bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communication behaviors and perceptions of mobile internet adopters
Authors: Gerpott Torsten J.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to empirically explore the extent to which actual use intensity of mobile internet (MI) access is influenced by factual use conditions and evaluative perceptions of MI adopters. Furthermore, it analyzes relationships between this usage behavior and mobile voice call as well as SMS activity quantities at the individual customer level.

Design/methodology/approach

Indicators of actual MI, voice call and SMS use intensity were obtained for a sample of 443 MI customers of a mobile network operator (MNO) in Germany. The objective behavioral measures were integrated with adopter responses collected through a standardized telephone survey.

Findings

Factual MI use conditions (MI tariff type and appliance class, fixed broadband internet home access) were significant predictors of MI use intensity, whereas MI‐related evaluative perceptions (e.g. MI value assessment) were not. Distributions of MI, voice telephony, and SMS use intensities were highly skewed. A small group of users disproportionately contributed to the total MI traffic generated by the sample. Most customers use MI only to a limited extent after the initial adoption. MI use intensity was not significantly correlated with mobile voice communication or SMS activity levels.

Research limitations/implications

The study included data only from early MI subscribers of one MNO in a single country. The system‐captured MI use intensity indicator did not distinguish between different variants of MI services. Measures of factual MI use circumstances were not very fine‐grained. Common potential perceptual antecedents of MI acceptance (e.g. usefulness, ease of use) were excluded due to constraints imposed by the collaborating MNO.

Practical implications

The research indicates that MNO should consider promoting MI use intensity by offering “packages” that encompass a flat rate and a laptop at special bundle prices. Further, MNO are well‐advised to develop activities which discourage customers who do not already have a fixed broadband access at home from the acquisition of such an installation in the future. Finally, managers are urged to critically reflect the validity of single rater studies on MI acceptance before drawing practical conclusions from this type of work.

Originality/value

The contributions of this paper result from the exploration of actual usage behaviors of MI adopters and the integration of system‐captured use intensity measures with survey responses. This approach is seminal in better understanding limitations of purely questionnaire‐based investigations on use of mobile communication services in general and MI in particular. Additionally, the study demonstrates the importance of considering factual MI use circumstances as factors shaping MI use intensity.
The relative importance of usability and functionality factors for online auction and shopping web sites
Authors: Calisir Fethi , Elvan Bayraktaroğlu A. , Altin Gumussoy Cigdem , İlker Topcu Y. , Mutlu Tezcan
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the relative importance of the usability and functionality factors for online auction and shopping web sites from the perspective of young consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

The Analytical Network Process (ANP) was used to analyse the relative importance of the usability and functionality factors.

Findings

The findings show that customers of online auction and shopping web sites give higher priority to usability and usability factors than to functionality, with navigation and interaction being the factors of highest relative importance.

Practical implications

First, customers assign higher priority to usability factors. Thus, early in the design phase, designers should attach more importance to navigation‐ and interaction‐related aspects of their web sites. Second, designers of web sites should include basic and advanced search options to increase the number of the web site users.

Originality/value

The study is the first to examine the relative importance of the usability and functionality factors of online auction and shopping web sites. Furthermore, the study fills this gap by identifying the complex interrelationships between various features of usability and functionality, and their impact on each other, by examining two Turkish online‐auction and shopping web sites.
Search strategies on a new health information retrieval system
Authors: Mu Xiangming , Lu Kun , Ryu Hohyon
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The goals of this study are: to evaluate the merits of a newly developed health information retrieval system; to investigate users' search strategies when using the new search system; and to study the relationships between users' search strategies and their prior topic knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper developed a new health information retrieval system called MeshMed. A term browser and a tree browser are included in the new system in addition to the traditional search box. The term browser allows a user to search Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms using natural language. The tree browser presents a hierarchical tree structure of related MeSH terms. A user study with 30 participants was conducted to evaluate the benefits of MeshMed.

Findings

The paper found that MeshMed provides a user with more choices to select an appropriate searching component and form more effective search strategies. Based on the time a participant spent using different MeshMed components, the paper identified three different search styles: the traditional style, the novel style, and the balanced style, which falls in between. MeshMed was particularly helpful for users with low topic knowledge.

Originality/value

A new health information retrieval system (MeshMed) was designed and developed (and is currently available at http://129.89.43.129/meshmed). This is the first study to explore users' search strategies on such a system. The study results can inform the design of future clinical‐oriented health information retrieval systems.
The impact of electronic resources on humanities graduate student theses
Authors: Wu Ming‐der , Chen Shih‐chuan
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This study aims to answer the following questions about humanities graduate students: what are the characteristics of the documents cited in their theses? Where and how do they obtain those citations? Do students use and cite electronic resources? Do students favour electronic resources over paper versions?

Design/methodology/approach

The study's participants were 20 humanities graduate students. Following an analysis of the citations in their theses, list‐checking and follow‐up interviews were conducted.

Findings

The results showed that these humanities graduate students cited considerably more print materials than electronic resources. Most of the documents cited were supplied by the university library. Only a small proportion of the documents were available in electronic format either from the university library or from the internet. The availability ratio of journals was higher than that of books. Students' acceptance of e‐journals was higher than that of e‐books.

Originality/value

The findings of the study could help researchers and librarians gain a better understanding of how humanities graduate students use electronic resources.
Analysis of online social networks: a cross‐national study
Authors: Shin Dong‐Hee
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate users' underlying motivations for engaging in social networking through online social networking services (SNS) compared with their behaviour. It seeks to examine the differences between USA, and Korean users.

Design/methodology/approach

The study surveyed SNS users in the USA and Korea to determine the key differences between the two countries. Survey questions, developed in English and Korean, were presented in each country to explore the influences of various factors from the modified Technology Acceptance Model on SNS user dimensions. The analytic design methods were based on structural equation modelling and applied to the data gathered. The TAM factors of SNS were analysed, focusing on the differences in motives between the two countries.

Findings

The results of the online survey of SNS users validated the proposed theoretical model's ability to explain and predict user acceptance of SNS very well. While the results illustrate the importance of both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, the two countries showed different sets of motivations, providing useful implications for theory and practice.

Practical implications

Based on the results of the study, practical applications for marketing strategies in online SNS markets and theoretical applications for cross‐national studies are recommended.

Originality/value

Despite the burgeoning interest in SNS, only a few studies have explored the acceptance of SNS in a cross‐national manner, leading to a paucity of information on how different cultures influence acceptance of online services.
Azerbaijan: legal status of business entities
Authors: Isazade Afkan R.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the legal status of business entities in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Azeri government intends to establish a suitable environment for local and foreign companies working in the country.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a scientific investigation aimed at discovering and interpreting facts related to legal entities in the Azeri context. The goal of the research process is to produce new knowledge, through the exploratory research, which structures and identifies new problems, and the constructive research, which develops solutions to a problem.

Findings

The main finding is that constructing the legal entities within the legal frameworks and in compliance with the European standards play a substantial role in overall economic growth and in attracting foreign investments in the local economy as well as in implementing measures for continuing economic reforms, further improving business climate and developing the non‐oil sector in line with the oil sector.

Practical implications

As a result of this research paper some changes may be made in the local legislation in order to develop the company incorporation procedure in the Republic of Azerbaijan in the most effective way and to provide the integration of the local economy into the world economy.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper is that it describes for the first time the legal status of legal entities in the Republic of Azerbaijan, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the company incorporation system. The paper addresses the international business community, particularly those involved in all aspects of commercial and corporative law.
The convergence of value (quality) recognition approaches
Authors: Kim Yeongsu , Rhee Dong‐Kee , Lee Sangsuk
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to answer the following question: do the customer behaviors in evaluating a product's quality converge in terms of low‐ and high‐context culture? The paper is designed to examine how customers in different cultural contexts recognize the quality of a product according to three quality recognition approaches; these are exchange, sign, and experience approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to verify whether the worldwide quality recognition methods were converging or diverging, almost 300 exchange students in South Korea were surveyed. The survey examined how the 20s perceive quality of a laptop, analyzing each approach individually in order to observe whether the quality recognition methods were converging. Especially, when examining the experience approach, the value was segregated into two parts: extrinsic and intrinsic value.

Findings

It is found that only the experience approach is converging, which indicates that even within different degrees of cultural context, there are still cultural differences in quality recognition approaches.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations such as limited product uses, dividing the nations simply into two groups which are Western and Eastern are evident in the study. More elaborative future studies are suggested including, dividing nations in terms of cultural context and using more products.

Originality/value

This paper shows that the value recognition approaches are heterogeneous across cultures, and therefore more cultural‐based knowledge is required in cross‐cultural management.
A study of the performance evaluation of a network intrusion detection system
Authors: Chen Ruey‐Shin , Chung Yu‐Ming , Tsai Chih‐Hung
Published: July 2010

Purpose

Currently, there is a lack of a unified standard in testing an intrusion detection system (IDS). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to focus on testing of the completeness, accuracy, and capability of Snort and Snorting.

Design/methodology/approach

The experimentation and evaluation of the technology in network IDS are discussed in this paper. The calculated data and significance of the result were analyzed to provide significant information for future IDS modification.

Findings

The testing report is crucial in providing important theory and experiment significance for the future designing of a better IDS software and other detection system.

Originality/value

The paper expresses the function and ability to evaluate the performance of Snort in many different perspectives.
Modeling bank branch profitability and effectiveness by means of DEA
Authors: Tsolas Ioannis E.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for evaluating the overall performance of bank branches in terms of profitability efficiency and effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Applying a two‐stage DEA model to a sample of bank branches of a large commercial bank in Greece this study disaggregates overall performance into profitability efficiency and effectiveness.

Findings

The results indicate that superior insights can be obtained by employing the proposed two‐stage DEA model compared to the outcomes from the analysis based on selected key performance indicators (KPIs). Some relations between profitability efficiency and effectiveness are also investigated.

Originality/value

The study highlights the importance of encouraging increased profitability and efficiency throughout the branch network of the commercial bank under study.
Performance outcomes in empirical management accounting research
Authors: Kihn Lili‐Anne
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper seeks to further the understanding of the rather fragmented research in the area of quantitative management accounting research. The purpose of this study is to provide a synthesis and an extended discussion of the literature from the performance outcome standpoint and to foster future research in this area by identifying promising recent developments in the assessment of performance outcomes and gaps in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature analysis was adopted based on empirical studies and literature reviews published in a wide range of journals.

Findings

The overall conclusion of this study is that future management accounting research can still make progress in the measurement of performance outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

Research published in English, and the period of the past decade was emphasized to examine recent frontiers of knowledge. The results imply that increasing and simultaneous analysis of various kinds of performance outcomes could be conducted, ranging from accounting‐based to social and environmental outcomes and relative‐to‐peers assessments in different settings. If possible, development of performance outcomes could be investigated with longitudinal and panel, in addition to cross‐sectional, research designs. Attempts could be made to analyze the nature of causality to advance both management accounting literature and social science research.

Practical implications

This study furthers understanding of behaviorally‐, organizationally‐ and strategically‐oriented management accounting research that has played a central role in assessing to what extent people are likely to succeed with their management accounting and control systems in various settings.

Originality/value

This paper presents a theoretical framework and several examples potentially useful for both academic scholars and practitioners.
Internationalization of management, neoliberalism and the Latin America challenge
Authors: Faria Alex , Ibarra‐Colado Eduardo , Guedes Ana
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to problematize the lack of different worldviews on international management (IM), and the virtual silence in Latin America regarding this field within the context of the ongoing crisis of neoliberal policies and discourse.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper embraces a decolonial Latin American perspective based on developments in international relations (IR). A major reason for this dialogue is that critical debates within IR have been overlooked by both mainstream and critical literature on management, despite the intrinsic relation between decolonial arguments and IR and the increasing importance of management, and IM, within the realm of international relations to both “centers” and “peripheries”.

Findings

The interdisciplinary dialogue put forward in this paper goes beyond those borders established by the “center” and imposed on subalterns. Accordingly then, this might be taken as a particular way of putting into practice a decolonial Latin American perspective. It aims to go beyond some “universal” standpoint as the IR literature shows that the universal standpoint in relation to the “peripheries” tends to be mobilized by the “centers”. It is understood that the construction of a critical Latin American perspective is a way of creating better conditions for “cross‐cultural encounters” not only in global terms, but also within Latin America.

Practical implications

Rethinking IM through a critical perspective inspired by IR has implications for teaching, research and other types of practice in both IM and IR in Latin America.

Originality/value

The paper aims to foster a Latin American perspective rather than a general perspective. Instead of merely disengaging the “center”, the paper embraces, from a critical position inspired by IR, the current argument in US literature that the core of IM comprises a strong commitment to cross‐cultural issues, diversity, and eclecticism.
The phenomenon of NGOs: a lateral reading from Latin America
Authors: Srinivas Nidhi
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to ask what can be learned from contemporary resistance to neo‐liberal policies in Latin America, in terms of broadening the disciplinary understanding of civil society actors.

Design/methodology/approach

Management, international management, and non‐profit management studies are reviewed and assessed through a lateral reading.

Findings

The field of management studies and the sub‐field of international management are identified as parochial in orientation, ignoring the diversity of local management knowledge and the organizational settings where practiced.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates the narrow foci of the field of management, on Northern contexts, and large international business organizations. It calls for greater sensitivity to the diverse and significant efforts to resist and mitigate neo‐liberal policies globally.
International management, business and relations in Latin America
Authors: Guedes Ana , Faria Alex
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to draw on international relations (IR) literature to analyze, from a critical standpoint, recent developments in international business (IB) and international management (IM) in the USA, and the emerging debate between mainstream and critical researchers in Anglo‐American literature. It also aims to show that these important undertakings overshadow the political role of international disciplines and constrain the development of a critical perspective in IB from Latin America.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an interdisciplinary approach, this paper addresses the main debates on IR regarding the “international” and the control of international fields of knowledge by the great powers to foster a critical perspective in IB from Latin America.

Findings

Critique from a universal perspective which does not differentiate IB and IM in the Anglo‐American literature is important, but constrains the appraisal of specific national and regional issues that are of vital importance to the development of a critical perspective in IB from Latin America.

Practical implications

This critical perspective moves beyond disciplinary boundaries and raises implications for research and teaching of IB and IM in Latin America.

Originality/value

This paper problematizes, from a perspective focused on the political economy of knowledge, the overlooking of debates about the “international” and of specific conditions that both enable and constrain the development of fields of knowledge from a less asymmetrical standpoint.
Understanding socialization practice: factors fostering and hindering its evolution
Authors: Ponte Diego , Rizzi Carlo
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the ongoing debate on organizational socialization by exploring the constitutive aspects of socialization practice. By taking a practice stance, the paper explores how the constitutive aspects shape the evolution of the socialization practice and of the overall organizational functioning. The aim is to address a clear gap in the literature as it does not have fully investigated socialization as an evolving practice in the web of other organizational practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The research relies on a case study analysis, which focuses on a multinational consulting firm. The paper focuses on the evolution of two main practices within the company one of which is socialization and the second is knowledge management.

Findings

The main result emerging from the field study is that the evolution of the socialization practice as well as its alignment with other organizational practices is affected by a set of constitutive aspects. The analysis of these elements allows to disarticulate the nature of a practice and to clarify how it evolves. The paper is particularly interesting as during the analysis, the case study firm experienced an external shock. This latter resulted to be a relevant cornerstone for understanding the evolution and alignment of the socialization practice and of the organizational functioning as a whole.

Research limitations/implications

The research presents two clear limitations. First, the results might be very case‐specific. Further analysis should be done to increase consistency and validity of the findings. Second, the qualitative methodology needs further improvement as the practice based analysis of socialization is still at its infancy and thus is not well assessed.

Practical implications

Findings indicate that socialization practice might be somehow rigid over time and unable to match the evolving organizational setting. The case study further shows that while the procedures which are embedded in a practice might not change apparently, their content might be substantially affected by external facts.

Originality/value

Starting from the recognition that the evolution of the socialization practice has not received enough attention, this paper sheds new light on how a set of constitutive aspects may facilitate/hinder such evolution.
Home‐based business sectors in the rural economy
Authors: Newbery Robert , Bosworth Gary
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to challenge calls for a monolithic rural home‐based business (HBB) sector and instead propose meaningful sub‐sectors of HBB that fit within contemporary rural economic development theory. This informs business support and policy objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey analysis of rural microbusinesses in the North East of England compares home‐based and other rural microbusinesses to illustrate their defining characteristics. Case study interviews are then used to test theory development and provide greater understanding about the motivations and aspirations of HBB owners.

Findings

The research demonstrates that the rural HBB sector is not homogenous. For some, the home is the business, for others it is a convenient location and for others it is not the place of work, simply the registered business address. This has significant implications for the needs of each type of business and their prospects for growth.

Research limitations/implications

This paper introduces the concept of sub‐sectors of HBBs but more detailed survey work can establish whether these are fully inclusive. With a changing economic climate, further research might also examine the resilience of these businesses in recession and their ability to react to growth opportunities in a period of upturn.

Originality/value

As an emergent area of study in the fields of small business and rural economy, HBBs are potential vehicles for both social and economic development. With large numbers of HBBs in rural areas, this paper illustrates the need to understand both their potential and their limitations in order to maximise their contribution to vibrant and sustainable rural economy.
Child consumption of fun food: between deviating practice and re‐appropriating food‐use
Authors: Mathiot Louis
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This study seeks to show that children are not passive consumers, rather that they have a reflexive attitude towards their eating practice and the ability to override food‐use rules invented by the manufacturers.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on an ethnographic survey conducted among families with children aged from six to 12, the paper will seek to show, from the child's point of view, why fun products, which at first sight are so beguiling, are not in fact much fun when used. From the observations made of the children's eating practices with regard to specific fun foods, and from interviews with the children on these, it emerges that these foods give the child little scope for deciding how to eat them.

Findings

Over the years, there has appeared on the market a range of fun food products for which clear instructions are given on how children should eat and play with them. Despite copy, produced with the young consumer in mind, and carefully defined product affordance, consumer practice is far removed from what the product designers expect. For children, however, deviating from prescribed use and re‐appropriating products with their own “art of doing” or food‐use techniques are key elements of their eating practice.

Originality/value

Most of the studies on that topic are centred on fun food manufacturers and industry. The most original aspect of this study is to focus on the children's representations, discourses and practices. Thus it provides a new aspect on fun food consumption.
Perceived quality of e‐health services
Authors: Hadwich Karsten , Georgi Dominik , Tuzovic Sven , Büttner Julia , Bruhn Manfred
Published: July 2010

Purpose

Health service quality is an important determinant for health service satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate requirements of e‐health services and to develop a measurement model to analyze the construct of “perceived e‐health service quality.”

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adapts the C‐OAR‐SE procedure for scale development by Rossiter. The focal aspect is the “physician‐patient relationship” which forms the core dyad in the healthcare service provision. Several in‐depth interviews were conducted in Switzerland; first with six patients (as raters), followed by two experts of the healthcare system (as judges). Based on the results and an extensive literature research, the classification of object and attributes is developed for this model.

Findings

The construct e‐health service quality can be described as an abstract formative object and is operationalized with 13 items: accessibility, competence, information, usability/user friendliness, security, system integration, trust, individualization, empathy, ethical conduct, degree of performance, reliability, and ability to respond.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include the number of interviews with patients and experts as well as critical issues associated with C‐OAR‐SE. More empirical research is needed to confirm the quality indicators of e‐health services.

Practical implications

Health care providers can utilize the results for the evaluation of their service quality. Practitioners can use the hierarchical structure to measure service quality at different levels. The model provides a diagnostic tool to identify poor and/or excellent performance with regard to the e‐service delivery.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to knowledge with regard to the measurement of e‐health quality and improves the understanding of how customers evaluate the quality of e‐health services.
Working conditions of the governmental and private hospital doctors in North Cyprus
Authors: Ağdelen Zafer , Toker Ersöz Burcu , Sarp Nilgün
Published: July 2010

Purpose

Recent concern about governmental hospital performance has intensified interest in the working conditions of doctors. In North Cyprus, there are several problems related with the functioning and performance of hospitals, such as lack of patient satisfaction, long waiting times for treatment, and dissatisfaction from doctors. In analyzing the reasons for such problems and proposing solutions, components of the hospital system, namely, the doctors and the patients and other health personnel, are considered to be important. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the satisfaction and importance levels of doctors from their working conditions and environment which are key determinants of patient satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire consisting of two main sections was constructed. The first section included personal information and the second section consisted of perceptional questions about importance and satisfaction levels related to the working conditions of doctors. The sample population of this paper was composed of governmental and private hospital doctors working in North Cyprus.

Findings

All the aspects of working conditions of the governmental and private hospital doctors are found to be crucial for them. In general, majority of the governmental hospital doctors are unsatisfied with the aspects of working conditions; whereas, the satisfaction levels of private hospital are higher than that of governmental hospital doctors.

Originality/value

This paper is planned to be a valuable scientific contribution to the actions of the Ministry of Health in North Cyprus for the improvement of the working conditions of doctors which would in turn lead to greater patient satisfaction.
Web tool for the quantification of oil and gas corridors' socio‐economic risks
Authors: Doukas Haris , Flamos Alexandros , Karakosta Charikleia , Flouri Maria , Psarras John
Published: July 2010

Purpose

Greece is a net importer of oil and gas and is among the most vulnerable countries of the European Union (EU) on energy supply disruptions. Furthermore, is considered a “crossroad” of existing and forthcoming infrastructure for importing energy to the EU. The purpose of this paper is the presentation of the web tool that implements the developed methodology for the quantification of socio‐economic risks of oil and gas corridors. The tool is applied to the main present and future oil and gas corridors to Greece, and the related outcomes are discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured and coherent review on the future and present oil and natural gas (NG) corridors to Greece was elaborated, based on desk analysis and collection of the related data from national and international sources. Factor analysis was employed for the quantification of socio‐economic risks of each energy corridor. Particular emphasis was laid on the tool's design, so as to be user‐friendly, combining intuitive menus and navigation throughout the steps of the system.

Findings

The calculation of socio‐economic risks of the main oil and gas corridors to Greece provides operative and measurable concepts for supporting energy‐modelling processes. Indeed, this paper provides useful insights on the factors affecting the smooth energy supply and the reliability of oil and gas supply options to the Greek energy system. Moreover, the presented web tool can be used as a reference point for the researcher working on energy supply risks quantification.

Originality/value

The introduction of the energy corridors perspective in the valuation of supply security is of significant importance, taking into account the constantly increasing energy dependence of EU countries. To the best of the authors' knowledge, a structured and coherent review of the future and present oil and NG corridors to Greece is not present in the international literature. In addition to this, the development of the web tool is a clear contribution towards the quantification of the economic and socio‐political risk analysis and a step forward of the existing studies.
Cost and benefit analysis for a distribution management system in electricity distribution networks
Authors: Tanskanen Anna , Raussi Tommi , Partanen Jarmo , Lohjala Juha
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the key outage‐cost‐influencing applications (fault location and network restoration, fault reporting, field crew management, and reconfiguration) of the distribution management system (DMS) and analyzes the benefits provided by them. The objective of the study is an evaluation of their influence on outage costs deriving from the adoption of automatic equipment in managing distribution systems.

Design/methodology/approach

Cost and benefit calculations in this paper are made for a typical North European rural medium‐voltage network. The benefits are calculated in terms of outage costs for each of the above‐presented applications and compared with the investment cost, including the annual cost of maintenance, of the DMS. The empirical results and validation of the theoretical calculations are performed by an electric utility, where the DMS benefit evaluation is taking place.

Findings

By capitalizing the applications of the DMS, it is possible to acquire considerable benefits in outage costs. It is shown that the greatest cost‐based benefits are obtained from the fault location and field crew management applications. The case study further shows that the DMS can reduce the operation costs of utilities.

Research limitations/implications

The calculations are based on network expert assumptions about System Average Interruption Duration (SAIDI), carried out for a specific overhead‐line network operating in a specific European rural medium‐voltage environment. Sharing of utilities' de facto SAIDI results as a basis for calculations would decrease the need for subjective expert assumptions in the future analyses.

Practical implications

Application of the proposed framework for decision making and lessons learned can support electric utilities when planning for unbundling and strategic target‐setting in the unbundled business model.

Originality/value

There are few reports available on similar actual DMS‐application‐based cost benefits due to the nature of private utility information that is preferably not disclosed.
Enterprise diversity in the business of wine: what is a business case study?
Authors: Benson‐Rea Maureen , Little Victoria , Dufour Yvon
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue of case studies in the enterprise diversity of wine business and to situate the wine business cases selected for this special issue, which feature a diversity of formats and approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

Rigour and relevance underpinned the choice of case studies for this special issue. All of the cases are informed by theory, and all share a common concern with the understanding of wine business phenomena and origins in or links to practice.

Findings

There is no consensus view on what a case is and what it is for in business research and teaching generally, and that this is appropriate given pluralistic approaches to teaching and research in the various business disciplines. Supporting this argument, the various types of cases encountered in the business literature are considered and an overview offered based on purpose, motivation, similarities and differences and common themes.

Originality/value

Each of the wine business cases presented in this special issue is situated within a typology, in which each offers a different approach to providing insight into the business of wine. The paper concludes with a discussion of current and future directions for business case studies and methods.
The demand for wine in the USA
Authors: Cuellar Steven S. , Colgan Tim , Hunnicutt Heather , Ransom Gabriel
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the demand for wine and provide insight into the behavior of USA wine consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a fixed effect, instrumental variable approach to estimate the demand for wine in the USA, correcting for endogeneity inherent in demand estimation by using grape prices as the instrument.

Findings

Demand for the six top selling red wines and six top selling white wines was estimated. While the law of demand is confirmed, differences were found in the price elasticity of demand by varietal and price point. Also, these wines are found to be normal good as defined by economic theory and the results generally hold across color, varietal and price segment. There was a greater willingness of red wine drinkers to switch to white wines than white wine drinkers to switch to red wines.

Practical implications

No statistically significant cross price effects were found.

Originality/value

This paper provides an important contribution to the current literature by disaggregating the demand for wine by color, major varietal and price segment to analyze cross price effects.
Meaning and interpretation: insights and discourse
Authors: Kakabadse Nada K. , Steane Peter
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The paper seeks to analyze the discourse of meaning and interpretation in the social sciences. It aims to provide a historical overview of the hermeneutics and the need for scientific as well as general understanding, and to emphasize the importance of the interpretive approach in management history.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides an in‐depth literature review of interpretation.

Findings

Interpretative approach is a basic building block of all science and management praxis.

Research limitations/implications

Literature is limited to social science.

Practical implications

The paper highlights the importance of interpretation in management dialogue and praxis,vis‐à‐visa sole reliance on rationalistic methods.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper lies in the scope of its literature review and the broad understanding it provides for management praxis.
Ending the denial of slavery in management history
Authors: Hayek Mario , Novicevic Milorad M. , Humphreys John H. , Jones Nicole
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to further fill the void of American slavery within management history and leadership studies by presenting the unique case of Joseph E. Davis's paternalistic leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

This case was selected because of Davis's attempt to transplant Robert Owen's utopian practices of social harmony in an industrial, textile‐mill setting to the backdrop of his slavery plantation. The method used is the historical method of analyzing both primary and secondary sources of data about Joseph E. Davis, a Mississippi planter, during the time periods of antebellum and reconstruction.

Findings

This analysis indicates that Joseph E. Davis exhibited benevolence, authoritarianism, and, to a degree, moral paternalistic leadership with his slaves. Yet, due to his ideology and the context, he still defended slavery and Southern rights.

Research limitations/implications

Historical knowledge about paternalistic leadership during the antebellum slavery and reconstruction time period will help to end the denial of slavery in management studies, as well as contribute to the understanding of paternalism in many contemporary cultures.

Originality/value

This is the first article to provide primary evidence of paternalistic leadership in management history studies within this erroneously disregarded period.
Re‐considering managerial use of child labor
Authors: Bowden Bradley , Stevenson‐Clarke Peta
Published: July 2010

Purpose

Much research has focused on the reasons for child labor. This paper, in examining the experiences of late nineteenth century Australia seeks to ask the alternate research question: “What are the factors that cause managers to desist from the use of child labor during periods of initial industrialization, even where the society is characterized by a youthful demography and low levels of manufacturing productivity?”.

Design/methodology/approach

This study measures the incidence of child labor in Queensland, Australia's third largest state, through an examination of the censuses for 1891 and 1901. It then locates the results of this analysis in the nineteenth century Australian peculiar pattern of economic investment.

Findings

It is found that industrializing Australia had an extremely low incidence of child labor. This is attributed to the highly capitalized nature of the Australian rural and mining sectors, and the linkages between these sectors and the wider economy. This suggests that counties, or regions, with a highly commercialized primary sector, and with manufacturing establishments with high skill requirements (even if characterized by low productivity), will have a low incidence of child labor.

Practical implications

The most effective policy for reducing the incidence of child labor is to enhance capital investment in the primary sector and enhance the need for workplace skills in the secondary sector.

Originality/value

The International Labor Organisation suggests that there is currently a revival in child labor. This paper suggests that the most effective policies for reducing the incidence of child labor are ones that seek to foster increased levels of capital investment in the primary sector, rather than ones directed towards legal restriction or poverty alleviation.
Building a sense of home in rented spaces
Authors: Fowler Aubrey R. , Lipscomb Clifford A.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

Much of the research into the development of home within the business literature has looked at home as a setting or a construct instead of as a process. Additionally, extant research has explored the process of homebuilding within the context of homeownership, often defining home in terms of a place that is owned by the individual living in it. However, nearly 30 percent of all housing units in which people live are rented spaces that are owned by others not living there. The purpose of this paper is to examine homebuilding as a process that can and often does occur in properties that the individual does not own.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a phenomenological approach, in‐depth interviews with renters lead to the development of a conceptual model of how renters build a sense of “home.”

Findings

The paper finds that though ownership does play a part in some individuals' sense of home, apartment dwellers often are able to build a “home” within an apartment context.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of the research include the small sample size; however, the process resulting from a small size may be used to develop hypotheses for future quantitative research.

Practical implications

The process outlined here may provide apartment communities and managers with insight into how they may retain tenants.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on an understanding of home that removes the notion of ownership from its definition, providing insight into how consumers build a sense of home in places they may not be able to physically alter.
Long‐term return on investment of an employee health enhancement program at a Midwest utility company from 1999 to 2007
Authors: Yen Louis , Schultz Alyssa B. , Schaefer Cindy , Bloomberg Susan , Edington Dee W.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to document the total return on investment (ROI) of a comprehensive worksite health program from 1999 to 2007 through two different analytic approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

Two analytical techniques were used: time period analysis and historical trend analysis of the entire study period. The time‐period analysis of ROI was performed among employees in four time periods: 1999‐2001; 2002‐2003, 2004‐2005; and 2006‐2007. The historical trend analysis on participation‐related savings was used to compare the financial trend differences between participants and non‐participants as well as the three different participation levels of continuous, sporadic, and non‐participants since the year 2000 among 2,753 employees who worked for and were covered by the company‐sponsored health plans for the entire study period.

Findings

The ROI from health care costs and time away from work ranged from 1.29 to 2.07 for the four time periods with a cumulative ROI of 1.66 over nine years. The historical trend analysis of 2,753 long‐term employees resulted in a 1.57 ROI for 2,036 program participants (t‐test: p<0.005) with statistically significant annual saving of $180 per participant per year.

Originality/value

The returns on comprehensive worksite health program were greater than the program investment as documented by both time‐period and historical trend analyses. Organizations seeking ways to manage the increases in health care and absenteeism costs of employees will be encouraged to see that positive returns can be generated by investments in employee health and wellness and steady or consistent participation is one key to generating success.
Determinants of employee participation in workplace health promotion
Authors: Nöhammer Elisabeth , Schusterschitz Claudia , Stummer Harald
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of the present paper is to gain a first insight into the determinants of employee acceptance of, and participation in, workplace health promotion (WHP) in the German speaking part of Europe with a focus on Austria.

Design/methodology/approach

Being a neglected field of research so far, a qualitative approach using problem‐centred interviews was chosen. These were conducted with 19 employees in three different organizations, the four people there responsible for WHP as well as with nine health experts. These interviews form the basis for preliminary propositions.

Findings

Determinants of employee acceptance of, and participation in, WHP are shown to concern information plus offer design. As for information, crucial factors are its flow, how it is presented and how it is received by the individual. Criteria regarding offer design are found on the individual and interpersonal level as well as referring to general environmental and organizational conditions.

Research limitations/implications

Further research on a broad quantitative level is required to test the propositions developed on the basis of the present qualitative study.

Practical implications

With their implications regarding information and offer design, the findings of the study can serve as a guideline for employee‐centred WHP and are of interest to practitioners as well as academics in the field.

Originality/value

Giving first insights into the employees' perspective regarding determinants of acceptance of, and participation in, WHP, this paper offers valuable suggestions for a target‐group oriented design of WHP.