bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Streptomyces zagrosensis sp. nov., isolated from soil
Authors: Mohammadipanah Fatemeh , Hamedi Javad , Spröer Cathrin , Rohde Manfred , Montero-Calasanz María del Carmen , Klenk Hans-Peter
Published: July 2014

The taxonomic position of a novel actinomycete isolated from soil in Fars Province (Iran) was determined using a polyphasic approach. Phenotypic characterization and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of the isolate matched those described for members of the genus

Streptomyces

. On ISP2 medium, strain HM 1154T produced a dark cream, branched substrate mycelium and Retinaculiaperti aerial hyphae that in some images also appeared spiral and that developed into greyish-white spore chains with a smooth surface. The isolate showed optimal growth at 28 °C and pH 6–9 with 0–4 % (w/v) NaCl. Whole-cell hydrolysates contained ll-diaminopimelic acid as diagnostic diamino acid, ribose and glucose. The main phospholipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, three unknown phospholipids and an unknown aminophospholipid; MK-9(H4) and MK-9(H2) were the predominant menaquinones. The major cellular fatty acids were the branched saturated iso-C16 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. Strain HM 1154T exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to

Streptomyces coerulescens

DSM 40146T (99.4 %),

Streptomyces varsoviensis

DSM 40346T (99.3 %),

Streptomyces youssoufiensis

DSM 41920T (99.2 %),

Streptomyces abikoensis

DSM 40831T (99.2 %),

Streptomyces rimosus subsp. rimosus

DSM 40260T (99.1 %),

Streptomyces luteireticuli

DSM 40509T (99.1 %),

Streptomyces thioluteus

DSM 40027T (99.1 %),

Streptomyces blastmyceticus

DSM 40029T (99.0 %) and

Streptomyces hiroshimensis

DSM 40037T (99.0 %). DNA–DNA hybridization studies showed relatedness values of 11.0–35.8 % with the closest related species. Based on these results, strain HM 1154T is considered to represent a novel species within the genus

Streptomyces

, for which the name Streptomyces zagrosensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HM 1154T ( = DSM 42018T = UTMC 1154T = CECT 8305T).
Delay and trace fear conditioning in C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice: issues of measurement and performance
Authors: Tipps Megan E. , Raybuck Jonathan D. , Buck Kari J. , Lattal K. Matthew
Published: July 2014

Strain comparison studies have been critical to the identification of novel genetic and molecular mechanisms in learning and memory. However, even within a single learning paradigm, the behavioral data for the same strain can vary greatly, making it difficult to form meaningful conclusions at both the behavioral and cellular level. In fear conditioning, there is a high level of variability across reports, especially regarding responses to the conditioned stimulus (CS). Here, we compare C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice using delay fear conditioning, trace fear conditioning, and a nonassociative condition. Our data highlight both the significant strain differences apparent in these fear conditioning paradigms and the significant differences in conditioning type within each strain. We then compare our data to an extensive literature review of delay and trace fear conditioning in these two strains. Finally, we apply a number of commonly used baseline normalization approaches to compare how they alter the reported differences. Our findings highlight three major sources of variability in the fear conditioning literature: CS duration, number of CS presentations, and data normalization to baseline measures.
Support workers’ mental health knowledge and confidence in relation to exposure, experience, work setting and training
Authors: Kilanska Ann , M. Priest Helena
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Previous studies have shown that support workers often have difficulties in recognising mental health problems in service users with intellectual disabilities. In the context of improved UK training programmes, the purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that can predict support workers’ knowledge and confidence in this respect.

Design/methodology/approach

– In total, 80 support workers (40 residential and 40 community-based) completed a questionnaire about their length of work experience, exposure to service users with additional mental health needs, training, general and specific mental health knowledge, and confidence in working with mental health issues. It was hypothesised that length of work experience, extent of training, and level of exposure would predict knowledge about mental health problems, and also predict confidence in working with people with mental health problems. It was further predicted that residential support workers would be more knowledgeable and confident than community workers.

Findings

– Results showed that level of exposure could predict knowledge about schizophrenia, but not about depression, anxiety, or dementia, while length of experience could predict overall mental health knowledge and confidence. Extent of training could only predict knowledge about anxiety, and work setting (residential or community) had no effect to on knowledge or confidence. Implications for practice and training are discussed.

Originality/value

– In the context of improved UK training programmes, this study aimed to explore the factors that can predict support workers’ knowledge and confidence in this respect.
Complex Behaviour Service: enhanced model for challenging behaviour
Authors: Inchley-Mort Sophie , Rantell Khadija , Wahlich Charlotte , Hassiotis Angela
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is thought to be an important model for working with people with intellectual disabilities who display behaviours challenging to service. The purpose of this paper is to explore clinical and service user outcomes associated with the delivery of PBS by a Complex Behaviour Service (CBS).

Design/methodology/approach

– Clinical outcomes of 24 service users treated by the CBS team were assessed at baseline, six and 12 months and compared with those of 22 peers who received usual care. The main outcome was reduction in challenging behaviour measured by the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (ABC). Secondary outcomes included measures of mental health needs, risk and social care supports.

Findings

– At six months improvements were seen across all ABC domains in both groups, with greater improvement in the CBS group, compared to usual care in irritability and stereotypy. Between group differences were maintained only for stereotypy at 12 months. No other differences were found.

Originality/value

– This paper suggests that PBS delivered by trained and dedicated staff may provide clinical benefits to individuals with challenging behaviours. However, there are issues around integration into existing services that need to be addressed in order to maximise efficiency.
Complex Behaviour Service: content analysis of stakeholder opinions
Authors: Inchley-Mort Sophie , Hassiotis Angela
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Positive behaviour support has been positioned by current government policy as an important intervention for people with intellectual disabilities who display behaviours that challenge services. However, little is known about service user or carer opinions towards the use of this kind of model. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– Opinions and experiences of 25 carers and six service users were collected through semi-structured interview as part of the evaluation of an enhanced service, Complex Behaviour Service, based on positive behaviour support principles.

Findings

– Content analysis indicated that the service was seen as acceptable and useful and that positive experiences of the service linked to: frequency and availability of the service; talking about behaviour and being listened to; understanding, and change in, the service user, carer and behaviour.

Originality/value

– This adds to the small but growing literature on service user and carer opinions towards specific interventions and highlights themes that future services could consider in delivering evidence-based care.
Self-regulation and social interaction skills among children with autism across time
Authors: Barnard-Brak Lucy , Ivey-Hatz Julie , Kris Ward Angela , Wei Tianlan
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– In the current study, the purpose of this paper is to examine the self-regulation and social interaction skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as compared to children with intellectual disabilities (IDs) across time.

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawn from the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS), our sample consisted of 1,016 children diagnosed with ASD and 597 children diagnosed with ID. The self-regulation and social interaction skills were measured using relevant subscales of the Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised across three time points evenly spaced at two years apart.

Findings

– Results revealed that children with ASD have significantly worse self-regulation (p<0.01, η2=0.12, Cohen's f=0.36) and social interaction skills (p<0.01, η2=0.05, Cohen's f=0.21) as compared to children with ID across time. The results of the current study support the results of Bieberich and Morgan (2004) that children with ASD have significantly worse self-regulation and social interaction skills as compared to children with ID across time.

Originality/value

– The paper suggests that our results may be considered as more generalizable given the utilization of data from the SEELS as a large, nationally representative, and community-based sample of children with disabilities across the USA examined longitudinally.
Perceived social support and work-family conflict
Authors: W. Rudolph Cort , S. Michel Jesse , B. Harari Michael , J. Stout Tyler
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Despite the abundance of research on work social support and work-family conflict, the generalizability of these relationships to immigrant and non-immigrant Hispanics is still unknown. Based on role and cultural theories, the purpose of this paper is to provide an empirical examination of these relationships within this growing yet understudied population.

Design/methodology/approach

– Survey data were collected from a diverse sample of employed immigrant and non-immigrant Hispanics from a broad set of occupational groups within Miami, Florida (USA). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test hypotheses. Multi-group analyses were conducted to test for differences in model fit and parameter estimates between the immigrant and non-immigrant subgroups.

Findings

– The hypothesized model fit the data well, with a significant positive relationship between perceived organizational social support and perceived supervisor social support, a significant negative relationship between perceived organizational social support and work-to-family conflict, and a significant negative relationship between perceived supervisor social support and family-to-work conflict. Multi-group SEM, which offered acceptable model fit, suggests that perceived organizational social support is associated with reduced work-family conflict for immigrant but not for non-immigrant Hispanics, and perceived supervisor social support is associated with reduced work-family conflict for non-immigrant but not for immigrant Hispanics.

Research limitations/implications

– Cross-sectional data do not allow for strong causal interpretations.

Practical implications

– Perceived work social support is an important indicator of work-family conflict for both immigrant and non-immigrant Hispanics, although specific relationships can differ based on immigration status.

Originality/value

– Few studies have investigated differences in work-family conflict between non-immigrant and immigrant Hispanics.
Moderating effect of idiocentrism and allocentrism on person-organization person-job fit and work attitudes relationship
Authors: Aktaş Mert
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating influence of idiocentrism and allocentrism on person-organization fit, person-job fit and work attitudes relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

– The survey data were collected from 426 employees of a holding company.

Findings

– The results reveal that allocentrism makes a difference in fitting the particular aspect of work environment for the individual. Results showed that allocentrism positively moderates person-organization fit and job satisfaction and organizational commitment and turnover relationship. However, no moderating influence of idiocentrism was found on person-organization fit and employee attitude relationship. Furthermore, it was also found that neither idiocentrism nor allocentrism moderated the relationship between the person-job fit and employee attitudes relationship.

Originality/value

– This research adds a cultural component to the person-environment fit research.
Reverse mentoring becomes a two-way street: case study of a mentoring project for IT competence
Authors: Burdett Jane
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report on the experiences of a large Australian Government department in the successful trialling of a formal reverse mentoring project for developing information technology (IT) competence in executives.

Design/methodology/approach

– A case study approach was used to collect data from interviews with the organization’s project leader. Data were also sourced from relevant internal documents and appropriate literature.

Findings

– The results suggest that formal reverse mentoring projects can have additional reciprocal benefits for both parties such as leadership development, knowledge creation and relationship building. Furthermore, it emerged that clear procedures, effective structures and time spent on participant preparation contributed to the project’s success.

Research limitations/implications

– Findings from a single case study may not be generalizable to all contexts.

Practical implications

– This paper provides guidance to trainers and leaders in the planning and delivery of an innovative reverse mentoring project for IT competence and beyond.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to an understanding of leadership development through mentoring and offers practical assistance to leaders, managers and trainers.
Strength-based coaching: making the case for its adoption in small businesses
Authors: Coetzer Alan , Redmond Janice , Bastian Vern
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to make the case that owner-managers of small businesses should consider using strength-based coaching as a key element of their performance management and learning and development endeavours because small businesses are potentially well-suited to this type of developmental intervention.

Design/methodology/approach

– In making the case, we draw on literature primarily in four areas: performance management, positive psychology, strength-based management and small business management. The case for adopting strength-based coaching is also underpinned by the practical insights of an experienced small business manager.

Findings

– The informal internal organisation found in most small businesses makes the small business context potentially well-suited to strength-based coaching. In particular, the informal characteristic of small businesses promotes close working relationships between owner-managers and employees and broadly defines work roles. Such a work context is conducive to strength-based coaching that involves owner-managers capitalising on the unique abilities of each employee by redefining work roles to fit employees’ strengths.

Practical implications

– Using strength-based coaching to align employees’ strengths with the work of the small business should have positive effects on the key variables of individual and collective performance and ultimately business results. These variables of performance are employee ability, motivation and opportunity to perform.

Originality/value

– After database searching, it seems that there is no previous work that has examined the potential efficacy of strength-based coaching in a small business context. The paper has value for small business managers who are seeking practical guidance on how to improve their current approaches to both managing employee performance and fostering the learning and development of the staff.
Menstrual management: a neglected aspect of hygiene interventions
Authors: H. Parker Alison , A. Smith Jen , Verdemato Tania , Cooke Jeanette , Webster James , C. Carter Richard
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Effective menstrual management is essential for the mental and physical well being of women. However, many women in low-income countries lack access to the materials and facilities required. They are thus restricted in their activities whilst menstruating thus compromising their education, income and domestic responsibilities. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study describes the menstrual management challenges faced by women in an emergency situation in Uganda. Totally, 50 interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with women from villages, internally displaced person (IDP) camps and schools so that the menstrual management of the host population could be compared with the IDPs.

Findings

– This study showed that in IDP camps there was a significant lack of materials including soap, underpants and absorbing cloth, and facilities like latrines and bathing shelters. As a consequence women in IDP camps suffer with poor health and diminished dignity. There is also a lack of education about menstruation and reproductive health and practices are strongly influenced by cultural taboos.

Originality/value

– This is the first time that the menstrual management of women in IDP or refugee camps has been studied.
Vulnerability to flood-induced public health risks in Sudan
Authors: Bashier Abbas Haitham , K. Routray Jayant
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze flood vulnerability vis-à-vis flood-induced health risks, and understand the relationship between them to suggest measures to reduce health risks in Sudan.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study compares the vulnerability to flood and health consequences in two communities in Aroma. This study compares the vulnerability of Aroma semi-urban vicinity and Tendellei rural village, in Sudan, to flood and health consequences. A set of socioeconomic and health indicators were studied in 251 households. Households were classified according to their calculated vulnerability composite index. The index was validated through comparing the vulnerability values with the level of impact in each household.

Findings

– About 30 percent of households are highly/very highly vulnerable to flood risk. On the other hand, 41 percent of the rural households and 25 percent of the semi-urban houses are highly/very highly vulnerable to health risks. The main determinants of flood vulnerability are; the number of earning family members, level of education and economic activity of the household's head. The rural households are found to be more vulnerable to health risks while semi-urban households are more vulnerable to flooding. Flood and health vulnerabilities are positively correlated. Factors like urbanization, poverty and education directly affect the vulnerability of communities.

Research limitations/implications

– The methodology could be strengthened through the running of multi-various regression to relate selected vulnerability indicators to incidence of malaria and diarrhea in each household.

Practical implications

– The method described in this paper is flexible; applicable and can be reproduced for other areas and risks.

Social implications

– Vulnerability determinants affect the two communities differently and this necessitates specific consideration when developing policy. The policy should tackle the root causes of vulnerability to cut the vicious circle of poverty, illiteracy and illness. Those root causes should be managed by integrating multi-hazard approaches for effective and efficient interventions.

Originality/value

– The method described in this paper is original, flexible; applicable and can be reproduced for other areas and risks.
The Brisbane flood: CALD gatekeepers’ risk communication role
Authors: Shepherd Jeanette , van Vuuren Kitty
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an original research project that explored the experiences and actions of immigrant and refugee communities during the 2011 Brisbane flood. It specifically examines the role of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community leaders who acted as “gatekeepers” in communicating emergency responses to the disaster to their communities.

Design/methodology/approach

– Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight “gatekeepers” who met the study's selection criteria.

Findings

– The study found that the characteristics and demographics of CALD gatekeepers in Brisbane, their use of multiple sources related to their involvement in the community, their use of interpersonal sources for information-seeking and use of the mass media, is largely consistent with previous studies.

Research limitations/implications

– This study departed from previous research with respect to issues of trust in government sources, gender and warning confirmation behaviour. These differences affected the behaviour of the CALD gatekeepers, especially around risk perception, information dissemination and filtering. Although the study points to the potential challenges facing emergency management services in fully incorporating the needs of all CALD communities, implications are limited given the small number of gatekeepers who agreed to be interviewed.

Practical implications

– Despite its limitation, the study does indicate that a critical gap exists in understanding CALD community responses to natural disasters.

Social implications

– The paper concludes with suggestions for a research agenda to gain better knowledge of the ethnic, demographic and personal factors that influence gatekeeping behaviour.

Originality/value

– The study is original because no prior research has directed attention to Brisbane's CALD community responses to disasters.
Stakeholders’ approaches to disaster risk reduction in built environment
Authors: Mohammad H. Mojtahedi S. , Lan Oo Bee
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– In disaster risk reduction (DRR), it is important to realise stakeholders’ approaches against disasters in the built environment. The purpose of this paper is to explore why stakeholders take proactive and/or reactive approaches in DRR.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a review of existent literature, this work scrutinises disaster theories and their applications in the built environment to develop a theoretical framework for perceiving stakeholders’ proactive and/or reactive approaches in DRR.

Findings

– Stakeholders’ organisational attributes – power, legitimacy and urgency – and decision-making paradigms – value maximisation and intuitive reasoning – are fundamental factors affecting stakeholders’ approaches against disasters. Power and legitimacy of stakeholders result in a proactive approach if stakeholders consider value maximisation paradigm in their decision-making process. Powerful and legitimate stakeholders may take reactive approaches because of intuitive reasoning paradigm. Stakeholders may shift from a reactive to proactive approach and vice versa based on the combination of urgency attribute and decision-making paradigms.

Research limitations/implications

– It is essential to consider the classification of respective stakeholders in applying the idea of this paper. Furthermore, this paper does not attempt to validate the proposed theoretical framework empirically, but it combines stakeholder and decision-making theories by which this could be undertaken.

Originality/value

– Little attention has been paid to systematic theorising in managing stakeholders’ approaches against disasters. Furthermore, many researchers have focused on similar underlying theories and heuristics in the context of DRR. Thus, this paper introduces a theoretical framework to examine stakeholders’ proactive and/or reactive approaches in the built environment, by synthesising stakeholder and decision-making theories.
Determining the relationship between conflict factors and performance of international construction projects
Authors: Zouher Al-Sibaie Eyad , Mohammed Alashwal Ali , Abdul-Rahman Hamzah , Kalsum Zolkafli Umi
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Conflict was recognized as a major cause of inefficiency and limited performance of construction projects. Factors pertaining to conflict in construction are vast; however, there have been less recognition of these factors in international construction projects. The purpose of this paper is to provide in-depth understanding of conflict in this context and analyze how it influences project performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 161 professionals working in Malaysian companies, which are undertaking construction projects overseas.

Findings

– Analyzing the data using factor analysis revealed six new factors of conflict: external, internal, control-related, knowledge-related, mismanagement, and social conflicts. Further analysis of the data using partial least squares-path modeling (PLS-PM) affirmed a significant relationship between project performance and two factors of conflict only: internal and social. The results also showed that conflict contributes to about 27 percent of the variance in project performance.

Originality/value

– This paper provided a clear picture for project managers and team members about specific aspects of conflict and how to mitigate them to attain better performance of international construction projects.
The role of OD practitioners in developing corporations’ capacity to practice corporate citizenship
Authors: Stolz Ingo
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to analyze how organization development (OD) practitioners develop corporate citizenship for the purpose of increasing their organization’s capacity to practice corporate citizenship. Research shows that very few corporations have the organizational capacity to practice corporate citizenship. Evidence exists that ever more corporations adopt programs of corporate citizenship development to increase this capacity. However, there still is a general lack of a strategic understanding of how corporate citizenship development occurs. The potential of OD frameworks and tools for developing corporate citizenship have been highlighted. Nevertheless, how OD practitioners develop corporate citizenship has not been studied empirically so far.

Design/methodology/approach

– A sociomaterial case study design was used. The work of six OD practitioners when developing corporate citizenship in one of the largest pharmaceutical corporations was studied over several months, based on interviews, observations and document analyses.

Findings

– The findings presented offer model practices of corporate citizenship development, in the form of five core strategies and five core behaviors that increase an organization’s capacity to practice corporate citizenship.

Research limitations/implications

– With this study, the notion of corporate citizenship development has become established as a distinct research area. The study might encourage further research in this important niche area.

Practical implications

– The findings have direct practical implications for at least seven different stakeholder groups.

Originality/value

– The findings shed new light on both the epistemological and practical foundations of the concept of corporate citizenship, and hint to a new role of the fields of OD and human resource development in the twenty-first century.
Making sense of global warming
Authors: Sadler-Smith Eugene
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to make sense of global warming. Using the concept of design science (as distinct from explanatory science) and by drawing on recent debates in management and organization studies, the study considers whether the principal mission of human resource development (HRD) research should be to design and develop actionable knowledge that practitioners in organizations can use to solve their pressing field problems. By way of illustration, it poses the question of whether HRD research, in terms of design science principles, can offer solutions to one of the most pressing problems confronting humanity, i.e. global warming.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study does this from the perspective of dual process theories of human cognition in discussing the arguments presented by various researchers that experiential/intuitive modes of sensemaking are more likely to mobilize effective pro-environmental behaviours than are the traditional rational/analytical modes of sensemaking employed in many HRD and educational interventions and programmes.

Findings

– An inference that may be drawn is that HRD research may be better positioned not as an academic discipline nor as subordinate or superordinate to human resource management, but rather as an emergent solution-oriented “design science”.

Originality/value

– The study uses design science perspective for HRD.
LinkedIn and recruitment: how profiles differ across occupations
Authors: Zide Julie , Elman Ben , Shahani-Denning Comila
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the elements of a LinkedIn profile that hiring professionals focus on most, and then examine LinkedIn profiles in terms of these identified elements across different industries.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology was comprised of two phases. In the first phase, researchers interviewed hiring professionals to determine their usage of LinkedIn. In the second phase, LinkedIn group member profiles from three industries – HR, sales/marketing and industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology – were compared on the 21 variables identified in Phase 1 (n=288).

Findings

– χ2 and ANOVA tests showed significant differences with respect to ten of the LinkedIn variables in how people presented themselves across the three groups. There were also several gender differences found.

Research limitations/implications

– A general limitation was the use of a qualitative research approach. A limitation of Phase 1 was that only a small sample of New York City-based hiring professionals was interviewed. Perhaps a wider, more diverse sample would have yielded different variables. In terms of Phase 2, it is possible that just utilizing the second connections of the researchers limited the generalizability of findings.

Practical implications

– User unwillingness to fully complete the LinkedIn profile suggests that it may not have replaced the traditional resume yet. Sales/marketing professionals were more likely than HR and I/O psychology professionals to complete multiple aspects of a LinkedIn profile. Women were also less likely than men to provide personal information on their profiles.

Originality/value

– Most of the empirical research on social networking sites has focussed on Facebook, a non-professional site. This is, from the knowledge, the first study that systematically examined the manner in which people present themselves on LinkedIn – the most popular professional site used by applicants and recruiters worldwide.
Employee loyalty and engagement in UAE public sector
Authors: Ibrahim Maha , Al Falasi Saoud
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between employee loyalty (Organizational Commitment) and its two dimensions namely, affective commitment (AC) and continuance commitment (CC) with employee engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

– A self-administered questionnaire was used for collecting the study data from 50 employees who represent three managerial levels from the government sector in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Three hypotheses were developed in order to test the said relationship. Hypotheses were tested through using various testes namely: the correlation coefficient and the regression analysis from the Statistical Package for Social Science software.

Findings

– The findings indicated that there is a significant relationship between loyalty and engagement. AC was found to be more important in affecting employee's engagement when compared with CC.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is based on a small number of employees working mostly in one single organization which limits the generalizability of the results; a limitation that does not allow for statistical generalization but allows for analytical generalization.

Originality/value

– The study contributes to the literature of OC and more specifically to the relationship between employee loyalty and engagement in the UAE public sector. The outcome of the research draws decision makers’ attention to the importance of employees’ loyalty and its impact on their engagement.
An investigation into hospitality cruise ship work through the exploration of metaphors
Authors: Dennett Adam , Cameron Derek , Bamford Colin , Jenkins Andrew
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate, through metaphor analysis, the complex nature of the work undertaken by waiters and pursers on-board cruise ships. This is an under-researched field and empirical research has produced some interesting perceptions that these groups of workers have of themselves, of others, and of the world in which they work and live.

Design/methodology/approach

– A total of 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted over the telephone from a sample of international participants. The data were analysed using a metaphor analysis.

Findings

– There were three clusters of metaphorical illustration found: metaphors of the ship, metaphors of the environment, and metaphors of their occupation. The metaphors of the environment were split into two sub-clusters. One explored how participants understood the ship's space or work setting, and the second identified the strategies used as participants negotiated their way through their working and social lives. The stories collected from the workers have produced a very different but realistic perspective of the working lives of waiters and pursers.

Research limitations/implications

– Metaphors can only offer a partial view of a social phenomenon, rather than an all-encompassing view, which are furthermore specific to the research setting. Notably, for half of all participants English was not their first language, and consequently this may have had an impact upon their use of metaphors.

Practical implications

– This research highlights the socio-employment relationship and complexities of working on cruise ships. In particular, it recognises behavioural learning practices and organisational bureaucratic utilities, which the industry relies upon for managing employees.

Originality/value

– This study contributes new knowledge in an under-researched context exploring the sociological lives of hospitality cruise ship workers. The use of metaphor analysis has provided an interesting and useful route to extend understanding of cruise ship work.
Marketing to the “middle of the pyramid” in emerging markets using a social network perspective
Authors: Chikweche Tendai , Fletcher Richard
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to expand knowledge about how middle class consumers in Sub-Saharan African markets behave, focusing on the potential role of social networks and the subsequent interactions that take place between these consumers and firms.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative research method approach comprising personal interviews and observations targeted at consumers and business executives was used covering all four countries.

Findings

– Key findings include identification of middle of the pyramid (MOP) social networks, their impact on consumer behaviour and nature of consumer and firm interactions that take place as a result of the impact of social networks.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample size was restricted to 80 consumers in each of the four countries. This might limit generalisability.

Practical implications

– The study provides managers with insights on the potential role of social networks on marketing to the MOP in Africa.

Social implications

– The study provides managers with insights on the potential opportunities for corporate social responsibility solutions at the MOP.

Originality/value

– Research into the middle class in markets other than western advanced economies is a relatively new area of study. The majority of studies on the middle class have focused on North America and Europe ignoring the merging middle class in Africa. Hence, this research expands knowledge by providing basis for exploring new insights on the emerging marketing opportunity within the middle class in Africa.
Strategy development processes in Central and Eastern Europe: a cross-regional perspective
Authors: Koles Bernadett , Kondath Balakrishnan
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess strategy development processes in organizations operating in the Central and Eastern European region, and compare them with those headquartered in Western Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

– Strategy development processes are measured using a multidimensional scale, incorporating elements of the following six dimensions: command, planning, incremental, political, cultural, and enforced choice. The study includes 366 participants from 52 organizations, with close to 40 percent headquartered in CEE countries.

Findings

– While responses of western top management were consistent with previous findings, differences prevailed in comparison to the current sample reports of CEE top management. For example, managers in CEE organizations tended to place more emphasis on the top executive, while internal politics were significantly more pronounced in western firms.

Research limitations/implications

– Additional variables potentially influencing strategy development processes could be explored, using a more targeted sample.

Practical implications

– The results suggest that despite surface level appearances, the overall management trends and business dealings characterizing CEE societies are still not identical to those in the west, highlighting the importance for top management teams to consider local approaches and practices when entering novel markets.

Originality/value

– This study addresses a gap in the available literature by concerning strategy development processes through multiple dimensions, and in organizations operating in the relatively under-represented region of CEE countries.
To understand EMNEs a dynamic IB contingency theory is called for
Authors: Aharoni Yair
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This paper argues that international business (IB) theory needs to adapt to the changes that have occurred in the global economy when the world was divided into rich market economies, communist countries and poor economies. Changes in ideologies and technologies has opened up opportunities for emerging market multinational enterprises and the paper offers guidelines for a dynamic IB contingency theory to acknowledge these changes and learning.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a conceptual paper which is designed to offer an alternative contingency perspective on IB theory.

Findings

– IB scholars should recognize the influence of several contingent variables such as the institutional environment, political systems, government-business-NGO relations, social norms-ethical behavior, country size and industry. The structural characteristics of an industry, their importance to the country and the regulatory regime are major variables in understanding how and whether firms can become emerging multinational enterprises (EMNEs). The paper finds that emerging market government and enterprises have strategies for building knowledge intensive industries through mergers and acquisitions and exploit these on a global scale.

Research limitations/implications

– IB scholars should recognize that multinational enterprises learn and they adapt to the global environment. Scholars should develop strategies or a way of thinking which is different to the status quo to take advantage of the new and changing circumstances where the rules of the game are different to those in the researcher's home country.

Practical implications

– The removal of trade barriers and government restrictions on trade and technological developments means that EMNEs and governments should not rely on protection and subsidies but should compete on being unique and adopt differentiated strategies in niche but global marketplaces.
A developmental view on implementation of quality management concepts
Authors: Gremyr Ida , Elg Mattias
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the value of a developmental learning view on implementation of quality management (QM) concepts. QM concepts are common in various organizations; some implement them smoothly, others struggle and sometimes even abandon the initiatives. What is then a successful implementation – is it the use a specific QM method as a standard problem solving approach, or is it that learning has occurred during implementation?

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on an illustrative case study carried out at a hospital in western Sweden. The data have been collected through about 130 hours of participation in project work by the first author and through seven face-to-face interviews of about one hour each.

Findings

– It is shown that a Design for Six Sigma pilot project with a narrow view on implementation could be regarded as a failure, but it gave rise to much learning and new improved ways of working. Hence, it is argued that a developmental view on implementation can support learning by an emergent and experimental approach to implementation processes.

Originality/value

– Much research has been done on how to increase the success rate of implementations of QM initiatives, e.g. procedures to follow to reach an outcome where the new way of working is standard procedure. Less research has problematized the implementation process, questioning what a successful outcome of an implementation is.
Attitudes toward quality improvement among healthcare professionals
Authors: Siverbo Kristian , Eriksson Henrik , Raharjo Hendry , Moonen Michaela
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to describe how the training of healthcare professionals in improvement work can be performed, and evaluate potential changes in attitude as a result of the initiative.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study was carried out at a University Hospital in Sweden. There were 443 participants in the study. The response rate before the intervention was 55 per cent (242 respondents) and six months later, it was 43 per cent (190 respondents). A two-day training program about quality improvement was performed on seven different occasions and after the training had been concluded, participants were encouraged to translate their newly acquired knowledge into improvement projects. Surveys on attitudes toward improvement work were completed by the participants right before the training and six months afterwards. The results were analyzed using a Mann-Whitney test.

Findings

– The analysis showed some statistically significant changes in attitude among the participants. There were also differences between groups of participants based on their profession and the number of years in their current position.

Research limitations/implications

– A limitation of the study is that it was solely based on attitudes expressed during the survey and did not include any observed changes in behavior. Another limitation is that attitudes after the intervention were only measured once.

Originality/value

– It is possible to use training to change attitudes toward improvement work. The result differs among groups of participants, which raises the question as to whether training should be tailored to better suit the needs of different groups to create positive change. Further research is needed regarding how to reach and fully implement a quality improvement mindset.
An empirical analysis of usage dynamics in a mobile music app: evidence from large-scale data
Authors: Chung Sunghun
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to quantify how mobile app usage relates to the unique characteristics of behavioral orientations and content types, focussing on the interrelationship among content usage in the context of in-app purchase.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a large-scale data set of individual content usage in a particular music mobile app, the author builds a simultaneous equation panel data model to examine dynamic interdependent usage of mobile app.

Findings

– The paper finds a positive temporal effect of self-oriented content usage (download) on other-oriented content usage (gift), based on behavioral orientation, and also a temporal interdependence between external (ringtone) and internal usage (mp3) based on types of content. The paper also finds that the fourth generation communications standard increases content usage in this mobile app.

Practical implications

– These findings provide useful insights for mobile app developers, mobile network operators, content providers, and mobile device manufacturers.

Originality/value

– This paper is one of the first to consider and empirically test the interrelationship between various kinds of content usage in music apps.
The effect of customized information on online purchase intentions
Authors: Ha Hong-Youl , Janda Swinder
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to employ a cross-cultural perspective to propose and empirically evaluate four models focusing on the role of satisfaction and trust in the formation of online travel purchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

– A proposed model is compared with three alternative models of the relationships among, and impact of, independent variables on purchase intentions. Data from South Korea and UK are used to examine the proposed relationship and select the best model among four alternative models.

Findings

– Results suggest that there are significant differences as well as similarities across consumers in South Korea and the UK. Customized information has a direct affect on both satisfaction and trust. The effect of satisfaction on purchase intentions is mediated by attitude toward web site only in the UK sample, while it has direct and indirect effects on purchase intentions in the South Korean sample. However, the relationship between trust and purchase intentions is not supported in both data sets.

Originality/value

– This study proposes four alternative models that include customized information as a key variable influencing purchase intentions. Hierarchical structural model analysis is utilized to evaluate these models and select the best fitting model.