bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The practical wisdom of Peter Drucker: roots in the Christian tradition
Authors: Meynhardt Timo
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Practical wisdom is central to the tremendous success of Peter Drucker as a management thinker. The paper aims to argue that the attractiveness of his writings is mainly due to the underlying Christian value system, which is the basis for the coherence of his thinking, and the reference system for his normative statements and practical wisdom.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discerns the moral foundations of Peter Drucker's work by highlighting explicit value statements in his early writings, some even before he turned to management. Against this background, examples are provided of how he translates his values in practical wisdom into dealing with management challenges.

Findings

A major driving force of Drucker's entire work is seen as the secularization of his religious beliefs. His practical suggestions for modern corporations are deeply influenced by Christian faith. Up to now this has been largely unknown or ignored.

Research limitations/implications

The paper rests on limited text analysis which should be extended in future research. If Drucker's success may be at least partially attributed to his moral tone, any effort to redeem management and to anchor it as a liberal art can deploy his work.

Originality/value

Dissecting the moral background of the most influential management thinker in the last century the paper reveals that Drucker's practical wisdom is the result of a deep connection between Christian values and knowledge. It clearly points to an integrated research perspective, and above all it calls for a rigorous inquiry into moral assumptions underlying any writing on management.
Practical wisdom in managerial decision making
Authors: Melé Domènec
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to present the necessity for practical wisdom in the managerial decision making process and its role in such a process. The paper seeks to contrast the position with two conventional approaches based on maximizing and satisficing behaviors respectively.

Design/methodology/approach

Following Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas it is argued that a correct decision should consider an “integral rationality” which includes not only “instrumental rationality” but also “practical rationality”. The latter permits the evaluation of both means and ends from the perspective of human good. Practical wisdom helps the decision maker to determine how a decision will contribute to the human good in each particular situation.

Findings

Maximizing and satisficing behaviors are based on the facts‐values dichotomy, which separates business and ethics and presents a rationalistic and incomplete view of the reality. The alternative presented here sees the decision as a whole, and this is a more comprehensive understanding of the reality. Ethics is better integrated into the decision making process, since it is an intrinsic part of such a process, not an extrinsic addition.

Practical implications

Every decision has an ethical dimension, which should be considered by managers for making good decisions. Practical wisdom is essential in perceiving such a dimension and in making sound moral judgments in the making of decisions. Managers do not need only skills for making correct decisions, but practical wisdom and moral virtues, too.

Originality/value

The approach presented in the paper defeats the conventional but narrow views of managerial decision making based on maximizing behavior or on satisficing behavior and introduces the categories of good and evil as the main driver for managerial decision making.
Transforming healthcare: a study in practical wisdom
Authors: Brinkmann Bill , O'Brien Dan
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Ascension Health has developed a leadership formation program and decision‐making process specifically designed to tap into the inner spiritual strengths of its religiously pluralistic workforce in order to foster leadership that is more effective in initiating organizational cultural changes necessary for making successful quality improvements vital for the transformation of healthcare. This paper aims to focus on this initiative.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a case study, describing how Ascension Health designed a quantified measurement tool used to test the degree to which key characteristics of its mission, vision and values are implemented in its policies, practices and outcomes. Applying principles of decision‐making theory from Lonergan, Harrison and Nutt, Ascension Health also created an organizational discernment process designed to habitualize best practices of decision making that support the organization's mission and transformational goals.

Findings

The authors describe how their organization's interventions have strengthened the practical wisdom of its leaders, helping it to improve on its faith‐based mission and transformational goals. Case examples are included to illustrate the transformational effects of these interventions.

Practical implications

Applying formation practices that engage a spiritually diverse workforce and adopting disciplined processes of decision making can be adapted to any complex organization willing to dedicate itself to the inner transformation, participation and empowerment of its leaders and associates.

Originality/value

The formation program, decision‐making approach and measurement tool are all original. Business leaders and leadership development programs will find the experience of Ascension Health to be a valuable reference for their own organizational change initiatives.
Middle level thinking: the cultural mission of business schools
Authors: Dean Maines T. , Naughton Michael
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Business education should be seen as a form of professional education which assists the student to acquire the virtue of practical wisdom. This article seeks to discuss the issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A middle level thinking (MLT) approach is taken to engage business education and practice that seeks to fashion explicit and vibrant ties between broad ethical principles and the concrete decisions, policies, and processes which shape how an organization operates.

Findings

The financial crisis of 2008 and past business scandals are symptoms of a broader cultural crisis. Universities and their business schools have contributed to this cultural crisis by providing students with an overly compartmentalized and specialized form of education. Business education must be re‐envisioned as professional education which prepares students to engage in a form of middle level thinking (MLT). For this kind of thinking to become sustainable within a university context, it must draw upon the university's own cultural mission; otherwise, it will be susceptible to the economic and specialized pressures which bear upon these institutions.

Practical implications

The article describes a practical process called the self assessment and improvement process which helps to catalyze MLT. It also examines this method's application within the authors' own business school, which is situated within a Catholic university.

Social implications

By fostering MLT, business schools will promote the development of professionals who have the capacity to connect broad moral principles to concrete moral judgments and actions, thereby leading to specific practices which enable organizations to better contribute to the common good.

Originality/value

The article shows that acquisition of practical wisdom can be promoted within business schools through practical approaches which help to foster MLT.
Practical wisdom and understanding the economy
Authors: Clark Charles M.A.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to look at the development of economic theory into what Aristotle called a “theoretical science” and the subsequent rejection of practical wisdom. Since business education is largely based on economic theory, this has an effect on management and other business disciplines.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines how the philosophical preconceptions that underlie economic theory greatly influence the development of economic theory and policy. The approach is to use the history of economic ideas to get a deeper understanding of current economic ideas and issues.

Findings

The paper finds that the attempt to turn economics into a hard science forced economists to adopt an overly narrow view of the human person, to exclude ethics from their analysis and to ignore historical and social context; that is the real economy. Following this research agenda turned economics into a mere defense of laissez‐faire ideology, and led to the promotion of economic policies that are harmful to society, such as the deregulation of the financial services industry in the 1990s that set the stage for the financial meltdown and economic crisis of 2008.

Practical implications

The paper shows that economic theory that excludes ethics, and takes an overly narrow view of the human person, weakens the effectiveness of economic analysis. Including ethics and a more valid philosophical anthropology leads to better analysis and policy.

Social implications

A more realistic and ethically grounded economic analysis will have a great effect on society for it will take away the common argument that ethical considerations need to be ignored in economic analysis and policy.

Originality/value

The paper's originality is in using the insights of the Catholic social thought tradition, specifically its view of the human person, to promote a broader approach to economics.
Practical wisdom for turbulent times: exegesis beyond historical and canonical concerns
Authors: Lenssen Gilbert
Published: August 2010

Purpose

In turbulent times like these, practical wisdom from the religious and spiritual traditions can provide new grounding. In the Christian tradition, practical wisdom can be derived from exegesis of New Testament texts. Text exegesis can be integrated in executive education/formation, even in secular settings. This paper aims to discuss the issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A symbolic narrative method is applied to demonstrate how practical wisdom can be discerned from religious texts. Transposed to an interfaith or secular environment, the use of exegesis in executive formation is explained based on Winnicott's theory of transitional objects.

Findings

Christian social ethics could be enriched by a renewed interest in wisdom that sources itself in biblical exegesis. This interdisciplinary paper explores the nature of practical wisdom as inspired by biblical exegesis applying a symbolic‐narrative method. This method is applied within the context of a humanistic Christology that reveals the wisdom of Jesus in his human capacity. This is illustrated by the exegesis of the New Testament text “The feeding of the five thousand”. In a conclusion and outlook the value of interfaith text exegesis in management education in a secular context is explored based on the personal experience of the author in executive formation.

Originality/value

Interdisciplinarity combined with methodological rigor in a biblical approach to practical wisdom is highlighted in the paper.
The practical wisdom of personalism
Authors: Alford Helen
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Current mainstream management theory is based on incomplete assumptions regarding the nature of human beings and human action, leading to damaging practical results. This paper aims to draw on personalism for the formulation of better assumptions for theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The main problems in current assumptions are analysed. A combination of the exclusion of human intentionality with a view of human beings as self‐interest maximisers who betray relationships if it is in their interest so to do, leads to practical proposals for management that distort human behaviour and tend to make people less trustworthy. Nevertheless, such assumptions are not entirely wrong; it is their incompleteness that is problematic. They need to be able to include the intrinsically relational aspect of the human being. In personalism, the human being is seen as a duality, individual‐person, which can provide a way of conceiving both the self‐interested and self‐giving aspects of human action in an integrated way.

Findings

Three brief examples of how these expanded assumptions can give us better guidance in management situations indicate the further potential of this line of research. Personalism grounds human dignity in the idea of the person as the imago dei, a Christian idea. The paper discusses the relevance of this idea for management today.

Originality/value

The value of the paper is that it builds a bridge between current management problems and a well‐developed philosophy, allowing the resources of this tradition of thought to be accessed towards the end of creating better management theory and practice.
Practical wisdom and the Rule of Benedict
Authors: Tredget Dermot Alan
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the meaning, use and practical application to management education and leadership development of the terms wisdom, practical wisdom, prudence, discretion and discernment as used in the Rule of Benedict.

Design/methodology/approach

After a detailed examination of the historical texts, the author draws on his personal experience of facilitating workshops with a number of senior executives. He applies this learning to current trends and issues in contemporary organisations in particular as they apply to the spiritual qualities of leadership.

Findings

The paper comes to a number of conclusions: spiritual discernment is an integral and indispensable part of practical wisdom; the acquisition, development of practical wisdom cannot be divorced from the individual's core spiritual and religious beliefs and practice; practical wisdom is not an end in itself but a means to discerning how to live a morally good life in relationship to other individuals and stakeholders.

Practical implications

Any workplace, irrespective of size and activity, must be a community of practice where practical wisdom can develop and flourish. In the frenetic workplace the exercise of practical wisdom needs protected time and contemplative leisure.

Originality/value

The ancient texts of the Rule of Benedict are translated into modern times; consequences for management practice and education are drawn.
The Decalogue and practical wisdom: rereading a seminal text
Authors: Hoebeke Luc
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Acting in complex and paradoxical situations cannot be taught through recipes. This article rereads a seminal Biblical text, the Decalogue, and seeks to place it in the actual context for people confronted with difficult decisions and actions. If foundational texts are not actualised, they lose their meaning. This is the base of the Judaic exegetic tradition. Practical wisdom can use the Decalogue to act in a relevant way in uncharted territory.

Design/methodology/approach

A method combining the reading of an old text with a dialoguing commentary in a group is how this actualisation has been elaborated. Oral and written traditions jointly are essential in making the seminal texts of practical wisdom relevant for our times. This commentary has been elaborated as a result of a dialogue with three different groups of more than ten members. This is the way the author uses the term “validation”.

Findings

In the Judaic language verbs are the most important grammatical components. The First Testament texts have their origin in the wisdom to act in a social context. The Decalogue is the central tenet of this practical wisdom. The author has been introduced to this wisdom through the research of communities to create an art of living away from the mainstream individualistic ideology. Currently in management discourse, the use of the words, social networks, stakeholder focus, community development and the attention to systemic and ecological relationships is increasing and this experience can provide an alternative discourse helping them in their endeavours.

Originality/value

Actualising an ancient tradition, the article makes it relevant for issues with which decision makers are struggling today.
The practical wisdom of the Catholic social teachings
Authors: Cornuel Eric , Habisch André , Kletz Pierre
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on business education, which should not exclude strains of religious ethical traditions, e.g. Catholic social thought, and the practical wisdom embodied in them.

Design/methodology/approach

Recent traditions of social Catholicism starting from the Papal Social Message Rerum Novarum (1891) are summarized. Consequences for management development are drawn.

Findings

The recent tradition of social Catholicism developed as a result of a broad cultural process of adaptation of Christians to the emerging social context of a modern society. New types of ethical orientation have been developed, sometimes in strong opposition to contemporary ideological concepts such as socialism, materialism, or elitist capitalism. Even in the globalized environment of the twenty‐first century these orientations are of continuing relevance, e.g. in organizational behavior, in business and society relations, and in basic concepts of corporate responsibility.

Practical implications

Religious ethical traditions embody elements of “practical wisdom” that are threatened by extinction in the global practice of management development. The current financial and economic crisis – also addressed in a recent document of Pope Benedict XVI – should also be perceived in that perspective.

Originality/value

A business ethics evaluation of Social Catholicism and its practical wisdom is executed.
Implementing relationship marketing: supermarkets' perspectives
Authors: Whyatt Georgina , Koschek Ralph
Published: August 2010

Purpose

There is a stream of literature which implies that for supermarkets, as organisations that operate with low staff‐customer interaction, within a price competitive environment and are dependent on high economies of scale, the return on investment in a relationship marketing (RM) approach does not justify the expense. The purpose of this paper is to explore how supermarkets select and implement RM strategies and seek value from that investment.

Design/methodology/approach

In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with senior marketing managers in German and UK supermarkets. The interview themes were drawn from the RM literature. Loyalty frameworks provided guidelines for the data analysis.

Findings

The results suggest that definitions of RM have historically been too narrow due to research having been focussed on the sectors with a high‐service element and undertaken at a time when customer data collection and analysis were more expensive than currently. In addition to those already identified in the literature, further factors into which retailers could invest to build an RM strategy are suggested.

Research limitations/implications

The marketing perspective of only seven supermarkets was examined. Future researchers should undertake a more exhaustive approach in order to fully establish how the management of RM in one sector differs from that in another.

Practical implications

A “retail RM mix” framework was developed and guidelines for the cost‐effective management of RM are provided.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine supermarkets' perspectives on RM approaches, by seeking responses from the retailers rather than the customers.
Modeling service experience design processes with customer expectation management
Authors: Hsieh Yen‐Hao , Yuan Soe‐Tsyr
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework of customer expectation management and a reference model of service experience design which are regarded as the basic foundation to model the processes of service experience design for service operation strategies simulating and testing by employing a system dynamics approach.

Design/methodology/approach

System dynamics is the key approach which includes causal loop diagrams and stock and flow diagrams used to build the reference model of experience design. Simulations of the processes of service experience design have also been implemented by Vensim®.

Findings

It is found that the proposed reference model involving customer expectation management can successfully capture the key elements of the service experience design within service operation strategies. The system dynamics approach can effectively enable a macro viewpoint of service experience design for service operation strategies and policies.

Practical implications

With the proposed reference model of service experience design and the system dynamics modeling approach, service providers cannot only comprehensively examine the processes of service experience design in detail but also accomplish the strategies testing and simulating. Hence, service providers can make correct decisions to achieve the business goals via the simulation results beforehand.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to analyze and combine the idea of customer expectation management with service experience design and give rise to a unique reference model of service experience design that is shown to be valuable to service operation strategies testing and simulating based on the system dynamics perspective.
The development of granular metastructures and their use in a multifaceted representation of data and models
Authors: Pedrycz Witold
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show that exploiting fundamental ideas of granular computing can lead to further conceptual developments of granular metastructures, which are inherently associated with computing involving a large number of individual datasets; and to show that such processing leads to the representatives of information granules and granular models in the form of metastructures and metamodels.

Design/methodology/approach

The formulation of the concept of granular metastructures is provided and presented along with some essential algorithmic developments and associated optimization strategies. The overall methodological framework is the one of granular computing, especially fuzzy sets and fuzzy sets of higher type. Given the structural facet of optimization, the paper stresses the relevance of the use of evolutionary optimization.

Findings

This paper focused on the underlying concepts and while it elaborated on some development aspects and optimization tools, it should be stressed that further refinement and a thorough exploitation of optimization techniques in application to the inherently combinatorial facet of the problem are to be pursued in detail.

Practical implications

The introduced approach and algorithms could be of interest when solving problems of granular metastructures, in particular those encountered in knowledge‐based systems.

Originality/value

The main aspects of originality concern a formulation of the concept of granular metastructures and their design, based on granular evidence (experimental data) of lower type. A constructive way of forming type‐2 fuzzy sets via the principle of justifiable granularity exhibits a significant level of originality and offers a general way of designing information granules.
Discovering behavioral segments in the mobile phone market
Authors: Kımıloğlu Hande , Aslıhan Nasır V. , Nasır Süphan
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to discover consumer segments with different behavioral profiles in the mobile phone market. For this purpose, it seeks to analyze the decision‐making criteria of 302 mobile phone consumers in Turkey and cluster the sample meaningfully into four behaviorally different groups.

Design/methodology/approach

Factor analysis is conducted on 32 different attributes to which consumers attach importance in purchasing a mobile phone. Nine major decision‐making criteria emerge from this analysis. These criteria are used for segmenting this consumer market into four behavior clusters, namedly as pragmatic, abstemious, value‐conscious, and charismatic.

Findings

Pragmatic consumers are found to give high importance to the functional, physical and convenience‐based attributes of the product. The abstemious group also gives importance to functionality along with design. While value‐conscious consumers focus strongly on price, the charismatic segment represents the want‐it‐all group valuing many attributes such as technological superiority, practicality, durability, functionality, and design. The study also includes findings and discussions about the differences these clusters display in terms of their involvement and loyalty styles.

Research limitations/implications

High‐tech products such as mobile phones are becoming indispensable in people's lives; thus leading to a high‐involvement decision‐making process. It is crucial for marketers of these products to understand behaviorally different consumer segments that show significant variations in their decision‐making criteria for such products, and approach them accordingly.

Originality/value

The study applies cluster analysis as a behavioral segmentation tool in a high‐technology product market and successfully identifies four distinct consumer groups with alternative decision‐making styles.
Impact of online reviews of customer care experience on brand or company selection
Authors: Karakaya Fahri , Ganim Barnes Nora
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of customer care experiences voiced online on consumer choice of brand or company when purchasing products and services by including the level of usage of these sites, and consumer opinions about whether or not their comments would make a difference to the actions of companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical framework of word of mouth is extended to an online environment, electronic word of mouth (e‐WOM), when using consumer opinions about customer care, and a model is suggested using structural equation modeling utilizing data from 320 consumers in the USA.

Findings

Consumer opinions about customer care in socially‐based web sites impact consumer opinions and consumer engagement and consequently consumer choice of brand or company when making purchases. The web sites, including government/consumer advocacy information sites, company web sites, and information found through search engines, are not considered important in influencing consumers.

Research limitations/implications

The implications of the study are that companies need to pay attention to the voices of customers on socially‐based web sites and respond appropriately in order to keep customers brand‐loyal. Since this was an exploratory study, it was limited in the number of variables used for testing the hypotheses. The study could be improved by increasing the number of variables that explain online consumer opinions, online engagement and consumer choice of brand or company.

Originality/value

This is an exploratory study focusing on the customer care experience rather than product quality or value provided by companies as discussed by consumers on a variety of web sites. Therefore, it extends the previous works on product quality and value.
Status and implications of promise (wa'd) in contemporary Islamic banking
Authors: Irwani Abdullah Nurdianawati
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the status and implications of promise (wa'd) in Islamic banking practices and the extent of its enforceability in the court of law. The analysis highlights the concept of wa'd, its application and limitation in the present practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Analysis of conceptual nature and status of promise is made in the light of classical and contemporary juristic rulings (ijtihad and ifta'). Illustrations of three main Islamic banking products structured based on wa'd principle are discussed to shed some lights in understanding the issues surrounded the practice.

Findings

This study reveals that the usage of wa'd is allowed by contemporary jurists as a necessity for the interest of the contracting parties. The paper admits the importance of wa'd which has become an innovative tool in structuring many forward contracts that require flexibility with full commitment of the parties involved without jeopardising the basic principles and maqasid Al‐Shari'ah. The paper also highlights that the right of promissee is well protected in both Shari'ah and civil law, and also enforceable in the court of law.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis of this study reveals that wa'd has direct implications in determining the Shari'ah compliancy of particular Islamic banking products in two aspects; first, promise‐ and other‐related undertakings are not integral to the main contract; second, the promise should not include a bilateral promise that is binding on both parties, unless if there is an option to cancel the promise which may be exercised by any of the parties. This research will be of interest to both incumbent and potential practitioners as well as researchers in the area of Islamic finance.

Originality/value

The paper presents an objective view on the implication of wa'd in Islamic banking practices based on facts and Shari'ah rulings. It will indeed be a material guideline to the industry player who directly adopts wa'd in many Islamic products.
Strategies to contain the high and rising costs of health
Authors: Hosseini Hengameh
Published: August 2010

Purpose

After discussing the high and rising health care costs in the USA, its disparities, and the suggested demand, supply, and managed competition‐side strategies to contain health care costs and their ethical implications, this paper seeks to explore whether or not these strategies will further aggravate the existing health care disparities.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper utilizes various appropriate exiting economic and ethical theories. The economic and ethical theories utilized are relevant to the problem of rising health care costs; to the proposed demand, supply, and managed competition‐side cost containment strategies; and to the existing health care disparities.

Findings

This paper demonstrates that the suggested cost containment strategies do in fact aggravate existing health care inequities and are not always ethical.

Originality/value

Given the present health care reform debate in the USA and various misconceptions about it, the author believes that the paper and its findings should in fact be viewed as a contribution.
Faith‐based model as a policy response to the actualisation of the millennium development goals in Nigeria
Authors: Raimi L. , Bello M.A. , Mobolaji H.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the appropriateness of faith‐based model (FBM) as a veritable policy response to the issue of poverty alleviation and actualisation of the millennium development goals (MDGs) in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper combined qualitative and quantitative date to validate the appropriateness of FBM, to tackling poverty issues in Nigeria. The first section presents a brief introduction on poverty issue in Nigeria. The second section outlines the theoretical and methological approaches adopted in the paper. The third section casts a cursory look at the conceptualisation of poverty in the literature. The fourth section explores poverty‐eradication efforts in Nigeria. The fifth section highlights the failure of previous poverty reduction strategies (PRS) in Nigeria. The sixth section presents a background to MDGs. The seventh section show‐cases application of Islamic economics models (faith‐based model and business system model (BSM)) to MDGs. The eighth section is devoted to data projections, analysis and interpretation. The final section concludes with policy prescriptions.

Findings

On the basis of projection which is hinged on Shari'ah assumptions (minimum zakatable wealth and 2.5 per cent Zakat rate), the paper shows that Zakat and Sadaqat collections from year 2009 to 2015 would amount to N357,038 billions and N31 billion, respectively. These funds would go a long way in helping to alleviate poverty and actualisation of MDGs in Nigeria.

Practical implications

The faith‐based poverty reduction strategy enriched by BSM as conceptualised in this study can be used to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1), achieve universal primary education (MDG 2), promote gender equality and empower women (MDG 3), reduce child mortality (MDG 4), improve maternal health (MDG 5), combat, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (MDGs 6), ensure environmental sustainability (MDG 7) and develop a global partnership for development (MDG 8).

Originality/value

The results of this paper support the Islamic economics view that Zakat and Sadaqat are viable fiscal mechanisms for poverty alleviation where adopted. The FBM as conceptualised in this paper would therefore complement and pose a positive challenge to contemporary PRS in use in many poverty‐ridden nations where economic indicators have justified prevalence of poverty, despite the various PRS put in place by policy makers.
Service quality, trust, commitment and service differentiation in business relationships
Authors: Chenet Pierre , Dagger Tracey S. , O'Sullivan Don
Published: August 2010

Purpose

While service quality, trust and commitment are frequently cited as critical to achieving important firm outcomes, the role of service differentiation in this framework is largely unknown. Yet, differentiation is important because a firm's distinctiveness is linked to client‐perceived value, competitive advantage, and a target market focus. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of service differentiation in business‐to‐business relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses were tested using a sample of business clients from a large European financial services firm. The senior primary contact in each client firm was contacted by phone/e‐mail to arrange for completion of the survey. Using the survey instrument, respondents provided information on their relationship with the provider organization.

Findings

Results indicated that service quality had an impact on trust, differentiation and relationship outcomes. Trust was found to drive service differentiation. Differentiation, in turn, drove commitment which ultimately had an impact on both satisfaction and word‐of‐mouth. Importantly, it was found that service differentiation is a full mediator of the impact that service quality and trust have on client commitment towards the firm.

Originality/value

The findings clearly show the importance of service differentiation in achieving high levels of relationship commitment and ultimately satisfaction and positive word‐of‐mouth. As the role of differentiation in business‐to‐business relationships has received limited research focus, this paper offers managers new insights into relationship development. Importantly, differentiation is a managerially controlled variable that firms can use to influence relationship outcomes.
Service brand equity and employee brand commitment
Authors: Kimpakorn Narumon , Tocquer Gerard
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The aims of this article are to measure the brand equity of service firms (luxury hotels) using a customer perspective, to identify factors that predict customers’ brands relationships and to explore the links between service brand equity and employee brand commitment

Design/methodology/approach

Two surveys were conducted to achieve the research objectives. The first survey objective was to measure brand equity using a sample of 250 international customers of five‐star hotels in Bangkok. The second survey objective was to collect information regarding employee brand commitment in each selected hotel using a sample of 250 employees.

Findings

Results show that hotels belonging to the same category have different brand equity and that brand differentiation and brand trust are the variables that have the major influence on customer brand relationships. Perceived service quality and associations related to hotel core services are not related to brand relationships. High hotel brands equity have a stronger level of employee brand commitment that low hotel brands equity.

Research limitations/implications

For hotel managers the research findings illustrate the importance of brand differentiation and trust for international hotels chains and illustrate the importance of employee brand commitment in the process of building a strong band. Therefore this research has an implication not only for marketing but also for human resource managers and for hotel general managers.

Originality/value

The value of this research resides in the exploration between service brand equity and employee brand commitment. The literature on service marketing emphasizes the link between employee and service quality but to the authors' knowledge little research has explored the link between the service brand and its employees.
A CIT investigation of other customers' influence in services
Authors: Zhang Jingyun , Beatty Sharon E. , Mothersbaugh David
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the different forms of other customers' influence in various service settings.

Design/methodology/approach

The critical incident technique (CIT) method was used to collect and analyze the data. A total of 142 critical incidents involving other customers' influence in services were collected.

Findings

Based on CIT analysis, nine types of other customers' influence involving positive and negative, direct and indirect customer‐to‐customer interactions emerge. In addition, the researchers find that the degree of other customers' influence varies for different service settings.

Research limitations/implications

Methodologically, there are a number of limitations of the CIT method used in this research. The paper suggests ways to overcome these limitations. Moreover, findings of this research suggest a number of additional directions for future research.

Practical implications

This research suggests the importance of proactively managing customer‐to‐customer interactions during a service encounter experience.

Originality/value

This paper builds on previous research and provides empirically based analysis of the different forms of other customers' influence across service settings.
Variance analysis
Authors: Butt Maggie
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This poem aims to use the language of accounting and auditing to examine how we deal with the loss of a loved one. It also aims to juxtapose the vocabulary of a budgeting seminar with the world outside, and the way the “you” of the poem deals with his grief on the first anniversary of his father's death.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a free verse poem that uses longish lines of long, heavily punctuated sentences to reflect the slow passage of time in a budgeting seminar, and the waste of the first day of spring, particularly when we consider mortality. The interior description and language counterbalances the activity and brightness of the world outside. The poem deliberately references Naming of Parts by Henry Reed, on the futility of army exercises on a beautiful spring day. It is designed to end with hopefulness.

Findings

The poem uses a newly encountered vocabulary to connect frustration at being cooped up and a partner's grieving. Auditing terminology combines with concrete images of the spring world to convey the movement, growth and vitality outside the room.

Research limitations/implications

It is possible to mould the language of accountancy into a poem about spring and about grief.

Originality/value

The poem uses accounting jargon, which seems at first disconnected with the subject matter, to emphasise and underscore the timeless poetic theme of mortality.
Analysis of pressure field in time domain using nonlinear reduced frequency approach in unsteady transonic flows
Authors: Kharati Koopaee M. , Alishahi M.M. , Emdad H.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the capability of nonlinear frequency domain (NLFD) method in predicting surface pressure coefficient presented in the time domain in unsteady transonic flows.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, the solution and spatial operator are approximated by discrete form of Fourier transformation and resulting nonlinear equations are solved by use of pseudo‐spectral approach. Considered transonic flows involve different flow pattern on the airfoil surfaces. One of the test cases involves moving shocks on both lower and upper airfoil surfaces and in the two other test cases a moving shock occurs only on the upper surface.

Findings

Pressure distributions presented in the time domain using NLFD are compared with three test cases. Results show that NLFD predicts reasonable pressure distributions in time domain except in vicinity of shock positions. Although this method may predict unfair results near shock positions, however gives good estimates for global properties such as lift coefficient.

Originality/value

In the previous works on NLFD method, the flow field results have been limited to representing the pressure in the frequency domain or global coefficients such as lift coefficients. No details of pressure distributions in the time domain have been provided in such investigations. In this research, by presenting the pressure in the time domain, the conditions on which good pressure distributions are obtained are demonstrated.
The Dutch disease syndrome in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria: a comparative study
Authors: Saab Gretta , Ayoub Maya
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This research paper aims to examine the Dutch disease syndrome in the more diversified economies of the Economic and Social Commission of Western Asia (ESCWA).

Design/methodology/approach

An econometric model was applied to observe the impact of this syndrome on the different sectors of the economy. A regression analysis examined the relationship between this inflow of capital and lagging sector of these economies. Similarly, Granger‐causality was applied to determine the direction of causality between the variables.

Findings

Results indicate that worker remittances, foreign grants, and oil revenues are the main factors behind the Dutch syndrome in the ESCWA region. Channeling remittances through investments, subsidizing output of lagging sectors, and imposing higher import tariffs are recommended to reduce the negative externalities of the Dutch disease.

Research limitations/implications

It is to be noted that the paper has some limitations since data/statistics for the ESCWA region may not be totally reliable.

Originality/value

The paper sheds some light on the impact of this syndrome in the developing economies of Western Asia.
Purchase of global shampoo brands and the impact of country of origin on Lebanese consumers
Authors: Zbib Imad J. , Wooldridge Barbara R. , Ahmed Zafar U. , Benlian Yeghig
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The global cosmetics industry is an attractive business opportunity. This paper aims to study country of origin effects among Lebanese consumers' purchase of shampoo.

Design/methodology/approach

The research tests four hypotheses in respect of country of origins' impact on shampoo purchase decisions and concludes with marketing implications. A questionnaire was administered to 332 consumers to test four hypotheses concerning the impact of country of origin.

Findings

The data confirmed that there are no differences in either the overall quality perceptions of the product or the attribute evaluation of shampoos sourced from different countries; but the purchase intent of consumers for certain brands is affected by changes in the country of origin of the shampoo. In a low consumer involvement category such as shampoo, country of origin is not one of the key attributes affecting choice of Lebanese consumers. Purchase is driven either by practical objectives such as benefits or by experiential pleasures.

Practical implications

Marketers should strive to develop a leadership position in consumers' minds. Marketers should attempt to leverage or build brand awareness.

Originality/value

Globally the cosmetics industry represents an attractive business opportunity. The growth trend for industry is positive with new growth opportunities in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The study provides insight into one growth area and indicates that more research in this area would be of value.
Cross‐cultural management in China
Authors: Dong Keyong , Liu Ying
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to: summarize the major research that has been conducted regarding cross‐cultural issues in China; show the current practices on cross‐cultural management in Chinese organizations; and then identify future research needs on cross‐cultural management in China.

Design/methodology/approach

Meta‐analysis was carried out to summarize research of cross‐cultural management in China.

Findings

Empirical studies on cross‐cultural management in China have been conducted since the 1990s, and numerous empirical studies have been done in the past two decades across different level of constructs and practices (individual, group and organization). Among all the intercultural research concerning China, there are mainly two common types: the first type focuses on foreign managers and employees, center on their adjustment and performance in Chinese culture; and the second type of study examines Chinese who work with these foreigners in the multinational management setting. Furthermore, in recent years, emphases have been shifted from examining the effects of culture on single variables to examining the relationships among same and different level of variables.

Research limitations/implications

Systematic conceptual model development and assessment of important topics are in great need. Although there is an increasing amount of comparative studies being done in China, very few studies have been conducted to study Chinese firms that are doing business abroad, which represents one of the most critical problems in the field of cross‐cultural management research in China. Most studies focus on cultural value identification and practical issues in Western global companies, which is concerned with comparison between Eastern and Western culture. Research should be conducted to study cultural differences among eastern countries, for example, countries in Asia.

Practical implications

Future cross‐culture management practices in China should follow several basic principles: be applicable, that is, build unique organizational culture that is embedded in the host country; be practical, since there is no well‐developed multinational culture in China, new culture should be concerned with both sides; be systematic, cross‐culture management practices should have supporting system; be equal, no single culture is better than another; cultural penetration, two different cultures have mutual impact; merit‐based appointment and promotion, use local personnel, not just talents from the home country. In Chinese settings, the most common cross‐cultural management interventions include: cross‐cultural training, cross‐cultural communication system and unified organizational culture.

Originality/value

This paper comprehensively reviews the research and practices on cross‐cultural management in China; identifies topics that have been studied in individual, group and organizational level. Implications on cross‐cultural selection, training are provided based research evidence.