bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and microfabrication of a hybrid piezoelectric‐capacitive tactile sensor
Authors: Dargahi Javad , Kahrizi Mojtaba , Purushotham Rao Nakka , Sokhanvar Saeed
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To measure the force applied to the tissue, the traditional endoscopic graspers might be equipped with a kind of tactile force sensor.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents the design, analysis, microfabrication and testing of a piezoelectric and capacitive endoscopic tactile sensor with four teeth. This tactile sensor, which is tooth‐like for safe grasping, comprises a Polyvinylidene Fluoride, PVDF film for high sensitivity and is silicon‐based for micromachinability. Being a hybrid sensor, employing both capacitive and piezoelectric techniques, it is possible to measure both the static and dynamic loads. Another feature, to be considered in its design, is the ability to detect pulse. The proposed sensor can be integrated with the tip of any current commercial endoscopic grasper without changing its original design. It is shown that using an array of sensor units, the position of the applied load can still be determined.

Findings

The static response of the sensor is obtained by applying a static force on the tooth and measuring the change in capacitance between the bottom electrode of the PVDF film and the electrode deposited on the surface of the etched cavity. The dynamic response of the device is determined by applying a sinusoidal force on the tooth of the sensor and measuring the output voltage from the PVDF film. The experimental results are compared with both analytical and finite element results. The sensor exhibits high sensitivity and linearity.

Originality/value

Capaciyive and piezoelectic are used to obtain both dynamic,pulse, and static loads. The sensor micromachined so, it can be used in various endoscopic applications.
Interferometric measurement of workpiece flatness in ultra‐precision flycutting
Authors: Marsh Eric , Arneson David , Van Doren Matthew , Blystone Scott
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how an ultra‐precision manufacturing process (flycutting) can be improved through interferometry.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a theoretical model of the machine tool cutting system and then uses interferometer measurements to validate the results. The model is then used to show some general findings relating process conditions to workpiece quality.

Findings

A realistic cutting model can predict the workpiece flatness with excellent accuracy and closely match interferometer measurements. The process parameters in precision flycutting should be chosen such that the flycutting tool is in contact with the workpiece for an integer number of vibration cycles. The machine tool stiffness and structural damping will affect the workpiece quality, but the most significant improvements are made through thoughtful selection of the flycutter spindle speed as it relates to the machine dynamics.

Originality/value

This paper presents a math model that accurately matches results obtained by experimental verification and extensive testing. Interferometry is shown to be an extremely useful tool in optimizing the process conditions in a flycutting manufacturing operation. Furthermore, the results are of general use to practitioners using flycutting in a variety of industrial applications.
Safety concerns drive the automotive sensor markets
Authors: Bogue Robert
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To give a background to the automotive sensor industry and consider recent developments in sensors used in vehicle safety systems.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper describes the early development of the automotive sensor industry and gives examples of present‐day applications. It subsequently discusses development in advanced vehicle safety systems.

Findings

The advent of cost‐effective electronics in 1970 led to the development of numerous automotive systems such as electronic engine management which use a diversity of sensors. Since, the 1990s, safety has emerged as a major consideration and features such as traction control, ABS, stability control systems and air bags have been applied across a wide sector of the industry. New active safety systems which respond to passenger weight and position, as well as collision avoidance systems which can sense the vehicle's external environment are being developed and applied widely. These are fuelling the automotive sensor market which is forecast to reach 2.24 billion units per annum by 2010.Safety system integration is a major theme of present developments.

Originality/value

This paper shows that customer demands for enhanced safety have driven the development and rapid adoption of advanced vehicle safety systems. This has boosted the markets for automotive sensors.
Not a glass ceiling more a lead roof
Authors: Bagilhole Barbara
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This study of women “pioneer” priests in the Church of England was to gain further information on women in a non‐traditional, male‐dominated occupation. Uniquely prior to 1994, women were barred from entry to the priesthood altogether, and are still debarred from the top of the Church hierarchy.

Design/methodology/approach

A national conference for all Diocesan Advisers in Women's Ministry offered the opportunity of surveying 31senior and experienced women priests from across England. They completed an extended open‐ended questionnaire. Agreeing to take up these posts made these women somewhat self‐selecting and not necessarily representative. Also it would be useful to gather data on male clergy experiences for comparison.

Findings

Given their long bitter struggle to be ordained, these women were older, and had more experience than other women in non‐traditional occupations. They did experience a deeply gendered organisation, both through structural disadvantage and cultural hostility. However, most report that becoming a priest has impacted positively on their self‐confidence and positive identity. They see themselves making changes to the gendered regime of the Church, challenging what it means to be a priest through their presence, language, and symbols.

Practical implications

The findings of this study have important policy implications. The Church's recruitment and selection processes need to change to ensure openness, fairness and transparency. Family friendly policies need to be introduced, including flexible working and job sharing possibilities open to both women and men. Also, the Church needs to make clear its disapproval of discrimination and unacceptable behaviour towards women priests.

Originality/value

The paper provides information on women working in a non‐traditional male‐dominated occupation.
Applying holistic principles in management development
Authors: Shefy Erella , Sadler‐Smith Eugene
Published: July 2006

Purpose

In preparing managers for the uncertainty, threats and opportunities posed by the challenge of frequent and unexpected changes in organizations and markets, an alternative to a traditional Western viewpoint is a holistic approach that embodies balance and harmony, sees more subtle relationships and avoids the tensions of opposites. The purpose of this paper is to report the derivation and application of six holistic principles for management development (quieting the mind, harmony and balance, relinquishing the desire to control, transcending the ego, centeredness, and the power of softness) derived from a non‐Western philosophy.

Design/methodology/approach

The six principles were implemented in a management development program in a small high‐tech company. The reported effects upon the managers' role perceptions and behaviors were captured in immediate and delayed evaluations by means of face‐to‐face interviews.

Findings

The analysis of the interview data identified four underlying values that managers reported emerging from their involvement in the program: emotional awareness, shared perspectives, interpersonal sensitivity and benevolence and fulfilment.

Research limitations/implications

The research is an action‐based single case study which was evaluated longitudinally using participants' perceptions. Further work is now required to apply these principles more widely and assess them using pre‐ and post‐test measures of attitudes and behaviors and upward/360 degree assessments.

Practical implications

The broader impact of a holistic approach for management development in terms of personal and spiritual fulfilment as well as its significance of corporate issues is discussed.

Originality/value

The paper presents a challenging and innovative approach to developing managers holistically and provides a counterbalance to the predominant approach of much management education and development.
Strategic group theory: review, examination and application in the UK pharmaceutical industry
Authors: Leask Graham , Parker David
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider the current status of strategic group theory in the light of developments over the last three decades. and then to discuss the continuing value of the concept, both to strategic management research and practising managers.

Design/methodology/approach

Critical review of the idea of strategic groups together with a practical strategic mapping illustration.

Findings

Strategic group theory still provides a useful approach for management research, which allows a detailed appraisal and comparison of company strategies within an industry.

Research limitations/implications

Strategic group research would undoubtedly benefit from more directly comparable, industry‐specific studies, with a more careful focus on variable selection and the statistical methods used for validation. Future studies should aim to build sets of industry specific variables that describe strategic choice within that industry. The statistical methods used to identify strategic groupings need to be robust to ensure that strategic groups are not solely an artefact of method.

Practical implications

The paper looks specifically at an application of strategic group theory in the UK pharmaceutical industry. The practical benefits of strategic groups as a classification system and of strategic mapping as a strategy development and analysis tool are discussed.

Originality/value

The review of strategic group theory alongside alternative taxonomies and application of the concept to the UK pharmaceutical industry.
Sustainable components of leadership effectiveness in organizational performance
Authors: Svensson Göran , Wood Greg
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The objective is to describe a selection of sustainability components of leadership effectiveness in organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a conceptual discussion.

Findings

The paper contributes to descriptive models that address sustainability components of leadership effectiveness in organizational performance. The study highlights some common views that exist in the management literature and in prosperous management practice related to the direct impact of the relationship in organizational performance between leadership and effectiveness. In fact, it also highlights the critical or sceptical views of leadership effectiveness in organizational performance raised in the literature.

Research limitations/implications

The paper contends that the actual leadership effectiveness in organizational performance varies over time and across contexts. At times, the achievement in organizational performance is the outcome of prosperous and conscious leadership, while it at other times may be the outcome of poor and deficient leadership. The topic at hand is positioned and limited to the interface that may describe and explain the connection between these two views. Furthermore, it is limited to corporate decision making and business behaviour in relation to leadership effectiveness and organizational performance.

Practical implications

The leadership of an organization need not only to be successful today, but they also need to be successful tomorrow to stay in control and to flourish. Quality control and quality assurance are no longer enough for most organizations. They need to build an awareness of the sustainability components into processes of their management and business practices (i.e. internal and external ones) in order to be judged as successful in corporate decision‐making and business behaviour in organizational performance in the long term.

Originality/value

The principal contributions of the study are a model of timely leadership effectiveness, a model of contextual leadership effectiveness, and a typology of leadership effectiveness in corporate decision‐making and business behaviour. These contributions provide theoretical and managerial ideas and insights into the sustainability components of leadership effectiveness in organizational performance.
HRM perspectives on addiction to technology and work
Authors: Porter Gayle , Kakabadse Nada K.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The aim of this study is an exploration of the behavioural addictions to work (workaholism) and to use of technology (technolophilia), particularly as they overlap in managers' work routines and expectations placed on their employees.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a qualitative analysis of managers' comments from structured interviews and focus groups in several countries.

Findings

This research culminated in a model of various adaptations to both work pressure and need to use technology in today's business work, including the potential to over‐adapt or lapse into a pattern of addiction.

Research limitations/implications

The consolidation of multi‐disciplinary literature and the framework of the model will serve as a reference points for continuing research on behavioural addictions related to work and technology.

Practical implications

Human resource professionals concerned with employee well‐being can utilize the components of this model to proactively recognize problems and generate remedies. Specific suggestions are offered to offset undesirable adaptations.

Originality/value

This is the first study to focus on the mutually reinforcing addictions to work and use of technology – an important step forward in recognizing the scope of the issue and generating further research with practical application in business world.
Defects in new homes: an analysis of data on 1,696 new UK houses
Authors: Sommerville James , McCosh Julie
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The clamour from UK house buyers over “snags” in new homes seems likely to continue unabated even though house builders are striving to resolve what may be perceived as a quality issue. This paper aims to discuss how the requirements, and hence the quality of new homes in the UK, are defined and the role the house buyer actually plays in this process.

Design/methodology/approach

Within the composite quality attainment process “snagging” is defined and discussed in detail along with the resulting quality cognitive dissonance likely to be encountered by the buyer. The results of detailed quantitative analysis of data on snagging from nearly 1,700 new homes are presented.

Findings

The snagging process shows how heavily the house buying process is geared towards the builder and that within this snagging process there are areas where the builder is absorbing costs, which reduce the potential profit on each house i.e. the absorbed snagging (snags remedied as the work progresses). The visible snagging at hand‐over stage is a further depletion of profit and completely avoidable. The snags are damaging to the image of house builders, they detract from customer satisfaction and they reduce the potential profit available on each new house. The analysis provided in the paper shows that there is a direct relationship between the size of the property and the number of snags identified. Also, there are differences in the number of snags identified for each of the builders and within the company each site has variance on the number of snags discovered: the scale of snags peaks at 389 for a single property – significant in anyone's terms.

Research limitations/implications

Analysing the data was not a simple task due to the structure and variation within the data. It would be ideal to identify the exact factors that affect the number of snags in newly built properties. Collecting identical data with only one differencing factor would complete this. However, as the inspections were carried out randomly on request this was not possible with the present data.

Practical implications

The legal rights of new homebuyers are severely limited under UK law and this research highlights the need for both an improvement in quality and for buyers to ensure that they take steps to protect what is often the largest investment of their lifetime.

Originality/value

The volume of research into quality of new homes in the UK is remarkably scant given the size of the extent of the industry. The size of the data set for this paper is significant and allows fresh insights to be obtained.
Traditional roof coverings in the North York Moors National Park
Authors: Scott Alan W.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The paper seeks to deal with vernacular roofing practices within the North York Moors National Park.

Design/methodology/approach

Initially the paper carries out a literature review of the geography and geology of the area and identifies what makes it physically unique. The paper then examines the development of various roofing materials, including thatch, stone slates and pantiles with case studies of old practice and modern methods from around the Park.

Findings

Roofing styles are simplistic and have steered away from the intricate in favour of the indigenous or readily available. The paper demonstrates the much‐regionalised nature of the roofing materials and recognises this as one of the special cultural features worthy of conservation.

Research limitations/implications

The results are limited to the North York Moors National Park but the approach taken could be extended to other conservation areas.

Practical implications

The results of the research will benefit those involved in the conservation of vernacular buildings in the North York Moors National Park.

Originality/value

The paper calls for additional guidance for roofers and specifiers on traditional vernacular techniques and for existing funding under the Environmental Stewardship Scheme to be extended to include rural communities in National Parks.
Exploring hotel renovation in large hotels: a multiple case study
Authors: Hassanien Ahmed
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the extent of the use of hotel renovation as a product development tool in the hospitality industry. It aims to gain an understanding of the nature of renovation within the context of large hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is a multiple case study of five star hotels in Egypt. A sample of nine hotels was selected.

Findings

The results reveal that Egyptian five star hotels use renovation to achieve different aims and goals. Surprisingly, the cases indicate that Egyptian five star hotels still use renovation as a reactive rather than proactive property management tool. The study suggests that renovation was found to be most successful in organisations that have clearly stated renovation strategies, a good relationship between the managing and owning companies, sufficient funds, and greater customer involvement.

Research limitations/implications

While the findings may be applicable to hotels other than five star and located in other parts of the world, further research would be required to conform this.

Practical implications

The paper will be useful to hotel groups, or those advising such clients who are considering renovation of luxury hotel accommodation.

Originality/value

Results are discussed in the context of theoretical and empirical work on renovation, and product development.
Statutory control of indoor natural ventilation concerning radon level and health
Authors: Chan Edwin H.W. , Wong W.S. , Cheung Ann A.C. , Lee Grace K.L.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to review the regulatory framework for natural ventilation design affecting the health of residents, to identify the relationship between the main components of the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and current building designs, and to propose improvements to the design standards or guidelines especially for those related to natural ventilation controls.

Design/methodology/approach

Building designs can influence the IEQ and therefore, legislation regulating such designs should be reviewed beforehand. Afterwards, site measurements to vacant residential building blocks on two different sites are carried out to collect radon levels contained in the air within the buildings. The major purpose of this measurement is to find out the relationship between radon concentration and residential building designs.

Findings

It is found that there is room for improvement in the building laws in Hong Kong regulating building designs which affect natural ventilation and IEQ.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the understanding of the practical needs of the construction industry and may remedy any lack of consideration of commercial reality in the research process.
The development of robust methods of post occupancy evaluation
Authors: Turpin‐Brooks S. , Viccars G.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To highlight the importance of effective post occupancy evaluation (POE) as part of a sustainable approach to workplaces and guide facilities professionals in their choice of POE tools.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review provides an insight into sustainability and an introduction to POE options, with detailed discussion of key factors influencing the effectiveness of POE. A POE case study (at the Eden Project) provides an applied analysis of POE tools, focussing particularly on the usefulness of obtainable data.

Findings

POE is shown to be useful in addressing client satisfaction and user needs as part of sustainability assessments. Improvements to the assessment of occupants' experiences are suggested, in consideration of a more holistic approach to POE.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is grounded in UK experience, but the international relevance of the issues could also be explored by readers/further research. Further exploration of novel and holistic methodologies is needed, in order to test the integrated value of the evaluation of environmental data and human perceptions.

Practical implications

This paper will help facilities professionals determine suitable POE approaches for workplaces, as part of an evaluation of available tools.

Originality/value

This paper evaluates a current topic in the property sector and demonstrates the value that facilities professionals can provide in implementing effective POE of workplaces.
New economics
Authors: Alexander Keith
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To provide a concise viewpoint on Urban FM.

Design/methodology/approach

An opinion piece based on current and recent research on service delivery.

Findings

Urban FM – the integrated provision of public service accommodation and community support services – can make a significant contribution to the principle of putting people first, and meeting the objectives of best value.

Originality/value

The paper provides a valuable summary of the public management foundation report.
Integrating stakeholders during community FM's early project phases
Authors: Heywood Chris , Smith Jim
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper's purpose is to identify successful methods used to integrate stakeholders into the early phases of strategic community facility projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A two‐stage research method was used at project inception and design phases of a community facility. Project inception used action research pre‐design strategic needs analysis workshops with internal local authority stakeholders to capture the council's internal stakeholders' agreed strategic aspirations, resulting in a performance‐based brief. Subsequently, observation‐based research investigated project processes conducted by others. Owing to the nature of the brief, additional engagement was required with stakeholders internal and external to the council.

Findings

The processes integrating council and municipal stakeholders are described. These included identification of stakeholders and their roles in project processes. Stakeholders were shown to be the target for individual strategies within the facility's multiple strategies. Management practices employed by facility managers to integrate stakeholders were documented at strategic planning, project inception, governance and pre‐construction phases.

Research limitations/implications

The research was conducted into a single facility but this is representative of other community facilities. This facility was significant for its multiple organisational and municipal strategies, and the high levels of stakeholder satisfaction. Stakeholders' early integration into project processes is likely to address a problematic expectation‐evaluation gap identified in the literature.

Practical implications

This paper identifies successful practices for facility managers to employ at early project phases.

Originality/value

Stakeholder integration is particularly important in community FM where there are multiple stakeholders and issues of internality and externality effects from facilities are debated.
Whole life cycle performance measurement re‐engineering for the UK National Health Service estate
Authors: Halim Boussabaine A. , Kirkham Richard J.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The measurement of the performance of built assets with the UK National Health Service portfolio is based on simple benchmarking techniques such as £/m2. The purpose of this paper is to examine an alternative approach, which could produce a more informed and balanced approach to performance measurement

Design/methodology/approach

The existing benchmarking and clustering techniques used within the NHS are examined. These reveal inadequacies in truly representing asset performance. Data envelopment analysis techniques are applied here to map the estate costs against the outputs of the estate (i.e. number of inpatient days). Operational and maintenance cost data was collated from 15 NHS acute teaching trusts outside of London, these were mapped against two outputs (in‐patient days and occupied beds per available beds) in order to determine how effectively each NHS Trust translates input resources into inpatient days and occupancy of available beds.

Findings

The results from the models generate efficiency improvement scores. The scores disclose that the standard deviation of average efficiency in the cluster was 22.38, thus revealing a significant variance in performance. The efficiency values range between 100 and 33.6 per cent. The results provide useful information on the technical efficiency of building assets and allow NHS Trusts to identify where efficiency improvements are necessary within a continuous efficiency analysis framework.

Research limitations/implications

Further work is required on the analysis of other types of hospital buildings within the UK to test the validity of the sample used. Other outputs may also be relevant and should be explored.

Practical implications

This paper was presented to NHS Estates as part of a commissioned report which is now being considered as part of a process to re‐engineer performance measurement within the estate.

Originality/value

The paper adds value in demonstrating the benefits of an established methodology within a new setting, which is the performance of built assets
Expectations of employees toward the workplace and environmental satisfaction
Authors: Young Lee So
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to prove the linkage between environmental satisfaction and work outcomes; to investigate how employees perceive characteristics of their physical environment and what they expect of their workplace; and to consider the usefulness of gap approach in measuring employees' expectations.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire measuring workplace characteristics was developed. The questionnaire design is based on the propositions of SERVQUAL. The employee population used in this study was limited to office workers in manufacturing headquarter facilities or office settings in Michigan, USA. Of the 409 completed questionnaires, 384 were analyzed for this study.

Findings

Satisfaction with the workplace was positively associated with job satisfaction. Using linear regression analysis, no significant difference was found between perception‐based measures and gap measures for explaining work environment satisfaction. However, results propose that physical environmental status below expectation levels leads to dissatisfaction, but exceeding expectation levels does not increase satisfaction levels.

Research limitations/implications

The items used in this study regarding physical environmental characteristics are not exclusive enough to concisely encompass workplace characteristics. Future studies need to develop a more sophisticated measure.

Practical implications

The results from the gap model highlighted which aspects of the workplace employees would like to see improved. The gap measurement is effective for use in managerial decisions to improve and diagnose physical environmental features.

Originality/value

This study explored both perception and expectation levels of employees of the workplace in relation to satisfaction with workplace.
A review of refuse collection systems in high‐rise housings in Hong Kong
Authors: Chan Edwin H.W. , Lee Grace K.L.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the current refuse collection systems available in major conurbations such as Hong Kong and to explore better solutions to alleviate the negative impacts of local domestic waste treatment.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper first reviews and evaluates current refuse collection methods in Hong Kong. Second, the social acceptability and financial viability of these alternative systems are investigated by means of a questionnaire survey. After analyzing the data, guiding solutions for local domestic waste treatment are developed.

Findings

The literature has shown the characteristics, the strength and the weakness of refuse collection systems commonly found in major conurbations. The questionnaire survey indicated that Hong Kong citizens supported or preferred an automated refuse collection system that could treat the refuse in a more hygienic way. Though the occupants were willing to make some financial contributions, they were unwilling to pay the amount money required to support the operation of the system.

Research limitations/implication

The study has not yet confirmed statistically the relationship between residents' health and refuse collection methods. Therefore, further researches should be carried out in future with more extensive data collection to pinpoint health hazard induced by refuse collection process.

Originality/value

This paper provides information about major refuse collection systems available in the territory, shows the perceptions and different preferences of the residents on those systems taking account of the costs they could bear. It proves the value reference for good building management.
Marketers with MBAs: bridging the thinking‐doing divide
Authors: Bruce Grady , Schoenfeld Gregg
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To investigate the skills and abilities that MBAs who study marketing, those occupying marketing positions, and companies that hire marketers regard as important; the level of competency required to perform on the job; and areas that need improvement, whether through on‐the‐job training, continuing education, or changes in MBA curricula.

Design/methodology/approach

Large‐scale international longitudinal and cross‐sectional surveys used to assess skill development, skill requirements, and the need for additional education provides the foundation of this paper. The data are obtained from three surveys conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council: Global MBA Graduate Survey, MBA Alumni Perspectives Survey, and Corporate Recruiters Survey.

Findings

Understanding the perspectives of different constituencies provides an in‐depth and comprehensive view of the skills and abilities needed by those who work in marketing. Without the assistance of a crystal ball to peer into the future, an empirical investigation is required into the relationship between skill development in the classroom, practical use of skills in the field, and the requirements of hiring companies for graduates. The paper identifies a thinking‐doing divide, discusses why it exists, and suggests how it may be corrected.

Research limitations/implications

The research, although consisting of large international samples, is limited to students and alumni of graduate business schools and companies that hire MBAs. Even though the scope of the samples is limited to more advanced practitioners, the information is useful to faculty, students, and companies at all levels to assist in developing marketers of the future.

Originality/value

This paper presents data from three viewpoints that taken together yield a comprehensive picture of graduate education for marketers as it exists today, and clearly suggests directions for graduate education of future marketers.
Narrowing the skills gap for marketers of the future
Authors: Dacko Scott G.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of the research is first, to understand, explain, and evaluate the nature and extent of marketing skill development in MBA programmes relative to the needs and desires of practitioners and students, and second, to present findings and recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of skill development in MBA programmes for the benefit of both marketing practitioners and academics.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design/methodology is based primarily on survey research on skill development in MBA programmes from the perspectives of both graduates and marketing practitioners.

Findings

This research suggests that six important skill weaknesses – decision making, leadership, problem formulation, persuasion, creativity, and negotiation – need to be developed among future marketers and that a marketing education framework should be based on the pillars of a project and dissertation, classroom debate and discussion, and oral presentations.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should focus on understanding and explaining to an even greater extent how marketing education can make more effective use of interactive, hands‐on learning approaches typified by a project and dissertation, classroom debates and discussions, and oral presentations.

Practical implications

Implications for practice include the suggestion that practitioners must also assume responsibility for developing initiatives that facilitate marketing skill development as well.

Originality/value

The new and original value and contribution of the research is that it extensively characterises and quantifies the extent of a marketing skill development gap – the gap between what marketing skills are being developed in MBA programmes and what practitioners want and need in marketers of the future in addition to providing recommendations to close the marketing skills gap.
Educating practitioners to value new marketing knowledge
Authors: Pavia Teresa M.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to detail teaching and learning strategies designed to incorporate advances in marketing and continued interest in new marketing knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

The current debate concerning the transfer of new marketing knowledge from academics to practitioners is reviewed. Teaching and learning strategies that increase exposure to and interest in new marketing knowledge are described.

Findings

Certain classroom strategies that increase the transmission of new marketing knowledge appear to increase the receptivity towards future advances. The argument is made that the use of such strategies helps move marketing academics from a push strategy for disseminating marketing knowledge to a pull strategy.

Research limitation/implications

The strategies described here have been used with highly motivated, experienced students, such as executives.

Practical implications

The specific classroom techniques have been refined over a number of years and offer ideas that are immediately applicable to marketing faculty.

Originality/value

The educational approach presented here derives from a firm grounding in both research and teaching and offers a practical approach to bridging the academic‐practitioner divide.
The globalisation of Chinese brands
Authors: Fan Ying
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To examine the state of health of branding in China, focusing on the performance of major Chinese enterprises in creating brands (as distinct from brand names), sustaining them in the huge domestic market and expand them into global markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The study begins with a historical review of the development of marketing in China, discusses the transition from price competition to branding in the domestic market, and explains the role of government in the process. Thereafter, case histories describe, analyse and discuss the routes to internationalisation followed by taken by six of China's biggest brands.

Findings

Modern Chinese companies are large and successful as manufacturers, but uncertain about the relative merits of branding and global marketing versus continuation as OEMs for established global brands. If they do have international ambitions, they seem unsure about strategy, or even about where to look for precedents and advice. Many initiatives have met with comparative failure; only one, the Lemovo‐IBM merger, seems to offer a blueprint for success, but has been in operation only since 2005. Many lessons remain to be learnt, applied and tested.

Research limitations/implications

Six case histories, however well chosen, cannot be considered a definitive picture of the Chinese approach to international brand marketing. The findings are nevertheless highly indicative.

Practical implications

International marketing strategists are obliged to have an interest in China, by virtue of the simple fact of its size and dynamism. Several of the companies discussed are the largest of their kind in the world. Despite the limitations noted, the actual and potential conclusions to be drawn from the findings reported here are therefore a significant contribution to the body of applicable knowledge.

Originality/value

Whereas many authors have studied Western brands in China, little has been known about the potential of Chinese brands in the West.
Empirical findings on the perceived use of digital multimedia broadcasting mobile phone services
Authors: Shim J.P. , Ahn Kyungmo , Shim Julie M.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to present an overview of digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) and to explore the users' perception on DMB cellular phone or “cellevision”, video‐on‐the‐go services that deliver television to cell phones.

Design/methodology/approach

This two‐phase study explores users' reactions to DMB contents and services, users' perceptions on the pricing of DMB phone handsets, phone usage time, program contents, and DMB carrier services. Findings from the use of qualitative method of existential phenomenology were explored further with quantitative analyses including T‐test, ANOVA, and Duncan test.

Findings

The young generation will be a major impact on the DMB market due to their mindset and lifestyle. Thus, the DMB market strategy should be to base decisions on reaching out and focusing on the younger generation (especially, the teens) as the latest trendsetters.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size was collected during the experimental/trial stages of satellite DMB services. This research should be continued to solidify findings with an increased sample size of respondents collected during the actual stage of satellite‐DMB and terrestrial‐DMB services.

Practical implications

The findings from this exploratory research will be valuable for the DMB service and content providers to gain insight into various age groups and their perceptions.

Originality/value

This study is the first kind of research in this area. With the study as a forerunner, the authors examined the effect of DMB mobile phone program contents and services on users.
Maturity model for IT outsourcing relationships
Authors: Gottschalk Petter , Solli‐Sæther Hans
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to present a maturity model for IT outsourcing relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on organizational theories and outsourcing practices, this research identified cost stage, resource stage and partnership stage as maturity stages in outsourcing relationships.

Findings

First, relationships focus on economic benefits, then there are concerns about access to competence, and finally the development of norms and alliance management are the main focus. Benchmark variables for each stage are suggested. Future research might apply this framework to empirically test the evolution of IT outsourcing relationships.

Practical implications

Managing successful IT outsourcing relationships requires a consistent understanding of maturity stage between vendor and client in the relationship.

Originality/value

This paper suggests that a long‐term IT outsourcing relationship will shift focus as it matures. The original value of the paper is the theory‐based stage model having implications for managers in understanding the current and desired situation for an outsourcing relationship.
Quality improvement oriented training and education programme and its financial accounting system
Authors: Kathiravan N. , Devadasan S.R. , Muhammed Zakkeer M.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To design a quality improvement oriented training and education programme (Q_TEPS) for a company manufacturing milk products and to explore its performance using a financial accounting system.

Design/methodology/approach

A company manufacturing milk products was visited and the processes were studied. The literature on Q_TEPS was referred to design Q_TEPS unique to the milk product manufacturing company. The feasibility of implementing Q_TEPS in the company was checked by interviewing the executives. A financial accounting system was used to evolve the income and expenditure account and the balance sheet pertaining to Q_TEPS in the company. The feedback collected using questionnaires was used to establish the validity of Q_TEPS and their financial accounting system in the company.

Findings

The implementation of Q_TEPS in the milk manufacturing company would enable the company to reap a considerable number of tangible and intangible benefits.

Research limitations/implications

It being a government run company, test implementing Q_TEPS was not possible. The income and expenditure account and balance sheet were developed by projecting the performance of Q_TEPS in the company. However, this exercise was done with the consultation of the executives in the company and hence the values projected in the above statements may not deviate considerably from the real time performance of Q_TEPS.

Practical implications

The feedback on Q_TEPS and their financial accounting system led to an impression that they can be implemented in practice. However, in order to enable this, the business procedures must be made simple, flexible and friendly to experiment such research programmes in the future.

Originality/value

The literature review indicates that no work has been done on implementing Q_TEPS in a milk product producing company. Also, it is discernable that the performance of Q_TEPS has not been viewed using financial values. The contribution of this paper would lead to the attainment of these research and practical imperatives.
Categorizing web features and functions to evaluate commercial web sites
Authors: Huang Wayne , Le Taowen , Li X. , Gandha S.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To propose an assessment framework that can be used to categorise and assess commercial web sites from the perspective of web‐technological features and functions and to demonstrate its usefulness.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on prior relevant research and successful web site design experiences of industrial experts in the field, an assessment framework that can be used to categorise and assess web features and functions is proposed, and 252 commercial web sites of listed Australian companies were randomly sampled and assessed to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed assessment framework.

Findings

The proposed assessment framework provides valuable insights. While different companies normally use different web‐technological features and functions on their web sites, certain features and functions have been more commonly used in designing commercial web sites than others, and certain differences in the use of web features and functions on commercial web sites exist across different industries.

Research limitations/implications

This research studied commercial web sites of Australian companies. Possible differences in the use of web features and functions on commercial web sites across different countries remain to be explored.

Originality/value

Although various approaches have been proposed in previous studies to evaluate commercial web sites, no prior research could be found to assess commercial web sites from the perspective of web‐technological features and functions. This research proposed an assessment framework that can be used to categorise and assess commercial web sites from the perspective of web‐technological features and functions and demonstrated its usefulness. It also provided valuable insights to commercial web site owners and designers.
Contracting for implementation of standard software
Authors: Robey Michael , Coney Donald , Sommer Rainer A.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Traditional contract vehicles do not align well with enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation methodologies. The purpose of this paper is to identify different contract vehicles and how they map to ERP implementation methodologies. Traditional contract vehicles are more process‐oriented than outcome‐focused. Successful standard software implementations are dependent on the outcome. The misalignment of process‐oriented contract vehicles and results‐oriented implementation methodologies leads to many implementation problems with respect to scope creep and ill‐defined interfaces.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on research from public and private sector contracting documents, interviews and a review of case studies to show that there is a misalignment between contract vehicles, implementation methods and the eventual project plan.

Findings

The research concluded that phased or life‐cycle contracting is the best approach when implementing standard (off the shelf) software in an ERP solution. This approach mimics the recognized life‐cycle approach to product/project management where a large project is broken up into several smaller stages.

Research limitations/implications

The data analyzed are from primary and secondary sources such as direct interviews, case study and contract reviews. The primary focus is based on US Federal Agency acquisition and planning policies.

Originality/value

Identifies different contract vehicles and how they map to ERP implementation methodologies.