bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
University teachers' intentions for introductory professional classes
Authors: Reid Anna , Petocz Peter , Gordon Sue
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate ways in which university students are introduced to disciplines and thence to the professions based on those disciplines.

Design/methodology/approach

E‐mail interviews with a broad sample of university teachers in a variety of professional disciplines formed the basis of a grounded theory approach to identification of analytically distinct themes.

Findings

Four different approaches were identified from the interview data, labelled as academic, apprenticeship, affective, and experiential. While these themes represent distinct approaches to introductory classes in professional fields, and have been described independently in the paper, in practice most teachers would use combinations of them.

Research limitations/implications

The research represents a first stage in investigating approaches to introducing students to a discipline and profession. No claim is made to randomness, completeness or representativeness of the sample, which indeed was heavily based on colleagues in the broad area of pedagogy and teacher preparation.

Practical implications

Teachers of introductory classes in professional disciplines can recognise their own approaches in the themes identified, and can consider a broader range of approaches based on the complete results. Workplace supervisors can consider diverse approaches utilised in academic settings.

Social implications

Findings can contribute towards an awareness of the effect of introductory approaches to disciplines and professions in university classes, with potential implications for the way that university‐trained professionals are accepted into the workplace.

Originality/value

The research, unusually, shifts the focus from the end stage of professional education at university to the initial level. The investigation may form the basis of further research.
Formal adult learning and working in Europe: a new typology of participation patterns
Authors: Hefler Günter , Markowitsch Jörg
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how a typology of participating patterns is developed to deepen understanding of participation in formal adult education and the relationship between current workplace and educational programmes.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of conceptual work based on a qualitative analysis of 89 cases studies covering 113 participating employees in small and medium‐sized enterprises in 12 European countries.

Findings

Five main types of participation patterns in formal adult education are identified. When employed participants focus on their education, they may complete their formal programme (“Completing”), overrule an earlier decision to leave the educational system (“Returning”) or look for a starting‐point to change their professional career (“Transforming”). When focusing on employment, employees may use formal adult education for “Reinforcing” their earlier career decisions. Here, four subtypes are proposed. Finally, employees may enjoy their studies for features not available at work (“Compensation”).

Research limitations/implications

The typology was based on qualitative data; the sample does not claim to be representative. However, it could become the basis for a quantitative survey design.

Practical implications

The typology is likely to be of value in a wide array of fields such as whether the employer organisation should offer support, or whether there should be an economic return to education.

Originality/value

The typology builds on a life‐cycle model and combines it with the relationship between the educational programme and the workplace. It is not restricted to certain groups of learners or formal programmes.
Re‐thinking the “thing”
Authors: Fenwick Tara
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare theoretical conceptions that reclaim and re‐think material practice – “the thing” in the social and personal mix – specifically in terms of work activity and what is construed to be learning in that activity.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is theory‐based. Three perspectives have been selected for discussion: cultural‐historical activity theory (CHAT), actor‐network theory (ANT), and complexity theory. A comparative approach is used to examine these three conceptual framings in the context of their uptake in learning research to explore their diverse contributions and limitations on questions of agency, power, difference, and the presence of the “thing”.

Findings

The three perspectives bear some similarities in their conceptualization of knowledge and capabilities as emerging – simultaneously with identities, policies, practices and environment – in webs of interconnections between heterogeneous things, human and nonhuman. Yet each illuminates very different facets of the sociomaterial in work‐learning that can afford important understandings: about how subjectivities are produced in work, how knowledge circulates and sediments into formations of power, and how practices are configured and re‐configured. Each also signals, in different ways, what generative possibilities may exist for counter‐configurations and alternative identities in spaces and places of work.

Originality/value

While some dialogue has occurred among ANT and CHAT, this has not been developed to compare more broadly the metaphysics and approaches of these perspectives, along with complexity theory which is receiving growing attention in organizational research contexts. The paper purports to introduce the nature of these debates to work‐learning researchers and point to their implications for opening useful questions and methods for inquiry in workplace learning.
Spatial concentration in industrial real estate
Authors: Byrne Peter , Lee Stephen
Published: February 2010

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine the extent of real estate investment concentration in institutional industrial portfolios at these same two points in time.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine this issue two datasets are used at two dates, 1998 and 2003. The analysis is confined to England and Wales because of data considerations relating to the availability of comparable data for the rest of the UK. The first dataset relates to floor space and rateable value statistics for the so‐called “bulk classes” of commercial property at Unitary Authority and District (local authority area, LA) level. The more specific institutional real estate investment data for the study come from the IPD analysis “UK Local Markets”. This provides a detailed view of the performance of institutional real estate investment, by sector, in a number of localities across the UK. For the purposes of this study, IPD made data available showing (but with much less detail) other LAs where the number of properties held was greater than zero, but fewer than the four required normally for disclosure. The approach taken is to map the basic data and the results from a standardising measure of spatial concentration – the Location Quotient.

Findings

The findings show that industrial investment concentration is between that of retail and offices and is focused on LAs with high levels of manual workers in areas with smaller industrial units. It also shows that during the period studied the structure of the sector changed, with greater emphasis on the distributional (logistic) element, for which location is a principal consideration. Historically, the sector has provided consistently good total returns with low risk, and was the only sector to expand in terms of numbers of institutionally invested units over the study period. While industrial real estate assets generally do not attract as much capital growth as other sectors, especially in boom periods, rents continued to grow in the period under study. Taken together with the relative resilience in the sector's performance seen over successive cycles, it is not surprising that significant institutional enthusiasm was evidenced.

Originality/value

Using data sets that account for the entire “population” of observations at these two dates the paper demonstrates the relationships between economic theory and the market performance of the sector. The comparisons with the other main sectors also show the differences that would be expected between the sectors, emphasising the point that these markets are dynamic and that their structure, form and content can change dramatically even over quite short periods.
Returns of REITS and stock markets
Authors: Rong Ning , Trück Stefan
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the dependence structure between returns from real estate investment trusts (REITS) and a stock market index. Further, the aim is to illustrate how copula approaches can be applied to model the complex dependence structure between the assets and for risk measurement of a portfolio containing investments in REIT and equity indices.

Design/methodology/approach

The usually suggested multivariate normal or variance‐ covariance approach is applied, as well as various copula models in order to investigate the dependence structure between returns of Australian REITS and the Australian stock market. Different models including the Gaussian, Studentt, Clayton and Gumbel copula are estimated and goodness‐of‐fit tests are conducted. For the return series, both the Gaussian and a non‐parametric estimate of the distribution is applied. A risk analysis is provided based on Monte Carlo simulations for the different models. The value‐at‐risk measure is also applied for quantification of the risks for a portfolio combining investments in real estate and stock markets.

Findings

The findings suggest that the multivariate normal model is not appropriate to measure the complex dependence structure between the returns of the two asset classes. Instead, a model using non‐parametric estimates for the return series in combination with a Studenttcopula is clearly more suitable. It further illustrates that the usually applied variance‐covariance approach leads to a significant underestimation of the actual risk for a portfolio consisting of investments in REITS and equity indices. The nature of risk is better captured by the suggested copula models.

Originality/value

To the authors', knowledge, this is one of the first studies to apply and test different copula models in real estate markets. Results help international investors and portfolio managers to deepen their understanding of the dependence structure between returns from real estate and equity markets. Additionally, the results should be helpful for implementation of a more adequate risk management for portfolios containing investments in both REITS and equity indices.
The importance of investment feasibility analysis
Authors: Oprea Alina
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to look at the importance of investment feasibility analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper addresses the question of whether a planned course of action is likely to achieve individual or enterprise objectives, given the available resources and specific constraints. Key issues are the legal, physical, and financial feasibility of a project proposal. Feasibility typically addresses the issue of the most appropriate use for a particular site, the most appropriate site for a predetermined use, or the most appropriate outlet for investment funds.

Findings

Even though changes in the economy have increased risk or lowered returns, the investment market continues to devise innovative and attractive investment strategies and the determined investor keeps searching for profitable projects.

Originality/value

The paper gives investment principles that should be taken into consideration and will be of interest to those in a similar field.
Are we really competent?
Authors: Caldeira Mário , Dhillon Gurpreet
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present organizational competencies for gaining information technology (IT) benefits within organizations. Following the analysis of 16 in‐depth case studies, a set of six high level, fundamental competencies and 17 facilitating competencies are identified. A framework for orchestrating the organizational competencies is also presented. The results of this research would be useful to academics in developing measures for assessing the level of organizational competence and for practitioners in identifying and nurturing competencies for organizational benefits realization.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology involved two phases. Phase 1 entailed conducting 16 extensive case studies. Case study methodology employed follows guidelines provided by Yin and Benbasat et al. Case studies are a suitable means to collect the data since the notion of competencies in delivering IT benefits has not been well understood in the literature. By analyzing and understanding the particular situation and factors in each organization in an in‐depth manner, the paper develops a sound interpretation of the abilities that organizations need to have in place to deliver IT benefits.

Findings

In order to gain business benefits from IT investments, organizations must develop competencies to exploit IT. These competencies involve individual skills and organizational processes that enable those skills to be effectively applied. This paper identifies 23 competencies categorized into fundamental and facilitating competencies that firms need to have in place if IT services are to be delivered adequately and business benefits achieved. Also developed is a network of competences based on the data collected in the 16 cases studied.

Research limitations/implications

Like any research, this paper has its limitations. Given the qualitative and interpretive nature of the research, a lot of assertions are interpretations of the authors. While in the literature, this has been argued as a valid way to undertake research, clearly there are biases that creep into the research.

Practical implications

The model of competencies presented forms a good basis for enterprises to fine‐tune their abilities for harnessing IT.

Originality/value

While management researchers have been researching the notion of organizational competence for a while, it has not been well considered in the information systems arena; it is felt that this research makes a positive contribution to that effect.
Knowledge management structure and human capital development in Indian manufacturing industries
Authors: Birasnav M , Rangnekar S
Published: February 2010

Purpose

Organizations are constantly striving to develop and enhance knowledge of employees who involve in strategic business processes by which they aim for an organizational knowledge creation to achieve a competitive advantage. Accordingly, they encourage employees to involve in basic knowledge management (KM) processes and establish infrastructure, particularly, supportive culture and communication facilities for knowledge acquisition and sharing in order to broaden both human capital and organizational knowledge base. In this direction, the purpose of this paper is to develop a hierarchical structure of KM that aims to develop or create human capital in an organization and empirically analyzes the model fit with the data.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are collected from 401 employees of Indian manufacturing firms. Factor analyses for identifying and validating the structure of KM and regression analysis for examining the associations of KM dimensions with certain demographic characteristics of employee and organization are performed.

Findings

Organizations show KM concepts' demonstration on developing human capital through tactical KM process and problem‐solving approach, communication‐oriented culture, and innovation‐supportive culture. The results confirm the theoretical hierarchical structure of KM with data. In addition, these dimensions are moderately associated with certain characteristics of employees and organizations.

Research limitations/implications

Firms, which are small and medium in size and particularly private‐owned, create human capital through a hierarchical KM structure.

Originality/value

This paper analyzes the instruments of KM in view of creating human capital.
Methodological choices in enterprise systems research
Authors: Sedmak Melissa , Longhurst Phil
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the choices to researchers when approaching the topic of enterprise systems from a social science perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A selected bibliography is presented, on the themes relevant to methodological choices in studying enterprise systems in an organisational context. The themes encompass epistemology, causality, research approach and type of data, research design, researcher role in data collection, research strategy, method, techniques and researcher role in relation to the setting.

Findings

The paper presents theoretical approaches and illustrates the application of theory on the specific case of enterprise system implementation in an organisational context.

Research limitations/implications

A breadth of themes is considered here, however the review of the literature is not exhaustive, but selective.

Practical implications

The paper argues for making research method explicit and transparent and for greater awareness of the researchers studying enterprise systems of the methodological choices available when engaging with the subject of study.

Originality/value

The paper brings together available and well‐developed research methods, mainly used in information systems (IS) research and organisation studies, and which have been used in enterprise systems somewhat sparsely and without particular transparency, closer to research practice.
Experiences of implementing process management: a multiple‐case study
Authors: Palmberg Klara
Published: February 2010

Purpose

Process management is becoming an essential part of contemporary organizations in all industries. However, many organizations experience problems during the implementation of a process management approach. The purpose of this paper is to explore and describe the organizational implications when implementing process management, how to handle the relationship between the functional organization and a process perspective, and the roles of managers, teams, and individuals.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple‐case study approach is used to get an extensive picture of and analyze how three Swedish organizations have worked with process management.

Findings

The studied organizations have introduced a process management structure into their functional organizational structure, including the introduction of new management positions such as process owners and process leaders. A discourse is identified in earlier research between those arguing for a full transformation from a functionally oriented to a fully process‐oriented organizational structure, and those promoting a more moderate transformation where a process management structure is “matrixed onto” the existing organization. The analysis could be interpreted as supporting the second line of reasoning, where the functional and process structures co‐exist in the organization, creating a constructive dynamic.

Originality/value

The paper provides two major contributions. First, the empirical descriptions and analysis of implementing process management contribute to the knowledge and understanding among both practitioners and researchers. The second major contribution is the identified need of co‐existence of a process and functional perspective, and the implication that complexity is created rather than reduced in organizations.
Measurement in business processes: a systematic review
Authors: Sánchez González Laura , García Rubio Félix , Ruiz González Francisco , Piattini Velthuis Mario
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current state of the art and trends with regard to business process measurement by means of a systematic review of literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The results are obtained through a systematic review carried out according to existing relevant guidelines. Additionally, a specific methodology through which to systematically obtain all the most important journals is followed. In total, 19 relevant articles are selected and later analyzed. A subsequent critical analysis of the data obtained is applied to identify the gaps in the current literature.

Findings

A considerable effort has been made by researchers in the field of business process measurement, particularly in recent years. Many of the defined measures for business processes have been applied to models (approximately 77 per cent). Most of the initiatives concerning business measurement have been adapted from the software engineering field. A small percentage of the existing business process measures has been empirically validated.

Originality/value

The results presented contribute towards providing an updated overview of the current state of research into business process measurement, in order to identify existing research gaps and concerns on which ongoing and future research efforts on this topic can be focused.
The effects of process orientation: a literature review
Authors: Kohlbacher Markus
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to carry out a literature review of studies that have analyzed the effects of process orientation (PO).

Design/methodology/approach

An examination of the literature is undertaken to review studies that report about the influence of PO on organizational performance. Studies are classified into statements without straight empirical support, quantitative studies, and case studies.

Findings

A total of 26 studies are identified that report about effects of PO on organizational performance. Studies where positive effects are obtained are predominant. The effects most often reported are speed improvements, increase of customer satisfaction, improvement of quality, reduction of cost, and improvement of financial performance.

Research limitations/implications

According to the results of the paper, positive effects of PO are clearly more often reported than negative effects. It might be the case that popular press and case studies tend to report positive effects more often than no (or negative) effects. This possible bias towards positive effects is an important limitation of this paper. The paper identifies a lack of quantitative studies investigating the effects of PO on organizational performance.

Practical implications

The paper offers interesting implications for managers, pointing out that a process‐oriented organizational design may result in a positive influence on organizational performance.

Originality/value

The findings are derived from a comprehensive literature review of studies that have investigated the PO‐organizational performance link. In addition, ideas for improving future research in this field are provided.
Matching service strategies, business models and modular business processes
Authors: Bask Anu H. , Tinnilä Markku , Rajahonka Mervi
Published: February 2010

Purpose

In recent decades, supply chains have diverged and new types of services and operators have emerged in the logistics sector. The purpose of this paper is to focus on analyzing service strategies and service‐related business models, as well as their modular business processes in logistic services. The aims are to describe these three levels and to match strategic service positioning with business models and modular business processes. Different types of services are analyzed and the analyses are conducted on both the industry and corporate levels.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical focus of the paper illustrates frameworks for service strategy, service positioning, business models, and business processes. The corporate level approach aims to describe the efficiency and quality of services and their processes, while the industry level approach focuses on service strategies in an industry and on the organization of business, i.e. business models. A case study is used to illustrate the strategic level divergence in logistic services and to match this with the business model framework and the business process approach.

Findings

The findings show that a match exists between service strategy, business models, and operational level business processes. Standardization, service productization and modularization of services, and also service production structures are useful tools for efficient service production and output.

Originality/value

Companies are currently examining new roles in supply chains and the logistics market. For management, the frameworks presented facilitate analysis of the different options available for the firm in terms of strategic positioning, structural business model portfolio, and modular business processes. Based on the theoretical frameworks, it is possible to evaluate past developments and also predict the future of services.
Opportunities and constraints: the current struggle with BPMN
Authors: Recker Jan
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The business process modeling notation (BPMN) is an increasingly important standard for process modeling and has enjoyed high levels of attention in business practice. In this paper, experiences are shared from several research projects investigating the uptake and user acceptance of BPMN by analysts world‐wide. This personal viewpoint aims to offer a number of implications for business process management (BPM) practice and seeks to stimulate and guide further research and other developments in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper offers a personal viewpoint based on the experiences and findings gathered from survey research and interviews on the use of BPMN. While details on research execution are mostly omitted, references are provided to guide the interested reader to the methodology used in the original studies.

Findings

First, statistics are provided on the usage of BPMN by process modelers world‐wide. Amongst others, it is shown that the high interest in BPMN has created a massive demand for BPM education and training. Second, a number of usage problems related to the practice of process modeling with BPMN are described and suggestions are provided as to how organizations have developed workarounds for these problems. Third, it is suggested that BPMN is over‐engineered and more insights into practical usage are needed for future development.

Research limitations/implications

While being based on empirical research, a limitation of this paper is the lack of detail about research execution; however, references are provided. The paper offers a personal viewpoint on the state of current and future practice of process modeling and discusses a range of implications for future research.

Practical implications

The paper describes a number of commonly encountered pitfalls when modeling processes with BPMN. It also provides directions for the organizational implementation and future development of process modeling as well as implications for various BPMN stakeholders.

Originality/value

This viewpoint is derived from some of very few empirical studies on the usage of BPMN specifically and BPM standards generally.
It's written in the cloud: the hype and promise of cloud computing
Authors: Sharif Amir M.
Published: February 2010

Purpose

This purpose of this paper is to discuss the emerging IT platform of cloud computing.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper identifies where and how this has developed in terms of the collision between internet and enterprise computing paradigms – and hence why cloud computing will be driven not by computing architectures but by more fundamental ICT consumption behaviours. The approach has been based upon the discussion and recent developments of Software as a Service (SaaS) and associated ICT computing metaphors and is largely based on the contemporary discussions surrounding the impact of social, open source and configurable technology services.

Findings

It is suggested that whilst cloud computing and SaaS are indeed innovations within ICT, the real innovation will come when such platforms allow new industries ways of doing business, connecting with and engaging with people to emerge.

Originality/value

The paper brings together some of the recent discussions within the popular as well as business and computing press on social networking, open source and utility computing.
Explaining ERP failure in a developing country: a Jordanian case study
Authors: Hawari Ala'a , Heeks Richard
Published: February 2010

Purpose

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are increasingly being adopted by organisations in developing countries. As in industrialised countries, this adoption seems beset by significant rates of failure, leading to a large waste of investment and other resources. This paper seeks to understand why such ERP failure occurs.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper moves beyond factor lists to make use of an overall “design‐reality gap” model. The model is applied to a case study of ERP failure in a Jordanian manufacturing firm, analysing the situation both before and during ERP implementation through a mix of interviews, observation and document analysis.

Findings

The research finds sizeable gaps between the assumptions and requirements built into ERP system design, and the actual realities of the client organisation. It is these gaps – and the failure to close them during implementation – that underlie ERP project failure.

Research limitations/implications

This study shows the relevance and applicability of the design‐reality gap model to understanding ERP failure. Further research can be undertaken applying the model to other ERP cases, including case studies of success.

Practical implications

The paper draws conclusions about good practice in ERP implementation relating to both risk identification and risk mitigation, which must be based on closing design‐reality gaps. It offers examples of both specific and generic actions that help to achieve this. But it also notes limitations existing in some developing country contexts that may continue to constrain the effective use of enterprise resource planning systems.

Originality/value

The paper provides a new model for understanding ERP project success and failure, and for practical risk mitigation. The design‐reality gap model aims to be comprehensive but also contingent; sensitive to the specific conditions of any individual client organisation.
Exploring agile methods in construction small and medium enterprises: a case study
Authors: Loforte Ribeiro Francisco , Timóteo Fernandes Manuela
Published: February 2010

Purpose

Agile methods have proven successful in increasing customer satisfaction and decreasing time and cost to market under uncertain conditions. Key characteristics of agile methods are lean, flexibility and highly iterative development with a strong emphasis on stakeholder involvement. Today construction firms in general and small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular are surviving in a drastic competitive environment in which they are facing more and more challenges. Additional innovation is needed in the construction sector, with increased participation from more competitive SMEs. The main purpose of this paper is to present a model to prioritize available management systems to help SMEs address the challenge of today's market competition more effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology used is that of interpretative case study and grounded theory based on a strong empirical foundation, on which new theoretical insight into knowledge management as an autonomous action is developed. The paper looks at ways by which SMEs are managed, based on the empirical data collected from 12 case studies. It presents the empirical findings drawn from the case studies. Finally, the adoption of agile methods is subjectively assessed as to its potential contribution for improving the business processes of small and medium construction firms.

Findings

It is assessed that agile methods offers considerable potential for application in construction SMEs and that there are significant hurdles to its adoption in the actual phase. Should these be overcome, agile methods offers benefits well beyond any individual company.

Practical implications

Construction firms need to be aware of the advantages of new management paradigms and practices. The analysis shows that SMEs in the construction sector have to internalize agile values into their business processes to reap the benefits of agile methods. It also reveals that existing practices show some kind of agile flavours.

Originality/value

Agile principles and methods are explored, including: philosophy, values, practices and benefits. The management approaches used by construction SMEs are analyzed and discussed. The paper presents recommendations and insights for enhancing the performance and efficiency of SMEs by adopting agile values in their business processes.
A survey on integrated IS and competitive advantage
Authors: Morabito Vincenzo , Themistocleous Marinos , Serrano Alan
Published: February 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to provide robust evidence of the “IT organizational assimilation capacity” mediating role and to propose a complementary model.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on theoretical proposition that IT business value is generated by the deployment of IT and complementary organizational resources, a research model was developed and two hypotheses were proposed. These are tested with a survey from 466 top managers in Italian companies. The 466 questionnaires were analyzed in two steps. In the first step, a series construct validation using factor analysis was performed in order to validate the scales. In the second step, a series of analyses using linear regression was performed between the two independent variables and the dependent variable to validate the mediator function of the IT organizational assimilation capacity.

Findings

Data suggest that most firms have not merged information system (IS) integration with the right complementary organizational resources. The findings also support the notion that competitive advantage does not arise from replicable resources, but from complex, firm‐specific and intangible resources and capabilities. The findings help to explain why some firms struggle while others flourish with the same ITs, and why IT‐based advantages tend to dissipate so rapidly.

Research limitations/implications

The research suggests that ITs do not merge themselves automatically with human and business resources. Evolving Leavitt's organization diamond and using the paper's data it can be shown that ISs, process, change, flexibility and training are interrelated and mutually adjusting, so when ISs are changed the other components often adjust to dump out the impact of the innovation.

Practical implications

The proposed model can be used complementary to the requirements methods offered by the IS development methodologies, to mitigate their inherent defects in addressing social, organizational and other non‐technical issues, when developing a new IS.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a model to be used complementary to the requirements methods offered by the IS development methodologies
INNOVATING GLOBALLY
Authors: Markides Costas , Crainer Stuart
Published: February 2010

Costas Markides has spent over two decades studying business strategy and innovation. Recently, he has been focusing on the bigger picture of how people can address major social problems. Can the techniques used by managers to create innovation inside organizations work with global change? Markides talks with Stuart Crainer about his latest research.
DECODING DEMAND OPPORTUNITIES
Authors: Joachimsthaler Erich , Pfeiffer Markus
Published: February 2010

Classic marketing techniques, such as the use of focus groups or ethnographies, miss the enormous opportunities that can be leveraged once companies commit to understanding consumers in the context of life experiences. Erich Joachimsthaler and Markus Pfeiffer believe it's time to think about the ecosystem of demand.
THE GLOBAL TALENT HUNT
Authors: Emerton Richard
Published: February 2010

Richard Emerton explains how the new “triple context” of economy, environment and society will have profound implications for human resource practices. He suggests that viewing talent as abundant is the right perspective for a manager.
POLITICAL SELECTION OF FIRMS INTO PRIVATIZATION PROGRAMS. EVIDENCE FROM ROMANIAN COMPREHENSIVE DATA
Authors: SZENTPÉTERI ÁDÁM , TELEGDY ÁLMOS
Published: February 2010

Exploiting a unique institutional feature of early Romanian privatization, when a group of firms was explicitly barred from privatization and another was partially privatized by management–employee buyouts, we test how politicians select firms into privatization programs. Using comprehensive firm data, we estimate the relation between preprivatization firm characteristics – the information known to politicians at the time of decision‐making – and the effect of privatization on employment, efficiency, and wages. With the estimated coefficients we simulate the effect of privatization on non‐privatizable and privatizable firms. We find that politicians expected privatization to increase employment in the privatizable group by 7%–10%, while to decrease it in the non‐privatizable group by 10%–30%, depending on the first‐stage estimation method, ordinary least squares with or without matching. We do not find such discrepancies in the expected change in firm efficiency; the simulated efficiency effect of privatization is large and positive for both groups of firms, and it is 52%–65% for non‐privatizable and 41%–43% for privatizable firms. The analysis does not support the hypothesis that wages played an important role in privatization decisions. Our study suggests that employment concerns played the key role in selecting firms for privatization, even if efficiency gains had to be sacrificed.
Not every fungus is everywhere: scaling to the biogeography of fungal–plant interactions across roots, shoots and ecosystems
Authors: Peay Kabir G. , Bidartondo Martin I. , Elizabeth Arnold A.
Published: February 2010

Commentary p 871
Changes in presumed motor cortical activity during fatiguing muscle contraction in humans
Authors: Seifert T. , Petersen N. C.
Published: February 2010

Aim:  Changes in sensory information from active muscles accompany fatiguing exercise and the force‐generating capacity deteriorates. The central motor commands therefore must adjust depending on the task performed. Muscle potentials evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) change during the course of fatiguing muscle activity, which demonstrates activity changes in cortical or spinal networks during fatiguing exercise. Here, we investigate cortical mechanisms that are actively involved in driving the contracting muscles.

Methods:  During a sustained submaximal contraction (30% of maximal voluntary contraction) of the elbow flexor muscles we applied TMS over the motor cortex. At an intensity below motor threshold, TMS reduced the ongoing muscle activity in biceps brachii. This reduction appears as a suppression at short latency of the stimulus‐triggered average of rectified electromyographic (EMG) activity. The magnitude of the suppression was evaluated relative to the mean EMG activity during the 50 ms prior to the cortical stimulus.

Results:  During the first 2 min of the fatiguing muscle contraction the suppression was 10 ± 0.9% of the ongoing EMG activity. At 2 min prior to task failure the suppression had reached 16 ± 2.1%. In control experiments without fatigue we did not find a similar increase in suppression with increasing levels of ongoing EMG activity.

Conclusion:  Using a form of TMS which reduces cortical output to motor neurones (and disfacilitates them), this study suggests that neuromuscular fatigue increases this disfacilitatory effect. This finding is consistent with an increase in the excitability of inhibitory circuits controlling corticospinal output.
Utilising the PRECEDE model to predict factors related to self‐care behaviours in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Yazd (Iran)
Authors: Morowatisharifabad Mohammad Ali , Nadrian Haidar , Mazloomy‐Mahmoodabad Seyed Saeed , Soleimani‐Salehabadi Hossein , Asgarshahi Mohsen
Published: February 2010

morowatisharifabad ma, nadrian h, mazloomy‐mahmoodabad ss, soleimani‐salehabadi h & asgarshahi m (2010)
 Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness2, 32–40 Utilising the PRECEDE model to predict factors related to self‐care behaviours in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Yazd (Iran)

Aim.  To explore the influences of predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors on rheumatoid arthritis patients’ self‐care behaviour.

Design and methods.  A non‐probability sample of 181 outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis, referring to a rheumatology clinic in the city of Yazd in central Iran, participated in the study. Appropriate instruments were designed to measure the variables of interest (predisposing, reinforcing and enabling factors along with self‐care behaviours). Reliability and validity of the instruments were examined and approved.

Results.  Attitude and self‐efficacy, as predisposing factors, were related to self‐care behaviour of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Social support as a reinforcing factor and also enabling factors showed significant relationship with self‐care behaviour. All of PRECEDE variables were statistically significant predictors of self‐care behaviour and accounted for 44·3% of the variation.

Conclusions.  It was concluded that the PRECEDE model may be used in developing countries, like Iran, as a framework for planning intervention programmes in an attempt to improve the self‐care behaviours of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Relevance to clinical practice.  In order to promote self‐care behaviours of RA patients, it is worth focusing on predisposing and enabling factors by developing stage‐specific intervention programmes based on the PRECEDE model.
Aerobic exercise acutely improves insulin‐ and insulin‐like growth factor‐1‐mediated vasorelaxation in hypertensive rats
Authors: Yang Ai‐Lun , Yeh Chien‐Kuei , Su Chia‐Ting , Lo Chia‐Wen , Lin Ko‐Long , Lee Shin‐Da
Published: February 2010

Limited information is available concerning the effects of aerobic exercise on vasorelaxation in hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a single bout of aerobic exercise on insulin‐ and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1)‐induced vasorelaxation in hypertensive rats. Four‐month‐old spontaneously hypertensive rats were randomly divided into a sedentary group (SHR) and an exercise group (SHR+Ex) subjected to a single bout of aerobic exercise conducted by treadmill running at 21 m min−1 for 1 h. Age‐matched Wistar–Kyoto rats were used as a normotensive control group (WKY). Insulin‐ and IGF‐1‐induced vasorelaxant responses in the three groups were evaluated by using isolated aortic rings, with or without endothelial denudation, in organ baths. Possible roles of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) involved in the NO‐dependent vasorelaxation were examined by adding selective inhibitors. The role of superoxide was also clarified by adding superoxide dismutase (SOD). In addition, the endothelium‐independent vascular responses to sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, were examined. The insulin‐ and IGF‐1‐induced vasorelaxation was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in the SHR group compared with the WKY group. This decreased response in SHR was improved by exercise. These vasorelaxant responses among the three groups became similar after endothelial denudation and pretreatment with the PI3K inhibitor, NOS inhibitor or SOD. Also, no difference among groups was found in the SNP‐induced vasorelaxation. We concluded that a single bout of aerobic exercise acutely improves insulin‐ and IGF‐1‐mediated vasorelaxation in an endothelium‐dependent manner in hypertensive rats.
Exercise training attenuates ageing‐induced BKCa channel downregulation in rat coronary arteries
Authors: Albarwani Sulayma , Al‐Siyabi Sultan , Baomar Hajar , Hassan Mohammed O.
Published: February 2010

Physical inactivity and ageing are widely recognized as risk factors for development of coronary artery disease. One of the characteristic changes that occurs in aged coronary artery is downregulation of their large‐conductance voltage‐ and calcium‐activated K+ (BKCa) channels. In this study, we investigated the effects of moderate exercise training (ET) on the activity of BKCa channels in coronary arteries of aged rats. Old Fischer 344 rats (23–26 months old) were randomly assigned to sedentary (O‐SED, n= 24) or exercise‐trained groups (O‐ET, n= 28). The O‐ET rats underwent a progressive treadmill exercise‐training programme for 60 min day−1, 5 days week−1 for 12 weeks. Young animals were used for comparison. Coronary arteries were mounted on a wire myograph, and contractions in response to 1, 10, 30, 50 and 100 nmol l−1 iberiotoxin were compared. Iberiotoxin (100 nmol l−1) contracted coronary arteries of young, O‐SED and O‐ET rats by 115 ± 14, 36 ± 5.6 and 61 ± 5% of 5‐hydroxytryptamine‐induced contractions, respectively. Patch‐clamp studies revealed a larger magnitude of BKCa current in young (104 ± 15.6 pA pF−1) compared with O‐ET (44 ± 9 pA pF−1) and least in O‐SED coronary smooth muscle cells (8.6 ± 2 pA pF−1). Western immunoblotting was performed to study expression levels of BKCa channel proteins. The α and β1 subunits of the BKCa channel were reduced by 40 ± 3.5 and 30 ± 2.6%, respectively, in coronary arteries of old compared with young rats, and ET attenuated this reduction in expression level to 28 ± 2 and 12 ± 4%, respectively. Our results showed that ageing was associated with a reduction in BKCa channels, and ET partly reversed this reduction. We conclude that low‐intensity ET may be beneficial in restoring age‐related decline in coronary vasodilatory properties mediated by BKCa channels.
An important role of increase in tetrahydrobiopterin via H2O2–JAK2 signalling pathway in late phase of ischaemic preconditioning
Authors: Hiroi Toshihito , Wajima Teruaki , Kaneko Yuji , Kiuchi Yuji , Shimizu Shunichi
Published: February 2010

The goal of this study was to elucidate whether there is an increase in myocardial tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), which is a cofactor for nitric oxide synthase, during the late phase of ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) leading to cardioprotection against myocardial infarction and, if so, to examine the induction mechanisms of BH4 synthesis. Rats were preconditioned with four cycles of 3 min left main coronary artery (LCA) occlusion followed by 10 min reperfusion. Twenty‐four hours later, the rats were subjected to 20 min ischaemia by LCA ligation and 2 h reperfusion, and the infarct size was determined by 2,3,5‐triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The IPC protocol reduced the infarct size, and increased the BH4 content and expression of GTP‐cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH), which is the rate‐limiting enzyme for BH4 synthesis. Administration of a GTPCH inhibitor attenuated both the reduction in infarct size and the increase in BH4 levels. Moreover, the increase in BH4 content was reduced by administration of catalase or a Janus tyrosine kinase‐2 (JAK2) inhibitor. These observations suggest that upregulation of BH4 synthesis in the heart contributes to an acquisition of ischaemic tolerance in late IPC, and the increase in myocardial BH4 content seems to be mediated by the induction of GTPCH via the H2O2–JAK2 pathway.