bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Message framing: keeping practitioners in the picture
Authors: Pervan Simon J. , Vocino Andrea
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how message framing is commonly used by magazine advertisers.

Design/methodology/approach

Following the classification suggested by Levin et al., the frequency and nature of message framing in magazine advertising is explored using a content analysis of 2,864 advertisements in a sample of popular US magazines.

Findings

Results suggest a lack of consistency between marketing practice and academic findings. Contrary to academic recommendations, advertisers used positive framing in almost all advertising messages. Further, the use of attribute framing and combined attribute and goal framing was more popular than pure goal framing

Research limitations/implications

Although the findings are limited by a judgement sample of US magazines, they do suggest the need for academics to conduct more research on the effectiveness of combined attribute and goal framing techniques.

Practical implications

Of equal importance is the need for practitioners to explore the potentiality of negative framing in their advertising content.

Originality/value

Adopting the Levin et al.'s typology, this paper highlights the need for advertising researchers to engage with practitioners to try to understand current industry practice with regard to message framing. The inconsistencies revealed in this paper point to either an insufficient understanding of message framing by one or both parties or the need for better communication between the two.
Concept testing: the state of contemporary practice
Authors: Peng Ling , Finn Adam
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to better understand current concept testing practice and its role in the new product development process; identify the relationship, if any, between concept testing design and perceptions of its effectiveness; determine what evidence product managers or research consultants have for the reliability and validity of current concept testing.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of new product managers collected detailed information on their organization's most recent traditional or conjoint concept testing project. In the study of marketing research consultants, 100 firms were asked to provide the publicly available information about the reliability and validity track record of their concept testing services.

Findings

There are differences between practices for incrementally and radically new concepts. Practitioners prefer to keep their information proprietary, so little has been learned about how concept tests should be designed, despite the thousands of concepts tested every year.

Practical implications

The paper identifies current concept testing practice, including which methods/models are used, what is known about their reliability and validity, and the perceived problems and desired improvements.

Originality/value

The paper identifies how concept testing is currently carried out and those issues most in need of future research.
Object‐matrix model of complex manufacturing technology
Authors: Iwańkowicz Remigiusz
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to present a model of complex production processes, witch allows permanent optimisation of manufacturing technology to be accomplished.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents theoretical fundamentals of building the model of manufacturing technology.

Findings

The paper points out the possibilities of using. Leontief's input‐output model in the description of manufacturing technology. Obtained matrix notation allowed the introduction of complex technology concept. The paper presents various forms of combinations and their mathematical notations. It shows the possibility of applying object‐matrix model in the optimisation of ship's hull manufacturing technology.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed method can be applied in modelling and optimisation of any complex production process.

Practical implications

Application of object‐matrix model allows optimisation of manufacturing technology, prediction of costs and supply needs of a production system.

Originality/value

The object‐matrix model is originally developed basing on Leontief's input‐output model. The main contribution of the paper is that the presented model can be applied in the optimisation of any complex production process.
Reliability‐based measure for a system with standbys subjected to switching failures
Authors: Ke Jyh‐Bin , Lee Wen‐Chiung , Ke Jau‐Chuan
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the reliability and sensitivity analysis of a system with M primary units, W standby units, and one repair facility when switching to primary units may fail.

Design/methodology/approach

Failure times of primary and standby units are assumed to have exponential distributions, and repair times of the failed units are also assumed to have an exponential distribution. Different failure rates and switching failure probabilities are given depending on the readiness states of standby units, designated hot, warm, or cold. The Laplace transform technique is used to transform a set of ordinary differential equations to a set of equations. After finding the solution, we can obtain the desired measures in the time domain by using the inverse Laplace transform.

Findings

Expressions for system reliability and mean time to failure (MTTF) are derived. Sensitivity analysis of the system reliability and the MTTF with respect to system parameters are investigated.

Originality/value

This paper presents the first time that a contour of the MTTF with respect to standby states has been obtained, which is quite useful for the decision makers.
The impact of internet banking on business‐customer relationships (are you being self‐served?)
Authors: Johns Raechel , Perrott Bruce
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how technology has dramatically altered the way businesses operate in a business‐to‐business (B2B) context and has had profound influences on services, altering the way services are delivered. It is believed that the increased use of self‐service technologies (SSTs) impacts on B2B relationships. The paper seeks to explore the impact of the use of internet banking on business relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the results and implications of recent exploratory research conducted with a small sample of Australian business bank customers.

Findings

It was expected that perceptions of technology would impact on the relationship. However, it was the perception of the relationship which led respondents to develop a perception of the technology. Further research is recommended.

Practical implications

Banks are encouraging internet banking to reduce service delivery costs and improve service quality for customers. However, a greater understanding of the impact of this on relationships is essential.

Originality/value

The importance of developing and fostering relationships with customers has long been regarded as important within services marketing and also within B2B relationships. However, there is little discussion of the impact of self‐service technologies on business relationships.
An empirical survey of individual consumer, business firm and financial institution attitudes towards Islamic methods of finance
Authors: Gait Alsadek , Worthington Andrew
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the attitudes, perceptions and knowledge of Islamic financial products and services.

Design/methodology/approach

A synoptic survey of empirical analyses about Islamic financial products and services and comparison with the literature on conventional financial services and products.

Findings

It was found that while religious conviction is a key factor in the use of Islamic finance, consumers also identify bank reputation, service quality and pricing as being of relevance. When selecting a financial institution's products and services, business firms usually employ criteria that are more conventional, such as the cost of finance, in their decision making. There is also interest among financial institutions in supplying Islamic financial products and services, but this is mitigated by complications with firm management and a lack of familiarity with business conditions. The concept of risk sharing with borrowers serves as a substantial barrier to most financial institutions engaging in Islamic methods of finance. Research limitations/implications – This survey is limited to work published in refereed journals, books and book chapters.

Practical implications

Need for further theoretical and empirical research on how religious convictions affect consumers in their financial decision making. In addition, most work on Islamic finance is in a single national context, international comparisons are required.

Originality/value

This paper is the only known empirical survey of attitudes, perceptions and knowledge of Islamic financial products and services. It provides guidance for future research in Islamic finance and serves as an aid for decision making by policymakers, consumer interest groups, business firms and financial institutions.
Tournaments in the UK mutual fund industry
Authors: Jans Rob , Otten Rogér
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the tournament hypothesis in the UK mutual fund market. Based on a previous US study, fund managers were expected to alter risk‐taking behaviour in response to their performance relative to competing fund managers.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an earlier methodology, contingency tables were used to examine the risk‐taking behaviour of fund managers after an interim performance period. The sample consists of 422 UK equity mutual funds with monthly data from 1989 to 2003. To avoid survivorship bias, funds that did not survive the entire sample period were also included. This leads to a total of 3,617 observations.

Findings

The main conclusions are two‐fold. First, using the entire 1989‐2003 sample period no consistent evidence for tournament behaviour is found. This is robust to the effects of survivorship bias and window dressing. Second, splitting the sample period into two sub‐periods reveals an interesting pattern. During the first part of the sample period, 1989‐1996, significant evidence for tournament behaviour is found. During the second part of the sample period, 1997‐2003, significant support for strategic behaviour, as described theoretically by Taylor has been documented.

Research limitations/implications

The results suggest that after 1996, managers entered into a strategic game that takes the actions of competing managers into account instead of seeing them as exogenous benchmarks.

Originality/value

By studying the UK fund market, the US results can be tested to see if they are sample specific or can be carried over to other countries as well. Furthermore, the sample period includes data after 1996, the year of the first publication on the tournament hypothesis. This enabled investigation in to whether managers adapted their strategies.
Acculturation, microculture and banking: an analysis of Hispanic consumers in the USA
Authors: Gail Perry Vanessa
Published: October 2008

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show that having a bank account is an important precursor to participating in the US financial mainstream. However, about 24 percent of Hispanic households in the USA are unbanked. This study seeks to examine whether the use of banks among Hispanic consumers can be explained by acculturation and microcultural factors. Design/methodology/approach – The model proposes that having a checking or savings account is a function of acculturation, microculture, and demographics. Acculturation is measured in terms of length of time in the USA; plans to remain in the USA temporarily versus permanently; Spanish language use; and citizenship status. Microculture is measured by country of origin. Data used for this analysis were collected in a survey sponsored by a start‐up financial institution interested in targeting the Hispanic market. These data were collected in 2004 during telephone interviews with 1,000 Hispanic renters in major markets across the USA. Findings – More acculturated Hispanic consumers are more likely to have a bank account, regardless of income, and level of education. In addition, the propensity to have a bank account varies by country of origin. Practical implications – Marketers and policymakers should target less acculturated immigrants who view themselves as temporary US residents, and those who use Spanish primarily for communicating outside the home. Marketers should emphasize the safety and soundness of the US banking system and should accommodate needs for international funds transfers. Originality/value – The findings can help financial service providers and public policy makers to target a growing market segment.
An empirical test of the drivers of overall customer satisfaction: evidence from multivariate Granger causality
Authors: Omachonu Vincent , Johnson William C. , Onyeaso Godwin
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether customer‐perceived service quality and expectation of service quality have causal impacts on overall customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Data on all the variables were elicited from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), and these were analyzed using the Granger causality method.

Findings

Satisfaction and perceived quality were positively related. Even though perceived quality did not Granger‐cause satisfaction in the short term, it did so in the long term. Likewise, even though satisfaction did not Granger‐cause perceived quality in the short term, it did so in the long term. But customer expectations Granger‐caused both satisfaction and expectation in the short‐term and the long term.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are based on only one company. Extrapolation to other companies demands caution and the data may not satisfy asymptotic assumptions.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature by advising managers to extend their customer satisfaction tracking to overall customer satisfaction with its strategic implications.
The role of store environmental stimulation and social factors on impulse purchasing
Authors: Mattila Anna S. , Wirtz Jochen
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This study aims to examine the role of environmentally induced stimulation in influencing impulse buying. In addition, the authors seek to investigate the impact of two social factors (perceived crowding and employee friendliness) on unplanned purchases.

Design/methodology/approach

A wide variety of retail outlets in Singapore were selected as the context for this field study, ranging from small cosmetics shops (e.g. Body Shop) to mega furniture outlets (i.e. IKEA).

Findings

The results of this study indicate that perceived over‐stimulation (higher than desired) has a positive impact on impulse buying. Moreover, the two social factors jointly influence consumers' unplanned purchases.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size was relatively small (n=138) and data collection took place in Singapore. Thus, future research with a bigger sample and tested in other cultures is needed to enhance the generalizability of the findings.

Practical implications

The study findings suggest that over‐stimulation has a positive impact on impulse purchases. Store managers can look at a number of environmental design variables to increase stimulation in their shops. The findings further indicate that perceived crowding and employee friendliness jointly influence impulse buying, and hence these two factors need to be considered together in store design.

Originality/value

Retailers are fully aware of the power of impulse buying in enhancing their revenues, yet little is known about how the store environment influences unplanned purchases. This study addresses that gap in the services literature.
Age differences in mobile service perceptions: comparison of Generation Y and baby boomers
Authors: Kumar Archana , Lim Heejin
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effects of age on mobile service quality perceptions and its impact on perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty between two significant mobile service user segments – Generation Y and baby boomers.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple group structural equation modeling approach is utilized to assess the proposed model.

Findings

The results identify the mobile service quality attributes that are important to Generation Y‐ers and baby boomers. The study also finds significant differences between the two groups in terms of the effect of perceived economic and emotional value on satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation lies in the measurement of service quality. Another limitation is different methods of data collection between two age groups. Future research is recommended to examine differences between other generations, between different ethnic groups, and other demographic variables.

Practical implications

This study strongly suggest the effect of age on mobile service perceptions and loyalty decisions. It is suggested that marketers appeal to the emotional value for Gen Y‐ers while placing an emphasis on economic value for baby boomers.

Originality/value

The proposed role of gender in loyalty decisions provides insights to marketers on how to promote their services for diverse consumer segments.
Challenges of a successful first‐year principal in Mexico
Authors: Slater Charles L. , Garcia Jose Maria , Lopez Gorosave Gema
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This case study is an attempt to understand the experience of a school principal, Arnulfo. The research question is: what are the challenges of one first‐year school director in Baja California, Mexico?

Design/methodology/approach

Arnulfo participated in an interview and five focus groups at the Ensenada State Normal School. He kept a journal of incidents completed during April‐July 2006. A team of three researchers helped to write the case study. One researcher collected the data and wrote a summary in Spanish. A second researcher organized the material and translated it into English. The third researcher criticized and reviewed the write‐up.

Findings

Arnulfo faced a variety of challenges, but the burden of paperwork was the most serious. It can be understood on a number of levels. Bolman and Deal's four frames to understand organizations and leadership help to explain the complexity in terms of structural, human resource, symbolic, and political. The political frame was Arnulfo's greatest strength. He advocated for the school, formed alliances with parents, and took action to get the support of others.

Practical implications

The analysis, if confirmed by broader studies with larger samples, would lead to several recommendations for educational administration preparation. Principals need to know about the structural tasks of paperwork; maintain relationships with supervisors to assure adequate support; understand the symbolic culture in which they work, and become savvy in the ways of politics.

Originality/value

The International Study of Principal Preparation will compare findings and offer perspective on the extent to which these issues are representative of challenges that directors face in eight other countries.
Mapping principal preparation in Kenya and Tanzania
Authors: Onguko Brown , Abdalla Mohammed , Webber Charles F.
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the principal preparation programming available to school leaders in Kenya and Tanzania.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyzed information about the educational leadership programmes offered by a range of public and private institutions in East Africa. Data were gathered primarily through document analyses based on publicly available information describing certificate, diploma, and degree programs related to principal preparation in Kenya and Tanzania.

Findings

A description is offered of the intended client group for leadership preparation programmes along with an overview of programme content, structure, delivery modes, and credentialing. Gaps were noted in the areas of instructional leadership, educational technology, and visioning. Further, the authors noted the insufficient capacity of educational institutions in East Africa to prepare new principals or to offer ongoing professional development.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to publicly available documents. There is a marked need for more detailed empirical reports of principal preparation in sub‐Saharan Africa.

Practical implications

The suitability of the content of existing principal preparation programs warrants closer examination.

Originality/value

This report contributes to the understanding of principal preparation in sub‐Saharan Africa in terms of its capacity, content, and delivery modes.
Principals on L‐plates: rear view mirror reflections
Authors: Wildy Helen , Clarke Simon
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to contribute to the literature on beginning the principalship by identifying and illustrating key challenges that novice principals encounter in their first year for which they would benefit from improved preparation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a synthesis of a decade of research focusing on the principal with the general aim of analysing ways in which principals can work more effectively within the realities of schools as highly complex organizations. Throughout this work, the narrative account has been used as the main approach for depicting principals' understandings of the contexts in which they find themselves and their interpretations of the experiences that confront them in their roles.

Findings

A range of findings generated from the research as a whole has been refined into the conceptualisation of four distinct but interrelated challenges facing novice principals in exercising their roles.

Originality/value

The paper proposes a conceptual framework that can be used as a heuristic tool for informing the preparation of principals, especially in the Australian context.
Programs for school principal preparation in East Europe
Authors: Karstanje Peter , Webber Charles F.
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This paper is intended to provide an overview of trends in European education and to offer a framework for considering the elements of school management.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports elements of the planning and implementation of a graduate‐level leadership development initiative in Bulgaria.

Findings

Several lessons learned were garnered from this project. First, models of leadership development must be adaptable to local organizational and system cultures. Second, international leadership development programs should expose participants to different approaches to learning and promote reflective analysis of the various approaches. Expansion of train‐the‐trainer models should be planned from the beginning of projects and consider status differences between trainers‐of‐trainers and trainees who become trainers. Finally, sustainability must be included in planning.

Research limitations/implications

The international leadership development program is reported from the perceptions of those who participated in the delivery and in the accreditation process. Others may perceive the program differently.

Practical implications

Management training needs to be practiced so program participants should have opportunities to practice, receive feedback, and dialogue. Experiential learning is essential. New educational ideas may need long incubation periods in the settings where they are introduced.

Originality/value

Leadership development program in East Europe are a relatively recent phenomenon and lessons learned will resonate with providers of leadership preparation programs in other settings.
Constant disloyalty and the keys to community
Authors: Hall Kevan
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to argue that trust and a sense of community are important in any organization, but increasingly complex structures and different cultures in large companies make it difficult to achieve a community. This, in turn, can harm trust, which is potentially damaging to business success.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper demonstrates that different groups in an organization – the global group, matrixed middle and locally loyal – have different community needs. The costs and benefits of community for the three groups are also different. Each group faces its own challenges, but those in the middle group often have the greatest challenges as they constantly find themselves torn between central directives and local realities.

Findings

The paper contends that, while community and trust correlate with lower costs, faster change, profitability and retention, in more extensive, distributed complex organizations the cost of building community is much higher and organizations therefore need to be more selective about where the deeper forms of co‐operation add value. Prefers the simplest form of co‐operation and the smallest number of people involved.

Practical implications

The paper highlights the need to be much more selective about teams.

Originality/value

The paper shows that, by focusing on critical communities, organizations can get the key benefits of community while avoiding some of the costs.
Developing (authentic?) academic writers
Authors: Badley Graham
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This paper seeks to consider whether the notion of authenticity is useful or meaningful in the context of developing academics as writers.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken is that of a reflective essay. Recent texts on authenticity in higher education are examined whilst a transactional theory of writing is also considered as a potentially valuable way of helping develop academic writers.

Findings

The tentative conclusions reached include the desirability of moving away from the concept of authenticity as an ideal in academic writing and towards the notion of developing academics as mature or even expert writers.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this paper is that it is merely an essay. It is one researcher's attempt to analyse a difficult conceptual issue and, as such, only provides a provisional analysis, not a final analysis. Other scholars using different sources may well come to different conclusions. But, at least, this essay is a contribution to the conversation about how academics might be helped to develop as writers.

Practical implications

There are at least two: a move away from a somewhat metaphysical conception of academic writing towards a more practical approach; and the potential usefulness of adopting a transactional theory which directly links reading and writing.

Originality/value

The main value of the paper is that it offers a critique of some current views of authenticity in higher education and it suggests and outlines the usefulness of a Deweyan or transactional theory of writing for higher education.
Publishing, ranking, and the future of heterodox economics
Authors: Lee Frederic S. , Elsner Wolfram
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of the “Introduction” is to provide the motivation and context for the articles of this special issue and an overview and summary of the contributions that follow.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides an overview and summary of the contributions in the special issue.

Findings

It is argued that heterodoxies had gained a considerable and growing influence on research orientations, methodologies, and critical reflections, also on the mainstream publishing practices, even in the mainstream. This has been widely acknowledged as “hip heterodoxy” recently. Thus, many heterodox economists have developed optimistic expectations for the future of the profession. However, that influence has left the main mechanisms of reproduction of the mainstream untouched. These are mass teaching, public advising, journal policies, and faculty recruitment. Above that, the last decade has seen something like a “counterattack” to safeguard these mainstream reproduction mechanisms. The means used for this seem to be journal (and publisher) rankings based on purely quantitative citation measures and “impact factors”. These have an obvious cumulative “economies‐of‐scale” effect which triggers a tendency towards reinforcement and collective monopolization of the dominating orientation. Department rankings and individual faculty evaluations are then based on journals rankings. As a result, there are observable tendencies towards the cleansing of economics departments in a number of countries.

Originality/value

The paper also discusses potential reasons and methods for alternative approaches to measure citation interrelations, networks, cooperation, and rankings among heterodoxies (journals and departments), and for alternatives of publishing and the future of heterodoxies in general. Finally, it draws the picture of the present situation and the foreseeable future of heterodoxies as it emerges from the 11 contributions of the special issue.
Heterodox economics and dissemination of research through the internet: the experience of RePEc and NEP
Authors: Novarese Marco , Zimmermann Christian
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This paper seeks to study how the democratization of the diffusion of research through the internet could have helped non‐traditional fields of research.

Design/methodology/approach

The specific case the authors approach is heterodox economics as its pre‐prints are disseminated through NEP, the e‐mail alert service of RePEc.

Findings

Comparing heterodox and mainstream papers, the authors find that the heterodox are quite systematically more downloaded, and particularly so when considering downloads per subscriber.

Research limitations/implications

The authors conclude that the internet definitely helps heterodox research, also because other researchers get exposed to it. But there is still room for more participation by heterodox researchers.

Originality/value

The paper shows how RePEc and NEP try to pursue democracy and help in the dissemination of research. It also shows how heterodox communities can benefit and have benefited from this system, because they need new ways for disseminating research.
A case for ranking heterodox journals and departments
Authors: Lee Frederic S.
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present, for the first time, a case for ranking heterodox journals and departments.

Design/methodology/approach

The first section of the article briefly delineates the intellectual and social organization of heterodox economics as a social system of scientific activity. This background is then used to argue the case for ranking heterodox journals (section two) and heterodox departments (section three). An example of ranking journals that promote the development of heterodox theory, is not a zero‐sum game, and does not invite invidious comparisons is delineated in the fourth section. The final section summarizes the case for rankings.

Findings

There are two central issues facing heterodox economics: one is the development of a coherent, integrated economic theory that explains the social provisioning process; and the second is the making of economic departments that contribute to the development of heterodox theory and policy, and the training of heterodox economists. A case can be made for ranking journals and departments that deal with the two issues.

Originality/value

An example of ranking journals that promote the development of heterodox theory, is not a zero‐sum game, and does not invite invidious comparisons is delineated.
Submission from the Association for Heterodox Economics to the international benchmarking review on research assessment
Authors: Freeman Alan
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to make a submission to the UK's Economic and Social Research Council as part of its international benchmarking review of economics.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of a discussion of the health of economics in the UK from the perspective of heterodox or pluralist economists who are members of the Association for Heterodox Economics.

Findings

Research assessment based on peer review is damaging economics in the UK because, as currently conducted, it does not promote pluralism. This will lead to a monolithic discipline that will reject new and controversial ideas and arguments.

Practical implications

The current research assessment and subject benchmarking approaches must be completely changed so as to promote pluralism.

Originality/value

This is the first document by a heterodox economics association to challenge the research assessment and subject benchmarking conventions in the UK and also in Europe.
Globality: challenger companies are radically redefining the competitive landscape
Authors: Sirkin Harold L. , Hemerling James W. , Bhattacharya Arindam K.
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The paper aims to herald a new phase of worldwide trade and economic development which the authors call “globality.” Increasingly, companies from every part of the world will be competing – for customers, resources, talent and intellectual capital – with each other in every one of the world's markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper produces evidence that incumbent global leaders will increasingly be forced to defend turf they thought they had won and secured long ago; and their expansion into emerging markets will be challenged as never before.

Findings

The paper finds that the challenger companies have grown from local to global, but instead of squelching local differences, they encouraged them. They retained their bias toward a decentralized management style, which allows them to leverage each new viewpoint as a new source of expertise, market knowledge, and best practice. They have mastered synthesizing many points of view.

Practical implications

Challengers view the world as a collection of diverse regions, each requiring strong local leadership with autonomy to act knowledgably, quickly, and decisively. To compete, incumbents must recognize that the era of globality is here now; learn from challengers; and adapt.

Originality/value

The study found that the challengers companies are able to devolve control, without descending into chaos, a huge competitive advantage. And they are innovating new centers of executive influence and new governance structures that support multiple independent centers of activity, while still leveraging global scale.
Ageing of acrylate‐based resins for stereolithography: thermal and humidity ageing behaviour studies
Authors: Tröger Carola , Bens Arthur T. , Bermes Günter , Klemmer Ricarda , Lenz Johannes , Irsen Stephan
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the ageing behaviour of acrylate‐based resins for stereolithography (SL) technology using different test methods and to investigate these effects on polymers.

Design/methodology/approach

Controlling the polymer degradation requires an understanding of many different phenomena, including the different chemical mechanisms underlying structural changes in polymer macromolecules, the influences of polymer morphology, the complexities of oxidation chemistry and the complex reaction pathways of polymer additives. Several ageing characterization experiments are given.

Findings

The paper covers the ageing process analysis of acrylate‐based polymers. An overview of the ageing behaviour is given, along with the bandwidth of material characteristics for a prolonged lifetime of this material class.

Research limitations/implications

For research and development in the field of rapid prototyping (RP) materials data about ageing behaviour and environmental effects are crucial. The authors show possible methods for measuring these effects and discuss the consequences in material research using a recently developed biocompatible SL resin as an example.

Practical implications

The study of the ageing behaviour of polymers is important for understanding their usability, storage, lifetime and recycling. The presented polymeric formulations are able to meet the growing demand for both soft and stiff manufacturing resin materials in the engineering and medical fields.

Originality/value

The analysis of the ageing behaviour of polymer materials is an important issue for engineering applications, recycling of post‐consumer plastic waste, as well as the use of polymers as biological implants and matrices for drug delivery and the lifetime of an article. The paper gives an overview of details involving ageing behaviour and their meaning for applications of acrylate‐based SL resins and is therefore of high importance to people with interest in long‐term behaviour and ageing of RP materials.
Turkish immigrant entrepreneurs in the European Union: a political‐institutional approach
Authors: Ioannou Panayiotopoulos Prodromos
Published: October 2008

Purpose

Applying a multidisciplinary perspective combining theories about immigration, citizenship and enterprise, this paper seeks to examine the influence of the political‐institutional framework in the development of enterprise amongst Turkish immigrants in the European gateway cities, pointing to the relevance of the case study for wider theoretical debate about immigration, globalisation and enterprise.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on information gathered from European research centres on Turkish migration and employment combined with a review of national and European legislation on immigration, citizenship, entrepreneurship and the regulation of the “informal economy”.

Findings

The findings point to change and continuity in the positioning Turkish entrepreneurs in the EU. Continuity appears in a lack of citizenship and political rights for the majority of Turkish speakers and their inability to influence the political system compared with other people. Change appears in the expansion in the number of enterprises and perhaps more significantly in the growing economic differentiation between enterprises in terms of scale and purpose. One optimistic conclusion is that many of the entrepreneurs have broken out of the economic margins despite the political constraints faced by them.

Practical implications

The paper identifies that immigrant‐owned enterprises in the EU are creating jobs, typically by employing co‐ethnic workers, but also workers from diverse immigrant backgrounds. The potential of Turkish self‐employment in the EU is indicated in trends which show that in The Netherlands and Germany this has been the most significant source of net additions to employment growth.

Originality/value

The paper provides insight into how the political‐institutional framework and legal status influence the labour market positioning and repositioning of an immigrant group.
HRM practices and systems within South‐Asian small businesses
Authors: McPherson Mark
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to highlight differences and similarities in human resource management (HRM) practices between first‐ and second‐generation South Asian entrepreneurs and the extent to which such practices support an integrated HRM system.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws its theoretical underpinning via five “generic HRM functions” and practices, i.e. selection, appraisals, reward, development, and strategy. To help understand the application of such practices from an ethnic dimension, 42 semi‐structured interviews were carried out with two ethnic groups. The two groups chosen were first‐ and second‐generation Sikh and Pakistani Muslim entrepreneurs from micro and small businesses situated within the Greater London area. In addition, nine businesses across both ethnic groups were selected to complete the multiple (comparative) case‐study stage of the research. Investigation was conducted within the phenomenological paradigm.

Findings

The paper notes that differences and similarities between the two generations are based more on sectoral location and type of business with minor instances of cultural and generational nuances. With regard to the development of an integrated HRM system, the evidence suggests that time, cost and expertise are considered constraining factors and, as such, respondents adopt an informal ad hoc approach. Interestingly, although this informality is common within the business, respondents are in fact leaving themselves exposed to breaches of employment law.

Practical implications

The paper supports the literature, whereby training and advice for EMBs that emphasise formal procedures may be counterproductive. Instead, direction should be given to ensure that HRM practices stress accountability, control and connectedness, help to reduce any perceived risk of litigation, and ensure that statutory requirements are met.

Originality/value

The paper offers unique insight into an unknown entity, namely HRM issues within ethnic small businesses.
Applying the analytic hierarchy process to the offshore outsourcing location decision
Authors: Boardman Liu Linda , Berger Paul , Zeng Amy , Gerstenfeld Arthur
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show that there is a wealth of academic literature that qualitatively examines the outsourcing and offshoring from a go/no go perspective. The paper examines the complex “where to outsource” question by applying a quantitative approach called Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examine a Fortune 500 company's real‐world decision about where to outsource and summarize the current selection process employed by the company. We then apply our AHP model to the company's decision and compare the results.

Findings

There are four major findings: the location selection decision is a component of the outsource supplier selection decision; the AHP model effectively manages the complexity of the decision making process, incorporating all decision criteria harmoniously; a method such as AHP, which is able to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative criteria into evaluations, would streamline the decision‐making process; and the AHP process allows firms to look at a portfolio of choices and determine which firms are basically equal in qualifications.

Research limitations/implications

The research implies that: (AHP may be more applicable in these areas by providing a rigorous framework for assessment of qualitative and quantitative factors together; and AHP offers substantial flexibility to accommodate the variety and quantity of decision criteria set forth by the firm.

Practical implications

As firms are more active in pursuing opportunities in global markets, identifying the right offshoring location is critical. The selection process is complex, involving a set of qualitative and quantitative factors and requiring rigorous and careful analysis. Therefore, a scientific method that not only offers flexibility and simplicity, but also simultaneously accommodates a wide variety of decision criteria is invaluable. The research demonstrates that AHP provides these benefits and is an effective technique for analyzing the where‐to‐outsource decision.

Originality/value

The extensive literature review suggests that the majority of the existing works focus on analyzing the go/no‐go decision using a qualitative approach. This paper applies the AHP method to the “where to outsource” question to demonstrate one quantitative approach to this complex decision. Additionally, the paper provides a detailed description of how the AHP method is implemented in analyzing the decision by using a Fortune 500 company's data and information as an example.
Are career centers worthwhile?
Authors: Brotheridge Céleste M. , Power Jacqueline L.
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This study seeks to examine the extent to which the use of career center services results in the significant incremental prediction of career outcomes beyond its established predictors.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors survey the clients of a public agency's career center and use hierarchical multiple regressions in order to examine the extent to which it achieved its goals.

Findings

Career center usage predicted career resilience and action as well as perceived management commitment to employee development beyond established predictors for these variables. Employees' belief that they were personally responsible for their careers was the prime predictor of career center usage.

Research limitations/implications

The primary limitations of this research are the cross‐sectional research design, the self‐selected sample, and the single source of survey data.

Practical implications

Making a career center available to employees can help them adjust to the new protean career model and an environment of considerable downsizing. Using the career center leads to positive results with respect to the perceptions of management.

Originality/value

Although the cultural barrier to career center usage is likely to be resolvable only over time, supervisors could be encouraged to offer more support and coaching to employees. Also, employees' jobs can be developed by increasing the extent to which supervisors provide feedback to employees, allow employees to work autonomously, and require the use of multiple skills.
Explaining entrepreneurial intentions by means of the theory of planned behaviour
Authors: van Gelderen Marco , Brand Maryse , van Praag Mirjam , Bodewes Wynand , Poutsma Erik , van Gils Anita
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This paper sets out to present a detailed empirical investigation of the entrepreneurial intentions of business students. The authors employ the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), in which intentions are regarded as resulting from attitudes, perceived behavioural control, and subjective norms.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used was a replication study among samples of undergraduate students of business administration at four different universities (totaln=1,225). Five operationalisations of intentions are used as well as a composite measure. Prior to the main study, qualitative research conducted at two other universities (totaln=373) was held to operationalise the components of the TPB.

Findings

The results show that the two most important variables to explain entrepreneurial intentions are entrepreneurial alertness and the importance attached to financial security.

Research limitations/implications

Various research design features are used that result in better and more detailed explanations of entrepreneurial intentions.

Practical implications

Should one want to stimulate entrepreneurship in educational or training settings, then this paper's results provide guidance. Several suggestions are offered on how entrepreneurial alertness can be improved and financial security concerns can be reduced.

Originality/value

The study provides detailed and solid results on entrepreneurial intentions which are positioned in the career literature.