bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Operational risk information system: a challenge for the banking sector
Authors: Flores Francisco , Bónson‐Ponte Enrique , Escobar‐Rodríguez Tomás
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the capacity of response of the banking sector's information systems (IS), in the light of the new requirements of Basel II (Basel Bank for International Settlements) on the measurement and control of operational risk (OR).

Design/methodology/approach

By means of a structured case, developed with a Spanish savings bank of medium size, an analysis is made of the practices and structures that may need to be modified to prevent a loss of competitive position. Lastly specific improvements are proposed to facilitate the implementation of an operational risk information system (OR‐IS).

Findings

The paper concludes that there still exists a considerable distance between the current IS in use and an OR‐IS compatible with the model proposed under Basel II, for that kind of entities, and indicates the opportunities and incentives that would arise in the attempt to reduce this distance.

Practical implications

The IS of a bank should evolve towards the achievement of an OR‐IS that enables the bank's competitive position to be strengthened. In addition, the bank should aspire to obtain the external validation of its supervisory authority, which certifies the OR‐IS implemented and classifies it as an advanced measurement approach (AMA) under Basel II. An analysis is made of the principal organisational weaknesses and necessities that should be rectified, with a view to applying the methodologies designated the AMA to OR in the Basel II agreement.

Originality/value

Basel II has given increased visibility to the “OR” variable and there has been little explicit research into the process by which managers and organisations at medium sized entities decide to develop IS capable to measure and mitigate this new risk.
Financial services and markets tribunal turns down costs application from broker whom it had earlier found not to have engaged in market abuse
Authors: Gray Joanna
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe how the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal turned down a costs application from a broker it had earlier found not to have engaged in market abuse.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper outlines the facts surrounding the decision.

Findings

The case drives home the importance of insurance against the costs of Tribunal representation for key employees in the financial services industry at risk of FSA enforcement proceedings.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal decision to awarding costs.
Gauging the effectiveness of US identity theft legislation
Authors: Holtfreter Robert E. , Holtfreter Kristy
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To examine identity theft in the United States and to provide an overview and assessment of recent legislation designed to assist identity theft victims and punish offenders.

Design/methodology/approach

Statistics on the prevalence of identity theft are included, as well as details from a fact‐based, fairly typical case of identify theft. An overview of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) and the Identity Theft Penalty Act (ITPEA) are provided, and the provisions of each act are analyzed.

Findings

It will take time to determine to what extent the provisions in FACTA and ITPEA will prevent or reduce identity theft. No doubt, in the future, there will amendments to both acts.

Research limitations/implications

Future empirical studies could inform all interested parties by examining the impact of the FACTA and ITPEA over a multi‐year time frame. Moreover, cross‐cultural comparisons focusing on the ways in which other nations address identity theft will also shed light on the issues discussed herein.

Originality/value

The topic of identity theft remains salient to researchers as well as criminal justice practitioners and victim advocates. Public education to increase knowledge of identity theft, and to provide information and resources for victims, will be critical in the future.
An appraisal of the legal and institutional framework for combating corruption in Nigeria
Authors: Okogbule Nlerum S.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To examine the adequacy or otherwise of the existing legal and institutional mechanisms for combating corruption in Nigeria and suggest useful strategies for achieving this.

Design/methodology/approach

The pre‐existing statutory enactments, the Criminal and Penal Codes governing corruption in Nigeria were examined to assess their effectiveness in dealing with the crime of corruption. In addition, the two main enactments under the present civilian administration dealing with corruption, namely, the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000 and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004 were also X‐rayed.

Findings

It was found that the earlier statutory enactments have proved ineffective in combating corruption in contemporary Nigeria, hence the enactment of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000 and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004, with the objective of dealing with various aspects of corruption.

Practical implications

The implication of this finding is that to be effective, legislative measures to tackle corruption must take cognizance of the multifarious nature of the menace coupled with the requisite political will to enforce the provisions of such statutory enactments.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates the great benefit of the use of additional legislative measures in tackling corruption in Nigeria. It suggests the strengthening of these mechanisms and a re‐orientation of social values as the best strategy for dealing with the corruption virus in the country.
The Ketan Parekh fraud and supervisory lapses of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI): a case study
Authors: Ghosh Saptarshi , Bagheri Mahmood
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purposes in this paper are: engaging in a critical examination of the framework of the banking regulatory framework in India; assessing the operational efficacy of banking regulatory and supervisory mechanisms; and providing an in‐depth legal analysis of the role of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the country's central bank and the principal supervisory authority.

Design/methodology/approach

The method used is legal examination of regulatory practice and case‐study based analysis. It relies factually on official publications in the public domain, academic writings and newspaper reports to assess the impact of the fraud and explore the legal, regulatory and financial implications of the supervisory lapses.

Findings

The findings in the paper relate to the impact and extent of he Ketan Parekh fraud and the nature and scope of critical central banking supervision lapses. The paper concludes that such lapses can induce systemic problems in a key emerging economy like India especially when it is rapidly entering the second phase of major banking and financial reforms.

Research limitations/implications

Various investigations are still underway as regards the Ketan Parekh fraud and several cases are being heard in courts and tribunals. The full extent of legal and regulatory liability is yet to be fully ascertained.

Originality/value

It is of immense significance to bankers, lawyers, auditors, consultants, researchers, jurists, law enforcement officials and those involved in financial and banking regulation.
Exposure of financial institutions to criminal liability
Authors: Baldwin F.N.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

Since, at least 9/11 financial institutions and financial intermediaries are considered to be at the forefront in the international attempt to halt illicit money transfer. Most financial institutions if involved at all play an unknowing or lax, but major role in dictating money laundering schemes. The purpose of this paper is to argue that to avoid sanctions including criminal liability, financial institutions and financial intermediaries must be better prepared and willing to assess prototypical money laundering typologies. To do otherwise will invite civil and criminal liability.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines legislative pronouncements in general and US caselaw in particular in order to assess compliance and liability: real or imagined.

Findings

There appears to be considerable agreement concerning at least one goal of terrorists attacks and that is to disrupt directly and indirectly economic global stability. Further, those charged with the task of identifying terrorist assets in a financial system and developing a profile of terrorist financial transactions has, at least according to unclassified documents, proved to be futile. Closer international investigation and co‐operation appears to be more a slogan than a reality.

Originality/value

Reviews examples of blatant illegal acts of money laundering within the banking community and examines the exploding real estate market and its transmigration into the world of laundering illicit money.
Can corruption and economic crime be controlled in developing economies, and if so, is the cost worth it?
Authors: Budima Gjeneza
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine corruption as the most ancient and common type of economic crime, and its significance in a developing country's progress. The paper seeks to elaborate on why underdeveloped countries are more prone to corrupt acts and more open to investments by criminals. The paper attempts to answer the question whether such criminal activites can be controlled by developing societies and states in transition.

Design/methodology/approach

Research is based on relevant literature and empirical findings, approaching the issue from more than one theoretical point of view. The paper analyses the two faces of corruption when dealing with specific countries and inefficient governments. It discusses how corruption in the long term is damanging for the development of less‐developed states.

Findings

Corruption is not a localized crime but rather a crime without borders. Domestically it can only be controlled through state mechanisms and with the support of society and the media. Internationally it can be controlled with international cooperation and enforcement of bilateral regulations. This research concludes with the importance of global action in fighting economic crimes with destinations in developing countries.

Originality/value

This paper advances the academic debate on economic crimes and countries in transition in particular, while in general presents a more realistic approach to citizens, civil society, the independent media, and state officials themselves, who can have a crucial role in controlling corruption, hence economic crimes.
Disclosure and sharing of sensitive information
Authors: Murphy Daniel
Published: January 2007

Purpose

Presentation on legal risks in business cooperation in a regulated sector in Canada.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews Canadian case law and privacy implications for businesses cooperating with regulators and the risk of such cooperation to the regulated scheme.

Findings

The public interest in fostering regulator to law enforcement cooperation creates a potential risk to the regulator's scheme whenever the cooperation creates a risk that the regulator is a mere alter ego to criminal law enforcement.

Practical implications

Case law in Canada considers the scope of regulator compliance functions and the impact of sharing information with criminal investigators. Too much sharing, without concern for the regulated environment may risk regulator's authority to obtain business information absent a pre‐existing independent court authorization.

Originality/value

The paper is valuable to any regulator in a common law jurisdiction.
Costing and curing corruption in public transit agencies
Authors: Gordon Cameron
Published: January 2007

Purpose

What is the cost of corruption and associated financial malfeasance in public transit? The purpose of this paper is to consider this question, focusing on two American agencies: the Metropolitan Transit Authorities (MTA) in both New York and Los Angeles.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews the literature on corruption, mismanagement and malfeasance in the public sector generally and the factors which are believed to lead to these phenomena; and preliminarily assesses the relative presence and cost of such malpractices in their MTAs, and their causative factors in public transit agencies generally.

Findings

Preliminary analysis of reports of corruption and malfeasance in the two MTAs yields cost estimates of over $US200 million in the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and over $US1 billion in the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority across roughly five‐year periods (periods of analysis not being exactly the same for the two agencies).

Research limitations/implications

The data examined were not comprehensive and costings not final. Thus, the estimates can be considered to be lower than the actual incidence and costs.

Originality/value

By preliminarily quantifying the cost of maladministration in the largest transit agency in the USA and then one of the newest, this paper provides an assessment important in and of itself and also provides an initial methodology which can be used for more precise costing and analysis of such issues in the future. Possible causes of such problems include lack of accountability: the two MTAs are independent authorities with little legislative or executive oversight; and also the fact of these being public monopolies.
Child pornography and prostitution: is this crime or work that should be regulated?
Authors: Bakirci Kadriye
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted a new Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (No. 182) in 1999. The aim of this paper is to analyse the United Nations (UN), ILO, Council of Europe (COE) instruments related to child exploitation and discuss whether child pornography and prostitution are economic crime or work that should be regulated.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper compares the definitions of child pornography and prostitution and child labour in the UN, ILO, COE instruments.

Findings

Although child labour does not imply child prostitution and pornography, the Convention No. 182 Article 3 includes child prostitution and pornography in the term “child labour” and identifies child pornography and prostitution as among the worst forms of child labour. The paper concludes that, no matter what role the children have in participating in the sexual activities, they should be viewed as victims and witnesses. They should not be viewed as “sex workers” or “child labourers”. The view that sexual exploitation of children is a kind of labour might be seen to legitimise it in some countries and might cause more trauma for children.

Originality/value

This paper argues that the ILO should have either considered child pornography and prostitution as a kind of modern slavery in a separate paragraph in the C. 182 or introduced a separate instrument to combat against child sexual exploitation.
The price of corporate crime: the risks to business
Authors: Sliter John
Published: January 2007

Purpose

Based on a presentation at the 24th International Symposium on Economic Crime September, 2006, at the University of Cambridge, this paper aims to focus comment on the risk to business generated from organized and economically motivated criminal enterprises to that of risk to reputation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is the considered views of someone who has over 28 years of experience with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with over 20 of those years conducting white collar crime investigations and/or managing teams of investigators.

Findings

Law enforcement officers around the globe are being pushed to deliver and, with an increase in public resources, are pursuing corporate criminals with renewed enthusiasm. Shareholders have started choosing their investments based on social responsibility and ethical leadership. Western countries are experiencing the end of the baby boom and employees will soon be in big demand and able to pick where they want to work, thereby reasonably expecting to choose only the most socially responsible companies. This will not include those companies involved in corporate crime! It is asserted that the future does indeed look tougher for those employees, executives or companies who may get involved in corporate crime.

Originality/value

This paper identifies the risks to business presented by organized and economically motivated criminal enterprises.
Human rights: the issues
Authors: Dixon Michael I.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

This paper aims to give an overview of the development of human rights within the UK and suggests to the reader that the present regimes, designed for application within inquisitorial judicial systems, are inconsistent with common law regimes.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper was prepared for an academic workshop.

Findings

The paper suggests that human rights regimes hamper effective sharing of information worldwide and suggests that the adoption of national and international intelligence models offers solutions as human right principles are “built in”. Breaches of human rights by developed countries compound problems. Developed countries need to ensure that their response to incidents post 9/11 needs to be proportionate and within international law. Any perceived deviation from what is objectively and demonstrably fair has the effect of fuelling the propaganda from the other side where both camps vie for men's hearts and minds.

Originality/value

The paper provokes debate about the development of human rights in the UK.
Qui tam actions: fighting fraud against the government
Authors: Pacini Carl , Hui Qiu Li , Sinason David
Published: January 2007

Purpose

This paper seeks to provide auditors, forensic accountants, investigators, regulators, financial managers, lawyers, law enforcement personnel, academics, and others with a basic overview of the steps in and elements of a qui tam legal claim, limitations on a qui tam claim, protection for a whistleblower employee, and the role of qui tam litigation in the fight against fraud.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of types of recent qui tam fraud cases is highlighted for the reader. The steps in filing a qui tam claim are described along with the limitations of pursuing such a lawsuit. The paper includes a statutory and legal case study analysis of each required element of proof in a qui tam claim. Analysis of actual qui tam court cases illustrates the importance of private civil lawsuits in combating fraud committed against the US Government.

Findings

This paper provides readers with information about the substantial recoveries earned by successful qui tam plaintiffs. Also, the necessary steps in and elements of a qui tam suit are revealed. Technical legal details of various federal court rulings are distilled for readers. The important role of this unique type of lawsuit in the arsenal of those who fight against government fraud is emphasized.

Originality/value

This paper fills an identified need to inform those involved in the fight against economic crime about an important tool that uncovers and deters fraud against the federal government.
The regulation of non‐vessel‐operating common carriers (NVOCC) and customs brokers
Authors: Passas Nikos , Jones Kimberly
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to contribute to one's understanding of vulnerabilities for abuse in the realm of trade and commerce, and to appreciate how inattention to this issue undermines all other financial controls.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors review the US rules and regulations regarding non‐vessel‐operating common carriers and Customs brokers pointing out ways in which the current regulatory framework can be violated.

Findings

It was found that the potential for the commission of serious crime through import/export activities is high and requires urgent attention, without which all AML/CFT and anti‐corruption efforts can be rendered ineffective.

Research limitations/implications

More data and analysis of trade transparency and national rules as well as cases highlighting concretely how these are being infringed is indispensable for planning and implementation of trade transparency initiatives.

Practical implications

As trade transparency units or similar projects are likely to emerge, strategic thinking, coordination of efforts and maximization of synergies for improved governance and crime control are imperative. Failure to do so will allow serious misconduct and security risks to remain high.

Originality/value

AML/CFT and anti‐corruption practitioners, donor organizations and technical assistance providers ought to be familiar with the significance of weak capacities to trace and monitor trade transactions and how to connect this issue with wider governance and crime control policies/measures.
Supply chain management integration and implementation: a literature review
Authors: Power Damien
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review a sample of the literature relating to the integration and implementation of supply chain management practices from a strategic viewpoint.

Design/methodology/approach

The literature is examined from three perspectives. First, supply chain integration covers issues relating to integration of core processes across organizational boundaries through improved communication, partnerships, alliances and cooperation. Second, strategy and planning examines supply chain management as a strategic matter for trading partners, along with factors relating to the amount of planning required. Third, implementation issues concern factors critical for successful implementation, as well as issues specific to inter and intra‐organizational aspects of supply chain initiatives are contained in this sub‐group

Findings

An important emergent theme from the literature is the importance of taking a holistic view, and the systemic nature of interactions between the participants. At the same time, it is also apparent that this requirement to take such an holistic and systemic view of the supply chain acts as an impediment to more extensive implementation. The strategic nature of adopting a supply chain wide perspective, on the one hand provides significant potential benefit, and on the other requires trading partners to think and act strategically. This is easier said than done within a stand‐alone organization, let alone across a diverse and dispersed group of trading partners.

Research limitations/implications

The scope of this review is by design limited to a cross‐section of the literature in this area. As such, it cannot, and does not, attempt to be an examination of the full range of the literature, but a sampling of important and influential works.

Practical implications

This review of the literature serves to highlight the inter‐dependence between integration (technologies, logistics, and partnerships), a strategic view of supply chain systems, and implementation approach. All three need to inform and underpin each other in order for management of supply chains to be able to deliver on the promise of benefits for all trading partners.

Originality/value

This study reviews a sample of recent and classic literature in this field, and in doing so provides some clear guidelines for the conduct of future research.
Exploring supply chain opportunities in the UK utilities sector and the supporting role of eMarketplaces
Authors: Smart Alan
Published: January 2007

Purpose

Since the privatization of UK utilities, few studies have examined supply chain management (SCM) in the sector. This paper aims to investigate the state of development of the SCM concept and the role of the emerging internet‐based electronic marketplaces in supporting this.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a case study method, interviews were conducted with managers in seven UK electricity and water utilities. Areas explored are the firms' supply chain priorities, how eMarketplaces can support their supply chain goals and the barriers to adoption of eBusiness solutions.

Findings

The research reveals a strong orientation in both the electricity and water industry firms towards controlling cost inputs. Consequently, their focus is on managing procurement as the primary supply chain activity. The key barriers to eBusiness adoption identified are the problem of providing genuine benefits to suppliers, and the technical difficulties of marketplace implementation.

Research limitations/implications

This is an exploratory study of the domain and further work in this area needs to focus on how utilities will develop their supply chain competences and how eBusiness solutions can support them.

Originality/value

The research concludes that operators of electronic marketplaces have not yet delivered a convincing case for wider participation in management of the supply chain online. A stronger SCM orientation will need to emerge in utility firms before that can occur.
Examining buyer‐supplier relationships within a service sector context
Authors: Doran Desmond , Thomas Peter , Caldwell Nigel
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The primary aim of this research is to explore buyer‐supplier relationships within a service sector context.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the primary aim, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilised. A questionnaire was issued to selected buyer and supplier groups in order to determine relationship issues associated with insurance claims. The questionnaire was complemented by a number of semi‐structured interviews with buyers and suppliers across each spend category.

Findings

The results of this research indicate that there are significant gaps between buyer and supplier expectations concerning how relationships should evolve and that the issues of power and trust will need to be explored in greater depth if relationships are to be optimised.

Practical implications

This research is of practical use to service sector companies attempting to examine how to develop effective buyer‐supplier relationships. It is of particular use to service buyer operations within the insurance sector, that is moving from the traditional cash compensation approach to a replacement goods approach.

Originality/value

Very little has been written about buyer‐supplier relationships in the insurance sector and as such this paper provides an insight into issues relating to such relationships within this unique service sector context.
Wood pallet suppliers' reaction to online reverse auctions
Authors: Emiliani M.L. , Stec D.J.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to quantitatively assess wood pallet suppliers' reaction to online reverse auctions and its impact on their business policies and practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey method was used to determine how pallet suppliers react to online reverse auctions.

Findings

Determines that pallet suppliers do not realize the benefits claimed by online reverse auction service providers. Identifies new sources of costs which accrue to buyers and are not accounted for in so‐called “total cost” request for quotes including: retaliatory pricing practices, less cooperative relationships, and sourcing work back to the original supplier. The qualitative benefits identified for suppliers by third‐party online reverse auction service providers are overstated or false.

Research limitations/implications

The present work can be extended to other commodity categories to identify similarities and differences in how suppliers react to online reverse auctions, understand the domain of successful and unsuccessful application of the online reverse auction tool, and provide further insight into the evolution of buyer‐seller relationships, including embedded organizational routines such as power‐based bargaining.

Practical implications

Findings mirror the results found in a previous study that examined aerospace parts suppliers' reaction to online reverse auctions, and indicates that market makers have consistently overstated the benefits of online reverse auctions to both sellers and buyers, and the use of this tool will typically result in unfavorable outcomes for both buyers and sellers.

Originality/value

This paper will be of interest to buyers, sellers, and market makers, as it identifies important problems with online reverse auctions, and suggests questions that buyers should ask market makers to ensure better sourcing decisions.
Developing a strategic framework for efficient and effective optimisation of information in the supply chains of the UK clothing manufacture industry
Authors: Adewole Adebisi
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the challenges that small firms in the UK clothing manufacturing sector encounter. It has been suggested that small manufacturers' main problems are based on an inadequate information‐sharing structure. This research will explore the strategic significance of information to effective supply chain decisions in small garment‐manufacturing firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is designed to employ Porter's five forces to explain the key factors influencing competition in the UK garment manufacturing industry and the relationship of information technology as a facilitator of shared information. In‐depth interviews and observations are conducted in a multiple case approach.

Findings

Empirical evidence shows that the slow and inefficient reaction of small garment manufacturers to competitive pressures is associated with inaccurate and untimely information sharing among trading partners.

Research limitations/implications

The methodological approach justified the particularity, the specificity, and the boundedness required in case studies and demonstrates the depth of thoroughness and authentic explanations. It might, however, be useful to obtain a broader and wider sampling frame in any future research.

Practical implications

A successful supply chain will have implications for the upstream and downstream managers, who need to integrate their supply chains as part of a team that creates and adds value to the garments that end up in the hands of the consumers.

Originality/value

This paper has been able to stimulate concerns and interests in owner/managers of small garment manufacturers with special reference to their information needs. The evidence obtained demonstrated the overriding need for structured information strategies that will encourage the efficient flow of accurate and timely information across their supply chains.
Improved optimisation through advanced relationship planning
Authors: Noonan John , Wallace Michael
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for advanced relationship planning between a contract manufacturer and the other key players within the supply chain. In doing so it allows the contract manufacturer to achieve improved optimisation through better insight into current and future supply chain activity.

Design/methodology/approach

The research commences with a literature review that synthesises across total quality management (TQM), customer focus and contemporary business excellence to create a framework specific to contract manufacturing. The major elements were verified by surveys. Applicability and exploitability was validated using action research.

Findings

The paper confirms that horizontal alliances in either collaborative or cooperative form are in their infancy as regards contract manufacturing. The framework presented makes it possible for contract manufacturers to identify, evaluate and form relationships with competitors and complementor companies towards understanding the interdependence between all supply chain players.

Research limitations/implications

Further refinements are possible and could include the determination of formal avenues for relationship development and guidance while operating within supply chains at different levels of development.

Practical implications

Understanding how supply players interact in the field of contract manufacturing will assist in determining the influence of cooperation and competition or a mixture of both. The framework presented will provide direction in unravelling the intricacies of the connections and therefore provide the contract manufacturer with a valuable tool for relationship planning.

Originality/value

The Advanced Relationship Planning Framework described offers a unique supply management approach from the supplier of contract manufacture viewpoint that synthesises across the TQM, Customer focus and business excellence.
Quality in supply chains: an empirical analysis
Authors: Sila Ismail , Ebrahimpour Maling , Birkholz Christiane
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To analyze the state of supply chain quality management in manufacturing companies by testing several hypotheses regarding the knowledge these companies have about their different supply chain partners, the attributes that characterize customer‐supplier relationships and the factors that determine the development of quality specifications in a supply chain, and the effect of supply chain quality management activities of companies on product quality.

Design/methodology/approach

Six hypotheses related to supply chain quality management have been developed through literature review and tested using survey data from US manufacturing companies.

Findings

Provides information about the results of each hypothesis, their implications, and how these findings relate to the previous literature.

Research limitations/implications

The study offers insights into what the findings suggest and provides guidelines for future research to tackle issues raised by these findings. There were also some research limitations. For instance, the study relied on the perceptions of the respondents to operationalize the survey instrument, and the variables were mostly operationalized using single measures.

Practical implications

The study recommends ways managers can use the study's findings to improve supply chain quality.

Originality/value

This paper fills a void in the literature by focusing on quality in supply chain management.
Is a focus on collaborative product development warranted from a cost commitment perspective?
Authors: Labro Eva
Published: January 2007

Purpose

Supplier involvement in cost reduction efforts has been concentrated mainly in the product development phase of the life cycle of the product. Often this concentration on the early phases of the product life cycle is defended with referral to the 80/20 rule that says that 80 per cent of the manufacturing costs are determined or committed during product design and development. The purpose of this paper is to look for empirical evidence that supports this rule and discuss the limited literature on joint buyer/supplier cost reduction programmes beyond the product development stage of the product life cycle.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive literature survey on both the cost commitment rule and collaborative cost reduction programmes beyond the product development stage was conducted.

Findings

It was found that empirical evidence in the literature for the 80/20 rule on cost commitment in product design is only anecdotal. Even more surprisingly, compared to the literature on cost reduction in design phases, the literature on cost reduction efforts in later stages of the product life cycle is rather limited and usually ignores possibilities for supplier/buyer collaboration.

Research limitations/implications

Further empirical research (suggestions provided) should assess whether the identified lack of evidence is due to a gap in the empirical literature or to lower degrees of cost commitment and attention to cost efforts beyond product design indeed existing in practice.

Practical implications

This paper calls practitioners to revisit the cost commitment rule and check its existence in their specific contexts. As a result of this exercise, practitioners may want to consider implementing some of the techniques reviewed in the paper that can assist in collaborative cost reduction beyond the product development stage.

Originality/value

Given the amount of money involved, the general applicability of the cost reduction techniques to various industries and relationships with suppliers, the opportunities for huge savings and the fact that most firms usually have many products and/or technologies at maturity stage, my research makes an important contribution by identifying both a lack of empirical evidence in the literature on the notion that 80 per cent of the costs are committed in the design phase and the limited attention given in the literature to supplier/buyer cost reduction programmes in further stages of the product life cycle.
Role of informal mentoring in the career success of first‐line bank managers
Authors: Okurame David E. , Balogun S.K.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

This study seeks to examine the role of informal mentoring in career success in an African work environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 510 first‐line bank managers through a survey of ten banks in four central business districts of Lagos State, Nigeria.

Findings

Results of hierarchical regression analysis revealed that informal mentoring accounts for a significant proportion of the variance (β=0.64, p<0.01) in career success. Informal mentoring increased R2 from 0.06 to 0.41 (p<0.01), indicating a significant change in R2 (ΔR2=0.35, p<0.01).

Research limitations/implications

The findings are based on self‐report measures from respondents in the banking sector. This underscores the need for further research with objective measures from a wider domain.

Practical implications

An intervention is needed to make informal mentoring thrive, enhance its quality and ensure career success.

Originality/value

There is a paucity of literature relating mentoring to career success in the Nigerian and, indeed, the African work environment. This study addresses this gap in literature and corrects the inappropriateness of generalising from foreign cultures to the Nigerian society.
Beyond being proactive: what (else) matters for career self‐management behaviors?
Authors: Chiaburu Dan S. , Baker Vicki L. , Pitariu Adrian H.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between proactive personality and career self‐management behaviors (job mobility preparedness and developmental feedback‐seeking behaviors), providing evidence for one mediator (career resilience) and one moderator (public self‐consciousness) on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 127 employees in one work organization, analyzed using regression analysis.

Findings

Proactive personality is positively related to career self‐management behaviors. Career resilience mediates this relationship. In addition, proactive personality and public self‐consciousness have an interactive effect, with developmental feedback‐seeking behaviors as the outcome.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the cross‐sectional nature of the study, the findings uncover mechanisms through which proactive personality is related to career self‐management behaviors. According to the findings, this relationship is subject to important intervening (career resilience) and boundary (public self‐consciousness) conditions.

Practical implications

The findings serve as a resource for practitioners interested in interventions. Specifically, practitioners in organizations where the results generalize can design interventions directed at enhancing the direct effect of proactive personality on career self‐management. These interventions can be directed to managing employees' career resilience and cognitively restructuring their public self‐consciousness perceptions.

Originality/value

This study adds to the literatures on career self‐management behaviors and proactive personality and explicates important intervening mechanisms in this relationship.
Is the opposite of positive negative?
Authors: Powell Gary N. , Greenhaus Jeffrey H.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The relationship between work‐family enrichment (WFE), representing positive interdependencies between individuals' work and family roles, and work‐family conflict (WFC), representing negative interdependencies between the same roles, has been discussed but never fully clarified in the scholarly literature on the work‐family interface. The purpose of this article is to increase understanding of the relationship between these two constructs.

Design/methodology/approach

The relationship between WFE and WFC is conceptualized at the level of a “resource” that may be generated in one role, work or family, and applied to the other role. This approach offers an alternative to the more typical approach of analyzing this relationship at the aggregate level across all possible resources.

Findings

The answer to the question posed in the title of the article is “yes or no”, or “it depends”. At the resource level, it is suggested that WFE is either unrelated or negatively related to WFC depending on the specific process under consideration by which experiences in one role may affect experiences in the other role.

Research limitations/implications

Future research that examines the relationship between WFE and WFC at the resource level is recommended. For this research to be conducted, new measures are needed that assess these two constructs at the resource level.

Originality/value

This article sheds light on the resource‐level conditions under which positive vs negative interdependencies between work and family roles may occur. In addition, it argues that research on the work‐family interface that goes beyond the aggregate level of analysis is sorely needed.
Corporate crisis planning: tensions, issues, and contradictions
Authors: Pang Augustine , Cropp Fritz , Cameron Glen T.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

Crisis planning, which symbolizes an organization's crisis preparedness and often conceptualized at the corporate headquarters, is increasingly decentralized to regional centers of global companies. These centers, in turn, synchronize their crisis master plans with its national units for expeditious management of localized crises. The purpose of this paper is to capture the decision‐making processes that practitioners at a regional center faced as they nurtured their master plan from conception to implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative method is used. This is a case study of a Fortune 500 company with plants in every continent. The company has four regional centers, and the center under study oversees more than 20 national units or countries.

Findings

This study found a deep divide in attitude, expectation, and style between what practitioners and the dominant coalition regarded as necessary and sufficient measures in crisis planning.

Research limitations/implications

Restricted access to more interviewees.

Practical implications

Studies like this, grounded in the practitioner's world, add rich layers of context to understanding how theory and practice can integrate. Given that in this study, corporate communications has been found to be regarded as an auxiliary, rather than ancillary, function in this study, this paper offers practical tips on what practitioners can do to transform organizational perception.

Originality/value

Such studies are rare because of the lack of accessibility to data. Practitioners are hesitant to grant access because of the highly sensitive nature of this topic, for fear of reprisals from their organizations, and an inadvertent revelation of organizational privacy and secrets.
Exploring challenges to transformational leadership communication about employment equity
Authors: Leonard Anné , Grobler Anské F.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the management of employment equity (EE) communication at corporate level, against the background of South African societal complexities. It speculates about how the normative ideals of transformational change communication could be applied in order to bridge the apparent divide between government's current development agenda and negative societal sentiments about EE per se on the one side, and corporate transformation efforts on the other.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple qualitative case study design was followed for the collection of empirical evidence. Semi‐structured interviews were used for data collection in each of the three case studies.

Findings

This paper indicates current trends pertaining to the complexity of communicating EE in South Africa, including the strategic value of communication. It appears that internal communication does not receive as much strategic attention as external communication does. Furthermore, some key organizational leaders (involved in EE strategy implementation) view communication as a tactical tool and not a strategic means, thereby failing to appreciate either their own leadership responsibilities, or the complex nature of transformation change communication per se. These findings confirm the need for a new breed of transformational leaders who can conceptually and practically navigate the societal and corporate complexities surrounding EE communication in the management of change in South Africa.

Originality/value

The paper stresses the complexity of transformational change communication against the background of societal and corporate reactions to EE in South Africa.
Officer perceptions of police responses to persons with a mental illness
Authors: Wells William , Schafer Joseph A.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore police officer perceptions of their contacts with the mentally ill and examine outcomes of an innovative police training program designed to improve police handling of cases involving the mentally ill.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilizes a sample of 126 police officer respondents from five departments in northern Indiana to understand their perceptions of important aspects of their contacts with the mentally ill.

Findings

Results show the actual dispositions for the mentally ill frequently do not match the outcomes officers desire, police training on responding to the mentally ill is not sufficient, and the training component of an innovative reform holds promise for improving officers' ability to respond to situations that involve the mentally ill.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to one community and results may not generalize to communities with distinct mental health resources. Perceptions of police contacts with the mentally ill were not obtained from mental health service providers, advocates, and persons with a mental illness.

Originality/value

Contacts between the police and the mentally ill pose complex challenges for officers. Advocates contend that too many persons with a mental illness end up in jail as a result of police contacts and, thus, promote jail diversion programs. For jail diversion to succeed it is critical to understand officer perceptions of the outcomes they desire for the mentally ill and the obstacles that inhibit appropriate dispositions. Evidence about the outcomes of specialized police training can improve officers' knowledge and perceived ability to respond to the mentally ill.