bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of change readiness on the knowledge sharing process for professional service firms
Authors: Rusly Fariza , Yih-Tong Sun Peter , L. Corner James
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The study aims to assess the influence of change readiness on the knowledge sharing process. This study proposes that readiness for knowledge sharing involves developing holistic understanding of the process through identification of individual and organisational readiness.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study adopts a qualitative case study design involving three New Zealand professional service firms (PFSs). Using grounded theory analysis, categories and concepts of change readiness that shape the knowledge sharing process were identified. The linkages among these elements offer an explanation of how readiness for knowledge sharing is formed.

Findings

– Findings show that beliefs regarding knowledge sharing and individual expertise determine individual readiness to share knowledge. Readiness for the process is escalated by instilling collective commitment for knowledge sharing. A conducive organisational context, which comprises communication, participation and learning, represents a firm’s capability to implement the knowledge sharing process. Findings also highlight the moderating influences of firm archetype, inter-profession differences and knowledge nature in the interplay between change readiness elements and the knowledge sharing process.

Research limitations/implications

– Findings reveal elements that motivate readiness for knowledge sharing from a change perspective. The propositions and theoretical model offered could extend understanding of the phenomena and lead to further studies assessing readiness for other knowledge management processes. The study involves three PFSs; hence, interpretation of the findings is limited within the scope and context of the study.

Practical implications

– Findings contribute to the formulation of firms’ knowledge sharing strategies by offering holistic insights into the importance of motivating readiness for knowledge sharing through consideration of multidimensional change readiness: individual and collective beliefs, individuals’ characteristics and organisational context.

Originality/value

– It is the first empirical study that seeks to develop theory how change readiness elements influences knowledge sharing in the organisation. To offer more contextualised findings, the study focusses on the phenomena of change readiness and knowledge sharing within the professional service industry.
Knowledge management in teams: empirical integration and development of a scale
Authors: Manohar Singh Ram , Gupta Meenakshi
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to develop a scale to measure knowledge management holistically at team level and to provide an empirical integration to a fractured body of literature on knowledge management.

Design/methodology/approach

– Ten concepts commonly studied under the umbrella term “knowledge management” were reviewed. On the basis of literature review, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 24 information technology (IT) professionals. A scale was developed based on the literature review and the interviews. The scale was tested in two phases, on samples of 91 and 699 IT professionals. Team knowledge management was analysed on 512 respondents, belonging to 34 teams.

Findings

– Findings suggest that the newly developed scale is a reliable and valid measure of knowledge management. Exploratory factor analysis of the 27-item scale suggests that knowledge management should be measured along four dimensions: knowledge creation, sharing, retention and actionable knowledge support.

Practical implications

– Organizations expect their teams to make the best use of knowledge resources. This scale would help organizations diagnose knowledge management practices in teams and develop interventions according to the needs of each team. The scale and four-factor model will provide a framework and a tool to investigate relationship of knowledge management with other variables.

Originality/value

– The attempts to integrate literature on knowledge management have largely been theoretical, and there has been little empirical work to provide an integrative framework for knowledge management concepts. This paper presents an empirical basis for the integration of knowledge management concepts. The paper also presents development of a scale which measures knowledge management practices in teams.
Best of both worlds: hybrid knowledge visualization in police crime fighting and military operations
Authors: J. Eppler Martin , Andreas Pfister Roland
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to study hybrid knowledge visualization in police crime fighting and military operations. Making effective and timely use of all available, relevant knowledge is a major requirement for today’s police officers who strive to fight organized crime or resolve complex criminal acts under time pressure. As they share this knowledge integration challenge with many management contexts, the authors have examined the knowledge visualization practices of a leading regional police force (and of a military unit) to derive insights for corporate knowledge management.

Design/methodology/approach

– To examine the knowledge visualization practices of a leading regional police force, the authors have conducted on-site observations, focus groups and interviews, as well as site, document, tool and software analyses within the police headquarters.

Findings

– As one main result of their empirical investigation, the authors find that the police force’s practice of hybrid (i.e. digital and physical) knowledge visualization offers a useful strategy for corporate knowledge management as well. They also show how organizations can apply this dual approach to making knowledge visible, i.e. using sophisticated visualization software in combination with hands-on physical and permanently visible knowledge boards.

Originality/value

– They discuss how these two modalities can be combined to improve knowledge management and how this hybrid practice can be understood theoretically through the lens of boundary object theory. With this regard, this article also extends the boundary object theory by identifying nine dynamic qualities of collaborative visualizations.
Commemorative spaces as means of enhancing campus diversity
Authors: Riley Catherine L. , Bogue Patty Ann
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to examine commemorative spaces on college campuses as in/effective means of enhancing the collegiate communities’ wealth of diversity.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research is rooted in both rhetorical communication and higher education theories to maximize our study’s ability to identify potential problems and opportunities for improvement. Upon reviewing the higher education trend of creating commemorative spaces to preserve, educate and celebrate the rich history of minority groups, a case study is provided through which the authors caution about the spaces’ potential relational and rhetorical problems.

Findings

– This case study reveals that the context and visual rhetoric of a commemorative space is related to its perceived message (whether intended or unintended) and utility in enhancing campus diversity.

Originality/value

– Explanations and suggestions regarding openings for future understanding, progress and collaboration among institutions of higher education and within their student body communities are provided.
World society and globalisation
Authors: Wittmann Veronika
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to illustrate discourses on globalisation and world society and to disclose the commonalities and differences of both scientific debates. In particular, it draws attention to theoretical concepts of globalisation and world society. This is considered fruitful for comprehending the complex mechanisms of sociological theory-building in a globalised world.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article first contextualises the multi-dimensionality and ambiguity of globalisation. It then reflects on the consequences of globalisation for socio-scientific considerations. The third part of the paper highlights scientific discourses on world society and globalisation, especially illustrating the commonalities and differences of both debates. In the concluding remarks of the article, discourses on world society are presented as a seismograph of contemporary socio-scientific debates encountering processes of globalisation.

Findings

– The paper does not simply present scientific discourses as isolated from a globalised world, but discloses the challenges of socio-scientific disciplines facing the global frame of reference for research. To balance the research analyses of scientific discourses, those on globalisation and world society are illustrated.

Originality/value

– The interplay between discourses on globalisation and those on world society is rarely reflected upon in publications. This paper provides insights into how, on the one hand, scientific debates on globalisation and on world society act together as part and parcel of the overall global frame of reference for research, yet it also shows, on the other hand, how different the discourses are. Furthermore, it highlights the prospective role of socio-scientific disciplines in a globalised world.
Kon-Tiki: spatio-temporal maps for socio-economic sustainability
Authors: Ahamer Gilbert
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The overall purpose of this paper is to detect spatial, temporal, sectoral, thematic and other patterns or transitions in techno-socio-economic evolution that are likely to co-determine future development and allow the steering of it. The development of a “Global Change Data Base” (GCDB) promises a graphically and geographically oriented tool for the representation of correlations for global long-term data series.

Design/methodology/approach

– A literature analysis supports the interpretation of such “pattern recognitions”, especially the literature in the areas of economic growth, systems analysis, energy economics, social indicators and quality of life. Preconditions for economic growth are empirically analysed on a sectoral level along with prevailing structural shifts in the use of energy sources.

Findings

– The main outcome is a distillate of a few formative “paths of development”, according to a synthesis of to-date growth theories. These lines might influence development in future decades and co-determine the degree to which sustainability targets are met. Debates and discussion procedures make use of such findings and outline modes of actions.

Practical implications

– Developmental university curricula such as “Global Studies”, democratisation endeavours based on analyses of economic performance of (partly) democratic systems or global governance of science could profit from a consensus on global trends patterns, similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change endeavour at the United Nations level.

Social implications

– Such heuristic methods could suitably mediate (in “multicultural” manner) between contradictory paradigms of global economic development that are mainly ideology-driven and hamper global society’s joint action.

Originality/value

– In short, this is an empirical work on pattern recognition in global evolution using aggregated spatially and temporally enabled data. It refers to the historic example of Kon-Tiki which undertook a surprisingly long journey based on precise knowledge of ocean currents and wind without applying own force.
Human factor and information security in higher education
Authors: Metalidou Efthymia , Marinagi Catherine , Trivellas Panagiotis , Eberhagen Niclas , Giannakopoulos Georgios , Skourlas Christos
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association of lack of awareness and human factors and the association of lack of awareness and significant attacks that threat computer security in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

– Five human factors and nine attacks are considered to investigate their relationship. A field research is conducted on Greek employees in higher education to identify the human factors that affect information security. The sample is consisted of 103 employees that use computers at work. Pearson correlation analysis between lack of awareness and nine (9) computer security risks is performed.

Findings

– Examining the association of lack of awareness with these attacks that threat the security of computers, all nine factors of important attacks exert significant and positive effect, apart from phishing. Considering the relationship of lack of awareness to human factors, all five human factors used are significantly and positively correlated with lack of awareness. Moreover, all nine important attacks, apart from one, exert a significant and positive effect.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper extends understanding of the relationship of the human factors, the lack of awareness and information security. The study has focused on employees of the Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Athens, namely, teachers, administrators and working post-graduate students.

Originality/value

– The paper has used weighted factors based on data collection in higher education to calculate a global index for lack of awareness, as the result of the weighted aggregation of nine (9) risks, and extends the analysis performed in the literature to evaluate the effectiveness of security awareness in computer risk management.
Measuring performance of a service system – from organizations to customer-perceived performance
Authors: Laihonen Harri , Jääskeläinen Aki , Pekkola Sanna
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implications of the networked and open nature of the service business on performance measurement. The literature has acknowledged that the value of service is increasingly produced by service systems, but solutions for measuring the performance of a service system are still lacking.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper constructs a conceptual framework for capturing performance of a service system by combining ideas from the service management and performance measurement literatures. This framework is then applied in two service systems, one from the public sector and one from the private sector. Two different service systems provide complementary views on the phenomenon of service system performance and call for distinctive measurement solutions. In both cases, interviews, series of workshops and an analysis of documentation of the prevailing measurement systems were conducted when applying the framework.

Findings

– The results indicate that the performance measurement of a service system necessitates measurement information from three perspectives: the performance of individual actors, the internal efficiency of a network and the customer-perceived performance of service operations. The paper provides empirical evidence about the design and implementation of performance measurement for a service system. It also provides some guidance to overcome the recognized measurement challenges that relate, for example, to the shared responsibilities, to integration of measurement data and to capturing customer-perceived impacts of services.

Originality/value

– The paper provides new understanding about performance measurement practice in a service system. It integrates service-dominant management philosophy into the long tradition of performance measurement, which concentrates excessively on organizational structures. Even though the common balanced performance measurement frameworks include the perspective of a customer, the application of the frameworks is easily side-tracked leading to sub-optimization when several organizations and customers participate in value creation.

Practical implications

– Empirical evidence illustrates the practical need for a new perspective on performance measurement of service systems. This can be achieved by shifting the unit of analysis from organizations to customer-perceived performance. The practical performance measurement systems need to balance with the aspects of effectiveness and outcomes of services, the efficiency of the production network and the performance of individual actors.
How to effectively manage knowledge in the construction industry
Authors: Bigliardi Barbara , Galati Francesco , Petroni Alberto
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is twofold: to understand if it is possible to find similarities and dissimilarities among the construction companies in terms of knowledge management (KM) process, identifying the main tools and techniques adopted by the same companies within this process; second, to emphasize and study more in depth the best KM techniques that emerged from the cases in the context of the Italian construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

– On the basis of available studies on KM within the industry investigated, multiple case studies were developed to reach the aforementioned objective, involving 14 Italian construction companies.

Findings

– The outcomes obtained from the case studies allow drawing some conclusions on the KM process adopted by the companies investigated, as well as on the type of tools and techniques adopted by the same companies in the KM process.

Research limitations/implications

– The case study is based on 14 single cases and, therefore, we must keep in mind that there may be significant differences between industries, companies, departments and individuals regarding how management tools and technological systems are used in practice.

Originality/value

– Very few papers are available on the KM process within the Italian construction landscape. This study is expected to encourage future studies in this field.
A performance measurement system for academic entrepreneurship: a case study
Authors: Secundo Giustina , Elia Gianluca
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims at proposing a performance measurement system (PMS) for academic entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

– The PMS has been developed through action research carried out within an Italian higher education and research centre on the basis of the literature background, focus groups and interviews.

Findings

– The study presents a new PMS based on an input–output model for academic entrepreneurship. As a result, a multidimensional framework for measuring technology entrepreneurship is proposed together with a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the “third mission” of universities. The application of the framework allows demonstration of its validity in public settings.

Research limitations/implications

– Because the research was conducted in a specific organisation, the possibility of generalizing the results to similar institutions is a key issue. Hence, it is important to distinguish between what is general in scope and what is case-specific.

Practical implications

– This study contributes to the extant literature on performance measurement of entrepreneurship process within research and higher education institutes that is traditionally focussed at the firm level. From a practitioner perspective, the model can be used both by universities which are interested in measuring their entrepreneurial capital and by other stakeholders who are interested in evaluating the value generation performances of universities. Implications for the society are clarified as well.

Social implications

– As for the society, the proposed model allows evaluation of the university’s pivotal role in the social and economic development of the region where it is located, especially in terms of new employments and new technology-intensive firms.

Originality/value

– The PMS is developed according to a process-oriented perspective of the academic entrepreneurship by identifying, for each step, a set of KPIs to meet the information needs of different stakeholders. The proposed PMS allows monitoring each phase of the technology entrepreneurship and managing the results in terms of social and economic impact developed. Contributions in PMS and intellectual capital literature are identified.
EFQMQual: evaluating the implementation of the European quality award based on the concepts of model of service quality gaps and ServQual approach
Authors: Shahin Arash , Balouei Jamkhaneh Hadi , Zahra Hosseini Cheryani Sayedeh
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The major aim of this investigation is to propose a novel approach for evaluating the implementation of the European Quality Award, i.e. the model of European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).

Design/methodology/approach

– The EFQM model includes both enablers and results, while in the service quality gaps model, only the gaps between the organization and customer are studied. In this paper, a new approach has been proposed to assess seven determined gaps in implementing the EFQM model based on the concepts of the service quality gaps model and the ServQual approach. The new approach to the EFQMQual has been examined in Isfahan Province Gas Company using different viewpoints of senior and middle managers and senior experts on four elements of determined gaps. These include perceptions of goals, expectations of goals, perceptions of assessment and expectations of assessment.

Findings

– Findings indicate that leadership and key results criteria have the lowest and the highest gap values, respectively. In addition, the fifth gap, i.e. the difference between expectations of assessment and perceptions of assessment, has the lowest average, while the seventh gap, i.e. elements of the EFQM model, has the highest average. With regard to the correlation among the seven gaps, it became obvious that there is a significant correlation among the first, fifth and sixth gaps; and also between the fourth and fifth gaps. Finally, based on the Pareto rule, the priority of the criteria related to each of the gaps has also been determined.

Research limitations/implications

– One of the limitations of this study is the complexity of the concepts in the questionnaires, which makes it difficult for respondents to understand the items of the questionnaires. To overcome this, therefore, the researcher has attached a guideline to the distributed questionnaires.

Originality/value

– As the literature review indicates, there has not been any research on integrating the concepts of the service quality gaps model, the ServQual approach, and the EFQM model, while also analyzing the weak and strong results obtained from implementing the EFQM model based on such an integrated approach. The significance of the study lies further in the fact that based on an approach similar to the proposed EFQMQual, such concepts can be applied for evaluating the implementation of other quality award systems.
Library marketing: moving between traditional and digital strategies
Authors: E. Massis Bruce
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this column is to provide several discussion themes on which to muse regarding the strategy of library marketing in today’s technology-rich environment.

Design/methodology/approach

– It involves literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners.

Findings

– Moving between the traditional model of library marketing to the cutting-edge model is occurring through the numerous digital communication tools used everyday. Not only must the library rely on these modes of marketing they must also recognize that their patrons share that space with them and the many contacts each one of those patrons has as well, thus potentially expanding the library audience and therefore positively expanding its user base.

Originality/value

– The value in addressing this issue is to examine approaches to marketing library services in an effort to present the reader with several discussion points on the topic.
Keeping up with the law: investigating lawyers’ monitoring behaviour
Authors: Ellis Stephanie , Makri Stephann , Attfield Simon
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The authors wanted to provide an enriched understanding of how lawyers keep up-to-date with legal developments. Maintaining awareness of developments in an area (known as “monitoring”) is an important aspect of professional’s information work. This is particularly true for lawyers, who are expected to keep up-to-date with legal developments on an ongoing basis.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with a group of lawyers who authored and published current awareness content for LexisNexis – a large publishing organisation. The interviews focused on identifying the types of electronic, printed and people-based current awareness resources the lawyers used to keep up-to-date with legal developments and the reasons for their choices.

Findings

– The lawyers mostly used electronic resources (particularly e-mail alerts and an electronic tool that alerted them to changes in website content), alongside interpersonal sources, such as colleagues, customers and professional contacts. Printed media, such as journals and newspapers, were used more rarely and usually to complement electronic and person-based resources. A number of factors were found to influence choice. These included situational relevance, presentation, utility and trustworthiness, the speed of content acquisition and interpretation facilitated by the resource.

Originality/value

– The authors' findings enrich their understanding of lawyers’ monitoring behaviour, which has so far received little direct research attention. Their design suggestions have the potential to feed into the design of new and improvement of existing digital current awareness resources. Their findings have the potential to act as “success criteria” by which these resources can be evaluated from a user-centred perspective.
Identifying the prevailing images in library and information science profession: is the landscape changing?
Authors: Vassilakaki Evgenia , Moniarou-Papaconstantinou Valentini
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to provide a systematic review on library and information science (LIS) profession’s image and stereotypes from 1999 to 2013. In particular, it aims to identify and analyze the prevailing images of librarians in various contexts and explore possible changes occurring over time.

Design/methodology/approach

– The method of systematic review is adopted to identify the prevailing images in LIS profession. Specifically, 60 papers were selected and five main themes emerged such as “public’s perceptions”, “librarians’ perceptions”, “students’ perceptions”, “mass media” and “image as an issue” after a thorough analysis of papers’ aim.

Findings

– It was found that librarians were negatively perceived by both the wider public and the students. In terms of mass media, the image of “the old maid” was dominant, whereas newspapers focused on the male librarian who was perceived as glamorous. Positive stereotypes were also found in children books. On the whole, librarian’s image and relevant stereotypes have not changed considerably over time.

Research limitations/implications

– This literature review considered only papers published between 2000 and 2013 and only in English mainly due to language restrictions.

Originality/value

– This review identifies, critically analyzes and discusses the literature on the prevailing images and stereotypes associated with LIS profession in the past 13 years. In addition, it attempts to identify and discuss any changes that occurred in this time frame.
Collaborative publishing in digital history
Authors: Middleton Ken , York Amy
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to provide examples of how partnerships can be used to build innovative digital collections.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article explores multiple aspects of Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) Walker Library’s partnerships with the Center for Historic Preservation and MTSU’s graduate program in public history. Specific topics covered include pairing interpretive essays with groups of highly relevant images to engage students, incorporating responsive design to encourage use of mobile devices and creating an interactive map that links locations to digital content.

Findings

– By strengthening existing partnerships and proactively seeking new opportunities, libraries that do not have unique primary source collections can take a leading role in publishing digital history collections. Historians have been vital to the success of the Library’s digital projects, particularly those that incorporate multiple layers of historical context.

Originality/value

– This is one of the few articles about digital collections to cover responsive Web design (particularly within CONTENTdm), partnerships between libraries and public history academic programs and the value of multiple layers of historical context (metadata, essays matched with images and lesson plans).
Deliberations on design
Authors: Fox Robert
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to encourage libraries to be as involved as possible in the design of the services they provide, be that traditional Web services or sophisticated discovery services. An inordinate reliance upon turn key applications that afford little to no opportunity for customization will not allow the author to be responsive to patron needs.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a viewpoint column, and the content is exploratory in nature.

Findings

– The findings, in a sense, are that while in the past, others have been trusted to make critical design decisions, the author now needs to focus on applying information science skills to the design of his Web-based services.

Originality/value

– The quality of the digital services offered by libraries is a direct correlation of the level of investment offered. Investing at a more substantial level involves risks that need to be weighed against the potential benefits, but those risks cannot be completely ignored if the goal is a higher level of service excellence.
Profiling German-speaking socially responsible investors
Authors: Dorfleitner Gregor , Utz Sebastian
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the main motives of investors in allocating their money in a socially responsible (SR) way.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on primary data collected in a survey using an online questionnaire. This paper applies tests for continuous and categorical data and (ordered) logit models.

Findings

– In a multivariate analysis that investigates determinants of SR investing, this study finds little influence of the demographic factors of gender and investment volume and none of educational level. Furthermore, it shows that the regions investors allocate their money to are significant along with the preference toward the order of return, risk and liquidity. Moreover, there appears to be a gap between supply and demand of SR investments. Additionally, there are indications that a very important inducement for SR investing is the expectation of a high financial performance.

Originality/value

– There are very few international studies concerning the link between SR investments and the explanation of preferences with factors other than demographic ones. This study broadens the scope of the literature by providing novel empirical evidence for the German-speaking market.
Value-based assessment of sovereign risk
Authors: Kalteier Eva-Maria , Molt Stephan , Nguyen Tristan , N. Posch Peter
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce a methodology to evaluate sovereign risk. Hereby, a value-based approach using different market measures is introduced.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study’s approach aims to provide a value-based assessment of sovereign risk, combining market measures from government bond, credit derivatives and other markets as well as economic indicators.

Findings

– The study finds that the assessment of sovereign risk is only possible when using information from different markets and adjusting according to the information included in these measures. Combining both market-based and economic information leads to a value-based evaluation of sovereign risk.

Practical implications

– The practical implications are given for any institution with sovereign risk on their asset side. In fact, part of this research was done for the German Actuarial Foundation which uses the recommendations of this paper for the insurance industry.

Originality/value

– The study’s approach is novel because it is the first to include several market-based and economic measures of a sovereign and combines it into a value-based assessment.
The impact of cash holdings and external financing on investment-cash flow sensitivity
Authors: Kim Tae-Nyun
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to propose several factors which can explain the negative relationship between financial constraints and investment-cash flow sensitivity.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author uses traditional fixed effects model and minimum distance panel estimation by Erickson and Whited (2000) to estimate investment-cash flow sensitivity in the cash flow-augmented investment equation. In addition, principal component analysis is used to construct a financial constraints measure.

Findings

– First, it was found that substitutability between cash holdings and free cash flow can partially explain why financially constrained firms do not depend on cash flow as heavily as we expect. Second, it was confirmed that the level of net external financing can also partially explain the investment-cash flow sensitivity puzzle. Furthermore, it was argued that the influence of cash holdings and external financing on investment-cash flow sensitivity is caused by the low level of internal cash flow for financially constrained firms. This argument is supported by our findings from an examination of investment-cash flow sensitivity for bank-dependent firms during the recession periods.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to the literature by suggesting possible partial explanations for the contradictory relationship between investment-cash flow sensitivity and financial constraints.
Transferring cognitive apprenticeship to manufacturing process knowledge management system
Authors: Cheng Chen-Yang , Ou Tsung-Yin , Chen Tzu-Li , Chen Yin-Yann
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to develop a manufacturing process management system which aims to benefit the excavation, collection and search of the mentors’ experience and knowledge. The coating painting industry is a typical small and medium-sized traditional industry and usually depends on master's experience to solve the manufacturing problem.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the characteristics and manufacturing process of the architectural coating industry, this study develops a practical knowledge management system (KMS) with two stages. The first stage collects and analyzes manufacturing process data, and the second stage constructs the KMS of the manufacturing process.

Findings

– This manufacturing process KMS can accumulate and share the operators’ experience and knowledge systematically; this KMS not only improves the apprentices’ skill and problem-solving abilities but also enhances the enterprise’s overall product quality, undoubtedly.

Research limitations/implications

– This manufacturing process KMS was designed to be implemented in architectural coating industry which is defined as a “3K” industry. Such a specific manufacturing process KMS is not a generalized principles system which is hard to apply to other industries because the different industries own different explicit and tacit knowledge which cannot be captured in this study simultaneously. Further research will try to design a more complete and integrated KMS for industry and combine it with other approaches such as TRIZ (Russian acronym for the theory of inventive problem solving), patent database and problem-solving tools.

Practical implications

– The developments of this manufacturing process KMS software was based on systematic analysis and design. Using the architectural coating industry as an example, this system externalized the cognitive apprenticeship and developed a KMS based on the characteristics of the manufacturing process to preserve and share the valuable manufacturing process knowledge.

Originality/value

– The paper extends knowledge management’s contribution to externalize the cognitive apprenticeship and develop a KMS. The adoption of this manufacturing process KMS enables employees to improve their techniques, skills and problem-solving abilities and enables companies to enhance the overall product quality.
The Neurological Hand Deformity Classification for children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Georgiades Melissa , Elliott Catherine , Wilton Judith , Blair Eve , Blackmore Marie , Garbellini Simon
Published: August 2014

Background/aim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the Neurological Hand Deformity Classification and use it to describe changes in hand deformity over time in children with cerebral palsy.

Methods

We identified 114 video clips of 26 children with cerebral palsy, aged 1–18 years (mean = 8.4, SD = 4.2), performing upper‐limb tasks at multiple time points (n = 3–8) at least 6 months apart. Using the Neurological Hand Deformity Classification, three observers classified hand deformity in the video clips. Inter‐ and intra‐observer reliabilities were estimated using Fleiss and Cohen's kappa (κ) and the temporal changes in classification of hand deformity were investigated.

Results

Inter‐ and intra‐observer reliability respectively were κ = 0.87 and κ = 0.91. Hand deformity was identified in all children at all time points, even before the age of 2 years. Ten children did not change hand classification, wrist flexion increased in eight, and eight showed changes from wrist flexion to extension or vice versa.

Conclusions

The Neurological Hand Deformity Classification is a reliable tool to classify hand deformity in children with cerebral palsy. For more than one‐third of children hand deformity classification did not change. For the remaining children, two patterns of change in hand deformity over time were identified. It is recommended that children with cerebral palsy involving their upper limbs be monitored regularly.

Significance of the study

This is the first study to document longitudinal changes in hand deformity in children with cerebral palsy.
Examining the inter‐rater and test–retest reliability of the Student Practice Evaluation Form‐Revised (SPEF‐R) for occupational therapy students
Authors: Rodger Sylvia , Coleman Allison , Caine Anne‐Maree , Chien Chi‐Wen , Copley Jodie , Turpin Merrill , Brown Ted
Published: August 2014

Background/aim

The Student Practice Evaluation Form‐Revised Edition (SPEF‐R) is widely used in Australian universities to evaluate occupational therapy students’ performance in practice education. Reliable completion of theSPEF‐R by practice educators is critical for students and universities from a quality assurance perspective. This study used standardised video vignettes to examine the inter‐rater and test–retest reliability of practice educators when completing theSPEF‐R.

Methods

Nine vignettes were developed with three levels of student performance (below expectations, adequate‐to‐proficient, and outstanding) for each of three scenarios which depicted a multidisciplinary team meeting, a supervision session, and a home visit respectively. Seventy‐five occupational therapy practice educators viewed the vignettes and completed an online survey to rate student performance in each vignette using five selectedSPEF‐R items and using the five‐point rating scale. Twenty of these practice educators completed the rating process twice for test–retest reliability purposes. Percentage agreement, t‐tests and Rasch Measurement Model were used for analysis.

Results

Practice educators exhibited consistent ratings on most of theSPEF‐R items, except for rating adequate‐to‐proficient student performance on three items for inter‐rater reliability and eight items for test–retest reliability. Rasch analysis found that the majority of practice educators (96–98.7%) exhibited consistency in their use of theSPEF‐R rating scales. Practice educators also demonstrated satisfactory test–retest agreement of severity/leniency in rating student performance in the multidisciplinary team meeting scenario.

Conclusion

The study findings suggest that theSPEF‐R could be used reliably and interpreted consistently by practice educators with diverse backgrounds and levels of experience.
The Land Registration Act 2002 – the Show on the Road
Authors: Gardner Simon
Published: August 2014

This article reviews the Land Registration Act 2002, taking advantage of the deeper perspective afforded by the intervening decade, and absorbing subsequent developments – and, in the case of the Act's electronic conveyancing project, non‐developments – that have also come to contribute to the picture. It suggests especially that while the Act's central idea of conclusive, indeed ‘constitutive’, registration can be beneficial, its deployment here has been problematic. In particular, the lapse of electronic conveyancing, and the possibility (resisted by the courts) that conclusive registration can be procured by fraudsters, have diminished the control that parties have over dispositions of their own title, to the detriment of their autonomy; and over‐preoccupation with the central idea has resulted in a failure to think carefully enough about problems to which it was never going to be the answer.
Attribution in Company Law
Authors: Lim Ernest
Published: August 2014

In Bilta (UK) Ltd (in liquidation) v Nazir (No 2), the Court of Appeal held that the ex turpi causa defence was inapplicable by refusing to attribute the fraud of the directors and the sole shareholder to the company in connection with the company's claim against them and third party co‐conspirators. It is significant that the court has not only clarified the law in relation to attribution, but it did so by rejecting the majority's reasoning and endorsing the dissenting judgment in the House of Lords decision in Stone & Rolls (in liquidation) v Moore Stephens (a firm). This article evaluates the decision in Bilta by critically examining the fundamental principles and policies that apply to the three distinct circumstances under which corporate attribution should or should not take place.
Compositional profile of α / β‐hydrolase fold proteins in mangrove soil metagenomes: prevalence of epoxide hydrolases and haloalkane dehalogenases in oil‐contaminated sites
Authors: Jiménez Diego Javier , Dini‐Andreote Francisco , Ottoni Júlia Ronzella , de Oliveira Valéria Maia , van Elsas Jan Dirk , Andreote Fernando Dini
Published: August 2014

The occurrence of genes encoding biotechnologically relevant α/β‐hydrolases in mangrove soil microbial communities was assessed using data obtained by whole‐metagenome sequencing of four mangroves areas, denoted BrMgv01 to BrMgv04, in São Paulo, Brazil. The sequences (215 Mb in total) were filtered based on local amino acid alignments against the Lipase Engineering Database. In total, 5923 unassembled sequences were affiliated with 30 different α/β‐hydrolase fold superfamilies. The most abundant predicted proteins encompassed cytosolic hydrolases (abH08; ∼ 23%), microsomal hydrolases (abH09; ∼ 12%) and Moraxella lipase‐like proteins (abH04 and abH01; < 5%). Detailed analysis of the genes predicted to encode proteins of the abH08 superfamily revealed a high proportion related to epoxide hydrolases and haloalkane dehalogenases in polluted mangroves BrMgv01‐02‐03. This suggested selection and putative involvement in local degradation/detoxification of the pollutants. Seven sequences that were annotated as genes for putative epoxide hydrolases and five for putative haloalkane dehalogenases were found in a fosmid library generated from BrMgv02 DNA. The latter enzymes were predicted to belong to Actinobacteria, Deinococcus‐Thermus, Planctomycetes and Proteobacteria. Our integrated approach thus identified 12 genes (complete and/or partial) that may encode hitherto undescribed enzymes. The low amino acid identity (< 60%) with already‐described genes opens perspectives for both production in an expression host and genetic screening of metagenomes.
Epidemiology of lung cancer in China
Authors: Chen Wanqing , Zheng Rongshou , Zeng Hongmei , Zhang Siwei
Published: August 2014

Background

Lung cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in China. Along with socioeconomic development, environmental problems have intensified and the burden of lung cancer continues to increase.

Methods

In this study, national cancer registry data was used for evaluating incidence, mortality, time trend, and prediction.

Results

In China in 2010, 605 900 patients were diagnosed and 486 600 patients died of lung cancer. Throughout the last three decades, the mortality of lung cancer has dramatically increased, as shown in national death surveys. From 2000 to 2010, age specific incidence of lung cancer increased in most age groups. It is estimated that in 2015, the total number of new cases of lung cancer will reach 733 300.

Conclusions

Lung cancer is a serious disease affecting public health and an effective control strategy is needed in China.
Usefulness of target delineation based on the two extreme phases of a four‐dimensional computed tomography scan in stereotactic body radiation therapy for lung cancer
Authors: Jang Seong Soon , Huh Gil Ja , Park Suk Young , Yang Po Song , Cho EunYoun
Published: August 2014

Background

An evaluation of the usefulness of target delineation based only on the two extreme phases of a four‐dimensional computed tomography (4D CT) scan in lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Methods

Seventeen patients treated with SBRT via 4D CT scans for lung cancer were retrospectively enrolled. Volumetric and geometric analyses were performed for the internal target volumes (ITVs) and planning target volumes (PTVs) generated using different respiratory phases (all phases and 2 extreme phases) and setup margins (3 mm and 5 mm).

Results

As the setup margins were added to the ITVs, the overlap percentage between the PTVs based on all phases and the two extreme phases increased (85.1% for ITVs, 89.8% for PTVs_3 mm, and 91.3% for PTVs_5 mm), and there were no differences according to the tumor parameters, such as the gross tumor volume and 3D mobility. The missing‐volume differences for ITVs derived from cone‐beam CT images also decreased, with values of 5.3% between ITVs, 0.5% between PTVs_3 mm, and 0.2% between PTVs_5 mm. Compared with the plan based on all phases and a 3 mm margin, the average lung‐dose differences found for the PTV based on the two extreme phases and a 5 mm margin were 0.41 Gy for the mean lung dose and 0.93% for V20.

Conclusions

Regardless of tumor characteristics, PTV construction based only on the two extreme phases and a 5 mm setup margin may be a useful tool for reducing the clinical workload involved in target delineation in SBRT for lung cancer.
Clinically beneficial continued treatment with gefitinib after asymptomatic progression of lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Choi Hayoung , Chang Jinsun , Shin Hong‐Joon , Park Cheol‐Kyu , Oh In‐Jae , Kim Kyu‐Sik , Kim Young‐Chul
Published: August 2014

We report a case showing the long‐term clinical benefit of the continued use of gefitinib in a patient with asymptomatic progression of lung adenocarcinoma harboring an exon 19 deletion of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene. Although follow‐up studies showed smoldering progression of metastatic lesions, continued treatment with gefitinib controlled pulmonary adenocarcinoma for more than six years.