bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Individual differences in autistic trait load in the general population predict visual working memory performance
Authors: Richmond Lauren L. , Thorpe Melissa , Berryhill Marian E. , Klugman Joshua , Olson Ingrid R.
Published: September 2012

Prior studies have reported instances of both intact and impaired working memory (WM) performance in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In order to investigate the relation between autistic traits that extend into the normal population and WM, 104 normal college-aged students who varied in their levels of autistic traits were tested. The loading of ASD-associated traits in the normal population leads to differing predictions about WM performance. ASD traits related to a local processing style (or “attention to detail”) might enhance WM while ASD-associated traits related to difficulty switching attention and reorienting focus (or “social interaction”) might impair WM performance. To assess these predictions, participants filled out the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and performed a working memory task with both visual and verbal variants. AQ scores were then broken into “attention to detail” and “social interaction” factors, as proposed by Hoekstra and colleagues. The results showed that AQ scores did not predict verbal WM performance but they did predict visual WM performance. The social interaction and attention to detail factors of the AQ had opposing relationships with visual WM performance: A higher level of social difficulty was associated with significantly poorer visual WM performance while a higher level of attention to detail was associated with enhanced visual WM performance. Further investigation of the relation between AQ and WM using the original five-factor model proposed by Baron-Cohen and colleagues (2001) revealed an association between impoverished imagination and visual WM overall.
White-light bias external quantum efficiency measurements of standard and inverted P3HT : PCBM photovoltaic cells
Authors: Brenner Thomas J K , Vaynzof Yana , Li Zhe , Kabra Dinesh , Friend Richard H , McNeill Christopher R
Published: September 2012

We have investigated the behaviour of inverted poly(3-hexylthiophene) : [6,6]-phenyl- C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT : PCBM) solar cells with different active layer thickness upon changing light intensity. Using white-light bias external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements and photocurrent transient measurements we explain the different thickness dependence of device performance of inverted (ITO/ZnO/P3HT : PCBM/WO3/Ag) and standard (ITO/PEDOT : PSS/P3HT : PCBM/Ca/Al) cells. Whereas for inverted devices where high EQEs of up to 68% are measured under low light intensities (∼3.5 mW cm−2), a dramatic reduction in EQE is observed with increasing white-light bias (up to ∼141.5 mW cm−2) accompanied by a severe distortion of the EQE spectrum. For the inverted device this spectral distortion is characterized by a dip in the EQE spectrum for wavelengths corresponding to maximum light absorption and becomes more prominent with increasing active layer thickness. For regular P3HT : PCBM devices, in contrast, a less dramatic reduction in EQE with increasing light intensity and only a mild change in EQE spectral shape are observed. The change in EQE spectral shape is also different for standard devices with a relative reduction in EQE for spectral regions where light is absorbed less strongly. This asymmetry in device behaviour is attributed to unbalanced charge transport with the lower mobility carrier having to travel further on average in the inverted device structure. Thus at high light intensities charge recombination is more pronounced at the front half of the device (close to the transparent electrode) for inverted cells where most of the light is absorbed, and more pronounced at the back half of the device for standard cells. Our results therefore indicate that bulk charge transport mobilities rather than vertical composition gradients are the dominant factor in determining the performance of standard and inverted P3HT : PCBM cells.
Nonlinear oscillations of gas bubbles submerged in water: implications for plasma breakdown
Authors: Sommers B S , Foster J E
Published: September 2012

Gas bubbles submerged in a dielectric liquid and driven by an electric field can undergo dramatic changes in both shape and volume. In certain cases, this deformation can enhance the distribution of the applied field inside the bubble as well as decrease the internal gas pressure. Both effects will tend to facilitate plasma formation in the gas volume. A practical realization of these two effects could have a broad impact on the viability of liquid plasma technologies, which tend to suffer from high voltage requirements. In this experiment, bubbles of diameter 0.4–0.7 mm are suspended in the node of a 26.4 kHz underwater acoustic standing wave and excited into nonlinear shape oscillations using ac electric fields with amplitudes of 5–15 kV cm−1. Oscillations of the deformed bubble are photographed with a high-speed camera operating at 5130 frames s−1 and the resulting images are decomposed into their axisymmetric spherical harmonic modes,

, using an edge detection algorithm. Overall, the bubble motion is dominated by the first three even modes l = 0, 2 and 4. Electrostatic simulations of the deformed bubble's internal electric field indicate that the applied field is enhanced by as much as a factor of 2.3 above the nominal applied field. Further simulation of both the pure l = 2 and l = 4 modes predicts that with additional deformation, the field enhancement factors could reach as much as 10–50.
Solution-growth and optoelectronic performance of ZnO : Cl/TiO2 and ZnO : Cl/ZnxTiOy/TiO2 core–shell nanowires with tunable shell thickness
Authors: Fan Jiandong , Zamani Reza , Fábrega Cristian , Shavel Alexey , Flox Cristina , Ibáñez Maria , Andreu Teresa , López Antonio M , Arbiol Jordi , Morante Joan Ramón , Cabot Andreu
Published: September 2012

Arrays of vertically aligned ZnO : Cl/TiO2 and ZnO : Cl/Zn
x
TiO
y
/TiO2 core–shell nanowires (NWs) were prepared by means of the combination of two solution-growth processes. First, single-crystal ZnO NWs with controlled n-type doping were grown on conducting substrates by a low-cost, high-yield and seed-free electrochemical route. These NWs were covered by a titanium oxide shell of tunable thickness mediating successive adsorption-hydrolysis-condensation steps. Using this atomic-layer growth procedure, titania shells with controlled thickness and the anatase TiO2 phase were obtained after sintering at 450 °C. Higher sintering temperatures resulted in the formation of ZnO : Cl/Zn
x
TiO
y
/TiO2 core–shell NWs by the interdiffusion of Zn and Ti ions at the ZnO–TiO2 interface. The performance of ZnO : Cl/TiO2 and ZnO : Cl/Zn
x
TiO
y
/TiO2 core–shell NWs towards photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting was investigated as a function of the titania shell thickness. Furthermore, the performance of such core–shell NWs as photoelectrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells was also characterized. The TiO2 presence at the ZnO : Cl surface promoted a two-fold increase on the produced photocurrent densities, probing their potential for PEC and optoelectronic applications. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to corroborate the lower resistance for charge transfer between the NWs and the electrolyte in the presence of the TiO2 shell.
Oxidation mechanism in metal nanoclusters: Zn nanoclusters to ZnO hollow nanoclusters
Authors: Mahapatra A K , Bhatta U M , Som T
Published: September 2012

Zn nanoclusters (NCs) are deposited by the low-energy cluster beam deposition technique. The mechanism of oxidation is studied by analysing their compositional and morphological evolution over a long span of time (three years) due to exposure to ambient atmosphere. It is concluded that the mechanism proceeds in two steps. In the first step, the shell of ZnO forms over Zn NCs rapidly up to a certain limiting thickness: within a few days—depending upon the size—Zn NCs are converted to Zn–ZnO (core–shell), Zn–void–ZnO, or hollow ZnO type NCs. Bigger than ∼15 nm become Zn–ZnO (core–shell) type: among them, NCs above ∼25 nm could retain their initial geometrical shapes (namely triangular, hexagonal, rectangular and rhombohedral), but ∼25 to 15 nm size NCs become irregular or distorted geometrical shapes. NCs between ∼15 to 5 nm become Zn–void–ZnO type, and smaller than ∼5 nm become ZnO hollow sphere type, i.e. ZnO hollow NCs. In the second step, all Zn–void–ZnO and Zn–ZnO (core–shell) structures are converted to hollow ZnO NCs in a slow and gradual process, and the mechanism of conversion proceeds through expansion in size by incorporating ZnO monomers inside the shell. The observed oxidation behaviour of NCs is compared with theory of Cabrera–Mott on low-temperature oxidation of metal.
Mutation classes of skew-symmetrizable 3×3 matrices
Authors: Seven Ahmet
Published: September 2012

Mutation of skew-symmetrizable matrices is a fundamental operation that first arose in Fomin-Zelevinsky’s theory of cluster algebras; it also appears naturally in many different areas of mathematics. In this paper, we study mutation classes of skew-symmetrizable

3
×
3

3\times 3

matrices and associated graphs. We determine representatives for these classes using a natural minimality condition, generalizing and strengthening results of Beineke-Brustle-Hille and Felikson-Shapiro-Tumarkin. Furthermore, we obtain a new numerical invariant for the mutation operation on skew-symmetrizable matrices of arbitrary size.
Volume estimate about shrinkers
Authors: Cheng Xu , Zhou Detang
Published: September 2012

We derive a precise estimate on the volume growth of the level set of a potential function on a complete noncompact Riemannian manifold. As applications, we obtain the volume growth rate of a complete noncompact self-shrinker and a gradient shrinking Ricci soliton. We also prove the equivalence of weighted volume finiteness, polynomial volume growth and properness of an immersed self-shrinker in Euclidean space.
Autoduality of compactified Jacobians for curves with plane singularities
Authors: Arinkin Dima
Published: September 2012

Let

C
C

be an integral projective curve with at most planar singularities. Consider its Jacobian

J
J

and the compactified Jacobian

J
¯

\overline {J}

. We construct a flat family

P
¯

\overline {P}

of Cohen-Macaulay sheaves on

J
¯

\overline {J}

parametrized by

J
¯

\overline {J}

; its restriction to

J
×

J
¯

J\times \overline {J}

is the Poincaré line bundle. We prove that the Fourier-Mukai transform given by

P
¯

\overline {P}

is an auto-equivalence of the derived category of

J
¯

\overline {J}

.
PHOTOCOAGULATION THERAPY OF LEAKING ARCHER'S TYPE 2 RETINAL ARTERIOVENOUS COMMUNICATION
Authors: Wolff Benjamin , Tick Sarah , Cohen Salomon Y.
Published: September 2012

Purpose:

Type 2 retinal arteriovenous communication is characterized by direct arteriovenous communication without an intervening arteriolar or capillary segment. It may be complicated by extravascular exudation. The successful results of low-intensity argon laser photocoagulation in two cases are reported.

Methods:

Case report of two patients.

Results:

Both cases were associated with a serous macular detachment, showing evidence of vascular leakage. Argon laser photocoagulation was performed. Visual improvement was observed in both cases, with disappearance of vascular leakage.

Conclusion:

Type 2 arteriovenous communications lead to increased arterial flow through a low-resistance vein. The resulting high intraluminal pressure may explain the observed vascular ectasia and consequent fluid leakage. Spontaneous regression may occur. Nevertheless, direct argon laser photocoagulation may be considered a therapeutic option and lead to visual improvement.
State, adoption and use of ICTs by students and academic staff at Mzuzu University, Malawi
Authors: Harvey Chaputula Aubrey
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to look at the state, adoption and use of ICTs by students and academic staff at Mzuzu University.

Design/methodology/approach

The research used a survey method whose study population included students, academic and library staff. Data for the study were collected using an interview guide and questionnaires.

Findings

The research found out the state of ICTs at Mzuzu University was poor. In spite of this, adoption and use of ICTs was high. ICTs were mainly used for academic‐related word processing tasks, including internet access. However, most of the respondents used personal laptop computers connected to an MTL/TNM/AIRTEL dongle, a personal GSM phone, or commercial internet cybercafés off campus to access the internet. The university network was not used much. Obstacles to the adoption and use of ICTs included poor network infrastructure, the limited number of computers, the high cost of internet access, persistent power outages, and the lack of relevant ICT skills, among others.

Research limitations/implications

The study did not involve postgraduate students because many of them pursue their studies by research, and hence they could have been difficult to contact. Adjunct academic members of staff were also excluded because of anticipated accessibility challenges. The findings of this study, therefore, may not necessarily apply to these groups.

Practical implications

The paper makes some recommendations, which, if acted upon by Mzuzu University management, would help improve the state of ICTs at the institution.

Originality/value

Malawi is a country that has generally lagged behind other countries in terms of ICT adoption and use. However, the magnitude of the problem, especially in institutions of higher learning, is relatively unknown owing to the lack of research undertakings in the field. This paper is therefore valuable because it gives a clear picture of the situation on the ground, and also suggests ways of how the problems faced could be solved.
Exploring the further integration of machine translation in English‐Chinese cross language information access
Authors: Wu Dan , He Daqing
Published: September 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine the further integration of machine translation technologies with cross language information access in providing web users the capabilities of accessing information beyond language barriers. Machine translation and cross language information access are related technologies, and yet they have their own unique contributions in handling information in multiple languages. This paper aims to demonstrate that there are many opportunities to further integrate machine translation with cross language information access, and the combination can greatly empower web users in their information access.

Design/methodology/approach

Using English and Chinese as the language pair for studying, this paper looks at machine translation in query translation‐based cross language information access at multiple important aspects, which include query translation, relevance feedback, interactive cross language information access, out‐of‐vocabulary term translation, and data fusion. The goal is to obtain more insights about the wide range usages of machine translation in cross language information access, and to help the community to identify promising future directions for both machine translation and cross language access.

Findings

Machine translation can be applied effectively in many places in the whole cross language information access process. Queries translated by a machine translation system are high quality and are more robust in handling potential untranslated terms. Translation enhancement, a relevance feedback method using machine translation generated returned documents, is not only a valid technique by itself, but also helps to generate more robust cross language information access performance when combined with other relevance feedback techniques. Machine translation is also found to play a significant role in resolving untranslated terms and in data fusion.

Originality/value

This set of comparative empirical studies on integrating machine translation and cross language information access was performed on a common evaluation framework, and examined integration at multiple points of the cross language access process. The experimental results demonstrate the value of further integrating machine translation in cross language information access, and identify interesting future directions for both machine translation and cross language information access research.
A UNIMARC bibliographic format database for ABCD
Authors: Mêgnigbêto Eustache
Published: September 2012

Purpose

ABCD is a web‐based open and free software suite for library management derived from the UNESCO CDS/ISIS software technology. The first version was launched officially in December 2009 with a MARC 21 bibliographic format database. This paper aims to detail the building of the UNIMARC bibliographic format database for ABCD.

Design/methodology/approach

ABCD provides tools for building any MARC‐like or structured bibliographic format database; this feature is used to set up a UNIMARC bibliographic format database according to its structure as defined by IFLA. As a member of the ISIS family of software applications, ABCD provides a robust formatting language that allows the output of records according to the needs of the user.

Findings

ABCD provides a robust platform for building a UNIMARC bibliographic format database and many other facilities for editing records. But, it is not yet possible to have more than one active fixed length coded field in a worksheet.

Originality/value

CDS/ISIS users who have data in the UNIMARC format on old versions of CDS/ISIS software applications now have the opportunity to migrate their data into the new application without changing their structure. Aslo, a second international MARC format is provided to new CDS/ISIS users.
Web‐based library services in university libraries in India: an analysis of librarians' perspective
Authors: Madhusudhan M. , Nagabhushanam V.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

This purpose of this paper is to present the current state and use of the web by university libraries in India and to examine the web‐based library services offered by some university libraries in different sections via their websites with the help of web‐based library automation software.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted through a structured questionnaire circulated personally among university librarians and the response rate was 100 percent. The responses received from the respondents to 22 questions are presented in the form of tables and figures and analyzed using a simple method of percentages.

Findings

The findings show that many of the surveyed university libraries are yet to exploit full potential of the web forms, and are lagging behind in effective use of library website. A few libraries offer innovative web‐based library services in different sections. This study identified specific ways in which the web helps university libraries to improve and develop innovative and creative web‐based library services. Some key improvements and developments are: there is an urgent need to develop dynamic library websites and incorporate relevant Web 2.0 based services including web forms in each web‐based library service; apply semantic technologies and ontologies; adopt next‐generation internet (IPv6); and provide multi‐language support content. This study also examined institutional characteristics and resources dedicated to web‐based services.

Originality/value

The geographical area of the study was restricted to 20 university libraries in India.
Flexible access control framework for MARC records
Authors: Sladić Goran , Milosavljević Branko , Surla Dušan , Konjović Zora
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The goal of this paper is to propose a data access control framework that is used for editing MARC‐based bibliographic databases. In cases where the bibliographic record editing activities carried out in libraries are complex and involve many people with different skills and expertise, a way of managing the workflow and data quality is needed. Enforcing access control can contribute to these goals.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed solution for data access control enforcement is based on the well‐studied standard role‐based access control (RBAC) model. The bibliographic data, for the purpose of this system, is represented using the XML language. The software architecture of the access control system is modelled using the Unified Modelling Language (UML).

Findings

The access control framework presented in this paper represents a successful application of concepts of role‐based access control to bibliographic databases. The use of XML language for bibliographic data representation provides the means to integrate this solution into many different library information systems, facilitates data exchange and simplifies the software implementation because of the abundance of available XML tools. The solution presented is not dependent on any particular XML schema for bibliographic records and may be used in different library environments. Its flexibility stems from the fact that access control rules can be defined at different levels of granularity and for different XML schemas.

Research limitations/implications

This access control framework is designed to handle XML documents. Library systems that utilise bibliographic databases in other formats not easily convertible to XML would hardly integrate the framework into their environment.

Practical implications

The use of an access control enforcement framework in a bibliographic database can significantly improve the quality of data in organisations where record editing is performed by a large number of people with different skills. The examples of access control enforcement presented in this paper are extracted from the actual workflow for editing bibliographic records in the Belgrade City Library, the largest public city library in Serbia. The software implementation of the proposed framework and its integration in the BISIS library information system prove the practical usability of the framework. BISIS is currently deployed in over 40 university, public, and specialized libraries in Serbia.

Originality/value

A proposal for enforcing access control in bibliographic databases is given, and a software implementation and its integration in a library information system are presented. The proposed framework can be used in library information systems that use MARC‐based cataloguing.
Metacognition and web credibility
Authors: Madden Andrew D. , Ford Nigel , Gorrell Genevieve , Eaglestone Barry , Holdridge Peter
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The research reported here generated a list of criteria adopted by postgraduate students when evaluating websites. The analysis presented aims to determine whether metacognition played any part in the evaluation of websites by volunteers.

Design/methodology/approach

Forty‐eight students participated in the study. They carried out a series of searches designed to bring them into contact with a range of websites, from forums to electronic books. The students were encouraged to “think aloud” as they searched, and to explain their actions and strategies. Search sessions were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to ethnographic content analysis.

Findings

A range of evaluation criteria is presented. The criteria were applied at different stages of the search process and demonstrate varying degrees of metacognition. Observations on evaluation processes are also presented. Factors affecting evaluation included the purpose of the search, advice received from lecturers, and the perceived nature of the website.

Practical implications

Some volunteers encountered difficulties because of an overly simplistic approach to evaluation. Any training in information literacy skills should aim at equipping students with guidelines to help them assess the credibility of websites, while encouraging them to reflect on the nature of their search task and to apply the guidelines accordingly.

Originality/value

The evaluation criteria and processes described in this paper are induced from detailed observations of a large cohort of students. The qualitative nature of the study meant that these observations could be put into the context of the students' own reflections on their choice of website.
Factors affecting the use of social software: TAM perspectives
Authors: Kim Seonghee
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the acceptance and use of social software tools; in particular, the paper focuses on how the features of social software determine its use.

Design/methodology/approach

This study identifies and uses three independent variables: intrinsic motivation, communication, and information/knowledge sharing. The dependent variables are based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and include the perceived usefulness of social software and the perceived easiness of using social software. Using an online survey, data were collected from employees in government agencies (n=116) in Korea.

Findings

The results of a regression analysis show that both communication and knowledge sharing have a positive effect on the perceived usefulness of social software. However, the results did not statistically support intrinsic motivation as a crucial factor influencing the usefulness of social software. The findings also indicated that intrinsic motivation and communication are crucial factors in the ease of use of social software, while knowledge sharing is not significant statistically.

Research limitations/implications

There are some limitations in this study that need to be addressed. First, in this study, the subjects in the questionnaire survey were employees in Korean government related agencies. In addition, the survey was conducted by volunteers responding to the questionnaire. Thus, in other circumstances, the findings of this study may not be valid or generalizable due to a different social context and representative sampling.

Originality/value

The study implies that decision makers in software companies should support knowledge sharing activities and a variety of communication channels to transform a government agency into a social software community. In addition, the study shows that social software developers should consider enjoyment as a crucial factor for ease of use. Finally, the study found that the associations between the features of social software and South Korean government employees' characteristics for adopting social software can serve as a starting point for research projects involving government employees in other countries.
From website log to findability
Authors: Shieh Jiann‐Cherng
Published: September 2012

Purpose

In the digital library era, library websites are recognized as the extension of library services. The usability and findability of library websites are growing more and more important to patrons. No matter how these websites have been built, they should offer the capability that patrons can find their required information quickly and intuitively. The website logs keep tracks of users' factual behaviors of finding their required information. Based on the evidences, the author attempts to reconstruct the websites to promote their internal findability.

Design/methodology/approach

In the past, the card sorting method has generally been applied to reconstruct websites to improve their internal findability. Alternately, in this research, a first attempt is made to try to use website log data to implement website reconstruction. The website log data was cleaned and user sub‐sessions were extracted according to their respective critical time of session navigation. Each sub‐session's threshold time of target page was then calculated with different weights to determine its navigating parent pages. The different weighted parent pages were utilized to reconstruct various websites. A task‐oriented experiment of four tasks and 25 participants was conducted to measure the effects of findability between the constructed websites.

Findings

By analysis of the variance of time to complete the tasks, it is shown that the reconstructed websites have better findability performance in the time spent to complete the tasks than the current one, if focusing much more on the target pages. The result clearly explores that when the parent pages of a page are selected, whether it is a target page is the most important issue to improve website findability. The target page plays a critical role in website reconstruction. Furthermore, the traditional card sorting method is applied to the case website to reconstruct it. The findability experiment is then conducted and its time to complete the tasks is compared to those of websites that are reconstructed. The approach proposed here has better effects than card sorting.

Originality/value

Mining web log data to discover user behaviors on the library website, this research applies a heuristic method to analyze the data collected to reconstruct websites. Focusing on the target pages, the reconstructed websites will have better findability. Besides traditional card sorting techniques, this paper provides an alternative way to reconstruct websites such that users can find what they need more conveniently and intuitively.
Auditor perceptions of prior involvement and reputation threats as antecedents of quality threatening audit behavior
Authors: Peytcheva Marietta , Gillett Peter R.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate practicing auditors' beliefs regarding the effect of prior involvement on the occurrence of quality threatening behaviour (QTB) during an audit. The authors examine the extent to which auditors' beliefs about QTB are consistent with the theoretical framework of Kanodiaet al., according to which prior involvement in audit work would increase the likelihood of auditors suppressing evidence inconsistent with earlier audit decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct an experiment in which auditors assess the likelihood of perceived reputation threats associated with encountering disconfirming evidence late in the audit, and the likelihood that such evidence will be suppressed.

Findings

Auditors participating in the study believe that prior involvement will induce a perception of personal reputation threats in an auditor encountering evidence inconsistent with the conclusions of earlier audit work. Participants perceive an auditor with prior involvement in the audit work to be more likely to suppress audit evidence than an auditor with no prior involvement; this effect is largely explained by the personal reputation threats believed to be induced by prior involvement.

Research limitations/implications

The findings provide important information, from the perspective of practicing auditors, about a situational antecedent of QTB that is present on most audit engagements. Prior involvement is perceived by auditors to induce a conflict of interest in reporting troublesome evidence uncovered late in the audit. These perceptions suggest it is important to raise reviewers' awareness of the possibility of undesirable behavior in such situations. Potential limitations of the study relate to generalizability of the results under different levels of misstatement risk and under different environments in audit practice. Also, the authors do not measure auditors' actual behaviour, but their assessment of hypothetical situations and beliefs about others' actions. Future research can examine actual auditor behaviour in the presence of prior involvement.

Originality/value

The paper provides evidence on auditors' beliefs about the effects on QTB of prior involvement, a factor that has not been previously studied in this line of research. The authors show that auditors' beliefs about QTB are consistent with Kanodiaet al.'s theoretical framework. The study is the first to measure auditors' assessments of perceived reputation threats and to show their mediating effect on the predicted behavior of audit professionals.
The effects of internal audit role and reporting relationships on investor perceptions of disclosure credibility
Authors: Holt Travis P.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess whether internal audit role and reporting relationships affect investor perceptions of disclosure credibility.

Design/methodology/approach

The experiment involved a 2 × 2 design with internal audit role and reporting relationship randomly assigned among 84 MBA students serving as proxies for nonprofessional investors.

Findings

The results indicate that participants perceived disclosure credibility to be significantly higher when the Chief Audit Executive reported functionally to the audit committee and administratively to the CEO (versus both strategically and administratively to the CFO). The results reveal no significant differences in perceived disclosure credibility from the differing audit roles (i.e. primarily assurance versus primarily consulting).

Originality/value

The findings contribute to the internal audit and corporate governance literatures by providing further evidence of the importance of internal audit in investor judgement and decision making.
Value transfers in trade: an explanation of the observed differences in development
Authors: Seretis Stergios A. , Tsaliki Persefoni V.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to expand and further pursue the quest on value transfer in trade. The reason is that the assessment of the cause, the source and the mechanism of value transfer in trade may reveal the rationale upon which the observed and long‐lasting differences in sectoral, regional, and national development records may be justified.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors' analysis relies on the concept of free competition as developed by the classical economic tradition and particularly on the notions of regulating capital and dominant technique, whose interface forms the theoretical ground upon which can be confirmed the transfer of values between and within industries and by extension between and within regions and economies.

Findings

It is revealed that the cause of value transfers is capital competition, their source is differential productivity whereas the mechanism for these value transfers is national and international trade.

Practical implications

The analysis provides a theoretical ground upon which a new development policy may be designed which will pay attention to value transfers among sectors, regions and economies.

Originality/value

The paper argues that transfers of value are consummated from the less efficient sectors/economies characterized mostly by low technological achievements to more efficient ones.
Designing information literacy: teaching, collaborating and growing
Authors: Zanin‐Yost Alessia
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a methodology for the development of a plan to incorporate information literacy education into interior design programs in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

After providing background information about the role of the liaison to the interior design department, the process of the project implementation is described in detail. The project demonstrates how students learned to move beyond a mere ability to access information.

Findings

The project demonstrated that in order for students to acquire critical thinking skills, both librarian and faculty must determine what skills the students should master throughout their program. Students' work showed that information literacy produces better results when it is applied in stages and with objects that build on previous skills.

Originality/value

The research fills a gap in the published literature, which offers limited resources on how information literacy is taught, used and assessed in the interior design discipline.
Engaging non‐indigenous students in indigenous history and “un‐history”
Authors: O'Dowd Mary
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to analyse non‐indigenous student resistance to indigenous history and to improve non‐indigenous students’ engagement with indigenous history.

Design/methodology

The paper, based on praxis, is a theoretical discussion of the reasons for non‐indigenous student resistance to indigenous history.

Findings

The paper argues that non‐indigenous imaginings of national self creates indigenous history into a “un‐history” (a history that could not be). The paper suggests non‐indigenous teachers of indigenous history may undertake a broader perspective to prepare students for indigenous history, including fostering a critical appreciation of histiography, Australian colonial art, literature and popular culture, to enable a critical understanding of the national imagining of Australians (as non‐indigenous) in order to enable engagement with indigenous history.

Research limitations/implications

The paper's focus and findings do not presume relevance to indigenous educators of indigenous history, as previous research has shown non‐indigenous students’ reactions to an indigenous educator may differ from an to a non‐indigenous educator.

Originality/value

The paper moves beyond discussions about content of indigenous history to issues of resistance and engagement found amongst non‐indigenous students with regard to indigenous history. The paper suggests a twenty‐first century political approach where there is non‐indigenous ownership of the shared history in (indigenous) Australia history, enabling indigenous history to move from the periphery to the centre of Australian colonial history.
“Ceaselessly circling the centre”
Authors: Herbert Jeannie
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the educational journey of indigenous Australians since the time of the 1788 invasion through into the modern Australian university. This exploration is intended to clarify the way in which education delivery in this country has been used to position the nation's “first peoples” within a context of centre/periphery thinking.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper established an overview of the educational service provision for indigenous Australians through a review of archival materials, historical texts and education reports. This information was then aligned with the data gathered through face‐to‐face interviews and focus group meetings conducted by the author in her own PhD research, to test the complementarity of the sources in terms of the indigenous experience.

Findings

The paper provides insights into the current positioning of indigenous Australians. The process of viewing the present against the backdrop of the past identified important historical landmarks that were then examined through the diversity of lens provided through interviews/meetings with contemporary students and staff to reveal the critical impact of centre/periphery thinking on indigenous education in this country.

Originality/value

This paper provides an historical overview of indigenous Australian education that, in clarifying some of the connections and ruptures between “centre and periphery”, provides valuable insights into the full diversity of the indigenous historical experience in Australian education.
Perspectives from the periphery? Colombo Plan scholars in New Zealand Universities, 1951‐1975
Authors: Collins Jenny
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the arrival of Colombo Plan Scholars in New Zealand and consider ways in which their experience helped to bridge distances between “east and west”, as well as to create connections that traversed geographical and cultural boundaries.

Design/methodology/approach

It draws on contemporary newspaper articles to ascertain how public talk about the Colombo Plan programme shaped initial engagements between New Zealand and the scholarship holders. The paper then analyses archival files from the Department of External Affairs to present an overview of the university courses undertaken by Colombo plan scholars. The final section of the paper draws on oral and archival sources to examine individual encounters between former Colombo Plan scholars and New Zealanders.

Findings

The paper argues that while the public aims of the Colombo Plan focused on the containment of communism and the development of post‐colonial connections in the South East Asian region, individual encounters between Colombo Plan scholars and New Zealanders played a role in changing social attitudes in what had been a deeply mono‐cultural society.

Originality/value

The paper draws on previously unpublished archival and documentary evidence and oral sources to examine a unique aspect of the history of international education.
Collaboration competency and partner match for e‐service product innovation through knowledge integration mechanisms
Authors: Tai Tsou Hung
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the relationships among collaboration competency, partner match, knowledge integration mechanisms (KIMs), and e‐service product innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 118 financial firms in Taiwan. IT managers were chosen as the source for data collection. Furthermore, partial least squares (PLS) was used to address sophisticated data analysis issues.

Findings

Collaboration competency and partner match relate positively to KIMs, which in turn relate positively to e‐service innovation. In addition, partner match relates positively to collaboration competency. Also, the findings show support for the mediating effect of KIMs on the relationship between collaboration competency and e‐service product innovation.

Research limitations/implications

First, KIMs are the central mechanism through which collaboration competency enhances e‐service product innovation is novel and noteworthy. Second, the study can help researchers to better comprehend partner match and analyze it as a partner‐led enabling mechanism. Third, this study extends an important direction for service product innovation research that lies in adopting an e‐service innovation perspective.

Practical implications

IT managers should mobilize collaboration competency in conjunction with KIMs and should highlight the centrality of KIMs in e‐service product innovation. Managers should examine whether the firm has the necessary technologies to develop particular levels of new e‐service products and to determine which technologies need to be developed. They would also need to consistently and synergistically align their strategic innovation choices.

Originality/value

The findings of this study fill the gap in the service management literature that currently fails in examining these determinants that affect e‐service product innovation. First, the paper helps to clarify the nature of e‐service product innovation. By studying de Brentani's classification of innovations, the paper views e‐service product innovation as two types of radical and incremental innovations that affect the ability of a firm to deliver desirable new services/products to customers via the internet. Second, based on Gallouj and Weinstein's work, the paper addresses the visibility (i.e., tangible or intangible of technical characteristics) and the degree of standardization (i.e., specifying service characteristics, making service characteristics less hazy and more concrete, and giving service characteristics a shape), which constitute innovations in e‐service products.
Antecedents to participation in corporate social responsibility programs
Authors: Mattila Anna S. , Hanks Lydia
Published: September 2012

Purpose

In today's competitive marketplace, companies are devoting an increasing amount of time and money to establishing themselves as socially responsible, in an effort to appeal to the value system of their target customers (Sen and Bhattacharya). In the current study, the paper focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR) appeals in which the company promises to donate a portion of the purchase price to a charitable cause and requests a matching donation from the customer. More specifically, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the joint effects of status, proximity to CSR, and empathy towards the cause on consumers' willingness to donate money to a charity.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used written scenarios and a 2×2×2 between subjects quasi experimental design to test the hypotheses. The authors predicted that status would interact with empathy and proximity of the cause to influence customers' donation behavior.

Findings

The results supported these predictions. Status seeking individuals exhibited higher levels of prosocial behaviors when the cause was a national one, particularly when the individual felt empathy towards the distant cause. Conversely, empathy feelings had a positive impact donation intent when the cause was a local one and status seeking was not activated.

Originality/value

The results of this study have significant implications for marketers and managers who are considering launching a CSR program. By aligning the cause with the type of consumer, corporations may be able to obtain a higher response rate from customers, thereby increasing the level of consumer involvement and engagement.
Impact of market and organizational determinants on voluntary disclosure in Egyptian companies
Authors: Ismail Tariq H. , El‐Shaib Nesma M.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of market and organizational determinants on the voluntary disclosure level of Egyptian companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Uses a disclosure index of voluntary disclosure that is based upon the following information categories: strategic information; financial information; non‐financial information; and future prospect information to rate the level of disclosure. Multivariate analysis, voluntary disclosure determinants: earnings quality; ownership structure; competition intensity; information asymmetry, and possible relationships with disclosure level provide the basis for discussion.

Findings

It is found that the level of voluntary disclosure in the emerging market of Egypt ranges from low to moderate level. There is no significant relationship between a company's voluntary disclosure level and earnings quality and competition intensity, while this relationship is significant for information asymmetry and ownership structure.

Research limitations/implications

The results are constrained by the proxies that represent non‐financial factors of the market.

Originality/value

This paper extends prior studies on voluntary disclosure in Egypt by looking at a comprehensive set of market and organizational factors that might affect the disclosure level, based on a structured disclosure index of strategic, financial and non‐financial, and future prospect information. The findings would help boards of directors to explain the adoption of certain disclosure strategies, and understand the corporate disclosure behavior.