bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Path planning for mobile robot in a 2.5‐dimensional grid‐based map
Authors: Gu Jiajun , Cao Qixin
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Two and one half‐dimensional (2.5D) grid maps are useful for navigation in outdoor environment or on non‐flat surface. However, little attention has been given to how to find an optimal path in a 2.5D grid map. The purpose of this paper is to develop a path‐planning method in a 2.5D grid map, which aims to provide an efficient solution to robot path planning no matter whether the robot is equipped with the prior knowledge of the environment.

Design/methodology/approach

A 2.5D grid representation is proposed to model non‐flat surface for mobile robots. According to the graph extracted from the 2.5D grid map, an improved searching approach derived from A* algorithm is presented for the shortest path planning. With reasonable assumption, the approach is improved for the path planning in unknown environment.

Findings

It is confirmed by experiments that the proposed planning approach provide a solution to the problem of optimal path planning in 2.5 grid maps. Furthermore, the experiment results demonstrate that our 2.5D D* method leads to more efficient dynamic path planning for navigation in unknown environment.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a path‐planning approach in a 2.5D grid map which is used to represent a non‐flat surface. The approach is capable of efficient navigation no matter whether the global environmental information is available at the beginning of exploration.
A hybrid model of competitive capabilities
Authors: Hallgren Mattias , Olhager Jan , Schroeder Roger G.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present and test a new model for competitive capabilities. Traditionally, a cumulative model has been viewed as having one sequence of building competitive capabilities in a firm in support of market needs, including quality, delivery, cost efficiency and flexibility. Although appealing as a conceptual model, empirical testing has not been able to fully support the cumulative model. This paper acknowledges the need for a hybrid approach to managing capability progression. It brings together the literature on trade‐offs, cumulative capabilities, and order winners and qualifiers.

Design/methodology/approach

A new hybrid approach for modelling competitive capabilities is tested empirically using data from the high performance manufacturing (HPM) study, round 3, including three industries and seven countries – a total of 211 plants.

Findings

The hybrid model shows significantly better fit with the data from the sample than the cumulative models suggested by previous literature. Empirical support is found for the traditional perception that a high level of quality is a prerequisite for a high level of delivery performance. However, cost efficiency and flexibility do not exhibit a cumulative pattern. Instead, the results show that they are developed in parallel. The findings suggest that a balance between cost efficiency and flexibility is built upon high levels of quality and delivery performance.

Research limitations/implications

Since we limit the empirical investigation to three industries and seven countries, it would be interesting to extend the testing of this model to more industries and countries. This research shows that combining perspectives and insights from different research streams – in this case, trade‐off theory and the concepts of cumulative capabilities, and order winners and qualifiers – can be fruitful.

Practical implications

The results of this paper provides managers with guidelines concerning the configuration of competitive capabilities. First, a qualifying level of quality needs to be attained, followed by a qualifying level of delivery. Then, a balance between potential order winners, i.e. cost efficiency and flexibility, needs to be attained.

Originality/value

This paper presents a new approach to modelling competitive capabilities that synthesises previous research streams and perspectives from cumulative capabilities, contesting capabilities (trade‐offs), and order winners and qualifiers.
Exploring the impact of national culture on investments in manufacturing practices and performance
Authors: Wiengarten Frank , Fynes Brian , Pagell Mark , de Búrca Seán
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess how differences in national culture influence the impact of investments in manufacturing practices on operational performance. The paper addresses the following research question: does national culture affect the efficacy of investments in manufacturing practices?

Design/methodology/approach

Hofstede's model of national culture is used to test whether there are operational performance differences when organisations in different cultural contexts invest in identical manufacturing practices. The research question is explored and answered by assessing the moderating role of national culture using ordinary least square analysis.

Findings

The results suggest that some dimensions of national culture significantly moderate the impact of investments in manufacturing practices on manufacturing performance.

Originality/value

This study represents a comprehensive attempt to explain differences in the impact of manufacturing practices investments on operational performance improvements in terms of cultural differences.
Operations strategy for the effective delivery of integrated industrial product‐service offerings
Authors: Priya Datta Partha , Roy Rajkumar
Published: May 2011

Purpose

As enterprises focus on offering integrated product/service bundles, performance‐based contracts become ever so important in ensuring effective delivery. Performance‐based contracts fall under the result‐oriented category of industrial product service systems (PSSs). The paper aims to present a conceptual framework for operations strategy in performance‐based industrial PSSs that will help manufacturing companies configure their operations to support effective delivery of integrated product/service offering.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper first develops a conceptual framework for operations strategy in performance‐based contracts by identifying the key elements after a detailed systematic review of literature. A major shift in support and maintenance logistics for complex engineering systems over the past few years has been observed in the defence and aerospace industries. Availability contracting, a special type of performance‐based contracts, is replacing traditional service procurement practices. Two exploratory case studies involving defence availability contracts are conducted for making inferences regarding the operations strategy.

Findings

The important findings of this research are a set of elements of operations strategy guiding the development of a conceptual framework, a set of operating principles and processes supporting effective delivery of performance‐based service contracts.

Originality/value

The true value of this research is to open up the novel area of result‐oriented industrial PSSs operations strategy by capturing the key characteristics of operations using both literature and empirical evidence.
On the dynamics of poverty and income inequality in US states
Authors: Apergis Nicholas , Dincer Oguzhan , Payne James E.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This study seeks to provide answers to the following questions: Is there a relationship between poverty and income inequality in the short run/long run? Is the relationship unidirectional from income inequality to poverty as the previous studies assume, or is it bidirectional?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper investigates the causality between income inequality and poverty within a multivariate framework using a panel data set of 50 US states over the period 1980 to 2004.

Findings

The results reveal that a bidirectional relationship exists between poverty and income inequality both in the short run and in the long run. With respect to the short‐run dynamics associated with poverty, both income inequality and the unemployment rate have a positive and statistically significant impact on poverty, a negative and statistically significant impact for real per capita personal income and level of education, while corruption is insignificant. In terms of the short‐run dynamics associated with income inequality, poverty, the unemployment rate, real per capita personal income, and the level of education have a positive and statistically significant impact, while corruption has a statistically insignificant impact on income inequality. With regard to the long‐run dynamics, the statistically significant error correction terms indicate the presence of a feedback relationship between poverty and income inequality.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing empirical literature on several fronts. First, while previous studies rely on cross‐country data, both the cross‐sectional and time series variation of a panel data set of all 50 US states spanning the period 1980 to 2004 is exploited. Second, while the previous studies implicitly assume unidirectional causality from income inequality and poverty in their model specifications, the short‐run and long‐run causal dynamics between poverty and income inequality within a panel vector error correction model are explicitly examined.
Monetary policy inertia: case of Jordan
Authors: Sweidan Osama D.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the inertia of monetary policy in the Jordanian economy, in which the monetary policy is neutral owing to the adoption of a fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. The question of the current paper is: Does monetary policy inertia exist in such an economy despite the fact that the exchange rate is pegged to a foreign currency?

Design/methodology/approach

To test the hypothesis of the current paper in Jordan, the Taylor rule, adjusted to be consistent with the context of monetary policy in Jordan, is estimated. Moreover, the model is estimated by two techniques: OLS and the Kalman filter, using quarterly data over the period (1994:1‐2007:1).

Findings

The empirical evidence from the Jordanian economy shows that monetary policy inertia is highly significant in Jordan. The coefficient of the lagged interest rate is estimated to lie between 0.60 and 0.69. Moreover, the evidence illustrates that both inflation rate and output gap have an insignificant effect on setting the policy rate. Further, the policy interest rate seems to be set gradually in reaction to monetary policy inertia, unobserved variable and foreign interest rate.

Originality/value

The paper investigates monetary policy inertia in a developing country whose economy is small, widely open and has a fixed exchange rate with the US dollar.
Can imports mitigate racial earnings inequality?
Authors: Agesa Jacqueline , Agesa Richard U. , Lopes Carlos
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to extend recent literature regarding the effects of competition on racial earnings by examining the effects of global competition on racial wages of union and non‐union workers of different skill levels. Additionally, it is intended that inference be drawn regarding whether global competition is a viable means to eliminate racial wage discrimination.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper utilizes quantile regression to examine the effect of global competition on the racial wage gap of workers in high‐ and low‐concentration industries at different points along the earnings distribution. Additionally, the analysis utilizes the highest level of import penetration in each industry over the sample period to examine whether global competition is a viable means to eliminate racial wage discrimination.

Findings

In concentrated industries, non‐union whites at most skill levels receive a substantial wage premium compared with their black counterparts. Further, imports reduce racial earnings inequality by significantly decreasing the wages of low‐ and medium‐skill non‐union whites. However, imports cannot mitigate racial earnings discrimination for non‐union workers at most skill levels.

Practical implications

These findings suggest that, if market forces cannot alleviate racial wage discrimination, government anti‐discriminatory policies may be a necessary measure.

Originality/value

No previous study has examined the effect of global competition on the racial wage gap of workers of different skill levels. Further, no study has empirically tested whether international competition is a viable means to eliminate racial wage discrimination.
Making engineering standards available at the University of the West Indies: perspectives of a developing country
Authors: Papin‐Ramcharan Jennifer , Dolland Allison , Dawe Richard A.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to continue the discussion of the difficulties that librarians face in creating a relevant and useful collection of standards. For developing countries the magnitude of the available standards and the huge costs make this task daunting.

Design/methodology/approach

The types of standards, their role in ensuring that the World's structures, facilities, goods, etc. conform to ensure health and safety, the ranges and finally the needs of the University of the West Indies (UWI) are discussed. The UWI Main Library's approaches to grappling with the relevant issues are then explored.

Findings

The electronic age offers speedy access to information resources provided that there are financial resources. Electronic access to such documents as and when they are needed (just‐in‐time philosophy) seems the most viable option, given the cost constraints. Other options could be customised collections crafted to suit the needs of students and faculty, or electronic clearinghouses externally subsidised by a philanthropic body to obtain the articles via an Internet system. Any of these could be developed and ensure cost‐effective seamless access, so giving a world‐class service anywhere in the World. Of course, knowledgeable librarians and good abstracts are also essential.

Practical implications

The cost of these technical documents is prohibitive for a developing country library to be able to have a large collection of standards but, if there is good internet access and a sound database to obtain abstracts, and if sufficient funds are in place, an efficient procedure could be developed for “just‐in‐time” access.

Originality/value

The paper examines some of the best options available to the Main Library of The University of the West Indies to ensure that engineering students gain access to current standards.
Enhancing gifts‐in‐kind assessment and processing with digital photography
Authors: Bindle David , Boden Catherine
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper sets out to explore the potential benefits of using digital photography in the evaluation of prospective donations of book collections.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes a methodology for creating a collection of images to preserve bibliographic information from large book donations where time and distance restrictions limit the ability to carry out a thorough investigation on‐site. This image collection will assist in the initial assessment of the collection's suitability for acceptance, documentation and creation of a gift list.

Findings

Using digital photography allows for relatively quick and comprehensive documentation to aid in the evaluation of large potential gift‐in‐kind donations. Additional benefits realized from acquiring digital images may include automation of gift list creation, publicity for the newly acquired collection, and enhancing exhibitions. This methodology utilizes readily available and affordable equipment that will likely be well within the resources of most libraries.

Originality/value

This paper offers practical advice on employing current and emerging digital technologies to assess and enhance gift‐in‐kind donations.
A basic multi‐media collection by and about J.R.R. Tolkien
Authors: Brennan Croft Janet
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to recommend a basic core collection of works by and about J.R.R. Tolkien for libraries by grade level.

Design/methodology/approach

The author draws on her experience as a Tolkien scholar and editor of one of the major journals in the field.

Findings

A basic collection should include some works beyond the well‐known Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.

Practical implications

The paper provides an ideal list for the library seeking to prepare for interest generated by the new Hobbit movie currently in production.

Originality/value

While there are other bibliographies on Tolkien available, particularly on fan and society web sites, this one is arranged by grade level and includes audio‐visual materials and recent scholarly and reference works, and is designed for library rather than personal use.
Interview with Duncan Goose, founder – Global Ethics Ltd
Authors: by Juliet Harrison Interview
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an interview with Duncan Goose, co‐founder of Global Ethics, a not‐for‐profit organization whose primary remit is to raise funds for humanitarian projects in developing countries

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent interviewer.

Findings

Duncan left his career in advertising to go on a journey of a lifetime and between 1998 and 2000 he fulfilled his life‐long ambition to ride a motorbike around the world. It was because of the experiences he encountered on this odyssey that he decided to form Global Ethics. Spurred on by a like‐minded group of friends, in 2004 he took on the huge challenge of forming a not‐for‐profit organization called Global Ethics, whose primary remit is to raise funds for humanitarian projects in developing countries.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that will assist potential entrepreneurs, looking to start up their own business.

Social implications

The first initiative of Global Ethics was One Water, which donates all its profits to fund the development of unique roundabout powered water pumps, called PlayPumps, in Africa. One was the official water for both Live8 and Make Poverty History and continues to change the way in which people consider buying water and other products and services.

Originality/value

This paper provides Duncan's reflections on his experiences as a successful entrepreneur, offering advice for budding entrepreneurs, highlighting successful business models, and detailing Global Ethics' future plans and projects.
Interview with Chris Ernst and Donna Chrobot‐Mason, authors of Boundary Spanning Leadership
Authors: by Juliet Harrison Interview
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide an interview with Chris Ernst and Donna Chrobot‐Mason, authors of Boundary Spanning Leadership, and experts in the field of leadership development and psychology.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent interviewer

Findings

The advances in internet and collaboration technologies have dismantled many of the boundaries that once prevented people from working together. Yet, as physical boundaries were removed, the boundaries that still exist in human relationships remain, in sharp and jagged relief. In a flat world, bridging boundaries between groups is the new and critical work of leadership.

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Social implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact.

Originality/value

Boundary Spanning Leadership outlines six different types of leadership practices: buffering, reflecting, connecting, mobilizing, weaving and transforming. If implemented, these practices can enable leaders to manage boundaries, forge common ground and discover new frontiers.
Gender differences in active labour market policy: The Swedish self‐employment programme
Authors: Månsson Jonas , Delander Lennart
Published: May 2011

Purpose

One of the most successful labour market programmes in Sweden is a start‐up subsidy programme for job seekers registered at the public employment service. The purpose of this paper is to examine if there are gender differences in outcomes of this programme.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis compares the outcome for female participants of the start‐up programme with that of four other matched groups: male and female non‐participants, male non‐participants, female non‐participants, and male participants.

Findings

The authors' results indicate that females entering the programme have a higher success rate than both female and male non‐participants; however, the impact is less in comparison with male than with female non‐participants. Compared to a matched sample of males in the start‐up scheme, female participants are less successful.

Originality/value

The paper concludes is that it is essential to find evidence regarding which programmes work for which target groups and to find out why effects differ by categories. Such knowledge could be used for fine‐tuning labour market policy programmes.
From desegregation to diversity management in Alabama public universities: a narrative review
Authors: Cox Edmondson Vickie , Dale Louis , Feldman Glenn , Yarber Annice
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate that history has much to teach leaders in understanding resistance to affirmative action and how a greater commitment to diversity can be fostered.

Design/methodology/approach

This narrative review provides a timeline of a case for resolution‐by‐agreement in the wake of the landmark Knight v. Alabama case.

Findings

There have been dramatic increases in the enrollment of students of color and the presence of African‐American faculty in the three major public universities that comprise the University of Alabama System, as well as others in the state.

Research limitations/implications

The present review does not contend that historic and fundamental inequities no longer exist in business and society. Moreover, the authors recognize that present inequities in the realms of diversity have important and historical roots. Likewise, there is no attempt to suggest that affirmative action is no longer a necessary or desired program in some areas. Neither do the authors deny the potential for inordinate management influence in the implementation and practice of some programs that focus on “diversity” instead of “affirmative action.”

Social implications

The numbers are not optimal. But future studies, along with this paper, should make a significant contribution to the affirmative action literature in the hope that organizations of all types may exceed their goals in the area of “diversity” as part of a larger quest for genuine advancements in the realm of diversity and fairness throughout society.

Originality/value

The paper provides an additional lens through which to examine diversity initiatives. Organizations can learn from the resolution‐by‐agreement process used to settle this desegregation dispute.
Extreme weather events and construction SMEs
Authors: Wedawatta Gayan , Ingirige Bingunath , Jones Keith , Proverbs David
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The UK experienced a number of Extreme Weather Events (EWEs) during recent years and a significant number of businesses were affected as a result. With the intensity and frequency of weather extremes predicted in the future, enhancing the resilience of businesses, especially of Small and Medium‐sized Enterprises (SMEs), who are considered as highly vulnerable, has become a necessity. However, little research has been undertaken on how construction SMEs respond to the risk of EWEs. In seeking to help address this dearth of research, this investigation sought to identify how construction SMEs were being affected by EWEs and the coping strategies being used.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods research design was adopted to elicit information from construction SMEs, involving a questionnaire survey and case study approach.

Findings

Results indicate a lack of coping strategies among the construction SMEs studied. Where the coping strategies have been implemented, these were found to be extensions of their existing risk management strategies rather than radical measures specifically addressing EWEs.

Research limitations/implications

The exploratory survey focused on the Greater London area and was limited to a relatively small sample size. This limitation is overcome by conducting detailed case studies utilising two SMEs whose projects were located in EWE prone localities. The mixed method research design adopted benefits the research by presenting more robust findings.

Practical implications

A better way of integrating the potential of EWEs into the initial project planning stage is required by the SMEs. This could possibly be achieved through a better risk assessment model supported by better EWE prediction data.

Originality/value

The paper provides an original contribution towards the overarching agenda of resilience of SMEs and policy making in the area of EWE risk management. It informs both policy makers and practitioners on issues of planning and preparedness against EWEs.
Management and presentation of Chinese sites for UNESCO World Heritage List (UWHL)
Authors: Wang Tao , Zan Luca
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the main UNESCO sites in China. The cases under study offer some insight into the complexity of the management of Chinese cultural organizations, as well as the problem of the presentation of China's heritage in a new global context.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on field research in 2008/2009 on the Chinese sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List (WHL). While details of the research will be provided in a later stage, some interesting findings and patterns are emerging.

Findings

Building on the evidence of several case studies, a preliminary evaluation of the costs, the benefits and the negative outcomes of the listing process is presented in the second section. In a nutshell, the process appears to be increasingly expensive for local government and, despite the expectations for successful inscription onto the WHL, results in terms of increased tourism income are not always guaranteed. On the one hand, being listed raises the awareness of heritage protection among the general public but, on the other, there are also risks connected to tourism overexploitation.

Originality/value

From a methodological point of view the study points out the scarce quality of basic data regarding visitors and financial issues among Chinese World Heritage sites. This is particularly critical for sustainable development if it is considered that a World Heritage site should be accountable to the international audience. In the final section of the paper some open questions concerning sites' management models are presented.
The World Heritage site of Ouro Preto
Authors: de Alvarenga Pereira Costa Stael , Barci Castriota Leonardo , Salgado Marina
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This article presents the current situation of Ouro Preto, the first Brazilian city to be inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1980. It explores the evolution of the urban form, especially concerning public policies and development strategies as the motors to prompt the city's expansion.

Design/methodology/approach

Landscape architecture concepts were employed to understand impacts caused by the settlement within its urban landscape. In addition, urban morphology methods were used to research the urban form considered as a product of public policies, shaped by political, social and economic forces. In this manner, building typologies and new urban forms occupying the surrounding hills of the historical city's core were viewed as urban morphology issues, whereas the impact of the new housing scheme on the land and on the city skyline was a subject related to landscape architecture.

Findings

In general, it was observed that the public policies that have been implemented mainly control individual buildings, rather than whole homogeneous areas. Consequently, this has been contributing to environmental damage and the loss of the city's character.

Originality/value

The added value of the article is its contribution to studies focusing on uncontrolled expansions, as well as the occupation of the city's surrounding hills, as it explores the evolution of the city by considering it a product of society's actions that materialise through public policies.
Re‐branding Africa
Authors: Osei Collins , Gbadamosi Ayantunji
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to explore how Africa has been branded, and to suggest ways the continent could be re‐branded to attract both international and domestic investments.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive review of literature that encapsulates branding, nation branding, place/destination branding, foreign direct investment and issues associated with investment opportunities in Africa was conducted towards exploring how Africa has been branded and could be re‐branded.

Findings

This paper finds that the extant literature is replete with publications that essentially associate Africa, as a brand, to poverty, underdevelopment, corruption, doom, pestilence and several other inauspicious features. Nonetheless, the article also shows that there are several existing virtues especially in the form of business opportunities in several sectors that could be accorded extensive publicity to espouse the continents' brand equity. These range from agriculture, to tourism, to real estate, to sports and several existing foreign direct investments already thriving in several parts of the continent. Hence, the suggestion for re‐branding Africa as a viable continent for global business transactions is strongly emphasised in the article.

Practical implications

This paper has a significant implication for positioning Africa as a relevant business partner in the global marketplace by echoing the extensive business opportunities that await both the indigenous and foreign investors in the continent.

Originality/value

The article espouses the brand equity of Africa as a continent and suggests avenues for constantly communicating the inherent virtues of the content to the world towards maintaining her rightful position in the international business community.
Perceived value for customers in information sharing services
Authors: Tai Yi‐Ming
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to investigate the value enterprise customers perceive in information sharing services and the consequences of that perceived value for relationship intention.

Design/methodology/approach

An impact model was developed to assess the associations between the functional and relational value perceived by enterprise customers in regards to information sharing services and their relationship commitment and loyalty intention. The model was tested on 81 firms which had participated in e‐business projects subsidized by the Taiwan Government. Partial least squares was conducted to assess hypothesized information sharing marketing effects.

Findings

The findings suggest that functional and relational value enterprise customers perceive in information sharing services will positively influence their relationship intention.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed model provides an expanded view of the marketing effects of an information sharing service. Researchers believe this work to be a starting point for the research of the marketing effects of an information sharing service.

Originality/value

The research results of this study reveal that information sharing not only can be used to support supply chain activities (i.e. facilitating supply chain management), but also can be used to support marketing activities (i.e. enhancing customer relationships).
The more secure the better? A study of information security readiness
Authors: Sun Jun , Ahluwalia Punit , Koong Kai S.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to investigate which factors influence user attitudes toward different levels of security measures for protecting data of differing importance. The paper also examines user characteristics including IT proﬁciency and risk propensity, which give rise to individual differences in such attitudes.

Design/methodology/approach

To capture user attitudes toward a security measure, a construct called “information security readiness” (ISR) and its corresponding measurement items were developed. Observations were collected from a laboratory experiment based on a 2×3 factorial design, with data criticality and security level as the treatment variables. The participants were undergraduate students of a major American university. The moderating effect of data criticality on the relationship between security level and ISR was tested with multi‐group structural equation modeling. In addition to the treatment variables, IT proﬁciency and risk propensity were included as covariates in the analysis.

Findings

The results revealed a nonlinear relationship between security level and ISR. For data of high criticality, enhancing security level had a positive impact on ISR, but only up to the point perceived as appropriate by the participants. For data of low criticality, the enhancement of security level was perceived as unnecessary. In addition, IT proﬁciency was found to be a signiﬁcant covariate, especially when data criticality was high.

Practical implications

In practice, the speciﬁcation of a security measure requires a trade‐off between the utility of the data protected and the usability of the security method. The measure of ISR provides a means to locate the equilibrium by examining user attitudes across different security levels in relation to a particular level of data criticality. The signiﬁcance of IT proﬁciency demonstrates the importance of user training.

Originality/value

This study introduces the ISR construct to capture evaluation, power, and activity dimensions underlying an individual's cognitive beliefs, affective responses, and behavioral inclinations toward the adoption of security measures. The results provide interesting insights into the role of interaction between security level and data criticality in influencing ISR.
APS for tactical planning in a steel processing company
Authors: Rudberg Martin , Cederborg Ola
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The main purpose is to describe and analyse the impact that the implementation of an advanced planning system (APS) has on the tactical planning level at a steel processing company. This is done in terms of analysing changes in the tactical planning processes, effects on company performance, and how the APS is used in a practical planning context.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on a longitudinal case study in the process industry. The case company, a high‐end steel producer, has been studied during several years using a combination of data sources: literature reviews, interviews, archival records, and also attendance at meetings, workshops, seminars, etc.

Findings

This case study points to the fact that implementing an APS and reorganizing the planning department and the planning processes are mutually dependent. The positive effects at the tactical planning level (in terms of service levels, fast and reliable order promises, more accurate forecasts) could not have been realized without the APS. On the other hand, the APS could not have been effectively utilized without the organizational change.

Research limitations/implications

The results presented in this paper are based on a single case study, but in the context of our literature review and other case studies the findings are still valid and an important step towards better understanding of the practical use of APSs.

Practical implications

The process descriptions, lessons learnt, and issues encountered in case studies like this should be helpful to practitioners on their way to implement APSs, and companies seeking new ways to improve their planning can use this research to investigate the use of an APS.

Originality/value

Studies on the practical use of standard APS software are still scarce. As such this paper provides enhanced knowledge and understanding on the use of APSs in industry settings.
A national document supply co‐operative between healthcare libraries in Ireland
Authors: Haire Muriel
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a co‐operative that facilitates interlending and document supply between health libraries in the Republic of Ireland.

Design/methodology/approach

The development and expansion of the service are described from its origin in 1991.

Findings

The paper finds that the co‐operative has been a great success. Many documents could be supplied within the country, at a faster response rate and at a lower cost than by other methods. The number of journals in the scheme has increased from 1,009 to 7,283. Total number of article requests within the co‐operative has risen to 19,293.

Originality/value

This is the only article to give an up‐to‐date overview of an important national resource‐sharing health co‐operative in Ireland.
A review of interlending and document supply in France: 2010
Authors: Schöpfel Joachim , Gillet Jacqueline
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to review recent developments and projects of academic interlibrary loan and document supply in France – particularly the Science, Technology and Medicine sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a literature survey, conferences and interviews.

Findings

Recent laws and court decisions in France tend to strengthen the position of publishers; but a new shift to more realism and to mutual agreements can also be observed. The institutional landscape is undergoing a profound transformation towards (probably) greater coherence between research entities, resource‐sharing projects and task sharing. Academic interlibrary loan and document supply activity has decreased steadily since 1997, with an annual average downward trend of 8 per cent to 10 per cent. To survive as a document supplier, INIST has reinforced its position as a “one‐stop shop”, steadily moving from a library to a broker strategy; in 2010, INIST launched a new platform called Refdoc. Open archives have undergone significant development but are not integrated into traditional interlending and document supply services and as yet do not offer a real alternative.

Originality/value

The paper presents the results of a five‐year follow‐up study. It is the only synthetic overview of the specific scientific and technical information market sector in France.
Improving access to information for everyone at all times: the case of Inspire in the UK
Authors: Curry Sally
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe Inspire, a service that promotes cross‐sectoral resource sharing in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

The service is described and its many benefits identified, especially at a time of significant cuts in public services.

Findings

The paper finds that Inspire provides a valuable resource‐sharing service in England as well as having connections to Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

Originality/value

This is the first article to fully describe and give an up‐to‐date picture of this valuable service.
The BALIS interlibrary loan system: a new network in Beijing
Authors: Xiaoli Wang
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a new local interlibrary loan (ILL) system between universities in Beijing, China.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a descriptive analysis of the BALIS ILL system.

Findings

The paper finds that BALIS ILL has developed rapidly in the past two years but there are still some problems to solve.

Originality/value

This paper will be relevant to librarians interested in resource sharing in China.
A hybrid model for export market opportunity analysis
Authors: Ye Sheng Shirley , Mullen Michael R.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new model for export market opportunity analysis by combining the marketing‐based overall market opportunity index (OMOI) with the economic‐based gravity model in order to more accurately assess export market potential, in total and for specific industries.

Design/methodology/approach

Variables from the gravity and OMOI models are used to analyze export market opportunities for specific industries. Findings – Market size, economic intensity, geographic and language distance, and regional trade agreements (RTAs) are found to be strong predictors of export market attractiveness from a US firm's perspective. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is found to act as both a substitute for and a complement to exports. Cultural distance, based on Hofstede, is not a significant predictor for exports.

Originality/value

The authors' hybrid model extends previous OMOI models and is applied to industry‐level analysis.
The PD scale: a measure of psychic distance and its impact on international marketing strategy
Authors: Sousa Carlos M.P. , Filipe Lages Luis
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Despite considerable research on psychic distance (PD), research into the topic is confounded by a general failure to precisely define and fully operationalize the construct. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new measurement scale to assess psychic distance (the PD scale), and also to investigate the impact of the PD scale on the adaptation of international marketing strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses data collected by mail questionnaire in a sample survey of 301 export firms. The results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Various statistical tests show that the results are reliable and valid.

Findings

Findings reveal that psychic distance is a higher‐order construct composed of two dimensions: country distance and people distance. The results also indicate that both dimensions of the PD scale are positively and significantly associated with cultural distance and the adaptation of product, promotion, pricing and distribution strategies to the foreign market.

Originality/value

The paper develops a new scale, the PD scale, which is a measure of psychic distance and addresses a gap in the literature by testing its impact on the adaptation of the international marketing strategy.
Reliability modeling and prediction using classical and Bayesian approach
Authors: Ghosh Satadal , Majumdar Sujit K.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide the maintenance personnel with a methodology for modeling and estimating the reliability of critical machine systems using the historical data of their inter‐failure times.

Design/methodology/approach

The failure patterns of five different machine systems were modeled with NHPP‐log linear process and HPP belonging to stochastic point process for predicting their reliability in future time frames. Besides the classical approach, Bayesian approach was also used involving Jeffreys's invariant non‐informative independent priors to derive the posterior densities of the model parameters of NHPP‐LLP and HPP with a view to estimating the reliability of the machine systems in future time intervals.

Findings

For at least three machine systems, Bayesian approach gave lower reliability estimates and a larger number of (expected) failures than those obtained by the classical approach. Again, Bayesian estimates of the probability that “ROCOF (rate of occurrence of failures) would exceed its upper threshold limit” in future time frames were uniformly higher for these machine systems than those obtained with the classical approach.

Practical implications

This study indicated that, the Bayesian approach would give more realistic estimates of reliability (in future time frames) of the machine systems, which had dependent inter‐failure times. Such information would be helpful to the maintenance team for deciding on appropriate maintenance strategy.

Originality/value

With the help of Bayesian approach, the posterior densities of the model parameters were found analytically by considering Jeffreys's invariant non‐informative independent prior. The case study would serve to motivate the maintenance teams to model the failure patterns of the repairable systems making use of the historical data on inter‐failure times and estimating their reliability in future time frames.
Using reliability tools in service operations
Authors: Hensley Rhonda L. , Utley Joanne S.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a service reliability framework for classifying technical reliability tools so that managers can better understand how to use them in practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Published research was examined to identify reliability tools that have been used in services. These tools were then categorized using a framework that considered subsystem reliability, system configuration and system reliability.

Findings

A number of traditional manufacturing reliability tools have been used in service companies. This paper has categorized those tools within a service reliability framework based on subsystem reliability, configuration and system reliability.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could address the issue of customer perception and customer feedback as part of the reliability appraisal process.

Practical implications

Service managers can use the proposed framework to examine the applicability of these technical tools in service operations and to guide reliability improvement efforts.

Originality/value

The proposed service reliability framework provides an integrated view of subsystems, systems and configuration that is lacking in the service management literature. The framework also emphasizes technical reliability tools that have not received sufficient attention in the service management literature.
Modeling the managerial promotion process
Authors: Breaugh James A.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and test a model of the managerial promotion process.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing longitudinal data from multiple sources (i.e. employees, their immediate supervisors, their personnel files, and task forces charged with succession planning), the study reported examined a model of the promotion process involving district managers being considered for advancement to the position of regional manager in a large organization.

Findings

Results support a model in which a district manager's past performance, current job tenure, and prior job tenure predict the manager's promotability rating which, in turn, predicts whether or not the manager is promoted.

Research limitations/implications

Given that data were used for actual employment decisions by an organization, reliance on single‐item measures was necessary.

Practical implications

Several issues that employers should be evaluating (e.g. adverse impact, whether promotability ratings are valid predictors of performance in the next higher level job) are discussed.

Social implications

Given that women and older employees face hurdles in advancing in organizations, a better understanding of the promotion process may shed light on how to remove impediments.

Originality/value

Although the process by which organizations make employee promotion decisions is an important one, it has received relatively little attention from researchers.