bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do public sector contract catering tender procedures result in an auction for “lemons”?
Authors: Taylor Peter
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the structural effects of public sector catering tender procedures and suggests improvements that would benefit clients, users and small catering firms. The essential problem is that current tender procedures have the effect of limiting clients' knowledge of possible quality and cost configurations. Thus clients are unable to reveal their preferences in tender specifications, and so bidders bid low prices and low quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is an analysis of current procedures using concepts from market structure and asymmetric information.

Findings

The main finding is that low prices and low quality are the norm because information relating to price is more complete than information relating to quality, and because not all interested parties participate in the decision making. In addition, present procedures probably favour larger firms.

Research limitations/implications

Cases of appropriate quality are not available for observation precisely because of the “lemons” problem: appropriate and better quality are driven from the market because of the nature of existing structures and procedures.

Practical implications

The implications of the research are that procedures should be changed in order to provide incentives for both sides to release information regarding possible configurations and preferences. The most important recommendation is that the bidding process should be undertaken in two rounds. The first round would reveal possible quality/cost configurations while the second would determine the price, as in a standard sealed bid auction.

Originality/value

The paper explores a problem that is of practical importance using economic theory often regarded as rather abstract.
The rules are no game
Authors: Dillard Jesse F. , Ruchala Linda
Published: January 2007

Purpose

Sees to argues that administrative evil is inherent in the administrative hierarchies currently governing work organizations, and to explore the means by which instrumentally rational processes morph into administrative evil.

Design/methodology/approach

A critical theory methodology for identifying and describing administrative evil is outlined.

Findings

Administrative evil refers to the use of technology, professionals, and hierarchical organizational structures in ways that divorce collective actions from their moral context. The role of technical accounting expertise, manifested as various devices, facilitates “ordinary” human beings' “rational” participation in “administrative evil” through a series of technically competent and instrumentally rational decisions, facilitated by information technology.

Research limitations/implications

Divorcing actions from their moral context removes a sense of personal responsibility and accountability on the part of the organizational participants and renders public interest considerations captive to prevailing ideology and social structures.

Practical implications

By better understanding the facilitating processes of administrative evil, possibly one can begin to develop alternative criteria that empower individuals to circumvent the negative consequences of instrumental rationality and enable them to act more responsibly in the public interest.

Originality/value

Critical theory is used in better understanding administrative evil and in developing strategies for change.
Have TQM organisations adjusted their performance management (appraisal) systems? A study of UK‐based TQM‐driven organisations
Authors: Soltani E. , van der Meer R.B. , Gennard J. , Williams M.T.
Published: January 2007

Reports findings from a survey designed to measure the consistency and congruity of HR performance evaluation systems with quality management precepts in UK‐based quality‐focused organisations. Twelve a priori features of HR performance evaluation were used to measure HR performance evaluation systems. Since a fundamental reason for the purported incompatibility between TQM and HR performance evaluation is the assertion that most variance in performance is caused by system factors, and due to indications from various sources that HR performance evaluation focuses managerial attention on person factors rather than on system factors, the survey was also developed with the intention of discovering the extent to which these system criteria are used for measuring employee performance. The findings confirm that most HR performance evaluation systems fail to meet quality management expectations and contradict TQM assumptions about individual and system performance.
A new construct for visualising and designing e‐fulfilment systems for quality healthcare delivery
Authors: Joyce Phil , Green Rosamund , Winch Graham
Published: January 2007

Purpose – The core theme of this paper is that, to provide the best kind of process systems to support a “quality” healthcare provider, it is essential to “engineer‐in” quality as early as possible – effectively at the specification and design phase. It extends to the healthcare context a novel approach, which provides a transparent model of how an envisioned structure delivers services and fulfils stakeholders' needs. Design/methodology/approach – In the paper a new construct, developed by the authors, is described and then extended to the healthcare sector. The underpinning theories of the new construct are discussed and examples for a health care service are presented. Findings – The paper finds that there is a full literature on quality and TQM, but relatively little offers practical tools for supporting design and implementation processes that enhance the likelihood of achieving quality operations. The presentation and discussion of the construct presented argue that the approach presented here can achieve this aim. Practical implications – In the paper, as with many ventures, organisations charged with healthcare delivery are presently facing the dual challenges of seeking to satisfy widely extended stakeholder groups and implement complex ICT systems to support e‐fulfilment. To ensure that quality is “engineered‐in”, a holistic, integrated and quality approach is required, and Total Quality Management (TQM) principles are the obvious foundations for this. Originality/value – The paper shows that electronically delivered information and funds transaction systems do offer healthcare organisations great potential, but many large integrated ICT systems have notoriously disappointed the stakeholder health care service. An integrative view of the delivery system design, based on the literature from strategic management, business process design, e‐business design, and TQM, has yielded a unique construct, which integrates these views in a transparent model readily accessible to the various domain experts. The specific role of this in healthcare fulfilment system design applications is demonstrated.
Lessons learned from implementing an electronic records management system
Authors: Maguire Rachael
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To share the experience of implementing an electronic records management system, pointing out the specific problems that can occur.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on actual experience, the paper goes through the process of implementing an electronic records management system from procurement to training. Any particular problems or things to look out for are pointed out along the way.

Findings

In spite of extensive training, most staff never got to grips with the system. This was partially due to three things: (1) staff found the system user unfriendly; (2) the way parts of the system were set up; and (3) having to create complicated business rules to direct staff where the system could not. No electronic records management system can do this beforehand, so that the system automates practice rather than trying to introduce it.

Practical implications

By showing potential problems and failed solutions to those problems, the paper should prevent help those undertaking future implementations from making the same mistakes.

Originality/value

This paper is for any records professional involved in or thinking about implementing an electronic records management system, and is intended to point out areas that are particularly likely to cause an implementation to fail so that these can be avoided.
EDRM implementation at the National Weights and Measures Laboratory
Authors: Williams David J.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To describe how an EDRMS was implemented at the National Weights and Measures Laboratory and indicate whether the benefits expected have been delivered.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper sets out the business case, describes the implementation, shows the outcomes (planned and unexpected), and ends with a conclusion about the degree of success.

Findings

Generally the project was successful, with excellent take‐up by users. It has involved records staff in change management issues as the system highlights areas of inconsistency in document management. Careful preparation of the Business Classification Scheme pays dividends on implementation. Use of the OGC Gateway project control helped make sure that the project was completed to time and budget.

Research limitations/implications

The National Weights and Measures Laboratory is the smallest UK government agency and is an agency of the Department of Trade and Industry. As such it was able to learn from the latter in relation to EDRMS implementation.

Practical implications

This paper is a useful case study investigation of the introduction of EDRM.

Originality/value

The paper gives insight into EDRMS implementation in a small user group. It sets out the lessons learned that could be used in other implementations.
Industry internships: feedback from participating faculty and industry executives
Authors: Harris Kimberly J. , Zhao Jinlin
Published: January 2007

This study investigates the experiences of both faculty and hosting property executives with internship programs offered through the Council for Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education. Surveys were sent, via myriad methods, to participants asking for a summary of their experiences and suggestions for improvement. Also of interest was the feedback from hosts; therefore, surveys were also sent to all hosting company representatives for similar feedback. It was discovered that internships are of growing value to faculty and hospitality organizations and the continued development of experiences must be a priority. An interesting suggestion made by hosting executives was the hope that they could arrange internships with educational institutions, wherein they could also return to the academic environment to rekindle enthusiasm, obtain new skills, and update their knowledge on issues facing the industry they represent.
Revenue models in haute cuisine: an exploratory analysis
Authors: Surlemont Bernard , Chantrain Diego , Nlemvo Frédéric , Johnson Colin
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The aim of this paper to shed light on the strategies adopted by chefs and to identify the most successful in terms of Michelin rating and profitability.

Design/methodology/approach

In‐depth exploratory interviews with 20 great chefs located in France, Belgium, the UK and Switzerland having gained two or three Michelin stars over the last ten years.

Findings

Chefs use three different strategies for revenue‐generation: core business, full diversification and partial diversification. The reasoning behind the choice of strategy varies between two‐ and three‐star restaurants. The first strategy seems to lead to higher Michelin star ratings, and strategy, the second seems superior in terms of profitability. The third strategy yields inferior results, but is less risky.

Research limitations/implications

The observations are constrained to “recently successful” restaurants, and hence may not be applicable to longer‐standing restaurants.

Practical implications

Concentrating on the core business leads to higher star rating, but lower profitability. Full diversification increases profitability but can jeopardize Michelin rating. The middle‐of‐the‐road approach seems inferior in any case.

Originality/value

To this day, little research has been conducted on the way in which great chefs having two or three stars in the famed Michelin Red Guide run their businesses. In particular, very little is known about their revenue‐generating strategies: what options are available and which revenue models are the “best”. This paper is exploratory in nature and aims to inform further research about luxury restaurants.
Gender differences in perceived leadership effectiveness in Hong Kong
Authors: Hau‐Siu Chow Irene
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore empirically how female and male managers describe their perceived leadership qualities in an Asian context.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 171 middle managers in telecommunications and financial services in Hong Kong were surveyed. Three sets of survey data – leader attributes, societal culture, and organizational practices – were collected from independent samples of respondents.

Findings

The results provide valuable insights into the function of leadership behavior in a Chinese community. Irrespective of the sex of the person making the direct report, perceived attributes in rating managers showed no substantial differences. Females projected a more favorable image of leaders than their male counterparts.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation is that the gender of the leader respondent pairs is not known and no attempt was made to distinguish between the characteristics of male and female leaders, but only to reflect the perceptions of male and female direct reports.

Practical implications

Despite the limitation of small sample size, the results from the present study will provide some significant implications for firms in recruiting managerial talent and achieving gender equality in employment.

Originality/value

Regarding the responsibilities to enable women to be valued for leadership qualities, organizations could provide opportunities for women to contribute and excel in using their leadership potential in management.
Performance and protection in an adaptive transaction model
Authors: Cole Sam
Published: January 2007

Explores possibilities for simulating the effects of continuous disruptions to an economy using a multi‐sector social accounting model. The underlying thesis for the model is that disruptions (due to events ranging from potholes to earthquakes) are a constant and unavoidable aspect of development and that all institutions and production activities are structured and adapt over time so as to balance performance and protection. The first sections explain the role of input‐output tables, especially social accounts, as the basic framework for evaluating systemic vulnerability to disaster. The next sections explain the underlying behavioral components of the model: how the profile of protection versus disruption and costs of protection are determined, and how adaptation of the protection profile to changing events and societal discounting affects protection. In the final sections, these elements are integrated into a multi‐sector social accounting model of the Niagara Frontier region of New York State – affected by industrial decline and currency fluctuations is dependent on a major hydro‐electric power facility that is considered vulnerable to a variety of unscheduled events. Results focus on how disruptions and responses to them propagate over time and between actors.
Quality in university student administration: stakeholder conceptions
Authors: Shanahan Peter , Gerber Rod
Published: January 2007

This paper examines the varying experiences of quality amongst key stakeholders (those who have an interest in, an impact on or are users of) in faculty student administration in an Australian university and proposes a framework for understanding quality in this context. Data were obtained using a qualitative phenomenographic research approach and collected through 42 face‐to‐face interviews with key stakeholders (students, parents, administrative staff, academic staff, executive officers, domestic partners, offshore partners and a careers adviser). Data were categorised into eight conceptions which represent stakeholders' understanding of quality. The relationships between the conceptions are discussed and represented diagrammatically to form a new understanding of quality in faculty student administration.
E‐volution of a supply chain: cases and best practices
Authors: Folinas Dimitris , Manthou Vicky , Sigala Marianna , Vlachopoulou Maro
Published: January 2007

Supply chain management (SCM) is an integrating philosophy to manage the total flow of materials, information and finance from supplier to ultimate customer. The goal of SCM is to meet the needs of the final consumer by supplying the right product at the right place, time and price. Companies use SCM as a way to meet the competitive challenges of today's business environment. The focus of SCM has shifted from engineering efficient functional processes to the co‐ordination of activities in a supply chain network. The aim of this paper is to examine the stages in the evolution of the supply chain to an electronic supply chain. To illustrate and support the types of evolutionary progress involved, best practices and case studies are provided and analysed.
Franchising and the Internet: an exploratory study of franchisor Web sites
Authors: Dixon Helen , Quinn Barry
Published: January 2007

This paper explores the impact that electronic commerce is beginning to have on franchising, with the objective of discovering how franchisors are utilising their Web sites. Results are presented from a survey of franchisor Web sites illustrating what content and features are being made available online. The analysis of franchise Web sites indicates that most franchisors use them for marketing purposes and to provide information. However, a significant number provide a fully developed electronic commerce site accepting both online orders and payments. The results of the study should help to significantly inform debate on this subject and serve as a starting‐point for further research into the impact of electronic commerce, and more generally Internet technologies, on the franchising growth strategy.
The hothouse effect: a model for change in higher education
Authors: Kunstler Barton
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To present a model of innovative change in higher education based on research into the factors behind the performance of highly creative historical communities.

Design/methodology/approach

The article diagnoses current pressures under which academia is laboring, explains the hothouse effect, and proposes solutions based on the hothouse effect model.

Findings

The article proposes restructuring of discipline‐based learning, developing new methods of strategic planning, adopting new assumptions about the social role of higher education, exploring modes of perception and cognition that are critical to education, and using digital technology to create learning communities and facilitate accelerated learning models. The model of organizational change emphasizes modest and numerous grass‐roots initiatives as the most efficient generator of broad cultural change.

Research limitations/implications

The aim is to stimulate pilot initiatives and broad dialog on the issues raised. The research points the way to further work in the dynamics of creativity, the nature of pedagogy, and the future role of the university.

Practical implications

Numerous methods are presented for strengthening the relationship of faculty and administration, utilizing technology to create learning communities and transform pedagogy, stimulating faculty collaboration, and planning for the future.

Originality/value

This paper provides many fresh and practical ideas useful at an individual, department, or institutional level. The goal is not a specific type of institution or mode of operation. Instead, it the model is flexible and adaptable to creative initiatives of any scope. Ultimately, this article can contribute to revitalizing the ongoing dialog about higher education's future.
Building responsive contract manufacturers through value‐focused strategies
Authors: Noonan John , Wallace Michael
Published: January 2007

Contract manufacturers differ from the traditional manufacturing model in that they build a variety of products for various clients, whereas original equipment manufacturers build only proprietary products. To achieve seamless supply the contract manufacturer must slip in and out of each client's network of suppliers who together build the entire product. This paper describes the development of a diagnostic instrument for contract manufacturers to align core competencies to developing value criteria. A value‐focused diagnostic instrument is created specific to contract manufacturing. The major elements were verified by surveys. Applicability and exploitability of the diagnostic instrument was validated using action research. The instrument provides sequential analysis to assist contract manufacturers in the formulation of effective value‐based strategies. Suppliers of contract manufacture who display proficiency at value delivery will enhance prospects for inclusion on client preferred supplier lists. The system offers a supply management approach from the supplier viewpoint that synthesises across TQM, customer focus and business excellence.
Business models and closed‐loop supply chains: a typology
Authors: Wells Peter , Seitz Margarete
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To delineate typologies that capture the relationship between closed‐loop supply chains and value‐added business models, and thereby to suggest a research agenda for the transition to sustainable business.

Design/methodology/approach

Develops four new theoretical categories or typologies of closed‐loop systems and applies them to the context of the automotive industry. Conceptual, rather than empirical.

Findings

That hybrid closed‐loop systems can be combined with innovative non‐linear value configurations to enable the transition to more sustainable production and consumption.

Research limitations/implications

Identifies research agenda to explore how novel business models can integrate with various closed‐loop systems. Theoretical, but grounded in research into the automotive industry.

Practical implications

That closed‐loop systems are best implemented outside traditional linear value added structures.

Originality/value

Places closed‐loop systems at the heart of the (redesigned) business model rather than as an accessory that must be adapted to the demands of existing approaches. Suggests scholars should be part of this innovative process, not merely observers.
Towards the development of a novel taxonomy of knowledge management systems from a learning perspective: an integrated approach to learning and knowledge infrastructures
Authors: Lytras Miltiadis D. , Pouloudi Athanasia
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The paper aims to discuss the critical issue of learning and knowledge convergence in knowledge‐intensive organizations, and to provide practical guidelines for effective strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper brings together previous research in knowledge management and provides a critique for the lack of integration of previous studies with learning, a key process for efficient knowledge management. Stemming from this critique, an integrative framework for knowledge management support from a learning perspective is proposed.

Findings

The major contribution is the framework for knowledge management support from a learning perspective, which can guide strategies of effective knowledge and learning management. This framework initiates an interesting discussion of technological issues that can enhance current knowledge management practices.

Research limitations/implications

The taxonomy of knowledge management systems provides the basis for an extensive specification of knowledge management strategies. Further research could focus on an instrumental approach to the integrative framework suggested in this paper, to illustrate how it can be used to enhance the integration of learning processes and products in the knowledge management process.

Practical implications

The paper is a very useful source of information and impartial advice for strategists, knowledge management officers and people interested in implementing learning and knowledge management in a knowledge‐intensive organization.

Originality/value

This paper presents a novel taxonomy of knowledge management systems from a learning perspective. Unlike previous literature on knowledge management, this paper makes an explicit claim for integrating knowledge management and learning activities and illustrates how the two can be jointly supported by various knowledge management systems.
The importance of intellectual capital reporting: evidence and implications
Authors: Burgman Roland , Roos Göran
Published: January 2007

Purpose

This paper has two purposes: to identify and explain the major forces that are causing the increasing need for operational reporting and intellectual capital (IC) reporting for European companies; and to identify the necessary and sufficient conditions for operational and intellectual capital reporting if such reporting is to be meaningful for information users.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach for this paper has been to examine relevant papers, reports, guidelines, compendiums, annual reports, opinions, submissions and legislation.

Findings

Eight determining forces are identified that make the basis of the case for the provision of operating and IC information: the long‐standing global dominance and growth of the US economy; the emergence of business models other than the value chain (especially the emergence of network businesses); the changing nature of stock exchanges; the influence of different investment fund types (mutual, pension and hedge funds); the roles of buy‐side and sell‐side analysts; global and European investment index development; rating agency activity; and financial reporting and corporate governance regime development.

Practical implications

The eight forces are interdependent and immutable. Comprehensive operational and IC reporting are unavoidable. Accordingly, the authors propose that the necessary and sufficient conditions for adequate enterprise information reporting are: a legal requirement for mandatory operational and IC reporting and attendant regulatory framework(s) where the legal framework is based on the concept of neglect; key operating and IC resource status and activity performance definitions and metrics that reflect the enterprise's underlying business model(s); and (3) a mapping of the capitalized operational and IC investments that are by definition normally expensed to the financial report accounts.

Originality/value

The authors believe that no one has previously formally proposed a mandatory operational and IC reporting requirement; a legal reference frame of reference based on the legal concept of neglect; standard definitions for operational and IC performance metrics; a reference framework for information quality that is, inter alia, based on the consistency, comparability and comprehensiveness of reported metrics; and the requirement to map all capitalized IC resources back to the financial reports of the company.
A framework of intangible valuation areas and antecedents
Authors: Andreou Andreas N. , Green Annie , Stankosky Michael
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The paper seeks to develop a list of operational knowledge assets as antecedents to a validated common taxonomy of intangible strategic value drivers.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative data from focus groups was collected to validate a theory‐based list. The list contains the value generation activities (i.e. performance focus areas) and their respective critical success factors emerging from the interaction of eight validated intangible value drivers. Two primary questions were addressed at the focus groups: What performance focus areas does the organization need to focus on?; and What knowledge do employees need to leverage within each focus area? Data were analyzed using template analysis. Structural equation modeling using PLS was performed to develop a theory about the impact of the list of operational knowledge assets on intellectual capital and business performance measures.

Findings

A validated list of knowledge assets called the list of operational knowledge assets (LOKA) was developed comprising 31 categories (i.e. critical success factors) grouped into seven value generating activities (i.e. performance focus areas). The thematic dimensions of each category surface internal views of a business that define the strategic and operational value drivers that are aligned with organizational performance.

Research limitations/implications

The list is not an exhaustive one but rather a template that can be adapted based on the industry investigated. The scope of the study was focused on the high‐tech federal contractors in the USA. Therefore the results and related models of this study are generic in nature. Future research could focus applying the study on different environments (i.e. organizational, cultural, type of knowledge workers) and compare results.

Practical implications

The paper could improve managers' understanding of the human capital drivers on performance and thus facilitate better resource allocation on human capital management practices, technology investments, process improvements and business intelligence functions.

Originality/value

The list of operational knowledge assets presents a first attempt in addressing the lack of understanding of the knowledge assets that managers need to leverage at the lowest level of operational granularity.
The intellectual capital performance of the Indian banking sector
Authors: Barathi Kamath G.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The paper seeks to estimate and analyze the Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAIC™) for measuring the value‐based performance of the Indian banking sector for a period of five years from 2000 to 2004.

Design/methodology/approach

Annual reports, especially the profit/loss account and balance‐sheet of the banks concerned for the relevant years, were used to obtain the data. A review is conducted of the international literature on intellectual capital with specific reference to literature that reviews measurement techniques and tools, and the VAIC™ method is applied in order to analyze the data of Indian banks for the five‐year period. The intellectual or human capital (HC) and physical capital (CA) of the Indian banking sector is analysed and their impact on the banks' value‐based performance is discussed.

Findings

The study confirms the existence of vast differences in the performance of Indian banks in different segments, and there is also an improvement in the overall performance over the study period. There is an evident bias in favour of the performance of foreign banks compared with domestic banks.

Research limitations/implications

All 98 scheduled commercial banks are studied as per the information provided by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)/India's Apex bank. Regional rural banks (RRBs), a segment of the indian banking sector, are not dealt with in the study since their number is large (more than 200), but they contribute only 3 percent of the market of Indian banks. This paper is a landmark in Indian banking history as it approaches performance measurement with a new dimension.

Practical implications

The paper has strong theoretical foundations, which have a proven record and applications. The methodology adopted has been research tested. Domestic banks in India are provided with a new dimension to understand and evaluate their performance and benchmark it with global standards. The paper also has policy implications, as it reflects the lop‐sided growth of a few sections in the Indian banking segment.

Originality/value

The paper represents a pioneering and seminal attempt to understand the implications of the business performance of the Indian banking sector from an intellectual resource perspective.
Downsizing in the public sector: Metro‐Toronto's hospitals
Authors: Flint Douglas H.
Published: January 2007

This study has two objectives. First, to predict the outcomes of a public sector downsizing; second to measure effects of downsizing at organizational and inter‐organizational levels. Primary data to assess the organizational level effects was collected through interviews with senior executives at two of Metro‐Toronto's hospitals. Secondary data, to assess the inter‐organizational effects, was collected from government documents and media reports. Due to the exploratory nature of the study's objectives a case study method was employed. Most institutional downsizing practices aligned with successful outcomes. Procedures involved at the inter‐organizational level aligned with unsuccessful outcomes and negated organizational initiatives. This resulted in an overall alignment with unsuccessful procedures. The implication, based on private sector downsizings, is that the post‐downsized hospital system was more costly and less effective.
Building community partnerships for diabetes primary prevention: lessons learned
Authors: Wong Julia , Wong Shirley , Weerasinghe Swarna , Makrides Lydia , Coward‐Ince Thelma
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To describe the process of building partnerships between a health professional group (university‐based researchers and organizations from within and outside the health sector) and the black communities, highlight the accomplishments and identify problems in the process.

Design/methodology/approach

The description of the process of building partnerships with four black communities in Nova Scotia is organized in the following sections: the impetus for launching a Diabetes Primary Prevention for the Black Communities Project, its preparation, implementation, and evaluation. The accomplishments and the problems associated with the Project are analysed.

Findings

Recruitment of participants for the focus groups was challenging. Response rate to survey questionnaire was moderate. Presentation of the Project results by one of the black Project assistants to the participant communities was well received. The Project was quite successful in encouraging community involvement by engaging community groups in several small‐scale activities. Three issues related to project implementation were identified: recruitment of focus groups, participant disappointment, and survey return rates. Strategies incorporating the principles of involving a target audience, providing a service, empowering people and respecting cultural diversity with the aim to ensure successful partnership building with the black communities were proposed.

Originality/value

This paper describes the process of forging partnership with the black communities. The results of the Project could serve as a paradigm for developing culturally sensitive and responsive strategies to lessen the burden of type 2 diabetes in other racial minority communities.
Plant cover as a tool for monitoring desertification in mountain Mediterranean rangelands
Authors: Papanastasis Vasilios P. , Kyriakakis Stratis , Kazakis George , Abid Maher , Doulis Andreas
Published: January 2007

Plant cover was measured for three years in the rangelands of Psilorites mountain of Crete, located at a mean altitude of 1,200m and overgrazed by sheep and goats from May to October. Rangelands consist of phryganic ecosystems dominated by dwarf shrubs, often subjected to occupational burning, and secondarily by grasslands. Herbaceous cover was significantly lower in the overgrazed than in the protected sites, but woody cover was higher unless the dwarf shrubs were palatable to animals. When overgrazing was combined with occupational burning then both plant groups were reduced with total cover reaching threshold values for potential soil erosion and desertification. On the contrary, no substantial differences were found between years indicating that overgrazing and burning were much more important than environmental changes. The results suggest that plant cover is an effective tool for monitoring the impact of pastoral activities on rangeland vegetation and therefore on desertification of mountain Mediterranean rangelands.
The eco‐efficiency of regions – case Kymenlaakso
Authors: Melanen Matti , Koskela Sirkka , Mäenpää Ilmo , Hiltunen Marja‐Riitta , Toikka Mika
Published: January 2007

The ECOREG project, which is funded by the Life‐Environment programme, aims to demonstrate the concept and implementation of eco‐efficiency, using the Finnish Kymenlaakso region as a case study. Indicators for regional eco‐efficiency, combining the ecological, economic, social and cultural aspects of development, will be designed and quantified for the year 2000. A long‐term (2005, 2010, …) mechanism will also be prepared for evaluating progress made in regional eco‐efficiency in Kymenlaakso and for prioritizing actions needed for further improvement.
Mangrove filtration of anthropogenic nutrients in the Rio Coco Solo, Panama
Authors: Lin Brenda B. , Dushoff Jonathan
Published: January 2007

Measurements of the distribution pattern of several nutrients (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate) and indicators (dissolved oxygen and conductivity) were conducted along the river Coco Solo on the Caribbean coast of Panama. The project investigated the extent to which mangrove forests could act as a vegetative buffer zone between disturbed freshwater sources and coastal water. Upriver freshwater samples were collected in known areas of human disturbance to assess levels of the nutrients near points of origin and exhibited elevated concentrations of nutrients. Samples were taken along the mangrove estuary to study the concentrations of nutrients as they moved through the estuary into the ocean. Expected and observed values were compared to see whether concentration levels of the chemicals exhibited normal dilution patterns. Graphs show that the nutrient levels at the estuary points are significantly lower than expected through normal dilution, indicating the removal of nutrients through another mangrove mediated method. In this way, mangrove forests can act as effective coastal buffers of anthropogenic effects to the ocean environment. Further studies must be done to determine the actual removal mechanisms of nutrients in the mangrove estuarine system.
Water and planning: hypothesis for the coast of Granada, Spain
Authors: Matarán Ruiz Alberto , Miguel Valenzuela Montes Luis
Published: January 2007

In this article the formulation of a water management hypothesis for the Granada coastal area is presented from a research perspective aimed at fostering the evaluation of the interactions between water and territory. In the past the seasonal nature, irregular availability, and scarcity of this resource have not been sufficiently taken into account in land planning in southern Spain. For this reason, this article first focuses on a detailed description of the factors that are crucial for the elaboration of scenarios that will enhance environmental efficiency, territorial balance, and sustained development, all of which are conducive to improved water planning and management.
Portuguese experience of voluntary approaches in environmental policy
Authors: Cabugueira Manuel F.M.
Published: January 2007

One of the main ideas expressed in both the 5th and 6th EU Environment Action Programmes for the European Environmental Policy is the support for companies' participation in environmental regulation processes. From the toolbox of environmental policy instruments, the voluntary approaches propose a new direction that can be used to respond to that requirement. In Portugal, voluntary approaches have been implemented since the end of the 1980s, but it was in the middle of the 1990s that they became an important environmental policy instrument. Nowadays, the Portuguese Government is implementing a third‐generation type of environmental contract – Contracts for Continued Improvement of the Environmental Performance – which are trying to make companies implement “over‐compliance” environmental programs. This paper starts by reviewing the theoretical development of the concept of “voluntary approaches” (VAs), further to which an historical analysis of the application of these instruments in Portugal is made.
A Swedish overview of selecting hazardous substances as pollution indicators in wastewater
Authors: Palmquist Helena , Hanæus Jörgen
Published: January 2007

The objective was to outline a process for selecting hazardous substances as pollution indicators that imply a chemical risk for the recycling of wastewater residues on arable land and for wastewater discharge into receiving waters. The reviewed methodologies showed one commonality: grouping of various characteristics that symbolise hazardous properties. From each group, one or several indicator substances were selected to represent the hazardous property of that specific group. The selected set of indicator substances represented the chemical risk characteristics as a whole. One conclusion is that it is difficult to create a comprehensive list of indicator substances for the monitoring of chemical risks in wastewater and residues. Due to the insufficiency of knowledge about the chemical risks from complex systems such as a wastewater system and the methodology for selecting indicator substances, many simplifications have to be accepted. The 100,000 substances present in the technosphere, of which 30,000 are regarded as “everyday” chemicals, may end up in wastewater systems. We have a limited knowledge of many of these substances, thereby providing a weak base for assessing the true chemical risks in wastewater and residues for reuse on arable land. Although the pollution situation will not entirely be understood by measuring the status of only a few substances (important substances may be overlooked), detected substances indicate a specific pollution situation in wastewater or sludge, thus increasing our knowledge about the current concentrations.
So you're thinking of buying an ERP? Ten critical factors for successful acquisitions
Authors: Verville Jacques , Bernadas Christine , Halingten Alannah
Published: January 2007

Purpose

This paper aims to present a discussion of the critical success factors (CSF) that affect the acquisition process for enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.

Design/methodology/approach

The research strategy was a multiple‐case design with three organizations that had recently completed the acquisition of an ERP solution. The rationale for the multiple‐case design was that, as a research strategy, the focus could be directed to understanding the dynamics and complexities present within each case, these being critical success factors of the ERP software acquisition process within the organization.

Findings

This study identified ten factors critical to the successful outcome of acquiring an ERP solution. Their omission would have resulted in a less than optimal outcome for the organization. For each of the three cases, the elements that stand out the most are as follows: clear and unambiguous authority, a structured, rigorous and user‐driven process, its planning, the establishment of criteria, and the sense of partnership that the team works to establish not only with various user commitments, but also with the potential vendor.

Originality/value

It is important to note that no one CSF alone is going to make an ERP acquisition successful. It is rather the combination of several critical factors that will result in its successful outcome.
On the criteria of content web search enablement
Authors: Radaideh Moh'd A.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To present an ongoing research effort based on previous industrial experience in the content management field.

Design/methodology/approach

The project began with lessons learned while working in the IT industry. A model was then developed based on these lessons for managing content and enabling searching for content over the internet.

Findings

The author has used the proposed model both before and after joining academia a few years ago. The model works fine with some tune‐up from one case to another.

Research limitations/implications

As this is ongoing research, the model will be subject to enhancements based on further lessons learned in the future.

Practical implications

The proposed model has been used by the author on several projects and has led to good results in most cases.

Originality/value

The model itself and the approach followed to integrate content into enterprise systems are both novel.
Globalization at bay? Multinational growth and technology spillover
Authors: Zanfei Antonello
Published: January 2007

Purpose

Focuses on a specific aspect of globalization, namely the growing role of transnational corporations (TNCs) in the international organisation of production and innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

Argues that the nature and characteristics of international production are changing and new opportunities for technological spillover to host economies are associated to this change. However the available evidence on the actual economic impact of multinational expansion is shaky and contradictory. This seems to have led to a sort of deadlock in the current debate, which is much too often blocked in a sterile juxtaposition between pro‐global and anti‐global views based on rather weak empirical grounds.

Findings

The fact that there is limited uncontroversial evidence of positive effects of international production may have to do with the lack of institutional tools available to govern the globalization process. In other words, what is missing is a set of negotiated rules and institutions enabling the economies involved in international production activities to capture and share the potential benefits associated to it.

Originality/value

Singles out the areas wherein new institutions are needed, and provides a few insights on some of the issues these institutions should address.
Adjusting P/E ratios by growth and risk: the PERG ratio
Authors: Estrada Javier
Published: January 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of a low‐P/E strategy relative to that of two alternative value strategies, one based on the PEG ratio and another on the PERG ratio (a magnitude introduced in this article).

Design/methodology/approach

The data used consists of a sample of 100 US companies between January 1975 and September 2002. Portfolios are formed on the basis of different valuation ratios, and their performance is compared in order to determine the best‐performing strategy.

Findings

Portfolios sorted by PERG ratios outperform, on a risk‐adjusted basis, those sorted by both P/E ratios and PEG ratios. This outperformance occurs regardless of whether portfolios are not rebalanced, rebalanced every ten years, or rebalanced every five years.

Research limitations/implications

The sample of stocks is not large. The results could be validated by using a larger sample of US stocks and a longer time period, as well as by using a sample of stocks from several international markets.

Practical implications

The PERG ratio proposed in this article improves on the PEG ratio, adjusting the latter by risk. That, plus the fact that PERG‐based strategies outperform on a risk‐adjusted basis strategies based on both P/Es and PEGs, should make it an attractive tool to add to the arsenal of valuation tools used by analysts.

Originality/value

A new valuation tool is proposed, called the PERG ratio, that adjusts P/E ratios by both growth and risk (or, similarly, PEG ratios by risk).