bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reboot Systems: bridging digital divide – the green way
Authors: Raghavan Srividya
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Emerging markets – marketing and business strategy; social entrepreneurship; opportunity identification; frugal innovation.

Study level/applicability

MBA; marketing management; specialis ed courses such as entrepreneurship and international marketing. Data rich case, but analytical difficulty is only moderate.

Case overview

Reboot Systems was conceived as a reverse engineering/refurbishing company for used computers when Rahul Chowdhury and Subbarao came in contact with Anand Tater who had started a small business in the used computer market. The team recognised the potential of the refurbished computer market in India, which was largely unorganised with penetration of personal computers pegged at less than 5 per cent. They identified the opportunity to address the digital divide, caused by lack of affordability and accessibility, by providing inexpensive “as good as new” used computers to those who aspired to own a computer. Additionally, in extending the life of used computers on a large-scale through “frugal innovation”, they hoped to reduce the extent of e-waste generated in the economy. This case provides a rich description of an emerging market characterised by market heterogeneity, social-political governance with poor policy measures, unorganised markets, chronic shortage of resources and inadequate infrastructure. Entrepreneurs hoping to address social issues must tackle these problems at the grass-root level and come up with improvised solutions that address the unique needs of the heterogeneous and resource constrained market. Some of Reboot Systems pressing challenges were in building a viable strategic approach to the market and ensuring scalability in a sustainable way.

Expected learning outcomes

An understanding of the characteristics of an emerging market from a macro (environmental) as well as micro (industry specific) perspective, an appreciation of opportunity identification and improvisation in emerging markets as well as differentiating “frugal” innovation from the idea of “Jugaad”, an understanding of the role of strategic vision and mission in accomplishing social and business objectives, an understanding of how to develop sustainability and competitive advantage from a social as well as business perspective.

Supplementary materials

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Zayed Al Hussaini Group: the road ahead for the family business in the UAE
Authors: Shahid Anam , Bodolica Virginia , Spraggon Martin
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Corporate strategy and family business management.

Study level/applicability

The case is designed for usage in senior-level undergraduate courses of strategic management and managing family businesses.

Case overview

This case study relates the story of the launch and development of Zayed Al Hussaini Group, a family business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The business had been established a year after the unionization of the different Emirates by the founder, Zayed Al Hussaini, in partnership with his brother. Following a series of strategic moves, such as acquisitions and divestures, and adverse family-related events, the Group was led solely by the founder himself. Over the years, Zayed Al Hussaini Group has grown to become a successful family business in various industries of its operation, but following the death of the founder's son, the company activities have been struck with chaos. Zayed's nephew, Ahmed, who had left the family business to continue his studies and work at McKinsey & Company in London, has been called back home after eight years to take the lead of the entire Group. However, he is faced with several challenges, such as dealing with the family gap he has developed over time and balancing family and business priorities. Will Ahmed be able to make the right decisions in the role and responsibilities that have been bestowed upon him?

Expected learning outcomes

To analyse the process of launching a family business and making strategic decisions for managing its development over time.

To assess the potential difficulties and challenges which are associated with managing a family-run organization.

To evaluate the effectiveness of decisions with regards to the company's growth and succession management planning.

To apply relevant theoretical concepts to the analysis of complex situations in the specific context of family businesses.

Supplementary materials

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Yogen Früz: it's all about ü
Authors: Alsharji Adel , Ahmad Syed Zamberi
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Entrepreneurship, entrepreneurialism, marketing strategy, strategic stakeholder engagement.

Study level/applicability

Entrepreneurship policy makers, post-graduate level, practitioners interested in MENA region.

Case overview

Yogen Früz is a leading frozen-yogurt franchising network started in 1986 in Ontario, Canada, as a small business adventure. It then grew to be the largest frozen-yogurt company in the world after acquiring many of its smaller competitors locally and internationally. In 2002, new key players entered the market and set new benchmarks in the frozen-yogurt industry, which led to Yogen Früz losing its dominance and closing many shops. This case study is written to show how Yogen Früz, the world's largest frozen-yogurt chain, was outperformed by new, small-sized rivals in the industry. This case explains the successful strategic move made by Yogen Früz to adopt a rebranding strategy and reintroduce itself with a totally new brand image. Yogen Früz specializes in frozen yogurt and now has more than 100 flavors and 1,300 outlets around the world.

Expected learning outcomes

This case study will expose students to a strategically successful example of expansion and critical thinking beyond the daily operation of a business. The students will be able to apply business process models, SWOT analysis.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Radiance: transaction level pricing in the Indian fireworks industry
Authors: Pandey Neeraj , Singh Gaganpreet
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Pricing, Marketing Management, Strategic Marketing.

Study level/applicability

The case can be used for pricing course besides Marketing Management and Strategic Management course to MBA students and/or for Management Development Programmes.

Case overview

ABC Fireworks Private Limited, located in Saharanpur, was into business of manufacturing fireworks under the brand name of Radiance. The owner Mr Sudhir Kapoor was satisfied with the present revenue growth and profit margin except that the cash flow was quite intermittent. The consumption pattern of Indian fireworks industry was highly skewed. Approximately 90 per cent of the entire year manufactured stock had retail market of just 5 days ahead of Diwali festival. To cater to this massive demand, the production was carried out for the whole year. Mr Kapoor was planning to restructure pricing policy so as to have regular cash flow throughout the year. To meet this objective, he was considering price promotion strategy as a preferred option which would enable his marketing team to offer specific discounts to stockists using time slab mechanism. The fireworks industry had four channel distribution processes. The product line was broadly divided into three categories, namely, sound, aerial shots and sparkles. The organization was not into manufacturing of aerial shots product category but was planning to make a foray into it. The case provides interesting insights into pricing dynamics prevalent in the Indian fireworks industry. It includes first-hand information about fireworks price, cost break-up and profit distribution among various members of the industry's value chain.

Expected learning outcomes

The case enables students to learn the concept and application of pricing, price-based promotion, discounts and price waterfall analysis in the firework industry.

Supplementary materials

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A Mexican edutainment business model: KidZania
Authors: Castorena David Güemes , Prado José Aldo Díaz
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Management of technology, technological innovation, business innovation and new product development, innovation, design and strategy, entrepreneurship innovation and leadership strategic planning of technological innovation.

Study level/applicability

MBA.

Case overview

KidZania® is a Mexican company of family entertainment centers, founded in 1996 by Luis Javier Laresgoiti Fernández and fully developed by Xavier López Ancona. An innovative concept inspired in a fusion of nursery and theme park, KidZania®, brings together strong brands as partners to support their own and offer a complete entertainment and educational experience to kids between two and 16 years old. A unique business model, involvement of experts and a committed board of directors has been the key to the innovation of KidZania®. Its managers, by 2011, operate eight centers – two in Mexico, two in Japan and the rest in Indonesia, Portugal, United Arab Emirates and South Korea – and have plans to expand to more countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe in 2011 and finally to the USA. The future of KidZania® seemed bright, and the manager of the company believed that the growth appeared unstoppable because the purpose was to grow on 100 percent. The strategy appeared clear: dominate in the emerging and consolidated markets (big cities) in order to strengthen its competitive position and then, enter the US market with all the muscle and take the lead in the biggest market. But what was the competition going to do about it? What will the moves be for big players like Walt Disney – which had revenues of US$38.06 billion (USSEC, 2010), for example? Will the competitors try to buy the new entrant in order to build it up or to disappear it? Or will they try to imitate KidZania®? What would be the future of this new edutainment business model?

Expected learning outcomes

This case has been used in executive and MBA courses in creating and sustaining innovation, recognizing disruptive technologies, and in identifying effective methods of marketing a new innovative business model. Instructors can use the case to achieve the following two learning objectives: the KidZania® case helps students to refine their understanding of the model of disruption. They are forced to look closely at the product/service and decide whether it is a disruptive innovation or a sustaining innovation. This close examination becomes a helpful tool as students think about what decisions they would make to secure the success of the KidZania® in the entertainment market. The KidZania® case allows students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of the model “skating to where the money is”. Based on their analysis of the company and product students, must decide whether the KidZania® is a business that will produce sustained revenue and is worth investing in.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or e-mail support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Citizen Chen: a challenging test for bilateral diplomacy
Authors: Michalon Barthélémy
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Diplomatic and consular policies; legal aspects of international relations and Asia regional scenario.

Study level/applicability

Undergraduate.

Case overview

In April 2012, high-level officials from China and the USA were about to meet in Beijing in the framework of the bilateral Strategic and Economic Dialogue, organized on a yearly basis. The event was always delicate, due to the ambiguous relationship existing between the two countries, which were at the same time rivals and dependent on one another. That time, the tension previous to the meeting increased significantly: a Chinese human rights activist had just sought and obtained diplomatic protection in the US Embassy in Beijing, thus creating an embarrassing situation for both States' foreign departments […] How could they possibly solve this contentious issue without affecting their already sensitive relationship?

Expected learning outcomes

Analytical: to be aware of the political nature of the current Chinese Government; to realize the concrete and practical implications of an Embassy's special status; to balance two contradictory objectives, in a specific situation where none of them can be fully discarded; to contrast and try to combine long-term goals (in this case, to maintain a functioning relationship between two main world powers) with short-term objectives (in this case, how to deal with a Chinese activist that required protection against his own country's security forces); to find a modus vivendi (conciliation) between values and interests; to get convinced that certain kinds of negotiations cannot be conceived through a “win or lose” approach: in this case, the only way out must be respectful of the two parties' core interests; and to take into account that image preservation (“face-saving”) must be included within any country's objectives in any situation involving diplomatic means. Conceptual: the purpose is to familiarize the students with specific concepts, such as: best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA), which is to be mentioned as part of the discussion (it is not included in the case study itself); interdependence; (purported) Group of Two; asylum and refuge; Immunity; and sending state/receiving state.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Selling? That is easy
Authors: Ponce Lizette Huezo , Marrón Moisés Carbajal , Romero Alberto Malpica , Chapa Jorge Velarde
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Thematic area and related topics. The general thematic area involves the organizational culture of micro-businesses and also addresses the following related topics: entrepreneurship; formation of work teams; organizational development; and strategic planning. Courses where this case study may be applicable: enterprise pre-planning; development of entrepreneurs; and technological entrepreneurs.

Study level/applicability

MBA

Case overview

It puts forward the scenario of a young entrepreneur following a course of study in systems engineering (Nacho), who identified a business opportunity in the area of customized software development. In order to exploit this opportunity, Nacho formed a partnership with a group of colleagues who were engaged on the same course of study; unfortunately however, it soon became apparent that the lack of administrative experience of the members of the partnership would present difficulties. To summarize, the case seeks to illustrate the importance of the evaluation of critical factors in the formation of work teams, using the formation of the OpenGate enterprise as a vehicle. In addition, it seeks to illustrate the administrative challenges facing such enterprises where the founders do not have a formal business background.

Expected learning outcomes

To stimulate reflection on the part of students about the importance of considering the strengths and weaknesses of business partners instrumental in new enterprise start-up. To identify critical factors related to the success of an entrepreneurial team. To identify organizational challenges for start-up businesses. Specific teaching objectives: identification of the following entrepreneurial characteristics: professional characteristics; experience; tolerance of ambiguity; sensitivity to business opportunities; and personal values. Identification of the following elements in the new business start-up team: organizational structure; culture; strategy; client relationships; and provider relationships. To propose organizational alternatives for the business based on an analysis of the aforementioned elements (definition of position profiles). To identify critical points in the management of the business (leadership, culture, organization, etc.).

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email: support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Recalling Toyota
Authors: Tomas Cynthia Montaudon
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Quality control in the automobile industry. Supply chain management. Brand reputation. Decision making. Civil responsibility.

Study level/applicability

MBA.

Case overview

In 2004 a Toyota Hilux was involved in a traffic accident in Japan because of a defective rod which cracked. The driver lost control of the vehicle. In Japan, the problem was regarded as negligence, and Toyota implemented a recall program. Toyota's CEO needs to inform to the public how the issues related to the recall were not detected in the design and production process.

Expected learning outcomes

Understand how a problem in quality control occurred and to analyze all the possible causes and solutions. To identify the stakeholders that were involved in the problems, and to evaluate what was at stake for each one of them.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Buyer control in domestic and international supplier-buyer relationships
Authors: Buvik Arnt , Andersen Otto , Gronhaug Kjell
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of the prior relationship length and employments of supplier specific investments on buyers' control, and compare this effect across international and domestic business-to-business relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

– The sampling frame consisted of members of a National Association Purchasing and Logistics, and the respondents were asked to select one major supplier that would serve as a referent in answering the questions. In total, 156 purchasing firms responded to the questionnaire, and multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

– Under condition with substantial supplier specific investments, buyers' control relaxes significantly as the length of the relationship increases in international supplier-buyer relationships, while such change in governance pattern is completely absent in domestic relationships.

Research limitations/implications

– This study is based on a cross-sectional design and does not fully capture the dynamics of business-to-business relationships. Future research should use different methodologies such as longitudinal studies to examine dynamic relationships among the constructs in the study.

Practical implications

– When strong inter-firm dependency is present, the level of buyer control in relationships with foreign suppliers is typically high in the early stage of the relationships in order to handle the problems of information asymmetry and prospective opportunistic behavior, and decline as the buyer's experiential knowledge with the foreign supplier increases with successive lower performance ambiguity. This governance pattern is less evident in domestic business-to-business relationships due to the potential effect of stronger reputation effects and stronger familiarity with current standards of trade.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to the understanding that the changes in governance form over time will be highly contingent on the level of information asymmetry and inter-firm dependency in the early stage of the exchange relationship.
Cause marketing communications
Authors: Samu Sridhar , Wymer Walter
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to investigate the effects of type of message (information/buy), the moderating effects of fit (high/low) and salience (brand vs cause) and the mediating effects of attributions of partner motives in cause marketing advertisements.

Design/methodology/approach

– Two experiments, one with students and the second with a more representative sample of the population were used to investigate the effects. ANOVA and structural equation modeling were used to test the relationships.

Findings

– Fit and salience were found to be key moderators on the effect of type of message on consumer responses. While brands can use a buy message when they are salient, this benefits them only when fit is high. For informational messages, cause salience leads to positive outcomes, especially when fit is low. Further, consumer attributions of partner motives mediate responses to the advertisement.

Research limitations/implications

– Type of message is an important variable that needs to be selected with care. However, the moderating effects of fit and salience and the mediating effects of consumer attributions of partner motives may be able to overcome type of message.

Practical implications

– Initial partner selection is critical for the brand. A second key factor is inferences due to the specific message, fit and salience. Nonprofit firms have less to worry about fit compared to brands as attitude and behavioral intentions are high under both fit conditions.

Social implications

– Cause marketing can be used successfully to benefit both brand and cause simultaneously.

Originality/value

– This study examines the effects for both brands and causes and suggests ways in which both can benefit, leading to a win–win situation. This is an important contribution to the cause marketing field.
Price promotions effects of virtue and vice products
Authors: Parreño-Selva Josefa , José Mas-Ruiz Francisco , Ruiz-Conde Enar
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to propose models that capture the own effect of price promotions of virtue and vice products on sales and cross effects within the subcategory, between subcategories and between periods. The hypotheses assume that, due to reverse consumption self-control, the demand for vice products is more price-sensitive than demand for virtue products, but the demand for vice products is less price-sensitive between periods than demand for virtue products; furthermore, due to the degree of impulse-buying and to licensing, the demand sensitivity of the products of a subcategory and of those of other subcategories varies according to the type of promoted product (vice or virtue).

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology is based on different econometrical models that estimate the total net effect of price promotions of virtue and vice products on sales.

Findings

– The results show a greater own effect for price promotions of vice products than for virtue products. However, the complementary sales effect between subcategories for virtue products facilitates greater expansion of the subcategory in virtue products than in vice products.

Originality/value

– Although price promotions of virtue products (light) and vice products (regular) have proliferated in recent years, researchers have only estimated their own sales effect. Alternatively, the paper contributes by considering own and cross effects.
The good, the bad and the variable
Authors: B.I. Situmeang Frederik , A.A.M. Leenders Mark , M. Wijnberg Nachoem
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the marketing literature and practice by examining the relationship between evaluations of past editions in a series and the success of a sequel.

Design/methodology/approach

– A set of hypotheses was developed, guided by the theory of reasoned action, that state under what conditions past edition evaluations are more strongly related to sequel success. Data obtained from video game aggregator Web sites are used to test the hypotheses by means of a two-stage model estimation.

Findings

– Past evaluations of previous editions are related to sequel success. High variability among evaluations of past editions seems to be a negative weighting factor regarding the impact that past evaluations have on sequel buying. The relationship between consumer evaluations of past editions and sales of the sequel is more positive if there is a large community of users and if the product is consumed socially.

Research limitations/implications

– This study pertains to the strategic marketing of sequentially released products and provides new insight into whether and how past evaluations carry over from past editions in the series to the latest sequel.

Practical implications

– This study helps marketing managers to better manage sequels and use evaluations of earlier editions to assess the potential of a sequel.

Originality/value

– The paper explores the carry-over mechanism between earlier editions of a product and later sequels by studying evaluations of earlier editions in the series. It highlights the impact of variability of evaluations in the series as well as other factors, including whether the product is consumed individually or socially.
Organisational support for employee learning
Authors: Lancaster Sue , Di Milia Lee
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to describe the forms of organisational support that employees perceived as helpful to support their learning. This study aims to explore how organisational support is distinct from other kinds of learning support.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a qualitative exploratory study utilising a cross-sectional design. Interviews were conducted in a large multi-site Australian organisation with 24 graduates from four leadership development programmes.

Findings

– The results from this study extend the literature relating to work environment as an important factor in supporting employee learning. We differentiate between the types of support that employees perceived the organisation provided from other types of learning support. The results suggest that for organisations to positively impact employees’ learning, they should pay attention to three key factors: provide high-quality relevant development programmes; ensure that course content is aligned with the organisations strategy and the employees work; and ensure senior management commitment throughout all aspects of the employee development process.

Originality/value

– This study gives voice to employees’ perceptions of how organisations can support their learning. It also provides rich data that extends the literature through a qualitative study in a field dominated by quantitative studies.
Positive emotions boost employee engagement
Authors: Hazelton Suzanne
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– Highlights the power of positive emotions in helping to build individual and organizational success.

Design/methodology/approach

– Explores the meaning of positive emotions, how they can be promoted at individual and organizational level and the benefits they can bring to the individual and organization.

Findings

– Advances the view that positive emotions can benefit physical health, mental well-being and the ability to flourish, creativity, resilience, the mood of others, positive memories and relationships.

Practical implications

– Argues that the positive emotions of the workforce can improve the organizational culture and improve organizational performance.

Social implications

– Demonstrates that around three positive emotions are needed to balance out each negative emotion and shows that positive emotions can be stimulated through having new experiences and through acts of kindness and gratitude.

Originality/value

– Extends psychological thinking on positive emotions to the workforce and workplace.
The role of board gender on the profitability of insider trading
Authors: Zhong Tian , Faff Robert , Hodgson Allan , J. Yao Lee
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of female board membership on the profitability of corporate insider purchases.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a classic event study approach. They measure abnormal returns around the insider purchase events, and analyze the cross-sectional variation of this market impact in terms of female board membership, controlling for a range of other factors.

Findings

– The authors find a strong positive market reaction in the aggregated data, and after decomposing transactions according to gender, they find that the profitability of female directors is statistically indistinguishable from their male counterparts. Additionally, they find evidence that with more females sitting on the board, the profitability of the male directors decreases but the profitability of their female counterparts does not.

Originality/value

– The authors’ findings suggest that having females on the board increases corporate governance of male directors. The results also suggest that female directors are no less inclined to exploit the asymmetric information advantage provided by board membership.
Investigating security investment impact on firm performance
Authors: Bose Ranjit , (Robert) Luo Xin
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to propose to use the economic value added to measure firm performance against information security investments.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors develop a conceptual framework to capture non information technology (IT)-related and IT-related security investment factors and propose to study their holistic influences on firm performance.

Findings

– The authors propose 14 propositions to understand the relationship between security investments and firm performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The authors propose a validation process to guide future research to further empirically capture all needed data and analyze the proposed relationships.

Practical implications

– Managers can view security investment from a more comprehensive perspective and understand how to potentially contribute each of the non IT-related and IT-related factors to firm performance.

Originality/value

– This is one of the early attempts studying information security investment vs firm performance from a comprehensive conceptual angel.
Operations research from 1913 to 2013
Authors: W. O’Neill John , McGinley Sean
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This article aims to first summarize and explain major services operations research foci from the past century. Second, this article relates how hospitality scholars have conducted operations-related research with a particular focus on research related to hotels and lodging. Finally, the article makes recommendations regarding potential future areas of concentration of operations research in hospitality.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article presents a scholarly literature review, where literature from hospitality and general operations management (OM) was reviewed to document research foci throughout recent periods in history.

Findings

– Hospitality scholars have been conducting research, which reflects trends in general OM literature. Additionally, the research being conducting, which focuses on services in OM, is becoming more commonplace and more distinct from production-based research.

Originality/value

– The article provides a compilation of literature regarding OM and how hospitality scholars have applied those principles to hotel and lodging operations. Additionally, recommendations regarding potential future topical areas and methodologies are provided for scholars.
Hospitality finance and managerial accounting research
Authors: Park Kwangmin , (Shawn) Jang SooCheong
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to present a brief overview of hospitality finance/accounting (HFA) research and to propose the utility of interdisciplinary research in the HFA field.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study outlines HFA research and adds a brief summary of mainstream finance and accounting research topics. To further improve HFA research, this study suggests the need for interdisciplinary research that could effectively integrate finance/accounting with other management subjects in the hospitality field.

Findings

– Despite its importance, interdisciplinary research has not been given enough attention in the field of HFA. This study sheds light on the need for interdisciplinary research and proposes paths for conducting interdisciplinary HFA research, such as behavioral finance, marketing-finance interface, human resource management finance/accounting, etc.

Practical implications

– This study suggests that the results of interdisciplinary HFA research can provide useful practical implications from shareholder and organizational perspectives in the hospitality industry.

Originality/value

– Although the interdisciplinary research concept is not really new, it has not been extensively addressed in hospitality academia. In this respect, this study suggests expanding the horizon for HFA researchers.
Strategic management research in hospitality and tourism: past, present and future
Authors: J. Harrington Robert , K. Chathoth Prakash , Ottenbacher Michael , Altinay Levent
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to review the hospitality and tourism strategy literature to identify trends related to key topical areas of research. The study objectives include identifying hospitality and tourism strategy challenges; presenting a synthesis of frequent strategy topics; and identifying opportunities for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

– Earlier studies in the hospitality strategy literature were reviewed and synthesized to identify trends, gaps and opportunities.

Findings

– Hospitality strategy research continues to improve and extend the boundaries of strategic thought in the hospitality literature. In assessing the literature from 1980 to 2013, it was apparent that the literature was following the mainstream trend of combining theoretical perspectives to some degree as well as applying more process-based concepts to hospitality strategy research. There were several challenges for propelling hospitality strategy research forward; these included the educational infrastructure, theory development and the quantity and quality of researchers in the field.

Research limitations/implications

– Given the depth and breadth of the strategy topics and research, it was difficult to ensure sufficient coverage was provided in the limited space of one journal article.

Originality/value

– The study provides a good foundational understanding of where the hospitality strategy research had been and the trajectory of where it was headed. Further, it serves as a valuable resource for current researchers and those entering this area of research.
Saudi Arabian ICU safety culture and nurses’ attitudes
Authors: S. Alayed Abdulrahman , Lööf Helena , Johansson Unn-Britt
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine nurses’ attitudes towards safety culture in six Saudi Arabian intensive care units (ICUs).

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is descriptive with a cross-sectional design. The Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ)-ICU version was distributed and 216 completed questionnaires were returned.

Findings

– The findings provide a basis for further research on Saudi Arabian ICU safety culture. This study showed that the SAQ-ICU can be used to measure safety climate to identify areas for improvement according to nurse attitudes and perceptions. Findings indicate that ICU safety culture is an important issue that hospital managers should prioritise.

Practical implications

– The SAQ-ICU questionnaire, used to measure safety climate in Saudi Arabian ICUs, identifies service strengths and improvement areas according to attitudes and perceptions.

Originality/value

– To the knowledge, this is the first study to use SAQ to examine nurses’ safety culture attitudes in Saudi Arabian ICUs. The present findings provide a baseline and further details about Saudi Arabian ICU safety. Study participants represented nine nationalities, indicating the nursing workforce's diversity, which is expected to continue in the future. Such a nursing cultural heterogeneity calls for further studies to examine and evaluate attitudes and values to improve ICU safety culture.
An outline of the “Control Phase” for implementing Lean Six Sigma
Authors: Sarkar Ashok , Ranjan Mukhopadhyay Arup , Kumar Ghosh Sadhan
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a guideline of the control procedure and tools depending on dominance pattern. In Lean Six Sigma (LSS) implementation, the control phase plays a vital role in sustaining the gains achieved from the improvement phase. The process control schemes should be developed by studying the process dominance pattern as suggested by Juran.

Design/methodology/approach

– Discussion has been made on identification of various methods with the help of a few real life examples for effective LSS implementation.

Findings

– The dominance pattern helps in identifying the control mechanism. However, with the advent of new business processes, the dominance pattern needs a little bit of modification.

Research limitations/implications

– The case studies mainly are from the manufacturing sector and one from the service sector, where authors have studied the control mechanism. There exists scope of future research in service sector for adequate representation.

Originality/value

– The treatise provides a road map to the practitioners for an effective implementation of the control phase in LSS. It is also expected to provide the scope of future work in this direction for both researchers and practitioners.
Drivers of personnel satisfaction towards performance information usage
Authors: Jääskeläinen Aki , Roitto Juho-Matias
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the drivers of personnel satisfaction towards performance information (PI) usage in the local public administration context.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative research approach. Data are gathered with a survey receiving 194 responses from the departments of six different municipalities that all belong to the group of largest municipalities in Finland. Regression and variance analysis, as well as analysis of open-ended comments are utilized.

Findings

– A key observation is that high maturity level of performance measurement or information systems do not guarantee personnel satisfaction. Three main perspectives are found to positively affect satisfaction: use of PI in strategic planning, inter-administrative management with PI and communication of measurement information.

Research limitations/implications

– Common limitations of survey studies apply. The quantitative data set could have been wider and it should be complemented with more qualitative data. Also the survey itself has limitations due to its generic nature.

Practical implications

– The results indicate that managerial purpose of measurement needs to be better clarified. Greatest need for development is found in utilizing PI in resource sharing and in the analysis of current situation supportive to strategic planning.

Originality/value

– The efficient use of performance measurement is a commonly acknowledged challenge. Even though PI usage has been increasingly studied, the focus has often been in separate managerial tasks. Wider approach towards performance measurement and management practices has gained less attention. This study is one of the first attempts to apply private sector originating performance measurement maturity discussion in the public sector context.
Job satisfaction in Italy: individual characteristics and social relations
Authors: Fiorillo Damiano , Nappo Nunzia
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants of job satisfaction in Italy with particular emphasis on social relations.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper uses the data from the Multiscopo Survey of Households (MSH) conducted by the Italian Central Statistical Office for the years 1993-1995-1998-2000 for empirical investigations with ordered probit and robustness tests. A statistical matching procedure to impute missing values on household income in MSH is also performed.

Findings

– The paper finds that social interactions matter. While visits to relatives are not statistically significant, volunteer work and the frequency of meetings with friends are significantly and positively correlated with job satisfaction, with church attendance having the biggest impact on job satisfaction. These results seem to confirm the main assumption of the paper: social relations are helpful in gaining more and in improving career prospects. The findings also show that meetings with friends increase job satisfaction through self-perceived health, suggesting a “buffering effect” of the networks of friends. In addition, results for Italy confirm findings gathered from job satisfaction studies with some novel evidence.

Originality/value

– The role of social relations in job satisfaction has received no attention. The paper contributes to the literature by carrying out the first empirical analysis on the relationship between social relations and job satisfaction. Overall, the value-added of the study is twofold. First, it adds a new piece of evidence to the existing literature on job satisfaction, i.e. the effects of social relations. To the best of the knowledge, there are no studies which consider social interactions as determinants of job satisfaction. Second, it extends the country evidence on the determinants of job satisfaction.
Poverty and deprivation of immigrants vs. natives in Italy
Authors: Berti Fabio , D’Agostino Antonella , Lemmi Achille , Neri Laura
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– Italy has become a migrant receiving country and it has to face with the problem of social inclusion of immigrants. The purpose of this paper is to measure the gap on poverty and deprivation between immigrants and natives since manifest conditions of both of them are an important signal, although not exclusively, of social exclusion.

Design/methodology/approach

– Poverty analysis typically relies on a single monetary variable such as income and it is characterized by a simple dichotomization of the population into poor and non-poor. In this paper the authors stress the importance of using a multidimensional and fuzzy approach in order to study disparities between immigrants and natives. The authors cover several of the multifaceted aspects of resources necessary to maintain adequate living standards in a developed country. With the fuzzy methodology, the authors also overcome any limitation of the conventional approach based on the simple dichotomization of the phenomenon.

Findings

– The empirical analysis is based on data from two official surveys. The authors find that between Italian and immigrant households there are significant differences in poverty and deprivation levels, with a strong disadvantage for the latter. The authors argue that any serious attempt to reduce poverty and deprivation must now include comprehensive reforms in the nation's immigration policies if they are to be taken seriously.

Originality/value

– The paper makes an original contribution to the understanding of inequality between immigrants and natives, by studying a complex phenomena such as poverty and deprivation in a multidimensional perspective using a fuzzy approach.
Advancing grassroots climate change awareness in Botswana
Authors: Batisani Nnyaladzi , Ndiane Abijah
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to report on the results of a case study in Botswana, aimed at raising awareness on climate issues. Higher-education institutions play a leading role in sustainability efforts, as their research role often lays the groundwork for social transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The Clean Air-Cool Planet (CACP) campus calculator was used to calculate emissions from various sections within the college.

Findings

– Total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the college is 3,432.66 metric tons CO2e resulting in per capita GHG emissions of 3.20 metric tons CO2e, which is high compared to other universities. Options for reducing emissions are proposed.

Practical implications

– The procedure in carrying out the study provided learners with an opportunity to appreciate emissions from developing countries and also gain technical skills in conducting a GHG inventory. It also sensitized campus administrators about the scale of emissions and possible ways of reducing them.

Originality/value

– This paper is original in that it provides campus greenhouse inventory within a developing country, a unique undertaking. Furthermore, it highlights the fact that developing countries also produce significant emissions, hence the need for mitigation measures.
Identifying behavioral barriers to campus sustainability
Authors: Horhota Michelle , Asman Jenni , Stratton Jeanine P. , Halfacre Angela C.
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the behavioral barriers to sustainable action in a campus community.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper reports three different methodological approaches to the assessment of behavioral barriers to sustainable actions on a college campus. Focus groups and surveys were used to assess campus members’ opinions about the barriers that limit sustainable behaviors on campus. After identifying general barriers, behavioral assessment was used to assess specific barriers to energy conservation in a target location on campus and to develop an intervention to reduce energy use for that location.

Findings

– Across methodologies, four key behavioral barriers to sustainable actions were consistently reported: communication/awareness, inconvenience, financial concerns and lack of engagement. The intervention that was developed targeted the barriers of communication issues and lack of awareness and resulted in reduced energy use for a target campus location.

Originality/value

– This paper highlights the value of assessing barriers to ongoing sustainability efforts using multiple methods and using this information to develop an intervention to foster behavioral change. The paper also highlights strategies that have been implemented to address some of the barriers which were identified.