bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-perceived employability, organization-rated potential, and the psychological contract
Authors: Dries Nicky , Forrier Anneleen , De Vos Ans , Pepermans Roland
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between self-perceived employability resources and perceived psychological contract (PC) obligations. To examine the extent to which organizational ratings of potential, through their “signaling” function, might serve as a buffer between employability and PC perceptions that are undesirable from an employer's point of view.

Design/methodology/approach

– Both self-report data (i.e. self-perceived employability resources and perceived PC obligations) and data reported by the HR departments of the participating organizations (i.e. organizational ratings of potential) were collected in a case-control design (n=103).

Findings

– Self-perceived employability resources are not related to lower intentions to stay with one's current employer. High-potential employees did not perceive themselves as particularly obliged to reciprocate their organizations’ additional investments in them by expressing longer term loyalty, or a higher performance level.

Practical implications

– Organizations should not be hesitant to assist their employees in enhancing their employability resources. In addition, they should engage in deliberate PC building with their high-potential employees so as to align their perceived PC obligations with the organizational agenda.

Originality/value

– The relationship between self-perceived employability resources and perceived PC obligations has been underexamined; hardly any PC research has taken organizational variables into account; hardly any research exists on the psychological implications of being identified as a high potential; and the study draws both on self-report data and data reported by the HR departments of the participating organizations.
Accountability and satisfaction: organizational support as a moderator
Authors: Wikhamn Wajda , T. Hall Angela
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how perceived organizational support (POS) moderates accountability's relationship with job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– Self-report data were collected from one organizational sample from the USA and one organizational sample from Sweden.

Findings

– The results support the hypothesis that POS moderates the relationship between accountability and job satisfaction in the two samples. Specifically, the findings show that accountability relates positively to satisfaction under high support conditions and, in one sample, negatively to satisfaction under low support condition.

Research limitations/implications

– The current results suggest that social context is vital to a more informed evaluation of how accountability relates to work outcomes. Organizations should show their employees that they care about them. This can be achieved through starting, maintaining, and nurturing those initiatives that are interpreted positively by the employees.

Social implications

– Scandals represent examples of accountability failures. The implications of these scandals are not merely limited to individual companies and their employees. The wellbeing of the employees is part of the wellbeing of the society.

Originality/value

– This study offers new insights on the relationship between accountability and job satisfaction. First, it demonstrates how organizational support perception functions as a moderator of this relationship. Second, it reports replicable results from two organizational samples – one from North America and one from Europe.
Analyzing organization through disagreements: the concept of managerial controversy
Authors: Hussenot Anthony
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop the concept of managerial controversy. This concept focusses on organizational disagreements in order to understand the emergence of organization, and also postulates that researchers can better understand organizational phenomena through the ruptures that occur in an organization's everyday activities.

Design/methodology/approach

– While the concept of controversy was initially developed to understand the emergence of outputs, this paper develops the concept of managerial controversy in order to understand the emergence of ways of working.

Findings

– The concept of managerial controversy demonstrates that the authors can improve the understanding of organization by focussing on the disagreements, the associations of heterogeneous elements, the mediators, and the traces left by actors, as well as by considering the viewpoints of these actors.

Research limitations/implications

– The concept of managerial controversy can be used as a framework for describing the development of organization over time. This concept is suitable for management and organization scholars interested by issues related to organization and organizing.

Originality/value

– This paper offers an analytical framework for analyzing the emergence of organizational features from ruptures. Furthermore, the concept of managerial controversy extends to not only the literature of actor-network theory, but also to the literature related to organizing.
Examining entrepreneurial intention through cognitive approach using Malaysia GEM data
Authors: Zamberi Ahmad Syed , Roland Xavier Siri , Rahim Abu Bakar Abdul
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore entrepreneurial intentions among Malaysia adult population through the cognitive approach model.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is based on Global Entrepreneurship Monitor nation-wide survey which includes questions about entrepreneurial perceptions of the country's population.

Findings

– Three kinds of perceptions are identified: individual perceptions, perceptions about entrepreneurial opportunities and socio-cultural perceptions. Their effect on intentions is tested along with some control variables.

Practical implications

– The result of this study provides empirically rigorous evidence for understanding the entrepreneurial intention of individuals in Malaysia.

Originality/value

– This study is very relevant as it attempt to close this gap by not only providing further insights and understanding of the entrepreneurial intention, but also for the more general understanding of the economic development in developing nation.
Semantic ontologies for multimedia indexing (SOMI)
Authors: Bendib Issam , Ridda Laouar Mohamed , Hacken Richard , Miles Mathew
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The overwhelming speed and scale of digital media production greatly outpace conventional indexing methods by humans. The management of Big Data for e-library speech resources requires an automated metadata solution. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– A conceptual model called semantic ontologies for multimedia indexing (SOMI) allows for assembly of the speech objects, encapsulation of semantic associations between phonic units and the definition of indexing techniques designed to invoke and maximize the semantic ontologies for indexing. A literature review and architectural overview are followed by evaluation techniques and a conclusion.

Findings

– This approach is only possible because of recent innovations in automated speech recognition. The introduction of semantic keyword spotting allows for indexing models that disambiguate and prioritize meaning using probability algorithms within a word confusion network. By the use of AI error-training procedures, optimization is sought for each index item.

Research limitations/implications

– Validation and implementation of this approach within the field of digital libraries still remain under development, but rapid developments in technology and research show rich conceptual promise for automated speech indexing.

Practical implications

– The SOMI process has been preliminarily tested, showing that hybrid semantic-ontological approaches produce better accuracy than semantic automation alone.

Social implications

– Even as testing proceeds on recorded conference talks at the University of Tebessa (Algeria), other digital archives can look toward similar indexing. This will mean greater access to sound file metadata.

Originality/value

– Huge masses of spoken data, unmanageable for a human indexer, can prospectively find semantically sorted and prioritized indexing – not transcription, but generated metadata – automatically, quickly and accurately.
Crowdsourcing content analysis for managerial research
Authors: Conley Caryn , Tosti-Kharas Jennifer
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel method for performing content analysis in managerial research – crowdsourcing, a system where geographically distributed workers complete small, discrete tasks via the internet for a small amount of money.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors examined whether workers from one popular crowdsourcing marketplace, Amazon's Mechanical Turk, could perform subjective content analytic tasks involving the application of inductively generated codes to unstructured, personally written textual passages.

Findings

– The findings suggest that anonymous, self-selected, non-expert crowdsourced workers were applied content codes efficiently and at low cost, and that their reliability and accuracy compared to that of trained researchers.

Research limitations/implications

– The authors provide recommendations for management researchers interested in using crowdsourcing most effectively for content analysis, including a discussion of the limitations and ethical issues involved in using this method. Future research could extend the findings by considering alternative data sources and coding schemes of interest to management researchers.

Originality/value

– Scholars have begun to explore whether crowdsourcing can assist in academic research; however, this is the first study to examine how crowdsourcing might facilitate content analysis. Crowdsourcing offers several advantages over existing content analytic approaches by combining the efficiency of computer-aided text analysis with the interpretive ability of traditional human coding.
Does media pressure moderate CSR disclosures by external directors?
Authors: Garcia-Sanchez Isabel-Maria , Cuadrado-Ballesteros Beatriz , Sepulveda Cindy
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of media pressure on external directors in relation to disclosure of information on corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper adopts a multilevel approach, integrating the institutional, organisational and individual levels of analysis in a whole model that explains corporate transparency. The paper uses a sample composed of 98 non-financial listed Spanish companies for the period 2004-2010,

Findings

– The results show heterogeneity between external board members. Proprietary directors, representing shareholders, tend to promote adoption of the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines in order to increase value for shareholders. On the contrary, independent directors are risk adverse in relation to the effect that CSR information disclosure could have on their professional reputations.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample could be improved, including companies from different countries and more years for the analysis, since the period studied comprises a particular economic setting (2008-2010), a global financial crisis.

Practical implications

– Although these results from the Spanish context, the authors recommend that regulatory bodies incorporate provisions into good governance codes that guarantee the existence of quality and comparable CSR information that favours stakeholders’ decision taking.

Originality/value

– The image that society has about a company comes from the opinions created from the mass media. The arguments proposed by agenda-setting theory can be managed by companies as a strategic mechanism to respond to society expectations. At present, two of the most studied aspects are the ethical and sustainable behaviours of organisations. These aspects are related to the characteristics of boards of directors, especially to external directors. Independent directors may disagree with disclosing information about CSR practices because they fear that this information would affect their professional reputations, since they are not specialised in these topics. However, proprietary directors favour the disclosure of this information in an attempt to reduce the cost of capital and risk perceived by investors, especially in more sustainable companies.
Performance measurement system design in service operations
Authors: Mohd Amir Amizawati
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of firm size on the performance measurement system (PMS) design in the service context. Focusing on several aspects of the PMS design, i.e. the significance of the information attributes (PMS attributes), the way the system is used (PMS use) and the measurement mechanisms (PMS mechanisms), the significance of firm size was explored.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected by administering a mail questionnaire survey to the top-level management of private service firms operating in Malaysia. The sampling frame was based on information provided by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia, and the Central Bank of Malaysia. An extensive search of directories/portals was undertaken to compile the mailing list of each service sector. Samples were randomly selected from the list using proportionate stratified sampling.

Findings

– The findings suggest that firm size influences the way their PMS was designed. The larger the firm size, the greater the emphasis placed on designing a sophisticated PMS. The results also indicate that size has a greater effect on the PMS of professional service firms, compared to mass service firms.

Research limitations/implications

– The limitation of the study pertains to the objective to observe the practice among service organizations on a broad scale, thus limiting the ability to comprehend the reasons for the findings.

Practical implications

– To the PMS designers and users, the understanding may offer a basic knowledge for designing and developing an effective and efficient PMS to be a useful tool in facing the continuous growth and stringent service market competition.

Originality/value

– Rather than restricted to a specific service industry, the study removes the traditional perception that insists that each service activity and problem is unique, by examining the practice of PMS among service firms from a broad-based perspective. The focus is on the commonalities that exist between them in facing the consequences of the service revolution.
Capital structure and corporate governance of soccer clubs
Authors: Dimitropoulos Panagiotis
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The present study aims to examine the impact of corporate governance quality on the capital structure of European soccer clubs and specifically on the level of debt that soccer clubs decide to issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– A sample from 67 European soccer clubs over the period of 2005-2009 was analyzed, and panel data techniques were performed to assess the impact of specific corporate governance provisions on the capital structure of football clubs (FCs).

Findings

– Evidence indicate that efficient corporate governance mechanisms such as the increased board size and independence and the existence of more dispersed ownership (managerial and institutional) result in a reduction in the level of leverage and debt, thus reducing the risk of financial instability.

Practical implications

– This evidence suggests that corporate governance could be used as a monitoring mechanism for reducing the fictitious level of debt that characterizes the majority of European soccer clubs. This study could prove useful to Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) regulators because it provides an additional insight for the importance of establishing sound governance principles in European soccer so as to enhance the effectiveness of the recent “financial fair play” regulation which was launched in 2010, as well as to improve the financial status of the clubs and sustain their future viability.

Originality/value

– This is the first study internationally that examines capital structure within FCs, thus extending the existent empirical evidence in the literature and adding to a growing body of research on the issues of corporate governance and financing decisions.
Can training promote employee organizational commitment? The effect of employability and expectation value
Authors: Ling Ling , Qing Tao , Shen Peng
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to provide theoretical analysis and empirical study on the relationship between training and organizational commitment; analyze the mediating role of employability and the moderating role of expectation value in their relationship; and draw from both of these to suggest practical implications to organizations aiming to effectively train and retain employees, and for employees themselves.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the paper reviews the literature regarding training, employability, organizational commitment and expectation value. Second, it develops a theoretical model linking training, employability, organizational commitment and expectation value, and proposes a series of research hypotheses. Third, drawing on samples of 405 Chinese employees, it tests hypotheses based on a series of measurement and statistical analyses. Last, it discusses the analysis results and puts forward related suggestions for management practice.

Findings

– The paper tests and verifies the applicability of Western training and employability scales in China from a self-perception perspective. Training is positively related to organizational commitment and employability. Further, employability partly mediates the relationship between training and organizational commitment, and expectation value moderates the relationship between employability and organizational commitment.

Research limitations/implications

– First, the cross-sectional design prevents the making of causal statements. Future research should adopt an experimental (quasi experimental) research method or longitudinal research to study the casual relationship between variables. Second, data are from employees’ self-report, giving rise to concern about possible common source bias. Future research should allow supervisors to rate employees’ employability or provide evaluation of employees’ expectation value to collect multi-source data.

Originality/value

– The paper first introduces Western scales of training and employability into a Chinese context, and then tests and verifies the two scales' applicability in China. To explain the action mechanism of training to the employee – organizational commitment in a boundaryless career, the paper constructs a moderate mediation model to test the direct effect of training on organizational commitment, the mediating effect of employability and the moderating effect of expectation value. This study complements past research by investigating both the mediating and moderating mechanisms in training organizational commitment.
Partial centralization in three-division organizations
Authors: Li Siguang , Weng Xi
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the optimal allocation of authority within “chain” organizations and to show when partial centralization becomes dominant in the sense of organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper takes an incomplete contract approach and uses an information transmission framework to investigate the optimal governance structure, in which non-contractible decisions must be adapted to local operating conditions, and also coordinated with the upstream and downstream divisions. We also use simulation analysis to numerically show the theoretical mapping between the underlying parameters (i.e. coordination need) and the dominant organizational structures.

Findings

– Partial decentralization will arise as the optimal governance structure only when the information in the middle branch is relatively concentrated or dispersive, so as to exploit the underlying information structure in the “chain” organizations. Specifically, when information is highly concentrated, direct control of the middle branch can improve coordination within firms. When the information is highly dispersive, to delegate authority to the middle branch only can improve communication.

Originality/value

– This paper characterizes the optimal governance structure in “chain” organizations. The findings may give some enlightenment on real authority driven byex anteasymmetric information structures and have implications on asymmetric delegation within firms.
Research on mechanism of consumer innovativeness influencing green consumption behavior
Authors: Lao Kefu
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the mechanism of the influence of consumer innovativeness (CI) on consumer-reasoned green consumption (GC) behavior to understand more about this behavior and help improve the practice of green marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

– To understand more about GC behavior and help to improve the practice of green marketing, this paper tries to explore the mechanism of CI influences on consumer-reasoned GC behavior.

Findings

– This study shows that CI has a significant influence on GC behavior. Its mechanism is that CI directly influences consumer attitude, subjective norm (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC) of GC, and then further influences GC intention and behavior. The direct influence of GC attitude on intention is not significant, but GC intention is indirectly influenced via SN by attitude. Moreover, male, young, highly educated and high-income consumers have stronger CI; the influence of CI on GC behavior is more significant in male, old, less-educated and low-income consumers.

Research limitations/implications

– This research focuses on consumption behaviors which are reasoned and environment condition-constrained only, and its findings cannot be generalized to impulsive consumption behaviors. The influence of CI on impulsive consumption behaviors should be further researched.

Practical implications

– Company managers should utilize new technology and design to make green products more innovative and fashionable to attract more customers.

Social implications

– Instead of environment protection propaganda and education, society and market supervisors should lay the key point of GC incentive on the draft and implementation of law and regulation.

Originality/value

– This research is an initial attempt to establish the relationship between CI and GC behaviors and generate a news research area in green marketing.
Not for the love of money
Authors: Medeiros Norm
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to describe the reasons people decide to attend library school.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article focuses on motivations discussed in the relevant literature.

Findings

– The article finds that service to others is a consistent reason for entering the profession.

Originality/value

– The article is the author’s farewell.
Dramatis personae
Authors: Fox Robert
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This column aims to discuss a tool used in user experience studies called personas.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a conceptual column discussing personas as a design tool.

Findings

– Personas can be a powerful tool used in the design of digital library services.

Originality/value

– The personas methodology could be a very powerful tool for libraries in helping them understand their constituent populations and serve them better.
Are university libraries in Bangladesh ready to be digital?
Authors: Zaman Shuva Nafiz
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The core purpose of the study is to find the existing status of digital libraries (DLs) in university libraries of Bangladesh and to see whether university libraries of Bangladesh are ready to convert their traditional libraries into digital ones. Other purposes include: to explore the status of adoption of subscription-based e-resources among the university libraries in Bangladesh; to assess the level of information and communications technology skills of library and information science (LIS) professionals working in the university libraries; and to illustrate the government initiatives on digitization/DL development.

Design/methodology/approach

– The current study used the mixed methods, i.e. qualitative and quantitative. A questionnaire was prepared to assess the existing status of DL systems in university libraries of Bangladesh and to meet other purposes of the study. The population of the study included the heads of the public and private university librarians in Bangladesh. Several phone contacts were made for this study. A good number of e-mail addresses of the librarians of public and private universities in Bangladesh were collected over the phone. The study was conducted from June 2012 to September 2012. Of the 50 identified respondents, the author received 30 completed questionnaires. The heads of 18 public universities and 11 private universities and one international university responded to this study. Two responses were received by post. Therefore, the response rate for the current study is 60 per cent.

Findings

– As part of the government’s pledge to build “Digital Bangladesh”, several initiatives have been taken that are related to digitization, information development and developing repositories and e-services for citizens. However, not much initiative has been taken to develop nationwide DLs in Bangladesh. In terms of e-resource usage scenario, public university libraries are better in offering e-resources to its students and faculty members than private university libraries in Bangladesh. Finally, it turned out that the majority of the university libraries in Bangladesh are not ready to be digital. Lack of funds, lack of infrastructural support and lack of skilled LIS professionals are the main reasons hindering the development of DLs in the university libraries of Bangladesh.

Originality/value

– This study will help DL researchers around the world in getting information on the status of DLs in Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh, policymakers, university authorities and LIS professionals in Bangladesh will highly benefited from this research. No study to find DL readiness of the universities has so far been conducted.
The effect of information overload and disorganisation on intention to purchase online
Authors: Soto-Acosta Pedro , Jose Molina-Castillo Francisco , Lopez-Nicolas Carolina , Colomo-Palacios Ricardo
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a research model that examines the effect of information overload and information disorganisation upon customers’ perceived risk and purchase intention online in a single integrative model. In addition the paper investigates whether internet experience moderates these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

– To achieve the paper's objectives an experiment that involved visiting the ten most visited e-commerce web sites in Spain was conducted. Hypotheses were tested by using structural equation modelling on a data set of 1,396 online shopping customers.

Findings

– The results suggest a positive relationship between information overload and customer purchase intention and that internet experience reinforces this positive effect. Moreover the results confirm that the relationship between information disorganisation and customer purchase intention is not significant and that internet experience does not moderate the relationship. The findings also indicate that perceived risk mediates the relationship between information overload and information disorganisation on customer purchase intention.

Originality/value

– This work contributes to the literature by exploring the phenomenon of information overload and information disorganisation upon customers’ perceived risk and purchase intention in the e-commerce environment as well as the moderating effect of internet experience on these relationships in a single integrative model. The main conclusions of this investigation can be valuable to organisations that implement or intend to implement e-commerce.
Discovering business information from search engine query data
Authors: Vaughan Liwen
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the feasibility of discovering business information from search engine query data. Specifically the study tried to determine whether search volumes of company names are correlated with the companies’ business performance and position data.

Design/methodology/approach

– The top 50 US companies in the 2012 Fortune 500 list were included in the study. The following business performance and position data were collected: revenues, profits, assets, stockholders’ equity, profits as a percentage of revenues, and profits as a percentage of assets. Data on the search volumes of the company names were collected from Google Trends, which is based on search queries users enter into Google. Google Trends data were collected in the two scenarios of worldwide searches and US searches.

Findings

– The study found significant correlations between search volume data and business performance and position data, suggesting that search engine query data can be used to discover business information. Google Trends’ worldwide search data were better than the US domestic search data for this purpose.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is limited to only one country and to one year of data.

Practical implications

– Publicly available search engine query data such as those from Google Trends can be used to estimate business performance and position data which are not always publicly available. Search engine query data are timelier than business data.

Originality/value

– This is the first study to establish a relationship between search engine query data and business performance and position data.
The impact of Facebook on libraries and librarians: a review of the literature
Authors: Vassilakaki Evgenia , Garoufallou Emmanouel
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Social networking sites are becoming more and more popular triggering an increase in published research and impacting different aspects of daily life. One such aspect concerns libraries and librarians and the way they have adopted social networking sites. The purpose of this paper is to present a selective review on libraries’ adoption and use of a specific social networking site such as Facebook in order to promote their services.

Design/methodology/approach

– The method of selective review is employed to identify, document and present the relevant literature in a structured and annotated way. More specifically, all types of documents published between 2006 and 2012 are considered. In addition, the papers are assigned based on their expressed aim/s to emerged themes and sub-themes.

Findings

– It was found that the main body of the reported literature focused on reporting experiences, problems and lessons learned from building a presence on Facebook. A few studies aimed to explore users’ and librarians’ perspectives towards social networking sites whereas there is a strong need for specific guidelines to assist libraries and librarians in adopting Facebook.

Research limitations/implications

– This systematic literature review consists of articles published between 2006 and 2012.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to identifying, collecting and presenting research regarding the use of Facebook in the field of library science. In addition, it identifies and summarises the main problems and challenges libraries and librarians are faced with when employing Facebook.
Rapid prototyping-assisted fabrication of the customized metatarsophalangeal joint implant (SamKu)
Authors: C. Raghatate Sameer , M. Kuthe Abhaykumar , R. Deshmukh Tushar , W. Dahake Sandeep
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The main purpose of this paper is to report the successful treatment modality for patients suffering from arthritis of the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) of the foot which otherwise could not be treated through traditional surgeries.

Design/methodology/approach

– The unique capabilities of the computer-aided design and the rapid prototyping (RP) technology are used to develop the customized MTPJ implant (SamKu).

Findings

– This approach shows good results in the fabrication of the MTPJ implant. Postoperatively, the patient experienced normalcy in the movement of the MTPJ of the foot.

Practical implications

– Advanced technologies made it possible to fabricate the customized MTPJ implant (SamKu). The advantage of this approach is that the physical RP model assisted in designing the final metallic implant. It also helped in the surgical planning and the rehearsals.

Originality/value

– This case report illustrates the benefits of imaging/computer-aided manufacturing/RP to develop the customized implant and serve those patients who could not be treated in the traditional way. This is a pioneered attempt toward implementation of a customized implant for patients suffering from arthritis of the MTPJ.
Understanding and combating mission drift in social enterprises
Authors: Cornforth Christopher
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to develop a better understanding of the pressures that can cause mission drift among social enterprises and some of the steps that social enterprises can take to combat these pressures.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is conceptual in nature. It draws on resource dependency theory, institutional theory and various extant empirical studies to develop an understanding of the causes of mission drift. This analysis is then used to examine the practical steps that social enterprises can take to combat mission drift.

Findings

– The paper highlights how high dependence on a resource provider and the demands of “competing” institutional environments can lead to mission drift. Based on this analysis, the paper sets out various governance mechanisms and management strategies that can be used to combat mission drift.

Practical implications

– The paper sets out practical steps social enterprises can take to try to prevent mission drift. While governance mechanisms provide important safeguards, there is still a danger of mission drift unless active steps are taken to manage the tensions that arise from trying to achieve both commercial and social goals. These strategies can be divided into two broad types. Those that seek to compartmentalise the different activities into separate parts of the organization and those that seek to integrate them. Integrative strategies include careful selection and socialization, compromise and “selective coupling”.

Originality/value

– The paper will be of value to other researchers attempting to understand the dynamics of social enterprises and, in particular, the processes that can lead to mission drift and to managers of social enterprises keen to combat these processes.
Why do private non-profit organizations provide information on the Internet?
Authors: Van Hulle Cynthia , Dewaelheyns Nico
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this study is to show the provision of research measures information on the Internet by private non-profit organizations (NPOs) and provide insight on underlying drivers.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research involves scoring websites of Belgian NPOs on the basis of their information dissemination and applies univariate and multivariate statistical methods to analyze the driving forces. It also provides two illustrating case studies.

Findings

– The drivers of Internet information provision in our sample organizations show many similarities to those found for for-profit corporations. However, contrary to the latter, NPOs include little financial information and focus on their goals. Furthermore, in line with the notion that insiders-workers may capture the organization, we find that the degree of professionalization has a significantly negative impact on disclosure. Overall, outside pressures as predicted by neo-institutional theory and agency issues are important in shaping communication of information. In fact, the two cases indicate that the pressures, as predicted by neo-institutional theory, may easily lead NPOs to cater to key stakeholders in much the same way as for-profit corporations cater to customers.

Research limitations/implications

– The results are indicative of general forces driving NPO behaviour. Of interest would be a more in-depth analysis to link the prevalence of certain forces to specific governance models and to contextual factors.

Practical implications

– These findings may give users/visitors of websites better insight into the forces shaping information communication policies of an NPO.

Originality/value

– This paper adds to the scant evidence on Internet information provision by private non-profit organizations and its drivers. As such, it offers an opportunity to study the forces that are likely shaping decision-making within NPOs.
Camping: a tool for relationship maintenance?
Authors: Morrow Rosie , Rodriguez Alison , King Nigel
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate individuals’ lived experience of camping, and to explore the effects of camping on relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research adopted a descriptive phenomenological approach (Langdridge, 2007). Guided interviews were carried out with four participants, recalling their most memorable camping experience, with the aid of photographs to elicit memories. Analysis followed Colaizzi's (1978) seven-stage analysis and findings were discussed in relation to Duck's model of relationship dissolution (1981).

Findings

– Findings concern how camping is a great opportunity for couples, and friends, to re-connect with each other, reinforcing existing bonds and strengthening weakened ones. Other findings included enjoyment of the tranquillity and relaxation the natural environment provided, and for some the sense of adventure was encouraged, and the idea of “being away” from the usual surroundings was reported to be of relational benefit.

Originality/value

– The discovery of the benefit for camping on relationships is a unique and valuable contribution in this field because it has shown that camping can maintain, and evolve, relationships. As such, camping could be used as a bonding or relationship support intervention.
Lipid fraction of creams collected in the Parmigiano‐Reggiano cheese production area in response to extruded linseed supplementation of dairy cows’ diets: GC‐FID and FT‐MIR evaluation
Authors: Guerra Elena , Gori Alessandro , Cevoli Chiara , Losi Giuseppe , Caboni Maria Fiorenza
Published: July 2014

This study evaluated the effect of dietary supplementation with extruded linseed on the fatty acid and triglyceride composition of creams obtained by natural creaming of cows’ milk and collected in the ‘Parmigiano‐Reggiano cheese’ protected designation of origin area. The inclusion of linseed in the diet of experimental dairy cows’, resulted in creams with increased unsaturated fat levels and healthy fatty acids such as omega‐3 and conjugated linoleic acid isomers, as well as higher levels of long‐chain triglycerides. The combination of infrared spectroscopy and chemometric methods was able to differentiate cream samples based upon differences in cows’ diets and supplemented extruded linseed.
Sequential allergen desensitization of basophils is non‐specific and may involve p38 MAPK
Authors: Witting Christensen S. K. , Kortekaas Krohn I. , Thuraiaiyah J. , Skjold T. , Schmid J. M. , Hoffmann H. J. H.
Published: July 2014

Background

Sequential allergen desensitization provides temporary tolerance for allergic patients. We adapted a clinical protocol to desensitize human blood basophils ex vivo and investigated the mechanism and allergen specificity.

Methods

We included 28 adult, grass allergic subjects. The optimal, activating allergen concentration was determined by measuring activated CD63+ CD193+SSLow basophils in a basophil activation test with 8 log‐dilutions of grass allergen. Basophils in whole blood were desensitized by incubation with twofold to 2.5‐fold increasing allergen doses in 10 steps starting at 1 : 1000 of the optimal dose. Involvement of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) was assessed after 3 min of allergen stimulation (n = 7). Allergen specificity was investigated by desensitizing cells from multi‐allergic subjects with grass allergen and challenging with optimal doses of grass, birch, recombinant house dust mite (rDer p2) allergen or anti‐IgE (n = 10).

Results

Desensitization reduced the fraction of blood basophils responding to challenge with an optimal allergen dose from a median (IQR) 81.0% (66.3–88.8) to 35.4% (19.8–47.1, P < 0.0001). CD63 MFI expression was reduced from 68 248 (29 336–92 001) to 30 496 (14 046–46 179, P < 0.0001). Basophils from multi‐allergic subjects were desensitized with grass allergen. Challenge with grass allergen resulted in 39.6% activation (15.8–58.3). An unrelated challenge (birch, rDer p2 or anti‐IgE) resulted in 53.4% activation (30.8–66.8, P = 0.16 compared with grass). Desensitization reduced p38 MAPK phosphorylation from a median 48.1% (15.6–92.8) to 26.1% (7.4–71.2, P = 0.047) and correlated with decrease in CD63 upregulation (n = 7, r > 0.79, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Desensitization attenuated basophil response rapidly and non‐specifically at a stage before p38 MAPK phosphorylation.
Activating calcium‐sensing receptor gene variants in children: a case study of infant hypocalcaemia and literature review
Authors: Thim Signe B , Birkebæk Niels H , Nissen Peter H , Høst Christian
Published: July 2014

Autosomal dominant hypocalcaemia (ADH) is caused by activating variants in the calcium‐sensing receptor (CASR) gene, but detailed information on the paediatric phenotype is limited. The current paper presents a case of severe ADH and systematically reviews the literature on ADH in children.

Conclusion

We found that the severity of clinical neurological symptoms was inversely related to serum calcium levels and a high prevalence of renal calcifications and/or basal ganglia calcifications in children with ADH.
Older siblings as potential supervisors of younger siblings: sibling supervisors' recognition of injury‐risk behaviours and beliefs about supervisee risk taking and potential injury outcomes
Authors: Morrongiello B. A. , Schell S. L. , Stewart J.
Published: July 2014

Background

Past research has shown that increased injury risk for supervisees during sibling supervision is in part due to the supervision practices of older siblings.

Methods

The current study used a photo sorting task to examine older siblings' recognition of injury‐risk behaviours, their perceived likelihood of supervisees engaging in, or being injured while engaging in, these behaviours, and awareness of past risk‐taking behaviours of supervisees. Mothers completed the same measures and an interview about sibling supervision in the home.

Results

Mothers reported that sibling supervision occurred most frequently in the kitchen, living room, and children's bedrooms, for approximately 39 min/day, and that the more time the children spent together in a room, the more frequently the older sibling supervised the younger one. The most common reasons mothers gave for why sibling supervision was allowed included beliefs that the older child knows about hazards and unsafe behaviours and that the child could provide adequate supervision. Photo sort results revealed that older siblings were able to correctly identify about 98% of risk behaviours, with these scores significantly higher than what mothers expected (79%). However, compared with mothers, older siblings were less aware of risk behaviours that their younger siblings had engaged in previously. In addition, mothers rated supervisees as ‘fairly likely’ both to engage in risk behaviours and to experience an injury if they tried these behaviours, whereas sibling supervisors rated both supervisee risk behaviour and injury outcomes as ‘not likely’ to occur.

Conclusion

Older siblings showed good knowledge of hazards but failed to realize that younger children often engage in injury‐risk behaviours. Efforts to improve the supervision practices of sibling supervisors need to include changing their perception of supervisees' injury vulnerability and potential injury severity, rather than targeting to increase knowledge of injury‐risk behaviours per se.
Alternate scoring of the Bayley‐III improves prediction of performance on Griffiths Mental Development Scales before school entry in preschoolers with developmental concerns
Authors: Milne S. L. , McDonald J. L. , Comino E. J.
Published: July 2014

Background

The Bayley‐III is widely used as an assessment tool in young children; however, its standard composite scores appear to under‐estimate delay, severe and profound delay cannot be identified, and the lack of an overall score makes it difficult to compare results with later assessments.

Aims

To explore the use of Bayley‐III quotient subtest and average scores, compared with composite subtest and average scores for both clinical and research purposes, comparing their ability to predict performance on the Griffiths Mental Development Scales (Griffiths) before school entry.

Method

One hundred preschoolers referred for a diagnosis were assessed on the Bayley‐III before 3.5 years. They were reassessed before school entry on the Griffiths. Composite and quotient scores were calculated and their ability to predict outcome compared across the score range.

Results

Averaging the three subscale quotient scores (Bayley‐AQS) gave a similar mean score for this sample (61.1, SD 16.2) as for the Griffiths general quotient (Griffiths‐GQ) (61.1, SD 19.6). The average composite scores (Bayley‐ACS) had a significantly higher mean (74.2, SD 12.1). Correlations between the average scores on the Bayley‐III and the Griffiths‐GQ (0.8) were at least as strong as any of the individual subscale scores. Kappa coefficients showed that Bayley‐AQS was superior to Bayley‐ACS for predicting moderate and severe delay. Average change in scores was −0.1 for Bayley‐AQS, and −13.2 for Bayley‐ACS. Improvement in category of delay was seen in 28% of children using Bayley‐AQS, and deterioration in 22%. In contrast, 5% improvement was seen using Bayley‐ACS, and 65% deterioration.

Conclusions

The three directly assessed subscales of the Bayley‐III can be averaged to give an overall score. Bayley‐AQS are a better measure of development in young children with delay than Bayley‐ACS, and most children maintain their developmental classification using this method of scoring when re‐assessed before school entry.