bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Australian winter circulation and rainfall changes and projections
Authors: Segerlund Frederiksen Carsten , Segerlund Frederiksen Jorgen , Sisson Janice Maria , Lee Osbrough Stacey
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Major shifts in the southern hemisphere circulation occurred during the mid‐1970s concurrent with large reductions in southern Australian winter rainfall associated with decreased cyclogenesis. The purpose of this paper is to study changes in cyclogenesis over southern Australia during the last 50 years, examine the ability of coupled climate models to simulate the winter circulation changes, and discuss projected changes in winter circulation and rainfall under different climate change scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

Three dimensional instability theory is used to study changes in cyclogenesis. The response of 22 coupled model intercomparison project three (CMIP3) IPCC climate models to observed increases in greenhouse gases, from pre‐industrial to the end of the twentieth century, is examined. The authors focus on two diagnostics closely related to the changes in cyclogenesis: changes in the 300 hPa zonal wind strength; and changes in the baroclinic instability. Projected changes in baroclinic instability and rainfall are investigated in SRESB1, SRESA1B and SRESA2 scenarios.

Findings

There has been a 30 per cent reduction in the growth rate of the leading storm track mode crossing southern Australia in the 1975‐1994 period, and a 37 per cent reduction in the 1997‐2006 period, when compared to 1949‐1968. Most of the CMIP3 models capture the changes in the zonal wind; only about a third the changes in baroclinic instability. Projected changes in baroclinic instability and rainfall suggest further reductions in the growth rate of storm track modes and further large reductions in rainfall over southern Australia.

Originality/value

The paper addresses a major cause of the reduction in Australian winter rainfall, and provides guidance on future‐projected changes.
Home equity insurance
Authors: Einar Sommervoll Dag , Wood Gavin
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to study to what extent an insurance based on a house price index provides equity protection for homeowners.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a novel dataset of all housing market transactions in the metropolitan area of Melbourne 1990‐2006, to construct repeated sales indices of various temporal spatial aggregation. These indices are used to discuss the efficiency of index‐based insurance schemes. The paper also considers efficiency under different specifications of legitimate claims.

Findings

It is found that the payout efficiency is surprisingly stable (around 50 percent) for all temporal spatial aggregations. A neighborhood index outperforms the metropolitan index with respect to target efficiency (the probability of payout given a loss). The introduction of maturity times, say legitimate claim five years after purchase, does improve efficiency somewhat. However, the idiosyncratic component of housing market transactions remains high, and the insurance probably unattractive from a homeowner perspective.

Originality/value

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time an index‐based insurance scheme is analyzed using real‐market transactions.
What drives “green housing” construction? Evidence from Switzerland
Authors: Salvi Marco , Syz Juerg
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Switzerland boasts arguably the highest density of green properties in the world. In 2008, more than 15 percent of total new construction received the Swiss energy building label Minergie. The spatial distribution of these green buildings, however, is highly heterogeneous. In some regions, more than half of the new dwellings are built according to the Swiss green building standard. In others, this share is still negligible. The purpose of this paper is to identify the determinants of the distribution of green housing.

Design/methodology/approach

For 2,571 Swiss municipalities, the author computes the green building share of new residential buildings. Data are collected for several variables measuring demographic, geographic, social, cultural, and political aspects that – according to the authors' hypothesis – may influence green building activity. Count regression is used to estimate the impact of these variables on the demand for green buildings.

Findings

It is found that differences in income levels and cultural affiliation between Swiss municipalities account for the largest part of the variation in green building activity. The impact of homeowners' stance on environmentalism is highly significant but less important. Government subsidies do not seem to trigger additional green housing activity.

Originality/value

The paper presents one of the first empirical analyses regarding the determinants of green building activity. Thanks to a comprehensive dataset, the authors are able to investigate the impact of potential drivers of “green housing” construction activity. The regional variation in governmental incentives is analysed and delivers valuable insight for policymakers interested in spurring the development of green buildings.
Homeownership: yesterday, today and tomorrow
Authors: Swidler Steve
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The American Dream and homeownership are sometimes thought of as one and the same. A belief that homeownership is vital to the fabric of a vibrant society has led to government policies that encourage homeownership. This suggests that homeownership and societal well‐being are positively related. However, empirical analysis does not support this positive relationship either within the USA or across countries. This has important policy implications given the research in this special issue that discusses the macro and micro economic consequences of government programs that promote homeownership. Moving forward, we must consider both the private and public benefits of homeownership and also realize that the very concept of what a house is will likely change. This paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis examines the relation between the incidence of homeownership and the well‐being (happiness) of a community. The analysis is first performed across the 50 states and then is done on a cross‐section of 26 countries.

Findings

The correlation coefficient between home ownership rates and well‐being are negative for both the US and international data. The evidence does not support the belief that homeownership is either necessary or sufficient for societal well‐being.

Originality/value

The paper presents some of the first empirical analysis to examine the relationship between homeownership and societal well‐being. Other studies in this special issue document both public and price costs to owning a home. Taken together, the special issue has important implications for government policies that encourage homeownership.
The financial crisis: imperfect markets and imperfect regulation
Authors: Buttimer Richard J.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine the role that regulation and regulatory agencies played in the creating of the subprime mortgage market, and the subsequent crash of the mortgage market. The paper has two goals. First, it seeks to document the degree to which the US housing markets, and the US housing finance market, were regulated prior to the crash. Second, it seeks to show that regulatory bodies set policies which created both incentives and explicit requirements for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as depository institutions, to enter the subprime market.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the regulatory environment of the subprime market. It uses regulatory filings and other documents as primary sources.

Findings

The popular perception that the subprime mortgage market arose because housing finance was largely unregulated is incorrect. In point of fact, the housing finance market was very heavily regulated. Indeed, the paper shows that the creation of the subprime market was a formal goal of the federal government, and that federal regulatory agencies explicitly required participation by the Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs).

Originality/value

The paper's primary implication is that incentive conflicts within the US housing finance system significantly contributed to the mortgage crisis. These incentive conflicts were not just within private firms, but also extend to the GSEs and regulatory agencies. Regulatory agencies not only failed to anticipate the crisis; they actively encouraged the policies which created it. As a result, the primary focus of reform efforts should be on identifying and eliminating such conflicts.
Determinants of customers' intention to use Islamic personal financing
Authors: Amin Hanudin , Rahim Abdul Rahman Abdul , Laison Sondoh Stephen , Magdalene Chooi Hwa Ang
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Islamic banking and finance is an emerging global industry founded on Islamic ethical precepts. Just as in the case of conventional banks, Islamic banks are expected to offer products that consider the needs of their customers. The present study investigates the effects of the following factors: attitude; social influence; religious obligation; government support; and pricing, on the intention to use Islamic personal financing.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprised of 150 customers of two fully fledged Islamic banks in Malaysia: Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad and Bank Muamalat Malaysia Berhad. Data were obtained through a face‐to‐face survey using semi‐structured questionnaire. Out of a total of 150 responses, only 136 responses were usable for further analysis. The study used factor analysis, correlation and regression to analyse the data.

Findings

The study found three determinants to be significant in influencing the intention to use Islamic personal financing, namely, attitude, social influence and pricing of Islamic personal financing. Religious obligation and government support were found to be insignificant predictors.

Research limitations/implications

The first limitation of the study is the narrow focus of the survey on the customers of two fully fledged Islamic banks. The second limitation of this work concerns the measurement employed to gauge bank customers' acceptance of Islamic personal financing. Despite these limitations, the findings of this study provide invaluable insights into factors affecting the bank customers' intention to use Islamic personal financing, especially in the case of Malaysian Islamic banks.

Originality/value

This empirical study on the determinants of Islamic financing using the survey method contributes towards a better understanding of the customers' expectations for Islamic financial products. Managers of Islamic banks can now comprehend better the factors that influence bank customers' decision in patronizing Islamic personal financing. Hence, more effective strategies can be recommended to attract bank customers to use Islamic personal financing. Not to mention, the findings of this study should be of value to Islamic banks in terms of expanding their customer base.
Relationships between commitments to the organization, the superior and the colleagues, and the intention to leave among truckers
Authors: Paillé Pascal , Fournier Pierre‐Sébastien , Lamontagne Sophie
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to use three foci of commitment (to the organization, to the colleagues, and to the superior) to improve employee retention in high turnover work environments.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, survey questionnaires measuring affective commitment to the organization, the supervisor‐dispatcher and colleagues were administered to 294 truckers. The two‐step approach was used. While the first step involved a confirmatory factor analysis, the second step used structural equation modeling to test hypotheses.

Findings

Findings show that the model that best fits the data is the one in which both affective commitments to the dispatcher and to the colleagues affects the intention to leave the organization through affective commitment to the organization.

Originality/value

Existing research on trucker turnover has neglected to examine the role of psychological variables such as employee commitment. Using field theory premises, this research contributes to the literature on trucker turnover by demonstrating the relevance of using several foci of commitment to predict intention to leave the organization.
Practice and intuitive thinking: the situated nature of practical work
Authors: Styhre Alexander
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Any reasonably advanced practice is a blend of rational thinking, thinking structured by concepts and numerical representations rendering the world static and immovable, and intuitive thinking, a mode of knowing operating “in‐between” concepts and representations and, therefore, are apprehending the fluid and fleeting nature of being. When moving from being a novice to an expert practitioner, the actor must both appropriate rational thinking and increasingly, as experience is acquired, draw on intuitive thinking. For the novice, the concern is however that intuitive thinking is complicated to articulate or represent but is primarily acquired through years of experience and practice. The paper seeks to discuss practice as a term that includes both these two elements of thinking.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses empirical examples from nursing work, financial trading, and scientific research to further develop the concept of practice.

Findings

The paper suggests that “skilled coping” of expert practitioners are examined as a gradual appropriation and combining of rational and intuitive thinking. The difficulty of becoming a skilled practitioner is, inter alia, to acquire inarticulate know‐how through collaboration with experienced peers.

Originality/value

The paper seeks to discuss the concept of practice based on process philosophy underlining the distinction between rational and intuitive thinking, yet emphasizing their mutual constitution in the domain of practice. The concept of practice is thus anchored in a solid theoretical framework capable of exploring some of the difficulties involved in acquiring expert skills.
The key characteristics of different types of employees: a summary of six studies
Authors: Kim Chong W. , Smith Harlan M. , Sikula Andrew , Anderson Lorraine P.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is, first, to summarize six studies which analyze the key characteristics of different types of employees. Three types of employees found in workplaces all over the world are identified as “Necessities,” “Commoners,” and “Parasites” and, second, to combine the results of these studies in order to identify the key traits and behaviors that characterize each type of worker across a variety of social and cultural settings.

Design/methodology/approach

For starters, three types of employees are defined. First, a person is a Necessity if s/he is irreplaceable and critical to the functioning of an organization. Second, a Commoner is a person of normal ability and talent who has no significant impact on organizational processes. Last, Parasites are detrimental freeloaders who damage the functioning of an organization. To identify the principal characteristics of these three types of workers, a group of researchers led by the first author conducted six studies in which they collected survey data from undergraduate and graduate business students in the USA, India, Korea, Chile, and Japan.

Findings

The authors note the points of commonality and difference across the data sets, and offer their thoughts on future research in the area. The perceptions of what characterizes really good workers (people of Necessity) and very bad workers (Parasites) appear to be the same in all five countries. The picture painted for the Commoner across all data sets, however, is not as clear‐cut.

Originality/value

The study described in this paper helps to explain both similarities and differences in employee characteristics between and among workers in different countries and cultures.
A success versus failure prediction model for small businesses in Singapore
Authors: Siow Song Teng Harold , Singh Bhatia Gurpreet , Anwar Sajid
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential success and failure of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory business success versus failure (S/F) prediction model is introduced, modeled after the Lussier prediction model, using data from Singapore. Using logistic regression analysis, it is found that the Lussier model (p=0.057) and the exploratory model (p=0.047) are significant predictors of business success and failure.

Findings

The Lussier model accurately predicted 85.6 percent of the surveyed firms and explained 25 percent of the variance of contributing factors to S/F, and the exploratory model explained 86.3 and 38 percent of the same, respectively. SMEs regard the top four most important factors contributing to their business S/F as: employment, training, and the retainment of high‐quality staff members; prevalence of good products, services, and optimum timing in introducing these in the marketplace; excellent relationships with customers and availability of top managers with good leadership qualities.

Research limitations/implications

It is surprising that while pursuing their respective business activities, the SMEs surveyed in this study regarded government policy and the availability of business finance, amongst other factors, of lesser importance compared to the above‐mentioned four broad variables.

Originality/value

This paper establishes benchmarks that could be helpful to decision makers for improving future business‐related policy formulation and research. Business leaders could pursue their goal of ensuring business successes with better personnel management and leadership training by, for example, taking more business management and leadership courses and personal development. Government public policy makers and others could utilize such a model to assess a firm's potential for success so that society could benefit via the allocation of limited resources toward higher potential firms.
Consumer evaluation of continuous and discontinuous innovation
Authors: Gammoh Bashar S. , Voss Kevin E. , Skiver Ryan
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how brand equity levels influence the evaluation of continuous vs discontinuous innovation of new products and the moderating effects of consumer's product category knowledge (PCK).

Design/methodology/approach

A 2×2 between‐subjects experiment that varied innovation type (continuous/discontinuous) and brand equity level (high/low) was conducted in order to test study hypotheses.

Findings

Study results offer new understanding of how brand equity and PCK influence subject's evaluation of discontinuous vs continuous innovation and provides valuable managerial insights into the potential value of such strategies.

Originality/value

Being innovative is critical to companies' success. Yet, almost half of the new products introduced in the USA are either cancelled or fail to meet targeted financial returns. Within this reality, it is not surprising that research into consumer response to new product innovation has grown over the last decade. This paper extends the current literature by explicating the interaction effects of two sources of knowledge on influencing consumer evaluation of innovation, that is, PCK as well as brand‐specific knowledge as reflected by brand equity level.
The determinants of FDI in Mauritius: a dynamic time series investigation
Authors: Seetanah Boopen , Rojid Sawkut
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to supplement the literature on the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) by bringing new evidences for the case of a successful FDI recipient country in Africa, namely Mauritius.

Design/methodology/approach

The determinants of FDI are examined by specifying a reduced‐form specification for a demand for inward direct investment function, and by making use of a dynamic framework. In the absence of cointegration, a differenced vector autoregressive (DVAR) model is used to capture the short‐run dynamics of the growth rate of the different specified variables.

Findings

The most instrumental factors appear to be trade openness, wages and the quality of labour in the country. Size of the market is reported to have a relatively lesser impact on FDI, probably related to the limited size of the population and the domestic market on the one hand and the good export opportunities from Mauritius on the other. The significant coefficient of the lagged dependent variable suggests the presence of dynamism in the system.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is based mainly on the case study of a single country and therefore, imposes limitations on the generalizability of some of the findings to the region. As such, availability of a longer time series would have been better.

Practical implications

Research findings suggest that in addition to giving fiscal investment incentives, the government should also ensure that labour costs remain competitive and do not increase relatively faster than other FDI recipient countries. Moreover, the state should realize that labour cost alone is not a stand‐alone ingredient and that productivity of workers remains a big challenge. As such, adoption of appropriate but prudent measures in further opening up of the economy to international trade remains an interesting avenue given the limited potential for foreign direct investors.

Originality/value

An overwhelming number of studies have focused on samples of developed countries with relatively very few works conducted on the determinants of FDI to Africa. This paper attempts to supplement the related literature and additionally uses rigorous time series analysis to model the dynamism in FDI modelling, an element largely ignored by past studies.
Emerging critical generic managerial competencies
Authors: Wadongo Billy , Kambona Oscar , Odhuno Edwin
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify emerging critical generic managerial competencies in the Kenyan hotel industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross‐sectional survey research design was used to gather primary data using self‐administered questionnaires. The population was composed of hospitality managers from ten five‐star hotels in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya. A sample of 160 hospitality managers was selected proportionately by simple random sample method.

Findings

Several critical generic management competencies are emerging in the Kenyan hospitality industry. However, there is a gap between utilization and importance of managerial competencies in Kenya. Managers do not value human relations competencies.

Practical implications

Hotels and training institutions need to enhance acquisition of generic managerial competencies in their management development programs and curricula, respectively.

Originality/value

The paper focuses on both the level of utilization of managerial competencies and the level of importance attached to managerial competencies. It contributes to a new body of knowledge in management literature in Kenya. The paper has value to researchers, hospitality graduates and students, hospitality educators and human resource managers in Kenya.
Helping to learn? Learning opportunities for seconded corporate managers
Authors: Tomasini Rolando M.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Humanitarian disasters strike overnight causing urgent demands for assistance in complex environments. Attending to the needs of the beneficiaries requires highly trained and knowledgeable staff. However, humanitarian agencies can neither afford, nor keep on standby full‐time staff with a wide range of knowledge and expertise to meet all possible needs. Some agencies have gained access to additional trained staff through partnership agreements with the private sector. These secondments augment the capacity of humanitarian agencies placing corporate managers in a different setting where they can test their knowledge and skills. The purpose of this paper is to provide arguments to build a business case for corporate managers to be seconded to humanitarian relief operations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses case study research and academic literature.

Findings

The paper provides a list of the managerial roles of humanitarian logisticians to identify the learning opportunities available to seconded staff operating in disaster relief operations. The list of roles may be considered learning opportunities for corporate managers in a different context and setting.

Social implications

The paper shows that there is a possibility to augment the response capacity of humanitarian agencies with corporate managers during a disaster.

Originality/value

The paper focuses on the value of learning during emergency operations for corporate managers.
The major components of corporate social responsibility
Authors: Hung Chen Chih
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a procedure for identifying a corporate social responsibility (CSR) model with best goodness‐of‐fit. This research constructed a model of which CSR was mainly influenced by four core components: accountability, transparency, competitiveness, and responsibility.

Design/methodology/approach

The data presented in this study were collected from companies in the year 2009 in Taiwan using questionnaires, and in total 185 companies were analyzed. Structural equation modeling was applied to assess the proposed CSR model containing four latent factors and 13 observation indicators.

Findings

The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the correlation among four latent variables was significant, and the second‐order factor structure fit the observed data well.

Research limitations/implications

The result supported the proposed model that four constructs played a dominant role toward CSR. Business leaders therefore could have clearer perspectives while facing challenges regarding CSR issues.

Originality/value

The paper shows that while developing business strategies, companies taking accountability and transparency as priority would strengthen their competitiveness and generate responsibility and in turn lead to CSR. Companies would obtain great advantages in the long run.
Australian managers' experience of global human rights issues
Authors: Lynne Pedigo Kerry , Mary Marshall Verena
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of Australian managers in relation to human rights issues and corporate responsibility inherent in their international business operations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports findings from a qualitative research study; data were gathered from 70 face‐to‐face interviews with managers in the mining, textile and information technology industries who conducted international operations. The research method used was the critical incident technique, allowing interviewees to recall their observations and anecdotes in dealing with their perceived ethical dilemmas when operating offshore.

Findings

Human rights issues represented a serious dilemma for the Australian managers participating in this research. Findings in this study suggest that such issues, and resultant perceived dilemmas around their management, included child labour, hazardous working conditions, discrimination and exploitation of workers. The issues present self‐reported major dilemmas for managers as they challenge human rights concepts that underline their own ethical values in relation to the treatment of others in work environments. Respondents in this study report perceived limitations in dealing with cross‐cultural ethical issues, driven by economic and social reliance on such practices by their international business counterparts.

Originality/value

Understanding the nature of problems faced by Australian business managers in confronting perceived breaches of human rights may assist private and public sector organisations, both inside and outside of Australia, working in international environments. The paper reports insights and solutions offered by respondents encountering global human rights issues in the business context.
Business history in family business studies: from neglect to cooperation?
Authors: Colli Andrea
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to provide a brief overview of what is business history as an academic discipline, with some reflection about its evolutionary patterns and heuristic value in other fields, as for instance, management studies. A peculiar and increasingly practised subfield of business history is that of family business studies, which is thus a promising crossroads and meeting point for both business historians, practitioners and scholars in management studies.

Design/methodology/approach

Through an extensive analysis of the literature on family business studies in business history, this article highlights some potential areas of collaboration and suggests some reflections about the way in which the research methods of historians can be beneficial for management scholars.

Findings

Business history has in fact a high potential in providing, through its longitudinal and comparative approach, evidence for building new theories and challenging the existing ones.

Originality/value

This article tries to move a step beyond from the consideration of history as a repository of interesting evidence, to a new role for the discipline as an heuristic tool, and new chances of cooperation between historians and management scholars.
The “family business brand”: an enquiry into the construction of the image of family businesses
Authors: Krappe Alexander , Goutas Lazaros , von Schlippe Arist
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Family businesses (FBs) play an important role in economies across the world. FBs are consistently associated with specific attributes and expectations, which is something that points towards the notion that FBs can be regarded as a “brand” on their own. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether FBs have actually become a “brand” in the eyes of the wider population.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical investigation is based on the “Personal Construct Theory” (PCT), developed by George R. Kelly. According to this theory, human beings categorise and evaluate the world by building “personal constructs” that reflect their unconscious attitudes and value systems. To find out about the attitudes towards FBs, we used the “Nextexpertizer”® program, which exploits the PCT as a computer‐based survey instrument. Finally, these results are connected with two different brand theories: the identity‐oriented brand theory of Heribert Meffert and a sociological‐based understanding of brands. The study was conducted in two stages: in 2007/2008 the authors interviewed a randomised sample of 80 people across Germany. In 2009 they interviewed 30 people with almost identical socio‐demographic characteristics, to assure the comparability of the two surveys.

Findings

The analysis of the aforementioned brand theories shows that FBs can be indeed described as a brand on their own. In order to speak of a strong brand, the identity‐oriented approach requires the compliance between the intro‐perspective and the external‐perspective of brands. The perceptions of FBs exhibit a remarkable stability in both surveys. In sum, FBs are perceived as the most sustainable and social type of company. Nevertheless, FBs are also associated with certain negative attributes: for example, middle‐size FBs are regarded as particularly inflexible.

Originality/value

The study shows that FBs address the identity myths of stability and safety like no other company type. Yet the identity myths also evoke other societal needs, such as egoistic self‐fulfillment motives, or the will to live free and without boundaries. For these needs, FBs are perceived as inflexible and stiff.
Family‐controlled businesses and shareholder value
Authors: Print Carole Frances , Reynolds Julien
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The paper aims to extend the understanding of the value of quoted family‐controlled businesses (FCBs) and fill gaps in existing research by comparing the performance of such businesses with comparable non‐FCBs.

Design/methodology/approach

The research approach adopted compared the share price performance of nine quoted FCBs with nine comparable non‐FCBs, utilising a range of variables designed to consider performance from a shareholder value perspective.

Findings

On the basis of the sample, the paper provides insights on the extent of the shareholder value that FCBs provide, indicating that this may be greater than for non‐FCBs.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size could be considered a limitation – however, it could be considered that the subdivision by size and industry group mitigates against distortions.

Practical implications

The paper has practical implications for investors in considering the ownership dynamics of businesses.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the gap in existing research on FCBs and the notion of family capital.
Keeping the business in the family and the family in business: “What is the legacy?”
Authors: Tucker John
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Most advisors to family business clients come from the legal, accountancy or business advisory professions. Their training, experience and knowledge come from a technical/transactional perspective and often takes a silo approach to the issue(s) facing the client. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that in dealing with family business clients the professional advisor needs to take into consideration the very powerful emotional and relational issues that will impact on the more traditional “expert advice” approach. This article also suggests that no one group of professional advisors have all the skills needed to work successfully with family business clients and collaborative working is the way of ensuring family business clients receive the most effective professional support. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is to outline – from experience of working with both professional advisors and family business clients – how emotional relationships impact on decision making in a family business. The approach is anecdotal and is based on listening to people's stories of living in a family business. It takes from music, particularly lyrics, to outline the main points made and is designed to give professional advisors to family business clients an insight into the world of family relationships. Findings – There is growing evidence in the UK of a real desire on the part of professional intermediaries to enhance their skills and knowledge in working with family business clients. This is evidenced by the creation of a Post Graduate Programme in Family Business Advising for professional intermediaries at the Bristol Business School and the growing number of professional firms taking up Corporate Membership of The International Centre for Families in Business to increase their knowledge and understanding. Research limitations/implications – This is not a research paper, it is a viewpoint. However, the work indicates many areas of future research, particularly around the training and development of advisors wanting to work with family business clients. Social implications – The failure rate of family‐owned business to pass successfully from generation to generation is around 70 per cent. The family business community accounts for over 50 per cent of employment in the private sector and employs millions of people. The impact on local and national economies is huge and the professional advice received has to take into account the unique issues facing the family in business. Originality/value – This article is based on the author's own experience of working with family business clients, listening to music and working collaboratively with professional intermediary colleagues. Most of the article is original thinking and the author believes it has value for both families in business and their advisors in setting out a framework and a way of thinking.
Editorial: terraformingArts Marketing
Authors: Dennis Noel , Larsen Gretchen , Macaulay Michael
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the inaugural edition ofArts Marketing: An International Journaland highlight its vision for arts marketing and establish its research agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

Relevant articles are discussed through the prism of current academic thinking and the latest policy developments affecting the arts.

Findings

It is found that arts marketing promotes significant academic debate, and practical insights are offered into the ways in which the arts (broadly understood) can grow in a commercial world.

Research limitations/implications

Creative solutions are needed not only to offset, but to enable arts marketing itself to grow as a discipline: marketers need to embrace the arts equally as much as artists need to embrace the market.

Practical implications

The “creative insights” section will bring practitioner expertise into the field of the arts from a variety of different perspectives.

Social implications

The arts, in their varying forms impact on all of society in some shape or form. This journal aims to help raise the profile of the arts, which will in turn, benefit society as a whole.

Originality/value

This introduction establishes a broad arts marketing research agenda for the future.
The secret jazz fan: a tale of sublimation featuring film and music
Authors: Kerrigan Finola , Dennis Noel
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the way in which film can introduce jazz to a wider audience.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies the method of subjective personal introspection (SPI) to the area of film and music consumption. The paper reports on insights provided by two researchers through using SPI to investigate their relationships to film and jazz music. In so doing, the paper adopts a Bourdieuian frame in applying a reflexive methodological approach and considering the role of cultural and symbolic capital in influencing these consumption practices.

Findings

This paper found that aside from the recognition problem facing jazz, episodes of sublimation may prevent potential audiences from increasing consumption of jazz music.

Research limitations/implications

In common with all SPI studies, the focus of the research is very narrow. While the indepth insight provided here is of use to scholars of arts consumption, further research should explore the prevalence of sublimination in arts communities in order to extend this further.

Practical implications

This study moves our understanding of why consumers may not develop their consumption relationship with jazz music. The findings can be used by jazz professionals in addressing ways in which consumers may overcome their lack of cultural capital and the emphasis placed on this by the wider jazz consumption community.

Social implications

The paper investigates issues of inclusion and exclusion which should have wider social relevance.

Originality/value

The paper addresses the issue of participation in the arts and should be of value to academics and arts marketing practitioners alike.
And then we come to the brand: academic insights from international bestsellers
Authors: Brown Stephen
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The literary world is an elitist enclave, where anti‐marketing rhetoric is regularly encountered. This paper aims to show that the book trade has always been hard‐nosed and commercially driven.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is less a review of the literature, or a theoretical treatise, than a selective revelation of the commercial realities of the book business.

Findings

The paper shows that the cultural industries in general and the book business in particular were crucibles of marketing practice long before learned scholars started taking notice. It highlights the importance of luck, perseverance and, not least, marketing nous in the “manufacture” of international bestsellers.

Research limitations/implications

By highlighting humankind's deep‐seated love of narrative – its clear preference for fiction over fact – this paper suggests that marketing scholars should reconsider their preferred mode of research representation. Hard facts are all very well, but they are less palatable than good stories, well told.

Originality/value

The paper makes no claim to originality. It recovers what we already know but appear to have forgotten in our non‐stop pursuit of scientific respectability.
Discriminating between the activities of human cathepsin G and chymase using fluorogenic substrates
Authors: Korkmaz Brice , Jégot Gwenhael , Lau Laurie C. , Thorpe Michael , Pitois Elodie , Juliano Luiz , Walls Andrew F. , Hellman Lars , Gauthier Francis
Published: May 2011

Cathepsin G (CG) (EC 3.4.21.20) and chymase (EC 3.4.21.39) are two closely‐related chymotrypsin‐like proteases that are released from cytoplasmic granules of activated mast cells and/or neutrophils. We investigated the potential for their substrate‐binding subsites to discriminate between their substrate specificities, aiming to better understand their respective role during the progression of inflammatory diseases. In addition to their preference for large aromatic residues at P1, both preferentially accommodate small hydrophilic residues at the S1′ subsite. Despite significant structural differences in the S2′ subsite, both prefer an acidic residue at that position. The Ala226/Glu substitution at the bottom of the CG S1 pocket, which allows CG but not chymase to accommodate a Lys residue at P1, is the main structural difference, allowing discrimination between the activities of these two proteases. However, a Lys at P1 is accommodated much less efficiently than a Phe, and the corresponding substrate is cleaved by β2‐tryptase (EC 3.4.21.59). We optimized a P1 Lys‐containing substrate to enhance sensitivity towards CG and prevent cleavage by chymase and β2‐tryptase. The resulting substrate (ABZ‐GIEPKSDPMPEQ‐EDDnp) [where ABZ is O‐aminobenzoic acid and EDDnp is N‐(2,4‐dinitrophenyl)‐ethylenediamine] was cleaved by CG but not by chymase and tryptase, with a specificity constant of 190 mm−1·s−1. This allows the quantification of active CG in cells or tissue extracts where it may be present together with chymase and tryptase, as we have shown using a HMC‐1 cell homogenate and a sputum sample from a patient with severe asthma.
Validation of Internal Controls for Extraction and Amplification of Nucleic Acids from Enteric Viruses in Water Samples
Authors: Hata Akihiko , Katayama Hiroyuki , Kitajima Masaaki , Visvanathan Chettiyappan , Nol Chea , Furumai Hiroaki
Published: May 2011

Inhibitors that reduce viral nucleic acid extraction efficiency and interfere with cDNA synthesis and/or polymerase activity affect the molecular detection of viruses in aquatic environments. To overcome these significant problems, we developed a methodology for assessing nucleic acid yields and DNA amplification efficiencies for environmental water samples. This involved adding particles of adenovirus type 5 and murine norovirus and newly developed primer-sharing controls, which are amplified with the same primer pairs and result in the same amplicon sizes as the targets, to these samples. We found that nucleic acid loss during the extraction process, rather than reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) inhibition, more significantly attributed to underestimation of the presence of viral genomes in the environmental water samples tested in this study. Our success rate for satisfactorily amplifying viral RNAs and DNAs by RT-PCR was higher than that for obtaining adequate nucleic acid preparations. We found that inhibitory properties were greatest when we used larger sample volumes. A magnetic silica bead-based RNA extraction method effectively removed inhibitors that interfere with viral nucleic acid extraction and RT-PCR. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the inhibitory properties of environmental water samples by using both control virus particles and primer-sharing controls.
Cellular Response of the Amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii to Chlorine, Chlorine Dioxide, and Monochloramine Treatments
Authors: Mogoa Emerancienne , Bodet Charles , Morel Franck , Rodier Marie-Hélène , Legube Bernard , Héchard Yann
Published: May 2011

Acanthamoeba castellanii
is a free-living amoebae commonly found in water systems. Free-living amoebae might be pathogenic but are also known to bear phagocytosis-resistant bacteria, protecting these bacteria from water treatments. The mode of action of these treatments is poorly understood, particularly on amoebae. It is important to examine the action of these treatments on amoebae in order to improve them. The cellular response to chlorine, chlorine dioxide, and monochloramine was tested on
A. castellanii
trophozoites. Doses of disinfectants leading to up to a 3-log reduction were compared by flow cytometry and electron microscopy. Chlorine treatment led to size reduction, permeabilization, and retraction of pseudopods. In addition, treatment with chlorine dioxide led to a vacuolization of the cytoplasm. Monochloramine had a dose-dependent effect. At the highest doses monochloramine treatment resulted in almost no changes in cell size and permeability, as shown by flow cytometry, but the cell surface became smooth and dense, as seen by electron microscopy. We show that these disinfectants globally induced size reduction, membrane permeabilization, and morphological modifications but that they have a different mode of action on
A. castellanii
.
Lichenicidin Biosynthesis in Escherichia coli:
licFGEHI
Immunity Genes Are Not Essential for Lantibiotic Production or Self-Protection
Authors: Caetano Tânia , Krawczyk Joanna M. , Mösker Eva , Süssmuth Roderich D. , Mendo Sónia
Published: May 2011

This study demonstrated, for the first time, that immunity genes
licFGEHI
are not essential for self-protection and production of the two-component lantibiotic lichenicidin in the Gram-negative heterologous host
Escherichia coli
BLic5. Additionally, it was experimentally demonstrated that lichenicidin lantibiotics are active against the
E. coli
imp4213
strain, a mutant strain possessing a permeable outer membrane.
Aeration Controls the Reduction and Methylation of Tellurium by the Aerobic, Tellurite-Resistant Marine Yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa
Authors: Ollivier Patrick R. L. , Bahrou Andrew S. , Church Thomas M. , Hanson Thomas E.
Published: May 2011

We previously described a marine, tellurite-resistant strain of the yeast
Rhodotorula mucilaginosa
that both precipitates intracellular Te(0) and volatilizes methylated Te compounds when grown in the presence of the oxyanion tellurite. The uses of microbes as a “green” route for the production of Te(0)-containing nanostructures and for the remediation of Te-oxyanion wastes have great potential, and so a more thorough understanding of this process is required. Here, Te precipitation and volatilization catalyzed by
R. mucilaginosa
were examined in continuously aerated and sealed (low oxygen concentration) batch cultures. Continuous aeration was found to strongly promote Te volatilization while inhibiting Te(0) precipitation. This differs from the results in sealed batch cultures, for which tellurite reduction to Te(0) was found to be very efficient. We show also that volatile Te species may be degraded rapidly in medium and converted to the particulate form by biological activity. Further experiments revealed that Te(0) precipitates produced by
R. mucilaginosa
can be further transformed to volatile and dissolved Te species. However, it was not clearly determined whether Te(0) is a required intermediate for Te volatilization. Based on these results, we conclude that low oxygen concentrations will be the most efficient for production of Te(0) nanoparticles while limiting the production of toxic volatile Te species, although the production of these compounds may never be completely eliminated.