bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Singapore’s success in combating corruption: lessons for policy makers
Authors: Quah Jon S.T.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain Singapore’s success in combating corruption and to identify the lessons for policy makers concerned with enhancing the anti-corruption measures in their countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a brief literature review and analysis of Singapore’s policy context before explaining Singapore’s success in combating corruption and identifying the lessons for policy makers to enhance the effectiveness of the anti-corruption measures in their countries.

Findings

Singapore’s success in combating corruption can be attributed to the political will of the People’s Action Party government and the effectiveness of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau in investigating all corruption cases and enforcing the anti-corruption laws impartially, without fear or favour. Extrapolating from Singapore’s success, policy makers in other countries can learn these lessons: the critical importance of political will; addressing the causes of corruption and learning from past mistakes; establishing and supporting an independent anti-corruption agency with adequate resources; enforcing the anti-corruption laws impartially but not selectively against the government’s political opponents; and combating corruption is a marathon requiring perseverance and sustained effort.

Originality/value

Scholars, policy makers and anti-corruption practitioners will be interested in learning how Singapore has succeeded in combating corruption as well as the relevant lessons for policy makers.
Agricultural credit provision: what really determines farmers’ participation and credit rationing?
Authors: Asante-Addo Collins , Mockshell Jonathan , Zeller Manfred , Siddig Khalid , Egyir Irene S.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze determinants of farmers’ participation and credit rationing in microcredit programs using survey data from Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use the Garrett Ranking Technique to analyze farmers’ reasons for participation or non-participation in credit programs, a probit regression model to estimate factors influencing farm households’ participation, and the Heckman’s sample selection model to identify factors influencing farm households’ probability of being credit rationed by microcredit programs.

Findings

The results reveal that farm households participate in credit programs because of improved access to savings services and agricultural loans. Fear of loan default and lack of savings are reasons for non-participation in credit programs. Furthermore, membership in farmer-based organizations (FBOs) and the household head’s formal education are positively associated with farmers’ participation in credit programs. The likelihood of farmers being credit rationed (i.e. their loan applications were either rejected or the amount of credit they applied for was reduced) is less likely among higher income farmers and members of FBOs such as farmer cooperatives and savings clubs.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that policy strategies aiming to improve access to savings and credit services should educate farmers and strengthen FBOs that could serve as entry points for financial service providers. Such market smart strategies have the potential to improve farmers’ access to financial services and reduce rural poverty.

Originality/value

Although existing studies have examined farmers’ participation in credit markets and credit rationing separately, the unique contribution of this paper is the analysis of participation in microcredit programs as well as the likelihood of farmers being credit rationed in Ghana.
Financial leverage and agency costs in agricultural cooperatives
Authors: Russell Levi A. , Briggeman Brian C. , Featherstone Allen M.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which agency costs of leverage are present in farm supply and marketing cooperatives.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors calculate total factor productivity growth of a sample of agricultural cooperatives from 2005 to 2010 and use regression to determine the effect of leverage on productivity growth.

Findings

The findings indicate that there is a small but statistically significantly negative effect of leverage on productivity growth. This indicates that, at the margin, the costs of leverage outweigh the benefits.

Originality/value

This paper measures the magnitude of what is typically considered an important financial transaction cost. The authors find that the magnitude of this effect is small, indicating that government policy should address other financial issues.
Rainfall index insurance for corn farmers in Shandong based on high-resolution weather and yield data
Authors: Chen Wen , Hohl Roman , Tiong Lee Kong
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the development of cumulative rainfall deficit (CRD) indices for corn in Shandong Province, China, based on high-resolution weather (county, 1980-2011) and yield data (township, 1989-2010) for five counties in Tai’an prefecture.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey with farming households is undertaken to obtain local corn prices and production costs to compute the sum insured. CRD indices are developed for five corn-growth phases. Rainfall is spatially interpolated to derive indices for areas that are outside a 25 km radius from weather stations. To lower basis risk, triggers and exits of the payout functions are statistically determined rather than relying on water requirement levels.

Findings

The results show that rainfall deficits in the main corn-growth phases explain yield reductions to a satisfying degree, except for the emergence phase. Correlation coefficients between payouts of the CRD indices and yield reductions reach 0.86-0.96 and underline the performance of the indices with low basis risk. The exception is SA-Xintai (correlation 0.71) where a total rainfall deficit index performs better (0.87). Risk premium rates range from 5.6 percent (Daiyue) to 12.2 percent (SA-Xintai) and adequately reflect the drought risk.

Originality/value

This paper suggests that rainfall deficit indices can be used in the future to complement existing indemnity-based insurance products that do not cover drought for corn in Shandong or for CRD indices to operate as a new insurance product.
Do financially distressed firms misclassify core expenses?
Authors: Nagar Neerav , Sen Kaustav
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether financially distressed firms manipulate core or operating income through the misclassification of operating expenses as income-decreasing special items.

Design/methodology/approach

This sample comprises firms in the USA with data from 1989 to 2010. The authors used the methodology given in McVay (2006) and multiple regressions.

Findings

Managers of financially distressed firms are more likely to inflate core or operating income as compared to the healthy firms to meet or beat earnings benchmarks. They do so by misclassifying core or operating expenses as income-decreasing special items. Specifically, core expenses are shifted to income-decreasing special items like goodwill impairments, settlement costs, restructuring costs and write downs.

Practical implications

The paper sheds light on an important firm characteristic, financial distress that intensifies classification shifting – an earnings management tool which auditors, investors and regulators find tough to detect. The findings have implications for investors, as they fail to comprehend such shifting (McVay, 2006); analysts, who issue forecasts based on street earnings; lenders, as distressed firms may be concealing their true performance; and regulators, as the misclassification of income statement items is a violation of accounting principles.

Originality/value

The authors extend the literature on accruals and real earnings management by the financially troubled firms and present first evidence that the managers of such firms also manipulate core or operating income through classification shifting.
Measuring the independence of audit oversight entities: a comparative empirical analysis
Authors: Loehlein Lukas
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Independent audit oversight is a prerequisite for restoring public confidence in financial reporting and auditing after the past accounting scandals and the financial crisis. By analysing and comparing the independence of the audit oversight boards of 27 European Member States and the USA, this study aims to provide insights into the question of how independent “independent” audit oversight boards are.

Design/methodology/approach

Independence is measured in terms of the organisational compositions and regulatory competences of the audit oversight authorities. The data were collected through an e-mail questionnaire that was sent to all European oversight authorities, and by analysing legal provisions of various regulators. The results are analysed and visualised by a Partial Order Scalogram Analysis with Coordinates, which allows conclusions about the similarities of various systems and their relative levels of independence. Both measurements are then equally combined into one value of material independence, which is used to rank the oversight authorities.

Findings

Although all countries encounter similar pressures to establish profession-independent oversight systems, this study identifies how differently “independence” has been translated in regulatory outcomes. While all countries claim to possess formal independent oversight bodies, there is a visible gap between countries with comparatively strong independent oversight authorities and systems in which accounting bodies still maintain far-reaching regulatory influence. At the same time, the results question the role of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) as the globally perceived benchmark of an entirely independent regulator.

Research limitations/implications

This study focuses on formal independence rather than de-facto independence. Future research has, therefore, to address how these formal arrangements have evolved in regulatory practice.

Practical implications

Policy makers around the world perceive independent oversight as one of the essential elements of regulatory reforms aiming at restoring public confidence in the aftermath of past accounting scandals. This study enables the comparison and benchmarking of national specific regulatory designs with other forms of independent oversight.

Originality/value

Although the role of independent regulation is a recurring theme in accounting research, a systematic and encompassing comparison of the intertwining of audit oversight authorities and the accounting profession has not yet been provided. This study takes a first step towards providing a quantifiable measure of the formal independence of audit oversight authorities by mobilizing concepts, methods and prior findings from the field of public policy research.
Six Sigma model of transfer of development capability
Authors: Myszewski Jan M.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The paper presents a process of development of the capacity of resources used in the improvement of an organization. The purpose of this paper is to determine the conditions in which the development of the improvement capacity is sustainable.

Design/methodology/approach

As the basis for the study, the following prerequisites have been adopted: potential effects of the use of resources in a process can be expressed by their capacity, which involves the productivity and volume of the resources; a model of sustainability of improvement is based on the procedure ABC and principle of continuous improvement; an improvement process involves two components: subject matter (eliminating problems) and methodical (learning how to eliminate problems during the execution of subject matter tasks) projects; the methodology of Six Sigma can be a reference model, which is studied to identify and interpret elements and relationships that are characteristic for the process of sustainable development.

Findings

There have been formulated a model of the process of developing the improvement capacity in which the subject matter and methodical tasks are coupled, a model of the Six Sigma process that refers to the features of the process of development of the improvement capacity and three principles for sustainable development of improvement capacity.

Originality/value

The principles refer to decisions on the improvement process made at basic (strategic, tactical and operational) levels of an organization.
Improving software quality using Six Sigma DMAIC-based approach: a case study
Authors: Karout Racha , Awasthi Anjali
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Managing quality is a vital aspect in software development world, especially in the current business competition for the fast delivery of feature rich products with high quality. For an organization to meet its intended level of excellence in order to ensure its success, a culture of quality should be built where every individual is responsible of quality and not just the software testing team. However, delivering software products with very few bugs is a challenging constraint that is usually sacrificed in order for a company to meet other management constraints such as cost, scope and scheduling. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors present a Six Sigma DMAIC-based framework for improving software quality. Different phases of DMAIC methodology are applied for quality improvement in one of the largest software applications for “RK” company (name anonymized) in Canada where critical to quality aspects are identified, production bugs classified and measured, the causes of the large number of production bugs were specified leading to different improvement suggestions. Several metrics were proposed to help “RK” company control its software development process to ensure the success of the project under study.

Findings

This paper shows how companies can use a systematic approach such as DMAIC to eliminate errors and improve efficiency. It helps them to identify and implement improvements that leads to an increased confidence in the quality of the product produced at all levels.

Originality/value

By applying DMAIC at “RK” company the authors were able to demonstrate how DMAIC can help organizations improve the quality of their software products. As a result, reduce cost and cycle times, achieve customer satisfaction and improve profit margin.
Translating improvement methodology into healthcare culture
Authors: Simon James , Houle Mishaela
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss improvement of the business of health care delivery through the application of systematic problem solving. This was strengthened by recurrence prevention through standardization at every level transforming into culture.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology utilized is set derived from the true fiber and fabric of Toyota, the Toyota Business Practice (TBP) or eight-step problem solving and its translation into health care thinking by aligning to the process of clinical diagnosis of patients. The methodology that gives energy and direction to TBP is Hoshin Kanri, a Japanese approach to strategic planning. When you combine focus and purpose through strategic direction alongside a culture of systematic problem solving you get results.

Findings

The application of the Toyota mindset resulted in a cultural shift which built on the strength of the current organizational culture. This approach had a broad impact on the program impacting leadership and management roles, improved employee engagement, complete visibility of organizational priorities, improved system performance, visibility and awareness of the vision and defined measures that drive the health care system. This has also resulted in cost diversions of approximately five million dollars CDN.

Originality/value

A grass roots application of real-time problem solving through strategic alignment.
Management development experiences and expectations: informal vs formal learning
Authors: Becker Karen , Bish Adelle
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Many organisations are reconsidering their investment in formal education and training, in favour of more informal approaches to learning such as mentoring, temporary assignments, stretch assignments, and job rotation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which managers have developed capabilities for their roles thus far and their preferred approaches for future development with particular consideration given to a comparison of formal and informal learning.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports on a case study conducted within an Australian nonprofit organisation focussing on the extent to which managers attribute their current level of management skills to formal or informal learning and the extent to which they would prefer formal or informal learning (or a combination) for future development.

Findings

Findings indicate a large part of the managers’ current management capabilities were acquired through informal means, and these are seen as desirable for ongoing development, however, there is also a desire for formal learning methods to complement informal methods.

Originality/value

Management development is a critical HRD activity however there is limited knowledge about how managers have built their current capabilities and their preferences in terms of the mix of formal and informal learning for the future.
Does entrepreneurial education trigger more or less neoliberalism in education?
Authors: Lackéus Martin
Published: May 2017

Purpose

An emerging scholarly critique has claimed that entrepreneurial education triggers more neoliberalism in education, leading to increased inequality, neglect of civic values and an unjust blame of poor citizens for their misfortunes. The purpose of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of this potentially problematic relationship between entrepreneurial education and neoliberalism.

Design/methodology/approach

A Hegelian dialectic method is used consisting of three steps. First, a thesis is articulated based on emerging literature, stating that entrepreneurial education triggers more neoliberalism in education. Then an antithesis is developed representing a logical opposite to the thesis. Finally, the resulting tensions are embraced in a synthesis that triggers deeper understanding.

Findings

The synthesis indicates that entrepreneurial education based on a self-oriented search for own happiness leads to more neoliberalism in education, and entrepreneurial education based on an others-oriented search for a meaningful impact on others mitigates some of the already strong neoliberal tendencies in education.

Research limitations/implications

Due to an overlap between the two constructs, happiness and meaningfulness, it is difficult to fully disentangle doing well from doing good. How these two opposites interact is a topic that requires more research.

Practical implications

A “students-as-givers” kind of entrepreneurial education could represent a way to reach teachers currently skeptical of entrepreneurial education due to its perceived connection to capitalism. This could also make entrepreneurial education relevant to a wider student audience.

Originality/value

The paper represents a rare attempt to reconcile critical and praising perspectives on entrepreneurial education.
Telling stories: engaging critical literacy through urban legends in an English secondary school
Authors: Jones Susan , Chapman Katie
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Non-dominant voices have been further marginalised in the most recent national curriculum in England (DfE, 2014), and those working across the English teaching profession often find the subject framed according to narrow, assessment-driven models and prescribed skill sets. This paper aims to bring together two perspectives on the importance of literacy education that remains rooted in young people’s everyday experiences of place.

Design/methodology/approach

Chapman is a newly qualified secondary English teacher. She will share examples taken from her own classroom practice of the ways in which she has responded to stories told by young people about the places in which they live.

Findings

Jones is a tutor of initial teacher education (ITE). She suggests that Chapman’s approach provides persuasive exemplification of how engagement with alternatives to a dominant view of literacy should remain a key objective for those working with beginning teachers of English.

Originality/value

For Chapman’s students, urban legends are powerful texts which offer the means to explore what we do when we tell stories, both inside and outside the English classroom. As will be shown, such stories are telling examples of the resources young people can bring to critical literacy learning in current classrooms. In the context of the dominance of a narrow, mandated experience of English as a subject, the imperative becomes even greater to recognise stories such as those shared by Chapman’s students as opportunities for authentic, creative and critical engagement with text.
The morphing assessment terrain for English learners in US schools
Authors: Hutchinson Mary , Hadjioannou Xenia
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the public policy reshaping the assessment terrain for English learners (ELs) across the USA and to consider the implications and impact of these practices on sustaining and supporting a diverse student population in today’s schools.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors review the literature and publicly available policy documents to trace key policy trends over the past 15 years that have shaped the current educational landscape and assessment practices for ELs in the USA.

Findings

In the USA, the 2015 Common Core State Standards (CCSSs) assessments generated worrisome results for ELs, as significant numbers had failing scores in English language arts and math. These results are juxtaposed to public policies that impact the educational experience of ELs, including No Child Left Behind and the CCSS, and which, despite their stated intentions to ameliorate the achievement gap, are found to be assimilationist in nature. Indeed, a review of the initiatives of developing common EL standards and English language proficiency tests and the recommendations for EL accommodations in state tests suggests several areas of concern. The recently passed Every Student Succeeds Act focuses on this vulnerable population, but there are concerns that the continued focus on accountability and testing will do little to facilitate academic progress for these students.

Practical implications

The paper recommends a need to reevaluate the support and testing process for ELs to stem widespread failure and ascertain the sustenance of democratic and diversified schools.

Originality/value

The study provides an overview of key policy trends, outlines and critiques recent changes in the assessment of ELs and draws implications for practice.
Reassessment of sentence combining and decombining
Authors: Lee Hansol , Lee Jang Ho
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of sentence combining (SC) and sentence decombining (SD) activities on fostering reading comprehension. As a widely used writing activity for enhancing syntactic fluency in English Language Arts (ELA) classes, SC requires learners to combine short sentences into longer and more complex sentences, while SD requires learners to break down a long sentence into the shortest grammatically allowable sentences.

Design/methodology/approach

This study assessed the effects of SD and SC in comparison with a control group on the improvement of reading comprehension ability among college students learning English as their second language (L2) in the context of a six-week English language learning program. Participants with overall intermediate English language proficiency were randomly assigned to one of three different conditions: SC, SD and control. Also, a subset of the participants was interviewed after the intervention.

Findings

The results showed that SD was more effective than SC or control condition in enhancing syntactic knowledge and reading comprehension, as measured by a standardized English proficiency test. Data obtained from post-study interviews further suggested that only SD was perceived by the participants as having enhanced their reading comprehension.

Originality/value

The present study provides a valuable addition to a body of research on sentence manipulation activities in ELA classes. For those L2 learners who have passed a pre-intermediate threshold level, SD appears to be more beneficial than SC in enhancing syntactic knowledge, which, in turn, appears to contribute to better reading comprehension.
Educational innovation as re-mediation: a sociocultural perspective
Authors: Beck Sarah W.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this theoretical essay is to discuss recent scholarship in sociocultural studies of literacy – including two recent books by Peter Smagorinsky (2011) and Luis Moll (2013) and recent articles by Gutierrez and Engestrom – and to synthesize ideas from this scholarship into a coherent lens for understanding innovations in language and literacy education and in education more broadly, when language is seen as the means through which transformation of thought is achieved.

Design/methodology/approach

This essay uses ideas from Vygotskian theory, as interpreted by Moll, Smagorinsky, Gutierrez and Engestrom, to re-conceptualize innovation – a theme of current importance in literacy education and indeed education broadly – as culturally mediated. The author discusses specifically two examples of recent innovations in educational practice – the notion of multiliteracies and approaches to teacher education based on hybrid activity settings that link researchers and teachers, university and school.

Findings

As this is not an empirical study, there are no findingsper se. However, the author’s discussion of innovation through a sociocultural lens focuses on re-mediation and the deliberate, conscious setting of goals as a means for construction knowledge in, and about, innovations in literacy teaching and learning. Also, the author concludes the essay with several principles by which to evaluate innovations from a sociocultural perspective.

Research limitations/implications

This conceptual paper has the potential to contribute to new ways of applying sociocultural theory in literacy teaching and research, particularly research that involves the study of innovative, transformative practices in teaching and learning.

Originality/value

This essay offers a theory-driven reconceptualization of innovation for use in educational research and practice, which has a potential value as an antidote to shallow, narrow and/or prescriptive models of language and literacy innovations that are offered to practitioners. Put another way, it offers readers a new way to think about innovation in sustainable and culturally relevant terms.
Engaging English language learners through interactive read-alouds: a literature review
Authors: Cole Mikel Walker , Dunston Pamela J. , Butler Tracy
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review published research on using interactive read-alouds in the instruction of English language learners (ELLs). In particular, this paper emphasizes the practical application of research findings to help classroom teachers and other educators make instructional decisions that promote both effective and equitable instruction.

Design/methodology/approach

For this literature review, the authors conducted a systematic keyword search of multiple electronic databases to identify relevant research studies. Once studies were identified, the authors used a qualitative content analysis method (Guba and Lincoln, 1981; Holsti, 1969; Lincoln and Guba, 1985) to identify themes.

Findings

The findings were grouped into three distinct categories: pedagogy, language and culture. While many aspects of effective interactive read-alouds are similar for ELLs and mainstream students, this paper highlights elements of interactive read-alouds that are different or especially important for ELLs.

Originality/value

This review, unlike the 2,000 potentially relevant studies initially identified, considers the interplay of pedagogy, language and culture when using interactive read-alouds with ELLs. The explicit focus on practical classroom application makes this literature review useful for both researchers and practitioners.
Multimodal exploration of civic stance in the English Language Arts classroom
Authors: Doerr-Stevens Candance
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This study/paper aims to explore civic participation within multimodal expression. With the rise of content produced and circulated within participatory cultures online, there has been much attention raised regarding questions of audience and attention to this content. For example, does production of media content constitute having a voice if no one is paying attention?

Design/methodology/approach

Using multimodal analysis and mediated discourse analysis, this study examines adolescents’ school-based media production and use of multimodal ensembles to recruit and maintain audience attention to specific content in their radio and video documentaries.

Findings

Research findings reveal deliberate attempts to connect with audience needs when creating media as well as exploration of emerging civic identities.

Research limitations/implications

Questions for how researchers in literacy and learning can further investigate and articulate civic engagement and advocacy are suggested.

Practical implications

Implications for how teachers can use multimodality to create spaces for civic engagement are provided.

Originality/value

This study is original in that few studies have applied the concepts of participatory politics to media products and process conducted in school settings. This study begins to test the utility of these constructs.
Seeking rhythm in white noise: working with whiteness in English education
Authors: Tanner Samuel Jaye , Berchini Christina
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The authors of this paper are both white English education scholars with antiracist agendas. This conceptual manuscript aims – in part – to better understand the backlash both of them have faced in trying to contribute to antiracist teaching and research in English education.

Design/methodology/approach

This manuscript uses practices of narrative inquiry to tell and interpret stories about the authors’ work.

Findings

The authors hope to critique traditional notions of white resistance in favor of more careful theorizations of whiteness that can be helpful for teachers and scholars in English education and English Language Arts (ELA)with an interest in facilitation antiracist pedagogy.

Originality/value

Ultimately, with this work, the authors hope to provoke readers to consider how work with whiteness is processed by white people, especially in terms of teaching and learning in English education and ELA. They believe the field of English education should begin to discuss this issue.
The role of the chief information security officer in the management of IT security
Authors: Karanja Erastus
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The aim of this study is to advance research on the position of the CISO by investigating the role that CISOs play before and after an IT security breach. There is a dearth of academic research literature on the role of a chief information security officer (CISO) in the management of Information Technology (IT) security. The limited research literature exists despite the increasing number and complexity of IT security breaches that lead to significant erosions in business value.

Design/methodology/approach

The study makes use of content analysis and agency theory to explore a sample of US firms that experienced IT security breaches between 2009 and 2015 and how these firms reacted to the IT security breaches.

Findings

The results indicate that following the IT security breaches, a number of the impacted firms adopted a reactive plan that entailed a re-organization of the existing IT security strategy and the hiring of a CISO. Also, there is no consensus on the CISO reporting structure since most of the firms that hired a CISO for the first time had the CISO report either to the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Information Officer.

Research limitations/implications

The findings will inform researchers, IT educators and industry practitioners on the roles of CISOs as well as advance research on how to mitigate IT security vulnerabilities.

Originality/value

The need for research that advances an understanding of how to effectively manage the security of IT resources is timely and is driven by the growing frequency and sophistication of the IT security breaches as well as the significant direct and indirect costs incurred by both the affected firms and their stakeholders.
Measuring employees’ compliance – the importance of value pluralism
Authors: Karlsson Fredrik , Karlsson Martin , Åström Joachim
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate two different types of compliance measures: the first measure is a value-monistic compliance measure, whereas the second is a value-pluralistic measure, which introduces the idea of competing organisational imperatives.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was developed using two sets of items to measure compliance. The survey was sent to 600 white-collar workers and analysed through ordinary least squares.

Findings

The results suggest that when using the value-monistic measure, employees’ compliance was a function of employees’ intentions to comply, their self-efficacy and awareness of information security policies. In addition, compliance was not related to the occurrence of conflicts between information security and other organisational imperatives. However, when the dependent variable was changed to a value-pluralistic measure, the results suggest that employees’ compliance was, to a great extent, a function of the occurrence of conflicts between information security and other organisational imperatives, indirect conflicts with other organisational values.

Research limitations/implications

The results are based on small survey; yet, the findings are interesting and justify further investigation. The results suggest that relevant organisational imperatives and value systems, along with information security values, should be included in measures for employees’ compliance with information security policies.

Practical implications

Practitioners and researchers should be aware that there is a difference in measuring employees’ compliance using value monistic and value pluralism measurements.

Originality/value

Few studies exist that critically compare the two different compliance measures for the same population.
A general morphological analysis: delineating a cyber-security culture
Authors: Gcaza Noluxolo , von Solms Rossouw , Grobler Marthie M. , van Vuuren Joey Jansen
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to define and delineate cyber security culture. Cyber security has been a concern for many years. In an effort to mitigate the cyber security risks, technology-centred measures were deemed to be the ultimate solution. Nowadays, however, it is accepted that the process of cyber security requires much more than mere technical controls. On the contrary, it now demands a human-centred approach, including a cyber security culture. Although the role of cultivating a culture in pursuing cyber security is well appreciated, research focusing intensely on cyber security culture is still in its infancy. Additionally, knowledge on the subject is not clearly bounded and defined.

Design/methodology/approach

General morphological analysis (GMA) is used to define, structure and analyse the cyber security environment culture.

Findings

This paper identifies the most important variables in cultivating a cyber security culture.

Research implications

The delineation of the national cyber security domain will contribute to the relatively new domain of cyber security culture. They contribute to the research community by means of promoting a shared and common understanding of terms. It is a step in the right direction towards eliminating the ambiguity of domain assumptions.

Practical implications

Practically, the study can assist developing nations in constructing strategies that addresses the key factors that need to be apparent in lieu to cultivating its envisaged national culture of cyber security. Additionally, the GMA will contribute to the development of solutions or means that do not overlook interrelations of such factors.

Originality/value

Delineating and defining the cyber security culture domain more precisely could greatly contribute to realizing the elements that collectively play a role in cultivating such a culture for a national perspective.
Who becomes a public sector employee?
Authors: Maczulskij Terhi
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which individual characteristics are related to the decision to become a public sector employee using twin study data matched with register-based, individual-level panel data for the 1991-2009 period.

Design/methodology/approach

The probability of public sector entry is examined using fixed effects logit regression to control for shared environmental and genetic factors.

Findings

The results show that unobserved factors partially explain the well-documented relationships between many individual characteristics and public sector employment choice. However, the results also show that highly educated and more extraverted individuals are more likely to enter public sector employment, even when both shared environmental and genetic factors are controlled for. Workers also tend to exit the private sector to enter the public sector at lower wage levels.

Originality/value

The twin design used in this paper represents a contribution to the existing literature. This paper is also the first to examine the probability of entry into the public sector instead of comparing public sector workers with private sector workers.
The effects of longer commutes, unsolicited job offers, and working in the Seoul metropolitan area on the turnover intentions of Korean employees
Authors: Kim Hyondong , Park Jisung
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the importance of commuting time in the turnover intentions of Korean employees. This study also examines the impact of unsolicited job offers and working in the Seoul metropolitan area to elucidate the role of commuting time in determining turnover intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study used two waves of the Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey, a large-scale survey of Korean employees. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to test the research model on 11,469 and 11,587 Korean employees in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Findings

The commuting time increases turnover intentions, as do unsolicited job offers and working in the Seoul metropolitan area. Unsolicited job offers increase the turnover intentions of Korean employees more when they suffer from longer commutes, especially if they work in the Seoul metropolitan region.

Research limitations/implications

The study highlights the role of commuting time as resource loss that diminishes employees’ ability to cope with their job demands, which can be a predictive variable for turnover intentions. This study also considers unsolicited job offers and the Seoul metropolitan area as increasing ease of movement, elucidating the process through which commuting time is related to turnover intentions.

Originality/value

The present study adopts the resource conservation and ease-of-movement concepts to increase the understanding of the complexity of commuting time in determining turnover intentions.
Output feedback assistive control of single-DOF SEA powered exoskeletons
Authors: Kardan Iman , Akbarzadeh Alireza
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to overcome some of the practical difficulties in assistive control of exoskeletons by developing a new assistive algorithm, called output feedback assistive control (OFAC) method. This method does not require feedbacks from force, electromyography (EMG) or acceleration signals or even their estimated values.

Design/methodology/approach

The presented controller uses feedbacks from position and velocity of the output link of series elastic actuators (SEAs) to increase the apparent integral admittance of the assisted systems. Optimal controller coefficients are obtained by maximizing the assistance ratio subjected to constraints of stability, coupled stability and a newly defined comfort measure.

Findings

The results confirm the effectiveness of using the inherent properties of SEAs for removing the need for extra controversial sensors in assistive control of 1 degree of freedom (1-DOF) SEA powered exoskeletons. The results also clearly indicate the successful performance of the OFAC method in reducing the external forces required for moving the assisted systems.

Practical implications

As the provided experiments indicate, the proposed method can be easily applied to single DOF compliantly actuated exoskeletons to provide a more reliable assistance with lower costs. This is achieved by removing the need for extra controversial sensors.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a novel assistive controller for SEA-powered exoskeletons with a simple model-free structure and independent of any information about interaction forces and future paths of the system. It also removes the requirement for the extra sensors and transforms the assistive control of the compliantly actuated systems into a simpler problem of position control of the SEA motor.
Robotic autonomous behavior selection using episodic memory and attention system
Authors: Liu Dong , Cong Ming , Du Yu , Zou Qiang , Cui Yingxue
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on the autonomous behavior selection issue of robotics from the perspective of episodic memory in cognitive neuroscience with biology-inspired attention system. It instructs a robot to follow a sequence of behaviors. This is similar to human travel to a target location by guidance.

Design/methodology/approach

The episodic memory-driving Markov decision process is proposed to simulate the organization of episodic memory by introducing neuron stimulation mechanism. Based on the learned episodic memory, the robotic global planning method is proposed for efficient behaviors sequence prediction using bottom-up attention. Local behavior planning based on risk function and feasible paths is used for behavior reasoning under imperfect memory. Aiming at the problem of whole target selection under redundant environmental information, a top-down attention servo control method is proposed to effectively detect the target containing multi-parts and distractors which share same features with the target.

Findings

Based on the proposed method, the robot is able to accumulate experience through memory, and achieve adaptive behavior planning, prediction and reasoning between tasks, environment and threats. Experimental results show that the method can balance the task objectives, select the suitable behavior according to current environment.

Originality/value

The behavior selection method is integrated with cognitive levels to generate optimal behavioral sequence. The challenges in robotic planning under uncertainty and the issue of target selection under redundant environment are addressed.
Synthesis and experiment of a lower limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robot
Authors: Li Jian , Chen Diansheng , Tao Chunjing , Li Hui
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Many studies have shown that rehabilitation robots are crucial for lower limb dysfunction, but application of many robotics have yet to be seen to actual use in China. This study aimed to improve a lower limb rehabilitation robot by details improving and practical design.

Design/methodology/approach

Structures and control system of a lower limb rehabilitation robot are improved in detail, including joint calculations, comfort analysis and feedback logic creation, and prototype experiments on healthy individuals and patients are conducted in a hospital.

Findings

All participating subjects did not experience any problems. The experiment shows detail improving is reasonable, and feasibility of the robot was confirmed, which has potential for overcoming difficulties and problems in practical application.

Research limitations/implications

Therapeutic effects need to be evaluated in the future. Also, more details should be improved continuously based on the actual demand.

Originality/value

The improved robot could assist the lower limb during standing or walking, which has significance for practical application and patients in China.
Going East: a framework for reverse innovation in SMEs
Authors: Dellermann Dominik
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Past research demonstrated that reverse innovation initiatives generate tremendous returns for innovators. However, the focus is on multinational corporations (MNCs). This paper aims to provide a framework how Western small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can drive reverse innovation success.

Design/methodology/approach

The author adopted an exploratory single case study research design. It draws on the findings from a German SME operating in the healthcare industry.

Findings

The research reveals that SME can use emerging markets growth opportunities by leveraging open business networks and a clear strategic focus on emerging economies as well as reverse commercialization. The findings provide a framework for managers of SMEs.

Originality/value

This paper analyses an important way for SMEs to enter emerging markets that has not been explored yet in the management literature and business practice. It offers deep insights of a unique case.
Business model performance: five key drivers
Authors: Haggège Meyer , Gauthier Caroline , Rüling Charles-Clemens
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to help readers to better understand and manage the key drivers of business model performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper investigates research on business model performance to identify and illustrate five static and dynamic performance drivers.

Findings

While performance mechanisms linked to traditional business model components remain instrumental for business model success, the authors argue that managers need to adopt a more dynamic view, emphasizing how changing combinations of drivers matter over a firm’s life cycle.

Originality/value

The proposed approach combines insights from multiple theoretical perspective into an actionable framework for management practitioners.
Discovering digital business models in traditional industries
Authors: Remane Gerrit , Hanelt Andre , Nickerson Robert C. , Kolbe Lutz M.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide managers from traditional industries with a blueprint to systematically analyze and discover digital business models and, thus, better cope with the digital transformation of their industrial businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed blueprint is built on state-of-the-art research on digital business model innovation and a rigorous taxonomy-building approach. The process is demonstrated through a simplified case study of a passenger transport company.

Findings

The process involves three steps: identifying existing products and services, deconstructing business models and discovering new configurations. The managers from the case company very positively evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed procedure.

Originality/value

The proven methodology relates the generic components of digital business models to a specific firm’s context, listing the solution space for each relevant dimension. The resulting framework aids in better understanding the existing business models and serves as a tool for the systematic discovery of new models.