industry rivalry was restricted. Cooperation between firms was high, whereas differentiation was modest (Berger and Herstein, 2012; Mostovicz et al., 2007). Until recently, the supply side of the diamond industry, worth more than US$72bn in retail sales globally in 2012 (Bain & Co and AWDC, 2013), was dominated and controlled by a single firm - De Beers. Under De Beers, a cartel structure dominated the supply side of rough diamonds (unpolished diamonds). However, in recent years, DeBeers' marketing arm, the Central Selling Organization (CSO), has gradually abandoned its past custodianship of the industry. Many family firms that used to buy De Beer's unpolished stones have also gone out of business, merged or became non-family firms run by career managers. This evolution has been associated with a fundamental reorganisation of the diamond industry at all levels.\nDiamond industry: historical background: Diamonds were initially mined in India roughly 2,800 years ago. The first accounts of diamonds are biblical, comprising references in Exodus 28:18 and 39:11; Ezekiel 3:9 and 28:13; Jeremiah 17:1; and Zachariah 7:12. In Exodus, the diamond (Jahalom) is twice mentioned as one of the 12 valuable jewels etched on the breastplate of the High Priest. These biblical references indicate that, even during very early times, the diamond was considered to be a valuable stone. The diamond's scarcity as a gem and its hardness are key factors in its unusual value (Ghaswala, 1987). Historically, the diamond industry was based on social ties because, given its spread globally, there were inherent difficulties in enforcing contractual arrangements between suppliers and distant consumers (Berger and Herstein, 2012). Thus, it became a tribal business based on family ties, with contracts enforced through trust and cultural coercion (Spar, 1994). This system made selling polished diamonds by Jewish merchants' relatively easy, reducing enforcement and product assessment costs in a community spread out over many countries (Grief, 1994). With the expansion of trade routes and limitations of distribution through tribally structured distribution networks, a more centralized complex of traders together emerged. Again, Jewish dealers were predominant, as it was an accepted enterprise for the Jews scattered throughout Europe to deal in diamonds, because they were moneylenders and had strong international networks (Harel, 1986). Moreover, since the fourteenth century, it was one of the few occupations permitted to the Jews in Europe. Jews also had to acquire in-depth knowledge about how to assess, repair and sell the jewellery that they received as collateral for loans. In addition, the cutting and polishing of diamonds was one of the few crafts that the medieval guilds in Europe allowed the Jews to pursue as a profession (Schnitzer, 1988; Szenberg, 1973). If Jews sought a profession, it had to be either gem polishing or money lending. In either instance, they would be dealing with diamonds (Berger and Herstein, 2015).\nTheoretical development: In essence, the primary philosophy underpinning modern management can be characterized as the Material-Instrumental model. The model claims that firms are purely material objects and those in them are purely instruments (Dent and Bozeman, 2014). As Bedeian (1998, p. 9) has noted:\nMethodology: The research focused on the firm and its management as the primary context in which to explore the relationship between the choice of the strategy and environmental change. We claim that in small firms, the study of change should be focused on the owner-manager, who is at the core of the change processes. Interestingly, change management was argued to be equivalent to crisis management in many situations, and it was also reported that changes more often than not came about as a reaction to a situation rather than being proactive initiatives.\nThe seven managerial stages: Based on the qualitative data we gathered from interviews together with data from Israeli Government, industry and academic sources, we built the managerial evolutionary process of the industry and linked it to external events that were in many cases the catalyst for change. We can see that the rationalization of the industry has forced the managers to evolve from trust or social models of exchange to more rational ones structured around arm's-length models of exchange. It is important to note that as the managerial models changed in the Israeli diamond industry filtered to the rest of the industry, leading to global managerial change and the emergence of new managerial standards. In the current section, we included and highlighted some key quotations that were taken from the interviews to bring the readers the atmosphere of the managerial changes that took place in this seven stages' model. Hence, the seven managerial stages model including a unique combination of academic sources as well as first sources information. The stages were constructed on external forces that forced managerial adaptation.\nWhere is the diamond industry headed?: Management theory evolves continually with new ideas that come from the attempts to transform theory into practice. Appreciating its history is a fundamental step for identifying the problems and sources of such paradigms. Managers often pay no attention to the importance of understanding the management history, as they are more disposed to pay attention to actions occurring in the present. To disregard the progress of management throughout history is to risk repeating the same mistakes. Firms working in competitive environments are continually trying new ideas to manage an increasingly complex business environment. They now understand that keeping in touch with and developing new knowledge is a key factor in assuring their survival. The evolution of management theory mirrors the changes in the economic and social environments. Competitive advantage will increasingly be more difficult to define, for it will be based on speed, innovation, service and customization, as well as volume, scale and cost (low). Established firms cannot exclusively compete with sustaining technologies because new entrants typically invade their markets with disruptive technologies.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The primary purpose of this paper is to fill the research gap regarding the evolution of managerial processes within (largely family) diamond industry firms, especially over the past seven decades.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Qualitative data were gathered from interviews with 100 managers in the diamond industry in Israel, together with data from Israeli Government, industry and academic sources.\nFindings: Over the recent life cycle of the diamond industry, with its changing structures and dynamics, participant firms have evolved through seven stages of engagement, from one based on trust and personal connections to more impersonal, standardized connections that exist today.\nResearch limitations/implications: In seeking to tell the story of industry participants as a group, the differences in behaviours between the family firms and the non-family firms have not explored. This should be the work of future research, which, if aimed at teasing out the results of this study, may help shed additional light on the strategic processes that occur within family firms.\nPractical implications: Although the firms examined in this study were from one industry (and an arguably narrow cultural base), their development over time was not dissimilar to the experience reported in other industries and cultures. This suggests that the components of the evolution of the strategic process that ensues within family firms may be generalizable throughout cultures. In the absence of kin relationships, the importance of trust in their dealings cannot be overstated.\nOriginality/value: The findings demonstrate how one group of participants in the global diamond industry has responded to the changing economic, social and political contexts of their operations, where trust and personal connections have been replaced by more impersonal, standardized dealings.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Customer choice of a car maintenance service provider: A model to identify the service attributes that determine choice
|
[
"Brazil",
"Maintenance",
"Private cars",
"SERVQUAL",
"Operations management",
"Consumer behaviour"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Although the automotive industry is a popular investigation setting in operations management, the related automotive services industry is rarely mentioned in the field. The automotive services industry includes car servicing, mechanical repairs, car body repairs and breakdown and recovery services. This paper looks at this service industry and investigates customer choice of service supplier following the end of the warranty period.The automotive industry is highly significant to the Brazilian economy; in 2005 it represented 11.5 per cent of the GNP or 13.4 billion USD (ANFAVEA, 2006). Similar statistics for the automotive services industry are not available; however, total sales of replacement parts - which represent a fraction of the market - reached 1.3 billion USD in 2005 (ANFAVEA, 2006). Additionally, the service activity seems to be increasingly relevant to dealers' overall business (FENABRAVE, 2001). Urdan (1999) studied the composition of the overall profit of branded dealers comparing the situation in 1996 against 1989. The share of profit accruing from parts and services rose from 15 per cent in 1989 to 46 per cent in 1996. In the USA, dealers' profitability is also dependant on service (Banks, 2006).In 2005, the Brazilian fleet comprised 21.3 million units, with an average age of 13.4 years (FENABRAVE, 2005). Since the typical warranty period is one year, the owners of nearly 20 million cars face the choice of selecting their maintenance service provider. Their main options are branded car dealers and independent garages. The latter are clearly winning the battle given that 75 per cent of consumers choose independent garages over branded car dealers following the end of the warranty period (ABRIVE, 2003). Our study investigated why consumers choose independent garages or branded car dealers and what service attributes determine actual customer choice. This type of study joins a recent research trend that has shifted from studying drivers of customer satisfaction to examining drivers of customer behaviour intentions such as re-purchase habits (Ranaweera and Neely, 2003; Sureshchandar et al., 2002). It is also in line with the call from Johnston (1995a) to look in further detail at linking operational performance to business drivers.The research on service quality has established a positive association between quality and customer purchase intentions, but the relationship has proven to be complex, involving other constructs such as perceived value of the offer and customer satisfaction (Cronin et al., 2000). This research used an extended list of service attributes related to operations and investigated their direct relation to customer choice. Service attributes were identified and evaluated drawing on the service quality literature and previous studies on car maintenance services (Rodrigues, 2001; Mersha and Adlakha, 1992; Bouman and Wiele, 1992).A probabilistic sample of 400 car owners taken from Uberlandia, a medium-sized Brazilian city was used. A set of logistic regressions with the dependent variable \"actual customer choice\" was used as the main analytical tool. This was complemented by an initial factor analysis and a survey to rate the importance of each attribute from the customer's perspective. Results allowed identification of the service attributes that drive customer choice for both types of service providers and rating how well each service provider is performing in each of these attributes relative to the direct competitor. The analysis can be used to guide actions in the operations area linking them to the overall business drivers.The next section reviews the relevant literature on service quality and determinants of customer purchase intentions and ends with a definition of the research question and how this research builds on previous work. The methodology section describes in more detail measurements and data collection procedures. Results are then presented and discussed and a conclusions section ends the paper.\nLiterature review: The service quality literature probably represents the main research stream related to the understanding and explanation of customer purchase intentions in service operations. However, there is still debate in the literature about how to operationalise and measure service quality. In this section, we first briefly review the measurement of service quality and then discuss studies that analysed the effect of service quality and other constructs on customer purchase intentions or actual behaviour.Measurement of service quality\nMethodology: Data collection\nResults and discussion: Sample general characteristics\nConclusion: We aimed to study the decision a customer faces when choosing a car maintenance service provider. In Brazil, this choice involves mainly two options: using a branded dealer as a continuation of the service provided during the warranty period or opting for independent garages.The study's analytical approach allowed us to identify the critical service attributes associated with customer choice based on a comprehensive list that encompassed typical service quality characteristics as well as items of particular relevance to the car maintenance industry - convenience and value perception. Integrated analysis combining perceived differences in each attribute's performance with the importance given to each attribute (Table IV) enabled us to better understand the current picture and recommend guidelines on how operations could be improved for each type of service provider.The analysis explains the reasons behind the weak position of branded dealers in the market. It helps to understand their low market share (only 25 per cent) despite the opportunity the warranty period presents to them of demonstrating to all future customers the quality of their offer. Current branded dealers' customers evaluate them favourably in only one important attribute: better equipment condition. No other attributes where the branded dealers obtained better evaluation seem to matter to customers. These attributes may be order qualifiers (Hill, 1993) or the dissatisfiers as defined by Johnston (1995b) where a better performance has a limited contribution. On the other hand, these very customers expect the competitor (independent garages) to perform better in three attributes they consider important: value for money, adherence to forecast prices and mechanical reliability. In other words, they see the competitor offering a lower cost - same value service, as more likely to maintain the prices they initially promise, and have more confidence in the mechanical expertise they offer. Additionally, they say these are important factors influencing their choice. The most likely outcome is future customer defection to independent garages.An additional point is that the only attribute where the branded dealers perform better, namely better equipment condition, is not difficult to replicate. The resource-based view of strategy (Barney, 1991; Peteraf, 1993) states that easily copied resources cannot be a source of sustained competitive advantage. They lead at most to a temporary advantage and with time to competitive parity.The results can be used to review the design of service operations for both types of service providers and better reconcile market demand with operational resources - Slack and Lewis' (2003) idea of operations strategy. Branded dealers need to change their approach or they will continue to lose customers to independent garages. First, they need to neutralise their disadvantage regarding some order winning attributes. One of the key problems is the perception that independent shops offer better value for money. The lack of economies of scale in service is a challenge, but co-operation with car manufacturers integrating the supply chain, getting auto-parts manufacturers onboard and utilising the benefits of such integration could be a promising area. A cost advantage in terms of auto-parts would not only play a part in the ability to offer better value, but also could be made more difficult to imitate given the relationship with car manufacturers, potentially a sustainable competitive advantage (Barney, 1991). Other important attributes are relatively easier to improve by modifying service design and modularity. Possible initiatives could include guaranteeing prices and estimates for certain service packages and revising service flow promoting direct contact between the customer and the mechanic, rather than between the customer and an attendant with limited technical knowledge. In fact, some branded dealers are currently moving in this direction and have started to advertise fixed price service packages. Second, branded car dealers could try to leverage the attributes for which they are recognised for good performance. They could try to increase the importance given to these attributes by the consumer. Exploiting the relationship with the car manufacturer, they could try to give more importance to an image of a more updated technology and reliability.The results of the research can also be used to guide independent repair garages. Here, the focus point is clearly identified. They need to improve the general condition of their equipment and site. This move has already been taken by some repair shop chains such as Precision Tune Auto Care, a global chain of repair garages with more than 650 garages worldwide who has been active in Brazil since 1999.Some limitations must be considered when interpreting the results of this research. The sample included only cars with 1,000 cc engines. Although these represented 66.7 per cent of the sales of new cars in 2002 (ANFAVEA, 2006), the decision drivers of owners of other car types may be different, especially relating to more expensive cars. The sample was also filtered by year of car manufacture and cars manufactured before 1995 were not included. Results can be considered to have full external validity only for the investigated city. Other regions of the country may have specificities that lead to different results. Other variables like convenience related to proximity to customer home or work address, type of maintenance (preventive or corrective) would enrich the study and could be explored in future work. Future studies could also explore the decision moment that occurs at the end of the warranty period when the consumer has to make the decision as to whether or not to switch to a different service supplier. Another alternative would be to investigate specifically the customers who opt for a change and determine the reasons behind their decision.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper investigates the determinants of customer choice of a car maintenance service provider after the warranty period. It focuses on the alternative of using branded car dealers, who provide this service during the warranty period, or independent garages.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A comprehensive list of 30 service attributes is developed drawing on the service quality literature, specific previous studies on car maintenance services, and including other purchase behaviour determinants such as perceived value. Simple random sampling with replacement is used to collect data from 400 car owners using the actual choice of a service provider as the dependent variable. A quantitative analysis using a set of logistic regressions links directly customer choice to the service attributes.\nFindings: - Service attributes that determine customer choice are the ones consumers simultaneously consider important and perceive differences in performance between the service providers. The branded dealers service operation proved to be relatively weak, having only one of these attributes, while being better evaluated in less important ones. Independent garages have a much better offer justifying their gain in market share.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Only economic cars (1,000 cc) were analysed. Convenience and location were only partially controlled and could play a more significant role in some decision settings. Logistic regressions could effectively predict customer choice in close to 90 per cent of the cases demonstrating the adequacy of including other service attributes beyond the ones covered in the service quality literature.\nPractical implications: - Directions for improvement in the operations of both branded dealers and independent garages could be derived and some recent moves by both types of players could be supported by the results.\nOriginality/value: - Investigation of the Brazilian setting and the methodological approach of linking actual customer choice to the extended set of service attributes by the combination of logistic regressions and the importance rating of the attributes.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Technology adoption news and corporate reputation: sentiment analysis about the introduction of Bitcoin
|
[
"Vector autoregression",
"Corporate reputation",
"Social media analysis",
"Sentiment analysis",
"Bitcoin",
"Technology adoption",
"Blockchain"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Corporate reputation refers to the \"admiration and respect a person holds of an organization at a point in time\" (Dowling, 2016: p. 218). Previous literature agrees in considering it to be a strategic asset for sustaining a company's performance (Fombrun and Shanley, 1990; Benjamin and Podolny, 1999; Deephouse, 2000; Gatzert, 2015; Crespo and Inacio, 2018).\nResearch framework: Corporate reputation and technology adoption\nMethodology and data: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the release of news about adopting innovative technology and corporate reputation. The technology adoption in question is the introduction of Bitcoin in five companies, as an additional method of payment. These companies form a useful case study, as they were mentioned in the Twitter timeline before and after the date when their Bitcoin news was released.\nResults: The descriptive results in Table IV show that 2.8 per cent of all tweets expressed a negative sentiment, with small differences across the companies. The largest variations with respect to the sample average refer to TigerDirect (4.1 per cent) and CheapAir.com (0.3 per cent). With respect to the subset of tweets about Bitcoin technology, the share of negative messages was much lower (0.7 per cent).\nDiscussion and conclusions: Previous works dealing with corporate reputation have focused on understanding the impact of perceived innovativeness on brand-related performance (Kunz et al., 2011). However, no previous study had focused on the role played by a company's decision to adopt a technology as an event that could affect its corporate reputation. The aim of this research was to fill the gap by modeling an empirical experiment based on data collected from Twitter. The social media response experienced by five US-based companies when they introduced the Bitcoin cryptocurrency provided quantitative measures of corporate reputation.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Evidence from previous literature indicates that adopting a new innovative technology has a positive impact on a company's business performance. Much less work has been carried out into examining whether a technology adoption has impact on corporate reputation. This paper aims to examine the latter topic in a context where social media is the channel used to share news about the introduction of a new technology. The empirical setting of the study consists of five retail companies located in the USA that decided to include Bitcoin as a payment platform.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Twitter data were used to measure how sharing news about the adoption of new technology could affect the reputation of the companies selected, keeping a clear distinction between the volume of data relating to social media responses and the sentiment expressed in the tweets. A panel vector autoregression model was used to incorporate series of data relating to news items, volume and sentiment.\nFindings: The results show that the news about the adoption of a new technology has a positive impact on both the volume of tech-related tweets and the sentiment expressed in the tweets themselves, although the patterns of these two effects are different. The resulting impact decreases after a few days, both in volume and in sentiment.\nResearch limitations/implications: The analysis has limitations that future research could address by extending and diversifying the examined companies and the social media used as data sources. The research suggests that managers in medium-sized companies can leverage on the introduction of new technologies that have a direct impact on their customers and gain reputational benefits in terms of immediate visibility.\nOriginality/value: The research introduces an additional dimension of analysis to the current stream of corporate reputation. Although the literature has already covered the dynamics of response to events on Twitter, by focusing on the adoption of the new Bitcoin technology, the paper provides novel insights.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Consumer preferences for Cerrado fruit preserves: a study using conjoint analysis
|
[
"Nutritional information",
"Conjoint analysis",
"Consumer preferences",
"Exotic Brazilian fruits"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Brazil is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and has a wide range of fruit species. Many of these species are unknown and, therefore, have little commercial value. The North and Northeast regions of Brazil are home to the greatest biodiversity (Mattietto et al., 2010) and many of the plant species of this region provide fruits with unique sensory characteristics and high nutrient content (Souza et al., 2012). Therefore, these fruits are of potential interest to agroindustry and a possible source of income for the local population (Almeida et al., 2011; Cardoso et al., 2011). One way to increase the availability of, and add even more value to, exotic Brazilian fruits is to create new products, such as jams and fruit preserves. Given the wide variety of fruits in the Brazilian Cerrado, a number of products can be prepared from various mixtures. However, for the development of a new Cerrado fruit product, previous knowledge regarding the factors that influence the consumer buying process as well as identification of the target audience is necessary.\n2. Materials and methods: The ethic code committee of this paper is CAAE 0018.0.461.000-11.\n3. Results and discussion: 3.1 Conjoint analysis\n4. Conclusion: The paper showed that the factors driving intention to purchase of Cerrado fruit preserves are flavor, nutritional information and health claims. Three groups were formed. Consumers from Group 1 (majority) were more influenced by flavor and nutritional factors. Groups 2 and 3 were greatly influenced by nutritional information and flavor, respectively. Health claims, obtained weakly, influenced the intention to purchase regardless of the groups. Therefore, one way to increase the availability and to add more value to exotic Brazilian fruits is to develop light Cerrado fruit preserves of marolo and soursop that aids in the reduction of cardiovascular disease risk, and which will meet the preferences of most consumers.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: One way to increase the availability and to add more value to exotic Brazilian fruits is to develop new products. However, prior to product development, there is a need to know consumer's preferences and target audience. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of different characteristics of Cerrado fruit preserves on the intention to purchase using conjoint analysis.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Conjoint analysis evaluated three factors with three levels each, defined by focus group technique. The attributes and levels evaluated were: flavor (marolo, marolo and soursoup, marolo, soursoup and sweet passion fruit), nutritional information (light, diet and absent) and health claims (aids reduction of cardiovascular disease risk; aids reduction of blood cholesterol; aids activation and regulation of the gastrointestinal system).\nFindings: The results of conjoint analysis led to three consumers' groups. Group 1 (majority) were more influenced by flavor (IR=26.5 percent) and nutritional information (IR=59.3 percent). Groups 2 and 3 were greatly influenced by flavor and nutritional information, respectively. Health claims influenced weakly on the intention to purchase regardless the groups. Thus, the concept of Cerrado fruit preserves for each group was different.\nOriginality/value: This research contributes to future studies, supporting the development of products based on Cerrado fruits and the variety of products on the market. There are few research works using conjoint analysis to evaluate consumer preferences in the early stages of new product development, which makes this paper even more relevant.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The nexus of corporate social responsibility (CSR), affective commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour in academia: A model of trust
|
[
"Universities",
"Trust",
"Corporate social responsibility",
"Affective commitment",
"Organizational citizenship behaviour"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Over the last two decades, a growing body of empirical research has established the significance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a strategic business tool that positively affects stakeholders through organisational actions that are beyond its financial interest (Aguinis and Glavas, 2019; Turker, 2009). CSR has been described as \"the extent to which businesses assume the economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities imposed on them by their stakeholders\" (Maignan and Ferrell, 2001, p. 38). CSR stakeholders can be internal (e.g. employees) or external (e.g. customers) to the core business of organisation. The significance of CSR is evident from the findings of research that revealed its many positive effects on a range of individual and organisational outcomes, including consumer loyalty (Park et al., 2017), employee commitment (Brammer et al., 2007), job performance (Newman et al., 2015) and job satisfaction (Aguinis and Glavas, 2012).\nOverview of the literature: Whilst the roots of CSR are traceable to several decades, the notion of CSR gained much momentum in the post-industrial era when the rising social power of organisations and their obligations towards stakeholders are increasingly discussed and debated (Carroll, 2015). Consequently, organisations around the world have started to recognise the strategic significance of CSR for their long-term survival and sustainability. At the same time, CSR scholarship continues to shed light on its many beneficial effects for organisations, including greater satisfaction of stakeholders and an overall improved financial performance (Aguinis and Glavas, 2012; Bhattacharya et al., 2008). With reference to the focus on stakeholder groups, the notion of CSR encompasses two distinct categories: internal CSR and external CSR. Internal CSR focuses on internal stakeholder groups of an organisation such as employees and shareholders. External CSR deals with stakeholder groups outside the organisation, such as government and customers. CSR has positive implications for both external and internal stakeholders (Aguinis and Glavas, 2012; Carroll, 2015).\nResearch method: The research model (Figure 1) and hypotheses were tested on a sample of 736 academics in Pakistan. According to Farooq et al. (2014), Pakistan provides a novel context to conduct research on CSR because its cultural value system and economic conditions considerably differ from the West, where most of the CSR research has been conducted. In our view, the context shapes the pattern of social exchange and social identification among people, which may affect the influence of perceived CSR on affective OC and OCB, evident from other countries (see Table I). For example, more than 90 per cent of population in Pakistan holds Islamic cultural values and Islam mandates obligatory forms of charity in the form of Zakat. Whilst the purpose of this paper is not to provide a detailed commentary on CSR in the context of Islamic value system, some novel and context specific empirical findings from testing the research model in universities of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are nevertheless expected.\nData analysis: This study deployed statistically robust procedures to analyse the survey data with the help of two software packages: SPSS (Version 21) and AMOS (Version 18). The former was used to code and clean the data and to conduct a descriptive analysis. The later was used to evaluate the validity and reliability of the study's measures as well as to test the research model in structural equation modelling (SEM). We applied two-stage SEM with confirmatory factor analysis performed in the first stage, and the structural model tested in the second stage (see also Brown, 2006; Hair et al., 2006). Prior to this, we ensured that the data meets the SEM assumptions by screening for missing data, outliers, normality and multicollinearity (Tabachnick and Fidell, 2007). We followed the instructions provided by Kline (2005) to identify outliers and excluded 24 of the outlying responses (with p-value<0.00 under Mahalanobis distance). Further, we calculated skewness and kurtosis values to assess the normality assumptions of data and found that the research data were normally distributed.\nDiscussion, implications and conclusion: A growing body of research conducted in the corporate settings of both developed and developing countries supports that perceived CSR enhances OC (see e.g. Brammer et al., 2007; Farooq et al., 2014; Hofman and Newman, 2014; Turker, 2009) and OCB (e.g. Rupp et al., 2013; Zhang et al., 2014). Yet, recent research in this terrain of literature identifies a black box in terms of knowledge on mediational mechanisms (or \"microfoundations\") that underlie the perceived CSR's relationships with individual-level outcomes (see e.g. Ng et al., 2019). The present study attempts to unpack this black box by examining the role of trust in the process by which perceived CSR may affect OC and OCB in the context of a developing country. Examining the microfoundations of CSR in developing countries context is important because the notion takes into consideration some of the pressing societal problems. Further, it is important for organisations that operate in this context to act in a manner that \"exceeds the legal, ethical, commercial and public expectations that society has of businesses\" (Jamali and Mirshak, 2007, p. 244). Within this wider context, higher education provides an institution for motivating future business leaders to look beyond economic returns and act in a socially responsible manner in order to overcome many of the country's social and economic challenges. Accordingly, we turned our research focus on perceived CSR in Pakistani universities to understand how it may influence attitude and behaviour of academics. In particular, the significance of understanding a trust-based mechanism in the context of universities is evident from the standpoint of knowledge sharing (see also Tzortzaki and Mihiotis, 2014). Moreover, academic collaborations in general involve an element of trust. Therefore, we expect that the findings of this paper may foreshadow some of the broader institutional effects of CSR.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to advance knowledge on the implications of perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) on employee levels of commitment and citizenship behaviour (OCB) by investigating a trust-based mediational process in the context of academia.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research data are collected from a sample of 736 academics through a questionnaire based survey administered in different Pakistani universities. The nature of trust-based mechanism underlying the relationships between CSR, affective commitment and OCB is determined through structural equation modelling of the research data.\nFindings: The findings suggest that the perceived CSR is an important predictor of academics' attitudes and behaviour in universities. Whilst the findings implicate the mediating role of trust in the process by which perceived CSR influences academics' commitment, trust does not appear to mediate the perceived CSR's relationship with OCB.\nResearch limitations/implications: This study utilises single-sourced and cross-sectional data, which may have resulted in common method bias.\nPractical implications: By furnishing evidence of the beneficial effects of perceived CSR on academics' levels of trust, commitment and citizenship behaviour, this study provides a business case for universities' involvement in CSR. The findings are particularly useful to academic administrators and managers who are interested in nurturing positive attitudes and behaviours amongst academic staff.\nOriginality/value: There is a paucity of research on CSR in the academic work settings of developing countries. This is the first study to examine the trust-based microfoundation of CSR in the context of academia in Pakistan.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Strengths, innovation, and opportunities in a burgeoning industry: an exploratory study
|
[
"Strengths",
"Opportunities",
"Resource-based theory of the firm",
"Theory of innovation",
"Micro and small craft breweries"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Craft breweries fall under the category of independently owned, small breweries that adhere to traditional ingredients and brewing practices (Acitelli, 2013). Throughout the last decades, the craft brewing industry has experienced rapid growth in numerous countries and regions, and often, microbreweries are the driving force (Brewers Association, 2016; Cannatelli et al., 2015; Fastigi et al., 2015; McLaughlin et al., 2014; Reid et al., 2014). In the USA, for instance, the number of craft breweries has significantly increased, from 537 in 1994, to over 4,225 in 2015 (Brewers Association, 2016). Within this 21-year period, microbreweries grew from 192 to 2,397. Similarly, in the European Union, a substantial increase of microbreweries has been reported. In fact, between 2009 and 2014, microbreweries grew from 51 to 238, 263 to 566, 27 to 314, 242 to 585, and 694 to 1,414 in the Czech Republic, France, Spain, Italy, and the UK, respectively (Brewers of Europe, 2015). This growth also highlights various implications, in particular for the promotion, marketing, and further development of craft brewing products.\nLiterature review: Resources and the RBTF\nMethods: The present exploratory study is concerned with examining perceived strengths, benefits from involvement in innovation, and opportunities in the craft brewing industry, adopting the RBTF and the TOI as theoretical frameworks. To examine these areas, the perceptions of predominantly micro and small US craft brewery operators, including owners and managers are gathered. Potential statistically significant differences between the areas under investigation and demographic characteristics of participants and their breweries are also investigated. Thus, the study contributes to various streams of academic literature, including craft brewing and micro and small business entrepreneurship.\nResults: RQ1: main perceived strengths and inter-group differences\nDiscussion: RQ4: how the RBTF and the TOI contribute to the understanding of the study's themes\nConclusions: The main objective of this exploratory research was to contribute to the extant literature on craft brewing entrepreneurship, and micro and small businesses. In doing so, the study examined craft brewery operators' perceived strengths, their level of involvement in innovative practices, and perceived opportunities for their craft brewing firms. The study also investigated potential statistically significant differences between demographic characteristics of breweries and participants, and items related to the themes under investigation. Finally, the study adopted the RBTF and the TOI, thus, also contributing to the literature, by adopting these theoretical frameworks in the context of the burgeoning craft brewing industry.\nImplications: The findings highlighting operators' perceived strengths, ways of innovating and opportunities in the context of the USA, where a burgeoning and vibrant craft brewing industry is developing, provide valuable preliminary insights. One practical implication is that knowledge of these areas could be useful for new entrants, operators in other emerging industries, including cider and Perry producers, or those in established industries, such as the wine industry. For instance, awareness of product/service quality, knowledge and expertise, or product variety emphasise key areas for operators to achieve a certain degree of heterogeneity and imperfect mobility thus maximising the potential for competitive advantage.\nLimitations and future research: The study only gathered the perceptions of operators of 221 craft brewery businesses. Given that at the time of the study over 4,000 craft breweries were operating in the USA (Brewers Association, 2016), the number of participants is modest. Also, the study predominantly gathered responses from micro and small craft brewery operators, with larger breweries being absent from the research. In view of these limitations, the findings are not generalisable to the entire craft brewing industry of this nation. However, given the exploratory nature of the study, the findings provide first-hand insights of this industry. These findings could be valuable in illustrating strengths, ways and extent of innovating, and perceived opportunities. Together, the findings based on these themes also provide groundwork upon which future research studies could be developed. Some of the limitations of this research could also be addressed in future studies, for instance, employing various approaches, including mail questionnaires or face-to-face and telephone interviews, to achieve higher response rates.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine key areas related to the craft brewing industry from the perspective of operators of micro and small craft breweries, and propose a framework based on the resourced-based theory of the firm and the theory of innovation. The areas investigated include participants' perceived strengths of their craft brewery, involvement in innovative practices, opportunities for the craft brewing firm, and potential differences related to these areas based on the demographic characteristics of participants and their breweries.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Given its growing significance and economic contribution, the US craft brewery industry was chosen for this study. An online questionnaire was designed to gather data from craft brewery operators across the nation.\nFindings: Product and service quality, knowledge, reputation, and expertise were revealed as key strengths, while creating new recipes and using social media tools were the most considered ways of innovating. Furthermore, opportunities were perceived through craft beer tourism, increased consumption, and quality improvements. Statistically significant differences emerged, particularly based on production levels, staff numbers, and involvement/no involvement in exports. Various associations between the findings and the adopted theoretical frameworks were revealed.\nOriginality/value: In terms of originality, the proposed refinement based on the adopted theoretical frameworks and findings facilitates understanding of the significance of resources and innovation, particularly for firms operating in a growing industry. Regarding value, the findings have important implications for the industry, for instance, in the marketing of craft brewing, as well as in the development of new craft brewing products.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Proactive personality and training motivation among older workers: A mediational model of goal orientation
|
[
"Older workers",
"Proactive personality",
"Training motivation",
"Learning goal orientation",
"Mediation model",
"Performance goal orientation"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Global population is ageing at an unprecedented rate (Vaupel, 2010). In 2009, it was estimated that one out of nine people were aged 60 years and over; this index is expected to grow and reach one out of every five people. In the most developed countries, it is estimated that one out of three people will be 60 years old, or over, by 2050 (United Nations, 2013), with European countries being no exceptions. Italy is one of the first countries (with Japan, Germany and Sweden) that is facing an increase in the number of older people (United Nations, 2013). In detail, a recent survey revealed that Italy is one of the European countries with the lowest employment rate for people aged 20-64 years (55.6 per cent; Eurostat, 2013). Moreover, the Italian participation rate of people aged 55-64 years is at least at the bottom of the 16 European Union members. The main reasons for this global change are the lower fertility and the improvement of health conditions (Kinsella and Velkoff, 2001). The demographic changes and the extension of the average working life, in turn, lead people to stay employable longer (Hedge and Borman, 2012). Therefore, the need for retaining older workers in organizations has become a noticeable area of research (Wang and Shultz, 2010), and it is at the top of the agenda of several governments and societies (Schalk et al., 2010). Indeed, organizations need to understand how to manage ageing workers and how to guarantee them adequate occupational well-being in terms, for example, of work motivation, job performance and training motivation (Bal et al., 2015; Finkelstein et al., 2015).\nMethod: Sample\nResults: Descriptive statistics\nDiscussion: This study aims to provide an evidence of the relationship between older workers' proactive personality and their training motivation, as mediated by goal orientation.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims at examining the relationship between proactive personality and training motivation among older workers (aged over 55 years) in a context characterized by the growing ageing of the global population. First, the authors hypothesized that proactive personality predicts the motivation to learn among older workers and that this relationship is mediated by goal orientation. In particular, the authors hypothesized that learning goal orientation may mediate the relationship between proactive personality and learning motivation.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The employees of an Italian bank completed an online questionnaire. AMOS 17 was used to carry out confirmatory factor analysis, and the SPSS macro was used to test the meditational model.\nFindings: The results confirmed both the hypotheses, demonstrating the influence of proactive personality on training motivation of older workers, as mediated by goal orientation and, in particular, by learning goal orientation.\nPractical implications: From an applicative point of view, this study may have implications for organizations that aim to increase the employability of older people by encouraging them to undertake more training. In particular, interventions aimed at increasing learning goal orientation could contribute in strengthening proactive personality that, in turn, may affect levels of training motivation.\nOriginality/value: Even if proactive personality has already been found as a predictor of learning motivation, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the present study demonstrates that the relationship between proactive personality and training motivation is mediated by goal orientation among older workers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The buffering effects of CSR reputation in times of product-harm crisis
|
[
"CSR",
"Reputation",
"Crisis management",
"Buffering effects",
"Resistance to negative information",
"Supportive communication"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Crises are virtually guaranteed to happen to every corporation in the course of business. By way of example, a survey by Burson-Marsteller and Penn Schoen Berland (2013) revealed that 44 percent of business managers have experienced a crisis within the past year. In total, 56 percent believe a crisis is likely to happen in the following year, indicating that many now recognize the inevitability of a crisis. Accordingly, the threat that a crisis poses has become a serious concern for business managers. Commonly identified negative effects of crises include not just tangible losses such as a decline in revenues and cutbacks or layoffs (Coombs, 2015); they also include severe and sometimes fatal damage to intangible assets: a tarnished reputation and a harsher business environment associated with the flood of negative information and increased media scrutiny, government scrutiny and social media discussion resulting from the crisis (Coombs, 2015). Needleless to say, knowing how to mitigate the potential negative impacts of a crisis is crucial to a business' survival. To provide guidance, many prior studies have focused on how to shelter or restore corporate intangible assets, especially reputational assets, through crisis response strategies during or after a crisis (Kim et al., 2011). However, once a crisis occurs, damage can result despite the best crisis management strategies. Companies need to know ways to mitigate such risks prior to a crisis. \"One means by which corporations can reduce the uncertainty associated with a competitive and potentially hostile environment is by cultivating a reservoir of goodwill\" (Jones et al., 2000, p. 28), and \"reputation is the vessel in which goodwill accumulates\" (p. 28). This study proposes establishing a solid corporate social responsibility reputation (CSR reputation) prior to a crisis as a way to buffer the potentially debilitating impacts of crises.\nLiterature review: CSR reputation\nMethods: The study employed a randomized 2 (CSR reputation: good vs bad) x 2 (product-harm crisis type: tampering vs preventable) full factorial design in two industry settings (food industry and retail industry) to examine the suggested hypotheses. We chose to test the effects of CSR reputation and crisis types in different industries to enhance the external validity of the study findings.\nResults: Manipulation checks revealed that participants exposed to a good CSR reputation (M=6.58, SD=0.79) perceived the reputation significantly better (F (1, 226)=1,562.25, p<0.001, e2=0.87) than those exposed to a bad CSR reputation (M=1.66, SD=1.05). Most participants recalled the type of crisis correctly (N=222, 97.8 percent). In terms of believability of stimuli, no significant difference was found among conditions, and the means of stimuli were above the mid-point of the seven-point scale (CSR reputation: M=5.47, SD=1.40, crisis type: M=5.72, SD=1.28). That is, manipulations produced the intended effects and participants perceived stimuli as similarly believable across conditions. Prior to testing the hypotheses, a series of ANOVA tests were performed to examine whether there were main effects or interaction effects of industry type with other independent variables on dependent variables. The tests revealed that there were no significant main effects or interaction effects of business sectors. The homogeneity of variances between groups in different industries was evaluated through a Levene's test and no significant results were found. These results indicate that the effects of CSR reputation and crisis type were universal across business sectors. Thus, the researcher conducted further inferential statistical analyses after merging groups across the two industries.\nDiscussion: This study examines the role of prior-CSR reputation in protecting a company's CSR reputation during product-harm crises and how it influences consumers' crisis-related behavioral intentions (i.e. supportive communication, resistance to negative information and crisis resiliency). We test whether the impact of prior-CSR reputation differs by crisis type as well. An experiment of 2 (prior reputation: good vs bad) x 2 (crisis: victim vs preventable) x 2 (retail and food industry) with consumer samples was conducted to test the proposed hypothesis.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of prior-CSR reputation in protecting a company's CSR reputation during product-harm crises and how it influences consumers' crisis-related behavioral intentions (i.e. supportive communication, resistance to negative information and crisis resiliency). The authors test whether the impact of prior-CSR reputation differs by crisis type as well.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A randomized 2 (CSR reputation: good vs bad) x 2 (product-harm crisis type: tampering vs preventable) full factorial design in two industry settings (food industry and retail industry) with consumer samples was conducted.\nFindings: The results revealed the determinant role of positive prior-CSR reputation in protecting reputational assets. A company with positive CSR reputation experiences no decrease in its CSR reputation during victim crises and fairly minor decreases during preventable crises. However, a company with a bad prior-CSR reputation experiences a greater decline in its CSR reputation across both crises; the level of decline during victim crises was as substantial as the decline experienced during a preventable crisis. The prior-CSR reputation directly affects consumers' crisis-related intentions, and indirectly does so through post-CSR reputation. As post-CSR reputation becomes more positive, consumers display greater resistance to negative information, supportive communication intent and crisis resiliency.\nOriginality/value: This study advances the understanding of the role of corporate reputation during crises and provides additional empirical evidence of how the buffering effect of CSR can extend beyond product-related intentions among consumers. The findings can induce companies to adopt CSR programs more systematically and proactively under a long-term strategic plan.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
How do a company's information technology competences influence its ability to innovate?
|
[
"Competences",
"Resources",
"Innovation",
"Knowledge management",
"Research"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Information technology (IT) has been touted as providing many benefits to companies that use it well. For example, studies show that IT may increase product quality (Thatcher and Pingry, 2004), improve workflow (Buhler and Vidal, 2005), enhance a company's flexibility to respond to customer needs (Gunasekaran and Ngai, 2004), and improve communication between a company and its customers and suppliers (Fiala, 2005). One likely but rarely mentioned benefit of IT is its role in keeping companies innovative. Despite the incorporation of IT components into many innovative products and services, the role of IT in helping companies become and stay innovative remains unclear. On the one hand, IT could encourage and support innovation by means such as improving innovators' ability to collaborate with one another and search for relevant information and knowledge. On the other hand, IT and information systems could stifle creativity and innovation by standardizing, automating, and institutionalizing existing processes and workflow. Companies need to understand how to build the IT competences necessary for innovation and to use them to support rather than hinder innovation. The purpose of this research is to understand how an organization's IT competences can affect its innovation processes. Specifically, we use a case study methodology to undertake an exploratory analysis of the relationship between an organization's IT competences and its ability to innovate.A wealth of research supports the hypothesis that innovation is one of the primary drivers of firm growth and profitability (see, for example, Acs and Audretsch, 1990; Cho and Pucik, 2005; Giarratana, 2004; Iwai, 1984; Roberts, 2001; Seaden et al., 2003). Industry practice also supports this hypothesis, as many companies devote a large portion of their revenue to research and development and attribute a high return to such spending (Fraumeni and Okubo, 2002; Re$earch Infosource, Inc., 2004). For these companies and others, innovation is often a primary strategic goal (Hay and Kamshad, 1994; Nambisan, 2002). Because of the importance of innovation, many researchers have analyzed its antecedents, hoping to determine what a firm must do if it hopes to become more innovative (Amar, 2004; Hadjimanolis, 2000; Hult et al., 2004; Scott and Bruce, 1994; Warren et al., 2000). Although some of this research broadly discusses how IT is developed into the innovative product or process under study and how emerging IT may be used for leading edge innovation in products and processes (see, for example, Bielski, 2004; Kodama, 2005; Shimizu et al., 2004), in other cases IT seems to be ignored entirely as an antecedent to innovation (for example, O'Connor and Ayers, 2005; Hadjimanolis, 2000; Hult et al., 2004). Moreover, the role of IT in the innovation process and its potential contribution therein remains largely unstudied. In this paper, we investigate the influence of various IT related competences in the innovation process.The paper is structured as follows. First, we review the literature to identify prior research relating to the innovation process, the concept of IT competences, and the relationship between innovation and IT competences, culminating in a research model derived from the literature. Next, we address the details of the research methodology, the organization selection, and the data collection and analysis process. The third section provides a brief description of the case study companies and the innovations they were implementing at the time of the study. The fourth section analyzes how different IT competences can positively influence the innovation process, thus confirming some of the existing research as well as revealing some emergent concepts and ideas. We conclude with a section describing the contributions of the study and directions for further research.\nLiterature review: The conceptual foundation for our study draws from two broad streams of research. The first stream is based on studies of organizational innovation and describes characteristics of innovation processes in organizations. The second is the resource-based view of IT, which describes various aspects of IT resources and competences.The innovation process\nMethodology: Considering the exploratory nature of the research questions, we adopted a qualitative research methodology (Lee, 1989; Miles and Huberman, 1994) and used case studies (Yin, 2003) to collect data. We used the case study method, because in order to understand the possible relationships between IT competences and innovation, we needed to describe specific organizational contexts of innovation adoption and analyze the role of IT in them. Additionally, we used a multiple case methodology that helped us to identify common patterns from multiple innovation instances from more than one organization, and achieve repeatability (Lee, 1989; Yin, 2003) in our findings. We studied innovation processes in three organizations.Study sample\nCase studies - brief description: This section briefly provides background information on the case study organizations, and the innovations that were being implemented in each of them at the time of the study.HealthCo\nAnalysis and discussion: In this section, we describe how the IT competences identified in the literature - information and knowledge management, project management, collaboration and communication, and business involvement - influenced the innovation process at the case study companies.Information and knowledge management\nConclusions, caveats, and recommendations for further study: Literature has identified various IT competencies as well as described different aspects of the innovation process in organizations. While practitioner studies have suggested (Farrell, 2003, for example), that organizations can also use IT competencies for innovation in the business, academic research in this area has been scarce. This paper describes the results of an exploratory investigation of how different IT competencies can possibly influence business innovation. Our findings show that certain IT competencies can help organizations be more innovative. They strongly demonstrate that IT competences in the areas of information and knowledge management, collaboration and communication, and business involvement positively affect an organization's ability to innovate. The case study participants and interviews were quite clear that the innovations that have taken place could not have taken place had the specified competencies been absent.The case studies have largely provided support for and examples of the research model based upon the literature (Figure 1). We found that the IT competencies of project management, collaboration and communication, and business involvement improved all of the three stages, initiation, development and implementation, of the innovation process, as illustrated in Figure 2. The information and knowledge management competence has been shown to improve the development and implementation stages in this study, and we suggest that it is quite possible that it supports the initiation stage of innovation as well at companies that were not part of this study.This study is one of the first towards understanding the influence of IT competencies on business innovation. Although the sample size is small, the results clearly submit that there is indeed a connection between an organization's IT competencies and its innovation process. They also open a number of potential areas for further study. For instance are there any IT competencies absolutely critical for innovation, in the sense that if they were missing, the organization as a whole would be less innovative? Are there decreasing returns to IT competence, in that is there some level beyond which additional IT competence has little impact on an organization's ability to innovate? We suggest that these are some of the questions that could direct further extensions of this study and could not only reveal further instances of linkages between IT competences and the innovation process, but also shed light on which competences might be more important for a given activity in the innovation process. It would also be instructive to compare the IT competences of organizations that are less innovative with those that are more innovative to see whether IT competences directly affect innovation or act simply as an enabling factor. This research is clearly a first step in exploring the complex relationship between IT competence and organizational innovation, and subsequent studies on a larger sample size would be useful for validating the results presented in this paper and for continuing research in this area.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to describe research that explores how an organization's information technology (IT) competences influence its ability to innovate.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This paper draws on prior research to describe stages of the innovation process and to identify several IT competences that have been linked to innovation success. Then, examining innovation at three case study sites, it demonstrates how IT competences can influence the success of innovation at various stages of the innovation process.\nFindings: - The paper finds that IT competences in information and knowledge management, project management, collaboration and communication, and business involvement are likely to improve an organization's ability to innovate.\nResearch limitations/implications: - The research in this paper is exploratory. The small number of cases limits one's ability to claim that the IT competences one has identified always affect innovation.\nPractical implications: - The paper shows that organizations that want to be innovative should cultivate the identified IT competences.\nOriginality/value: - For researchers, the paper proposes a model relating an organization's ability to innovate to its IT competences. For managers, it identifies it competences that should be cultivated to support the process of innovation.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
M-loyalty: winning strategies for mobile carriers
|
[
"Mobile communication systems",
"Customer services quality",
"Customer satisfaction",
"Customer loyalty"
] |
[
{
"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.\nDrivers of satisfaction and loyalty intention in the use of mobile services: Consumer loyalty has been a main goal of marketers for the past decade. Marketers have invested a great amount of their resources to develop loyalty programs. However, a recent article raised a question about the effectiveness of loyalty marketing in practice (Capizzi and Ferguson, 2005). The article suggested a well-designed loyalty program with strong value propositions as a key factor of successful loyalty marketing. To develop an effective loyalty program, it is imperative to understand the process of consumers' loyalty decisions. Given that consumers' needs and value propositions vary across different types of products and service, the current study focuses on the process of loyalty decisions in the context of mobile services.In the new millennium, consumers can go to market with the \"mobility\" that new technology has brought to consumers' daily lives - for example, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and a 3G mobile communication system. Owing to the rapid development of mobile technology, usage of mobile phones has extended from voice communications to the internet. Propagation of mobile internet technology and m-commerce applications opens a great opportunity for mobile service carriers. Nevertheless, surveys on US consumers' perceptions of mobile service show that the level of satisfaction is much lower for mobile service carriers compared to other service sectors (Consumer Report, 2005; McKinsey Quarterly, 2004). In fact, 35 percent of US mobile subscribers in 2004 reported that they were considering switching mobile service carriers (Consumer Report, 2005). Such findings suggest that mobile service carriers need to be aware of drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty intention in order to build effective business strategies for customer retention.Previous studies identified determinants of consumers' loyalty for mobile services in foreign markets (e.g. France (Lee et al., 2001), Germany (Gerpott et al., 2001), and South Korea (Kim et al., 2004)). Few studies, however, investigated effects of various service attributes on consumers' decision making in the US mobile market. Because of the different levels of market development and distinct consumer behavior in foreign markets, study findings may provide only limited application to the US market.In recognition of this problem, this study aims to investigate drivers of satisfaction and loyalty in the US mobile market. The service literature supports that perceived service quality and value serve as drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty intention (e.g. Cronin et al., 2000; Yang and Peterson, 2004). Given that perceived service quality and value play important roles in the level of satisfaction and loyalty decisions, this study has two objectives. The first purpose of this study is to identify relevant dimensions of service quality in the mobile services context that consumers perceive in their service evaluations. Lee et al. (2001) studied the effect of perceived service quality on consumer satisfaction with mobile services, but the concept of service quality was limited to voice services. Many studies have addressed value propositions of mobile data services with the advent of M-commerce era (e.g. Chae et al., 2002; Clarke, 2001; Mort and Drennan, 2004). However, empirical studies of these mobile data services remain untested. Collectively, this study recognizes the need to identify service quality of mobile services at the carrier level, including both voice and data services.The second purpose of the study is to identify relevant dimensions of consumers' perceived value in the mobile services context. Previous studies tended to examine perceived value in terms of monetary tradeoffs only (e.g. Chen, 2003; McDougall and Levesque, 2000) - what you get for what you pay. However, consumers appear to assess perceived value not only by monetary tradeoffs but also by other psychological benefits (e.g. enjoyment, fun, and social approval) (Holbrook, 1986; Mathwick et al., 2001; Sweeney and Soutar, 2001). Researchers have empirically demonstrated that multidimensional components of perceived value provide a broader examination of the customer shopping experience (Mathwick et al., 2001) as well as being stronger predictive power of future consumer behavior than a single-value construct (Sweeney and Soutar, 2001). Recognizing the importance of a multidimensional approach to perceived value, efforts are directed to identify the relevant dimensions of perceived value in consumers' experience of mobile services.\nLiterature review: Perceived quality of mobile service\nMethods: Sample, data collection, and questionnaire development\nResults: Sample characteristics\nDiscussion: In the research model, service quality and perceived value were designed to affect consumer loyalty intention through the level of satisfaction. In addition, the model suggested a multidimensional approach to consumers' perceived value in the service experience.Identification of mobile service quality\nManagerial implications: Findings of this study provide helpful guidelines for mobile service carriers in understanding key drivers of satisfaction and loyalty. This study identified five distinct service attributes of mobile service carriers, and found that each attribute affects consumers' cognitive and affective responses differently. For example, perceived quality of pricing plan has a positive effect on economic value; network quality on satisfaction; data service quality on economic value, emotional value, and satisfaction; billing system on emotional value; customer service quality on satisfaction. Such findings suggest that mobile service carriers need to strategically put an emphasis on certain service attributes in their promotions based on targeting consumers' needs - economic value, emotional value, or service satisfaction.In addition, it is worth taking a close look at the effect of data service quality in the consumption of mobile services. Data services appear to affect consumers' cognitive and affective evaluations in every stage of service experience - economic value, emotional value, and customer satisfaction. The finding indicates that enhanced quality of data services can provide mobile service carriers competitive advantages over their competitors. Although current US consumers do not have elaborate perceptions of mobile data services, the literature supports increasing demand for mobile data services in the US market (FCC, 2004). Also, the prevailing usage of mobile data services in other countries (e.g. Asian and European countries) signals US mobile carriers that there will possibly be upcoming demand for mobile data services in the US mobile market. Thus, the findings suggest that mobile service carriers need to develop high quality data services as a powerful marketing tool.Findings of this study draw attention to emotional value in the consumption of mobile services. Emotional value plays an important role in customer satisfaction, and can affect loyalty. Although voice communication dominates the usage of mobile services in the current US market, the usage of a mobile phone also involves filling users' leisure time (e.g. music download and online games). Findings of this study show that precise billing systems and speedy solution of billing problems can enhance mobile customers' emotional value. Thus, mobile carriers need to develop value-added services to create perceived emotional value.\nLimitations and future research: A limitation of this study lies in measures of service quality for mobile data services. Items of mobile data services were measured on five-point semantic differential scales arranged from Poor (1) to Excellent (5). Scales, however, did not present respondents' neutral attitude, which may be caused by lack of actual experience of certain data services (e.g., a \"don't know\" option). Thus, it is suggested for future research to include a scale point of neutral attitude. A precise interpretation of the neutral point will be also challenging for future studies.A second limitation of this study is related to individual characteristics that might moderate the effects of service quality and value on loyalty intention. For example, previous studies found individual characteristics (e.g. gender) influence consumers' information processing (e.g. Meyers-Levy and Maheswaran, 1991), technology acceptance decisions (e.g. Davis et al., 1989; Venkatesh et al., 2000), and intention to use mobile chat services (Nysveen et al., 2005). By investigating the moderating role of individual characteristics, future research is expected to provide more insightful guidelines to consumer research as well as practitioners.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This study aims to investigate determinants of satisfaction and loyalty decisions in the use of mobile services.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A research model was designed to identify multi-dimensions of mobile service quality and perceived value, and investigate their influences on satisfaction and loyalty. Structural equation modeling was employed to test hypotheses.\nFindings: - Statistical analysis identified five distinct dimensions of mobile service quality, and their direct and indirect effects on economic value, emotional value on loyalty intention through satisfaction. Two dimensions of perceived value (i.e. economic value, emotional value) had significant influences on customer satisfaction, and then, on loyalty intention. Also, the results show interrelationship between economic and emotional value.\nOriginality/value: - In particular, each dimension of mobile service quality appeared to have different effects on perceived economic value, emotional value, and the level of satisfaction. Accordingly, mobile service managers are recommended to develop strategic promotion efforts based on targeted consumers' needs and marketing goals.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
What makes service employees and customers smile: Antecedents and consequences of the employees' affective delivery in the service encounter
|
[
"Employee attitudes",
"Service delivery",
"Emotional intelligence",
"Consumer behaviour",
"Affective psychology"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Although there is abundant evidence that, in assessing service delivery, customers attach importance to their personal interactions with service employees (Gwinner et al., 1998), the role of emotions in service delivery has not been examined in sufficient detail. In this regard, two research streams associated with the role of emotions in service encounters are of interest to the present study: emotional labor (Hochschild, 1983), and emotional contagion (Hatfield et al., 1994). The first of these, emotional labor, refers to individuals managing their feelings to create publicly observable facial and bodily displays (Hochschild, 1983). Over the past two decades, research has explored the influence of emotional labor on service employees. During service encounters, employees adopt certain strategies to regulate their emotions - such as surface acting (engaging in a superficial display of normative emotions without making any effort to change what they feel internally) and deep acting (trying to modify internal emotions to bring behavior and internal experience into alignment with organizational expectations for emotional display) (Ashforth and Humphrey, 1993; Gosserand and Diefendorff, 2005; Grandey, 2003; Judge et al., 2009).The second stream noted above, emotional contagion, refers to emotional states being transmitted from one person to another - with the recipient catching the emotions that the sender displays in the social interaction (Schoenewolf, 1990; Hennig-Thurau et al., 2006). This can occur between two individuals, between an individual and a group of people, or between groups of people (Barsade, 2002). The relevance of this to service delivery is that an employee's affective delivery can be contagious from the service provider to the customer, thus changing the affective state of the latter (Hennig-Thurau et al., 2006; Verbeke, 1997). Such emotional contagion can, in turn, influence customers' perceptions and assessments of service encounters (Pugh, 2001; Tsai and Huang, 2002). With this in mind, employees in many service industries are often required to convey positive emotions to enhance customers' service experiences.Previous research has demonstrated that service providers displaying positive emotion enhance customers' positive moods, which, in turn, increases satisfaction (Brown and Sulzer-Azaroff, 1994; Hennig-Thurau et al., 2006), and leads to positive behavioral intentions such as willingness to return and positive word-of mouth (Brown and Sulzer-Azaroff, 1994; Hennig-Thurau et al., 2006; Ford, 1995; Tsai and Huang, 2002). However, the precise antecedents and consequences of such affective service delivery remain unclear.This study attempts to fill this research gap by developing a framework that integrates the antecedents and consequences of affective service delivery by employees. The proposed model posits three antecedents:1. service employee's inner emotion;2. group work mood; and3. service environment.The consequences of the employee's affective delivery are posited as:* customer emotion;* service encounter satisfaction; and* behavioral intentions.This model is then tested using data collected from a three-part survey (for observers, service employees, and customers) of service encounters in a variety of industries.The remainder of this paper is structured as follows. The next section provides the theoretical background and concepts for the study. A conceptual model, including the hypothesized relationships among the model constructs, is then presented. The research methodology for an empirical test of the model is then described. The results of the empirical study are then presented, and the paper concludes with a summary of the major findings and implications of the study.\nConcept background: Service employee's affective delivery and emotional contagion\nMethodology: Research frame and procedures\nResults: Total measurement model estimation\nDiscussion: This study extends previous research by proposing and testing a model that includes the antecedents and consequences of employee affective delivery in service encounters. The study also represents the first test of the notion of emotional contagion and its related processes using data collected from ten different service industries, rather than a single industry, thus increasing the generalizability of the results.Results of the study demonstrate that service employee emotion is positively associated with affective delivery, supporting George's (1991) assertion that employee felt affect is a powerful influence on displayed emotions. The present findings also suggest that work group mood influences employee's affective delivery. By observing the interactions between teammates, it was apparent that service employees in work groups with more positive moods display, more positive emotions themselves. Although this relationship has been mentioned previously, this is the first study to document the importance of emotional contagion among service employees. Harmonious interaction among service employees promotes congruence in service efforts toward collective goals, which, in turn, increases positive affective delivery.In addition, the present results documented a positive relationship between service environment and employee's positive affective delivery, supporting the findings of previous studies (Sundstrom and Altman, 1989; Tsai and Huang, 2002) that work environment influences employee's affective delivery. However, service environment was not shown to have a direct effect on customer positive emotion, which is similar to Tsai and Huang's (2002) findings. Because employees remain in the service environment longer than customers do, a pleasant service environment influences employees' moods and affective delivery, thus having an indirect influence on customer moods (Tsai and Huang, 2002).Furthermore, the present findings provide support for the affect-as-information theory, which links customer emotions to service encounter satisfaction and customer behavioral intentions (Hennig-Thurau et al., 2006; Schwartz and Clore, 1988). Current results show that customer positive emotion is related to increased service encounter satisfaction. An increase in customer positive emotion can enhance service outcomes. Since satisfaction and behavioral intentions are both related to shopping behaviors, employee affective delivery appears to play an important role in a service firm's long-term success.Managerial implication\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to examine the phenomenon of emotional contagion in service encounters by proposing and testing an empirical model of the antecedents and consequences of affective service delivery by employees.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A theoretical framework of the antecedents and outcomes of employee affective delivery in service interactions is developed on the basis of relevant studies in marketing, psychology, and organization. In total, nine hypothesized relationships between the constructs in the conceptual model are proposed and tested by structural equation modeling using data collected from 217 employee-customer pairs in ten service industries.\nFindings: - Results showed that employee inner emotion, work group mood, and service environment all have a positive influence on employee affective delivery, which, in turn, positively influences customer emotion and service outcomes.\nResearch limitations/implications: - This study represents an early attempt at exploring the antecedents of employee affective delivery in service context. Future research is discussed, with an emphasis on characteristics of employees/customers, employee experiences, and service norm.\nPractical implications: - Managers of service firms should recognize the importance of the drivers of employee positive displayed emotion. Service firms can benefit from focusing their attention on enhancing affective service delivery.\nOriginality/value: - This study described in this paper addresses important research gaps in the service marketing literature by: empirically examining the antecedents of employee affective delivery in service interactions; and providing the first test of emotional contagion and its related processes with data collected from ten different service industries, rather than a single industry.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Does the adoption of customer and competitor orientations make small hospitality businesses more entrepreneurial? Evidence from Kazakhstan
|
[
"Entrepreneurship",
"Strategy",
"Kazakhstan",
"Customer and competitor orientations",
"Developing country"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Tourism and hospitality entrepreneurship plays an important role in the economic development and social prosperity of tourist destinations (Ateljevic and Doorne, 2003; Morrison and Thomas, 1999; Naipaul and Wang, 2009). Entrepreneurship stimulates innovation and economic diversity (Weidenfeld, 2013), creates new jobs (Ateljevic and Doorne, 2003; Briedenhann and Wickens, 2004), stimulates economic development, reduces poverty (Bruton et al., 2013) and, more importantly, improves global connectivity (Williams and Shaw, 2011).\nKazakh tourism and hospitality industry: Kazakhstan is an emerging tourism destination that has both a rich cultural heritage and an abundance of nature. The country is on the Great Silk Road and is the world's ninth largest (and largest landlocked) country. SMEs contribute to 32.2 per cent of gross domestic product with 28 per cent of this coming from small businesses and 3.2 per cent from medium-sized enterprises (The Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2013). The Kazakhstan Government considers tourism to be one of the most important industries for the development and diversification of its economy. However, the tourism and hospitality sectors remain underdeveloped, although retaining significant future growth potential. According to National Statistic Agency Data, the country's total hotel bed capacity is 87,463 (The Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2013). This figure reflects a 7 per cent increase from 2012. The total number of entrepreneurs in the accommodation sector is 1,432, and the number of small enterprises entering the tourism business has increased from 1,715 to 1994 over a year (The Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2013). These figures all suggest that hospitality entrepreneurship and innovation have the potential to stimulate the Kazakh economy and enable the country to diversify economic activity rather than relying solely on \"natural resources dependent\" economic development. This unique context promises to offer interesting insights into our study of hospitality entrepreneurship.\nTheoretical framework: In contrast to large firms, small firms benefit more from direct interaction and closeness to customers and markets (McCartan-Quinn and Carson, 2003). In particular, their decentralized and flexible organizational structure enables them to collect market information both about their customer needs and wants and about their competitors' moves and products and services (Pelham, 2000). Therefore, customer and competitor orientations have a strong significance for small firms in differentiating them from their larger counterparts.\nMethodology: Sample and instrument\nFindings: Table I reports descriptive statistics from the present study. The analysis reveals that the mean of EO statements was 4.983. On the other hand, the means for customer orientation and competitor orientation were above 5 (5.303 and 5.163, respectively). The average age of SMEs was approximately 9 years and ranged between 0 (\"brand new companies\") and 87. Findings indicate that the key variables of interest CUSTOR and COMPETOR are correlated at a moderate level (0.517) (Table I). More importantly, both independent variables have a significant positive correlation with EO.\nDiscussion and conclusions: Previous hospitality entrepreneurship literature has neglected the serious linkage between strategy and entrepreneurship. This is surprising given that small hospitality enterprises face the challenges of identifying and addressing continuously changing consumer needs and managing the threats of direct and indirect competition possessed by their counterparts and by large competitors. In particular, today's competitive environment requires small hospitality firms to be entrepreneurial and engage in entrepreneurial activities in a strategic manner. This study makes three distinct contributions to the hospitality literature by investigating the relationship between consumer and competitor orientations and the entrepreneurial orientation of Kazakh SMEs in Kazakhstan.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the influence of customer and competitor orientations on the entrepreneurial orientation of small hospitality enterprises in Kazakhstan.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The research uses quantitative data collected through a self-administered questionnaire from 318 entrepreneurs who participated in the survey.\nFindings: The findings of the study demonstrated that there is a positive relationship between customer and competitor orientations and the entrepreneurial orientation of small hospitality businesses in Kazakhstan.\nResearch limitations/implications: Future studies should also consider additional contingencies such as organizational learning capability and environmental dynamism. In addition, it is recommended that future studies look into the effect of customer and market orientations on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) performance.\nPractical implications: The findings of the study showed that hospitality in small businesses needs to embrace a new way of thinking and adopt a more strategic approach to their entrepreneurial activities through proactively responding to constantly changing customer needs and competitors' moves.\nOriginality/value: This study offers insights into the relationship between strategy and entrepreneurship in the context of small hospitality businesses. In particular, it develops an understanding about the factors that stimulate small hospitality businesses' entrepreneurial orientations in a dynamic and competitive environment marked by the growing pressure of continuously changing consumer habits and direct competition both from SME counterparts and large enterprises.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Open-ended course evaluations: a response rate problem?
|
[
"Project evaluation",
"Response time"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction and overview: The aim of the present study is threefold. First, to measure the response rate when open-ended sections are placed at the end of course evaluation forms. Second, to identify the reasons for responding or failing to respond on open-ended forms. Third, to see whether the response rate can be improved by redesigning the evaluation forms.Course evaluations, according to Sheldrake and Vickerstaff (1987), have their origins in the business community where value for money for training has long been considered important. It is necessary to evaluate courses, according to Warr et al., 1971, for a number of reasons including the need to monitor the effectiveness of training. Models of evaluating commercial courses have developed from the early work of Kirkpatrick, 1983 to more recent studies typified by Smith and Beno (1993). These and many other writers have focussed attention on the importance of the timing of evaluations and the type of measures which should be used to collect data. These measures typically include pencil and paper evaluation forms completed by course participants at the end of their training. This technique tends to be used as it offers, according to Coleman and Lim (2001), a cost effective approach to evaluation. With a desire to evaluate teaching, colleges, universities and OFSTED (Office of Standards in Education) have adopted similar procedures.Evaluation forms are also used for customer feedback to identify training needs. Needs identification is almost universally accepted by many training management texts, for example Boydell and Leary (1996), Hackett (1997), Hardingham (1996, 1998) and Siddons (1997), as a preliminary stage in designing any course and therefore as a criteria for later evaluation. A large number of organisations use the same type of pencil and paper questionnaire for this purpose. The present author, for example, obtained information about the techniques used from 35 major hotel chains based in areas including Australia, China, Europe and North America. It was found 91 per cent used pencil and paper methods of evaluating customer satisfaction, which is surprising bearing in mind the widespread use of Internet booking facilities. Of these 60 per cent of the evaluation forms used were designed with a series of questions/statements to be answered by means of structured response scales. These are followed by a section for open-ended evaluation comments. These forms are also used by many other commercial organisations as a means of identifying training needs and evaluating staff performance. An additional 22 businesses including retail, transport and leisure enterprises similarly geographically spread were surveyed by the author. It was found 50 per cent used the same dual format with an open-ended section at the end of the questionnaire.Training and research methods texts, of which that by Sommer and Sommer and Sommer (1997, p. 132) is typical, mention the advantage of combining structured and open-ended response formats in the same questionnaire. Schwarz (1999) explains that combining structured response scales and an open-ended format allows the questionnaire to elicit a wider variety of information than a fixed response format alone. Strauss and Corbin (1990) argue open-ended evaluations provide an opportunity for people to respond freely and express things about the course which concern them. Erickson and Kaplan (2000) mention the virtues of open-ended survey questions which they say \"often elicit more honest responses\". Jackson and Trochim (2002) suggest an open-ended questionnaire can \"provide a rich description of respondent's reality\". These writers and many training texts, for example Holcomb (1998), Rae (2002), and Salas et al. (2003), however, fail to explain fully what the impact is of using a dual style format containing a structured together with an open-ended evaluation questionnaire. Rae (1992, p. 111) is one of the few researchers to draw attention to the effects of a dual format. Based on his experience of end of evaluation open-ended sections, he reports \"comments included in this type of space are either rarely made or have little value\". The present author's experience is similar to that of Rae, noting open-ended sections of course evaluations which are typically placed at the end of questionnaires are rarely completed. This is important because, if only a small per centage of a sample complete a questionnaire the validity of the results can be questioned. In part one of this study evidence is sought to determine response rates when structured scales are followed by open-ended sections on a single evaluation questionnaire.\nPart one: Method\nPart two: In an attempt to understand more about why course participants complete evaluation forms in the manner they do a questionnaire was given to undergraduates attending two courses. They were asked questions about their manner of responding on evaluation forms they had recently completed. These students had not been included in part one of the present study. Again undergraduates were used as few \"follow on\" courses with large numbers of participants are available in business and commercial training programmes.Method\nPart three: The aim of the third part of this study was to see whether the low response rate for completion of the open-ended section could be improved by redesigning the evaluation forms. It is rare for open-ended questions to be made the primary focus of evaluations and so the observations of Alloy et al. (1996, p. 103) are helpful in that they explain much of our behaviour is influenced by the \"demand characteristics of the situation\". This refers to things which influence our expectations of how we should behave. Bernstein and Nash (1999, p. 195), for example, suggest when something is at the end of a series, it is seen as being of less importance than something earlier in the series and so less notice is taken of it. The expectation for us to react is less likely as it is seen as being less important. This view can be related to dual style evaluation forms. The observations of course participants themselves, reported in part two of this study, indicate they have little to add to what they have already ticked on the structured response form. Following from this, it could be implied, that by putting the open-ended statements at the beginning of a dual style evaluation format, the \"demand characteristics\" are likely to encourage the student to complete it. Orne (1962) emphasised the fact that anything in a situation, which encourages an individual to do something, can increase the likelihood of that act being carried out. Essentially what is being done when the open-ended section is placed at the beginning of the questionnaire is to raise its profile. This is to be done in this part of the study. According to Orne, the \"demand\" or the expectation on the subject to complete it is also far greater. A third method of using open-ended evaluations included in this study is described by Rae (1997, p. 1). This involves a mixed format where each sub group of questions, (shown in Table I), is followed by its own open-ended question.Method\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this research is to examine participants' response rate on dual style training course evaluation forms. These combine structured and open-ended formats. Pencil and paper forms have a long history of use by trainers in business and commerce and more recently in education. Research methods texts tend to have neglected the issue of response rates with this type of form.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - Approximately 2,000 course participants attending 28 courses completed evaluation forms. These were designed with a series of structured responses scales followed by a section for open-ended comments.\nFindings: - It was found that the completion rate for the open-ended sections was low and thus validity was suspect. Various explanations were offered for this. Subsequently when a redesigned evaluation form was administered to a further 1,641 course participants it was found that response rates increased dramatically when open-ended sections were placed earlier in the questionnaire.\nPractical implications: - Indicates ways in which course evaluation forms can be redesigned to increase response rates for open-ended sections and thus improve the validity of any findings.\nOriginality/value: - Provides information about response rates neglected by most methodology texts concerning the design of training evaluation questionnaires which include open-ended sections.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Theory wrapped in context: bridges between academic and industrial worlds
|
[
"Television",
"Training",
"Partnership",
"Universities"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The worlds of academia and commerce are often seen as being quite exclusive. However each world exists with a number of strengths with which, if bridged can enrich the learning experience and help learners become leaders.In this article I'll explain how I think the strengths of universities are very much about teaching people thinking and knowledge. I'll also suggest the world of commerce or industry provides a real context to that knowledge that brings it alive.In this article we'll look at two partnerships we have developed at BBC Training & Development with universities. They're effective partnerships which bring together the academic and commercial worlds to give learners a more enriched learning experience.Our partnerships with the academic world\nWhat are the academic and commercial worlds?: The academic world?\nThese two worlds: If the academic world is about knowing and the industrial world is about doing, it becomes immediately clear the need for the two to dovetail. However in my experience they often exist exclusively. In more than 15 years in broadcasting I have noticed a clear disinterest of academia. And this is for all sorts of reasons, one of which I think are clear differences in values. (I can't speak for other industries.) Looking at \"knowing\" and \"doing\" may help us see.Broadcasting is an intensely practical world. It's not about knowing but about doing. It's about meeting deadlines and filling airtime. Of course it's about doing it creatively with energy and passion. Theories of mass media social context seem irrelevant to a practitioner's when her/his conscious mind is pre-occupied with breaking an exciting news story and making editorial decisions every 90 seconds under intense pressure.Sometimes the sheer pressure (and believe me the pressure of broadcasting is very intense and not just about deadlines but about career, prestige and often driven by intensely self-critical feelings of performance) can cause practitioners to simply reject new creative ideas in terms of ways of working because change is hard intellectual work. Sometimes practitioners can also think they're too important. (Just as academics, of course.) Day-to-day pressure can create a tunnel vision which prevents learning development. And this single issue is likely to cause the most problems in the future as the production processes in television and radio are changing so fast that they demand mindsets able to engage in critical analysis.It's this lack of pressure that also affects academics' understanding of industry. The ability to sit back and watch processes outside of the context of office politics and technical pressures weakens their perception.I'm erring away from moderation to emphasise my point although I must say there are many practitioners and academics who don't necessarily represent these extremes.But the shortcomings of each world can actually be seen as strengths and I would argue by being very clear about these we can offer the learner a broader, better world. You will notice I have not spoken about accreditation and qualifications because I think they hold different values and cloud the issue of learning. And I personally believe that in some cases they can inhibit rather than enable learning which is another conversation altogether. But for the learner to learn her/his craft or profession and be equipped to be a leader in that field, the shortcomings can be cancelled out by working together. An here's why.Strengths of academia and industry\nOur experience: The BBC has a number of very successful partnerships with academic institutions. They include Ashridge Business College, De Montfort University, and Westminster University. We're currently building partnerships with Bournmouth University which has a renowned media education programme. We also have a longstanding relationship with Tisch School of Arts which is part of New York University in the USA. For the sake of this we will focus on two of our relationships, principally De Montfort and Tisch School of Arts. Both are practical media education programmes, one focussing on the operation or technical side of television broadcasting and the other the production or creative side.De Montfort University\nCommercial considerations: BBC Training & Development provides training for staff within the BBC. However it has obligations to provide training for the industry. Freelancers and other television broadcasters from across Britain and indeed around the world buy our training programmes. The partnerships we have with these universities also have a commercial element to them.\nIt's easy for the BBC: The BBC's global reputation as one of the world's premier broadcasters plays an important role in making this a success according to both Ms Stanton and Professor Al-Akaidi. Ms Stanton says, \"we want partnerships with the best in the world which is why what we do with the BBC is so important.\"Professor Al-Akaidi echoes this. \"Why is this a successful partnership? Because it's the BBC. Full stop.\"In a sense we do have an advantage however if you step back, the practical experience and access to working professionals is the key issue. The access to real-life experiences gives students a context in which to situate their theoretical constructs. And this is the reason that I think that industry-academic partnerships are so effective. I don't believe they should exist only with leading organisations.\nThe other side: The two examples we've examined in this article are very much preparing novices for work. What we haven't touched on in this article is how universities can help professionals in their own development journey. One area the BBC is doing well in is its leadership programme which is a successful partnership with Ashridge Business College. That warrants an entire article as well.As far as production training is concerned, we're looking at how we build relationships between our professional development programmes (as opposed to introductory programmes) and academic institutions. We are already in discussion here because I believe that for the same reasons as we've been into, a partnership can really strengthen the learning experience for the individual. One such way is through accreditation however as said earlier that's another issue. Another is in curriculum development. There is also the thought in some areas that universities can offer educational and pedagogical expertise to practical training providers although I don't personally believe they have the exclusive hold on that area of expertise. (You'll find both good and bad educators at both universities and within vocational training organisations.)\nKeys to successful bridge building: There are a number of issues I think one needs to ask before building partnerships. The first is what are the benefits? Clearly with our responsibility to the industry we need to contribute to media education and we're committed, where our resources allow, to doing that. We believe that practical and academic education offer a good marriage for learners for them to become leading practitioners.However there is a danger in this being merely a \"fad\" in education and I think one needs to rigorously think through the value of partnerships. Sometimes the value is commercial for a training provider. At other times it has wider industry benefits.The other question is do your stakeholders want this relationship. Clearly in our case the students do as do the educators. But in some professions or trades people may not really care. If there's no interest at that level there is little chance of success.The third question I would ask is what resources do you have? Such partnerships attract a lot of interest. Can you meet demand?An important part of the success for partnerships between universities and industry will be a mutual respect for each party's strengths. Clearly I believe universities can provide theory and a rigorous intellectual framework while the industry can make it real with a grounding in the nitty-gritty of the real world. Such a partnership enables learners to wrap their theory in the context of the day-to-day realities.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this paper is to review two key academic-commercial partnerships that BBC Training & Development has with two major universities. The learners are undergraduate students seeking training and ultimately a career in broadcasting. The review seeks to examine from the author's perspective the relative strengths each party brings to the partnership and to show how the learner benefits by bringing these together.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - The article represents a viewpoint from the author's perspective as a broadcaster and educator. He analyses the relationship, asks what a university should bring to the partnership and draws on interviews with key people involved in the partnership.\nFindings: - Partnerships between the academic and commercial/industrial worlds do bring value to their clients in that they immerse students in the intensive reality of what they are learning, while giving them a context within which to understand theory and thereby develop a critical mindset.\nOriginality/value: - This paper argues that such a partnership will enrich a learner's experience and produce a professional who is both practically grounded and intellectually critical.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Media coverage of accounting: the NRL salary cap crisis
|
[
"Crisis",
"Media",
"Accounting outputs",
"Coverage bias",
"Media bias",
"Statement bias"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: While the roles and impacts of the media on the public sphere have long been a mainstay of social science research (for recent reviews see, for example, Biagi(2011) and Wimmer and Dominick(2011)), this theme has been largely neglected in accounting research (Samkin, 2010). This is particularly surprising given the pervasiveness of the financial press in Western nations and the growing visibility of accounting causes celebres (Edwards and Shaoul, 1999) in the media in recent years. In the past decade in particular, a large number of accounting-based events have attracted enormous media attention in Australia, highlighted by the frenzied coverage of high profile frauds such as HIH Holdings and Harris Scarfe Holdings, failed finance companies such as Babcock Brown as well as the regular, in-depth coverage of government budgets, public inquiries, commissions and audits. This coverage has importantly shaped public perceptions of accountants and accounting (Carnegie and Napier, 2010).\n2. Media coverage of accounting outputs in crisis: In a democratic society, the exchange of information and ideas through a free press plays an essential role in public opinion formation and the democratic process. However, most media institutions face particular dilemmas because they are, simultaneously, key constituents of an effective democracy and commercial entities operating in markets seeking not only readers but also revenue from them, advertisers and others (see Finkelstein, 2012). These market interests can potentially distort the role that media institutions play in the formation of public opinion and, consequentially, in our democracy. In the social sciences, the study of the media framings and bias has burgeoned over the last 20 years (see, for example, Baker, 1994; Gentzkow and Shapiro, 2010; Groseclose and Milyo, 2005; Hamilton, 2004).\n3. Methodology: Stemming from the work of Habermas and critical theory, critical discourse analysis aims to systematically explore often opaque relationships between discursive practices, texts, and events on the one hand and wider social and cultural structures, relations, and processes on the other. van Dijk (2001) acknowledges that critical discourse analysis does not have a unitary theoretical framework or methodology because it is best viewed as a shared perspective encompassing a range of approaches instead of one school, each with different theoretical models, research methods and agendas.\n4. Background: the NRL and the salary cap: The National Rugby League (the \"NRL\") is the current incarnation of the premier rugby league competition in Australia. Established in 1998, its origins can be traced back to the commencement of the Sydney metropolitan first-grade premiership in 1908 (Fagan, 2006). At present, there are 16 teams in the NRL competition, all located along Australia's east coast (15 teams) and New Zealand (1 team).\n5. Context: the Storm breach and audit response: The Storm was established in 1998. Wholly owned by News Limited, the Storm quickly accumulated an enviable record of success. In its first twelve seasons, the club won three premierships (1999, 2007 and 2009) and three minor premierships (2007, 2008 and 2009), was competition runners up on two occasions (2006 and 2008), and qualified for the finals series in all but two of these years (2001 and 2002). The Storm was widely lauded for their on-field accomplishments. However, this same success fostered innuendo about how it could be sustained within the constraints of the salary cap (Badel, 2010; Chandler, 2010; Ferguson, A., 2010).\n6. Media coverage of the emerging crisis: The Storm salary cap crisis was unequivocally \"big news\" in the Australian print media, particularly in the period immediately following its public outbreak on 22 April 2010. Headlines in both Fairfax and News Limited outlets sought to take advantage of this crisis to full dramatic effect. \"LEAGUE'S DARKEST HOUR\" was the caption emblazoned on a blackened front page of the Daily Telegraph on 23 April 2010, accompanied by an evocative depiction of the NRL competition trophy in the shadows. In the Sydney Morning Herald on the same day, the message writ large on the back page was simple but equally sensational - \"CHEATED.\"\n7. Coverage of the NRL and Deloitte audits: Following the taxonomy advanced by D'Alessio and Allen (2000), this section critically investigates articles published in the News Limited and Fairfax press for coverage and statement bias[6]. Given the focus of this paper on the two audits stemming from the crisis, we limit our analysis to the 149 articles (86 articles in the News Limited press and 63 articles in the Fairfax press) that directly refer to the audits and associated issues.\n8. Discussion: The news media have been widely heralded as one of the most powerful contemporary forces in the world (see Thompson, 1995). As a key gatekeeper to public accounts of political, organisational and social events, its influence on modern Western society is wide ranging. The focus of this paper has been to critically examine the way in which different journalistic framings can alter the print media presentation of key accounting outputs. In particular, this paper uses Australian print media coverage and commentary of audit engagements associated with the 2010 Storm salary cap crisis to investigate connections between divergent print media group interests and the manner in which public reporting of accounting outputs associated with this scandal was differentially shaped and biased. Analysis of this case highlights that rather than dispassionately reporting the crisis in the public interest, the News Limited and NRL audit engagements became embroiled in the \"media slugfest\" (Media Watch, 2010) that played out between the Fairfax and News Limited print media. This was reflected in thematic coverage as well as quotation patterns (which serve to enhance the status and importance of those who are quoted).\n9. Conclusion: This paper demonstrates the way that the print media sought to shape public impressions of two investigatory audits commissioned in the aftermath of the high-profile Australian accounting scandal involving the Melbourne Storm's significant breach of the NRL's salary cap requirements. It adopts the analytic paradigm of critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 1997; van Dijk, 2001). With its roots in critical linguistics, a branch of discourse analysis, critical discourse analysis prompted our study to go beyond descriptions of the crisis discourse surrounding the salary cap crisis to consider how and why observed discourses were produced (Teo, 2000). As such, in line with Fairclough (1997) and other critically minded discourse analysts, we considered discourse not only as a product or reflection of social processes, but something that itself is seen to contribute towards the production of these processes. Our analysis of media reporting connected to the audit reports produced in response to the Storm salary cap crisis revealed that public reporting was differentially shaped and biased according to the relative commercial interests of the two major media outlets - News Limited and Fairfax Media - covering the crisis.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Arguing that the print media act as a claims-making forum for the social construction and contestation of crises, the aim of this paper is to explore how the print media mediated two audits commissioned following a high-profile salary cap breach in the National Rugby League (NRL) in Australia.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper draws upon critical discourse analysis to examine the media coverage of the two audits by the two major Australian media organisations, News Limited and Fairfax Media Limited. The analysis is based on a qualitative study complemented by quantitative techniques that explore critical incidents and representations in the daily press.\nFindings: The paper illustrates the way in which News Limited, the owner of the infringing club, mobilised its media platform to promote favourable viewpoints and interpretations and how these were challenged in the Fairfax press. Evidence of both coverage bias and statement bias in the treatment of the two audits is produced.\nOriginality/value: This paper provides evidence that commercial interests of owner/publishers coloured media coverage of the two audits, which were central pillars of the crisis management strategy of News Limited and the NRL. Implications for the media's contribution to public accountability, accounting outputs and impression management, and the growing commercial diversification and reach of media outlets are considered.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Quality of work life (QoWL) of faculty members in Saudi higher education institutions: A comparison between undergraduate medical and engineering program
|
[
"Saudi Arabia",
"Quality of work life",
"Faculty",
"Higher education institution",
"Engineering programme",
"Medical programme"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: According to J. Richard and J. Loy, \"Quality of work Life (QoWL) is the degree to which members of a work organization are able to satisfy important personal needs through their experiences in the organization\" (Nagpal and Yadav, 2014). It denotes all the organizational inputs which aim at employee satisfaction and enhancing organizational effectiveness. QoWL is concerned with a part of life and helps to balance personal life of an employee with his or her job, and is concerned with reducing stress levels and increasing job satisfaction, to the mutual benefit of the individual and the organization. At the same time, it has been seen as incorporating a hierarchy of perspectives that not only include work-based factors such as satisfaction with pay and relationships with work colleagues, but also factors that broadly reflect life satisfaction and general feelings of well-being (Morin and Morin, 2000).\nMethodology: Study design\nResults and discussion: QoWL is a general state of well-being in the work place and it refers to the level of satisfaction, motivation, involvement, commitment and individual employee's experience with respect to their lives at work. This study was conducted to survey the faculty members' perception and attitudes toward QoWL at two specific programs, namely, undergraduate medical and engineering, offered at IAU. Utmost caution was taken to develop this questionnaire, keeping in view the policies and practices within the Saudi higher education system, given that all universities in Saudi Arabia are governed by the Ministry of Higher Education with a set of uniform regulations.\nConclusion: Both medical and engineering program faculty equally expressed their overall satisfaction towards QoWL prevailing at IAU, a finding that is consistent with those of Mirkamali and Thani (2011) and Shahbazi et al. (2011). However, a significant difference in perception was observed between two faculty groups with reference to such dimensions of QoWL as \"working conditions,\" \"psychosocial factors at work,\" and \"job satisfaction and job security.\" This observed difference might be due to variances in the working environment specific to their college. Further, the QoWL of faculty is an attitudinal response to the prevailing work environment, and includes role stress, job characteristics, supervisory structure and attitudes and behavior (Winter et al., 2000). Two key components of QoWL such as \"opportunities for training and development\" and \"compensation and rewards\" for performance yielded no difference. Both faculty groups expressed equal satisfaction and agreement, showing no discrepancy in the relevant resources made available to them in their respective colleges. The findings of this study reconfirmed that there are uniform regulations prevailing in Saudi universities to govern compensation issues where it is fixed based on academic rank of faculty members. This study also concluded that there is significant positive correlation between the various dimensions of QoWL, i.e., each dimension is interrelated to the others in influencing faculty perception toward QoWL. Specifically, both working conditions and psychosocial factors in the workplace are positively correlated with other dimensions, such as \"job satisfaction and job security,\" \"opportunity for training and development program,\" and \"compensation and rewards.\" Such findings provide important clues to the university higher administration to show that if we enhance working conditions in the program, it will positively impact psychosocial factors at work such as reduced job stress and enhanced social support among employees. These, in turn, help optimize the work-life balance. As an exploratory study, it brings out the hidden perceptions of both medical and engineering faculty about their QoWL. Further study is warranted to develop suitable strategies to enhance QoWL in HEIs.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Higher education institutions understand the importance of the quality of work life (QoWL) since it directly impacts faculty members' involvement in providing high-quality teaching. The purpose of this paper is to compare the QoWL of faculty members in undergraduate medical and undergraduate engineering programs offered at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An exploratory study design was adopted and 100 faculty members from each program were selected. A pretested QoWL questionnaire was distributed among faculty members using the Questionpro online survey portal.\nFindings: Results showed that there is no significant difference between the two programs with regard to the overall QoWL (p>0.05). However, a significant difference was observed with respect to dimensions such as \"working condition/environment,\" \"psychosocial factors at work place\" and \"job satisfaction and job security.\" Also, there is a positive relationship observed between all the dimensions of QoWL (p<0.05).\nOriginality/value: This study will help educational policy planners to understand the differences in QoWL of faculty members in different programs so as to develop appropriate strategies for its improvement.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Key criteria in twenty-first century management promotional decisions
|
[
"Promotional methods",
"Decision making",
"Manufacturing industries",
"United States of America"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: To say the least, promoting someone into a key management position is becoming more important and complicated because this person can't just fill the position ... they've got to get results and not burn down the house doing it ... You've got to choose the best possible person that you are confident can do that, because if they don't, you can find yourself in trouble very quickly (an executive observation).\nOur qualitative investigation on promotional criteria: To explore what managers believe are the most important factors for promotion in the modern workplace, a survey was conducted of 311 managers from over 100 different US service and manufacturing enterprises, all of which described their organization as experiencing rapid organizational change. Participant managers in this study were 69 percent male and 31 percent female; averaged 12.1 years of managerial experience; averaged 42 years of age; and represented 18 different functional areas of business. Managers were asked a series of questions about the promotional process in their organizations including the following open-ended question: \"based on your experience as a manager, what factors are most important to being promoted in your organization?\" Managers were asked to identify no more than five factors in responding to this question to encourage respondents to identify the factors most critical in their organization to actually getting promoted.The responses to this open-ended question were content analyzed and frequencies for each factor were tabulated. The results of this analysis are contained in Figure 1. Here is a review what was learned about the factors that managers believe (based on their real world experiences in their organizations) are the most important to getting promoted.\nFindings - factors driving promotions: Knowing what it takes to get promoted at your organization is a key thing to know and I have learned during my career that the list can differ organization to organization but there are definitely strong over laps that need to be known and understood (Senior Vice President of Operations, Global Distribution Organization).Given this background, the top ten key criteria that emerged from this study are now discussed along with some input and discussion about can be learned from these results (Figure 1). It is hoped that this discussion can be used to stimulate ideas of criteria that managers or leaders can or should use when making promotion decisions in your organization. It is also hoped these findings can be used to provide more accurate career development advice for managers functioning in a rapidly changing ultra-competitive business enterprises.Key factor #1: getting desired results and strong performance track record - 77 percent\nIn closing: The organizational \"terrain\" has changed for many businesses operating in the twenty-first century global business environment. Survival of organizations today depends on placing competent, capable, talented, and adaptive managers in correct positions in the organization to enable them to continuously improve and successfully implement and lead organizational change and improvement initiatives. The demands on managers have never been greater and they have never faced more challenges. Many managers who were previously successful in more staid environments are not able to keep up or perform effectively in this environment.Chung and Leung (2001) suggest that mistakes in promotional decision making can lead to an incompatibility between managers' current qualifications and experience and the requirements and demands of the new position to which they are being promoted. This \"incompatibility,\" results in ineffective performance by these promoted managers and very poor results for the organization. The likelihood of such \"incompatibility\" problems is drastically increased in situations where the \"old rules\" for deciding promotion in organizations are applied to managers who must now operate in a very different and unforgiving competitive environment. In addition, these same authors point out that when capable managers do not receive expected promotions it often results in dissatisfaction, loss of morale and work motivation. Obviously, this then leads to weaker performance. It also leads to an increased rate of turnover of these same managers resulting in a loss for the company of important talent and organizational \"memory\" it needs to compete. Finally, organizational promotions are perceived by managers to be a key organizational reward. Managers attend carefully to what it actually takes to be promoted and when the promotion system sends the wrong message to managers, it potentially causes them to focus their efforts in performing their job responsibilities and in self-development activities in directions poorly aligned to achieve essential organizational goals and objectives.Therefore, an organization that ignores changes in its business environment and continues to use \"old\" criteria to make promotion decisions is doing so at its own peril. The world of business has changed for organizations and its managers and an organization's promotional criteria must reflect this new reality. Managers wanting a leg up in the competitive fight for promotions also need to take heed of changes in promotional criteria used by today's organizations if they want to successfully compete for higher-level well compensated positions further up the organizational hierarchy.We challenge organizational leaders and managers to do the self-assessment in Figure 2 to determine if there are important criteria for promotion that they are potentially not considering when making promotion decisions about other managers or, for individual managers, how prepared they are to compete for promotions in their organizations.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper aims to determine the key criteria used by managers in rapidly changing organizations to make promotion decisions.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A survey was conducted of 311 managers from over 100 different US service and manufacturing enterprises experiencing rapid organizational change. Managers were asked to identify no more than five factors that were most critical in their organization to actually getting promoted. Results were content analyzed.\nFindings: - Top ten factors influencing promotion decisions included: getting desired results/strong performance track record; possessing strong business networks; interpersonal/communication skills; strong knowledge-experience base; demonstrating a strong work ethic; ability to build teams and being a team player; personality, attitude, and ego factors; solving a major problem or getting a \"big hit;\" demonstrating character, integrity, and trustworthiness; and, preparation and being in the right place at the right time.\nResearch limitations/implications: - Results indicate what organizations are currently using to make decisions but it does not provide a normative guide for what organizations should be using. Also, further research should attempt to differentiate dimensions used at each level of management.\nPractical implications: - The results provide a useful guide for managers who are looking for a leg up in the competitive fight for promotions. Results also suggest criteria to be considered when organizations update management assessment tools to better reflect the demands on managers working in the new global business environment.\nOriginality/value: - The study focuses on promotions in rapidly changing organizations and uses a sample that is very familiar with how organizations actually make promotion decisions.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Stories and metaphors in retail selling
|
[
"Narrative",
"Services",
"Storytelling",
"Personal selling",
"Tropes"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The retail sales staff faces growing pressure to use time efficiently, build trust and co-create value with increasingly knowledgeable consumers (Baumann and Le Meunier-FitzHugh, 2015; Echchakoui, 2016; Lapoule and Colla, 2016; Pyatt et al., 2017; Resnick et al., 2014). Business-to-consumer salespeople need fast and engaging communication tools. Stories and metaphors are well known for their ability to communicate information rapidly and create interest (Das, 2014; Polkinghorne, 2004). Some researchers have also argued that narrative and metaphor are central to marketing (Brown, 2015). Yet we do not have a deep scientific understanding of the use of stories and metaphors in sales. Better understanding of the often used but little researched constructs of stories and metaphors in sales could prove valuable (MacInnis, 2011).\nStories and metaphors: Stories\nStory propositions: The following propositions first outline the potential effects of stories and then metaphors. A discussion of potential moderators and outcomes follows. As seen in Figure 1, stories and metaphors share memorability, elicitation of mental imagery and simulation of product use as proposed direct effects. They also each have unique effects.\nMetaphor propositions: Imagine a metaphor in a sales encounter: \"With the quickness and manoeuvrability of a hydrostatic transmission and zero turn radius, the model 500 mower is a Jedi light sabre for your lawn\". Metaphors that we hear can direct mental imagery as we are, \"understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another\" (Lakoff and Johnson, 2003, p. 5). The correlation between mental imagery and auditory stimuli has been widely researched. Paivio's (1986) dual coding theory supports the notion of mental representation by a stimulus. Under the dual coding theory, auditory messages are encoded and stored via multiple specialized processing routes.\nPotential moderators: Selecting the best moderators will depend on the particular research questions and context of a study. So, it is difficult to prescribe a full set of specific constructs. The following choices within five broad categories should aid in starting the selection process.\nPotential outcomes: The research cited herein is often from psychology and advertising. These have research design traditions favouring experiments and focussing on information processing. It has often used attitudes, intentions and behaviours as outcomes (e.g. Escalas 2007; Kim et al., 2012; Shen et al., 2015). Further, metaphorical thought can drive behaviour, \"Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature\", (Lakoff and Johnson, 2003, p. 3). So attitudes, intentions, and behaviours are possible outcomes of storytelling and metaphors in sales. Within sales research, buyer-seller relationships and sales performance often serve as outcomes. It should not be difficult to model these within the proposed framework.\nDiscussion: Researchers have examined stories and metaphors extensively in psychology and to a lesser degree in advertising. Though researchers are beginning to address stories in sales research, metaphors remain largely unresearched. We delineated the nature of the constructs and expounded the mechanisms by which these engaging and speedy tools facilitate sensemaking in a sales encounter. The propositions and the resulting framework illustrated the broad outlines of the nomological net within this arena. This should provide researchers with the constructs and theoretical foundations to apply story and metaphor research to specific sales problems in varying contexts.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose future directions for research into stories and metaphors as concise communication tools that are particularly salient for the fast pace of today's retail sales environment.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A cross disciplinary approach is taken to propose new avenues for sales communication research.\nFindings: This work highlights research possibilities into the contextually sensitive constructs of stories and metaphors with associated theoretical approaches. This could improve research into stories and metaphors as communication techniques for retail selling.\nResearch limitations/implications: The findings indicate that stories and metaphors are highly engaging sensemaking tools that salespeople can use in retail sales encounters. The lack of existing literature within the sales domain suggests a significant learning curve in demarcating the use of these tools.\nPractical implications: Stories and metaphors are presently used by salespeople but without the benefit of extensive scientific understanding. This paper builds a foundation for research that could bring clarity to the use of these tools in retail selling.\nOriginality/value: Researchers will benefit from a finer grained conceptualization with which to examine sales communication. The proposed research should get sales practitioners a clearer understanding of using stories and metaphors in sales encounters.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
An experimental study of consumption orientations, environmental sustainability advertising and home-sharing adoption intentions
|
[
"Environmental sustainability benefit",
"Hard-sell advertising appeal",
"Hedonic consumption orientation",
"Home-sharing",
"Soft-sell advertising appeal",
"Utilitarian consumption orientation"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The rapid growth of collaborative consumption (i.e. the sharing economy) has altered consumption patterns, especially in the hospitality industry (Liu and Mattila, 2017). The development of digital communication technologies to advertise and match the share of under-utilised properties through peer-to-peer (P2P) networks has enabled companies such as Airbnb to join the home-sharing lodging market and increase their market share relative to the traditional lodging industry.\nConceptual background: Environmental sustainability benefit as a competitive advantage\nMethod: A scenario-based experiment was employed to examine the influence of individuals' consumption orientations and advertisements emphasising the environmental sustainability benefits of home-sharing services on adoption intention. The conceptual framework is displayed in Figure 1. Scenario-based experiments have proved useful in consumer research and have been adopted in some hospitality studies (Liu and Mattila, 2017).\nResults: Recruitment took place via AMT ($0.8 incentive). The sample (377 participants) showed a good demographic distribution (Table I). Through checking user identification, it was determined that no participant had participated in the pre-tests. The insignificant demographic variable differences (p > 0.05) among the randomly assigned groups suggest a successful random sample assignment.\nFollow-up study (Study 2): Scenarios\nResults: 290 participants were recruited via AMT ($0.8 incentive) (Table I). Matching user identifications ensured that no individual had participated in the pre-tests and Study 1. The insignificant demographics differences (p > 0.05) among the randomly allocated groups supported a successful random sample assignment.\nDiscussion and conclusions: Conclusions\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Even with the evidence that participation in home-sharing is highly ecologically sustainable, the existing consumer communication studies in the hospitality sector have predominantly focussed on the social and economic benefits. This study aims to examine how the environmental sustainability benefits of home-sharing services can be effectively communicated to consumers.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Two scenario-based experiments (Study 1: n = 377 and Study 2: n = 290) examined the effects of consumers' consumption orientations, and the appeal of environmental sustainability benefits emphasised advertising on their home-sharing adoption intentions.\nFindings: Study 1 demonstrated that when consumers with either a hedonic or utilitarian consumption orientation book travel accommodation, their home-sharing adoption intentions increase depending on whether advertisements are designed as hard- or soft-sell appeal, respectively. Study 2 showed that the influence of an environmental sustainability benefits emphasised advertisement that has considered consumers' consumption orientation and applied the corresponding advertising appeal design is as effective as a home-sharing service that offers economic benefits and is even better than an advertisement that emphasises social benefits, particularly for utilitarian-oriented consumers.\nOriginality/value: This study is the first in the lodging sector examining the ways in which the environmental sustainability benefits of home-sharing services can be effectively communicated to consumers. The findings shed light on corporate practices pertaining to information that home-sharing service marketers can control and provide an essential basis for further advertising, consumer differences, environmental sustainability awareness and collaborative consumption studies.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
How to increase employee engagement: The role of corporate social responsibility
|
[
"Corporate social responsibility",
"Employee engagement",
"Gender"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nCorporate social responsibility and business success: Recent decades have witnessed growing pressure for organizations to conduct their business in more responsible ways. Heightened competition and increased demands from various stakeholder groups has ensured that corporate social responsibility (CSR) remains to the fore.\nCan corporate social responsibility perceptions increase employee engagement?: More recent work has begun to examine employee perceptions of CSR, mainly with regard to organizational commitment and job satisfaction. However, such a narrow focus ignores several other employee attitudes and behaviors.\nDifferent corporate social responsibility dimensions: As with many other things, CSR consists of different dimensions pertaining to specific stakeholders' groups. Previous work has indicated that these dimensions can differ in the extent to which they impact on employee engagement.\nDoes gender matter?: Some analysts claim that gender is significant where CSR is concerned. In their view, men are more concerned with functional and economic issues. Women have different psychological traits and tend to be more sensitive to CSR issues and their effects. One can therefore reasonably expect stronger commitment from women when their organization acts in a socially responsible manner.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.\nFindings: How employees perceive their firm's corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities can significantly impact on the level of employee engagement. Different dimensions of CSR are subject to vary in their influence on engagement. It remains inconclusive as to the significance of gender in the relationship between CSR perceptions and engagement. Based on this evidence, organizations can utilize CSR as a means of managing talent more effectively.\nPractical implications: The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.\nOriginality/value: The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The targeted assessment coaching interview: Adapting the assessment process to different coaching requirements
|
[
"Coaching",
"Leadership",
"Assessment",
"Senior management",
"Counselling"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The following article outlines five stages of the coaching process and focuses on one of these five steps, the coaching assessment process. It explains why the assessment process is so important to the coaching process and how the coach's careful planning of the interview can yield more relevant data to support the subsequent coaching intervention. While most coaches appreciate the importance of conducting a thorough initial assessment interview, relatively little has been written about how the assessment interview can be structured to meet the needs of different clients. To address this need, this article goes on to explain how a single assessment interview protocol can be adapted to the meet the different data gathering requirements of transitional, developmental, and remedial coaching engagements.\nThe role of the assessment interview in executive coaching: Executive coaches vary along a number of important dimensions, including the assumptions they hold about the roles that coaches play in facilitating personal change in their clients' lives, and the theoretical assumptions on which their practices are derived (Barner and Higgins, 2005). However, regardless of these differences, many coaches tend to adhere to the same five-step process for managing coaching interventions (Figure 1). While these steps have been given different names by different coaches (O'Neill, 2000; Larson and Richburg, 2004) throughout this paper they will be referred to as trust building, contracting, assessment, intervention and follow-up. These steps also closely follow the generic management consulting models that have been proposed by a number of OD practitioners (Block, 1981; Bellman, 1992; Scott, 2000).A critical part of any coaching engagement involves step three, the assessment of the client's coaching needs (O'Neill, 2000; Larson and Richburg, 2004). Within the framework presented in this paper, it's assumed that the coaching goals are set by the client, while the assessment process is guided by a third-party (internal or external) coach. In those cases in which coaching is intended to help clients meet organizational performance goals, the input of organizational stakeholders, such the client's manager and HR leader, may need to be incorporated in the construction of the coaching goals.The coach provides unique expertise, and a dispassionate third-party perspective, in helping to integrate information (360deg feedback, interview data, etc.) provided by the client or client organization, with the coach's own array of assessment tools and personal observations. In doing this, the coach faces the challenge of forming a balanced partnership with the client (O'Neill, 2000; pp. 7-8) by providing guidance and structure to the assessment process, while at the same time respecting the client's voice and allowing the client to retain ownership for personal change.While coaches typically employ a variety of tools in the assessment process, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or multi-rater feedback instruments (Tobias, 1996), few coaches would dispute the idea that a central part of any coaching assessment process is the initial assessment interview. Ideally, an effective assessment interview should provide a broad range of information that the coach can use to better understand the client's presented problem. Typically, this information includes background data on the client's work history, organizational culture, preferred leadership style (that set of behaviors that the client typically employs when managing team members, negotiating with peers and superiors), current work setting, and change goals (Barner, 2000). Such data can be invaluable in helping coaches plan and implement coaching interventions.Although Figure 1 might seem to suggest that the five coaching steps advance in a linear fashion, in truth coaches may find themselves moving back and forth among these steps an in iterative fashion. Accordingly, a coach may often find it useful to compare data from the initial assessment interview against both client feedback provided by other organizational members (through 360deg and interview feedback), and the coach's own direct observations of the client's behavior (Giglio et al., 1998). Armed with this information, a coach may decide to conduct a second assessment interview to clarify areas of uncertainty, or to probe further regarding any causal factors that appear to be associated with the presented coaching problem (Diedrich, 1996).In conducting coaching interventions the author has found it useful to focus the assessment interview on seven key data gathering components (Table I).Transitional, developmental, and remedial coaching engagements differ in terms of the client's goals, the types of coaching issues that are typically addressed, and the different supportive roles that coaches are expected to assume within each of these engagements. Accordingly, the remainder of this article will show how the different components of the interview protocol can be adapted to address the unique requirements of these three coaching situations\nTransitional coaching: Coaching goals\nDevelopmental coaching: Coaching goals\nRemedial coaching: Coaching goals\nSome final thoughts on the coaching assessment interview: In the brief space of this article it's impossible to describe completely all of the ways in which the coaching assessment interview could be adapted to meet the needs of different coaching situations. However, hopefully this article has provided a good starting point, by showing how the assessment interview can be customized to meet the unique requirements of transitional, developmental, and remedial coaching. In closing let me offer up three recommendations to guide professionals practice in the area of organizational assessment.1. Become a reflective practitioner. We perform at our best when we take the time to reflect the methods that we follow at each stage of the coaching process, and consider how these methods are aligned with the type of coaching (transitional, developmental, or remedial) in which we're engaged. In addition, as I've suggested in another article (Barner and Higgins, 2006), it's important to go beyond this and also reflect on the theory positions (counseling/clinical, behavioral, systems, or social constructionist models) that inform our coaching practice.2. Communicate your approach. By clearly communicating to our clients and client organizations the methods and theories that we follow as coaching practitioners, we are able to prevent potential communication breakdowns. Keep in mind that many clients have, in the past, engaged in some form of executive coaching. Based on the outcome of these experiences clients carry forward a mental model of what \"coaching\" is, and the expectations they hold for their coaches. For this reason I strongly recommend that during your very first coaching session you clearly summarize the type of coaching that you feel is being requested by the client, and how your methodology and assessment approach will support this coaching requirement.3. Be adaptable. Our coaching methods and tools need to be continually reviewed and, when necessarily, adapted as we shift from one type of coaching requirement to another. This paper has focused on how assessment interview practices can be adapted to serve the different goals of transitional, developmental, and remedial coaching. From a broader perspective, before we undertake to shift from one type of coaching to another we need to ask ourselves whether the goal setting process or coaching interventions that we've come to love will readily adapt to very different coaching settings. As an example, consider those coaches who have worked almost exclusively with clients who are self-referred, and who desire developmental coaching. When these coaches are requested to provide remedial coaching they sometimes encounter difficulties, because they underestimate the degree to which remedial coaching requires the conjoint negotiation of goals, assessment and intervention methods, and success measures with clients and organizational stakeholders.In summary, when it comes to executive coaching assessments \"one size does not fit all\". By following these guidelines and taking the time to adapt the assessment process to these three types of coaching engagements, organizational development and career development professionals will increase their changes of having successful coaching engagements.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - The purpose of this article is to provide readers with an understanding of how the assessment protocol for executive coaching can be adapted to more effectively meet the different needs of clients who are seeking developmental, transitional, or remedial coaching.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - This article is based on the author's 20 years of experience as both an internal executive coach and external consultant. Organizational examples are provided to illustrate key concepts.\nFindings: - The assessment interview can be customized to meet the unique requirements of transitional, developmental, and remedial coaching.\nPractical implications: - The article provides readers with clear guidelines for adapting the assessment process to meet three different coaching requirements. By following these guidelines, coaches will be able to obtain more detailed and relevant background information on the client's history, organizational setting, goals, and development issues, and in so doing establish a more effective pathway for the coaching intervention.\nOriginality/value: - To the author's knowledge, this article represents the first attempt to consider how assessment interviews might be adapted to the unique requirements of developmental, transitional, and remedial coaching.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Environmental management practices and environmental performance: The roles of operations and marketing capabilities
|
[
"UK",
"Data envelopment analysis",
"Marketing capability",
"Environmental performance",
"Environmental management practices",
"Operations capability"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: It has been widely accepted that firms face pressures from various stakeholders (e.g. customers, suppliers and competitors) on implementing environmental management practices (EMP) (Delmas and Toffel, 2008). EMP refers to \"the techniques, policies and procedures a firm uses that are specifically aimed at monitoring and controlling the impact of its operations on the natural environment\" (Montabon et al., 2007). The implementation of EMP can improve a firm's environmental performance, which measures efforts by a firm to reduce the level of environmental impact of its operations (e.g. Tyteca, 1996; Ulubeyli, 2013). Implementing EMP relies on the deployment of relevant organizational capabilities (Bowen et al., 2001). Thus, a major challenge for organizations is to understand how improved environmental performance can be created in their business processes using various functional capabilities. Managers realize that they should avoid complex environmental initiatives if they do not have relevant functional capabilities to implement them. However, they have \"little guidance on how these capabilities can be developed\" to support their EMP (Bowen et al., 2001) and environmental performance. Clearly, there is a need for more research that empirically explores the development of environmental management capability and provides useful insights into which organizational capabilities (Grant, 2002) can be used to create environmental management capability (Aragon-Correa and Sharma, 2003). To fulfil the important research gap, the present study develops a conceptual framework addressing the role of functional capabilities in implementing EMP, and provides an initial empirical examination that can help managers build environmental management capability for environmental performance improvement.\n2. Theoretical background and research hypotheses: 2.1. Theory\n3. Research method: 3.1. Data collection\n4. Results: Following the work of Carey et al. (2011), ordinary least square analysis was used to test our hypotheses. To test the mediating effect of EMP, we used the procedures suggested by Baron and Kenny (1986). The testing approach is the most widely used method to assess mediation (MacKinnon et al., 2002). The results of hypothesis test using ordinary least square are reported in Table VI. In all models, the variance inflation factor values are less than 2.0, well below the maximum level of 10.0 suggested by Mason and Perreault (1991), indicating that multicollinearity does not exist between independent variables. As depicted in Table VI, the result of Model 1 indicates that both marketing capability (b=0.204, p\n5. Discussion: The main purpose of this study is to empirically examine the effect of environmental management capability on environmental performance. Our results support the hypotheses that operations and marketing capabilities significantly affect the implementation of EMP and that EMP is significantly and positively associated with environmental performance. More specifically, we also found that EMP fully mediates the relationship between marketing capability and environmental performance. Drawing upon the RBV and NRBV, we provide an overview of environmental management from an organizational capability perspective. The significance of the contributions is discussed in more detail below.\n6. Conclusions: The present study extends existing EMP research by providing initial empirical evidence to better understand the development of environmental management capability and its effect on environmental performance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study empirically investigating the importance of functional capabilities (operations and marketing) in implementing EMP. We found that marketing and operations capabilities significantly affect EMP, which in turn leads to improved environmental performance. More specifically, we also found that EMP fully mediates the relationship between marketing capability and environmental performance. This is an important finding since previous research has paid insufficient attention to the mediation analysis. The finding of the mediating role of EMP extends our understanding of the development of environmental management capability. Our study also has important implications for practice. The results provide useful guidance for managers considering how to build environmental management capability for environmental performance improvement.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an initial analysis of the roles of functional capabilities in adopting environmental management practices (EMP) and improving environmental performance from an organizational capability perspective.\nDesign/methodology/approach: By combing survey data and archival data from 121 UK-based manufacturing firms, this study explores the relationships among functional capabilities (marketing and operations), EMP and environmental performance.\nFindings: The results show that marketing and operations capabilities significantly affect EMP, which in turn leads to improved environmental performance. More specifically, this study finds that EMP fully mediates the relationship between marketing capability and environmental performance.\nPractical implications: The results of this study provide guidance for managers considering how to develop environmental capability in order to improve environmental performance.\nOriginality/value: This study addresses a demonstrable gap in the existing literature that few empirical studies have explored the potential effects of functional capabilities on implementing EMP.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Examining knowledge management factors in the creation of new city: Empirical evidence from Zhengdong New District, Zhengzhou, China
|
[
"China",
"Sustainable development",
"Urban areas",
"Knowledge management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1 Introduction: The unprecedented economic growth has led to the rapid urbanisation in China, which has in turn resulted in the massive creation of new cities and towns throughout the country. More than 400 new cities and towns have been created since the economic reform began in the early 1980s, and another 400 with populations averaging 600,000 people are planned to be built in the next two decades (Girardet, 2004). Meanwhile, urban expansion has also been an impressive phenomenon over the last two decades (Fan, 1999). This includes the urban sprawl and the so-called \"new economic development zones.\" According to China Association of Development Zones, so far there are 54 national level development zones and 125 provincial ones. In fact, these development zones, which are usually built separately from the existing urban areas, are actually industrial centres or towns, but without statistically independent.Politically, in response to the needs of social development, the municipalities, who used to be functioned to implement development plans made by central government, have now been given the authority to make decisions in their local development plans, implementation, and management. This together with the fiscal system reform, which allows local governments to share tax revenue resources with central government, has lead to local governments to act as the key players in urban development and in the economy with the objective of promoting GDP increase (Yu, 2006). Consequently, attracting inward investment and seeking the various financial resources, which include land leasing and real estate development projects (Logan, 2002), for urban development and increasing of GDP, have, therefore, been the local governments' priority. Vice versa, investment into urban construction and industrial development zones, which hold a significant share both in budgetary and extra-budgetary expenditures of local governments and improvement of urban infrastructure, for attracting inward investment, have become the most important job that local governments are willing to do. As a result, the country has become a huge construction site, and in turn, the largest consumer of building materials in the world. Without surprise, this, of course, with some other reasons, has led to the negative impact on environmental sustainability.Nonetheless, in the age of globalisation and the emerging knowledge economy, China has become an important part of the global economy and society. China's urban development should, therefore, be concerned with the global context if it is to develop in a sustainable way. Many western developed cities are now endeavouring to regenerate their cities in accordance with development principles which are both socially and environmentally sustainable (Ovalle et al., 2004). Meanwhile, academic work has made mighty advance in using knowledge management theory at social level, such as the \"knowledge based development\" approach (Knight, 1995), and the \"knowledge city\" model (Baqir and Kathawala, 2004; Ergazakis et al., 2004; Garcia, 2004) have been developed. Under such circumstances, it is important to have the awareness that China's urbanisation cannot follow the path taken by either the developed or other developing countries, where negative consequences for the society and environment have been suffered (Pivo, 1996), but that it is crucial that an innovative new pattern has to be developed. Therefore, the research problems of the cuccrent study are:How could China manage the process of urbanisation in a more sustainable way? Could knowledge management frameworks be incorporated into the practice of managing the creation of massive new cities and towns during the process of China's urbanisation?This study explores the ongoing revolution of building new cities and towns in China, and highlights the importance of knowledge-based development in achieving sustainable development. Following the establishment of the theory and model of the knowledge city, it explores the features of knowledge city in practice. Focusing on the case study of Zhengdong New District, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, it examines the factors of knowledge management in the creation of the new city. Firstly, the paper discusses the theoretical issues involving knowledge management at social level development. Secondly, the paper analyses the common characteristics and conceptual framework of China's urban growth. Thirdly, the paper attempts to analysis Zhengdong New District and audit Zhengdoing New District to test how many features of the knowledge city are evident there. And finally, a conclusion is drawn upon the findings.\n2 Theoretical perspective related to sustainable urban development: Sustainable development has become one of most concerning issues that human society has to be facing in recent years. Many definitions have been presented among which the most commonly cited one is probably that of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, WCoEad, 1987). Sustainable development is defined as that which \"meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.\" Beatley (1995) argues that it emphasizes on \"living within the ecological carrying capacities of the planet, living off the ecological interest, and protecting future generations.\" On the other hand, in this definition, sustainable development is indeed generally treated in temporal rather than geographical terms and is concerned with inter generation effects. In understanding and analysis of sustainable development, Hagan (2001) claims that there are two main approaches exist, i.e. the rational and the arcadian. While the arcadian approach calls for returning to a pre-industrial or pre-urban lifestyle for living in harmony with nature, the rationalist believes in technological innovation as well as in the logic and economics of modern society as a solution to the current problem of environmental degradation and deteriorating quality of life in many parts of the world (Chi, 2004). This involves expanding the traditional concept of development as to include issues of social and environmental sustainability through the creation of human and social capital. In this case, human capital is a representation of the knowledge, skills and health that embodied in individuals, while social capital is referred to the norms and networks facilitating co-operation either within or between groups (OECD, 2001). In recent years, research indicates that knowledge management has brought these together to make development in a more sustainable way. Laszlo and Laszlo, 2002 point out that knowledge management can make significant contributions for the creation of human and social capital required for evolutionary development. Similarly, Carrillo (2002) claims that knowledge management at social level, which is labelled as knowledge-based development, can collaborate in a multidisciplinary effort to unleash the development potential of individuals, organisations and societies, and promote sustainable development.2.1 Knowledge based development\n3 The characteristics of China's urban growth since the economic reform: Being functioned as both economic and administrative entities, the growth and distribution of cities in China are shaped not only by market forces such as agglomeration economies, but also ideological commitments, political convictions, managerial considerations, and institutional as well as administrative settings (Lin, 2002). Thus, urban growth in China appears to have its unique characteristics.3.1 Becoming a city\n4 A case study of Zhengdong New District, China: The explosive urban growth in China took place in a circumstance of globalisation and the emerging knowledge economy, where environmental degradation and deteriorating quality of life in many parts of the world has become the increasingly prominent contemporary issues, and many international organisations (United Nations Development Programme and Natural Resources, 1992; World Bank, 1994; UNDP, 2002) and countries are endeavouring to make development in a more sustainable way. In this respect, the Chinese Government has also decided to make attempts on scientific and harmonious development (CCPC, 2002). Some of the newly developed Chinese city authorities claim that they are managing their development in accordance with the principles of knowledge-based development. Zhengdong New District, has been chosen as the case study because this is not only the typical Chinese experience but also this is the most representative one of many new cities/districts which are under construction.4.1 The background of Zhengdong New District\n5 Evaluation and analysis: Owing to the constraint of time, however, a limited number of semi-structured interviews were conducted with decision makers in the urban planning department. Randomly unstructured interviews were carried out in several sampling frames, including state-owned and private sector entrepreneurs, and general citizens, based upon a pre-set protocol to sustain the internal and external validity. By using the key success factors for knowledge city established in the previous section as the criteria as shown in Table II, the practical performance of Zhengdong New District is comparatively analysed. The results are summarized and presented in Table V, which stands self-explanatory with further explanation as follows:Owing to the fact that the management of developing the new district follows the traditional Chinese management style, the information in terms of facilitating knowledge-based development appears to be fragmental and unintentional. Based on the analysis of the primary data obtained from the government documents and the semi-structured interview, it has been concluded that the preconditions of knowledge-based development have not yet been met in total. However, the strategic development plan granted by the central government has somewhat considered advantageous and unique features of the city. In terms of institutional environment, it appears that any decision making is still controlled by the Zhengdong New District Administrative Committee. The public are not appropriately consulted with and provided with adequate opportunities to get involved in the decision-making process of urban development policies. Although, progress has been made in encouraging public discussion, it is in fact nominal rather than dynamic. Furthermore, working in partnership with private sectors is confined only to project-oriented ad hoc agreements between government and business interests.5.1 Tough issues\n6 Conclusion: The rapid urbanisation in China has been a key challenge that the Chinese society has to face. However, given the negative consequence of urbanisation for environment elsewhere in the world, it appears that the lesson has not been fully learned by the Chinese practice in the past quarter century but followed in the same path taken by other countries. This has been evidenced by the fact that most Chinese cities are now suffering from all of the usual social and environmental problems that happened in other developing countries during the process of urbanisation. The current management approaches typically used in many Chinese cities are still influenced by the idea of central planning and characterised by inflexibility, inadequate responsiveness and lack of public participation, however, a shift of the existing management approach to incorporating knowledge management framework may provide strategic insights into the process of decision making of the strategy for urban planning. In recent years, knowledge-based development and the practice of creating knowledge city have resulted in many successful stories in transforming an industrial city to a socially, culturally, and environmentally sustainable knowledge city. The case study of Zhengdong New District demonstrates that while the local authority is endeavouring to build a physically modern city, however, it might has overlooked the importance of using knowledge management principles as a tool to promote social, cultural, and environmental sustainability. Yet the analysis in this paper presents that it is not impossible to use knowledge management framework as a tool to assist policy makers governing the creation of new city in a sustainable way. Furthermore, the discussion in this paper is expected to be thought provoking in a holistic understanding of the theoretical perspective of knowledge city and further research into this field in the Chinese context.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: - This paper seeks to address issues of sustainability in the rapid urbanization in China with examination of knowledge management factors in the creation of new Chinese cities.\nDesign/methodology/approach: - A case study was undertaken at Zhengdong New District along with semi-structured interview mixed with evaluation and content analyses of successful knowledge management factors as the analytical approach.\nFindings: - This study explores the ongoing revolution of building new cities and towns in China, and highlights the importance of knowledge-based development in achieving sustainable development. Following the establishment of the theory and model of the knowledge city, it explores the features of knowledge city in practice. Focusing on the case study of Zhengdong New District, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, it examines the factors of knowledge management in the creation of the new city. However, it is believed that the strategic development plan was made following the principles of sustainability. Furthermore, it has been accepted that the strategic plan reflexes the framework and sustains various features of the knowledge city, which could be seen as the embryo of knowledge city in China. In the meantime, it has to be recognised that the outcome of the evaluation of Zhengdong New District, which has been discussed in this paper, is merely the audit of what is currently happening in the first phase of the project and reflexes the current issues, and might give impact to the implementation of municipal government strategy in the future.\nOriginality/value: - This paper concludes that, while the local authority is endeavouring to build a physically modern city, it might have overlooked the importance of using knowledge management principles as a tool to promote social, cultural, and environmental sustainability. Yet the analysis in this paper demonstrates that it is not impossible to use knowledge management framework as a tool to assist policy makers governing the creation of a new city in a sustainable way. The discussion in this paper is expected to be thought-provoking in a holistic understanding of the theoretical perspective of knowledge city and further research into this field in the Chinese context.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Student perceptions of the employability of the first degree in Portugal
|
[
"Employability",
"Bologna Process",
"First degree",
"Master degree",
"Positional goods"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Graduate employability has become a major concern for higher education institutions and students in Portugal. Especially the employability of the first degree has come into the spotlight in recent times. For several years now, claims have been advanced in the media that the country has been producing too many first-degree graduates, but scholars have considered them unfounded (Machado et al., 2003). The debate is still on-going, with similar accusations recently launched by the German chancellor (Cabrita-Mendes, 2014). Yet, graduate numbers tell a different story: the Portuguese population is less skilled than the European average, with a rate of higher education attainment of 30 per cent compared to 37.2 per cent in the EU 28, according to 2014 Eurostat figures.\nDegrees as positional goods: Several authors have conceptualised the labour market as dual (Rebitzer and Taylor, 1991; Leontaridi, 1998), fragmented in two segments: a primary one including employees who benefit from high wages and employment security and a secondary segment including employees who lack such privileges, with low wages and precarious employment. Given the fact that in Portugal the latter segment has experienced considerable growth in parallel with a retrenchment of the former (Tavares, 2016), student perceptions about the value of degrees are likely to be influenced by these developments.\nPortuguese degrees in numbers: The massification of Portuguese higher education has diminished the value of qualifications, as these have been losing their scarcity feature. The evolution of the salary premium associated to a higher education degree is evidence for this. Compared to the early 1990s when a higher education graduate earned three times more than a non-graduate, in 2002 the advantage dropped to 1.7 times as much (Almeida and Vieira, 2012). Moreover, the Bologna Process appears to have contributed further to the Portuguese first degree's diminishing value as a positional good, since its foreshortening made it easier to attain. For instance, in 2004/2005, the year before the legal implementation of Bologna, there were 45,771 first-degree graduates, whereas in 2012/2013 there were 51,470 (see Table I). As a result, a larger number of students are now graduating. The first degree, while still a necessary condition, might no longer be sufficient to give students positional advantage. The pronounced increase in the number of graduates of master degrees and integrated masters since the implementation of the Bologna Process in 2006/2007 can be understood as a consequence of this value loss.\nMethod: An online survey was administered to students between September 2013 and February 2014. It aimed to investigate their perceptions about the effects of the Bologna Process on Portuguese higher education with regards to the employability and mobility of students and the international attractiveness of institutions, as the three main objectives of the Bologna reforms. This paper focuses on the employability of the first degree in students' perceptions. Other aspects, related to students' understanding of their responsibility for employability, are discussed elsewhere (Sin et al., 2016b).\nFindings and discussion: Students' perceptions about the employability of the first degree\nConclusions: The three-tiered degree architecture proposed by the Bologna Process envisaged a first degree which was capable of responding to economic needs and which was relevant for the labour market. Further to the alterations in the Portuguese degree framework and the shortening of the first degree, Portuguese students' perceptions of the employability of the first degree were analysed to understand if its value as a positional good had diminished. Students' trajectory choices on graduation, as well as the reasons for these choices, were also analysed to shed further light on these perceptions.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The paper presents and analyses quantitative data on student perceptions about the employability of the first degree, and their trajectory choices on graduation. The purpose of this paper is to assess the value of the first degree as a positional good in Portugal, further to the degree's reduced duration after the implementation of the Bologna Process.\nDesign/methodology/approach: In total, 828 students responded to an online survey administered between September 2013 and February 2014. Students came from 17 institutions, public and private, universities and polytechnics, across the country. Differences in student perceptions were analysed by higher education sector, study level and gender through descriptive statistics.\nFindings: The majority of surveyed students, across sectors, study level and gender, assessed as negative the impact of the implementation of the Bologna reforms on the employability of the first degree. This had implications for students' intended choices on graduation, as the majority consider enroling in a master degree (except for polytechnic students). Additionally, a large proportion of students felt unprepared to enter the labour market after the first degree.\nResearch limitations/implications: The size and distribution of the sample pose limitations for the generalisation of results to the student population.\nPractical implications: The finding suggest that enrolments in master degrees are likely to keep rising, a valuable piece of information for institutions and policy-makers responsible for regulating higher education in Portugal.\nOriginality/value: Opinions about the value of the first degree have generally been based on qualitative research or anecdotal evidence. This study brings a quantitative perspective on the first degree's value for different groups of students.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Developing a competitive international service strategy: a case of international joint venture in the global service industry
|
[
"International service strategy",
"Culture",
"Competitive advantage",
"Starbucks",
"International business"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The international joint venture (IJV) has become a dominant strategy to enter foreign markets and is used widely by multinational service firms developing their foreign markets (Erramilli, 1990). Specifically, in the case of soft services such as hotels and restaurants the inseparability between production and consumption becomes one of the critical issues that international service firms need to consider when developing foreign markets (Erramilli, 1990). The IJV has become a popular foreign entry mode among international service firms (Javalgi and Martin, 2007). The rich body of literature on IJVs (Boersma et al., 2003; Hamel, 1991; Harrigan, 1988; Li, 2008; Li et al., 2006; Steensma and Lyles, 2000; Yan and Child, 2004) suggests that the IJV has competitive advantages over other entry modes such as a wholly owned venture or licensing. This is because a locally-based partner in the target market better understands the local culture, political issues, and consumer trends while global corporations have superior brand power, technological advantages, and operational skills (Lu and Hebert, 2005; Steensma and Lyles, 2000).\nLiterature review - international service strategy development: Several scholars (Javalgi et al., 2003; Javalgi and Martin, 2007; Krishna, 1987; McLaughlin and Fitzsimmons, 1996) claim that multinational service operators have often tended to rely on their domestic service management strategies and experiences to develop international markets, which has resulted in high failure rates of international market development. Lovelock and Wirtz (2007) suggest that service strategy is a series of service marketing activities that improve a firm\nInternational joint venture versus international service strategy: The first section of this literature review focused on understanding the impacts of culture on the development of international service management at the level of the individual consumer. This section of the literature review deals with crucial issues related to the development of international service strategies in the context of IJVs. The major benefits of an international joint venture include a firm\nResearch questions: Although most cross-cultural studies related to service quality suggest that there are significant differences among global consumer behaviors and attitudes on service quality, the existing IJV literature is silent about how IJV firms can develop competitive international service management strategies to better serve local consumers in international markets. Importantly, this issue becomes more critical when the parent firm of an IJV works with a local partner whose national culture differs from that of the parent firm. This study delves into issues relevant to the development of international service strategies from the foreign (local) partner\nMethod: The case study method was adopted to answer the research questions. Specifically, the researchers selected Starbucks Korea, an IJV between the Starbucks Corporation and the Shinsegae Corporation of Korea, as the case for this study. Starbucks Korea has been an exemplary international joint venture in the global service industry in terms of its competitive international service strategy, particularly given the geographic, cultural, and organizational differences of the two partners. Between the opening of the first Starbucks store in Korea in 1999 and June 2011, Starbucks Korea has developed 400 outlets (Starbucks Korea, n.d.) and has recorded an average of 20 to 25 percent annual growth. For example, the total revenue and net income of Starbucks Korea in 2007 were $97,116,840 and $9,102,178, respectively (Hong, 2008). The net profit of the joint venture in 2008 increased 38 percent compared to 2006, which is remarkable given the emerging global economic turbulence and low success rate of IJVs (Kalnins, 2005; Kim, 2009). As of October 3, 2010, Starbucks Corporation operated more than 11,131 outlets in the US market and 5,527 outlets in international markets (Starbucks, 2010).\nFindings: Building mutual trust between Starbucks Corporation and Shinsegae Corporation\nLimitations and future studies: The findings of this study have some considerable drawbacks that we acknowledge. First, the results come from a small number of informants that may limit the credibility and consistency of the results. Also, our results may not be generalized globally since they are derived from a single case company in Korea. This is a major limitation. Thus, future studies should investigate international service strategy in different countries and service sectors such as the airline industry or the health care industry to see if the results differ from the results of our study.\nConclusion: The purpose of this study was to identify the major antecedents in developing an international service strategy in the context of IJVs. Using the case of Starbucks Korea, the study also explored how an IJV firm customizes its service quality standard to meet local consumers\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how an international joint venture (IJV) company can efficiently develop a competitive international service strategy in the competitive global marketplace. Specifically, this study seeks to highlight the key antecedents related to the development of an international service strategy and its implementation through the case of the IJV of Starbucks Korea.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The case study method is used. A series of in-depth personal interviews with the CEO of Starbucks Korea, a marketing manager at Starbucks Korea, and outlet managers of Starbucks Korea were conducted. Furthermore, an array of secondary data and company documentation was reviewed to triangulate the findings of the study.\nFindings: Several themes illuminating the development and implementation of a successful international service strategy in the case of an international joint venture are identified. It was found that one of the critical antecedents related to the successful international service strategy in the context of an IJV is the similarity of organizational values between the IJV partners. The similarity between the corporate values and missions of the two partners in Starbucks Korea has become a major impetus in the development of a competitive international service strategy for Starbucks Korea.\nResearch limitations/implications: The findings of the study may not be applicable to other service firms since the study uses a single firm and a single country as its context.\nOriginality/value: The results of the study should help international service firms understand the importance of a successful international service strategy in the case of an international joint venture. Furthermore, the findings of the study illustrate the importance of understanding the local culture to develop a successful international service strategy.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
High-performance teams and job involvement: exploring the linkage to augment quality in Indian education and research
|
[
"Benchmarking",
"Higher education",
"Quality",
"High-performance teams",
"Job involvement level"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: Over 750 Universities and more than 40,000 colleges with around 28 million students and around 1.5 million teachers make India the third largest system of higher education (HE) in the world. The demand for HE is growing at the rate of 20 percent per annum in India (Gupta, 2008). The world's attention is on India as a global hub for international education, especially in the light of its large youth population. Thus, India has the possibility of attracting students to its universities but only if it is able to demonstrate a quality education system. Equally, India may wish to build international linkages and partnerships through the guarantee of quality education. From both perspectives, the essence is grounded in the term \"quality education.\" However, this is particularly jeopardized by the present weaknesses in terms of quality in the Indian education system. India does, of course, have its own mechanism and apex bodies to check and evaluate the quality in education; however, so far these bodies have not been able to carry out their role in a comprehensive manner. India's quality assurance systems are still undergoing reforms and there exists incoherence in policy formulation and implementation (Parashar and Parashar, 2012), which has always invited questions and doubts from the stakeholders. Literature suggests that these systems work on a fault-finding approach rather than a suggestive or a consultative approach. Since assessment tends to be only on an annual basis, the results of the assessment can sometimes be very different from the reality. Institutions undergoing the assessment, prepare well in advance for the inspection visit and manipulations can be a common phenomenon. Once the ratings are declared, many institutions return to their regular routine behavior.\nBenchmarking as a tool: In the contemporary era, benchmarking techniques are commonly used as a tool for development in various fields (Sweet et al., 2007). They are now widely accepted and used for quality improvement in both manufacturing as well as service industries, including the education sector, however, with varying style and intensity. The term \"benchmarking\" as described by Bendell et al. (1993) is \"the process of identifying and learning from best practices anywhere in the world in the quest for continuous improvement.\" Daniels (1996) refers benchmarking as the process of comparing one's own organization with its peers worldwide, to identify and learn from best practice. It is thus characterized as a drive for excellence, involving a continuous quest for improvement. Benchmarking, initially coined by Rank Xerox to describe a process of self-evaluation and self-improvement through the systematic and collaborative comparison of practice and performance with competitors in order to identify own strengths and weaknesses, and learn how to adapt and improve as conditions change (Camp, 1989), was first noted in UK HE in 1957 (Jackson, 2001), with reference to standards of students. However, since that time it has been applied in a number of ways to various organizational processes and mechanisms.\nHPTs: A plethora of research (Hackman, 2004; Manfred, 1999; Katzenbach and Smith, 1993) and practices have proved that the teams if properly supported to become HPTs, can achieve far better results. Thompson et al. (1998) argued that HPTs can lead to higher productivity, better quality, and a close focus by workers on what organizations really are supposed to be doing. Even an average team achieves 63 percent of the objectives of their strategic plans (Mankins and Steele, 2005), however, HPT groups are capable of far exceeding this. Salas et al. (2004) defined team as \"a distinguishable set of two or more people who are assigned specific roles or functions to perform dynamically, interdependently, and adaptively toward a common and valued goal/object/mission, who have each been assigned specific roles or functions to perform, and who have a limited lifespan of membership.\"\nJob involvement level: HPTs are intrinsically connected to job involvement levels. Job involvement levels may be taken as the extent or the degree of intensity to which an individual feels enthusiastically involved, attached and to his/her job. It is the degree to which one is cognitively preoccupied with, engaged in, and concerned with one's present job (Paullay et al., 1994). In much literature, job involvement and work engagement are considered to be same and these terms are even used interchangeably as well as to define each other. John Kammeyer-Mueller, University of Florida defines it as active engagement in one's work. However, as per Hallberg and Schaufeli (2006) \"work engagement is positively related with, but can nevertheless be differentiated from, similar constructs such as job involvement and organizational commitment.\" Involvement differs from other constructs in the sense that it is a deeper state of psychological attachment and absorption in one's work tasks. The purpose of the study is not to differentiate between involvement, commitment, and engagement and, because of their relatedness; all the terms are used for finding the impact of striving for quality while working in teams. Involvement level of lecturers in their profession is frequently considered to be one of the key determinants for the delivery of quality education i.e. service quality. However, Mosahab et al. (2010) are of the opinion that research into service quality in educational organizations is somewhat scant. Raju and Srivastava (1994) have emphasized the point that \"the more dependable and psychologically participative behavior on the part of teachers on one hand, and educational outcomes and the students' intellectual and personal development on other, depend largely on the commitment of the teachers.\" They have also stated the basic psychological determinants of job involvement as choice satisfaction, interest in the profession, desire to utilize skills, group attitude and intention to stay with the profession. The present study is an attempt to set up a relation between the teamwork and above-mentioned determinants.\nConceptualization and discussion: As per Cai-feng (2010), education today is tomorrow's economy and is becoming an important source of power. He also highlights the importance of education stating it to be the strategic fundamental industry in the age of knowledge-based economy. However, Indian HE is in a static state. The issue of reducing quality is a serious threat to Indian HE. Engelkemeyer (1995) categorized key shortcomings of contemporary HE systems as poor teaching. Misra (2002) identifies \"management without objectives\" as one of the key reasons for the downfall of the Indian university system. He highlights the need for - adopting a functional approach in our universities; periodic academic audits; greater autonomy and accountability in all spheres of operations; open door policy welcoming ideas and people from all over; administrative restructuring decentralizing university departments and schools; and making education relevant to our people and times; as the basic steps in improving the Indian universities. The World Declaration on Higher Education (1998) declared that \"quality in HE is a multi-dimensional concept.\" But, both Misra and the World Declaration on HE appear to overlook one of the key drivers of education quality - the teacher.\nProposed model and its implications: Figure 1 presents the conceptual model of benchmarking industry-practiced HPTs in HE setting. To bring about any change in the organization, the top management or the leaders of the organization (universities or educational institutions in this case) have a great role to play. Likewise, in order to bring the concept of HPTs to the education sector, the top management/leaders have to sponsor/champion it and provide all the required resources both in financial and non-financial terms. Another important aspect is that of trust. Having a confidence in the concept of HPTs and in the employees that they will be able to reap the benefits is quite important. Alongside, the governance and control mechanisms have to be very strong to ensure that things are moving in the right direction.\nConclusion and scope for future research: Benchmarking HPTs in Indian HE has the potential to elevate the involvement level of teachers in their profession. The study of extant literature supports that the interdisciplinary teams with greater autonomy and resilience can produce amazing results. Implementation of HPTs in the education sector will also reap the benefits of informal learning and teachers would be able to develop their competencies. The culture so developed would urge the teachers to improve upon their delivery part and spur the willingness to participate in quality research activities and thus overall increasing the \"quality\" in Indian HE. The present study has the full potential to be empirically tested for its validity and reliability, thus authors suggest implementing the proposed model in an educational setting to add significant value. The process can be slow and hard to implement and but it can yield spectacular results.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Indian higher education (HE) is arguably \"in the doldrums.\" Conformity to minimum standards and requirements combined with ever-eroding quality is the serious threats. Many researchers have suggested adopting a functional approach in universities and developing greater autonomy and accountability to improve the situation. The purpose of this paper is to deliberate on the introduction of an integrated way of making teachers more involved in their profession with the intention of enhancing the quality of education and research.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The paper's argument conceptualizes the possibilities of the Indian HE system benchmarking the concept of high-performance teams (HTPs) as practiced in the industry.\nFindings: Taking the support from the extant literature, it is proposed that working in HTPs have the potential to elevate the involvement level of the faculty. Furthermore, it is suggested that through the implementation of HTPs in educational settings, teachers would also be able to develop their competencies in relation to research activities.\nOriginality/value: The model presented in the study has the potential to be empirically tested for its validity and reliability, which opens vistas for future research.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The importance of non-equilibrium in the development of economic system (thermodynamic approach)
|
[
"Politics",
"Adaptive system theory",
"Thermodynamic approach",
"Economic system",
"Political science",
"Non-equilibrium"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: When economic systems develop and start to become dynamic factors of social evolution, we do not usually ask the following question: Why is this happening? It is something normal for us? But when economic systems start to fail, humans suddenly become interested in economic systems and their functions and start to ask the following questions: Why did it happen? Why did economic systems collapse? Are economic crises inevitable? Are they only temporary \"anomalies\"? Do they represent failures of our activities? We try to give answers to these questions in the paper using a paradigm of the laws of thermodynamics, particularly the second law of thermodynamics.\nNon-equilibrium as a source of movement and new organization of economic system: New non-equilibrium systems theory is a very important theoretical and methodological base for survey and understanding of contemporary economic systems and processes. Equilibrium is considered to be one of the basic conditions of existence and evolution of natural and social systems, according to scientific literature. Generally speaking, it can be presented as true. But the problem is that classical imagination perceives equilibrium as something real and stable - something more stable than basic condition of evolution of systems. Non-equilibrium state was usually understood as something negative, something destructive - something which has to be eliminated. Non-equilibrium state was understood as an anomaly, as an expression of weakening of system security and as a road to extinction. Thermodynamics comes with an idea that equilibrium is a \"short\" state of the system, equilibrium is very relative and all systems try to meet it but they will never reach it. Equilibrium is usually connected with classical science, and non-equilibrium state is connected with thermodynamics paradigm, with a new methodology of science[1]. Non-equilibrium state is often seen as a basic condition - as an internal source of system evolution and its activities. Non-equilibrium state is a base of new arrangement of systems (Prigogine and Stengers, 2001, pp. 135-140). Misunderstanding of contemporary non-equilibrium state theory, new expressions or aspects of dynamic processes, can bring about negative impacts on the survey and establishment of new global economic system, e.g. new national and local economic systems. Therefore, the non-equilibrium state theory is a methodological base of new perception and survey of contemporary economic systems. Methodology of this theory enables us to find solutions to contemporary global economic crisis.\nConclusion: A deeper survey of economic systems shows that they are open and dynamic systems full of antagonisms, non-linear processes, fluctuations and imbalance, which lead to permanent increase of entropy and self-organization. Development of economic systems is determined by subjective interests and activities of people and laws of thermodynamics. Imbalance is closely connected with dynamic open systems, according to thermodynamic paradigm. Besides fluctuations and chaotic processes, it also supports the creation and rise of entropy within the system; it can lead to extinction of the system. But on the other hand, it also represents a key source of system development, its new arrangement and qualitatively new order. It is necessary to change structure and mechanisms of economic systems to revitalize contemporary global economic system, economic crisis, decrease of critical imbalance, high entropy and destructive influence of various fluctuations and anomalies. \"Objective\" self-organizing mechanisms, \"wisdom\" and \"omnipotence\" of the market, managers of global economic systems, particularly banks and investment companies, mean further increase of chaos and social tensions and conflicts. This process must be deeply influenced by rationality, knowledge, science, information, responsibility, morality and culture.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: New non-equilibrium systems theory is a very important theoretical and methodological base of survey and understanding of contemporary economic systems and processes. Equilibrium is considered one of the basic conditions of existence and evolution of natural and social systems, according to scientific literature. Generally speaking, it can be presented as true. But the problem is that classical imagination perceives equilibrium as something real and stable - something more stable than basic condition of evolution of systems. Non-equilibrium state was usually understood as something negative, something destructive and something which has to be eliminated. Non-equilibrium state was understood as an anomaly, as an expression of weakening of system security and as a road to extinction. Thermodynamics comes with an idea that equilibrium is a \"short\" state of the system, equilibrium is very relative and all systems try to meet it, but they will never reach it. Equilibrium is usually connected with classical science and non-equilibrium state is connected with thermodynamics paradigm, with a new methodology of science. Non-equilibrium state is often seen as a basic condition - as an internal source of system evolution and its activities. Non-equilibrium state is a base of new arrangement of systems. Misunderstanding of contemporary non-equilibrium state theory and new expressions or aspects of dynamic processes can bring about negative impacts on the survey and establishment of new global economic system, e.g. new national and local economic systems. Therefore, the non-equilibrium state theory is a methodological base of new perception and survey of contemporary economic systems.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A study of non-equilibrium thermodynamics.\nFindings: Irreversibility and non-equilibrium, occurring in each process and evolutionary phase of economic systems, are connected with accidents and openness. Openness of systems enables (and causes) diversification toward wider system or environment and penetration of external elements and processes to internal structure of the system. A system like this is more sensitive to external and internal changes. Considering this, it is very important to be aware of the fact that entropy has different behavior in \"closed\" systems - different from behavior in open systems. Open economic systems communicate with external environment, interact with external systems and they exchange the energy. They consume energy of external environment and penetrate it. Elements, nodes and joints in open systems can communicate, connect and integrate with elements, nodes and joints from external systems. The growth of entropy is \"smoother\" and equilibrium of the system, its sub-systems and elements proceeds despite the non-equilibrium state of elements of the own system. They have to communicate and exchange the energy with external environment. This is because of the non-equilibrium state.\nOriginality/value: This is an original thermodynamic approach to the importance of non-equilibrium in the development of economic systems.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Inspiration sources for Australian fast fashion design: tapping into consumer desire
|
[
"Fast fashion",
"Design process",
"Product development",
"Australian fashion",
"Designers"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Crucial to the fast fashion model is enhanced responsiveness to market demand (Christopher et al., 2004), or close connection to consumer desire. Product development teams must connect to their consumers in order to provide the right product to market at the right time. The paper contains an examination of the roles and decision making by one group of actors in the product development process: fashion designers. The literature indicates that mass-market fashion designers rely on a wide variety of inspiration sources to determine which styles to develop; these sources include trend forecasting services, magazines and celebrity style, products sold under other brands, and past sales data for designers' firms (Goworek, 2010; Masson et al., 2007). Recent sources include aggregating services such as EDITD or online \"big data\" on sales figures or (Banks, 2013). Little previous research has addressed the specific ways such inspiration sources are used in the fast fashion market sector. On the basis of empirical data from interviewing designers in three Australian fast fashion companies, the present research provides information on various inspiration sources and two key methods - consensus and embodiment - that fast fashion design teams use to determine the right styles for their market and customer.\nLiterature review: Fast fashion\nMethod: To explore how fast fashion designers connect to consumer desire, the empirical data were gathered from interviews with fast fashion designers working at three Australian companies[2]. This research received university ethics approval for low-risk research involving human participants (approval number: 1000000677). A condition of ethics clearance for this research was that these companies remain anonymous and all participants were given pseudonyms to disguise their identity.\nSources of inspiration for fast fashion design decision making: This section provides a collation of the various inspiration sources that the design teams used. Sources of inspiration designers discussed in interview are given in the below list. Following Mete's (2006) division of visual and tactile sources, visual sources of inspiration were largely from online research, and tactile sources came from the designers' travel, generally to fashion centres such as London, New York, and Tokyo. The most referenced online sources were trend forecasting services such as WGSN and Style.com. Another important source designers mentioned is personal style blogs, a source rarely discussed in the fashion design literature. Inspiration sources for design decision making, ordered from most to least mentioned:\nKnowing what \"our girl\" wants: Although it is possible to list the various inspiration sources on which designers draw to make decisions, it is difficult to gauge how designers sort and analyse these multiple sources, and then synthesise information from the sources to develop fashion styles. Crucial to the fast fashion model is the notion of continual engagement with the customer, and anticipating consumer desire is the key to designing what will sell. This section provides detailed examination of the designers' process and connection to their consumers. In interviews, designers were asked to describe their design process and how they made design decisions. The fast fashion designer responses to this question will be explored under the two key themes of \"consensus\" and \"embodiment\".\nConclusions, implications, and limitations: In order to respond quickly to the right trend at the right time, fast fashion designers rely on a wide variety of tactile and visual inspiration sources that they must sort rapidly and appropriately. Interview data in this study indicate that their visual inspiration comes mainly from online sources such as WGSN, personal style blogs, celebrity photographs, online stores of competitors and higher market level stores, catwalk images and reports, and street style blogs. Crucially, multiple overlapping inspiration sources are needed. Designers' tactile research includes sourcing a variety of garments from both Australia and overseas, aspects of which will be imitated or adapted. Some inspiration sources identified in the literature were mentioned rarely (past sales data) or not at all (movies, television). The limited relevance of past sales data to designers, at least those in this small sample, may be related to the high rate of change in the merchandise offered in the fast fashion sector.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify both the inspiration sources used by fast fashion designers and ways the designers sort information from the sources during the product development process.\nDesign/methodology/approach: This is a qualitative study, drawing on semi-structured interviews conducted with the members of the in-house design teams of three Australian fast fashion companies.\nFindings: Australian fast fashion designers rely on a combination of trend data, sales data, product analysis, and travel for design development ideas. The designers then use the consensus and embodiment methods to interpret and synthesise information from those inspiration sources.\nResearch limitations/implications: The empirical data used in the analysis were limited by interviewing fashion designers within only three Australian companies.\nOriginality/value: This research augments knowledge of fast fashion product development, in particular designers' methods and approaches to product design within a volatile and competitive market.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Transferring knowledge from universities to organizations by business students: Findings from a developing country
|
[
"Knowledge transfer",
"PLS-SEM",
"Business students",
"In-service employed students",
"University–organization linkage"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: With the advent of knowledge-based economies, the role of universities as a source of knowledge has become more vital when compared to the past (Eom and Lee, 2010). In the past, universities were considered as a source of teaching knowledge, but currently, the transfer of productive knowledge emerged as a \"third mission\" which changed the role of universities, from the production of knowledge in isolation to getting engaged with stakeholders to make maximum usage of knowledge (Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff, 2000). The drastic technological change and global competition highlighted the linkages of universities with firms to aid industrialization and transfer knowledge (Bettis and Hitt, 1995; Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff, 2000). The associations between the universities and the firms are interlinked. The universities act as a channel of knowledge transfer (KT) to firms by producing quality students, whereas the firms engage with the universities to get benefited from the knowledge of students and professors and thus to save the cost of manpower (Eom and Lee, 2010).\n2. Theoretical background and hypotheses development: 2.1 Conceptual model\n3. Methodology: The framework used in this study is shown in Figure 1. The model shows the effect of intrinsic motivation, innovative culture, functional value, PH on acquiring knowledge and the impact of acquiring knowledge on KT.\n4. Data analysis: The hypotheses were analyzed by using the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). PLS-SEM is preferred over other traditional multivariate methods (Haenlein and Kaplan, 2004) and particularly is highly recommended for examining mediating hypotheses (James et al., 2006). Moreover, this method is suitable for explaining the maximum variation of the data having a complex model by a small sample size, has a minimum requirement with respect to model fitness and does not need assumption related to multivariate normality (Chin, 1998). To determine the significance of the hypothesized relationship and their path coefficients, the bootstrapping of 5,000 subsamples method was used as recommended by Hair et al. (2011). The estimation was done in two steps which were in accordance with the guidelines of Anderson and Gerbing (1988). Step one is related to the assessment of the measurement model, its reliability and validity and in Step two, the structural model and hypothesis were tested.\n5. Conclusion and managerial implications: Knowledge can be transferred from the university to the organization via students. There are many students who work and study at the same time, so they have the opportunity to transfer the skills they acquired from the university to the workplace. This study is conducted to examine those factors that affect the acquiring of knowledge and transfer process by using the in-service student's data. The result shows that all the hypotheses are accepted and all the factors have a significant effect on acquired knowledge and transfer. This study will help the organizations and universities to recognize the role of these factors and to craft appropriate strategies that enhance KT.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to explore the significance of knowledge transfer (KT) from universities to organizations by employing in-service employees, who are working in organizations and at the same time studying in the universities, as the channel.\nDesign/methodology/approach: By using survey methodology, data were collected from 216 in-service business students via self-administered questionnaires and partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied.\nFindings: The results revealed that intrinsic motivation, psychological hardiness, functional value and innovative culture significantly predict the acquired knowledge which henceforth positively affects KT.\nResearch limitations/implications: Data from business students of the single university were extracted which limits the findings, and hence directed future researchers to explore further.\nPractical implications: Interactive, case study-based training and others implications are discussed to effectively transfer the knowledge from universities to organizations.\nOriginality/value: The role of in-service employed students is of significant importance, as students exist as an intermediary between organizations and universities, and so both universities and organizations should make maximum use of the said channel for an effective KT.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The efficacy/inefficacy of accounting in controlling labour during the transition from slavery in the United States and British West Indies
|
[
"Government accounting",
"Labour control",
"Slavery",
"Emancipation",
"United States of America",
"Barbados",
"Jamaica",
"Antigua",
"Employees",
"Employers",
"Control",
"Accounting"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Slavery officially ended in the British Empire in 1834 and in the USA in 1863, although in practice it is difficult to identify a clear break. The paper focuses on the transition from slavery to wage workers in both venues and the corresponding nature of the reporting and control procedures that were established in order to create a disciplined workforce and establish regular relations between employees and employers. The paper seeks to explain the differences in labour control practices between the two regions and to discuss the impact on these practices of accounting and other quantitative techniques[1]. In particular, it considers the central role played by government in the process.\nManagement accounting information and labour control pre-emancipation: Under slavery, economic incentives and accounting controls played a small part in disciplining the workforce, physical coercion being the main means[5]. Indeed, management accounting played a very limited role overall in plantation management in both the USA and BWI. The major points of difference between the two locations are that plantations in the BWI tended to be larger than in the USA - typically they were nearly double the size in terms of both acreage and numbers of slaves - and crucially, from an accounting perspective, they were almost exclusively absentee-owned and therefore wholly reliant on agents. Most of the American plantations were owner-managed. In the American South, the plantation owner himself, sometimes supported by the chief overseer, maintained the routine accounting records with \"appraisers\" called in from time to time when more formal valuations of the plant, slaves and livestock were required, such as for probate or loan collateralisation purposes. Meanwhile, an array of officials was involved in BWI in compiling the larger volume of accounting documents demanded by the owners in Britain to safeguard their investment. There was clearly much more of a reporting culture on the BWI plantations, therefore, than the American ones where \"management by walking about\" remained an option and thus there was far less need for formalised accounting reports to assess how things were going.\nEngineering a new society based on waged labour: Clearly, there were a host of variables that affected the transition process. Foner (1983) noted that these were both internal (scarcity of land, political power of former slave owners) and external (state of the economy, role of political authorities). However, two major points of difference stand out between the BWI and USA. In the first place, emancipation in the BWI was the result of a negotiated settlement involving compensation to slave owners, whereas in the USA it was imposed on a war-ravaged economy following the Civil War. Compensating the slave owners in the BWI gave the British government a financial lever over them as they were forced to agree to the systemisation of work rules, pay rates, punishments, justice, and detailed accounting records and reporting requirements before they received any money. The intervention of the imperial government in plantation affairs was not new and thus may have been more tolerated. An Order in Council in 1824, for example, restricted the use of whippings and obliged plantation owners to keep a record of floggings administered. Another one in 1831 regulated the slaves\nConclusion: The paper has discussed the impact of accounting and other quantitative techniques on labour control practices during the transition from slavery to waged labour in the USA and BWI at the macro and micro levels. Prior to emancipation, plantation accounts in both the USA and BWI focused heavily on gross output rather than return on investment. There was a lack of attention to labour productivity and little in the way of cost controls. There was more attention in the labour records to differences of race than productivity. Labour discipline was characterised by the lash or other physical punishments. In terms of points of difference, the fact that most plantation owners in the BWI were absentees meant that there was more of a tradition of reporting events to the principal than in the USA where \"management by walking about\" remained feasible. There was also a longer history of government intervention in plantation affairs in the BWI, including demands for information.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The aim of this paper is to focus on the transition from slavery to wage workers in the American South and British West Indies, and the corresponding nature of the reporting and control procedures that were established in both venues, in order to create a disciplined workforce, and establish regular relations between employees and employers. It seeks to explain the differences in labour control practices between the two regions and to discuss the impact on these practices of accounting and other quantitative techniques c.1760-1870. In particular, it aims to consider the central role played by government in the process.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The study forms part of an archival research project, in which the authors have consulted archives in four Southern States (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina), three Caribbean island nations, formerly British colonies (Antigua, Barbados, and Jamaica), and record repositories the length and breadth of Great Britain. The records of the Freedmen\nFindings: In the USA, accounting for labour in the transition from slavery was typically ad hoc and inconsistent, whereas in the BWI it was more organised, detailed, and displayed greater uniformity - both within and across colonies. The role of the British Colonial Office (BCO) was crucial here. A range of economic and political factors are advanced to explain the differences between the two locations. The paper highlights the limitations of accounting controls and economic incentives in disciplining labour without the presence of physical coercion in situations where there is a refusal on the part of the workers to cooperate.\nOriginality/value: There is a relatively small volume of secondary literature comparing US and BWI slavery and its legacy. Likewise, the accounting implications of labour-control practices, during the transition from slavery to freedom, are largely understudied. The research also points to a need to assess the decision-influencing capabilities of management accounting systems in other transitional labour settings.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Contextualizing employability: Do boundaries of self-directedness vary in different labor market groups?
|
[
"Employability",
"Agency and structure",
"Career self-directedness",
"Labor market strata",
"New career",
"New employment relationship"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: The concept of employability takes a prominent place in both the academic and the public policy discourses on mobile and flexible labor markets (Berntson, 2008; Muffels and Luijkx, 2008). It is considered a crucial component in achieving long-term employment security, as well as a policy instrument geared toward improving labor market participation (European Commission, 1997; Forrier and Sels, 2003).\nTheoretical background: Employability\nMethod: Sample\nResults: Single-group model\nDiscussion and conclusion: In this study, we have disentangled the effects of several structural factors influencing perceived employability (which can serve as an indicator of employment security within uncertain employment environments) from the effects of individual agency, measured as a career self-directedness orientation. We have found that self-directedness remains a significant determinant of perceived employability even when the effects of the structural variables, pertaining to socio-economic status and previous employment history, are accounted for in the model. In addition, we have found that self-directedness exerts its effects in the same way for workers in non-managerial positions as it does for workers in managerial positions. The same conclusion is reached for workers with and without a higher education diploma. Finally, we have found that workers in both these groups exhibit, on average, similar levels of self-directedness.\nImplications for research and policy: What implications do these results have for the academic debate on the new employment relationship and the related debate on the new career? Our analyses provide an empirical response to a growing awareness in the domain of career studies that a proper analysis of the new employment relationship cannot occur without paying attention to the societal context that constrains and shapes individual agency (Delva et al., 2016; Inkson et al., 2012; Roper et al., 2010; Tams and Arthur, 2010). They demonstrate that even though agency is a strong antecedent of employability, a key ingredient of labor market success, contextual factors that cannot be changed by the individual, at least not in the short-term perspective, can also play in important role. Our results suggest, therefore, that a more balanced approach in terms of interaction between agency and structure must be adopted in the employability and new career research (cf. McQuaid and Lindsay, 2005). On the other hand, our results refute the claim raised by some career scholars that agency-driven careers are reserved only for the privileged labor market groups (see Inkson et al., 2012). They suggest that even weaker labor market strata can benefit from exercising agency to counter their less advantageous structural position.\nLimitations: Our study has a number of limitations that need to be kept in mind when interpreting the results. First, the use of perceived employability as an indicator of employment security has its drawbacks. Most importantly, it may not be an accurate reflection of the objective probability of being re-employed. Respondents may overestimate their employability for reasons of social desirability or to avoid a negative self-presentation. Second, the use of cross-sectional data makes it impossible to determine the direction of causality between career mobility history and both latent variables. A similar observation holds true for the link between career self-directedness and additional educational activities: both can potentially influence and reinforce each other. Additional research is required to address these issues.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Individual employability has become a crucial element in ensuring labor security in flexibilizing labor markets. The importance of agency-side factors as antecedents of employability has been emphasized in the relevant literature, spurring the criticism that some worker groups may be more restricted than others by contextual factors in respect to their employment prospects. The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically how labor market groups differ in what shapes their employability.\nDesign/methodology/approach: The authors used a representative sample of 1,055 employees to detect differences in the impact of career self-directedness (agency-side) and several contextual factors (structure-side) on employability, comparing workers with and without higher education and workers in and outside managerial positions. Confirmatory factor analysis with subsequent tests of invariance was used.\nFindings: Results confirm that employability is affected both by contextual factors and by self-directedness. No significant differences were observed between the compared groups in the extent to which self-directedness and the contextual factors influence employability. An important finding is that self-directedness itself is affected by preceding career history (career mobility and previous unemployment), which may suggest a vicious-circle relationship between past and future career precariousness.\nPractical/implications: The findings support the view prevailing in policy circles that fostering agency-side factors such as self-directedness is instrumental toward achieving higher employment security. At the same time, individual agency cannot replace traditional policy measures in tackling structural labor market inequalities.\nOriginality/value: This study uses robust methodology and a representative respondent sample to statistically disentangle the effects of agency and context on employability. Its key contribution pertains to the explicit comparison of different worker groups, with separate contrasts on each model parameter.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Organizational readiness for change: an inherent concern for Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
|
[
"India",
"SMEs",
"Organizational readiness to change"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nImportance of organizational readiness for change: Sound change management strategies are crucial for any business to survive and sustain in the current competitive environment. In a country like India, the need for change is often unpredictable mostly because of scale of economic development and political volatility; hence, changes tend to be reactive and discontinuous, and if not managed, lead to situations of organizational crisis. While it is imperative to understand the rationale for and level of occurrence in any successful change, the effectiveness of change largely depends upon organizational readiness for change (ORC). As an organization-level concept, readiness for change refers to organizational members' shared commitment to implement a change and shared belief in their collective capability to do so.\nOpportunities and challenges for Indian SMEs: SMEs in India employ more than 40 per cent of the workforce and contribute 29 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). According to the latest annual report of the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, more than 3.9 million SME registrations were made between 2015 and 2017, indicating the enthusiasm and fascination of entrepreneurs toward small businesses. Simultaneously, several macro-economic reforms are taking place in India to strengthen economic growth and the development of the nation. The objective of these reforms is to generate employment and enhance self-reliance while keeping SMEs as a catalyst. However, the majority of SMEs do not have a dedicated HR department owing to their small size, paternalistic approach, and limited financial capital. Also SMEs invest little in employee development and communication channels inside the organization.\nConclusion: While there is an ever-growing generic literature emphasizing the importance of change and suggesting ways to approach it, very little evidence has been provided in support of change management strategies adopted by SMEs. The paper argues that ORC is incomplete without employees' readiness and it aims to help SMEs shift their focus from ORC to ERC.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper aims to discuss various determinants of organizational readiness to change for India small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and proposes a framework to strengthen the employees' readiness to change which is integral to organizational readiness for change (ORC).\nDesign/methodology/approach: This paper is based upon the subjective viewpoint of the author.\nFindings: The paper brings forward the opportunities and challenges of Indian SMEs with a suggestive framework on employee readiness for change (ERC).\nPractical implications: The paper will help SMEs consider a framework to assess ERC before implementing a change.\nOriginality/value: The exists no framework for Indian SMEs to look-up as a benchmark to assess their ORC and ERC. Hence the paper will contribute to the literature and will be a handy reference for SMEs.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Collection assessment for a Middle Eastern, English curriculum university library
|
[
"Citation analysis",
"United Arab Emirates",
"Scopus",
"Collection development",
"Citation database",
"Collection assessment methodology"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Library collections in Middle Eastern universities have usually prioritized teaching over research. Zayed University is transitioning toward research, but research-centric collection assessments are rarely applied in the region. The assessment described here is intended to assess the relevance of the Zayed University library collection to its shifted focus. In recent years, the Library has allocated more than 40 per cent of its operational budget to maintain existing and acquire new Library resources in all formats to support student learning, faculty teaching and research across campuses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Of this, 80 per cent is spent on the electronic resources. Hence, electronic collections were given priority within the assessment process.\n2. Methodology: We define source articles as articles written by Zayed University faculty, and cited articles as articles included in the bibliographies of source articles. The journals of cited articles are cited journals. Source articles published between 2000 and 2016 and containing at least one author affiliated with Zayed University were drawn from the Scopus database. Source articles were classified to college via the affiliated author and authors classified to campus of employment, being Dubai or Abu Dhabi.\n3. Limitations: The biggest difficulty encountered in this study was in extracting the journal names from cited articles, including deciphering abbreviations and identifying changed academic journal titles. Time constraint was a factor when checking and deciphering abbreviations. It may affect the mapping results of cited journal availability in the Library, particularly in the disciplines of Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology which have greater deviation of abbreviated titles. The list of subscribed journals was obtained from Serials Solutions; therefore, the reliability of this information is affected by the accuracy of their Knowledge Base.\n4. Results and discussion: 4.1 Journals\n5. Conclusions: Citation analysis is one of several methods used for collection assessment. It is easy to implement but requires time and patience to gather and manipulate the data. Scopus, one of the popular citation analysis tools, helps the Library to improve the existing collection for researcher support. The results of this study are useful for informing Library decisions on cooperative agreements, ownership and access, accreditation preparation and institutional planning.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Library collections at Middle Eastern universities have usually prioritized teaching over research resources. Zayed University is transitioning toward research, but research-centric collection assessments are rarely applied in the region. The purpose of this paper is to present on the successes and limitations of using citation analysis to assess the relevance of the Zayed University Library collection to its shifted focus.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Recent Scopus-listed publications were sorted by the colleges of the Zayed University affiliated author, and citations listed in the publications were ranked as present or absent in the library collection.\nFindings: The resultant table provides an unambiguous evaluation of the extent to which the library collection has met the needs of recently successful published academics across disciplines. Pitfalls include the limitations of the Scopus database in representing all disciplines.\nOriginality/value: Outcomes of the assessment enable the Library to develop collection strategies for continuous improvement and effectively support the campus researchers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
A scaling up framework for innovative service ecosystems: lessons from Eataly and KidZania
|
[
"Service-dominant logic",
"Entrepreneur",
"Service ecosystem",
"Value propositions",
"Constellation of drivers",
"Driver",
"Scaling up",
"Institutional arrangements"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: In service-driven economies (Gallouj, 2002; Gershuny and Miles, 1983), characterized by rapid changes due to digitalization, globalization, and an increasing focus on value creation through customer experiences, service innovation is critical to survive and necessary for success (Gallouj and Savona, 2009; Miles, 2005; Ordanini et al., 2014). Innovation involves collaboration between actors that leverages existing and new resources in smart ways to create social and business value that drives growth, creates jobs, and ensures a dynamic, healthy economy (Edvardsson and Tronvoll, 2013; Lusch and Vargo, 2014; Schumpeter, 1934). Tesla clearly illustrates the need for collaboration with multiple actors and infrastructure support to leverage existing and new resources. The innovation is in how the ecosystem of batteries, cars and, not least, a network of stations to charge the batteries, to note some of the resources necessary to enable innovation to scale up. When more actors become engaged and can extract value, the ecosystem scales up.\nThe innovative service ecosystem and scaling up: Rubalcaba et al. (2012) claim that \"the complex field of service innovation represents a cross-road for various research interests from different academic disciplines that explore multiple dimensions, follow unique approaches, build varied conceptual and analytical frameworks, and adopt distinct perspectives\" (p. 2). Service and service innovation have been conceptualized in multiple ways, with different theoretical lenses, though often with a narrow, goods-dominant logic and no solid empirical basis (Carlborg et al., 2014; Chesbrough, 2003; Gallouj and Savona, 2009). Lusch and Nambisan (2015, p. 161) offer a broad definition of service innovation as the \"rebundling of resources that create novel resources that are beneficial to some actors in a given context.\" Previous studies tend to focus on specific actors or groups of actors or specific types of innovations (Han et al., 2012). These studies have zoomed in on, e.g., the role of customers, including user involvement (e.g. Alam, 2002; Kaulio, 1998; Oliveira and von Hippel, 2011), customer-centered innovations (Bettencourt and Ulwick, 2008), innovations in individual industries (e.g. Oliveira and von Hippel, 2011; Thomke, 2003) including, e.g. luxury hotels (Ordanini and Parasuraman, 2011), innovation types (Oke, 2007), service platforms (Tilson et al., 2010), business models (Smedlund, 2012), or digital infrastructures (Lusch and Nambisan, 2015). A few contributions have also zoomed in on categories of service innovations, such as radical vs incremental (Perks et al., 2012) or discontinuous innovations (Michel et al., 2008). Investigations of technology-enabled innovations offer insights into service systems (Alter, 2008), the market uptake of mobile services (e.g. Hung et al., 2003; Kim et al., 2007), and the impact of new technology on existing mobile services (Pagani, 2004). However, as Ordanini et al. (2014, p. 134) argue, \"service innovation is a primary source of competitive advantage and a research priority,\" and an insufficient number of studies explicitly address whether it can create new markets (cf. Berry et al., 2006).\nMethodology: Research design\nAnalysis and empirical findings: Eataly\nInterpretation and analysis: Analyzing the two cases to find common patterns in drivers of scaling up, the cross ecosystem analysis identified four main drivers: the creation of value propositions; partnering with new strategic actors; access to new resources and integration practices; and new institutionalized norms and rules.\nDiscussion: The aim of this paper is to identify key drivers of why innovative service ecosystems scale up and to develop a theoretical framework that is able to depict and describe the scaling up process. This paper thus contribute to the call for more empirical and conceptual studies on service innovation (Ostrom et al., 2010, 2015).\nManagerial implications: What can managers learn from the two companies on which this study focuses?\nFurther research: This paper analyzes two different service ecosystems, focusing on identifying the drivers that can explain why service innovations scale up. The inclusion of only two companies may represent a research limitation (Eisenhardt and Graebner, 2007; Siggelkow, 2007; Yin, 1994), although the scaling up includes establishments in many new markets and ecosystem contexts.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore why innovative service ecosystems scale up, using a service-dominant logic lens. The focus is on identifying the key drivers of the scaling-up process as the basis for a new conceptual framework on the scaling up of service innovations.\nDesign/methodology/approach: An inductive research design is used to zoom in on two innovative service ecosystems, Eataly and KidZania, to identify the key drivers that can explain why innovations scale up. For both companies, the triangulation of semi-structured interviews, archival sources and in-store observations is used as complementary data sets. Multiple investigators and multiple coders have been involved in the data collection, coding process and analysis.\nFindings: An extended conceptualization of service innovation is obtained, grounded in a framework of four drivers of scaling up: effectuation as the basis for creating the value proposition; sensing and adapting to local contexts; the reconfiguration and alignment of resources and forms for collaboration between actors; and values' resonance.\nOriginality/value: This study represents one of the first empirical investigations of the key drivers of the scaling up process of service innovations. The paper contributes with a conceptualization of service innovation and why scaling-up processes emerge, emphasizing the existence of multiple constellations of four drivers.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
What Erasmus students do expect from their abroad experience? A multidimensional scale tested for the case of Spain
|
[
"Benefits",
"Costs",
"Expected value",
"Higher education service",
"Value dimensions"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Among the marketing discipline, consumer behavior as a field of study has continuously broadened its horizons in the last three decades into many different areas, such as culture, volunteering and education (Foxall and Wells, 2012). The latter, since Hebron (1989) has argued for a marketing approach in higher education, is definitely an area where substantial progresses have been brought: the adoption of the \"Student as Customer\" (SAC) approach has provoked a shift toward a more valorized consumer-orientated position of students (Tomlinson, 2014). As a consequence, higher education institutions (HEIs) have become a highly competitive market, where consumers (i.e. students) are highly involved in their choices, and managers need to focus on competitive edges (Maringe, 2006). Therefore, understanding what motivates students in their choices and assessing their expectations is crucial for universities: thus, for both practitioners and academicians interested in the higher education sector, student consumer behavior (SCB hereafter) has become a relevant area of study.\nConceptual framework: The Erasmus program: relevance and interest\nMethodology: The objective of this study is to bring more knowledge on the Erasmus experience through: the validation of a multidimensional scale of students' expected value, and the description of these values for a sample of Erasmus students.\nAnalysis and results: Scales validation\nConclusion: This paper has recalled how the interest for researching SCB in the HEIs' market has stood as a main concern for a long time among service researchers (Browne et al., 1998). It has also reminded of the need of dedicating attention to international students (Aydin, 2012; Rodriguez Gonzalez et al., 2011). Moreover, justification for this interest in the case of an Erasmus experience lies not just on the relevance of the understanding of this precise choice behavior, but also on students' multidimensional broader experience, which encompasses levels and dimensions far beyond the merely academic ones. To better study this, and further contribute to the fruitful line of research on SCB, the concept of expected value, as a multidimensional trade-off between benefits and costs, has been chosen in this work. The research has illustrated the multifaceted experience of being an Erasmus student, by validating a multidimensional scale of the expected value of this experience as a consumer of HE services, and by depicting a rich and varied expectation.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Since universities adopted a \"Student as Customer\" approach, student consumer behavior is a field of study which has become crucial. In the European higher education area, more understanding is needed on International students, and more precisely on Erasmus students. The purpose of this paper is to validate a multidimensional scale to assess Erasmus students' value expectations (i.e. expected value) on the basis of costs and benefits in their choices as consumers of an academic experience abroad.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A survey conducted on a sample of 192 students from 50 universities show the role of functional, social and emotional values along with costs of time and effort in the perceived value of an Erasmus experience.\nFindings: After validating the five scales, the results show that social and emotional are the aspects were students' expected value dimensions are the highest, as the Erasmus experience is expected to enrich their studies and enable them to boost their self-confidence, while functionally helping them to find a job in the future. Concerning the sacrifices, the Erasmus experience has a high cost with regard to effort, time and energy, but students are willing to go through it: an Erasmus stay is seen as a good investment, whose benefits will be reaped in the long run.\nOriginality/value: The contribution of this paper comes from the scope and the target: a multidimensional trade-off approach to the expected value of the Erasmus experience. Other works have already depicted the educational experience through the value concept, but none, to the best of the authors' knowledge, has measured expected value on the pre-purchase phase for Erasmus students.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
The impact of the motivation for status on consumers' perceptions of retailer sustainability: the moderating impact of collectivism and materialism
|
[
"Collectivism",
"Status consumption",
"Social sustainability",
"Environmental sustainability",
"Materialism"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n__NO_TITLE__: The luxury market is shifting and past strategies will no longer be effective as there is an increased emphasis on the uniqueness and experiential aspects of status products (Bain, 2012). Sustainability may be a new means for marketers to connect with luxury consumers (Gibson and Seibold, 2014). Green purchase intentions may be motivated by more than environmental concern as competitive altruism and cost signaling may play a role in encouraging public pro-environmental intentions (Griskevicius et al., 2010). Specifically, Griskevicius et al. (2010, p. 392) find that activating status motives leads people to choose green products over more luxurious non-green products, particularly when shopping in public and when the green products cost more than the non-green versions. Researchers though question if consumers' interest in sustainability is a passing trend (Strizhakova and Coulter, 2013) and how to consider consumer ethics relative to luxury purchasing (Davies et al., 2012).\nLiterature review: Sustainability\nMethodology: Data collection and sample\nData analysis: Subgroup analysis was used to test for moderating effects following the procedure used by Kohli (1989). For each proposed moderator, an identical process was followed. The respondents were classified into three groups based on their scores for the particular moderator, with the lowest 35 per cent of respondents considered low on that dimension and the highest 35 per cent considered high. The middle 30 per cent were eliminated from analysis to maximize contrast between the low and high groups and enhance the power of further statistical tests.\nDiscussion: The purpose of this study is to examine consumers' perceptions of retailer sustainability (both environmental and social), how they are impacted by the motivation for status and if this impact is moderated by the culture value of collectivism (based on a two-country sample of the USA and Turkey) or materialism. This study builds on the work of Griskevicius et al. (2010) by demonstrating that an interest in retailer sustainability may be a means for consumers to illustrate status.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate consumers' perceptions of status motivations on retailers' sustainability efforts and whether collectivism and materialism moderate this relationship.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A quantitative research methodology using survey data was used. Data were collected by administering questionnaires from millennial respondents (n = 386) from the USA and Turkey.\nFindings: The results show that cultural value (collectivism) and materialism can serve as moderators of the effects of status motivation and sustainability. The findings indicate that the link between status motivation and sustainability perceptions (both environmental and social sustainability) is stronger for more collectivist consumers. In terms of materialism, while it did not moderate the relationship between status motivation and perceptions of environmental sustainability, it did moderate the relationship between status motivation and perceptions of social sustainability, particularly the uniqueness aspect of materialism.\nResearch limitations/implications: The stronger link between status motivation and both environmental and social sustainability for collectivists suggests that the bandwagon effect may be impacting their need for status. The stronger link between status motivation and social sustainability for those more materialistic suggests that their need for status may be more impacted by a snob effect as they want to appear unique. The use of college students is a limitation of this study, and future research needs to explore a wider range of age groups to determine if there are generational differences. Additionally, future research could examine other cultural dimensions such as power distance and masculinity versus femininity.\nPractical implications: Findings from this research provide insights for retailers, especially those targeting the status and luxury market when developing their sustainability plans. An interest in sustainability may aid consumers in meeting their need for status, particularly for those status consumers who are more collectivist, as a means to fit in with their group. For more materialistic consumers, retailers may want to focus more on unique social sustainability efforts that are more publicly noticeable.\nSocial implications: Social sustainability, a topic not studied as frequently as environmental sustainability, has significant implications for consumers. The findings suggest that the link between status motivation and social sustainability is stronger for collectivists, suggesting a bandwagon effect. Additionally, the authors find that the link between status motivation and social sustainability is stronger for materialists, particularly the uniqueness dimension of materialism, suggesting a snob effect.\nOriginality/value: The originality of this study lies in the exploration of how status motivation impacts consumers' perceptions of retailers' environmental and social sustainability efforts and if these relationships are moderated by collectivism and materialism. Few studies have examined social sustainability, especially in terms of culture.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Safety climate as a relative concept: Exploring variability and change in a dynamic construction project environment
|
[
"Organization",
"Project management"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: Safety climate\nAim of this study: The research was driven by an aim to examine whether and how safety climate changes over the life of construction projects. Adopting a multilevel approach, we assessed the relationship between the level of project completion and safety climate in terms of workers' perceptions of:\nResearch design: Safety climate measurement tool\nData analysis and results: Mean safety response scores\nDiscussion: The fluctuating and relative nature of safety climate\nConclusion and limitations: This study longitudinally assessed safety climate and also explored the relationship between safety climate and the stage of project completion in construction project environments. The research results indicate that, when measured at different levels, safety climate does fluctuate over the life course of a construction project. The changing nature of safety climate can be explained by the fact that safety climate reflects workers' evaluations of the relative priorities placed on safety and other completing goals by project participants of different levels, and the relative priorities change over the life of a project probably in response to constantly changing, complex and uncertain project environments.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to use a longitudinal approach to measure safety climate at construction projects, and explore the relationship between safety climate and the level of project completion in the dynamic construction project environments.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Multi-wave safety climate surveys were conducted at four processing plant construction projects in New Zealand. Safety climate was measured with a multi-level measurement instrument, which measured construction workers' perceptions of client's organisational safety response (COSR), principal contractor's organisational safety response (PCOSR), supervisors' safety response (SSR) and co-workers' safety response (CWSR).\nFindings: At the organisational level, the research identifies a general downward change trend in workers' perceptions of COSR and PCOSR. At the group level, no clear or consistent change trend is identified between the level of project completion and workers' perceptions of SSR and CWSR.\nResearch limitations/implications: The research suggests that the construction project management should consistently emphasise the importance of safety, even when they are facing production pressure. The research highlights the opportunity to examine the role of supervisors' leadership as an antecedent to the group-level safety climate and the development of workers' safety concerns for their co-workers over time.\nOriginality/value: This research provides the starting point for understanding safety climate in the dynamic and constantly changing construction project environments, in which the relative priorities change, adverse events arise and production pressures fluctuate over time.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Driving users' behaviours and engagement in co-creating services
|
[
"Co-creation",
"Co-creation of services",
"Co-creation behaviours",
"Personality traits",
"Demographics",
"Engagement",
"PLS-SEM",
"Personas",
"Critical incident technique",
"Affinity mapping technique",
"Projective technique"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\nIntroduction: \"Normal\" users, in contrast to lead users or professional developers (Enkel et al., 2005; Magnusson, 2009), increasingly must take an active role in the design and delivery of services to ensure the offerings meet their needs, which also allows service providers to establish competitive advantages (Carbonell et al., 2012; Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004b). For this study, co-creation of services or services co-creation, refers to collaborative activities between a participating party, for instance a user, and a facilitating party, such as a service provider, within a contextual, multi-actor network that can lead to beneficial or counterproductive outcomes, through resource integration (Oertzen et al., 2018). Among other, the beneficial outcomes identified by prior research (Hoyer et al., 2010; Voorberg et al., 2015) include enhanced well-being (Engstrom and Elg, 2015), more innovative ideas (Witell et al., 2011) and competitive services (Carbonell et al., 2012). However, co-creation may also lead to counterproductive outcomes, as participants sometimes engage in deviant behaviours (Gatzweiler et al., 2017) or display non-collaborative behaviours (Kristal et al., 2018). In addition, many more users choose not to participate in co-creation than do participate (Kristal et al., 2016), and these two segments of users may differ notably in terms of their service demands (Carbonell et al., 2012; Enkel et al., 2005).\nTheoretical background: Co-creating services\nStudy 1: experimental design: Study aim and conceptual model\nStudy 2: interactive research workshops: Study aim\nGeneral discussion: This research has sought to conduct a quantitative test of different factors and their influence on users' behaviours during services co-creation (RQ1), as well as a qualitative exploration of the drivers and inhibitors of their engagement in co-creation (RQ2a), along with the types of users who are more or less likely to engage in services co-creation, according to their traits and demographics (RQ2b).\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: This paper investigates factors that determine users' behaviours during services co-creation, as well as those that influence their engagement in such efforts.\nDesign/methodology/approach: Study 1 relies on partial least squares structural equation modelling and between-subjects, scenario-based experiments with 633 participants to examine users' co-creation behaviours. Study 2 uses interactive research workshops with 38 design professionals to analyse the drivers and inhibitors of users' co-creation engagement and the likelihood of different user types to engage in it.\nFindings: Dispositional and demographic factors can predict users' behaviours during services co-creation. A proposed framework details drivers and inhibitors of users' engagement in co-creation, and a typology predicts the likelihood of different users to engage in co-creation, based on their traits and demographics. This likelihood to co-create, according to traits, then can be predicted according to elemental, compound and situational traits.\nPractical implications: Service providers and service designers can use these findings to design better co-creation activities for various users, build a conducive working environment and select suitable participants for co-creation activities.\nOriginality/value: The current study addresses the dearth of research pertaining to how to encourage users to co-create services and drive their engagement in such efforts.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Management of linked knowledge in industrial maintenance
|
[
"FMECA",
"Linked data",
"Maintenance management",
"Metadata management system"
] |
[
{
"content": "Summarize the following paper into structured abstract.\n\n1. Introduction: Many methods related to knowledge discovery from databases and data mining have been put forward in manufacturing applications (Choudhary et al., 2009). Blending such knowledge with more conventionally structured knowledge and expanding it with human-contributed knowledge is less well explored. Maintenance and asset management play an increasingly important role in preserving and advancing the value-producing capacity of an enterprise. E-maintenance employs modern web-based and mobile technologies to offer advanced maintenance services (Iung et al., 2009; Emmanouilidis et al., 2009). These services have been incorporated into Computerised Maintenance Management or ERP systems and can produce, manage, consume and disseminate maintenance data to support maintenance processes (Nikolopoulos et al., 2003). The advent of Internet of Things has boosted data generation, with real-time sensory data now driving decision making for condition monitoring and recommendations for proactive maintenance (Bousdekis et al., 2015).\n2. Current state and research drivers: Demanding application domains, such as e-finance, e-science and e-government, have brought into attention the crucial role of metadata on the organisation of data. This has led to active research into MMS (Huner et al., 2011). Such systems implement an important step that precedes the execution of analytics and configures them for better performance (Smith et al., 2014). Pre-processing may involve transforming, linking and formatting relevant data, to assure consistency and provide preliminary insights (Chongwatpol, 2015). Availability of metadata tools constitutes an indication of how cloud-ready an application domain is for knowledge fusion and even knowledge commercialisation.\n3. Modelling the failure context: To address the research questions we first introduce an FMECA model that adopts core semantics from the MIMOSA schema. We retain a reduced set of MIMOSA abstractions, enhancing them with maintenance focused semantics, and define a linking schema that supports maintenance metadata creation and customisation. Adopting the focus and features of LD and Semantic Tags, we introduce the concept of \"Failure Context\", as the combined knowledge about the FMECA failure mode and the event circumstances, obtained by feedback from maintenance practice.\n4. Implementation and case study: To implement and test the methodology presented in the previous section, a web-based application, namely, Intelligent Maintenance Advisor for FMECA (IMA-FMECA), was developed and employed in an industrial case study. The process and the key results are presented next.\n5. Conclusion: This paper introduced a novel way of handling maintenance metadata by capturing knowledge from shop-floor expertise. The main contribution was to formalise, model and functionally support an enrichment loop over a well-established maintenance reference, namely, FMECA. It is a collaborative knowledge management process that extracts, defines and disseminates practical maintenance knowledge. The methodology differs from the more conventional pattern, where maintenance staff are directly prompt to produce the required knowledge with weak or no connection to already available knowledge. Instead of reports and forms, maintenance feedback is created through the use of tags, a feedback methodology that minimises interaction time and maximises knowledge linkage. The tags create timelines of evaluations, profiling each maintenance event and helping personnel to understand the relevant failure context and reach appropriate decisions.\n",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "Purpose: Field expertise in industry is often poorly recorded and unexploited. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a methodology and tool that incorporates a knowledge validation loop to leverage upon human-contributed field observations in industrial maintenance management. Starting from a failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) model, it defines a collaborative process that links FMECA knowledge with field maintenance practice.\nDesign/methodology/approach: A metadata management system is designed to encourage staff involvement in enriching knowledge with field observations. The process supports easy feedback and collaborative annotation and is pilot tested via an industrial case study.\nFindings: Streamlining FMECA validation is welcomed by maintenance staff, empowering them to exert more control over the management, usage and versioning of reference knowledge.\nResearch limitations/implications: The methodology for metadata management in industrial maintenance enables staff participation in a collaborative knowledge enrichment process. Metadata management is a pre-cursor and therefore an important step to drive future analytics.\nPractical implications: Industry personnel are more inclined to contribute to organisational knowledge if the process is based on reference knowledge and requires minimal interaction.\nSocial implications: Facilitating individual contribution to collective knowledge strengthens the sense that each staff member can have organisational impact.\nOriginality/value: The paper introduces a methodology and tool to stimulate human-contributed knowledge in industrial maintenance, strengthening collaborative organisation knowledge flows.\n",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.