bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How videoconferencing can support teaching and learning
Authors: de Cicco Eta
Published: November 2014

This article outlines the different types of videoconferencing systems currently available, explains what they do and gives examples of how such systems are being used in education and libraries. In conclusion, it provides guidance and advice for those thinking of investing in the technology.
Letter from America USA
Authors: Paintman
Published: November 2014

A system for wetting down a given amount of pigment without using cumbersome trial‐and‐error methods was recently described by the Montreal and Toronto Societies for Coatings Technology in a paper presented by Walter Fibiger. The method is said to yield a reliable oil absorption figure for pigments with high specific surface areas, notably organic pigments.
Letter from America USA
Authors: Paintman
Published: November 2014

New progressing cavity pumps are able to handle high‐viscosity, high solids‐content materials for use in pumping pigmented paints, heavy pigment slurry, oil pastes, flushes, varnishes and printing colours. Output capacities range from 0.022 to 2150 gpm, and have pressure capabilities up to 1000 psi.
Matching action plans to market development stage
Authors: Pekar Peter P.
Published: November 2014

Uncertainty is the norm of our time: uncertainty with the U.S. economy, uncertainty with continuing oil supplies at a reasonable price, uncertainty with continued economic growth. American industry stands at the threshold of a new era. Perhaps never before has industry had at one time so many problems and such promise for the future. Superior planning, management, and research will be required to solve the problems ahead and to realize the prospectus for the future.
Now more planners scale the corporate heights
Authors: Ellis Darryl J. , Pekar Peter P.
Published: November 2014

Out of the minds of chief executives comes the direction the corporation will take—be it expansion into new markets, expansion of current operations, acquisition of new lines of business, divestiture of selected business units, or contraction of certain operations. Two questions come to mind: How well prepared to make those decisions (in terms of breadth of background) are the men who fill these jobs? And, considering the environmental changes, can chief executives operate in the future as they have in the past? We believe that planning must and will, by the force of events, play a more vital role in the development and generation of CEOs.
A second look at U.S. energy
Authors: Henry John P. , Raphael David E.
Published: November 2014

Over the next five to ten years, critical decisions made concerning U.S. energy will have profound effects on government, business, and the American people. Many recent analyses of the U.S. energy situation claim that unless drastic efforts are made to shift rapidly to nonfossil fuel energy sources, the United States will experience serious economic difficulties.
Aspekte neuzeitlicher Fremdenverkehrspolitik
Authors: Hochschulprofessor Dkfm. Von
Published: November 2014

I. Bedingt durch die Tatsache, dass die wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Fremdenverkehrs das Augenfälligste waren, dass die Teilnahme am Fremdenverkehr von Nützlichkeits‐überlegungen, also wirtschaftlichen Momenten, entschieden wird, wurde der Fremdenverkehr zunächst dem Bereich der Wirtschaftswissenschaften zugeteilt, womit man, wie Hunziker ausführt, «seinem Charakter nur im Äusserlichen gerecht wird.»
Tourismus der nächsten 25 Jahre — einige Hypothesen zur quantitativen und qualitativen Entwicklung
Authors: Krippendorf Jost
Published: November 2014

Die meisten Tourismusexperten sind sich trotz der gegen‐wärtigen konjunkturellen Schwierigkeiten nach wie vor einig: Die Touristenzahlen bzw. die Anzahl Reisen werden in Zukunft weiter stark zunehmen, wenn auch mit Blick auf die Vergangenheit in etwas abgeschwächtem Rhythmus. So soll sich nach einer neusten Delphi‐Umfrage über die zu‐künftige Entwicklung des Tourismus bis zum Jahr 2010 die Zahl der internationalen Touristen bis im Jahr 2000 etwa verdoppeln, was einer jährlichen Wachstumsrate von 3,5% entspricht. Diese Prognose ist der Mittelwert zweier hauptsächlichster Gruppen von Expertenmeinungen. Beide Gruppen sind sich zwar einig, dass sich die Zahl der internationalen Touristen verdoppeln wird, unterschiedlich wird jedoch der Zeitpunkt dieses Ereignisses beurteilt. Eine kleinere Gruppe nimmt eine Verdoppelung bereits ab 1990 an. Sie setzt längerfristig ein stetes und günstiges Wirtschafts‐wachstum voraus. Sie nimmt an, dass die touristischen Konsumausgaben schneller als das Bruttosozialprodukt wachsen werden. Diese Gruppe misst der Tourismusbranche eine bestimmte eigengesetzliche Entwicklungsdynamik bei. Eine grössere Gruppe rechnet mit einer Verdoppelung nach dem Jahre 2000. Sie beurteilt die zukünftigen Randbedingungen negativer. Die kontroversen Begründungen, die bei dieser Delphi‐Expertenumfrage gegeben wurden, weisen auf die generelle Schwierigkeit von Prognosen hin. Gesamthaft wird eine weitere Zunahme der Reiseintensität in den wichtigsten Industrieländern unterstellt, und zwar auf Grund folgender Faktoren:
Diversifikation des kurörtlichen Angebots, Möglichkeiten und Grenzen
Authors: Walter Ender Dr.
Published: November 2014

Einleitung Die 1988 stagnierende Nächtigungszahl zusammen mit der seit Jahren konstant sinkenden durchschnittlichen Aufenthaltsdauer der Kurgäste lässt zwei Vermutungen aufkommen:
A plea for international understanding
Authors: Hacking
Published: November 2014

The genius of the French people is many sided, and among its varied and scintillating facets is the ability always to frame an apt phrase. Perhaps it is because so few Frenchmen can speak two languages that they have attained such skill in their own. «Tout comprendre, c'est tout pardonner» is an aphorism that bores deep into the heart of present‐day international relations.
Some tourist problems of the future
Authors: Bridges S/Ldr. J.G.
Published: November 2014

Though it may be true that a new world is arising from the ashes of the old, it is with the ashes that practical people are now chiefly concerned. Ideals are fine things, but they do not keep the rain out.
A note on the urban‐nonurban imbalance in American recreational research
Authors: Stansfield Charles A.
Published: November 2014

“Seaside standards and culture patterns have now reached such stages of refinement that it is possible to judge a man's status, tastes, and income by the beach he attends…”. Some of the most intensive and highly specialized recreational land use exists along the ocean beaches of northeastern United States, providing a great range of social group appeal. In contrast to the essentially extensive recreational land use patterns of the rural, resource‐oriented parks and forests under Federal or state control, the development of these intermediate and user oriented recreational facilities, frequently resourced‐based, has been accomplished primarily through private enterprise operating in urban areas.
A supplementary technique of measuring the recreational functions of cities
Authors: Stansfield Charles A.
Published: November 2014

One of the traditional sources of data available for the interpretation of the relative significance of any facet of the economic structure of urban areas, either within a city, or for purposes of inter‐city comparisons, has been some version of employment data. However, as noted previously, dependence solely on employment data for the identification of recreational functions within cities does not permit objective differentiation of the recreational functions from other personal services. Further, it is incapable of presenting an accurate comparative ranking of resorts whose short peak seasons of activity do not happen to coincide with the date of enumeration chosen for the Census recording of employment (by place of work) or occupation (by place of residence).
Customer centricity for growth – Yes Bank experience
Authors: Bapat Dhananjay , Naik Asha
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Marketing, strategy.

Study level/applicability

This case is suitable for post graduate and executive development students.

Case overview

The case provides perspectives of customer centric practices of Yes Bank which has the objective of becoming the best quality bank of the world in India. The case study outlines how Yes Bank has become the fastest growing bank by its strong focus on customers through its committed and innovative employees. The customer centricity develops strong existing relationships and focuses on providing exceptional customer service, leading to better financial performance.

Expected learning outcomes

These include: highlighting the characteristics of customer centric organizations; discussing how Yes Bank practised customer centricity despite the limitation of being a new bank with no experience; describing the key differentiators and comparing with those of other banks; and establishing the relationship between customer centric practices with financial performance.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Bharat Tobacco: vendor selection and vendor rating
Authors: Singhania Monica , Gandhi Gagan
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Supply chain management and particularly the significance of vendors as a strategic decision making tool.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for use in the following courses: MBA programs with specialisation in operations management where it can be used to teach students the significance of vendor selection and vendor rating in supply chain management (SCM); marketing research in management where it can be used to highlight the concept of multi attribute utility theory (MAUT) and its application; advanced statistics for multi criteria decision making (MCDM); and MBA/post graduate programs in management in strategic management where it can be used to introduce the concept of SWOT analysis and Porter's five forces model. An understanding of business process improvement will enable students get a comprehensive view about the case.

Case overview

This case showcases the concepts of MCDM and SCM in manufacturing industry. The company wanted to select vendors and rate them in each category of raw materials in order to have a competitive advantage over competitors. Since there are multiple attributes (often contradictory in nature) based on which the vendors would be selected Kaul, Vice-President, Commercial uses multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) to help solve the problem. The case has implications for manufacturing industry in selecting vendors to meet a raw materials need.

Expected learning outcomes

The case can be used to understand management concepts such as market research, supply chain management and multi criteria decision making. It can be used to: teach complexities involved in identifying attributes for vendor selection and vendor rating; help understand supply chain management in business process improvement; help students understand the application of MCDM; and help MBA students studying marketing research. The case will also be useful to students in understanding the application of MCDM in operations management. Some knowledge about cigarette manufacturing will help students to realize the depth of the case.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Self-sustaining grassroots organizations: a real option? The case of Corporación Picacho con Futuro
Authors: Schnarch David , Franco Natalia
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Management fundamentals, public management, social responsibility, strategy.

Study level/applicability

This case may be used in undergraduate courses on management fundamentals, public management, social responsibility, or strategy. Also, it is useful for strategy courses in MBA level and MA in development practice.

Case overview

In 1997, Corporación Picacho con Futuro (Picacho), a second-tier community organization created with the support of Fundación Social (FS) at Medellín's Comuna 6, stands at a crossroads. After promoting community development in the area for over ten years, FS announces that it will be withdrawing its financial support in the following year. As a result, self-sustainability mechanisms and strategies must be sought and formulated in preparation for FS' departure. The Corporation's accomplishments over its collaboration with FS were noteworthy: 16 grassroots organizations working together in one of Medellín's most violent districts proved the social fabric woven by Picacho. The young people who engaged in its projects had become examples of cohesion and civil resistance to armed groups' and drug-dealing networks' recruitment efforts. The Corporation's communication projects safeguarded these youths, providing them with a means to escape conflict. Would that all go down the drain without FS' support?

Expected learning outcomes

The intended focus of the case is to help students to understand: third sector organizations' complexity and structure; the notion of social value (how this value is created and measured); sustainability challenges facing social ventures, and, particularly, how to manage tensions between social and economic value creation in social organizations; support ecosystems for social ventures, and management strategies associated with base-of-the-pyramid businesses, introducing the concept of inclusive business.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Business in developing countries: globalization of a large emerging market bank
Authors: Buchanan Frederick Robert , Ahmad Syed Zamberi
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Business Management, Global Marketing Strategy, Strategic Management, International Business, International Management.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for undergraduate and post-graduate business and management students. The case is based on secondary data collection and all the facts are real.

Expected learning outcomes

The expected learning outcomes include the selection of a foreign market; the determinants of the foreign mode of entry strategy; the process of integrating an internationalization strategy; how to choose the most appropriate partner; and the monitoring of international markets. The case provides a space to think about practice and help learners, therefore, to connect theory and practice.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
I have a dream: Ayuvayur Pharmaceuticals
Authors: Joshi Manoj , Srivastava Apoorva
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Start-ups, entrepreneurship, innovation and innovative practices, risks, uncertainties, differentiation, internationalization, competition, business models, operationalizing and implementing strategy.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for MBA students.

Case overview

Vinay moved to the capital city of a Northern Indian state, which also happened to be a commercial hub, after his family business failed. The family succumbed to living in a room without electricity and doors. Vinay had dreamt of establishing his own business empire by being a successful entrepreneur. Steered by this intent, he established a pharmaceutical company with the name of Ayuvayur Pharmaceuticals. The challenge was to establish an innovative Ayurveda-based pharmaceutical products-based firm and to build a leading business empire with a customer focus. Progress was not smooth and the challenges ahead multiplied. Despite his ability to cope with barriers, risks and uncertainties, Vinay and his business, was challenged to grow globally and emerge from its nascent structure. How should the business expand?

Expected learning outcomes

Students can discover the following key learning points: how an enterprise is born; the importance of entrepreneurial recognition and orientation; the lead characteristics of an entrepreneur; how a start-up is born despite the unfamiliarity of the entrepreneur with the field he enters; the role of innovation in a small enterprise; and the risks, barriers, uncertainties and challenges associated with entrepreneurial activity.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or emailsupport@emeraldinsight.comto request teaching notes.
From strategy to numbers: how to penetrate overseas market for ChinaSoft, when Chinese ITO and BPO industry being re-structured in 2012
Authors: Zeng Victor Jun
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Business strategy.

Study level/applicability

This case study is appropriate for MBA and EMBA courses, especially for courses oriented to emerging markets such as China. It can be used in Business Strategic Management or similar courses, combined with the methodology lectures of Managing Entry Modes and Competitive Strategy.

This case study provides material for understanding/studying the development of a large Chinese software enterprise.

Case overview

As a result of Chinese ITO and BPO market in the face of re-structuring in 2012, Huawei invested in ChinaSoft in May and Vance info merged with HiSoft in August, both of which make ChinaSoft the third largest market-share owner. However, ChinaSoft has a dilemma in its strategic planning for the next three years. If it cannot break through the suppression from the first and the second placed companies, it may lag behind very soon. If it strives for the No. 2 position in market share, is organic growth or M&A strategy the right approach to adopt? Thus, ChinaSoft is now in need of strategic reform and restructuring. The case study analyzes the approaches that Chinese enterprises can adopt in order to sustain overall cost leadership strategies and avoid the related risks in the ITO and BPO industry.

Expected learning outcomes

This case study intends to encourage students to learn and use methodologies such as Porter's competitive strategy framework; Rugman and Collinson's theory, selecting and managing entry modes; four basic global strategies, by Hill and Jones.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Do ethical and sustainable practices matter?
Authors: Wang Chung-Jen
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of Maignanet al.’s (1999) four-dimension model of corporate citizenship (based on economic, ethical, legal and discretionary responsibilities) on business performance in the hospitality sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study obtained its empirical evidence from international tourist hotels in Taiwan and applied structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses.

Findings

– The results show that ethical and sustainable practices of corporate citizenship have positive effects on employee affective organizational commitment, organizational innovation and customer loyalty, while affective organizational commitment, innovation and customer loyalty all have positive effects on business performance. Most important of all, bootstrap estimations based on SEM show that corporate citizenship has indirect positive effects on business performance through the mediating roles of affective organizational commitment, innovation and customer loyalty.

Originality/value

– While most prior studies were conducted in Western contexts, based on this work’s empirical investigation of international hotels in Taiwan, it is concluded that proactive corporate social responsibility strategies and practices, such as corporate citizenship, can ultimately increase the overall effectiveness of the hospitality industry in a Chinese context.
Can setting hotel rate restrictions help balance the interest of hotels and customers?
Authors: Denizci Guillet Basak , Liu Wei , Law Rob
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to assist hoteliers to design hotel rate restrictions that are in the interest of hotels and of customers, under the joint influence of room rates and rate fences.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study used a questionnaire as the data collection instrument. Conjoint analysis was applied to examine customers’ preferences regarding hotel rate fences.

Findings

– The results indicate that refundability, price and advance requirement, in that order, are identified as the most important attributes in the overall decision-making process of customers. Changes allowed and rule type are comparatively less important attributes.

Research limitations/implications

– This study extends the hotel revenue management literature by examining customer preferences for hotel rate restrictions based on their socio-demographic characteristics and travel behavior. This study also illustrates the usefulness of conjoint analysis in determining the utility values of hotel-room rates and rate fences.

Practical implications

– The findings of this study may help professional hoteliers to better understand customers’ decision-making process and underlying needs, thus helping them to design attractive rate fences that are in the interests of both hotels and customers.

Originality/value

– This study is the first to investigate customer preferences regarding hotel rate restrictions based on demographic and travel behavior information. The identification of these preference values should help hoteliers to identify the decision-making processes and needs of customers.
Image of China tourism and sustainability issues in Western media: an investigation of National Geographic
Authors: Chen Yi , (Joy) Huang Zhuowei , A. Cai Liping
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The current study aims at exploring China’s tourism sustainability issues as indicated in magazine articles related to China tourism. China’s environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability has been frequently discussed in Western media.

Design/methodology/approach

– Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were used to content analyze the textual data in one of the most popular US travel magazine – National Geographic in the past ten years (2003-2012).

Findings

– This study presents the changes of topics on China tourism image conveyed by Western media in the past ten years (2013-2012). In addition, themes on China tourism sustainability issues are extracted from the China tourism image messages. The results reveal China tourism sustainability issues in two levels: sustainability issues directly related to China tourism with two dimensions of environmental sustainability and socio-cultural sustainability, and sustainability issues indirectly related to China tourism with two dimensions of economic sustainability and socio-cultural sustainability. Furthermore, the results delineate both positive and negative observations on environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.

Originality/value

– The findings of the study highlight challenges and successful practices of the sustainable development in China tourism destinations and the importance of incorporating tourism image in sustainable practices, as well as a need of better communication with foreign media.
Classroom observations and supervision – essential dimensions of pedagogical leadership
Authors: Ärlestig Helene , Törnsen Monika
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The main task of every school is to contribute to student learning and achievement. In the twenty-first century, national and international evaluations and comparisons have focussed on measurable student and school results. Not only teachers but also principals are held accountable for school results, which increase expectations of principals to work to enhance student learning and improve outcomes. In Sweden, a principal's work with a given school's core mission is labeled as pedagogical leadership, a concept that includes diverse activities related to national goals and school results. Aspects of pedagogical leadership include principals’ classroom observations and communication about teaching and learning issues. The purpose of this paper is to describe a model of pedagogical leadership as a base for principals’ experience with the aim to develop their understanding of pedagogical leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper builds on data from three groups of principals who participated in a course to learn more about pedagogical leadership.

Findings

– The participating principals performed their pedagogical leadership in different manners and with varying quality. During the course, there was a shift in what activities and duties the principals prioritized. The findings highlight the importance of democratic leadership and the improvement of teacher capacity and student outcomes.

Practical implications

– The paper gives practical examples on how principals can improve their understanding of pedagogical leadership.

Originality/value

– There are few articles on how pedagogical leadership is understood and practiced. The paper provides a model for pedagogical leadership and empirical data that shows that the concept deserves to be viewed as a qualitative concept that need interpretation.
Wage inequality of immigrants by type of contract in Spain
Authors: Caparrós Ruiz Antonio
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to approach a new aspect of the assimilation of immigrants in Spain. In particular, it is analyzed the effect of the type of contract on immigrant wages. The data used in this analysis come from the Spanish National Immigrant Survey, which was conducted by the Spanish Statistics Institute (INE) between 2006 and 2007.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the methods and econometric specifications applied develop a wage model where the variable “contract type” is considered as an endogenous regressor. Second, the average wage gap between temporary and permanent workers is decomposed between a portion attributable to differences in characteristics and another to differences in coefficients.

Findings

– It is found that workers with a permanent contract received a wage premium with respect to temporary workers even for equal work and equal productivity.

Social implications

– Results indicate the importance of job stability for the integration and assimilation of immigrants in Spain, and offer an economic argument to support labour policies that encourage stable employment relationships.

Originality/value

– This paper takes a novel approach of the assimilation of immigrants in the Spanish labour market.
Balancing the equity of mental health injuries: examining the “trauma exception” for sex trafficking T-VISA applicants
Authors: Thomas Greer Benjamin , Davidson Dyle Scott
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore and expand the legal discussion on T-Visa requirements and how it can be better structured to provide support for victims of sex trafficking that suffer from severe mental health injuries.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted extensive US legal and sociological research compiling human trafficking mental health report data, primarily conducted in Europe. Based on these finding, the authors interviewed practitioners in the legal field to verify assumed legal hurdles. Once validated the author's attempted to address and design an equitable approach towards mitigating the demonstrated legal shortfall.

Findings

– There is a dearth of US research on mental health trauma survivors of trafficking endure. This void prevents the legal system from adequately addressing likely outcomes suffered by the victims of this crime and prevents policy makers from structuring legal requirements equitably. Policy makers often need concrete examples of problems before reacting. This paper attempts to demonstrate how the current T-Visa requirements fail to fully recognize mental health injuries of sex trafficking and begins to provide a pathway to balance.

Originality/value

– While the statistical data was previously conducted by outside sources, the legal analysis is completely original by the author's and is likely to have a very high value to policy makers when addressing these issues. This paper also highlights the need for a more robust research program into human trafficking and mental health injuries within the US so that many of the analogies and assumptions can be supported.
Predicting productivity gains from parking behavior
Authors: Li Shaomin
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to use parking behavior as a direct measure of delayed gratification, a cultural trait recognized by scholars as contributing to people's economic success. Backing into a parking space requires more time and effort, but it will enable the driver to exit more easily, safely, and quickly in the future. The author argue that people who park their cars back-in embody a culture of delayed gratification, and societies with a higher back-in parking rate tend to have better economic performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author tested the hypothesis using parking and economic data from the BRIC countries, Taiwan, and the USA.

Findings

– Results show that there is a strong positive relationship between back-in parking and labor productivity gains. The author also found that back-in parking positively correlates with economic growth, savings rate, and educational attainment.

Originality/value

– This is the first study that uses parking behavior to predict economic performance. The feasibility of collecting parking behavior data across countries provides a new and viable way to overcome the limitation of relying on attitudinal or experimental data to measure the culture and behaviors of delayed gratification. The author therefore call for a collective effort to establish a “Global Parking Index.” Such an index will help us better understand parking behavior and how it may relate to socioeconomic performance such as learning, saving, and investing.
Firm value and optimal cash level: evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Azmat Qurat-ul-ann
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between firm value and cash holdings for the period 2003-2008. This study seeks to find if there are costs and benefits associated with holding too much or too little cash, then an optimal cash level exists where marginal benefits are offset by their costs. If this optimal point exists, then firm value will be maximized at that point and deviation from it will affect the firm value negatively.

Design/methodology/approach

– Optimal cash level between firm value and cash holding is determined by investigating the concave relationship. If concave relationship exists then a residual term is included in the equation to see how deviations from the optimal level affect firm value. A two-step generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator is used in estimating all results. GMM controls for unobserved firm heterogeneity and endogeneity problems.

Findings

– Results showed that a concave relationship exists between firm value and cash holdings, which confirmed that there is an optimal cash level that maximizes firm value. It was also found that deviations from the optimal level affect firm value negatively.

Practical implications

– The paper provides the existence of an optimal point of cash between costs and benefits wherein firm value is maximized. It has implications for firms’ investment and financing decisions when there is limited access to external finance. At higher level of cash the study has implications for agency theory and governance practices.

Originality/value

– The study establishes a conclusive relationship between firm value and cash holdings within the context of the Pakistani market.
Market efficiency in Indian soybean futures markets
Authors: Ranganathan Thiagu , Ananthakumar Usha
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The National commodity exchanges were established in India in the year 2003-2004 to perform the functions of price discovery and price risk management in the economy. The derivatives market can perform these functions properly only if they are efficient and unbiased. So, there is a need to properly evaluate these aspects of the Indian commodity derivatives market. The purpose of this paper is to test the market efficiency and unbiasedness of the Indian soybean futures markets.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses cointegration and a QARCH-M-ECM-based framework to test the market efficiency and unbiasedness in the soybean futures contract traded in the National Commodity Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX). The cointegration test is used to test the long-run unbiasedness and market efficiency of the contract, while the QARCH-M-ECM model is used to test the short-run market efficiency and unbiasedness of the contract by allowing for a time-varying risk premium. The price data is also tested for presence of structural breaks using a Zivot and Andrews unit root test.

Findings

– The soybean contract is unbiased in the long run, but there are short-run market inefficiencies and also a presence of a time-varying risk premium. Though the weak form of market efficiency is rejected in the short run, the semi-strong market efficiency is not rejected based on the forecasts.

Originality/value

– This is the first paper to consider time-varying risk premium while performing the tests of market efficiency and unbiasedness on Indian commodity markets.
The fundamentals of performance measurement systems
Authors: Keong Choong Kwee
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the fundamentals of a performance measurement system (PMS) as discussed in the literature for the past 32 years in an attempt to provide a research agenda (RA) for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses a systematic review of the business, public and non-profit sector literature in examining what constitutes the fundamentals of PMS, and how these fundamentals have influenced the use of data (especially on non-financial data), development of measuring methods, measuring attributes and measuring process.

Findings

– The paper finds that there are a small number of articles providing that can be considered to have provided substantial discussion of the fundamentals of PMS. While there is no consensus on what constitute the fundamentals of PMS, using content analysis, citation analysis and on the strict criteria of necessary and/or sufficient for the existence of a PMS, this paper managed to characterize the fundamentals into six categories. This paper found that the field of PMS has not change much during the past 30 or more years, and there remains various pragmatic and research gaps that need to be addressed.

Practical implications

– The results, outcomes, and analysis of this paper have both practical and academic implications. The gaps and recommendations for future research is consolidated into a RA that provides practitioners to evaluate existing PMS, avoid issues and seek ways to develop a conceptual (theoretical) PMS that is of greater practical significance.

Originality/value

– The results of this study contribute toward providing an update of the current state of development and research into PMS; and managed to identify existing practical issues and research gaps of PMS, and provided a RA on which ongoing and future research efforts on this topic can be built upon.
Automated recognition of construction labour activity using accelerometers in field situations
Authors: Joshua Liju , Varghese Koshy
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Worker activity identification and classification is the most crucial and difficult stage in work sampling studies. Manual methods of recording are tedious and prone to error and, hence automating the task of observing and classifying worker activities is an important step towards improving the current practice. Very recently, accelerometer-based systems have been explored to automate activity recognition in construction, but it had been carried out in controlled environment. The purpose of this paper is to cover the evaluation of the system in field situations.

Design/methodology/approach

– Experimental investigation was carried out on crews of iron workers and carpenters with accelerometer data loggers worn at selected locations on the human body. The accelerometer data collection was spread over a time period of two weeks, and video recording of the worker activities was concurrently carried out to serve as ground truth, the reference used for comparison. The activity recognition analysis was carried out on accelerometer data features using a decision tree algorithm.

Findings

– It was found that the classification using the individual training scheme performed better when compared with the collective training scheme for both the trades. The field studies results showed that the classification accuracies for iron work and carpentry are 90.07 and 77.74 per cent, respectively, using decision tree classifier. It was found that similarities of movements were a major cause for lower accuracy of recognition.

Research limitations/implications

– The work being preliminary in nature has used the basic classifier and pre-processing methods and, standard settings of algorithms.

Originality/value

– The paper has investigated accelerometer-based method for construction labour activity classification in field situations.
Preparing for productivity intervention initiatives
Authors: Crouzet Benjamin , W. Parker David , Pathak Raghhuvar
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to cite resistance to change as a significant reason why productivity initiatives fail. Therefore, effectively managing and overcoming resistance to change is a critical factor for the successful outcome of any intervention. This paper explores current knowledge of resistance to change and seeks to review the literature and so understand what methods can be used to manage change initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

– An extensive literature review has identified theories, frameworks and methodologies to successfully manage and overcome resistance to organisational change.

Findings

– Managing and overcoming opposition to change starts by assessing the types of resistance; and this classification will form the basis for the development of an implementation strategy to reduce resistance. This includes creating readiness and urgency for change, creating a vision for change, having employees participate in the change effort, training and coaching employees, effectively communicating the change, creating and planning for quick wins and refreezing the organisation.

Research limitations/implications

– The tools and techniques presented in this paper need to be adapted to the organisation's specificities as well as to the contextual situation.

Practical implications

– The work has developed materials to-date that could be used by practitioners that are engaged with productivity improvement interventions.

Social implications

– Resistance and its wider implications to any change intervention has organisational and social impacts. Therefore this work brings insightful information to support change in its wider application.

Originality/value

– Today's competitive, uncertain and fast-paced economic environment requires organisations to change in order to maintain or develop their competitive advantage. This paper combines numerous theories, frameworks and methodologies to successfully manage and overcome resistance in order gain acceptance and meet the desired needs.
Exploring the UK high street retail experience: is the service encounter still valued?
Authors: Resnick Sheilagh , Foster Carley , Woodall Tony
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between service quality, the service encounter and the retail experience within a changing UK retail environment.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were gathered from 40 customers and 20 staff of an established UK health and beauty retailer with a long-standing reputation for personal customer service. A qualitative analysis was applied using both a service quality and a customer value template.

Findings

– Customers focused more on the utilitarian features of the service experience and less on “extraordinary” aspects, but service staff still perceived that the customer encounter remained a key requisite for successful service delivery.

Research limitations/implications

– Recent environmental developments – involving customers, markets and retail platform structure – are challenging traditional service expectations.

Practical implications

– Retailers may need to reassess the role of the service encounter as part of their on-going value proposition.

Originality/value

– Limited research to date on the perception of shoppers to the service encounter in a changing retail environment and to the evolving notions of effort and convenience.
Why buy when we can pirate? The role of intentions and willingness to pay in predicting piracy behavior
Authors: Jackman Mahalia , Lorde Troy
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Digital piracy is one of the most popular forms of intellectual property theft and is currently recognized as a crime in several countries. This begs the question, if persons are fully informed that digital file sharing is a crime and, if caught, can be legally prosecuted, why do individuals opt to engage in such criminal behaviour? The purpose of the paper is to determine the psychological, social and economic factors influencing digital piracy. Understanding the social and psychological features of digital pirates is necessary if effected strategies are to be developed to deter the practice of digital piracy.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, a representative sample drawn from the population of Barbados was surveyed. The conceptual models were estimated using ordinary least squares multiple regression, Tobit estimation and quantile regression.

Findings

– The results suggest that intentions and willingness to pay (WTP) both have a significant impact on digital piracy. Intentions are in turn influenced by the pirate's attitude, perceived consequences, ethics, education level and environment. Finally, a facilitating environment and perceived importance of the piracy issue help to predict’ WTP for digital products.

Originality/value

– To the best of the knowledge, no other study has combined notions from attitude/values/behaviour with that of WTP. Yet, the literature would suggest that they both have significant impacts on the quantity of digital goods that are pirated. It is possible that not modelling their joint impact could have resulted in loss of vital information.
Women's education and the timing and level of fertility
Authors: Hwang Jinyoung , Ha Lee Jong
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to estimate the impacts of women's education on the mean age of women at first birth (denoting the timing of fertility) and total fertility rate (TFR, denoting the level of fertility) using cross-country panel data.

Design/methodology/approach

– The estimations proceed in two steps: first, the timing and level of fertility regressions are separately estimated, and second, two regressions are estimated at the same time as a form of a system equation to accommodate the correlations between error terms.

Findings

– It is found that a higher women's education tends to delay of child birth or family formation. In addition, there exists a negative relationship between the female secondary school enrollment ratio and TFR, meaning that the opportunity costs of childbearing and rearing increases when the level of women's education enhances. However, the authors have also found that the impacts of women's higher education on TFR is statistically insignificant in a few cases of estimations without sample selections.

Originality/value

– Fertility decline is a shift of childbearing to older ages. The delay of child birth or family formation is the major cause of the recent fertility decline, because a late women's age at first birth reduces the chances of having any further children. This implies that the timing and level of fertility are highly correlated to each other. In particular, many studies showed that women's education and employment have been identified as major parameters for the increase in women's age at first birth. Nonetheless, little attention has been paid to an empirical analysis of the relationship between women's education and the timing of fertility. Therefore, this paper is an extension of previous studies, estimating the relationship between women's education and the timing and level of fertility at the same time.
Faculty/staff perceptions of a free campus fitness facility
Authors: C. Brown Theresa , Volberding Jennifer , Baghurst Timothy , Sellers John
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to determine the reason for faculty and staff (N=657; 35 percent males;Mage=45.20) at a large Southern university, for either using or not using the free fitness facilities on campus.

Design/methodology/approach

– Participants identified themselves as either current (n=306), former (n=213), or never-users (n=138) of the facilities, and completed an on-line self-report qualitative questionnaire asking them to describe their reasons for using or not using the campus fitness facilities.

Findings

– Thematic coding revealed that motives fell into three broad categories for all user types: personal (i.e. cost, location, social support), facility-specific (i.e. quality and amount of equipment, class variety, hours of operation), and motivational climate (i.e. feeling valued, welcomed, best effort was emphasized). Current users highlighted positive aspects of each category whereas former and never users described each category as a barrier to their exercise routines.

Practical implications

– The identified themes offer campus administration specific suggestions to entice more non-users and former-users to exercise in the fitness facilities available on campus.

Originality/value

– While researchers have considered barriers to exercise in past studies, the barriers identified were not specific to fitness facilities. The current work not only examines individuals’ reasons for choosing or not choosing a campus fitness facility for their exercise, but also compares the perspectives of former- and never-users to current-users.