Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A method to evaluate service delivery process quality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a method to evaluate the quality of service delivery process designs, based on how closely they meet process requirements of key stakeholders while taking variability into account.Design/methodology/approach – A Monte Carlo computer simulation of the flowchart of the service delivery process is used to capture the effects of multiple types of variabilities and parametric uncertainties on process variables of interest, and the Taguchi quality loss framework is applied to estimate overall process quality. As an example, a proposed modification to a patient‐treatment process in a hospital emergency department is evaluated.Findings – This paper demonstrated a method that service managers can use to evaluate the quality of service delivery process designs.Practical implications – This method can evaluate modifications to various aspects of a service delivery process, and can assist managers to fail‐safe the entire process. Furthermore, it characterises process .
Exploring the impact of silos in achieving brand orientation

Abstract Brands are widely recognised as important sources of organisational value. Brand orientation describes the extent to which the organisation is orientated around the brand and around maximising brand potential. However, silos or divisions within the culture of an organisation can frustrate the achievement of brand orientation. Through inductive analysis of a case study of an organisation implementing a major brand-revitalisation strategy, this paper demonstrates how, despite a strong brand vision and high level of management commitment, functional silos associated with different mindsets contributed to the failure of the new brand strategy. The paper concludes with recommendations for the brand platform to be implemented meaningfully and effectively within each silo.
The Mechanism of Internationalisation

The contemporary relevance of the so‐called Uppsala Internationalisation Model is discussed. This is a framework advanced by a number of Swedish colleagues describing the typical process of “going international”. Johanson and Vahlne respond to the criticisms of the model they proposed in the 1970s and relate it to the Eclectic Paradigm Model and the Networking literature. The concepts of the advantage package and the advantage cycle in the internationalisation context are also introduced.
National interest, selective sourcing and attribution in air disaster reporting

Air disaster reporting is compelling and dramatic. Visual images of death and destruction in air disasters almost always attract a great deal of media attention. The news coverage of air disasters typically unravels horrific descriptions of crashes, search and rescue actions, the stories of victims and their fateful decisions boarding the ill-fated flight, the grief of families, and analyses of how and why the tragedy occurred. As noted by Vincent, Crow and Davis (1989), plane crashes allow television news to do what it does best: tell a compelling story by capitalising on dramatic visual and narrative devices. Air disasters are 'non-routine' occurrences in which routine newsgathering procedures no longer apply (Berkowitz 1992). Air disasters challenge the skills of reporters as they react quickly by rushing to the accident scene and by attempting to gather available information and pictures to assemble into a report (Vincent, Crow & Davis 1989). In the aftermath of plane crashes, news media begin to indulge in a considerable amount of speculation as to the reason for the crashes. It is unsurprising that, in the early stages of air disaster reporting, confusion, competition and a lack of information often result in factual errors.
Reproducibility of Literature Search Reporting in Medical Education Reviews

Purpose Medical education literature has been found to lack key components of scientific reporting, including adequate descriptions of literature searches, thus preventing medical educators from replicating and building on previous scholarship. The purpose of this study was to examine the reproducibility of search strategies as reported in medical education literature reviews. Method The authors searched for and identified literature reviews published in 2009 in Academic Medicine, Teaching and Learning in Medicine, and Medical Education. They searched for citations whose titles included the words “meta-analysis,” “systematic literature review,” “systematic review,” or “literature review,” or whose publication type MEDLINE listed as “meta-analysis” or “review. ” The authors created a checklist to identify key characteristics of literature searches and of literature search reporting within the full text of the reviews. The authors deemed searches reproducible only if the review reported both a search date and Boolean operators. Results Of the 34 reviews meeting the inclusion criteria, 19 (56%) explicitly described a literature search and mentioned MEDLINE; however, only 14 (41%) also mentioned searches of nonmedical databases. Eighteen reviews (53%) listed search terms, but only 6 (18%) listed Medical Subject Headings, and only 2 (6%) mentioned Boolean operators. Fifteen (44%) noted the use of limits. None of the reviews included reproducible searches. Conclusions According to this analysis, literature search strategies in medical education reviews are highly variable and generally not reproducible. The authors provide recommendations to facilitate future high-quality, transparent, and reproducible literature searches.
Integrated production/distribution planning in the supply chain: the Febal case study

Purpose – The paper seeks to investigate empirically the criticalities of a production system constrained by distribution, in order to propose a model capable of integrating production and distribution planning for a simultaneous improvement in terms of efficiency and efficacy.Design/methodology/approach – Starting from an overview of previous works about integrated analysis of a production‐distribution system, an exploratory case study in the Italian industry of modular kitchens has been used, with multiple levels of analysis and multiple data collection methods.Findings – Three solutions for a better integration of production‐distribution systems are proposed; the solutions are characterized by increasing levels of benefits and complexity. The article focuses on the implementation of the less complex scenario, called “overlapping of selling areas”, proposing a series of algorithms used for the implementation of a software prototype.Research limitations/implications – The case study has been chosen becau.
Examining the Effects of Bundling Strategies on Travelers' Value Perception and Purchase Intention of a Vacation Package

The offer of vacation packages is a marketing tool called bundling, selling at least two separate products at one single price (Guiltinan, 1987). Sellers adopt bundling strategies in order to sell more at lower costs, to contract consumer surplus, and to create value for consumers. Consumers purchase a package based on the trade-off between the perceived benefits and costs involved in purchasing the package compared to assembling different products/service. In other words, the perceived value of the package is the reason for consumers to purchase a package or not. The study serves two purposes. One is to examine the dimensionality of perceived value as a construct, in the pre-purchase stage. The other is to investigate the relationships between bundling strategies and perceived value, and perceived value and purchase intention of a vacation package. Bundling strategies taken by sellers include how many items to put in a package and what price discount for the package compared to the sum of all separate products. The findings of the study show that perceived value in service setting is composed of perceived acquisition value and perceived functional value, instead of perceived acquisition value and perceived transaction value proposed by scholars such as Thaler (1985) and Grewal et al. (1998). This is one of the theoretical contributions by the study. Another contribution of the study is the exploratory examination of the interaction effect between pricing strategies and product strategies for a bundle. The study provides evidence that bundles without a discount are perceived as having very low value and consumers expect a discount, large or small, from buying a bundle. And the larger the number of products in a package, the larger the discount size consumers expect to get.
Effects of Abusive Supervision on Organizational Silence and Organizational Commitment in Travel Agency

최근 들어 비인격적 감독 및 조직침묵 등에 대한 관심이 증가함에도 불구하고 여전히 관련된 연구는 부족 한 편이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 상사의 비인격적 감독의 결과변수와의 영향관계 등을 분석하고 논의를 통해 조직 및 개인적 대응과 관련한 시사점을 제시하고자 하였다. 이를 위해서 서울특별시에 소재하고 있는 매출액 상위 9개 여행사 중에서 241명 종사원을 대상으로 설문조사를 수행하였다. 분석 결과에서 비인격적 감독은 조직침묵과 조직몰입에 유의한 영향을 미쳤으며, 조직침묵은 조직몰입에 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것 으로 분석되었다. 또한 조직침묵은 비인격적 감독과 조직몰입과의 영향관계에서 매개변수로의 역할을 수행 하였다. 이러한 연구결과를 바탕으로 상사의 비인격적 감독과 관련한 다양한 이론적ᆞ실무적 후속연구에서 진행되어지길 바란다.
Effects of Kenaf and Rice Husk on Water Absorption and Flexural Properties of Kenaf/CaCO3/HDPE and Rice Husk/CaCO3/HDPE Hybrid Composites

Rice husk and kenaf filled with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) composite were prepared separately using twin-screw extruder at 50rpm. Different filler loading up to 30 parts of rice husk particulate and kenaf fiber were mixed with the fixed 30% amount of CaCO3 mineral filler to produce rice husk/CaCO3/HDPE and kenaf/CaCO3/HDPE hybrid composites. In this study, the effects of natural fiber for both rice husk and kenaf in CaCO3/HDPE composite on physical, mechanical and morphology properties were investigated. Field Emission Scanning Microscope (FeSEM) was used to investigate the impact fracture surfaces of the hybrid composite. The property analyses showed that water absorption increased with the presence of kenaf and rice husk fillers. Natural fibers in composite significantly influence water absorption properties due to natural characters of fibers which contain cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin structures. The result showed that 10% of additional natural fibers into hybrid composite had caused decreased flexural strength, however additional of high natural fiber (>10%) filler loading has proved to increase its flexural strength. Keywords—Hybrid composites, Water absorption, Mechanical properties.
A SUCCESSFUL INDUCTION OF LACTATION IN SURROGATE PREGNANCY WITH METOCLOPRAMIDE AND REVIEW OF LACTATION INDUCTION

In surrogate pregnancies genetic parents have little opportunity for early bonding with their infants, either prenatally (in utero) or during the immediate postnatal period. Procedures commonly used to induce lactation include both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods, often in combination. Studies reporting induced lactation are sparse, due to the rarity of augmented lactation. Here we report a case of lactation induction following a surrogate pregnancy. Other methods that can be used to augment lactation are described below. We used metoclopramide in this case due to the success rates reported in previous studies and case reports. Additionally, it is a well tolerated and safe agent.
MNC making sense of global customer relationships

The present study develops the knowledge of industrial customer relationships by examining how multinational corporations (MNCs) make sense of global customer relationships. This study also discusses how individuals make sense of global customer relationships inside of MNC networks. Sensemaking is thus viewed as both an individual action and an organizational-level action. In this research, individual sensemaking views are combined into organizational-level understanding to offer a multilevel approach to both relationships and networks. The empirical study is a qualitative single-case study that focuses on three global customer relationships of an MNC. This research describes the sensemade views of the selected customer relationships and explores how these views are created. The discussed customer relationships are global by nature, they cross national borders, and they involve the episodic and discontinuous project level as well as global customer relationships that are managed at a more continuous organizational level, and these relationships are intertwined over time. The sensemaking of customer relationships is intertwined with relationship development. This research creates an understanding of sensemaking and operationalizes the concept by showing the different types of sensemaking and exploring how individuals make sense. This research also identifies primary sensemakers whose acting and sensemaking have contributed to developing the MNC view of global customer relationships and connected the multiple different views. This research shows that within a single corporation, multiple different understandings of the customer as well as of the type and status of customer relationship can exist. This research describes how the sensemaking process inside of a network functions and how the MNC sensemade views of the customer relationship are formed from multiple individual views. In addition, the definition of an MNC is widened in this research, and an MNC is defined as an internal network that is formed around its customer relationships. Customers constitute a key driving force of internal cooperation and create the environment in which individuals strive to make sense of their own network and of the customers with whom they are operating.
Return Dispersion, Stock Market Liquidity and Aggregate Economic Activity

This paper examines the effect of return dispersion on the dynamics of stock market liquidity, risk and return. Moreover, the importance of return dispersion in forecasting aggregate economic activity is rediscovered in the context of a regime switching model that accounts for stock market fluctuations and their association with the state of the economy. We find that there is a bidirectional, Granger-causal association between illiquidity and return dispersion in the U.S. stock market. The empirical results show that stock returns can help us predict both realized volatility as well as return dispersion. We report that there is a significant relation between economic conditions and the risk measures (return dispersion and realized volatility).
Managing suppliers: when fewer can mean more

Shows that manufacturing companies place a strong emphasis on the role of supply‐chain management ‐ the management of supplies, suppliers, inventory and distribution. Much of the literature talks about the trend to reduce supplier base. Database analysis gave empirical evidence of this trend in UK manufacturing companies ‐ 201 companies from different industrial sectors cut their supplier base over the last four years, by 9 per cent in the household products sector and approximately 35 per cent in the process, engineering and electronics sectors. Reports on further research at four companies, looking at their experiences with suppliers and establishes that a key reason for supplier base reduction is to free time to manage the remaining suppliers more effectively. Identifies the criteria used for supplier selection and reasons why single‐sourcing was avoided. Suggests that these findings on supplier management have implications for both researchers and managers in industry.
Internationalisation of value chain activities of small firms: An international value chain approach

Abstract Small firms are increasingly engaging with international markets, often with great speed and close to firm inception. Yet, our current understanding of small firm internationalisation processes remains limited. This paper proposes an international value chain approach (IVCA) to international entrepreneurship, focusing on dimensions of internationalised value chain activities, internationalization age and speed, choice of markets, and geographic scope of internationalisation. Used in studying the internationalisation of value chain activities of eight small New Zealand firms, the IVCA allows firm internationalisation to be explored in greater depth and from multiple dimensions, opening new insights into the internationalisation processes of small firms.
A Cross-Country Study of Legal Environment and Real Earnings Management

We study how the strength of country-level legal system affects firms’ use of real activities to manage earnings. Using absolute values of abnormal discretional expense and production cost, we find that the level of real earnings management is higher in countries with stronger legal system, which is opposite to the relation prior studies have found between accrual-based earnings management and country-level legal protection. Our suspect-firm analysis, using signed proxies of real earnings management, consistently shows that strong legal environment is associated with more upward earnings management in firm-year observations that just meet two earnings benchmarks: zero and last year’s earnings. Additional tests based on discretional accruals show that strong legal environment curbs the use of accrual-based earnings management. These findings are in line with the substitution effects between the two types of earnings manipulation suggested in prior literature. Further analysis based on legal origins indicates that all of the three types of civil law origins: German, French, and Scandinavian, are associated with less real earnings management compared with common law countries. This is consistent with the finding by La Porta et al. (1998) that common law countries have stronger legal system than civil law countries.
Cloud computing, Web 2.0, and operational performance: The mediating role of supply chain integration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of two technologies, cloud computing and Web 2.0, on a firm’s operational performance, examining the relationship between these two technologies and operational performance, and the mediating role played by supply chain integration. Design/methodology/approach – A random sample of 394 companies taken from the DUNS 50,000 database in Spain is used to test the paper’s hypotheses. The data were gathered by telephone survey using the CATI computerized system to manage interviewees’ answers, obtaining a 19.36 percent response rate. Factorial analyses and structural equation modeling were used to test the hypotheses. Findings – The results suggest that cloud computing requires the mediating support of supply chain integration. However, there is no concluding evidence that Web 2.0 has a positive effect on either supply chain integration or operational performance. A positive, significant relationship was found between supply chain integration and oper.
Ultrasound‐guided catheterization of the subclavian vein

Percutaneous cannulation of the subclavian vein (SCV) has become a widely accepted method for monitoring central venous or pulmonary artery pressure, hyperalimentation, and rapid fluid administration. Although many techniques have been described for percutaneous puncture of the SCV, complications of central venous access such as arterial puncture, inability to cannulate the vein, catheter malposition, pneumothorax, and hemothorax have been reported. These problems have not been eliminated by previous meth-ods of cannulation. In this report we utilized ultrasonographic scanning to determine the precise location of the SCV and to guide the entire procedure of venous catheterization
Genetic alterations of HLA‐class II in ovarian cancer

The immune system controls tumor formation through identification and elimination of cellular alterations. Consequently, cancer development in immune competent hosts depends on strategies to evade the immune system. Modulation of tumor antigen‐specific immune responses by aberrant expression of HLA‐class I and II molecules is well documented in a variety of carcinomas including ovarian cancer. To date, little data are available about molecular mechanisms responsible for altered HLA‐class II phenotypes in tumors. In our sample of 10 Caucasian patients with ovarian carcinoma, a semiquantitative analysis was performed for HLA‐class II loci DRB1 and DQB1 in malignant and normal ovarian tissue. Gene amplifications were identified in 62.5% of analyzed alleles and deletions in 17.5%, demonstrating that genomic aberrations of 6p21.3 are common and that copy number gain is more frequent than loss. Moreover, amplifications are most pronounced in advanced‐stage tumors. To evaluate genotype‐phenotype relation, immunohistochemical analyses were performed and revealed de novo expression of HLA‐class II in 30% of tumors with an inverse association between antigen level and HLA copy number. It remains to be elucidated whether the profound changes of the latter quantities are the result of the host's immunological self‐defense, indicate the presence of an oncogene located within the MHC‐complex or merely reflect the increasing loss of differentiation of the tumor tissue. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Social capital and bank accounting transparency

52 p. ; Includes bibliographical references (pp. 31-34). ; "November 10, 2015. " Jin thanks the DeGroote School of Business for its financial support. Jin and Kanagaretnam thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for its financial support.
Understanding new product project performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to summarize the accumulated body of knowledge on the performance of new product projects and provide directions for further research.Design/methodology/approach – Using a refined classification of antecedents of new product project performance the research results are meta‐analyzed in the literature in order to identify the strength and stability of predictor‐performance relationships.Findings – The results reveal that 22 variables have a significant relationship with new product project performance, of which only 12 variables have a sizable relationship. In order of importance these factors are the degree of organizational interaction, R&D and marketing interface, general product development proficiency, product advantage, financial/business analysis, technical proficiency, management skill, marketing proficiency, market orientation, technology synergy, project manager competency and launch activities. Of the 34 variables 16 predictors show potential for moderator .
Board Monitoring, Audit Committee Effectiveness, and Financial Reporting Quality: Review and Synthesis of Empirical Evidence

We review and synthesize the results of empirical studies of associations between corporate oversight measures and financial reporting quality (FRQ). We examine two oversight components, board characteristics and audit committee characteristics. For each component, we summarize associations between variables contributing to monitoring effectiveness and three presumptive FRQ monitoring outcomes: (1) ex post consequences of low FRQ, such as financial reporting fraud; (2) earnings management measures, such as abnormal accruals; and (3) perceived informativeness of financial reports, manifest in earnings-returns associations, earnings response coefficients, and analyst perceptions of FRQ. Our classification scheme provides a coherent framework for synthesizing the implications of empirical findings, highlighting the role of different corporate governance variables in enhancing different aspects of FRQ. This synthesis has the potential to inform regulators, boards of directors, and forensic accountants who are concerned with improving the oversight of public corporations and reducing opportunities for managers and others to engage in financial fraud.
Where There is a Sea There are Pirates: Response to Jungherr, Jürgens, and Schoen

In their comment, Jungherr, Jürgens, and Schoen (2010) challenged part of the results presented in our original article (Tumasjan, Sprenger, Sandner, & Welpe, 2010). The present response addresses their points of concern and demonstrates that the conclusions drawn in Tumasjan et al. (2010) are well supported by both data and analyses.