bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organizational culture and transformational leadership as predictors of business unit performance
Authors: Xenikou Athena , Simosi Maria
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational cultural orientations, as well as the joint effect of transformational leadership and organizational culture on business unit performance.

Design/methodology/approach

About 300 employees of a large financial organization in Greece filled in a number of questionnaires measuring organizational culture orientations and transformational leadership. The measurement of business unit performance was obtained by the organization under study.

Findings

A path analysis showed that the achievement and adaptive cultural orientations had a direct effect on performance. Moreover, transformational leadership and humanistic orientation had an indirect positive impact on performance via achievement orientation.

Research limitations/implications

A research limitation is that the causal direction of the relations between the predictors and the criteria has been partially established by controlling for the effect of past performance on the perceptions of organizational culture and leadership.

Practical implications

On a practical level the findings suggest that constructive and positive social relations at work need to be accompanied by goal setting and task accomplishment if high organizational performance is to be achieved.

Originality/value

The originality of this study concerns the finding that organizational culture mediates the effect of transformational leadership on business unit performance.
Investment in marketing: the allocation conundrum
Authors: Bradbury Mike , Kissel Neal
Published: September 2006

Purpose

Ever‐rising marketing budgets are becoming an explosive issue. On advertising alone, companies spend fortunes: Nestlé, $11 billion; Unilever, $8 billion; General Motors, $4.7 billion; Procter & Gamble, $3.8 billion; Sony, $3.4 billion; and Coca‐Cola, $1.7 billion. With no end in sight to escalating marketing outlays, many executives are asking two questions: “Is our company spending the right amount on marketing?” and “Are we spending it in the right places and on the right activities?” To get more bang for your buck, the authors suggest setting aside the first question and focusing on the second.

Design/methodology/approach

In this article, the authors explore the limitations of current approaches to setting marketing budgets and then outline five factors that should drive how companies allocate their marketing budgets, namely: the profitability that new revenue from a business unit or product would generate; the responsiveness of customers to marketing; the revenue growth potential of a market; the marketing responses of competitors; and the degree to which a particular type of investment builds longer‐term growth in addition to near‐term impact.

Findings

The new approach described in this article produces four main benefits: It provides a more objective, factual basis for determining annual marketing budgets; it improves the quality of discussions and decisions around marketing allocations; it can be applied at all levels throughout the organization; and it can identify the new marketing capabilities a company needs.

Originality/value

The article offers a new, simpler approach to thinking about marketing allocation that helps big companies shift their marketing budget debate from “how many dollars to spend altogether?” to “where to spend those dollars?” While companies should continue their quest to answer the first question with rigor, until they get there, answering the second question can create substantial value.
Hierarchy as a learning platform
Authors: Bennet Alex
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to build a new frame of reference for exploring the value of hierarchy as a learning platform as organizations move away from bureaucracies and toward complex adaptive behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Observations of the behaviors of horses and the hierarchical structure within which they function are introduced to explore the value of hierarchy as a learning platform. The concepts of bureaucracy and hierarchy are juxtaposed based on a literature review. Moving to individual learning, functioning space is introduced and then extrapolated across to organizations. Finally, these interwoven ideas are used to pose questions.

Findings

The paper posits that recognition of the distinction between hierarchy and bureaucracy places us in a framework to reap the benefits of hierarchy in our thinking, talking and acting as our organizations move toward complex adaptive behavior.

Originality/value

This paper discusses important distinctions between hierarchy and bureaucracy in support of a learning framework. It also introduces the relationship of thinking, talking and acting to our functioning space.
Providing against the worst
Authors: Breuer Thomas
Published: September 2006

Purpose

Maximum Loss was one of the risk measures proposed as alternatives to Value at Risk following criticism that Value at Risk is not coherent. Although the power of Maximum Loss is recognised for non‐linear portfolios, there are arguments that for linear portfolios Maximum Loss does not convey more information than Value at Risk. This paper argues for the usefulness of Maximum Loss for both linear and non‐linear portfolios.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a synthesis of existing theorems. Results are established by means of counterexamples. The worst case based risk‐return management strategy is presented as a case study.

Findings

For linear portfolios under elliptic distributions Maximum Loss is proportional to Value at Risk, and to Expected Shortfall, with the proportionality constant not depending on the portfolio composition. The paper gives a new example of Value at Risk violating subadditivity, using a portfolio of simple European options. For non‐linear portfolios, Maximum Loss need not even approximately be explained by the sum of Maximum Loss contributions of the individual risk factors. Finally, is proposed a strategy of risk‐return management with Maximum Loss.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is restricted to elliptically distributed risk factors. Although Maximum Loss can be defined for more general continuous and even discrete distributions of risk factor changes, the paper does not address this matter.

Practical implications

The paper proposes an intuitive, computationally easy way how to improve average returns of linear portfolios while reducing worst case losses.

Originality/value

One is a synthesis of existing theorems. The counterexample establishing result is the first example of a portfolio of plain vanilla options violating Value at Risk subadditivity, an effect hitherto only known for portfolios of exotic options. Furthermore, the strategy of risk‐return management with Maximum Loss is original.
Risk, capital requirements, and the asset structure of companies
Authors: Krause Andreas
Published: September 2006

Purpose

Financial institutions have been subject to minimum capital requirements for considerable time while other companies do not face any such regulation. This paper investigates the capital requirements of companies and how it should relate to the assets of a company.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical approach in this paper integrates aspects of liquidity, asset characteristics and capital requirements into a single setting to address the problem of capital requirements for non‐financial companies.

Findings

The paper develops a framework in which the impact losses have on the future performance of the company are used to develop three categories of capital and suggest a measure for each category. The paper then relates these categories to properties of the assets the capital should be invested in, which include aspects of liquidity as well as the source of this capital. It is finally pointed out how cost considerations can be used to obtain the optimal asset and capital structure of a company.

Research limitations/implications

This paper presents the conceptual basis for the determination of capital requirements of companies and future research is needed to formalize the ideas presented here more thoroughly and gain additional insights into the relationship to the asset structure.

Practical implications

The results of this paper can be used by companies as a first guide towards deciding on their capital requirements, taking into account the properties of the assets they invest their capital in and how to optimize their capital structure.

Originality/value

The paper provides a first insight into the relationship between capital requirements, asset structure, and risks for non‐financial companies.
Finance: on earth as it is in heaven?
Authors: Steen Todd P. , VanderVeen Steve , Voskuil Julie
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore a Christian perspective on the field of finance.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper begins by examining the theoretical underpinnings of finance and how finance is practiced today. The paper then considers the implications of a reformed Christian worldview for finance, with special attention to the implications of the Biblical description of heaven for the practice of finance. The paper concludes by offering suggestions for the practice of finance.

Findings

Finance as it practiced today is overly concerned with short‐term considerations, shareholder interests over those of other stakeholders, and contractual relationships over other types of relationships. A model based on the Christian Scriptures that utilizes the themes of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation can be used to critique both the theory and practice of finance. This model suggests that finance is part of God’s intended structure for the world, and that it should contribute to the promotion of shalom, that is the universal flourishing of both humankind and the earth.

Practical implications

An examination of the Christian Scriptures provides a model for the practice of corporate finance. The authors assert that finance should be covenantal, long‐term oriented, inclusive, and stakeholder‐driven, and that it should promote the cause of justice.

Originality/value

The value of this paper is that it develops a Christian perspective on finance based on the reformed tradition of Christianity; it also offers suggestions for the practice of finance.
US copyright law: the challenge of protection in the digital age
Authors: Long Sarah Ann
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the background on copyright law in the USA and how potential orphan works and broadcast flag laws may affect it.

Design/methodology/approach

Historical overview of copyright law, including why fair use is important, and shows how changing technology may affect how library and school work with copyrighted materials.

Findings

Growing digital technologies have changed the way people use copyrighted materials, and copyright law should reflect that. However, considerations should be made to ensure that the public's interests in the form of fair use are still protected.

Originality/value

The article emphasizes the importance of intellectual property, as well as the importance of people being able to have access to copyrighted materials.
The development and evaluation of an information technology support system to facilitate inter‐organisational collaboration in HRD
Authors: Ford Norma J.
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the diffusion of and user response to an information technology support system (ITSS) which was designed to facilitate inter‐organisational coordination and collaboration in the professional development of officers employed by local authorities (LAs).

Design/methodology/approach

An action research strategy was adopted reflecting the tightly coupled nature of the design and evaluation of a training coordination model. The evaluation comprised a preliminary questionnaire survey and analysis of focus group discussions.

Findings

The ITSS was regarded as having the potential to fulfil key training coordination functions; nevertheless, there was a low usage of it within its first eight months of operation. There was no evidence of overt organisational or cultural barriers but there was a failure to appreciate the usefulness and benefits of the collaborative tools provided by the ITSS.

Research limitations/implications

ITSSs have the capability to facilitate coordination and collaborative workplace learning for professional officers across local government boundaries but factors influencing organisational support may need further investigation.

Practical implications

Similar projects should incorporate initiatives to inform users and managers of the benefits of full engagement with the ITSS.

Originality/value

Web‐based systems, such as the one developed for this project, present a real opportunity for employers to work collaboratively to address specific professional development needs through sharing knowledge and resources
Christmas gift giving involvement
Authors: Clarke Peter
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The act of giving a gift at Christmas is a form of consumption that invokes different levels of involvement. The purpose of this paper is to explore and measure involvement in parental Christmas gift giving and giving branded items as gifts.

Design/methodology/approach

The required information was gathered via a self‐administered survey method distributed to parents with at least one child between the ages of three and eight years. A questionnaire package was delivered to five participating schools and seven kindergartens for children to take home to their parents. As a result, 450 acceptable cases were subjected to a process of exploratory factor and confirmatory analysis.

Findings

The findings indicate that there is no significant relationship between involvement in giving gifts and involvement in giving brands as gifts, which suggests that it is important for parents to give gifts but not involving for parents to give popular brand names as gifts. In addition, the findings indicate that traditional measures of involvement require modifications that reflect semantic issues as well as reliability and validity issues.

Research limitations/implications

Children between the ages of three and eight years are most likely to be concerned with the Santa myth; it is also a time of concern for parents and has implications for promotional and marketing activities of brands targeted at children.

Originality/value

This research offers insights into involvement within the intangible context of gift giving and giving brands as gifts. It also contributes to the semantic differences between two forms of involvement and contributes to the ongoing involvement‐importance debate.
LOEX‐of‐the‐West Conference
Authors: Tran Allison , Babayan Tom , Christion Chris , Palmer Cathy
Published: September 2006

Purpose

To share conference highlights and introduce new speakers.

Design/methodology/approach

A conference report of the LOEX‐of‐the‐West Conference held in June 2006 in Hawaii demonstrating trends and techniques in library instruction while addressing the use of current and emerging technologies in library instruction.

Findings

Library instruction must be relevant to students and compliment the academic programs in which they are enrolled. The theme of “Information literacy for a lifetime,” suggests how fluid the library landscape is and how necessary it is to incorporate appropriate technologies that are commonly used by students in their daily lives to support the goals for instruction.

Originality/value

Introducing sessions and presentations that utilized different instructional technologies this conference report suggests some rather creative strategies for teaching and offering bibliographic instruction.
Rethinking market connections: mobile phone recovery, reuse and recycling in the UK
Authors: Canning Louise
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide an application of network literature that can be used for teaching and learning purposes.

Design/methodology/approach

The information used to present the case study is drawn principally from documentary evidence as well as discussions with a phone manufacturer, retailer and waste management company.

Findings

Describes the role of key actors in the development of “circular” supply chains for mobile phones and outlines two recovery and reuse/recycling schemes, one which operated as a trial (having been initiated by mobile phone manufacturers) and one which has functioned as a commercially viable arrangement since 2002 and is led by waste management and retail firms. The two schemes demonstrate ways in which various parties seek to influence the behaviour of others as well as changes (both temporary and permanent) in the activities performed by and connections between parties.

Research limitations/implications

Whichever way various companies choose to deal with electronic waste, one factor remains constant, namely that collection schemes are of little value without consumer involvement. The case study would have benefited from empirical research of consumer awareness of and propensity to contribute to phone collection schemes.

Practical implications

A valuable illustration for teachers and students of “markets as networks” using a problem which is prevalent in any geographic location. The case could also be used as a vehicle for students to design and conduct research into consumer disposal of discarded phones and awareness of/propensity to make use of available recovery and reuse/recycling schemes.

Originality/value

Requires the reader to think beyond linear supply chains and shows how network literature can incorporate consumers and organisational actors alike. The UK perspective provides a useful teaching/learning tool by describing how discarded mobile phones are handled. In addition to this, the case study could be used as a starting point from which to investigate how networks are organised in other geographic locations for dealing with this same problem.
Customer‐initiated influence tactics in sales and marketing activities
Authors: Leila Borders Aberdeen
Published: September 2006

Purpose

This paper seeks to describe supplier coordination of sales and marketing activities to manage customer relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Six propositions are suggested that examine the drivers dictating how customers initiate influence tactics for their benefit in dealing with their suppliers.

Findings

Illustrations are provided to show how and when the marketing and sales functions come close to synergistic efforts and what hinders them from doing so.

Research limitations/implications

Although influence tactics have a rich history in social psychology and organizational behavior research, more influence tactics must be tested using various samples and multiple methods in the customer‐supplier realm of selling and marketing activities.

Practical implications

Understanding trust, commitment, and cooperation from the supplier's perspective, enhances one's ability to understand why the sales and marketing functions must work together to program a defense mechanism against customers that are initiating influence tactics against them.

Originality/value

The study presents useful information for the coordination of sales and marketing activities.
Inclusive learning communities: the real challenges facing reform in Malta
Authors: Bezzina Christopher
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The school environment in the islands of Malta is experiencing important changes that need to be critically addressed if school improvement and, more importantly, student learning is going to be enhanced. This paper aims to present the education authorities with an introductory review which aims to contextualise the potential networking of schools within the nurturing of inclusive learning communities.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper argues that unless the principles of hope, faith, commitment, individual and collective worth are nurtured, networks will not on their own work to bring about desired change.

Findings

Whilst a networking reform process has been introduced no review has yet been undertaken in Malta to understand the implications, both positive and negative, that such a reform brings with it.

Practical implications

Implications for policy and practice include a thorough understanding of the six components behind the inclusive learning community, the various benefits, tensions and concerns that networks and networking bring with them.

Originality/value

This paper presents an introductory review and contextualises the network reform policy within the principles of the learning community.
New pay in European civil services:is the psychological contract changing?
Authors: Willems Ingrid , Janvier Ria , Henderickx Erik
Published: September 2006

Purpose

This research paper analyses the extent to which national systems are following “new pay” trends, or whether there are still traditional features, which reflect the specificity of employment in the public sector and the psychological contracts of public servants.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in this paper was based on an online survey of six countries and was completed by pay experts in each case.

Findings

Previous comparative research on civil service pay systems has focused mostly on specific aspects of pay but this paper looks at a wide range of pay characteristics. It finds that although there have been changes in pay systems in the six countries studied, the “new pay” model has not been fully adopted and traditional reward systems are still strong, with the exception of Sweden and to a lesser extent the UK and Denmark. This is related to the importance that civil servants attach to their psychological contract in which equity and collectivism remain central values

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates that cultural factors and psychological contracts are important in influencing both practices and attitudes towards change in reward systems across countries and that traditional identities of public service are still evident.
And they all lived happily ever after?
Authors: Paisey Catriona , Paisey Nicholas J.
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the extent to which pension accounting represents an enabling or emancipatory accounting.

Design/methodology/approach

Many countries are facing a so‐called “pensions crisis” which is reflected in and arguably, to some extent at least, is precipitated by accounting. Occupational pensions in the UK are focused upon and their role in the pension crisis discussed. The enabling or emancipatory potential of the internet for accounting for occupational pension schemes is explored. The contents of the web sites of the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE 100) are examined in terms of the elements of an enabling accounting, as set out by Gallhofer and Haslam in 1997. Alternative forms of accounting for pensions, including accounts by trade unions and others, are also examined.

Findings

The full possibilities of the internet have not yet been mobilised in respect of accounting for occupational pension schemes and companies' actions appear to be driven by the hegemony of the market rather than a concern for the social wellbeing of pensioners. A number of inequalities are evident.

Research limitations/implications

The majority of UK employees have no occupational pension. The paper therefore only addresses one aspect of the pension crisis.

Practical implications

Suggests how corporate web sites could be improved through the provision of dedicated pensions sections and increased pensions' disclosures. Argues that alternative accounts provided by trade unions, organisations associated with the elderly and others are required to provide counter accounts. Calls for more education about the importance of saving from an early age.

Originality/value

Applies elements of an enabling accounting to a specific accounting problem, accounting for pensions.
The spatial and temporal mediation of social change
Authors: Hancock Philip
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to provide insight beyond the internal dynamic of organizational change and explore how organizations contribute, at the symbolic and aesthetic level, to the experiential stabilization of spatio‐temporal change within society more generally. As such, the paper seeks to contribute to critical debates surrounding the relationships between organization and society, particularly in terms of understanding change as an outcome of organizational activity within the broader socio‐cultural environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Concerned as it is with the critical interpretation of visual image and composition, the paper adopts a broadly structural‐hermeneutic framework directed at the semiotic analysis of a sample of organizational artifacts; in this instance, a sample of company documents chosen by virtue of their communicative intent and rich symbolic and aesthetic content.

Findings

It is argued in the paper that several recurring or generic constellations of meaning can be identified across the documents; vitality, ephemerality, subordination and authenticity, each of which represents an attempt to mediate the experiential tensions that emerge both from the dynamic and spatio‐temporal instabilities generated by the socio‐economic relations of modernity and the mode of organization which predominates within it.

Research limitations/implications

Generated from an intensive sample, employing a subjectivist mode of analysis the paper does not seek to offer an exhaustive or unduly generaliseable overview of the content of organizational documentation. Rather, it aims to present a plausible account, given the broader socio‐cultural context within which they are generated, of a range of recurring themes or genres which indicate a significant relationship between organizational visual culture and the wider stabilisation of socio‐psychological relations within modernity.

Originality/value

This paper provides an interesting insight into the internal dynamic of organizational change.
Exploration into the quality septet
Authors: Raj Jagadeesh
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The paper has the objective of finding why the number seven most commonly appears with respect to the number of steps, number of quality tools, and several other quality related topics including personal quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper relies on the secondary data available through print and electronic media including the world wide web. Though this it is at least ensured to be quite broad based.

Findings

No specific reason could be attributed for using only number seven as no such reasoning was provided anywhere in the literature for the various lists proposed by different authors. However, in an early paper it has been reported that there is a finite span of immediate memory and for a wide range of test materials, this span is about seven items. This postulate has been widely debated and no evidence exists to generalize the issue. Thus, in the opinion of the author that there are no valid or scientific reasons for the issue considered.

Research limitations/implications

Search is not claimed to be exhaustive as all the lists have not been examined to check the use of number seven.

Originality/value

Based on literature review it was found that the question “why number seven?” was not addressed and hence this paper has attempted to answer it. Secondly, no compilation of lists to demonstrate the use of number seven existed and this paper has filled the void.
TQM models and their effectiveness in New Zealand water utilities services
Authors: El‐Kafafi Siham
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the organizational change taking place within New Zealand water utilities as a result of implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) models (i.e. TQM experts’ teachings, ISO 9000 standards, and quality awards). Implementation was intended to enhance their performance and the quality of drinking water provided to the community.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted by investigating the quality management system in three different case studies from the Waikato Region of New Zealand. The main study methodology is involved in methodological triangulation in which the researcher used more than one technique for data collection and data analysis. This paper reports on two of those techniques: face to face interviews conducted with the managers of the three case studies under investigation; and participant observation at the water treatment plants of the same three territorial local authorities (TLAs).

Findings

The comparative analysis drawn between the three different cases showed that two of the case studies are applying TQM models but at different stages, while the third case study is not implementing any of the TQM models. The difference between the performances of TLAs adopting a TQM model versus the TLAs who are not is related to their organizational strategy. This in turn has an impact on the sustainability of the quality of water provided to the community of the Waikato Region.

Practical implications

The paper emphasises the importance of breadth and depth of organizational change in the three TLAs in view of the following themes: training personnel in quality systems, customer satisfaction with water quality, purchasing equipment/chemicals, process control, inspection and testing, calibration, corrective and preventive action where drinking water is below standard (non‐conformance) and control of quality records.

Originality/value

The paper provides a useful case of TQM application in water utilities services.
Using the tasting room experience to create loyal customers
Authors: Nowak Linda I. , Newton Sandra K.
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to determine if positive affect, in combination with product quality, fair pricing, and customer‐focused operations leads to higher levels of customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 89 undergraduate and graduate business students, ages 23 to 59, each visited a winery they had never visited before. Afterward they filled out a questionnaire evaluating the winery on product quality, fair pricing, feelings of commitment towards the winery, positive emotions felt, preference for wine, overall customer satisfaction, and repurchase intentions. Data were analyzed using multiple regression. Repurchase behavior was the dependent variable.

Findings

Product quality, positive emotions felt, preference for wine, customer commitment, and fair pricing were all significant predictors of repurchase intentions.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are based on a small sample of 89 business students. Future research could replicate this study with larger samples of both marginal and core wine drinkers.

Practical implications

The results of this research empirically support the anecdotal evidence that through positive tasting room experiences, wineries can cultivate relationships with customers that build commitment and loyalty. The quality of the wine is not everything. Customers have many choices. The total experience at the winery, one in which the customer feels a sense of belonging and camaraderie and in which the experience is fun or exciting, contributes to repurchase intentions.

Originality/value

This is the first time that customer emotions have been measured after a tasting room visit and then tested for their relationship with repurchase intentions.
Influence of perceived risk on store brand proneness
Authors: González Mieres Celina , María Díaz Martín Ana , Trespalacios Gutiérrez Juan Antonio
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of the present study is to test that perceived risk is a multidimensional concept both when it is associated to the purchase of store brands and national brands and analyzes the effect of perceived risk on store brands proneness.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to achieve its objective the paper used a confirmatory factor analysis to validate the proposed perceived risk scale and three regression analysis were carried out to evaluate the effect of perceived risk on store brands proneness.

Findings

The results of the study show significant differences between store and national brands and, on the other hand, it has been confirmed that these differences contribute to decrease store brand proneness, the latter being measured through three variables: actual store brands purchase, consumption intensity and future purchase intention.

Originality/value

Previous empirical research has focused primarily on the perceived risk associated with store brands individually. On the contrary, this paper considers the perceived risk difference between store and national brands, believing that the difference between brands is what will really make the consumer choose a store brand or a national brand. On the other hand, the present study will permit the evaluation of the effects of the evolution of store brands in Spain, effects that can be replicated in other Mediterranean countries.
Entrepreneurial orientation and the structuring of organizations
Authors: Jogaratnam Giri , Ching‐Yick Tse Eliza
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to test the entrepreneurial orientation organization structure‐performance link within the context of the Asian hotel industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Performance was designated as the dependent variable while strategic posture and organization structure were considered the independent variables. Correlation and regression analysis were adopted to test relationships.

Findings

Results suggest that entrepreneurial strategic posture is positively associated with performance. Contrary to expectations, organic structures were negatively associated with performance. The study findings are in support of previous researchers who have suggested that western theories are not easily generalized to a non‐western context.

Research limitations/implications

The cross‐sectional approach adopted in this research does not capture the effects of strategy‐structure alignment over time. The external validity of the results is also limited due to the geographically focused nature of the study sample.

Originality/value

This study offers useful insights for hoteliers based on empirical evidence.
Supply chain management – back to the future?
Authors: Gripsrud Geir , Jahre Marianne , Persson Gøran
Published: September 2006

Purpose

Distribution arrangements are becoming increasingly complex and dynamic in business as well as in consumer markets. The purpose of the present paper is to explore and discuss the theoretical frameworks available to interpret these distribution arrangements, to uncover how they are interrelated and to suggest extensions.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of extant research is undertaken, starting with the literature on supply chain management (SCM). It turns out that prior to the launch of the SCM concept in the early 1980s, two separate research streams coexisted which both pertain to aspects of distribution. These two research streams are described and traced back to a common root.

Findings

It is suggested that SCM may be regarded as an attempt to unite the two separate research streams known as business logistics and marketing channels, respectively. These two approaches have focused on different aspects of distribution arrangements, but both are preoccupied with managerial challenges faced by individual companies. The managerial focus is also very clear in SCM. The paper traces the common roots of all of these approaches to the marketing discipline in the first half of the twentieth century and suggests that this constitutes a basis for the future development.

Originality/value

The contribution of the paper is twofold: first the overview of the different streams of literature dealing with distribution arrangements and how they are interrelated has not been spelled out so clearly before. Second, the discussions undertaken suggest that future research would benefit from going “back to the future” in the sense that one can learn from frameworks developed for the purpose of understanding the supply system as a whole, the role of the individual participants in that system, and the underlying economics of such a system.
Career progression among female academics
Authors: Rani Thanacoody P. , Bartram Timothy , Barker Michelle , Jacobs Kerry
Published: September 2006

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the career experiences of female academics in a Western and in an Indian cultural setting in order to gain an in‐depth understanding of the factors contributing to their career progression. The paper also examines the factors such as national culture, gender stereotypes and leadership, work and family conflict, mentoring and informal networks that impact on the career progression of women academics in two different cultural settings, namely Mauritius and Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

Thirty in‐depth interviews from two universities were used.

Findings

The findings illustrate that the barriers to progression are remarkably similar to women from both universities despite their different cultural background. Women in the Mauritian context face a considerably more conservative cultural climate that may negatively impact on their career progression. Women from both cultural settings face significant barriers to career progression in their academic roles.

Originality/value

This paper compares Australian and Mauritian women academics experience in academia. The paper also offers practical guidance that can be used by management and women academics to facilitate career progression of women in academia.
Systems engineering design and spatial modeling for improved natural hazard risk assessment
Authors: Eveleigh T.J. , Mazzuchi T.A. , Sarkani S.
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel modeling approach that combines a balanced systems engineering design model with a geospatial model to explore the complex interactions between natural hazards and engineered systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken in this work was to assemble a combined systems engineering design/geospatial model and interface it with a physics‐based hazard model to assess how to visualize the coupling of potential hazard effects from the physical domain into the functional/requirements domain.

Findings

It was demonstrated that it is possible to combine the two models and apply them to realistic hazard cases. A number of potential benefits are described and made possible by this approach including the generation of systems‐level damage assessments, the potential reduction of geo‐information data collection requirements, the incorporation of socio‐technical elements, the generation of functional templates, and the creation of a superior mitigation framework.

Practical implications

This approach offers a way to better understand natural hazard impacts on built systems, systemic effects of hazards, functional interdependencies between infrastructural elements, and a practical means to reduce geo‐information collection requirements.

Originality/value

The work is original in that it is the first time a balanced systems engineering design model has been made spatially aware and used to explore the impact of natural disasters on human systems. This work is valuable in that it directly addresses the shortcomings of spatial‐only approaches and could be used in data‐poor regions of the world.
Zurich breaks the chains that prevent the rise of talent
Authors: Baldwin‐Evans Kay
Published: September 2006

Purpose

Seeks to identify emerging trends in learning and development, focusing on how large, complex organisations manage and extend the competencies of their employees and the degree to which new technologies might alter the scope of people development in future.

Design/methodology/approach

Presents the results of interviews with senior HR specialists at AstraZeneca, Atos Origin, BAE Systems, Barclays Capital, Barclays Wealth Management, Dow Corning, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Getronics, Hilton, Holcim, IBM, German financial‐services company MLP, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Schlumberger and Shell, and Zurich Financial Services.

Findings

Reveals significant similarities in terms of the issues and concerns felt by these senior executives.

Practical implications

Contains much to interest the HR specialist operating in the higher echelons of a multinational company.

Originality/value

Provokes thought and encourages readers to adapt some of the ideas and best practices outlined.
“Integration and collaboration” within recently established Australian scholarly publishing initiatives
Authors: Mercieca Paul
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight how application integration and project collaboration is being used to support the development of newly established university electronic presses and institutional repositories.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a summary of a number of projects that have been established within the Australian university environment. These projects are used to illustrate models of collaboration that can be used to assist the establishment of small or new scholarly publishing projects.

Findings

Suggests that in instances where universities are exploring new models for dissemination of their scholarship, collaboration between institutional projects may assist in the ongoing development of content and in the provision of access to this content.

Originality/value

This is a reflection based on current projects being developed within Australia. It provides an overview of projects that illustrate cooperative development as a means to assist in access to scholarship produced from Australia.
The death, and rebirth, of the metadata record – rethinking library search
Authors: Frumkin Jeremy
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the issues with libraries' current approach to utilizing metadata and metadata records from a user perspective, and to suggest future directions in utilizing metadata records in a search context.

Design/methodology/approach

Experiential commentary.

Findings

Metadata records need to be reborn as surrogate tools that can be used to provide better search results.

Originality/value

This paper opinionates on the traditions that libraries bring to providing search and retrieval tools, and how those traditions need to evolve in order for libraries to continue to provide useful search services in the digital context. It should be of interest to digital library developers, librarians, and information scientists.
Disaster recovery and continuity planning for digital library systems
Authors: Cervone H. Frank
Published: September 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of disaster recovery and contingency planning for digital library systems.

Design/methodology/approach

Using best practices, the paper develops a context for developing business continuity and disaster recovery plans.

Findings

Business continuity planning and disaster recovery are important components of digital library system planning. Two out of five organizations that incur a major disaster event are unable to permanently recover, but by developing a continuity and recovery plan in advance, libraries can greatly increase the likelihood of long‐term recovery of institutional resources.

Originality/value

This paper will be of interest to systems developers and managers, as well as senior library management, who need to plan for unexpected organizational disruption. The paper provides a context and outline for developing a business continuity and disaster recovery plan.
Explaining Internet dependency
Authors: Ruiz Mafé Carla , Sanz Blas Silvia
Published: September 2006

Purpose

To analyse key drivers of Internet dependency and its impact on willingness to purchase online.

Design/methodology/approach

The applicability of the media dependency scale is tested in the Spanish market. The impact of demographics, Internet exposure, online experience and Internet affinity on Internet dependency is analysed together with behavioural changes deriving from Internet dependency (willingness to purchase online).

Findings

Data analysis shows that the media dependency scale needs to be adapted to the Spanish market and Spanish Internet users show intermediate levels of Internet dependency. Dependent users are mainly young, highly‐educated, feel Internet affinity and have high levels of exposure and experience as Internet users. Internet dependency determines willingness to purchase online, with the most relevant factor being that of searching for information to take decisions.

Practical implications

This research enables companies to know the different objectives which Internet can help consumers to attain and, therefore, what aspects to highlight in their communication strategies. Internet agents should exploit the dimensions Internet offers to increase individual dependency and message effectiveness. The significant influence that searching for information exerts on willingness to purchase online shows managers that web contents become a key tool to increase future online purchases.

Originality/value

Despite dramatic online differences were discovered between Internet dependent and non‐dependent users, very limited research has been conducted to examine them. There are still not enough studies that analyse the effects of Internet dependency on the non‐purchasing Internet users behaviour. This paper analyses the background of Internet dependency and its influence on future purchase intentions of non‐buyer Internet users.
Leading through belief: managing the power of hope
Authors: Razeghi Andrew
Published: September 2006

Purpose

Leaders have long understood the importance a belief system has on the productivity of their team. The authors explain how can such an intangible motivational force be addressed and how leaders have the capability to influence a firm's success by inspiring positive beliefs.

Design/methodology/approach

Belief management involves recognizing those beliefs that both hinder and promote the advancement of a leader's vision. This includes the leader's beliefs as well as those of the team.

Findings

To begin managing beliefs, executives should take three initial steps: identify core belief, ask others what they believe, brand your beliefs.

Research limitations/implications

Dr Gregory Berns, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at Emory University in Atlanta mapped the neurological effects of a belief exercise on his test subjects. Through the use of magnetic resonance imaging, Berns could see specific changes in cellular activity.

Practical implications

There's new evidence that a leader's beliefs are the foundations for each team's aspirations.

Originality/value

Leaders must not only tell people what they believe but let them know why they believe. If managed correctly, these beneficial beliefs will spread throughout a company to all its stakeholders.