bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Banking supervision in a smaller financial centre – problems and recipes for success
Authors: Foot Michael
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To contrast the challenges for bank regulators in a physically small centre such as the Bahamas with those for regulators in New York or London. To identify how the small centres can best meet their challenges, noting especially that Basel II is going to make even more important the smooth working of home and host country regulatory co‐operation.

Design/methodology/approach

Contrasts are drawn from the author's personal experiences as a banking regulator in large and small centres and illustrated by examples from some of the latter. Likely reasons for regulatory “success or failure” in the smaller centres are then deduced and discussed.

Findings

Smaller host country regulators have limited resources but can leverage these in a number of ways. They are also already heavily dependent on the competence of the home regulators and their willingness to share information. Co‐operation is going to become more important with the adoption of Basel II. The success of what emerges will help determine the cost and effectiveness of large banks' overseas operations.

Practical implications

Home and host regulators need to make renewed efforts to co‐operate. One new initiative in the Bahamas is described to illustrate what might help.

Originality/value

The author is one of relatively few banking regulators who have worked at senior level in a large home country, is a small host country regulator and one who can therefore assess the issue from both sides of the fence.
Tackling cross‐border market abuse
Authors: Conceicao Carlos
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the key challenges faced by regulators following the implementation of the market abuse directive (MAD) in developing a consistent approach to tackling market abuse. The paper seeks to argue that how regulators respond to these challenges will have a significant impact on the success of the key objectives of MAD, which is to foster a cross‐border regime with common standards of market conduct.

Design/methodology/approach

An observation by the author which looks at the areas in which regulators need to develop greater cross‐border co‐operation.

Findings

Suggests that, notwithstanding the introduction of MAD, there are substantial differences in the way European regulators tackle market abuse.

Originality/value

A useful summary of the implications of MAD on European regulators and how they might be addressed.
Was former chairman of Shell Group denied procedural fairness in the FSA's enforcement action against the group?
Authors: Gray Joanna
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To discuss the FSA's enforcement action against the Royal Dutch/Shell group, which had been found to have made false or misleading announcements regarding its proved hydrocarbon reserves and reserves placement ratio's 1998‐2003.

Design/methodology/approach

Presents the facts forming the background to the case.

Findings

Finds that the Chairman of Shell's defence in the case contains some justifiable points, although the tribunal's decision went against him.

Originality/value

Arguably, lays the foundation for further discussion of points such as these, foreshadowring a forthcoming publication on the UK financial regulation.
Executive decision‐making traps and B2B online reverse auctions
Authors: Emiliani M.L.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to describe common decision‐making traps experienced by senior managers when considering the use of online reverse auctions as a means for sourcing goods and services and to reduce purchase prices.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the information evaluated and decision‐making process used by senior managers in relation to common decision‐making traps.

Findings

Decision‐making traps are shown to lead to poor decisions related to the use of online reverse auctions.

Research limitations/implications

Exceptions to observations and findings presented may exist. The paper provides a foundation for further investigation on how strategic sourcing processes are evaluated and selected by senior managers.

Practical implications

The paper is useful for managers as a guideline to evaluate sourcing options and avoid errors that can interrupt supply, reduce product or service quality, extend lead times, increase costs, or impair buyer‐seller relationships. It is helpful for academics to understand industrial decision‐making processes regarding the evaluation of sourcing options.

Originality/value

The paper explains decision‐making traps and provides the rationale for their existence in decisions to use online reverse auctions.
Supply chain integration: exploring product and environmental contingencies
Authors: Stonebraker Peter W. , Liao Jianwen
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This conceptual paper aims to examine the notion that supply chain integration is an extension and application of vertical integration theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper initially defines a foundation in the supply chain and vertical integration literature, with particular attention to the seminal works of Harrigan in vertical integration and Hayes and Wheelwright in product life cycles. The paper then offers an assessment of the state of the supply chain integration literature. Subsequently, the stage of product/process life cycle and environmental variables such as complexity and munificence are examined in detail and are the basis for the theoretical model and propositions.

Findings

This study argues that the stage of life cycle variables is associated with the various dimensions of supply chain integration, and that environmental complexity and munificence have significant moderating effects on the relationships. The paper posits that, for efficiency and success, a strategic fit must exist between environmental, strategic and operations variables, and that specific dimensions of integrative effort are appropriate for given situations. That fit would attenuate bullwhip inefficiencies, either of inventories and other mechanical decisions, or of the less tangible human and structural interaction.

Originality/value

As such, this paper represents a cross‐functional and interdisciplinary approach to operations and strategic management theory by identifying and facilitating appropriate operations decisions pertaining to the contingencies of the supply chain.
Japanese subcontracting in mainland China: a study of Toyota and Shanghai Koito
Authors: Liu Ren‐Jye , Brookfield Jonathan
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to better understand Japanese manufacturing in mainland China and clarify how traditional Japanese subcontracting has changed and is changing to fit the economic environment there.

Design/methodology/approach

This article looks at the subcontracting practices of the Toyota Group along with the evolution of Shanghai Koito's operations in mainland China. The research for this study was conducted from 1995‐2003 and is based on visits to Toyota's China headquarters in Beijing and its technical center in Tianjin, Shanghai Koito Company, Sichuan Toyota, and Tianjin Toyota.

Findings

When Japanese style subcontracting in mainland China is compared with that of traditional Japanese subcontracting, a stark contrast is revealed. First of all, it is clear that Japanese‐affiliated enterprises in China are moving away from an insular, vertical subcontracting structure dominated by a single assembler. In the new subcontracting system, characteristic features – such as a broad customer base and localization – contrast with earlier features that included a substantial delegation of authority, regulated interfirm competition, and long‐term relations.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is based on two case studies and so, while its findings may be accurate for the companies in question, helpful for understanding Japan's auto industry in mainland China, and may be more widely applicable, the findings are unlikely to be universally applicable.

Practical implications

With short‐term guidance corresponding to the needs of localization and the effective use of cheap labor coming to the fore, the examples of Toyota and Shanghai Koito may provide helpful illustrations of the kind of adaptation needed to succeed in mainland China. In particular, by moving away from a reliance on its traditional Japanese customers for sales, Shanghai Koito seems to have positioned itself well to avoid the hardship of dwindling sales that other more traditionally oriented Japanese suppliers have begun to face. Moreover, its growing independence may be an important indicator of what the future may look like for Japanese manufacturing.

Originality/value

Looking at the history of industrial development in East Asia, the adaptation of Japanese business practices to different economies in the region has been an important theme. This study provides an up‐to‐date review of a number of current issues facing Japanese automakers as they develop their operations in mainland China.
Enhancing supply chain solutions with the application of chaos theory
Authors: Stapleton Drew , Hanna Joe B. , Ross Jonathan R.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to expand the base of supply chain knowledge by applying chaos theory principles to selected supply chain functions.

Design/methodology/approach

Researchers borrow chaos theory from the natural sciences, provide a basic explanation, and then examine how it may be applied to enhance supply chain management techniques.

Findings

Chaos theory principles are used to assist in the examination of forecasting, product design, and inventory management challenges currently facing supply chain practitioners.

Research limitations/implications

Application of chaos theory to various supply chain issues and key functional areas may produce an increase in the level of understanding of supply chain ambiguity and how chaos theory may provide valuable insight into the effective management of supply chain networks.

Practical implications

When applied correctly, chaos theory shows potential to be a tool that can be instrumental in helping explain why unpredictability occurs within nonlinear systems. A better understanding of this phenomenon may help researchers to develop better, more accurate models to assist managers in making better supply chain management decisions, benefiting organizations and customers by simultaneously enhancing cost‐effectiveness and improving customer service levels.

Originality/value

The principles of chaos theory have been introduced as a method that shows early promise as a tool to enhance supply chain effectiveness. Specific applications must now be examined through empirical research.
Managing product introductions across the supply chain: findings from a development project
Authors: Holmström Jan , Korhonen Hille , Laiho Aki , Hartiala Helena
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to propose a planning process that takes into account that manufacturers of original equipment have products at different stages of the product‐life cycle, and utilizes sales and inventory information collected from distributors and retailers.

Design/methodology/approach

The research paper describes the construction and testing of a planning process.

Findings

Trials in a case company indicate that supply chain responsiveness can be improved in product launches using the proposed process. Supply chain efficiency in the maturity phase can also be improved.

Research limitations/implications

The usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed process depend on the assumption that product mix changes can be modeled and point‐of‐sales and channel sell‐through data are available regularly and reliably.

Practical implications

Modeling and monitoring the variant mix on the total market level can be used to improve supply chain responsiveness to mix changes in product launches. The introduction of this planning process reduces the need for planning in the sales units.

Originality/value

The paper shows how the quality of variant forecasting for an original equipment manufacturer can be improved with access to channel visibility in the market introduction phase.
A methodology for benchmarking replenishment‐induced bullwhip
Authors: Disney S.M. , Towill D.R.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The aim of this article is to provide a concise methodology for the design of a widely used class of decision supply systems (DSS) which will enable precise control of bullwhip variance and inventory variance induced within a supply chain echelon.

Design/methodology/approach

The study exploits recent research that derived analytical formulae for calculating these performance metrics germane to the delivery process when the demand is randomly varying about a constant mean value. These formulae have been verified via extensive simulation‐based cross‐checks.

Findings

The design methodology focuses on the specification of bullwhip variance as an input. The output is to identify combinations of parameter settings to meet this target. Hence these parameters may be mapped to provide a visual display of competing designs with their associated inventory variance.

Research limitations/implications

Although the analytical solutions apply only to the case where the pipeline error and inventory error correction terms are equal, this is not a severe limitation. Both theoretical studies of dynamic response and industrial experience support this feedback gain equally as enabling good practice.

Practical implications

Design of this particular DSS to control bullwhip is now greatly simplified, and guaranteed via extensive verification tests. The formulae are equally sound as a means of establishing system robustness.

Originality/value

The methodology is unique in enabling transparency of both bullwhip variance and inventory variance computation. Not only are system design time saved and normal performance guaranteed, but considerable management insight is generated thereby.
Fashion stores between fun and usefulness
Authors: Scarpi Daniele
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relation between hedonic/utilitarian shopping behaviour and a number of key variables, such as store loyalty, perceived value, purchase frequency, money spent, price consciousness, age and gender. The paper aims to provide useful managerial implications for managers of fashion specialty shops.

Design/methodology/approach

Factor analysis, analysis of variance and structural equation model, depending on the nature of the considered variables, their theoretical robustness, background and potential implications. Data collected by means of a questionnaire in a natural setting; sample size of 300 respondents.

Findings

Provides information about the effects of hedonic and utilitarian behaviour, indicating which variable is affected and how, and suggesting that playfulness pays back, but is not predetermined by gender or age.

Research limitations/implications

Fashion stores for apparel have been considered only: further research could consider also different retailing formats and product categories.

Practical implications

A useful source of information and advice for managers operating in fashion specialty shops. The paper suggests what retailers should focus on and why.

Originality/value

This paper conducts a detailed analysis of suggestions addressed in the relevant literature, providing empirical support and highlighting new findings and relations.
Identification of overseas vendor selection criteria used by Canadian apparel buyers
Authors: Thaver Ismat , Wilcock Anne
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the criteria used by members of the textile and apparel chain to select overseas vendors. Of specific interest is the value (if any) of ISO 9000 registration, i.e. whether Canadian apparel buyers are influenced by such registration, and whether there are determinants of how buyers respond to registration when selecting vendors.

Design/methodology/approach

A list of 16 criteria used by textile and apparel buyers to select overseas vendors was generated based on the literature, in‐depth interviews, and content analysis of a major industry publication. The criteria were tested for importance by use of a survey of representatives of the textile‐apparel supply chain in Canada.

Findings

Criteria relating to a vendor's flexibility and responsiveness were most important. Registration to a quality program such as ISO 9000 was not considered important nor did it seem to give an overseas vendor a business advantage over its domestic non‐registered counterpart. Two factors, category of apparel firm and the firm's use of quality programs, were potential determinants of favorable responses to registration.

Originality/value

This study furthers the understanding of importer behavior and overseas vendor selection criteria as well as the importance of ISO 9000 registration to buyers in the soft goods industries.
Variations in Canadian women's ready‐to‐wear standard sizes
Authors: Faust Marie‐Eve , Carrier Serge , Baptist Pierre
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To demonstrate that the current weaknesses in women's ready‐to‐wear size standardization charts originate not only in the obsolescence of the base data but also in the non‐adherence of order initiators to the suggested standard sizes.

Design/methodology/approach

Trouser manufacturers were selected in such a way as to cover the full price‐range spectrum. They provided their waist standard measurements and confirmed that they use the same measurements for all product lines. In‐store measurements were done. Garments were chosen at random from the selection offered in store and measured systematically. The specifications provided by the order initiators, the standard measurements prescribed, and the garment measures were all measured.

Findings

Results clearly indicate that order initiators do not adhere to the standard sizes charts and garment manufacturers are incapable or unwilling to produce garments that meet the order initiators’ specifications.

Research limitations/implications

Product selection and limited sample do not allow generalization yet clearly confirm this hypothesis.

Practical implications

Questions the pertinence of investing heavily in the modernization of standard sizes charts if the industry and the governments are not ready to impose adherence by order initiators.

Originality/value

Fills an important void in the existing literature as, although a number of authors have stated that garment manufacturers do not respect the standard sizes proposed by different national organizations or governmental agencies, the authors could not identify one research demonstrating this fact.
The promise of demand chain management in fashion
Authors: Jacobs Dany
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the actual state of demand chain management compared with its promises of a few years ago.

Design/methodology/approach

The most important literature on demand chain management of recent years is confronted with recent findings on strategies of the main supply and demand‐oriented firms in the fashion industry and on consumer behaviour.

Findings

Following Hoover et al. the demand chain is defined as “the chain of activities that communicates demand from markets to suppliers”. In this paper some interesting contributions to this debates are reviewed. Then, on the basis of remaining problems in the fashion industry in the realm of failing customer satisfaction, questions whether the promise of demand chain is not a consequence of shortcomings in the field of marketing – which apparently has moved too much into the direction of strategic positioning and information push instead of market research.

Research limitations/implications

Even when some of the most interesting approaches to demand chain management and key developments in the industry are confronted with one another, these selections cannot claim to be exhaustive.

Practical implications

The conclusion, proposing to concentrate on efficient supply chain management, on the one hand, and better understanding consumers, on the other hand, helps fashion firms to focus their attention more clearly.

Originality/value

No such overview and confrontation, as presented in this article, existed until now. Also, the view that demand chain management in a way tries to fill the gaps left by market research sheds new light on these discussions.
Growth opportunities in luxury goods and real estate
Authors: Preiholt Håkan , Hägg Claes
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The paper aims to discuss some similarities between design activities related to luxury goods and real estate.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses some similarities between design activities related to luxury goods and real estate. The focus is on new market opportunities and on shareholder value similarities for those two industries.

Findings

The paper finds that there is a fundamental similarity between the luxury goods and real estate industries. The common characteristic is the role played by designers and architects. They function as personified options in the sense that they give their firms opportunities to launch new projects at appropriate points in time.

Research limitations/implications

This is a theoretical discussion backed up by cases from two types of industry. A broader empirical research can broaden the picture of this out of the ordinary field of research.

Practical implications

The paper is a very useful source of information and impartial advice for those who are interested in luxury goods, fashion design, architecture, financial marketing, investor relations, and real estate.

Originality/value

The paper fulfils and identifies two fields of research, the real estate and the luxury goods industry. In the real estate industry, architects create new opportunities when they work with old buildings or with vacant land. In the luxury goods industry designers have a similar role.
Trends in public relations and communication management research
Authors: Raupp Juliana , van Ruler Betteke
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Without doubt, communication management is an expanding and diversifying discipline and the demand for a strategic functioning is rising. Accumulation of knowledge can be seen as a major prerequisite for the development of its practice. The purpose of this paper is to examine the state of the art of, and trends in, communication management research in Germany and The Netherlands.

Design/methodology/approach

Following on from a Europe‐wide Delphi research project, this study focused on two countries – Germany and The Netherlands. The study was limited to PhD theses on communication management and compares the characteristics of the doctoral research of the two countries.

Findings

The range of disciplines that study aspects of communication management is enormous and most dissertations start almost from scratch, assuming that there is no relevant research that the project can take as a starting point. This fragmentation of research hinders the development of communication management as a theoretically sound and empirically grounded academic discipline.

Originality/value

By comparing the development and current trends in Germany and The Netherlands, the paper provides a context for transnational reflection of the relationship between research on communication management and the professional development of communication management as an occupational field.
The ideal lobbyist
Authors: McGrath Conor
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Lobbying and lobbyists have for some time been regarded with suspicion and even outright mistrust by journalists and the wider public. While to some extent, popular (mis)perceptions about lobbyists are understandable, they are also regrettable: lobbyists operate in every political system, and generally do so in an entirely proper fashion. This paper seeks to consider the personal characteristics which effective and successful lobbyists require.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on 60 interviews with lobbyists in Washington, London and Brussels; the approach used here is simply to allow lobbyists themselves to discuss at some length their views about the issues they feel are important in a practical sense.

Findings

The paper examines a range of personal qualities including skills such as listening, observation, and relationship‐building, as well as issues surrounding gender/sexuality, courtesy, honesty, integrity and credibility.

Research limitations/implications

While it is unrealistic to claim that 60 interviews constitute a fully representative sample of the entire lobbying industry worldwide, it is true that they offer a first‐cut overview of key factors. This area does not yet feature prominently in academic research, but will increasingly.

Practical implications

This paper is a contribution to the discussion which the lobbying industry must engage in more explicitly as to the qualities required by lobbyists. In order to produce a reasonably definitive “person specification” for a lobbying position, the next step would be to involve those responsible for recruiting people to such posts, to establish which elements of the personal mix discussed (alongside other professional competencies) are of priority across a range of organisations and levels of seniority.

Originality/value

The paper helps to set an agenda for both academic and professional debate.
“PRP culture”
Authors: Hodges Caroline
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To advance the cultural approach to public relations research and practice through linking societal culture and occupational culture of public relations to the communication practices of practitioners, in the aim of understanding the contribution made by public relations to the development of contemporary cultures.

Design/methodology/approach

The discussion identifies some of the limitations of recent thinking regarding the nature public relations within a global context, particularly as regards professionalisation. An alternative framework for international research is then proposed – one which advocates understanding public relations as an occupational group and emphasises the need to recognise the role of public relations practitioners as agents, or “intermediaries” in the development of culture.

Findings

Rather than focus on developing codes of practice, it is recommended that the public relations industry should establish its current functions and potential for meeting human needs within differing cultural contexts.

Originality/value

The paper advocates a fresh approach to the debate surrounding international professionalisation of public relations.
Embracing PR theory: an opportunity for practitioners?
Authors: Moncur Charles
Published: July 2006

Purpose

As the public relations industry seeks professional status and a more meaningful role in the strategic management of organisations, survey evidence suggests reluctance among practitioners to embrace theoretical frameworks and to study other management disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to examine this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is written from the perspective of a practitioner. Following a brief review of some current theoretical concepts, it is argued that practitioners can benefit substantially from theoretical frameworks.

Findings

Having noted an apparent reluctance on the part of fellow practitioners to embrace theoretical frameworks as learning tools, or to acquire wider management skills, it is suggested that such attitudes might inhibit the development of PR as a profession and as a strategic management discipline. This paper suggests that a change of mindset on these issues – allied to a closer working relationship with relevant academics – could both enhance PR's professional standing and its relevance to an organisational management and strategy. Overall the view is taken that PR theory can provide practitioners with a language and conceptual frameworks by means of which they can both appraise and evaluate there own activities, and present their disciplines to organisational leaders within the context of wider management strategies.

Originality/value

The paper highlights how embracing PR theory can provide an opportunity for practitioners.
Factors influencing job satisfaction among state conservation officers
Authors: Eliason Stephen L.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to identify and describe factors associated with job satisfaction among conservation officers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study took a qualitative approach to data collection that included a survey and 24 in‐depth interviews with Kentucky conservation officers. Data were examined with the intention of identifying common themes.

Findings

Four categories associated with job satisfaction were identified: enjoyment of the outdoors, independence, job diversity/variety, and meeting people. The majority of conservation officers found their work very satisfying.

Research limitations/implications

The results are not generalizable, given the qualitative nature of the research. To allow the generalizability of findings, future research should include quantitative measures that could specify how additional factors are related to job satisfaction among conservation officers, such as age, years of service, rank, and education. Future studies should also examine job satisfaction among female conservation officers.

Practical implications

A useful source of information for individuals who are considering a career in conservation law enforcement.

Originality/value

This paper extends understanding of job satisfaction among police, and should be of particular interest to state wildlife agencies as well as those interested in rural and specialized policing.
Officer evaluation in the community policing context
Authors: Lilley David , Hinduja Sameer
Published: July 2006

Purpose– The purpose of this research is to compare traditional and community policing agencies with regard to how individual officers are formally evaluated and to assess organizational goals and objectives in each type of agency.Design/methodology/approach– A 75‐item questionnaire was mailed to 600 municipal and county law enforcement agencies. A total of 11 hypotheses were tested regarding performance evaluation content, the values of police supervisors and organizational objectives.Findings– Community policing agencies have added new output measures but continue to value enforcement statistics as much as their more traditional counterparts. Additionally, many community policing agencies have not updated their formal systems to incorporate community policing concepts.Research limitations/implications– Survey responses were obtained from only one supervisor per agency and the knowledge of each individual was varied. However, if supervisors from traditional and community policing agencies are equally competent, results should be unbiased. Further research is needed to assess the reasons why many agencies have not updated their formal evaluation systems to incorporate community policing concepts.Practical implications– There may be a conflict between police supervisor values and formal evaluation procedures in many community policing agencies. Further assistance or guidance may be needed to aid police administrators in updating and improving their formal systems of officer performance evaluation.Originality/value– This is the first nationwide assessment of police officer performance evaluation during the community policing era.
A risk management analysis of the claims, litigation, and losses of Michigan law enforcement agencies: 1985‐1999
Authors: Ross Darrell L. , Bodapati Madhava R.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show that claims filed against law enforcement agencies alleging the violation of constitutional rights continue to plague police administrators, officers, agency trainers, and risk managers. This technical paper seeks to report on the analysis of 151 police and sheriff departments' claims, losses, and litigation in order to assess the trends, costs, and nature of these claims.

Design/methodology/approach

Using official records of a risk management entity in Michigan, 15 years of incidents were analyzed in order to identify the trends in third‐party claims, liability, and losses of police and detention centers.

Findings

The general findings of 11,273 claims are provided as well as a detailed analysis of 2,929 claims, representing 25 common categories in police work and detention facilities. The findings illustrate the current trends in police liability and reveal important managerial concerns which can direct administrators in revising policy and procedures, in focusing training endeavors, and incorporating risk management strategies in order to reduce the risk of police liability.

Originality/value

The findings will be useful for police trainers in structuring their training efforts. Suggestions for future research which examine successful risk management practices and avert liability are also discussed.
Teaching style and the application of adult learning principles by police instructors
Authors: McCoy Mark R.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to describe the teaching style of the faculty of a Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) organization in a Midwestern state and the degree and method of application of adult learning principles by the POST faculty. The move of law enforcement to community‐oriented policing (COP) requires that police officers develop communication and problem‐solving skills. The application of adult learning principles in law enforcement education can help prepare officers for their role in COP.

Design/methodology/approach

In this mixed method/descriptive study, 85 instructors completed the Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) and 21 instructors participated in in‐depth interviews.

Findings

Major findings in the study related to POST instructors' strong preference for a teacher‐centered style of teaching as measured by PALS and a disconnect between what instructors do in the classroom and what they feel is effective instruction.

Practical implications

Offers suggestions related to the nature of the field and for instructor development. Recommendations were made related to professional development and the application of adult learning principles to law enforcement education and training.

Originality/value

This research fills a void in the field by beginning to give a formal description of teaching style in law enforcement education and training. It also details the value of applying adult learning theory in law enforcement instruction and the implications for community‐oriented policing.
Police vehicular pursuits: a descriptive analysis of state agencies' written policy
Authors: Hicks Wendy L.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to analyse the vehicular pursuit policy of State Police and State Highway Patrol agencies in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Written policies were compared against a Standard Policy, developed by the researcher, based on prior academic and legal research in combination with the existing policies of the Connecticut State Police, California Highway Patrol, and the Minnesota State Police. A total of 47 written pursuit policies were received for a 94 percent return rate.

Findings

All policies had statements pertaining to safety and the need to pursue with due care and regard for public welfare. Items not included in many policies involved elements pertaining to liability and negligence: concerns that have been demonstrated to be instigators of litigation.

Research limitations/implications

This work centers solely on state agencies. This study is the first step in an ongoing, long‐term project aimed at law enforcement vehicular pursuit policy analysis. The first step in the project centered on state agencies but will grow to include municipal agencies as well.

Practical implications

A very useful treatment of the practical side of law enforcement policy. Existing pursuit policies are examined, as are the legal principles used to guide police policy development.

Originality/value

This paper fills an untapped niche in policy research. It is both a practical analysis of existing pursuit policies and an examination of legal cases and constitutional guidelines.
An analysis of international health care logistics
Authors: Gary Jarrett P.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The primary purpose of this study is to undertake a diagnostic investigation of the international health care logistical environment and determine whether regulatory policies or industry procedures have hindered the implementation of just‐in‐time (JIT) systems and then to recommend operational improvements to be achieved by implementing JIT Systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis was conducted in a systematic manner and compared the anticipated benefits with benefits validated in other industries from the implementation of JIT. An extensive literature review was conducted.

Findings

In this particular study the cost and benefit outcomes achieved from a health care JIT implementation were compared with those achieved by the manufacturing, service, and retail industries. Chiefly, it was found that the health service market must be restructured to encourage greater price competition among priorities. A new standardization process should eliminate duplication of products and realize substantial savings.

Originality/value

The analysis was conducted in a systematic manner and compared the anticipated benefits with benefits validated in other industries from the implementation of JIT.
The barriers to patient‐driven treatment in mental health
Authors: Greenall Paul
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The paper aims to explore the barriers that currently exist to patient‐driven treatment within the field of mental health care and reform.

Design/methodology/approach

This study represents action learning research using grounded theory to explore a possible causal basis for recidivism related to non‐compliance with medication. Interviews addressed concerns from the literature around perceived barriers to patient‐driven treatment evidenced by non‐compliance with medically recommended pharmaceutical treatment. Results were correlated to look for emergent themes that were used to form the basis for subsequent interview questions.

Findings

An analysis of the resulting emergent themes illustrated the importance of participatory treatment and coaching rather than medically applied paternalistic care, which is seen as encouraging learned helplessness on the part of patients. Similar helplessness was also revealed in clinicians themselves. Patients' awareness of their own needs and demands for more services place clients and the caregivers at odds over appropriate care in an environment of limited resources.

Research limitations/implications

The research was limited to only a small number of interviewees in one institution, all of whom were closely associated with mental illness in various capacities. The grounded theory nature of the research does, however, provide a framework for more research in other institutions to test and further explore some of the findings.

Practical implications

The study demonstrated a reinforcement of Maslow's theory of needs hierarchy. The study illustrated a step‐wise approach to treatment to decrease the rate of failure and recidivism in mental health care. The provision of a stable living environment was viewed as instrumental in improving patients' compliance with pharmaceutical treatment. An action plan was therefore created to initiate the support of a transitional/emergency house by various community groups in partnership with pharmaceutical manufacturing companies.

Originality/value

Recidivism in mental health‐created by non‐compliance in pharmaceutical treatment, is a major issue in Canada's health care system. This study brings to the forefront issues from a number of perspectives in order to form a course of action in response to its findings.
Applying Taguchi methods to health care
Authors: Taner Tolga , Antony Jiju
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The aim of this article is to show how Taguchi methods can be applied to health care.

Design/methodology/approach

The quadratic loss function is at the heart of Taguchi methods. It is a powerful motivator for a quality strategy and can be used to adequately model the loss to society in health care. It also establishes a relationship between cost and variability. Therefore, it can be integrated with the performance and parameters of the design of medical applications. Signal‐to‐noise ratios give a sense of how close is the performance to the ideal. By maximizing the signal‐to‐noise ratio, quality‐engineering activities can be aimed at identifying near‐optimum levels of factors and making quality equal to zero.

Findings

This article shows that, when the patients' requirements are consistently met, lower losses can provide an impetus to improve patient satisfaction.

Originality/value

The article outlines areas in health care where Taguchi methods can easily be applied.
A narrative approach for organizational learning in a diverse organisation
Authors: Lämsä Anna‐Maija , Sintonen Teppo
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper aims to construct an approach referred to as “the participatory narrative” for organizational learning in diverse organizations. The approach is grounded in an understanding of organizational learning as the process of social construction which is narratively mediated.

Design/methodology/approach

The participatory narrative is constructed theoretically. Additionally, the approach and its potential use are illustrated by means of a practical example.

Findings

It is shown that the participatory narrative enables interplay between various perspectives of diverse people. It makes it possible to overcome the temporal and spatial limits of organisational learning situations and helps to question self‐evident assumptions about diverse people and makes such assumptions visible and negotiable.

Research limitations/implications

The application of the participatory narrative is only highlighted with the help of an illustrative example.

Practical implications

The participatory narrative helps to stimulate people's empathetic orientation, which provides a basis for responses to the experiences and world‐views of other people. Thus, it helps people in diverse organizations to learn to become capable of imagining not only their own position but also the position of others.

Originality/value

This article contributes to prior literature by developing an awareness of the narrative mechanisms of language use in the field of organizational learning. The paper shows also that the transformative dynamic of narratively mediated organizational learning lies in the empowering recognition that organization members understand that they are the active authors of the stories.
Factors influencing teachers' engagement in informal learning activities
Authors: Lohman Margaret C.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine factors influencing the engagement of public school teachers in informal learning activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a survey research design.

Findings

Analysis of the data found that teachers rely to a greater degree on interactive than on independent informal learning activities. Three environmental factors inhibit teachers from engaging in informal learning activities: lack of time, lack of proximity to colleagues' work areas, and insufficient funds. In addition, seven personal characteristics enhance teachers' motivation to engage in informal learning: initiative, self‐efficacy, love of learning, interest in the profession, commitment to professional development, a nurturing personality, and an outgoing personality.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of this study was the survey's response rate of 27.7 percent.

Practical implications

The findings from this study give rise to three implications for facilitating informal workplace learning. First, work areas need to be strategically designed so that employees are located near colleagues in the same technical or professional area. Second, a greater amount of unencumbered time must be built into a professional's work day. Third, access to computer technology and the internet should be provided so that professionals can communicate with others and gather information when the need to do so arises.

Originality/value

An important contribution of the present study to new knowledge of workplace learning is the construction of a survey instrument for assessing informal workplace learning. A second contribution is greater understanding of the personal and environmental factors that influence informal workplace learning.
Epistemological agency in the workplace
Authors: Smith Raymond
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report and discuss research that sought to explore how the individually purposeful nature of new employee workplace learning might be understood through its conception as epistemological agency, that is, the personally mediated construction of knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sociocultural constructivist perspective on learning as necessary action‐in‐context, the ethnographic study investigates the working and learning actions of three new employees through the first months of their employment.

Findings

This paper proposes that the actions of its participants can be interpreted within a framework that accounts for the major influences on their learning as mediational means. It suggests that these mediations comprise an individualised workplace agenda that is purposefully managed by the new employee. Epistemological agency is defined and presented as a conception of learning that captures the new employees taking charge of the conduct and accomplishments of their actions at work, that is, their self‐management of learning.

Originality/value

The findings are significant because they indicate how the personal agency of the new employee learner can be accounted for within the process and product of workplace learning. In doing so they help illuminate the role of the individual within social conceptions of learning and agency.
Learning routines in innovation processes
Authors: Hoeve Aimée , Nieuwenhuis Loek F.M.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper aims to generate both a theoretical and an empirical basis for a research model that serves in further research as an analytical tool for understanding the complex phenomenon of learning at different levels in a work organisation. The key concept in this model is the routine concept of Nelson and Winter.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the literature in the academic fields of educational sciences, industrial sciences, economics, social psychology and sociology is used to develop a conceptual model that could serve as an analytical instrument to describe the ongoing dynamics, i.e. learning processes at different levels. The theoretical findings were tested against empirical data of an industrial bakery in order to evaluate if the theoretical concepts help to identify possible mechanisms that account for parallel learning processes at different levels.

Findings

The paper gives an overview of possible key concepts that helps in explaining what happens at the intersection between individual and team, and team and organisation. This paper concludes that the concept of routines is the most sufficient for understanding the coordinating mechanism between the different aggregation levels in an organisation.

Research limitations/implications

As organisations are modelled as a set of interlocking routines, innovation can be understood as the change of routines. The central question in future research is: “How do routines change?”

Originality/value

By taking a multi‐disciplinary approach, economic theories on innovation and educational theories on learning are combined. Such combination seems fruitful to bridge individual and organisational learning.